Celestial Love (9 page)

“
Your mother and I still test the limits of our link.  Occasionally we try to trick each other but it's all in fun, something special that only we share."  Giving her quick hug, he was about to continue when her AVID beeped.

With a
sideways smile and a quick hug she flicked her wrist and answered, "Yes."

"Princess Kalea, this is Franklin.  The shuttle is loaded
as requested.  The rest of your detail has arrived and Linda has just informed me that your breakfast will be arriving any minute.  We can depart as soon as you arrive."

"Thank you Franklin.  I’ll be right down,"
she answered as she turned off the AVID and turned back to her father.  "I need to get to the shuttle.  I will record a message for Prince Bryan on the shuttle and transmit it as soon as possible so he can view it once he awakens.  However, it would also be nice, if you could give him a complete briefing not only on the situation at SC-17 but also on the reasons as to why I had to be the one to go."

The King nodded and stepped forward for another hug. "I love you
, Kalea; stay safe and come home very soon.  If anything goes wrong and you need help please don't hesitate to hit your emergency responder. I can assure you, help will be closer than you think."

After
a kiss on his cheek, Princess Kalea started for the door.  "Tell Gilbert and Randy to stay out of trouble while I’m gone.  Thank Alexis and Rose Lynn for all their hard work.  I thought the wedding was beautiful.  Bye,” she said with a wave as the door began to close after her.

6

Prince Bryan awoke slowly with a yawn and stretch.  “Good morning Father.  I haven’t slept that good in months.  Thank you that I didn’t make a fool of myself at the wedding.  Though I do wi
sh I had been allowed to see Kalea in all her finery.  The slight glimpse I did see was beautiful, just like her eyes.”  Mention of her eyes reminded him of the link and he searched for the feeling that he had experienced last night.

‘There it is
,’ he thought as he found it and began to explore.  Concentrating, he heard her voice so clearly he opened his eyes to make sure she wasn’t in the room.  Concentrating again he pictured himself walking into a room and again heard her say, ‘Thank you.’  Without even thinking he answered, ‘You’re Welcome.’

‘Good
morning Prince Bryan. Did you sleep well?’ Princess Kalea asked.

Startled Bryan again opened his eyes and looked around.  Not seeing her he realized that her voice was in
his mind.  ‘Uh, good morning, yes I slept well.  How about you?’ Bryan asked trying to get used to this new reality.

‘I slept well but I was roused early because of an emergency.  Right now I am down in the shuttle bay preparing to l
aunch.  My father will give you all the details but the water filtration system for SC-17 has been damaged and I need to go repair it.’

‘What’s an SC-17?
  Fixing a water filtration system? Isn’t that more a job for a plumber, instead of a princess?’ Bryan replied wondering about the situation and yet amazed that they could hear each other even from so far away.

‘SC-17 stands for Sea City 17.  For security reasons it was decided to simply number them so as not to indicate their exact locations with names from the region
s.  Anyway, the system might have been sabotaged and I need to lead an investigation.  Father will give you all the details.  We are leaving the shuttle bay now, and I’m not sure how long we will be able to hear each other.  I will send you a recorded message with more details.  But I wanted you to know this was not what I had planned for today.  You can ask Edward if you want, but the day was scheduled to be just you and me getting acquainted.  I’m sorry we have to postpone,’ Kalea finished with all her regret clearly felt.

‘I don’t need to check with Edward.  I can tell you
’re telling the truth.  I can also tell that you are concerned about this situation.  I will wait for your message and then speak with King Douglas.  You know this is really amazing.  I’m not even sure how far away the shuttle bay is but I can hear you clearly,’ Bryan replied in astonishment.

‘Well
, if you step to your window you should see my shuttle just about now,’ Princess Kalea said.

Jumping from the bed he rushed to the window and saw a shiny silver shuttle larger than the one he’d seen before appear right below
him and to his left.  ‘Amazing,’ Bryan thought as he tried to gauge the distance.

‘What’s amazing is that I can still hear you.  So, while I measure
to see how long I can hear you, why don’t you tell me what you’re going to do today now that I won’t be around?’ Kalea asked and he could feel her disappointment matching his own.

‘Excellent idea!  Let me know what the distance is when you send the recorded message.’  Glancing around he tried to organize his thoughts but didn’t want to waste time.  ‘Well now that I have the day to myself, unfortunately
, I’ll work with my staff to organize our efforts.  Edward and you seem to be the only ones who speak Saxionese so I will try to have all their questions and data requirements summarized after our meeting.  Then I’ll go over everything with Edward and see if he can take me on a tour of a nearby city.’

‘We don’t have cities above ground.
We only have villages.’  Kalea injected.

‘Oh?  Well then
, a village.  When you get back you can explain why that is.  Anyway, I also need to prepare holographic recordings of the wedding to send to my family.  My mother wants to come for a visit when she can get away, but that may not be soon.’

‘I can barely see the shuttle now
; can you still hear me?’ Bryan asked.

‘Yes.
Keep talking,’ Kalea said.

‘This is amazing!  I can’t even see the shuttle.  You must have crossed over the horizon.  I wonder if this will work while you are at SC-17, how far away is SC-17 anyway?’  Bryan asked.  After a few minutes when she didn’t reply Bryan got his answer.  Walking back to his bed he sat down and stared out at the vast clear blue sky.

“Father, I’m in awe.  This gift is amazing.  I could feel how sad she was to go even before she said it.  And to be able to hear each other over such a great distance without a communication device.  This must indeed be a blessing from You.  Please Lord, keep her safe and help her to solve the problem and the mystery quickly.  You know, for a moment I doubted her.  I don’t know if she felt it but thank You for this gift that makes it easier to believe her.

“Please be with me today as I try to get everything organized.  I should have spent my time in transi
t doing some of this but I was too focused on myself.  Part of me still wonders why it had to be like this but I feel that You might be using this experience to strengthen my faith.  I still have doubts and questions but thank You for this gift, of the link with Kalea.  It reassures me that You are indeed in this.

“
There is much to do and I have a feeling this new situation may change more things than we know.  So again, I pray that You will help all of us to stay focused and get it done.  Please bless Kalea today and all my family.  May Thy will be done, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”  Standing, he again walked to the window and after a moment went to take a shower. Today was going to be very busy.

Twenty minutes later Leo was talking with Edward regarding the need for a large room to serve a
s Prince Bryan’s office and meeting area. 

Across the bedroom Bryan sat at a small table enjoying his breakfast as he viewed the message from Princess Kalea.  Somehow it felt strange to see her and hear her but not feel her.  ‘Funny, we’ve only ha
d one conversation – two at best – and already it just feels so natural and right.’  He thought as he pressed the restart button.  This time he concentrated on what she actually said and was amazed at her level of involvement in the development of the water filtration systems for the sea cities.

“You mean to tell me that in a
palace this large you don’t have anything suitable?” Leo exclaimed.

This captured Bryan’s attention and he tuned in to the con
versation behind him.  “We have several large rooms that should work fine but none of them look out over the garden,” Edward replied calmly but Bryan was sure he was frustrated.

“Well do they have any windows at all?” Leo asked sarcastically.

“Yes, they look out over the valley.  The view is almost identical to the view from here.” Edward explained as he pointed to the far window.

D
eflated, Leo said, “Oh, I apologize. I thought you said that there were no rooms with a view.”

“I also apologize
.  I may have said that but it isn’t what I meant.  I am distracted and could have easily made a translation error,” Edward explained.  “We weren’t scheduled to begin until tomorrow so many of our plans have to be adjusted.  This isn’t a problem really; I just can’t concentrate for thinking of the situation at SC-17.”

“I am the one that should be apologizing,” Prince Bryan stated as he rose from the table and approached the pair.  “I should have taken into consideration these things
before I changed everyone’s plans.”

“No, Your Highness, really, it isn’t a problem.  I am just a bi
t unorganized because of Princess Kalea’s departure.  I can easily get you set up in one of two locations in about ten to fifteen minutes.  If that is agreeable to you?” Edward asked.

“Thank you Edward
,” Prince Bryan then turned to Leo.  “Please contact everyone and let them know where to meet.  I have a few more things to do before we start.

“Edward,” Prince Bryan asked, “w
ould you please see if King Douglas is available?  Princess Kalea said that he had some information for me and of course I need you to translate.”

“Yes
, Your Highness,” Edward answered.  “The king did mention that he needed to see you.”

“Fine
, then if you could show Leo the conference room, I will be ready in about five minutes.”  He then headed back over to the small table to finish his breakfast.

Edward notified the
king of Prince Bryan’s desire to see him.  Then he showed Leo the conference room and was relieved when he approved.  With Leo busy contacting the prince’s staff Edward slipped back out into the hall for a brief moment alone. 

“Holy One
, please strengthen me today and help me to stay focused. Please be with Princess Kalea.  Keep her safe and bless her with wisdom.  You know that I’m not just saying that because of all the extra work I have now, but because I have a very bad feeling about all this.”  Just then his AVID beeped and Edward answered it.  “Yes?”

“Edw
ard this is Alexis.  I know you must be very busy as our only translator.  I’d like to help with our staff.  Is there anything that I could take care of for you?” Alexis asked.

“Thank you, Your Highness.
Normally I would never accept such an offer but I must admit that I am a bit overwhelmed.  If you wouldn’t mind just checking on the kitchen staff and perhaps the housekeepers, I would appreciate it.  With the departure of the wedding guests today and moving Crown Prince Bryan’s staff, it might go more smoothly if they know who is available to handle questions.  There shouldn’t really be a need, but it is good to check on things from time to time,” Edward answered as he silently praised the Holy One for answering a prayer that wasn’t even finished.

“Oh, Edward I completely understand.
I’m happy to help.  I’ll also check in on the grounds keepers and maybe even pop in at the Med Lab to make sure they don’t need anything either.  My prayers are with you.  Have a good day.” Alexis said as she signed off.

“Thank you Holy One.” Edward said
just before Leo walked back into the hall.  “Is everything satisfactory?” he asked.

“
Yes, I just thought I would stand out here to indicate which room we’re in. We should be fine for today after Prince Bryan gets back from seeing King Douglas,” Leo answered.

The gentle reminder was not missed and was appreciated.  Feeling like he was trying to do the work of three people Edward replied.  “Yes, the King is ready so I’ll go get Prince Bryan now.  If you need anything just let me know.” Edward said as he pointed to his
AVID and started down the hall.  Leo nodded and then looked toward the stairs.

Arriving at the door to the
prince’s suite Edward raised his hand to knock when the door opened.  “Oh, sorry, Your Highness.  Are you ready?” Edward asked as he stepped aside.

“Yes.
I have even more questions, now, than I did before I got Princess Kalea’s message,” Bryan answered as he closed the door and started down the hallway.

Knowing it would be best to let the King explain things
, Edward simply led the way. 

Upon entering, Bryan quickly took in the details of the King’s office.  To his right at the far end was a table with four chairs.  On his left was the king’s desk.  The wall behind
the king’s desk was lined with book shelves and there was a credenza behind his chair.  Before the desk where two chairs and the far wall was nothing but windows.  The dark wood and dark red carpet with the gold accents in the fixtures gave it a strong formal feel.

“Good
morning Prince Bryan,” King Douglas greeted as he gestured for them to have a seat.  “Did you receive Princess Kalea’s message?”

“Yes,
Your Majesty, I did. Unfortunately, it left me with more questions than answers.”

“Yes, I imagine it did.  Even w
ith secure communications there are just some things that we don’t say except in person,” King Douglas explained.  “But before we go any farther, we can dispense with the formalities. You can call me Douglas.  How does that sound?”

Edward was a bit uncomfortable translating this because for him to call King Douglas anything other than ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Sir’ just felt wrong.  He was faithful in his duties however
, and Prince Bryan replied, “Thank you, I shall try to remember, also please feel free to call me Bryan.  It will make things easier on Edward.” Bryan said with a smile and waited for Edward to translate.  At the slight smile on the kings’ lips he continued. “Now, about Princess Kalea?”

“
Yes, well, Bryan you see not everyone on Estar Beta was in favor of your marriage to Kalea.  There is a relatively small group of people who feel we can improve our own defenses.  They feel that if you know our defense capabilities and strategies you could simply attack later and we wouldn’t be able to defend against you.  We considered that possibility but it was felt that our current need outweighed the threat.  We also did extensive research and found that your planet is very honorable in all its treaties.  You also haven’t attacked any other inhabited planets in an effort to increase your territory, so we felt you could be trusted,” King Douglas explained and watched to see how Bryan would react.  When Edward finished speaking he continued.