Retired

Chaper 53

Chapter 53

I was talking with Angel about a rotation of the guards. We wanted to start instituting an off-period so the men in the spare units got some active time as well. We did not want them rusting.

"Uncle Drake, I need to get out of the palace for a while," Cleo said as she came up behind me.

"You sound so much like your mother. What new pair of shoes are we hunting today?"

"I just want to get outside. How about we go for a nice drive in the country and a picnic lunch?"

"That might not be too bad. Who are you planning on having lunch with?"

"The Barron Arshag is here, and his son is kind of cute. Maybe he would be willing to go with us."

"Cleo, aren't you a little young to be thinking about boys?"

"Uncle Drake, I am twenty now. Dad is already trying to find me a suitable match. I told him I wanted a nice docile husband who will be easy to henpeck."

I shook my head. "I will get Gold ready for escort, and I will act as chaperone. Why don't you go invite your friend to join us?"

It was only about thirty minutes later when we climbed into the armored car.

The drive out was uneventful. I was glad for that. Then we toured the countryside as the wildflowers bloomed in profusion. I tried to keep my ear out of the young people's conversation but it was really hard. The son of Barron Arshag was a scoundrel and I didn't like him. His name was Rondal and his father thought he was the only choice for the princess.

We found a place about fifty miles outside of town and the guard moved out to check and set up security. Then I laid out the picnic for the young couple.

I stood a little ways away so I would no longer have to hear the conversation of the young noble. His very voice irritated me. Then I heard his voice start to go up several notches in volume.

"When I am the emperor, I will pass laws that take the tax bases away from the noble families and bring them under the control of the crown."

Cleo started to laugh. "You won't be emperor."

"My father is pressing our suit with your father now. They will conclude negotiations today, and I will become your betrothed. Then after we are married, I will become the crown prince. Once your father steps down, I will be emperor."

"It does not work that way," Cleo said still laughing. "I will be the empress and you will be my consort, not the emperor. You will have no more power than you have now. You won't be able to decree imperial law."

"Don't laugh at me!", he screamed.

Those words had me moving. I started towards them as I loosened my pistol in my holster. As I approached, Rondal reached into his vest. He pulled out a micro pistol. These used pressurized gas to propel the round. They could not be sniffed.

As I moved into his field of view he turned to point the little gun at me. I heard the puff just as a body flung itself in front of me.

"No", Cleo cried out. Then she fell against me. As I caught her, I drew my pistol. "On the ground, with your hands on your head!", I shouted.

The young man looked terrified now. He dropped to the ground and put his hands on his head as other guards came to grab him.

Then I pulled Cleo up to check her over. She smiled at me, "It really hurts, Uncle Drake."

I looked down to see blood flowing between her hands. I had failed. "We need an emergency shuttle at my location! NOW!", I screamed over my bob.

It seemed to take forever for the shuttle to get to us. Even with everything we did to staunch the flow of blood, Cleo had passed out by the time it got there. It took all of my iron control not to kill the little bastard my men were holding.