Jacinda's Challenge (Imperial 3) (27 page)

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Jacinda leaned back against the door Jotham had just walked out of and she wrapped her arms around her waist. What an amazing, unexpected, exhilarating day it had turned out to be. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined what happened here today.

It wasn't just the sex that had surprised her, although that had been incredible. Jotham's stamina had amazed her. He was an intense lover but not a selfish one. She couldn't remember the last time she'd come so many times.

But it was more than that, it was the quiet moments, the looks he gave her, the words. She wouldn't have recognized that in her younger cycles, but she did now. Love was more than the physical act, more than those three little words, although they mattered too. It was the little day-to-day things that were the true signs of love, and Jotham had given her all those things today. Well, all but those three words, but then she hadn't given them to him either.

The ringing of her comm had her pushing away from the door to answer it.

"You will rest." Jotham's voice filled the room before his face could even fill the screen.

Jacinda gave him an exasperated look. "I told you I would."

"Then why aren't you?" he demanded.

"Umm, because you left less than two minutes ago?"

"Oh." Jotham had the grace to look contrite.

"I am and will be fine, Jotham. Stop worrying about me."

"Not going to happen. Especially when I'm not with you."

"Jotham..."

"Get used to it, Jacinda. Now I'm sending you my personal code. It will go directly to my wrist comm. Call me if you need to. For anything."

Jacinda saw his eyes turn hard.

"I mean it, Jacinda. You. Will. Call. Me. I can't go through what I did this morning again."

"I will, Jotham." Jacinda's eyes softened as she looked at him. "I promise. I'm home. I'm safe and I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to make some calls. Reschedule some appointments and then rest. At least until you call me again."

"I will unless you've changed your mind about coming to the Palace." He looked hopeful.

"No, I haven't, so I'll talk to you later." Smiling, she disconnected the call.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Jotham sat back, looking to Deffand, who sat silently across from him. "You understand what this means. Correct?"

"Yes, Majesty. I will start the selection process to increase the number of Royal Guards, as soon as we return to the Palace. I will also make sure all guards know she has full access to the Palace."

"Good."

"I received some information earlier that you are going to want to know about the accident."

Jotham's eyes sharpened on Deffand. "Tell me."

"Because Jacinda is the mother of an Assemblyman, Pechora transit automatically did a closer investigation of Jacinda's transport, making sure nothing had been tampered with. They found something very interesting."

"Her transport was tampered with?!!" Jotham sat straight up in his chair.

"No. No tampering, but Jacinda's transport was no ordinary transport."

"What are you talking about Deffand!"

"It seems Stephan Michelakakis took his wife's safety very seriously. He special-ordered her transport. Its frame was reinforced. Its windows were impact resistant as were its sides. It should have easily withstood the speed of that impact."

"Why didn't it?" Jotham demanded.

"That's what Pechora transit wanted to know once they discovered the modifications to Jacinda's transport. After talking to the manufacturer, they realized that the boy had to be going at least four times the legal limit to cause that amount of damage and it was not the first time he’s caused an accident."

Jotham paled at the thought and thanked Stephan for seeing to Jacinda's safety even when he was with the ancestors. "How does he still have a license? How was the boy able to walk away unscathed?"

"I don't know, Majesty. He should have been killed instantly at that speed. The ancestors must have been watching over him."

"And Jacinda."

"Yes."

Silence reigned as the limisin traveled through the gates of the Palace.

"I want the boy charged, Deffand."

"The process has already been started, Majesty. Majesty," Deffand hesitated.

"What's your question, Deffand?"

"Do you want him charged as an assassination attempt?"

Jotham eyed Deffand, seriously thinking about it. He wanted to. He wanted that boy to pay for the harm he'd caused Jacinda, but he also knew Jacinda would never see it that way.

"No. Let it run as an Assemblyman's mother, that will be harsh enough."

"As you wish, Majesty."

“And Deffand.”

“Majesty?”

“Make sure he never drives again.”

“Yes, Majesty.”

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Jotham was surprised when he entered the outer office and found Chesney sitting at his desk.

"What are you still doing here, Chesney?"

"I was notified that you were returning and knew you would want to be informed of the changes to your schedule."

"Yes, well come into my office, Chesney and we'll discuss how my schedule is going to be changing.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Chesney looked at the schedule in his hand in disbelief. When they had entered Jotham's office, the King walked behind his desk, sat down and picked up a pen and had begun making alterations to the schedule it had taken him all day to arrange. After several minutes, he handed it back to him.

"You... you are no longer going to be taking meetings after six?" Chesney looked at Jotham and knew the shock in his voice was easily heard.

"Unless they are official dinners or events then no. Also, I will eventually be cutting back on my early morning ones also."

"I... I will immediately start reorganizing your schedule, Majesty."

"Tomorrow is early enough, Chesney. I'll keep what you have in the morning."

"Yes, Majesty."

"Also, Chesney, Jacinda Michelakakis is going to be spending a great deal more time here in the Palace. Anytime she arrives, calls or sends a message I am to be notified immediately."

"I... Yes, Majesty!" Chesney couldn't keep a smile from breaking out across his face.

The King and Jacinda Michelakakis.

They would be the perfect couple.

Jotham watched the smile break across Chesney's normally stoic face and remembered Chesney telling him of his affection for Jacinda.

"Do you have something to say, Chesney?"

"I... Just that I'm very happy for you, Majesty, and I will see to it. Madame Michelakakis is a wonderful woman."

"She is." Jotham sat back in his chair forming his fingers in a temple and putting them against his chin. Chesney was someone he trusted. Never in all the cycles that Chesney had served him had he ever given Jotham cause to doubt his loyalty or discretion. He would need to rely on him even more now. "When Jacinda was returning home last night she was involved in a transport accident."

"What!" Chesney shot straight up in his chair. "Is she alright?" he demanded forgetting for a moment who he was talking to, making Jotham smile.

"She is bumped, bruised and a little sore but otherwise fine. It's where I've been today."

"Completely understandable, Majesty. Is there anything I can do? Helen would be more than willing to go over and stay with her if you like."

"Thank you, Chesney, and thank your wife, but Jacinda has assured me she is fine. I will be calling her tonight to verify that."

"Good." Chesney nodded his approval. "Do you need me to prepare any official announcement?"

"No, there will be no announcement."

"Yes, Majesty." Chesney rose then paused.

"What is it, Chesney?"

"Majesty, while I know Madame Michelakakis is a wonderful, warm, caring woman there will be many that will not approve of this relationship. Some in your own Assembly."

"What are you talking about, Chesney?"

"She is not from the House of Protection, only the widow of someone who was."

"She has been a member of this House for nearly forty cycles. She is the widow of one of our most important Assemblymen!"

"Yes, Majesty, but for the purists that still doesn't make her from the House of Protection, especially with her heritage."

"You mean because her father and grandfathers were Assemblymen in the House of Healing?"

"Yes."

"I understand what you are saying, Chesney, but I don't need their 'approval' and neither does Jacinda."

"Of course not, Majesty. I just wanted you to be aware."

"Thank you, Chesney. Is there anything else you feel I need to be made aware of?"

"No, Majesty." Bowing Chesney left the room.

Chapter Sixteen

"Did you rest?"

Jacinda smiled at Jotham's question. She had taken her portable comm to bed with her, something she hadn't done in cycles because she knew Jotham was going to be calling.

"Hello to you too and yes I did."

Jotham had the grace to look abashed for a moment then she saw him reach out as if he were touching the bruise on her face.

"It's gotten darker."

"It's going to, Jotham, at least for a while. You can't tell me you've never had a black eye."

"I have, but that doesn't mean
you
should. Can't Portman do something?"

"He's done what he can, you know this since you talked to... or should I say tried to intimidate him into telling you my personal, private, medical information."

"He called you?"

"Of course he called me. Otherwise, he never would have given you any information. King or not, some things, not even you have the right to know."

"You mean like the scar you have on your side?"

"My scar? You asked Portman about my
scar
!"

Jacinda sat straight up in bed revealing she was wearing another beautiful nightgown this time in a bronze color that accentuated her skin tone.

"No." His eyes ran appreciatively over her. "I'm asking you."

"Why would you possibly want to know about that?" Jacinda laid back down settling the covers under her breasts.

"Because it is a part of you."

"Jotham..." Jacinda's eyes softened.

"You fascinate me, Jacinda." The intensity in his eyes held hers. "Don't you know that? Not because of your beauty, but because of your faults. They are what make you who you are and I want to know you."

How was she supposed to stay irritated with him when he said something like that?

"It's not a very interesting story," she finally said.

"Tell me anyway."

Jacinda watched Jotham settle back and realized he was laying in his bed too, talking on his personal comm, just like she was. It made her feel closer to him.

"We were on vacation in the Lake Baku Region, visiting Stephan's brother, Leander's father, when I suddenly got sick."

"Sick!" Jotham shot straight up in bed. "What do you mean sick?"

"I had some trouble carrying Stephanie," Jacinda shrugged. "My gallbladder was damaged. It had been manageable, but for some reason that weekend it flared up so badly that it had to be removed."

"You're okay now?"

"Jotham, I'm fine. It was over twenty cycles ago. I told you it wasn't an interesting story." She frowned as she remembered. "Stephan and I had already decided not to have more children, but that took the matter out of our hands."

"That doesn't matter. The only thing that does is that you are okay."

"I am."

"Tell me more about your life, Jacinda. Tell me about your time with the Fleet."

Jacinda's smile returned as she settled deeper into her bed. "Well, let’s see, there was that party at the Rodham space station..."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Jotham lay back in his bed smiling as Jacinda went on and on about her time in the Fleet when she worked in communications. He could tell by her tone that she'd loved every moment of it. It made him wonder if Lata would have felt the same way had she'd gotten to go.

"What's put that look on your face?"

Jacinda's soft question brought his thoughts back to the present. "I'm sorry, my mind wandered." He watched her smile sleepily.

"To where?" When Jotham didn't immediately answer she had her answer. "To Lata."

"Yes." Jotham watched her closely, surprised to see she wasn't upset.

"She was a part of your life, Jotham. A major part. It's not going to upset me to hear you talk about her, to hear that you still think about her. I do that with Stephan all the time."

"That's different."

"Why? Because I had him longer than you had Lata? I thank the ancestors I did, but even if I didn't, he'd still be a part of me. An important part. Just like Lata is to you."

Jotham could see the honesty in her eyes. He could see that his thinking about Lata, talking about Lata, didn't upset her at all. So he did. "I was just wondering if Lata would have enjoyed her time in the Coalition as much as you did. If she'd had the chance."

"She might have, but she wanted you more, Jotham." Jacinda's tone held no doubt. "She didn't have to wed you right then, Jotham. She could have put off the Union until after she served. She chose not to."

"I've never been sure of that."

"Jotham." Jacinda hoped she was saying the right thing. "I can't tell you with any certainty that there weren't moments Lata didn't doubt her decision. There were times when I doubted deciding to wed Stephan."

"You did?"

"Of course. I loved Stephan, never doubt that, but there were times in the early cycles when I wondered if love was enough. If what we had could withstand all the outside pressures and demands.
I
was changing my life. Not him. Just as Lata changed hers for you. But I'll never believe she regretted it any more than I did."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Jotham found himself smiling when he woke the next morning. When was the last time that had happened? He and Jacinda had talked late into the night. He wasn't sure who had finally disconnected the transmission. Maybe it had self-terminated when they'd both drifted off to sleep.