Jacinda's Challenge (Imperial 3) (30 page)

Since Stephan's death, Danton had taken his roll of first son very seriously. He made sure he checked on her, by calling her or stopping in. And while she appreciated it, he needed to understand she was still going to live her life. A life she hoped included Jotham.

Before she could speak, Pittaluga arrived with their coffee and a plate of sweets.

"Here you are."

"Oh, Mister Pittaluga, you spoil me." Jacinda looked at the plate with all her favorite bites and several of Danton's too.

"Impossible, Madame. Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"Yes. I'm going to need several pounds of your wonderful coffee blend for my sister before I go."

"I will see to it." Smiling Pittaluga bowed slightly then left them.

"Danton. I love you. You are my first male, but you are not my keeper. Not even your father was that."

"Mother..."

"Let me finish." Danton immediately snapped his mouth shut, even at his age that certain 'mother's tone' still worked. "Your father was my life mate and I miss him immensely, but he would no more want me to stop living my life than I would want him to if the situation were reversed."

"But..."

"But nothing." She knew she had to start broaching this subject with Danton even if it made him uncomfortable. "What that means is that I'm going to live and enjoy my life, and if that involves seeing other men, then I am and you're just going to have to deal with it."

"Mother!"

"You see women don't you, Danton?"

"Of course, but that's different."

"Why?"

"Because it just is! The thought of you..." Danton's face began to turn red.

"Of me?" Jacinda knew exactly what he was thinking, but was going to make him say it.

"Mom, you can't possibly be thinking of seriously becoming involved with someone other than Dad!"

"Why not?"

"Because Dad was your life mate."

"Yes, and no one could ever replace him, but that doesn't mean I can't fall in love again, that I can't share my life with someone else."

"I just never considered it." Danton took a deep sip from the cup in front of him. "It's going to take some getting used to." He set his cup down and gave her a hard look. "I also want to approve anyone you might be thinking of seeing."

Jacinda looked at him in shock, then began to chuckle. "You want to 'approve' my dates?"

"Yes. You don't know the kind of men that are out there, Mom. You've been protected all your life.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “I know exactly what kind of men are ‘out’ there. I have been on ‘dates’ since your father died, Danton.”

“What?” Danton’s eyes widened in shocked. “How? Who? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it was none of your business, it was mine. All you need to know is that
I
know what is right for
me
.” She slid the plate of treats toward him "Now have one of Pittaluga's pastries."

Still slightly shocked, Danton reached out, chose his favorite pastry and bit into it.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"Thank you, Mister Pittaluga. You will add this to my account?"

"Of course, Madame Michelakakis," Pittaluga held out the bags to her. "There are two individual bags of coffee in your bags."

"I'll take those." Danton took the bags. "Thank you, Mister Pittaluga."

"Always a pleasure, Assemblyman Michelakakis." Bowing slightly, he turned to greet another customer.

"Do you need a lift home?" Danton looked at his wrist unit and knew he would be pushing it, but he didn't want his mother to have to use a jitney.

"No, my transport is just around the corner. I have a little more shopping to do, so I'll just drop off the bags in it." She paused to pull her ringing comm out of her shoulder bag. Seeing Jotham's code she silenced it, not wanting to speak to him on the street and in front of Danton.

"You have your new transport already?" Danton frowned watching her silence her comm.

"Yes, apparently Mister Taggs was able to obtain one sooner than he expected." She started walking again.

"Then my call to him did some good," Danton nodded satisfied.

"You called him?" Jacinda bit her lip, knowing it was Jotham's call that made the difference.

"Yes, I know you told me to let you handle it, but I hated the thought of you without a way to get around."

"Thank you, Danton." She stopped next to her transport unlocking and opening the back door so he could set her packages inside."

"So you're sending coffee to Aunt Palma now?"

"No, I'm actually going to Kisurri later this week."

"You are?"

"Yes." She looked down as her comm rang again with Jotham's code and frowned, why was he calling again?

"Why?"

"Hmmm," Danton’s question brought her back to the present. Silencing the call, she looked to Danton. "Oh, because I was invited. I'll be gone about a week. I was going to call and tell you tonight so you wouldn't think I'd 'disappeared' again."

"Disappeared?" It was Danton’s turn to frown.

"Yes, that's what Madame Nitzschke is telling everyone."

"I'm sorry, Mother. I was just worried. Myesha was gone and she was there."

"Yes, well, Myesha is going to be there off and on while I'm gone, but feel free to check in on her if you want," she teased.

"You think I won't?"

"I know you will, Danton. Myesha is a part of the family. I just don't want you to be concerned if she isn't there. I'll ask her to either call you or leave a note if she goes to visit her children."

"I'd appreciate that because you're right, she is part of the family." Danton looked at his wrist unit. "I have to go, Mom, or I'll be late for my meeting."

"Go." Jacinda kissed his cheek. "I'll talk to you when I get back."

Jacinda watched Danton walk away, proud of the man he'd become then slipped into her transport to return Jotham's call.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"Where have you been?" Jotham demanded answering her call on the second ring.

Jacinda was surprised by the abruptness of his words. "I was out shopping and didn't want to talk to you on the street. What's wrong?"

"There's been a development and I need to leave for Kisurri tonight."

"Oh." She tried not to be disappointed. She hadn't realized how much she had been looking forward to spending time with Jotham.

"I know it's rushing you, but can you be ready to leave by nine?"

"You still want me to go with you?"

"Of course! I could handle some things over the comm if you need more time, but we'd still need to leave by the rising of the first sun."

"You'd do that?" Jacinda sat there unable to hide the disbelieving look on her face. "Delay an important trip? For me?"

"I would, but I can only delay for so long." He looked away to take something handed to him by Chesney, she assumed, and she noticed the fatigue around his eyes.

"Did you get
any
sleep last night?" she asked quietly.

"No." He wrote on what was given to him, then handed it back.

"I'll be at the Palace as soon as I can. No later than eight." She knew she would have to rush, but anything she forgot she could purchase in Kisurri.

"Really?" Jotham's eyes shot back to her in disbelief.

"On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You try and get some rest between now and then."

"I can only promise to try."

"Don't make me come over there and force you."

"You're going to put me to bed?" Jotham found he was grinning at the thought, and knew he wouldn't be getting any rest if she did.

"Get that look off your face, Jotham Tibullus." Jacinda fought her own grin. "That was supposed to be a threat."

"It wasn't a very good one."

"I can see that." She watched something else get handed to him. "You're obviously busy and I have a lot I need to accomplish if I'm going to be there on time, so I'm going to disconnect and get to it."

"Do you need me to send someone over to assist you? I'm sure Chesney can..."

"I'm sure Chesney has more than enough to do assisting you. I'll be fine." She quickly reassured him. "I'll see you when I get there. Try to get some rest."

With that, she quickly disconnected.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"Jacinda Michelakakis, what is going on?" Myesha unzipped yet another piece of luggage for her to pack.

"What are you talking about, Myesha?" She pulled out yet another outfit that, while formal, wasn't too formal to pack. "I told you I was going to Kisurri, I'm just going a few days earlier than planned."

"Yet you are packing the way you used to when Stephan was alive, and you knew what you wore reflected not only on him but on the House of Protection."

Jacinda paused, looking at her friend uncertainly. "I am?"

"Yes. Why are you really going to Kisurri?"

Jacinda slowly walked over to the bed. She carefully folded and put the outfit in the luggage before sitting down on the bed. "I'm not going by myself, Myesha," she quietly confided.

"I could tell that. What I can't figure out is why all the secrecy." Myesha sat next to her long-time friend. "We used to talk about everything."

"I know, but this is... unexpected and complicated..."

"Jacinda, you are starting to scare me." Myesha took her hand and squeezed it. "You were the wife of one of the most influential Assemblymen in the history of the House of Protection. You set the standard for grace, style, and what an Assemblyman's wife should be. Now you're acting as if you have to somehow step it up for this man. Why? There can't possibly be a man on the planet whose life you believe could demand more of you than what your life with Stephan did."

"There is," Jacinda whispered.

"Impossible. For that to be true, it would have to be King..." Myesha's voice trailed off, her eyes widening as she realized what she was saying. What Jacinda wasn't denying.

"Jacinda..."

"As I said, it was unexpected and is complicated."

"Jotham..." Myesha could only whisper.

"Yes. You can't tell anyone, Myesha."

"The children don't know?"

"No, very few know."

"You were coming from the Palace when you had your accident."

"Yes."

"You are going to Kisurri with Jotham."

"Yes."

"Praise the ancestors, Jacinda." Myesha surged to her feet, running a shaky hand threw her hair. "He's the
King
!"

"I know that."

"He asked you to accompany him?" Her pacing slowed as she gave her a considering look. "To the House of Knowledge?"

"Yes."

"He is not trying to hide it, not if he's taking you
there.
The High Admiral is one of his oldest friends."

"I know. I knew them both in the Academy."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"King Jotham has fallen in love again!" A smile broke out across Myesha’s face. "Jotham is in love."

"He hasn't said that, Myesha."

Myesha only paused for a moment. "That doesn't matter. He will. He danced with you, the last dance at the Assemblymen's Ball. You're spending time with him at the Palace. He is taking you with him to Kisurri, to the House of Knowledge."

"We are trying to keep it unofficial."

"Right, because it will so remain unofficial once you're seen in Kisurri with him."

Jacinda grimaced. "Hopefully that won't happen. We're going for Princess Sabah's christening. There are no public events planned."

"Good luck with that."

"Which is why I'm having so much trouble packing."

"Well, this isn't going." Myesha reached in and pulled out the outfit Jacinda had just folded and put in the luggage. "There are too many visuals of you in this. Why didn't you go shopping?"

"I was," Jacinda defended herself, but smiled as her friend moved around her room in a determined fashion. "But then Jotham called and we need to leave sooner."

She watched Myesha go deep into her closet, returning with several hanging bags. Bags that contained clothing she'd purchased for the upcoming Assembly cycle with Stephan. The one he never got the chance to serve at.

"These will be perfect."

"I had forgotten about those."

"I know." She paused to look at her. "Will you be okay wearing them... with Jotham?"

"I..." Jacinda seriously thought about it. Those outfits had been bought when Stephan had been alive, but he never saw her in them and they would be perfect. "Yes, I'll be okay with it."

"Good. Now for your shoes...."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"Majesty, Madame Michelakakis has just entered the Palace grounds." Chesney stepped into Jotham's office informing him.

"She is? Already?" He looked at the time and saw she was several hours early.

"Have Deffand meet her."

"He is already on the way, Majesty. He ordered the guards to notify him as soon as she passed the gate."

"Good, have her things put on my shuttle."

"Of course, Majesty. I'll also have yours loaded. Would you like her escorted directly to the shuttle or to your private quarters?"

Jotham looked around his desk and started to gather up his papers. There was nothing here he couldn't do on the shuttle. If they left now while it would be late when they arrived, they would still be able to get a good night’s sleep and it had been too long since he'd seen Jacinda.

"Have Deffand escort her to the shuttle and inform the pilot that we'll be leaving as soon as everyone is on board."

"Yes, Majesty."

Chapter Eighteen

Jacinda silently watched as Jotham answered yet another comm, signed another document, and gave Chesney another order. It had been that way for two hours, Jotham sitting at his desk on the shuttle furiously working.

When Jotham arrived on the shuttle, he had immediately zeroed in on her, wrapping her up in his arms and soundly kissing her. While the shuttle had taken off, he sat next to her, telling her of the explosion on Nuga, an important mining planet for the Coalition. At first it was believed to be the Regulians, but now they believed members of the House of Knowledge and the House of Protection were involved, which was why they were heading to Kisurri early.