Firestone Rings (The Two Moons of Rehnor, Book 4) Read online

  “And Senya?” Did I dare to ask? He obviously didn’t live here with me because all the closets only had women's clothes.

  “His suite is on that side,” Luci replied. “The door is through the bedrooms.”

  I walked out on the balcony and watched the last of the sunset and the rising of the two moons. It was hard to believe that only a few hours ago I was aboard the Discovery, blissfully unaware of how my life was about to change. Okay, I wasn't blissfully unaware but maybe I was blissfully in denial.

  Luci and Berkan joined me as the moons climbed high in the sky.

  “Do you know, Madame,” Berkan said. “We say here on Rehnor that the moons chase each other as they make their way across the sky.”

  “Does the Child Moon chase the Mother or is it the other way around?”

  “It depends on your perspective, I guess,” Berkan replied.

  “I think the Mother always chases the Child,” Luci said thoughtfully, leaning against the railing and gazing at the moons. “We are always reaching for that which tries to elude our grasp.”

  “That’s very profound, Luci,” Berkan said. “Did you know that the Mother and Child both seek the Sun and together they share the sky only one day each month? That is called the Day of the Golden Moons for all three shine in our skies as bright golden orbs. ”

  Inexplicably, I felt tears fill my eyes and trickle down my cheeks. I swiped at my face with the sleeve of my golden silk gown.

  “It’s just a reflection of light, really.” Berkan continued lecturing while staring at the moons. “The Moons reflect the light of the Sun and that’s why they appear golden. They’re not normally so beautiful.”

  No, I agreed silently. We never are.

  I excused myself and went to my bed, alone and cold in this, the Imperial Palace of the Empire of Rehnor.

  Chapter 6

  Moira

  Yokaa died and that horrid Karut beast took over. I mourned for Yokaa a little bit. I had been married to him for more than sixty years, although I could not say that it was ever happily.

  More than that, I mourned for Mishnah. My country was now ruled by that dreadful infidel street rat who cared naught for the Saint, did not even speak Mishnese with correct pronunciation, looked the image all those heathen Karuts, and to make it all worse, my people loved him. It tore at my heart to hear them cheer for him, to see them turn out and line the streets surrounding the Palace hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Blessed Saint, they prayed to him! They thought him some kind of god!

  “Blasphemy!” I told my last remaining ladies.

  Two of them stayed with me when I was moved from the Big House. I could have had more. The Karut granted me a sizeable endowment. As well he should. He had more money than ever imaginable. Dickon told me he owned half the galaxy. He was jesting of course. No one could own half the galaxy.

  “Sehron is as wealthy as that,” Dickon insisted, joining me for tea on the terrace of my new apartment. I

  t was a warm and lovely summer day and the ocean was calm and a beautiful blue color. My daughter died on a day like today. The Karut was born on a day like today.

  I sipped my tea and sniffed. I didn't care a whit what the Karut owned or did not own. I didn’t care how much money he had at all. What I did care is that I had been moved from my apartment, my home for more than sixty years to this apartment in this building miles away from the Big House.

  “It's a charming apartment,” Dickon said. “This building is delightful too. It is perfect for us retirees.”

  Dickon was my neighbor now though each apartment was so large that we would never hear each other coming or going. This building like all of the Palace buildings had undergone an extensive renovation. It was lovely now, but it was not, most emphatically not, the Big House.

  “You could not have stayed there, M'lady,” Dickon said apologetically. “That apartment is the Queen's apartment, and now it belongs to Her.”

  I knew this. My ladies had told me so. The Karut had it redone for her and made his apartment, my Lydia's apartment, into a room for the boy. He had taken Yokaa's apartment for himself although it was said he never stayed there. He lived in his office or his wife's apartment as unseemly as that may be. I had heard rumors that my son's apartments would be given to his horrid Karut father.

  I sniffed again and gave my tea to my attendant to take away. I had no taste for tea or cakes these days. I feared I had lost weight since I had been moved from the Big House. My old gowns hung on me like drapes.

  It was all a travesty, those Karuts living in my home, a Human woman wearing my crowns. To top it all off as if it could get any worse, the Karut had given my husband's Duchy, Kildoo, to the Lightie! The Lightie, of all people had become the Duke of Kildoo.

  It was said that the Lightie was Yokaa's own bastard son which I refused to believe though he was begat before our marriage. That Yokaa should have taken a Lightie woman, and a servant girl at that, was unthinkable. How he could have bred this monster son, I simply could not fathom.

  Now, this palace had been overrun with little boys, the Karut's half Human son and the Lightie's two grandsons. They treated this sacred place, home of Mishnese kings for a millennium, like a playground. Perhaps, I was glad not to be living in the Big House any longer. Certainly, it was quieter here.

  “This is your family, M'lady,” Dickon said cautiously. “You should enjoy these children, your great grandsons.”

  “Not mine.” I sniffed. Never mine.

  “Perhaps you should meet the Empress,” Dickon suggested. “I hear she is quite lonely. She would welcome your guidance.”

  “Dickon,” I snapped. “Should you insist upon continuously offering me unwanted advice, I shall ask you to leave my terrace.”

  “Beg pardon, M'lady,” he said with a bit of a smile. Dickon knew me well. He and I had also passed more than sixty years in each other's company.

  He had piqued my curiosity though as he well knew it. I had seen the Human from a distance and I had watched while my people had queued up anxiously to catch a glimpse of her.

  She handled herself well. I thought, for a commoner and a Human. I had seen her up close, too, only weeks ago at the Karut's coronation. He had delayed the ceremony until after the Human's arrival in Mishnah so that she might accompany him upon the dais.

  They came to me to pay their respects as is customary prior to a coronation. Yokaa and I did so as well to my own mother-in-law so many years ago.

  I remembered how it was when Yokaa became king. I could not move my eyes from him. Even he cut a fine figure in all his coronation regalia, I had to admit. Yokaa was not much of a looker but all dressed up like a king, he grew quite impressive.

  The Karut looked startling in all his finery. They had dressed him well in silvers, golds and blacks that complimented his pale skin and striking black hair. When he opened his eyes, there was something almost godlike about him. The Human was not the only one whose gaze was riveted upon him. They, like Yokaa before, were marketing his image well, exploiting his beauty to grow his empire.

  As it turned out not long after that, I was forced to meet the Human again. It was another fine day of brilliant sunshine and warm breeze and I and my ladies were taking some exercise in the gardens.

  These gardens were mine not too long ago. Though I never lifted a finger to plant or prune a single flower, I did direct it to be done. Now, they belonged to the Human and as strange as it might seem, whilst walking about on the carefully manicured trails we did come upon her and the Lightie's daughter-in-law, the red headed one, and all those nasty little boys.

  The Human and the red headed one were cutting flowers of all things! They had several baskets of roses at their feet and the Human was going from bush to bush carefully selecting those she determined well enough to join those in her basket. The children were running rampant along the trails, and rounding a corner making raucous noises, they did happen upon me and nearly knocked me flat!

  I yelled at them,
those little bastards, and the red headed one came running followed shortly thereafter by the Human.

  “We're terribly sorry, M'lady,” the red headed one said and proceeded to yell at all those boys.

  “Are you alright?” the Human asked, looking me over as if I were some sort of frail old woman.

  “I am not hurt,” I replied haughtily. “You should control your children better. Little heathens, they are. In my day, children were quiet and civil.”

  “Oh yes,” the Human replied in her accented Mishnese. “I'm sure your son Akan was extraordinarily civil.” She mocked me as she said this for her eyes were hard.

  She had interesting eyes, this Human, almond shaped and in a vivid blue color. The little boy had the same eyes and once the red headed one had ceased her tirade, he came to stand next to the Human regarding me in the same manner as his mother.

  “How dare you speak to me in this manner?” I replied to the Human. “I, Queen Moira of Mishnah.”

  “Don't speak mean to my mother,” the little boy said as if I were the one who had caused all this ruckus. “My mother is the Empress of All Rehnor.”

  “That's enough, Shika,” the Human scolded. “This is your Grandmother Moira. You will be kind and respectful to her.”

  I was about to object to the term grandmother when the boy himself protested.

  “My grandmother is Charlotte!” he declared and crossed his arms in front of his small chest.

  “Don't worry, boy,” I said. “I do not wish to be your grandmother either.”

  Turning on heel, I walked away with all the dignity of years of royal bearing that the Human could only hope to emulate. As I did so I heard her say, “She's Daddy's grandmother, Sweetheart, and sometimes she has a little trouble remembering that, so you need to always be nice to her.”

  “Don't bother yourself,” I replied under my breath.

  Chapter 7

  Katie

  @HIMSdK Are you around? Can you call me?

  @HIHKdK In a meeting, can't call. What's up?

  @HIMSdK I miss you. I never get to see you.

  @HIHKdK I miss you too. No time to come see you right now.

  @HIMSdK What are you doing all day and night? Don't you have a million or so staff that can do some of it?

  @HIHKdK Legislating. I’m so glad I went to Law School.

  @HIMSdK You didn’t go to Law School. You went to Med School.

  @HIHKdK Kari-fa! You’re right. No wonder this is taking so bloody long.

  @HIMSdK And when do you think you'll be finished legislating?

  @HIHKdK It depends on if I have to start legislating for any other bloody planets. This could go on forever.

  @HIMSdK Maybe it would be faster if you just threw out all the old laws and started over.

  @HIHKdK Damn good idea. That’s exactly what I am going to do starting right now.

  @HIMSdK Great. So I'll see you in about ten years or so.

  @HIHKdK Hopefully. Probably more like twenty or thirty.

  @HIMSdK You still in a meeting?

  @HIHKdK Yes I am still in a meeting and I am paying attention to it as well as tweeting with you. I can multitask. Can you?

  @HIMSdK Of course I can. I can eat dinner and think at the same time. Maybe you'd like to try it? How about tonight?

  @HIHKdK What will you feed me?

  @HIMSdK A dozen eggs. Raw. A side of toast. Strawberry jam. A twelve ounce t-bone steak barely cooked on either side and sitting in a pool of blood. Unless you want it still mooing.

  @HIHKdK Ah! Sounds very tempting, especially the mooing part. What do I get for dessert?

  @HIMKdK You get to eat a waffle with purpleberries on it and visit with your son before he leaves for College.

  @HIHKdK Can I have you for dessert instead?

  @HIMSdK Only if you have time and after your son goes to bed.

  @HIHKdK That sounds even more tempting.

  @HIMSdK Shall I alert my staff and social secretary that Great and Wondrous Wizard of Oz will be joining us for dinner? Shall I call out the Guards so that you will be properly protected as you make your way forth from the 2nd floor to the 3rd?

  @HIHKdK I shall sneak up the back stairway when no one is looking.

  @HIMSdK What back stairway?

  @HIHKdK Shit! I forgot to put in a back stairway. Listen, Kate. I will try to come but no promises. I’m already about forty years behind on everything that needs to be done and I’m not even buggering out for surgeries on Wednesdays.

  @HIMSdK I know. I wish I could help you. I wish there was something more I could do than give pressers and pick flowers.

  @HIHKdK Ah well. You remember the Queen’s job right? Wear pretty dresses, smile at the people and ...”

  @HIMSdK Yes, I remember quite well when you explained that to me at the tender age of 9 and I whacked you for your use of foul language. I didn’t realize you were explaining my future job description.

  @HIHKdK You’re doing excellent work on tasks 1 and 2. I have to mark you down on task 3 though. You are not quite keeping up to the standard.

  @HIMSdK Um, well. How am I supposed to accomplish that when you never leave your office? If I remember correctly, task 3 had something specific to do with the King.

  @HIHKdK You know, you can drop by and visit me too. Sometimes I am even alone here.

  @HIMSdK Could we go do something normal like take a walk on the beach or will I get to kneel on the floor and watch you work?

  @HIHKdK Sorry. My ankles are chained to the desk. You can sit on my lap. That might be fun.

  @HIMSdK Do I need to make an appointment and have Berkan’s under under secretary communicate it to Kinar?

  @HIHKdK You could but I think my next opening is a year and a half from now and I can’t wait that long. Hold on a moment. I need to threaten a bloody idiot with extinction.

  @HIMSdK Please don’t extinct anyone.

  @HIMSdK Senya? I mean it. Don’t kill anyone or give them a heart attack or anything.

  @HIMSdK Senya? Are you there? Seriously, please don’t hurt whoever it is just because they are a bloody idiot.

  @HIMSdK Senya?

  @HIHKdK Gotta go, Kate. Come by later tonight, yes?

  @HIMSdK Will you tell your guards to let me in this time?

  @HIHKdK What’s the matter? You can tell them or did you leave your spine back on the Discovery?

  @HIMSdK They have light swords. Your people took away my Glock because I might shoot you with it. Now I only have a handkerchief.

  @HIHKdK A handkerchief could be a useful weapon. You might choke me with it. I should have them take that away from you too. I’ll tell you what, if you make it through my airtight security, I shall reward you.

  @HIMSdK What will I get?

  @HIHKdK Something you will like very much.

  @HIMSdK I’ll be over as soon as I can.

  @HIHKdK I will look forward to it. Now I’ve got to yell at another bloody idiot. Maybe I should make him fly out the window. What do you think? Too dramatic?

  @HIMSdK Stop that. Don’t make anyone fly out the window. No flying around the room or flying in the hallways either. Yelling is okay, but that’s it. Got that?

  @HIHKdK You’re no fun. I’ve got to get back to work here. We will talk later.

  Nearly four months had passed and like every other night, Shika and I ate dinner with Luci and her boys. Luci and I made spaghetti and a salad in the kitchen in my apartment. Berkan dropped by for a few minutes and apologized on behalf of HIM who could not make it because a meeting with the Admirals of the Imperial SpaceNavy was running overly long and a group of Ambassadors from the Talasian system had been waiting all day to see him.

  “I suspect that the Talasian planets will be joining the Empire soon,” Berkan said, helping himself to dinner. “We have already had preliminary talks and things are moving along well.”

  “Talas is a member of the Alliance,” I stated for the record.

  Berkan shrugged. “So were Altaris and Andorus. Pass th
e salad dressing, would you please, Madame?”

  That pissed me off. We couldn't just go and take one Allied system after another even if they wanted to come. Were we building an Empire to compete with the Alliance? What about Earth and Mars and Rozari? Where would it end?

  “Are you guys just planning to take over the entire galaxy?” I tossed the bottle of low fat Italian to him.

  “They are coming to us, Madame,” he replied with his mouth full. “Are we to turn them away?”

  “Yes!”

  “If we can help them better their lives even if it means we are expanding, is that wrong?”

  “Why don't we just help the Alliance to better their lives? The Alliance is a democratic republic. People vote there. People chose the government they have. They weren't forced into falling on their face before HIM because Yokaa Kalila decided they should.”

  “You are missing a key component, Madame.” Taner joined us then and looked over the spaghetti. He took a plate from the cupboard and helped himself. “They have voted to authorize their representatives to approach us.”

  “And what does Senya think of all this?”

  Berkan choked on his food and then took a long drink from the glass of milk that Marik had left untouched on the table. “He wishes they would all just fuck off and leave him alone.” He swallowed and smiled.

  “Including Altaris, Andorus and the planet Rehnor.” Taner rolled his eyes. “Crap! Please tell me this is not the Evil Emperor ringing.” He pulled his cell out of his pocket, reading the message and then turning to Berk. “Who did you assign to work this evening? Right now the third under secretary’s office is unstaffed.”

  “It would be Perman. He'll be a few minutes late as usual. Do you need someone there right now? I can go back over, I guess.”

  “The Talasians are still waiting and I'm getting tired of entertaining them. Luci, could I have a piece of that cake?”

  “Of course, Taner. I made it myself.” She cut him a sizeable hunk.

  “I can entertain the Talasians,” I offered.