Betrayal 02

The doctor and princess looked up as he came in. Mykal bowed slightly to the princess, a habit that she had told him a number of times to stop. However, regulations were adamant about proper respect and how it was shown to the various members of the Family. Looking the doctor in the eye, he bowed his head slightly. "How did this psych profile of yours tell you that scaring me out of my skin would be the best way to proceed?"

Jason chuckled and motioned to another chair next to control console. "Sit and I'll explain." Mykal shook his head once. "I'll stand, thank you doctor." He did take a bit more of a relaxed posture, but was obviously waiting for answers.

Jason sighed lightly and picked up a tablet that was sitting on the console. Looking down, he read out loud, "It goes something like this. 'Captain Mykal McDaniel , Age 38, blah, blah, blah, Fine Mecharmor pilot, blah, blah, blah, Near spotless service record. Only blemish is a charge for assaulting a higher ranking officer, a captain when he was a fresh lieutenant, over disparaging and off color remarks about the queen and her daughters. Captain McDaniel is obsessively loyal to the royal family, to the point of fault. Has been passed over for higher command positions as he does not conform to the requirements of military objectivity. Following the direction of the King's policy and not trying to see any other options.'" The doctor looked up from the tablet, "There is more of the same, but I trust you get the gist of it."

Mykal's jaw clenched. "How does this pertain to what happened in there?" Anger began to simmer in his steel grey eyes. The doctor nodded his head towards the princess, "That was her idea."

Forgetting proper protocol, Mykal's eyes snapped over and locked on to hers. The princess gasped slightly and flushed, looking down at her hands to break eye contact. Her voice was very soft as she spoke. "I figured with the way you reacted on Orphus III and what your profile said, if you believed that a royal was in danger, your instincts would take over; let you learn."

Seeing her discomfort triggered something in him; his eyes softened slightly and his jaw relaxed. "While I appreciate the...ah...assistance in trying to help me learn, princess, that is not something that should ever be faked. Not with me." She looked up at him through her eyelashes and nodded slightly.

Looking back to Jason, he snapped back to attention. "If that is all for today Majesties, I am late for a meeting in the hanger bay. " At the doctor's nod, he bowed low to both of them, turned smartly and marched back out of the control room. As the door closed behind the Captain, Brigit let out a breath that she didn't realize she had been holding.

"I am really glad he is on our side." Jason said, looking over at his young niece.

She nodded slightly, "I am too." Thoughts whirled through her head regarding the man who had for all intents and purposes saved her life, on the planet they had left a little more than two months ago. "He is so loyal to our family." A tear fell from her eye, surprising both her uncle and herself. She wiped it away with one hand. "When daddy tells him what happened to the kingdom, it's going to devastate him."

Jason smiled sadly as he reached over and patted his niece's hand. "I think he is made of stronger stuff than that." He looked at Brigit, who was deep in thought, "Yes, disturbingly strong I think."