Somebody Else's Space Program
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Chapter Sixty ". . . the blood of princes . . ."
A deep-voiced bell in the distance, a slow cadence. Envyss froze, startling Ross. "What's wrong?"
"It has to be Trefaldyn." Envyss took Ross's face in his hands, kissed him thoroughly, but then rolled over and out of the bed. "You... don't have to get involved."
"You are."
"Of course. He was my grandfather."
Ross rolled over and sat up on the edge of the bed. "Was. That's a death bell, then."
"It has to be." Envyss grabbed clean clothes and headed toward the shower.
"You don't _know_?"
"If it's the bell I think it is, it was sounded last for Jheraind. Should I remember that?"
A nervous laugh. "I guess not. Your mother would know."
Voice from under the running water. "They'll be sending messengers soon enough -- we'll know."
"What do I wear?"
"Something without scorch marks on it. We'll worry about dressing you for the ceremonies later."
---
Guards, not a messenger -- and that startled Envyss. The guards swept in, did an unhurried inspection of the rooms, then stood aside. Josgoroth walked in, dressed in an archaic-looking version of the usual hruss clothing, black and stiff with black embroidery.
A word, and the guards left the room. Ross could see one on each side of the door, weapons ready, as the door closed. "Envyss, our grandfather is dead."
Envyss bowed his head, then dropped slowly to one knee. "Lord Protector."
Ross took a minute to copy the gesture. Jozh didn't seem to take offense at the delay. "Rise." Then, "Is this one of mine? Or is he still an outlander?"
"He made oath to your father. He's ours." Ross chose not to dispute the statement -- it would only make trouble now.
"And _is_ he the creature of legend? My father used to tell tales of Ivar. Did he leave any to you, in this 'legacy' of yours?"
"Some few. Jheraind was still young when Ivar died."
"I see." Jozh paced, looking at different things on the walls and shelves. He turned, "And what about you, Ross. What do you think of this 'golden rose'?"
Well! Jozh was going to treat him like a human, not just Envyss's pet? "I think the legend is very pretty. I don't claim the title."
"It's claiming you, I'm afraid. The investiture ceremony is written to include both the rose and the companion. It's what my people expect, and we aren't going to disappoint them. Envyss, you'll work with the chief of protocol. Ross..." Ross listened attentively, Instructions? "Just don't get yourself killed until then. We would have to wait for the new rose to be born and found if we lost you now. Very inconvenient."
That startled a grin out of Ross. "You can't have a coronation without me?"
"Without the rose. It doesn't have to be Ross Colburn."
"I didn't know I could give the office up."
"While you live, you cannot. Envyss, keep him alive. And keep yourself alive, too."
---
"Josgoroth didn't sound happy about that."
"He's happier now that he knows you're one of us. It would be very inconvenient if you ran and he had to send troops to retrieve you."
"Has that happened?"
"Yes." Envyss searched the bookcase, drew out a dusty volume. "About four hundred years ago. The rose was the husband of a neighboring queen. We were at war -- we had an ambassador at their court, and the companion was one of his staff." Envyss scanned the text, "Here we are. Our Lord Protector died, and the companion tried to talk the rose into attending the investiture of his heir. The rose was reluctant because of the hostilities... we kidnapped him. He seemed to acquiesce, then bolted again at the last moment."
Ross laughed, "Sounds exciting."
"Don't do it. If you feel that excitement-starved, we'll arrange something after the investiture."
"No, thank you."
---
Ross protested, "It looks like you're dressing me for a wedding, not a funeral."
Envyss gave the shoulders one last tug, settling the garment in place on his partner's body. "The people need to see that you exist. We've actually been very circumspect about you -- the other roses have all lived at court, at least during the last few hundred years."
"Since the one ran off."
Envyss grinned, "We learned a few things that time. Like don't let the rose marry outside. The younger we find them, the better -- but they are always outlanders."
"Are they all orphans?"
"Where records exist at all, yes. Stand _still_."
"Why don't you just let a tailor take care of this? Send him my measurements?"
"They're busy."
Ross waved his hands back and forth. "They? All the tailors in the country?"
Envyss finally got the look he was after, tacked the cloth down. "Arms up." He slid the shirt up over Ross's head. "Relax for a while. I need to try it on you one more time after I finish sewing it."
"Why are _you_ doing the fitting?"
"It's part of my job. It is my duty to know the proper forms and ceremonies, including the prayers for preparing you for display." A quirk of the lips, half a smile, "Intruding as little on your consciousness as possible. If you were one of us, you would be considered a low rank of lay-priest -- no bad jokes, please. But when the rose is found as a near-adult, we don't make him or her undergo the training. Lucky you."
"You've had it."
"Of course. Most of the royal family has. The ceremonies involving the rose are specialized, and usually passed on by documents rather than by memory -- so few people know them, there is too much chance of losing parts."
Ross thought over some of the looks on Jozh's face when he came with the announcement. "Does the Lord Protector ever try to claim the rose for himself?"
"Away from the companion? Once in a while, the Lord Protector will court the rose. But the companion is still there." Envyss grinned, "You should read some of the chronicles. Once, both the rose and the companion were female, and they kidnapped the Lord Protector."
"_What_?"
"Yes. When the guards found him, he was half dead from exhaustion, and the companion was pregnant. Her child became the next Lord Protector." Envyss looked Ross up and down. "If Jheraind had lived, companion and Lord Protector would have been the same person." A slight frown... "I'm not sure that has ever happened."
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"One of the reasons you're so intriguing is your foreignness -- you're deliciously exotic." Needle and thread, careful stitches. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're _not_ a woman. I'd have been working on a dress for a year."
"Your women don't wear dresses."
"The rose does. She's the symbol of the outside world, without which we cannot survive." Envyss looked Ross up and down, smiled, "No. You wouldn't..."
"Wouldn't what?"
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"Close your eyes, hands over your head."
"Alright." Ross cooperated. Falls of cloth, whispering over his skin.
Envyss tugged a few places, then, "Arms down. This is just too strange."
Ross's hands brushed cloth at his side, below where a shirt would come. He looked down. "No. I am not going to wear..."
"I'm not asking you to." Envyss circled his partner, inspecting. "The skirt can come off, and leave a tunic exactly the right length, and it fits you." An odd grin on Envyss's face, "Now I'm wondering if Aurhyn Rhos was actually a woman."
"Did she have children?"
"They never do. At least not the ones who have hruss partners. The only recorded offspring from any of them is when there's another outlander involved."
"Like that neighboring queen."
"Yes."
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Half a dozen tunics, salvaged from dresses. "I should have some clothing made up for you like this for everyday wear. You look good in it."
"You're just trying to distract me."
"Maybe. That doesn't mean you don't look good."
---
Mairyonven was in tunic and trousers, but with a long overgown so stiff with embroidery that it could literally stand on its own. "That is _heavy_. Envyss, could you design some kind of wheels to carry the weight?"
"Too many stairs to negotiate. I think I saw mention of a sedan chair in the older documents, but then you run the risk of being toppled -- we don't have time to train bearers."
Mairyonven eyed Envyss and Ross. "Which one of you is more expendable? If we had to wait for him to be reborn, there would be time to train bearers. It's almost worth the trouble."
Ross thrust Envyss behind him, then grabbed a chair to fend Mairyonven off. Envyss started laughing. "Calm down, Ross. Mother..."
Mairyonven laughed. "You should have used Envyss as a shield. I'm less likely to kill my own son."
"I'm more likely to be able to fend you off than he is."
"I wouldn't bet on that." She stepped forward, swept the chair out of the way, and was on Ross's throat with a knife before he blinked. Then she backed away. "Envyss would not have let me get that far. One of the peculiarities of a royal upbringing -- we are trained to deal with potential assassins. Although it was charming to watch you try to protect him."
Ross rubbed his throat. "I see. Charming."
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