Fourth Vector Ch. 19

He'd never seen a more beautiful woman in his entire life.

Kat saw the way he looked at her and bit her lip. She lowered her head meekly. "Is this too much?"

Jack shook his head quickly. "No way. I wish you'd wear that every day, to be honest. You look gorgeous, Kat."

Kat beamed with a smile. "I never knew when I might be able to wear this again. This was part of my identity as Galician Regent. As you can imagine, I had to store it when I was hiding, lest it make me an attractive target for my cousin's assassins."

"So why now? What made you decide to wear it now?"

Kat shrugged. "If we are to get a quick audience with Reina, I need to look the part. What better way to gain entrance than to have the rightful Galician Regent and the King of Andalucia in your city and wanting to meet with you?"

Jack grinned. "You make a good point. I suppose we'll keep my other identity under wraps for now?"

"Until we need it," she said quickly. "But I would bring your sword just in case. We never know who might try to stop us."

Jack tapped his side, revealing the Galician sword. "Already one step in front of you."

Kat smiled and looked back out to the port. Her hand crept into his, and she took a deep, slow breath. "Are you ready?"

Jack nodded. "As ready as I can be."

The two of them made their way to the gangplank where Dustin was already waiting with another five marines. He nodded as soon as they arrived, quickly thumbing back to the other men.

"Five of the best marines in the entire regiment," said Dustin, as Jack's eyes looked over all of them. They were tall men, all nearly as tall as he was. Their blank, grim faces looked ready to carry out any order, no matter the cost.

"Excellent job," said Jack. "Let's get moving."

The eight of them descended to the main dock, all shouldering their belongings on their backs. They weren't packed lightly by any means, and Kat explained that once they were past the port, they could hire horses to take them to the capital city. Before they could do that though, they'd have to get past the port officials.

"Names and reason for business," said the portly official, sizing up the entire group. He looked twice as long at Kat, something that Jack couldn't fault him for. She just looked important for one, and he doubted the man had ever seen a woman that looked as beautiful as she did.

"Katherine Rosdahl, Regent of Galicia," she said clearly, her confident voice ringing out. "With me is Jack Easterbrook, King of Andalucia." She gestured to Jack, and he made a half step forward. The official's eyes went wide at hearing the titles, and he quickly sized up Jack as well. Jack did his best to appear regal, wondering if the man would ever accept that he was king.

"We're here to see your queen," finished Kat. "The rest of these men are our servants and guards." Jack watched Dustin rankle slightly at being called a servant, and he tried hard to contain a smile.

The official started to stammer. "R-Regent of Galicia? And the Andalucian King? What-what could be the purpose?"

"To see your queen," repeated Kat with a serious look. "Are you going to let us pass? I'd hate to be late to Reina's court."

Jack was surprised at how quickly the official prepared their entry passes. He'd never seen a man write faster. No sooner had the man stopped stammering did they have their passes. "Here you go, keep these with you for your d-duration in the country. You can purchase horses at the main stable just beyond the main gate for your trip to Polana."

Kat rewarded him with a devastating smile. "Thank you so much for your aid," she said sweetly as they began to march past him.

The official kept his eyes on her long after they marched past. Jack slipped in tight against her. "That was slightly evil of you."

She giggled. "I'm not above using my official persona to aid my progress. Nor my feminine wiles."

He raised an eyebrow. "How much of your feminine wiles did you use on me, hmm?"

She turned to look at him and winked. "None. That's how I know we were meant to be together."

Jack chuckled. "Good answer, I suppose."

They came upon the main stable next, and Jack used his own treasury funds to purchase eight horses for the trip to the capital. Once they were all loaded up and ready to go, the entire group set out on the main road for Polana.

Despite the flatness of the country, it was beautiful scenery on the way to the capital. For Jack, the entire country seemed to be one large, rolling meadow, devoid of trees or cliffs, and full of wildlife. Chief among that wildlife were the horses, many of them grazing in herds under a cloudless sky.

"It almost seems surreal, doesn't it?" asked Jack, gesturing out to the picturesque countryside as he and Kat lagged behind the others. "To have a country so full of tension yet to have it be so beautiful."

Kat smiled and nodded. "Carinthia was always one of my favorite places to go. I've been here on several state visits with my father over the years. The last one was two years before he died. The whole country has a habit of making you feel at peace. Who wouldn't feel that way after spending time in the countryside?"

"I imagine their prowess for cavalry comes from all the horses in the country?"

"It's always been that way," said Kat. "In that last major war, the Fourth Swabian War, the Carinthians provided all the cavalry. They are natural horsemen, well-accustomed to the saddle from a young age. Most boys and girls learn by the age of six. In that war, they still fought mostly armed with spears or bows, but since then, their cavalry has mostly been armed with rifles. They are extremely potent, but it's obvious that all the talent goes into the cavalry. The army is noticeably second-rate in comparison but still very competent."

"What about the navy? We saw that ship sink pretty quickly in Daban harbor," said Jack before turning to look at Kat. "How formidable are their ships?"

"They aren't Galician ships, that's for sure," said Kat with a small smirk. "Nor Javan for that matter. But the navy gets a considerable amount of talent. It's not entirely large but the force they can put together is professional. They are extremely dependable allies."

"All the more reason not to let this war develop. We would have a need for good cavalry," noted Jack as they passed a small herd of horses not far from the road.

Kat smiled. "I've always found Reina to be a reasonable woman. She's been on the throne for almost fifteen years. She's in her early-forties and I've always found her to be a sister-like figure to me when I was growing up. It was no coincidence that I wanted to try to mediate this war. I know if anyone is likely to give me a chance, it would be Reina."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Even if you're not officially the regent anymore? We saw how Aedan tiptoed around the subject in regards to your cousin. Is she still liable to give us an audience in light of the reality of Galician politics?"

Kat pursed her lips. "It's the best chance we have. I don't know where Reina's head is on that subject, but I think we have the best chance of success with her." When Jack didn't respond, she reached out to grab his hand. "I'm sorry, Jack. I know that's not the fully confident answer you wanted to hear."

He shook his head. "It's okay. I kind of figured as much anyway."

"She would listen to you though," said Kat quietly. "One glimpse of that sword will tell her all she needs to know. She owes her allegiance to the rightful King of Galicia. The rightful king is the overlord of all the western countries. If you so much as brandish that sword, she will comply."

"You think it will be that easy?" he asked.

"It could be and it should be," said Kat with confidence. "Carinthians are a very honorable people. They almost always do the right thing, no matter what the cost. As you can imagine, that can be difficult to work with at times. It's incredibly hard to find a Carinthian who will tell a lie, even a tiny white one to save your feelings. However, that also means they hold their word in high regard. If a Carinthian promises you something, it's as good as gold."

Jack felt a small shiver run down his spine. "So if they promised the Picards a war, what are our chances of dissuading them?"

Kat grimaced. "Small. That's why we need to get to Reina. She's the only one that can help see us through this."

Jack nodded and then turned his attention back to the road. All of this hinged on Reina. He just hoped it wasn't too late.

*****

Less than two hours later, Jack got his first sight of the Carinthian capital city of Polana.

To call it magnificent wouldn't do it the proper justice. The very first thing they came upon was an old stone bridge covering a river that passed by the entrance to the city. At this time in the year, the river was mostly bare, allowing Jack to get a good look at the base of the bridge buried into the riverbed. The majestic stone pillars set the tone for the architecture of the city, even though they were normally meant to be hidden by the river.

Across from the bridge was a stone wall that marked the entrance to the city. The stone was dark gray in color, with towers spaced evenly across the entire length. Just beyond the gates were various structures all of differing heights and designs, but all of them having the same intricate stonework at the apex of the towers.

Jack couldn't help but gawk at the scenery. A more beautiful city than Daban it was, and he struggled to find any equivalent for it back in Java. However, one question did stand out in his mind.

"Kat, where did they get all this stone?" he asked as they crossed the bridge. "This country is as flat as they come. How did they get the stone here?"

"There's a major quarry some hundred miles from the city," answered Kat. "It all had to be carted or pulled here to make these buildings."

"Several hundred miles?" exclaimed Jack. "They wanted this stonework that badly?"

Kat smiled. "Appearances are important to the Carinthians. You'll understand when we meet more of them. They can be a peculiar sort of people."

Her words were right on target, especially when they approached the gated entrance to the city. The gate was marked by a giant flag hanging off the main rampart of the gate, a yellow and white blocked flag with a red emblem in the middle. The emblem had a golden horse in mid-stride across the flag while a crown draped the top. There was no more visual sign of the priorities of the Carinthian people.

The guard who stopped them was dressed in modern military garb, and Jack wasn't surprised to see a bolt-action rifle, similar to the ones the Swabians had. Upon seeing their party approach, the guard's eyes went wide. He stepped aside from the gate, permitting them a wide berth.

"Welcome to Polana, Your Highness," he said to Kat, dipping in a deep bow before turning his attention to Jack. "And to you as well, Your Majesty."

Kat shot Jack a surprised look before she turned to face the guard. "Word travels quickly in Carinthia."

The guard nodded. "We got word from the port no more than an hour ago. Queen Reina sends her regards and bids you both to come straight to the palace. Will you be needing an escort?"

"That's quite all right, we can manage it from here," said Kat with an easy smile. "But we thank you for your hospitality."

The guard saluted her and moved to the side, allowing them to pass through quite easily.

"That was almost too easy," said Dustin once they were on the other side. "I'm already liking this place much better than Picardy."

Kat started to laugh. "You wouldn't be the first. There's a reason many people like to come to Carinthia. Just don't get them riled up and they are an easy people to deal with." She then turned to Jack. "At least it appears our gambit with our identities worked with Reina."

"Hopefully it continues to go this easily," he said with a chuckle.

Kat led them to the queen's palace, easily the most beautiful structure in the entire city. Even though it was made of stone, it didn't carry any harsh edges. Instead, it had been masterfully worked to flow from one piece to another, making space for wide, large windows that covered every few feet of the front facade. Curiously enough, the structure wasn't as large as it was grand, but the thing that caught Jack's eyes were the grounds of the palace itself. It was like a miniature forest covered the middle of the city, with ancient trees and meadows that dominated the entire property.

"It appears they aren't much for structures," noted Jack as they approached the entrance. "But I do love the grounds."

"It's one of the only places with trees for miles and miles," said Kat. "It's like their own personal forests. I've always loved it there growing up. They call that land the Grove."

She had scarcely stopped talking when they came upon the palace guards, who permitted them entrance into the grand hallway of the structure. Instantly, they were surrounded by people—servants in their dark-colored livery and ambassadors in their fine and often exotic outfits. Jack took it all in as they were led to Reina's quarters, and many of them turned their attention to them as well. He was surprised that many of them seemed to be just as focused on him as they were on Kat, despite her making the much more attractive visual, at least in his opinion.

"Many of them are staring at me," he whispered into her ear. "Do you think word has gone through the palace?"

"It's possible," she whispered in return. "Word tends to travel quickly in this city."

He nodded without responding, and Jack turned his attention back to the servant in front of them. He kept following the man through the palace as he largely tried to block out the stares and the attention. However, one man in particular caught his eye despite his best intentions. Mostly it was because the man was blond like himself. He was tall as well, and he appeared to be looking at Jack for a long time before his eyes finally returned the favor. When his gaze locked on the man, Jack didn't like what he saw.

"Who do you think that is?" he asked, gently touching Kat's shoulder.

"Who?" she asked, no doubt distracted by the many people. Her head seemed to bob around looking for the object of his question.

"That one back there. With the blond hair. That man with the odd look," said Jack, pointing back to the direction of the man. The only problem was that he was already gone.

"I don't see anyone," she said in a confused tone.

Jack grimaced. "He was there just a moment ago."

"You said blond hair though? He may be a Galician ambassador," she said simply.

"Someone to worry about?"

She shrugged. "Possibly. We'll just have to keep our guard up. Unfortunately, there's no way to avoid him at this point."

Jack pursed his lips. "As long as we don't alert your cousin to what we're doing."

Before Kat had a chance to respond, the servant in front of them threw open the doors to a grand sitting room that was equal parts cozy and elegant. One whole side of the room opened up with giant windows that overlooked the Grove and provided all the natural light. The other parts of the room were dominated by several bookcases that seemed high enough to touch the ceiling.

In front of the closest bookcase was a middle-aged woman who could only have been Queen Reina. She wore an emerald green dress that was highlighted with diamonds along the sleeves and tapered down to meet her slim waist. Her hair had streaks of red hidden deep within her light brown locks, reaching just long enough to touch her shoulders. Despite the wrinkles and lines of age, she still carried a youthful gaze and grin, an expression that bordered on a mix of playfulness and terror.

Jack instantly saw that there was a veiled threat behind her friendly smile, a trait that was perfected by the most successful of world leaders.

"My oh my, Katherine!" exclaimed Reina as soon as the party entered the room. "How long has it been since we've last saw each other?"

Kat grinned and stepped forward. "Far too long, that's for sure!"

The two women embraced like old friends, and for a brief moment, Jack thought perhaps they just might be able to get what they needed out of Carinthia without too much trouble.

Reina pulled back to look at Kat. "Too long indeed! You look fantastic. You're all grown up now. The last time I saw you, you were barely a woman."

Kat nodded solemnly. "A lot has happened in that time."

The smile on Reina's face disappeared. "You're not kidding. When I heard about your cousin, I flew into a rage. I think some of my servants are still cleaning up the mess that I made. I'm so glad to find you alive and well."

"It hasn't been easy but I have a new purpose now," replied Kat.

"In any regard, it's great to have you back in Polana," said Reina before she eyed up the rest of the members of the party. Her eyes locked on Jack. "Now tell me, child. Who are these men?"

Kat extended her arm back to Jack. "May I present His Majesty, Jack Easterbrook? Jack is the King of Andalucia."

Reina let out an excited giggle. "Andalucia you say? Did I hear that right? Why this handsome fellow looks nothing like the slavers." She extended her hand out to Jack.

He reached out to greet her. "That's because I'm not Andalucian," he said with a polite smile. "I'm from Java in the East."

"Java? You're a long way from home," said Reina as she eyed him up like a wolf would a sheep. "How did you find yourself in Andalucia let alone as king?"

"It's a long story," said Jack with a chuckle.

"Has this anything to do with all the news that's emerged from the south?" interrupted Reina as she pivoted to Kat. "We've heard rumors of a lot of disturbances with our southern neighbors. I'm of the mind that the Swabians are behind most of them."

"You wouldn't be wrong then," said Kat simply. "They are, from what we've seen. We've spent a good portion of our time foiling their plans from places like Sorella and Andalucia. It seems their latest plot is in Picardy."

Upon hearing the name of Picardy, Reina stiffened instantly, and her friendly expression was replaced by one of pragmatic duty. "That's most unfortunate for the Picards then. No doubt you're aware of our situation there?"

"We are," said Kat with a nod. "It's the reason why we're here."

Reina raised an eyebrow. "Oh? In what way?"

Jack took a deep breath before answering. "We believe the Swabians are the ones behind the erratic behavior of the Picards lately. The king there is young and . . . idealistic. He believes he can ally with the Swabians."

"Aedan," muttered Reina while shaking her head. "He has more air in his head than brains. Letting the Swabians in is one thing, but letting them poison his thoughts is another. Look where it's gotten him? I have a sunken cruiser from a country that's been our oldest ally. Save Galicia, of course."

"It gets even worse than that," said Kat. "No doubt you're aware of the plague they're suffering from now, right?"

Reina nodded. "Of course. I've forbidden any Carinthian ships from landing there in the meantime. The last thing we need is for the plague to spread here too."

"The Swabians are behind the plague," said Jack. "They are spreading it with tainted goods—clothing and such. That's why it started in the marketplaces shortly after they were allowed in the country."

Reina gasped. "You're not serious? That's positively evil!"

Kat shrugged. "It's nothing that we wouldn't expect from them, even if it's a novel strategy."

"Has Aedan been alerted? He has to kick them out before it's too late!"

"We've sent him a message but we haven't heard back yet," said Jack. "Once your warship was sunk, he begged us to mediate this dispute, and we only pieced it together after we left and one of our members fell sick who came into contact with the tainted clothing. However, we're worried about Aedan. He seems bound and determined to ally with the Swabians no matter the cost."