by P. S. Power
As soon as the door was pulled shut and they were alone, the Queen walked around the old and well worn table, which was made of real wood, and locked it. Then she turned, looking up into Tiera's eyes. Her blue locked with plain brown, and the slightly darker skinned lady grimaced.
"How bad is this, really. I can tell that things were left out, but didn't want to ask Burks. We don't always get along perfectly."
It was actually slightly flattering, really. Tiera took a deep breath and then just jumped in, voicing things she hadn't bothered to tell anyone yet. Not openly.
"Aunt Connie... The world is dying. Right now, people can make it, if we can get enough magically made food and water to them, but the damage is vast. There are big sections of the planet that no one can live in and won't be able to for hundreds of years. Poisoned by the bombs of the Ancients. Us doing this won't stop the Others from trying to kill us all, even as they die. They may have machines ready to do just that, in case we do. Gray is insane and Cordes... I don't know what he's thinking. It's like their minds are working, but they've jumped to some conclusion that isn't right, but that they can't let go of. Even doing all of this, we'll probably all die." She hugged the woman, which was different, since they didn't have that kind of relationship, even as family.
Then she held her for a minute, though no tears came for either of them.
"Honestly, if it weren't for Tor, I'd set this new plague loose right now and move everyone else off the world that I want to protect. If even one more thing happens, I'll see it done, even if it means that all of the Ancients die."
That got the Queen to stiffen, but Tiera winked.
"Don't worry, I'll protect my family. That means your people too. Even if I do want to slam Uncle Richard through a wall still. He... Regina... I understand why, but, I can't let go of it. Not yet. I'm really trying though, I promise." Otherwise it would be treason to even say that.
That got the other woman to move to tears. Thick ones that poured down her face for a while, even as Tiera just stood there, holding her.
When her eyes were dry and they left, turning off the magical lights along the walls as they did so, the Queen invited her to dinner.
"We can use your new device, and you can make us all eat dirt, if by proxy. What do you say?"
Tiera sort of wanted to sleep and yawned, then managed a look that was, if not happy, at least not one that would have the Royal Guard on her the instant they got to the top of the gray stone steps.
"Can we do that in a few days, do you think? Kolb and Remy, um, Remy Two, so not the one that tried to kill Tim, they beat me nearly to death in practice about a week ago. I'm still recovering. I should make a point of getting there early in the morning too, since I missed classes since then."
The Queen paused and touched her arm, making her stop.
"It was truly that harsh a beating? Had you mis-stepped?" She looked scared, to be honest. She'd been sad that Tiera had lost Regina and was mad at her husband, but hearing this made her actually fearful.
Tiera rolled her eyes and made a funny face, which at least let the woman relax a bit, if nothing else.
"I think that Remy is just like that, so no doubt I'm in for more of the same there, if I can figure out how to improve enough to be interesting. Kolb... I don't know, I thought he was angry with me, over all the new Ancients around, but that isn't my fault, is it? He's too smart not to get that. Now... I think it was a real lesson, just like he said it was at the time. I'm not ready to fight what's coming, and we don't have time to coddle people that way. Not that losing days of practice is really going to help. Not me at least. It might have been a lesson for the others though. Sam, and Sheri?"
The woman still seemed a bit drawn, but walked on, her hand gently on Tiera's arm, as if she feared the girl might get lost on the stairs. They were long, but it wasn't like there was anyplace else to go. Not that she could see at least. Even her mind, when she reached out, found nothing of note that way. No passages in the solid stone or anything. Other than the one they were in.
No one met them at the top, so they walked slowly back to the throne room, to find it empty, except for several of the servants and a few Royal Guards, who were busily making themselves some rather fine looking dishes. At least a few were from the kitchen too, which made sense. Connie looked at them, scandalized, and was clearly about to have a problem with what they were doing, since it wasn't, as far as she knew, a toy for them to play with.
If she'd been Countess Baker still, that would be a real issue too, she knew. Luckily, in spirit at least, she was just a school kid. She could let it go.
One of the Royal Guards was even her buddy, George, who basically led them. He'd made what seemed to be a bowl of oat porridge. Because, when you had a thing that would give you anything you wanted, that made perfect sense, didn't it? As a joke she ran over and got him a glass of slightly cool water. He took it with a small bow, standing as he ate, not speaking at all. He didn't even smile.
Not until he was finished.
"This works. Only one dish can be made at a time?"
That earned him a shake of the head, even as the other servants and guards pulled back a little, looking a bit out of sorts. That was probably down to Aunt Connie glaring at them like she was. It was cute, but, Tiera realized, she really did look a lot like a tall version of Count Lairdgren. So of course she was lovely. The Count in a dress would have been too. Timon could still carry that off as well. Terry, being the lucky one, wasn't half as good looking, though still a lot better than average.
"If we put a pot in the alcove there we could fill it with whatever we wanted. It's meant for ship and Moon work though, not feeding the masses. It can, I think, if there are enough of the devices. We could put out a hundred of them and let people get whatever they wanted, in a pinch. On Earth at least. In space, that will have to be managed. It's a heat problem, really." She looked at the man closely, so he finished his water and looked for a place to set the dishes.
That got her to call for a trash receptacle. Then she pulled out two more of the things, and handed them to the obvious Kitchen people. The one that was up went to George, since, after all, they were friends.
Sort of.
Connie looked embarrassed for some reason.
"It's kind of you to share, but these people were stealing your food..."
Tiera shook her head, starting out slowly, not wanting to get into a fight with the Queen, since they were getting along so well at the moment. Still, if she had to, then she would. It was part of her pattern. "Nope. Endless amounts of it. Besides that, they need to all practice with it, for that dinner here in a few days. I'm keeping one for myself though. A few actually. They seem like they might be handy. You know, just in case?" For instance if she had to live outside for the next months, hunting down clones.
Her Aunt wasn't totally sold on the idea. That was so clear that Tiera feared that at least a few of the people standing there were going to be beaten for their part in things, but she played it off, smiling and actually meaning it.
"Don't let it be a problem, Aunt Constance. I'm not. These are my friends. If they need my food, then I have it to share." She was about to explain how that was a thing in Two Bends, but for once, someone just bowed to her, about halfway, and smiled.
"Then I shall not let it become one. Thank you. If we could have the room?" There was enough tension to the words that she sort of thought Connie was going to yell at her, or try for a beating herself, but she just hugged her a bit and suggested they get chairs to wait, since, as slow as they'd gone, the paperwork was more so. They did get Sam and Karen back, and Karina came in with her brother.
Tilting his head, Sam looked at the red-headed tall and thin Princess and went wide eyed. He started to speak, but it wasn't a secure space, and if this place wasn't being watched from the remaining portion of the old satellite system, then the Others truly deserved to lose, didn't they?
To distract him, she waved a bit, and then nodded,
openly putting a finger to her lips. He got that unsubtle hint though, and Alphonse laughed a little.
Then he pointed to the device that Tiera had made and got a strained look on his face.
"Oh, on the ships, I've heard that human waste is a problem, but that won't care, will it?" He tensed a bit, as if he'd given offense, but Tiera let her head move side to side playfully.
"Well, I'm not eating the straight product, myself, but we can turn that into sand, and a few other things first, so that it won't be as... Um, bothersome?" She was trying to be delicate, but Karen just coughed a bit.
"So, you can store the waste, as say rock, or even diamonds, which are really dense, and then..." She coughed again. "Oh! Well, I guess all that gold I have saved up is worthless then, isn't it?"
Damn. She was smart too, it seemed. Sam though just looked at her and then away and back, openly flirting. It was cute, but really bold for him. That was probably one of the new changes then. He wasn't seeing tall people as his masters anymore. Good. That would be a pain in the rear, if he had to live that way forever.
The boy didn't comment and neither did anyone else, since it just made sense. It was a bit panic inducing, to realize that all your wealth was worthless, or could be soon, but the idea of everyone being able to have what they needed was a good one. Then they could just trade work. Services and all that. Not that it would happen in the next weeks or anything. She'd probably have to find a job though, after a bit. Something useful.
What that would be she had no clue.
Maybe construction, building things on the Moon. Or... Gardening?
She nearly clapped then. "Oh, we need to get things for the new Moon Gardens. Plants and all that. We should make a forest, if we can. Gerent can be in charge of it. We should all help though. They'll have to be inside. Really, if I wasn't so busy, I'd go up with Terry in a few weeks."
Constance was good at conversations and unlike her son, didn't seemed prone to accidently turning them toward the topic of shit, even if it was a good one, at the moment. She really had built in a way to do that, on purpose. She just didn't want to think about it too much.
The Queen covered her mouth for a moment, as if trying to stifle a chuckle, and looked at her directly.
"Terry Baker? Is he taking over the Moon project then? He's what, ten? Not that I think him unable, but I hear the High Servants have been... Slightly troublesome, there. Alice Orange has suggested a culling of their ranks. I can't say that I blame her. Perhaps he can whip them into shape?"
That got Karen to stiffen, but she didn't glare at the Queen, just looking down and turning a brilliant red. In anger. Then she went white, and started to go into a combat rage.
Tiera snapped her fingers.
"Hey! Karen! None of that. Control it. You can do it. Focus on what I'm saying. Take deep slow breaths..." The girl glared, but then tried, her pretty face working a bit. It wasn't a perfect thing, but ten minutes later, with everyone still sitting there, not having run at all, she grabbed her head a bit, which had Sam digging out a healing amulet for her, to hold the headache at bay.
She started down to her knees, only to have Alphonse move in and hug her, if very lightly.
"That was incredible! You fought it and won! I wish I could do that."
She was handled more carefully after that, but returned to her seat, without an apology, which was correct, since she hadn't harmed anyone at all. She hadn't even yelled. That wasn't down to the new changes either, Tiera didn't think. The girl had learned, somewhere along the way, to hold her anger in check. If she wanted to.
She did explain why she'd gotten upset at least.
"We had to cashier one of them already. He was the worst, but there are others. They just can't get the idea that they're sworn to work, and that getting things up there ready is needed. About ninety percent of the real work is being done by ten people right now. When Instructor Wistra left them, their productivity cut nearly in half. She's one of the Wildlands Orphans, Sam. One of your people. If it was my project I'd go to the Wildlands and beg them to come help there, but I'm just in charge of those... Well, like I said, ten of them are pulling their weight. I'm so ashamed of them all." She actually teared up, and everything.
No one said anything for a bit, but Tiera finally shrugged. "If I can get the time, I'll go up to get Terry settled. I'll... You know, if I take the fighters section with me, that would work, right? And the meditation students. I know it seems strange, but those are my classes. Then I'll kill some of them until the others work for you. Terry can't do it. Or, well, honestly, he probably could, but he shouldn't since he's going in as the projects builder, to make sure they have someone that can make copies all the time. I..."
She worked out what she'd need, which was a ship, food, and her instructors, as well as enough of their students to make it seem real.
It probably wouldn't work, she knew. There were attacks to watch for and all that. But... They didn't really need her for all that, did they? Not if Timon stayed.
Everyone was looking at her, and when she realized it, she smiled, a little embarrassed. After all, who was she to plan something like that. The funny thing was, that she didn't think that just any Countess could have gotten it done, but little Tiera from Two Bends could.
It might even be a good idea, really. If she were going to move house, it wouldn't hurt to get the lay of the land, right? Her mother would feel better, knowing that she was going along too. Even though it was rude, she pulled out her communications device and searched through the names, until she got to Alice Orange. Then she tapped the sigil. No one spoke at all, which was getting eerie just about the time that the commanding woman's voice spoke.
"Fleet Admiral Orange here. Go."
"Tiera Baker on this end. Can I get transport to the Moon in a week or so? We don't have a specific plan, but I hear it takes a while to actually get there? Karen Derring and I are going to go and see about getting those lazy High Servants in shape, and deliver my little brother there, to be their builder. Make magic for them, not be responsible for the structures." It was a lot to ask, but the woman didn't even hesitate at all.
"It's about time. Every report I get about those lazy pieces of shit makes my teeth hurt. The next ship going is... " There was a rustling of papers and a long pause. So long that Tiera was about to ask if her Aunt had gotten bored and walked away or something. Then she spoke, her voice firm. "Winters Kiss. We got your new food machines too, Hellion. They're going over pretty well, we have to hide from most of the crews what we're feeding into them, but other than that..."
Alphonse cleared his throat. "We'll bring sand? A nice big load of it?"
Alice Orange might not trust very good looking men, but that effect went down a lot if the man in question was closer to average, it seemed. "Prince Alphonse? Are you going along to see to this then? Good. Maybe we won't have to kill them all, in that case. I think they believe that no one that cares can touch them there. Slapping them with a giant Prince will disabuse them of that. Get with me on the numbers going. We may have to reconfigure the ship."
Then she cut the line, because that's what she did. She was finished, so the conversation was. Tiera snorted at the device, and then hit the sigil for her mother and father in Two Bends.
Unlike with Alice, who kept her device on her all the time, her parents took a long time to pick up. When it happened, it was actually Tess, one of her little sisters, that answered.
"Tessalyn Baker, how may I help you today, sir or ma'am?"
For half a second Tiera was silent, but not beyond what was polite. "Hello Tess. This is Tiera. I need to talk to father and mother? Terry too?"
There was a pause, and the little girl huffed a bit. "Right, but not Tenet or me? Or even Tara?"
It was a bit bratty, for one of her sisters, but she got it. The girl was being left out of a lot and knew it, if not what. Tiera made a face at Sam, since he wasn't related to anyone there at all, but still would have to put up with them for a l
ong while.
"Actually, that would work as well, if you're not busy? I just assumed you'd all be working right now." Because that's what children did, but it sounded right.
Her little sister wasn't fooled, but she was mollified enough to run the device to her father, and managed to get her ma around in a few minutes. There was a lot of chatter about what was going on, but not into the device yet at all.
Finally Douglas spoke to her, sounding younger already. Still like him, but his voice was less rough.
"Tiera? Is something wrong?"
She could have told the truth, but lying sounded better, at the moment.
"Only a bit. The High Servants on the Moon are being a bit lazy, so Karen Derring and I are going up with Terry to set them straight. It's a big deal, but not dangerous. Some others are going too, and the Queen suggested that we take the whole family along, to help Terry get settled. After all, who else gets trips to the Moon?"
The woman was right there and by law could have had her put to death for saying that, but she just leaned in and spoke, her voice mellow and slightly cheery.
"Indeed Douglas, I'm sending Karina and Alphonse along even. It should be a merry outing. I was hoping that you and Laurie would keep an eye on everyone? I wanted to go along myself, but unfortunately I can't right now. Matters and such. If you can't have a treat yourself, you might as well share with friends."
There was dead silence, and then oddly, her father, who was a humble baker, at least in her mind, chuckled.
"Connie! So good to hear from you. We should get together and chat soon. Perhaps before we leave?" He was smart enough to know that the Queen didn't really get in touch just to suggest pleasure trips for little kids, it seemed. He also, apparently, called the Queen of the realm, Connie. That was... Interesting.
The Queen clapped her hands once.
"Oh! That would be wonderful. You and your family can come to dinner? In say, three days? We're having a little ceremony here. Really it's Tiera's. Your son Terrance will be needed for certain, but if everyone wishes to come, I know that Richard and I would love to host you all. You can stay with us for the evening?"
