Chapter 20 - The Governors’ Ball.
Stenn Reslic followed Tymos to his apartment after the day’s lesson in advanced weaponry concluded.
“You are not planning on missing the ball this evening?” he asked, noticing that Tymos had gone to his terminal and was rapidly scrolling through a list of names and faces.
“No,” Tymos said absently, pulling his stool closer to sit on it. “I am just making sure I know the names of all the important commoners and the Elders that are coming.”
“What? You have forgotten something you learnt less than a month ago?” Stenn teased.
“No. Have you forgotten that the cities have just had their annual mayoral elections? There might have been some changes.” Tymos countered. “I have to be able to talk to the new ones too.”
“If you say so,” Stenn conceded. “And I suppose, Kryslie is checking out the wives and families?”
“Of course,” Tymos muttered. “Or don’t you have to do this sort of thing?”
“Actually, I don’t - one advantage of four older brothers. Besides, it is more the province of the High King and his heirs. Anyway, only seventy-five of the ninety-seven mayors are coming. Stenn listed all the apologies, proving that he that he had already done the checking.
After watching his friend for a while, Stenn advised, “Lighten up why don’t you? It’s no big deal.”
“Really?” Tymos retorted. “Father said we needed to be able to talk to the guests.”
“Tymos, old man, the Governors have been holding their Annual Ball since ancient times. And yes, every single common born guest will want to see you and Kryslie, because none of them knew you existed until nine months ago. But I can guarantee that all you will have to do is say hello so-and-so, endure the ‘oh, I thought you were younger’ comments and watch them go and talk to your elders.”
“Really?” Tymos looked relieved.
“Truly,” Stenn agreed. “No matter that you are Uncle Ty’s heirs – you are still just children and beneath the importance of the big men. And one other thing…”
“What?”
“As soon as they see your mother is about to drop another red-headed heir designate – they will forget about you and Kryslie.”
“There’s that,” Tymos agreed. “Krys says she is due in less than a week.”
“Now, a little more advice from Uncle Stenn. Tell Morov to bring you a young feast from the kitchen, because even though we provide food at these fancy balls, the commoners are like hungry locusts. You will need to eat early to have the energy for all the dancing.”
Tymos groaned, but Stenn grinned devilishly.
“Apart from you having to do your official duty, there are usually a lot of decidedly attractive young ladies present and I don’t mean my pretty and annoying sisters and the other royal cousins. Your main problem will be not getting eaten alive.”
“Don’t you start something,” Tymos countered.
“I am not a complete fool,” Stenn grinned. “And my name isn’t Konn.”
Knowing that Stenn and Konn kept rubbing sparks off each other, Tymos asked, “How does he fit into this discussion?”
With a reminiscent chuckle, Stenn explained, “A couple of years ago, one of those delightful female guests set out to trap my amorous brother. Some one…directed one of the guards to his rescue.”
Tymos had a very good idea who that had been.
“Did you know…my father has a very impressive speech for such occasions? You really don’t want it targeted at you.”
“So what are you trying to say?” Tymos said after a chuckle.
“Tonight is for having fun. Forget the work. Things will be pretty slack tomorrow too. Many of the invitees will be staying as guests in the palaces or the Government building. Some will be having meetings with high-ranking people. Until they all go, everyone is distracted.”
“The guards too?” Tymos asked.
“When everyone is gone, which is usually by lunchtime, the guards do get a bit less alert. Just about all of them will have done a double shift.” Stenn advised.
“Why don’t you join Krys and me to eat?
“Like to old man, but I am due for this huge family conference quite soon,” Stenn grimaced. “Usual stuff – but I can’t get out of it.”
A polite cough distracted them.
“Yes, Morov,” Tymos acknowledged.
“Prince Tymos, His Majesty requests that you join him for an early tea. You will need to get properly dressed first.”
Stenn waved and sauntered to the door. “The duty discussion – you’ll see. I’ll catch you tonight.”
Kryslie emerged from Tanya’s sitting room as Tymos materialised in the High King’s apartment. He blinked in near disbelief. Fortunately Tymoros commented, saving Tymos the need.
“You look magnificent, Kryslie. I am going to find it hard to match you.”
“I doubt that! As soon as anyone sees you and Tanya, they will forget about me,” Kryslie predicted.
Tymos glanced at their foster mother in her loose fitting pale green gown, and had to admit that she seemed to be glowing. He made a mental comment to Kryslie.
“I agree,” she thought back. “What do you think?” Kryslie spread out the floor length flowing skirt and then twirled around.
“I somehow didn’t think you would let yourself be caught and put in a dress,” Tymos said aloud.
“Delia tricked me. When we wore the formal robes before, mine were like yours. How am I supposed to fight in this if I have to?”
“Kryslie, you might be almost as good as your brother in the martial skills, but tonight you are to be my cherished daughter and you will have no need to defend yourself. But if the matter concerns you so much, I could speak to Jono about giving you, and the other young ladies, lessons in self defence when wearing a dress,” Tymoros suggested, teasingly.
“Only if the young men try it too,” Kryslie responded quickly.
Tymos chuckled, “I don’t think so! It’s bad enough that these sleeves are so voluminous.”
“So are mine, but I don’t mind them and, if I had such a thing, I could hide a wrist sheath and knife in there,” Krys countered.
“I hope you will both enjoy yourselves tonight,” Tymoros said. “It is your first chance to be seen in your official roles.”
“We had Senna’s Coming Out, and Josep’s,” Kryslie reminded him.
“Not quite the same, Krys,” Tymos pointed out. “This is much bigger. In some ways, this is our real Coming Out. We didn’t exactly stick around for our own.”
“Indeed,” Tymoros agreed. “So while we are waiting to eat, there are some things I need to explain to you.”
“Over and above learning all the dances, and the correct protocol, and the etiquette,” Tymos pretended to groan.
“Quite. The total population of the world does not live on this estate. We are here to serve the common people as much as they serve us. No matter what you do with your life, it is important that you learn about the commoners and not just from data files and teachers. Our first duty this evening is to greet all the invited guests…”
Stenn slipped up to Kryslie as they waited in a small antechamber off the huge ballroom.
“Why are you here? I thought you would have to come out with your family?” Kryslie asked.
“Usually, but to spread the numbers around – make it a bit more even – I came here. After all, I am your mentor, you know. How was the reception line?”
Tymos strolled across, “Pretty much as you said. Once they saw Tanya, I could have spoken in some obscure alien tongue and they wouldn’t have noticed.”
“Who is mentoring Jonko and Keleb?” Kryslie asked.
“Denlic,” Stenn assured them. “Oh, and you might like to know that it is absolutely packed out there. The dancing will be on the terrace as well as in the ballroom. They had to push the refreshment tables out a bit and put extra lights around the edge of the garden. So, are you ready for the dancing? Your father is about to give his welcome speech.”
Within the ballroom, applause erupted High King Governor Tymoros finished his short speech. Cheers came from the less restrained younger guests on the terrace, who had listened to the speech through speakers set up out there. The glass walls of the ballroom were pushed open so those on the terrace could view the speaker.
Tymoros walked down the curved stairway from the musician’s balcony as the players began the prelude to the stately Dance of Welcome. As he reached the level of the ballroom floor, Tanya emerged from the antechamber under the balcony and took his arm. Simultaneously, Jono Reslic and his consort, Seoni, and Xyron with Dari, emerged from rooms on either side of the dance floor.
Guests, who had, minutes before, occupied the space, moved back.
The Governors and their consorts traditionally began the Dance of Welcome, but this year, the introductory measures would be shorter, in deference to Tanya’s advanced stage of pregnancy. The audience watched the exceptional dancing skills of the Governors, but most eyes were on Tymoros and Tanya.
The music changed for the second part of the dance, and Tymoros returned to the antechamber, and eased Tanya to a seat.
Stenn whispered to Tymos, “Our turn. Get going.”
He had manoeuvred to partner Lexina, and had inserted them into position immediately behind Tymos and Kryslie.
The next part of the dance was for the children, nieces and nephews of the Governors, and they emerged in a glittering stream. The leaders wore robes of gold and silver, as they were the Heir Designates of each Governor. They were followed by the rest of the Royal Children who had “come out”.
The girls wore dresses made from glittering fabrics in all colours, each trimmed in gold or silver. The boys varied, those in Reslic’s family wore black and gold. Xyron’s younger sons blue and gold, and the nephews of Tymoros wore purple and gold.
The colours mingled as the children formed a large circle and the dance began. The girls twirled to change partners every few steps, until they returned to their first partner. Then, both girls and boys spun out to take new partners from the invited commoners. Every few measures there after, the children bowed to their partners and spun out to find another.
When the dance finished, Tymos and Kryslie bowed to their partners, smiled at them, and withdrew out onto the terrace where another group of musicians were playing for the younger guests.
Waiters brought drinks to the young royals, Tymos found Morov beside him with a glass of an energizing drink, and Delia moved up beside Kryslie.
A murmur began to spread through the crowd as Tymos and Kryslie were recognised. Since coming to Tymorea, their hair had changed from light brown to dark copper red, like that of Tymoros. That plus the coronets of their position as Heir Designates, made all eyes turn their way.
Behind them, Stenn spoke softy, “Don’t forget to spread yourself around.”
He acted on his own advice and went towards the nearest attractive girl who was suddenly torn between trying to talk to Prince Tymos and dancing with the equally attractive son of the President.
If the young guests were initially in awe of seeing the High King’s children, they were soon at ease. Neither Kryslie nor Tymos were overly conscious of their rank and as relative newcomers to Tymorea, they were avidly interested in hearing from the people who lived off the estate. They greeted everyone with open friendliness.
Tymos easily handled the questions of the bolder guests, and Kryslie sought out the shyer ones. They both became adept at changing dancing partners with their royal cousins - thus sharing the attention.
Two questions were asked frequently. The first was why no one had heard of them until recently. Their answer was the truthful, “we did our early schooling off world and came here when we were old enough.”
No one thought it strange that the High King may have travelled off world.
The other question was about when Lady Tanya’s baby was due.
Kryslie would smile and say, “Soon, she hopes, but you know what it is like. The baby will come when he or she decides to.”
Since no official announcement would be made until the child was born, Tymos and Kryslie usually turned away further questions by asking yet another young guest to dance. Of course, such an offer was not to be declined as it could well be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
At regular intervals, Delia and Morov brought drinks to their charges, and were as unobtrusive as the waiters who were offering trays of finger foods to the resting guests on the edge of the terrace. No one particularly noticed that the High King’s children only ate what their attendants brought them.
Tymos and Kryslie were enjoying every minute, but in part of their mind, they were aware that the apparent freedom was illusory. There was still the curfew and the ring of guards around the terrace were to guide any guest that strayed into the dark gardens back into the lighted areas.
In the back of their mind was the awareness of the extra guards around the Isolation Building that now housed another twenty newly arrived captive mutants.
Kryslie, dancing near the centre of the terrace, felt a sense of vague alarm from her twin’s mind. Without missing a step, or seeming to ignore her dancing partner, she queried him.
Tymos’s thought came back, “I know this sounds odd, since everyone has been looking at us and wanting to dance with us, but I feel like I am being watched.”
“We are, bro,” Kryslie thought the obvious.
“Yes, but everyone has seen us by now. What I sensed was a sort of …ah, the High King does have a whelp. Like the person had just made an important discovery.”
Kryslie manoeuvred her current partner towards the edge of the terrace and sought for an anomaly. Immediately, she too felt a strong mental surge that breached the mind shields she had blocking the general ambient emotions of the guests.
“You are right, Tym,” she thought back in shared alarm. “I just had the definite sense of shock that there are two of us.”
Tymos kept dancing, and chatting to his partner, but his eyes were trying to scan the near darkness, and other senses were trying to locate he guards.
Finally, he noted, “One guard is down.”
“And I still feel that watcher is staring at me,” Kryslie thought. “The person has to be close.”
“These lights are too bright,” Tymos thought as he smiled at a joke that his partner was telling him. “But there is a second guard down, level with me.”
Kryslie danced closer to her twin and was facing outwards when the musicians took a break.
“I can see someone, just beyond the light,” she thought at Tymos. “Male, I think. About our height and wearing simple garb – like the servants, but dark.”
Kryslie thanked her partner and gestured for waiters to bring refreshments to the group gathering around her. Tymos moved his hand unobtrusively to press the ‘danger now’ button on his monitor. It was hidden under his gold tunic.
“Who ever he is, he has a nerve,” Tymos thought tersely.
Kryslie had to agree. She still had an awareness of the stranger, and he hadn’t moved – was still staring at her and her brother and seemed oblivious to the fact that he had been spotted.
She heard a low buzz from her monitor, and sensed guards moving inward from the darkness to their position. The tone of the buzz changed and Kryslie looked at her monitor and saw the blue light flashing. In that brief moment, the intruder disappeared. Kryslie tried to sense him, but with so many commoners around, it was impossible.
“Father wants us,” Tymos said aloud.
Kryslie nodded, and excused herself from the guests around. She joined Tymos and moved towards the open glass wall of the ballroom.
“He can’t be a guest,” Tymos spoke quietly, so only Kryslie heard him.
“No, if he was, and had a reason to disable two guards, he wouldn’t stand there staring at the dancers. I started seeing him as an orange image like when we used the night vision goggles and almost as clear as if it were bright moonlight. I think though, that there was something odd about his eyes. They caught the light from the terrace, but I saw no white around the iris.”
“I caught a glimpse of him as sort of an energy silhouette,” Tymos said. “Only his head and hands. It was like he was in a suit that blocks what ever energy his body emits.”
“He probably was, and if I was seeing heat – it was probably only the suit emitting ambient heat back into the air,” Kryslie decided.
If anyone were watching the terrace from the upper levels of the palace, they would have seen the people on the terrace moving in from the edges towards the centre. It was so smoothly done, that the guests were not alarmed. They simply followed the general movement of whichever royal child they were talking or dancing with.
All the royal children now had monitors, and all had received the message to be alert for danger. The Governors warned their children to stay in the centre of the terrace.
Tymos and Kryslie went to Tymoros, who was standing next to Security Chief Armon. Jono Reslic was a few feet away - he now wore a fine wire headpiece and was overseeing the search of the grounds. Armon, with a similar headpiece, had alerted him to the loss of contact with two guards just as Tymos’s warning had come through.
Reslic listened as Armon questioned Tymos about what he had seen and why he had sent an alarm. After hearing all he and Kryslie could tell him, he nodded tersely and strode off the terrace.
“We will move inside,” Tymoros directed his children. It was not simply a suggestion.
With a long look at the festivities, continuing unabated and their cousins who were still able to remain outside, Tymos and Kryslie turned to follow their father. Morov and Delia and a few other attendants, deftly blocked guests who seemed to be moving in to speak to them, as they made their way around the edge of the ballroom to the antechamber below the balcony. Speculative glances from the guests followed their progress.
Aldiv fell in behind the group, ready to transmit them to the High King’s Suite. Though once they were out of the public gaze, Tymoros directed them to go to a room on the third floor that had a balcony overlooking the terrace.
“If I may advise, Your Majesty,” Aldiv spoke deferentially. “Is it a good idea to stand on the balcony if there is an intruder in the grounds? You would be an excellent target for a sniper.”
“Surely if that intruder intended…” Tymos began.
“We will stay inside the glass,” Tymoros stated, tacitly agreeing with Aldiv. “Perhaps, Tymos, you would think of a reason why?”
“No, you are right,” Tymos agreed as he sensed Kryslie coming to the same conclusion. “If there is one, there might be more and if we don’t know what the intruder is, we can’t guess what is intended.”
Tymoros added another reason. “And if, as you both feel is the case, the intruder was interested in you – I will not let you be endangered.”
They had to accept that, and so while they could not watch the dancing below, they were able to follow the movements of the guards by the tiny red and green lights on their night vision goggles. However, they were told to stay at the edge of the windows.
After he had been sitting for a while, Tymoros asked his children, “How were you able to see the intruder?”
Tymos turned. “Well, I was aware of the ring of guards, and then I felt a gap – so I looked and …well, I also felt I was being watched.”
“I spotted him,” Kryslie admitted. “I saw him as an orange energy silhouette.”
“Yes, I was looking, and needed to see … I didn’t think it odd then, but I saw his head and hands as an energy effect. Is this a manifestation of our power too?” Tymos asked.
“It is one of the rarer gifts of our line,” Tymoros remarked. “Since becoming Governor, I have had the ability to see clearly in the dark. Tell me, what is the colour of the crystal in my ring?”
He drew his left hand into the light and allowed his children to examine the inset gem. Both looked at it from several angles. Their eyes seemed to change shape very subtly.
“The crystal itself is red,” Kryslie said thoughtfully. “But I can see a faint blue aura.”
Tymos nodded. “Yes, I can see that too. What does that mean?”
“It merely proves that you both can see light outside the normal visible spectrum. I can see the blue aura in the dark. Your vision must be better if you can see it in the light. However, such a gift is not bestowed without a reason, and you must learn to recognise all your gifts ….”
“Your Highness!” an excited and imperative call came from behind them.
“Silkim!” Tymoros turned, gently rebuking the attendant for his breach of manners.
“Sir! The Lady Tanya – her child is about to be born. She is asking for Princess Kryslie,” the attendant blurted the rest of his message.
“Father, I will bring news as soon as I can.”
Kryslie hugged her father and followed the attendant back to where Tanya was resting in a room off the Royal Nursery.
Tymoros watched her go, then turned to Tymos and spoke softly.
“Son, I do not wish to stay tamely in my sanctum to await the news. Will you come with me to the nursery to add our encouragement to your foster mother?”
Tymos wasn’t certain about the idea but he agreed, sensing along with other complex emotions, his foster father’s deep anxiety. He was sure that Tymoros did not realize that he was betraying the extent of his feelings. From what he sensed, Tymos knew that his foster father needed his presence and his strength.
If the High King was an unexpected arrival in the nursery, no one stopped him from changing into suitable garments and staying beside his labouring wife. His very presence seemed to calm her and give her strength. It felt right to be there, to help the one who so often gave him back his serenity.
Tymos, standing by one of the windows, felt awkward as Tanya’s labour progressed but Kryslie knew he could no more leave than Tymoros would. She was able to help by giving drinks to Tanya and washing her face with cool scented cloths, while the midwives checked the progress of her labour.
“I can feel him, Krys!” Tymos said unexpectedly in his sister’s mind. “I can feel his determination to be born. I can feel his presence!”
Kryslie met his eyes. “He knows we are all here to welcome him!” she said to her brother’s mind. “It feels so right to be here!”
Near midnight, Tanya gave a mighty push and as she called out with the effort, her child emerged with a rush. He gave a hefty bellow as he drew his first breath. The midwife placed the boy child on her stomach, and Tanya, supported by pillows looked at the red wrinkled child and delighted in his perfection.
After cutting the birth cord, the midwife took the baby to be examined and cleaned up. She returned with the child wrapped in a soft blanket, crying softly, and passed him into Tymoros’s arms.
Tymos came over and he and Kryslie hugged their foster father as his eyes watered with intense emotion – gladness and joy, tinged with fear.
Kryslie broke free and went to hug Tanya, sharing with her some of the emotion she was sensing from Tymoros. Then, when the rest of the birth process was over, and Tanya was sitting comfortably in a clean bed, exhausted and exhilarated, Tymos directed Tymoros over to her. Kryslie doubted that he had moved since he was given his son to hold.
Out side and in the ballroom, the festivities had continued but now they became stilled as sounds like shots heralded a magnificent fireworks display. Very soon, the word spread that Tanya had given birth to a Royal Prince, and the crowd broke out into spontaneous cheering.
The roar of the cheers was audible, though muted in the nursery, where the baby was now suckling next to Tanya. Tymoros sat next to her, unable to take his eyes off his newest son.
“Your Majesty?” Alexon murmured softly.
The High King reluctantly drew his attention to the physician.
“Will you be making the traditional presentation this evening?”
After a moment of consideration, Tymoros decided. “We don’t have a quorum of Elders here, but we certainly have enough witnesses for a presentation.”
It wasn’t quite traditional, but his newest son had chosen this night to be born and it seemed like a good omen. “We can do the presentation from the ballroom balcony – if all is well with my son.”
“Your son is strong and healthy,” Alexon assured him with a smile of genuine delight. “I will send for the proclamation robe.
Tymoros waited for Tanya to detach the suckling mouth and pass the suddenly grizzling child to him.
“Hold your brother, Tymos” Tymoros directed. “I will have to dress again to suit my rank. Kryslie, if you would care to become presentable also.”
Kryslie grinned at the stunned face of her twin as he let on