Chapter Twenty-five.

The next morning showed a vast improvement in Jena’s condition. Her temperature had continued to reduce over night and was now down to one hundred and one point two. Jena was fully awake and asking if she could now lie on her back as she was fed up with being face down, plus she was hungry!

So the two Princess carers, Ayne and Urna and her two non Granarian carers Raul and Karin quickly and expertly reapplied the various creams and salves to her wounds, before carefully allowing her to sit propped up in her bed and have a light breakfast and some sweet drinks. She had the best colour she’d had since being rescued from the mire up in the hills above Riventon. Whilst her wounds were being treated, she’d told Raul and Karin a quick version of her life story which made a deep impression on them both.

Rusan then explained how she’d been forced to take Art Strin’s life, but that she had no feelings of guilt for ending his existence, and neither Raul nor Karin could feel anything but respect for the woman’s actions.

Once Jena was comfortable, and after receiving another infusion with more anti-biotics, her head drooped a little and she dozed. Everyone noticed that even though she was asleep, her fingers were firmly interlocked with Rusan’s, who was also dozing in her chair. After yet another long night of naps, interspersed with little procedures carried out on Jena it was hardly surprising everyone was so very tired.

Once everyone had had a breakfast, the Queen, her two daughters Aryn and Caryn, Pellinore and her two daughters with Raul and Karin gathered around Jena’s bed to start the process of explaining to each other the whole series of events that had brought them together.

The explanations, started with Raul and Karin explaining their mission, and the speed with which it had unravelled. Aryn and Caryn described the rescue mission and subsequent events. Ayne and Urna explained how Raul and Karin had eventually been discovered and their subsequent treatment. The Queen explained about her dealings with Masonville’s representatives and Aryn gave a brief synopsis of the individual currently seeking asylum whilst in their cells.

It was lunchtime before all the explanations had wrapped up, with every member of the group feeling a little overloaded by the exchange of information. This was especially so for Raul and Karin. Raul was feeling decidedly confused with all the changes he’d gone through, although he felt pretty sure that “The Beings” had to be involved, he, or more realistically now, she, could really use an audience with Garia at the moment.

Karin noticed that Raul was particularly quiet during the lunch they all shared.

“Raul, how are you feeling?”

Raul looked at her wife and shook her head, a single tear falling down her cheek.

Karin slid her chair across to her husband’s side, or was that now her wife’s side? She’d sort that conundrum out a little later, all she knew was that the person she loved was hurting.

She slid her arm around Raul’s shoulders and felt her head rest on her own shoulder, and then her nightgown grew increasingly damp, as the person next to her shook with silent sobs.

“It’ll be okay, Raul, it’ll all work itself out you’ll see. At least you know a little of what may have happened, perhaps Garia may grant us a visit with a possible explanation as to what occurred to make us look like sisters, and if you can be changed back.”

“I know all that Karin, I just can’t believe that I have been reduced to tears so easily, I mean, I knew the risks involved in these expeditions before we ever left home, I’m supposed to be a hardened space explorer, and here I am, crying like a little girl!”

“Think about it Raul, to all intents and purposes you are a little girl! Your body is awash with hormones that make us all, well those of us with the same physiology, more emotional. You have undergone an incredible change in circumstances, I’d be more worried if you weren’t upset!”

“But, we are no longer the same husband and wife we were a matter of days ago!”

“Listen you, you are still essentially the same person, you have the same ideals and the same core beliefs you had when we first met, all those years ago, yes, the outer wrapper is a little different, but I still love you, Raul!”

“But . . “

“No but’s, just shut up and give me a kiss!”

Raul looked up into his wife’s eyes, the same eye’s he’d fallen in love with when he first saw her back on Earth, and, closing his eyes, Raul kissed her wife.

When they broke the kiss, they realised just how public had been that display of affection. All their audience were sat smiling at them. The Queen leant forward and placing a hand on a knee of each of these two new visitors to her realm.

“We have a saying here that states that ‘True love master’s all obstacles placed in its path!' and, I think girls, that applies to you two too! Now, no matter what changes you have undergone, you love each other, pure and simple, we can all see that, so cheer up and try not to worry about things beyond your control.

Now, who is Garia, and will she visit you here?”

“Ah, Garia is a little difficult to explain your Majesty, and I never meant to mention her name. We have both given a strict oath not to reveal anything about her and those like her, so, at the risk of offending you, which we really do not want to do, we must respectfully decline to answer!” replied Karin.

“You have given your oath?”

“Yes, your Majesty, and we cannot, and will not, break our word!”

“Then, so be it, I would want all who make oath to me or the office I represent to have the same level of loyalty you both display. I would wish to meet this Garia someday, but I will respect your word. Now, what to do with you? You don’t look as if either of you need to be kept in the infirmary, so would you accept quarters within the palace for now, not as prisoners I hasten to add, but as our honoured guests? I don’t think either of you would wish to fall into the hands of those from Masonville!

Hopefully, they have no idea the capsule we brought back to the palace contained yourselves. So, as far as we are aware, it is more for the construction materials themselves, rather than any technological advantage that they can gain from your mode of transport that they are especially interested in. But, no doubt, they will eventually discover your existence. The longer we can delay that happening, the better for us all, but especially the two of you!”

“Thank you, your Majesty, we appreciate your understanding! Whilst we do not really need to take up valuable bedspace in your infirmary for ourselves, it is useful for us to be so close to Jena, especially for her ongoing treatment, particularly over the next few days.” Responded Karin.

“Okay, we’ll leave things as they are for now if everyone agrees, although we should find you two some better clothes to wear, rather than having you wander about in those awful hospital gowns.” The Queen said indicating Raul and Karin.

“Aryn, speak to our other guest this afternoon, I understand we are going to get a top visitor from Masonville in the next day or two, so the more insight he can provide, the better prepared I can be.”

“Pellinore, I want you to surreptitiously listen into the interview.”

“Caryn, I want you to go over our security arrangements, with particular emphasis on what we can do to ensure the capsule remains a secret.”

“Ayne and Urna, I want you to learn as much as you can from our guests here about ways to advance our medical care.”

“Aryn, after your interview, perhaps you could, with Caryn, take our guests to see what else they would like to take from the capsule, for safe keeping. Then, later this evening, all of us could meet up to discuss our findings and any other possible developments.”

“Jena, I want you to continue to teach Rusan to read and write, practice makes perfect after all! Plus, I want to see you starting to put a little meat on your bones, eat as much as you can as often as you can!”

“Rusan, you have my permission to raid the palace kitchens for any tasty morsels they can provide for yourself and for our friends! They all look like they could do with a bit of building up, as do you yourself come to think of it!

See Jena, I told you I could be bossy!!”

Jena giggled, a sound that made them all smile. With that, the small group dispersed to undertake their allocated tasks.

Chapter Twenty-six.

Aryn recommenced her meeting with Magni Porarinn.

“Well Magni, how are you this afternoon?” asked Aryn.

“I am well your Highness, I have no complaints, and I thank you for the books and writing materials you sent.”

Karin looked across the table positioned between the two of them and noticed part of a drawing peeking out from under a pile of blank and written on papers.

“May I?” she asked pointed across to the drawing partly on view.

“Of course, your Highness, it’s just a scribble I was working on to help pass the time,” answered Magni as he extricated the paper and handed it across. It was the portrait of a young woman.

“She’s beautiful!” said Aryn quietly. “Who is she, a lover?”

“No Highness, it is my sister Asta, she was truly beautiful. This is a very pale attempt to capture her likeness!”

“I can see a family resemblance to yourself, you are a talented artist Magni, very talented, what else have you drawn? I can see another picture poking out slightly!”

Magni coloured up, his face reflecting his embarrassment as he handed the second image across the table.

“Oh!” stammered Aryn recognising an accurate portrait of her own image. “It’s, . . it’s a very good likeness!”

“I’m sorry Highness, I didn’t mean to embarrass you, I just like to draw, and I have always been able to capture a person’s resemblance, really easily! Please, keep it if you like it that much!”

“No, I couldn’t take this, you may want to keep it yourself!” Then Aryn blushed as she realised what she had said.

“No, it’s fine Highness, if I want to keep a portrait of you for myself, I can easily draw another!”

Then Magni coloured up as he realised what he had said.

“Here, let me show you!” Then in front of her astonished gaze, Magni, in the space of less than ten munts drew another portrait of the Princess, similar to the first, but with a slightly different expression.

“Here, please keep that one too, as you can tell, I have an inexhaustible supply of portraits at my fingertips, it’s a gift I have always had. Here, please, take the picture of Asta too, I will draw another this evening! It will let you know for whom I am doing what I am doing, in giving you what information I can, in her memory, and, in my sorrow! I can never be a better brother to her now, but I can now be a much better brother in her memory than I ever was to her during her life”

So, placing the portraits to her side, Aryn continued to talk with Magni, learning what she could of the hierarchy within the top stratum of Masonville. She even left Magni’s cell later that afternoon with a whole series of small portraits of who was who within the upper governing echelon at the top of the tree. All the way down from Signi, to Brandr and others lower down to the government aides, from diplomats to hitmen suspected of enforcing the rule of Signi and his cohort. Little did either of them realise just how important these portraits were to prove.

Raul and Karin were presented with underwear and a sort of tracksuit and jacket for their journey down to the capsule. They were amazed to see the structure separate from the shuttle. That it was much bigger than they expected in one way, but also smaller in another. The realisation that it was supposed to be a sort of lifeboat for up to four individuals explained the size anomaly a little. They climbed the wooden structure built to give them access to the door which slid open as they drew near.

Aryn looked around, along with Caryn, it was her first real glimpse of the illuminated interior of the shuttle’s survival capsule.

“Wow, this looks really impressive, what do all these things do?”

Raul gave a brief overview of the many controls and sensors within the capsule’s cockpit. Slowly both Raul and Karin de-activated the shuttle’s survival capsule, mainly because most of its instrumentation and controls were now surplus to requirements, but also to conserve what remaining battery life there remained within the capsule's systems.

Looking around the interior of the capsule that had now returned to an almost darkened state, Raul and Karin began the process of grabbing various items of technology such as body sensors, including electronic components, calculators, hand-held tablets, personal mementoes and clothing. They were about to head back to the infirmary when Karin placed her hand on Raul’s sleeve.

“Raul, I don’t think you are going to need those, at least for the time being, do you?” Raul looked down at the items of clothing she’d removed from her ready lockers. She glanced from the clothing, back to Karin, then back at the clothing before nodding sadly.

“No, I don’t suppose I do now, do I! It was just an automatic reaction to seeing you removing your spare uniforms and clothing from your lockers!” said a somewhat dejected Raul.

“I know, Raul, hopefully things will be able to go back to some sort of normality soon, but for now, let’s leave Raul’s uniforms behind, mind you, if we take Lila’s and Ellie’s spare items with us, it will give us a few more options for now.

Eventually, with a last look around, the four women carefully balanced their armloads of clothes, personal items and belongings and travelled by lift back up to the infirmary and their evening meeting with the Queen and the others of their small ad-hoc group.

Chapter Twenty-seven.

The nine women were seated around a table in the common room area of the infirmary. The tenth, Jena had continued to improve throughout the day, and whist her temperature was still elevated, it was nowhere near as high as it had been two days previously, she was sat in bed looking the best she had since she’s first emerged from that horrible smelly mud bath that had very nearly finished her off.

They’d not long finished their evening meal when a messenger sought a brief interview with Pellinore, who’d walked down to the other end of the infirmary to receive her latest despatches.

She returned several munts later with an enigmatic smile playing across her face. She stopped as she walked past the Queen’s shoulder and waved a single page in front of her. The Queen shared the same smile.

“When can we expect delivery?”

“Nothing specific, but approximately two to three days!” answered Pellinore.

“That’s going to be one of the better things we’ll have witnessed in quite some time!” spoke the Queen, nodding over her cup of tea. “But we’ll keep that under wraps for the time being!”

“My thoughts exactly Majesty!” answered Pellinore, which only received confused expressions from the other members of the group!

“By the way your Majesty, one of the other items of information just passed to me was details of the next deputation to grace our shores and our court from Masonville!” exclaimed Pellinore.

“Oh goody, we can barely wait, can we?” exclaimed Caryn.

“Now dear, just because the last few representatives have been worse than useless, that doesn’t mean the next one will be another waste of space!” admonished the Queen with a smirk.

“Who are they sending this time?”

“Let’s see, . . . yes, . . . here it is, . . . The new ambassador is a Field Marshall Eydis, and he’s bringing an additional, four, . . six, . . eight, yes, eight aides with him, he should be here the day after tomorrow, so I assume he will make his presence known to us, either that day or the next?”

“Sorry Aunt, did you say, a Field Marshall?” asked Aryn.

“That’s right Aryn, Field Marshall Eydis! Why? Have you heard of him?”

“No Aunt, and that’s what’s so unusual, I have never heard of Masonville ever having any Field Marshalls, other than geriatric individuals they are pensioning off out of the way, but today, during my interview with Magni Porarinn, the highest-ranking individual Magni mentioned was Brandr, General Brandr!”

“That’s right Aryn, he didn’t, did he?” agreed Duchess Pellinore, “I think you need to have another interview with him in the morning, see what he has to say for himself, and see if he has ever heard of this Eydis individual!”

“I shall see him first thing, Magni strikes me as an honest person, I am sure if this Field Marshal was that important, Magni would have mentioned him to me up front!”

Early the next morning.

Magni was just settling down to read a little more, he’d had a wash and shave and was waiting for his breakfast to arrive. He had repeatedly compared his treatment and surroundings to those he knew his compatriots inflicted on their political prisoners. This was like night and day, and that made him even more ashamed of not seeing how misogynistic, dysfunctional, and awful his own regime was.

As he got comfortable with his most recent book there was a light knock on his cell door. He frowned then smiled and called out, “It’s open!”

The door was pulled open and the person who entered was none other than the Princess Aryn.

Magni leapt to his feet.

“May I speak with you? I am sorry I am so early; it’s just I have an important question!”

“No, of course not, Highness, come in, what can I tell you that has you at my door so early in the morning?”

“Thank you, Magni.” Said the Princess. “What can you tell me about Field Marshal Eydis?”

“I’m sorry Princess, who?” Magni frowned.

“We’ve been informed that the next ambassador from Masonville, will be a Field Marshal Eydis!” asked Aryn carefully.

“Eydis? I’ve never heard of anyone called Eydis, let alone a Field Marshal by that name! As far as I know Masonville doesn’t currently have any Field Marshals of any name. They tend to use the honorific purely as means of acknowledging individuals who have attained high rank but are now being pensioned off out the way and perform purely ceremonial duties. The last one was Field Marshal Urien, and he died almost a year ago! The highest-ranking officer apart from President Signi is General Brandr!”

“You’re sure Magni?”

“Absolutely Highness, I heard that Signi didn’t want to create any other Field Marshals as he wanted to ensure a clear distinction between his office and the rest of the military hierarchy! But that was just a rumour that did the rounds of the barracks following Urien’s funeral.”

“Okay?” muttered a confused Aryn, “Thanks for the confirmation, Magni, I may well speak with you further later today!”

“Anything I can do to help, then I am ready to answer any questions you may have! Highness.”

A confused and an unaccountably nervous Aryn was walking briskly back down the corridor wondering what this conflicting information all meant.

“Princess, wait please, Princess, I have just thought of something?” called Magni down the corridor. He stood in the doorway of his cell unwilling to run along the corridor’s length in case the armed guards thought he had nefarious intentions towards the Princess. She waved him towards her, and he jogged to her side, making sure he kept his hands clearly in view at all times.

“I’ve just remembered something Princess, it may be nothing, but I remember now, General Brandr’s mothers’ surname was Eydis, she had remarried I think which is why she had a different surname to her son, I met her once or twice, she was about as unpleasant as him too!

I remember now, I had to wait on her at some formal reception five or six years ago, I’m not sure if this helps you with your enquiries or not, but I thought I’d mention it while I remembered!”

“Thank you, Magni, I have an uneasy feeling that, that snippet of information may be vitally important! I’ll speak to you later!”

With that Aryn rushed off to find her mother and aunt to impart this latest snippet of information, she had a feeling the next day or two were going to be quite busy and more than a little fraught.