Helena sighed as she finally signed out after a long day. All she wanted to do, was to get back home to her beloved I'Son and relax. She smiled when she thought of him. He had recovered well from his ordeal, and was now back to working full time along with professor Monteague. She looked at the engagement ring on her finger. Only four short weeks, and she would become his wife. Bethany had helped her with the venue and the guest lists. A lot of prominent names from within Technoid, as they were associates of I'Son. She had even debated one name with Duke Maddox in person. Bleylock had to be invited for the event, wheter they liked it or not. Besides, Bleylock was also recently married to a woman from his home region, Aaraya. Duke Maddox knew little of the marriage itself, other than it being a very standard wedding in the social circles of his family. He would not pose any risk to I'Son. That was a thing of the past, and he needed to see that I'Son moved on, and got married too. That was what Duke Maddox hoped would be the end of Bleylocks obsession with I'Son.
Helena hoped so too. I'Son still suffered nightmares from his time in the same house as Bleylock. Now, a woman had moved in, Bleylocks wife. Helena knew they had no choice but to invite Bleylock and his newly wedded wife, but she did not like it. She knew what this man had done to him, I'Son would talk in his sleep if the night mares became too bad, wich they still frequently did. It had made her wonder, more than once, just what kind of monster this General was. Bethany had come to pick her up, they were headed off to do the last dress fittings of her wedding dress before the big day. Helena smiled, the thought of that day was enough to carry her through even the most exhausting days...
Professor Monteague looked at the equation I'Son had drawn up on the white board. It was a complicated calculation, where nothing was left to chance. I'Son had written out and calculated things down to the most minute tiny detail he could think of.
As Professor Monteague checked the calculation, he could not find a single flaw.
"Impressive work I'Son. I never thought a man just weeks away from getting married to a beautiful woman like Helena was going to be able to stay this focused on numbers. You really are something else" he chuckled.
That made I'Son smile as he lifted the finger with the engagement ring to rub his chin.
"She is my everything. Without her pushing me, I am not sure I would have recovered from the attacks as fast as I did" he admitted.
Professor Monteague looked at him.
"I dont want to pry, but how are you feeling about the fact that HE will be there, for your big day?" he asked carefully.
He could see a slight shaking start in I'Sons hands as he mentioned the general.
He could not tell I'Son that he formulated himself like this at General Bleylocks he would later have to report his findings to the one man that I'Son seemed to be deadly afraid of.
"He is a prominent member of Technoids staff. I cant just exclude him, not without a whole lot of speculation as to why. I still recent Bleylock for what he did to me, I would prefer not to go near him personally, but if I exclude him, Duke Maddox made it clear, we may have to have a court hearing about these incidents, and that would still put me in the same room as him again. I really dont want it to come to that, so it is the lesser of two evils. I was also told, he was married a few weeks ago, at Abraxor. That means, he will be under the supervision of his own wife, he wont start anything then. Duke Maddox still distrusts him, that much I know, since Helena and I have regular contact with him, but he thought this would be a good way to mark the ending of things with me and him, showing him, we both moved on, in separate directions" I'Son said.
Professor Monteague nodded.
He laid his hand on the younger mans shoulder as he passed. And he could feel how I'Son tensed up, and how his breathing changed, to short, rapids breaths. He did not even have to do a more thorough check to realise that I'Son was scared by his touch. Whatever had Bleylock done to this young man that startled him so much? At any rate, he knew I'Son had appointments to meet, before his wedding.
" You better get going. I saw your calendar. You got a few busy weeks left, before you enter a new stage of your life" he said.
I'Son grinned as he headed for the air lock out of the lab, after having securely closed down his work for the day and logged it.
"That may be, but it will be the part of my life that brings all my dreams to fruition"...
Bleylock had deliberately taken a seat to the far back of the church for the wedding ceremony. I'Son had only looked at him once, then hastily turned the blind eye on him. Clearly, he was not wanted, but because he was a prominent member of the Technoids staff, he had still been invited. All the decorations, the colours and happy people was a stark contrast to his own wedding. That had taken place in an office building on Abraxor. And quickly, after Professor Monteague had informed him on I'Sons engagement to Helena. Aaraya, his wife, a proud woman, forced into an unwanted marriage every bit as much as himself, seemed to compose herself well. She was dressed in a beautiful dress from the planet Stellar Unix. Not a wedding dress of course, but professional and also very elegant. He had no doubt she could be a very warm woman, but even with him, her husband, she acted cold and buisness like. Well, he did not care much for her anyway. Now he had to use pills, just to fullfill his marital obligations. She was not I'Son. When he closed his eyes, he could still picture I'Sons athletic body, when stretching after a jog,doing some excercises like sit ups, to keep in shape, or the training room, where he would do boxing. He used to love looking at him, going at it, working up a good sweat, knowing full well what would follow. And now, that door was about to be permanently closed. Bleylock had studied him where he talked to a friend, whom was his best man. The tuxedo looked real good on him. He felt a sting of jealousy inside. From across the hallway, he noticed Duke Maddox send him a warning look. Behave or I will have your hide later.
The sound of an organ started playing, and in came The Bride, led by her father. Helena was dressed in a beautiful silky wedding dress, simple, but it fit an ordinary looking girl like her. I'Son could not take his eyes of his bride.
As she finally reached the altar, I'Son gently lifted her veil with a smile.
She smiled to him, a bit shy, before they turned towards the priest.
What was said was all a haze to Bleylock. He felt like his heart was dying, as the rings were exchanged. But the bride had brought something else. Two identical bracelets, with a special medallion on them. The priest held a small speech about how the threads in the string that held the bracelet together, symboliced that their lives was now twining together the same way. Like the wows given with the wedding band, so came the wows with the bracelet. I'Son smiled softly as Helena put his on and tightened, before he did the same.
"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride" said the priest.
Bleylock wanted to turn away, but it would be un polite not to see. But as I'Son kissed her, he felt the jealously rage within. Aaraya sent him a look, a cold look. It was not as if she had not been told why he did not decline the invitation. She knew full well by now, who I'Son was to her husband, or rather, who he had once been. That was over now. With this act, I'Son made it clear, he had moved on, and Bleylock had to accept that. Bleylock did not look at I'Son as he and his bride exited, he had to wait until they were outside.
Bleylock felt a knot in his stomach as they approached the newly weds.
I'Sons eyes met his.
"Congratulations on your marriage General, I hope you will find all you seek in life and that you turn out happy" he managed.
Bleylock put on a fake smile.
"Thank you I'Son, but today is your day. Congratulations on your wedding. You found a beautiful bride in Helena. I do wish the best for you both" he managed.
Could it possibly sound more fake? He was surprised that I'Son did not call him out on it.
There was more guests wanting to congratulate the newly weds behind them, among them Duke Maddox whom kissed Helena on the cheek and embraced I'Son. Bleylock felt like he just wanted to head back to the hotel, and hide. This was torture, and yet, it had only just begun...
It had to be his 12th or more glass of bubbles this night. Bleylock could tell Aaraya struck a good tone with the bride, the two of them already acted as if they had known each other for ages, and not just met. But that did not mean I'Son came to see him. He kept his distance, leaving the General to himself. A shadow approached and sat down next to him.
"Remain at your best behaviour General, and I will consider giving you a new chance at a new base. Or even a project" Duke Maddox said as he downed a glass of expensive champagne.
Bleylock knew, the only way back inside the warmth, was to act humble and obedient.
"As you wish, Your Highness" he said, bowing his head.
Duke Maddox looked at the party.
"You do realise, it was never meant to be you and him right? You have a beautiful wife yourself now Bleylock, make the best out of life with her. I know you abraxians have a different honour code than the rest of the galaxy. I'Son did tell me about your struggle. I am sorry things turned out the way they did. But it all happened for a reason. If you can tame your temper,I may allow you to work with him later, when he is back from his honey moon. My gift for the newly weds, just like you and Aaraya got" he said.
Bleylock nodded.
"It was a most gracious gift Your Highness, we enjoyed the trip very much" he said.
A flat out lie off course, they had been cold to each other all the way, since this was a forced situation. Only because it was expected of them to produce an heir to the Bleylock dynasty, did they even share a bed.
Duke Maddox nodded.
"I would want for a way to have my robots on my football team play more like human beings. I will leave this task to you Bleylock, just to keep your head busy with other things than the one that got away. I may have been too harsh on you. I have also experienced the loss of a true love, and the heart break.
That is why I am giving you a chance here, to correct all that" he said.
Bleylock could hardly believe his luck. This was what he could formulate his plan to get back in contact with I' Son on.
He heard the crowd cheer, as I'Son and Helena had cut the cake, and fed each other. I'Son was so taken with his wife, he never once noticed Bleylocks gaze on him. And soon after, it was time for the first dance as husband and wife. I'Son pulled Helena close as the soft tones from the Trio filled the air.
"I am so happy right now, thank you, for making my dreams come true. You are the love of my life" he whispered as they moved around in their own little bubble, hardly noticing the cheers from the on lookers around them.
"I am so blessed, to have married you. Tomorrow, we leave for our honeymoon, imagine, 4 full weeks in the sand" she smiled.
"Someone sounds like they will work on their tan" I'Son teased.
"That would be the day time my love, in the night time, I got some other plans for what we can do" she smiled.
As they danced, Bleylock decided to cease the opourtunity.
"I believe you are right Your Highness. I need to forget about him, as hard as that is to do.I think, improving the football droids may be just the needed medicine for me, it is a complicated problem. Maybe I can use some of the technology from the droids we lost on Ascaron, to improve other droids" he suggested.
Duke Maddox looked at him.
"Just remember General, we are speaking of football droids here,not military purposes. I dont want any scandals of any kind connected to this, you hear?" Duke Maddox said.
General Bleylock bowed his head humbly.
"Off course, Your highness" he said.
But in his mind, formed an evil plan. This plan would force I'Son back to him, simply, because he knew whom to add to the project. He would wait till I'Son was back. He would also use Professor Monteague as middle man, to drop the hint of what was going on. With I'Sons skills, this would present an irresisitble temptation, and also, the one trap that would allow him to finally have I'Son right where he wanted him.
This was not over, infact, as far as he was concerned, it was only just beginning...