Chapter 10

Gypsy was startled awake by the steel door of her cell smacking against the stone wall as it was flung open. The doorway filled up with the familiar gray uniform of a royal guardsmen. “Rise and shine, Theron. I got an order for your release.”

“It’s about fucking time,” she muttered. She pulled herself up from the bench and shuffled toward the door.

“Your master sergeant sibling is waiting in the hall for you. See the guard at the front desk on your way out. He’ll give you back your stuff. Thank you for your patronage. I hope you enjoyed your stay. Come back and see us again.” He smiled a big toothy grin.

“You’re a funny guy. Maybe your venture into the military was premature. I’m pretty sure the emperor doesn’t have a court jester yet.”

The guard looked at her thoughtfully, as if considering her counsel. “You should stop talking now and move along before I lose your release papers for a few more hours.”

Gypsy glared at him but managed to keep her mouth closed. She really needed to get out of here and didn’t want her freedom delayed by a surly guard. Gypsy went through the steel door and saw Desmond leaning against the wall watching her. He didn’t say anything when she approached. Instead he turned to walk down the hallway. She fell in step with him and said, “Where’s Gavin? I thought he was going to get me out last night.”

“He guessed you would still be pissed. He also didn’t want to listen to you bitch about your extended stay. So he sent me to listen to it instead. By the way, nice job destroying your boyfriend’s wedding. I wish I’d been there to see it.” Desmond burst out into peels of genuine laughter.

“Fuck you, Desmond. He’s not my boyfriend anymore.” She stormed ahead of him, marching through the double doors into the large entry hall.

The exit guard was sitting at a rickety wooden desk that had stones propping it up where one of the legs had broken off. He was as old as the moons and had been doing this so long he didn’t feel the need to rush for anyone. Behind the desk were several rows of long lock boxes each sporting a dirty brass number over a keyhole on the edge of the lid. The old guard took a full ten minutes to review each released prisoner’s paperwork and there were three people in front of her.

She scowled and stood in line obediently. Desmond had managed to find a vacant bench where he laid down to take a nap.

Almost half an hour later she finally stood before the geriatric obstacle to her freedom. His gray uniform showed wear in every fold and crease. A few stray pieces of thread hung from the cuffs of his shirtsleeves. They brushed the edge of the desk as he turned and read each page of her release. Finally he rose and meandered over to the lock box that had the same number as her cell. He collected several items from the box and walked back over laying each of her weapons down on the desktop.

“Is that all of your things?” His tone had an air of no-nonsense bureaucracy that sapped any desire she had to be a smart ass.

“Yes.”

“Sign here at the bottom. Pick up your weapons and carry them outside. Do not remove your sword from your scabbard or your knives from their sheaths prior to exiting. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she said, quickly signing the register, collecting her weapons and heading for the door.

“Ensign,” the guard called after her. “I also have a message for you.” Gypsy turned around and saw the guard holding an envelope out to her. “The emperor wants to see you.”

She might have thought the message was a joke except it had the royal seal and no one would dare fake a thing like that. I might be in big trouble. Desmond followed her outside wearing a somber look.

“This is probably bad,” she ventured, hoping her brother had some other explanation to make her feel better.

“You’re probably right. Whatever you’ve done, you had better be damn repentant for it. Megolyth doesn’t fuck around. If he’s really pissed, you can kiss your career good-bye.”

“Will you come with me?”

“You’re kidding, right? If there’s one thing I never want to see, it’s the inside of the emperor’s private office. You’re on your own for this one. I’ll let Gavin know where you’re going. Good luck.” Desmond walked off down the gravel path to his waiting hyperia.

So, with her guts churning with terror, she left the Imperial Jail and made her way to the Imperial Palace. Slowly she walked up the paved walkway and presented the message to the captain of the guard. He looked as surprised to see it as she was to receive it.

“This can’t be good, Theron,” he said, grimly waving his hand at the posted guards to open the main gate. The two men grabbed the thick handles of the gate and heaved it open, their muscles bulging with the strain under their uniform tunics.

Gypsy racked her brain over what the emperor could want. A creeping nausea filled her. The captain was right, this couldn’t be a good sign. She hesitated before going through the gate. “What do you think he wants?” she whispered to the captain.

“With your reputation,” he said with a cruel grin, “who knows?” He gestured toward the palace beyond. “Better not keep his Royal Highness waiting.”

She nodded and stepped through the gate, wincing when the guards slammed it shut behind her. This could be really bad indeed.

* * * *

Gypsy had never been inside the emperor’s private office. Although spacious by most rooms’ standards, it was smaller than she expected. Red velvet drapes bordered by gold fringe covered the large windows keeping out the morning’s bright light. An enormous dark wood desk stood before her with a painting of the emperor’s three wives and many children behind him. The painting was elegant but most of the figures too heavily shadowed for her taste. In fact, the whole portrait, with its muted browns and muddy yellow hues, carried an eerie gothic quality Gypsy found haunting. She recalled a story she’d heard recently that the emperor had rejected a potential fourth wife because she was unsuitable. Gypsy wondered what that label really meant.

Emperor Megolyth sat behind the desk with his fingers interlaced, watching her like she was an interesting sculpture that he was going to pass over for another. A huge bull male, he was as attractive as she remembered even if the strain of his position was showing on him. His face was serious and strong with high cheekbones and a long, proud nose. His sensual lips, normally curved in a sardonic grin, were turned down in a paternal hint of disapproval. Megolyth’s bright yellow eyes moved over her in a slow appraisal that she could almost feel. Suddenly she remembered her protocol and went down on one knee bowing her head.

“You sent for me, Highness?” she said.

She heard him get up and stalk over to her. Shiny black boots came into her line of vision and a wild flutter of panic filled her head. She sure wished she knew what he wanted.

“You may rise,” he said.

Gypsy stood up, keeping her eyes down. “Thank you, Highness.”

“General Kharon has exercised his right as your husband and requested you be turned over to him immediately. How do you feel about that?”

Her fear evaporated in the building heat of her fury. Wasn’t it bad enough Kharon had married her without her knowledge? Now he wants to make me his virtual prisoner! “I don’t acknowledge he is my husband, Highness. He married me without my knowledge or consent. Am I not technically still under the protection of my father? Wouldn’t he have needed his permission, thus voiding the marriage?” she replied, choosing her words carefully.

“No. You have already been married once and since you put that marriage aside you are not considered your father’s property anymore. As with all things concerning you, this situation is somewhat unique. I understand you spent a lot of time with Kharon when he was here. You also visited his kingdom,” Megolyth said, pacing slowly.

“I did, Highness, and he tried to recruit me, but I refused.”

“Why?”

“Because I took an oath of loyalty to you when I entered the Academy. I also never want to have to raise arms against my father and my brother,” she replied.

Megolyth stopped pacing and stared at her. “That’s understandable enough.” He stalked closer, walking around her slowly, his gaze dissecting her. A faint scent of cologne and warm, clean skin drifted through up to her nose and heat rushed into her cheeks. Gooseflesh rose on her arms and she trembled, wondering if he was going to send her off to Kharon.

Finally he said, “Although you are no longer under your father’s protection and Kharon does have a legal right to you, your potential career in my military is also legally sponsored. At this point I have no plans to turn you over to Kharon. But I am concerned about you.”

“How so, Highness?”

“I heard what happened at Caraculla’s wedding,” he said coldly. “I’m wondering if you are temperamentally suited for life as an officer.”

Gypsy cringed and tried to swallow the small rock in her throat. “That was a mistake, Highness, that I deeply regret. The wedding took me completely by surprise and I allowed my emotions to cloud my judgment.”

“How would you handle it now, if you had to live that moment over again?” he asked.

“I would have chosen not to go.”

Megolyth nodded as if that had been the right answer. “There is more going on there than you know,” he said softly and she wondered if he was speaking to her at all. “One more breech of discipline from you and your military career is over. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Highness.”

“Then you may go,” he said, turning back to his desk.

“Excuse me, Highness. May I ask you something?”

He stopped and looked back at her. “What is it?”

“Do I really have a future in the military or am I wasting my time? I’m not so naive. I know most of the nobles and a number of senior officers are against me once I graduate. I want to know where you stand in this.” She held her breath keeping her eyes down, afraid of what his answer might be.

“It is for that reason that you need to conduct yourself in an exemplary manner. Gypsy, I’ve known your father for many years and I also know that he wouldn’t waste his time if he thought you were incapable of a successful career. If he has that much faith in your abilities, then so do I. But my faith is not my support. You have to earn that by proving to me you have the emotional maturity to handle that kind of responsibility. If you can do that, your career will have my blessing.”

Gypsy nodded slowly. “I understand. Oh, I almost forgot. Trajan, a local scout, was instrumental in helping my father and I find my mother. The only thing he asked was for his sister, a mistress in your harem, to be freed. Would you please consider granting his request?”

Megolyth smiled. “Your father already came to me before his back surgery and I have released her.”

“Thank you, Highness,” Gypsy said with a bow.

“Thank me by behaving yourself, Gypsy. Don’t give the nobles ammunition against you. They already hate you as it is. Now get out and don’t give me cause to call you back in here.”

With a quick bow, Gypsy rushed out before he changed his mind.