Chapter 11

“All we need to do now is to transit to the Dorse home world, pick up a young lady named Seng, and keep her safe for the time being. Her plight is much the same as the one Faro was facing, Lord, should you remember those circumstances.” I nodded, not even close to gleefully.

Thankfully, for the return trip home, with a stop on a very busy planet, I had my Georgia, Willaw, Lina, and Faro to keep me company.

Once we were in privacy, Georgia helped me out of my uniform, with the assistance of the same Faro we were just discussing and our girlfriend, Willaw. While we were in process of disrobing and preparing for a shower, Georgia filled me in on a bit more information.

“One of the nobles of the second of the Dorse planets, Lesser Dorse, was a close friend of Feng, and was promised the hand of his niece in matrimony. It was a promise he might not be able to keep now that we will have her, but nonetheless, his word, his promises, are going to be worthless among the nobles should he not be able to fulfill a promise that was not his to fulfill in the first place.”

In order to keep the tensions to a minimum, Teng agreed to all of our conditions with a caveat, and that was for us to take her daughter and keep her away from the likes of Feng’s friends, all of which were at odds with Teng and her plans for the Dorse Empire. Teng explained to the Admiral that they were not a violent people, so much as they had violent factions that seemed to operate independently while carrying the Dorse flag. Worse yet was that they used the name of the Crown Prince, Feng, in their vile dealing, of which he was mostly a part.

Being first born, yes, she was the empirical leader of the Dorse complex, but as Feng grew braver, she feared more for her wellbeing. After a short jaunt through hyperspace, we sat around a table, the Dorse Queen, her daughter, her high priestess, myself, and my family members, discussing what could, should, will be. It was enlightening, to say the least.

The high priestess allowed that Teng’s brother was next in line for the throne, before Seng, by Dorse law and custom, should the queen pass away prior to the celebration of Seng’s thirtieth solar cycle. Once crowned, he would be king until his death, should that happen, in which case, his children would be in line for the throne. On the slim chance that Feng would meet his demise prior to his offspring reaching the thirty-year point, the throne would revert back to Seng and her offspring, with the same thirty birthday limitations.

“I know that may seem a bit convoluted to an outsider, but from our ancestors’ point of view, it was to make sure the leader of our people,” the priestess explained, “worked hard to ensure they earned, achieved, and were able to keep the loyalty of not only their people, but of their family. Very seldom has there been a situation in the last thousands of solar cycles where family came to be at each other’s throats, and even less seldom has a noble or other outsider considered an overthrow of the monarchy. Our people have what they need. They work hard but what they need to survive is available to those who toil and do not act frivolously.”

“Would you ever consider letting your people actually own property and businesses and such?”

“What do you mean by ‘own’. They have homes, they have land to farm, or a business to run, and money to buy food and clothing.”

“Feng told me your people would never be allowed to have their own personal property. That is one of the linchpins of freedom, if you will, in the Regency. Ownership of property and the right to speak your mind and protect yourself.”

“I understand the problem now, Chancellor. Do your people have a deity, Chancellor?”

“Yes.”

“We do not. Is your deity credited with the land, food, and water, your people use, own, have, live on, and the like?”

“Yes, pretty much.”

“That would be me in our world. That would have been my father. His father, and so on. That is the condition where we are. Where your deity provides, our royalty provides. Same thing. Feng is a troublemaker. He could have explained that to you, but instead, he probably denied the possibility of seeing things the same as you stated. Am I correct?”

“Did you hear the conversation?”

“Not that one yet, but many others. Feng would be a poor leader. Did he mention that the nobles are worried about the upcoming elections? We have instituted additional safeguards to ensure that there are fewer problems this cycle. We do have restrictions, however, on who can vote. Do all people vote in your world, Chancellor?”

“All adults, for the most part, but there are realms where, for example, only landowners vote on issues that affect them, and the like. Any world with similar democratic systems seems to do well.”

“Such is the way of our people. If you will watch our system, our people, our ways, you will see that we are very civilized, especially compared to many worlds around us wherein a man might eat others’ young in order to maintain power, or where their women are sold to the highest bidder in order to keep inbreeding from running rampant.”

“I have never heard of the former, that’s just gross, by the way, but the latter, as abysmal as it sounds, sounds like a poor execution of a good plan.”

“I agree. My scientists tell me that if you follow your system of coordinates in ... Let me see here.” She looked at some notes she had. “Twenty degrees in the x, forty degrees in the y, and sixty degrees in the z axes, at some number of systems away from here, there are animals that although they look human, like you, they will actually eat someone else’s child to make sure the fear others have of them keeps them at bay. I’ve never understood that myself, but such is not within my power to change. I’m having a hard enough time helping my people through the next millennia, but it seems you may have changed that.”

“I hope so. Chartis Two is open. It has never been settled. There has been no need, since most civilizations have homes, planets ... systems, if you will, to sustain their lives. Within the Regency, there is little conflict, no wars, and the only time we see trouble is...” Seng interrupted me.

“When idiots with small brains and large testicles, like my uncle, show up to cause problems. Chancellor, my mother is willing to sacrifice my life and my relationship with her for the good of our people. I have no doubt that my secure, entitled lifestyle will end when I depart this planet with you...” Georgia, without intent, interrupted her by giggling, getting Willaw and Faro to follow. Seng looked at them with the stern look of a typical spoiled royal child. “That outburst was uncalled for, Chancellor. What do you intend to do about it?”

Georgia held up her hand before I could speak. I gestured to her to provide a response. “Princess Seng, I apologize profusely. I had no intention of offending you. Your life with the Chancellor and his family will be nothing less than optimal for you. You will most likely continue to be spoiled and eat well. Fear not.”

“Oh, okay, then. I was under the impression that I was going to be held, more or less, as a captive until we were settled, and all requirements were met.”

Willaw spoke for me, and quite eloquently, I might add. “Princess, your mother wants you safe. We can provide you that safety, away from the likes of your uncle’s friends and the nobles who your mother fears might join his misadventures. You will not be a captive, in any way, shape or form. You will be treated as any of the Chancellor’s family members are and afforded such dignity. That includes meals and snacks, as well as something called sandwiches.” She giggled, causing all of our party to smile broadly. “As well, I have been in the discussions regarding the move to your new home, Chartis Two, and can honestly say that your mother has agreed to certain social conditions, but there are no ‘requirements’,” Willaw air-quoted, “that need to be met in order for you to return to your home. That will be a question and a conversation for later, and made by you, your mother, the Chancellor, and the political climate at the time.”

“Oh.” Seng was a bit dumbfounded.

She was a gorgeous girl. The royal family seems to all be that way. Feng seemed to be a bit on the rough looking side, but Teng, the queen, Seng, her daughter, and Song, the high priestess of the royal court, a cousin of the queen, were all beautiful specimens of female flesh. Their help, the staff waiting on them hand and foot, were also all very attractive, both male and female, mostly female, but were not blaringly beautiful like those three.

Their dark tan skin and light-colored hair were a contrast in average human genealogy, but one could tell they were definitely linked, genetically, to the humanity of the Sol Earth system from millennia gone by. In thousands of years, it was possible, and many worlds did it, to veer away from the then normalized homo sapiens physical traits. An alien, capable of reproducing with humans, could after that amount of time, cause an entire settlement to take on new physical properties, the Goodland people in Jaren’s kingdom were an excellent example of that. Their long lifespans were provided by such a people. Then again, like Faro’s people, the blue tint of their skin coming from their environment, was yet another possibility.

Some of the attributes NOT affecting Seng, nor her family, were those that might change her perfect teeth, wide smile, cute pixie nose, nor her figure. She was not a child. This amazing creature was, according to their calendars and how they would translate to ours, about twenty years old. Thin-waisted, as well as short waisted, with a medium bust and long legs rising to a cute round bottom, this girl was a doll. Their common means of dress showed a substantial amount of cleavage between her firm, high set breasts, and left her entire midriff and lower back uncovered and available for me to admire. Her skin was smooth, blemish free, save a small scar on her left forearm. Her legs were long, rising from a pair of wedge style sandals, and disappearing from my stare under a short skirt made of some form of smooth leather or leather like substance.

She noticed my gaze and smiled at me. I saw that and looked at first her, next I gazed upon her second cousin, who was the high priestess, and then, finally, I took in the image that was her mother. All three of them were grinning at me. Oh, crap. Georgia on one side and Willaw on my other, both placed their hands on my arms and tapped, to let me know I was among friends. Faro, who was behind me, saw the looks, and the smiles, then placed her hands on my shoulders to enforce what my other two women were trying to accomplish.

“Queen Teng, I feel now that we have an agreement, and you have a place to go, I need to leave my experts here to help you in your travels to Chartis Two and take off with your daughter before your brother arrives and attempts to stop our departure. If you don’t mind, we should take our leave.”

“Chancellor, we will meet again, and it will be soon. If my daughter decides to join you for a longer period, that will be fine with me, I just want her happy and in the company of civilized beings, be they men, women, both, or neither. I would appreciate it if you would allow her to finish her education, as well. She needs much more study about the politics behind the universe and its shortcomings, as well as about people and their shortcomings. Her uncle and his circle of friends, the nobles of our two dying planets, are prime examples of what she needs to study and learn to deal with.

“Please do remember, however, that on her thirtieth birthday, she must be on Chartis Two, our new home, to be crowned as the Dorse Crown Princess and every so often the queen pro tempore of the Dorse Empire.”

“I will remember that date, and the importance of having her back to you, your highness.”

“Seng, my dear, I will have your belongings and your girl sent to you at once. I take it you will want to have Deem with you?”

“Yes, mother. If that would be satisfactory with you and the Chancellor, I would like that.”

“As it shall be. Chancellor, Deem is her personal assistant, and has been for years. Please accept her as a part of my daughter’s belongings. Don’t take that wrong, she is not a slave, or servant, and is well paid for her services. They have been inseparable since they were little girls.”

“I see no problems with that, ma’am. Ladies, if you will?” I waved toward the door, and after shaking hands with the queen, then the priestess, and watching Seng hug the both of them, we left and were given a ride to our shuttle. Once aboard, Seng was beside herself. She thought the Valor was a luxurious environment for a spaceship.

Georgia told her the truth. “Young lady, you are mistaken. We are glad you will be satisfied with your surroundings during our travels, but one of these days, we’ll have to take a short vacation on a cruise ship. Now, THEY are comfortable. Our rooms here are spartan compared to them. Charles won’t be with us, naturally, since his only travel conveyance is under our feet. He must always travel in the Valor because of his position and its capabilities, but maybe he can follow us, then take us home, or something. In any case, we’re glad you like it.”

She was given Gwyneth’s suite, and after looking at it initially, asked if Deem could just stay with her for the trip. Since there was the little room attached to it, where Lina and Mina normally stayed, we felt that would not only be more than appropriate but would have been the recommendation in any case.

“On our ships, the few times we travelled, we had very small rooms with little to no comfort. We shared a bathroom with the captain and the executive officer. My mother is the queen of all we know and hold dear, and when we travelled from one world to another, we shared a bed the size of the one in Deem’s room. This is luxurious, to me, so there!” Seng said, smiling.

One of the ship’s crew announced himself and offered to bring the princess’s luggage to her in the suite. Deem was right behind him, holding two of the big bags. I heard a little screech, then the two of them ran to each other and hugged.