Tripp woke to sunlight hitting him in the face. Tripp thought that was weird because he was on a spaceship with his wife and children. He reached for T'Pol and didn't feel her by his side. Tripp opened his eyes and saw that he was in bed with silk sheets. He glanced around the room to that was room was done in blues. There was a desk and three doors that led to other parts of the room. There was a balcony that was letting in the sun.
Tripp got out of bed and padded barefoot to the balcony. He opened the door and could hear the voices of the town. In the distance, he could hear water. He stepped back and went to find a bathroom. He found that the first door was locked and wondered where that door led too. He opened the next door to find a walk-in closet with clothes of something he wouldn't wear. He opened the last to find a bathroom.
Tripp stepped in, the back wall had a shower, there was also a bathtub to the right, and a double sink on the left. Tripp made his way to the shower and took a shower. The water pressure was the best that Tripp had ever had. He felt all the tension in his muscles disappear. He stepped out and wrapped around a towel around his waist. He shaved and brushed his teeth before stepping back into his room.
Tripp walked in the closet to find something to wear since his Starfleet uniform was back on the ship. He remembered going to sleep in his Starfleet underwear and waking up in the same pair. He found a drawer with boxers and put on the fresh pair. The material felt like magic around his area. He started to search for clothes and found nothing that he would normally wear. He put on a pair of cotton breeches and a white shirt that was buttoned in the front. He could only find a pair of leather boots to put on his feet. They fitted perfectly on his feet. Tripp stepped in front of mirror and thought that he looked like a romance novel hero from the nineteenth century.
Tripp stepped into the room again and made his way to the balcony. He stepped out onto the balcony. The balcony was round and there was a sitting area to watch the ships coming in from the sea. He walked to the edge and looked over to see how high he was. He saw that he was taller than most of the houses in the area. He turned around so his back was to the town and saw that he was palace. He swore under his breath. Where the hell was he?
There was a knock on the door and Tripp went back in the room to find that the door was opened by a woman. She didn't smile at Tripp. "The queen would like to see you," She held the door opened for him to walk through.
Tripp only knew one queen that he could think of and that Queen Ewena. The queen he had met yesterday on the ship. She didn't like that he was married so why would she take him away from his family.
Tripp followed the woman out of the room into a hall that had windows on one side letting in the morning sun. On the other side of the wall were pictures of past queens. They didn't look happy, but he could be wrong, and they loved every moment of the reign. The woman and Tripp went downstairs before coming to a set of doors. The woman opened the door and Tripp in.
Tripp saw the queen sitting at the head of the table. The table was long and could seat a hundred people, but there were only two places set on the table. The empty place setting was next to the queen and Tripp figured that it was for him.
"Thank Diomira," Queen Ewena said. Diomira nodded and closed the door behind Tripp. "Please take a seat, Commander Tucker," Queen pointed to the chair that was next to her. Tripp slowly made his way to his chair. He took a seat. Someone came out of a corner and offered him what smelled like coffee. He nodded. Another person put food on his plate. The queen waved them away and soon Tripp was left alone with the queen. "Try the cake," She pointed to the cake in the corner of his plate.
Tripp took a bite and found that it was delicious, and he told her so. He saw a smile grace her face for a moment. It didn't reach her eyes. Tripp couldn't think about what she had on her shoulders, and it seemed that she didn't have anyone to share the responsibility with. Even those he felt for her he needed to figure out why he was here and to find a way back to the Enterprise and his family. He had to wonder if T'Pol noticed that he wasn't there. He knew that his family would be having breakfast right. He loved hearing the voices of his children and he was going to miss that if he didn't get off this planet.
"Why I am here?" Tripp asked.
Queen Ewena took a breath. "I need a husband and to produce an heir."
Tripp took another bite of the delicious cake. He had to hold back the words he wanted to say before he said something wrong, and he never saw his family again. "Why me?"
"You were already a father and I saw how much you love your children. You already provided your wife with both a male and female heir. Your wife doesn't need you anymore," Queen Ewena took a drink.
Tripp took a drink of what smelled like coffee and found that it was sweeter than coffee, but he enjoyed the taste of it. He took another sip before speaking. "My wife and children still need me. My wife never planned on raising our children by herself. I have so many things to show my children. I want to watch them grow up and see where life is going to take them. If they have families or find a life in space like their parents."
"You can have that with our children," Queen Ewena whispered.
Tripp shook his head. "I am also showing my children how to love another person. I am showing my son how to treat his spouse or my daughter what love is. I love my wife and I always will. I could never love you like you need."
"I'm not asking you to love me. I just need you to stand by myside and give me heirs."
Tripp took a breath before he started yelling. "Don't you want love?" Tripp asked.
Queen Ewena let out a laugh. "I am a queen, and I don't have time for love."
"I am space explorer, and I thought the same thing," Tripp smiled. "I wasn't looking for love than I met my wife."
"Love at first sight," Queen Ewena mumbled.
Tripp laughed. "No, I didn't like her, and she didn't like me. She didn't like that I would contradict her at every turn. I didn't like her because I felt that her people kept us from space for so long."
"What change?" The queen asked.
"I lost my sister, and she helped me through it," Tripp gave a small smile. "We fell in love with each other, but she didn't want to admit it. I knew that she needed me just as much as I needed her." Tripp felt that he was back on the ship falling in love with his wife again. He missed his wife. He should probably try to contact her to let her know that he was okay. "Don't you want the same?"
The queen looked around the room to make sure that they were truly alone. "I have had that, but we can't have each other. It is the law." The queen mumbled.
"Aren't you the queen, you can change the law," Tripp was getting mad.
"Any law I want to pass has to go through my council," Queen gave a weak smile.
Tripp nodded. "Have you tried before?" He asked.
"When I first became queen," The queen smiled. "Before I was queen, I was somewhat of rebel until the crown was placed on my head. They didn't want a rebel queen and I listened to my advisors too much. Now they are pushing me to get married and produce an heir."
"If you die tomorrow, who is your heir?"
"A third cousin," The queen said. "Who has four daughters, plenty of heirs."
"Why can't you have heirs?" Tripp asked. If she was in love with a man that wasn't right, she could change the law and still marry him. She could still have a child.
The queen looked like she was lost in her memory for a moment before saying. "The person I love is a woman."
"Oh," Tripp mumbled. He took another bite of his food. He had some thinking to do because he wanted to get home to his wife and children. He reached over and patted her hand. "We'll figure things out." The queen only nodded. She didn't believe him.
Tripp entered his room after spending the day with the queen. He could sese that she was a good queen. She cared about her people, and they cared about her. They only want what is best for her. Tripp didn't meet the woman that took the queen's heart. He had a feeling that she was close. He didn't get a chance to ask Queen Ewena about her more. She was married with children or not. Did the woman have feelings for her? He had to make sure he ask her tomorrow at breakfast because it was the only moment that they had to be alone. Breakfast ended with them thinking and they were off from there.
Tripp made his way to the fire that was going. He had to try to contact his wife to let her know that he was alright and what he was doing to help the queen. He found a spot in front of the fire, closed his eyes, and empty his mind only thinking about T'Pol. He just hoped that she was mediating.
Tripp appeared in a white void; he looked around before T'Pol appeared in front of him. She was already in her pajamas. Tripp reached for her and ran a hand over her face. She leaned into his face. She took hold of his hand. She looked in his eyes.
"Are you okay?" T'Pol asked in a quiet voice.
"Yes," Tripp let out a short laugh. "I'm in a castle," Tripp glanced down at his clothes. "Wearing clothes that I would never wear in a million years." T'Pol glanced down at his clothes. Tripp could see the want she had in her eyes. "Do you want me to keep this outfit when I leave?" He lifted her face and looked in her eyes.
"Maybe," T'Pol ran a hand over his chest. Tripp closed his eyes because he missed his wife's touch. Tripp leaned forward and kissed her. She didn't mind one bit. They soon fell into each other like they hadn't seen each other in years.
"We are coming for you," T'Pol said as she laid in his arms.
"I know," Tripp mumbled. "I have to help the queen find her own happiness." T'Pol looked up at him. Tripp looked away for a moment. "She doesn't really want me. They are making her so she can have an heir." T'Pol nodded. "I want to help her find a way."
"Okay," T'Pol said. "We'll be waiting until you are done."
Tripp leaned over and kissed her. "We can still meet up like this." T'Pol nodded. "How are the kids?" Tripp asked. T'Pol told him how the kids are doing. Tripp fell asleep in the arms of his wife.