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Neo would’ve rushed into the Throne Room had Irvin not ordered the doors to be closed with armed guards standing outside it.
Seneca took a seat across him in the Great Hall and thanked a servant for bringing her lunch. “Save your breath.”
“I was just about to ask.”
“I know.” She took a bite of mixed greens. “I’m not liking this.”
Neo pulled the greens toward him. “What’s wrong with them?”
She snatched the bowl back. “Not these, they’re excellent. This as in your dad’s energy. It’s negative. Wouldn’t Ruslan have seen some pushback from other nations whom Tamuria’s forced to allow them to put bases in?”
Neo shook his head. “Like he cares. It’s basically a rant of, ‘We’re protecting you all to keep the evil Arkaans out of your homeland and you’re going to do what we say or there will be sanctions. We’ll cripple everyone’s economy but our own and then we’ll see how well you do.’ His first mistake was telling us the Arkaans are threatening the Atlanteans.”
Seneca took another bite. “If I didn’t think he was a bully then, he’s a bully now.”
Neo turned his head right and left. The room was empty. “We need to find out what’s going on. Dad never closes the Throne Room door when he’s here. You have any vibes?”
Seneca scooped the last of her mixed greens. “I can assure it’s nothing good.”
“Let’s go find out.”
“No, Neo. I’m not going to invade your father’s privacy.”
“I’m sure at this point you’re practically part of the family, so he’ll be forgiving if he catches us snooping.”
“Thanks, but I’d rather get my family up here and out of Tamuria, especially if Ruslan’s being difficult. Spirit of Gaia knows what’s going to become of the Untouchables if Ruslan’s crew finds out they’re related to me.”
Neo nodded to the ceiling. “Thanks for agreeing with me.” He stood and turned toward the corridor. “Now let’s go see what they’re saying.”
Seneca rolled her eyes. “Neo, I don’t feel comfortable getting anywhere near there. Those guards have Swords and I guarantee they aren’t afraid to use them.”
“So, what’re your plans? How do you plan on rescuing your parents without a clue in Gaia of what’s going on apart from the Untouchables uprising?”
Seneca crossed her arms. “Windsurf. We can make it to the Tamurian shore.”
“Yeah and run into armed Tamurians at the shore who I’m sure aren’t taking anywhere near as kind to us as they once were.”
Seneca turned on her heel. “Fine, I’ll go as far as the corridor leading to the room and nothing more. I’m not facing the guards and I’m definitely not disrespecting your dad.”
He followed her to the staircase. “You’re being snappish today.”
Hand on the railing, Seneca whipped around. “No, I’m being respectful of those letting me, an Untouchable who wouldn’t have a chance in Gaia anywhere else, to live in their Palace, eat their food, put clothes on my back, and like you said, pretty much adopt me over the past few months. I’ll never disrespect your parents by eavesdropping on them.”
“And yet you’ll windsurf over the Southlandic Strait without them knowing?”
“I’m going over to rescue my real parents. I wouldn’t see it as disrespect.”
“So, you’d go over without their permission?”
“Neo, right now the Untouchables are getting into it with the State. I’m worried Mom and Dad, or my sister, especially my sister, might—”
Neo placed a hand on Seneca’s shoulder as her voice broke. “We’ll get them, Sen. Don’t worry. In fact—let’s just get to the shore.” He took her hand and led her out of the Palace and onto the beach, where a few ships neared the harbors a quarter-mile away. “This way. They can tell us what the Tamurians are doing.”
Two minutes later, they sped along the docks toward a tradesman.
The tradesman looked up. “Ah, the Crown Prince. And the Young Duchess.”
Neo shook hands with the tradesman, as he did everyone in the Kingdom, preferring it to the endless bows he received from strangers when he couldn’t help it. Acting like a commoner was always a blessing. “How’s everything south of the Southlandic?”
The tradesman shook his head and looked to the Strait. “Ruslan’s trade sanctions took effect earlier today. We’ve been expelled.”
Seneca’s jaw dropped. “Expelled?”
The tradesman nodded. “Anyone either doing business with or supporting doing business with the Arkaans is being labeled a traitor by Ruslan. And Tamuria’s Crown Prince Orleans is already stabilizing the military at all the borders, including the North Shore.”
Neo’s jaw twitched. “That’s what my dad’s so angry about?”
“Rumor has it your dad and his diplomats were forced to flee.”
Neo closed his eyes. Talk about an assassination attempt. All because of policy change he kickstarted for refusing to marry Ruslan’s overweight, spoiled, self-centered, people are props-thinking daughter. He shook his head. “I don’t want to believe it.”
The tradesman cast Neo an ominous stare. “Alas, it’s the truth.”
Seneca’s eyes widened as she massaged his shoulder. She grew so close to Neo’s family over the past few months it wasn’t surprising for her to be on the verge of spilling over in tears.
Neo grasped her hand, both of which were branded with red ‘X’s to mark her Untouchable status in Tamuria. “We’ll take it from here.”
Ten minutes later, they stood in front of the Strait.
Neo chewed on his lip. “You know what they’re striving for.”
Seneca nodded. “Military action. They know they can’t control us these days without a base here.”
“I’m sure Tamuria would love to put us under a base-client relationship as much of Eura is. I’m sensing war drums. You?”
Seneca’s eyes pierced the horizon. “Definite war drums. This sick nation’s fighting more wars and picking more fights just to keep their currency as Gaia’s reserve and forcing everyone to play by their rules in a little scheme to stay at number one.”
“Not to mention the taxation we talked about with their Working caste.”
“To uphold a stupid warfare-welfare state.”
“You’re a smart girl, you know?”
Seneca smiled. “Smart enough to outsmart an army?”
Neo raised an eyebrow. “Want to find out?”
She cast a look at the Palace and a longing gaze to sea. “Before they take the shore.” She reared to kick into a windsurf, but Neo held her back.
“Let’s fire-travel. It’ll be much faster, and we won’t risk getting caught.”
“Wait.” She took her cloak sleeves and hid her hands. “You know what’ll happen.”
“Just don’t freak on me like last time if it does.”
She set her eyes on him. “That’s because I still didn’t trust you then.”
He reached into Seneca’s sleeve and found her fingers. “Okay, let’s do this.” Two seconds later, he erupted into a fireball.