Five
Kajo
I bowed low over Princess Ceritha’s hand. She was quite a beauty, but her blue eyes sparked respect and a small bit of spirited resentment as she bowed before me. I pulled Daphne forward. “Welcome, Princess Ceritha. I would like to present Queen Daphne, and my son, Seanos.” Daphne smiled, that glowing smile that I loved and held our rather plump and incredibly strong son up for Ceritha to coo over. Axis bowed and then grabbed my arm in brotherly camaraderie as the women stepped to the side.
“Seanos looks well, my King.”
“Yes, thank you. He is quite accelerated, for a three-month-old.”
“How are you finding fatherhood?”
I tilted my head as I looked at my beloved Destin and our child, named for her step-brother back on Earth and smiled. “It’s something I never thought I would have…” I watched Axis as he looked at Ceritha and I was a bit puzzled by the shifting of expressions on his face. There was a bit of bewilderment, understanding, reluctance, hope, sadness, and then, perhaps, fear? Fear of what?
“And how about you, Commander Axis? How goes it so far, with the Princess?” I stepped aside further so we could be out of earshot of the women.
“There is something so enigmatic about her, but she is certainly, as you said, spirited and fun, my lord. It will take some convincing, but I am doing my best…”
“See that you do. We have word that the there will be troubles on your shores that not even Ceritha can fix. There should be harmony in your household on all sides when it comes to that.” I signaled for Jase to meet us as he and Vania entered the hall. Vania and Daphne embraced and Daphne took care of introductions of Ceritha to the other Earthling. I smiled at her across the distance: I can rely on my Queen for everything.
“Your majesty?” Jase said, bowing slightly. He shook Axis’s hand and tossed his head toward the women. “How goes it?”
“She is spirited, indeed.”
Jase laughed, short, but still full of mirth. “It will all work out, you’ll see.”
“All right,” I growled at them. Enough of the fun. “There is word that Captain Gorgin is amassing a navy. He is, at this time, setting his sights on the Bristola ports, however, that just paves the way to inland routes toward my throne.”
Axis furrowed his brow and shook his head. “We have heard these rumors, but surely the pirates will not allow themselves to be so organized. Pirate Captains do not fly under one flag, they fly under many.”
“The blue flu in the oceans is making it difficult for them to provide for their people. They are having to look at alternate options for sustenance right now.” I tried hard to not make the words an accusation but knew that Axis might take it as such. Protecting the crops that the oceans produced were part of his responsibility, his obligation. Granted, we were working through the process now, and Ceritha was his best bet, but the fact that the blue had gotten so out of hand and was leading troubles to my own hearth… A bit of righteous anger stirred within me, at both Jase and Axis. I tried to control my scowl, knowing how it made the scar over my eye quiver… Axis had been placing his alliances toward Jase, and not toward his own people or toward the great Farian Empire as a whole… Oh well. Time to fix it. Time for me, as always, to fix it.
“Two scientists have accompanied Princess Ceritha. We have a game plan for analyzing and curing the blue flu that should take a matter of weeks, a restoration process that will take mere months. I know that damage has been done, King Kajo, but we will fix it with as much exigency as possible.” Axis bowed slightly with his last words.
“I trust that you shall. In the meantime, we must worry that Gorgin and his troops will start attacking our ports. We must be ready for that, as well. There is also concern that he will capture Ceritha.”
Axis threw a sharp look toward his Princess. “What? What fr”
“Is it true that the Serpuls can communicate with the ocean animals? That they once used them for war steeds?”
“Yes.” Axis’s look was faraway as he answered. He rubbed his hands together, as if feeling something in his palm that we couldn’t see. “I have witnessed it.”
“Well, Gorgin seems to know it is true, too. He wants to use Ceritha to boost his navy’s ability to take over the Bristola Oceans. He will capture her and use her abilities. Or make her teach him how to use them. You must protect your Queen, before she is even yours.”
Axis nodded solemnly. “I will.”
“Good, then. I will send three of my Special Operations Twelve forces with you. Once you have word of pirate attacks, they can be in those particular port cities to bolster your defenses. I will have more on high alert, should you need them.”
“Thank you, your highness.”
“Protecting your lands is protecting mine, as well.” I looked back toward Daphne and Seanos. It was about protecting so much more than land for me, now. I hoped Axis would understand that one day, and, hopefully, soon feel that for Ceritha.
Six
Gorgin
“Ceritha. Her name Ceritha, Cap’n.”
“What she look like?” I squeezed the rest of the fruit into my cup and looked out at the rising sun. Hofer, my First Mate, handed me the whiskey bottle. He knew me too well.
“Red hair, blues eyes. Some say she damn fine-looking. She a Princess, sir. Course she fine.”
“Some Princesses ain’t. Just cuz you royalty don’t mean you fine. Don’t mean you noble, neither.”
“This’un is. This Princess… They say she saves animals. She passionate. She fiery and spirited. She never take a man before, Cap’n. Never. She all about saving the animals. All about the mission.”
“A do-gooder, huh?” I matched the amount of fruit
