by Rebecca Lickiss

Chapter 30:  Long Live the Prince

The next morning Valor surprised King Leoman by attending breakfast. Valor bowed, complete with handkerchief flourishes, saying, "Of course I’m here. Your Majesty, we have a deal, do we not?"

Leoman had no assignments for Prince Valor, so Five spent the morning conferencing with Belgren, the Baroness, Iac, Grigari, One, Three, Praiseworthy, Ten, Piere, Seven, Amaria, and Doctor Lucius. After much discussion and debate they agreed on who would return with One to Fenris. Three asked to return to the comfort and familiarity of the Fenrisi palace. Amaria insisted on returning with her babies and unborn child. The toddlers, Nineteen, Twenty, and Twenty-one seemed well enough not to require the special services available only on Ariel, and so could return to Fenris. Seventeen and Eighteen were considered, but the decision was made to monitor their progress on Ariel and return them to Fenris if and when they appeared ready. Piere and Seven wanted to stay on Ariel. The Baroness insisted that Baston, Fealeof, and Tiger remain in her charge, no one argued with her. Iac elected to stay for a while, to keep the Arielans from doing any more damage to the children or Five. Grigari also elected to stay, for the same reasons. Both insisted on throwing their incomes and resources into Five’s currently bankrupt pot for the duration of their stay.

Iac provided everyone with a bit of amusement as he recounted his holo to Ashlar the night before. It was a bright spot in a conclave that otherwise had the grim and determined air of a war council preparing for a battle against impossible odds.

It was supposed to be over now. Five waved off Lucius after the conference ended. I’m depressed, but I’ll get over it. Leave me alone.

Praiseworthy, Ten, and Belgren lingered afterward.

Motioning to Praiseworthy, Belgren said, "Thesson and Ashlar received the message we sent in the clock. But Praiseworthy doesn’t know any more than that."

"I didn’t catch the meanings of your signals. I knew something was up, but I didn’t understand," Praiseworthy said.

"We’ll need new signals." Ten grinned. "We’ve got all new problems."

They brainstormed in Five’s conference room until lunch.

Four surprised Five by showing up at lunch to reveal himself to his long lost siblings. Another party ensued, with the resultant crash at the end. When that mess was finally straightened out, Five sent a message to Dedalean, to let her know he was ready to present her with her birthday present.

He had hoped to bestow his surprise privately. However, she showed up towing all her siblings, the three eldest Catquick princesses and their parents, Princess Vanga with her son and youngest daughter, and Queen Leoa. And, of course, enough Arielan Royal Military guards to invade Fenris. So most of Five’s entourage and guards had to follow along also.

Valor led the parade, prancing and waving his handkerchief. At the door he made a spectacle out of covering her eyes with his handkerchief and leading her into the main room. He removed the handkerchief and caroled, "Surprise!"

Dedalean stared around her, eyes wide with amazement and delight. Her relatives filed in, no less surprised, except Maxileon who grinned and lorded his advance knowledge over the other Arielans.

"It’s the entire library from the Spearhead Keep," Valor explained. "I doubt you’ve read most of these books. They’re Fenrisi." He grinned mischievously at her, the smell and feel of the library relaxed him. He saw he was not alone as several of his siblings wandered through the various rooms to find their favorites. Her relatives followed their example, wandering the rooms, occasionally pulling a book for a quick perusal.

Dedalean pulled a book at random from a shelf and opened it to the contents page, reading it in wonder.

Valor walked into another room, picked up a book and took it to Dedalean. "Here, this is a collection of Gower Roslin’s plays. They’re very popular on Fenris."

She reshelved her book and took the one he proffered. She held open its covers, and the book fell open automatically, as if someone had often read something on that page. She read a few verses, then looked up at Valor in astonishment. She looked back at the text and read, "I am drunk on your beauty, there is no wine so sweet." She looked back up at him. "I remember you saying that to me. That was a quote."

"Not as illiterate as you thought?" he teased.

Smiling, she looked around at the high shelves lining the walls and dividing the room several times over. "I don’t know what to say."

"Thank you is customary," Praiseworthy drawled from nearby where he held up a wall by leaning on it.

Dedalean smiled up at Valor, then reached for the hair at the nape of his neck to pull him down for a kiss. "Thank you," she whispered. "It’s more than I expected."

"Or deserved," Praiseworthy observed dryly.

Valor waved his handkerchief at Praiseworthy, who took the hint and moved along.

Clutching the book tightly to her, Dedalean asked nervously, "Could we call a truce between us? Could we stop being paranoid and start trusting each other? I believe you intend to honor your commitments to Ariel and to me. I intend to keep my commitments."

"I don’t know," Valor said distantly. "Can you?" Can we trust you?

"It wasn’t what you think," Dedalean said desperately. "I knew Eagle was up to something, I just didn’t know what. I asked him to meet with me, hoping I could get him to talk to me, perhaps reveal what he was doing. At one time he acted as if he was in love with me, I hoped to use it against him. He gave me only tidbits, while pawing me. I know I should have stopped him. I’m sorry. Please, don’t let things remain with us still enemies. Please." She trailed off looking pleadingly at him.

"He was the arsonist who torched my bed," Valor stated, sounding more aloof and calm than he felt.

"Oh," she whispered. "I didn’t know. Bertold never mentioned they’d figured it out."

"They didn’t." He waved his handkerchief negligently. "You should never go directly to the source for that sort of information. They almost never tell you." He sighed in a bored way. "Your best bet is to talk to people they’d brag to."

Dedalean spoke to her feet. "I’ve been trying these last few weeks to make it up to you."

"I know," he said. "I’ve seen." He sighed. To trust or to doubt. Another choice to make. "I’m just tired of us always ending up yelling at each other." Valor pushed her chin up so that she was looking at him. "I’ve also noticed you never held the fact that I shot you against me."

Smiling wryly, she said, "That I could understand. More than once I wanted to shoot you."

That’s honest. Trust her. Valor thought, I am supposed to make her happy. Five remembered the Baroness saying, "It wouldn’t hurt for us to start pointing our guns away from the Arielans before we ask them to do the same." Besides I like her. He smiled falsely as Princess Vanga and the Queen bore down on them.

"Truce?" she whispered hurriedly.

"Truce," he agreed. He stooped to quickly kiss her, then he bowed to the approaching ladies, receiving their approbation and elation at his surprise with great aplomb.

That evening, Praiseworthy approached Five as he sat playing solitaire before bed. "You don’t trust her, do you?"

No need to ask who "her" was. "Not completely. Not yet," Five answered. Praiseworthy looked relieved. Five gave him a wry look. "The problem is, I think I love her."

Praiseworthy sighed and rolled his eyes. "Of course you do. You were practically ordered to. Just don’t trust her, yet. She doesn’t really trust you either." He slipped out quietly.

Dedalean knocked a few minutes later. Five opened the door and she handed him a small portable holocube player, already loaded with a cube.

"I thought you might like to see Dagil Catquick’s autobiography." She tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck to get him to lean down so she could kiss him. "I’ll be in my room if you want anything." She smiled, and scurried away.

Bemused, Five sat at the table, and placed the player on it, just beyond his cards. After contemplating the cube for a moment he turned the player on. An ancient, scratchy, dim form appeared in the image. A man of uncertain height, medium-brown graying hair, and thin build sat in a plain wooden chair. His clothing was of a fashion almost an hundred years old, and didn’t quite fit him. The image centered on his face and zoomed in for a close up. His blue eyes sparkled with amusement, the corners creased with laugh lines and wrinkles. His lips twitched and a spreading blush appeared on his face. Five sat back to watch what unfolded.

"I’m Dagil Catquick, one-time Knight, Captain, Prisoner, and currently Duke of Sancia. If my shyness bothers you I’m sorry." He spread his hands. "If you will bear with me you may become accustomed to it." The blush had turned scarlet and his eyes dropped. He examined the floor while he said, "I don’t know what you may have heard about me, but I’m certain it’s mostly lies." His eyes lifted for a brief twinkle at the holo equipment. "Except for the shyness." His face lost all color and his eyes dropped again. He took a deep breath, shaky with nervousness. "I’m not a monster. Or an imbecile. I didn’t save the universe. I’m not a magician." He looked back up, pleadingly, at the viewer. "I’m merely a man. A human being. With all the problems and joys that accompany that state...."

Five paused the viewer. So Dagil Catquick, what’s it like to be human? And can I too merely be a man not a monster? He flipped a few more cards in his game, then pulled the Prince’s Seal. Prince Sigil. Prince Valor. The Prince is dead. Long live the Prince. He turned the viewer back on and watched while he continued to play. I survived him. I can survive anything. Even better, I can win.

THE END

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