Euthara (42 page)

“We’ll see about that.” The King gave her one last look before he turned his gaze back to Jon. “You have something to do with this act of rebellion and I promise you that you’ll pay for her actions.”

“Um, ok. But I think it has more to do with you than me.” Jon stepped back in front of the screen.

“Anyone have popcorn? No? Well, I’ll go get some.” Opellissa stood up as she grinned, she had waited a long time to see her father put in his place and that time was fast approaching. “Something that is going to be this good demands popcorn.”

The King’s eye flicked to her as she stood. “Ahhh, my wayward daughter. I should have known you would have something to do with this. I should have known you would be sulking about in the shadows waiting for your opportunity.”

Jon raised one of his hands telling the King to stop. “She has nothing to do with this. So you can stop trying to derail the discussion here.”

“If she has nothing to do with what is going on, then why is she there? Why are any of them there?” The King sat back in his chair and crossed his arms as though he had won some small victory.

Jon dropped his hand and grinned at the King. “My bond mates are always welcome around me during all discussions. They are, after all, my closest advisers.”

The King’s eyes widened as his chair threatened to fall over backwards. He grabbed the edge of the desk at the last second and pulled himself forward. “Excuse me? What did you just say?”

“I’m sorry I thought you knew. Kelly, Nefeit, Opellissa and Deatra are all my bond mates. Everyone who knows this, keeps saying something about some prophecy and how it’s being fulfilled. I just count myself lucky to have so many women who love me.” Jon grinned at the King as he crossed his arms.

The King looked like he was ready to drop dead on the spot as his face paled.

“You ok? You’re looking a little pale.” Jon made a halfhearted showing of concern as he watched the King. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you before I married both your daughters in a royal ceremony. How would it look if the King wasn’t there to give his daughters away?”

“I- it’s impossible!” The King's face flushed as his color returned.

“Not really, all you do is walk them down the-”

The King waved his hand at the screen. “Not that. You know damn well what I’m talking about.” The King’s face reddened as he yelled at Jon.

Jon smiled again. “A minute ago you were about to pass out. Now you’re about to give yourself a heart attack. You really need to relax and chill a bit.”

“I am relaxed.” The color on the King’s face seemed to even out a bit as he took in the women seated behind Jon. Opellissa had just returned with a large bowl of popcorn and plopped down next to her sister.

“Miss anything?” Opellissa looked at her sister with a huge grin on her face. She was whispering but it still carried across the room.

“Just that Daddy's about to have a heart attack is all.” Deatra flashed her sister a small smile as she whispered back.

Even though Jon was enjoying the banter from the two he still glanced back and frowned. Opellissa fluttered her eyes and gave him a smile back in return.

“Oh, I know that look. It means be quiet.” Deatra gave Jon a smile as she whispered to her sister. Jon just nodded and turned his attention back to the King who was now rubbing his temples as he tried to understand what was going on.

“It’s impossible.” The King pressed on his temples then ran one his hands through his hair.

“You said that already,” Jon quipped.

The King was now muttering quietly under his breath as he shook his head back and forth slowly.

Jon raised an eyebrow, it looked like the King was on the verge of losing his mind after hearing the news. Jon decided to push the envelope to see if he could make the King snap completely. He knew the King was on the edge, and the prophecy had to be running through his mind, and now the King was trying to figure a way out of it. Jon just couldn’t let that stand. “Anyway Grandpa, on to other things.”

The King looked up and his eyes danced between Deatra and Opellissa as a look of horror filled his face. “What did you just say?”

“On to other things?” Jon smiled as he put his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels slightly. Deatra and Opellissa snickered in the back ground.

“You know damn well what I meant, before that!” The King glared at Jon as his eyes narrowed.

“Oh, you mean Grandpa.” Jon drew the word out and added a bit of emphasis to it as he said it.

“Just what do you mean by that?” The King once again was looking between his two daughters as if trying to decide which one.

“I thought the word was pretty self explanatory. Maybe it didn’t translate right. In my language it’s used to describe someone who’s children have had a child themselves. Said child called the parents of their mother or father Grandma or Grandpa.” Jon’s smile turned into a grin as the King’s face filled with dread at the thought of one of his children having Jon’s child.

“But, you’re not even married! You can’t have a child in our culture without being married! Especially if you're Royalty, it’s just unheard of and against all our customs!” The King was now standing behind his desk and leaning forward.

“Who said anything about Deatra or Opellissa having a child?” Jon had a gleam in his eye as he taunted the King.

“Oh.” The King sat back down and glared daggers at Jon.

“No, one of your other daughter-in-laws is having twins.” The King gave no reaction to Jon’s words.

“I don’t have any daughter-in-laws.”

“Kelly is having twins and I’ve adopted them as my own. I thought it was only right as her Husband died defending your planet. Since she is now considered a Princess by your laws through her marriage to me-”

The King interrupted Jon. “That doesn’t make her anything to me or the crown. You’re not married to either of my daughters.”

“Yet.”

“It will never happen.”

“Can and will.”

“Impossible, I won’t allow the wedding to take place.”

“I’ll marry them both right here and now aboard my ship.”

The King grinned as he sat back. “Won’t be official.”

“Wanna bet on that? I have a Eutharan Clergy or two here in the city. I’m sure we can just as easily get married in the city.”

“I won’t attend and I’ll order all royalty to not attend. You have to have a certain amount of the houses there for it to be official.”

“I’ll send you an invitation, if you attend or not is your own choice. As far as the royalty, I’ve already checked and the current number of royals that support me and are presently in the city, is sufficient. So, order away all you want, it’s going to happen.” Jon hadn’t really checked the laws about royal weddings but the King didn’t really know how many royals he had in the city either. He figured the bluff was a safe bet.

“You wouldn’t.” If looks could kill, the King's look would have struck Jon down where he stood. “No,” he surmised, “you would.”

Jon nodded and put his hands behind his back again. “Yes I would.”

“You’re enjoying this but your enjoyment won’t last long,” the King spat.

“Any time I can make you squirm and wiggle gives me intense pleasure. So you’re correct in saying I’m enjoying this.” Jon grinned at the King. “Just think, we really haven’t even got started yet.”

The King grinned back. “You do know that Opellissa isn’t in position for the crown right? I just figured you should know that.”

A piece of popcorn flew through the holo screen. “Dad, you’re an ass.”

“So it would seem, though you have no right to call me father or even dad as I’ve disowned you.” The King turned his attention to Opellissa.

“Which has been restored by the bond.” Jon had raised his hand to stop any response from Opellissa and she sunk down in her seat and started to sulk as she really wanted to let her father have it.

“Says you. The bond is still in question, as is how it came about, and if it is even real.” The King returned his gaze back to Jon. His face was emotionless as he had finally gotten himself under control.

“The Ga’sahde have confirmed the bond and authenticated it.”

“You’re personal puppets confirmed it? Don’t make me laugh.”

“The council, including your Duke, met a day ago and confirmed the treaty as still valid and intact.” Jon had been waiting for this jab and he was satisfied at the results.

“What!” The King sputtered as he tried to speak. “Why wasn’t I informed the meeting was taking place. You agreed to allow the Duke free communication and he should have reported that it was taking place.”

“The Duke had a change of heart and decided that while he still represented you to the council he wasn’t going to be your pawn any longer. You see when you use people the way you have used everyone on Euthara, people tend to stop responding to you and start thinking on their own.”

“I don’t believe you. He’s been my faithful aid for a very long time he wouldn’t just suddenly decide to go against me. You’ve brain washed him or something.”

“No, I opened his eyes and I would let him tell you what he thought of you but he’s busy gathering his troops. You see, I had him brought down into the complex that the Crystari tried to wipe out.”

The King’s eyes widened as a bit of fear crept onto his face.

“We poked around down there and found a lot of interesting things. Some of it took a bit of time to understand and a lot of it we understood immediately. What we found solidified our positions with a great number of the royalty now here. Your Duke was so disgusted by what we found he immediately asked what he could do to help.

“He is now on his way with his troops to the other nine sites to shut them down and make sure they are never brought back online again. Oh, and if you think to try and defend those sites, well that won’t happen. We’re lending him air support and additional ground forces as needed.

“What I want to know is, what you were thinking when you did this, and what you hoped to achieve?”

The King sat in stunned silence for a moment as he looked at each person in the room. When his gaze finally returned to Jon, he replied, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Jon arched an eyebrow as he carefully watched the King. “Perhaps I’m overstepping my bounds here by talking to only one half of the rulers.” A frown crossed the King’s face as Jon turned his back on him. “Mute channel.” Behind Jon the King was speaking but with the sound off, the room was silent. Three of the women watched Jon with rapt attention while Nefeit sat silently. She already knew most of the details and how bad it really was.

Deatra was staring at Jon her face pale. “Is it that bad?”

Jon’s face turned soft and then sad as he watched Deatra. “It’s pretty bad.” He reached up and tapped his collar opening a channel to the bridge. “Com, get me the Queen and patch her through here when you have her.”

“I can't believe my father would do something to hurt our people.” Deatra looked over at her sister as if looking for an explanation.

Opellissa shrugged helplessly. “He’s done some pretty rotten things in the past, but for him to intentionally harm his people? I don’t know.”

“I don’t know if he’s doing it intentionally, but he’s wrapped up in it.” Jon turned back and glanced at the now silent man on the screen and held up a finger in his direction telling him to wait a minute. He turned back to face Deatra and Opellissa and watched them silently for a second before continuing. “As much as I would like to point fingers and just out right blame people, I don’t think that will get us anywhere. It took Atlantis most of the afternoon to sift through the information we extracted from the site, but, and I hate to say this, the evidence all points back in his direction.”

‘I have the Queen, Captain, patching her through now,’ a female voice said.

“Thanks.” Jon turned back to the screen. The King was now sitting silently watching as if he figured out he couldn’t be heard. The Queen appeared next to him on the screen and if the King knew he made no reaction to it. “Resume communication.” Jon put his hands behind his back and began a slow pace.

“Prince Hunter, I can only assume this call is of importance since you have never contacted me directly. What can I help you with?” The Queen was sitting behind a desk with two women on either side of her as if waiting for her command.

“Antasta?” A surprised look filled the King’s face as his jaw dropped. Then his face flushed as his eyes locked on Jon. “I don’t know what game you’re playing at boy-”

“Hush Har’ve.” The Queens eyes briefly looked away from Jon before returning.

“Of course dear.” The King quieted down but his eyes were still locked with Jon's.

“Antasta, a very beautiful name.” Jon bowed slightly to her.

“Why thank you young man, it seems you have more manners than I’ve been led to believe.” Again her eyes snapped to the King as she frowned. “So, you’re the man bonded to my daughter. I know we met in passing at the funeral service, but we never really talked, and to me that’s sad as I’ve heard all about you.” The Queen’s eyes found Deatra as she gave her daughter a brief smile and nod. Then her eyes found Opellissa and again she nodded slightly and smiled. “Opellissa, I do hope you’re doing well, I’ve missed you. and I do so wish you would reconsider and return to the palace.”

Opellissa frowned as she took her eyes off her mother, looked at her father briefly, and then furrowed her brow. “I could hardly do that Mother. You and father had me banished.”

The King’s hand went to his forehead as he tilted his head down a bit.

“Banished?” The Queen's attention went to the King as she tilted her head slightly and pursed her lips together. “I see.” She looked back up at Opellissa as her face softened again. “Nonsense, you will never be banished. You’re free to come and go as you please, as is your sister.”

“Father said I was disowned and to never return on pain of death.” Opellissa crossed her arms across her chest as the King moaned. From the look on her face, she was enjoying every second of his displeasure and discomfort.

“What can I say, he made a big mistake, huge, and you’re more than welcome to come here and visit or even stay if you’d like. Right dear?” The last part was more of a command than a question.