It’s actually Sunday here in the UK but it must still be Saturday somewhere in the world, so this is still a Saturday Snippet, right?
This is the third and penultimate glimpse into the continuing story of Taylan Ellis, Major Wright, and their ancient, mythical friend. Star Legend book five, The Dauntless, goes live on 20th March 2022.
You can read part one here, or if you’re entirely new to the story, check out part one of The Valiant.
Chapter Three
As Hans left the prison, he mentally added the task of trying to find Taylan’s children to his long list of things to do. The days since the re-taking of the Britannic Isles had been full of activity, and they promised to be equally full for years to come. Setting aside his concern over his friend’s plight, it was a good feeling.
Worming his way back into a governmental position had been surprisingly easy. The disturbance to the functioning of the country had been significant, and few people on the ground could be trusted. It was lucky for Taylan—in a sense—that she’d committed her desperate act today. If she’d come to the West BI Parliament next week, she would have been too late. He was moving to London on Friday. He might not even have heard about her stunt except as gossip at an after-work drinks event.
He resolved to do all he could to help her. He owed her his life, though to be fair he had been in danger because she’d implicated him to Morgan. No matter. Taylan was brave, honest, resourceful, and competent. She would be a wonderful asset to the BA someday, but not until her children were found and she was out of prison.
The door to his chauffeured vehicle opened and he climbed inside.
“Parliament House, sir?” asked the driver.
“Yes, Kahlil.”
Hans turned on the seat-back interface as the car pulled away. As usual, the roads were mostly clear of traffic. The Crusaders had done a great job of destroying most motorized conveyances. Consequently, the price of vehicles was ridiculously high and few could afford them. It was another situation to be remedied as soon as possible, along with the repaving of roads fallen into disrepair. An efficient transportation system was essential to a strong economy.
Fixing the roads was an easy endeavor compared to many the BI government faced. The greatest challenge was dealing with the disgruntled Crusader population, which wasn’t accepting the new regime at anything like the desired speed. Orr had opened the country’s gates to her hordes as soon as she’d invaded, and now her people formed the majority. Though the displaced native population had begun to return or come out of hiding, they were outnumbered by their invaders. Property disputes between the returners and the people who had stolen their homes were vicious. Several murders had taken place.
A very long road lay ahead.
Yet he was sanguine. No successor to the murdered King Frederick had even been discussed. The BI monarchy seemed to have been forgotten in the haste to resume control of the country and strip Orr of her powers. He would be the last person to mention the lack of a king or queen.
But he was forgetting. They had King Arthur, the Dwyr’s ‘consort’. Arthur was the reason no one in the government was mentioning Freddie’s successor, whoever that might be—probably some distant cousin. If the Isles needed a king, Arthur would fill the role.
Hans chewed his lip.
The car stopped, and he broke from his reverie. They’d arrived. His door opened.
“Thank you, Khalil.”
“Will you be leaving at the usual time tonight, sir?”
“I imagine so. I’ll let you know if I plan to stay any later.”
Hans stepped onto the sidewalk and through the security entrance at the back of Parliament House. Now he thought about it, he realized Taylan had been right about him being difficult to approach. The rear of the building was only accessible by governmental vehicles and the entrance was heavily guarded. Both were essential requirements in the face of the civil unrest. And all incoming communications to him were reviewed by staff. Her messages to him must have been screened out. If she hadn’t pretended she would blow up the building, he might never have heard from her again.
He walked the quiet, carpeted passages to his office, passing only a couple of staff members on his way. The behind-the-scenes atmosphere of the building was a marked contrast to the urgent, noisy crowds packing the lobby. Every day, people called on their local government to solve the many problems of their new lives. He was grateful to the staff who protected him from the masses, though Taylan’s experience was an unfortunate side-effect.
He opened the door to his outer office and was greeted by his smiling secretary, Walker.
“Was your trip successful, sir?”
“Not as much as I would have liked. Anything important come in while I’ve been gone? Anything from London?” He’d been waiting to hear official confirmation of his re-appointment as head of SIS. He’d deliberately acted as though there was no question over his resumption of the role, but he still needed the Government’s stamp on his new contract.
“No, I’m afraid not.”
Hans inwardly cursed. Bloody office politics as usual. They were making him wait in order to show him his place.
“Will you be leaving this weekend regardless?” asked Walker.
“Yes, it’s just a formality.”
Hans moved to the door to his inner office.
“We’ll be sorry to see you go.”
He grunted a reply.
“Oh, sir.”
“Yes?”
“You have a visitor. I showed him into your room. I hope I didn’t overstep, only it didn’t seem right to make him wait.”
Hans turned from the door and walked to his secretary’s desk to speak to him quietly. “That was a mistake. Please do not repeat it. I shouldn’t need to point out to you that anyone who enters my private chambers could have access to—”
“It’s a rather important visitor, sir,” Walker blurted.
“It doesn’t matter how important they are. You cannot risk sensitive information getting into the wrong hands.” Hans sighed as he returned to his office door and silently thanked the stars he would be leaving behind the West BI Parliament and its amateurish staff soon. He was not so dense as to leave classified information easily accessible, but the principle mattered.
He went into his room.
A large figure sat on the visitor side of the desk. Though he could only see the man’s broad back and shaggy hair that hung below his shoulders, Hans recognized him in a heartbeat.
“Arthur! What a surprise!”
The old king rose to his feet and strode over to Hans, his large sword swinging at his side. Reaching down, he grabbed Hans’s hand in his massive paw and pumped it. Then, as if for good measure, he thumped Hans’s back. “It’s good to see a familiar face. I’m sorry for intruding. I hope you aren’t too busy.”
“I am always busy,” Hans replied, hastily crossing to his desk before Arthur could find another part of his body to attack in greeting, “but never too busy to see you. Please, sit down. Did my secretary offer you something to drink?”
“Yes, thank you.”
As Hans seated himself, he surreptitiously took in the king’s appearance.
In the early days of their acquaintance he’d taken care to forge a friendly bond with Arthur, as he did with every important person he met. He’d tried to do the same with Kala Orr, but she’d either sneered at or entirely ignored him. Arthur had been different. He’d been polite and open and almost eager to make friends. Hans had sensed a deep melancholy in him. It was probably something to do with the severing of his close relationship with Merlin—figuratively and literally, considering he’d sliced off the alien’s head.
The two historical figures were famous companions, and their relationship had continued into modern times. Then Merlin had revealed that, to him, the king and the rest of humanity were only pieces in a vast, elaborate game his species played.
The epiphany would have destroyed anyone’s friendly feelings.
Arthur’s depressed state seemed to have worsened since Hans had last seen him. The king’s shoulders sagged and he looked disconsolate. He seemed older, too, though it was only ten days or so since they’d parted company.
“What are you doing here?” asked Hans. “It’s a long way from London. I didn’t realize you had business in West BI or I would have invited you for dinner. There’s still time, of course, but I’m sure you’re here for another reason. A king rarely has time for frivolities. How can I help you?”
Arthur raised sad eyes to meet Hans’s gaze. “I’m not sure that you can, my friend. I don’t have a good reason to see you, other than the desire to have a conversation that doesn’t involve reconstruction, controlling disruptive citizens, or regulating food supplies. Things were simpler in my time.”
“Ha! The affairs of high office are often more tedious than the general public thinks. I’m sorry your duties are so wearing.”
“In truth, I’m complaining about nothing. They’ve stopped talking to me about those things, probably because I couldn’t give them any answers. I’m a man of action, Hans, not policy.”
“Indeed you are. That’s a fair assessment, I’d say, though we haven’t known each other long.”
“I’m feeling more and more like a puppet these days. They tell me to go to the re-opening of an old BI establishment and I go. They tell me to sit in on a meeting but say nothing, and I do it. They pull on my strings, and I hop.”
“I can see how that would drain a man after a while.”
“Drain is a good word to describe it. It’s as though my life energy is leaving me, drip by drip.” He sighed and passed a hand over his eyes.
Hans had an inkling about Arthur’s visit. “Does anyone know you’ve come here today?”
The mischievous grin of a young child broke out over the king’s face, turning it youthful once more. “I slipped away this morning. Someone had mentioned I could use my… What’s the name for this? I’ve forgotten.”
He held up his wrist, revealing a pink scar about a centimeter long and a barely discernible square bump beneath it.
“Ah, you’ve been given a credchip.”
“That’s it. Someone mentioned these could be used to purchase passage on the rail vehicles. It was difficult to figure out how to do it but I managed in the end. I had to get away, if only for a day or so. I’ll go back soon, I suppose, though I don’t really want to.”
He sighed again. “My heart isn’t in this new role the Britannic Alliance has given me. I agreed to pretend to be the Dwyr’s consort because they told me it would save lives when they retook the Isles. I think they were right and I’m glad of it. But pretending to be married to Orr was a lie. I’m not comfortable with living a lie.”
“I can see that,” Hans commented. His earlier work building a relationship with the king was paying off. Though he was mildly sympathetic about Arthur’s plight, he was also wondering how he could use the information.
His visitor’s cathartic flow appeared to have dried up. Arthur was silent. To encourage a few more drops, Hans asked, “How has Dwyr Orr behaved toward you?”
Arthur shuddered. “I believe she must truly be a descendant of Morgan as they say. It shows in every glance, every expression, every word she utters.”
“A human descended from an alien? I’m not sure that’s possible.” Biology wasn’t Hans’s strong suit, but he was fairly sure he was right. Two different species couldn’t reproduce, especially not if one were not even from Earth.
Arthur’s expression became shamefaced. He swallowed before replying, “It is possible.” He paused but didn’t elaborate. “All Orr cares about is power and her son, exactly as Morgan did. She’s evil, Hans. It worries me that she’s supposed to be the supreme leader in the BI, even if only in name. But they seem to have her under control. When we’re in public she behaves toward me as directed. Out of the public eye she pays me no attention whatsoever, for which I’m grateful. I want nothing to do with her.”
“You certainly have it hard. I can see why you needed some time off, and I’m pleased you came to see me.”
“You’re the only person I know who isn’t using me for their own ends. No, that isn’t true. Major Wright is another friend of mine, and Taylan Ellis. But TJ returned to his normal duties days ago and I haven’t seen Taylan since we left this city in the heli. Have you seen her? Do you know how she is?”
“I have seen her, just now,” Hans replied, his heart quickening in excitement.
A plan was forming in his mind. The cogs of a complex scheme were slotting into place. All that was needed to get things moving was a small push.
Read the final snippet from The Dauntless here.