Chapter 12

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Loren stifled a sigh, but couldn’t resist the urge to squirm. She’d been sitting for over an hour on a hard marble bench, her back painfully straight, piously sipping the worst tasting tea she’d ever had in her life. After an especially difficult bout of morning sickness, she wondered if she might not be finished with it. It was snowing overhead and the sound of all that water trickling in through the drains made her want to find the nearest washroom every few minutes or so. Her body was asleep from the waist down and the prickles were starting to get painful.

“Is something wrong?” Lady Alvuen asked.

Loren smiled, sipped her tea, and shook her head. “No, not at all, thank you.”

“You look uncomfortable.”

Loren looked at her, wishing she would go back to listening to the Queens’ conversation. “Aren’t you?” she asked bluntly.

“Not in the least.” Alvuen smiled kindly. “If you sit a little more forward and keep pressure on your feet, you’ll be more comfortable.”

Loren knew it was pointless to act as if she’d known that. The word about her had spread very quickly. It seemed everyone now knew where she was from and how she’d come to the Palace. She was immensely relieved to learn that it was the story that everyone was supposed to hear.

“I don’t know how I’m going to stand,” she said, allowing the discomfort she felt to show on her face.

“We’ll be here for quite some time. Go ahead and move. It really does work.”

Loren moved forward, wincing as she put weight on her feet. “How long have you been in Queen Alexia’s service?”

“Six years. Ever since I was of age.”

Loren knew that was just eighteen years old. She wondered what game Alvuen was playing. She was an enemy, but she didn’t seem like one now. “What is your planet like? I’ve only read about it.”

“It’s mostly like all the other ones,” Alvuen said.

“I thought it was warmer there.”

“Right now it is, and I suppose in general the climate is warmer. It seems that way in all this miserable cold.”

Loren nodded. “Capra is never this cold.”

“Trea must seem so different to you.”

Loren laughed softly. “Yes, very.”

Alvuen’s eyes shifted, making Loren turn to look at what she had seen. Dynan and Marc had entered the garden. She didn’t look for long and discovered Alvuen watching her. “You seem quite interested in Prince Dynan,” Alvuen said.

Loren feigned surprise, but she felt an icy chill spread up her spine. “No, not really. I mean, Princes are a little beyond me. It’s more awe than anything else, I think.”

“But you aren’t awed by Their Majesties?”

“Of course I am, but Queen Marella and King Drake seem different somehow.”

“He seems to have taken an interest in you.”

Loren shook her head. “No more than he was supposed to,” she said easily. “Queen Marella assured me of that this morning.”

“Why would you need assurance about that?”

“I’ve only just arrived here,” Loren said, trying to seem detached, but keep in mind the goals of most Ladies at Court. “These are new surroundings and an unfamiliar way of life. I woke up this morning and discovered I’ve received ten invitations to meet some Lord or the other, and right now I’m just not interested in all the attention.”

“I find it very difficult to believe that you wouldn’t be interested in a Prince, especially one you’ve met on more than one occasion.”

Loren tried to keep her expression even, while being terrified that Alvuen somehow knew, but then she remembered meeting Dynan in the Medic Center. Obviously, Alvuen had heard of it. “Yes, I’ve seen him a few times here and there. Since I live here now I suppose I’ll get used to it, but I want a few days to settle in. Then the Prince, or anyone else can be as attentive as they like.”

“Well anyway, this one seems to be in a great deal of trouble, and it’s likely he will be for quite some time.” Alvuen smiled.

Loren didn’t think that was something to smile about, and didn’t. “He and the men with him seem more than capable of handling whatever trouble may come. They have for a number of years now.”

“If they’re so capable, why then should they need the assistance of my Queen and King Creal?”

“Putting Prince Dynan on the Throne of Cobalt benefits everyone, my Lady, including the Yomir and Rynald Systems, who I’ve heard are facing some difficulties of their own because of what the current ruler of Cobalt is doing. It’s no secret that Cobalt far exceeds all the Systems in military strength. Prince Dynan and King Drake have faced that threat alone all this time, ensuring the safety of Brittallia by their willingness to do so. This conflict will only grow worse if no one else has the courage to act. It seems only fair that the other Systems affected should finally be involved as well.”

Loren smiled pleasantly to Alvuen, aware that she’d probably said too much. She ended the conversation when she returned her attention to Their Majesties. She felt more than saw Alvuen stiffen beside her and didn’t care.

Dynan and Marc had just come from a grueling workout with Frazier and Carryn, and wanted some fresh air. The gardens were the closest they could come to that. Six guards walked with them, one of whom was Ralion, who had them spread out and station themselves ahead, behind and off to the side, and keep their distance.

“Hey, there’s Loren,” Marc said silently, looking.

“I know.” Dynan didn’t glance that way.

“We aren’t going over there?”

“Not this time.”

He pointed to a brick walkway that went off to the right, meaning to go that way. The gardens were spread over five tiered levels, the lowest at ground level, and were shielded from the weather by a huge glass enclosure. It was one of the largest conservatories in all of Brittallia, second only to the one on Cobalt. Both were famous for their use of large panels of acrylon, though the domes on Cobalt had once been made of glass. Dain falling through one of the domes had precipitated a number of structural changes.

“He fell through the glass?” Marc said, having listened in on that entire thought process. “Sorry. I can’t help it!”

Dynan bit back a smile. “He was climbing around on top of one of the domes one day, one of the bigger ones, just to see what would happen, and it broke.”

“You were fourteen,” Marc said, his eyes a little distant. “And it was your idea.”

“I never told him to go up there. Where are you getting that from anyway?”

“You said you wondered what would happen and he went to find out. I’m getting it from you, so you must still feel a little guilty about it, since he’s the one who got into all the trouble.”

“It was not my idea for him to go up there. He blamed me for it ever since, but I never told him to go do it. I said I wonder what it all looked like from up there, not go up there and find out. So stop twisting my memories around. Maybe you’re getting it from Shalis. She took his side too.”

Marc laughed at him and held up his hands. He clearly didn’t believe Dynan, which he found annoying. Marc laughed at that too and to change the subject, looked back toward Loren again. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to her last night. How’s she doing?”

“All right, mostly. Nervous. Alvuen’s hot on her tracks right now, but the story is out, and everyone seems to believe it. She’s apparently enchanted half of the Ilthain citizenry. Marella told me this morning that she’d received several requests for Loren’s company.” He smiled wryly. “Not exactly what I intended.”

“Are all the social gatherings we have to attend going to be as nerve-wracking?”

“Probably.”

“I saw you talking with Creal.”

Dynan glanced at him darkly. “So did everyone else and I don’t feel like discussing it anymore.”

“Do I sense a note of frustration?” Marc smiled.

“Forget it, will you?”

“All right. I just thought I should know what’s going on, is all.”

“Nothing’s going on, and the gist of the entire conversation was he’ll think about it. Some more, he’ll think about it.”

“Isn’t that better than not thinking at all?”

“Yes, sure,” Dynan said irritably. “Like I said, I don’t want to talk about it. I’ve had an earful already from Carryn, Drake, Xavier and Roth. I don’t need it from you.”

“Okay, okay.” Marc smiled, but stopped suddenly and reached to steady himself.

“Again?”

Marc nodded, swaying momentarily. He straightened then, looking at Dynan. “I think your sister is awake.”

Dynan stared at him. “What?”

“She wants to see you.”

“How do you know that?” Dynan asked.

“Don’t ask me.”

“But that isn’t possible.”

“Well, if you want proof, I’m sure a message is being sent,” Marc said. He got out his comboard and started to check.

“Maybe we better wait for it,” Dynan said, still frowning. “It might seem a little odd if I show up without having gotten the message.”

“Let’s head back that way.” Marc turned, but stopped again, a sickening fear paralyzing him. The next moment he was with her in the room and able to speak to her through her fear. “It’s all right, Shalis. We’re on our way. You’re safe now.”

“Can she hear you?” Dynan asked. “How are you doing that?”

“Yes.” He looked a little frightened. “I think it’s because of what we did. What I did. I’m not even trying and I know what she’s thinking and feeling. I don’t know how to not listen.”

“You can’t stop?”

“I don’t think so. I have enough trouble blocking you out and this is different somehow. I don’t think I can.”

Dynan looked at him, not certain if this was a good thing or a bad one, then pulled in a resigned breath. “I hope you two get along.”

“I hope so too.” Marc smiled, drawing a pointed glance from Dynan. Marc quickly averted his gaze.

“Just don’t ever forget she’s my sister,” Dynan said.

“Right.” Marc shuddered again. “We really need to get over there. She’s starting to panic.”

The comboard in Marc’s hand beeped and that was all the prompting he needed. Ralion had his out as well, but Marc was already on his way.

Dynan took off at a run after him, startling his guards and drawing the attention of the Queen’s party.

He reached the Medic Center just moments after Marc, who’d been stopped by the doctors. “She’s not strong enough for visitors, my Lord. I think only the Prince should go in for now.”

“This time, Doctor,” Dynan interrupted before Marc could respond, “I believe it will be all right.”

“She’s very weak, Your Highness,” the doctor insisted.

“We won’t stay long. Why don’t you go find Dr. Elger?” Dynan moved past the man before he could protest further and opened the door to Shalis’ room quietly.

She lay apparently asleep. Marc went to one side of the bed and took a frail hand in his, while Dynan moved to the other side. He glanced at him, then at her, somewhat surprised when her eyes opened and rested on Marc. She looked up at him, fear receding to be replaced by a bright smile. Dynan knew there was some communication going on between them, but he couldn’t hear it. He found it more disturbing than he cared to admit, and slightly irritating that after so many years of not seeing his sister, or even knowing of her existence, she didn’t seem more interested in acknowledging his presence.

Her eyes drifted almost reluctantly from Marc, and then she was looking at him. His frown disappeared, replaced by a smile. “Hi.”

She made a curious sound. Dynan realized she was laughing and he saw tears in her eyes. She reached her free hand to him, struggling to rise. Marc quickly moved to support her. Dynan shook his head, laughing quietly himself, leaned and pulled her up into his arms. Her frailness frightened him and he loosened his grip, fearing he’d crush her. His amazement grew that she survived at all.

None of that seemed to matter though. She was very much alive. Some color had returned to a once deathly pale face. He pulled away, looking at her. Her eyes were bright and alert.

He felt his own sting. “You little fool,” he whispered without meaning it. “Risking your life for me. Don’t you ever do anything like that again.” He shook his head when she tried to speak. “No, there’ll be plenty of time to talk later. You need to rest.” He held her again, eyes closing tightly. “I’m sorry, Shalis.” he said, voice breaking. “I’m so sorry we left you.”

That produced another barrage of croaks and she hit him lightly, looking desperately at Marc. He blinked, then frowned, then acquiesced. “She says she had to escape. It was her only chance. She says that night at the Palace during the attack she was being used as a trap for you and Dain—” He hesitated and started shaking his head. He cringed a little and went on. “And she sent the guard to tell you she was dead. She’s making me tell you this,” he said quickly, seeing Dynan’s expression.

“You did what?”

Marc answered again. “You’re more important than I am – she is, the Heir to the Throne, and that night you had to get out and you have to make it back.”

“All right, all right.” He eased Shalis back down to the pillows, smiling down at her as he brushed aside a lock of golden hair. “None of that matters anymore. We’re both here and safe. Now, you need to rest.”

The door behind him opened and Marella, Drake, Carryn, and Loren came in, along with the doctor, whose frown was obvious. “Only for a moment, please.”

Marella moved to Shalis’ side, leaned and kissed her. “My dear, you’ve come back to us.” She smiled. “I knew you would.”

Shalis looked at Marc and he turned for the water pitcher and glass that were on a nearby stand. “You want to be a little less obvious?” Dynan said silently, shaking his head at him. Carryn frowned.

Marc turned to the Doctor. “Can she have some water?”

“No, really, this has gone on too long. All of you, please leave. I beg your pardon, Your Majesties, but I really do feel it’s for the best.”

Shalis struggled to sit up again, but Dynan wouldn’t let her. “What is it?” he asked Marc.

“She has something to tell you and she knows going through me isn’t the best idea right now,” he answered silently.

“Is it that important?”

“She seems to think so.”

“Well what is it?”

“She won’t tell me. She’s being stubborn. It runs in the family, you know.”

Dynan looked down at her wearily. She didn’t look the least bit tired though.

“She says she’s had enough sleep.”

“All right,” Dynan said aloud, turning to the doctor and confusing him by his response. “Uh, look, my sister has a few things on her mind that she wants to tell us. Once she does, she promises she’ll get some more rest. Doesn’t she?”

Shalis hesitated, then nodded.

“I’m afraid it will have to wait, Your Highness. Her condition isn’t—”

“My condition is fine, damn it,” Shalis scratched out, wincing. Marc got the water and gave it to her, helping her sit. The doctor fumed, turned on his heel, and left the room.

Dynan glanced at Carryn. “Where’s Geneal?”

“She’s on her way, Dynan. She’s in the research lab.”

“I’m sorry, Drake,” he said. “I don’t mean to imply that your doctors can’t—”

“I’m not offended. Geneal is used to dealing with your family. I’ll be sure to make them understand that Dr. Elger is in charge of this particular case.”

“Thanks.” He smiled, then turned back, stopping when he discovered that he stood close to Loren.

“I told you,” she said, smiling as he took her hand and pulled her a step closer.

“Yes, you did do that.” He kissed her quickly, then looked back at Shalis. She and Marc were again staring intently at each other and he noticed that everyone else watched them. “Marc, knock it off.”

He jumped. “Sorry.”

“That’s rather unusual,” Drake said, moving to stand beside the bed.

Shalis leaned back, looking steadily at Drake. “It’s because of what he did.” Her voice was only a whisper, but steady.

Drake glanced uneasily at Marc, then back at Shalis. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? He saved my life and at such a terrible cost. To both of them.” She looked at Dynan. “Neither of them have anything to be sorry for. They didn’t do anything wrong.”

Dynan cleared his throat. “We’ve all sort of reached an agreement about that whole business, Shalis. You were saying that you wanted to tell us something.”

She nodded, eyes closing briefly. She smiled and patted Marc’s hand at the unheard question. “I’m fine, really.” She pulled in a breath. “Do you know how Maralt found out where you were?” she asked Dynan.

He realized instantly what she meant to say and held up a hand to stop her. “Yes, we do. Marc already told us. He has all your memories, you know, because of what happened.”

She seemed momentarily confused, but then nodded, looking at Marc again with another dreamy smile. “And I have all of his. Isn’t that interesting. It’s like I’ve known you all my life.” She looked up at Loren then, eyes widening. “And you too.” She looked at Dynan as more realizations came. Carryn started watching out the door to make sure no one was within earshot. “You’re ... she’s the girl you...” Her eyes filled with sudden tears, but she was smiling. “You’re married.”

“Yes, we are,” Dynan said. “But no one else knows that.”

“I know. It’s ... I know. I know it all. It feels like I was there.” She looked back to Marc, a wondering light in her eyes. Dynan frowned at the way they were looking at each other, not sure he was comfortable with the idea of his sister being so enamored of Marc Talryn. He got a look for that from both of them.

“Is that all you wanted to tell us,” Dynan asked, ignoring them both. “Because if it is, you need to rest.”

“He’s got someone here,” she said, but saw that they knew that too and her eyes closed in relief.

“We’re doing everything we can to find who it is,” Drake said, but then he turned to Dynan. “You’re not telling me something. You stopped her from saying what she was going to. Why?”

“They’re afraid it might hurt you,” Shalis said, closing her eyes.

“Shalis—” Carryn held up a hand.

“You’re wrong,” Shalis said. “You think I don’t know? You’re a telepath and you can’t understand what it’s like because it’s different. You have to tell him.”

“Did Marc tell you to say that?” Carryn said mildly.

“Tell me what?” Drake asked.

“He didn’t, Carryn Adaeryn, and you know it,” Shalis said, frowning at her.

Dynan laughed at the exasperated look on Carryn’s face. “Just what you need. Another obstinate Telaerin to deal with.”

“Tell me what?” Drake demanded.

“You have to—” Shalis began, but Carryn held up her hand.

“All right, Princess. I’ll tell him. Sit down, Your Majesty,” Carryn said, surprising Drake with her tone. Marc took off his crystal and handed it to the King.

“Look at it,” he said. “Maybe it’ll help.”

Dynan saw Geneal coming in, but stopped her from greeting Shalis, and in a whisper, suggested she monitor Drake for a moment while Carryn started to explain how Maralt had attacked. At first, Drake didn’t believe it.

“I can’t see how it would be possible,” he said slowly. “I thought that sort of attack was very painful.”

“It can be,” Carryn said. “He can also be very careful in the process if he doesn’t want his victim to know what’s happening. You might only have experienced a mild headache.”

Marella started. “We were having tea. The day before Shalis arrived. You came down with a sudden headache and then it eased.”

Carryn nodded. “He would have been fairly close at hand to succeed.”

“You mean inside the Palace?” Marella asked.

“Yes.”

“He was,” Shalis said. “The person who helps him got him inside.”

“Then that person has to be a guard or some higher official,” Carryn said evenly, watching Drake closely. She glanced at Geneal, but she shook her head, meaning that the biomonitor she held didn’t indicate that anything was wrong. Drake was still frowning, straining to remember.

“He did something else,” Marc said. “At least we think he did.”

“He’s the reason,” Shalis said, “why you’ve been so afraid.”

Drake pulled in a sudden breath and abruptly he was gripped by unreasoning panic. He shook his head. Marc reached over and took him by the wrist, forcing him to stay seated and look at the crystal he held. “You have to look at it, Drake, to understand it, to know it wasn’t your doing, to see that this fear isn’t yours. You know it already. You’ve been fighting this without understanding it, or why it was happening at all, because it isn’t your fear.”

Drake stared at him and winced. The biomonitor chirped out a warning. The pain indicators rose. Geneal wasn’t sure what to do about it, but she got out a dermal injector and gave a dose of medication to Drake. “I’m treating a telepathic condition on a non-telepath,” she said. “I don’t know if it’ll work.”

“He made me think,” Drake whispered, putting a hand to his head. “He made me feel that anything to do with Dynan would be a disaster for my System and...” He breathed again, bending over his knees. Geneal shook her head when Dynan looked at her. The pain indicators peaked and they all waited to see if they would go down. “I can’t believe this,” Drake said.

“You have to believe it,” Carryn said, leaning over next to him. “And you have to accept that you had little control over it. You also have to accept that what control you did have, you used. You kept this from taking over your life. And against an adept telepath, that is no small thing.”

It was the different tone from the biomonitor that told them that the pain medication worked, along with whatever force of will Drake was using to fight it off. He was able to breathe more normally in a short time and straightened slowly. “That bastard,” he said under his breath. He looked up at Dynan then. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” Loren asked immediately and Drake turned to her. “I’m here, aren’t I? You’re helping us to realize a dream that seems so impossible. You’ve given us the possibility of hope. You can’t let that monster take that away. You knew, somehow, that what you were doing was unreasonable. You recognized that and you fought against it. So whatever twisted schemes Maralt hoped for didn’t happen. He lost.” She smiled at that. “We have Shalis back with us. He lost. We’re all here and we’re all safe. We have you back and aware of what he did. Again, he lost. You don’t have anything to be sorry about. Not anything at all.”

“Listen to her,” Marc said, letting go finally and taking back the crystal.

“Yes, do,” Marella said, going to her husband and held him. “She’s very smart, you know.”

Marc snorted at that. “Too smart.”

“You’ve said that before, Commander,” Marella said, but she was smiling.

“He says it all the time,” Loren said. “Without meaning it as a compliment.”

“Really?” Shalis said, looking at Marc for the explanation.

“I think it’s all time we cleared out of here like the good doctor wanted,” Marc said.

“Is there anything you need, Shalis?” Marella asked, leaning close and smoothing her hair. “Are you comfortable?”

“I’m fine,” Shalis said, but then she yawned. Very rapidly, she couldn’t keep her eyes open.

Marc chuckled. “She says, very sleepily, that she would love it if someone could wash her hair and she thinks she’d like a bite to eat next time up.”

“You tell her I’ll see to it,” Marella whispered.

Marc smiled. “She can hear you,” he whispered back.

They left Shalis’ room, though Marc and Geneal stayed behind. Dynan gave Loren a quick kiss before he had to let her go. Drake still seemed more perplexed than anything else, but Carryn tried to explain that it was normal. The King was angry too.

“I think it’s time we told Alexia and Creal exactly what Maralt is capable of,” he said.

Dynan shook his head. “They know I’m a telepath. I don’t want that connection made in the same context.”

“He’s right,” Carryn said as Drake protested. “They know enough about Maralt to know he’s evil. That’s enough.”

“This is the very thing that Creal is concerned about. He’s already asking questions that are difficult to answer. If he should find out, however he does, we’ll be in serious trouble,” Drake said.

“We only have to make it through tomorrow.”

“Dynan, if Creal finds out about this after an agreement is made, do you think he’d keep it?”

Dynan frowned. “Can I think about it?”

“Yes, but not too long. You may gain more of his confidence if you’re honest with him.”

“Or scare him off. I’ll consider it.”

“That’s all I can ask.”

Loren and Marella came out, followed a few minutes later by Marc. “She’s asleep,” he said.

Dynan drew Carryn and Marc away from everyone into the far corner. “Did you know this would happen with Shalis and Marc?”

Carryn shook her head. “I expected familiarity, but not the continued telepathy. It’s unusual.” She looked at Marc, holding his eye for a moment. “Most everything I know about telepathic to non-telepathic joining doesn’t put it in a positive light. While it appears that you aren’t controlling Shalis—”

“Appears? I’m not. I wouldn’t even know how to begin—”

“I know, Marc. It’s the only context I know to put it in, so what you’re doing isn’t normal. You’re an adept telepath. I’m teaching you what I know to keep this from getting out of control. I can only continue to show you, teach you how to block. I would advise that you curtail any telepathic communication, but especially with Shalis. It may put her at greater risk from Maralt.”

“I don’t know how it’s even happening, Carryn,” Marc said. “So I don’t know how to stop it.”

“You’re not going to let anything happen to Shalis. Neither am I,” Dynan said, flashing Carryn a look. Marc didn’t need the added pressure or fear of making a mistake that would get any of them hurt. “All it means, Marc, is that you’ve got more to learn.”

“It’s like what he can do to people,” Marc said quietly.

“With one huge difference. He’s an evil son of a bitch. You aren’t.”

Carmella and Katreen entered the room then. “Queen Alexia is meeting with a merchant. She wanted to sample the local wares,” Carmella explained to Marella. “She asked me to send her regards and to thank you for the lovely afternoon.”

“Very well. Thank you, Carmella.”