Fourth Vector Ch. 14

George raised his chin. "If you say." The crown prince then laughed and slapped him on the back, a move that greatly annoyed the admiral. "I'm soglad to have you so close to us in the palace, Bancroft. I never saw you when you were locked away in the Admiralty. Now you are so close to me that I get to see you every day. How delightful it is to see you working!"

Bancroft managed a polite smile, knowing the true meaning behind George's words. The crown prince enjoyed having him so close so that he could keep an eye on him. He enjoyed rubbing his decadence in Bancroft's face, reminding him of his power over him. It was almost as exciting for him as the little performance he'd just witnessed.

George didn't wait for Bancroft's response, only clapping the man on the back with a chuckle before waltzing back down the palace hallway toward his own quarters. Bancroft watched him leave. How much he would love to see a knife slip between that man's ribs. That would be one form of thrusting that the admiral would enjoy. The only way it would be better was if he could do the emperor right after. That way he could kill the old man only after he knew his son and heir was already dead.

"Did he want anything in particular this time around?"

Bancroft turned to find Clark back at his desk. The deputy nodded off toward the crown prince's direction, already with mild curiosity in his eyes.

"Only the usual," muttered Bancroft. "To lord over me with his level of power. He seems quite content to play the jailer to my detainee. Don't let all the marble and gold go to your head, Clark. For this is indeed a prison here."

Clark moved a little closer and lowered his voice. "I hope you're not planning on scheming again. The stakes are too high."

"In here they are," whispered Bancroft. "Outside the palace?" He shrugged.

"It's words like that which will get you hanged," whispered Clark. "And me with you."

"Stop worrying. No one is going to be hanged, least of all the two of us," said the admiral. "I'll play along with George's rules for the time being. I can control my temper."

Clark gave him an arched look, one that was heavy with doubt.

"You don't believe me?" Bancroft asked with a sneer. "I waited years to take the Admiralty, and now I hold it entirely within my grasp. The entire navy answers to me, Clark. I won't let some limp-wristed fool with a taste for pornography lord over me for very long. George and his father will hear me roar when the time is right. I can promise you that."

*****

Somehow, the only visible ray of light in the entire room had made its way directly to Jack's face, almost blinding him once he cracked his eyelid. Shielding his face from the light, he shifted his weight on the bed, taking the moment to move away from the subtle announcement of dawn. In doing so, he brushed up against Kat's body, causing her to stir.

"So early still," she muttered against him as her limbs stretched out above her head.

Jack smiled and leaned in to kiss her bare shoulder. "Unfortunately, the day is going to start whether we want it to or not."

Kat let out a disappointed sigh. "Can you at least ask it for five more minutes before it begins?"

He shook his head and kissed her body again, this one right behind her shoulder blade. "Nope, but I can make that five minutes more relaxing than usual."

She giggled and shifted, turning to face him. Her sleepy, sky-blue eyes soon settled on him as she pushed in closer. "I bet you have a number of ideas how to do that, don't you?"

"With you, a whole host of them come to mind. Would you like to hear?"

Kat brought her finger to her chin as she playfully considered his idea. After several moments, she shook her head. "Not yet at least. We have a busy morning today, don't we?"

Jack scowled. "I was hoping to forget about that temporarily."

"Just because you might be able to forget doesn't mean this country is going to miss the opportunity of seeing their new king coronated." Kat leaned in to kiss him sweetly.

He pushed into the kiss eagerly, causing Kat to lean back on the bed. He straddled her body and resumed the kiss, this time earning a lot more passion from her as her arms circled around his neck. Her tongue was the first to slip into his mouth, greeting his own in a tender display of desire before she pulled away. "Try as you might, Your Majesty, I think you'll find that you can't coax me into any naughtiness so easily. Even if you do have me in your royal chambers."

She then locked her legs around him and tried to roll, so that now it was Jack who was on his back. She gave him one more chaste kiss before sliding out of bed, stretching out fully once her feet were planted on the floor. Jack watched her move, taking in the small amount of clothes she had on with noticeable desire. She wore a white tank top and a tiny pair of gray shorts to bed, clothing that was usually far removed from the heavily-covered forest-green outfit she usually wore. Not that he was complaining, although in his opinion, she was still far too dressed for his bed.

That thought must have been easily readable on his face because Kat looked down at him to giggle a moment later. "I'm not trying to tease you, I promise. I know you have a busy morning set up, but perhaps afterwards we can have our time for fun?"

"I'm going to hold you to that," he said with an arched eyebrow as he pushed his way out of bed. Kat soon slipped into his arms and pressed a deep kiss against his lips.

"I never forget a promise," she whispered as soon as the kiss broke. "But for now, I must get dressed." With a sly wink, she slipped out of his chambers while giving him a look that brought some serious heat to his loins.

This would be the fourth day he'd spent with Kat since rescuing her from the slave pens of the former king, Vertulis. And they wasted no time making up for the long absence apart. The very first night, after spending nearly the entire evening catching up, Kat surprised him by slipping into his sleeping bag, her only request that he hold her tightly until morning. He fulfilled that promise and the one of the next night, after they had finally arrived in Septhada and took up residence in the royal palace.

The next two nights had been more heated, with intense kissing and rubbing but no farther than that. Kat was still a virgin after all, and for the time being, she was content to move at her own pace. He didn't mind one bit, only happy that he was able to have his reunion with her in the first place. There were too many times in the previous month where he wondered if he'd ever see her again. Just having Kat in his arms was enough for now, and he would move at the pace she decided to set.

Jack moved from the bed to the large, ornate wardrobe to begin getting dressed. It was still a lot to take in, being in the chambers of the king. The private quarters of the Andalucian king were a gilded affair to say the least. Just about everything that he could see had some form of gold inlaid in some way. Strips of gold interlaced around the corners of the wardrobe, coming together in intricate designs at the edges. The tile below him was lined with gold on the sides, with the other colors being many shades of blue. Even his bed had golden sheets, a luxury Jack was sure had to have come far from Andalucia.

It all took some getting used to, especially as he passed over several colorful robes and pieces to put on his main Javan naval uniform, still not feeling comfortable at being called king. What man would be after so suddenly being thrust into this role almost overnight? Jack was still having trouble not correcting people when they greeted him with "Your Majesty." And now the entire country looked to him for leadership. It would take some time before he could acknowledge that level of power in a largely foreign country.

There was suddenly an insistent knocking at his door. Before Jack could cross the length of the room to open it, a small, beady-eyed man entered, whom he quickly recognized as one of Vertulis' viziers, Bazu.

"Good morning, Your Majesty. I trust you slept well last night?" Bazu bowed with a deep flourish, placing his head against the golden tile before arising once more.

"Hello, Bazu. I slept well, thank you. And you?" Jack still had no idea how royalty treated their servants, a notion that became quickly apparent by the look of shock on Bazu's face.

"I'm q-quite well, Your Majesty," said a shocked Bazu. "Thank you! No one ever asks how I'm doing."

Jack shot him a funny look. "That seems quite unusual for someone who held the position of vizier here, don't you think?"

Bazu let out an amused chuckle. "Your predecessor wasn't one for normal pleasantries. Or much of anything for that matter. He was much more reserved."

"I'm afraid I didn't know much about him to be truthful. Out of two times I met him, the last time was when I killed him," said Jack with a shrug.

"Such is common for most Andalucian kings, Your Majesty," said Bazu before giving a frightened shake. "Remind me to tell you the story someday of how Vertulis took the throne."

Jack grinned. "Will do." He liked Bazu, but he got the impression that the vizier had been severely mistreated by the former sovereign. So far, he found him a generally pleasant individual for a courtier, although his insecurities seemed to ring truest when he'd been rebuked. It was one of many things he'd have to help the man get over.

"Sire, you're not planning to go out in that, are you?" asked Bazu, giving him a distasteful once-over.

Jack looked down at himself. "What's wrong with my uniform?"

"Sire, I'm not sure what country you came from before, but if you're going to be the King of Andalucia, you need to look the part. Hold on a minute," said Bazu before going diving into his wardrobe. "I know just the thing to make this work."

It was for that reason that fifteen minutes later, Jack entered the main receiving hall of the Andalucian King dressed in the soft, silk garments he'd just so recently been chastising in his mind. His footing was unsure, believing that anyone who saw him in such attire would no doubt find it comical. That was demonstrated shortly before arriving at the throne when he ran into Greg, wearing his own uniform, as well as Kat, resplendent in her own forest green clothing.

"Well, would you look at that," said Greg with a contained laugh. "I never thought I'd see the day. You look all kinds of fancy, Your Majesty."

"If you have any more choice words, you should save them," growled Jack. "I already feel ridiculous wearing all this."

Kat beamed with a smile. "You look incredible. Like a true king. Even if it is King of Andalucia." She slipped into his arms and kissed him.

"I feel more like the court jester. But Bazu wouldn't let me leave the room without changing."

"You're aware that you're the king, right, Jack?" asked Greg with an arched eyebrow. "If you wanted to cook Bazu up and eat him, no one would say otherwise."

That was an interesting visual and it caused a laugh on Jack's part. "Bazu has been helpful so far. If he thinks it's better to go out dressed like a king and not a naval officer, then that's what we'll do. If I have to lead over these people, I can at least pretend to honor their customs."

"Spoken like a true king," said Kat with a healthy amount of adoration in her eyes.

Jack thumbed his hand in her direction. "At least she believes in me."

Greg chuckled. "Give me time. I'll get there. Hopefully."

The three of them proceeded into the throne room which was set up with one elongated hallway with seating on each side of a central corridor. At the end of the corridor was a raised dais, set three steps off the ground. On it was perched the throne of the king, another spectacularly golden affair no doubt coming from the mines of the country.

In the front seats were various officials and dignities, all those that made their home at Septhada as officials of the king, and there to witness the crowning of a new sovereign. That particular item was on its own podium just in front of the throne, a large crown with golden leaves on every side.

It was a surreal feeling for Jack. The last time he'd been in this room, he was being yelled at by Vertulis and told to leave the city. Now he was here to be crowned. Not unusual for Andalucian politics, he was sure, but he did find it ironic.

Bazu appeared behind him, softly clearing his throat to grab his attention. "Your Majesty, have you given any thought to who would crown you?"

"Crown me?" asked Jack. "Don't I just pick it up and put it on my head?"

Bazu stifled a laugh. "No, sire. Typically someone within your clan does the honors. Someone that's important to who you are or helped you get to where you are today. Some chiefs choose to have their women crown them or some their kin. What is your preference?"

Jack looked back at Greg and Kat, not surprised to find Greg's hands already up in front of him. "Not me please."

Jack chuckled. "I wasn't going to ask you anyway." He then turned to Kat. "Will you do me the honors?"

She beamed. "Of course. I daresay I don't have much practice crowning kings though."

"Good," he said with a laugh. "I don't have much practice being king. We'll be two peas in a pod."

The crowning ceremony started a moment later as the procession began, which involved Jack taking his seat on the throne, a wholly uncomfortable seat that was much too big for his body. He found the rest of the congregation staring at him as soon as he was seated, many of them seeing him for the first time while the others were still determining what to make of their new foreign king.

Bazu led the procession afterwards, invoking the Andalucian gods of old, timeless customs, and an exhaustively-long list of all the kings who had come before him. By the time that Jack had started to squirm on the throne, it was time for him to be crowned.

"Your Majesty, Jack Easterbrook of Andalucia, come forth and seek your crown," boomed Bazu in a confident voice.

Jack sprung to his feet and approached the podium, looking down at the crown of the king. In the corner of his eye, he could see Kat quickly approaching him, stopping by his side as her fingers wrapped around the golden crown.

"Can you bend down a little?" she whispered cutely, her arms not quite long enough to place the crown on his head.

He stifled a chuckle as he bent his knees, enabling her to stick the crown directly on his head. Almost as soon as the crown was in place, the entire congregation belted out in one voice, "Long live the king!"

What followed next was quite the display. One by one, every single servant in the palace came before Jack and descended to their knees, offering prayers for his good fortune. All of them moved to a prostrate position in front of him, and even a few pressed their lips to his feet, a feeling that never became comfortable or familiar. The only thing that Jack could think during the entire ceremony was that all of these people now looked to him for leadership. He still had a mission of his own to manage. Could he be an officer and a king at the same time?

Once the crown was firmly in place, there came time for Jack to meet an assembled group of clan chiefs. Not all the clan chiefs in Andalucia were present, only those with territories close enough to Septhada that they could make it on short notice to attend the coronation. For that matter, only three chiefs kneeled before him to offer prayers, and Jack wasted no time in finding out who they were.

"Your Majesty, a prayer for your good fortune," said the first man, a fierce-looking warrior clothed entirely in black. "You can call me Bardo. I'm the clan chief of theUthmada clan."

"Well met, Bardo," said Jack, gesturing for him to rise. "Thank you for coming."

"And thank you for having me," said Bardo. "The previous king and I didn't always see eye-to-eye. I'm looking forward to your rule, Your Majesty. May it be blessed with peace."

Jack nodded his head, wondering what kind of disagreements the man may have had with Vertulis. He didn't have long to wonder before the next man, a greatly-aged chief dropped to his knees while taking Jack's hand in his.

"A thousand blessings be upon you, Your Majesty. I am called Ahsan. My clan is theWethusa, and you won't find mightier warriors in all of Andalucia."

"Welcome, Ahsan," said Jack. "And I hope to not need such mighty warriors in the days to come. Although I can appreciate that they are on our side."

Ahsan looked pleased by that comment, bowing his head further and then releasing Jack's hand.

The last clan chief bowed shortly after that. Jack noticed the man appeared to be similar in age to him, with coarse, dark hair and deep brown eyes. He was noticeably missing his left arm, with only a crippled stump remaining at the base of his shoulder.

"You can call me Piosan, Your Majesty," boomed the clan chief with pride. "I have the honor of leading the oldest clan in Andalucia. TheMarkessa are my own, descended from the gods to inhabit the land before all other clans."

"That's a story you'll have to tell me at some point, Piosan," said Jack with a smile. "I'm unfamiliar with your gods, and I wouldn't mind hearing about the origins of your clan."

Piosan smiled briefly. "The honor would be all mine."

"I was hoping to meet more of the clan chiefs at this event," said Jack while gesturing to the rows of empty seats behind the three men. "But several of the clans are still making their way north. As well as others still further away."

"I'm sure with enough time, they'll make their way to pay homage to you, Your Majesty," said Piosan. "Especially if you are theTur'hava."

"I hope so," muttered Jack, even as part of him still doubted this whole prophecy about him being this long foretold king suddenly come to change their society. He'd learned to stop questioning it, at least around the Andalucians. Almost all of them seemed to be convinced of who he was in relation to the prophecy that to question it in front of them only made them upset. For that reason, he kept his doubts largely to himself.

"Will you stay long in Septhada?" asked Jack, changing the subject. "Or will you be getting back to your clans?"

"We'll stay for another day or so before departing, Your Majesty," said Ahsan. "If you leave the clans for too long on their own, you usually return to find troublemakers."

Jack chuckled. "I feel the same way about my ships."

"If it's all right with you, sire, we'll take our leave now," said Bardo. "We're sure you have much to address as the new king. Following Vertulis is not an enviable position."

"Very well," said Jack with a nod, unsure of what to say to them now.How do you say goodbye to your vassals? "Please let me know when you do leave and . . . may the gods watch over you."

Despite how unwieldy it sounded in his mouth, the three chiefs nodded and soon left the room without any awkwardness. Once they were gone, Jack let out a low sigh and removed the crown from his head, moving back to his personal chambers. The ceremony had taken up the better part of the morning, and judging by the sun's position outside, it was nearing the lunch hour.

Thankfully, Bazu was seen right near his door while carrying a list of scrolls. He bowed deeply at the sight of Jack. "Sire, there you are. I have a small mountain of reports for you if you're able to go over them with me?"

Jack let out another sigh. "I really was hoping to get a bite to eat first. I'm famished, Bazu."

"Of course, Your Majesty. I'll have someone fetch you something from the kitchens at once."

"No need for that," said Jack while waving his hands. "Just come with me. I'm more than capable of grabbing my own food."