Chapter 10

By: Nevermore

"I don't think we have a whole lot of choice about this," Beka said, wondering why Dylan was even discussing the decision. "We can't get into slipstream. We're decades away from the nearest known port. I have to take the Maru back to the Perseids and pick up the spare power coupling."

"And while you're gone we won't have a pilot in case someone finds us while we're vulnerable," Tyr interjected.

"She's right, though," Dylan commented.

"I'm not arguing that," Tyr shot back. "I was simply pointing out the obvious, just as Beka has. It's a good thing we spent a week rearming ourselves in case a hostile vessel or two show up."

"Okay, prep the Maru," Dylan ordered. "Rommie, you'll take over navigation while Beka is gone."

"Yes, captain," Rommie said with a small salute, drawing curious stares from everyone in the room. "What?" she asked awkwardly, wondering why the entire crew was looking at her strangely.

"I think you tightened up the formality a little too much when you adjusted your language database," Harper said. "We haven't been saluting since we came aboard."

"Oh, right," Rommie said absently. "Sorry, Captain… I mean… Dylan."

"Forget it," the captain replied, turning from the ship's avatar to face his first officer once again. "Just make sure you get back here quickly, Beka. And be careful."

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Why is Harper taking so long? Trance wondered silently as she tossed and turned in her large bed, struggling to get comfortable enough to sleep. She found that the more she tried, though, the harder it was. I wonder if something happened. I gave him that clue… if he figured it out, he should have been here by now.

For almost an hour, Trance silently debated the point, wondering whether she had given Harper enough information to find her, and whether he would come for her if he ever did figure out where she was. Then there was the fact that he was aboard Andromeda, a ship that had gained many enemies since it had been pulled from the black hole. It was extremely possible that something bad had happened. I have to find out, Trance decided. I have to reach out to Harper and find out if he's okay. And if he is, I have to give him another clue or something…

Once she had made her decision to act, it suddenly became easier for Trance to calm down. Relaxing her body, starting with her feet and moving up her legs, into her torso, and then along her arms, she eased her muscles and slowed her breathing while she cleared her mind. She allowed her consciousness to expand slowly, reaching outward until she began to sense the minds of the faeries that lived within the palace. She continued outward, reaching into the stars, searching for the echo of Harper's mind, trying to move as quickly as she could, hoping her father would not detect her forbidden attempt to contact her human lover.

Where is he? she wondered, first searching the Milky Way galaxy for any sign of Harper. She found none. Confused and disappointed by her failure, she shifted her focus to the Magellanic galaxy. Moving along quickly, her mind crossing the distance between galaxies in only a few short moments, she once again began to search, only to have her concentration disrupted by a loud pounding that brought her mind right back into her body.

"Come on, open up," she heard Robin complaining outside her door. "Trance, I'm not leaving until you either let me in or your father gets his guards to throw me out." The young faerie pounded on her bedchamber door again, and Trance sighed heavily as she realized she would be completely unable to return to her task until she first got rid of her mischievous friend. Rising quickly from the bed, Trance covered the distance to her door with a few short strides, pulling the door open angrily and coming face to face with Robin's omnipresent smile.

"Finally," he said in a low voice, as if he was suddenly concerned about making too much noise. As if it matters after he stood there pounding on my door , Trance thought angrily. "Come on, Trance, get out of there and come along for some fun."

"I'm not permitted to leave my chambers," Trance muttered angrily. "You should know that." Ever since she had returned from her second visit to Sunset Bluff, Trance had been restricted to her own room as her father attempted to both punish her, and also keep her away from courtiers that were far too interested in finding out what she had been up to.

"I can't believe you're grounded," Robin said cheerily, his demeanor only serving to irritate Trance all the more. "Exactly how old are you, again?"

"Older than you," Trance replied, not wanting to get into real numbers. It was a habit she had gotten into after spending time around mortals. While she was incredibly young by her own people's standards, she had learned quickly that it was not a good idea to mention to humans that her age was already measured in centuries.

"Well then, you have to come with me," Robin said urgently.

"Why?" Trance asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Jasmine and I need your help," Robin responded, his eyes starting to dart from side to side, nervously checking every shadow for unwelcome eavesdroppers. His paranoia within the castle was already legendary, and not at all inappropriate, given the way the walls seemed to have ears of their own.

"For what?" Trance asked, though she knew that if Jasmine was involved, her two friends were likely planning some kind of prank.

"We think we have evidence that Randex has been stealing dragon eggs and selling them to Harpies," Robin said, mentioning a crime that would merit an incredibly severe punishment. Dragons were known to be extremely protective of their eggs, and had, in the past, burned down entire villages as retribution when only one resident had been involved in egg theft.

"You've got to be kidding," Trance blurted out, unable to believe that her fiancé, whatever his personal shortcomings, could possibly commit such a heinous act.

"Well actually, yeah… I am kidding," Robin suddenly admitted. "I really had you going, though. Pretty funny, eh?"

"No," Trance replied evenly. "Can you leave now?"

"No," Robin said, marching right past Trance and into her room. He walked over to her bed and plopped himself down on its edge, looking the princess over curiously. "Why would you want to stay in here, anyway? You've been in here alone for a week now. It's gotta be getting boring for you."

"So?" Trance replied. "It's what I deserve."

"For what?" Robin asked. "You didn't do anything bad."

"I ran away again to watch a sunrise," Trance answered.

"You mean you got up at the crack of dawn to survey your kingdom?" Robin responded. "That sounds like a rather responsible thing to me. Shows initiative and concern for your people."

"I didn't get permission," Trance shot back, hoping to make it clear why her father was angry with her.

"And if you found a lost child that was hanging from the cliff, his hands slipping dangerously until you arrived to save his life?" Robin asked. "Would you have gotten in trouble then?"

"Probably not," Trance admitted.

"So you're in trouble because your father runs his kingdom so well that no tragedies needed to be averted when you went out to see your people and make sure everything was okay," Robin surmised. "That doesn't make much sense to me."

"Me either," Trance replied, suddenly seeing her actions in a completely different light. She wished she had run into Robin before her father had found her - if she had explained her actions like her friend just had, she might have avoided her current situation altogether.

"So let's get out of here," Robin suggested again. "It'll be fun."

"What are we gonna do?" Trance asked.

"Does that mean you're coming with us?"

"Yeah, I am," Trance decided. While part of her was extremely nervous about defying her father, another part had decided that enough was enough, that she would no longer allow herself to be pushed around by the man, simply because he happened to be the king. She was certain she would never be oppressed as she was if her father was simply an ordinary citizen. She was tired of being held to a higher standard, especially when she neither asked for her privileged station in life, nor seemed to derive any desirable benefit from it.

"Great, you won't regret this," Robin assured her. "You're gonna absolutely love what Jasmine and I came up with…"

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"Dylan, I'm detecting what appears to be a small military vessel, three light minutes away and closing fast," Rommie suddenly announced, drawing everyone out of their silent reveries.

"Start moving us away at top speed," Dylan directed as he opened the com system to the shuttle bay. "Beka, scrap your launch and get up here. We might need you."

"Understood," Beka replied, jumping from the pilot's chair on the Maru and racing back toward Andromeda's bridge.

"What do you have on the ship, Tyr?" Dylan asked as the Nietzschean ran his customary tactical scans.

"It's small," Tyr commented, not telling Dylan anything he didn't already know. "Its silhouette doesn't match anything in the ship's files, and I don't recognize it. I'm detecting seven life signs. It's heavily armed for its size, though. Twin ion cannons, fourteen missile ports… and it's launching defensive anti-missile drones."

"They're hailing us," Rommie announced.

"On speaker," Dylan commanded, turning slightly toward the bridge's door as Harper walked in.

"Unidentified vessel, this is Captain Samson aboard the Sayshell Union Border Guard Starship Terminus," the captain of the other vessel stated. "You are in Sayshell Union space, in violation of our sovereignty. State your business."

"They're no match for us, Dylan," Tyr commented. Harper thought it amusing that the Nietzschean would make certain the captain knew he was in a superior bargaining position before he even said a word. It was so like Tyr.

"This is Captain Dylan Hunt of the Commonwealth Starship Andromeda Ascendant," Dylan replied formally. "We did not mean at all to violate your territory."

"Commonwealth?" the Sayshell captain asked. "The Andromeda? I've heard of you, Captain Hunt."

"I hope that's a good thing," Dylan muttered, keeping his voice low enough so that he wouldn't be heard over the com system.

"Do you need some kind of assistance?" Captain Samson asked.

"Perhaps," Dylan replied noncommittally. He slashed quickly with his hand, letting Rommie know to cut off the com, and then he turned to Tyr. "Now you're sure we can take them if they turn out to be hostile, right?"

"Yes," Tyr answered simply, obviously feeling that no elaboration was necessary. Dylan turned from the Nietzschean and looked quickly at everyone on the bridge, and Harper wondered if maybe he should say something.

"All systems are a-okay," the engineer said. "I think Tyr's right - they're no match for us." Dylan only smiled in response.

"To be perfectly honest, we could use some help," Dylan confirmed. "By any chance would you have any parts that could replace a blown-out power coupling?"

"For a ship that size…" Samson replied, his voice dropping off suddenly. A few moments of silence followed as Harper assumed the Sayshell captain was consulting his engineer. "We don't have anything that would be a perfect match. Captain Hunt, but my engineer assures me that we have enough spare parts to put something together that could help you out. I hope you're not in a hurry."

"Nothing too serious," Dylan replied with a sideways glance and an apologetic shrug of the shoulders toward Harper. "We appreciate any help you can offer." The com system cut off and Dylan went into action, giving short orders to everyone. "Harper, work with Samson's men to get our slipstream drive up and running again. Tyr, keep your eyes glued on that ship to make sure they don't try to pull a fast one on us. Rommie, keep an eye on any of them that come aboard. Beka, stay here on the bridge in case we have to get moving in a hurry." Everyone nodded in response and went off to perform their appointed duties. As Harper walked to the docking bay, he hoped against hope that the repairs would go quickly. He didn't like thinking about all the things that could have gone wrong with Trance in all the time it was taking him to find her.

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"That was so cool," Jasmine said as she leaned back against the granite walls of the hallway, trying desperately to catch her breath after having led a dozen palace guards on a merry chase through the castle. "I still can't believe we got away with it. Do you have any idea what they would have done to us if we had gotten caught?"

"Doesn't matter," Robin said, "because we didn't get caught."

"But what if we did?" Trance muttered. "My father would have been pissed." Jasmine gave Trance a strange look, and Trance decided that human slang was likely lost on her. "I mean he would have been angry," she amended.

"You shouldn't let that bother you so much," Robin commented. "You're a big girl now, Trance. I think you should stand up to him once and for all."

"Yeah, right," Trance replied, making it obvious that she wasn't planning on standing up to the king anytime in the near future.

"I'm serious," Robin said. "He may be a king, but he's also your father."

"I don't think he cares much about that," Trance muttered. "I always feel like he only sees me as another one of his subjects. He looks down on me, like I'm so imperfect, like he can't believe someone as utterly flawless as him could possibly really be the father of someone like me."

"I wouldn't say he's flawless," Robin replied, drawing a shocked gasp from Jasmine and a startled look from Trance. "What?" Robin asked. "You think a throne and crown make him perfect? I can't believe this…"

"You shouldn't say things like that," Jasmine said sternly. "Someone might hear you." Then she looked around, as if she realized she should heed her own advice. "You're usually so careful about not letting anyone hear a word you say, and usually it's just meaningless nonsense. Then you practically shout out something like that. I don't get it - are you trying to get in trouble?"

"Sometimes you worry too much," Robin chided. "Look, Trance, all I'm really saying is that you should stand up to your father. I'm not saying you should challenge him, and I'm definitely not advising you to try to dominate him. Just hold your ground for once, but in a respectful way. You're an adult, now… it's time to make him see that."

"As if it would even change anything," Trance responded miserably.

"Look, as it stands, I don't see how you have anything to lose," Robin replied. "You really think things could get much worse?"

"You never know," Trance answered.

"Good evening, your highness," Normaf said, suddenly walking into view and interrupting Trance and her friends. "I need to speak with you, Trance."

"Okay," Trance replied.

"Alone, please," Normaf added, looking meaningfully at Robin and Jasmine. Both of Trance's friends took the cue and left the hallway quickly, neither one making a sound as they walked along the stone floor. Once they were gone, Normaf looked at Trance in silence for a few moments, seeming to choose his words carefully before he began to speak. The fact that such care was being taken made Trance extremely nervous. "It appears you have gone too far, this time," Normaf finally said. "Your father has heard of your latest escapade, and has decided that you are to grow up, immediately."

"Oh really?" Trance asked.

"Well, actually, you are to grow up in three days rather than immediately." Trance's stomach sank as she heard the words, and in her heart she knew the meaning.

"He wouldn't do that," Trance muttered in disbelief.

"He would, and he has," Normaf answered. "Your father has announced that you are to marry Randex in three days' time."

"He can't do that," Trance replied.

"Of course he can," Normaf answered. "He's the king, Trance. And more than that, he's also your father."

"Can you help me?" Trance asked. "Can you get him to change his mind?"

"No," Normaf responded grimly. "As I said, Trance, the proclamation has been made. There's no going back, now. I was there when he heard about… what you and your friends did… and he was outraged. I tried to convince him to wait, but he wouldn't hear of it. It's bad enough that I know you have contacted your human. I can't risk any more."

"I understand," Trance replied. She sat in silence as Normaf gazed at her. "Do you think I could get him to change his mind?"

"No," Normaf replied simply. "As I said, the announcement is public. You know what that means… what the repercussions would be if he took it back."

"I know," Trance replied. "I guess I could run away…"

"You couldn't," Normaf gasped. "You would be giving up so much."

"I would be giving up a home that I didn't want to return to, and courtiers that hold me in disdain," Trance shot back.

"And what do you think your father would do?" Normaf asked.

"He can't do anything," Trance said. "He doesn't really have any power over me. If I leave Avalon, I'll be beyond his reach."

"Yes, but your friends won't be," Normaf pointed out.

"He wouldn't…" Trance muttered.

"I think he would," Normaf answered. "If you leave against his wishes, he will cease to treat you as his daughter."

"As if he does now," Trance grumbled.

"You gain more favoritism than you imagine," Normaf answered. "But if you openly defy your father, if you publicly humiliate him to abandon him and return to your human friends… Well, he would be forced to take some kind of action. You have to understand that."

"Yeah," Trance admitted, seeing the truth of the situation. "So I guess he holds me hostage."

"Try not to think of it like that," Normaf replied, forcing a friendly, consoling smile to his lips as he approached Trance and pulled her into a comforting hug. "The fact of the matter is that you have responsibilities, my dear. You have to accept that."

"I can't accept that I have to give up Harper," Trance mumbled into Normaf's shoulder. She pulled away enough to look into the older faerie's eyes. "I have to at least try to reason with him."

"Well, as your friend Robin pointed out, it doesn't appear as if you have much to lose by trying," Normaf admitted. "But let me give you some advice, dear. First, keep in mind that the primary reason he's doing this is because he has concerns that you have a lot of growing up to do. Don't forget that, and make certain that you do not act like a spoiled child."

"I don't act like a spoiled child!" Trance objected immediately. Normaf simply frowned at her in response, and Trance understood the point he was trying to make. "Okay, so maybe I have to learn to keep my mouth shut and think before I talk," she admitted. "I'll do my best. Anything else?"

"Apologize for the way you've behaved around him," Normaf advised.

"I have to apologize?" Trance asked. "I think he's the one that should be apologizing. He tore me away from my friends and now holds their lives over me to keep me here against my wishes."

"From your point of view, that's true," Normaf said, "but your father is of the opinion that he is doing what's best for you. Screaming at him that he's wrong isn't going to help matters, Trance. You have to first say something to get him to listen. An apology is a great way to catch his attention. Once you accept some fault in this situation, he may be more likely to follow suit. There's no guarantee, of course, but it's worth a try."

"I know," Trance admitted. "You're right, of course. So I have to accept my own share of the responsibility, and make certain I don't start arguing."

"And make certain you don't make demands of him," Normaf said. "Kings hate that."

"But how am I supposed to get him to change his mind?" Trance asked. "I can't get married in three days, Normaf. Don't you see that?"

"I see only that your wedding to Randex will be guaranteed of coming to pass if you don't give the performance of your life," Normaf replied. "And even then…"

"I know," Trance whispered. "Thank you, Normaf. I know you tried to stop him."

"I did, child," he replied. "I only wish I could have done better by you. Now I can only offer my advice."

"That'll be enough," Trance assured him. "It has to be."

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"It's not just a job, it's an adventure," Harper muttered, doing his best Dylan impersonation. "Nothing adventurous about this at all. This sucks." He threw down a warped plasma coil and glared at Captain Samson. "You know, I really don't mind being an engineer, but engineering really sucks ."

"I think I've heard this all before," the Sayshell captain replied with a grin. To Harper's surprise, Samson was a human, and a large one at that. His dark brown hair and thick beard gave him an almost wild appearance, though his eyes seemed ever thoughtful and inquisitive. It made for a unique combination. "If it's any consolation, I think you've done a far better job than most could have, Mr. Harper." He took a step back and admired the engineer's handiwork, and a moment later Harper joined him.

"Okay, so it's not my worst work," he admitted. "It'll get the job done, anyway."

"Actually, it should do more than that," the captain commented as he looked over a data screen set into the wall a few feet away. "According to this, the new design you came up with should cut energy drain down 8% while in slipstream."

"No way," Harper said with a smile. He walked over to the screen and looked it over, himself. "I am a genius !" he yelled. "An absolute, friggin genius."

"What did you do this time?" Rommie asked, her image appearing superimposed over the numbers on the data screen.

"I took some of the spare parts from the Sayshell ship and came up with a power coupling design that's more efficient than what your Commonwealth engineers threw together. You'll be bleeding off 8% less energy now while you're in slipstream."

"Actually, power loss has been decreased by 7.873%," Rommie corrected.

"Oh, come on, you're allowed to round up to make me sound even better than I already am," Harper replied. "I'll bet you want to come down here and give me a kiss now, don't ya?" the engineer teased. Rommie's only response was to blink off of the data screen, leaving Harper alone with Captain Samson once again.

"That's certainly an impressive job," he commented. "If you don't mind my asking, why are you doing here on Andromeda?"

"Well, it's certainly better than the last job I had," Harper replied. "The food's a lot better, too. Oh, and did I mention that being here lets me have the job of chief engineer on one of the most advanced ships in the known galaxies?"

"Those are certainly all great benefits," Samson admitted, "but have you ever considered a different career path?"

"Such as?" Harper asked, wondering where the conversation was headed.

"We could use people like you in the Sayshell Union," the captain replied. "I could guarantee you a commission as a lieutenant right now."

"Lieutenant Harper?" the engineer asked dubiously. "Nah, I was never really the military type. I know I'm on a warship right now, but Dylan also lets us walk around always dressed like it's casual Friday. Oh, and he lets us call him 'Dylan,' too, which is more than most captains would likely be willing to agree to."

"You're probably right, there," the captain admitted. "But with what I just saw you do here, I would expect you to be put at the head of an R&D team almost immediately."

"Really?" Harper asked.

"You could take some of what you've learned here, and add it in with everything that my people could teach you," he added. "R&D engineers in the Sayshell Union are treated very, very well, Mr. Harper. We're a relatively small union at this point - only thirteen planets. That means we have to have better technology than the next guy, since we don't really match up man to man. Those that make breakthroughs have almost celebrity status."

"Really?" Harper asked. "You're kidding, right?"

"No," Samson assured him. "Think about it - we're thirteen planets, always afraid that someday the Magog or Nietzscheans will notice we're alive. It preoccupies our people, actually. Now, in a society like that, imagine you're the man that comes up with a way to help protect millions, even billions, of lives."

"Okay, I can see why you might be a little grateful," Harper admitted.

"It goes beyond grateful," Samson replied. "One of my old professors at the Academy, Dr. Pharsalos, came up with a new configuration for our Mark IX defensive missile batteries. The increased efficiency of the design allows each of our cruisers to be equipped with three additional batteries, thus increasing defensive fire by 22%."

"Impressive," Harper admitted.

"Now Dr. Pharsalos has more money than he could spend in ten lifetimes," Samson said, an obvious hint of respect and jealousy flashing through his dark brown eyes. "He has four wives, seventeen concubines, and is all but worshipped anywhere he goes. See, in the Sayshell Union, scientists and engineers are our elite class, our celebrities, every bit as much as generals are for Nietzscheans and sports stars were to Earthers."

"I'm an Earther," Harper growled, expecting an insult to be lobbed his way any moment.

"Then you know the importance of gaining whatever edge one can in a battle," Samson replied. "You should totally relate to our philosophy."

"I guess I can," he admitted. At first blush, it seemed strange to think about the intellectuals of a society getting all the women for a change, though he really liked the thought of that. And throw in a bit of fame and fortune, and I would have just about anything I've ever hoped for.

"So what do you say?" Samson asked. "Come along with me, and we can get you a meeting with an admiral I know."

"I can't," Harper blurted out immediately, though he groaned inwardly as he went about giving up the best shot he had ever had to realize all the dreams he had ever come up with. "I'm sort of in the middle of something already."

"This quest of Captain Hunt's is noble, I'll give you that, but you can't really hope to succeed," the captain replied.

"No, it's not Dylan's thing," Harper answered. "I'm looking for someone… a very special someone."

"And you're going to pass on my offer for this special someone?"

"Yeah, I think she's worth it," Harper replied.

"I would hope so."

"I've already taken far longer to find her than I would like," Harper added. "I don't want to make it seem like I'm being rude or anything, but I'd really like to see if this new power coupling will actually work. We have to get back underway."

"I understand, Mr. Harper," Samson said sadly. "I wish you luck. I hope you find her."

"So do I," Harper muttered as Samson left. And I really hope I get to her before something bad happens, he added silently. He suddenly shook his head and tried to relax. Don't worry, he told himself. Assuming this new power coupling holds together, and if my hunch on her planet's location is actually right, I should find Trance within a week. What's the worst that could happen in only a week?

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Three days, Trance kept repeating to herself, over and over again. Three days, and I'll be married. Remember that whatever happens in this conversation, whatever he says and however tempted I am to lash out at him, I have to bite my tongue, she reminded herself. Three days. I have to get him to change his mind…

Trance walked slowly into her father's throne room, astonished at how large it seemed when it was empty. She had never seen it this way before, and she was surprised that her father had actually agreed to see her in private as she had asked. Of course, she had expected to meet with him in a comfortable study with a cozy fireplace rather than his expansive, drafty throne room. He probably expects me to put up a fight about getting married so soon, she decided. He wants to try to intimidate me from the outset. Whatever you do Trance, don't start arguing!

"Hello, father," she said softly as she reached the foot of the rose marble dais upon which her father sat on his throne. She gave a small curtsy, and made sure she looked up and established eye contact, an action that she hoped would remind her father that he was dealing with family rather than another sycophant that averted her eyes out of custom.

"Why did you wish to speak to us, daughter?" Trance's father asked. She allowed her eyes to stray a slight bit, passing over his form quickly, hoping he didn't notice. On his imposing throne, constructed of gold and decorated with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and lapis lazuli, King Oberon seemed every bit as regal as Trance remembered. Only once before had she been in the large hall while her father was on the throne - when she came of age on her hundredth birthday - and she had been amazed at the respect that her father could command. Now, viewing him from below as he relaxed his large, blue body underneath his cloak of spun platinum, Trance audibly gulped as she prepared for what she knew would likely be the most important conversation she would ever have.

"I've been told of your plans for me," Trance said evenly, trying to keep all emotion, but especially anger, from her voice. From the king's impassive stare, she assumed she was doing a good job thus far. At least he doesn't look like he's going to hit me yet, Trance thought, remembering the last time she had tried to go toe to toe with her father.

"And we assume you have not come to thank us," Oberon replied, his multi-colored eyes boring into his daughter as he spoke.

"That's correct," Trance answered. "I'm hurt that you would do this to me."

"Hurt?" the king asked, obviously surprised that Trance had confessed to any sign of weakness. Again Trance concluded that her father had expected a fight.

"Yes father, I'm hurt," Trance reiterated. "It goes beyond the fact that you've arranged a marriage for me without even bothering to tell me you were doing so," she continued. Damn, don't get too antagonistic , she reminded herself. "But of course, that is the custom of our people, and so I understand that you didn't feel as if you were really doing anything wrong, she quickly amended.

"Indeed, we weren't doing anything wrong," the king interrupted.

"You don't seem to trust me," Trance continued, refusing to take the king's bait and begin to argue the merits of arranged marriages. She had a lot more to say, and she wanted to make certain she did so before the shouting started. "I know my behavior has been less than perfect since my return, and I apologize. I guess I got a little used to not being answerable to anyone while I was away. However, I have acquiesced with your major requests. I went along to Randex's home to meet him and his family, as was expected of me. I performed well at the Ball that you held to celebrate our engagement-"

"-You did, at that," her father agreed with a thin smile.

"And most of all, I never came to you and accused you of caring more about my wedding than you did my return," Trance added.

"What do you mean?" the king asked.

"The Ball," Trance explained. "You threw a Ball to celebrate the fact that I was getting married. Father, I had been away for decades, even centuries, and when I came home you never publicly acknowledged any kind of relief or joy to have me home again." The memory of the way she had been treated tore at Trance, but she fought to suppress any tears or angry words. She was almost done, and would not let her emotions destroy her cause now. "Do you know how that made me feel?" She looked into her father's eyes for several moments, but had to turn away as she felt the corners of her eyes begin to grow moist. Then she felt the small tear on her right cheek, and turned her face to the floor, hoping her father would never notice. She continued to look down as silence reigned over the throne room. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, her father's voice, usually so powerful, whispered a reply.

"We're sorry, daughter," he told her. "We never meant to hurt you like that. We… I… should have treated you better." Trance almost gasped when she heard her father stop using the royal plural as he spoke. In all her life, she had never heard him do that. For the first time, Trance felt as if she was being spoken to as a daughter, and not as another one of her father's subjects. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Trance shuffled her feet nervously, unsure of how to respond. "You know what I want," she finally muttered.

"I do, at that," her father admitted. "But alas, I cannot give you that. You will marry Randex. For me to break it off now would be a major slight against him, his family, and the entire Flint clan… and they are not without friends. It could make for an… uncomfortable situation. In this I am as helpless as you are."

"Helpless?" Trance asked, hardly able to believe that her father would use that word to describe himself. "You? Father, you're the king. You're not at all powerless."

"I am a slave to my position as much as you are," he said sadly. "Our people have certain customs, and I am expected to adhere to them. I am no more free than you are, Trance. In fact, I'm probably more shackled by royal responsibility than you are. As the king, I am expected to lead by example. That means I, more than anyone else in the kingdom, am expected to adhere to tradition.

"When I was your age, I had no desire to be king, but my father kept me close, never letting me forget the responsibilities I would have one day. I never forgave him for denying me the opportunity to enjoy life. It's why I let you go for so long, Trance. I wanted you to have what I never did. Then, when you returned, you seemed more spiteful than ever." Trance suddenly felt extremely guilty for everything she had said to her father since she returned. She realized now that he had let her go in order to give her the gift he had always wanted, himself. I never knew … she thought

"I didn't mean to hurt you, father, or to appear ungrateful," Trance said quickly.

"Perhaps it was unfair for me to let you go, to see what you would be missing by staying here for the rest of your life," Oberon replied. "I only made things worse by giving you what you wanted, and then taking it away again. You tasted freedom, and now you are being forced to give it up."

"That's not all I'm giving up," Trance said, surprised that she and her father were having the conversation. She had never known him to be so reasonable, or herself to be so patient.

"I know," Oberon answered. "You're giving up your friends."

"I'm not giving them up, I'm abandoning them," Trance clarified. "I'm abandoning my friends… and my love." She saw a sudden ember of anger light into being within her father's eyes, and braced herself for his verbal onslaught. I knew this was too good to be true.

"You love a human," Oberon asked, speaking the words as a statement more than as a question. Trance only dared to nod, not trusting her tongue when it had betrayed her so many times before. "That's unacceptable," he stated firmly, "and yet so very much like you." The anger instantly ebbed from his eyes, and a thin smile appeared on his lips. "You always were too caring for your own good, daughter." Trance was caught completely off-guard, not knowing what to say or do. She had expected to be yelled out, but instead received a smile. She started to wonder if she was actually dreaming.

"I cannot truly hold your feelings against you," the king finally said. "Love is a magical thing, Trance. Indeed, some of our people have trafficked in it for millennia. You cannot choose whom you love, and you cannot rightfully resist once you are under its spell. You've grown up so much, Trance. I need you to understand, though, that I cannot simply call off your wedding. I already announced that it will be held in three days. The final preparations are being made, and you and I are expected to abide by the proclamation as much as any other one of my subjects would be." Trance's heart sank at the words. She had begun to dare to hope for something miraculous, but now she saw that her hopes were in vain.

"Please," Trance heard her voice say softly, her mouth once again speaking without her thinking about it. "This will kill me." The king looked at her sadly, and then his eyes lit up a slight bit. Trance could see that her father was thinking something, but the look in his eyes, so much like the mischievous gleam she often saw in Robin, didn't allow her to even guess at what her father was planning.

"How can you know this will kill you, daughter?" the king asked. "Have you had a vision?"

"What?" Trance asked, surprised that her father would speak of such things. He had often said, privately, of course, that the prophecies of his kingdom's seers was little but sheer folly. He had only supported diviners because so many of his people believed in them.

"I am concerned that you have seen your death in a vision," the king said. It was then that Trance saw something she had never seen before - her father winked as he flashed her an almost roguish smile. "Tristan!" the king bellowed. "Tristan, get out here!" Within moments, the king's scribe had appeared from within his office adjacent to the throne room. Seconds later, several courtiers had also appeared, appearing to feel they were welcomed back if the king was returning to business.

"What is it, sire?" Tristan asked quickly, producing a peacock feather quill from within the folds of his scarlet robes. "Do you need me to write down an edict?"

"No, this is far more serious," the king replied hurriedly. "Our daughter has some serious concerns about her marriage," Oberon stated, his voice booming off of the marble walls. "She has said to me that she fears this marriage could lead to her death."

"Sire?" Tristan inquired immediately, his eyes wide with shock as he began to scribble notes onto a piece of parchment. He was oblivious to the fact that he had not yet dipped the quill into any ink, and his writing passed over the paper without a trace. Trance almost laughed aloud at the man's absolutely befuddled behavior. "Th-this is t-t-terrible, sire," Tristan stammered, seemingly unable to speak and write at the same time. "Does she know the cause of her death? Is she to have an accident?" Suddenly his rattled voice lowered to a barely audible whisper as he leaned close to the king. "Do you suspect foul play, sire? Is she to be poisoned?"

"The signs are all unclear," Oberon stated. Trance noticed that her father seemed to be turning his head slightly away from Tristan, directing his voice more toward his courtiers. Trance could see her father was making certain he put on a good show, so that word would spread quickly through the palace grapevine. "Send a missive to the Oracle," Oberon instructed. "Inform them that I need to consult with them immediately. No delay is acceptable when the where the welfare of the princess is concerned."

"Of course, sire," Tristan gasped. "It will be done at once."

"And you, daughter," King Oberon said, turning toward Trance, "you must come with me, immediately." Trance took her father's hand as he led her from the throne room, moving too quickly to truly appear regal, but not so fast that they would appear panicked. Within moments they had departed through a hidden door behind the throne, into the king's private study.

"What was that about?" Trance asked, though she suspected what her father had been doing.

"You have been in contact with your human, yes?" the king asked.

"Yes," Trance confirmed, hoping the admission didn't get her into trouble.

"Did you tell him where you are?"

"No, of course not," Trance replied. "That's forbidden."

"Of course," the king agreed. "But you're my daughter, Trance, and as much as we have not gotten along over the years, I know the defiant streak within you. It's the same one I myself had when I was young. After my performance in my throne room, I guess that small part of me is still around." He looked his daughter over quickly, and a large smile spread on his lips. "I know you gave him some type of clue."

"Yes," Trance admitted, wondering what her punishment was while still trying to figure out for sure what her father was up to.

"Then we will leave your fate to the universe to decide," Oberon stated. "I told you before I am powerless to stop your wedding, and that's true. Only the Druids of Dana have that power, and even then only under the most unusual of circumstances." Trance knew she probably was displaying her confusion on her face, but she didn't care. She simply wanted answers. Now.

"Within minutes we will get word from the Oracle that we are welcomed to visit for a prophecy," the king explained. "We will then go over, and the priests will announce that they see you are at a crossroad," he continued. "They will say that a second suitor seeks you out, and that if he can conquer the trials arrayed against him, that he has been chosen by the Fates to be your husband. Even more, his arrival will usher in a new age for our people."

"How do you know they're going to say this?" Trance asked, suddenly wondering if her father was secretly a seer. It would certainly help explain some of her own undeveloped abilities.

"They're going to say all of this because I'm going to command them to," the king explained simply, as if the answer should have been obvious. "I hope you haven't forgotten that I am the king, after all. You have three days, Trance - three days to find another. However, there are two conditions. First, your chosen love must be on the planet. You cannot choose to return to the stars to seek out someone who has not proven himself either smart enough to solve your riddles, or determined enough to conquer whatever obstacles are presented to him. Second, this must be true love, daughter. As much as I don't trust diviners, I will employ one to test the truthfulness of your claim, should you make one. If you meet these two conditions, you may have happiness… at least to a point."

"What do you mean?" Trance asked.

"If you find another within three days, then I will set you free to marry him if that is your wish," the king explained. "But there will be a price."

"What?" Trance asked nervously.

"We'll discuss that if you can pass my test," the king answered. "For now, though, I give you the only thing it is within my power to give you - time."

Nearing the end now...next Chapter coming after the holidays some time.