by Vicky Savage
Mother, who has remained stoic throughout this entire exchange, winces at Hornsby’s question.
“No never,” Drew says. “The disease has been confirmed to be completely attributable to the presence of the element Uranium in the soil, walls, and even the water of the underground cities. Some victims suffer from radiation poisoning, and others become ill from the radon gas emitted as the Uranium decays. I have the research if you would like to see it. It’s indisputable. A person cannot catch Uranium poisoning from another. Don’t you agree Ralston?”
“Yes, quite so,” Ralston says. “The research is solid. The difficulty is that the only known cure for the disease is to physically remove the victims from the contaminated environment. In other words, to relocate the entire Unicoi nation. Otherwise, I am afraid they are all doomed.”
Miss Charlotte utters a small cry, while others at the table shake their heads in concern.
“That essentially confirms what our independent research has shown,” Father says. “Ellie, I sent a copy of that report to each member of the Coalition two months ago. I hope you had the opportunity to discuss it at your last meeting. It’s quite persuasive.”
Lord Balfour swipes his napkin across his lips and speaks to Mother. “Yes Ellie, what are we going to do about this? I understand these people are desperate. If this thing really is not communicable, don’t we have a moral obligation to take some action on their behalf?” All eyes turn to Mother.
“Henry, I’m afraid the Coalition has been preoccupied with other important matters recently,” Mother says quietly, “and I have not personally reviewed John’s report. So I have just received this information tonight, as have the rest of you. Of course, I must consult with my advisors before I can make any decisions regarding the fate of the Unicoi.”
Pastor Langford of the Church of the Chosen, speaks for the first time. “But these people are running out of time. They should be brought to Domerica immediately.”
“Don’t be absurd, Pastor,” Mother dismisses this suggestion. “We do not have enough room for them all.”
Another guest, a thin man with a thick swath of dark hair, whose name escapes me, speaks up. “Besides, Pastor, these people are not among the Chosen. Should we really be sheltering them?”
“That is a gross mischaracterization of Church doctrine, which has grown into popular belief,” Pastor Langford says with conviction. “All survivors of the Great Disaster are considered to be ‘Chosen.’ Nowhere is it written that only dome residents hold this distinction.” This elicits some surprised “ohs” from the guests.
“Mother,” I say. “I’d be willing to let them have Meadowood. They could settle there.”
“Jaden, don’t be foolish,” she says. “Meadowood is just over two hundred acres. The Unicoi would need at least two hundred thousand acres.”
“Ellie, nearly three hundred thousand acres lie between here and Warrington Palace that are being used for little more than fargen grazing,” Father says. “As you and I have discussed on a number of occasions, the Unicoi could establish themselves there without taking up valuable farmland or displacing anyone except a few forest people.”
Mother stares uncomfortably at her plate.
“Of course, substantial time and planning would have to go into constructing such a settlement,” Father says, “but we managed to do it here at the Enclave, and I would be willing to assist in any way that I can.”
“These people are Princess Jaden’s kinsmen now,” Miss Charlotte adds. “You can’t just let them die.” She looks at Mother with watery eyes.
Drew adds his voice to those of the others. “Mother, you wouldn’t believe the things Jaden and I saw: thousands of men, women, and children affected by the disease. They are dying horrible deaths, and they have no hope whosoever of surviving unless we step in. The situation is desperate beyond belief.”
Mother glances at Drew and then at me.
“Please Mother, we must do something,” I say softly.
“Please,” Drew echoes.
Mother straightens herself and surveys the faces around the table. “I have heard what all of you have said. You have made some compelling arguments. I admit that I was very angry when my own daughter was abducted in order to further the Unicoi cause. That may have rendered me less sympathetic than I otherwise might have been.” She pauses and looks at Ryder and me. “That situation has resolved itself, however, and I am willing to take a fresh look at the matter. I also admit that in the past I may have been overly influenced by the position of others in the Coalition, rather than arriving at my own conclusions.”
I hold my breath, waiting for the “but.”
“But, Jaden has reminded me today that it is the obligation of the queen to do what is right, not what is politically expedient.”
She meets the eyes of each guest in turn, and continues. “I promise you that I will revisit this issue as soon as I am able to turn my attention from other more compelling matters. If my scientists and city engineers tell me it can be done without endangering or displacing our own people, I will propose that we offer two hundred thousand acres to the people of Unicoi for the purpose of relocating them to Domerica, should they wish to do so.”
A cheer goes up from the table. Ryder hugs me. He stands and raises his glass to Mother. “This is exceptionally good news. I thank you on behalf of my father and all the people of Unicoi. A toast to Queen Eleanor, a wise and merciful ruler.”
“Hear, hear,” Lord Balfour says.
“Hear, hear,” the guests join in.
Mother accepts this tribute with a nod and a modest smile.
The rest of the evening passes like a dream. Ryder holds my hand under the table, his excitement and joy flowing into me like a rejuvenating tonic.
Miss Charlotte asks if I’m planning a traditional Cherokee ceremony in addition to the grand state wedding Mother will throw at the palace. I have a wonderful time pretending it’s all really going to happen, imagining what my wedding will look like and how I will feel. I even imagine the dress I am going to wear. I’m so totally absorbed in the festive atmosphere of the evening that all thoughts of leaving vanish from my mind.
I know that no matter what happens after today, nothing will ever change this magical night. Future generations of this world will know that Princess Jaden of Domerica was once engaged to be married to young Chief Blackthorn of the Unicoi nation. My heart clings to the knowledge that we will be forever linked, at least in that small way.
The guests stay late and are reluctant to leave until, at midnight, Father announces that the queen has urgent business tomorrow in Domerica and must get an early start in the morning.
As they depart, Ryder and I thank each guest for helping us celebrate our joyful news. When the last goodbyes are spoken, I’m beyond exhaustion. I secretly wish Ryder would offer to carry me up that long flight of stairs to my room, like Rhett sweeping Scarlet away in Gone With the Wind. But I’m sure he’s as tired as I am. Instead, he walks me to my door and kisses me chastely on the forehead.
“Goodnight love. This has been the happiest day of my life,” he says with a tired smile.
“Mine too,” I say.
FORTY-FOUR
I fall into bed nearly comatose and do not move an eyelid until the smell of frying bacon wakes me in the morning. When I reach the dining room, which has been restored to its former self, a small group is already seated at the table. Breakfast is laid out on the sideboard, but I notice nobody is eating.
“Good morning, Jade,” Father says. “We were going to let you sleep awhile longer.”
“What’s going on?” I ask groggily. Ryder greets me with a kiss on the cheek and guides me to the chair next to him. Mother and Drew are sitting across from us. Ralston and Captain Hornsby are quietly sipping tea at the opposite end.
Father stands at the head of the table and addresses the group. “I hoped to share some thoughts with you on the theft of the Xtron. But first Ellie, now that Jaden is here,
perhaps you should fill everyone in on the message you received this morning from General LeGare.”
Mother remains seated, her expression tense. “Yes I will. General LeGare informs me that the surviving guards from the Sacred Caverns have, under further interrogation, recanted their story that Blackthorn was involved in the theft of the Xtron energy cell. In fact, the guards were not even present when the theft took place. They had abandoned their posts to visit a local pub.
“They returned in time to see a band of men dressed in black retreating to the east on horseback. They discovered their two dead comrades and the missing Xtron cell and concocted a scheme to dispose of their own weapons and bind each other’s hands, making it appear they had simply been spared by the thieves. While waiting to be rescued, they hatched the plan to accuse Ryder of the crime, knowing that he was already wanted in Domerica.”
“Thank you Ellie,” Father says. “At least that part of the mystery is cleared up. I have another possibly related question for you. Have you received any news regarding the whereabouts of Prince Damien?”
“No,” Mother says. “He has simply disappeared. Our investigation, and that of the delegation from Dome Noir, determined that he and his entourage left the palace at around 8:00 a.m. on the 17th. They boarded their ship and departed from the harbor around 10:00 a.m., according to the Harbormaster’s log. Damien has not been seen or heard from since that time.”
“Why did he leave the palace so abruptly?” Captain Hornsby asks.
“He received a message, which he reported was from his father, summoning him back to Dome Noir immediately,” Mother says. “King Philippe denies sending such a message, however, and we have been unable to locate the messenger. The hydrofoils, which were sent out from Dome Noir to search for Damien, have turned up no signs of his ship.”
Father rubs his chin in thought. “And the theft at the Sacred Caverns took place around midnight on the date of Damien’s disappearance?”
“Yes. Do you think the two incidents are connected?” Mother asks.
“It’s too coincidental not to be connected,” Father says.
“You believe the same person is responsible for both?”
He half-smiles. “Yes. Actually, I was thinking Damien himself might be responsible for both.”
Ryder speaks up. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. The men dressed in black, the gun, the fact that they rode east, away from the tunnels—all these facts tend to implicate Damien and his men.”
“Wait,” Mother says. “Do I understand you to say that you believe Damien engineered his own disappearance, stole the Xtron from the Sacred Caverns, and killed two guards in the process?”
“Let’s say that is the theory I am putting forth,” Father replies.
“But you cannot accuse a prince of Dome Noir of theft and murder based on such flimsy evidence.”
Drew snorts. “That didn’t seem to concern you when it came to accusing the son of the Unicoi Chief of the identical crimes.”
Mother glares at him. “It is not the same, Andrew, and I have apologized for that.”
“Sorry,” he says quietly.
“Ellie, hear me out,” Father says. “A number of factors make him the most likely culprit. He was already here; he had armed men and horses with him. It would have been easy for his ship to circle around and anchor in some secluded spot off shore, while he and his men reentered Domerica through a tunnel. He may even have left men waiting inside Domerica to help them get back in.”
“But why?” she asks.
“Damien has any number of reasons to want that Xtron cell. We’ve heard he is in desperate need of funds. After Jaden turned him down, he had few other options for getting them. Another possibility is that he was looking for a way to regain his father’s esteem. Handing him the key to his new dome in the form of the Xtron would accomplish that. Also, we must face the fact that the Xtron holds an enormous amount of concentrated energy. It is capable of being turned into a weapon or weapons. If the person in possession of the stolen energy cell is inclined to use it for nefarious purposes, he just may be the most powerful person in the world at the moment.”
“What about Outlanders?” Mother says. “They could have discovered the caves and taken it.”
“A possibility, but not very likely,” Captain Hornsby answers. “We would have received their demands by now. Also, they are not that organized or well-equipped, and how would they have known the location of the caves? I understand they are extremely well-hidden.”
“But the same question would apply to Damien,” Mother says. “The site of the Sacred Caverns has always been a closely guarded secret, even from the other members of the Coalition. How could Damien, or anyone for that matter, have known their location?”
Father shakes his head. “That is one piece of the puzzle I cannot sort out. Perhaps they bribed a guard. It may be the reason the two surviving guards abandoned their post in the first place.”
“Wait a minute!” I pop out of my chair, nearly knocking over a glass of juice. “I think I know what happened.”
Everyone stares at me. “On the night Prince Damien arrived, I saw Sylvia secretly give a package to him. They were whispering in the hallway. They didn’t know I was there, but she passed something to him and he put it in his jacket.”
“Sylvia?” Mother says.
“But how would Sylvia get directions to the Sacred Caverns?” Father asks.
“Oh no,” I groan and slump back into my seat. “My book, my diary—it has a map to the Sacred Caverns inside. It was missing from my desk when I went to write down Gabriel’s name. I thought I’d just misplaced it, but she must have stolen it.”
Mother clutches the table for support. “I can’t believe it.”
“Oh Mother, I’m so sorry,” I say.
“Sylvia of all people,” she says. “I trusted her completely and she betrayed me. She had access to everything and… oh, Jaden, please forgive me for trying to foist her on you. You might have been placed in danger. I’ll have her arrested immediately.”
“Ellie, you have ample time to deal with Sylvia,” Father says. “Right now we must focus on the issue at hand. All indications are that Prince Damien has stolen the Xtron and has killed two men in the course of doing so. His whereabouts are currently unknown to us. He could be anywhere, but he is probably still in Domerica. We need to find him quickly and establish what his motives are. It’s crucial to know whether King Philippe is involved.”
“Oh, you don’t think he could be?” Mother says.
“At this point, we must consider all possibilities,” Father tells her.
“Excuse me, John.” Erica steps into the dining room. She has been unusually subdued since Ryder and I announced our engagement, but she looks lovely this morning in a yellow spring dress.
“Yes, what is it?” Father says.
“Nathan is outside for you. He says it is important.”
“Nathan? The gatekeeper?” Mother asks.
“Yes, I’d better see what he wants.” Father excuses himself and follows Erica out.
He returns a few moments later, his features tense. “Ellie you have a visitor. Crown Prince Gilbert of Dome Noir.”
“Prince Gilbert is here?” she asks.
“Yes, he joined the Dome Noir delegation at Warrington Palace last night. He says he urgently needs to speak with you. I told Nathan to send him up to the house.”
Mother looks a little green. “You don’t think Philippe has learned of the theft of the Xtron do you?”
“Let’s hear what he has to say, Ellie. We’ll know his objective soon enough.”
We wait only a matter of minutes before Erica announces the arrival of Prince Gilbert.
He strides into the room with purpose. Spotting Mother in her chair, he bows deeply. “Your Highness. Blessed be the Chosen.”
Gilbert is an impressive figure, tall and elegant, with features more ruggedly handsome than those of his younger brother, Damien. Rather than the
usual black or brown leather armor, his is gold-plated metal with the Dome Noir coat of arms embossed in black on the chest plate.
“Prince Gilbert, welcome,” Mother says. “You remember my family?”
“Yes.” He holds out his hand to Father. “Governor Beckett, thank you for allowing me to interrupt your family gathering.”
“Good to see you, Prince Gilbert,” Father says.
The prince swivels slightly to face me. “Princess Jaden, you are looking well,” he says with a bow. His dark eyes burn with intelligence and, unlike Damien, he wears no makeup or jewelry.
“Nice to see you again, Prince Andrew.” He shakes Drew’s hand, and glances up at Ryder.
