The High Ground (41 page)

Malcomb whirled, a bull coming around to confront the matador. “Give me one good reason.”

Tracy stepped in close and said very quietly, “Because they
will
get your boys. You know that. And if you insult them like this it’ll be Stefan, Rafe and Brandon who’ll pay the price.” Tracy sucked in a breath. “And if you want to blame somebody, blame me. I’m the one who took us out on that strut.”

The fat man gave a gasping sob, flung his arms around Tracy and wept. “He was brave, wasn’t he?” he snorted.

“Yes, sir. Braver than… well, he was the first to say we had to go. He was my friend and it’s going to be very hard to go on without him.” Tracy’s throat ached as he uttered the words and contemplated his remaining years at the academy. Yes the snubs and the insults would continue, but he had made some friends and…
Mercedes
. The name sung in his heart and his head.

Malcomb released him and stepped back. “It’s not your fault, son. But this required military service. This bullshit has to stop. I’ll be working for that.”

Tracy nodded; he bowed to Lady Devris and the daughters, nodded to the boys, who were wide-eyed from the raw emotions being expressed. He walked away, eyes raking across the elegant gathering. None of whom knew that a poisonous splinter had wedged itself into the body of the FFH. Would they co-opt Devris, eventually quench his rage? Or would he find supporters and would fractures start to appear in the seemingly impregnable facade of the Fortune Five Hundred?

He met Mercedes partway across the lawn. “I was hoping you’d introduce me to your father,” she said.

“Of course. He’s likely to become a puddle,” Tracy said with a smile.

“That’s cute. I’ll come over as soon as I’ve spoken to Caballero Devris.”

“Uh… I wouldn’t.” At her inquiring look he reluctantly continued, “He’s taking Hugo’s death… hard. He might say something that you couldn’t ignore.”

“Oh, I can ignore quite a lot.”

Tracy kept his hand at his side, but lifted a finger toward the branches of a nearby tree. “And there’s a press camerabot pacing you. Whoever is monitoring the feed might not be so discreet,” he whispered.

She sighed. “The press was bad before. It’s going to be unbearable now since we’re—”

“Big damn heroes,” they said in chorus and shared a smile.

“And I have some really great news for all of us big damn heroes,” Mercedes said. “We’ve been excused from the
prueba
. If we keep our grades up we will automatically return for the second year.”

“Midshipman Princess Arango.”

She made a face that wrinkled her nose. Tracy couldn’t pull his gaze away. “That is an appalling mouthful.”

“Wait until it’s Admiral Empress.” A shadow of something—worry, fear—swept across her face, and he realized he’d stepped in it. “I’m sorry. Of course that’s decades away. Your father will reign for many more years.” She looked even more upset at that. He touched her hand. “What? What have I said?”

“Come away.” She led him to an arbor where they were shielded from cameras. She twisted her ScoopRing and it emitted a high-pitched electronic buzz designed to confound microphones.

She was hesitating about something. Now that they were unobserved he reached to take her hands in his. She pulled her hands away and stepped back. “What’s wrong?”

She had the expression he had dubbed The Royal Mask. The lush mouth was set, the lips folded into a tight line. The dark eyes gazed into his for a moment and he saw turmoil. Then she looked away and addressed the twining leaves and flowers. Her voice was flat and emotionless.

“I wanted to tell you in person before you heard or read the news. I’m marrying Boho. The engagement will be announced in a few days.”

“Boho?” he said stupidly. Then louder and with growing heat, “
Boho!
Mercedes, you can’t!”

She looked at him now and her eyes were cold. “I can. I am.”

“Why?” It sounded anguished, even to his own ears.

She looked at him. “My father sent me to The High Ground with two tasks. Graduate. And find a consort. I’m going to get one of those out of the way so I can focus on the more important task.”

“But you love
me
.”

“Yes, I do.” He started to move to her, but she held up a hand. Only a gesture but it froze him in place. The boundary had been set and he knew he would never cross it again. “But Boho is the right choice. Really the only choice. Well born, handsome, charismatic. He’ll graduate with ease and he’s everyone’s idea of a military officer. Having him as my consort will reassure and mollify any conservatives who question my abilities.”

“Mercedes.” She drew herself up and a flash of anger glinted in her eyes. “Highness,” he amended and the word tasted of ash and gall. “He’s a coward. I didn’t want to tell you but—”

“Then it’s a good thing I have you, isn’t it? You will be a great captain, Cadet Belmanor. I expect you’ll even rise to admiral and I know you’ll serve me with great distinction and with the same fervency and loyalty you have shown thus far, but I do what I must.”

“And what about happiness? Love? You’d trade all that for a handsome egotist who will never respect you?” Bitterness edged each word and an aching filled his chest as if hearts really could break.

“I am not an ordinary person who can seek those things. I know my duty. Goodbye, Cadet.”

She was gone.

He stood empty and desolate. He unpinned the medal, gazed at it as it rested in the palm of his hand.
Quit?

No. It had never been more than a foolish dream. She needed him and he would be there for her. Always.

* * *

The afternoon was drawing to a close. People were beginning to take their leave. Servants were clearing dirty plates and the buffet tables were nearly depleted.

Mercedes had almost made it to the garden steps and the privacy of the palace when Dani came running up. The tendons in the girl’s neck were stretched, her eyes were dark with terror. She clutched Mercedes’ arm. Two large men in well-tailored suits were closing on them, and the camerabots in the area suddenly sank to the ground and switched off.

“Please. Please. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t realize. Please. I don’t want to die. Mercedes,
help me
!”

Grief, anger, embarrassment, shame. The conflicting emotions crashed through her and bile filled Mercedes’ mouth. She stared down into the agonized face of her childhood friend. She was on the verge of slipping an arm around Dani and sweeping her into the palace, taking her to her quarters, guarding her somehow.

The men, sporting deceptively pleasant expressions, stepped to either side of Danica. “Your father is looking for you, my lady. If you’ll come with us.”

Dani gave a cry of terror and grief and sank to the ground. The SEGU agents lifted her to her feet and hustled her away. Danica threw back one final desperate look and mouthed her name. Mercedes ran, crying, to the safety of her bedroom, and found it offered no solace to the emotional agony she felt.

The game of kings.

It had cost her her soul.

This book wouldn’t have happened without the help and input from a lot of people. First thanks to my amazing agent, Kay McCauley, who was determined to find the right home for this story. My patient stockbroker, Brian Bower, who spent a long time talking with me about how to ruin a person’s finances or a planet’s economy. Thanks to Daniel Abraham and Ty Frank aka James S.A. Cory for being so helpful during the plotting session that created the arc of Imperials. To Eric Kelley and Sage Walker who let me brainstorm with them on tricky bits, and to my writers’ group—Sage and Matt Reiten for their firm and fair critiques. I also want to thank my editor, Miranda Jewess, and my publisher, Titan Books, for believing in this project enough to allow me to tell the whole story. This is merely the first act in my five-act drama.

Melinda Snodgrass is the acclaimed author of many science fiction novels, including the
Circuit
and
Edge
series, and is the co-editor with George R.R. Martin of the
Wild Cards
series, to which she also contributes. She has had a long career in television, writing several episodes of
Star Trek: The Next Generation
while serving as the series’ story editor, and has written scripts for numerous other shows, including
Odyssey 5, The Outer Limits, Reasonable Doubts
and
Seaquest DSV
. She was also a consulting producer on
The Profiler
. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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