"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 LXXVII…

Princess Honoria, shackled at ankles, hands free, though at Pong's insistence, her left wrist chained to his right…

Sort of a personification of marriage…He'd noted, calmly without obvious sarcasm…The two, with guards forming a square about them in the passage, carefully proceeding towards the point at which the Procession had been tragically halted.

"We are, still…You know." She'd quickly returned.

"Yes, so grateful you deigned such a blessing upon such an unworthy wretch and easy mark." Nod. "Cruel necessity."

"It wasn't cruel or necessary…"

"Then it was…Doubly, to me." He eyed her. "Suppose we suspend our lively marital banter for a bit…We'll need it on the Procession when we resume."

"You seriously intend to go through with this…" she frowned.

"I'm sure your people will do their best to kill me and get you out, just ask them to spare a few of my staff?" he asked, casually.

She wrapped the chain between them in reply, moving right to his side. "Not much chance of that now."

"Oh, I'm sure you'd die cheerfully for the noble cause of killing Turandot." He shrugged.

"Better one than saving him." Grim reply. "But, actually, not that cheerfully."

"Milady has an escape planned? I'm overcome. How unobsessive of you. Makes me wonder why so many had to die, then. But, after all, they were…Little people." He continued on.

"I thought the banter was to stop for now."

"But not the grim condemnation…" he replied. "Those people were friends, of yours too, I thought."

"I didn't want anyone else to die, Pong…" pleading tone. "Just Sheldon."

"You had your chance…You blew it…At least twice. What, you were too important to lose your life doing it yourself?"

"I wanted…" she paused. "What's the use? You can't begin to understand…"

"I spent seven years as a slave here after my diplomatic mission turned into a fiasco, with no hope of escape till Ping Hofstadter spoke up for me…And our tyrant, Turandot, took pity on me after that bastard George's…Praise him, honor him…Death." He shrugged. "You think I wouldn't mind some revenge?"

"He's let the Trials go on." Brittle hiss. "He could've stopped them, anytime."

"And every nation involved would've declared war, claiming their candidate had been wronged. Your people only refraining because they've lost any claim to power. Sorry, no offense. I admire Roman-Byzantine history enormously."

"California could have held them off…It was the moral thing to do."

"At what cost? Hundreds of thousands of lives while people not unlike your dad gambled that the young kid prince could be bested. This way, whatever we each may think of ole Georgie, war was averted…Each nation too eager to try and win the marbles without serious blood and treasure-shedding."

"Just the lives of a hundred plus young women…"

"Half that at most…You know they can back out at any point, that's why we Guardians are employed…And even at the end, there's an out. You just didn't take it."

"The SPP…" sneer. "Permanent exile, if you're willing and not naïve enough to trust in Turandot's mercy."

"Why not? I and our friends trusted you." He eyed her, immeasurably short sad-eyed look, then silence, eyes ahead.

"I can't undo what I've done…" Honoria sighed. "But as Suzi…I did…"

He halted, putting up a hand. "Lets agree that Suzi is dead. You killed her. It's easier for me. Can you grant me this boon, your Highness?"

She eyed him…Nodding at last. "Granted…"

Honoria, as they march in silence:

"I dreamed a dream that I'd put by…

A dream again made life worth living.

A dream I thought that long had died.

A dream that my life could be fulfilling.

But once again the winter came…And all my dreams had to be put by.

The nightmare haunting once again.

The ghost I am once more the same…Same…Same."

"You ok?" Pong eyed her.

"Internal reverie aria, sorry. You know how it is…"

"No, that's really a luxury of you royals, Highness. We the People have little time for it." He shrugged.

"Hey…We had a joint song." Insistent…Slight plea in tone…

"Exactly." He eyed her. She looking away, crestfallen…

"And now I'm left with just revenge…The emptiness returns unbidden.

The chains forged myself reclasped. The task I set still remains.

And now, I must stay the course…

And see the horror at last ended.

Though Sheldon may seem just a boy…And Pong's reasoning isn't all that lame.

The deaths of dozens cry to me…And there's nothing left to hold to.

Honoria must be avenged…And all the others of like shame, shame…Shame…

So Lady Suzi had to go…

And Pong's true love for me let wither…

And though a voice in me cries Fool…

I have no choice but to be winner.

In death I'll be Turandot's bride…

And place a claim for my dear country…

Poor Pong, he couldn't see that I…

Have more at stake here than my hate…Hate…Hate…

Yes, poor Amy, you must bow…And lose your head to Sheldon's axmen.

For Byzantium to rise, Honoria must win, to Suzi's shame."

Oh, my darling…She briefly glanced at Pong's solemn face…

If you only knew this is exactly where I wanted to be, exactly what I must do…

If only you could kill Honoria now and save Suzi, even as she dies with the relentless, scheming bitch.

The Royal Pavillion…Processional Square…

"Gods…Who does one have to threaten to get some intel around here…" Dowager Empress Mary on her throne groused to an attendant. "Find out what's going on regards that commotion, who's been captured and killed, why my son isn't returning here, and not from the Newsreader. At once!"

"Majesty…" the nervous attendant bowed.

"Don't bow, go…Wait!" Mary cried, rising suddenly. The attendant freezing in his tracks…

"Sorry…" at the fallen man unable to keep his frozen balance… "Just wanted to suggest you go directly to Agent Lilly not putz around talking to every guard and fellow. Go on, now." She waved, the attendant rising to feet and hurrying off.

Isabella from her throne chair eyeing the scene with Mary…Then the milling about the site of the Byzantine agent's capture.

Something rotten in the State of California, I'd say…

Wish DePays were here…He'd get the intel in a flash.

Well, sometimes even a Princess has to put in the elbow grease…She rose…Several attendants coming to her.

"Highness…?"

"Just want to speak to the Dowager…" she waved two off.

"We've orders to keep you safe…Here…Highness." One rather able-looking female attendant noted, sternly.

Ah, intelligence agent, no doubt…Isabella eyed her.

And not too tough on the eyes, girl…Smile.

Still…Time for work, time for play…

"I'm sure I'll be quite safe with you…" she eyed Mala scurrying over, Hyman in tow.

Damn…

"…All guarding me. Just a courtesy call, see Princess Mala is going…" Damn her lovely coal-black eyes… "…Over. Come along." She shoved a bit through the ring of attendants.

And don't make me draw…She felt her sword under gown.

"Pang." Lilly hissed from her spot next to Pang as he watched the agents circulating through the crowd, halting various members, she indicating the two princesses now moving on the Dowager's throne. Turandot just off from them, surrounded by agents as well as the more obvious guards…

"You better get up there and see to that. We don't need two royal deaths right now."

"Right…" Pang sighed. "You ok here? As in you'll be careful and not get stabbed or garroted by these Byzantines?"

"Dude…Please…" Lilly grinned. "But thanks…" fond pat. "You three! On the Minister!" she commanded to three agents, including the female formerly posted as a member of the crowd.

"And don't worry about Ping…Penny'll take care of him." She called as he nervously looked off before moving to give a quick explanation to Sheldon who nodded to him.

Gods willing…She sighed.

Still, a capable girl. I ought to recommend her for the Service when alls done.

"Well, Minister Gablehauser…" she turned to the Senior Minister regarding her from his own circle of guards…Watching him as much as protecting him.

"Suppose you tell me exactly what your attendant Hupert's normal routine was…While we see if my folks can find any other operatives in this crowd." Eyeing him carefully.

"Whatever I can do, Agent…" Gablehauser nodded. "But so far as I know, Hupert was diligent in his duties and gave no cause to suspect him…Till he contacted that agent and turned on me just now." Casual smile. "But I understand that is the hallmark of a good operative."

Ah, sorry, poor fellow…Still does give some spice to your doggedly loyal but sadly uneventful career…

"It's all so unbelievable…" Ping sighed to Penny as they moved along the broad avenue from Procession Square, attendants carefully watchful all about them…

Hmmn…Kinda nice to have a dozen guys and gals keepin' watch over me and ma honey, Penny thought. A real step up from guarding the Empress Meemaw on my own.

Though I trust no one with said honey's life but me…Narrowly eyeing an attendant who seemed to be a bit close…He hurrying off to scout further down the street at her stern glance.

"He's just scared…" Ping noted to her quick look, arch smile on his face. "Don't think I'm completely naïve to all this, my dad was Minister of Justice you know."

"Till he let your mom poison him…" she frowned.

"I prefer to think that's a rumor…A valid one but…" sigh.

"Ping. She's involved in this, you know that. And there's a reason you were targeted along with Amy by those Castillians."

"And Borneans…" he noted.

"All the more reason to think someone at court's involved. They'd never work together without someone in our government sanctioning it."

"Gablehauser and Siebert are pretty ambitious too…" he tried.

"Ping." Sigh.

"Can't we at least say it's not yet proven…Till it is. It could even be Honoria involved with them to get Sheldon." He pointed out.

"It could be. But I doubt they'd deal with the Byzantines. Anyway, she comes near you, she dies." Penny, grimly. "But I'll allow the 'not yet proven'."

"And I thought the hell to pay would be telling her I was getting married to an ex-slave." He grinned.

"One advantage of her being pure Evil, right?" he noted to her look. "You can ignore her offended sensibilities in the stew of her general villainy…Assuming we prove her guilty in some of this."

"Course." She looked away.

"Ping?" anxious tone.

"The only one I care about is my aunt Sheryl on my dad's side and she's an ex-slave herself, very liberal-minded." He noted.

Ex-slave? Those are the worst. Always lookin' to find someone lower than them they can do down…Penny sighed.