“The Council of Kyri is an elected delegation meant only to govern and uphold the laws of Eidyn,” he replied. “I am aware that Gevandar plans to ask for action in regards to the Limitless Battalion.”
“And you don’t believe we’ll be forced to awaken the battalion?”
“Only the Kyroibi can make that decision,” he explained. “The only reason our leadership would intervene is if you were found to have personal motive.”
“So if I become mad with the power, then what, they kill me and take over the Kyroibi?” Ellie asked, the dark pit in her stomach growing at the thought.
“It’s not as barbaric as that,” Julian assured her. “Should you be found unfit, the Kyroibi can be extracted painlessly. Remember, your father assumed the responsibility from his mother with no consequence. But, Ellie, you have nothing to fear. You’ve already proven yourself to be capable and deserving.”
“So you say,” she muttered. “But Julian, what if they say something different? What if they’re just as corrupt as…?” She trailed off, not wanting to sound paranoid. Her aversion to Prince Gevandar was causing her enough problems. She didn’t need to add to that by making everyone think she was unstable. “I’m just saying, my grandmother was supposedly capable as well.”
“Your grandmother, though accountable for her actions, was an anomaly. Her corruption stemmed from her parents taking liberties they had no right to take.”
“And was that not exactly what my father did when he wove the Kyroibi into the gestational pattern of a child who was only half Eidyssic?”
“El’iadrylline,” he took a step forward, wanting nothing more than to slip his arms around her, draw her in close, and give in to the emotional need that filled his heart, but he remained outwardly reticent. “The people of Eidyn are not as easily lured to power as their Ghowrn neighbors, but they are not in the habit of condemning those who would display such weakness. Nor are they warlords who would defy measures held for millions of years simply because the prince demands it so. Your fear is understandable, but unfounded.”
Ellie wished she could share in Julian’s confidence, but there was something in Gevandar’s tone that had sounded a lot like a threat when he revealed his intentions. In her eyes, there was little difference between the motives of the prince and the actions of the recently deceased emperor. At least Svoryk’s actions could be blamed on Andryvessa’s deception as much as his own greed. Prince Gevandar had no such excuse.
“I don’t want to think about this anymore,” she said with an air of finality as she closed the distance between them. For a moment, she stood unmoving, searching his eyes for any hint of emotion, but Julian’s expression remained as still and oblivious as the automatons at his command. Enough was enough. She brushed her lips against the soft skin of his neck. “I need a distraction, Julian.”
“What is it you wish of me?”
“Really?” She pulled back with a strangled cry of frustration. “Julian, what’s going on? Did you have a change of heart or did I completely imagine that you confessed to care about me as much as I care about you?”
The hurt in her hoarse whisper amplified the aching in his heart. The paradox of physical pain caused by her emotional suffering was too much. Ever since she stormed into the room, Julian had been fighting his own needs, but with hers thrown in, his stoic resolve crumbled.
“Ellie, my first responsibility is to your safety.”
“And?” She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Are your kisses now venomous?”
“No.” He could not stop the smile her words elicited, despite his own pain. “But I’m afraid there are some here whose feelings on the subject are.”
“And you know I don’t care about that.” Ellie emphasized her words by trailing her fingers up into his hairline and drawing him down until they were nose to nose.
“But I do.” Stars help him, she was not making his task easy. “I simply feel it would be easier if we—”
His words were lost as Ellie’s lips covered his. The fingertips of her right hand slid back down until the diodes aligned with those on his temple, flooding his diode matrix with her own intense emotion. It was an unfair fight and she knew it, but she didn’t care.
“I’ll make a compromise.” Ellie’s words were a breathless whisper against his cheek. “If you insist upon playing unfeeling robot in public, I won’t protest, but please don’t shut me out because you think you are doing the right thing. I need you, Julian, not the machine you mistakenly think you are.”
“Very well then.” He turned slightly, allowing his lips to brush lightly over hers. “I am, after all, yours to command,” he added with just a hint of a smile as he drew away and allowed her to lead him to the bedroom.
“Oh yes you are,” Ellie purred as she pushed aside dozens of decorative pillows and sank into the overly soft bed.
A sharp rap, followed by the sound of the front door unlocking brought about an abrupt end to the playful mood. Ellie jumped from the bed, knowing exactly who had the audacity and authority to intrude on the only bit of sanctuary she held in the castle. She stormed out of the bedroom, adjusted her top, and ran a distracted hand over her hair before glaring at her mother, who stood by the curtained window, arms crossed and wearing an expression that held no apology for the intrusion.
“Mother,” she said with a tight smile and the briefest of nods. “Locked doors exist for a reason.”
“This is my home, Ellie, locks are meaningless,” she stated without emotion even as her eyes flickered to the bedroom doorway. “Julian, would you mind giving me a moment of privacy with my daughter?”
“By your command, my lady,” Julian stated formally. Ellie held back the urge to make a gagging gesture at how much he sounded like the overbearing prince. As soon as he was gone, she turned narrowed eyes on her mother.
“If you’ve come to inform me of changes to this evening’s meeting, there’s no need. The royal blowhard already interrupted my morning run.”
“I am not here about the meeting, but I do wish you would please be a little more respectful of Prince Gevandar.”
“Apparently he does as well,” Ellie growled. “Mom, I’m sorry, but I can’t be the only one who has a bad feeling about this guy. He’s done nothing so far to prove he’s a capable leader.”
“El’iadrylline, he is Sintarian royalty and I’ve read his service record,” Isaverlline said in a sharp tone. “He’s more than proven himself worthy as captain of the Alliance army, which is why he was elected to head the leadership assembly. Any one of those things alone would have earned my respect. It will be an honor to call him my son.”
“Why, are you adopting him? I’m rather fond of being an only child, thank you.”
“You may be the future queen of Korghetia, but you are still my daughter, Ellie. I’m not the enemy.”
“I’m sorry,” Ellie said with a sigh, eyes downcast. “But you have to see this from my perspective, Mom. We’ve only just arrived. We haven’t even met all of the members of the assembly and yet already the one I have met is making demands on things he knows nothing about. It’s bad enough I’m required to be polite when he clearly has no intentions of returning the gesture, but I won’t bow and scrape to a prince who sees me as nothing but a means to an end.”
“I understand that you are not yet used to the way our system of government operates, but Ellie, at the very least make an effort to be polite, especially with the prince. He has agreed to be your husband and it would not do to display open hostility.”
Ellie stared at her mother, the sharp retort she’d planned stuck heavily on the tip of her tongue.
“Please tell me you didn’t actually say the ridiculous thing I just heard.”
Isa took a deep breath and gave her daughter a sharp and admonishing glare. “Your overreaction is most unnecessary and immature, so please try to act like the adult you are supposed to be. If we are to move forward against the Huptsovian Empire, we need to show that our leadership is uni
ted.”
“So write up a bleeding doctrine and have the leaders sign it,” Ellie shot back. All of the panic that bubbled low in her abdomen became a rolling boil of rage that threatened to overflow.
“Calm down, Ellie.” Isa heaved a sigh of exasperation, which only succeeded in further upsetting Ellie.
“Calm down? Mom, you realize you’re trying to tell me you’re going to force me into an arranged marriage against my will. How the hell do you expect me to stay calm?”
“I am forcing nothing. As Korghetian royalty, you are expected to marry and your marriage is expected to be politically advantageous. As the leader of the Alliance, Prince Gevandar makes the most strategic sense.”
“Are you even listening to yourself?” Ellie balked. “I am a person, Mother, not a tool to be used for political gain. This is barbaric.”
“Mind yourself, Ellie,” Isa warned. “You are blowing this out of proportion. Your father and I were married to strengthen the trust between the Ghowrn Alliance and the Eidyssic people. I will freely admit I was wary of your father when we met. But in time our feelings grew. Yours will as well. Besides,” she added, shifting her eyes and swallowing uncomfortably. “You are royalty. No one will question your choice of… companions. Though I would caution you to use the utmost discretion.”
“My…” Ellie’s eyes widened in horror as the meaning of her mother’s words sank in. “Oh good grief! That is appalling. Julian deserves more respect than that of some third world concubine.”
“Julian is an artificial construct.”
Ellie’s anger again flared but she was at least grateful that Julian was not around to hear her mother’s words. Not after the conversation they’d just had. Still, she couldn’t believe her own mother could be so narrow minded.
“There are those who would say I am as well,” she said, noting the slight uncomfortable shift in Isa’s appearance. “Don’t bother to deny it, Mom. I saw the recorded objections as well as my father’s own memories.”
“El’iadrylline,” Isa began, schooling her tone into something more sympathetic. “I will not deny that there were those who had concerns about the compatibility of our two races, but this is different. Julian was not born of a questionable union. He was constructed to be utilized as a tool of war.”
“A tool of war,” Ellie huffed. “Seems that’s all Gevandar thinks of me as well. I could live with that, you know. If I didn’t suspect my own mother felt the same.”
“Ellie…” Isa began, but Ellie held up her hand, turning away to wipe at the tears that now blinded her eyes.
“No, please stop this. Whether you want to call it a strategic alliance or not, you and I both know the only thing Gevandar’s interested in is getting his hands on an army he only knows as a rumor. I’ll not be used as anyone’s puppet.”
Isa held her tongue, knowing that continuing to push the subject would do no good and only further alienate her daughter. “I’ve much to do before this evening’s meeting and I’d rather we not fight. We’ll discuss this at a later time,” she said instead, giving her daughter one last pleading look before sweeping from the room.
“The hell we will,” Ellie muttered at the back of the closed door. With her calm completely shattered for the second time in as many hours, she returned to the surface, hoping that this time her run would be uninterrupted.
Chapter 3
Isaverlline did not return to Ellie’s quarters that evening and instead sent one of the court staff members to escort her daughter to the meeting. The obvious display of misgivings did nothing for Ellie’s mood, which remained low despite a return to the surface for some time alone. By the time she reached the assembly chambers, Ellie was radiating her irritation with more than just dark looks. She took a moment to control her emotions, realizing she was doing a fair impression of a Christmas tree, before entering the room.
The cavernous chamber was huge. Much larger than Ellie expected. The ceiling was so high above them that it was nearly impossible to see in the low light that came only from computer consoles and the ever-present river of molten rock that snaked lazily outside. Prince Gevandar stood at the head of a long conference table, hands at his sides in a formal pose. As each representative took their place at the table, he raised his arms to his chest in formal salute.
Ellie did her best to hide her displeasure over what she saw as pompous and needless posturing. Instead she returned the gesture, making sure to mimic her mother’s every head nod lest she be found disrespectful by the other delegates. Though as she watched, she noticed certain delegates were given Gevandar’s full attention, while others were saluted with a dismissiveness that made her wonder if the prince was even aware that his inner thoughts were projected by his outward appearance.
To make matters worse, five Eidyssic stood off to the side, observing her every move with hawk-like eyes. This could only be the Council of Kyri. Not a single emotion leaked from any of the stately beings in shimmering midnight robes, which made them a formidable presence. Whether that presence was in her favor or not remained to be seen.
Ellie averted her eyes, aware she’d already revealed her curiosity and hesitation, but there was no sense in making everyone aware of just how ill-prepared she was for political dealings.
Isaverlline caught her daughter’s eye and nudged her toward a seat near the head of the table, on Gevandar’s right side. Ellie made to silently protest, but her mother’s sharp look told her there would be no point.
Next he’ll be demanding I serve tea and remain silent, she thought bitterly as she stood waiting on the rest of the representatives to file in. Equal partnership and strategic alliance, my ass.
At last, the hall was full and Gevandar gave a nod, signaling for all assembled to be seated. Ellie chanced a look around the table, noting she wasn’t the only one having trouble disguising her emotions. Some of the representatives stared at her in open curiosity, some studiously avoided her eye, and others still eyed her with a wariness she could not blame them for feeling.
There were nine in all, representing elected leaders of the three free planets of the Ghowrn Alliance as well as ranking members of the royal families. Gevandar fell into the last category. He was the only Sintar-Fhasmyr royal not currently imprisoned by the Empire. As such, Ellie tried to have a measure of sympathy, but his overbearing attitude made it difficult even before her mother’s announcement evaporated the last of her goodwill.
As she read the placards that appeared in front of each committee member, Ellie noticed a clear imbalance in the power structure. Korghetia, while the largest of the habitable planets by overall land mass, was the smallest in terms of population, yet counting her mother and herself, there were four Korghetian representatives. Eidyn, on the other hand, had nearly three times the population, yet only one council member had joined them at the conference table. Sonna had one royal representative and one elected, plus a single representative to speak for their many refugee communities. Interestingly, Gevandar, while head of the assembly, was the only representative of the SiFa Cooperative.
“I know we were all expecting to begin this session with a discussion regarding the return of the Korghetian royal family, but I’m afraid a pressing matter has come up,” Gevandar began without preamble.
Ellie bit the inside of her lip. What he meant was that he’d planned to use the meeting as a tactic to bully her into action as was obvious by the Eidyn presence.
“Earlier in the day, we received communication from the Sonnan ranger outpost at Descigle Sea, claiming warships have been spotted moving out of Helsynnic space, and are now moving in on a Sonnan moon. This can only be seen as an aggressive maneuver.”
A murmur went up around the table, mostly of concern and agreement. Not surprising, Ellie noted, given that not only was Sonna a refuge for those whose home planets were under imperial control, but that they had already fallen once to the Empire early on in the conflict.
“War is not inevitable, it is already here,” Gevand
ar continued, sliding a brief glance in Ellie’s direction that she did not miss. “We stand again as nothing more than a small, ill-equipped rebellion in the face of an all-out assault by an oppressive force. As you are all aware, this does not have to be the case.”
He turned then fully to face her, drawing the eyes of all the other representatives to her as well. Ellie felt her face light up under the scrutiny. Despite the uncomfortable situation, she did not allow her gaze to falter.
“The people of Eidyn long ago put measures in place to prevent a tyrannical regime from coming to power. Ironically, this same protective measure was exactly what allowed Huptsovia’s questionable leadership to swiftly form an empire. However, it seems the current custodian has no intention of setting right these wrongs.”
Again a murmur went up among the delegates. Whether in agreement with Gevandar’s assessment or not, Ellie didn’t know. At that moment, her focus was entirely on the pompous prince.
“Have you made an attempt to communicate with Svoryk’s successor?” she asked, seething now at the implications and not giving one thought as to whether or not the question was out of turn. She had to wonder if there truly were any warships or if this was a scare tactic. After all, she realized, Gevandar couldn’t just begin the meeting by demanding that she hand over the army without good reason. “For that matter, how do you even know there is a current Emperor? I was under the impression that Svoryk remained childless so as to avoid the classic folly of falling to a usurping heir?”
“Nyessovor, Svoryk’s first officer, has ascended to the role of emperor,” Gevandar replied with a smug smile. “He has taken over where Svoryk left off. The Alliance does not negotiate with our oppressors.”
“You would rather endanger the lives of millions of innocents? A warlord is no better than an emperor.”
“That, is quite the ironic statement, my lady,” Gevandar threw back with a twisted smile. “As the leader of an automaton army, you have the power to quickly and without casualty suppress the Empire and bring the whole of the Ghowrn system back under the control of the Alliance.”
The Princess Rebellion (The Kyroibi Trilogy Book 2) Page 2
