Chapter 23

Jam and I walked in the garden. At first, we walked quickly while I got over my anger or frustration or whatever you might want to call my feeling. I slowed and Jam said, “Okay. I’m glad you’ve calmed. I was afraid we would be running just any moment.”

I chuckled. “Okay, my love. I’m calm. I was never mad really. It’s just that something happened and I didn’t know the ramifications. I try to know what I’m getting into and make a rational decision.”

“Jar, we’ll just have to keep Roger and Anna alive.”

I chuckled without mirth. “I would want to do that anyway. Now, I have an extra incentive. Jam, I enjoy being here and could live here full-time if it were necessary but I have no desire to be a monarch even in partnership with you.”

Jam smiled. ‘I understand. I feel that way, too. I want to be a commoner in Georgia with you and not a monarch anywhere. However, I would prefer here rather than anywhere else if I did have to be a monarch.”

I smiled and nodded. I had my arm around his waist and his arm was at my shoulders. He pulled me around to face him. “Jar, how are we going to sleep tonight?”

“Just like last night. Jam, I have moral limitations but lying next to you all night was a delicious feeling. I want more of that feeling. Is that okay with you?”

“Very okay. I think we’ve found one more piece of us being a couple. We do sleep well together even though we aren’t doing anything other than sleep.”

“Jar, do we need to make any contingency plans?”

“Jam, I think we do. If there is another attack, it will be more likely today or tonight rather than last night.”

“I agree. It takes time to organize an attack. We need to carry the pistols the rest of today and all of tomorrow.” I nodded. He continued, “We also need to think about possible points of weakness here as they relate to the location of King Marcus, Anna, and Roger.” I nodded again. “Jar, we make good partners. We proved that last time and in just everyday being together. I enjoy having you as my partner. That’s why we’re going to make it permanent.”

That got him kissed. We were close to my suite so went in and retrieved our pistols. Anna and Mason were there, cuddled on the love seat. “Jar, are you expecting trouble?”

“Not really, Anna. We would rather be prepared. Surprises from bad guys with guns are not good things.”

“Jar, this would be only the second time there has been any kind of attempt on my father that I have ever heard of.”

“That’s good. He’s a good man. The terrorists in this last attempt didn’t care but only wanted to cause death and destruction. Their religious leadership keeps pushing and none of the big countries will really go after them. There are moderate voices in Islam but they are drowned out by the lunatics. We must guard against their followers because they’re violent. My country learned that almost twenty years ago.”

Jam said, “Any lunatic fringe that is violent must be guarded against. We’ve seen that historically with the left in our country and now are seeing it from the right. There is no simple, easy answer except being on your guard.”

I nodded. I had buckled on my pistol sliding its extra magazine into my pocket. I noticed Jam had done the same. I asked, “Anna, is someone watching the video feeds from the border crossings?”

“Yes. We should have a good warning at least through tomorrow. Day after tomorrow is when you will head back. I’m going with Mason. We need to talk to his father about our marriage. Roger and Angela are making plans for their wedding with my father’s social secretary. They are looking for a date.”

I grinned. “I guess we should coordinate since we’ll probably have some connection in both of them.”

Anna smiled. “I think Mason plans for Jam to be his best man. I want the Duchess of Meuse to be my maid or matron of honor.”

I grimaced. “I’m just Jar. We’ll save the other for another eternity.”

Anna grinned, “There’s an old saying in Landers. ‘Kings never give free gifts.’ My father is, after all, the King.”

I muttered, “Yeah, even their thanks aren’t free.” I pasted a smile on my face. “We have to wait until we get back to talk to Jam’s mother and see what availability the church has and how it fits what we want.”

Jam said, “We don’t want crazy big but it still won’t be small.”

Suddenly, I heard a buzzing sound. Anna slipped her hand into a pocket and pulled a fob-looking device. She said, “Look to internal channel two.”

We turned the television on. It was on channel two. We could see the French troopers lying limply as they seemed to have been overwhelmed. A rocket came from beyond them and blew up an armored car next to the building with the camera. We could see people go down from the machine gun in the other armored car. One of the French cars blew up but, then, we saw flame beside the camera and one of the attackers’ cars blew up in a very big way. I realized that car had housed the rocket launcher. The attack fizzled at that point but the French pressed forcing the attackers to fight for their lives in what was, now, a losing battle. It was over in a few more moments. The French were damaged but were still able to fight. The attackers didn’t run and wouldn’t surrender. They were decimated with no survivors on their part. One of our people came forward with a hand raised. A French soldier met him. After a few moments of conference, the French with their wounded moved to the border station to be ready if there were another attack. The same man from our side went forward and examined some of the attackers to look at the faces. The camera zoomed in on two of them and they looked middle eastern to me.