| Chapter 17 Nick stood in front of the mirror looking at himself. If it weren't for the fact that they were serious about him wearing the clothes he had on, he would've laughed his ass off. He looked ridiculous. He had on tan pants, that were more like tights. They hugged every inch of him, leaving nothing to the imagination. A long shirt that was royal blue in color, with long sleeves and a sash that went around his waist, and over the knee black boots. "Add a hat with a feather in it and I'd look like a damn musketeer," he muttered. A couple of attendants came over with a matching cape and put it on him. He laughed, "Oh yeah, this completes the dorkiness." "Ana, I am not wearing this," he said, walking out of his dressing room. She smiled at him, "Nick, that is the traditional dress for a prince." He shook his head, "I look stupid." "You look perfect," she said before she caught herself. They both blushed for a moment. The last week had been hectic. Ana had tried to cram as much knowledge into him as possible before they arrived, and now they were here. In a matter of a few hours they would be in the capital city of Cystaleia. Nick was nervous, and the attire was not helping. "I'm really uncomfortable," he said, pulling at his pants/tights. "You will get used to them," she said, "Besides, you only have to dress like this when you're in public. You can wear whatever you want inside the palace." "Thank God," Nick said, pulling the front of his shirt down to cover his crotch. Ana bit her lip trying not to laugh. Nick could see her behind him in the mirror, and turned around, "You find this amusing don't you?" She shrugged. "Well pardon me for not wanting Thor to be the first thing this whole planet notices about me," he laughed. Ana grinned, "I thought you didn't like that name." "I don't, but it seems fitting considering the King Arthur outfit I got going here," he answered. An attendant walked over to Ana with a case of some sort. Ana took it and set it on the table, opening it up. "There's one more thing you have to wear," she said. Nick rolled his eyes, "Please tell me it's a bag to put over my head." She smiled, "No, your highness, it's not." "Ana, I thought you weren't calling me that when ...." Nick said, looking over and seeing what she was holding. His breath caught in his throat as she pulled the crown out of its case. It was the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen. It was gold, with shining colored jewels in it. It wasn't gaudy looking at all, it looked .... majestic. "Ana, I can't wear that," he protested, as she walked to him. "You must," she said, holding it out for him to take. Nick just stared at it, to afraid to even reach out and touch it. "It is your birthright," she said. He stared into her eyes for a moment, unsure and feeling quite unworthy. Ana smiled at him, relieving some of the uneasiness. He took the crown and turned to the mirror, tentatively placing it on his head. It fit perfectly, and the jewels seemed to make his eyes shine even more than they already did. He blinked a few times, staring at them. "Ana, are my eyes glowing?" he asked. She nodded, "The crown has that affect." He looked at her, "What if I forget something?" "I'll be with you, don't worry," she reassured. "I'm past worrying," he admitted. "Just take a deep breath and calm down," she told him, "All they want is for you to be yourself." Nick laughed, "Ana, this isn't me," he said, looking at himself again in the mirror. She took his arm and turned him to face her, "This is more you than you realize. Now I've got to go get ready, alright?" He nodded, watching as she crossed the room to the door. "Don't drive yourself crazy over this. Everything will work out," she said, then left. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kevin was carrying an armload of tools over to a transport when he heard screaming coming from the simulators. He stopped, watching the commander and several of the piolets running across the bay. They quickly pulled open the door and pulled Brian out. Kevin dropped his tools and ran over. "Who the hell did that?!" Brian screamed, staring at them angrily. He was so mad he was shaking, and tears threatened to spill over his cheeks. "Who did it?!!" Brian yelled. The commander put his hand on Brian's shoulder and looked at the rest of the piolets, "If any of you did it, now would be a good time to confess." Kevin leaned over to one of the piolets, "What happened?" "Brian was in a fighter run. Someone added Nick's image into the enemy fighters, so it looked like Nick was flying against him," the piolet whispered. Kevin felt his blood start to boil. Andrew cleared his throat, "Um, I did sir, but it was just a joke." Brian stared at him wide eyed. He and Andrew had become friends, or so he thought. "How could you?!" Brian seethed. "Brian, it was just a joke," Andrew defended. Brian lurched forward and knocked him to the ground, "What part of that was suppose to be funny?! How did you think I'd react, huh? I just killed my best friend in there! My best friend dammit!" Brian stormed across the bay and out the doors, slamming them in his wake. Andrew sat up, looking at everyone, "It was just a joke." Kevin glared at him, "Yeah, great timing, you asshole." "Huh?" Andrew asked. "Today's the day Nick gets to Celeste," Kevin explained. Andrew looked down at his hands, feeling mortified, "Oh fuck." Kevin brushed past him, leaving the bay to find his cousin. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian ran through the halls of the ship, tears stinging his eyes. He was so blinded by them, that he ran right into someone. He got up, "Sorry," he muttered, then turned to leave. A.J. grabbed his arm, "Rok, what happened?" "Oh J..." Brian cried, collapsing to the floor in tears, "I killed him!" A.J. was more than a little confused, "Bri, what are you talking about? You killed someone?" Brian nodded, holding his knees to his chest and rocking back and forth. A.J. heard footsteps and looked down the hall to see Kevin running toward them. "Kev, what the hell is going on?"he asked. Kevin shook his head, "Bad simulator run," he whispered, "Andrew put Nick's image into the enemy fighters." "That.... that asshole!" A.J. said, shocked. "Bri, come on, let's get outta the hall, OK," Kevin soothed. Brian got up, still wiping away tears as Kevin lead him to the kitchen. Howie saw them walk in, "Hey guys, lunch isn't for another hour." A.J. glanced at him, and he saw the utterly pissed off look on his face, and followed them back through the kitchen and into Howie's small office. Brian sat down, rubbing his eyes. Kevin offered him a tissue. He took it, "I'm fine." "Bri, you're not fine," he said. Brian looked away from his cousin, "It was so real. I can't understand why he would do that?" "He wasn't thinking," Kevin said, "And he's an idiot." Brian laughed, "Well that's true. I just .... I fired my missiles and looked up, right into Nick's face. Then the thing blew." Kevin patted him on the shoulder, "I'm sorry cuz. Of all days for this to happen .." Brian shrugged, "It's alright. We can't do anything about it anyway." "I'm sure Nick'll be fine," Howie said, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt about that statement. Brian nodded, "He will be...... now we need to have a planning session." "For what?" A.J. asked. Brian looked at the three with fire in his eyes, "Cause I'm getting that asshole back," he laughed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nick stared out the window of the transport. His guards had brought him down. He was getting nervous, Ana still hadn't shown up yet. He was definitely not going without her. Over the past few days they had become good friends. She was the only person he felt comfortable talking to, and the only one that didn't treat him like a prince, at least most of the time. He understood that in public she had to, but when it was just them, she treated him like any other guy. He liked that about her. Actually, he liked a lot of things about her. He smiled, realizing just how much. He heard someone enter the transport and looked up, his mouth dropping wide open. Ana smiled at him. She was in a ball gown. That was the only thing fitting to describe it. It was a cream color, satiny material, with a form fitting corset, with off the shoulder sleeves. The rest of the dress poofed out at the waist. It reminded him of the dresses you would see a southern bell wearing, like in Gone With The Wind or something. She had her hair in an updo, again with those adoring ringlets framing her face. He stood up when she approached him, "You look beautiful." She blushed, "Thanks," she said, sitting down. Nick sat back down and fidgeted, as the transport took off. She looked over at him, "It'll be alright." He sighed, "Tell me again what's gonna happen." "We are going straight to the palace. There you will be taken to meet the King and Queen. After that, you will meet the council, after which, you will be presented to the public," she said. He nodded, glancing out the window. "Wow," he said under his breath. Ana smiled, as he marveled at the landscape. It was almost ethereal. Green fields gave way to a rocky, mountainous terrain. There were waterfalls everywhere, and large rivers. "This is Novaduel, right?" he asked. "Yes, the capital city is on the dividing line of the prairies and the mountains," she answered. Nick could see the city as they approached. Everything was clean, new. The streets looked like cobblestone, and the buildings were fashioned out of stone as well. "It looks like Naboo," he said. "What's Naboo?" Ana asked. He looked at her, "Star Wars. Movies, made by a guy named George Lucas. I actually got to meet him once. In the new Star Wars movies there's a planet called Naboo, and it looks just like this." Ana laughed. "Has he been here before?" Nick asked. "I don't think so," she said, grinning. "He has! Oh my God, wait till I tell the guys... they're gonna freak," Nick laughed, then realized what he said. The smile faded from his lips, and the sadness returned to his eyes. Ana quickly glanced around, making sure they weren't being watched, then took his hand in hers, "Maybe someday you will see them again." He nodded, "I hope so." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "My Queen, he is here," an attendant said. The queen stood up, fidgeting with her dress for a moment. She was nervous. For years she had wished for this moment, now it was here ... she was going to meet her son. She took a deep breath as the party began to enter the room. Nick followed the guards, with Ana a few steps behind him. They had exited the transport on the roof and had been lead down several stories. Now they were walking down a hall. Nick saw the guards turn and go into a room. He took a deep breath, and followed them. He smiled as he walked toward her, he couldn't help it. There standing before him was his mother. The guards stopped, bowing to her and then stepping out of the way. Nick glanced back at Ana, and she gave him a reassuring smile. He took another deep breath and stepped forward. He kneeled in front of her, "Ma reine, je suis honor� pour vous rencontrer finalement" My Queen, I'm honored to finally meet you. The queen reached down and took his chin in her hand, pulling him up. She stared into his eyes, through her tears, then pulled him into a hug, "Je nous ai pens�s ne vous trouverais jamais. Maison bienvenue, mon fils." I thought we would never find you. Welcome home, my son. Nick felt his own tears trailing down his cheeks as she released him from the hug. She gently wiped them away, then smiled at him as she touched his hair. "You are just as I remembered," she smiled. Nick blushed, "Only bigger." The queen laughed, taking him by the hand and leading him across the room, the guards and Ana following. "You were told your father is ill," the queen asked as they walked. Nick nodded. "He is resting right now, so you will meet him later, alright?" she said. Nick felt a tinge of disappointment, but nodded. The queen looked up at him, "He wishes to meet you too, but he needs his rest." "Do they know what's wrong with him?" Nick asked. She shook her head, "It's a mystery. One day he was fine, the next he's bedridden." Nick could see the sadness in his mothers eyes, and knew she must love him very much. "We are going to meet the council?" he asked, wanting to change the subject. "Yes," she answered, leading him into the throne room. It was a massive room, with a platform at one end. Two thrones sat atop it. The rest of the room was bare. Nick figured it could be transformed into anything at a moments notice. He looked above the thrones, noticing the family crest on a flag, hanging from the ceiling. He glanced down at his mark. It was glowing as brightly as the twin suns outside. His mother squeezed his hand, getting his attention. They approached three men, who were already on their knees. Nick recognized his uncle among them. "My Lords, please rise and meet your Prince," the queen said. Nick watched as his uncle stepped forward. He was taller than Nick with a very intimidating presence. "Your highness, I'm Mason DeGrafe, Count of Novaduel and your uncle. It is an honor to meet you," he said. Nick nodded, not liking the sound of his voice. It seemed forced, especially when he said he was honored to meet him. The other two Counts came up and introduced themselves. Nick got the distinct feeling he was being scrutinized. But he'd expected it. He knew they wanted to see what kind of man he was, and he knew he'd have to prove himself to them if he was ever going to have their respect. "Count Dumal, I look forward to visiting your Provence. I've heard great things about it," Nick said, as they were again walking down a hall. "Thank you my prince. We would be honored to have you," Joseph said. The look that passed between Mason and Joseph didn't escape Nick, and he wondered what it was all about. There seemed to be a flash of anger, maybe jealousy in his uncles eyes. At any rate, it made him uneasy to say the least. Suddenly a young man came flying down the hall after them. Nick looked back, seeing the man was around his own age. "I'm sorry I'm late," the young man apologized to Mason, not even realizing that Nick had stopped walking and was staring at him. Mason gave the man a glare then glanced in Nick's direction. The young man looked over and immediately dropped to his knees, "Forgive me your highness. I didn't know you were here." Nick laughed, walking over to him, "Please rise and introduce yourself." The young man stood up, "I'm Anthony DeGrafe, Count DeGrafe's son." "Then you're my cousin, right?" Nick asked. Anthony nodded, "Yes your highness." Nick looked over at Ana, "You didn't tell me I had a cousin." "I'm sorry, we didn't have time to get into that," she said. He laughed, realizing that everyone was looking at him, wondering what he'd been saying. "Anthony, I'd like to talk with you sometime after all this formal stuff," he said. Anthony bowed again, "Yes your highness, anytime you wish." Nick motioned for him to get up, as the queen took his hand, gearing him back in the direction they were going. Nick wasn't sure what to expect. He didn't know if they had TV or what. He just knew that the entire world was gonna get their first look at him in a matter of moments. As they turned a corner, he could hear the crowd. He hesitated for a moment, but the queen gently pulled on his hand, "It's alright my son. Come out and meet your people." Nick walked out onto the large balcony and was immediately overwhelmed with shock. Thousands and thousands of people filled the vast courtyard. He'd never seen so many people in all his life. The crowd was cheering at the sight of him. It was better than any audience at any concert he'd ever done. He scanned the crowd, smiling. He noticed several small metallic things floating in the air, and realized they were cameras. Then he noticed the screens about halfway through the courtyard. His face plastered on them all. Mason stepped up and raised his hands to quiet them. "Mesdames et messieurs, peuvent je pr�senter prince Nickolas Carter!" Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce prince Nickolas Carter. Nick smiled, At least they let me keep my name, he thought as he waved. The crowd cheered, threatening to split his eardrums. The queen stepped up and the crowd quieted once again, "This is a day of celebration. We have regained what was lost to us for so many years. Go, rejoice!" The crowd erupted in cheers again, as she turned and lead Nick back inside the palace. He was a little confused as to what happening next, and glanced back at Ana again. She shrugged her shoulders, letting him know she was just as clueless as he was. He leaned down to whisper to his mother, "Where are we going now?" She smiled, "There is a ball in your honor. Many of the families from the high class will be there." Nick sighed, "I'm not sure about all this." "You will be fine. They will present themselves to you, then we will eat," she said. "When will I meet the King?" he asked. "After the ball," she replied. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ball was a little to formal for Nick's liking. There were to many families there, that were the epitome of high class. He'd never met more snooty people in his life. And every family that had a daughter around his age were practically throwing the girl at him. He tried to be polite, but at the same time, letting them know he wasn't interested. He'd caught Ana laughing out of the corner of his eye more than a few times. He began to wonder if she had conveniently forgotten about this part. He was glad when the food was served and he could just sit down and eat. He was starving. He did notice that everyone waited until he and his mother began to eat before they did. Must be another one of those traditions. He settled back in his chair, having finished his meal. Suddenly he heard music. It sounded a lot like a waltz, and very similar to what Ana had used to teach him a few of their traditional dances. He watched as several couples filled the dance floor. The dance was beautiful to watch, it was almost as if they were gliding across the floor. The queen looked over at him, "You can dance if you like." Nick shook his head, "I'm not very good at it." She smiled, "You don't have to be good. No one expects you to be perfect. They all know where you've been all these years, and understand that you will have to get used to being here, and how we do things." He watched the dance for a few more minutes, then looked over, "Would you dance with me?" She nodded, smiling as she took his hand, and he lead her out on the dance floor. They started to dance, and Nick immediately stepped on her toe, "Sorry," he said, embarrassed. She laughed, "It's alright." They danced for several minutes. Nick seemed to lose himself in the music, and his mother smiled in her own happiness. "Nickolas, I'm getting tired. Why don't you dance with someone else," she said. He stopped, leading her back to her seat, "I can dance with anyone here?" "Anyone you wish," she replied. He smiled, walking over to where Ana was seated and offering her his hand, "Will you dance with me?" Ana was so shocked, she glanced behind her, making sure he was really talking to her. Of course she knew he was, he was speaking English. Nick laughed, "I'm talking to you." Ana blushed, taking his hand and letting him lead her onto the dance floor. She felt the eyes of all the high class on her as they moved across the room. Nick sensed it too. "Are we not suppose to dance with each other?" he asked. "You can dance with anyone you wish. It's just that in their eyes, it should be someone of the high class. Not me," she answered. "I don't want to dance with any of them. I only want to dance with you," he said. Ana couldn't hide the smile that curved her lips. The queen watched them, a knowing smile on her face. She had suspected that they liked each other from the moment she saw them together. Now seeing them waltz across the dance floor confirmed her suspicions. There was a light in both their eyes that just wasn't there when they were apart. The fact that love between the two was forbidden, didn't seem to matter. She glanced around the room, seeing the stunned faces of many. No, this would not go over well. Even if they denied it, it was evident on their faces how they felt toward each other. But, she was the queen, and what good was she if she couldn't make her son happy? Rules and tradition could be damned. Nick and Ana finished their dance, and he lead her back to her table. "Thanks," he said. "You're welcome," she replied, taking her seat. Much to the dismay of many of the young women in the room, Nick went back to his place beside his mother. The party continued on for a few more hours. Nick was getting restless. He wanted to leave, but wasn't sure what the proper protocol was for that. His mother looked over, "Why don't we take our leave?" He nodded, standing and taking her hand. Everyone stopped what they were doing, bowing as they left. Nick glanced back at Ana as they left the room. He'd been around her so much, that leaving without her was a little unnerving. "I have asked Ana to stay in the palace to help you get settled. You will see her in the morning," the queen said. Nick breathed a sigh of relief. The queen squeezed his hand, "You are fond of her?" Nick blushed. He wasn't sure he wanted to talk about this with his mother whom he'd known for all of a few hours now. "Just be careful how you present yourself in public," she warned, "Ana is a wonderful girl, but she's not part of the high class. You must be cautious of how you're perceived." Nick hung his head, "I did something wrong?" "Not wrong, just not in the tradition," she corrected, "But some traditions have outlasted their usefulness, if you ask me," she said, smiling at him. Nick chuckled, "Where are we going?" "To meet your father," she answered. Nick felt his nerves doing double time in his stomach as they stood outside a huge door. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. The queen smiled at him, "Just be yourself. That's all we ever wanted." He nodded, as they walked through the doors and into the massive bedroom. There were several people in the room. Nick assumed they were doctors and nurses. His father lay in bed, with an IV in his arm. He looked very weak, even though he was a man of great stature. He could easily look down on Nick if he had been standing. Nick watched as the king motioned to several attendants and they helped him to sit up. The queen urged Nick forward, and he slowly approached the bed. When he got there, he dropped to his knees, with his elbows on the side of the bed. The king took his hand, causing Nick to look up at him. "My son, you've come home," he said. Nick looked into the kind eyes of his father and felt like a child. Tears filled his eyes as the king took him in his arms and held him. Even as weak as he was, Nick couldn't have gotten lose from the hug if he'd wanted to. And he didn't. He felt his mothers arms around him now, his parents encircling him. He could feel how much they both loved him, and had missed him all these years. And suddenly he was filled with a loss. He'd missed all these years with them. He didn't know them, yet he loved them instantly. And he was angry that he'd been taken away and lied to for so long. He had so much to tell them. He wanted to share everything with them, and he wanted to learn. He needed to get to know them, who they were on the inside, away from all the formality. The king took Nick's crown off his head and tousled his hair, smiling at him, "I'm so happy your home Nickolas." Nick smiled through his tears, "So am I." Chapter 18 |