"Perhaps I could simply scalp the mark off my head and hand the bloody pelt over to you. I sense it is the only thing you are actually interested in.” Her face sprouted a nasty smile as if the visual he painted amused her.
"Oh, Crag, you don't frighten me. Pout all you want. The sooner you let me have my way, the sooner you can be at my beck and call. And don't presume I'll ever let you visit that earthling if she decides to stay."
"What will persuade you?"
"Nothing. I should have been queen by now. In fact, by life partnering with you, I'm already settling for a lesser position. But I can't very well life partner with the new future king. He's already life partnered to your little sister, Tessa.” Her eyes were bright with anger at her perceived slight in the royal house.
"Now, if Kyle were to become available in the next two weeks, why then, I'll drop my pretext for you, but then something terrible would have to happen to your sister."
Crag overlooked the inference of his sister's demise when he heard the unexpected time frame of two weeks. “What do you mean two weeks? There is no time limit to prove her worth."
"Oh, didn't I mention the other stipulation? I'm allowed to choose the date of my life partnership with you. If it had been up to me, I'd have you in front of an Elder right this moment. I have chosen two weeks, as it is the very minimum stipulated in the scrolls. That's how long you have to prove your earthling is of noble birth, or you will be forced to life partner with me. With or without your consent.” She smiled sweetly.
"If we end up officially life partners, you will not be happy. I guarantee it,” he said in a low, dangerous voice.
"Do not threaten me. You will life partner with me, and you will make me happy. I command it."
* * * *
Crag stepped onto the departure platform containing the only woman who would ever hold his heart. He was not allowed to go to Earth with Ellie. Lena was afraid he wouldn't come back and promptly petitioned the queen. He suspected Elsbeth had her doubts as well, which sealed his fate to remain on Tiburon. Ultimately, he couldn't, in good conscience, blame them.
"I'll miss you,” Ellie said simply. He took her hand in his and kissed her fingertips. He then leaned down and kissed her belly, saying a silent good-bye to his child.
"Hurry back,” he told her when he rose again. “Take care of her, Barton,” he said, turning to the healer who volunteered to go back to Earth.
Barton inadvertently told Lena about Ellie. The knowledge of another earthling being in residence eventually gave Lena the idea to go to the scrolls for her revenge. Crag was especially touched by the healer's generous offer because he knew first hand how much Barton hated to travel through the spatial tunnels.
"Believe me, I will. Earth is a nice enough place to visit, but I hate the space travel, you know. It makes me sleepy."
"Yes, I know. Thank you again for your sacrifice.” He turned to Ellie. “Here is a missive to give to Keller. He can help you once you're back on Earth. It will explain the proof we need, and when you find out you are in fact a princess, he can send back a witness statement verifying what I already know. You are better than any princess on Tiburon."
"Okay.” Her voice trembled, and her eyes welled up with tears.
It was time for her to go, before he did something drastic.
* * * *
"Mama, please, I need to know who my father is. I really need to know!” Ellie's impassioned voice was sincere. Keller watched Ellie's mother closely to assess her willingness to give them the information they requested. The distasteful look her mother displayed didn't bode well for them. He'd witnessed his students react the same way when he asked for homework assignments they had not yet completed.
"Well, gosh sakes. I don't see you for years, and you burst in here asking questions I told you I'd never answer.” Gladys Granger glanced suspiciously at her and Barton. Ellie had introduced them as friends of her fiancé. She'd explained how Crag Tyler, her new fiancé, had to work and couldn't come in person.
Keller tried to be as non-threatening as possible, which was difficult since he had to duck to enter the abode. Barton seemed annoyed with the entire situation as he tried to stay awake. Ellie had arrived with Barton the night before. After reading the missive from Crag, Keller took the day off from work to assist Ellie in her mission to discover the identity of her father.
Crag's missive begged him to find a nobility link in Ellie's family. Keller had never before heard Crag beg ... not for anything.
"Why is it so gall darn important after all this time, anyway? Your fiancé should love you no matter who your daddy is."
"He does love me, mama, but we have a right to know. It's for ... um ... medical reasons. We want to ensure our kids will be healthy.” Ellie had told him earlier she thought it was a lame excuse. Keller didn't have the heart to tell her he agreed with her assessment. Gladys was not likely to tell them what they wanted to know. He could sense her resistance.
"Kids! You're already worried about kids? Do you have a bun in the oven already? Is that what this is all about?” Gladys asked, sporting an overly inquisitive expression. Her look traveled across the small space to Ellie's mid-section. Ellie's hands already rested against her lower stomach in a protective gesture. Keller suspected she did this unconsciously because Gabrielle had done the same thing while gestating his children.
Ellie breathed out a long sigh. Her mother was not going to cooperate. Keller decided then and there she was right. They'd wasted a trip here. He looked around. Perhaps they could glean a clue to help them with their impossible quest.
They needed a name to continue their search. Then they'd have to find him in person, if he was still alive, and keep him distracted for several minutes while Barton ran a scanner over him to assess his DNA and compare it to Ellie's. Then he'd have to be someone remotely important. Keller already thought of ways to inflate the status of whichever man her mother named, even if he turned out to be a homeless man residing at one of the shelters in the city. Would King of the Shelters perhaps sway the Council of Elders?
"Are you going to tell me who my father is or not?” Ellie sported a look of pure aggravation. Keller suspected it wouldn't do her any good.
"Not. Look at me, Eleanor. I'm not able to attract men as easily as I used to, so I need those checks I get to survive. Don't you understand? If I tell you and you go find him, then the checks stop. I won't risk it. It's better for everyone if we keep this laid to rest. Where it should be. He'd never admit it to you, anyway."
"I don't care if he admits it. Besides, why would your welfare checks stop if you tell me who my dad is? I'm twenty eight years old, mama."
"I believe I know how old you are, Eleanor, and besides, I never said I got welfare checks!"
"Well, what checks are you getting then?"
"I'm not saying.” Gladys did a tick-a-lock gesture over her mouth to indicate she had thrown away the key. Ellie rolled her eyes, presumably at the dramatics, as Keller smiled inwardly.
"Please,” Ellie said in the most heart wrenching voice he'd ever heard. Keller thought surely her mother would break down after hearing the utter despair in Ellie's voice. He would have caved in by now.
"No, you've wasted your time. And them two tall fellers don't scare me none, either."
"We wouldn't try to scare you, ma'am. If you tell us who Ellie's father is, we don't plan to hunt him down or anything. It's more of an informational quest,” Keller responded carefully.
"Don't matter. That secret was long ago put to rest. I swore I'd never tell anyone, and believe you me, if I didn't tell my daddy way back when, I'm certainly not going to tell you now."
The night before, Ellie had told Keller and Gabrielle that her maternal grandfather died when she was two. She never knew him or remembered him. She said the pictures of him showed a tall, gruff looking man who hadn't been happy about Ellie's birth. He'd been a farmer, as had his father and his father before him. No prince or royalty or politician or even a captai
n of industry going back for several generations on her mother's side to denote a noble birth.
"Mama..."
"No, go on. Stay as long as you want, but I'm not saying another word on the subject.” She then turned her focus to the men seated on the sagging sofa. “Where are you two from anyway? Are you foreigners or somethin'?"
"Something like that, yes, although I'm a citizen of your country now."
"Did you have to take a test?” Gladys pierced him with a stare.
"No. I ... uh ... married to attain my status of citizen."
"Is that what you're doing for your man, Eleanor? Are you marrying him so he can be one of us? I don't think that's legal."
"No, I love him. Once we marry, we'll be living far away in his country. It's likely I'll never see you again."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, so will you please tell me who my father is before I go?"
"No, and don't be asking again. You're beginning to get me riled up.” Gladys turned and left the three of them in the small living room. Ellie hung her head in frustration.
Keller noticed an ornately framed picture of Gladys as a young woman hanging on the wall. On other walls, every square inch of space was covered with pictures and knick-knacks, but this one wall only held the single enlarged picture of Ellie's mother as a young campaign volunteer.
The photo showed her shaking hands with a young, up and coming councilman running for office. The councilman looked to be in his early twenties. His proud parents stood clearly in the background of the portrait. Keller knew the young councilman shaking hands with Ellie's mother as the current governor of the state. Perhaps it was possible to narrow their paternity choices given what Gladys treasured.
"Ellie, this picture, is it important to your mother?"
"Oh, yeah. Whatever you do, don't breathe on it. She dusts that stupid thing three times a day.” Ellie paced back and forth in the small living room.
"Why do you suppose she does that?” Keller turned his gaze to her and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Well, she was always into politics, from way back in her teenage years. She volunteered to help with Governor Bailey's first run at the councilman's position. She's always been a big supporter of his all throughout his career. She said he's the only candidate...” And the implication Keller had just thought of registered on her face. They could still be mistaken, but at this point, it was Ellie's best hope given their limited time frame and lack of other realistic choices.
"I think it's a possibility I should have considered long ago. I never thought my mother was in love with the councilman or anything. She said he was honest for a politician, but I've never known her to drool over him."
"Sometimes the simplest explanations are the hardest to see,” Keller said. He focused on the portrait with the promising feeling they were staring at Ellie's father.
"I'll call a friend I know at the University. He's a good friend of the Governor. I'll see if I can get us in to meet him. I'll say Barton is a big fan."
"What?” Barton said, startled into waking up from his nap on the sofa.
After twenty minutes and a couple of traded phone calls, Keller realized things were never as simple as they seemed. There were always insurmountable obstacles to one's most ardent and heartfelt goals.
This particular obstacle being that the governor was completely unavailable.
* * * *
"What do you think of this color for the traditional binding cord at our life partner ceremony?” Crag looked up to see Lena crossing the space of his office with a burgundy colored fabric in her hands. She'd come in every day for a week with some foolish questions regarding their ceremony. He didn't respond, as had been his silent answer to all her silly questions all week. He turned back to his reports pointedly and ignored her.
"It will be the event of the season, of course.” She came around the side of his desk. The too strong fragrance of her perfume overwhelmed him and made him slightly ill. He jerked up when she laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Do not touch me.” It was all he could do not to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. He'd do it if he thought it would rattle some sense in to her. Crag knew it was wasted energy.
"In one short week, we'll be touching lips, Crag. You should start getting used to my touch."
"No, thanks.” Crag held on to the memories of being wrapped around Ellie in sublime pleasure. Even being near Lena was becoming abhorrent to him.
"You're being difficult when you should be grateful I'm interested in you."
Crag couldn't help the laughter, which bubbled up through him unexpectedly. “Keep thinking like that, Lena. It will get you nowhere."
"You should accept your fate."
"Should I? I'll return the same advice to you. Get used to living your life without me. I fully expect Ellie to be my life mate. However, if you force me to life partner with you, I'll never touch you. It's not a requirement."
"You won't last without my touch,” she sneered and then exited the room in a royal snit.
Again Crag laughed out loud at the ludicrous notion Lena convinced herself was the truth. He had memories enough to sustain him. He'd never want Lena's lips. Ever.
He sobered up quickly, and a familiar thought ran through his mind. His temper flared uncontrollably each time Lena strolled into his office. His displeasure overrode his responsibilities to a higher degree as time moved forward.
Crag had an idea he wanted to explore. He looked for a sign to act on the scheme he dwelled on.
A singular loud rap at his door knocked the secret plan back in to the deep recesses of his mind again, where it belonged. Lena better not be at the door again. He braced himself, latching his hands onto the edge of the desk to keep them from automatically going in to choke mode should it be Lena again.
"Enter."
"A message for you, sir,” said Crag's Chief Officer, popping his head in.
"Who is it from?” he asked, happy not to be fending off Lena.
The Chief Officer cleared his throat before answering. “The House of Grayson, sir."
The House of Grayson was Sybille's family. He accepted the document warily. There was a small note attached from Sybille's sister.
It read, ‘This message was found in Sybille's effects. She wanted you to have it after her death.'
Crag paused a moment to center himself before he read the note from his long lost life partner:
My dearest Crag,
I write this to you on our ceremony day. I want you to know how grateful I am you agreed to life partner with me. I know you were reluctant initially to take a life partner so early in life. I also know you do not have a great burning desire for me as I do for you, but I promise to love you enough for the both of us while we are together.
If you are reading this, then I am gone from this life. However much time we had together, I want you to know I loved you each and every day.
Please don't blame yourself for merely being my lifelong friend and partner. I know you would have gone to the ends of the world for me. I know you loved me, my dearest Crag, in all the ways that matter most.
If you are young, go on with your life and do not mourn me at length. If you are old, I'll see you in the after life.
Sybille, on the happiest day I have ever experienced.
Crag found he had to take a breath. Memories of his sweet Sybille flashed through him. He had to take another lungful of air to keep his emotions in check. He read the note again and sighed deeply with a smile on his face. If this wasn't a sign, he didn't know what qualified.
The random scandalous thought that circulated in his head earlier and had been delegated to the dark recesses of his mind came back with a vengeance. It wouldn't leave no matter how hard he tried. Perhaps he was fated to follow his heart.
"Chief Officer, would you have time to join me for dinner? I have a proposition to run by you."
"Certainly, sir."
* * * *
"He's where?” Ell
ie asked in astonishment. They stood outside her mother's trailer in the Happy Valley Trailer Park after Keller had tried unsuccessfully to get an audience with the Governor.
Dogs barked ferociously in the yard next door. Children played in the grassy fenced space across the street. Barton dozed in the back seat of Keller's car. They could hear him snoring through the window he'd left open for fresh air.
Keller snapped his cell phone shut and pocketed it. He didn't look happy. “Governor Bailey is at a summit meeting for disaster relief. He won't be back for five days, which is the day before you and Barton must leave to arrive in time for the Council of Elders meeting."
"Well, we only need ten minutes with him. It's still doable.” Ellie clung to her very last, desperate hope. The governor would see them, and coincidentally he would also be her father. Easy.
"It also largely depends on if I can get an appointment on his first day back after an absence. I've been told not to expect this to occur. But even if we sit in his office and wait or sneak in and tie him to his chair for Barton to examine him, there is still another problem."
"What?” Ellie sighed. She bore up for more bad news and wondered what her capacity was. Pretty soon, she'd just melt into a puddle, unable to take one more negative reality.
"If Governor Bailey isn't your father...” Keller's voice trailed off to the inevitable bad news that scenario would represent. The problem was clear. There wouldn't be time to search for any other candidates.
"Right, well, if he isn't, then it won't matter. I don't have any other brilliant ideas of who he could possibly be. My mother isn't going to talk unless you know any forms of torture."
Keller smiled indulgently. “Not any that I'd be willing to demonstrate on your mother. It probably wouldn't work on her anyway.” He smiled again with sadness this time. “I'm sorry, Ellie."
"Don't be. I appreciate all you've done for me thus far."
"What will you do if the governor isn't your father? Will you go back to Tiburon anyway and live?"
"No, it would be too painful. I won't watch from the outside of a life I can't participate in. It would be ... well, agonizing for me to see Crag every day and never be able to talk to him or...” She lowered her head unable to continue. Keller didn't say anything. He merely patted her on the back in understanding and allowed her tears to fall without chastisement.
Just One Embrace [The Tiburon Duet, Book 2] Page 12