Princess Rescue Inc (19 page)

“Yeah,
it does. Let’s just stay the hell out of the basement then,” Ryans nodded.
“Hope this goes better than the last one,” he muttered.

“Sure,
but I'm taking some C-4 to knock down doors just in case,” Waters said smiling
grimly.

They
left the vehicles behind and went forward with a small party to the base of the
tower. They naturally followed the road right to the moat and wooden gatehouse.
They were challenged from the parapet of the wooden wall by a nervous guard.

“It
is I, your princess. Deidra daughter of Andreas! Royal princess to the realm!”
Deidra called up, chin out, shoulders back. Every inch screamed royal lady. Her
tiara gleamed in the sun.

“Dressed
as a whore? Tell another joke!” the man laughed as Deidra gasped.

“I'll
have your balls for that sir-rah!” she shrieked, hands on her hips and belt
knife, eyes flashing.

“As
long as you treat them gently they will be yours for a night... or two!” the
man roared with mirth. His fellows guffawed.

“Duke
Emroy's castle is besieged by the hated Duluth upstarts! He sent us to safety!”
she snarled. “I cry sanctuary!”

The
man looked down to her. “If you’re looking for a man's bed for sanctuary in
that outfit I'd say you'll find it, but not here. The Dominus is at the
castle,” he waved diffidently. “Now get thee hence before I fill you full of
arrows.”

Deidra
fumed until the man hefted a crossbow. “Come on sister,” Zara urged, grabbing
her arm. “We'll deal with him at a later time,” Zara said. She glared up at the
soldier.

“Much
later, two trollops in one bed?” the soldier laughed.

“Like
you could handle one let alone two?” another laughed. Deidra turned away
disgusted as the cat calls became more and more obscene.

“So
much for that,” Ryans said watching the princess storm back toward them in a
seriously black mood. He sighed. “I can't really blame them. From the looks of
things they've got about a half a dozen soldiers in there. Maybe a dozen,
that's about right for a small garrison for a keep this size. I wouldn't want
to let a strange force in.” He grimaced eying the fuming native females. Hell,
the way Deidra acted he'd be reluctant to let her in period. Even if she was in
full costume.

“Hoping
to unload them?” Perry asked amused. He glanced at Ryans who cocked an eyebrow
and shrugged. “A little close to the war front don't you think?” Perry asked.

“Yeah,
but out of sight, out of mind. Then they'd be someone else's problem,” the
Sergeant said nodding. “The dependents too.” He jerked his thumb to the retinue
in the vehicles looking around nervously. They'd been picking up more refugees
at the princesses' insistence. They'd traded Bux and Yani for trouble. “Caught
a couple stealing stuff. We need to unload them quick.”

“Yeah,”
Perry nodded. He turned a surreptitious glance toward the refugees and caught
sight of one of them trying to pry a bolt out with a knife. “Yeah,” He turned
and waved. “Hey dumb fuck! Don't scratch the paint!” He yelled waving a hand.

<==={}------------>

A
few hours later they came across a small convoy. As soon as they caught sight
of the traveling carts and wagons they immediately pulleed the vehicles over a
hill out of sight. The princesses and refugees met them at the roadside. Out of
earshot, the Terrans watch as Deidra explained the situation.

A
man leered and grabbed for her. Affronted she reared back and slapped him. He
took the blow then turned to her snarling, blood in his eye. He grabbed her
arm.  “Bet that's what happened with the black knight,” Ryans muttered
already moving.

“Shit,”
Perry blew the horn and they drove out. He flipped the lights on and then
pulled into a tight fast turn spraying the gaping native people with dirt and
dust.

They
climbed out and Ryans came over to Deidra. “Problem princess?” he asked hands
on his waist belt.

The
man looked down to her. “She's not no damn...” He froze, feeling the prick of a
knife against his throat. His eyes widened and he looked down to see the
snarling princess holding the knife with her free hand.

“I'd
be very careful what you do or say bub if I were you. She's not in a forgiving
mood. Not after the week she's had,” Perry said hefting a rifle.

A
soldier moved to pull his sword but Perry pointed the rifle at him. “I wouldn't
if I were you,” he warned.

The
convoy leader's eyes were wide as he took in Deidra’s snarl. Her eyes snapped
with rage... and perhaps a little madness. He gulped, feeling a trickle of fear
and blood. Slowly he released her arm and stood back.

“I
think you owe the princess an apology son,” Waters said softly.

“I’m
sorry your highness.” He removed his hat and bowed, then stood shaking. He
reached up and touched the cut on his throat, paled, and dug out a handkerchief
to cover the wound. He looked at the girl again and noted the tiara. He paled
further.

“I
believe the princesses here were trying to tell you that Duke Emroy's castle is
under siege and this area is now a war zone, correct?” Ryans asked coming up
beside the princess. Slowly, carefully he touched her hand with the knife and
pushed it down.

“Forget
them. They aren't worth it,” Wanda called over the radio. “Let's get the hell
out of here while we can.”

“Let's
have a little radio discipline instead,” Waters said turning to the hidden
civilian vehicles.

“I
suggest you folks turn around and return to where you came from. Or you could
form up and escort the princesses to their home,” Ryans suggested hopefully.
Deidra turned her glare on him. He shrugged. “Just a thought princess,” he said
spreading his hands. She shook her head.

“We
are ah, out of Abernathy my Dominus... um sir...” the man said hesitantly.
Ryans waved. “We're not traveling to the capital. This was ordered and paid for
in advance by Duke Emroy.” He waved to the loaded carts. “Duke Pryor ordered us
to bring it when the snows melted.”

“Ah
well, I suggest you turn around and go to a nearby village or keep and then
contact the Duke for instructions. You don't want your convoy to fall prey to
the Duluth enemy do you?” Perry asked.

The
convoy men and women looked at him then began to murmur. “Are you telling the
truth about Emroy? Is it truly under siege?” The wagon master asked.

Zara
straightened to her full height. “Indeed,” Zara nodded. “We, ah... we were sent
to the capital to keep us out of the enemy hands. These...” She indicated the
Terrans. “These gaijin people saved us. She made the
us
as royal
sounding as possible.”

“And
you’re really the princess?” the wagon master asked. He was looking at Deidra,
then to Zara, then finally to Ryans who nodded.

“I
beg pardon my lady,” he said immediately, dropping his eyes and then chin and
then dropping to one knee head down. He was trembling.

“Nothing
ventured nothing gained I guess,” Perry sighed. “Next time, don't jump to a
conclusion without evidence. And don't piss a lady off.”

“I
won’t. Never,” the man choked out shaking his head.

“Especially
this lady,” Ryans murmured. Deidra caught that part and glared again. “I take
it you came from the East?” he asked ignoring the glare.

“Yes,
my Dominus,” a woman said from atop a riding beast. He looked up to see her
hefting a crossbow. She looked a little sheepish with it. After a moment she
lowered the tip.

He
nodded. “Good. Like I said, turn around, head to your last stop and then send
word. You don't want to mix it up with what's coming down the road folks, trust
me.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “We're a day or two ahead of the
vanguard.”

The
convoy people started to look nervously toward the road. One stood up,
shielding his eyes with his hands. “I see dark smoke on the horizon,” he said
then looked down to the wagon master.

“Here,”
Ryans said. He pulled out a tablet and tapped at it then turned it so it faced
the surprised group. Video of the Duluth raiders surrounding the Duke's castle
was playing on the screen. He was amused by their gasps and wide eyed
fascination. He wasn't sure if they were reacting to the siege or the seemingly
magical device.

Deidra
glanced his way then back to the kneeling wagon master. “Oh get up,” the
princess snarled. She turned, pacing back and forth. She clenched at the handle
of the knife a few times then put it back in her belt. She was glad now that
the smith in the Gregor village had gifted it to her. “Go. Get thee out of my
sight. Get thee hence,” she waved imperiously.

The
wagon master turned to look over his shoulder. He opened his mouth to order the
command but froze when he caught sight of her in the corner of his eye.

She
was close to him once more. “But never. Never touch a lady like that again. Or
I will be the last thing you ever see,” she said coldly. He felt her tap his
crotch with the now freed knife. “And this will be the last thing this part of
you ever feels.”

She
turned with a whirl and left him. He stood there, cringing a little, mouth
agape. Ryans grimaced; he could smell fresh urine and was pretty sure of the
source. Hell, he was scared pissless now too. Ryans nodded politely to him as
he held a door open for the princess.

“Nice
knowing you folks,” Perry said dryly with a wave. Zara climbed in to the truck,
pulling her sister in behind her. He sighed closing the door for the princess
and then getting in the front.

“Well,
that was fun,” he said as they pulled off. The convoy lumbered to turn around
behind them. “You're just all sorts of cheer,” he sighed rubbing his brow and
ignoring the fuming woman behind him.

<==={}------------>

Max
tried to explain how the bluetooths work in translating and sending info to the
princesses again. He explained that they were machines and took his off to
point out the features. Wanda came along and noted this. She observed his
antics for a minute and noted the baffled but polite expressions on the
princess's faces. She hid a snicker when Zara caught her eye and then smiled
and rolled her eyes a little.

“I
don't think they get it,” Max grumbled in exasperation to her.

Wanda
giggled a little, hand over her mouth. “That's cause you've got the thing out
so they don't understand a word you said dummy,” Wanda replied. He looked down
at the machine in his hand then slaps his forehead. She laughed outright at his
dismay... and so did the girls. It was the first real laugh in a while.

Wanda
translated the simplified explanation to them. They nodded but were still
bemused by the explanation. The concepts didn't make sense to either of them.
Zara took comfort in Max, treating the old bear like an uncle. He in turn was
protective of her. She winced when he put his arm over her shoulders though,
but recovered after a moment.

<==={}------------>

“We
need to persuade  them to help. To go to the castle,” Zara said when Max
left. “Their wonders...”

“Would
be of great use,” Deidra agreed with a nod. “But I believe ordering them would
not work,” she said in disgust.

“Apparently
not,” Zara replied dryly. “So other means must be used to gain their aide.”

“Don't
go there sister,” Deidra sighed, hand to her brow. “Just... Don't go there. Let
us lay the groundwork but the decision is ultimately up to father and mother.
You know that.”

“True,”
Zara sighed.

Art’ur
paced, angry. Still the stubborn Emroy Duke kept to his castle, denying Art’ur
his rightful due. He had tried a ruse, using an ancient trick he had heard
about from the court story teller years ago. The story was of a faraway city
that had been under siege for many years. The enemy had finally broken the
siege when they seemingly left but left behind a statue of a horse. Within had
been men who had crept out at night and opened the gate for their fellows.

He
had turned it around, using carts seemingly loaded with provisions and dressed
like a convoy. He'd set it up carefully out of sight of the castle walls,
stuffing it with men. Their orders were to hide until the wagons crossed into
the drawbridge and then hold the gate until their fellows could relieve them.

He'd
even had Uuôden detail men to open a gap in the line at the gate and then chase
the convoy in. From his vantage it looked authentic but the Emroy Duke hadn't
fallen for the ruse. Instead the gate and draw bridge remained stubbornly
closed and when the convoy reached the side of the moat the wagons stopped in
confusion. When soldiers peeked out the cloth top to see what was going on and
then piled out they were set upon with flaming arrows from the gate defenders.
They and their fellows immediately fled.

<==={}------------>

Ryans
glanced up from his book reader to see Doc coming over. “Come to check on me?”
he asked.

“Why?
Guilty conscience?” she asked, mouth puckering in a smile.

“Ha
ha,” he joked. He turned the tablet off and tossed it on the seat. She snapped
her fingers and he raised his arm up.