Malcolm (Book 1, The Redemption Series) (3 page)

“Handling her is something I have no doubt you will be able to do, Anna. You've already proven that on a few occasions now. You happen to be in the auspicious position of having her actually like you because of it. I don't foresee you having any trouble with her, especially after you take her place as empress. But...”

I look over at my papa and see a concerned look cloud his handsome features.

“But what? What's wrong?” I ask.

“You know if you didn't want to go through with the marriage, I would take you away from here,” he tells me. “I know places in the down-world that not even the empress knows about.”

“That wouldn't be any sort of life for either one of us,” I tell him gently. “I may not be in love with Auggie, but I do love him. We'll have a good life together, Papa. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.”

“But finding true love is something you'll have to give up on as his wife.”

“I'm not sure that's even possible for me anyway,” I admit. “I'm almost twenty-one, Papa. I've pretty much met every man within marrying age in Cirrus and haven't felt that sort of connection with any of them. I'm luckier than most. At least I'll be marrying my best friend and not someone who is forced on me like some of the other girls here, and I'll be empress soon. How many girls are granted a privilege like that? Maybe I can dedicate my life to helping others and actually do some good with the powers I'll have.”

“At the cost of your own happiness?”

“Who says I won't be happy? I can find happiness in the work I'll be able to do. So, please, don't worry about me.”

My father sighs, and I know worrying about me is not something he can just turn off. I love him for his concern over my happiness, but I came to terms with the path of my life a long time ago. Auggie and I can support one another and find ways to satisfy any urges we might harbor for others in a private way. I'm not sure if I'll ever find the person who is meant to fill the gaping hole in my heart, but I won't give up on finding him just because I'm married either. The marriage between Auggie and I is simply one arranged for convenience.

If my soul mate truly does exist, I have no doubt we will find each other one day.

And when we do, God help anyone who tries to keep us apart...

CHAPTER two

Just as my father and I are finishing breakfast, I catch a flash of light out of the corner of my eye. Two of the empress’ personal guards have teleported to the roof and wait at their regular positions near the crystal elevator to act as my escorts to the palace.

“I guess it’s time for me to go to the castle for my lesson,” I say, wiping my mouth on my napkin before laying it on the table beside my plate.

“You shouldn’t have too many more of these lessons to endure after you become empress,” my father replies sympathetically, knowing how much I dread my time alone with the dowager empress.

“I have a feeling even after the crown is put on my head Auggie’s mother will find a reason to continue them,” I sigh. “I don’t think giving up so much power will be easy for her.”

“She’s known this day was coming for quite a while now.”

“But, if Auggie’s father hadn’t died two months ago, she would have remained empress for many more years. Now, with Auggie on the throne, she has to give all of that up a lot sooner than she ever thought.”

“It’s the way the law is here. Only a man can hold the throne. She understands that.”

“I’m not sure I could be as gracious,” I admit, actually finding a reason to pity Auggie's mother. “She’s only in her mid-forties, like you. She’s a little young to be going into retirement.”

“Maybe she’ll find a new husband and have someone else to concentrate her attentions on.”

“We can only
hope
for such a miracle to happen,” Millie says as she comes to take my empty plate away.

I can’t help but giggle at Millie’s impudence as I stand from my chair. I lean down and kiss my papa on the cheek.

“Let me know when you return,” my father says to me. “I always like to know you’ve made it back in one piece after a visit with that woman.”

“I will,” I promise before walking over to the guards.

“Good morning, gentleman,” I say to them both.

“Good morning, Lady Annalisse,” the guard named Christopher says rather stiffly as they both bow to me.

The other guard, Clark, remains silent. I don't think he's ever uttered a word to me in the almost eight years since my lessons with the empress began.

I stand in between them and they each place a hand on my shoulders before teleporting me to the palace.

For whatever reason, the empress didn’t allow me to be fitted with the teleportation conduit that every royal was given when they turned eighteen. Regular citizens of Cirrus had to use one of the many teleportation terminals available, but they were only allowed to travel between other terminals strategically placed within the city, never to the exact location they wanted to go.

The guards teleport me straight into the empress’ private sitting room, where she’s waiting for me, and then teleport themselves out almost immediately. I wish I had the same opportunity of escape.

“Good morning, Annalisse,” she says to me as I walk over to the glass table where she’s sitting.

“Good morning, Empress Catherine,” I reply, taking my seat opposite her at the table, wondering what my lesson will be about today.

As I look across the table at Auggie’s mother, I marvel at her strength and beauty. It was well known that the empress and emperor had been madly in love with each other. They were almost always together except for the times when the emperor liked to go down-world to hunt. It was on one of those hunting expeditions that he apparently fell off his horse and broke his neck, ending his life prematurely.

The empress still wore black to mark the memory of her husband’s passing, showing the world that she remained in mourning over the loss of her beloved. It made me wonder if she felt like the twenty-five years she shared with her husband was worth all the heartache she was now enduring. I would have to imagine that it was. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give to feel that kind of connection with someone, even if it meant losing them in the end.

“Since you'll be attending your first Tribute Ball tonight,” she says, “I thought it might be a good idea to refresh your memory on why we have it and the duties of our overlords on the surface.”

“Of course,” I say, even though I don’t understand why the empress feels the need.

She should know by now that my memory is perfect. I never forget anything, which comes in handy when you’re trying to learn the ins and outs of ruling an empire.

“Now,” the empress says, “what is the purpose of the Tribute Ball?”

“To have the overlords come to Cirrus and pay their tribute to the royal family.”

“And why is this important?”

“To remind the people of Cirrus that our life in the city is only sustainable because of the work the overlords do for us in the down-world.”

The empress raises a delicate eyebrow at me. “And the other reason?”

“To remind the overlords that they may run things in the down-world, but they are only allowed the privilege through our good graces.”

Empress Catherine smiles, pleased with my answer. She leans toward the glass table between us and runs one well-manicured hand across its surface which brings up the holographic images of four men.

“Now,” she says, taking on the voice of a teacher, “can you name the five overlords who run things for our family, and what it is that each of them are in charge of?”

“Yes,” I say leaning towards the table also and looking at the rotating images of the overlords, pointing to each one as I name them. “David Dean is in charge of agriculture. Matthew Knowles is in charge of livestock. Sean Rhodes is responsible for the mining of raw minerals. Paul Kennedy oversees the manufacturing of goods. And…” I look up at the empress, “why is it that we’ve never had an image of the fifth overlord?”

“Because he’s obstinate,” the empress snorts derisively, “and doesn’t like to have his image rendered.”

“But you’re his ruler. Why not just force him to do it?”

Empress Catherine laughs. “It’s obvious you’ve never met the man. You know who he is and what he does though, right?”

I nod. “Yes. His name is Malcolm Devereaux, and he’s in charge of commerce between our down-world and that of the other cloud cities. It’s one of the most lucrative overlord positions, which means all of the other overlords want it.”

“Correct.”

“I still don’t understand why you don’t have an image of him,” I say.

The empress tilts her head as she looks at me. “And I’m surprised your father hasn't shown you one already.”

This time it’s my turn to tilt my head in bewilderment.

“Why would my father have an image of him?”

“They’re best friends, dear heart,” the empress tells me, watching for my reaction. “Or at least they were at the time of your birth. Malcolm was the one who paid your dowry and the titles you and your father hold now.”

I take in a sharp breath at this unexpected news.

“I don’t understand,” I say, quickly recovering, “why haven’t I ever been told this before?”

The empress shrugs her thin shoulders. “I assumed your father would have told you at some point. But, I can see from the look on your face that he hasn’t. I was hoping you could tell me why Malcolm has always refused to come up here to pay his tribute in person.”

I shake my head. “I have no idea. I don’t know anything about him except that he’s one of the overlords.”

“Hmm,” the empress says, studying me closely as if she’s expecting me to slip up in a lie. “I suppose you really don’t know anything. Though, I have a feeling you might get your own answers when you return home.”

“My father probably had a good reason to keep this information from me,” I say in his defense. “But, yes, I will ask when I get home just because I don’t keep secrets from him. I’ll also let him know what you’ve told me.”

The empress smiles tight lipped at me as she brings up a map of North America.

“Now,” she says, “can you draw the borders of each overlord's territories for me on this map?”

The rest of my lesson with the empress goes by smoothly. I do wonder why my father never mentioned that Malcolm Devereaux, the most powerful down-world overlord, was, at one time at least, his best friend and our benefactor. I knew it took a lot of money for a down-worlder to buy even a single title of lord or ladyship in Cirrus. I couldn’t imagine what this Malcolm Devereaux had paid out to buy titles for both me
and
my father. Plus, he apparently paid a large enough dowry for me to become Auggie’s wife that not even the emperor himself could decline.

Who was he to my father? Why did he care what happened to me?

Just as my lesson with the empress ends, Auggie enters the room.

“Ahh, I thought I might find the two of you in here,” he says, knowing full well we would be in here at this time of day. “I thought I would escort Anna home if she’s through with her lesson.”

“Of course, my love,” the empress says to her only child. “The two of you should spend as much time together as possible in the coming week. You'll be man and wife soon.”

Auggie pulls out my chair for me and I stand, feeling relieved that he's come to rescue me from his mother.

“I couldn't agree with you more, mother. Which is why I will be spending the afternoon at her home, if that's all right with you?”

“Of course, Augustus. You
are
emperor after all. You don't need my permission anymore.”

“Old habits die hard I suppose,” Auggie says, holding out his arm for me to take. “Are you ready to go back home, my lady?”

I simply nod because I feel sure that if I voice my answer my eagerness to be as far away as possible from the empress will be transparent.

“I'll see you later this evening at the ball, Annalisse,” the empress says, just before Auggie teleports me to the veranda outside my chambers.

“I suppose you won't be spending the afternoon with me but with someone else,” I say knowingly to Auggie.

Auggie grins. “Yes, I was able to arrange a certain meeting with someone of special interest. I also wanted to tell you that I have a surprise for you.”

“What kind of surprise?” I ask, my interest piqued.

“Well, if I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore,” Auggie says indulgently. “It will arrive here before the ball, and that's all you're getting out of me, Lady Anna.”

Auggie holds his chin up stubbornly like a child refusing to give anything else away about his special secret.

“Then I'll wait patiently for my surprise,” I say, leaning up and kissing him on the cheek. “Say hello to Gladson for me,” I whisper, before turning to walk into my chambers.

Just before I pass through the curtains into my rooms, I turn to look at Auggie one last time. I notice a glimmer of light right behind him but can't quite make out what it is before he teleports away. The glimmer vanishes with him, and I simply chalk it up to being the effects of the sun's glare. Yet, it seemed to have a physical form. I shake my head, realizing my eyes must have been playing tricks on me and go seek out the person who can answer the many questions I have after my lesson with the empress.

I find my father in the training room practicing his sword fighting with the holographic sparring partner we nicknamed Rob. I stand to the side of the wooden platform and watch my papa as he maneuvers Rob into a defensive position with his swordplay until Rob ends up on the floor and says he yields. My father extends his hand down to Rob and helps him stand back up.

“Thank you, Rob,” my papa says before looking over at me with a mischievous smile, “but I think I have a flesh and blood opponent now. You may leave.”

“As you wish, Lord Andre,” Rob says before vanishing from sight.

My father walks over to me twirling his sword effortlessly in his hand.

“Up for a little practice?” My father asks with a taunting grin.

“Are you that anxious to be beat by me again?” I say, unable to suppress a smile of my own.

“Now is that any way to talk to your father, Lady Anna?” He asks jokingly. “Or are you afraid I might actually defeat you this time?”

I look down at my gown. “I’m not exactly dressed for a sparring match.”

“You never know what you might be wearing if you’re attacked unawares,” he says, turning serious. “You need to be prepared no matter what the occasion, Anna. What you’re wearing shouldn’t matter.”

“Fair enough,” I reply, stepping onto the platform. “Sword,” I say, holding out my hand and having one materialize in it. It’s only a hologram of one because real weapons aren’t allowed in Cirrus, but it mimics the weight and feel of a real sword adequately enough.

My father and I stand across from one another and bow before we take up our fighting stances. Swordplay with my father has been something we’ve done ever since I was able to hold a sword. It was an exercise we did to relieve stress and an activity we easily bonded over. My papa said I was a natural with a sword and that he had never seen anyone who could swing it so effortlessly. I suppose my unnatural strength gave me an advantage too.

When I was six years old, I learned my strength was greater than that of anyone else in Cirrus. I accidentally pushed one of the walls in my room down because I was throwing a temper tantrum over not being allowed to go down-world with my father. It scared me when it happened. My father explained to me that I wasn’t like other children, and that I had to be careful with the strength I possessed. At such an early age, I didn’t quite understand why I was so strong. I still don’t. It was just a fact of my life, and I had come to accept that I was different from other people. I just didn’t know why. I assumed my father would fill in the details at some point, but apparently that point simply hadn’t come yet.