by L M Lacee
That seemed to be the end of the discussion as far as everyone was concerned. Peyton smiled as she looked at Netta, her sister was far deeper than she liked people to know. Melody raised her glass and said. ‘Well okay, as we have that settled. Let’s git this party going.’
Peyton griped. ‘Seriously, what did she say?’
Darby shook her head as she passed her a glass of her favorite beer. ‘Female, just drink and shut up.’
‘Well no need to get snarky.’
‘Impossible female.’
FOUR:
It had been a weken since the joining ceremony and the two couples had settled into the Hex as if they had been together forever. Peyton sort of missed all the sneaking around Brenda and Marlo had indulged in, trying to keep their relationship quiet. Now they were like an old married couple. Of course she would never say that out loud, once was enough for any lifetime.
Today, as with most morns, she was up early, usually because Rayvan or Drayken or both of them woke her by wiggling into her bed for early morn cuddles. Eventually the pressure of the day called loudly and while the boys showered together she grabbed quick one for herself.
After first-meal they went to her office, where the boys could play and she could catch up on any work left over from the day before. At least until someone came to take both boys for a mid-morn snack and nap.
Several hours later after the boys had left, Peyton stretched and looked around her office. Rayvan and Drayken were still gone, and her stomach gave a loud gurgling noise, letting her know it had been a long time since first-meal. She shut her new upgraded comp’ down and walked into Penny’s office, speaking before she entered.
‘Penny, I am going to second-meal do you know what I did with my son or…’ She looked around when there was no reply, and discovered there was no Penny.
‘Where has she gone?’ She muttered as she started out of the office, almost running into Miko, who was just entering. She and Penny had become friends and often had second-meal together.
‘Miko, are you here to see Penny?’
‘No Madam. Have you lost Rayvan again?’
‘Lost is a relative term, don’t you think?’
‘No, I do not think it is.’
‘Oh, well, I am sure he is with his Grammies.’
‘But you do not know for sure?’
‘Miko, what is it you need from me, other than cross-examining my parental skills?’
Peyton hid her grin, a few luneras ago this discussion would not have gone this way. But with Penny and Jean’s close friendship and having the responsibility as Chief Laroro for Maikonia, Miko’s shyness was almost a thing of the past. She was more secure in who she was and her place in her world.
With a quick look around and seeing they were still alone, Miko snapped open her tablet and showed Peyton the message. Peyton quickly scanned it, then mentally ran through every curse word she knew in several languages as her face became serious. An unusual expression for her these days.
‘Aww tuap. Sorry, Miko.’
‘Understandable.’
Peyton rubbed her eyes as she explained. ‘I did not think they would pay. Well, I guess I am going on a road trip.’
Miko said with a slight smile. ‘I actually know what that means.’
Peyton returned her smile, but it did not reach her eyes. ‘Thank you Miko,’ she said even softer, ‘Remember this remains between us?’
‘Yes Madam.’
Peyton returned to her office as Miko left. ‘Comp’ on.’
Greetings Madam.
‘Greetings comp’, how are you today?’
I am well and you.
‘I was doing okay.’
What can I help you with?
‘Secret codes and stuff.’
Continue if you please Madam…
Peyton shook her head in amusement; her comp’ was becoming very friendly. This recent one was quite charming, she liked him or it a lot.
‘Okay, it seems those people we do not talk about, dayam well paid.’
It did seem most unlikely.
‘Yeah, so please send the code, paid.’
I am complying with your request...
‘22:00 hours tonight.’
I am relaying the time as we speak…
‘Thank you comp.’
Now it was time to find her three yenta old and explain why his mother was leaving him for a day or two.
FIVE:
Twenty-four excited females between the ages of twenty- and twenty-six yentas old, were escorted into court by their parents. Everyone wore the latest court fashion, these were the families from twenty-four of the highest jewel houses of Patamoglian.
All the females wore the traditional coronet which should have been unadorned, as was custom when attending the Emperor’s court. Except this day, every one of the twenty-four females and their mothers had intertwined their hair with the jewels of their houses.
There were jewels Peyton had never seen before, they sparkled with a brilliance that tried desperately to outshine their neighbors. Obviously it was a symbol of status, she assumed the more expensive the jewels, the more superior the house. It was impossible not to miss the expensive jewels the females of house Pentamogyte wore, they were large and colorful. It appeared the report she had of the house’s status was true, their standing appeared to have increased over the yentas. Peyton’s anger intensified when the daughter from House Pentamogyte looked toward her and waved, as if they were old friends. Her informant reported that the daughter, in fact all the twenty-four daughters from the selected houses, thought they were there to be chosen as Peyton’s ladies-in-waiting. At any other time, Peyton would have been amused at another similarity to Earth, but not today.
After a little research, she discovered there were several differences to the position of lady-in-waiting held by females on this world, compared to the females on Earth. Peyton had been told these female’s believed if they were chosen to be her lady-in-waiting, they would hold a similar position to the one enjoyed by the lady- in-waiting to the Empress. Apparently it was as good as being the Empress herself or Star Daughter in Peyton’s case. The power that they could weld with the title was, to her way of thinking, frightening. It had annoyed her when she first read of their beliefs. Now, as she sat here, she grew outraged to think they assumed she was here to select them for her court.
It was as though the incident with Willian had never happened or was of no consequence. Surely their parents understood why she was here, at least the parents of the daughter from house Pentamogyte should know. Yet the way they were behaving, it was as if they too had dismissed Willian from their thoughts.
Looking down from her balcony, the scene laid out before her reminded her of a pic she had seen in a book as a child. The birds had large tail feathers, and were amazingly colorful, her grandfather had told her the birds showed their power and wealth when they spread their feathers. She thought back on that book now and saw the birds for what they were with all their pretty displays of power and arrogance, they were still just birds. And that is what she saw here, all this pomp and ceremony bespoke of a pretty display of power, of wealth, but with nothing to back it up with. The real intelligence, the real power lay at the top and it did not seem to have filtered down to the Houses. No matter what it looked like.
By removing the Warriors from the world, she had removed the back bone from the families and Houses. Now they fawned around the court, showing off to each other with their finely cut jewels and clothes. The more elaborate they dressed the more superior they felt to each other and yet the air was rife with the stench of desperation.
The pageantry of the people who entered the court made Peyton and her people seem downright dowdy in comparison. She did not see what the people of Patamagolian saw when they dared to glance at her and her people. Power and strength encased in blue shirts and black trousers, overlaid with long lightweight purple coats. The only difference was she had chosen a black coat which showed o
ff her silver hair and Star Crystal.
When she and her people had assembled to come to the planet, she had smiled thinking they all looked like old-fashioned gunslingers from one of Melody’s western vids. Especially as they all carried swords, knives and blasters, and as she sat waiting for the Emperor to arrive. She looked at her people and thought they still looked like gunslingers.
SIX:
Darby looked down on the court, it was like being surrounded at a festival with lights and color. With the arrival of the twenty-four daughters, a party atmosphere seemed to have pervaded the courtroom.
She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat and squeezed her hands together, wondering for the thousandth time why she was here. She should have refused to come, and could have, when they were at home. Peyton had been arguing with Marlo about him and Brenda going. Right then, she could have stepped up and said, I am not going. Then again, when Jarrod, Heather and Harm arrived, but she had not, and now she sat here terrified, angered and wishing she was home. Honor was not even with her. None of them had allowed their bonded to come, and she missed Draykin. She should not be here.
Then she looked over at Heather, who turned slowly and looked at her. In her eyes she saw the same memory she had of Peyton standing at the end of the regen, looking at Willian’s back for the first time. She sighed and returned the small nod Heather gave her, realizing like her she was here for Willian and Peyton. But truthfully, she knew she was here for herself as much as she wished it wasn’t so, to finish this cycle. To lay it to rest for once and for all, if she could.
The air buzzed with murmurs of excitement, each time someone looked toward the area that Peyton and her people were seated in. They were escorted into court by an older male who showed them to the second tier which ran around the whole room overlooking the court. The seats on the opposite side to them remained empty, Netta had caused a commotion when issuing that order to the male. After a few mins of consternation and hurried comms, someone of authority agreed to her demands. Perhaps they realized to complain would not have gone well for them or the world, and looking at Peyton, Darby could only agree.
The raised dais where the royal family would sit took up the entire front of the court. There was terraced seating at the rear and sides for the court spectators, which there were plenty of.
Netta looked around the room, estimating there were about five thousand people jammed into the seats. This building was very reminiscent of the old churches from Earth’s past with the high ceilings and long narrow windows that looked out onto a sky of yellow. It seemed to her the further they were from Earth, the more some places looked the same. Although Earth never looked like this world. The planet looked like a beautiful jewel from orbit, a yellow diamond in the sky. It was definitely a world one wished to explore for days. Sadly, none of them would be doing that. They had come here for one reason only. Justice for Willian.
SEVEN:
Shortly after they arrived in orbit the previous night, Peyton received a special delivery. It was as she expected, a vid of the incident involving Willian; she had decided to watch it the following morn, unable to view it before sleeping. Unfortunately, that had not been a good idea as she had slept poorly.
Early this morn she finally decided to get the viewing over with, but before she could load it onto her comp’. Her family arrived and any protests she made fell on deaf ears. Marlo had pleaded with Brenda not to view the vid which she had acquiesced to. In fact, if he could have, he would have stopped all the females from seeing it, but he had not been able to dissuade any of them from doing so.
Sadness at what they saw made his heart heavy. He and Peyton were the only ones to make it through the whole vid, and he stayed where he was only because of her. When it ended, his voice was huskier more than usual as he asked. ‘What do you do with this?’
She turned eyes filled with flames on him, he managed to stop himself from flinching. ‘I have no idea.’ She stood saying. ‘I need to shower.’
Taking that as a dismissal, Marlo walked to the door but before he left he said quietly. ‘What I love about you is your humanity. Sweet girl, don’t lose that, not for this, not because of them.’
She did not reply as she closed the door to her bedroom. With a heavy heart and a sigh of regret, he left her cabin, only to find the rest of his family waiting for him. He pulled all four females into his large arms and stared at the males. ‘We can only hope my family.’
‘She will be alright. I have faith in her.’ Melody told them.
Dinas agreed. ‘As do we.’
‘She promised to fight.’ Darby quietly told them.
EIGHT:
Originally Peyton had wanted to arrive on the planet immediately after first-meal. But after her shower where she spent time reinforcing her promise to herself and Darby. As she struggled to regain control of her anger by once more pushing her desire to burn the planet from existence down deep into the pit of her stomach. She emerged from her cleansing room to a comm from the new Ambassador named Parkern. Requesting on behalf of his Emperor that she delay her arrival until mid-morn, relieved she had more time to find her balance she quickly agreed to wait. Before he disconnected the new Ambassador assured her, Ambassador Ikiern had been removed from office, It seemed the new Emperor had found him wanting, especially after learning of the Empresses insincere apology, offered through the former Ambassador.
Unbeknownst to Peyton, at the same time she and her people were struggling to get through first-meal. The new Emperor of Patamoglian was entering his home, or what would become his home in the near future. He stood just outside the royal receiving room and listened to his wife admit to a betrayal of the worse kind.
The Empress Iirtha Patamogol stormed around her beautifully decorated receiving room. Her two children, the heirs apparent, her daughter Amera and her only son Wentur, the youngest of her four children, sat and cringed as their mother’s voice reached another octave.
The heirs on Patamoglian were based on genetics, anyone who had a close or almost identical codex to the original Patamoglian settlers could become the Emperor or Empress. As Iirtha’s husband Phantor, the third son from four had become the Emperor on the death of his father two luneras ago.
As she stormed around the room her children witnessed what it meant to be powerful as once again the Empress of Patamoglian entered one of her tempers, which she was renowned for. She screeched at her brother. ‘What do you mean she would not accept the apology? Did you deliver it exactly as I told it to you?’
Her brother Ikiern raised a mocking eyebrow at her tone and volume. ‘Yes little sister exactly, word for word. Which is probably why she felt she had the right to refuse it? She wants to meet you face to face, I did warn you that if you gave into her demands for credits, her sort would exploit the opportunity. You should have let me recruit the Assaen to end her life. Then we would not have this problem. Now when everything is coming to fruition.’
‘Yes… yes.’ She dramatically threw her arms wide. ‘So you have said time and time again. Let it be Ikiern.’
With a smirk, he pushed her a little more for the enjoyment of being able to do so, and for no other reason. Because listening to his sister screech was not enjoyable for anyone, so why he did so was a puzzle.
‘I am after all, your Ambassador, Iirtha.’
She scowled at him, making sure that lines did not appear on her forehead as sarcasm dripped from every word she threw his way. ‘Stop pouting Ikiern, we have to fix this now, not complain because I did not listen to your wise words. Preferably before Phantor returns, otherwise we will have larger problems than one trumped up scallut pretending to be the Star Daughter arriving here.’
With shock lacing his voice, he asked. ‘Surely Phantor is not returning, you have had him taken care of. Was it not to be in his sleep?’ He glared at her as he demanded. ‘Did Mama not clarify that it was to appear like a heart stoppage?’
Iirtha twisted away from the view of the city below her and si
ghed dramatically as she stated. ‘Yes she did, I am being careful that is all. There should be no problem; I used the skinny male you sent to me from the Assaen family. He said he knew exactly what to do. So stop growling at me as if I am a servant. It is all taken care of, and when the time comes, we will all...’
She glared at her children. ‘Appear heart saddened and devastated at the death of your father and my beloved husband. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?’
‘Yes Mama.’ Her delightful children chorused as she bestowed a smile on them for being so very dearle to her.
Ikiern rubbed his hands together as he looked out the balcony doors, at the mountains that hid the sea from his eyes. He was tired of playing the Ambassador and dancing to Iirtha’s tune. Even if he enjoyed the power he wielded and the female’s adulation that came with the position. Once his demented sister’s husband was declared dead he would have her and her brats taken care of, and he and his family would take their rightful place as rulers of Patamagolian.
He had the Genea, who had forged the codex documents for his sister’s children, to do the same for his parents. It had cost them an extensive amount of their fortune, but it stated that they had enough of the codex to declare them legal inheritors of the Empire. They would have the Genea silenced, and the fortune returned just as soon as his parents were on the throne and his sister along with her brats dead.
He turned to Iirtha and asked. ‘So we have nothing to worry about…’
His words died in his throat as his hearts skipped a beat, when the Emperor, his three brothers and two daughters entered. Phantor threw his overcoat onto a chair as he stormed into the room.