Chapter 6: Unexpected company.
Lyude sat quietly for a moment. His own words sinking in. King Ladekahn waited patiently for him to speak. Lyude felt his heart pounding, he could hear it in his ears. He felt faint. He was really going to do it. He was going to tell him. He had said too much to turn back now. What happened next, however, caused what he was going to say to die in his throat and he stood abruptly as Matthias came into view escorting a very familiar woman. "Vallye!" Lyude croaked in disbelief.
His sister's face was flat and expressionless as she made her reply. "That's Commander Lyricello, Ambassador." said Vallye, not quite able to hide the disgust in her voice.
"Apologies, Commander." said Lyude awkwardly. He couldn't imagine how his sister had gotten here so quickly, or why she would be in Diadem.
"Your majesty." said Vallye with a curt nod of greeting to Ladekahn.
"Commander." said Ladekahn returning the gesture. "Is there some problem?"
"The ambassador failed to check in with base after his arrival in Diadem. We had noticed some anomalies in his ship's functions and shortly afterward a complete loss of our tracking device. As I was already dispatched I was informed of the situation and sent to ensure the ambassador arrived at his destination." said Vallye.
"The ambassador arrived in a timely manner, Commander Lyricello. He was unable to contact the empire due to substantial damage to his ship."
Lyude thought he saw Vallye roll her eyes. " Damage? What sort of damage, Ambassador?"
"It was an inner problem in the systems caused by this." said Lyude handing magnus of the implosion devise. Vallye looked at it and an expression of surprise swept briefly over her hardened features. "Would you mind if the ambassador and I spoke privately, your majesty?" asked Vallye.
"Not at all." said King Ladekahn. "Matthias, please escort our guests where they may speak privately."
Matthias nodded and beckoned for the two siblings to follow him. "We will continue that discussion we were having at a later time, I presume?" said Ladekahn as Lyude turned to follow Matthias.
"Of course, your majesty." said Lyude and followed Matthias and Vallye from the garden.
Matthias left them in one of the guestrooms. "Sit down." said Vallye before Lyude could speak. He did so silently. "Do you have any idea how far out of my way I had to come to ensure you were doing your job?" asked Vallye. "What was an implosion device doing in your ship, Lyude?"
"I don't know, Vallye, I had no idea it was there. I simply noticed, as you did, the anomaly in my systems and when I tried to locate and identify it I lost all control of the systems. It was almost as if someone was trying to get me stranded close to the empire and I wasn't supposed to notice that the navigation's array was going haywire. I have no idea why."
"Fine. Fine." said Vallye impatiently. "What sort of discussion were you and the king having? I hope that you have been holding your tongue. That mouth of yours has already caused you and the rest of this family enough trouble."
"I haven't told him," said Lyude. "Though I can't say as it hasn't crossed my mind. Several times."
"Well, you had best stop considering it." said Vallye. "Don't you think you've caused enough damage as it is?"
"Vallye." said Lyude wearily. " I am sorry that you and Skeed were embarrassed by my actions, but it's over and I am paying the consequences of it. You and Skeed can move on. You needn't worry about me here, I won't cause you any more trouble if I can help it."
"You had best not." said Vallye. "It will be a lot worse than an 'exile' the next time you act so foolishly.
Lyude bowed his head. "I know that, sister..." he said softly.
"I have a shot inhibitor for your rifle on my ship, Lyude, I am to spar with you for a final assessment of your abilities. You had better be at your best, because I'm not going to take it easy on you.
"Have you ever?" asked Lyude with a sigh, "is there anything else?"
"Just a final warning to keep your mouth shut. Now let's go. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to." Lyude stood and followed her from the room. As the two siblings left the head knight backed away from the painting that served to cover the secret passage he was currently standing in. He had listened in on the whole thing. His suspicions confirmed, the head knight went directly to report to the king.
When he found King Ladekahn he was watching the two siblings locked in combat. The sparring had begun. Lyude seemed to be remaining defensive, for the most part, while his sister had him diving and rolling to avoid her rapid shots. His elder sister was far more experienced than Lyude, but so far he was holding his own. Suddenly Lyude's concerto magnus came up and Vallye was taken by surprise. She was struck with the brunt of the blow and thrown into the side of the castle where she fell limply in a daze, her forehead bleeding slightly from the impact with the wall. "Vallye!" said Lyude abandoning his battle stance and rushing to make certain she was not seriously injured. A blast from Vallye's rifle caught him squarely in the ribs and he could hear a sort of popping sound as pain exploded through them and he fell painfully to his knees.
"You let your guard down, Lyude." said Vallye standing up and wincing. "You must never allow emotions to stay you from the task you are assigned, am I quite clear?"
"Yes ma'am." gasped Lyude.
"That will do. You have passed. But you certainly need work. We will be taking your boat for analysis, ambassador, you will be sent a replacement." she said to her kneeling brother. She turned to King Ladekahn, "If you would excuse me, your majesty, I have a separate mission that I must attend to."
"Of course." said King Ladekahn, "A pleasure to have met you, Commander." Vallye nodded, holding a cloth to her injured forehead and left them.
Ladekahn and the head knight turned to Lyude who had not yet risen from his knees. "Forgot she's most dangerous when wounded." Lyude muttered ruefully to himself as he tried to stand. He felt a strain somewhere in his chest and his breathing came thinly. He began to feel light headed. "Are you all right, Amb..." That was the last thing he heard.
King Ladekahn and the head knight rushed to the injured boy's side. "Wasn't her weapon on stun!" asked the head knight.
"It must have been, else that would have been a fatal blow. Perhaps she shot him at too close a range. Take him to his room, Captain, and call for a doctor."
Ladekahn sat beside Lyude's bed and waited with the head knight for the doctor to arrive. Lyude's breathing seemed troubled and his head rolled slightly as he lay unconscious. There was no penetration of the skin, but King Ladekahn feared a broken rib or two. The boy had been knocked back with quite a force. "I don't know about you." said the head knight to King Ladekahn, "but I think she was trying to teach that boy a lesson of a different kind."
"Indeed." said King Ladekahn. "And I believe there was a double meaning to those words she spoke about his assignment."
"About that..." began the head knight, but the doctor had come in. Once he set down his bag he examined Lyude's bruised chest. Prodding the area until a sharp intake of breath from his patient gave him pause. "Right...There!" he said and pressed hard. Lyude grunted in pain and his body went rigid. The doctor released him and he slackened and his breathing eased. The doctor gave him some green tea magnus and poured it slowly down his throat. "That should do it. He'll be all right now. The blow struck him hard enough to pop a few of his ribs slightly out of place, thus constricting his lungs. He fainted from poor oxygen flow. He should be fine by the time he wakes up, I drugged that tea so he'd sleep a while."
"Thank you, doctor." said King Ladekahn.
"A pleasure. Let me know if there is anything else you need."
"Nothing, thank you. You are dismissed." the doctor nodded and left.
Lyude tossed slightly where he lay, his rest troubled. In his mind he saw Vallye and Skeed. They were standing with him in the Imperial fortress leading him toward one of the interrogation chambers. He looked confused and frightened, it didn't feel like quite a dream, more like a memory.
"Where are we going? What does the emperor want me to do to prevent my court-martial?" he asked.
"Don't ask questions, just do as your told!" said Skeed harshly.
"This will ensure that you follow your assignment. Once we are inside I want you to do exactly as your told, Lyude." said Vallye.
"What do you mean? What assignment?"asked Lyude. But his siblings merely escorted him into a darkened room where a man Lyude did not recognize stood waiting. His brother and sister shoved him into the single chair in the room and the man began to speak to him. His surroundings began to fuzz and he couldn't understand what the stranger was saying. He only watched himself repeating some of it and the vision dimmed as he saw his head go limp.
He woke suddenly and sat bolt upright. Confused to find himself in a bed, more confused by the dream he had woken from. It felt familiar, but he couldn't remember experiencing anything even slightly like it. He turned to find that he was in the room he had been assigned and a tray of food lay waiting for him on the bedside table. He ate quietly, and drank his fill.
He tried to hash out how he had ended up in his room. He no longer felt any pain and he didn't think he had been that seriously injured by the blow. He did, however, remember how difficult it had been to breathe, that must have been it.
He stood solemnly. The king was likely waiting for him. He closed his eyes momentarily and released a breath. He had decided before that King Ladekahn deserved the truth, that decision had not changed. He left his room and headed for the throne room. The truth had waited long enough.