Fourth Vector Ch. 26

"I would very much appreciate that, Your Majesty," said Will. "Thank you."

"I would just ask that you don't take too long to think things over," cautioned Aedan. "I know that there may be some things you didn't want to hear today. Perhaps even some things that are hard to acknowledge. But I swear to you on the graves of my ancestors that I've told you the truth. When Katherine and Jack get back, you'll see what I mean. In the meantime, think hard about joining our fight here. Even a small group of men can make a big difference."

"Let me talk it over with my group," said Will. "We will get back to you in the morning once we've all had a chance to settle in and get some sleep."

"That's perfectly all right," said Aedan. "Come now, my servants will show you the way."

As they said their goodbyes to King Aedan, the three of them were led to their own quarters not far from their initial meeting room. Axel was set up with his own room before he was led away to show off the barracks for the rest of the men, leaving Will alone with Lindsay for the first time since this morning.

The room they were given was extravagant in a way that only a palace could be. The furniture was old and stiff, more for decoration than for comfort. It was a bright room, opened up by four floor-to-ceiling windows that let in plenty of winter sunlight. Outside the room was part of the palace garden which was unfortunately quite barren for the time of year.

No sooner had the servants closed the door than Lindsay grabbed his hand. "Are you okay, Will?"

He put his fingers in his eyes. "I don't even know, Linds. Can you believe what Aedan was saying in there? All of it? I mean, the king . . ." His voice trailed off, hardly letting the sacred words escape from his mouth.

"I don't think King Aedan would lie to us," she said softly. "Do you?"

"This changes everything though if he's right about this. Can you even imagine it? The Galician king alive and well? Do you have any idea what this would do to Galicia? To Eric Rosdahl? To our families? To the people?"

She put a calming hand against his arm. "It would change a lot of things, Will. But I don't believe that King Aedan would sell us a bill of goods. He believed in it enough to have that conversation with us just now. What if everything he said is true?"

"That's probably what scares me the most," said Will with a gulp. "Our task was daunting enough when it came to just finding Katherine Rosdahl and potentially bringing her back. Now we found out that she's alive and she's found the real Galician king?"

"Not to mention sleeping with him," added Lindsay with a giggle. "That would ruin a lot of people's perceptions of innocent Katherine Rosdahl back at home."

"That would be the least of my worries," said Will. "But I guess what troubles me the most is that they're not here. We can't verify the story without seeing them."

"The king did mention he has a sister," she offered.

"The sister is one thing but it's him I need to see," said Will firmly. "If he's really the heir, he'll trigger the bond in all of us. We won't need any further proof. We'll feel it in our hearts if he's the one."

"It doesn't sound like there's anything left for us to do," she said. "But wait for them to return."

"How long will that be, Linds? And will Daban still be standing for that long? If the Swabians attack tomorrow, can the Picards hold them back? You heard what Aedan said but what if he's wrong about it? What if the city could fall tomorrow?"

"It seems all the more reason to potentially add our company to the defense," said Lindsay. "Let us do something with our time here beyond just waiting for Katherine. If we can contribute to saving the city, then this whole trip will not be for naught."

"I really want to ask my father for advice on this," said Will. "Perhaps they'll let us send a dispatch through?"

"I'm sure King Aedan would let you if you really needed to," she said.

"I want his opinion on this, Linds. I'm just not sure what to do."

"What can you tell him though, Will? You can't put it into writing about the Galician king. You know what that might do at home if it's intercepted."

Will hadn't thought that far ahead yet. He flinched, knowing she was right. His father was already on thin enough ice with Eric Rosdahl that if any kind of word of them being involved with the rightful king got back to the regent, it could just as easily get them killed as it would be with Katherine.

"Fuck," said Will under his breath. "What are we going to do then?"

Lindsay put her hands under his chin and forced him to look into her blue eyes. "We take things one step at a time. There's nothing we can do about Katherine or this Jack fellow right now. But we can help the city defend itself. This isn't some shadow enemy or conflict. It's the Swabians. And you know what they would do to us if they overran the city and we couldn't get out."

"They'd put us all to death for sure," said Will.

"Exactly," she echoed. "So let's help the Picards while we can. Let's find out a little more about what's been going on here and hopefully soon enough, Katherine will be back."

Will raised his head to look her in the eyes. "Do you really think he's alive, Linds?"

She smiled and then shrugged. "If we're willing to believe that Katherine is out there somewhere and alive, it's not all that far-fetched to believe that he is too, right? It's not exactly a stretch given our current mission."

"No, it's not," he said under his breath. "I just fear what might happen if he's right."

"It's nothing that we have to deal with right now," she said. "Let's get our bags settled and then let's get a bite to eat. I'm positively starving and I'm tired of eating soldier food." She then leaned in and kissed him tenderly. "Then we'll retire back to this room and have sex. You usually have a lot more clarity after you cum."

Will chuckled. "Is that right?"

She nodded with excitement. "Why do you think I always wait to ask you for big favors until after you fill me up?"

"You're devious," he said, starting to laugh.

"True, but you love me anyway."

"I do," he said with a nod. "And I'm glad you're here right now, Linds. If I had to do this without you, this would be a lot harder right now."

She gave him a genuine smile. "It's what I'm here for, babe."

He leaned forward and kissed her again. When their lips parted, she pressed forward and nuzzled against his chest.

"Can you imagine it though, Will? No one alive remembers the kings. What if it's really him?"

Then the world as we know it is going to change, thought Will.

*****

"Do you Nikias take Elektra to be your wife? Will you honor her, shelter her, love her, and forsake all others for the rest of your days?"

Heron watched the eyes of his future son-in-law as he spoke the words, waiting for his answer as they stood before the tiny congregation.

"I do," said Nikias clearly and firmly as he then turned to look at his bride.

Elektra repeated another crisp "I do" once Heron administered the same oath. Heron gestured for them to exchange rings, the newlyweds exchanging the same eager smiles with there being only one thing was left to do.

"By my power as the sovereign king of all Sorella, I now pronounce you husband and wife," boomed Heron throughout the palace hall. "You may kiss your bride now, Nikias."

The two of them embraced as tenderly as old lovers while the small crowd clapped with excitement. It was a much smaller crowd than Heron expected for such an event but recent events wouldn't allow the grand wedding that the two had planned. This smaller affair was the consequence although Heron could tell that neither the bride nor the groom really cared much.

They were just content to finally be married.

As the newlyweds pulled apart and began to thank their guests, Heron was left alone at the head of the hallway, a fatherly smile warm on his lips. He was soon joined by his partner and consort, Melora, who had tears in her eyes at witnessing the nuptials.

"It was just beautiful, Heron," she said while embracing him. "It was a wonderful ceremony."

"And long overdue if you would ask Elektra," he replied, but not before kissing Melora soundly. "Part of me is troubled though."

Melora gave him a weird look. "Troubled? For what reason?"

"This isn't the wedding that they wanted," said Heron, gesturing to the bride and groom. "They wanted a big public wedding, attended by the nobility and the whole city. I couldn't easily give that to them, and I hope that didn't ruin their day."

Melora shook her head while maintaining an amused expression. "Have you looked at them recently? I don't think I've seen them without a beaming smile all day. Even with all that's going on!"

"I know," said Heron. "But still, as a father it worries me. I only wanted Elektra to have the best."

"And she did," Melora insisted. "She has a great husband and an even better father." Melora grabbed his hand and squeezed tenderly. "What more can any woman ask for?"

"To have a wedding without the tidings of war hanging over their heads?" he suggested, only to be promptly scolded by Melora.

"We can't choose what is to happen to us," she said. "Only how we respond. Elektra knows that better than anyone and so does Nikias. We can't control the world, Heron."

He nodded without saying any other words. It had been more than two months since that fateful day when the Javan Viceroy Lucius Grant had been killed, and there wasn't an hour of that time that went by when Heron wasn't thinking about or expecting the eventual Javan response. He had no illusions that they would be allowed their freedom with Grant being killed and his ship resting on the bottom of the harbor outside the city.

Quite the opposite in fact. He expected the Javans to land a bigger and better force to take over the entire country this time, a firm response to such a slap against the cheek that they'd inflicted against Grant. It was only a matter of time.

There were some that suggested that a response wasn't coming. That the Javans would give up and go home, leaving Sorella to peace for the rest of her days. Heron wasn't nearly so naive. He knew that moving men and material across the great ocean would take time which meant that there would be no immediate response to their transgression.

With every passing day, the specter of Javan aggression became worse, and Heron fully expected them to send a small fleet and army to conquer the island. It wouldn't take much to fully subject Sorella, not with their modern weaponry and technology.

There were even some who suggested that the Sorellans were living on borrowed time right now. That when the Javans attacked, it wasn't even worth it to offer resistance since the overwhelming firepower of the enemy would quickly subdue them.

To those charges, Heron scoffed. While it was true that any conflict against the Javans would greatly favor the Javans, it was no reason not to fight back. After all, the Sorellans were the one that started this war. It would do no good for them to retreat in the face of an advanced enemy.

Sorella had picked her battle and she would not run from it now.

That evening, Heron ate dinner with the newlyweds before he excused himself, going down to the harbor to check on the fortifications that were being erected now. The entire city was like an armed camp, full of soldiers and sandbags, the likes of which intensified with each passing day. So too did their defense. The open harbor of the city had now been enclosed with stone jetties and fortifications. Old defensive buildings were reoccupied once again, and Heron had cannons sighted in all of them to contest any approach from the sea.

He knew it was unlikely to have much of an effect on the modern ships of the Javans but it would be something, especially if they sought to attack on their wooden launch boats while landing troops. And even though their muskets didn't fire as rapidly as the Javan rifle, a musket ball could still kill if it hit a vital area.

In all, Heron knew a successful defense could only slow down the Javan invaders but he would make them bleed every inch of the way. It was the only way to ensure Sorella's freedom. They would all die free at the very least—a much preferred future over the continued existence as the Javans' slaves.

It was the reason why Nikias and Elektra wanted to marry as soon as possible. With time running out, they didn't want to spend another moment not wedded as they should be. Heron pushed up the timetable for the wedding, and now in the event of his death during the fighting, Sorella would have a new king and queen.

The only question that awaited them was how much time did they have left? At this very moment, scouts were posted all along the shores of the country, waiting for the first sighting of the punitive force that was surely on its way. All of these scattered outposts had access to fast horses, being able to bring word to the capital city within a day or two's notice.

So far, no word had been given but Heron knew that day would come. And on that day, they would all fight to their last to maintain their way of life.

The elderly king sighed as he looked out over the ocean. He often wondered how it had come to this. Last year at this time, Sorella had been engaged in a deadly civil war that was only ended by the Javans' decisive intervention. When Jack Easterbrook last left the country, it had been under the auspices of friendship not enmity. How had things turned sour so quickly?

What Heron feared the most was Jack's task force showing up on his coasts. That their long-awaited reunion would be behind the barrel of a gun. He questioned what he would do in that case. Could he fire on the man that had saved his country?

The king let out a sigh as he moved away from the fortifications and back into the city. At this late hour, he fully intended to share a cup of wine with his daughter and son-in-law before retiring to bed with Melora, thankful to see another full day of peace. Before he could arrive back at the palace, he passed nearby to the small dungeon that contained those Javans that had been taken alive during the attack against the viceroy.

There were only nine of them in the dungeon, many of them sailors that had survived the sinking of the trade ship by theHera. They had swam to shore only to be picked up by his men and thrown into the dungeon for the time being. Those eight sailors that had survived were joined by one of the Javan marines, an unlucky fellow who had been captured still asleep in the barracks when the attack happened, not having been on guard duty that day and enjoying the day off. His day off ended a lot worse than it began, and he joined the rest of his countrymen in the cell.

The rest of the marines that had come with Grant, a platoon of them in total, had been killed in the fighting that day. Most of them were downed quickly once the shooting started while only a handful offered resistance after Grant had been killed. They were cornered along a section of the docks and killed after being offered several attempts to surrender. It wasn't exactly Heron's finest hour but then again, actions borne of necessity rarely were.

Heron put the memories out of his mind as he moved past the dungeon and reentered the palace a short while later. The dining hall was just now starting to have a lull in activity as the hour became late. Heron and Melora enjoyed several toasts with the newlyweds before they were led away with only a small amount of embarrassment so they could perform their final duty of the wedding day.

Once the guests had left, Heron and Melora prepared to retire to their own chamber for some well-deserved rest.

Melora snuggled in close to his arm. "What a lovely day. I'm so happy for them both."

"Me too," said Heron. "I never thought I'd see the day when Elektra got married. She was always so resistant to the idea that I simply couldn't envision it. That is until Nikias came along."

Melora lightly nipped at his neck. "Sometimes all it takes is meeting the right person, my love."

Heron didn't get a chance to respond to that provocation. He heard the sound of running footsteps behind them, and he turned with alarm to see who it was.

It was one of the palace guards.

"Your Majesty, word has just arrived. Enemy ships have been sighted on the southern coast two days from us!" said the breathless guard.

Heron grabbed the guard's arms. "Are you sure they are Javan? How do you know for certain?"

The guard swallowed heavily. "All the ships bear the red and yellow dragon flag of Java."

"May the gods help us now," said Heron under his breath.

*****

About forty miles up the coast from the Sorellan capital, Jack watched the dark shoreline of the country pass by along the starboard side of theDestiny. It was late in the evening, and the ship was mostly quiet as he looked toward the coast, seeing nothing but the crashing of waves and the gentle swaying of trees to the ocean breeze.

They'd been moving along the coast since yesterday when the Sorellan landmass had first been spotted since leaving Quiller's Cove nearly a month ago. The journey from the lonely Javan outpost had been a quiet one, unmarked by threats or anything of consequence.

The entire task force had gone on a heightened state of awareness once they were off the coast of Sorella but so far, there remained no signs of hostility from the island country. Jack thought it was likely that they might all be wrong about the situation here. Perhaps they would land in Heron's city tomorrow and find the viceroy with a busted radio.

Even still, part of him couldn't help but scoff at such a suggestion. He knew it was likely that the real scenario would be considerably muddier than that. There was no inclination of what awaited them yet, and as Jack looked out at the country, he remembered his first visit here a year ago.

It was at these approximate coordinates that they'd attacked the remnants of King Daimanos' forces, concentrated as they were along the coast in a great fortification that had been constructed while they were pressing in on Heron's forces. It was here that a joint land-naval attack against Daimanos was successful, killing the mad king and ending the civil war.

It was also the first place that Jack saw the tremendous firepower of Sorellan fire. He still remembered the feeling of seeing it in action that first time, watching the Sorellans as they rolled on the ground in agony, desperate to put out the flames. Of course, Sorellan fire wasn't extinguished so easily. Many of them were still burning long after the life had fled their bodies.

He had to wonder if such a scenario would be revisited tomorrow when they arrived in the capital city.

"Jack, what are you doing out here so late?"

He turned away from the railing and saw Abigail, her overcoat cinched tightly around her shoulders to stave off the chilly evening air. She moved closer to his body and leaned against him, causing him to wrap an arm around her.

"Just looking out at the country," he replied. "I was remembering the first time we were here."

"Dreadful battle, wasn't it?" she said. "I still see that one in my nightmares."

"Why's that?"

She looked up to face him. "I nearly lost you in that battle. I think in a way, it made me realize how much I care about you."

That was true. Jack's final climactic battle with Daimanos had nearly been his end as well as the mad king's. He remembered spending a good portion of the aftermath of the battle in the infirmary, needing to heal the wound on his chest from the king's blade.

"They can't take me down that easily," said Jack with a small chuckle.

"I would hope not," she said. "There seems to be a lot riding on you after all."