Goddess of the Moon (Young Ancients: Tiera) (48 page)

Finally
she caught onto an idea that made sense.

"In
return for it, we'll need help in rebuilding the other lands. Noram too. We'll
provide the goods needed and magics for our part, but we don't have the manpower
needed. If King Richard reaches out to the other lands and offers that aid, it
would be enough I think. Especially since we'll feed and house the people doing
the work. I know that isn't a lot-"

Varley
nodded strongly, her very pretty face reminding Tiera of her brother Tor at
that moment. With breasts. It was strange, but the moment passed.

"I
can suggest that to Father. May he contact you? I know that there have been
problems, and hard feelings."

It
was a blunt way to put it, but, Tiera knew that the girl wasn't being a poor
diplomat, but rather a
very
good one. If she'd gone into days of flowery
language, trying to soothe or trick her, it would have made for problems. This
way she could just respond and they could get to things.

That
meant, she realized about an hour later, that the very first treaty she was
party to, ever, had been created in a bathtub. It was an almost silly idea, but
she shrugged and put in a call to Karina, Guide and Terry.

As
an afterthought she asked if Taman could sit in. It took a while to arrange,
but they worked out that they could provide the craft and crew, leaving the
spotting to people from Noram.

Karina
offered to come out right then, but Taman, bless her, pointed out that it was
the exact same bad idea as before.

"We
need your brother back first. We should send Guide and Terry. Crews of ten
should work. How long do we have before we're needed?"

Tiera
listened to the little girl and sighed. It was all done in an annoying 'little
kid' voice, which couldn't be helped, but she was being efficient, and actually
doing
the job. Correctly even. Tiera wondered what she'd do when she
learned to read.

"If
we can set up the crews now, that would be good. I don't know if King Richard
will like the idea at all. So it might not happen. In that case, well, we still
need a regular supply chain to Earth I think. They'll need us." It felt
strange saying that, but it was
true
, and they all knew it.

In
a very real way, without having a single mine, or a single tree, Harmony was
the richest kingdom around. She got them to start working out with other people
things that would be helpful. Regardless of treaties, they weren't going to be
selfish. Or, not too much.

For
the time, having the Makers being something that only space had, at least in
the main, would make moving there pretty attractive. As far as that went, they
were all in use there already, except for six that Space Fleet had. She needed
to make another few batches of things, it seemed, if a lot more people were
coming. Even more than that, if they were going to really help hold the Earth
together in what was coming.

She
got time to do that too, over the next two months. In fact she managed a lot
more than she'd ever have imagined possible. For all that the King was glad to
hear that she wasn't planning to punish him, now that she could, he moved
slowly. It was pretty obvious that he was using protocol as a way to keep her
from changing her mind. On the good side he did get in touch every few days,
and despite all her work, they mainly discussed things. At first it was hard for
her and she still wanted to toss him, lightly, through a castle wall made of
stone, every now and then. In the main though, it was sort of winning her over.

That
was why, when he suggested that perhaps Alice Orange of Space Fleet might
visit, to check up on them, it didn't set off any alarms. Not at first. The
idea came up several times, even though she kept saying that was fine and that
she could come when she wanted.

"Richard,
I'm not getting your meaning here. If you want her to come and she will, she's
invited. You are too, if you can get away. Is something wrong?" She
sounded bitchy and knew it, so tried to relax. The key was focus, she knew.
Really it was a thing she was getting good at.

"Ah...
Well, you know, rumors and that sort of thing. No one has seen my son or
daughter for a while and it's being put about that they've been taken. Not by
you either, which would at least allow us to point up at the Moon and cry for
our people to have at, if needed. No, the rumor has it they've been abducted by
the
Rebellion
. We're rather hoping that if we let a crew of people see
Alphonse, that it might be enough to let the word spread that he's right here
and free?"

Holding
her head as she sat in her room, in the nice chair that she'd made appear for
things like this, she nodded. It was a pain in the rear, but they had to do
something. At least the
King
did. Still, some visitors might not be
awful.

"We
can do that. Do you want me to set that up?" She still wasn't getting why
he'd been hinting at it, instead of asking.

"Oh!
Would you? That would be
perfect
. Sooner might be better, if it can be
arranged? I know that both you and Alice Orange are busy people after all, and
I can only beg your aid."

"Right,
right. Let me get to that then. I'll try to get back to you with word in a few
days?" She didn't want to promise more than that, since visiting would
have a lot to do with schedules and things along those lines. Stuff that was
only important to other people.

Alice
didn't answer her communications device.

Gerent
did.

"Fleet
Admiral's line, how may I assist you today?"

Tiera
blinked, having not heard his voice in a long time.

"By
coming to visit? I know that you don't want to see Trice right now, which is
foolish, by the way, but
I
miss you. If Tor and Tim don't come around
soon, I think they're going to die. Both of them. We've been feeding them, with
needles. You'll have to see it. Can you and Alice come anyway? King Richard
wants people to come, and visit with Alphonse. Some that might have met him
before would be good for that. I mean if you have anyone like that around?"
She waited for her adopted brother to tell her no, since he really didn't want
to see any of them, especially if Trice was going to be there.

"I'll
do that. I can put something together I think. We'll need a fleet wide call
though and it's probably going to take a bit. Things have been slow lately,
since the Ancients died. For Space Fleet I mean. Mainly going to Harmony with
colonists. I have to admit I'm reconsidering that for myself. The thing there..."
He got up and spoke to someone, saying words that sounded suspiciously like him
asking several others if he could have the room to himself. "Well, I love
Trice. I guess that's clear enough. I know she doesn't feel the same way, and
that hurts, so I stayed here. The idea of looking at her, knowing that nothing
I do will ever be enough... You probably can't get that at all, can you?"

"Not
personally. But I can see what you mean anyway. That really would be hard. I
hate to pretend to be all grown up or anything, but facing her is the best way.
Even if it ends in tears. As long as they're not
mine
I mean.
That
would be bad, but I feel fine about the whole thing, so you should do it. Talk
to her and let her know why you can't be near her. That way she won't go around
being all gloomy any time your name is mentioned. Before you ask, yes, she
really
does. With the whole Tor and Timon thing going on too... I bet she'd be glad
for you to visit."

It
took a bit more work, but he agreed to come himself, along with Alice. Still he
asked for three days to set it up. That would mean that she and Ali would have
time to get a full meal menu up. That she found that exciting simply showed how
truly bored she really was, didn't it?

It
took a bit to get back in touch with the King, since he didn't have his own
communications device. That meant bothering Ridley Dens, who was only happy
enough to help. He mentioned it several times in fact.

Finally
Tiera chuckled.

"Ah,
so, you want a favor from me? Gold and jewels? Free space voyages? Um... work
with me here, I'm running out of things you might want from me."

He
cleared his throat, primly but couldn't keep his voice from giving him away
instantly. "Would
I
do anything like that? It would be an abuse of
power and position!"

"True.
Good to know you wouldn't do that."

"However..."

"Yes,
Baron Dens?"

"Oh,
call me Ridley please, since I'm trying to work up the nerve to ask you out on
a date, or, well, not just an outing, since I know that you can't come here. I
could come to you, if you want?"

She
looked at the device, and wondered if he was particularly ugly or something,
not having a face to go with the name. Not even an age.

"Well...
why not? You could come up for dinner tonight? We're keeping roughly the same
time as in the Capital, more or less, so that would work. I'll have to call
someone to help you get here, but... sure!" Did that sound desperate? Did
she care?

That
meant getting with Sara, since she was the only person that commonly went to
and from Goddess of the Moon, and Earth. It didn't take that long, so she
managed a good five hour long fight with Kolb, who was at least as bored as she
was, and pushed her harder each day. Not that he hit harder, but he used more
and more skill each time. His corrections, all with words, were brutally
exacting too. Again, each day he made more minor improvements to her technique.
That particular day they fought with staves, swords and shield on shield.

It
changed constantly. Once, without even being ironic, they'd fought with pieces of
fruit
. Apples to be exact. She was still slightly terrified of that
particular piece of vegetation now.

On
the way out she mentioned the visitors coming, but he merely nodded, as if it
were completely normal.

"I'll
see that I'm around for a shift then. Unless Ali is taking the duty?"
She'd worked her way up to second mate, which Tiera hadn't even known was a
real thing.
She
still had to help make the food though.

Tiera
wasn't stupid, and got that Ridley wasn't coming to have a secret
"meeting" with her. After all, she didn't even know if he looked like
a toad or not. That meant, given everything, he probably wanted a good and safe
place to send a communication to his boss. Smythe of Westend.

Still,
she had company coming, so picked up her room, which had... Nothing in it,
except a whole lot of magical devices made to look like pretty pieces of
jewelry with rubies, sapphires and lots of gold. She tidied that, and then made
herself look as nice as possible, getting into a real dress instead of student
browns and actually brushing her hair. It wasn't hard, but she had four inches
now, or so. It didn't look great, being a little too even, but she didn't have
anything to trim it with and lacked the skill anyway.

In
the end she had to go and see if anyone else would help her with it at all.

That
caused her to end up on the bridge, where Alphonse was watching Tor and Timon
pretty well, and they seemed to both have fresh bags of food, or nutrient
solution, as she thought it was called. Ali was actually in the Captain chair,
and Trice sat next to her, talking softly. It sounded like it was about what
kind of businesses they could start, when they got to Harmony.

Tiera
waved at her hair, looking at Trice. "Can you cut hair at all?"

She
clapped, and looked at Ali. "Yep, that's a great idea! If they don't have
anyone. Even if they do, we could both do that, if you aren't too busy building
all the time? Tiera, you could too. Or... Well, no, that might be beneath the
dignity of the Queen." She snapped her fingers and tried not to smile at
all. "I know, you can work in the Whore House. That's a fitting place for
a person like that. We can get you and Alphonse little rooms right next to each
other. It will be fun."

"Oh,
you know all about working in a house like that?" She managed not to sound
too catty at least, and Trice actually just tilted her head instead of taking
offense.

"I've
done it. It was actually a useful experience. I can't say it was all good, but
I learned a lot. About people. I already knew about sex."

Ali
kept her eyes forward and didn't even glance around, since she was working. She
did speak though.

"I've...
worked the streets. It wasn't all the time. I just got so hungry, that I was
willing to do anything. It was better than what father did to us. Even when
they beat me and took the coin back." There was a dead tone to the words,
and no tears came. Tiera wanted to run to her and make it right, somehow, but
it was too late for that. It had been, for almost her entire life.

Then
the attractive blonde girl waved a hand at Trice.

"Anyway,
I think she was trying to ask if you can cut hair,
here
. Is that
right?"

"Exactly,
I have a date coming. Ridley Dens? He's probably
actually
just coming to
use the Goddess as a platform to message Smythe of Westend, but he definitely
made it sound like he was planning to have sex. Really, he was a bit heavy
handed about it, but still, I could have begged off, if I needed to."