"Prince Turandot…"

Summary: Can the courageous Princess Amy unfreeze the icy heart of the cruel Prince Sheldon Turandot? Well, she's giving it her all…In song as well as deed.

Disclaimer: What's Chuck's is Chuck's…No infringement intended…

Part LIV…

"Well…" Assassin team leader/"Procession attendant" Rubio heartily congratulated his team as they looked at the settling dust behind them… "There's a job well done."

"Hope the poor thing didn't suffer…" the burly male sighed. "I hate it when they suffer…Like drowning a puppy or a lord's troublesome concubine."

The female blinking…

"Work's work." The male shrugged to her. "The kids cry, you gotta put bread on the table."

"I guess Micho and the Roman made for the center tunnel…" Rubio pondered. "Well, best if someone tries the Borneans too…Looks better that way and takes some heat off."

"We were paid in advance…?" the female, anxiously.

"Fifty percent down, at my place…Fifty percent held by their agent…And he'll pay up. We can't help that the Castile folks found their own assassins and California would go to war over this…The Borneans know Castile has been pressing the Ministers to force a trade concession from them for Castile as the Princess' reward for participation. Won't look good if word gets out this wasn't an accident and they were involved."

"I suppose." She sighed. "But my mom really needs that bone-setting…"

"Don't worry…That first fifty percent covers you and Trevor here. I can wait for mine." Rubio, kindly. "Lets just get out and join the frantic search, ok? And natch, a bonus if you get there first and finish them off, should either have survived somehow. Though don't chance it if there's company…" warning finger. "Ok, guys?! Lets move…And start that howling for help! Help! Help!" he cried.

Nods…All three hurrying for the portal ahead of them, concealing themselves just long enough, then joining in the cries of concern and anguish now beginning as guards and other attendants started to arrive.

Now there's how a good boss keeps his guys loyalty…the burly Trevor noted to the female as they hurried to join a group frantically trying to reach the collapsed section of tunnel.

….

"What do we do?" Mala looked down at Hyman as the ring above her continued to flame, blocking the way up.

"They can't mean for us to be killed, it's merely an obstacle…" Hyman noted calmly.

"An obstacle likely to burn us to death…" Mala frowned. "Do we go back?"

"There's no other way unless we return to the start and try another tunnel…" Hyman pondered.

"We can't lose so much time…There's no way to be sure Isabella and the Fowler girl are stopped…Delayed…Or the extreme prejudice thing." Mala sighed.

"Wait a minute…I'll be right back…" Hyman, grabbing the rope still hanging on the side, sliding back down as it played out.

"Hyman!" Mala cried, peering down.

"It's all right! The rope's on a pulley with a stop, I noticed it before!" he called up.

"What the devil are you doing?! Oh, be careful!"

"We need something to put out…Or off, as I think they must be more naphtha…The flames! One moment, Highness."

"Don't get killed, Ambassador…That is an order! Hyman?!"

"Absolutely, your Highness." Voice fading.

….

"Empress…Ma…Dad…Guys…" Minister Zac, summoned by his father had joined the group in the Dowager's carriage, took the group in and squeezed in beside the Dowager and her bodyguard, already rather cramped.

He really is part of this too? Zac? I still can't believe it. Penny sighed.

Great…A bunch of impractical Scholars, Minister Dim-wit, my own frantically over-protective-mom Boss, and a "feisty" slave girl turned junior Minister's wife…How can we fail, if the Boss signs on? Lilly sighed.

Of course, there is Meemaw…The toughest member of the House of Turandot, George I…Praise him, etc…Included.

And yours truly…The most capable agent in the Imperial Secret Service, even if wuv has blunted my razor's edge a bit.

"Hey, Penny. You're ok? That's great." Zac, beaming smile. "I knew you weren't the wrong sort."

"Thanks…Minister." She nodded.

You do have to like the guy's good-hearted kindness…And he is brave to cover for his dad's team as Minister, even if he may not fully understand what all this is about.

"What her 'sort' is…Is still under discussion, Zachary." Mary noted, coldly. "I know you and your parents have Sheldon's best interests at heart…"

"If you know that, why do you let the Ministers run things?…And keep these crazy Trials going?" Penny demanded, startling the rest.

Hmmn…Mary frowned.

This is why I have a problem with this manumission thing…Give a slave a little freedom, then a chance to legitimately mate and the next thing you know, anarchy…Especially with these "feisty girl" types.

"All this was settled by the will of George I…Praise him, honor him…My dear young lady." Caspar cut in before the faux pas might become more so…

"It's the law of the land…And the will of my late husband." Mary eyed Penny. "Besides…The military would never have consented to my rule while Sheldon was a baby and child. They would have sought to force me to accept a male ruler from their ranks as 'guardian' regent for Sheldon…And how do those things turn out, Scholar Emiritus?" she turned to Caspar.

"Generally not well, your Majesty…The subject in question generally is not content with being a temporary ruler…The Byzantines did get lucky with Basil II and the Chinese with Quo-ti Sheng but History records…" Caspar cleared his throat, ready to expound.

"Caspar, quite enough." Mary waved a hand. "He can give you the history lecture later…The bottom line is Sheldon would never have lived to reach the throne. Too many of George I's …Praise my sweetest dear, honor him (for he often couldn't help himself in what he did)…Drinking buddies from the officers' corps would have remembered how he took the throne and the Empire. Usurpation and death for Sheldon and me at best, civil war and likely invasion at worst." Sigh.

"The Trials have prevented many a foreign enemy from uniting with other powers to attack and none like the idea of risking invasion alone…And we do have many foreign enemies, despite Minister Siebert's outstanding abilities." Rosalind noted.

Caspar, slight frown at the praise of Siebert.

There were other fine candidates for the post of Foreign Affairs Minister, dear. And he was my pupil.

"Don't frown like that Caspar…I know you are frowning, isn't he?" grin. "You know you would've hated having to bend the truth and keep facts suppressed, not to mention all the paperwork." Rosalind nudged him from the side.

"And getting in and out of your ceremonial robes and coach would have been a mammoth undertaking on a daily basis…" Mary teased. "Caspar, you've no need to be jealous of Siebert…He'd love to be free to write books, gab the day away with fellow Scholars, and lecture to his heart's content as you do."

"Hardly jealous, Majesty…Rosalind…" Caspar protested. "And the position was offered to me twice…"

"And you showed good sense in refusing…" Mary nodded.

"But you woulda been great, Dad." Zac loyally noted. "In fact I know I owe all my success as Minister to you and your trainin' me and all…"

Hmmn… "Yes…Well…" Caspar, a bit perturbed to be offered credit in that particular sphere…

"Ok…" Penny put up a hand. "I know about the foreign threat stuff and all…Anyone would be mad if they'd let their daughter be slaughtered or at least, exiled for life, for nothing."

Really? Had no idea they raised slaves so naïve…Lilly eyed her.

"But, you're the Empress…Don't those guys have to…?"

"My dear girl…" Caspar sighed. "Were you raised in the Imperial kitchens or some isolated nunnery? 'Those guys' as you put it, don't have to do anything they aren't convinced is in their own interests since they provide the power that enforces the laws. The Empire may seem to be a benevolent despotism under a rule of noble laws but in fact like all such states, the Roman included, it's a compromise and balance of power…So long as the lesser powerful get most of what they want cheaply, it works and they support the throne and the law. But if they don't get what they want…Or it costs too much… All I can say then, dear, is…Look out."

"It was a good balance under the Four Ministers…Hofstadter of Justice and Siebert of Foreign Affairs were committed to the Empire and good rule…" Mary sighed. "Gablehauser of the Interior and Finance had essential ties to the military and convinced them to remain loyal, for his own reasons…Beverly Hofstadter was brilliant if ambitious, an excellent administrator if somewhat increasingly deranged by her lust for power. It worked for many years…But then poor Hofstadter fell victim to his wife's ambition and Gablehauser became restless…Siebert had to side with them to survive and I had no choice but to agree to most of what they wanted, put in the most respectful and polite terms, as mere suggestion and advice, of course. And now, Sheldon is of age…Meaning it's only his failure to marry keeping him from being crowned Emperor, free to dispense with the trio if he so chooses. "

"And that could mean civil war…" Caspar noted. "Gablehauser for one will never accept ouster from power, indeed I'm surprised he's waited so long to try and seize power for himself. I thought surely he'd move before Turandot reached manhood…Something has been holding him back. As for Minister Hofstadter, she has her own rather odd restraint…Not to mention fewer directly powerful supporters."

"She's nuts…And nuts about Turandot…" Lilly cut in. "As I have reported, Majesty." Mary nodding…

"She likes Sheldon?" Penny stared.

"As in…Sees herself as the worthiest Suitor…" Lilly noted. "Which in a way is a blessing…She might have persuaded Gablehauser to move long ago if she wasn't waiting for Sheldon to grow up. But then, to be fair, even Gablehauser likes Turandot…I honestly think he'd prefer to leave him on the throne, as a figurehead under his thumb of course."

"To cut to the chase, it's their conflicting ambitions that held them in check all these years…" Mary sighed. "But the day is coming soon when they won't be able to wait any longer. And this Fowler girl may be the key…She could very well be what Gablehauser was waiting for. Caspar? He was the one who carried out the execution of the Fowlers in Maine… What if he spared this girl, to use her now?"

Caspar, a bit uncomfortably… "I did consider the possibility, Mary. It's why I was so determined to have the truth from this young lady." He eyed Penny. "It would, of course, make sense to use her in a bid for the public's sympathies. A Fowler in his hands would be a most useful tool…"

"Amy's not working with Gablehauser…" Penny protested. "I know she isn't…Empress…"

Mary raised a hand… "Enough…What I need here are facts. Exactly what is the girl up to? And what is Meemaw doing and where is she? Lilly?" she demanded.

Ummn…. Lilly, gulping…

Didn't know there was going to be a report required…

"Dad? Who's the hot Chinese babe, again…?" Zac hissed to Caspar.

….

The central cavern…

"Pong?!" Suzi hissed to him as they peered out a side portal at where a desperate "Donnie" was attempting to climb down to the unconscious, dangling Amy…

Whang! The side of the Minotaur shook as Turandot kicked as hard as he dared. "Hey! You people! Princess Amy's in danger! Stop this crazy thing, right now! That's an…a Princessarial order…." he cried as he tried to reach down to grab her.

"Ficho?!" Pong turned.

"Mainspring's not resetting, Boss! We're still moving!"

The Minotaur as if in response, lurched slowly forward, rising on its massive legs and undulating its segmented body…

Pong hurrying back to check…Damn…

"The control's not working…I'll have to go back to stop the mainspring! Suzi?! Try to jam us into the tunnel wall ahead! Ficho, take Strabo and try to reach Tu…That serving kid, through the upper portal and get the Princess up! Hurry!"

He headed back…

"Come on, move it!" Suzi commanded…The two attendants hurrying up and through the portal…

Turandot spread-eagled across the back and right side of the Minotaur, trying to reach Amy as she swayed…And avoid the limb moving up his way…

Fortunately, Amy seemed to be bouncing a bit off the side…Her sword somehow acting to push her off…

Hmmn…She thought, cautiously opening one eye…

Can't keep this up much longer…And he may fall…

But oh…There he is, saving me…

How can I spoil this moment by revealing I was only stunned for a couple of minutes…? Whoa! She gasped as Turandot tried to lunge and grab…Just as voices from the open head portal reached them, calling for him to wait…Her sword falling…

Turandot losing his grip on the back…Slipping…

She made a frantic grab as he fell toward her…Barely catching…

Oh!

The flange on which her armor joint had caught gave way under the extra weight and she slid down toward the leg gears…Desperately holding Turandot with one arm while the other tried to find a new hold, her leg headed foot first into the gear assembly even as Turandot despite her frantic grip made ground contact.