by Jay Barnson
Three of the pictures seemed like they were taken while Debra was unaware she was being photographed. The pictures were in color, but the colors had long faded. A fourth, the most disturbing of all, was a black-and-white photo of her looking terrified in a chair. There were no details in the room around her, only a halo of light from a flash against a bare wall.
The rest of the paperwork had invoices for deliveries to a house in a neighboring community named Callan, and orders for a cemetery vault and headstones in the same town. A sixteen-inch brass nameplate that simply stated “Arnot” had also been ordered around 1974. The most recent document was a hand-written note on torn legal-pad paper that read, “Do not scan!” in red pen.
Jessabelle rolled the folder into a tube and shoved it into an inner pocket of her jacket. She slid the drawer closed with extreme care, but it closed just as the middle-aged man had finished speaking. Something inside clicked, and in the silence of the office, the click sounded like a gong.
“Is somebody here?” a woman asked from the conference room.
Jessabelle took giant tip-toe strides out of the cabinet area and down the hall. When she heard a voice say, “Someone’s in the hall,” she ran for the door. She threw herself against the crash-bar and raced out into the parking lot with shouts echoing behind her. She ran around the back of the building and near the poorly maintained hedges. It was just enough that nobody from the road could see her clearly. On the other side of the building, the glass office door clanked open. Between heartbeats, Jessabelle became the cat, and tore across properties and roads like the Devil’s own bloodhounds were on her trail.
King Ferik retired from the banquet immediately after his speech, accompanied by the queen. As soon as they left the chamber, chaos erupted. Everyone at the table turned to Jack and Delcina with questions, some phrased in angry shouts.
“This is highly unusual,” the noblewoman beside Jack muttered.
Culpepper stared at Jack. Beneath his thin, waxed mustache, his lips curled into a tight grin, but the vein in his temple throbbed. He pried his lips apart long enough to say, “So, Jack, it seems you’ve earned more than the giant’s head as a trophy.”
Bachan, Aidan, and two other members of the Royal Guard appeared behind Jack and Delcina. “Princess, may we escort you to your chambers?” Bachan asked. The princess nodded and rose from her chair by turning her back on Jack. She didn’t even look at him as she walked away with Bachan and one other guard, through the large rear door that king and queen had taken.
Aidan asked Jack. “Sir, if you are done, we can escort you as well.”
“Huh?”
The guard leaned down and whispered, “As a prospective member of the royal family, our duty now extends to you.”
Jack didn’t think he needed an escort. Zainus wasn’t in the hall, so he had no enemies here. He looked around and discovered that all eyes were on him. The expressions in the crowd ranged from stunned curiosity to outright fury. He swallowed and said, “Um, sure. I’m done.” He stood and nodded to the people at his table. “It was really nice meeting y’all.”
Aidan gently guided Jack out through a side door by Jack’s right arm, pulling slightly to prevent Jack from leaving too quickly. Jack wanted nothing more than to find Rumela and make a run for it. Even if it meant never seeing Delcina again. She hadn’t seemed interested in seeing him again, either, based on how she departed.
Once they left the main hall, Aidan picked up their pace, hastening Jack up the stairs to his chambers. Once they got to his door, Jack asked, “What the hell just happened?”
Aidan shook his head as he opened the door. “I don’t know. I thought Captain Bachan’s head was about to explode. Did you know this was coming?” He gently pushed Jack into the room, and the other guard turned around to stand in front of the doorway.
“No! I knew the princess had been bet... damn it, promised to be engaged or something. How was I supposed to know it was to me? Is this some kind of weird tradition here?”
Aidan shook his head vehemently and closed the door behind them. “No. I mean, there were some very old traditions generations ago, I guess, but nobody does that anymore. Not like that, at least. Springing it on everyone like this is...” He paused and straightened himself. “Well, it’s unusual, but it’s the King’s right and his will. The Chamber of Lords will have a field day with this. I hate to say it, Jack, but you just gained a whole bunch of powerful enemies.”
Jack sat on his bed. “Forget all that. Look, I’ve got to get out of here. Can y’all help me sneak out of here before dawn? With Rumela? I’ll be out of y’all’s hair that way.”
Aidan shook his head. “Jack, like I told you, you have just become officially part of my job. We need council from the King. As do you. I’m sure he’ll want a meeting with you before the end of the night.”
“Would have been nice if he’d done that beforehand.”
“It’s not my place to speculate, sir.”
“Can y’all maybe turn the other way for a little bit? Long enough to...”
“No. We’ll stay posted until we receive instructions. Don’t worry, Jack. There’s a really good chance the Chamber of Lords will find a way to overrule this, and you won’t have to marry the princess.”
Jack didn’t have an answer to that. He was far too young to even consider marriage and this wasn’t what he wanted. But something bothered him about what Aidan said.
Aidan opened the door again. “We’ll be right outside, sir. Just knock if you need anything.”
“Like an escape route?”
“Anything else.” Aidan exited, closing the door behind him. Jack spun on the bed, aimed himself at the stone wall, and kicked it with the heel of his custom-tailored boots. He felt truly homesick for the first time. He had no clue how to behave around women back in his world. But at least the rules there seemed simple enough that he might learn them. Here, he’d made the wrong move and ended up all but engaged. What was the sense of that?
The minutes went by, turning into hours. Jack stripped off his fine custom clothing and threw on the remnants of his old clothes. The jeans had been nicely repaired, but the sneakers were falling apart. He didn’t care. He wanted to find a way back, so he and Jenny could get away from this world and its stupid rules and ridiculous social expectations. A guy kills a giant, and then as punishment is made to marry a woman? That made no sense.
He thought of Delcina. Was she pissed off at him? Had she known what was going to happen? Had she thought Jack knew? He had too many questions and no answers. He’d have only one regret leaving this place, and that was never seeing her again. The idea hurt, but what other choice did he have? He didn’t want to marry her. He didn’t want to take that option forever off the table either. Just... not yet. What was wrong with this world?
Jack readied his few belongings. Food would be a problem. Rumela had a fierce appetite, and unless Jack could cash out whatever monetary reward the bounty provided, their escape would be hindered by hunger. Delcina had told him he could sell her dagger for a great deal of money. That should be more than enough to cover food and maybe buy a horse to help them carry it all. That was all they needed. He and Rumela could flee tonight if he could convince Bachan to let them go.
Maybe he’d write a note for Delcina. It was cheesy, but he didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye, and a note would be the next best thing. He just needed paper. And a pen. He could ask Aidan for those.
He also needed the dagger, to sell for supplies once he and Rumela had gotten far enough from Sanguine that he felt safe selling it. Delcina’s incredibly sharp weapon was not where he’d left it. It didn’t take much searching to find that the dagger was no longer in the room at all. Someone had stolen it. He’d need another way to find supplies.
Or he’d take up Aidan on his offer. Jack knocked at the door. Aidan didn’t open it at once. Jack tried the latch, only to discover that it had been locked. He pounded at the door. “Aidan!”
Aidan
opened the door a few seconds later. Jack stabbed toward the door. “What the hell are you doing locking me in the room? Am I prisoner again?”
Aidan shook his head. “Precaution. Sorry, Jack. I was just talking to the steward.”
“Someone done stole Delcina’s dagger.”
“The one you killed Korak with?”
“The one that killed Korak, yeah. Aren’t y’all supposed to be guarding so that this don’t happen?”
“I’m really sorry. I’ll warn the guards to watch out for it. But you have to go see King Ferik right away.”
“The king?”
“Yes, he has asked to see you.”
Aidan knocked on the sturdy oak door and awaited the king’s invitation before opening it. Inside, the room smelled like dust and old paper. The walls were hidden behind bookshelves that rose to the ceiling, filled with more books than Jack’s underused high school library could ever hope to have held. Almost all were thick leather-bound tomes of various somber colors. Much of the light in the room came from a gaslight chandelier, contributing to the warmth of the room, which currently stood at just a hair above comfortable.
Or perhaps that was only Jack.
Another door led from the room, the shelving constructed around the frame. A globe stood mounted on a wooden pedestal in the corner nearest Jack, the continents appearing at a quick glance to be the same as those on Earth. A great desk stood at one side of the room, heavy oak and polished by age and use. On the far side of the desk, King Ferick stood in front of a stuffed leather chair. On the other side, Delcina sat in another chair with leather upholstery, the smaller cousin to the king’s, facing the desk at an angle. Two more empty chairs faced the desk at opposite angles.
Delcina’s face was a mask of barely calmed fury. Jack couldn’t tell where the fury was directed, but he didn’t think he wanted to be anywhere in the vicinity when it hit. He took a step backwards, bumping into Aidan as the latter closed the door. Jack was trapped.
“Jack,” the king said, a broad smile separating his perfectly groomed beard and mustache. “Please, come take a seat.” He pointed to the chair nearest Delcina’s. Jack moved to the chair carefully, giving the beautiful girl the kind of space he might give a sleeping copperhead. He sat, his gaze going between the king and the princess.
“I suppose in a more perfect situation, I would have had this discussion with the two of you last night. I apologize. I had to make arrangements quickly.”
“Why?” Jack asked. Behind him, standing at parade rest at the door, Aidan coughed.
“As I was telling Delcina, it’s complicated. Matters of state.”
“Well, no offense intended to either of you, sir. Your highness. I think your daughter is beautiful and sharp as a tack, no denying either. I’d like to get to know her better, but I don’t even turn eighteen until September. I’m too young to be getting married. I reckon I ought to establish myself first in a trade or something before even considering marriage.”
Aidan coughed several times. Jack wondered if someone should offer the guard a glass of water.
The king scowled and snorted. “Delcina, did I actually hear this young man turn you down for marriage?”
Delcina sighed. “What did I tell you, father? You have to admit that this proposal would be shocking to a young man even if they’d been brought up here, let alone a foreigner. No offense intended, Jack.”
Jack shrugged. He didn’t see “foreigner” as any kind of slight.
The king raised an eyebrow. “But I doubt many young men would turn down such an offer, even if it took them by surprise.”
Jack looked between the two of them. “Did you know about this, Delcina?”
She shook her head. “It was as much a surprise to me as to you. I do not intend to question the king’s wisdom in this matter, only expressing my surprise.”
The king shook his head. “All I...” he began, and then clenched his eyes shut, as if fighting off pain. Delcina seemed as mystified by the King’s behavior as Jack. When the king opened his eyes again, he resumed his previous smile. “All I want is for the offer to stand for the time being. Jack, I’ll take your comment as an expression of concern, not refusal. Think about it for a while. Give it a few days. How about that?”
“That’s all?” Jack asked. “I mean...” He looked at Delcina. Her face was no longer furious. If he didn’t know better, she looked almost hurt. Jack sighed. “Look, I ain’t a sophisticated guy. I don’t know flowery words, and I ain’t all that smart. I reckon you got all that and then some. This just ain’t how I want to get married, and I ain’t ready yet. It’ll take more than a few days for that to change. And as much as I like you, we don’t hardly know each other yet. But if y’all want me to take more time, that’s okay by me. I just wish I knew why, especially since it sounds like some folks are pretty pissed off at me right now.”
It was Delcina’s turn to laugh, a sweet and sincere bell-like laugh that made Jack smile even as it threatened to break his heart. “Jack, I...” She turned to her father. “Is this acceptable, your majesty? In fact, Jack and I could continue the charade of courtship while you see your plan through to its fruition.”
The king smiled. “I find it perfectly acceptable.”
The side-door opened, and the queen came out with a silver try with four cups filled with a beverage with little sticks in them and bits of fruit on top. She glanced around the room approvingly. For some reason, she made Jack think of Jessabelle. He didn’t know why... she didn’t resemble his long-time neighbor. She asked, “Has the situation already been resolved?”
The king nodded. “For now, I believe.”
She laughed. “Did he accept?”
“He is willing to not reject the offer immediately.”
The queen set the tray on the desk. “I thought this might ease negotiations.” She took the first drink off the tray and served it to the King. Jack still felt he should know the woman, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember where he’d seen her before. Was it possible she had a twin back in his own world, maybe a famous actress that Jack couldn’t place? For that matter, could there be another Delcina? Maybe Jack himself had a twin running around on this world. Whatever the case, the queen didn’t seem a whole lot older than himself. The king might have robbed the cradle with Delcina’s step-mother.
The queen handed drinks to Jack and Delcina and took one of her own. Jack sniffed the drink. It smelled of fruit, cinnamon, and wine. “What is this?” he asked.
“Spiced wine, of course.”
Jack nodded. “Thank you, ma’am.” One drink wouldn’t hurt, would it? He thought of his father, the violent alcoholic. His mother, who descended into the bottle in her grief. You can’t miss what you have never tried, he’d once heard. The king and queen took a sip. Jack looked studiously at the bookshelves. Feigning a sudden fascination wasn’t really a lie, now, was it?
Delcina watched him and looked at the bookshelf, too.
The king took another sip, smiling at the queen, and then looked at the two young people in front of him. “We’ll announce tomorrow that you have established a courtship, but no engagement decision has yet been made. That should work perfectly.”
“For what?” Jack asked again.
Aidan coughed again. Jack considered offering the guard his drink.
“It’s complicated,” the king said. “Matters of state.” He repeated the same words he’d said before, almost like a recording.
“Speaking of which,” the queen added, “We’ve much more to do tonight.”
The king nodded. “Thank you, Jack. And Delcina, I know I haven’t been the greatest father...” He closed his eyes again, pausing for a long moment. The queen stared at him, but did not appear alarmed. The king opened his eyes and offered a thin, fatigued smile. “I love you. Please forgive me.”
Delcina stood, and Jack stood with her. “Of course, father,” she said. With that, she turned toward the large oak entrance. Jack walked with her, and Aidan o
pened the door for them. Aidan cast an open-eyed look at Jack and breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief that only Jack could see.
Before they exited, the queen said, “Aidan? Could we have some words with you? I’m sure Delcina and our esteemed guest don’t need you to escort them at the moment.” Aidan nodded. He stayed behind, closing the door behind Jack and Delcina.
The halls outside the king’s study were surprisingly empty. Perhaps with the evening’s uproar, the guard had been ordered to keep everyone out. Jack and Delcina made their way to the stairway, and then Jack turned to face the princess. His throat tightened, and he didn’t know what to say. He settled for, “Look, I’m really, really sorry. It ain’t that I don’t like you or anything. I really do. I wish we could, you know, get to know each other or something first.”
Delcina stopped and steadied herself against the post at the bottom of the stairs. “You are quite the romantic, Jack Parsons.”
“Romantic? No, ma’am. I’m afraid there ain’t much of a romantic bone in my body.”
She looked at him, and he saw the streaks on her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “You do realize that upon the death of my father, I am to be queen and ruler of the country, don’t you? If you’d said yes, you could have been father to my heir and my closest counselor.”
Jack turned his eyes heavenward. “Well, now that you done put it that way, maybe I should go back in there and change my answer!”
She made an unladylike snort. “Don’t you dare! Seriously, Jack, I don’t know many people who would have laid that opportunity aside.”
“Maybe you ought to get to know more people.”
She laughed, wiping her eyes again. “Maybe I should. I’m sorry you were dragged into this. I have no idea at what kind of game my father is playing. I don’t know how I’m supposed to be an effective heir if I’m left out of these crucial actions. I understand there is plenty of time to learn about that, and perhaps right now my job really is to be a pawn in the political game, but... Damn it all, this is my life he’s talking about.” She immediately put her hand to her mouth. “Pardon me.”
