Justine Ch. 21

"I think that he is a healer." David said after he sat down. "It hasn't fully manifested yet and probably won't for several decades. Don't get me wrong, he can heal with his knowledge of plants and herbs, but Justine, when I say heal; I mean he's going to be able to heal with a word or a touch."

He paused to let her think about what he said before continuing.

"Then there's Lottie. I know that it appears that she isn't any more gifted than the average mate, but he needs her or will need her. She is his anchor and relief mechanism. If anything happens to her..."

"There'll be hell to pay." Justine finished. "How long have you known this?" she asked.

"For as long as you and Quinn did. Jo knows it too." He replied. "Your next question is why I didn't say anything. I didn't say anything because I wouldn't be telling you anything that you didn't already know. I also thought that if you wanted to talk about it, you would bring it up."

Justine hesitated before asking her next question.

"How much of your not saying anything was because you didn't know how I was going to react?"

"A very small part of it." David replied. "If it had been something urgent, I would have told you no matter your reaction."

"David, part of doing this reign thing together is being able to talk freely. I haven't been exactly approachable have I?"

"I would concur with that." he replied.

Justine chuckled and shook her head.

"That was very straightforward of you." she said. "But that has to change. I want and need all of you to be able to come to me without being worried about how I'll react."

"I want that too." David replied. "Tomorrow night is a new beginning for all of us. I would like to start with a clean slate. I'm not asking that you forget anything, but I am asking that we leave it behind and move on."

Justine looked in the direction where her aunt and grandmother's remains lay. That ceremony had closed one chapter of her and her mother's lives and the wedding marked the beginning of a new one. As she looked toward the burial site, a memory washed over her.

8888

She had been in high school and had gotten caught drinking. Her aunt had been livid and didn't speak to her for twenty-four hours. That day had been one of the longest days in Justine's life.

She had honestly believed that her aunt would never forgive her. The knowledge that she had disappointed her aunt made her chest hurt. The feeling of self-loathing that she had hurt the woman who had given up everything to care for her was staggering.

When Belinda finally spoke to her after twenty-four hours, Justine cried in relief. "I don't hate you." Belinda said hugging her. "But I was angry and disappointed. What you did was foolish and reckless. You could have been arrested! I know that it's hard not to join in when others are egging you on, but Justine; you're a leader not a follower.

Many of those kids were following your lead and look what happened. I want you to remember that with leadership comes responsibility. Everything that you do or say is being watched by someone younger or weaker so you must act accordingly."

"Are you still mad at me?" Justine asked as tears ran down her cheeks.

"No baby, that was yesterday. Today is a new day."

88888

Justine could almost feel the hug and kiss on the cheek that Belinda had given her. As she grew and matured, she tried to remember what she had been taught although she still screwed up on occasion.

Granted what David did was much worse than what she had done; but the principle was still the same. Justine also realized that just as there was nothing that Belinda could have done to make her feel any worse; the same applied to David.

"I think that you're right." She finally said. "I would like to start over."

"Thank you."" David said. "You have no idea of how much this means to me."

"I think I do." Justine replied with a small smile.

They sat in silence for a moment trying to adjust to the change in their relationship.

"Would you care to help me feed the plants?" David asked breaking the silence.

"I don't have to talk to them do I?" Justine asked only half joking.

"Not unless you want to." David replied as he stood.

"On second thought, I'd better not touch them." Justine said. "I might kill them."

"You won't kill them." David assured her. "You just give them a few drops of food and move on."

"David," Justine said in a serious tone, "I killed a cactus."

"How in the hell do you kill a cactus? "David asked trying not to laugh.

As they talked, Justine could see why her mother fell in love with David. He was at heart a kind man who could also be ruthless. She also knew that he had been losing patience with her and if she hadn't gone to him; he would have found her and forced the issue.

After a few more minutes of chatting, Justine left David alone with the plants. She walked away feeling lighter in spirit. As she passed the window that faced into the east garden; she whispered a word of thanks to her aunt Belinda.

******

Naila and Regina were nervous wrecks. Neither woman knew what to wear to the party.

"Why haven't you met her yet?" Naila asked.

"We kind of hit the ground running." Regina replied as she eyed a pale yellow dress. "What do you think?" she asked.

"Too dressy, what about that lavender sundress?" Naila asked. "You could wear that short sleeved white jacket to dress it up a bit."

Regina looked at the outfit for several minutes before deciding to wear it.

"What about you?" Regina asked as she laid the outfit on the bed.

"I have no idea." Naila replied. "What are you going to wear to the wedding?"

The two women looked at each other and grinned.

********

Maurice and Lorenzo sat in the office discussing the gala.

"How many guards do you think we'll need? Maurice asked.

Lorenzo blew out a breath as he collected his thoughts.

"We'll need two shifts." He replied. "Each shift needs to be made up of Vampire and Were. We also need to circulate the teams so they aren't at the same assignment each time. As to how many we'll need, I don't think that there's such a thing as too many."

"They shouldn't get their assignments until they report for duty." Maurice added. "Let's see how many we have already. Mikhail has ten teams of four; I have at least that many; how many do you have?"

Lorenzo did a count of his teams.

"I have six teams consisting of eight members each." He replied.

"One hundred and twenty eight guards... not nearly enough." Maurice commented.

"Here's something else." Lorenzo said. "We need to have undercover guards intermingling with the guest. They'll be able to spot a problem before it gets out of hand. Again, their assignments should be rotated."

"I think I may have a solution to the guard issue." Maurice said. "We can hire Gremlin's clan as part of the visible guard freeing up the others to be the undercover guards. One of Gremlin's clan is like having four guards."

"I know of his race." Lorenzo said. "They're supposed to be loyal to those they hire but Gremlin betrayed his last employer."

"Yes he did." Maurice conceded. "But only because Regina's cousin Annie was his mate."

"Maurice... it isn't going to be Justine, Quinn, David or Josephine that we're that we're going to have to worry about protecting." Lorenzo said slowly.

Maurice gave him a confused look before understanding hit him.

"Our mates and children." Maurice murmured.

"Think about it." Lorenzo said. "It would be suicide to make a grab for Justine or any of the others. It would be dangerous to take one of our mates or children, but there would be a better chance of success."

"Damn." Maurice muttered and then looked around to see if Jon was anywhere nearby.

"This changes how we do things." Lorenzo said. "We need to talk with Mikhail."

Maurice's phone rang with a quiet chirp.

"Hi sweetheart... shopping? I don't see why not... yes, he's here. An hour would be perfect...We'll see you then."

"They want to go shopping for wedding clothes." Lorenzo said.

"Welcome to the world of the mated male." Maurice said with a smile. "We have an hour, I suggest that we call Mikhail and share our thoughts."

******

Mikhail still didn't like it. A week long gala was an invitation for trouble. Too many things could happen even with tight security. He had tried once more to get Justine to shorten the gala; but she couldn't be budged and now she was adding the royal wedding.

"Damn it all to hell." He growled under his breath. His head was beginning to ache and the gala was still two years away. He needed to relax and concentrate on more pleasant things. He sent a telepathic call to Zoe. When she didn't immediately respond, a wave of anxiety hit him.

"Shit! He swore as he realized the same thing that Lorenzo and Maurice had. Justine and the others weren't in danger, but the mates of the guards were.

"Mikhail?" Zoe called telepathically. "What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you answer when I called?" he demanded.

"I was in a meeting with Justine. What's the matter?"

Mikhail was instantly contrite.

"I'm sorry. I got a little anxious when you didn't respond right away. How much longer will you be?"

"Not too much longer. We're talking about the party tonight. Are you sure that you're alright?"

"I'm fine." He replied. "I'll see you soon."

Mikhail reached for the phone to call Maurice; but it rang before he touched it.

"What?" he said tersely. "Maurice... I apologize, I was about to call you... I just had the same thought. Why don't we meet the evening after the wedding? I agree..."

Mikhail hung up feeling a little better. It helped to know that someone else was thinking along the same lines as he was. As he waited for Zoe, he wondered which of their mates would be the one most likely to be targeted. After several minutes of thinking about it, he realized that it would be a kidnapping of opportunity. Any of the mates would be valuable as a hostage. All of the males, himself included would do anything to get their mate back.

Maurice was right; they needed to rethink their strategy.

*******

Justine met Naila and Regina in the sitting room. She wanted to get acquainted with them before the party. Both Naila and Regina were struck by how ordinary Justine appeared to be. If it weren't for her eyes, she would have looked like anyone else. She was dressed in her usual sweat suit sans the reeboks. In their place she wore bedroom slippers that matched her yellow sweat suit.

"It's good to finally meet you." Justine said after they were sitting. "Naila, how are you feeling?"

"Much better; thank you My Queen." Naila replied bowing her head.

"I'm glad to hear that and it's Justine."

"Yes my..."

Naila stopped speaking when she felt Justine's gentle probing of her mind. She took a breath and relaxed. Lorenzo had warned her that it would happen. She waited for the condemnation that she received when people found out what she did for a living. She was pleasantly surprised when it didn't happen.

"Damn!" Justine exclaimed out loud. "Can you teach me some of those moves?"

"I would like that." A stunned Naila replied.

"How about tonight at the party?" Justine asked.

"Sure!" Naila replied not believing that she would be teaching the Queen some of her moves.

Justine turned to Regina.

"I'm sorry that we haven't met before this; but as you know, things were very unsettled."

"No apologies are necessary." Regina replied.

"Thank you for that." Justine replied. "Who's taking care of the baby?"

"He's staying with my cousin Annie and her family." Regina replied as she felt Justine probing her as she did Justine.

"When is this child due?" Justine asked.

"I have several months yet, but at least the nausea and vomiting are gone." Regina replied.

"Good." Justine replied. "I wanted to take a moment to thank both of you for your patience and understanding during the times I had to pull your mates away from you. It couldn't have been easy, especially for you Naila given what you went through and now you're newly mated. I also wanted to let you know that I won't be calling on your mates unless I absolutely have to."

Naila and Regina looked at each other. Justine wasn't acting anything like they thought a queen would act. They only knew what Lorenzo and Maurice told them and they only knew the business part of her.

"You're overdressed!" Justine said looking at them. "I think that we can come up with for you to wear."

They followed Justine to Thomas and Lottie's suite where the party was being held. After the introductions, Justine gave each of them one of her sweat suits and a matching pair of slippers. With a wink, she altered Naila's to her proper size.

After they changed, Naila and Regina joined the women who were already laughing.

"We were just telling stories about our mates." Pam said. "It seems that men are men no matter their species."

Each of them told a funny story and then a romantic story about their mates. When the last woman was done, Justine stood up, clapped her hands and several dancer's poles appeared in the middle of the room.

"We are privileged to have among us a professional dancer. Naila, Lorenzo's mate has agreed to teach us a few moves."

Several minutes later, all of the women with the exception of Lottie were standing at a pole. Naila started off with the basics and soon all of them were giggling like school girls.

"Wait!" Zoe called out laughing. "How do you make your hips do that?"

*****

The sound of feminine laughter trickled down to the game room where the men were teaching Thomas how to play pool.

"It sounds like they're having a good time." Edward commented.

"I'm glad." Quinn replied. "There hasn't been enough of that lately."

Thomas looked toward the stairs and wondered how Lottie was doing at her first party as an equal and not a servant.

David noticed that he was distracted and suggested that he check on her.

Thomas went to a corner and called out to her. To his relief, she was laughing. It wasn't the polite twitter that she gave Wilhelmina; this was a full bellied laugh.

Thomas' smile widened and he rejoined the other men pleased that Lottie was having a good time.

"OK guys," Quinn said. "It's time for a few words of wisdom from the male who has been mated the longest; Maurice Delgado."

Quinn had originally asked Thomas. He declined saying that he didn't consider his time with Wilhelmina a true mating. Quinn knew that would be his response; but asked out of respect. He asked Edward who declined as well.

"I was in state for much of our time." He said. "In many ways, we're newly mated."

That left Maurice who wasn't put out that the honor came to him by default.

"This is supposed to be a party so I'm going to keep this short." Maurice said. He began by telling them how he had tried to make Regina jealous by implying that there was another woman.

When the laughter died down; he continued.

"The point I was trying to make is this, don't try to pull one over on your mate. I guarantee that it'll come back and bite you in the ass. The other thing is this, we as males tend to forget that our mates are strong. They have to be in order to adjust to our world and to be mates to us. We need to remember that and allow them to care for us. Regina had to hit me over the head several times with the figurative cast iron skillet before I fully understood that. One last thing and I'll sit down.

Those of us whose mates were at one time human need to remember something. They come from a world where it isn't uncommon to change partners. I'm not criticizing or judging; I'm just stating fact. Our mates while immortal; still have a human mindset. At some point, they'll begin to wonder if we aren't getting bored with them. It behooves us to keep tabs on their emotional state and to encourage them to talk to us and in return, we have to talk to them.

Thank you for your attention and for allowing me to impart a few word of wisdom to you. Quinn and David, you are bot h very lucky men. May the fates and god continue to bless you and your mates."

Maurice sat down to a brisk round of applause. The men looked up when a burst of laughter wafted down to the game room.

"I have a feeling that these gatherings are going to be happening on a regular basis." Quinn said with a smile.

*********

It was cool and rainy outside but warm and sunny inside where the wedding was going to take place. The flowers were in full bloom; the air was filled with the scent of their sweet fragrance.

Pam, Zoe, Lottie and Violet bustled about making sure that everything was ready for the ceremony.

"Did Darren leave to pick up the minister yet?" Zoe asked.

"Not yet." Pam replied as she straightened a table cloth. "It's too early."

"I would rather have him here too early as opposed to too late." Zoe replied.

"Would you please relax?" Pam snapped. "The man lives twenty minutes away! What would he do if he were here?"

Lottie had just walked in when the exchange between the two women started. She had never heard them snip at each other the way that they were doing and it concerned her.

"Where do you want these?" she asked interrupting a retort from Zoe. She stood behind the cart that held the place settings from the table and waited for an answer.

Pam and Zoe looked at each other sheepishly and then laughed.

"I'm sorry." Pam said to Zoe. "I guess I'm nervous."

"I'm sorry too, and you're right; it is too early for the minister to be here." Zoe replied.

Lottie smiled and pushed the cart over to the side of the garden where the reception was going to be held.

********

David told me that you and he talked again." Josephine said as she fixed Justine's hair. "What changed your mind?"

Justine told her about the night she had gone home drunk.

"Aunt Belinda was furious! She didn't talk to me for twenty-four hours. I felt horrible and thought that she hated me. I came up with every punishment imaginable, but when I tried to talk to her about it; she would just walk away. When the twenty-four hours was up; we talked and she explained a few things to me. I didn't remember that event until David said something about today being a new day.

He's right. It's time to move on. I won't forget what happened, but I'm ready to put it away. By the way... did you know that he talks to the plants when he feeds them?"

"Yes I know." Josephine replied laughing. "He doesn't know that I know so let's keep it that way."

Josephine stopped fixing Justine's hair and put her hands on her shoulders.

"Thank you." she whispered as she bent down and kissed the top of Justine's head. "Thank you for forgiving David and thank you for this day."

Justine placed her hands on top of her mothers and smiled even as tears ran down her face.

"I'm glad that you're here and doing this with me. This beats any childhood fantasy that I had about my wedding when I was growing up."

"Look at us." Josephine said with a watery smile. "I'm glad that we don't have our makeup on yet."

********

The hair and makeup people showed up a few minutes later.

"I don't usually wear makeup." Justine said as the makeup artist looked at her face turning it this way and that.

"You don't need it." He replied. "But we want to enhance your eyes. I'm going to apply a very light coat of foundation, blush and then a little lavender eye shadow. Instead of lipstick, we'll go with lip gloss. What do you think?"

"I just don't want to look like a circus clown." Justine replied.

"You won't." he assured her. "Both you and the Queen Mother will be stunning brides."

"Thanks, what about my hair?" Justine asked.

"I think that Marisol is planning something simple but elegant." He replied. "I'll let her explain it. But I believe that the Queen Mother's hair will be in the same style."