Chapter 13

Stephan stared down in dismay at the report in his hands. The long awaited report had finally arrived early this morning. After briefly perusing its' contents he was reluctant to give it to Charles. The truce between Kat and Charlie was very shaky. It was especially delicate after Kat's reaction in his study. If those two didn't kill each other first, they would make a very formidable couple. But what sane person would take on a Vindexicis warrior and a healer that had Kat's skills? Looking back down at the report, he realized that there was a lot more to Kat than met the eye.

He slowly closed the folder and rubbed the back of his neck. If he gave this report to Charlie, Charlie would have a complete meltdown. The man was nothing if not protective of his chosen. If he, Stephan, had his way, Kat would be the one to tell Charlie about her past. The report was like handling a lit bomb. It didn't matter who handled it, the damn thing was still going to explode. He needed to talk to some one about this. But who? Who would keep Kat's secrets and know how to handle the King? And then he knew ... and he smiled.

Arianna ... he decided. She would be the perfect person to talk to! She had been trying to avoid him lately, citing her duties in training the future queen. But this time he had the perfect excuse to get her alone. She couldn't say that he was distracting her from her duties.

He leaned over and pressed a button on his communications console and waited for her to answer.

"Councilor Dean, I don't have time for this!" Her voice sounded irritated.

"What's wrong, Ari?" he asked immediately.

"Those children!" she hissed. "Damn it, Charles, leave her alone!"

Stephan cringed when he heard several thuds and several voices raised in anger.

"I can't talk right now, Stephan. I have to go play referee."

"Come by my office when you're done."

"Fine, fine ... Kat, it's our custom. You have to have your family here for the bonding! If your father isn't here your mother has to be..." Stephan shook his head as he heard Kat's response. It sounded suspiciously like she just told Arianna that her mother would be there when Hell froze over. He disconnected the call and looked at the folder once again. There was no way in hell that Kat would ever invite her mother to her bonding. He wouldn't either if the woman had done to him what she had done to Kat.

Then a thought struck him. Why not have her grandfather come? It sounded like that Kat had some affection for her grandsire. He punched his communications console again and asked for an intergalactic connection. Within minutes, he was listening to the ring of an Earth phone line. He found it odd the way that they communicated but it was quaint at the same time.

"Hello?" a grumpy male voice answered.

"Is this Jason Littlebird?" Stephan asked.

"Yeah, state your business!" the old man demanded.

"Testy, aren't we? My name is Stephan Dean. I am the advisor to King Charles of Areseric. I'm calling concerning your granddaughter, Katrina."

"What's wrong with Kitty?" The concern in the older man's voice was obvious.

"Nothing is wrong with her. I was wondering if you would be interested in a trip to Areseric." Stephan replied.

"You want me to come to Areseric? Why?"

"Yes, it is our custom that a family member be available to give away the bride."

"Bride? Are you trying to tell me that my Kitty is getting married?"

"Yes, Mr Littlebird, your granddaughter is going to be bonded with our king at the peak of the new moon. That day should be in the next week or so."

"Okay, I'll be there. I'll have to drive to Iowa City to catch a flight to Chicago. That's the closest spaceport."

"I'll send one of our private spaceships for you. It will be there sometime tomorrow. I will get back to you with the time. Your daughter won't be coming with you will she?"

"No." Jason replied tersely before disconnecting the call.

And it was a good thing that she wasn't, Stephan thought. He didn't know if he could stand to be in the same room with the woman that had birthed Kat and then abandoned her to the penal system.

Jason sat in his old farmhouse and gazed at the small picture he had placed on the mantle. Since his daughter had left, he was finally able to have the picture out in the open. It was a duplicate of the one that he carried in his wallet. His beautiful little Kitty. It was hard to believe that she was finally getting married. And to King Charles! He wanted her to be happy, he really did. But this custom was going to put him in between a rock and hard spot. Because sure as anything, King Charles was going to recognize him. He had been able to fool Prince Rand with his Midwestern getup and fake accent. He had only seen the Prince in passing. Charles on the other hand wouldn't be so easy to fool. Considering that he had trained the lad, it would be damn near impossible, despite the fact that it had been over twenty years since the boy had seen him. The past had caught up with him and now was the time to heal the damage done.

Stephan stared at the communications console and tried to place what was bothering him. The man on the phone had been a bit short with him. But there was something familiar about him. He was jerked from his thoughts when someone knocked on his office door. "Come in," he called as he slid the folder under his blotter. He was glad he did when Charles came in.

"Good morning, Charlie."

"I'm gonna kill her!" the king growled as he flung himself into the chair across from Stephan.

"Relax, it's just the mezclar. It's playing havoc with your hormones." "It's doing more than that, Stephan!" Charlie flung his arm across his eyes in despair.

"It's calling to your latent power, Charles."

"I won't perform the Traiectus! I won't, ' he said strongly as if he were trying to reassure himself.

"This promise you made to yourself, Charlie, is going to be hard to keep. I don't claim to understand all of the traditions facing a Vindexicis warrior but the mezclar isn't going to care what promises you have made. It's going to demand that you join your powers with Kat's.

"It didn't when I bonded with Deanna," he countered.

"Something tells me it's not going to be that understanding this time. Back then, Deanna, as lovely as she was, didn't bond with you other than physically. This bonding that you are making with Katrina is very different. I have the feeling that it is going to be a complete bonding this time. You managed to escape it the last time, Charlie, but I really don't think that you are going to escape this time. I'll bet you are already fighting aspects of your power right now, aren't you?"

Charlie just glared at him.

"Glaring at me, boy, isn't going to change it. You have to make the choice Charlie or the mezclar will do it for you."

Another knock on the door rang through the room. This time Arianna walked into the room, followed by a flushed Kat.

"Come on, Charlie. It's time for me to drag you to a meeting, for a change," Kat said as she stopped next to his chair.

"What are you talking about," he growled as he stared at the hand that she had rested on his shoulder.

"Come on, surely you haven't forgotten about your fitting for the special costumes we must wear for the Festival?"

"What? No one said anything about a fitting!" he exclaimed as he surged to his feet.

"It's tradition, Son. You know that as the King you have to wear the traditional robes. And the last King's robes definitely won't fit you." Arianna gave her son a scolding look.

"Damn it!" he growled as he stood up.

"Hey, don't yell at me!" Kat replied as she took his arm. "If you think you have it bad, the last queen's robes don't even come close to fitting me. They had to start over from scratch. I still have several fittings before I'm done. So quit your grousing and come with me."

"What are you going to give me if I do?" he asked, a crafty look on his face. "Why is it you always want something in return?" she muttered low enough that he could only hear.

"Because it's the only way I'm going to get anything out of you."

"Fine! What do you want?" Kat asked with a straight face. Which quickly reddened when she saw the look that entered his green eyes. "I..."

"As tempting as I find that offer, I think that I'll settle finding out where you learned to do that little trick."

"What trick?" she asked innocently.

"The one where you vaulted over a gargoyle, grabbed a pole and flipped onto the roof. Who taught you how to do that?"

"After the fitting, I'll tell you," she bargained.

"Tell me now, and you can show me after the fitting." he countered.

"You know you really drive a hard bargain. Fine. I took gymnastics as a child. They teach you how to tumble. I can do somersaults, flips, cartwheels, round -offs and several other moves," she explained as she led him towards the door.

"Good, now that wasn't so hard was it?" he teased. "You can show me these moves after our fitting, Kitty Kat..." he said as they left the study. Arianna shook her head before quietly shutting the door behind them. She mentally gathered herself up before she turned back around and faced Stephan.

"Okay, Stephan, what is that you wanted to discuss with me about Kat?" she asked as she sat down in the chair that her son had just exited.

"I'll get to that in just a minute. I have something else I want to talk to you about before we get into that." Arianna met his gaze and inwardly groaned. He had that look about him again. He was going to start pestering her about being his chosen again!

"I..."

"Don't. For just once in your stubborn life, woman, listen to me first. Until I finished, I just want you to sit there and actually listen. And don't go getting all defensive on me either." he growled when he saw her cross her arms over her wonderfully ample chest.

"Fine, lets get it over with, Dean. I'm a very busy woman," she said through gritted teeth.

"Busy at avoiding me." Stephan stood up and walked around the desk and sat on its edge facing her. "You know, Arianna, this is going to happen whether you fight me or not. Why do you keep running from me? I haven't had a decent night's sleep since the night that I held you in my arms. I keep waking up and reaching for you. And you're not there."

"Maybe you should try a sedative, Dean. They are a lot less expensive and not as much trouble as having a woman to deal with."

"Really? And you think any woman would fulfill this need?" he asked curiously.

Arianna tried to steel herself against the pain of the thought of another woman in his arms brought but she knew that she failed when he smiled knowingly. The bastard knew that it bothered her to think of him with other women!

"Exactly, Arianna. There is no substitute for you. There wasn't when I was married to Hope and now that I've had you, I'll never be able to touch another woman without longing for you. So I've decided that I'm done playing this silly game that you have insisted we play. I'm not a young man anymore. I won't waste any more time."

"So you've finally given up on me?" she asked quietly.

"No I have NOT! Maybe if I were younger I would give you more time," he said after a moment. "But if I know you, you'd just try to find another reason why we couldn't be together and you'd back away from me once more. So this time I'm not giving you a choice. We will be married at the Renewal Festival. I've already spoke to Charlie about marrying you. I'll have you know, Ari, he gave me his unconditional approval. It seems that the only one uncertain about us being together is you."

"So you think you have this all worked out, Councilman Dean?" Arianna asked him coldly.

Stephan smiled as he watched her fume.

I know I have, Ari. You're mine and whether you like it or not, we will bond at the Renewal Festival. You and I belong together.

"Stay out of my head, damn it!" she hissed at him. He just smiled at her.

"Now, for the other issue that I needed to talk to you about," he said as he stood up and walked back around his desk. He retrieved the file from under his desk blotter before walking back around to stand in front of her once more. He tapped the file absently as he gathered his thoughts.

"What is it!" Arianna asked finally.

"Your son came to me a couple of weeks ago and asked that I compile a report on Kat ... her background and her past. You know how closed-mouthed she is about it. And you know your son, if he thinks she hiding something, he wants to know it — every detail."

"Why couldn't he just be like any other man and wait for her to come to him." Arianna finally replied as the enormity of what her son had done. "Does he realize that it will blow up in his face if she finds out?"

"Yes, in fact it already has. She found out about the preliminary report. That was the day that she locked him in the stables. Even after that fiasco, he still insisted on having the full report. He wants to know what makes her tick, I think."

"That son of mine always was an impatient one. So let me guess that folder that you are holding is the final report."

"Yes, I want you to take it, look it over, and tell me how the hell I am suppose to give that folder to your son." Charles placed the folder in her hand before leaning back on the desk.

Arianna stared down at the thick manila folder that he had just given her. She knew that opening it could be like opening Pandora's box. She was tempted beyond belief. It could help her with training Kat.

"Go ahead and open it, Ari. I know that you won't use what's in there against Kat or Charlie." Stephan assured her. She looked up at him. He was being quite trusting of her.

She swallowed before flipping open the folder. Tears quickly came to her eyes as she skimmed the contents in the folder. Whoever had gathered the information had been very through. It was hard to think that any child should have to go through what Kat had endured. She looked up at Stephan. She set the file aside and stared at him.

"My advice! Don't give it to him. She needs to tell him in her own time."

"But it's my duty as his advisor to..." Stephan protested softly, reminding her of his position.

"This file will do nothing but hurt her and I think she has been hurt enough, don't you, Councilman Dean?" She arched an eyebrow waiting for his reaction.

"But what about your son!" he asked when she stood up and picked the file up.

"I'll deal with him. And I'll deal with this." she said softly as she turned and walked towards the door.

"Ari, I can't let you take that! What am I suppose to tell Charlie?" he moved quickly to stop her., but she moved even more swiftly.

"Tell him that I stole it." she said over her shoulder as she closed the study door behind her.

Arianna finally tracked down King Mica in the library. He was reading a book.

"Your highness, I hate to bother you, but I need your council." Arianna said as she shut the library's heavy door behind her.

King Mica looked up from his book. "I've been expecting you, Arianna." he waved his hand and the door behind her magically locked. "It's about the report that Charlie had Dean gather isn't it?"

"How did you know?" she asked as she sat down in the chair across from him.

"One of the powers that I possess is to see the future. It isn't always a pleasant gift to have."

"I suppose you have seen what will happen if I give my son this report," Arianna sighed as gripped the folder tightly in her hands.

"I can understand your concerns, Arianna. There must be something of great magnitude in that folder."

"It's her life, Mica. She should be the one to tell him. I find it hard to believe that a child I raised would stoop to this level."

"You have to understand his position. If I were in his place I would have done the same thing," Kat said as she walked out of the shadows behind Mica.

"Kat!" Arianna surged to her feet.

"Relax. May I see the file?" Kat asked softly, her voice steady even though the hand that she offered was trembling slightly. Arianna glanced over at Mica for guidance.

"Go ahead." The King nodded his agreement and Arianna slowly gave Kat the folder.

Kat stared at the cover for a moment or two before opening it. She briefly skimmed the contents of the first page. Then she closed it and held it tightly to her chest. A small tremor shook her small body.

"Thank you. May I go?" she asked the king.

"Of course. I never would dream of holding you hostage, Kat. You are like another daughter to me. Go do what you need to do."

Kat nodded her thanks before disappearing back into the shadows. Arianna could hear the shallow scrape of a window opening.

"Is she going to..."

"Yes. Our little Kat is quite the gymnast. The last time I was on Earth I was invited to their Olympic Games. They have a sport dedicated to this activity. They are quite graceful and powerful athletes."

"She won't hurt herself? It is dangerous to walk those ledges."

"Believe me, Arianna. Walking those ledges is 'a stroll in the park' as the Earthlings say."

"That girl is going to make me gray before my time," she said with a shake of her head.

"You're already gray." Mica reminded her.

Kat sat outside of the window of Charlie's inner sanctuary and gazed off into the distance. Even without the green fields she was so accustomed to, the red plains of Areseric reminded her greatly of her home. She wondered if she would ever live on Earth again. More than likely not, she decided. Once she bonded or what ever they called it, she would become the queen. This morning's battle with Charlie and his mother had finally driven home the fact.

When she had started this journey all she had wanted was to find the man of her dreams. And now that she had found him, she was torn between throwing herself in his arms and finding the nearest object to clobber him with. Her Vindexicis warrior was every inch the alpha male. Could she hold her own against him? She had a feeling that she was going to find out shortly.

She glanced over at the file that rested on the ledge next to her. She had only read the first page and hadn't bothered reading anymore. She had a feeling that Councilman Dean had been very through when he had complied the report for Charlie. She knew everything that was in the file already. Now, she wondered if she were brave enough to give it her chosen. When he found out most of her secrets would he turn away from her. Or even worse, would he pity her?

Well there was only one way to find out, she decided. She leaned back and tapped on his window.

Charles glanced up when he heard a tap against the window behind him. He turned around and walked over to it, expecting to see nothing more than a child tossing pebbles. His window overlooked the skipping pond that he had commissioned a few years back, after seeing one in an Earthling movie. He wasn't to bad a stone skipper either.