Rue's Bargain

By Juliet Sem

Rue Soga wasn't born a princess. She earned her title by helping her best friend defend her right to rule Sandar. With Queen Keestu too busy to leave Sandar and Prince Korin injured, Rue is sent to represent Sandar in a meeting between the Union and the Consortium regarding the disputed ownership of a moon located on the border of both planetary groups. However, she instead must fight for her life and that of the Consortium's representative when pirates attack the meeting.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Juliet Sem
• Release date: Dec 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310730672

Juliet Sem

Juliet Sem began writing as a young teen to alleviate boredom she experienced in school after she wasn't allowed to skip grades. At the time, most of the major female characters in books she read were written as beautiful but useless in conflict. Juliet's first novel, The Tourney, is the result of her desire to write stories featuring strong female characters who are more than just eye candy waiting around for their men to come rescue them. She continues to read and watch fiction and is relieved that strong female lead characters are no longer the exception in books, movies, and TV shows.She lives in Arizona with her husband and cat in addition to caring for several abandoned outdoor cats. Her hobbies include outdoor activities, fiber crafts, reading, games, and ciphers--she designed all the games and writing systems mentioned in her Union series books.

Book preview

Prologue

One month before Kielra's Chof broke out of hyperspace near the star Mimox, a periodic comet made its final trip through the system. Warmed by the sun, the comet began throwing off pieces of itself, creating an impressive tail that would have been visible to anyone on the planets of Mimox, had they been inhabited. In a one in trillions chance, a rogue asteroid crossed its orbit at the exact time the comet began entering the inner system. They collided, shattering into pieces that were flung outward on new trajectories. Preserved by the vacuum of space, large fragments of the frozen core of the comet continued on. As the remains of the comet tumbled through the inner system, the gravitational force of a large gas giant began tugging on them, altering their course even further.

Kielra's Chof reentered normal space exactly on time, pleasing Captain Obairo. The Chof had just undergone a major refit, once again making her capable of interstellar flight and allowing Captain Obairo to cash in on the rush of Kielra's people to the Mining Consortium. The Consortium had been founded by a group of families that had left the Union's planetary association to claim several worlds rich in natural resources and mine them without having a governing body ordering them around. Over the centuries, the Consortium had developed its own governing system, which was fair and generous, so much so that many of the poorer people from Kielra's burgeoning population left the planet to work the Consortium's mines. There were regular breaks ordered for all the miners who dug for the valuable metals, gems, and minerals on the Consortium worlds, and the Consortium helped pay passage to and from their homeworld for any miner who couldn't afford to go home during the Consortium's mandatory work breaks otherwise. This meant that the Chof could make a tidy profit being a passenger shuttle and allow Obairo to brag about being an interstellar starship owner and pilot without the hassle of negotiating prices for freight or passage.

He activated the com, telling their passengers, Hold tight everyone. We've emerged at Mimox, and we'll be making a slow broad turn through the inner system as we orient on the next jump ring. I'll let you know when we have visual on Mimox Prime, the gas giant that lies close to the exit ring, so you can all get a look at that beauty. Mimox Prime has three planet-sized moons along with fifty smaller moons, and we'll have a great view of the larger moons as we slingshot around Prime.

He looked at Uvon, his co-pilot, co-owner of the Chof, and long-time friend, who grinned back. That's a smart move, letting the passengers get a look at Mimox Prime. Most passenger ships are all about getting through this system as fast as possible.

I'd build a resort in orbit around Prime if I could, Obairo said. With views like that, no one from Uriel or Kielra would want to go all the way to the Autocracy for a vacation.

Well, maybe after a dozen more runs like this one, we can build that resort, Uvon replied.

Doubt it, but I figure if I take enough pictures of the system on my trips through that we can get some backers, make them pay to build it, and then we'll pay them minimal royalties while we relax at the resort and let someone else do the flying.

There's no way you'd ground yourself, Obo, Uvon said. I know you better than that!

Okay, so I'd layover at the resort while someone else took our people from Mimox to Kielra and back.

That's a nice fantasy you've got going there, Obo, but there's no way in eta that we'll ever spend more time here than we have to.

The computer chimed at them. It's time to ping the buoy, Uvon said, To see if there's any urgent news we need to know. I'll do our standard data dump, leaving the juicy bits out of our transmission, like usual.

Don't forget to upload our revised time schedule to include our slingshot around Prime, Obairo reminded him.

Right. I'm on it. Uvon tapped a few keys on his board before shooing Obairo out of the cockpit. Go on and get the lounge set up for the viewing; it's your turn.

Plus there's no cute and single shiqui for you to hit on this time, Obairo couldn't resist teasing.

That's a low blow--I didn't know she was married, Uvon said, referring to the embarrassment he'd suffered on their last trip when he'd tried to get contact information from a passenger, only to be told that she was married and not interested.

I told you to check the passenger manifest before you tried to get her contact info, Obairo said, laughing.

Well believe me, next time I'll be sure to look it over before I make serious conversation. The women who ride on this boat should all be happy to know that you're now married, or you'd have been in the chair on her other side, vying for her attention right along with me.

You know Karina would kill me if I looked at another woman, Obairo laughed again, slapping Uvon on the shoulder as he unbuckled from his seat.

Passengers are now free to move about the ship, but remember to keep a hand on the safety rails and clear the corridors as quickly as possible, Uvon informed them over the com as Obairo exited the bridge.

Ignoring their own safety rules, Obairo strolled to the lounge, finding Karina already at work laying out the complimentary hors d'oeuvre trays, and seeing the baked meat pastries, Obairo snatched one up, stuffing it into his mouth.

He was reaching for another when Karina swatted his hand. You'll ruin the layout. If you're that hungry, go into the galley and heat up as many as you like.

Obairo smiled at her, nodding, but when her back was turned, he snatched several cubes of cheese and meat from the other trays, hurriedly cramming them into his mouth. He palmed the toothpicks, looking placidly at Karina as she spun around, checking her arrangements.

Go and get the drink trays, please, she ordered him.

Obairo nodded, chewing his snacks quickly and disposing of the toothpicks before he grabbed two trays and took them back into the lounge.

Obairo was securing the trays to the table when the first of their passengers arrived, a younger man. His black hair was clean and neatly combed, but his clothing was old, his irregularly striped traditional woven story cloak and plain brown shirt showing signs of much mending, and the toes of his shoes were nearly worn through, and Obairo's heart went out to him. Here was a man who probably had a family depending on him back home, who felt his only choice to provide for them was to leave them on Kielra and go and work for the Consortium. He saw the man eying the trays with longing.

Eat up, dundo, he encouraged the man, using Kielra's familiar form of address. We've got a long way to go yet.

The man smiled at him, shyly taking a single meat pastry and nibbling on it. Karina frowned, picking up a plate and placing a generous amount of food on it. I made this for you, she said, So please eat up. Your room and board are both provided for on the Chof, compliments of the Consortium; as long as you fly with us, you won't fly hungry.

The man nodded at them gratefully, tasting a cheese cube next. Reassured, he became bolder, taking his time looking over the drink choices before choosing a cup of hot latko, a traditional herb tea from his region of origin. The young man worked the latch mechanism, releasing his cup, and Obairo watched as he worked the latch again several more times, watching the urethane ring expand and contract without the cup in the socket.

Their nine other passengers came into the lounge a few minutes later, belting into their seats. Obairo looked them over closely, knowing that they all had already been working for the Consortium for some time. They began speaking quietly among themselves using Kielra's lingua franca rather than Unity since they were all from Kielra, making sure to draw the newcomer into their conversation by asking him about his family at home. As expected, the young man had a tale of woe that he shared with the others. He was barely over legal age, recently engaged to be married, when his father had been killed in a harvesting accident, leaving his mother and younger siblings without support, so Naldo had put his marriage on hold and applied to the Consortium for employment. After passing their mechanical aptitude test, his passage to Arshon for training had been arranged by the Consortium.

The others sat listening intently to his story. Droji, who worked for the Consortium as a geologist, spoke up. You did very well on your test, if you're to train to work on Arshon for your first rotation. The planet specializes in mining gems, so your family should see relief almost immediately. You know you can have your shares sent directly home?

At Naldo's nod, Droji smiled at the young man. There's nothing for you to worry about then, he informed him. There are many others from Kielra working in the Consortium, and you are bound to meet at least one other from our homeworld working at whatever mine they assign you to. He or she will be happy to help you settle in, and of course, once you settle in, it'll be your turn to help any new recruits from home. Did they give you an advance?

Yes, they said it was a small one, but it will feed my family and that of my fiance until my first scheduled payment is sent home, Naldo said.

Yes, the Consortium was founded by people who understand what we sometimes face in the remote areas of the Union, thank Avuteva and Rentham for that, said a woman named Felusa. When it turned out that I joined the Consortium pregnant with my dead husband's child six years ago, they immediately reassured me that accommodating me before and after delivery was no problem, and my son was happy to stay in a Consortium foster care unit while I made this trip home to attend my mother's funeral. I am grateful that my child has the option of claiming membership in the Consortium when he comes of age rather than having no choice but to go back to our old home on Kielra, as I have no reason to go back myself when I retire, except to visit my siblings and their families; most of my husband's family have either died or joined the Consortium as well.

Murmurs of condolence were given the woman along with nods of agreement at the good fortune she had to give birth in a Consortium medical center.

After the pleasantries were done, Obairo spoke up. Now that we all know each other, I wanted to share a magnificent view of Mimox's gas giant. Known as Mimox Prime, it's located in the inner system. As he spoke, Obairo picked up a remote and activated the screen. Uvon had locked an exterior camera on their target, and Obairo smiled at the gasps of appreciation that went up from his audience when the large screen lit up to show the planet. The gas giant wasn't a single color, being so large and so close to its star that it had a very active atmosphere, so it sported bands of gaseous clouds, some in shades of blue, others running from white to tan, while spots were scattered throughout each band.

Obairo smiled when he sighted one of the three largest moons. He was in luck. It was one of the two that had an atmosphere.

He opened his mouth to inform his now rapt audience about this moon's runaway greenhouse atmosphere, when Uvon's voice interrupted him.

Brace for maneuvering!

Immediately after Uvon yelled his warning, the Chof began gyrating so badly that the internal gravity generators couldn't keep up. Fortunately, all the food and drinks had been consumed, but one passenger still held his cup, losing his grip as he slewed around in his seat.

Eyes! Karina was the one who yelled the warning, and everyone shut their eyes as the glass hit the lounge's wall, shattering into fragments that were tossed around the cabin.

Obairo cautiously opened his eyes when the Chof stabilized and he heard no more impacts from fragments of glass.

He was preparing to run for the cockpit, about to unbelt from his seat, when the com lit up again.

Sorry for the short warning, Uvon said, his voice surprisingly calm. We encountered some uncharted debris in our path and the proximity alarm didn't give me enough time to--oh chod! Obo, we're, the sound of something large hitting the Chof rang through the hull, cutting off Uvon's voice. The Chof wobbled, yawing to one side then the other as another louder boom reverberated through the ship, this time from below. An alarm began sounding, the emergency doors automatically sliding shut, indicating the ship had been holed.

His heart in his throat, Obairo looked around the lounge. Everyone was staring at him, leaving him confused until it came to him. Of course, he was the captain--he had to take charge of the situation.

What happened to Uvon? Karina's eyes were large and dark, openly showing her fright, and her voice was shaking.

I'm sure the com probably just shorted out, Obairo said with a confidence he didn't feel. Everyone is to remain belted in case we have to evade any more debris. I'll check in with Uvon before going below and making certain that we don't have any major air leaks.

Obairo got out of his chair, his hand cramping as he tightly gripped the rail while making his way to the short passageway that lay between the lounge and the bridge. He did a manual override to open the door, and once in the passageway, the door automatically shut behind him, sealing with a hiss.

His stomach knotting, Obairo quickly made his way to the bridge door, presenting his thumb to the reader. The door remained shut. Obairo activated the com. Uvon, open up, he said, It's me.

Receiving no answer, he thumbed the controls again, and still the door remained sealed.

Uvon?

Worried now, Obairo manually activated the call screen, recoiling in horror at what it showed him. There was a large hole in the ceiling of the bridge, an enormous and jagged block of dirty ice lay on the deck, and Uvon was nowhere to be seen. Looking closer, Obairo saw that the edges of the hole were streaked with blood; Uvon had been sucked out of the hole and into space, his body cut by the shredded metal of the hull as he was pulled from the Chof with the escaping atmosphere. Panic flooded Obairo's mind. His friend was dead, no one was flying the Chof, and with the Chof headed straight at Mimox Prime for their slingshot pass, they could be pulled into the gas giant's gravity well with no chance of escape if he couldn't get to the controls in time.

Obairo staggered back into the lounge. His passengers, who were chatting quietly, went silent at his expression.

How bad is it? Droji was the first to ask.

The bridge has been holed, and Uvon has been lost.

You've got to get into the bridge to get a look at the controls, Droji said.

What does the exterior camera show us? This came from a passenger whose name Obairo couldn't recall at the moment.

We're still headed straight for the gas giant, though at a different angle than before. It's bad enough that I think we'll hit Prime if we don't get to the controls soon. Hit the replay and slow it down so I can check, Obairo ordered Karina. With shaking hands, she obeyed.

The screen showed them headed at Mimox Prime, and then there was debris looming suddenly out of the blackness of space. The image shuddered, tilting this way and that as the Chof maneuvered to avoid colliding with jagged pieces of rock and ice that littered their flight path. Obairo sucked in his breath as the massive icy core of a dead comet zoomed into view and out again. His mouth went dry. If they had hit it, they would have all died, the Chof breaking into pieces. Uvon's last act had been to activate the autopilot, an action that had saved everyone else onboard.

Avuteva and Rentham protect us, someone said. Now what do we do?

You have suits on board, correct? This came from Burgi, a seasoned traveler.

Yes, Obairo answered, Our emergency equipment is standard.

Everyone suit up, Burgi ordered. We're going to treat the entire ship like we're doing a breach drill on Arshon, so set your suit to use the ship's atmosphere unless its sensors detect a sudden drop in pressure. Naldo, I'll help you with your suit.

Leaping into action, Obairo manually opened the door to the bridge passageway again, this time managing to lock it open as he accessed the emergency locker.

Everyone was fully suited in short order, with the exception of Naldo, who had trouble engaging the seal between his helmet and suit. As each person was sealed into his suit, they grabbed a backpack filled with emergency supplies before going back to the lounge and belting back into their seats to await further orders.

The only exception was Droji. We've got to get into the bridge to find out how badly damaged we are.

I know, Obairo said tensely. Have you ever flown a starship?

No, but I know how to read a computer screen, and you look like you could use some help.

Yes, Obairo said, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your offer.

Right, now standard procedure in a breach on an airless world is that we attach ourselves to safety rails with lines. What's the rating on your rails?

They'll prevent us from being pulled from the ship as long as our lines aren't severed by debris.

Can we bleed the oxygen out of the passageway into another cabin, rather than wasting it to space?

I'm afraid not, Obairo answered.

Okay, let's go, then, Droji said.

Burgi looked up. I work in a refinery, and in our drills, we are to get as many data chips written as we can while the drill is going on as evidence of what's currently being processed and the file listing our ready-to-ship inventory, he informed Obairo. If you can access any data the Chof may have recorded regarding the debris, we can upload it to the buoys to warn future traffic about what's now in-system.

Good idea, thanks, Obairo said, finally not feeling alone. He looked at Karina, hoping it wasn't for the last time. She was pale and frightened but gave him a wan smile as Obairo puckered his lips, sending her a kiss.

Obairo sealed the door behind them. Droji made sure that Obairo's harness was properly mated to the line and the line secured to the rail before he checked and double-checked his own line.

We're as ready as we can be, he told Obairo.

Nodding wordlessly, Obairo entered the manual override code on the pad by the bridge's door. It cracked open, and he braced himself as air began howling out of the chamber. After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the air was evacuated, and Obairo opened the door the rest of the way.

He made his way on shaking legs to the consoles, shuddering when he saw Uvon's seat. Uvon had been belted in after all; the large piece of ice had punched through the hull and landed on Uvon's seat, crushing it, and him, and his body had been vented into space with the air and crushed pieces of his seat. Feeling little consolation that Uvon had probably felt no pain, Obairo checked the console. It had a large dent but was functioning.

Having difficulty tapping the keys through his bulky suit, Obairo finally got the information he needed, and his heart sank. The Chof was lost. The hit to her underside had buckled the hull to such a degree that even if the engines weren't damaged, she could never set down on a planet again; the damage to her heat shield would cause her to break up on re-entry.

His heart heavy, he brought up all the information on the debris that the computer had captured during their encounter on all the pieces of minimally dangerous size and up and their present and projected trajectories. Packaging that data up, he hit save and send, and the Chof began broadcasting her warning to the buoys and into space itself, as the radio waves she generated would trigger any incoming starship's recorder in the event they didn't get the information from the buoys in time.

Calling up all known information on the Mimox system, he was pleased to learn that the remaining survivors had a chance of living through this disaster if they acted fast.

One of Prime's moons has a livable atmosphere. Both Consortium and Union E&E teams have been there. The moon was deemed marginal as far as long-term living conditions, though, having considerable seismic activity due to stresses put on it by Prime and its other moons, and the axial tilt of the gas giant puts the moon into a several week long night twice a year when it eclipses the sun while the moon is orbiting the giant's dark side. No known hostile viruses, bacteria, or major predators were detected when the E&E teams landed, though they did make sure to boil their water before drinking it. There's more info from the E&E teams in the library, which I'm copying now.

He shunted all the information to the console Droji was at.

Write all that on data chips. Make three copies of each in case any of the chips are bad, and give one to me and the other to another passenger after we leave the bridge, he instructed the geologist. Droji nodded, collecting the chips as they were filled while Obairo checked the nav computer's readout.

We're in luck! I had programmed a slingshot pass of Prime so we could get the best look before we entered the exit ring, and our altered course will take us past the livable moon in forty-six minutes. We've got to get to the lander so we can enter the moon's atmosphere at the correct angle.

Set a timer and let's go.

One more thing, Obairo said. We're going to be stuck there at least a week until the Consortium realizes that we're way overdue. Standard search procedure demands they send a ship out to check every point between Arshon and Mimox for any sign of us, so I'll let them know where we are. We could get picked up sooner if there are any other ships coming from the Union, but I don't know the schedule of the ships coming from Uriel that well, he said as he added the information to the Chof's beacon that there were survivors marooned on Prime's livable moon.

After that was done, Obairo punched the requisite keys, and a pleasant woman's voice began informing him that he had forty-two and a half minutes to abandon ship.

He and Droji left the bridge as fast as their magnetic shoes would allow.

After the passageway sealed and air flooded back in, Obairo deactivated the magnets on his shoes and hurried into the lounge.

We've got to get to the topside lander and abandon ship; it's our only hope of survival--the Chof is lost.

Yes, we heard you over our suit coms, Karina said. We've grabbed everything we can and are ready to go.

Obairo looked, seeing Karina clutching a large stainless steel cooking pot in her hands in addition to the heavy pack on her back, and a glance around showed the others clutching bags stuffed with more supplies, and two additional bags awaited him and Droji. You said we need to boil water to make sure it's safe.

Yes of course, let's go, Obairo said, snatching up his own pack and the bag next to it.

The trip through the Chof took longer than Obairo would have liked, as he had to manually override the seals and crank open every door after checking to make sure the next compartment wasn't compromised, so when the lander came into sight, he thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. However, there was no time to waste, as there were only eight minutes remaining in their intercept window.

Their passengers, experienced in emergency drills, boarded the ship, secured their packs, swiftly took their seats and strapped in without being told to do so.

Obairo threw himself into the pilot's seat, surprised when Burgi joined him at the controls.

I'm a licensed flitter pilot, and I've had experience in powerless gliders as well. I'm your best bet for co-pilot, he said as Obairo sealed the lander and sent the signal to the Chof to open up.

As he had practiced in the simulator many times, Obairo waited until all the atmosphere had completely evacuated before unlocking the lander's docking grapples, though his palms were sweating from the stress of the wait.

With less than six minutes remaining, he lifted the lander off the deck of his beloved ship. The Chof shot out from around them as Obairo hit the retros and immediately began maneuvering towards the livable moon. It swung into sight, the dark green metal of the Chof's hull vanishing from view as she continued on her fatal course straight towards Mimox Prime.

Obairo's emergency training sustained him as he concentrated on one thing only, getting the lander positioned to safely set down on the livable moon. He cut their speed further, making numerous course corrections, trusting the lander's computer for directions, finally relaxing and sighing with relief when the computer informed him that he would make a nearly ideal atmospheric insertion with one minute and four seconds left on the intercept clock. The Chof's repeating broadcast came through the com for another half hour, crying out that there was dangerous debris in the system and people stranded on the livable moon orbiting Mimox Prime, before cutting off abruptly in mid transmission. Obairo clenched his jaw, biting back tears as his beloved ship disintegrated in Mimox Prime's upper atmosphere.

Two hours later, they had made a rough landing on the moon. An extinct super volcano loomed over the long expanse of grassland they had set down on, but the view out the screen didn't interest Obairo yet; he was busy checking readouts on the computer.

Atmosphere is well within human tolerance. Ozone layer and magnetic fields are thick enough to protect us from radiation, and no toxic substances have been detected at our landing site thus far; even the flora samples read as benign, with some being listed as confirmed edible. We can remove our helmets and go outside.

Surprisingly, Droji was the first out the hatch. He jumped from the last step to the grass-covered ground and began walking around.

Felusa joined him, exploring for some distance before tripping on a rock. Exclaiming in pain, she picked it up, preparing to throw it away, but Droji stopped her.

Let me see that! His voice was excited as he snatched the rock from her hand.

Curious, Obairo and the others joined Droji.

Avuteva and Rentham, it is, Droji breathed in awe, squatting down to examine a ridge of shimmering rock running through the meadow towards the super volcano's cone in the distance. You've just stumbled on a vein of lumescite!

Chapter one

Rue Soga was a princess of the planet Sandar, Princess of CeCe, to give her her official title. She hadn't been born into royalty, but had earned the title during her service to the woman who was now Queen of Sandar, Keestu Ranell, daughter of the prior king. Rue had been Keestu's commoner handmaiden and friend for several years before Keestu was sent on her first extraplanetary diplomatic mission to the Autocracy. While visiting the planet of a hostile king, Keestu's entourage had been attacked, and Rue had done as she had been trained to do, acting as a last line of defense between Keestu and an advancing attacker, to give the then Crown Princess time to escape. Rue felt she had failed, as she had been knocked down and the attacker had gone on to hit Keestu so that she fell into a river and was swept away. However, the Crown Princess had been rescued by the commoners of that world and had gone on to complete her mission. As a reward for putting her Crown Princess' safety before her own, Rue had been given the title of Lady, forever elevating her into the ranks of the nobility. Two and a half years later, unhappy with Keestu's father King Ismer for failing to give in to their demands to secede from the Union, separatists had attacked Sandar, setting off an EMP device that had crippled the planet's economy. Keestu had been sent on another mission offworld to the Mining Consortium to negotiate for a shipment of lumescite, a rare mineral used in the manufacture of Neutral Units, coins that Sandar could use until their Registered Unit system could be repaired and brought back online. While Keestu had been away, the separatists had attacked again, this time at the palace. They had slaughtered the royal family; Keestu's father, mother, brothers, sister, and much of the palace staff. Keestu had arrived home from her mission as the separatists were taking over the palace and would have been murdered as well if not for the separatist leader's intervention. He hadn't meant to murder Queen Mewa, and had ended up having to spare Keestu's life so he could try and consolidate his hold on Sandar. Oblivious to the slaughter that had gone on an hour before, Rue had arrived for work at the palace, and upon seeing the carnage that lay inside had acted quickly to save her own life, saying that she agreed with the separatists and could aid their efforts to take control of the planet. In actuality, she worked to record evidence against the separatist's leader, Pelka, which she passed to Keestu during a public appearance with the separatist leader. Keestu had retrieved the data chip Rue had hidden in a traditional Sandarian wish ball and had gone on to take control of the planet, but not before the separatist leader had lashed out at Rue, cutting the left side of her face open with a large knife.

Now, Rue looked into the mirror as she got ready to go to work. The cut was long healed, the nerves of her face regrown so she no longer had a speech impediment or drooled, and only a thin white line of persistent scar tissue marred her cheek now. However, Rue still couldn't get used to the fact that the bottom of her left ear was missing. Sandarian medicine could do wonders, but that notch in the bottom of her ear had resisted all efforts at regeneration, and while Rue was vain about her appearance, she refused to wear a prosthesis to cover the defect. She smiled to herself a little as she remembered the reaction of her friends in the Autocracy, which was ruled by the top male and female fighters of every generation, who had admired her scars, treating her like an experienced combatant, when in fact, Rue had only been in two fights in her life and had quickly lost the first and hadn't even had time to defend herself in the second.

Turning her attention back to her grooming, she adjusted her three-pronged, two-tasseled headdress, which identified her on sight to any Sandarian as a Princess. Not that being unknown was a problem for Rue. In the nearly four years since Keestu had ascended the throne, Rue's popularity had not waned, but at least she wasn't mobbed every time she stepped out of her house now.

She finished adjusting her headdress as she descended the stairs, looking around the bottom floor of her house before going outside. The house was a gift from Queen Keestu, having belonged to the former Count and Countess of the Western continent of Sandar. Keestu explained that as Princess of CeCe and the Queen's handmaiden, Rue required an appropriate residence close to the palace, and as the new Count of Western had chosen to continue living outside of CeCe, and no one else wanted the home of Count Hudu, who had betrayed the royal family to the separatists, the house was Keestu's to dispose of as she saw fit. She had explained to Rue that an underground escape tunnel exited in the house's back yard shed, a tunnel that led to the house of a royal cousin, and Keestu would prefer the house went to someone she trusted rather than another noble. As Rue had come of age during her recovery and was expected to live on her own, she had accepted the house as part of her compensation for her exceptional service.

All the furniture inside had been replaced, another gift from the crown. Rue had chosen the second master suite as her bedroom because of location and not superstition, and she had settled into her new home without any issues.

Rue turned to lock the door, smiling up at the large tapestry hanging directly across from the front door. A gift from the Prató, or king, of the Autocracy planet Phaet, who was a close personal friend of Rue, it was made of Autocracy satin and displayed her immediate family's new royal crest, a gold circlet above the green fields and deep blue water elements taken from the ruling Ranell family coat of arms. Prató Dinus had insisted on having her crest made up for her after her last visit to the Autocracy to see him. Remembering the trip, Rue felt herself blushing as she closed the door and made certain it was locked.

Taking a bracing breath, she turned around, happy to see no one was waiting for her. Queen Keestu didn't like that she traveled without several squads of armed guards accompanying her everywhere she went, but the months after Keestu's ascension to the throne had been trying ones for Rue. She had hated the lack of privacy, as her armed guard had been meticulous in carrying out Keestu's orders to protect her, not letting Rue so much as use the bathroom without checking that the commode wasn't booby trapped, every time she indicated she needed to use the facilities.

Rue hadn't blamed Keestu for ordering the guards to watch her. Rue had been at the separatist leader's side and had considerable testimony to give against him, and after an assassin had nearly succeeded in killing Keestu, the new Queen had taken no chances with Rue's safety until it was clear that Rue was no longer in danger. After all, Rue was now Queen Keestu's Spirit Sister. They had agreed to become Spirit Sisters, giving them each legal rights that would cut through a lot of red tape if needed, so that in the event Keestu died with young children that needed raising, Rue could petition to become their surrogate mother and be