A couple of weeks later, Meaghan resumed her duties as Charlemagne's secretary, but not after a certain amount of conflict between them. In the end, the main reason he gave in to his wife's demands was that her replacement was his former secretary, and Manfred was already getting on his nerves.
And, for a time, life went fairly smoothly. Charlemagne carried out the duties accorded to his rank, played with his sons, and loved his wives.
When Elsbeth was just starting to show her second pregnancy, discord interrupted the harmony of Charlemagne's life again. And again, the source was not his warrior princess first wife, but his gentle, soft-spoken second wife.
There was to be a far reaching peace conference on the Andronicus space station, and Meaghan was determined to go. Charlemagne was equally determined that she shouldn't.
"Charlemagne, I have to go," Meaghan stated quite firmly one night as they prepared to retire.
"No, you don't, Meg," he replied just as firmly. Only sheer stubbornness was keeping him from giving in just to end the day's old argument. "And you're not going. What you are going to do is be a dutiful wife and stay home looking after our son."
"It will only be a few days," she pointed out. "And Elsbeth already said that she'd be happy to look after Leander."
Charlemagne was beginning to feel outnumbered, but, being Nietzschean, he refused to be outmaneuvered. He decided to switch tactics.
"It's just a boring conference, darling," he murmured in honeyed tones, taking her in his arms. "Just a horde of officials arguing over who is more equal."
"I have to be there," she reiterated stubbornly.
"Why?" he demanded. "Surely you don't think I'm so incompetent that I need your help?"
"Of course not," she answered softly. "There's no way I can make you understand, but I really have to go."
"Unless, you can make me understand, you're not going," her husband replied. "And that is all I intend to hear on the subject, understand?"
He was answered by a sullen silence.
Charlemagne reached a gentle hand under her chin and tilted her head back, forcing her to look him in the eye. The mutinous gaze that met his said that his fiery little wife was far from giving in.
"Meg?" Just one word, but uttered in tones that brooked no rebellion.
"You said that you didn't want to hear any more on the subject," Meaghan said a little dispiritedly. "And I find that I have nothing else to say."
And she said nothing else on the subject either. But when he reached for her that night, she was there, as warm and loving as ever.
&&&&&&&
Charlemagne's ship had barely left the atmosphere when Meaghan put in a call to the Andromeda.
"Hello, Meaghan," the AI greeted her. "Did you wish to speak to Dylan?"
"Actually, I'd really rather talk to Bekka," Meaghan answered. "And could we please have some privacy, Andromeda?"
"Secure channel," Andromeda replied. "Connecting you to Bekka.
"
"Hi Meaghan," Bekka said in surprise. "What's with the secure circuit?"
"Bekka, I have a favor to ask you..,"
&&&&&&&&
Less than a day later, the Eureka Maru docked at Andronicus station.
"Do you want me to wait around for you, Meaghan?" Bekka asked. "Or do you intend to make other arrangements for the trip home?"
"I'd appreciate you waiting for me, Bekka," Meaghan answered. "Unless of course, something comes up, in which case I'll notify you."
"You mean if Charlemagne catches you disobeying his orders," the Maru's captain said. "I don't even begin to understand what is going on between the two of you, but I'll do what I can to help."
"This doesn't have anything to do with Charlemagne and me," the red-head insisted. "It has to do with this peace conference. But Charlemagne isn't as ready to take my word for it as you are."
Bekka shrugged. "You're just lucky I was able to get away from the Andromeda. If there had been something major going on, you would have been without a ride."
"I can't thank you enough, either, Bekka," Meaghan said. "I'm just afraid that it's going to be quite a dance to keep Charlemagne from noticing me."
"I think I can help with that," Bekka announced.
&&&&&&&
An hour or so later a lone figure left the Eureka Maru. Instead of loose-flowing tresses, there was a long braid that began nearly at the top of her head. And replacing the long-skirted anachronistic dresses that Meaghan favored for her daily wear, was a black jumpsuit, bloused out at the arms, and nearly skintight elsewhere.
"It won't fool anyone who knows you, outright," Bekka had explained. "But if Charlemagne catches sight of you at a distance, it might be enough to fool him into thinking you're someone else."
Meaghan cautiously entered the level of the station set aside for the conference. It was early in the station's day, and many of the delegates were still abed, either from their nocturnal activities, or from acclimatizing to a different time zone.
As the day wore on, the area became busier and more crowded. Meaghan passed among them, smiling quietly, chatting softly, and generally detracting from the antagonism that unfortunately seemed to hold sway at these things.
As the station's day waned into evening, Meaghan felt in need of a breather. She looked for a quiet corner to gather her resources for the rest of the day's encounter, when she spotted Charlemagne, coming down a corridor right toward her.
Hoping that he hadn't noticed her, she ducked into a side passage with more speed than concentration, and ran headlong right into someone.
"Oh, excuse me, I'm very sorry." She looked up at who she had careened into and felt a little sick. "Your majesty."
A pair of strong hands grasped her arms just above the elbow and lifted her several centimeters above the floor, leaving her feet dangling helplessly in the air, and her arms immobile.
"You shameless little trull," Haedmon grated out menacingly. "Will you never stop bedeviling me?"
"If you would please release me, your majesty," she said in placatory tones. "Then I will be more than happy to get out of your way."
"What are you doing here?" The monarch demanded. "Are you going to try to block our legitimate claims?"
"Believe it or not," Meaghan answered breathlessly. "I didn't even know you were going to be here."
"I do not believe you," Haedmon stated. "And I believe that I owe you a little something for the humiliation that you caused me."
Meaghan was starting to be really afraid. She was in a defenseless position, and there didn't seem to be a soul in sight. And Haedmon was very obviously still unhappy with her and ready to take out his hurt feelings on her.
"You just never will learn, will you, Haedmon?" a familiar voice said from the end of the passage. "I would advise you to put my wife down and step away from her, or I shall have no recourse but to make improvements to the human gene pool by removing you from it."
Meaghan spared a glance for her husband and saw that despite all the precautions that were supposed to insure that there were no weapons at the conference, Charlemagne had managed to smuggle in a blaster.
"Your.., wife?" Haedmon repeated sickly, the blood beginning to drain from his face.
"I don't believe that I stuttered," Charlemagne said coolly. He hadn't even aimed the weapon yet, but Meaghan knew just how fast those Nietzschean reflexes were.
Very carefully, as if she were made of spun glass, Haedmon set Meaghan back on her feet. Then, as if it were his own idea, he turned and went back the way he had come. The only thing that gave him away was the speed of his retreat.
Meaghan still felt a little sick. The departure of the disgruntled monarch now left Charlemagne free to turn all his attentions to her, and she was pretty sure that he wasn't going to be happy.
Charlemagne had already made the blaster disappear. He just stood there looking positively splendid in his formal regalia. Meaghan suddenly ran at him and threw herself into his arms, willing to risk his wrath, just to feel safe in his embrace.