Jacinda's Challenge (Imperial 3) (12 page)

So why was she having lunch with him? It would only stir up rumors if others found out. Well, it was too late to back out now and really what’s the worst that could happen?

Driving through the imposing gate of the House of Protection, Jacinda was just getting out of her transport when she found Captain Deffand approaching her.

“Captain,” she greeted.

“Madame Michelakakis,” Deffand smiled at her as he held out his hand. “If you don’t mind, I thought I would drive your transport and take you to an entrance that is closer to the King’s Wing. It will save you a long walk.”

Jacinda was silent for a moment, realizing what he wasn’t saying. He was going to drive to the private, secure entrance where King Jotham’s transports were kept. Where people could come and go in total privacy. Reaching out, she gave her transport fob to Deffand.

“Of course, Captain.” Moving around to the passenger side of her transport, she found Deffand there first, opening the door for her to slide in. “Thank you, Captain.”

“Madame Michelakakis.”

It was a short, silent drive, and Deffand expertly handled the transport, slowing down only so the guards lining the outside of the Palace could verify who was driving and that the transport posed no threat.

“You and your men do a good job protecting the King.”

“Thank you, Madame Michelakakis. It is our only priority.”

When the vehicle pulled up to the entrance, Chesney was there to greet her. “Madame Michelakakis, welcome.” Mister Chesney approached her smiling.

“Mister Chesney, I’m pleased to see you again.”

“You too, Madame Michelakakis. If you would follow me, King Jotham is currently on a call but wished for me to reassure you that he would not be long and for me to escort you to the King’s Garden.”

“Of course,” Jacinda nodded her head not at all surprised that Jotham had been detained. There were many times when Stephan would arrive late for a meal because something had occurred and he had only been an Assemblyman. As King, she imagined it was a hundred times worse.

Following Chesney, Jacinda realized she really was a great deal closer to the King’s Wing than she’d thought. Especially with the corridor that Chesney was leading her down. She had expected to enter the hallway that connected the Royal Wing to the King’s Wing. Instead, she was entering what appeared to be the King’s sitting room.

“This way to the garden,” Chesney gestured with the sweep of his arm for her to proceed him through the open doors on the other side of the room.

Stepping out, Jacinda found herself in the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. Whereas her garden was nearing the end of its last full bloom for the season, this one was nowhere close. “It’s beautiful.”

“It is and there is always something blooming.”

“I can see that.” Jacinda looked expectantly down the path. “Am I allowed to explore the garden while I wait for the King?”

“Of course, Madame Michelakakis. If you follow this path, it will lead you to where you will be having your lunch today.”

“We’re eating in the garden?” Jacinda’s smile was brilliant at the thought.

“Yes, Ma’am, as it is such a beautiful day King Jotham thought you would enjoy it.”

“He thought right. Thank you, Mister Chesney.” Turning, she started down the path.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

“As I’ve said before, Assemblyman Pajari, I am not going to support anything less than a full funding for our joint venture with the House of Knowledge. We are the House of Protection and this new system falls under the authority of this House.”

“But, Majesty, the House of Knowledge is more than able to absorb the full cost of the program. They are the wealthiest of all the Houses and we could use those funds for more important things.”

“There is nothing more important than the protection of our people, Pajari, and it matters not that the House of Knowledge can fully fund it. The House of Protection will do its part. Now, this discussion is finished. Good day.”

Jotham disconnected the call and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to relieve the tense muscles. Dealing with Elliott Pajari always irritated him. He couldn’t stand the Assemblyman and if it were in his power he would have his seat taken from him, but there were very specific grounds in which an Assemblyman could be removed and irritating the King wasn’t one of them unfortunately.

“Majesty.”

Chesney’s voice had him looking up to find the man had entered his office while he’d been lost in thought.

“Madame Michelakakis has arrived. She is currently touring the gardens.”

“Thank you, Chesney.” Turning in his chair, he gazed out the window that overlooked the garden and watched as Jacinda moved along the path pausing every now and then to smell a flower. Rising, he walked around his desk. “Give us twenty minutes then have the meal brought out and make sure we are not disturbed.”

“Yes, Majesty.”

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Jacinda couldn’t believe the beauty of this garden. She remembered its sorry state the first time Lata had shown it to her. Queen Johanna had no affinity for gardens, feeling it was beneath her to waste her valuable time on it. She left it to her gardeners to care for, demanding only that they produce the blooms she desired for inside the Palace.

Lata, on the other hand, had enjoyed being in the garden, had often helped Jacinda’s own mother in her garden when she would visit. She’d told Jacinda she found it peaceful here because she knew no one could bother her.

Now the garden was a showplace, written of, spoken about, and envied by all who loved gardening. Once a cycle, Jotham opened the garden to students from Montreux who were in their last cycle of studying floriculture.

Jacinda thought Lata would have liked that, to know that what she had imagined and created continued to influence generations of young minds. Walking along the path, Jacinda’s breath caught at what suddenly appeared before her. She was in the center of the garden, it was a well-manicured area walled in by flowers with a beautiful table set up, but that wasn’t what captured her attention. Her eyes started to fill as she approached. There, in the center, grew an amazing rose bush.

“It’s called the Tausendjahriger Rosenstock.” Jotham walked up quietly behind her.

“Yes, I know.” Jacinda tipped her head slightly to the side to acknowledge Jotham’s arrival, but her gaze never left the bush. For not only was it beautiful, but it was massive. Apparently, the soil of the House of Protection agreed with it.

“You know of it?”

“Yes,” Jacinda carefully reached out capturing a blooming rose between two fingers then leaned down to take its amazing scent deep into her lungs. It reminded her of her mother. “I’m so glad it thrives here.”

“What do you mean
here
?” Jotham frowned at her. “You’ve seen this plant before? The Royal Gardener has never been able to discover where it came from. He could find no record of a plant that bloomed such a deep violet.”

“Yes, I’ve seen it.” She turned to look at Jotham. “Lata didn’t tell you?”

“No.”

“It was a gift to Lata from my mother after the birth of Prince Barek.”

“I don’t understand.”

“The original plant, the ‘mother’ if you will, has been in my family for hundreds of generations. Every woman receives a cutting from the ‘mother’ when she has a child. It is only when the caretaker of the ‘mother’ dies, does it pass on to the oldest daughter and the cycle repeats.

“So how did Lata end up with it?”

“Well if you mean ‘it’ as in this is the ‘mother,’ then you’d be wrong. This is what has grown from the cutting
my
mother gave Lata. The ‘mother’ now resides in my garden. As for why Lata received a cutting, that’s because my mother considered her a third daughter.”

“Lata never told me.” Jotham looked at the plant with new eyes.

“I’m surprised. She and I talked extensively about her plans for this garden and I know she contacted my mother with her questions. She wanted to imitate my mother’s garden. She always loved to walk in it when she came to visit.”

“I don’t remember her being there that often.”

“I believe it was mostly during her last two cycles at the Academy when you were serving in the Fleet. It allowed her to escape the constant scrutiny she found herself under.”

“She never said a word.”

“Yes, well Lata was like that, wasn’t she? She was always willing to help another, but rarely asking for any herself.”

“Majesty.”

Turning, Jotham found Chesney had entered the inner garden followed by servants carrying their lunch.

“Are you ready for lunch, Majesty?”

Jotham turned to Jacinda. “Madame Michelakakis?”

“Yes, of course.” Jacinda allowed Jotham to lead her to the table then sat down in the chair he held out for her. “It smells wonderful.” She smiled at the servants as they placed several covered plates before them.

“I hope you think so, I wasn’t sure what you might like so I had my chef prepare several dishes. So if you don’t like one, don’t feel obligated to eat it.”

“That’s very kind of you, but rest assured I’ve never been a fussy eater. I’m sure I will like whatever has been prepared.”

“I hope so, my Chef seemed to think you would enjoy a mustard dressing.”

One of the servants removed the dome from the smaller plate, revealing a beautiful salad made up of delicate greens and thinly sliced vegetables.

“I do, very much. How nice of Chef Safford to remember that.” Jacinda looked at his plate. “You seem to prefer the beryl cheese dressing.”

“Yes, it’s always been a weakness of mine.” Jotham smiled at her then nodded to the servant to reveal the main course of perfectly cooked Zebu with a side of well-seasoned pratai bruite.

“This looks wonderful.”

“Good,” Jotham smiled then looked at the servants. “I will let you know when we are ready for dessert.”

“Of course, Majesty.” After a series of bows, the servants left them alone.

Jotham lifted his forc, knowing Jacinda would not begin to eat until he did. It was one of those protocols he found pointless when not eating at an official event. Taking a bite of his salad, he enjoyed the sharp, creamy flavor of the dressing. They ate in silence for several minutes each enjoying their meal.

Jotham found he liked that about Jacinda, that she didn’t feel the need to make mindless small talk during the meal. How many meals had he had to endure where the woman… or man sitting beside him felt they needed to speak the entire time? How did they expect him to enjoy his meal if they kept asking him questions?

He also liked how Jacinda made no attempt to curb her enjoyment of the meal. Already there wasn’t a single leaf of salad left on her plate and she was making a good dent in her Zebu. He’d seen so many women just push their food around their plate, in his presence, making it look as if they’d eaten when they hadn’t taken a bite. Did they really think they fooled him? That he would frown on them actually eating?

“Is something wrong?”

Jotham found himself flushing when Jacinda’s gaze captured his and he realized he’d been staring.

“Do I have something stuck between my teeth?”

“No,” Jotham quickly denied. “Of course not, I was just…”

“Staring.”

“I, yes, I guess I was. I’m sorry. I was just enjoying how much you were enjoying your food.”

“What’s not to enjoy? Chef Safford is a genius with food.”

“He is, but I’ve found that most women when eating with me rarely eat much.”

“Really?” Jacinda’s eyes widened with shock. “Then they are truly missing out on a rare treat. I remember how I would hardly eat when there was an Assembly event at the Palace just so I was able to sample everything Safford offered.”

Jotham tipped his head back and laughed enjoying Jacinda’s honesty. “You know I never realized just how much we had in common. There are times I do the same thing, especially when Safford is making his Fudge Torta.”

“Oh don’t even mention that!”

“You don’t like his Fudge Torta?” Jotham frowned.

“No, I don’t. I
love
it!”

“Good.”

Jacinda wasn’t sure when Jotham had signaled for the servants that they were ready for dessert. The servants arrived quickly clearing the now empty dishes and placing a covered one before each of them. With a flourish, they removed the cover and Jacinda gasped as her gaze flew to Jotham.

“Fudge Torta,” she whispered.

“When Chef Safford discovered who I was having lunch with, he insisted that this was what we would be having for dessert.”

“Bless him.” Without waiting for Jotham, Jacinda took a bite of her slice. “Oh, this is so good.”

“It is,” Jotham agreed taking his own bite.

“You know,” Jacinda leaned over slightly as if she were about to tell Jotham a royal secret. “There’s something I have to confess to you.”

“And what would that be?” Jotham asked enjoying the teasing light in her eyes.

“Stephan once tried to bribe Safford.”

“He what?” Jotham leaned back in shock. What was she talking about? Never in his life would he believe Stephan Michelakakis would bribe anyone.

“He tried to bribe Safford into giving up his Fudge Torta recipe.”

“His recipe?” Jotham just stared at her.

“Yes, you see my fortieth birthday was coming up and Stephan wanted to surprise me with it.”

“Stephan knew how to bake?” Now Jotham was truly shocked.

“Oh, ancestors no!” Jacinda waved a hand laughing. “The only time Stephan ever entered the kitchen was when he was raiding it for a midnight snack. No, he was going to have our housekeeper, Myesha, make it. Or he would have, but Safford refused to give up his ‘secret’ recipe.”

“Really,” Jotham replied. “I find that hard to believe, especially for you. I was told Safford insisted on making the entire meal today personally.” He watched Jacinda begin to blush with pleasure.

“He did? What a wonderful man he is.”

“Yet he still didn’t give Stephan his recipe,” Jotham reminded her wondering why her warm words for his Chef bothered him.

“No, he didn’t. Instead, he made the Torta himself and had it delivered to our home,” Jacinda smiled softly remembering. “You should have seen the kids’ reactions. Stephan and I had plans to go out that night. By the time we got back the kids were pretty much in a fudge coma.”