Princess Rescue Inc (24 page)

The
King was fatigued and ready to sleep after hours of wrangling. Most of the
attendants and Terrans were escorted out, though Ryans was asked to remain.
“There is one more matter to attend to. Vita Sodalis,” the King said weakly. He
waved to his wife.

The
Queen nodded and stroked his hand. She looked up to Ryans. “There is a lex, a law,
an ancient one in our land. Vita Sodalis, the life bond or life mate. One that
has many hallowed traditions around it. If a person saves the life of another
they are indebted for life. If they are single and not of the same blood then
the two are to be wed.” She frowned. “From the tales of your travels both of
our daughters owe you several vita debts and are therefore Verlobte to you.”

Ryans
ran the translation of that V word through his dictionary. Wouldn't you know
that the translator would act up... vita life, no...?  He sounded it out
and typed it in and then did a search. Verlobte, it wasn't Latin it was German,
it meant female betrothed. “Um....” Ryans glanced at Deidra.  Deidra was
stiff, back to him.

“That
sounds like a life debt thing. I heard it was attributed to Asian cultures but
I didn't think it was real,” he said slowly shaking his head. All he could
think about was Chewbacca for the moment. He was tempted to say something, a
joke but he was fairly certain it wouldn't be understood and if Deidra did pick
it up she'd be even more pissed.

“I
don't know what to say,” he said, rubbing the back of his head. He was amused
but distinctively uncomfortable. Married to the shrew? He thought and then
winced.

“I...
am from a foreign land so some of what you said is lost in cultural
differences,” he said.

“Which
is an added bonus, thee and thine are from the home lands and are therefore new
blood for our people.”

“Um...”

“It
is customary for the rules of matrimony to be relaxed with gaijin in order to
further the spread of their bloodlines to renew the land. We must spread the
wealth across the Imperium. It is of vital importance.”

“Oh
boy, the soldiers won’t mind that in some ways but um...” He thought about the
threat of STDs and winced. He thought the implications of the situation over
and then carefully explained his point of view. “Look, my... I'm from another
land. A totally different culture so holding me or her to that is unfair. Yes I
saved them but I was in the right place at the right time and a couple of times
I had help.”

“But
you are here now,” the Queen said.

“And
I'm not going to be here for long. Plus I don't think it's fair to push her or
Zara into a loveless marriage,” he sighed and shook his head. “Look, I know in
your society and especially for you and other nobles arranged marriages are
normal. My arrival, didn't it disrupt that?”

“It
doesn't matter.”

“Really,”
he frowned. “And of course the ladies don't have any say in it?” he asked
hopefully. The Queen shook his head. “And if I have a let’s say relationship
with someone else?” he asked.

The
Queen frowned. He held up a hand. “Just a theoretical question. No, I am
single. And yes I know that this is a way to cement an allegiance and a way to
get control of me and my people.”

“You
are very astute,” the Queen said cautiously.

“You
mean blunt. I'm laying it all out. It's one of my people's failing sometimes.
We either go one of two ways, we either get very literal and explicit or we
assume you know what we're talking about and gloss over things. I'm bad at
both,” he admitted.

“Interesting
and wise to see your own weaknesses,” the Queen murmured graciously. His
knowledge of politics surprised them and impressed the King and Queen.

“Thanks,
I think,” Ryans replied. He turned to the princess. “So that's why you hate me.
I understand now and I don't blame you.” He turned back to her parents. “I
can't in good conscious marry your daughter, she's not in love with me, she
hates my guts, and I will not remain in your Kingdom for long. I fully intend to
lead my people back to Earth when the time is right. I have many obligations to
thousands of people on Earth.”

“Further
more me and my people come from a different world. We, by your standards are
all highly educated and most of us come from a republic. We have been trained
since birth to not only speak our minds but to stand up for our beliefs.
Equality is a way of life for us, everyone is born equal in my country, and
there are no nobles, no lords, and no monarchs. We also have trouble with
authority,” he said with a grin. “Which can make things lively sometimes. Trust
me; my people will be a very
big
thorn in your side if you try to
assimilate us. We really don't like being told what to do and how to live our
lives and a shotgun wedding may be joked about in my culture but we sort of
frown when someone tries to force the issue.”

“Nonetheless,
you will be married to Deidra. We will absolutio, absolve you of your
responsibility to young Zara but not Deidra. She is to inherit the throne and
she needs a strong hand to guide her in our dark time. You must be that hand,”
the King said. The Queen reluctantly agreed with a nod.

“Which
will be decades from now,” Ryans said stubbornly. “When you pass your wife will
be the ruling monarch.”

The
King frowned. “The nobles will not accept her. They will tear her from the
throne if she is alone. Tear her from the throne and kill her or shut her in a
tower for the rest of her days. Or wed her to a chosen son to beget a bastard,”
the King said and then breathed. He struggled to get up and look Ryans in the
eye. Reluctantly the Terran came closer.

“No,
you must lead. You and your people will bring new life to our land. If you want
these things; these new things you had us agree to then you must see it
through.”

“But...
look we don't need to get into this now. You need to rest. I mean you're not
going to die for some time if we...”

“It
must be done, you cannot deny it. Not for overlong,” the Queen said. “My
husband may have days,” she said patting his hand.

“
Or it will be a couple of hours if you don't buzz off all of you. My patient
needs to rest badly. He's been overstressed. Now out or I'll find a way to get
you out the damn window,” Doc snarled as she entered the room, determined to
kick everyone out so the King could rest.

Doc
pulled them aside to report as the door closed behind them. Doc gently told
them the King was suffering from the final stages of heart disease, and the
best she could do was try to ease his discomfort. “Really, every minute, every
hour is a blessing,” the Queen murmured gently.

“I...
I'm sorry. I wish I could do more. I don't think he'd survive a bypass. In
these conditions I don't want to attempt it. I think the chances of his
survival are less than ten percent actually.”

Ryans
winced. “Blockage?”

“And
the stress of being in his position. Throw in alcohol and over eating and not
exercising for decades and... Well, you do the math.”

“Yeah,
I get the picture Doc,” Ryans nodded grimly. They heard a noise in the room.
She turned and opened the door. The palace healer was bent over the King with a
tube. When she realized the healer was trying to bleed the King, Doc stopped
him and then took him aside to teach him. Ryans closed the door and nodded to
the Queen. “I suggest you get some food and rest while you can your majesty.
Things are going to get interesting soon when he wakes.”

The
Queen smiled slightly. Deidra sniffed, eyes flashing at his impetuous insult of
making a suggestion to her mother. “I believe you are right,” the Queen said
nodding. Deidra froze, startled and looked at her mother. The Queen's smile
grew slightly. “Andreas is trying even on the best of days,” she said dryly.

“It
comes with the Y chromosome,” Ryans replied absently and then shrugged at their
befuddled expressions. “It's a male thing, giving women a hard time. To be fair
you do it to us too.”

“True,”
the Queen smiled. “In our own small ways,” she said tucking her arm into her
daughters. “Come daughter, shall we away to converse?” Deidra nodded. The Queen
nodded politely to the guard and then moved off with her daughter.

Ryans
watched them go and shook his head. He turned and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Now what?” he asked himself thoughtfully. “Perry,” he muttered under his
breath and then went to find the lieutenant.

<==={}------------>

When
Ryans caught up with Perry in the courtyard he led the lieutenant off to the
battlements for a discussion away from the people wandering around. They kept
moving so the occasional servant or busybody wouldn't catch too much of the
conversation. When Perry heard about the betrothal idea he teased Ryans.

“I
am not amused Perry,” he snarled eyes flashing.

“I
can see that.” Perry said soberly, leaning over the battlements beside him to
stare out into the night as well. “But if you can't take a joke you shouldn't
have joined.” This earned a snort and small smile from Ryans. “It sucks. I
know. It's a stupid barbaric law. Then again, she's a looker,” he chuckled
ribbing Ryans.

Ryans
snorted. He'd carefully kept the princesses at arm’s length. He liked his
ladies beautiful but they were vipers, he just knew it. Trouble with a capital
T. “Yeah there is that. She's passionate, that's always been cool. The whole
firebrand thing is hot too, but she's jail bait,” Ryans replied running his
hand through his hair. The breeze whipped up he looked up as a pennant nearby
snapped and popped.

Perry
laughed. “Didn't know you knew that one,” he guffawed.

Ryans
shook his head. “Granddad passed it on. Oh hell Perry, I know if I went along
with it I'd end up with my throat slit, poisoned, or she'd cut my balls off.
Lorena Bobbitt has nothing on this lady if she's pissed. Which she is, She
doesn't like the situation at all.”

“Real
ball buster,” Perry agreed chuckling again. “You know you want it,” he teased,
ribbing Ryans.

Ryans
scowled but couldn't quite hold it. Deidra's fire and ice and her looks were
intoxicating. The whole forbidden fruit thing, he thought. Taming the shrew may
be appealing to some, and becoming King? For some, appealing but he knew what
kind of snake pit that was. “Oh shut up,” he growled.

<==={}------------>

The
stocky man dressed in guard livery looked at them warily as they came out the
next morning and re-entered the quad. He'd apparently been looking for them or
at least Perry. Perry tried not to smirk at the guy's stiff upper lip look. The
brown haired freckled guy was dressed in a blood red tunic trimmed in gold. He
jingled, wearing that layer of chain mail in between his gray undershirt and
his purple and red outer tunic must be damned uncomfortable. His sheathed,
curved sword made him look dangerous. He had a blood red cape with a gold chain
that passed over his right shoulder and under his left armpit to hold it up.
The cape was cut like a roman cape, trimmed in purple and silver.

Ryans
realized that although some of the soldier's outfit was medieval, some had
distinctively Roman or Greek influences like the leather kilt. He for one
wouldn't want to be running in the thing; it must be a sweatbox come summer.

Behind
the Captain, Sergeant Waters and Gunny Paris approached. They paused, waiting
and watching.

Ryans
nodded to the three men. “Captain Maximus this is Lieutenant Perry, I believe
you've talked before briefly but were never formally introduced. Here are his
non commissioned officers, Master Sergeant Waters, and Gunnery Sergeant Paris.
We, or should I say
they
, are going to help you bring your army up to
more modern standards, our standards.”

The
captain nodded curtly, his left hand holding his cape, his right on the pommel
of his sword. He indicated they should follow him to a nearby tower. “An honor
to meet beligators from the fabled Patria.” Ryans frowned. Patria, homelands.
He really needed to get onto Sydney about the translator.

“Soldiers
in our language sir. Warriors are something else,” Waters said from behind them
as they walked. The guard captain eyed him. “I am a noncom, as is the Gunny
here. That's Non Commissioned officer. We're one step below officer. We're the
ones that make the order stick.”

“Ah,”
the captain blinked, trying to cover his confusion. “I thought you said
servant.” He looked over to the Lieutenant. “Master of Servants?” he asked.
Perry shook his head. The translation was obviously off again.

“It
is a layer of command between the leaders and the grunts in the trenches,” the
Gunny replied helpfully. “You've got what? A hundred in the castle? Soldiers I
mean,” he said as the captain opened the door and entered.

The
Captain's chest puffed up in pride somehow despite the layers of chain mail and
cloth. “Two cohorts of regulars and one ordor equester. But their majesties
have authorized a call to arms, to reform the legions. Our numbers have swelled
an additional ten maniples over the past two-fifth days. We add a maniple
daily.” 

“Fifth
day, that's a week?” Perry asked. He knew a cohort was around the size of a
platoon, around one hundred twenty men. Equester sounded something like
equestrian, which meant horse. So knights?