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Chapter 14 – Legate and Prince Legate

Legate woke up and rolled onto his back. The environmental controls of the ship had kept the ship a comfortable temperature as they slept. He rubbed his eyes and looked out of the main window. It was still dimmed and the clock that sat on top of it told him that he had been asleep for four hours. The sun wasn't due to rise for several more hours.

He looked at Genie sleeping peacefully and covered her shoulder up with the blanket. He rolled over on his side and caressed her face. He remembered her request for him to wake her. He kissed her forehead.

She didn't move.

He grinned and continued to watch her sleep. Then he heard in his head. 'Hey, you. You awake?'

Legate smiled. It was the other Legate speaking to him. 'I'm awake. What's on your mind?'

The other Legate sighed. 'I just heard about this shit with you. Legate. I wasn't involved.'

He moved Genie's hair from her face. 'I know. Wait, who told you?'

'Poltious.'

'What? He's there already?'

'As drunk as he was? What the hell was he drinking?'

Legate continued to caress Genie's sleeping face. 'I couldn't tell you, man. Something Phipps made. It was strong. I had to quit.'

He laughed. 'Phipps can be heavy handed.'

'Yeah, especially when she's trying to keep a Quauhtin grounded from flight.'

'Yeah, not her first day doing that.'

Legate continued to watch Genie sleep. 'I know you didn't have anything to do with it, Legate. It's alright. I'm not cross.'

'Hell, I am. Lartius told me-'

'Well, it makes sense-'

'It's a terrible idea!'

Legate sighed. 'Well, that's the decision.'

'How did Genie take it?'

'Oh, she was pissed.'

'As am I! Please tell her that I had nothing to do with it.'

'She knows. We found a solution that works.'

'Yeah, Poltious told me about that, too. Samuel is a good man.'

'Samuel and Arles are the best. Tony….ugh. '

'I've always got on well with Tony Tyler.'

'Wait until he gets older.'

Legate sighed. 'How is Genie? Really, man?'

He smiled as looked at her. 'Absolutely beautiful.'

'That I know. How much of this does she know?'

'Everything I think she needs to at the moment. Let us hope she never has to hear the full reason.'

'That makes two of us. And I'm sorry.'

'It's nothing that either one of us thought about. But, it makes sense.'

'Lewis always makes sense, even if I don't agree with it. The man thinks about twelve steps ahead of everyone. The kingdom is secure. But, enough of that. So, you're on Photoria?'

Legate rolled over on his back and ran his hand through his hair. 'We are.'

'So, some top secret family meeting?'

Legate grinned, 'Nothing like that, man. I assure you. We can't be in the same place at the same time.'

'At the current moment. If I have to put up with this shit, there should be some benefits to it.'

'What are you talking about?'

'Lartius and I have spoken. He's rather adamant about you two. This entire heir thing has really screwed you guys up.'

'Lenox is drunk enough, we could probably talk him into it.'

Legate laughed. 'I've tried. He's not that drunk.'

'Yeah, well-'

'And I've also spoken with Lewis. And you should know that he knows about the Promise, and has threatened to revoke it if Samuel doesn't follow his orders that he has issued as both a Papa, and a Primus.'

'Oh, shit. He's pissed.'

'Really. He wouldn't even go into with me. But, that's them…and I'm sure you know why.'

Legate nodded. 'I have my suspicions.'

'So, having said that. I can't do anything at the moment. But, one day I will be able to. I know what this would have to mean to you, what she means to you, in order for you to ask her enter into the Promise.'

Legate turned and looked at Genie again. A smile spread across his face. 'She's amazing, Legate. More than I can even describe to anyone. More than I can even make her see.'

'As soon as I'm made King, I'll have you both make the Promise. There in the Room of the Life Promise. Just like you always wanted.'

'But, that will screw you up.'

'There are things that can be done, that no one will ever know.'

Legate grinned. 'Thank you.'

'So, consider Lewis' threat empty. Although, I know Samuel probably needs something to get his attention if Lewis has enacted his Right as a Prince.'

'He has?'

'Yes.'

Legate rubbed his face. "Damn." 'Man, I'll find out what was discussed. Wow.'

'Which, brings me to my next subject. You, need a ship. Hell, where are you and Genie even staying?'

'Ah, this little ship of John's.'

'That thing? It's tiny!'

Legate grinned, 'It's….intimate.'

'Well, that's true. Anyway, you need something. Something, that can be yours. I've rang up the space port in Kestapus. They have a ship waiting for you there.'

'What?' He asked in surprise.

'Hey, man. It's the least I can do. It's a Shapus 637T-'

Legate sprang straight up. 'I've always wanted one of those!'

'I know. Lucky you know an heir. Please accept it as a wedding gift and ask your beloved to give it a name. Slip over here and see me sometime. I love speaking to myself.'

'Well, sometimes you need expert advice.'

The other Legate laughed as the Legate sitting on the bed with Genie danced and celebrated. "Oh, hell yeah!"

His movement woke Genie. She yawned and rolled over on her back. "Legate?"

He grit his teeth and looked back at her. "Oh, geez. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to wake you."

She rubbed her eyes and smiled. "It's al-"

He quickly lay down on top of her and kissed her. When he brought his head up, she saw that he had the biggest smile on his face that she had ever seen.

"What is this?" She laughed.

He stood on his knees and exclaimed. "Legate….is…..brilliant! Bloody brilliant!"

"You know. With anyone else, I would think their ego had ran away with them."

"He has given us a ship!"

"A ship?"

"Yes! Oh, Genie. And it's one I've always wanted. He said he wanted to be sure to tell us both that he had nothing to do with this entire….problem. In fact, when he's made King, he's going to have us make the Promise in the room of the Life Promise!"

Genie laughed at his excitement.

He leaned back down and rubbed his nose to hers. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"I asked you to wake me."

He stood back up on his knees. "Genie! Seriously! A ship! A Shapus 637T! Oh, it's beautiful! Engines faster than even John's ship!"

She giggled as he explained how much engine power, and all of the specs the ship had. He was positivity happier than she had ever seen him. He threw his arms up and around and made motions with hands to demonstrate piloting it.

"You know, Legate. I already know what I would like to name this ship."

He sat back on his feet and nodded. "That's right! I need you to name her. It's lucky!"

She stood up on her knees, allowing the blanket to fall from her bare breasts. Legate's eyes quickly looked from her face, southward. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, he managed to peel his eyes off her chest and look back at her beautiful face. He put his hands on her hips, running his fingertips under the elastic of her knickers. He cleared his throat. "Yes, Genie. What do you want to name this ship?"

"Well, I'll have to …..meet her, before I agree to anything."

Legate nodded. "That's reasonable. Odd. But, okay."

"And some of the names I'm thinking of are…."

Legate rose his eyebrows, "What?"

She grinned, "The Other Woman."

"Okay. I think I owe you an apology-"

She shook her head and smiled. "No, you don't-"

"I think, I may have given the impression that the ship was more important than us actually being able to wed."

Genie rubbed her nose to his. "Legate. We are married. I am your wife. I'm yours, forever. You're all that matters to me. Remember what I told you. You, Legate, are what burns brightest in my soul. You are always there. You are the reason I draw each breath. Feel, it Legate."

She moved his hand to her chest as it rose. "Every breath is for you. And the reason my heart beats. Feel it. Every beat, says your name."

Legate smiled. "Genie."

She moved his hand to cup her breast. He glanced down at it, and then back to her. "You, Legate, are the reason my skin can feel. You are the one that I choose to be mine. No matter what anyone ever says, and no matter who tells us that we can't. The one who I live to serve. The one who I want share my life with. Every part. Both, the good, and the bad. There will be both. Because, I will always protect what is most dear to me, your love."

Tears formed in Legate's eyes at her words.

"Legate, I've made this Promise. And I meant it. I don't need to the Room for it to be official, or for it to be written down any place. I am yours. All of me. Every piece. Everything that is me."

Legate told her gently. "I accept this as your Promise. Genie, I adore you."

She smiled, "I know you want to make the Promise in the room. That's alright. But, don't think it's something I have to have."

"It's something I've always wanted. Since, I was a small boy."

"Then, we'll do it. And who knows? Samuel and Arles are just reckless enough to break into that room with us."

Legate laughed and wiped his eyes. "That's true."

She lay back and relaxed against the pillows. "So, a ship?"

Legate nodded and laughed again in disbelief. "A ship. Yes. I already feel more like myself."

She giggled. "When will you get it?"

"We'll leave here, and pick her up on our way home."

"So, Carissimi-"

Legate looked surprised at her. "Carissimi? I didn't know you knew that word."

She grinned. "I hope I said it correctly."

Legate nodded, "You did. 'My dearest'. Carissimi."

"Will this ship, need to be, broken in?"

Legate's eyes were back on her chest. She noticed and started to rub her breasts causing him to groan. "Oh, when you do that."

She slipped her knickers off and handed them to him.

He rubbed his chin and turned on a dim light.

"What is it?" She smiled.

He looked at her as she lay in front of him. "Oh, this is amazing. How am I this lucky?"

She giggled at him. "I love how you are looking at me."

"The reason my skin can feel." He smiled as he lay down and his lips met hers. They smiled so much, that they kissed one another with difficultly.

Genie slid his pants down just as he began to suck one of her nipples as he teased between her legs. She wrapped her legs around his back and whispered to him. "Maybe, Sex God."

He laughed and looked at her. "No, that's my name."

"Maybe…ummm. Let me get this right. 'Altera Mulier'."

He rolled his eyes. "No. That's just 'the other woman' in Basic."

"Latin-"

"Basic. Latin. Same thing." He told her as he returned to kissing her neck.

She teased his staff and felt moisture coming out of the tip.

He moaned as he continued to kiss her neck. His hand found its way back between her legs and began to tease her again.

He slipped himself into opening and stroked as he continued to tease her.

"Legate." She gasp.

He stroked and teased her. "This isn't space. If you shout, they are going to hear you."

She moved his hand from between her legs. "Then you need to stop that."

He rose up and grinned at her. "We're getting a ship we'll need to break in."

"Every room. How many rooms does it have?"

He laughed, "That's a surprise."

She rolled her eyes. He pulled himself out of her and put his head between her legs. He began to suck and tease her clit with his tongue.

"AND, you need to stop that, too." She told him.

He sat up on his knees and held his hands out. "Genie! You are very limiting -"

She pointed at him. "You know how to make me shout! And you are trying to do just that!"

He grinned and wiped his mouth. "Maybe, I want you to wake up the colony-"

She pointed forcefully. "You are going to get us kicked off of this planet-"

"Ah, I've been kicked out of better places."

"Better than this?" She asked.

He rubbed his chin as he looked her up and down. "Nah, never better than this."

She rose up and began to snog him again. As she lay down, he moved with her. Within seconds, she had pulled him back into her opening and he had began to stroke again.

She closed her eyes tightly and moaned. "Do not make me shout."

He grinned. "Yes, Genie."

Her lip quivered, "Oh that's so…"

"I'm doing my worst, here."

She opened her eyes. "You are still doing it too good!"

"I can't help it!" He laughed. He returned to his movement, "Damn. Never thought I would get that complaint."

She closed her eyes again and began to moan. "Oh, that's…."

He grinned and whispered, "Just relax. Let it happen-"

"Not shouting-"

"So what, if you shout-"

She didn't open her eyes and held him tightly. He continued to stroke as he felt her breath stop against his shoulder. "Genie?"

She still hadn't taken a breath. He stopped and looked at her face. "Genie?"

She opened her eyes. "What?"

"Are you breathing?"

"I'm attempting not to shout."

He stroked a bit more as she pulled him to her tightly. He felt her press her face to his shoulder and moan into his skin.

He whispered to her, "Genie, I love you."

She moaned into his shoulder, steadily growing louder. He quickly muffled her moans with his kiss. He lay down on top of her, gently, and continued to snog her. He could feel her relax.

He looked into her eyes and laid his hand on the side of her head. "May I?"

She smiled. "Yes."

He kissed her lips again and closed his eyes. He thought of the moment he wanted to show her and focused on that.

Xxxx

Genie stood inside of a small, circular room that she recognized as the Room of the Life Promise on the Quauhtin homeworld that she had never visited, but had heard about. A small boy wearing the traditional brown trousers and white oxford without a collar walked slowly into the room. He put his hands on the table and looked up at the lights that danced in the tall ceiling.

Genie covered her mouth as she realized she was seeing Legate as a small boy. His face was the same, and his hair was long. It fell in long curls around his head.

The young boy stood for a while, looking up at the lights.

Genie heard someone approaching and saw Lewis, just as he looked now. He grinned. "Here he is, Martiea."

The Queen, wearing long flowing robes, rushed into the room. She knelt down and hugged the small boy. "Prince Legate. What are you doing in here?"

He looked up at her. "I just wanted to see the lights."

The Queen smiled and looked up at the lights. "They are beautiful."

"Are they always there?"

Lewis stood in the doorway and smiled at him. "So, many questions."

"It is how one gains knowledge." Martiea insisted. "Ask all the questions you want, young Prince Legate."

The little boy looked back at Lewis.

Lewis smiled warmly at him. "Ask questions, Prince Legate. It's alright."

Legate relaxed.

The Queen wrapped her arms around him and pointed up. "The lights, are the Kings and Queens, who have gone before us. It's not polite to speak their names to prevent them from their rest. But, when someone comes to exchange the Promise, it is such a beautiful thing, that they all wake to see it. They will float down, and whisper advice to the happy couple. Even if they don't realize they are hearing it at the time. As the time passes, they will hear their words spoken in their heads."

Legate asked. "Do you still hear them speak in your head?"

She smiled, "Yes, young Prince. I do. Your cousin, Prince Lewis, would agree that living with Lartius would probably require a lot of advice to be given."

Lewis laughed, "I would never speak of the King in such a way."

The Queen smiled, "That's what he says. The King is just a Quauhtin, like you. Like Lewis. He needs to be reminded he's not perfect."

Legate smiled and looked back up at the lights.

Lewis clapped his hands together. "Come on, young Legate. Your father approaches and requests to see you."

Legate ran over to Lewis, who picked him up and kissed his cheek. "Oh, you are getting so big. So strong! Just like Poltious."

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Genie blinked and saw Legate looking into her eyes as he took his hand away from her head. "Did it work?"

She smiled, "Prince Legate?"

He groaned, "I hate that. No one has called me that since I entered the Academy."

"That was amazing. It was as if I was really there."

He smiled and looked into her eyes. "I'm glad it worked."

"Why have you never shown me things like that before?"

"It's….just such an intimate thing." He moved beside of her and propped himself up on his elbow. "It's not something I would do with anyone but my wife."

She smiled. "Your wife."

He beamed. "I love calling you that. I've waited for so long."

They held one another's hands.

"Legate. We'll exchange the Promise in the room. I just don't want you to think it's necessary for me."

"I know, Genie. Thank you for being so understanding about this." He leaned down and kissed her again. "You need to sleep some more."

"Can you sleep knowing you're going to get a ship?"

He smiled like a loon, "The best sort of ship! Genie! It has…."

And he was off telling her all about the features again.

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