Chapter Two – Burning Bridges

She stepped up to the podium and the room went silent. Grabbing the rope, Hoshi rang the bell. "Parliament is now in session," she announced.

A round of applause quickly followed as the politicians started their day. Hoshi stepped down without acknowledging the applause and walked past her new security guard with a haughty air. "I have no idea why they can't ring their own damn bell," she groused.

Hearing her comment, Malcolm reminded her. "It's your duty," you spoiled, self-indulgent girl.

Hoshi stopped and turned. "I'm well aware of my duties. I've been doing them for twenty-six years. I don't need you reminding me what my duties are," you arrogant asshole.

Malcolm smirked, waiting for her to finish her tirade.

"Furthermore, I don't need you reminding me about my schedule. You're my security officer, not my assistant. Your job is to make sure I'm safe."

"In order to insure your safety, it is imperative we follow the schedule," Malcolm countered, holding the car door open for her.

Hoshi sat down and waited for him to climb in after her. Once he was seated across from her she started. "Well then. Why don't we just give every would-be assassin or kidnapper a copy of my schedule? That way your job would be more adventurous."

The car started to move and Malcolm scanned the roads ahead of them. "I'm not here to have an adventure. I'm here to save your arse in the event that it needs to be saved."

She gaped at him, words eluding her. She'd never heard such a disrespectful tone in all her life.

"Furthermore, you might want to stop acting like a petulant child. I'm not Captain Archer and I shall not treat you as he did. I shall not indulge your whims of fancy, much less be an accomplice to them." His tone was even and purposeful, as though daring her to talk back.

"I'll have you sacked for the disrespectful and informal tone you have used," Hoshi spat. "I –"

"You can't do that," Malcolm retorted with a smirk.

"Oh, yes I can," Hoshi growled, somehow resisting the urge to slap him.

Malcolm leaned forward menacingly, his azure eyes staring into her cinnamon ones. "No…you can't."

"Watch me," she murmured slowly.

"That would require a constitutional amendment which would take approximately five years to pass. Considering you have no power to introduce a new bill, you would have to find a sponsor. By then I might actual begin to grow on you."

Hoshi scoffed, "Like an unwanted fungus."

"Just relax, Your Highness," Malcolm stated. "I'm firmly entrenched in my new position. Only death can remove me."

--

The bright green light flashed before him, reminding him what time it was – 0300 hours. He really couldn't blame her for his restless night. He had never really been one for sleeping through the night. Unfortunately, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Sitting up in bed, he grabbed his robe and made his way toward her suite. He nodded to the guards as he strode through the corridors. "Follow me," he instructed the guard outside her main suite. It would not do for her new security officer to visit the royal pain in the arse's bedchamber in the middle of the night without a chaperone.

Giving the door a sharp rap, Malcolm waited for her to answer. When there was no reply, he said to the guard, "Give me your phase pistol."

The guard handed it to him quickly and they entered her room cautiously.

"Lights, twenty percent," Malcolm called out, his eyes immediately going to the bed. "Bloody hell!" She had given him and the palace guards the slip. She was testing him.

"Go back to your post," Malcolm instructed. "I'll deal with this."

"Lights, one hundred percent," he barked, looking around her room and investigating potential hidden exits.

Her bed was untouched. She hadn't even tried to hide her escape, serving to taunt his oversight. When he did catch up to her, she would never forget it.

"Gave you the slip, didn't she?" Jon asked from the doorway.

Malcolm snapped to attention, embarrassment flooding to his cheeks. "Sir."

Unable to keep the humor out of his voice, Jon continued, "Don't worry. She didn't leave the grounds." Walking to a panel next to her bed, he tapped on the side and it slid open.

"A secret tunnel," Malcolm stated incredulously.

"The palace is full of them," Jon said. "I'll give you the entire palace blueprint tomorrow." He pulled a PADD out of his robe pocket and tapped the screen. "Just as I thought. She's visiting Sheppard and her foal."

Handing the PADD to Malcolm, he nodded toward the passage. "There's a maze of tunnels underneath the palace. Take the west passage. It lets out near the stables. This is a locator PADD. She doesn't know she's tagged, but it became necessary when she became rebellious."

Malcolm nodded and made to leave, but a gentle hand on his shoulder stopped him. "We need to talk," Jon announced.

"Right now?" Malcolm asked nervously.

Jon nodded, wondering how he was going to talk to Malcolm without making the man feel like he was interfering. "You've been appointed to a difficult position."

Tell me about, Malcolm wanted to say.

"Your main duty is to protect her, no matter the cost."

Malcolm stiffened. "Yes, sir."

"You have no personal life now, but she does. She lives hers under a microscope. It's similar to being a prisoner."

Malcolm nodded, not really certain what the man was hinting at. He looked at the passage, wanting to go get her.

"Just take it easy on her, okay?" Jon asked softly, realizing the commander wasn't hearing a word he said. His focus was too sharp to allow room for error. Her slipping away was a wound to his pride. It was going to take some work, but he knew Malcolm Reed was the right man for the job.

Malcolm nodded again and started his journey through the passage. There was no way he was going to go easy on her. There was no way he would cater to her like Captain Archer had.

Stumbling through the west passage, Malcolm climbed the ladder and pushed open the hatch to the stables. The lights were low and the sounds and smells of horses filled the air.

He looked around. There was no sign of her and the sinking feeling in his stomach grew. Suddenly a horse whinnied and stomped the ground. A name placard was about its stall door – Sheppard.

Peering over the railing, Malcolm smiled.

Hoshi was fast asleep, laying in the hay and leaning against the stable wall. Sheppard's foal was tucked asleep next to her.

Malcolm moved to open the gate, but the horse blocked his path and nipped at his hand in warning.

"Relax girl," Malcolm said soothingly and tried again.

This time the horse bit him with more force and kicked at the gate, baring its teeth.

Nursing his hand, Malcolm cursed and glared at the horse, "Bloody hell!" He frowned and backed away. "You're just lucky I don't have a phase pistol, you bloody animal."

She was safe. That's what mattered. The sinking feeling lifted and he settled next to the stall for the night.

--

TBC