"What did you just say?!" Mike roared. But before Vanessa could answer, he bolted out of the room and into the entrance hall.905Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjF2OViSNR
"Davis!" he said as he skidded to a halt. "What the hell happened?"
"I'm not entirely sure, sir," Davis said. "One moment the Queen and the Heiress were screaming curses at each other, and the next the Heiress was fleeing the castle."
"Exactly what was said?" Mike asked.
"I- I'm not sure," Davis stammered.
"It was an ultimatum," Vanessa panted. She had clearly just caught up to Mike, her usually smooth black hair windswept from running down the corridor. "The Queen gave Melanie an ultimatum." Mike looked expectantly at his XO.
"After you left the room, things got really ugly," she said, clutching a stitch in her side. Mike was surprised Vanessa had noticed he left the room. He personally thought he had been quite discreet in his departure, but that was besides the point. "Names were called and accusations made."
"What kind of accusations?" Mike demanded. Every detail was important; the Heiress's life could be at risk in this situation.
"There were many," the Ensign admitted, "but the final blows were accusations of tyranny and treason. I'm sure you can guess who made each charge and why."
"Wait. Valerie accused Melanie of treason because she doesn't want the crown?" Mike cried incredulously.
"Yes," Vanessa replied soberly. "And threatened to charge her with such if she continued to refuse her 'duty to the kingdom.'" The Commander stood very still at these words. Under Queen Valerie's rule, being charged with treason is just the same as being convicted of the same. Said conviction, of course, meant death.
"Where is the Queen now?" He asked with forced calm.
"With all due respect, sir, it is against my better judgement to tell you that," Vanessa said quietly. " It gets even worse."
"Well, out with it then, Johnson."
"You see, the Heiress actually slapped her mother before departing," she whispered. "We've been ordered not to allow anyone to see her." Mike simply looked at the young woman unfazed.
"She is in the third floor drawing room, sir," Vanessa again whispered. Without a second glance, Mike took off again, fear and rage boiling in his blood. It was bad enough the foolish girl ran off, but now her own mother had declared her an enemy of the crown. He had to fix this situation and quickly.
The Commander hit the first landing and charged up the next flight of stairs at breakneck speed. His ears pounded as he felt his pulse and blood pressure spike.
"Commander!" a small voice called. Furious, he spun around but stopped short as he once again found himself face-to- face with Charlotte.
"I must insist that you make this quick, Miss Charlotte," he said.
"My sister," she whimpered. "What's going to happen to her?" Mike looked hard into the girl's eyes and said, "I swear on my life, I will find her and bring her back safe and sound." And he bolted off again.
Once he reached the third floor, he paused and gathered his courage. Confronting the Queen right now would be highly risky, but he had to do something. Not only was there a matter of life and death at hand, but also justice and injustice. He quietly approached the drawing room door and was surprised to find it open.
" My Lady," he said. " I request a word with you." Queen Valerie turned toward the door and sighed.
"Very well, Commander. You may enter," she said wearily. Mike slowly stepped into the drawing room, took a deep breath, and got straight to the point.
"Speaking quite plain, I feel that you are both at fault for this," he said. He waited for a response, but didn't get one. So he continued, "You both allowed your emotions to get to you, and now Miss Melanie's life is at risk."
"Where is this going, Commander?" the Queen asked wearily still.
"I request your permission to locate Miss Melanie and return her to the castle," he replied.
"Yes, someone will need to retrieve my daughter so that she can answer to the treason she has committed," Valerie said. "Permission granted."
"My Lady, are you seriously going to charge your own daughter with treason simply because she does not wish to inherit the throne?" Mike asked exasperatedly.
"Her refusal to take the crown is a complete and blatant deriliction of duty. I will not stand for it."
"With all due respect, perhaps you did not take the right approach to the matter," Mike said reasonably. "I believe the Heiress would have been much more receptive to your desires had you not been so forceful and demanding about it."
" Do not make excuses for her," the Queen said coldly. "She has opposed me for too long and has now put the future of this kingdom in jeopardy."
Mike felt his blood begin to boil again. This woman was clearly lost in her own wishes. But he at least he would be able to return Melanie to the castle. Maybe then, he could convince the Queen to change her mind.
"Your request is denied, Commander," she said suddenly.
"I must object!" Mike protested. " She is one of the royal family! It is my duty to protect at all costs."
" She is no longer a member of this family," Valerie snapped. "No daughter of mine would ever show me the level of disrespect that little girl has."
"That is a barbaric statement to make! Mike cried angrily. His tolerance was now gone. "You are forcing your daughter into a position she doesn't want! Her sister is now worried sick that Melanie will be killed, and unless you come to your senses your daughter's blood will be own your hands. Much like the King's blood is on mine!" The Commander and the Queen stared each other down, the tension palpable.
"Your request is denied," the Queen repeated. "You are hereby ordered to remain at the castle and perform your duties as normal. Furthermore, you are forbidden from sending another in your place to look for Melanie. She is an enemy to the crown and will be treated as such. Any deviations from these instructions will mark you as the same. Am I clear, Commander?" Mike only stared at her in utter disbelief, not trusting himself to speak.
"I'll take your silence as a yes. You are dismissed."
" So that's it, huh?" said Parker a half hour later. " The Heiress is doomed to death one way or the other, and we're not allowed to do our job."
"Yeah, pretty much," Mike sighed. He had just finished telling the rest of the Guard what happened in the drawing room. Everyone was shocked. No one ever thought the Queen would outlaw her own daughter.
"So what happens from a chain-of-command perspective?" Walker asked.
"Charlotte is the Heiress now," Vanessa said.
"That's true," Davis said, "but she isn't 20 yet. So if something were to happen to the Queen, then what?"
"Mother is fixing that little snag right now," a gloomy voice said. Charlotte had entered the room.
"You sure have a knack for slipping into rooms unnoticed," Mike chuckled.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Charlotte replied with a small smile that quickly faded away. "Mother is planning on making it so I can be coronated at 18."
"What?!" Vanessa yelped. "But you turn 18 in just a fortnight!"
"I know," Charlotte said sadly. "Which is why I have an important request."
"Which is…?" Mike asked apprehensively.
"For you to find Melanie and bring her back here to the castle." Mike immediately shook his head at this.
"We've been strictly forbidden from doing such a thing," he said. "If we do, we'll all go down for treason."
"You have been restricted from doing so," Charlotte pointed out. Mike opened his mouth with another objection, but Charlotte cut him off at the pass.
"Furthermore, you have been restricted from sending someone after her," she said, a sly smile playing on the corners of her mouth. Her eyes roved along the table at each member of the Guard before locking onto Mike's again. It was then that Mike realized was Charlotte was suggesting.
"Hell no!" he said. "Are you out of your fucking mind?! You'll get us all killed!" Vanessa looked bewildered and confused.
"What the hell are you screeching for, Stevens?" she asked, rubbing her ear.
" Because Charlotte is suggesting that we go search for her sister on her orders," Davis stated matter-of-factly.
"Which would be a direct violation of the orders given by the Queen," Mike said angrily.
"But Charlotte is right," Walker said reasonably. "As long as you stay behind and don't order us to search for the Heiress, we haven't disobeyed the Queen."
"And I don't order you to do so! In fact, I expressly forbid you from doing so."
"Even better," Vanessa said cheerfully. "Now you have plausible deniability." Mike was appalled. The same members of the Royal Guard that he had so carefully trained and primed were actually showing joy at the thought of going against the very one they were sworn to serve.
"Fine!" he snapped. "I wash my hands of this misconduct. I have nothing to do with this any longer."
"But you do, Commander," Charlotte said. "You promised to bring Melanie back."905Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFv738toGE
"Yes, but not at the cost of my life or those of my squad," he countered. "Now, I'll excuse myself from the room so that this 'plausible deniability" stands." He stood and glared pointedly at the group and turned to leave.
"About face, Commander," Charlotte said in a hard voice. Reluctantly, Mike turned to face his antagonist.
"Yes, Miss Charlotte," he said through gritted teeth.
"Are you or are you not sworn to protect the royal family at all costs and by any means necessary?" the young woman asked in a clear, ringing voice.
"Yes, ma'am, I am, but-"
"But what, Commander? Is there some part of your oath that I am unaware of that excuses you from your duty if you feel that your task is not to your liking."905Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgv2AUD0T4
"No, but-"
"So if there is no such loophole, exactly what does your oath obligate you to do?"905Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjXAq9quYc
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THAT OATH!" Mike screamed. "I broke that oath when the King died on my watch! That oath isn't worth the shit on my hunting boots!" And with that, the irate Commander stormed away much like the Heiress before him.
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