Frank was sitting on the balcony of his chambers, taking in the lovely view and thinking about all that had occurred since his Earth family's return to Transsexual…the enthusiastic greeting from his people, Eva and Audrey's emotional reunion with Kristoph, his own opportunity to get reacquainted with his mother…and, last but not least, the beyond-extraordinary lovemaking with Eva. As he sat there, reliving the memories in his mind, he felt a glow of contentment. The only cloud to be found on his mental horizon was the realization he still didn't know why his mother had summoned him here in the first place.
As if in answer to this thought, there was a knock on the door. Reluctantly retreating from the balcony, he opened it to find Remus, the servant assigned to him during his stay.
"Your Highness, Her Majesty the Queen would like to see you in her private chambers."
Fighting back a prickle of apprehension, Frank followed Remus down the endless, winding corridors until they arrived at his mother's door. Remus knocked on the door, and an elegant voice emerged from within.
"Yes?"
"His Highness, Prince Frank N Furter, is here to see you, Your Majesty."
Frank could hear the smile in his mother's voice as she responded, "Please, send him in."
Remus reached out, opened the door, and stepped aside to allow Frank to enter. After he did so, his mother smiled at him and said, "Come in, Frank, and please shut the door behind you."
Frank did as she requested, then came over to her and sat down in a chair directly opposite her own. He smiled at her, a bit apprehensively, and asked, "Are you finally ready to tell me why you asked me to return?"
Her own smile was a bit strained. "Yes, I'm afraid so."
He cocked an eyebrow. "You're 'afraid so'? That does not sound like the prologue to a happy conversation."
She sighed. "No, it isn't. This is going to be difficult for me to say – and for you to hear – so let me just say it." She blinked back the tears that had suddenly sprung to her eyes, then looked at her son.
"I'm dying."
Frank stared back at her, the expression on his face rapidly changing from shock to grief. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. How was this possible? His mother had always seemed invincible. She was, in every respect, the strongest woman he'd ever known. His father and namesake, King Frank N Furter, had been killed in a hunting accident before Frank was even born. After her husband's death, the people had whispered that she'd never be able to reign alone; the other planets in the Transylvanian galaxy would take advantage of her weakness and destroy Transsexual and its people. Not only had that not happened, she rapidly became one of the most powerful, most effective sovereigns Transsexual had ever known. Under her leadership, Transsexual became the undisputed leader of the Transylvanian galaxy, and its people the most prosperous. Always at the forefront of advances in science, medicine, education and social welfare, Transsexual had become Transylvania's crown jewel. Now the woman who made these triumphs possible was being conquered from within?
Gwendolyn sat in silence for several long moments, giving her son the opportunity to absorb this painful revelation. Finally, she pleaded, "Frank, please say something."
Tears filled Frank's eyes, and he angrily wiped them away. Looking back at his mother, he whispered, "But you look wonderful. How could this be happening? What's wrong?"
She took a deep breath before answering. "I have Reisberger's Syndrome. It is an extremely rare disorder. A virus is attacking my heart muscle, gradually destroying it. It is very much a silent killer – there are no symptoms, except increasing fatigue. It was discovered in a blood test during my most recent physical examination. Unfortunately, there is no cure. I am taking medication designed to increase my stamina as much as possible, but it does nothing to slow the disease's progress."
Frank's eyes widened. "Perhaps I can discover a cure. I could go to the lab and…"
His mother cut him off. "Frank, you are indeed a brilliant scientist, and if given enough time, perhaps you could discover a cure. However, I shall be dead in a matter of weeks. No researcher, no matter how brilliant, could come in 'cold' and discover a cure that quickly for a disease which has baffled the medical establishment for centuries."
Frank opened his mouth to argue, but quickly closed it again. She was right. Tears again sprang to his eyes, and this time he did nothing to stop their flow. His mother was dying, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
Looking at her with watery eyes, he asked quietly, "Who knows about this?"
"So far, only my personal physician, the lab technician, the palace pharmacist…and you. I cannot allow this news to get out until certain matters of grave importance have been resolved."
He frowned. "Such as?"
She looked back at him, a bit uncomfortably. Finally, she answered, "Such as the identity of my successor."
He raised his eyebrows. "I thought that had been settled after I removed myself from the line of succession. Is my cousin Frederic not the next in line?"
His mother sighed. 'Yes, he is."
Frank looked at her a bit suspiciously. "In that case, I don't quite understand why 'the identity of your successor' is at issue."
She picked up on his suspicion. "Please, Frank, you need to listen to what I'm about to tell you. While I suppose there is never a good time for something like this to happen, this is a less advantageous time than most. There are signs of trouble in the Transylvanian Alliance. A couple of our sister planets have gone on record as saying they believe Transsexual has too much power in the Alliance, and King Sahar of Terria has even suggested he should be the one playing the major role in policy decisions. Right now the Alliance is heading toward a major division, with some lining up behind Sahar, and some behind us. Such a division would be disastrous, particularly at this point in time. Our neighboring galaxy, Adonis, is taking an increasingly hostile stance against Transylvania, and it is vital that we present a strong, unified front against any acts of aggression. Transsexual will need a strong ruler to maintain its position in the Alliance, prevent any further divisiveness, and coordinate a defense against Adonis."
She paused and looked Frank straight in the eye. "Frederic is not that ruler. When you told me you were staying on Earth permanently, I thought I would have more time to groom Frederic. Unfortunately, it has become obvious time is a commodity I no longer possess. Even more unfortunately, Frederic's inadequacies have become increasingly apparent. He is, by nature, weak. His intellect is, shall we say, lacking. He cares only about the privileges of the position – the luxury, the power, the indulgences of every kind – and not at all about the responsibilities. If he were to take the throne, the consequences would be dire, not only for Transsexual, but for the entire Transylvanian galaxy. If Transsexual falls…Transylvania will fall with her."
Frank felt a sick sense of dread envelop him as he listened to his mother's words. He understood exactly what she was asking of him…and what was worse, he understood why it was necessary that she do so. Still, he was not ready to acknowledge the solution she wanted was the only suitable one.
"Why do you believe I would do a better job than Frederic? I cared only about science and pleasure while I lived here, and have certainly not been living a 'royal existence' since I've been gone. Surely there must be someone else within the family who could be an effective ruler."
She shook her head. "Frank, you're being deliberately obtuse. You aren't seeing your many strengths because you don't want to. Do you need me to list them for you? Very well. You have brilliance, ambition and strength of will – you understand what needs to be done, and you convey the sense of power necessary to accomplish it. You have the charisma required to inspire the people to follow your lead. You already have the love and devotion of the people of Transsexual. Those are attributes you've always had; since you met Eva, you've added compassion and empathy to that list. You understand the lives of 'ordinary' people in a way few royals ever could, since you've lived – quite successfully – as one of those ordinary people during your time on Earth. As little as you may want to hear this, you must know you are uniquely qualified to follow in my footsteps. Anyone else who attempts to do so will not only be forced to battle for the respect and acceptance of the other Alliance members, but also for that of our own people. That internal battle is something we cannot afford."
Frank felt trapped by the facts she had just laid out before him. The only response he could muster was to murmur, "I cannot ask Eva to give up her home and everything she's ever known to live here permanently."
His mother gave him a hard stare. "Why ever not? You were willing to do the same for her…on a planet to which you had no ties other than to her. Eva's father lives here; she is as much Transylvanian as Earthling. Her mother may well want to remain here with her husband. She has given birth to a daughter who should, by rights, one day sit on the throne." Her voice softened. "Frank, I know how much you love Eva, and I know you want her to be happy. However, please do not turn me down under the assumption she would be unwilling to live here on a permanent basis. Discuss the matter with her. I am not exaggerating when I say countless lives may be at stake. You owe it to me, to the Transylvanian people – and to yourself – to fully explore the ramifications of what I am asking of you. You are in a position to have an enormous influence on the lives of our people. That is both an opportunity and – by virtue of your birth – an obligation you carry. Do not dismiss it so easily."
Frank buried his face in his hands as he took in her words. Finally, he looked up at her. "Very well. I promise I shall not come to any decision without giving it all due consideration, and without talking it over with Eva."
His mother smiled. "That is all I can ask of you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a nap. I did considerably more tossing and turning than sleeping last night, and I'm unable to handle that very well these days."
He stood, as did she. "Of course." He walked over to her and took her in his arms. As he held his mother in a tight embrace, tears again flowed from his eyes. In his heart, he knew what he needed to do.
But how could he tell Eva?