Repatriate Protocol Box Set

by Kelli Kimble

  The preacher told everyone to rise, and I did. He led a prayer, which everyone knew the words to and spoke along with. I felt awkward and out of place, but Leo squeezed my hand, and the nerves settled.

  When the prayer was over, the preacher introduced Leo. He went to the preacher and kneeled, and the preacher said a prayer for his leadership skills.

  Then, Leo stood up and began speaking. “Many of you know I have a vision for our future. A future where we will begin the next human renaissance. A future where we will inspire future generations to lift us up and make us better.

  “And many of you know I’ve long felt the only way to see this vision through is to partner with the people living outside, those we call ‘outsiders’. Well, I don’t think there should be such a thing. We’re all human, and our humanity demands that nobody should be outsiders. So, today, I have the pleasure of introducing someone special to you. She is from the outside. She has lived there her entire life, and, in fact, was next in line to be their leader.

  “She has had both the experience of being privileged and revered, and the misfortune to be little more than a slave in their fields. She brings to us the knowledge of how we can work together. And, of course, she brings me love, as I love her dearly, and I hope you will all welcome her. May I introduce my future wife, Fiona?”

  He held his hand out to me, and I stood up and took it. I turned to face the crowd and bowed. When I stood up, there was a smattering of applause, but mostly, there were apprehensive gazes from the audience.

  “Come now; we can give her a better welcome than that,” said Leo.

  The applause strengthened to a more respectable level. Leo kissed me on the cheek and whispered that I should sit down. I took my seat, and Pacifica took my hand and squeezed it.

  “It will take some time, dear,” she said into my ear. “Every woman here wants to be in your position, after all.”

  I glanced towards the crowd, and several women were looking at me with obvious hostility. I turned my attention back to Leo.

  “Fiona has been with us for some time now, but I know not many of you have had the opportunity to meet her. We’ll be hosting a reception Friday evening, and everyone is welcome to come and make her acquaintance.

  “That’s it for today. Everybody, have a productive and happy week. Thank you.” He nodded once and stepped down from the stage. Several council members approached him, and he stood talking with them.

  Pacifica rose from her seat, and I followed. I wasn’t quite sure whether I should approach Leo or hang back. I decided to try and make conversation with Pacifica. “Do you have any other children?” I asked.

  “Just Leo,” she said. “I’m sure you know my daughter is no longer with us.”

  I nodded, embarrassed I’d brought it up. “I was very sorry to hear about her. She seemed like an intelligent young woman.”

  “Not intelligent enough. Getting tangled up with that Ray character. If she’d only left him alone, she would be with us right now.”

  I started to point out that if Ray hadn’t brought her to meet me, I wouldn’t be here right now, but I doubted she’d relish the exchange. Instead, I changed the subject. “Have you ever been outside?”

  “Heavens, no. That’s for young people.”

  “Don’t you want to see what the world’s like?” I thought about how grey and dreary most of the surroundings there were.

  “I’ve seen pictures.”

  I fell silent. Somehow, in the space of a few moments, this woman had gone from warm to chilled. I tipped my head towards the group that Leo was speaking with. “Who are they?”

  “Oh, those are members of the council. I expect they’re giving him a hard time. He didn’t tell them about his plans with you.” She looked at me pointedly.

  “Really?” I said.

  She nodded. “He thought it would be easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission. Possibly, he was right. Maybe not.”

  I turned that over in my head. It seemed like I should be standing with Leo and helping him defend his ideas.

  “Will you excuse me? I think I’ll go and see if I can offer Leo my assistance.”

  She finally cracked a wry smile. “Good girl.”

  The general murmurs of the room had masked the sound of the elevated voices coming from Leo’s group. But as I approached, it was unmistakably hostile in tone. Leo’s slight scowl brightened to a smile when I turned up at his elbow. “Ah, here is my Fiona. Fiona, may I present the senior members of the council? This is Shakespeare, Sally, Walt, and Wilfred.” He indicated each of them in turn, and they bowed their heads slightly as he said their names.

  “Good morning; a pleasure to meet you all,” I said. I extended my arm to greet Shakespeare, who was to my immediate left. He looked down at my arm, as if I were offering him spoiled milk on moldy toast.

  Leo grabbed my extended hand, as if he’d intended to hold it, and drew it to his side. “I’m sure you are all aware that Fiona is the future queen of the village,” he said.

  “Hmph. There’s no pride in being queen of the backwoods,” said Walt.

  “That is a matter of opinion,” said Leo. “Fiona is quite proud of her heritage. And with good reason. They’ve survived quite well outside, without all the technology and advancements we’re accustomed to and take for granted.”

  “And what brings you to the mountain, Fiona?” asked Sally. “If you’re so proud of it, what prompted you to leave?”

  “Murder,” I said.

  Leo laughed. “Isn’t she funny? Now, I know I can count on your support in this matter. Fiona brings something to the table that we need.”

  “What do you mean, ‘murder’?” asked Wilfred.

  “I left the village because my friend murdered a man whom he found attacking me.”

  “So, you’re not on good terms with the people of your village,” said Walt.

  “I wouldn’t say that. The man who attacked me was aligned against my mother, the queen.”

  “This probably isn’t a good time to be discussing this,” said Leo.

  “Why not? It should be out in the open. A man took advantage of his physical strength over me and tried to take what he wanted. My friend, Elliot, killed him to protect me. We left because the attacker had powerful friends who didn’t want me to become queen. Now, I’m here.”

  “But how will you become queen if you’re here?” asked Sally. “What of your mother?”

  “My mother will stay in power until she dies. That’s the custom in the village. I’ll play the part of a liaison between you and her, until it is my turn to ascend.”

  “I thought you had to bear an heir before you could be queen,” said Shakespeare. “Do you have an heir?”

  “No,” I said. Shame immediately washed over me. “I have not borne an heir.”

  “The heir shall be mine,” said Leo. “He or she will be a true binding of our societies.” He released my hand and wove his fingers together. “It will represent a true beginning.”

  “She,” I corrected.

  Leo looked at me, a question in his eyes.

  “The heir must be a girl. Only a girl can be queen.”

  “Yes, well. Fiona and I shall produce a great many children together, if I have my way.” He put his arm around my shoulder and winked at the council members.

  Sally covered her mouth and giggled. The men simply ogled my breasts. I was suddenly conscious of the tissue-thin fabric of my new tunic.

  “Fiona and I have a lot of details to see to before the reception. I’m sure you’ll grant us your leave?” He bowed slightly and, not waiting for them to answer, turned me away from them and up the aisle, out of the meeting hall.

  “That was unpleasant,” I said.

  “Don’t worry. They’ll come around to my way of thinking. They always do.”

  ◆◆◆

  The week leading up to the reception went by fast. Leo’s assistant put it together, and I had little idea of what to expect. She also arranged for the
tailor to fit me with a garment they called a “gown”. It was a gold color, made from fabric that felt cool and smooth, with a subtle sheen. It somehow had no straps and wrapped around my waist, leaving an opening that revealed my leg to my mid-thigh when I walked.

  Willow assured me that the color complimented my tanned skin to the best advantage, and she offered me a variety of hairstyles to choose from. On Friday morning, she did my nails and produced a pair of shoes that looked like sandals, but with a heel.

  “How do you walk in these?” I asked.

  “You should probably practice,” she said, as she giggled behind her hand.

  She helped me put them on, and I tottered around the room, like an infant learning to crawl. She snickered the whole time.

  “I don’t know what’s so funny,” I said. “These stupid things are awful. Why would anyone wear these?”

  “Beauty has long been something to suffer for,” she said.

  I glanced at her. She was studying my feet and didn’t notice me observing her. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re Barrow’s daughter?”

  She shrugged.

  “You know that he doesn’t like me.”

  “Well, I know that now; I didn’t when we became friends,” she said. “And anyway, he hasn’t been the sort of father one feels the need to obey.”

  I sat on the bed next to her.

  “He comes here once a year and demands that I spend time with him but doesn’t care to get to know me. He makes demands and rules. I’ve always bristled against him.”

  “Elliot doesn’t seem to have a good relationship with him, either,” I offered.

  “He wants me to sabotage your relationship with the president. He’s bent on making things hard for you both.”

  “I’m not surprised,” I said. “He wanted me to join with Elliot and reform our manner of leadership. I’m sure he intended to install Elliot as a figurehead whom he could control.”

  “Elliot doesn’t seem like the type who’s easily controlled.”

  “I think it’s complicated.”

  She nodded. “Are you happy about Leo?”

  I felt heat spread up my cheeks. “Yes,” I looked down at my hands in my lap. “I never thought I’d be given the opportunity to have love. Truth be told, I expected to live out my days serving in the fields. The queen bent the rules to include me in one more choosing. And I expected to be chosen by someone who would use me, rather than fulfill their obligation.” A chill ran through me as I thought of Orion.

  “Are you all right?”

  “It’s nothing. Do you know what Barrow was planning?”

  “Only vaguely. He thought he could get the queen and Leo to work together, with him serving as the glue. It was crazy, really. The council has to support such a thing, and they always seemed to think my father wasn’t worthy of their attention.”

  “Did you suffer? Because he’s your father?”

  “I suppose, in small ways. But, most people turn away from it. It isn’t my fault he’s my father. And I’ve distanced myself. I’ve never been outside, even.”

  “Aren’t you curious about where he comes from?”

  “When I was younger, maybe. Now, I know he has no real love for me, and I have none for him. I don’t want to change that by learning reasons I should have sympathy for him.” She brushed her hands over her pants. “We’d better get you ready. Elliot’ll be here soon.” She took up a brush and tackled my hair.

  ◆◆◆

  Elliot came to bring me to the reception. He was dressed in a fine but simple linen tunic and trousers with delicate embroidery around the neck. He bowed stiffly and offered me his arm. I’d noticed in the last few weeks that he seemed distant. But, I didn’t know how to prod him for the reason why, so I left it untouched.

  We walked through the halls, which were largely empty. Most people were still getting ready, since the reception didn’t start for another hour. But, Leo wanted me to be there well in advance so that anyone queued in the hallway wouldn’t have the opportunity to see me until they entered the room. I didn’t point out that nobody wanted to see me—literally or figuratively—whether inside the room or out of it.

  “You look nice,” I said.

  “Thanks. I guess this is the sort of thing most people will be wearing. Not like what you’ve got on.”

  “Do you like it? They call it a ‘gown’.”

  He grunted. “It doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”

  I stopped. “Elliot, I can’t help but feel like you’re angry with me,” I said.

  “I’m not angry with you,” he said. He gave me a tug on my arm to set me moving along again. “Leo has made a point of telling me I should give you some space.”

  “But why? You’re my connection to home.”

  “Exactly.”

  “It was his idea for you to walk me to the reception.”

  “Yes, but only because of Barrow. Leo thought he might try to interfere. He couldn’t be here with you, so he thought I was the next best thing.”

  Barrow. Why didn’t Leo just send him packing back to the village? I bit my lip as I thought about the ways he could ruin things for me.

  “That isn’t the expression of a queen,” said Elliot.

  “Then, it’s a good thing I’m not the queen.”

  Elliot stopped and held onto my arm, forcing me to stop, as well. “You’ve got to stop saying that, Fiona. The council needs to believe that you have sway over the village. If you keep going on about being a slave and not having an heir . . . I’m afraid that Leo will never convince them to accept you.”

  A leaden weariness clamped onto my legs and while I looked at Elliot as he pleaded with me to act more royal, worry prickled at the corners of my mind. “Why did you choose me, Elliot?”

  “Barrow told me to.” He shifted his grip to holding my hands. “But honestly, I thought of you more as an escape from him. I thought if he could convince you to follow his plan, we could be happy. I thought we’d ignore him, get rid of him, even. Then, you and I, we’d be together. Keeping the village safe and having each other.”

  “You sound as if you loved me.”

  “I was in love with the idea. I didn’t even know you. You’re beautiful, of course. That doesn’t hurt. But, I wasn’t in love.” His expression was pained.

  “Well, I care for you, Elliot. You’re like a brother to me. And I’m glad that you chose me because I would never have known you otherwise.”

  He smiled. “I’m glad, too. I wish you and Leo all the happiness in the world.” He kissed my cheek and squeezed me into a tight embrace. “And you’ll introduce me to some pretty councilwoman, right?” he whispered into my ear.

  I laughed as he released me. “I’m not sure any of them are pretty enough for you.”

  He laughed, too, and we continued to the reception. When we turned down the main hall, I was shocked to see that despite arriving so early, there were many people—mostly women—waiting in a long line.

  “Geez,” said Elliot under his breath. “Are you sure you want to do this? These women look like they want to carve you up for breakfast.”

  I shifted in my dress and held my chin up high. “Nonsense,” I said. “That’s just your imagination.”

  But as we walked down the hall, a hush fell over the crowd. And one by one, the women turned away from me. I felt heat rising up my cheeks.

  “It’s all right, Fiona. They’re only jealous,” he whispered.

  I didn’t respond. I needed every ounce of strength to get to the door. We finally reached it, and Elliot opened it for me. “I’ve done my duty. Safely delivered. Good luck.” He pecked me on the cheek, and as he pulled away, he whispered, “You’re tougher than all these women combined. Get it done.”

  I nodded once and retreated behind the door. I was glad there wasn’t anyone around to see the few tears I allowed myself before I wiped them away and went to find Leo.

  Chapter 15

  The reception was brutal. I plastere
d myself to Leo’s side, not daring to let even a teenage girl speak to him alone. He gloried not just in my attention, but the attention of everyone else, as well. Everyone was civil to me, but a thin veneer of ice crackled under every conversation. Leo did not seem to notice, and I pretended not to notice, either.

  We’d spoken to everyone in the receiving line, and Leo graciously introduced me. I was surprised to realize he knew the name, lineage, and occupation of every person in the colony. I struggled to commit as much to memory as I could, but in the end, only the council members were dressed in a memorable way, and everyone else ran together.

  And then, the dancing started.

  Beautiful music began, and everyone turned their attention to Leo. He bowed at me and waited. I quickly curtsied when I realized it was the response everyone was expecting. Then, he took my hand and brought me to the center of the room, put his arms around me, and we began to dance.

  I was thankful that my gown covered my feet, because I didn’t know the steps. Leo was patient and whispered occasional instructions.

  The music changed slightly, and other couples began to dance around us. I felt less self-conscious as the crowd of dancers grew. I relaxed and began to enjoy it.

  “You look amazing,” Leo said. “Just like a princess.”

  “What a coincidence,” I said. “I am a princess.”

  Leo’s smile faded a bit, and I felt a tap on my shoulder. “May I cut in?” came a feminine voice from behind me.

  We broke apart from each other, and I turned to look at the interrupter. “I don’t—”

  “I’d be delighted,” said Leo, interrupting my protest.

  Yet another rush of embarrassment flooded over me. Leo gave me a smile he probably meant to be reassuring but felt more like a slap. I retreated to the edge of the room under the guise of collecting a drink. I found only spyro. Disappointed, I took some, though I really wanted a large skin of wine.