Princess Rescue Inc (78 page)

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

Duke
Rojer held his wife, more for her support than his. He'd underestimated the
gaijin, he admitted that. The baron obviously had, obviously underestimated the
support the gaijin threw to the Queen. The baron... could his actions have
precipitated this? He wasn't certain. What he was certain of was that he was
heartily glad this gaijin Ryans had interrupted the baron before the fool could
have nominated him for the throne. That would have been disastrous. He would
have been forced into a civil war, or been put to death right then and there to
prevent one.

“What
do we do?” Serena asked softly.

“Nothing.
Nothing at all. We prepare for war and do as we're told for now,” he murmured
in her ear as he stroked her hair. There will be time enough for other things
when the dust had settled.

“It
was so brutal, so shocking,” Serena said, clearly shaken. He grunted.

He'd
seen men die of course; he'd killed a few in his time and put some to death.
And of course he'd ordered men and women put the death. “Is that how the battle
will go?” Serena asked.

“I
don't know,” he ground out. For once he feared for the future, what it would
bring once these new weapons became common among the royal army. No force could
stand against them, of that he was certain. It was terrifying, knowing that he
couldn't resist such might. He had to swallow his pride.

“You'll
need to show your support,” Serena murmured to him, looking up into his eyes.
He nodded. “Sign the gaijin treaty. It will smooth things over with them and
they will eventually let down their guard,” she murmured.

“I...”
He thought about it briefly and then shrugged mentally. “All right,” he said
grudgingly.

“I
must write baroness Muchinson. Anna must be told of her husband,” Serena said
with a moue.

“I
do not envy you that task love,” Rojer said, hugging her.

“She
is gravid with another child. That is why she didn't come to court,” she said.
Which was true but the baron of course had his own reasons for getting his wife
pregnant. And Anna had her own reasons to stay behind. Both were surprisingly
similar. He didn't want her to see him having affairs with other women, and she
didn't want to see it either. And with her pregnant he assumed she wouldn't be
interested in trysts of her own. What fools men could be, Serena thought,
turning away slightly to see the gaijin. “They have wrought great change in
such a short time. I wonder what else they have in store for us?” she murmured
as the gaijin officer approached his leader.

“I
don't know,” Rojer said. He looked into the future and shuddered. “I just don't
know,” he murmured.

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

“Well,
that was a bit overdone,” Perry said grimacing as he caught up with Ryans.
“Indiana Jones has nothing on you,” he teased.

Ryans
shook his head. Deidra had been called away to consult with her mother and
sister for the moment. “You didn't think I had it in me?” he asked.

Perry
shook his head. “Well, it's done now,” he sighed. He hadn't honestly thought
that Ryans could kill in cold blood. Technically he didn't, the other man had
been armed and had lethal intent but seeing Ryans in action had tripped up his
mental image of the civilian once more.

Ryans
shrugged it off. He knew what Perry was thinking, what some of the others were
thinking. It really had all the hallmarks of an execution in many ways, all
ways but one really. “You expected me to go up against a master swordsman? Like
I said, I play on my own field, with my own tools,” he smiled grimly. “I know
better than to play with a sword. Liable to cut myself with the damn thing as
it is,” he said, turning away in mock disgust.

Perry
snorted. “Probably, you're just lucky none of those shots killed anyone in the
crowd.”

Ryans
winced. “Don't remind me,” he breathed. Now that it was over and done with the
very thought appalled him. He should have taken it outside, away from the
crowd. He threw his hands up, ignoring the flash of nausea. “Yeah, I screwed it
there. Just remember, it was you that suggested using the guns,” he said eying
the officer. Perry snorted.

“So
where did you learn to shoot like that?” Perry finally asked. He'd been meaning
to ask about that since last night.

Ryans
smiled in fond memory. “My granddad, he took me in after my parents died. He
and grams, He was a vet. Korean vet. Nam too, though he didn't talk about that
much. He was gung ho though, a real gun nut. He really loved the service and
pushed for me to go into the military.” He snorted at the thought. At one point
he'd seriously considered it. His not joining wasn't the act of defiant
independence his grandfather had alluded to; it had been a logical decision on
his part. “Even had me in a military summer camp at one point, till I got wind
it was teaching some people white power militia crap and put my foot down,” he
growled. Perry scowled and reluctantly nodded. He'd heard about crap like that
from the grapevine.

Ryans
grimaced. “I don't like anyone force feeding me religion or bigotry. Granddad
didn't believe me at first till I showed him a sermon I recorded with my
camera. His friend was the camp owner, boy did they have words!” He laughed in
memory at that rather spectacular blow up. He shrugged the thought aside.
“Needless to say I got some training, but I was turned off. Loved military
history, tactics, military strategy games, even a few FPSs but I fell in love
with electronics more.”

“Ah,”
Perry nodded. “And with your bucks...”

Ryans
nodded and smiled a half smile. “Exactly. I started in junior high school.
Granddad was pushing for me to be into football and ROTC, but I got into
electronics and programming. I got into the college classes and the engineering
challenges, I loved the robotics challenges! When I turned sixteen I started
selling stuff to teachers and students and on the web. We had a big row when he
found out I wasn't playing his play book... Till he saw me doing my
accounting,” he snorted in memory once more. His grandfather's expression had
been priceless. He hadn't known the old man's eyebrows could go that high or
his jaw could drop that low. Of course the number of zeroes in his check book
had something to do with it. Ryans hadn't had access to the insurance money,
just his allowance. But he'd turned that little nest egg into quite a hefty
profit for himself. “He thought it was math homework till I explained what it
was. I had to show him my bank statement. When he finally caught on he
reluctantly came around,” he smiled fondly. Reluctance was the key thing.
Gramps had been a grump for a long time.

“Maybe
gram had a talk with him. I'm not sure,” he said after a moment and then
shrugged. It was a moot point anyway, long past the time or relevance.

“Why
did you stay with them?” Perry asked.

“Oh,
I had family on the other side, mom's family. There was even a big custody
battle over me. I found out when I was fifteen. It had dragged out for three
years. When I was made to go to court I made it clear to them, the money is in
escrow till I turn eighteen then its'
mine
,” he smiled grimly. “You
should have seen them back away after that. We were ah, just looking out for
your welfare,” he snorted using air quotes. “Yeah right, I always wondered
about the expensive gifts and the talks they tried to give me. Tried to get me
to say crap about grams and granddad.” He shook his head. Of course after that
court appointment the gifts and concerned calls had dried up overnight.

“Ah
well, over and done with now.” He looked over to the Queen. She was pale even
under the makeup. He wasn't sure if it was because of the events or the over
use of makeup medieval societies used. She looked like death warmed over...
paper white. He shook his head. Deidra and Zara had the right idea, borrowing
make up from Wanda, Charlie, or Doc. She looked more natural, not a Victorian
caricature or a doll.

“Talk
about the mother-in-law from hell,” Perry snorted nodding to her.

“Yeah,
I think she just got a wake up call that everything's not going to go as easily
and neatly as she thought though,” Ryans said as he smiled grimly, looking over
to the Queen and nodding politely to a courtier facing them. She turned away
and fanned herself. “At least I hope so.”

Perry
nodded. “So you’re staying?”

Ryans
turned, catching a view of the town below. A slow wave of black mourning flags
and banners was spreading outward with the castle at the center. He turned away
from the sight. “Oh hell, I dunno, I don't
want
to,” Ryans sighed. “But
I'll get our people home safe. Or try. I dunno beyond that, I guess I'll have
to play it by ear and burn that bridge when I come to it,” he vowed as he
grimaced. Perry nodded.

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

Two
days later he tried to keep from scowling as they walked down the main road
through town. The funeral procession was decked in black. Mourners lined both
sides of the road also decked in black or dark brown. The King was laid out on
a carriage for all to see. He looked peaceful, arms crossed on his chest
holding a sword. He was dressed in his armor, with his shield against one
thigh. White alien flowers framed his body.

The
court walked behind the carriage in order of importance. They were arrayed
according to rank, with the Dukes immediately behind the royals, and then on
and on through the various ranks. Each of them were subdued, none had lashed
out for fear of Ryan's wrath. Indeed Duke Rojer had even gone so far as to
finally sign the gaijin treaty. Others who had also held out had also signed
it, publicly regretting the oversight.

All
were dressed in black; all were quiet, reflecting on the event and what the
future entailed. They marched to the slow beat of a drum. Ryans glanced over
his shoulder to see the soldiers. There were a lot of them, some forming
perimeter security, others marching in respect to their fallen sovereign.

The
Queen had insisted on using the new troops and weapons. To disguise their true
purpose it looked like Perry had ordered them to fix bayonets. Anyone without
knowledge of gunpowder would assume they were some sort of spear or club from a
distance. They weren't taking any chances of a spy in the rank and file of the
spectators getting word back to the enemy of just how many they really had.

He
turned his eyes to the heavy, leaden sky with a sigh. Perfect weather,
downright dreary. It was going to rain, you could feel it. A big rush of
humidity the day before followed by a sudden sharp drop in temperature and
clouds darkening the sky from horizon to horizon. He felt a rustle as a puff of
wind blew through the procession, making the light silk muslin ruffle and snap.
After a moment he felt the first drops of mist on his arms.

“Perfect,”
he muttered to himself as they walked. He glanced up to the various people on
the street and in the windows. They made their way to the town square where a
bonfire was set up.

Workers,
also dressed in black moved the King's body to the fire. The mourners filled
the square, ringing the pile.

The
Queen looked out over the assembly then took his hand. Carefully he helped her
up the stairs to stand on the platform. Both daughters joined her.

“Let
us bow our heads in memory of King Andreas, a wise and just ruler...”

Ryans
bowed his head, trying to ignore the speech. When it was concluded he looked up
to see Zara's face streaked and wet despite being downcast. He couldn't blame
the girl, it was hard. The rain was really coming down now, her hair was limp
and damp, despite the black shawl.

The
seneschal handed her a torch. She gulped, looked at it, and then appealingly
looked to her mother and sister. Her sister nodded taking the torch. She hefted
it high into the air. There was a hush from the audience.

“May
he continue to watch over his subjects and forever be remembered. The just
shall prevail!” she thundered. A crack of thunder echoed as the rest of her
words were drowned out. She turned and looked to her mother the Queen.

Her
mother nodded. Together they held hands and thrust the torch into the straw
pile. After a brief moment it caught. It burned lightly for a moment then
started to go out.

Max
stepped forward and held up a plastic jug. “Here, use this princess. But be
careful. Step back cause it packs a wallop.”

Deidra
smiled politely in thanks and bent to take the jug. She took the cap off and
then sniffed it. She wrinkled her nose and shot a glance to Ryans who shrugged.

She
sprinkled a few drops on the dying embers. Suddenly they flared into a bluish
flame. She smiled and then sprayed some off to one side where the fire had yet
to catch.

Then
she handed the jug to her sister who reluctantly did the same on her side. As
the fire crackled it caught up to the alcohol soaked straw and ignited into a
bright flame. Hastily the women backed away from the blazing heat.

Ryans
helped them down the stairs then backed away. He felt Deidra next to him. He
looked down to see her face streaked with tears. He felt her hand sneak into
his and he nodded. Gently he took her into his arms. She sobbed softly as he
stroked her wet hair. He took his jacket off and put it over her shoulders. The
act seemed to further her grief. Her hands clutched at it for a moment and then
him in seemingly desperation. Servants were trying to shield prominent people
with black umbrellas but apparently he wasn't the only one to wave them off.
The Queen and Zara however huddled together in a knot of misery.