Fourth Vector Ch. 16

"What's on your mind?" he asked as he raised from the desk and approached the bed. Kat snapped out of her reverie and looked back at him, blinking steadily.

"Oh, nothing, I suppose."

Jack chuckled. "Somehow, I don't believe you. Did you come across more prophecy?" He tapped at her journal.

She shook her head and shut the book. "No, nothing like that."

"What's wrong then? I can tell something's up with you."

Kat opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Instead, she used a finger to grab a lock of her hair, twisting it around it. "It's just . . . I don't even know what to say, Jack. Especially with us getting so close. I really need to . . . to . . . "

"To what?"

She looked at him helplessly. "There's just so much on my mind right now. I don't know if I can get it all out like I'd want to."

Jack frowned. "Do you need time to yourself?"

"Perhaps, but I don't know." She bit her lip. "Maybe I just need a nap or something. Something to clear my thoughts."

"Do you want me to stay with you or do you need me to give you some space?"

Kat looked like she might cry. "Is it okay if I have some space?"

He pulled her in for a hug, letting her blonde hair tickle his nose. "Of course. Does this have to do with us?"

"Yes and no," she said, the sound muffled by his uniform. "Can we talk about it tonight? Just the two of us?"

"No Abigail?"

Kat shook her head. "Not yet."

Jack took a deep breath. "Okay, that's fine. Tonight then." He stood up from the bed, resolving to head to the bridge in order to give her the space she needed. "If you need me for something, just use that spare radio on my desk, all right?"

She nodded quickly, slipping further into bed. She pulled the covers up to her chin. In that moment, she looked so vulnerable, so scared, that Jack didn't want to leave. He wanted to pull her to him and banish whatever demon was disturbing her from the inside. Yet, she didn't want him to comfort her right now. She wanted her space, and he would respect that. He just hoped that whatever was troubling her, she could confide in him about it tonight.

As he closed the door and began to walk to the bridge, he hoped that she wasn't getting second thoughts about joining him on this mission.

Or with being with him.

*****

"So what did you do this time?" asked Greg between magazines as they fired off the stern of theDestiny.

Jack let out a deep sigh and looked over to the marine. "I don't even know. She was fine this morning, at least I think she was. But then this afternoon, she started to get upset over something that she wouldn't talk about. Kat said we'd talk more tonight but that was the last thing I heard before I left."

Greg slipped a new magazine into his NT-12 and began to riddle the target floating out at sea. In their time since coming back aboard theDestiny, they had resumed their shooting practice from the rear of the ship. Even though most of the trip through Andalucia had involved heavy fighting, the last couple weeks had seen peace through the island, and Jack wanted to keep his skills sharp.

"Maybe she's having second thoughts about your whole three-way relationship thing," offered Greg after the new magazine was unloaded. "Maybe she doesn't want Abigail in the picture after all."

Jack shrugged. While the idea did have some weight, it was something that he didn't want to get into too much detail with his friend. The relationship was still novel even to him, and it didn't feel right talking about the specifics with an outsider, even if it was Greg. That kind of stuff was usually kept more private.

"I don't know," said Jack finally. "But she was reading that journal of hers when she got upset. I have to wonder if that has something to do with it?"

"Didn't you say before that she kept pages of prophecy within that book? Maybe she's all worked up about something?"

Jack grunted. "I hope not. I'm tired of hearing the word 'prophecy' anyway. Even with all that's happened in Andalucia, I get the impression that she thinks this prophecy of hers is behind it."

"What if it is? I know you hate the idea of it, but what if there are certain events that are guided along by the fates?" asked Greg.

"Not you too," said Jack with a heavy groan.

Greg started to laugh. "The idea does have some merit. What we've achieved since we've been here is pretty damn remarkable, Jack. We've freed ourselves from certain death in Lishkerra, stopped a civil war and recovered more treasure than we could use in a lifetime in Sorella, and you're now the King of Andalucia, a country we were never supposed to step foot in. Not to mention half the other stuff we've done like completely destroying an Occitanian task force. We've been in the Vector for almost six months at this point. If the fates aren't guiding us along, I doubt we'd have ever made it out of Sorella."

Jack could only grunt in response. "Maybe we're just that good?"

Greg chuckled again. "That I don't doubt but maybe we're being helped along too?"

Jack thought over those last few words for several minutes without offering a rebuttal. He had no way to prove Greg wrong, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted to do that in the first place. Even though the idea made him uncomfortable, he couldn't deny the extraordinary luck they'd had since this mission started. If something or someone was guiding their steps, he could eventually learn to understand that. Kat seemed to believe in it enough to dedicate her life to it.

It still made his traditional Javan sensibilities cringe, but then again, so did having a relationship with two women. If he could accept that, why couldn't he accept something else that he didn't have a concrete answer for?

One thing was for certain—he needed to figure out what was bothering Kat and whether it was related to this prophecy.

*****

That evening, Jack returned to his quarters after some time spent on the bridge. Abigail was the one to relieve him, volunteering to take the first watch to give him some alone time with Kat. He wasn't sure if Kat had talked with her, but Abigail seemed to understand that they would need the time to themselves and willingly give them the space.

He was grateful for that, however, it didn't make his steps any less heavy as he approached the door to his room. Shadows were already growing larger with the setting of the sun, and part of him wondered what awaited him on the other side of the door. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the handle and opened it.

As he expected, Kat was already waiting for him inside. She was sitting upright on his bed, her long legs crossed underneath her body while her journal set open just in front of her. She offered a weak smile upon seeing him, which didn't make him feel any better.

Closing the door behind him, he then approached the bed. "Are you ready to talk?"

Kat nodded. "Will you sit here with me?"

Jack climbed onto the bed and positioned himself directly in front of her. The tension between them was awkward, more than he'd ever felt from her. Up until this point, time spent with Kat had been effortless, so it was an unusual feeling to not know where she stood or what was causing her such distress.

It didn't mean he didn't have time to think about what she could want to discuss. His mind kept coming back to their relationship. It was the one thing he dreaded to hear—that she didn't want to continue being with him, or that she didn't want to share him with someone else. Could he really be forced to pick between the two of them if she forced that decision on him? The thought made his heart pound in his chest, and he was eager to start this discussion.

"This is going to be hard for me, so just bear with me, all right Jack?" she started, taking a deep breath.

"Kat, I have to wonder what this is about. You've had me on edge most of the day. Is this about us?" he asked, gesturing between them.

"It is, in a way," she said cryptically.

Jack gulped hard. "Do you not want to be in a relationship with me? Is this whole arrangement not working for you?"

Kat's eyes locked on his. She gave him a confused look for a moment before she slowly shook her head. "Not at all. I've always known what it meant to be with you and what that would entail. I really like Abigail as a person, and I'm still willing to share you. I find myself with feelings for you that I've never felt for anyone else, so no Jack, this relationship is very much working for me."

Jack tried to withhold it but he didn't succeed when he let out a sigh of relief. He smiled for a brief moment as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, that's a relief."

Kat giggled. "Is that what you thought this was about?"

"Well, yeah, when you said it was about us, I thought this had to be it," he said defensively.

Kat shook her head and then leaned forward, kissing him deeply. "Nothing could change the way I feel about you. Trust me, okay?"

He nodded and then returned the kiss. She melted against him briefly before pulling away and locking eyes with him once more. "This has to do with something else, Jack. Something that I haven't told you."

He looked down at her journal and back at her. "The prophecy?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "I know I've only given you bits and pieces of it so far. That was by design. I had to make sure that the person I was looking for was who I thought he was. When I saw prophecy being fulfilled right in front of my eyes, I had no doubt about it."

"There's that 'he' again," said Jack with a smile. "Are you going to tell me who this 'he' is?"

"Yes, Jack. Now is the time. You deserve to know."

Jack swallowed heavily. "I guess I'm ready to hear this." He didn't see what the big deal was. He knew she was looking to find this person but how did it involve him?

Kat took another long breath. "This person that I've searched for so long to find is of paramount importance. Not only to my people, but to the world. Jack, the person I'm looking for is the Galician King."

He gave her a confused look. "But I thought the Galician kings were dead? Died out completely, right? That's why they have the regent in place since that throne is empty?"

She shook her head. "No, there was a survivor. A boy that was born to the last Galician King, Robert III. The world was told he didn't survive the stress of childbirth, along with his mother, but that wasn't the case. The boy lived."

"Why did they fake his death?"

"There was a plot against the royal family that the king exposed. A plot by some very nasty people to remove them from the throne for their own gain," said Kat. "Robert knew they would target his sons as the embodiment of their future as kings, so he arranged to have one go into hiding to protect him. By separating the family, they ensured its survival. The queen went with the newborn, and the world was told of their deaths. Ultimately, the king was correct. His eldest son was poisoned, and then he was next. The world thought the family line was extinguished."

"What happened to the boy and his mother?" asked Jack.

"They hid themselves on a remote island in Galicia and tried to live a normal life. It was only the wise words of a prophetess that prevented them from pushing the boy forward to claim the throne. It was foretold that the family had to hide so that one day, an important heir could be borne from them, one who would bring back the balance to the world, bring forth freedom to those oppressed, and cast away evil forever."

"Those last lines are from that prophecy that you read to me back in Sorella," said Jack, tapping at her journal. "You're searching for the Galician King with this prophecy."

She nodded. "The important heir has arrived, Jack. He was born almost thirty-six years ago, and he has no idea of his true heritage. I've been tracking him ever since we found out he was the one we'd been waiting for. And I've found him."

He started to shake his head. "Kat . . . "

She slipped her hand onto his. "Jack, it's you that I've been looking for. You are the true heir of the Galician throne. The Galician King is very much alive, and he is you, Jack."

He pulled his hand away from hers. "No, no, no, that can't be right, Kat. Come on, I'm Javan. Who is it that you're really looking for?"

Her sky-blue eyes softened. "Have you never wondered the circumstances of how I came to be attached to your group? Or the true reason why you alone of all your Javan countrymen have blonde hair and blue eyes? That's your ancestry shining through, Jack. You are the great, great, great grandson of that child that was spirited away before he could be killed."

Jack's mind was spinning. It was getting to the point that he could barely keep up with the words Kat was saying. How could she really believe him to be this Galician heir? He was a Javan naval officer, and he spent his whole life there. Until a few months ago, he'd never even heard of Galicia.

There must be some mistake.

"Kat, there has to be some mistake here," he said finally. "I have Javan parents. Everyone I know is from Java. Hell, before our arrival in the Vector, no Easterner had ever been inside the Vector and lived to tell about it. You have the wrong guy."

She shook her head firmly. "There are multiple signs that tell me that I'm right about my suspicions—"

"But, Kat, my parents were Javan. They have dark hair and dark eyes. They couldn't possibly be Galician heirs. I don't exactly know where my features come from, but they were normal Javan folks. I think they would have told me if we were some long forgotten heirs to some throne."

Kat took a deep breath. "That's because they weren't really your actual parents."

Jack blinked. "What? How can you even . . .?" Jack thought back to every memory he had of his parents from when he was growing up. His father taught him how to sail their boat, how to be a man, and how to be brave. His mother was the nurturer, a kind presence who was always there to pick him up when he fell.

How could they have not been my real parents?

"Jack, there's so much to explain. So many details to it. But the people you knew as your parents weren't related to you by blood. When you were born, our enemies found out who you were and what you represented. It was no longer safe to leave you with your real parents. The only place you could be safe was across the ocean in Java. So they took you there. They found a young Javan couple, newly married and having issues with getting pregnant. You were a gift to them, a son of their own, and one they could love. It also put you far out of reach of your enemies, in a land where they could never touch you."

"Just stop. Stop," said Jack firmly. "I don't know where you concocted this story, but I want you to stop, Kat."

She pressed her hand lightly against his face, forcing him to look at her. "Jack, I can't. You need to know this. I've delayed this for too long, but I can't any further. Tomorrow, when we arrive at my house, I'll tell you more. I'll make sure you get the whole story. But trust me, I would never lie to you, Jack. I care about you too much."

His head was still spinning, and he felt like he might lose his dinner. Even though he was so sure of who he was and his life up until that point, now everything had a giant question mark beside it. Especially his parents. He wished he could ask them, but they'd been dead for half his life. What about Jocelyn though? His sister?

"My sister Jocelyn? What of her?"

Kat shook her head. "She's actually their child, related by blood. Which means, she's not actually your sister."

"Not even Jocelyn," he whispered. Of course not, not with her dark features. How didn't he see it before? The only one with his light skin, hair and eyes in his entire family. How had he never pieced it together before that he was different?

Or was he truly different? Was she telling him the truth?

"What purpose is this for, Kat?" he asked, clutching his upset stomach. "What is to become of me?"

She raised her chin when she looked at him. "Your purpose will be to reclaim your throne. I won't stop this until I've seen you take your rightful place as King of Galicia. You will have a lot of enemies along the way. The Swabians will not permit a king to reemerge in the lands of their traditional enemy. Not to mention, there are many in Galicia that won't want to see the status quo changed. I fear we have a great conflict ahead of us, and you are destined to lead us through that conflict."

"Me? Why me?"

"It's been foretold through prophecy, Jack," said Kat as she tapped at the lines of prophecy in front of her. "The world has waited a long time for your coming. Even hundreds of years ago, there were those that were so frightened by the prospect of your coming that they tried to prevent it from happening. They tried to kill off the Galician royal family and nearly succeeded. Multiple generations of your family have stayed hidden, looking to keep you safe and to maintain the bloodline just so you could be born. And now here you are."

She softly caressed his cheek once more. "You're the person we've all been waiting on. You're the king, Jack. Not just of Andalucia, but of Galicia."

He shook his head and pushed her hand away. "I don't even know what to say to you now, Kat," he whispered hoarsely.

"I'm so sorry, Jack," she said. "I know this is a lot for you. There will be more tomorrow when we get there to Picardy."

"How much more? I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Kat swallowed. "There's two things waiting for you in my home. Something that belongs to you, and . . . someone that you need to meet."

"Who?"

She shook her head. "Tomorrow. I've thrown enough at you tonight. I'm sorry it had to be this way, Jack. I should have told you sooner."

"Yes, you should," he said angrily. "How could you have spent this much time with me and not told me? Hell, Kat, we've been intimate together." Jack recoiled from her and pushed off from the bed. "How the hell do you do that while keeping this secret from me?"

A tear slipped down her cheek. "It wasn't easy. I'm sorry, I know how confused you must be. I had to be sure it was really you. When you freed the slaves in Andalucia, it only just confirmed it for me. I was so scared to tell you, scared of what you might think. Not only of the prophecy but of me."

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You still should have told me sooner, Kat."

"I know. I'm sorry, Jack." Tears were flowing freely now. "I can give you some time to yourself to process this. I'll go sleep in Vera's room tonight. Maybe we can talk in the morning?"

"Fine," he muttered, crossing his arms. She leaned in to kiss his cheek before wiping her tears once more. In the next moment, she was gone, leaving the room with the subtle sound of the door closing.

Jack laid back against his bed. It was more out of necessity than anything as the contents of his stomach threatened to empty.This just couldn't be right. It would mean everything that he'd known about his life was a complete lie. His family wasn't even his own, just people with no connection to him at all, maintaining a falsity for his entire life. He wondered if Jocelyn even knew. Growing up, they'd been very close so part of him had to question if she could really hide something of that magnitude from him. Why hadn't his parents told him? Perhaps they'd been waiting for the right time, yet that accident that killed them prevented the news from reaching him.

In a way, it made sense. Greg's words from earlier rang through his head. Kat truly believed that this prophecy was guiding them, and for him, it was guiding his entire life. Even back to some ancestors so far back that he didn't even know they'd existed.

And now I'm supposed to take the throne of a country I've never been to and save the world?