Cassandra's Challenge (87 page)

“Two months later, on Earth the Regulians begin
their search for the young girl. I’m sure as many of you know,
Regulian technology while more advanced then Earth’s is inferior to
Carinian. They had to be within a hundred feet of the girl for the
thread to transmit. Because of this their search took time, but
they got lucky, and within a month were able to locate the
transmission. In a City called Kayseri, in an arid region of the
Earth, a place where my grandmother, sister-in-law, niece, and I
happened to be visiting.”

“Early one morning my niece was abducted from
the home we were staying in. From a high walled garden, she is
taken.” No one in the Assembly doubts the rage behind Cassandra
voice. “Queen Yakira has questioned what some of my beliefs are so
I’ll tell you what I believe.”

“I believe a child is a precious gift that
should always be protected. That a child has the right to
not
be abducted from her home, from her family, to be
examined
by a strange man, to be threatened and terrorized,
to not have a thread implanted in her arm and be told she will
always be found! That is what
I
believe, but maybe on Carina
your beliefs are different.”

Turning Cassandra walks towards Audric.
“
You
traveled to Earth, abducted my niece terrorized her,
all because you
thought
she might have a birthmark.”

“You can make up whatever stories you want, no
one here believes you. You are nothing but a
refugee
from a
dead planet.” The Assembly is shocked as Cassandra laughs, truly
laughs at Audric. William prepares to move to defend his wife.

“You were born in Messene on Goryn, the son of
servants, would have been one yourself, it hadn’t been for the
‘charity’?” Cassandra questions, “Of Queen Hestia. She took pity on
you after the mysterious deaths of your parents, rumored a
murder-suicide.”

“Queen Hestia had you educated, taught manners,
included you in many Royal functions. Letting you see what it was
like to be the one served, not serving. You
actually
came to
believe it was your right, to be a Royal, when
you
were
nothing. Still are nothing. You can claim no House carry no
birthmark have no family.”

“You know nothing!”

“I know that it was all ending for you, with
Yakira’s upcoming Union to Prince Vane. You were being ignored,
becoming unimportant. You’d been unimportant before you weren’t
going back. So you arranged for a vacation, sort of a last boys
trip for you and Vane, a climbing trip on Messene. Vane was an
excellent climber he was excellent at everything he did, unlike
you.”

“Vane’s death was caused by equipment failure.
It was a…” Audric hesitates.

“Freak accident?” Cassandra raises an eyebrow at
him. “That happens a lot around you. Your parents, Vane, Scholar
Olah, even Prince Vance.” Cassandra hears Yakira suck in her
breath. Yakira looks at her spouse, her eyes flat.

“This is outrageous! You will pay for slandering
me this way!” Audric rises.

“No. You will pay, for what you did to my niece,
to my family, to my planet, to your own. You murdered
seven
billion
people because of a
possibility
. A possibility
that the true Queen was on Earth, you didn’t even
know.
”

“You will never prove it.”

“You’re right.” A gasp goes up from the
Assembly. “
I
won’t.” Turning Cassandra looks at
Victoria.

Everyone watches as the tiny little girl with
long red hair crosses the platform in unusual blue pants. She stops
beside her Aunt.

“What is this!” Audric demands his eyes glaring
at Cassandra.

“This is Victoria Lynn Chamberlain, my
niece.”

“You really expect anyone to take the word of
this
child!”

“I’m not scared of you anymore.” Victoria’s eyes
bore into his, her voice while young is firm. “I used to be, I’d
have nightmares of you coming back, of finding me again, but not
anymore.”

“You took me in the morning and put me on a
table so I couldn’t move. It was bright, so bright it hurt my eyes
but it just outside the light it was dark. And in the dark there
were voices lots of voices. Then you were there, staring at me,
touching me.” The mood in the Assembly is turning Audric can feel
it.

“You can’t possible believe a hysterical child.”
Audric yells at the Assembly.

“Hysterical?” Cassandra looks at Victoria then
back to Audric.

“She’s a
child
, she can’t possibly
remember anything!” Audric doesn’t realize what he’s just admitted
Cassandra does and sees that Yakira does too.

“You were angry, angry at the Regulians.”
Victoria switches to Regulian. “You called them stupid, told them
that I wasn’t the Light, that you wouldn’t honor the agreement.”
Audric pales at what Victoria is saying.

“That’s impossible.”

“What is?” Cassandra asks. “That Victoria not
only
speaks
but
understands
Regulian? I am Qwes, she
is my niece. It took her four days.”

“Not possible.”

“Not for you, but then you’ve never excelled at
anything, have you Audric except death, death and deception.”

“What did she say?” Prince Vance asks looking at
his mother. Cassandra looks at the boy, soon to be man.

“’
You called them stupid, told them that I
wasn’t the Light, that you wouldn’t honor the agreement.’” Queen
Yakira translates.

“Yes.” She nods to Yakira.

“She’s just repeating what you’ve told her, what
you’ve been schooling her on. The child was terrified, she
remembers
nothing
!”

“Do you remember what else you said?” Victoria
asks taking a step towards him.

“I wasn’t there I said nothing.”

“It
was
you. You told the Regulians
they’d have to ‘return me’ because you needed to get back the
Messene before you were missed. You couldn’t go ‘unseen’ much
longer.”

As the Assembly gasps Audric’s eyes start to
‘glitter’.

“I never told anyone what you said, ‘that you’d
find me no matter where I went. That you’d hear me, find me, that I
wouldn’t take
your
light.’ I was too scared, scared of the
Glitter Man. But that was before, before the Admiral and the
Retribution. The Admiral knew what it meant when I told him. And
he
made it right. Dr Bliant took the thread out of my arm so
you couldn’t find me. Me
or
Aunt Cassie because she’s the
one you really wanted. You don’t scare me anymore.”

Cassandra puts herself between her niece and
Audric as he takes a step. “It’s an interesting name isn’t it
‘Glitter Man’. Tori always called you that, because your eyes
‘glittered’ at her. Eyes on Earth don’t do that, eyes on Carina
don’t either for that matter.”

“But on Goryn,” She takes a step towards him.
“One-tenth of one percent of all men has a genetic condition called
Oculus Spangle. When you get angry, your eyes ‘Glitter’ just like
their doing right now. Victoria couldn’t have known that unless
she’d seen it, seven cycles ago.”

“You are nothing! You and that little bitch you
call a niece! I should have killed her when I had the chance!” As
Audric lunges for them the room erupts. Cassandra and Victoria move
as if one taking a quick side step their fathers’ had taught them.
When Audric flies past he faces a wall of angry Zafar men, before
he can turn he finds his arms restrained.

“Get your hands off me! I am Prince Audric!
Guards!” Yakira raises her hand stopping the House of Knowledge
guards.

“Cassandra?” William’s voice is gruff as he
looks at his wife. He’s let her handle this her way, knowing it was
the only way she could heal, that both of them could heal, but it
is taking its toll.

“We’re fine.”

“She’d better have been the best slam in the
universe Zafar because you’re a dead man, you and your entire
family. I will
destroy
you.” The Admiral’s only response is
to twist Audric’s arms tighter. The hall starts to quiet all
wanting to hear what’s being said.

“You’ll will
destroy
nothing else you
pathetic little man.” Cassandra nudges Victoria to Lucas as she
takes a step toward Audric. “You have just confessed to the murder
of nearly seven billion people. Including those previously
mentioned you are responsible for the attacks on the fleet, that’s
nearly another fifteen hundred
Carinian
lives.”

“You have no power here! You can’t try me!”

“No…
.I
can’t.” Cassandra turns to walk to
the front to the Assembly. It is in chaos, some standing some
sitting. Standing there looking at the Royals, the Assemblymen, to
the balconies and the citizens of Carina, she raises her voice to
be heard.

“Audric is correct. I have no power here, in
this place.” The Assembly quiets. “He is Royal by his wife’s
declaration at their wedding. No common court can try him. He has
murdered many from the House of Knowledge making it an ‘internal’
problem. He has murdered seven billion people on a distant planet,
in doing he conspired with the Regulians that makes it a Coalition
problem.” Cassandra looks at Valerian. “But we all know Valerian
will do nothing. Those lives mean nothing to him. All he cares
about is using Audric to kill more Regulians, making him no better
than Audric.” She gives him a disdainful look.

“But with that conspiracy comes a threat to all
Houses, to all Carinians. And
that
makes these crimes the
jurisdiction of
this
Assembly. I ask for vote from the Full
Assembly, present here today, on the guilt of Prince Audric for
High Treason.”

“You can’t do that!” Audric struggles against
William’s hold.

“Princess Cassandra….” Terwilliger begins.

“Guilty.” Cassandra turns surprised to hear
Queen Yakira cast the first vote.

“Guilty.” King Jotham stands casting his
vote.

“Guilty.”

“Guilty.”

“Guilty.”

Cassandra closes her eyes as she hears the vote.
Turning she looks to her husband, to her family.

Terwilliger pounds his gavel on the podium.
“Assembly Guards! Prince Audric has been found guilty of High
Treason.” Terwilliger can’t believe he’s saying this. “Secure him
while the Assembly decides his punishment.” As guards move to take
control of Audric a chant begins in the balconies.

“Death, death, death…” William moves towards
Cassandra his eyes scanning the crowd. This could get ugly
fast.

“Stay close.” He puts an arm around her as she
nods.

“No!” Both turn at the sound of Victoria’s
voice. “No, Aunt Cassie, they can’t!”

“Can’t what?” She kneels down to look into
frantic eyes.

“They can’t kill him.”

“Victoria, I don’t think we have any say in
that.”

“Uncle William! Make them listen to me.” Looking
into crystal green eyes William sees someone older than she should
be.

“Assemblyman Terwilliger.” The Admiral’s voice
booms through the Hall cutting through the maelstrom of noise.

“Admiral Zafar.” Terwilliger acknowledges
him.

“There is someone who would like to speak. I
think we should listen.” Looking to Victoria he steps back.

“My name is Victoria Lynn Chamberlain.” Tori
steps forward undaunted by the crowd in front of her, “That man,”
she points, “Prince Audric, kidnapped me when I was little, killed
my grandfather, my father, my mother and my unborn baby brother. I
think that gives me the right to say what his punishment should be.
Is that not Carinian Law? That a victim can suggest
punishment?”

Terwilliger finds himself caught in that clear
green gaze. “It is.”

“Then I chose Seleucia, on Niue,” A shocked
silence greets her statement. “Where he will be clothed, feed, and
work from sunrise to sunset the rest of his life.” Turning Victoria
looks at Audric. “I hope it is a long, long life.” With one last
look she turns away from Audric and walks to her Aunt and
Uncle.

“Victoria? What is Seleucia?”

“It’s a prison.”

“It’s a very hard prison. Cold, dark, they do
mostly mining. I think you chose well Tori. I’m very proud of you.”
William leans down hugging his daughter.

As the Assemblymen ponder and debate Audric’s
fate, the Admiral leads his family back to their seats.

“How did you learn about Seleucia?” Cassandra
looks at Victoria.

“I happened to hear one of the guards mention it
so I looked it up on the comm.”

“Happened
to overhear?” William
quizzes.

“The door wasn’t shut tight, is that
my
fault?” Those clear green eyes, so old minutes ago are young and
mischievous again.

“No, not your fault, I’ll have to speak with the
Marat on that.” Looking over his shoulder he sees Marat has
heard.

“But if you do that how will I learn
anything
?”

“The old fashion way,” Cassandra tells her.
“You’ll have to ask.”

“Where’s the fun in that.” The pounding of the
gavel ends the conversation.

“Royals, Assemblymen, Citizens of Carina. The
Assemblymen have voted on the punishment to be given to Prince
Audric for High Treason. The vote was unanimous. Seleucia, for
life.”

“No! You can’t do that! I am a PRINCE!” Audric
shouts as guards force him out of the Assembly Hall.

“Princess Cassandra, would you rise.” Cassandra
looks to William, only he sees the question in her eyes, as she
rises.

“This Assembly, indeed all of Carina, is in your
debt for you bring this matter to our attention.” Terwilliger gives
her a slight bow.

“With all due respect Assemblyman Terwilliger,
I…we’d much rather have our family back than be in your debt. But
that isn’t possible, so we’ll accept in the spirit it is
given.”