The Reluctant Empress

by Teresa Howard

  “Morning, Sister. Brother,” Tegani said as she poured her own cup.

  She and the others were somber. She couldn’t stop from remembering how narrowly they had escaped disaster and how lucky they were the heir and Ninallia were both alive and well.

  “Do you think Hanoree is the reason the paternity test is delayed?” Sayeri asked.

  “We must assume so. I foresaw something like this and sent multiple samples under different names. We will receive the results we need in time.” Arturon looked older this morning. The troubled night showed on his face and the way he held himself. His usual ramrod straight posture was slightly stooped.

  “I think it is time to take the fight to Hanoree,” said Tegani. She had given this much thought in the sleepless night. “What if we make our case publicly? We don’t have to accuse Hanoree. We can present Ninallia’s son as emperor. Make the announcement public.”

  “Why not make sure the whole is planet watching?” Houston came in the room. Behind him a pale Ninallia carried Hiroto

  “Can you do that?” asked Tegani.

  “I think Interplanetary Governor Bashari can make it happen,” he answered.

  “My Lady can persuade the nine kingdoms to broadcast the news. With the rest of Bengar watching, Hanoree can hardly suppress the broadcast.” Arturon began to show signs of his usual strong nature.

  “Has anyone stopped to think we don’t have any paternity results, and we may not get them any time soon?” Ninallia asked.

  “Hanoree doesn’t know that. We will proceed as if the results are in and we have them in hand. It’s bluffing, but it’s the best chance of getting our little emperor before the Council of Nobles alive.”

  “I agree,” said Arturon. “If we declare ourselves, any friends we have on the council will have to step up or prove their cowardly natures.”

  “Do we have any friends on the council?” Ninallia asked.

  “There are many who served Emperor Rhealgar, and they may choose to support his son instead of Hanoree. They must guess or suspect he was behind the murders.” Sayeri put an arm around Ninallia.

  “Let’s get it arranged. I’ll contact My Lady, and Houston can contact the League,” Arturon said, standing and heading for the door.

  “I think I should let Lord Ellino know what we’re doing. He deserves a heads up.” Sayeri hurried out.

  “Courage, ladies. This is what we have been working for,” said Houston.

  The broadcast was shown planet wide and relayed to every world in the League.

  Thirty

  The public announcement spread throughout the Empire and the many kingdoms. There was an immediate uproar. All discussion of crowning Hanoree was dropped by the Council of Nobles, and they argued over what this could mean for the Empire.

  Hanoree’s face loomed in Sayeri’s communication screen. The conversation was also shown on another screen where Arturon, Houston, Tegani, and Ninallia watched unseen.

  Hanoree began, “Of course, we will welcome the baby if he is proven to be the legitimate heir. I will be happy to serve him. I am astounded you have waited to inform us you have been hosting the baby and his mother.”

  “Lord Hanoree, given the deaths of the late empress and emperor, it cannot be surprising. Have you solved their murders?” Sayeri smiled into the screen.

  Red rose to Hanoree’s cheeks. “I can guarantee we are doing everything to apprehend those responsible, and as guardian and regent pro-tem, safety will be my first concern.”

  No trace of shock or dismay shown on Sayeri’s face, though she was feeling both. How could those stupid Nobles have been reckless enough to let Hanoree protect the child? Having Hanoree serve as the guardian was as good as signing the child’s death warrant. There would be nothing traceable.

  An accident or illness would befall the child. “Congratulations Hanoree, I had not heard of your appointment.”

  “You’ve long distanced yourself from court, Sayeri. You cannot be current of what is happening here.”

  Sayeri raised one elegant eyebrow. “What do you propose as guardian?”

  “I decree you should bring the heir to the Imperial Palace at once, where I can oversee his safety.” Hanoree smiled benignly.

  “I will see your suggestion is taken into consideration,” Sayeri answered, lowering her eyes demurely.

  “Taken into consideration by whom?” demanded Hanoree.

  She was astounded at his cluelessness. “To his mother’s consideration, of course, Hanoree. She has custodial rights and control of the infant for the first eighteen months. I have been away from court but I know the law.”

  “The girl is no Dowager Empress! The empress died with her husband.” Hanoree virtually exploded.

  She sighed and continued, her tone chiding, trying to explain to a reluctant school boy. “Hanoree, has your education been lacking? The Dowager Empress is defined as the mother of an emperor. The emperor’s mother is here and well. I will consult her and present your position.”

  Hanoree sputtered and huffily ended the call.

  Sayeri, who made her own recording of the communication, laughed and turned away. It was a small victory.

  “Let’s keep him wondering a bit longer. I’m sure he is researching the qualifications for a Dowager Empress. There has never been a surrogate mother in the royal line. Technically Ninallia is the biological mother, as the empress did not have a viable egg for fertilization,” Arturon said. “I can use that when I present her to the council as his regent.”

  They put Hanoree off for three days. Ignoring his fuming and demands that they turn over the infant emperor. They agreed for a conversation between Hanoree and Ninallia to take place. Sayeri altered one of her finest dresses to fit Ninallia for the transmission. Her hairdresser was brought in and soon Ninallia was almost unrecognizable. She looked like an elegant vision in lace, diamonds, and pearls. She was every inch the empress in her splendor. The girl’s court posture and manner, practiced for months was on display, her bearing regal.

  ~ * ~

  Hanoree was stunned when he was greeted by Ninallia. She looked nothing like a girl from the slums who sold her body as a surrogate. Still, he bowed. “We have been awaiting your decision. I must tell you it is for the safety of the child I am concerned. “When can we expect you to turn him over?”

  Ninallia brought one finely manicured hand to her breast. “I will not turn over my child to anyone. I will accompany him to the Imperial Palace.”

  “Of course, we await your arrival.” Hanoree smiled.

  “As you wish. When will my escort arrive?”

  “Escort?” What was she up to?

  “Is it customary for an emperor to travel without an Imperial escort?”

  Hanoree recovered. “Of course, I shall arrange to travel to meet you.”

  “I prefer to choose my own escort. The First Minister and Lord Nebron will be sufficient. You need not exert yourself. I am sure you will be too busy conducting matters of the Empire.”

  At this nod to his authority, Hanoree smiled. The girl wasn’t going to dispute his guardianship beyond insisting she get a chance to live in the Imperial Palace for a bit. Perhaps he could even marry her to his son after the baby met its inevitable accident. Perhaps he would make her his mistress.

  “As you wish, I will arrange the escort as soon as the First Minister and Lord Nebron are available.”

  “Thank you, Lord Hanoree.” Ninallia inclined her head in a small bow.

  It was the bow one extended to an inferior at court. If he responded with an equally small bow he would be seen as assuming too much. He hesitated then gave a deeper bow.

  ~ * ~

  When the communication ended, Tegani and Sayeri congratulated Ninallia on her performance.

  “Now if the paternity test will just come in.” Tegani was worried. If Hanoree could use his private army to surround the Temple City, he could destroy a report. How long would it take?

  She and the others gave a collect
ive sigh of relief when a messenger arrived carrying the results the next day. He explained there was no safe way to send the results electronically, so he volunteered to deliver them by hand. The results were on a data chip, and the certification was both digital and hard copy.

  Arturon did the honors of opening and reading the results. No one doubted the results would be positive, but seeing the official proof was exhilarating.

  Ninallia’s eyes filled with tears. Tegani was happy Madama had not lied to her. Her son, Hiroto, was the true emperor. A small part of Tegani wished it wasn’t so. Any chance of a normal childhood for them was gone. Their lives would belong to the Empire­­­.

  “Courage, child, life at court will not be all bad.” Sayeri put her hand on Ninallia’s shoulder “There will be parties, and the palace is grand.”

  “I think we should do a family history on Ninallia. There are those at court who will be doing one as soon as her identity is revealed. The historians will do the research,” said Arturon. “You can be sure others will seek anything on her ancestry they can use to challenge her authority as regent.”

  Ninallia laughed. “I grew up hearing my mother say we were almost Nobles. Her family came from the eastern province of the Empire, like the empress.”

  “It was the reason Madama Ector chose you. You have the same coloring as the empress.” Arturon replied. He found the communication terminal and began to key in information.

  Ninallia gave him her parents’ names and her grandparents’ names and even one great-grandmother she recalled meeting as a very small child. The biological wars that occurred twice in the last two hundred years made genetic and hereditary information vital, and genetic data bases were extensive.

  Soon Arturon whistled. “I never imagined we would find this.”

  He told them that in the last century, the Emperor Hapirion ruled the Empire during a time of great expansion. He was something of a womanizer, having several mistresses, including one Noble lady in the Eastern province. She was a young widow and never lived at court. She bore a child long after her husband died, and there were rumors he was the emperor’s bastard son. He received royal favors until the emperor died. When the emperor died, and his heir took the throne, the young man’s fortunes took a turn for the worse, and he was soon almost penniless.

  “What does that mean?” Ninallia asked.

  “It means your mother carried the emperor’s blood. And she was also related to the empress.”

  Tegani laughed. Sometimes life took twists and turns. The many times great-granddaughter of a royal bastard was now a Dowager Empress. “So, when do we release this?”

  Hiroto began to cry in the next room. Without a nursemaid, Ninallia and Sayeri scampered to tend him.

  Tegani smiled. Hiroto was a handsome child with Ninallia’s eyes and his father’s strong features.

  Thirty-One

  “My Emperor, it would not be hard to arrange an accident on the journey to the Imperial City.” Varick stood uncomfortably in Hanoree’s presence. His assassin failed, and now Sayeri and the Order declared the child as the true heir.

  “How could we arrange this with Lord Nebron and the First Minister in attendance? Your grasp of the situation is slipping.” Hanoree glared at him.

  “There are undetectable poisons,” Varick offered.

  “Okay, we will try your plan. I will arrange for you to be in the entourage. You will take care of this personally. In the meantime, I will prepare plan B in case you fail.”

  “What is plan B?” He dared not balk at Hanoree’s plan. He would have to do this job himself.

  “We have the Temple City surrounded, and I have hired mercenaries to reinforce our position. We will take the city and kill My Lady of Wisdom and her First Brother.”

  This seemed like a futile mission to Varick, but he did not question Hanoree. He saw no benefit in starting a war with the Order. It would gain them nothing, but he would continue to follow Hanoree’s commands and reap the benefits.

  ~ * ~

  Ninallia straightened in her chair. The dress and ornaments Sayeri insisted were necessary for her first meeting with the Empire’s escort draped on her, heavy and artificial. Anxiety and perspiration were hidden by layers of cosmetics, perfumes, and fabric. Her son lay in the basinet beside her, sleeping peacefully. She struggled to smile as the guests were introduced.

  Sayeri had warned Ninallia that Lord Varick was among the escorts, but the sight of him filled her with a mixture of fear and rage. She smiled at the stricken look on his face when Arturon stood beside her and read the results of the paternity test. In his League uniform, Houston hovered on her other side.

  “This is outrageous,” sputtered Varick, looking at the First Minister seemingly for support. “By what authority has this child been tested without Imperial edict? The Order is forbidden to insert itself in Imperial matters.”

  Sayeri stepped forward. Ninallia waved her hand to signal her to stop. “By my authority as Dowager Empress and great-great-granddaughter of Emperor Hapirion, I have authorized this and transmitted these results along with those of my own bloodline to the Noble houses in the Empire and the twelve kingdoms.”

  “As half-sister and the closest blood kin of the late empress, I approved the test,” Sayeri added.

  The First Minister shook his head. “As head of the Council of Nobles, I was informed and agreed to the test. Perhaps you have forgotten who holds that position.”

  All color drained from Varick’s face. Confusion and anger registered. “You betrayed the Emperor.”

  “Hanoree is not the emperor. He expressed his desire that the paternity of this child be established, and I have done so. Do you doubt the veracity of the First Brother or the testing center?” The First Minister’s icy tone did not appear to be lost on Varick or the others present.

  Bowing in deference, Varick stepped back behind the other guests. Ninallia inclined her head. Hanoree would be outraged over these developments. More importantly, her son’s paternity was established and could not be disputed.

  The First Minister made a formal bow then took Ninallia’s hand and kissed it. She almost gasped in surprise as something was slipped into her palm. She lowered arm to her side and slipped the data chip into a fold of her dress.

  The First Minister turned to his entourage and said, “Sayeri has graciously provided us accommodations in her guest quarters. Let’s take the opportunity to rest. We will leave for the Imperial City tomorrow.”

  Ninallia did not rise as the visitors departed. Her legs felt too weak, and she didn’t want to draw attention to the small data chip. Her heart did not slow until the last member of her official escort had exited the room and the doors closed. Without a word she handed the chip to Houston.

  He put it into a small viewer and projected it onto the table before him. It was in code. He frowned and looked from Tegani to Arturon.

  Arturon was smiling and nodding as he read the message. “This is good news indeed.” He explained, “This is very old code taught only at the Temple City. The First Minister’s wife was an acolyte. This is a list of the Nobles and their loyalty. He thinks we have a chance if we can prove Hanoree’s involvement in the deaths of the emperor and empress.”

  Ninallia scooped up her son from the bassinet and swung him in her arms.

  “This is not all good news. It means Hanoree will be more determined to prevent the royal heir from reaching the city,” Sayeri cautioned. “He is not stupid.”

  Ninallia held her son. This started as a means to save her family financially, now she loved Hiroto beyond measure. She would do anything to protect him.

  Sayeri slipped an arm around Ninallia and placed a kiss on Hiroto’s small head. “We won’t let anything happen to either of you.”

  ~ * ~

  Hanoree dismissed his servants, except for the guards outside his chamber. Varick would be reporting soon. News the child had been tested and confirmed as the heir of the late emperor hit the Council of Nobles like a
bomb. It had been strategically timed and widely distributed, which meant there was no way to contain it. This report would confirm who was behind the support for this child.

  A soft pinging alerted him that Varick was reporting in. Hanoree turned on his monitor. Varick twitched with nervous energy. The man knew his life was forfeit if he failed.

  “The First Minister is a traitor. He is behind this attempt or at least aiding the Order.” The words sounded as if Varick was pleading for his life.

  Hanoree clenched his fist. He had not given the old man enough credit. “He will not live long. Who else was present?”

  Varick relaxed. “I managed to have the whole meeting taped. You will see for yourself the Order is behind this. The First Brother himself confirmed the paternity. There was also a member of the League.”

  Hanoree blinked, and he took in a deep breath. This was unexpected. His communications with the League were ongoing and seemed positive. The ambassador must have been lying. He pushed down his anger and signaled for Varick to play the footage from the meeting. The tape was made by one of the minors in the escort party. The angle was not good, but it was adequate for Hanoree to recognize Arturon and Sayeri.

  His jaw twitched. He would pay back both with a vengeance. The view shifted to the young woman sitting beside a bassinet.

  An idea began to bloom in Hanoree’s fertile imagination. If he married this girl, it would solidify his right as the regent. It was an absurd plan. His children were her age. There was also the matter of his wife. Lady Hanoree was his senior by a few years and had brought quite a large dowry and social clout to him when they married. Without her family connections, he would never have amassed his fortune. She was, however, showing her age. She could perhaps suffer a deadly illness or an unfortunate accident. A young wife and more children could be a good thing.

  He shook his head. He was being foolish. There would be nothing wrong with appearing to welcome both the baby and his mother.

  Hanoree strode to the long mirror in one corner of the room, which was also a secret viewing panel. It allowed him to watch anyone waiting for an audience and listen to their conversations. He studied his reflection. A man of average height, with a head full of hair and good teeth that could pass for a younger man. There was much a young, impressionable girl might admire in him. Taking a small amount of his calming drug, he rang for the Minister of Protocol.