| Phase 50 � He~ey, Citan?� He didn�t even look up. � Whatever it is you want to know, I will not say.� � Why?� � Because your tone is that of someone trying to get into mischief and I do not need to be the cause of you getting yourself injured even more than you already are.� He pointed at each of my shot wounds, then at my left wrist, which was still in the brace because the doctor hadn�t said to take it off yet, and my right, which was still wrapped from the time my knife sliced me. � I�m not trying to get into mischief. I�m just curious.� He finally gave me a disbelieving stare. � Kris, with you it is never just �curiosity�. Can you not just accept things for once?� � Why accept everything when I can question it? That�s why you know as much as you do, isn�t it?� He sighed (Ha! I�d gotten him!) and bent down under Heimdal�s consol again before speaking. � So exactly what is it that you want to know?� � Who Shia�s father is.� He didn�t pause in his work. � Ask my sister.� � I did. She wouldn�t say.� � And you expect me to tell you when I promised her I would not?� � So she did tell you.� There was some muttering. Then, � It does not matter whether or not she did. I would not tell you even if I knew.� � But you said you promised her you wouldn�t. So that means you must know the truth, right?� � . . . Possibly.� � O~okay.� I did some discreet poking as I spoke to keep him from catching on to what I was doing. � So?� � So what?� � Who is it?� � Who is what?� � Ha ha.� � Look, Kris. I am not going to tell you. Pry it out of Ana, not me.� It was . . . Oh my . . . No way! � Whatever. Thanks anyway, Citan.� He lifted his head and watched me go, saying to himself, � Why do I suddenly get the feeling that I have been had?� I had hardly gotten out of the bay when Bart all but ran me over. � Kris! There you are! I�ve been looking all over for you!� � Why?� � Come on!� I trailed him all the way up from the now abandoned section of the castle that Gebler had put in. Oh well. Ours now. He led me to one of the upper floors and into a room at the end of the hall and ushered me through the door into the room ahead of him. He went to a closet and pulled out a gold robe, holding it out to me. � Here. Put it on.� I looked at him. � Over your clothes is just fine,� he told me. � I don�t want you to strip.� I rolled my eyes and put the robes on. � What is this?� He got a camera from somewhere and took a picture of me. � Actually, it fits you better than I�d hoped. I guess my mother wasn�t as tall as I thought she was. Well, compared to now, at least.� I stared at him, open-mouthed. I felt like I�d just committed some heinous crime. � . . . Bart . . . How could you . . .? I�m not even . . .� He waved his hand dismissively. � It�s all right. That�s her spare. She almost never wore it.� I guess it�s all right . . . � But still, Bart! I�m not Queen!� He held up his finger and wiggled it back and forth. � Ah ah ah. Who said you wouldn�t be? It�s my decision who I wed, correct?� True . . . � Then---� He spun away. � Gotta give that speech. Go ahead and look around, Kris. The castle�s your playground as much as it is mine.� Once he was out of sight, I flopped back onto the bed and covered my face with my hands. Why did he do this to me? *>*<* � . . . Has anybody seen Kris?� Sigurd looked over at Bart. � Not since we arrived. Why?� Bart shifted nervously. � I . . . I just need her here, that�s all.� Hardly three minutes later, the door squeaked open and Kris' head poked in. � Am I interrupting anything?� � Kris!� *>*<* He squashed me in a hug. � Thank you thank you thank you!� I managed to get away. � What for?� He crushed me in another hug. � Being here.� � Bartholomew . . .� Sig reminded Bart lightly. Bart let me go, but clutched my hand tightly, as if he was frightened. . . . . . . Of talking? He looked to Fei. � Fei, if anything, I�m your friend, right?� Without waiting for an answer, he looked to Sig. � Sig . . . you won�t change no matter what I do, will you?� Again, he didn�t wait for an answer and instead turned to me and locked gazes with me. � Kris . . . you�ll stand by me no matter where I go or what I choose to do?� This time, he waited for an answer. I smiled. � Yes.� His eyes closed briefly and he let out a relieved breath. � What is the matter, Young Master?� Maison inquired. Bart shook his head. � Nah . . . I guess I just have to do what I was asked to.� With that said, he turned and marched to the end of the balcony, where the people could see him. � My good people of Aveh . . . This is Bartholomew Fatima, the nineteenth king of Aveh, son of Edbart Fatima IV, the eighteenth king of Aveh. First, one must apologize for the trouble caused by one�s unavoidably lengthly absence from the palace. One especially wants to give one�s condolences to those who lost family in the war with Kislev. One will immediately call a truce with Kislev and begin reparations to victims of both countries. All citizens drafted as soldiers will also be allowed to return home. Let us work together toward the rebuilding of Aveh!� A huge round of cheering rose and I squeezed his hand reassuringly. He glanced at me and smiled his thanks before returning his attention to the matter at hand. � . . . One also has another final but important message . . . A declaration from the will of Edbart IV, who wished only for peace for his kingdom. I, Bartholomew Fatima, the nineteenth king of Aveh, do hearby declare . . . from this day forward I shall abandon the monarchy and create the Republic of Aveh!� More cheers went up, but Maison, Sig, and I had been totally unprepared for this. Sig shook his head in confusion. � Young Master . . .� � What in Aveh are you doing . . .?� Maison wanted to know. Sensing Bart�s growing tension, I immediately stepped up beside him and touched my arm to his. I promised I�d stay by him and damn me if I didn�t! Sig�s eyes lit up in approval of my actions and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Bart let out a short breath. � This is my father�s wish. I really am sorry. You both have worked so hard for many long years to restore me to the throne . . . Now I�m no longer in line to be King--or anything else for that matter--the two of you are free to go.� Maison probably thought he was going senile. He just couldn�t believe what Bart was telling him. � What are you saying . . .?� Sig shook his head once more, though it was a half annoyed shake this time. � Unbelievable.� Maison turned to him. � Master Sigurd?� � Can�t you hear the crowd outside?� Sig asked Bart, gesturing widely out over the balcony to the people below. � They have chosen you as their king. You�re going to be very busy.� Bart was getting upset again. � Sig . . .� � Won�t you need some capable assistance?� He knew Sig was right. � Well . . . here goes nothing.� The day was a total stress-bomb for Bart. He looked exhausted by dintime and there was still a lot left to do. I hadn�t left his side except when necessary and I could tell he appreciated it even though he �ignored� me most of the time. It was my physical presence that soothed his frayed nerves and gave him the strength he nee- ded for the next task (or so he said, at least). And then there was that other problem . . . I swear, this couldn�t have happened on a worse day. Maison, Sig, Bart, and I and a few others were in the foyer, trying to decide what to do next. The doors to the outside opened and we all tensed, wondering if there was already a Solarian assassin coming for Bart. Luckily it was only two of the Yggdrasil�s crew, escorting a young woman who looked to be about a year or two younger than me. She looked around and spotted Bart finally. She curtsied prettily. � Hello, Your Majesty.� Sig�s head dropped a little and he shook it wearily. � Oh no . . .� Maison brightened considerably. � Miss Alycia!� Bart�s face screwed up in confusion. � Who?� Silence reigned for a long moment and then Sig covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. However, his snicker echoed through the foyer. Fortunately, the girl couldn�t pinpoint it and so dismissed it. She walked stately over to Bart and curtsied again, then looked at me. � Fetch me a glass of water.� I bristled. � I will not.� She looked offended. � You dare deny me?� � I�ll deny you all I want!� I snarled. � Nobody orders me around!� � Then what are you doing here? Who are you?� I wished Bart would step in, but knew it would only get him into trouble later and so let it go. � What I�m doing here and who I am is none of your business! If it was, you�d know already!� She huffed angrily. � How dare you!� And slapped me. The whole foyer went quiet for the third time. I so wanted to hit her, but took great satisfaction in the knowledge that if I actually did hit her back, I�d almost certainly kill her. Which might not be a bad thing, but Maison would be angry and that has to be the last thing I need. But even though I knew I wasn�t supposed to hit her in return, I narrowed my eyes and slowly shoved her backwards across the floor. Frightened, she tried to struggle to safety. I then lifted her into the air with a shift of my gaze and her head stopped hardly a rhal from the ceiling. She let out a scream. � Krista! Put her down!� Maison commanded. I shrugged--� Okay.�--and turned my back on her. She screamed most of the way down and everyone was frozen in place. I finally turned at the last second and caught her just before she touched the floor. She fainted and I shrugged again at the stares. � Sorry. I forgot it was so final on the way down.� Sig�s snicker was audible once more and Maison glared at him, warning him not to encourage me. I dropped the girl the last bit to the floor and turned to Sig, narrowing my communication to him only. Don�t like her or something? . . . You could say that. Can I kill her? I�d love to see it, but Maison will get upset and we don�t need that to add to everything else. Bart looked down at me. � Kris . . . I don�t know whether to congratulate you or yell at you.� � Yell at her,� Maison suggested. � Tell her what a good job she did,� Sig countered. � Master Sigurd!� � What?� came the innocent question. � Do not encourage her!� � Why? The girl acted like Kris was some kind of servant. Kris was just defending her pride.� I nodded along with Sig, but Maison pointed at the stairs. � To your room!� I started to go, then stopped. � Uh . . . By the way, where is my room?� <--Phase 49 Phase 51--> |