Twelve Realms Ch. 16-17

Maeve brought her daughter a glass filled with water and then again sat on the edge of the bed.

"I suppose... I'm glad I didn't have a chance to tell Jacob he was going to be a father," Fiona said, a hitch in her voice. "He would have been so happy."

"Fiona. Princess. There is more I need to tell you," Maeve said, knowing she was going to cause her child further pain. "Edward thought it better to let you heal physically first, but I believe it's better if you know now... ."

"What is it, mama," Fiona felt her body start to tremble. "It's Jake, isn't it? Something's happened to Jake! I can feel him in pain. He's so far away...," she whispered.

"Please Fiona. Try to be calm," Queen Maeve said urgently. "I'll tell you what I know, but you need to try to be calm." She waited for Fiona to relax before continuing.

"Citadel was also attacked at the same time as was Academy. Jacob was supervising the evacuation on the ground when the Empire redoubled their efforts. His position was hit. Citadel... the city was destroyed. Our troops overrun. Only a little more than half the civilians made it off planet and to safety on Steading. The Empire is occupying Citadel. We cannot get on planet to recover... to recover Jacob's body."

"Jacob lives, mama. My magic tells me so. I can feel him. He is in great pain. And he rages. But he lives."

"Oh, daughter... are you sure? Jacob must be at the mercy of the Emperor. But if he lives we have some hope that you will, too."

"What time is it, mama?" Fiona asked suddenly.

"It's two hours past lunch. Are you sure you won't eat?"

"No, mama, I can't eat. But I need to go to the Wilds."

"You are too weak for that, darling."

"Maybe I am. But the only thing that will give me strength is the Wilds."

Maeve looked at her daughter, her face pinched with sadness and worry. She tilted her head to one side, considering the request, and then finally nodded.

"Very well, princess. We will get you to the Wilds."

***

Edward sat in his council chamber alone with his thoughts. He felt as though he was operating without his right hand. In a military sense, he was. Jacob was his rock. His pillar of strength. And his military strategist. What would he do to defend the Twelve Realms without his friend at his side? How would he protect his people from the monstrous Emperor?

"Your Majesty," his herald broke him out of his revery. "There is a priority communication coming in. Your eyes only. Would you like it here or in your study?"

"Here will be fine, Mason," Edward responded dully.

"Of course, sir."

Edward turned to the communications screen and watched as an image came into focus. He felt his heart surge with dread as he recognized Jacob, the left side of his face swollen and bruised, his left arm in a new white sling, sitting stiffly in a metal chair.

"Edward DLXII, King of the Twelve Realms, Duke of Terra," Jacob said, his eyes focused away from the camera, his right hand drawing random nervous patterns on his thigh. "The Most High Emperor Albinus XIV bids you greetings.

"Cita...," Jacob took a breath in an attempt to hide a sob. "Citadel has fallen. Now that your curtain defense has been breached, it is only a matter of time before the next Realm falls.

"The Emperor is merc... merciful," Jacob continued. "He offers you his brotherhood and protection, and the return of your loyal Duke, Jacob of the bbbb... burning planet Citadel. All of this he offers you in return for the complete surrender of your military, tribute of 50% of planetary production, every first born son and daughter between the ages of 50 and 250 cycles to be conscripted into the Imperial Army - to be returned to you, loyal subjects of the Empire at the age of 300 cycles.

"The Emperor requires the hand of your sister in marriage," Jacob continued, his eyes looking directly at Edward for the first time. His right hand clenching and unclenching, hammering against his thigh. "He desires to link the Empire with the Twelve Realms through the generous offer of j... j... joining his house with yours. The Princess Fiona will be the mo... mother of his heirs.

"Consider well and wisely or Citadel's fate will be nothing when compared to what happens to the next realm. His terms will not be so... compassionate... next time.

"You have three standard days to show your compliance by delivering the princess to Citadel. She will be traded for Jacob, in the city at sunset, to show His Imperial Majesty's good faith.

"Tell Fi I...!" Jacob was cut off before he could deliver his own message.

Edward sat at his desk, staring at a point a million miles away. He recognized that Jacob was using their coded messages from childhood even as he spoke the Emperor's words. He needed to watch the video recording to determine what Jake was saying in the first part of the message, but he had no trouble translating the second. Jake had begged Edward not to trade Fiona for him.

***

Fiona rode a gray gelding under the wide canopy of the bare branches of the ancient trees of the Terran Wilds. She'd left her mother behind, explaining that she needed to be alone. Maeve had promised to wait on the other side of the causeway until Fiona returned.

The princess dismounted and walked through the drifts of fallen leaves towards the center of the island. Once there, she sat on the cold, hard ground, her legs crossed, her hands palm-up on her knees. She closed her eyes and concentrated on evening her breathing. After a few minutes she felt a presence and opened her eyes.

In front of her, mirroring her position, sat a woman glowing with inner light. A small smile spread across her face as Fiona drank her in.

"Well met, princess," the woman said, her joyful laugh sounded like bells and devoured all the other forest sounds.

"Thank you, Lady Terra," Fiona said softly, inclining her head to the Old God, tears falling from her eyes.

"You grieve your loss, child. But all that has befallen you since my Seeress found you on Academy has brought you to this.

"I will heal your body before you leave here, but your spirit will require time. Time with your Duke. But remember, though you no longer carry within your body the heir of Citadel, you are nonetheless a mother of Citadel, no less than any Duke's Consort."

"Thank you, Lady Terra," Fiona said again. She felt a tension leave her body that she didn't realize she'd been carrying.

"Now princess," Lady Terra said, her expression fierce. "We must formulate a plan to protect the Twelve Realms. You were born for this."

***

"Your Majesty," came the tentative voice of Edward's young page.

Edward looked up from the recording of Jacob he'd been pouring over for the last several hours. He rubbed his tired eyes and tried to focus on the boy. "What is it?" he asked.

"Your sister.... Um. The princess. She wants an audience, sire."

Edward stared at the boy, uncomprehendingly for several moments. Finally he nodded. "Send her in," he said.

Fiona entered his study, her eyes wide and luminous as she looked around the room in which she'd spent so many happy hours with William and Jacob. Edward first noticed that her feet were bare, then that she was wearing trousers and a very loosely fitting man's shirt in the tartan of Citadel. He went to her and gathered her into his arms, giving her a fierce hug. He could feel her tremble as he held her and her arms circled him.

"You haven't changed it a bit since papa died," she murmured.

"Papa always knew what he was doing. I didn't see any reason to make any changes here.

"How are you feeling, Baby Girl?" Edward asked, worry clear in his eyes. Fiona tried to respond but couldn't speak past the sob that formed in her throat. Edward held her as she cried. Once her sobs subsided, she pulled away from Edward's embrace and he motioned for her to sit before going around behind his desk and also taking a seat.

"Edward... . Jacob lives. I know it. I don't know how I know, but I do."

"I know. I know he does," Edward said, his voice etched with sorrow.

"I have to show you something," Edward told her. "It will... probably... upset you. But I need your help. I wouldn't have asked, but you're here now. And I... I think you can help."

Edward turned his computer screen towards Fiona and soon the recording of the message from Jacob started to play. Fiona watched the message, rapt, tears streaming down her face.

"Are you going to do it," Fiona whispered once the message ended.

"Do what? Give you to the Emperor? Surrender to the Empire? Give my people into slavery?"

"No. Are you going to counter attack? That's what Jake is telling you to do. He codes it three times while he's talking."

"Thank you, Fi," Edward said softly. "I couldn't tell whether that was what he was coding or if it was just wishful thinking.

"Yes, I think that is our best... perhaps only... option. I would rather go down fighting than sign us into slavery.

"You understand that this will be a death sentence for Jacob, though?"

"I know he thinks he is sacrificing himself to give us all a chance," Fiona responded. "But I don't accept that.

"What are you going to do, Ed?"

"I am going to contact Bjorn of Vanguard and your Grandmother on Aelfir and see if they want to help. And whether they want to help or not, we are going to come down hard on Albinus wherever in the galaxy he may be."

"Ed. You can't hit him everywhere. That's not what Jacob wants. You've got to utterly destroy him in the place that is most dear to him.

"You need Mal. He's not Jake, but he's been by Jake's side through all of this. He can help you. I'm sure Jacob shares all his plans with him."

"You take care of destroying the Empire, Edward. I will take care of getting Jake."

"How are you going to do that, Princess?"

"I have a plan. But you are going to have to agree to trade me for Jake. And you are going to have to be ready with your counter attack when we make the exchange."

***

"Welcome, Your Majesty," Malcolm greeted Edward on the bridge of Jacob's flagship currently orbiting Academy.

"Thanks, Mal," Edward responded, his face tight with anxiety. He glanced around the bridge and was happy to see young Elias of Academy acting as page to Malcolm in Jacob's absence. The boy had clearly seen action on Citadel, his bruises testament to his bravery. Edward could tell that the boy wished to speak with him, but he pushed that to the back of his mind so that he could discuss with Mal what needed to be done to confront the Empire.

"We have a deadline and we need to be ready. I've already spoken to Bjorn of Vanguard and Tatiana of Aelfir. We know that the Imperial Navy is massing above Nara. We will strike there in two standard days."

***

On the designated day, at the designated time, Jacob found himself hands bound in front of him, standing next to the towering form of Emperor Albinus himself as the ramp of his planetary shuttle lowered so that they could walk down to the grassy landing plain that separated the devastated Citadel Kype from its Wilds.

"Normally I would not supervise a prisoner transfer myself," the Emperor intimated to Jacob, a snide grin on his face. "But I cannot wait to fuck your princess. I will have her bent over in this shuttle before we even get back to my flagship."

Jacob could not suppress a whimper at the thought of his Fiona in the hands of this madman.

Once they reached the pavilion that had been set up for supervision of the transfer, a Naran who was unfamiliar to Jacob came up to the Emperor.

"Your Imperial Majesty," he started. "A ship arrived, claiming to be carrying the princess, but it remains closed and no communications have been answered."

"Thank you, Luis. We will give them until the designated time of the prisoner exchange. If the princess is not delivered to me by then, we will remove the head of the Duke and pry her out of her ship," Albinus said, hefting his broadsword for emphasis.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Naran smiled cruelly at Jacob and licked his lips in anticipation.

Ten minutes before the designated transfer time, Jacob noticed a form appear out of the shadows of the tall trees that formed the arched entrance to the Citadel Wilds. Even at the distance of more than three hundred yards, he recognized his beloved. She wore trousers and one of his Citadel tartan shirts. Her hair was wild and wet, as though she had just gone for a swim. Her feet were bare and covered with wet mud. As she walked toward the pavilion, Albinus and his courtiers became aware of her and stood to watch her approach. By the time she was within fifty yards of them, Jake could see that her silver hair was standing out all over her head as though charged with static electricity and violet eyes were aglow with a fierce inner light.

Albinus was unaware of the danger he was in until it was far too late. Jacob knew that it was too late from the moment he saw her step foot out of his Wilds.

"Albinus!" her voice rang out like thunder, far louder than could be attributed to her vocal cords. "You threaten the Twelve Realms no more. You killed my father, and the father of my beloved. Your actions killed my unborn child. You die this day."

Jacob felt more than saw Albinus take a breath to speak before a lightning strike hit the Emperor out of the clear blue sky and set the pavilion on fire. The accompanying thunder crack knocked Jacob off his feet, and he watched a half dozen more strikes burn the Emperor before Fiona was satisfied. As he watched, Fiona turned and looked at the Emperor's followers, each of them received the attention of a personal lightning strike. Fiona flung out her arms, her hands splayed, and her body shook and Jacob saw explosions off in the distance, then his princess collapsed onto the ground and was still. Jacob lifted her as best he could with his hands bound together and pulled her away from the flaming pavilion. He collapsed down onto his back and watched Imperial warships sparkle and flame above them.

The hatch to Fiona's ship lowered and Jacob saw Captain Kennedy of the Royal Guard run down the ramp, gun drawn. He was followed by three more of his men. They all converged on Jacob and Fiona.

"Your Grace! We need to get you on board the ship!" Kennedy shouted at him. It was only then that Jacob realized that his ears were ringing. He wondered whether the Captain had tried to call to them earlier and he just had been unable to hear anything.

"No, Captain! Fiona needs to be returned to the Wilds for healing.

"Can you help me get these manacles off? I will take her. It will be too dangerous for anyone else."

Minutes later Jacob's hands were free and he had removed his boots and socks. He carefully lifted her into his arms, wincing with pain, and started walking towards the welcoming canopy of the ancient forest, the firey sunset behind him. He had not been under its protection for more than a few minutes when he felt his body start to relax and his wounds no longer pain him. He was able to move faster and in moments had Fiona on the grass in the clearing near the pond.

Jacob lay Fiona down on the soft soil of the Citadel Wilds next to the spring-fed pond and waited. He sat next to her on the ground and held her hand in his, tears of worry in his eyes. Fiona's chest rose and fell, but her body showed no other signs of life. He was aware when a warm energy swept through his body, taking the pain of his injuries, healing his body, leaving renewed energy in its place. As he watched, a soft golden light seemed to infuse his beloved, then it winked out. Fiona's eyelids fluttered and then opened. Her violet eyes took a moment to look around her before focusing on his face. She reached out her hand to cup his chin with her palm.

"Jake?" she whispered. "Help me sit up?"

He slid his hands behind her back and lifted her. She wrapped her arms around his chest and leaned into him. He held her in a tight embrace, her body felt warm and small in his arms. She pressed her face into his chest and he felt his shirt dampen with her tears. He stroked her back gently to reassure her.

"Shhh," he whispered. "You're safe now."

"I'm just glad you are safe, too.

"Jake? I lost our baby. I lost our baby, Jake." The pain in her voice hit Jacob in the chest and he tightened his hold on her.

"I'm so sorry, Fi. I wish it hadn't happened. I wish I could have been with you..."

"Me too," Fiona responded softly.

She nuzzled her face into Jacob's neck and then moved her lips along his scruffy beard to find his mouth. They shared a soft, intimate kiss. Jacob's hand cradled Fiona's cheek, rubbing her tears away tenderly with his thumb.

Her hands slid along his chest and up to his neck before traveling along his shoulders. She laid her palms against him, feeling the tension of his body.

"You were hurt," she whispered, her eyes searching his. "Your shoulder? Your ribs?"

"Citadel heals her own."

"Yes, she does," Fiona said, a small smile twitching across her lips.

She pulled him back into a kiss and her nimble fingers found the collar of his shirt and swiftly moved to unbutton him. His hands moved to the hem of her shirt and pulled it off over her head, exposing her breasts to the chill air of the Wilds. Jacob leaned in and captured one of her nipples between his lips and sucked.

"Gods Jacob! I missed you," she moaned. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders and down his arms, eager to feel his bare skin against hers.

Jacob gently pushed her onto her back in the soft soil. His hands made short work of the fastening of her trousers and he pulled them and her panties down her legs and tossed them aside. Then he fell on her. His hands traced tender circles on her soft skin and his mouth and lips followed. He focused on her breasts with his mouth and fingers and she was soon writhing and moaning under him. He moved down lower on her body, eager to taste her nectar. He licked and sucked on her as she chanted his name.

"Jacob. Jacob. JACOB!" she cried out as her climax overtook her, a tremendous crash of thunder rent the clear night sky. Her body shook underneath his mouth and then went still.

"Fiona. Princess," Jacob growled. "I need to be inside you." He sat back on his knees and unfastened his britches, pushing them down and freeing his hard cock.

"Yes. Please, Jake," Fiona moaned her response. "I need you. Please."

He positioned himself at her opening and glided into her.

"Gods, Jake!"

His lips fell on hers and sucked the moans out of her as he thrust in and out of her. She pulled away to gasp for air and cry out her pleasure as their bodies crashed together. His hands roamed her body, trying to touch every inch of her. Her hands gripped his shoulders, holding on for dear life. They held each other's eyes as they moved together.

"I'm so close," Fiona said, her hands gripping Jacob even more tightly.

"I want to feel you, Fi," Jake gasped. "Come for me, beloved."

Fiona cried out, arching her back so their torso's touched skin to skin, her body shattering with another orgasm.

"GODS!" Jake cried out as she triggered his climax, her muscles clamping around him. He pulsed inside her again and again and again, grunting with each twitch of his cock deep inside her. Then he stilled.

Jacob dropped to the ground next to Fiona and gathered her into his arms. He kissed her on the forehead, the tip of her nose, and then her lips. She smiled at him and made a deep, contented sound in her throat. He had a few moments to think of getting dressed and to take shelter from the night's chill, but he felt exhaustion wash over him. He sensed warmth enveloping him as Fiona snuggled into his body, her eyes fluttering open then closed, then open and closed again, before staying closed as her breathing evened out into sleep. Jacob let his body relax into sleep along side her.