My hand tightened around the empty chocolate wrapper.
"Instead of telling the world of our troubles, let's focus the story on Kylae and their death camp. After all, it exists to bolster their arsenal to kill Raven citizens, does it not?"
I focused my gaze on my hands, on the my knuckles turning white. "Sir, I'm not sure... I don't know if I can speak about it."
Bayard's face slipped, and I worried I was making my case worse. I scrambled to find that girl who would take orders blindly, knowing that those above me had the best interests of the country at heart. Or at the very least, I forced myself not to speak any more.
"Theo, I don't trust you," Bayard said.
My gaze shot upward to him again, and it took all my willpower not to respond.
He chuckled and stood from the table, walking back over to his desk and procuring more chocolate, which he handed to me with a tight smile. "Oh, don't get me wrong, I believe you're dedicated to this country and the cause of independence. But I don't trust that if I put you in front of a camera, you won't say the wrong thing. You're too honest for your own good."
I took the chocolate, and allowed myself a small nod of thanks. "I'm sorry, sir."
"You see? That's what I'm talking about," he replied. "But no matter. I'm willing to look past all that and put in the effort to really make you shine. Because I need you, Theo. I've been handed a golden opportunity for Rave and I need your help."
I edged forward in my seat. "Anything, sir."
"I've received confirmation that we've been invited to the Summit of Nations."
He appeared pleased, but I'd never heard of such a thing before.
"The summit is an annual gathering of the Madion nations," he explained without missing a beat. "It's where the major treaties are discussed and signed. The only time all the heads of state are in the same room, able to come to terms on the topics most important to our countries."
"And we've never been invited before," I guessed.
"Right you are," he said with a curt nod. "But thanks to some of our friends in the intelligence division, we've finally been able to secure an invite. It hasn't been completely confirmed or announced, so please keep this to yourself." He paused and smiled. "But I would like you to give a speech about your time in Mael."
Again, my chest seized. It was one thing to have others talk about Mael and use my face; it was quite another to stand in front of the international community and lie. I stared at the veins in the wooden table, considering my options. If I said no, I would effectively lose my spot on Bayard's team. I'd be reassigned somewhere else, or worse, they'd send me back to Vinolas. But if I said yes...
"You see, that is the kind of palpable emotion I want to see from you!" Bayard said, pointing at my stricken face. "Our country doesn't want a stoic stalwart. We need someone to show strength and passion."
That word again. I was starting to hate it as much as 'neechai.
"I've asked Emilie to draft a speech for you herself and to work with you over the next two weeks. She's the best of the best, and I know she'll be able to bring out the best in you."
As I sat in Bayard's office, the taste of chocolate odd on my tongue, the president's voice in my ear, and a sick feeling in my stomach, I considered whether the best in me was really what they were after.
Galian
As had been the case for the past four months, the fiery inspiration to get back to Theo was quashed by Hebendon's mad scheduling—this time, four night shifts in a row. As if the hours weren't bad enough, the cases were all difficult ones. A rash on a young boy that took me several rounds of medications to dissipate, a cough in an old woman that was too watery for my liking, and a pregnant woman who didn't even realize she was carrying—even though she was several months along. Not to mention that people just kept coming in with impactions. After the third one, I considered asking Rhys to make it mandatory for Kylaens to eat more fiber.
The fourth night was quiet enough that I could sneak away for a quick catnap in the doctor's lounge. Someone else had grabbed the mattress already, so I had to settle for a lumpy chair. I leaned back and closed my eyes, breathing deeply to calm my racing mind. It was no use. I hadn't yet mastered the instant-sleep technique second-nature to the older, more experienced doctors.
My mind filled with thoughts of Theo, the usual questions of how she was doing and if she missed me, then immediately moved on to "what the hell am I going to do next?" I stared at the light above my head and drew a blank—and it wasn't because I was solely running on caffeine.
I sat up and rubbed my face. There was a days-old newspaper on the ground, and I picked it up, thumbing through the articles about the setbacks in the Jervan trade agreement, another damned gallery opening (how many of those did we need?) and...a story about Rave, buried in the bottom corner of the last page.
Raven Interim President Bayard has been invited by Jervanian President Kuman to attend the Summit of Nations, the first time the disputed territory has been asked to appear to the international meeting. His Highness King Grieg has declined to attend, citing the need to remain at home to deal with the Kylaen economic crisis.
I snorted. So my father had decided to stay out of it. Idiot. At that point, I nearly put down the paper, except that my gaze landed on a familiar name.
Also attending the summit is Major Theophilia Kallistrate, who will speak on the horrible conditions of Raven airmen.
"Oh my God," I whispered, sitting up straight. Theo was going to be in Jervan. Theo was going to be out of Rave.
This was my chance.
"Helmuth, break's over," Hebendon said, opening the door. "Time to get back to work."
"You bet your sweet ass it is," I said, standing and rushing out the door.
SEVEN
Theo
"Louder and slower."
I clenched my jaw and tried to remember where I was in my speech. Emilie stood at the back of the empty conference room, sipping on expensive tea and leafing through the strategy documents her staff had put together. I would've thought she wasn't paying attention to me, except that she constantly called out critiques of my speech.
She'd insisted I memorize it, stating that it would be less obvious that I was reading prepared remarks. Once I knew the words, we'd work on "the rest."
"Mael is a blight on the nose of civilization, a horrible reminder that..." I closed my eyes, struggling to remember what came next. Something about how Kylae remained as heartless as when they'd enslaved Ravens.
"Theo, if you aren't going to take this seriously, you won't get to speak," Emilie called out to me.
"I am taking this seriously," I said, thankful she wasn't calling me that infernal 'neechai anymore. "But public speaking isn't exactly on the list of things taught in flight school." That was something of a lie; they did teach us what to say when commissioning or comforting the families of our fallen pilots.
"If you memorize the speech, it will come easier and you'll be able to focus on everything else, like speaking louder and slower," she said, for probably the fifth time. "Now take a deep breath, calm down, and try again."
I nodded and closed my eyes, inhaling and exhaling loudly.
"Good morning, President Bayard, President Kuman, Prime Minister Bouckley, esteemed members of the Jervan and Herin parliaments, and the delegates from the great, independent nation of Rave. Thank you for allowing me the chance to speak with you today. Rave is grateful for this opportunity to have a seat at the table at the Three Nations' Summit, and I am proud to represent her in this very important assembly."
So far so good.
"I come to you as a daughter of Rave. As you know, fifty years ago, after our nation was ruthlessly sacked of resources and enslaved by the Kylaens, we declared our independence. Although we have considered ourselves to be a sovereign nation, our former colonizers believe they have a claim to our land and our peoples. This cannot and must not stand in the international community any longer."
I swallowed, my
pulse quickening and the cool coil of dread growing in my stomach.
"But Kylae is not without blame within its own borders. They have a prison in the mountains north of Norose. Their scientists claim it is safe, but the high death toll tells a different tale."
"I think... I think this was a secret testing laboratory. There are other binders of experiments with animals. That's where all the rabbits came from."
"What could they possibly have been testing that would have warranted this kind of...horrifying..."
I looked down at the podium, taking a long breath as Emilie had instructed when my thoughts began to wander.
"Kylaens use the mineral ore barethium to strengthen their buildings, and their weapons—"
"Louder, 'neechai."
"Barethium is the ore they're mining out of the mountains, the same ore found in Rave. This lab was to test how much a human could take before it was fatal."
"Ravens...they were testing on Ravens."
"T-their weapons which they use to kill Ravens in a...blight on the civilization..."
"Wrong, 'neechai." Emilie sounded exasperated and I didn't blame her. I was exasperated with myself. Every time I started on the details of Mael, I began to recall the laboratory Galian and I had found on the island. We'd discovered the Kylaens knew the dangers of barethium, had been testing the effects of it on Raven slaves before they'd built a single processing plant. The photo of the deformed Raven with purple blotches and tumors was permanently burned into my memory.
As were the faces of every single person I'd left behind in Mael that day.
"Theo."
I jumped; Emilie had crossed the room and stood below my podium, a curious look on her face.
"Do you realize what sort of golden opportunity has been placed in your lap here?" she asked.
"Yes, I do. I'm sorry. I'll try again—"
"No, I think we're done for the day," Emilie said in a tone of voice that didn't bode well for me. "Come down here for a moment."
I stepped off the podium, and the weight left my shoulders as I slumped in a chair. Emilie handed me a glass of water which I gulped down thankfully.
"What's really going on?" Emilie said. "You breeze through the first part of the speech without a problem, so I know you aren't afraid of public speaking."
"I don't know," I whispered.
"I think you do."
I gulped more water and said nothing. I was so exhausted of all the lies that it was better simply to be quiet.
"Theo...listen to me," Emilie said quietly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Do you know why Bayard chose you?"
I shrugged. "Because I was newsworthy."
"Because anyone else who went through what you did would've gone insane," she said. "But you arrived and sat in the hospital room and spoke about how grateful you were to be home. You saw the worst of Kylae and survived."
I swallowed hard, guilt gnawing at me again.
"I think you know this speech. You have one week before we leave for Jervan. I want you to spend it figuring out why you can't seem to get past your demons. I think once you work that out, you'll be able to deliver this speech as expected." She paused, and I almost saw pity in her eyes. "Perhaps a trip back to your old base would do you some good."
"Vinolas?" I asked.
"It's something Bayard suggested, actually," Emilie said. "You were preoccupied with the plight of our brothers and sisters there."
"It was stupid to even bring it up," I admitted, embarrassed at the memory. "I have a lot to learn about when to ask for things."
To my surprise, she smiled. "It's something you're passionate about, 'neechai. Which is why a trip might help you refocus on what this speech could do for your country."
I didn't see how talking about a death camp in Kylae equated to helping young pilots at Vinolas, but...the idea of going back and seeing Lanis was appealing. I never really had a home to speak of, but if I had to pick one place, it was there.
Galian
Even though it was my childhood home, Kernaghan Castle was always imposing. When I'd come to Silas Collins' party, it had been dark, and the courtyard hummed with the cars and servants of Kylae's two hundred richest sons-of-bitches.
But today was void of all that excitement. The sky was a drab gray, with small flakes of snow spiraling down. Not enough to blanket anything, but enough to keep everyone but the two main guards inside the castle.
Martin drove my car through the gates into the cobblestone courtyard as he'd done a thousand times when I'd lived there. He pulled right up to the doors and turned off the car.
"Well, good luck," Martin said, looking over.
"Thanks," I said, feeling less sure of myself now that I was actually doing what I'd said I'd do. I fingered the photo of Theo in my pocket for good luck, and opened the car door, immediately doused in the bitter chill.
I squared my shoulders and closed the car door behind me, nodding my greeting to the two guards.
I noted the pinkness of their cheeks and asked, "How long's your shift?"
"Until noon," one responded.
"Stay warm," I replied with a half-smile.
"Thank you, Your Highness," the other replied, returning my smile as he pulled the door open.
The castle was toasty warm compared to the outside, a few fires crackling in the hearths lining the entrance hall. I shrugged off my thick, black wool coat and almost immediately, a servant appeared to take it from me. I snorted; I'd forgotten how much power I had in this place.
"Shall I inform your mother that you're here?" he asked.
"Actually, I'm headed to the other side," I said, amused at his widening eyes. The palace staff were the biggest gossips, and, undoubtedly, the source of much of the "inside information" leaks to the press. I was sure they knew every detail of the fight between my father and me. What surprised me more was the rest of the country remained ignorant of it.
Then again, knowing my father, it didn't surprise me at all.
The south wing of the castle was our private residences, but the northern side was dedicated to the business of ruling Kylae. Our parliament met in the basement, and my father's offices spanned the top level. When I was a boy, I used to stand in one of the giant windows and stare at the Madion Sea. But a new memory tainted that old one; I'd been in his offices when I'd found out he'd sent Theo to Mael.
I wasn't planning on breaking my promise never to speak to him again, so instead, I headed to the second level of the north wing, where most of the support staff worked. Including the heir to the throne, who was apparently deemed as important as my father's social secretary.
I approached the small, nondescript door and leaned against the frame, waiting for him to notice me. Rhys' office was simple, the walls covered in detailed maps of Kylae. It was no accident he'd chosen radar operator for his mostly-ceremonial military assignment. He'd always been obsessed with map-making and the boundaries of the countries.
His small desk had stacks of paper and a single lamp that illuminated the concentration lines on his face. He didn't look up from the paper he was scrawling on and had even begun mumbling to himself as he read over what he'd written.
"Hard at work, I see."
He glanced up, shock evident on his face. "G-Gally!" He jumped out of his chair and crossed the room in three steps to embrace me. He stepped back and gripped my shoulders. "This is a surprise!"
"I had a day off, decided I'd pop in and see my brother," I said, and took the seat in front of his desk. "You've done...absolutely nothing with this place."
"Father keeps me busy," Rhys said, pointing to a stack of papers on the desk. "Trying to detangle this Jervan issue. They've really stepped in it."
"Yeah, so why aren't you going to the summit?" I asked, cutting right to the chase. "And don't give me the same bullshit reasoning you give the press."
Rhys stared at me, processing my question for a moment then sitting back. "She's going to be there. Of course you're interested."
"I
'd like to offer my services to go in your stead," I said.
"No way."
"Why not?"
"Because, in the first place, last time I checked, you wanted nothing to do with this family or its policies regarding Rave," Rhys said. "And in the second place, Father said no one from Kylae may go. He's trying to send a message."
"Uh-huh." I kept a comment to myself. "Then I'll just go as a private citizen."
His eyes flashed. "Galian, don't you dare."
"Are you gonna stop me?" I asked. "Your Majesty?"
"And what, you're just going to waltz into the summit and ask Theo out? Announce your intention to marry her right there? Bring her back to Norose to share that tiny little apartment with you and Martin?"
"I wasn't going to be that direct, but if you think it would work..." I said with a grin.
Rhys put down his pen and sat back in his chair. "It doesn't matter what I say because you're going to do what you want. Why did you even bother to come ask me?"
"Because my preference is to go on Father's behalf so that we can make some headway with peace between Kylae and Rave," I replied. "But since that's about as likely as the Madion Sea freezing over..."
"Gally, this is not a fight you want to get in the middle of," he said, looking out the window for a moment.
"I want to be in the middle of it," I replied. "I'm already in the middle of it."
"You have no idea..." Rhys let out a long breath.
"Rhys, I can't... I miss her," I said after a moment. "I have to see her again. This is my only chance."
He stared out the window, unmoved by my speech as the concentration lines appeared between his brow.
"For fuck's sake, Rhys," I said, throwing my hands down. "Do you even—"
"Shut up," Rhys said suddenly, placing his hands on the table and leaning forward. "As the crown prince of Kylae and your brother, it's my job to tell you that you are not allowed to leave Kylaen airspace and you are absolutely not allowed to attend the Three Nations' Summit on behalf of Kylae."
The Complete Madion War Trilogy Page 27
