The Hidden Princess
Brian felt his mother staring and turned to see her standing in the
doorway. She sheepishly smiled, turned and continued down the hall.
Money had lost its importance once she had won the lottery and now Brian
and his mother were starting over in a new house without Him. The one
who claimed to be his father.
The furniture was already gone; they were doing everything new including
his clothes (Which had been crated away before he could see them.).
Carolynn was only allowing him one shoebox of anything he could fit in
it. He was rather glad they were moving as this house held a lot of bad
memories.
Carolynn was staring out the bay window of what had once been her room.
It was empty now, except for a large wooden crate that she wouldn't let
Brian near for fear he would find out where they were really going. She
checked her watch and looked up just in time to see the van pull into
the driveway and watch several men jump out. Carolynn sighed and picked
up a crowbar to open the crate.
Brian was just leaving his room to tell his mom he was ready, when he
saw the men coming up the stairs. He turned to see his mother standing
behind him holding a mask that was attached to a small tank. "It's okay,
Brian."
Carolynn gently but firmly placed the mask over his mouth and nose. The
gas stung his throat, and Brian tried to pull away, but found himself
suffering from a strength his mother must have hidden during the many
times his father had beaten her. She held on to him as the gas began to
take over.
***
Brian pawed at the helmet release but the fingers of the suits gloves
were too thick to clasp the small tab. He pawed at the face shield. He
felt so helpless in this thing; it was so bulky and heavy. Every one of
his movements slowed and blunted by the suits weight and thickness. He
was both carried and pushed forward and Brian stumbled down the stairs.
Not sure if reality had left him or not, he shook off the nausea at the
bottom of the stairs and struggled to get to his feet in the bulky suit.
But the men were quickly on him again and were carrying his struggling
body out to the van.
***
Brianne tried every hatch she came to, but it was as if every single one
had been told to ignore her request. Her mother and two others in white
robes were continuing after her. "Brianne, it won't be so bad, they just
want to see you. They just want to see how you're progressing." Carolynn
was beginning to hate lying so much.
The face shield of her helmet had been polarized, and Brian had been
living in darkness for the last month. What she saw on the inside of her
face shield was a computer rendering of her surroundings that was
controlled by the suits AI, Celesta.
Brianne and Celesta had become decent friends, but Celesta had orders to
take control of the suit if Brianne didn't stop soon.
It wasn't just her mother that she was running from. Being called
Brianne had taken some getting used to but the suit didn't fit like it
did before. It was now tighter in the chest area, looser in the waist
and tighter in the hips. She could feel hair collecting at the nape of
her neck, and she was having dreams and nightmares that frightened her
to no end. And it was these dreams, and fantasies that the priests
really wanted to see, and Brianne knew it.
Brianne found herself in a large lounge area, the chronometer in the
lower right corner of her helmet shield was flashing, warning Brianne
that she was about to receive another dose of the green gas that would
burn in her throat and lungs, weaken her knees, and make her delirious.
Celesta' sensors registered the increasing heart rate and adjusted the
mix of drugs flowing through the IV into Brianne's arm. The chemicals
causing the change in Brian's body were a volatile mixture and her vital
signs were under constant scrutiny.
"Celesta, please stop it. I'll do anything just don't release the gas."
"I understand your fear, Brianne, but I cannot help you."
"Brianne?" She turned around and suddenly felt the suit go rigid around
her body.
"No! Celesta, lemme go!" Brianne was no standing rigidly, as frozen as a
statue and equally as helpless. The clock reached zero and she could
hear the faint hissing and the initial coppery taste of the gas.
"Thank you, Celesta."
She felt the effects instantly, but it was stronger, more painful.
"Celesta would you please depolarize the face bowl so that we may see my
daughter."
Tears formed in Brianne's eyes and she pleaded with Celesta not to
expose her through racking coughs. "I don't want her to see me! Please
Celesta, NO!!!!!!!!" Brianne screamed as light was beginning to filter
through the face bowl. She could see that other people had entered the
room; she didn't want these people to see her!
Two sentries entered with a sturdy table between them. As it was placed
Celesta assumed control of the suit and stiffly forced Brianne to walk
to it and laid down, again turning the suit rigid and not allowing any
movement. Brianne turned his head to the side as far as possible as the
face shield become completely transparent. The helmet was actually large
enough to let him successfully hide his face as Carolynn leaned over to
take a look.
Brianne felt someone take his gloved hand into his or her own. "Please
let me see you, Brianne."
Brian responded with, "Stop calling me that! I'm a boy!"
Corolyn placed a hand gently on the side of the Helmut, and whispered,
"No, you aren't honey." She turned to the technicians and nodded grimly.
"I'm sorry, Brianne, but we need to do this."
Brianne looked around helplessly as what was happening registered in his
brain. The technicians had opened a small zippered patch in the crotch
of the suit and were now inserting a soft gel-like phallus; instantly it
found purchase and began to penetrate.
Corolyn watch Brianne's eyes flare in confusion as to what was happening
and then how it was happening registered. "No! That's not possible! Take
it out. Stop. Please, I don't understand, that's not possible! I have a
penis, I have a dick. Mom! Make them stop, please!"
Brianne's breathing accelerated again and even with a powerful does of
sedative from Celesta her heart rate remained high. Corolyn watched her
neo-daughters fingers as they spread wide apart and then tightly clench
as the phallus was completely inserted and then locked into place by the
resealing of the patch. Brian felt the suit suddenly relax around him
and his hands shot to his groin in a fruitless effort to remove the
offending object that felt so huge inside of him in a place that
shouldn't have existed.
Brian pawed at himself, unable to feel anything through the thick
gloves, until Corolyn took her child's hands in her own and held them
until Brianne looked up at her, her green eyes filled with flowing tears
and barely able to remain focus. "I-I don't understand... please take it
out of me. I'm sorry, I'll behave I swear!"
Carolyn's heart ached, to see her child so distraught and she almost
hated herself for the next part. Looking directly into her child's
confused, anguished eyes, she said, "Celesta access file 312 and
execute."
Instantly the gas flow increased, causing Brianne to start coughing
again, then her gloved hands suddenly clenched around her mothers as the
phallus began moving and vibrating inside of her. Brianne, completely in
the throws of confusion and temporary blindness caused by the gas,
moaned helplessly and screwed her eyes shut. Her legs kicked helplessly
at the table, "Celesta, go rigid again please."
Brianne whimpered helplessly as she was no longer able to channel away
what was happening to her internally. "And polarize the face bowl
please, my daughter deserves her privacy for now." Corolyn released
Brianne's hands as the glass began to darken. Brian's arms slowly
lowered to her sides as the only part of her body she could move, her
fingers, continued to clench into fists and then spread wide as possible
as her first orgasm ever slowly began to build.
It was still inside of him, they refused to move it. It felt like
sitting on a flagpole it felt so big, and nothing Brian could do would
lessen the offending objects presence. Of course he had known what was
happening to him inside the suit, he could feel his chest jiggling when
he walked or ran, the name they had been calling him. But none of that
had made this real until he felt the object being pushed into his...
into...his...
Even in thought Brian couldn't get himself to call it that vile name.
But there the object remained making it even more difficult to walk and
impossible to sit comfortably. That lessen had been harsh, when he sat
down for the first time and felt his own body weight pushing it deeper.
His cry had been a mixture of shame, misery, and pleasure as he jumped
back to his feet.
He couldn't sleep. With that thing inside of him he was constantly
assaulted by nightmares of sweaty flesh and turgid man hoods. And every
time he woke he could feel that thing moving and vibrating inside of
him, making the aftermath of his nightmares even worse as it never
stopped until he had a body melting orgasm.
Corolyn frowned when she entered the large lounge area. It was one of
the nicer parts of the ship with real living trees and flowerbeds and
hosted an incredibly huge glass wall and ceiling that opened onto the
broad expanse of space. Right now, instead of the usual streaking by of
stars, the view was consumed by a random blue and orange gas giant with
its red giant star in the background. They were in the midst of a
planned cool down and maintenance cycle of the engines before they leapt
off across the vast expanse of empty space that lay as the front yard to
the Tyrolean Empire.
But that wasn't why Corolyn was frowning. Brianne had taken to sleeping
in the lounge despite the fact that she had large and spacious quarters.
Though no one had asked, the crew had simply given the princess the
space and sought out one of the other two, smaller lounges to relax in.
"Celesta?"
Corolyn had to wait a few moments for the suits AI to respond through
the hidden speakers. "Yes, my queen?"
"Where is my daughter? Why isn't she in the lounge?"
"We are nearby, she is of course very tired, but doesn't want to sleep."
"Why?"
"Brianne has been complaining of nightmares, your highness. When in fact
they are nothing more than very erotic dreams. The device responds
accordingly. She has gone two nights without sleep, your highness."
"Bring her, please," Corolyn said as she gathered her robes and sat on a
couch right next to the window.
It was several moments until Brianne came stiffly walking into the
Lounge, the suit obviously being controlled by Celesta. The face bowl
was beginning to clear as Brianne was forced to sit across from her
mother and Corolyn watched her daughter gasp as the phallus was pushed
deeper into her body.
As the glass cleared completely, Corolyn could see that Brianne truly
was in a sorry state. Huge dark rings under her eyes and her skin looked
drawn and taught. Even the child's eyes appeared vacant and unfocused
and it took several long moments for them focus on Corolyn. When they
did Brianne looked panicked and glanced around as she was able for
anyone else nearby. Once they settled again, Corolyn spoke.
"Hi, honey. You look so tired." Corolyn watched her daughters eyes tear
up.
"Please, let me out of this thing. I...I..."
"I can remove your helmet for a short while if you like. But you will
have to put it back on okay?"
"Yes! Please, and can you take that... thing out of me." Brianne
gestured vaguely towards her groin; still refusing to acknowledge
exactly what was going on down there.
"Just the helmet; Celesta would you please evacuate the gas and release
the seals?"
"At once, ma'am." There was a hiss and a few popping sounds and the
catch on the side of the helmet at the collar, popped free. Corolyn
reached and grasped the helmet, first twisting it a quarter turn and
then gently lifting it free from Brianne's head and the suit.
Brianne winced at the bright lights of the lounge and closed her eyes as
she deeply inhaled the clear, clean oxygen. She had been breathing the
treated air in the suit for so long the purer, cleaner oxygen of the
ships life support system actually caused her to have a small coughing
fit.
Corolyn was taken aback by how striking her daughter had become. Even in
her haggard state without the helmet and glass of the face bowl
Brianne's natural beauty was quite evident. Her green hair that had
grown and gathered around her neck had fallen free and assumed a perfect
curl. Gently falling down Brianne's back in cascading green ringlets in
a way she would have never known her hair had been confined to a helmet
for the last three months.
Even with dark circles and haunted look of fatigue Brianne's eyes still
sparkled in the same color as her deep emerald hair. Long lashes seemed
to be reaching for forever above and below perfectly shaped almond eyes.
Peaches and cream complexion still fought for dominance over the dark
circles and a full mouth promised of a heart-breaking smile.
Corolyn grasped Brianne's hand, "You are so beautiful, Brianne."
Brianne grimaced and pulled her gloved hand away, "Don't call me that.
My name is Brian. I overheard people talking, is it true?"
Corolyn had known this was coming, the offending parties had not known
Brianne had been in the lounge and had inadvertently spilled some of the
beans. They had reported their error as soon as they discovered the
error but the damage had obviously been done. There was now a ship wide
gag order on talking about the princess, alone or not. "What is,
darling?"
Brian had never liked his mother's pet names for him, now he loathed
them but pressed on, "That we're aliens! Where did this ship come from?
What planet is that? Why do I have this... thing inside of me, why, how
are you turning me into a ... a ..." Brian couldn't finish that last
question to do so would be to admit it was actually happening.
"What if I told you your name was always Brianne? What if I told you
that when we left our home world, you were in a suit much like this one,
but for infants? What if I told you that we aren't aliens but a simply
more advanced race of Humans?" Corolyn pursed her lips as she watched
what amount of anger Brianne had managed to screw up evaporate. Her
daughter, even as a boy, had always been so mild tempered. Tears welled
in her eyes, making them appear as the shimmering surface of the oceans
of home.
"But why? I don't want to be a girl. After dad left we were happy at
home. Why did we have to leave? I had friends!" Corolyn couldn't answer
either of the questions, not yet, and instead was going to address the
two statements about being a girl and the man who had never been
Corolyn's true husband and Brian's father; that man was waiting on
Tyrol.
But before she could, Celesta interrupted, "Forgive me, but Brianne's
levels are dropping. She needs another dose before her vital signs
become unstable."
The tears exploded from Brian's eyes as his mother lifted the helmet
from the couch beside her. "No! Please don't put that thing back on me!"
Brian tried to raise his hands defensively, but Celesta had already made
the suit rigid. "Please I want to eat! I want something to eat please!"
His mothers face had become cold and impassive as she stood and gathered
the thick locks of his hair and wound it into a bun at the nape of his
neck, then slowly lowered the helmet down. Brian struggled with every
ounce of strength against the suit, trying to move anything more than
his head and hands, but the suit held fast and the helmet was soon being
turned to lock into place.
As Corolyn fastened the catch she finally looked her daughter in the
eyes through the clear glass of the face bowl. Brian was screaming,
pleading for release; the anguish in her daughters face was palpable.
She could believe Brianne wanted food; the child hadn't ingested
anything in quite some time. Receiving nutrition through the IV needle
in her arm instead.
Corolyn was secretly grateful that Celesta had thought not to activate
the helmets microphone yet, but even then she could still hear her
daughters voice. She leaned close and mouthed the words; 'I'm sorry'
then spoke to the AI, "Celesta seal the helmet and release the dose when
ready."
Corolyn had the heart of a mother and would not walk away just yet,
instead she watched as the glass began to darken. Brianne was visibly
choking and coughing on the gas she was being forced to breath. Her eyes
steadily losing focus on Corolyns even as the glass became black all
over. Corolyn turned and began to walk away and then stopped at the exit
to the lounge, turning to look at the suited figure of her daughter who
was as frozen as a statue except for her fingers which moved on their
own accord. "Celesta, please give her something to make her sleep. Make
it strong, I don't want her to dream tonight, she needs to rest."
"At once, your highness."
It was the touch that brought Brian into the waking world. The sensation
of one human touching another could not be missed when one had gone
without for so long. His eyes opened slowly to see his mother smiling
down at him as her fingers finished smoothing hair out of his face. "A
compromise?" Brian shifted enough to know that both the hated suit and
phallus were gone. Instead he lay in a bed that was so comfortable it
must have been carved from a cloud. He nodded.
"You will sleep in this room, you will eat real food." Carolynn let her
voice get heavy the way she always did to let her child know there would
be no argument. "You will submit to daily doses. You will talk to me for
an hour once a day. And you will accept that you are now female. Are we
agreed?"
Brian would have agreed to anything to stay out of that suit and eat
real food for the first time in months. "Yes." Corolyn knew it wouldn't
be that easy. But the brain scans had started showing a very unsafe and
unhealthy level of despair and depression. It was her hope that
integrating her into ship life and introducing Brianne to her beau would
make a difference. It had been sheer luck that a young man fitting the
perfect profile of what Brianne's dreams had delivered was actually
serving on board and the grandson of an old and regal house on Tyrol.
His mother smiled brightly. "Good! Now it's been awhile since you've had
a shower. So come on, you've a lot to learn."
Brian wanted to fight, scream and punch through the entire ordeal, but
he knew it only would have put him back in the suit. He could tell that
his mother was looking for any sign of rebellion and so he found himself
sitting at the vanity a his mother brushed out and set his long hair in
a single French braid down his back.
He knew the reflection gazing back at him was his, but he still felt
disembodied from it. That was a stunningly beautiful girl with emerald
green hair and eyes staring back at him. Her full lips appeared to be
wearing a stain, but they were naturally that red. The girl's breasts
were large without being ponderous and the empire bodice of the girls
white satin dress showcased them nicely without giving away too much.
Yeah, she was a knockout, but he wasn't her.
"...So proud of you, Brianne. I know you still have a lot of questions,
and I promise they will be answered in time okay?" Corolyn watched
Brianne blink hard through the mirror. "Where were you?"
Corolyn knew what was happening right now as confusion clouded her
daughters face. She was trying to lie and couldn't. A temporary effect
of the gas, but Brianne wouldn't be able to lie for long time to come.
Brianne opened her mouth several times to speak, but every time her
voice caught in her throat. The frustration was evident on her face.
Corolyn finished the braid and secured it with a white ribbon as Brianne
fought to say the words she wanted to say. Brian didn't want his mom to
know just how out of sync with this body he was; she'd be sure to put
him back in the suit if he did. "What you're discovering, Brianne is
your inability to lie. I'm saddened that you would try so soon after we
just agreed you would be honest and talk to me."
"Please don't put me back in the suit."
Corolyn set a pair of soft soiled flats on the floor. "I'm not planning
on it, Brianne. I understand you're still trying to grasp all of what is
happening to you. I'm not going to push you on it right now, but this
will come back up when we talk later. Now put your shoes on, I had one
of the galleys prepare your favorite meal."
Brian's mouth watered at the thought of pot roast and potatoes and he
quickly bent to slip the shoes on his smaller feet.
"Brianne?" Brian looked up at the sound of his mother's voice and looked
crestfallen.
"How did you find me?"
Corolyn slipped her shoes off and sat on the couch with her knees tucked
under her. Brian remained curled with his arms wrapped around his knees.
He had obviously been crying. She looked around the small space the
Brian had come to occupy. It was a lounge, but whereas the largest one
occupied an entire section of the ship and even had it's own life
support system because of its size; this one was a broom closet by
comparison. It was located high on the ship and it's small window
actually showed the top of the ship and gave a view clear up to where
the hull curved down to form the bow.
"How did you find this place? It's so far off the grid, I thought the
sensors were wrong."
"Sensors?"
"Yep. The ship has sensors that can track anyone anywhere on the ship.
So no more hiding okay?"
Brian frowned and buried his face in the knees. Especially now that he
was out of the suit he hated how easily he could cry. Corolyn gave him a
moment and then asked her first question. "What did you do today?"
Brian didn't fight the compulsion. "I walked around and explored the
ship, places Celesta wouldn't let me go before." His knees muffled his
voice.
"Find anything interesting? You did find this quiet little corner. I
doubt if any of the crew know it's even here."
"No. It's a giant spaceship." Brian looked up suddenly, tears brimming
in his eyes. "Why are we here? Where are we going? Why...why did you
turn me into a girl?" Brianne's voice finally broke as she succumbed to
a small fit of crying. Corolyn sat quietly as her daughter angrily wiped
at her tears as if to erase them would mean they never existed. "I want
to go home."
"We are going home, Brianne. I promise that when the time comes you will
know everything. Now, earlier when I was doing your hair, I was talking
and you got lost in thought. Tell me what you were thinking about."
Corolyn fixed Brian with a hard look, holding his eyes hostage.
He felt his face reddening as he pressed his lips hard together. It was
actually taking physical exertion to not let the words spill out.
Corolyn waited patiently as the tears started again. "I...I... I was
thinking about how I'm still a boy in my head and how you'd never be
able to make me change..."
Brian was finally able to look away as the compulsion won out, his eyes
drifting to the window and the infinite blackness beyond. This wasn't
fair, in any way.
"You don't know how much you've already changed, Brianne."
"But I'm still a boy!" The cat was out of the bag; there was no point in
trying to hide that now.
Corolyn studied the way Brianne had set her jaw, "You really do believe
that don't you? Even though I've told you twice now that you were born a
girl?"
"Maybe I liked having a penis, mom. Maybe I liked playing paintball with
my friends!" Brian buried his face in his knees again as the tears came
flooding back. "You said that you'd buy me a dirt bike to replace the
one dad took for my birthday, but instead I all I got was a giant thing
put inside of me! So why should I even embrace being a girl when you've
taken everything from me and made me completely miserable?"
Corolyns heart skipped a beat and she paled in horror. She had forgotten
Brianne's birthday and worse. Corolyn covered her mouth as her own tears
filled her eyes. Without saying a word she got up and left the tiny
lounge.
The memory was still fresh in mind when he woke up. He had made his own
way back to his room long after his mother had left, only to find a
group of technicians waiting for him with a tank and a mask. It had
taken him only moments to realize what they and the mask were for and
they were on him before he had a chance. But he fought them, refusing to
breath another molecule of the gas that had put him in this horrid
situation.
And it hadn't matter one bit. One had lifted him like a sack of flour,
the other two easily seizing his flailing arms as he struggled to free
himself and pinning him to the bed. And the fourth had secured the mask
to Brians face; being sure to cinch the strap tightly to create a
perfect seal around his mouth and nose. All the while Brian struggled as
if his life depended on it because he believed it truly did.
The way he had been so easily over powered shook Brian to the core. Even
as he pushed around the eggs on his plate the memory of putting every
ounce of strength he had into a punch had landed like a puff of mist
played over and over in his mind. He was weak. Brian had been strong
before being put into the suit.
Not lifting cars strong but a lifetime of being active in outdoor
activities and athletics had made him able to hold his own in a scuffle.
And that had been taken away.
Brian had found a gym yesterday during his wonderings and made a
decision to make use of it.
The best thing he could find was a pair of leggings and a blue silk
tunic that slipped over one shoulder and exposed his bra strap. Brian
had tried going without one the day before, but Corolyn had read him the
riot act on that one. Somehow he managed to figure out how to work a
ponytail and was out the door.
As he grew accustomed to people looking at him, he was becoming more and
more aware of exactly how much people were looking at him. This came
into sharp focus as he entered the expansive gym. All activity stopped
when he entered; surprise, shock, confusion, and something else on every
face he could see. Ignoring all the nervous glances in his direction,
Brian made his way to an empty weight bench in a far corner and was
suddenly confused by what he found.
The bench was there, and so was the bar, but no weights. Slowly he
scanned the room and saw that although many people were using different
types of machines none of them had weights as he was used to seeing
them. Brian could feel his frustration building with passing seconds. It
was as if his mother had known he would try this and she was just
mocking him.
Lt. Matias (Matty) Freau stood at just over six feet tall with hair the
color of beach sand, deep brown eyes and a disarming dimpled smile. It
had been only days ago when the Queen had come to him with a traditional
proposal of marriage to her daughter. Dowry and all. To say he had been
shocked would have been an understatement. Of course he had known who
was in the white transformation suit, everyone had, but after an excited
sub-space call to his father on Tyrol he quickly agreed to the proposal.
And that's when things had gotten strange. There was already a ship wide
decree that there were to be no honorifics in the presence of the
Princess. In no way was the Princess to know she was a princess until
the Queen Mother deemed fit. And even though he had not exactly gone
bragging from the ships PA system news of the engagement had spread like
wildfire. Especially since no one knew what she looked like, just that
she had green hair according to one of the technicians that had attended
her while in the suit. But in the twenty-four cycles that had past since
she'd made her debut people hadn't stopped talking.
And then there was the whole issue of her green hair and eyes; it meant
the prophecy had at least some truth to it.
His fianc? had picked the weight bench next to his machine and suffered
sidelong glances from his crewmates as she stood with her back to him. A
quick glance to the entrance told him she was alone so this probably
wasn't staged. Matty slid off his seat and stepped to the side of the
bench grasping one end of the bar. "There aren't any weights," he said
twisting the bracket two notches. Two glyphs appeared in the metal of
the bar. "It's all tied into the gravity system. That's our symbol for
...um," Matty did quick conversion math in his head. "You would call it
ten pounds, I think." He had been crash studying on everything he could
about Earth sense the engagement had been agreed upon.
Brian didn't look at the source of the deep masculine voice behind him.
There was something about it that frightened him and sent shivers down
his spine at the same time. "I don't need your help." Brian grasped the
bracket himself and cranked it another six clicks; raising the weight up
to sixty pounds.
Matty glanced at the girls thin arms nervously, "Hey, are you sure you
want to go that high? Maybe you should start lower."
Brian almost spun but stopped himself. Sixty pounds, was only sixty
pounds. "I'll be fine, and I don't need a spotter, so you can just go
away." Matty chaffed at the rude dismissal, but held his pride in check.
She didn't know who he was, and she was a princess after all. So he went
back to his own machine, but remained standing in case she needed a
spotter. He was pretty sure she would.
Brian slipped onto the bench and laid back, grasped the bar and took a
deep breath. As soon as he got the bar off the rack he knew he was in
trouble as the weight of the artificial gravity slowly drove the bar
down to his chest. He put everything he had into pushing the bar back up
but the gravity system continued to pull it down. Panic began to rise
like a tide and Brianne erupted in a helpless cry a fraction of a second
before the bar was suddenly yanked free of her grasp and put back on the
hooks.
"Want to try less this time?" Matty desperately tried to hide the
amusement in his voice. It would do no good to have his fianc? angry
with him before she knew they were engaged.
Brian wanted to yell at the stranger for helping him, but knew he was
just trying to be helpful. Everyone seemed to always want to be helpful
with everything. He heard the clicks on the bracket, "Let's start you at
fifteen and go from there, okay?" There was no mockery in the voice just
gentle concern and kindness. Brian felt the girl trying to assert
herself and take a look at the stranger, but Brian beat that thought
into submission and reached back up to grasp the bar again.
"Okay."
Corolyn waited for the door to slide open with a gentle hiss and stepped
into the room and felt her shoes sink into the overly thick carpet. This
particular office shared two walls with the giant dome of glass that
formed the bow of the ship. With the Command Bridge directly over their
heads and then the Combat Information Center, Astrometry and
Communications decks beneath the office on descending decks.
The embroidered carpet was decorated by two sigils; the first and
smaller of the two was the symbol for the Untied Armed Forces of the
Tyrolian Star Empire. The second, larger sigil was the royal crest of
her husband's family. Along the bulkhead wall were various framed
pictures and citations; many of them signed by her own late father-in-
law. Thus the reason why this captain had been selected for this mission
nearly sixteen years ago, the man had proven his loyalty many times
over. Corolyn had first met the captain years ago as a pregnant and
frightened young queen, and had thought of him often in the time since.
"Captain Rolinse? You wished to speak with me?"
The elder gentleman glanced up from his desk as if he hadn't heard the
doors open, then exploded out of his chair and came around the large,
wooden antique. "Forgive me, your Majesty. I did not hear you enter."
The man went to bend a knee and properly show his respect, but Corolyn
grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his feet.
"Please Captain, I will not have you bowing to me in your own office.
You spoke urgently on the intercom; is there something I should be
concerned about?"
The Captain rose to his full height and looked his Queen directly in the
eye. "Yes." Corolyn felt her stomach drop at the direct and simple word.
"During the nightly dispatch to Command someone broadcasted a one
sentence message: The Prophecy is coming home."
The room truly started to spin for Corolyn and she allowed the Captain
to lead her to one of the chairs before his desk. "Who was it, Captain?
I will have the entrails of the one who would betray my daughter." Ice
would have shriveled from the chill in Corolyn's voice.
But the Captain could only shake his head, "There is more, Majesty. It
was sent by every long-wave, and sub-space device on board... at the
same time. It was not a linear or direct signal but a sent as a pulse."
"I do not understand. You not only don't know who sent it, but who was
supposed to receive it either?"
"Yes, like ripples in a pond from a dropped stone that message is
traveling in all directions. I fear the message wasn't intended for
someone on the home world... I think, no, I believe it was meant for
the...Lykensi." This last word was whispered only because of an old
superstition said that to speak the name of that hated alien species was
to invite the destruction they left behind.
Corolyn felt her blood warm and chill at the same time. The mortal and
sworn enemy of her people had a spy on this ship. The Lykensi would have
no use for Brianne. In fact without Brianne, there was a good chance the
entire empire would disintegrate leaving them open for the Lykensi to
finally conquer the territory they always wanted. "What are you doing to
protect my daughter, Captain? How far are we from reinforcements?"
The captain lifted a folder from his desk and handed it to Corolyn.
"This is a top secret project, codenamed Gods Eye. Very few people on
board know of it, and none of them knew we were going to pick you and
the Princess up when we set sail. We were to begin trials after
delivering you home, my Queen. However it is ready and safe.
I have sent high priority messages to High Command requesting an escort
flotilla to rendezvous with us as soon as possible and ordered our speed
increased, but if the Lykensi come this will be our Plan B. I promise
you that everyone, including our spy will give their lives to see you,
the Princess and Lt. Freau home."
Corolyn stepped to one side in the corridor and allowed the door to hiss
closed behind her and leaned against the wall. This was a very unwelcome
and unexpected development. The Captain had assured her that he had
ordered the ship to quietly go to yellow alert. This meant that the
ships defensive systems were brought up to stand-by mode and the weapons
crews were quietly told they should remain perked up.
"Celesta are you with me?" The AI had taken up residence in the ships
computer core, sharing the space with the shipboard AI without
interfering. It occurred to Corolyn that Loias had been built nearly
forty years ago where as Celesta was only about three thus making her
algorithms far more advanced.
"Always, my Queen."
Corolyn turned and began heading down the hallway, she wanted to spend
time with her daughter. "I assume you were listening?"
"You did not instruct me not to, there were no security protocols in
place by the captain, yes. This is a disturbing turn of events, Majesty.
How may I be of service?"
"Use my clearance to access the information on this "God's Eye' project
and deliver a full report after you have analyzed the project. Also,
please give a third of your processing power to assist Loias in finding
the person who would jeopardize the Princess." Celesta had enough
horsepower to run five capitol ships like this one and still show no
signs of being taxed. "Oh, and run a level one diagnostic of the
defensive systems, if any faults are found please fix them and notify
the Captain."
"At once. Will there be anything else?"
Corolyn walked in silence for a few minutes as her brain raced ahead at
light speed. "What is the Princess doing?" A screen embedded into the
wall lit up as Corolyn approached it and stopped to take in the scene
before her. "Brianne discovered that she is not as strong as she used to
be when it was time for her dose last night. As a result she is seeking
to regain what was lost. Inadvertently meeting Lt. Freau in the process.
She has not indicated she is aware of who he is and he has not betrayed
himself. Although," The screen split in half and biometric data began
cascading down the screen. "Princess Brianne is showing elevated levels
of serotonin and endorphins. Simply being in his presence is having an
affect on her."
"Looks like it's time to move forward sooner than I planned. Please have
her meet me in the Dorsal Lounge."
And it was indeed. Brian wasn't sure how it had happened but first it
had started as a warmth spreading through his abdomen and up into his
breasts. At first he had thought it was just his blood flow increasing
from the work out, but a shift on the bench had caused his leggings and
panties to pull tight against his groin. Making him completely aware of
how wet he had become.
All from accidently looking him in the eyes.
Brian sat up as the young man took the bar and set it back in the hooks.
He wanted to leave desperately but a previously unknown part of him
refused to let him. "You got up to twenty pounds, that's not bad for
your first day."
Brian felt his head turning to look at the spotter but he forced himself
to look at the floor as he turned. "Thanks." He felt warmth spreading up
his neck and into his cheeks. Oh, God why am I blushing! This isn't
okay!
"Do you want to go on the treadmill-"
Celesta's voice broke over the PA system, "Brianne please report to
Dorsal Lounge." A nearby screen flicked to a map of the massive ship,
showing Brian's location and a line leading to the tiny lounge he had
found yesterday. He hadn't known at the time, but the map showed the
lounge to be at the very top of the massive cowling of the dorsal
engine.
Without saying a word Brian jumped up and made his way from the gym,
realizing too late that he had put a sway in his hips as he walked away
and just barely stopping a random thought of how he hoped the nice
smelling spotter was looking.
"He's your fianc?." No point in mincing words. Corolyn watched confusion
then realization cross her daughters face.
"N-no..." Brian wanted to ask how she known he had been in the gym but
didn't. In the three months he had been on this ship he'd been witness
to technologies he would have thought impossible, like interstellar
travel at light speeds on ship that had a larger population than San
Francisco.
Corolyn glanced down at Brianne's chest and could easily see her erect
nipples. "Had an effect on you did he?" Brianne turned bright red and
defensively covered her chest with her arms. "Celesta?" The doors hissed
and closed behind Brianne, the control panel turning red indicating a
sealed door. "Come sit down, Brianne. We need to talk about some
things."
Brian shook his head and slammed his fist on the control panel only to
be answered by a beep. "No, you have to let me out. You can't make me
get married to another boy! Celesta unlock the door, please!" The AI
silently refused and Brian looked around the small room helplessly has
his vision blurred from the welling tears.
"Brianne you wanted to know why you're here. You wanted to know why I
returned you to your birth sex."
Brian shook his head violently, making his ponytail dance on his
shoulders. "I want to go home! Celesta let me out!" Even out of the suit
that damned computer still could make him helpless. "Please..."
Corolyn stood and went to Brianne, guiding the shaking girl back to the
couch. "Look at me, Brianne." Slowly Brian looked up through his tears.
"Have you noticed how the crew acts around you?" A nod. The crew had
acted weird since he had woken up on board in the suit. Even the
technicians had seemed like they were doing everything they could to not
be cruel. She never had to wait to be served in the cafeteria and people
just seemed to show a high amount of difference to her, as if she was
really important. Corolyn saw the recognition. "It's because you're a
princess, Brianne."
"What?"
"Our family goes back for millennia and the man you knew as your father
wasn't. He was supposed to be our protector on Earth but became an
alcoholic instead and well you know the rest. But your real Father, the
King of the Tyrolean Star Empire is waiting for you even now."
"Why can't I be a Prince?"
Corolyn frowned, as long has Brian held to the falsehood that she was a
boy she'd have to continue the treatments with the gas. "Because you
never were a prince to begin with, Brianne. You are the first daughter
of the first son. First-born daughters of first-born sons only happen
once every two millennia or at least that's the prophecy. When we
discovered that I was pregnant with a girl it brought truth to the
prophecy that a first-born daughter with green hair and eyes would lead
to an unparalleled time of peace and tranquility if she was able to
ascend the throne. Once we had your DNA scanned I knew I had to go into
hiding."
"Why?"
"Because you can't ascend the throne until you're of age, married and
with child to secure an heir. And there are those who would have gone to
great lengths to make sure that never happened." Corolyn wasn't about to
tell her about the Lykensi. "So we went into hiding on Earth. You were
transformed into a male child and I began dying my hair brown."
Brianne glanced up at her own mother's hair, suddenly suspicious.
"You're hair isn't brown?"
"Nope, it's actually yellow and I wear colored contacts, see?" Corolyn
put her fingers to her eyes and expertly removed the contacts, exposing
the bright yellow irises of her eyes. Brianne pulled away in shock at
the difference from the light blue she had been used to all her life.
"Your Father's hair and eyes are the prettiest blue in the whole
Empire."
And at that a random lesson from art class perked into Brianne's'
thoughts, "Yellow and blue make green."
Corolyn smiled and shook her head, "Not always; only once every two
thousand years for our people."
Brianne was quiet for a long time, staring out the window. There were
objects on the hull of the ship she hadn't seen the last time she had
been here. Things that made her think of the big guns from the old
battleships on Earth. "If I promise to accept being a girl can I not be
married?"
Corolyn sighed and got up to join Brianne at the window. "No honey, this
isn't one of those situations were we can compromise. You're a lot more
girl than I think you're willing to admit. As for getting married, well
Celesta helped me pick him for you. Based on the data that was collected
while you were in the suit, Lt. Freau is your soul mate. But you knew
there was something about him already didn't you?"
Brianne continued to look out the window but Corolyn could see the fresh
tears in the reflection. "Once he started talking to me I would have
done anything he asked, his eyes were just so..."
"That's how I felt when I first met your Father."
Brianne suddenly shook her head and clenched her eyes shut. "No! I can't
do this! I'm a boy. I'll just have to stay away from him and then
nothing will happen."
"Do you really think it'll be that simple? He's your soul mate, Brianne.
What's to stop him from seeking you out?"
"I'll refuse to be a Princess if you make me-"
The slap startled both of them, but Corolyn had quickly tired of this
and had to set some things right. "Brianne, you already are a princess,
nothing you can do will change that. Understand that the gas treatments
will continue until your stable. The only person who thinks you're still
a boy that never existed is you so get over it. As for your fianc?, I
will simply let nature run its course. I hope it's quick because your
wedding Ceremony will be upon us before you know it and you will be
expected to consummate it. Celesta!" The doors unlocked and opened just
in time for the Queen to storm out.
Brianne remained at the window, still looking out. Far distant stars
were beginning to appear again as tiny dots of light as they got closer
to home at twenty times faster than the speed of light.
"But I did exist..."
Truth be told Brianne had never been to the port side of the ship as
Celesta had kept her to a small area around the main lounge. So now she
found herself slowly shuffling along the busiest corridor on the ship.
It was also the longest as it literally ran from stem to stern with one
continuous window that ran the entire length. Due to the sheer size and
design of the ship it was impossible to see either end; gently curving
away like some distant vertical horizon.
Crew who had only heard the Queen and Princess were on board stared in
open curiosity as Brianne slowly shuffled down the length of the
corridor. None of them could understand why the Princess would be openly
crying and looking so miserable. Stories of her beauty and engagement to
Lt. Freau had spread like wild fire, and by any account Princess Brianne
should have been literally walking on sunshine, but there she went,
looking like the world had just caved in around her.
In truth, Brian was trying to get lost. Maybe even find a secure place
to hide, but that thought faded as soon as he reached this side of the
ship where the crew had never seen him. Reactions ranged from open slack
jawed staring to crewmembers stopping whatever they were doing and
bowing deeply as he passed. This ship is as big as a city, and they'll
still be able to find me. According to the device on his wrist that his
mother insisted he wore, he was already two hours late for a dose. He
knew for certain they were already looking for him. His mother's voice
had requested him to return to his rooms three times already.
But it was Brian's hope that if he stayed in a highly public area, they
might leave him alone. But he should have been paying attention to the
corridor instead of staring out the window. Brian saw his reflection
along the curve of the glass, one of the technicians in white, speaking
into his sleeve and looking directly at him. He had tried to pick
clothing that wouldn't stand out, but the leggings and tunic had
disappeared, leaving him only short dresses and jumpers that glorified
his figure. Today it was a lemon yellow strapless jumper. And he had yet
to see anyone else with the same deep emerald green hair like his. He
stood out like a sore thumb.
Brian turned to walk the other way only to see two more of the
technicians dangerously close. His heart leapt into his throat when he
realized they were the first two, the ones who had put him in the suit
back on Earth. But between where Brian stood and the advancing two
technicians was another corridor forming a t-shaped intersection.
Without hesitation Brian moved across the large corridor and down this
new smaller one.
It wasn't nearly as crowded as the first one and quickly began to curve
up and to the right. Brian dared not look back, but quickly followed
this until he came to another long corridor. This one he knew to have
access to one of the turbo-lifts. Even if he were able to get just four
levels up it would be enough to get away for a time. "Princess?"
The voice wasn't a shout and far to close. Brian suddenly broke into a
run, startling the crew he passed. But his soft-soled flats gave almost
no traction on the smooth deck plating of the corridor and the lead
technician was quickly gaining. The door for the lift opened as Brian
approached and he was forced to shove a startled crewmate out of the way
to gain entry. "Deck One!" He whirled and slammed his hand against the
door close button and watched as the doors hissed closed a mere fraction
of a second before the technician reached him. The lift quickly
descended into the bowels of the ship.
When the lift finally settled at the requested level the doors hissed
open and all thoughts evaporated when he saw the person waiting for the
lift.
Brian hadn't remembered what Lt. Matias Freau looked like, just the way
his eyes seemed to pierce right through him. But Matias was a very
handsome young man.
His sandy yellow hair was brushed back and parted perfectly on one side;
his brown eyes sparkling over an easy half-smile the showed one deep
dimple on the left side. Matias wasn't overtly muscular, but his uniform
jumpsuit appeared tight across his broad chest and shoulders. His arms
were tanned and well toned and the tools of his trade as engineer on the
Reflex Furnace hung from the wide leather belt around his trim waist.
For his part, Matias was nearly breathless himself with how beautiful
his fianc? looked. The other day in the gym she had been pretty, but the
tunic top had hidden what lay beneath. All soft, gentle, swelling
curves. There was not a hard edge anywhere; from the gentle sweep of her
graceful neck, the soft swell of her breasts to the deep curve of her
waist to flaring hips. The yellow satin of her jumper cleaved in places
and fluttered loosely in others.
Matty glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone else was nearby. Then
looked back at his fianc? who looked like deer in headlights. "Uh,
hello." Matty stepped into the lift, "Um, hey. I'm Matias, Matias Freau.
Your uh, fianc?." He watched Brianne's graceful throat flex as she
swallowed a lump. The lift beeped, requesting a destination. "Where were
you headed way down here? There's nothing but shuttle bays and
engineering down here."
Brianne just stood staring up at him for long moments before she
realized he had asked her a question. Oh what the hell is wrong with
me? "My mom, I was just trying to avoid my mom."
"Oh," Matty had been briefed on the level of Brianne's resistance as
well. "Well maybe it's too late to be asking you out on a date, but
would you have dinner with me? I was just on my way up to the
cafeteria."
"Okay." Her answer came almost before he had a chance to finish the
question. Brianne didn't know what the hell was wrong with her. Just
being in his presence was causing such a sense of euphoria and she was
finding it hard to remember why she had been running from the
technicians in the first place.
Matty smiled that easy smile of his and Brianne felt her knees weaken as
his dimples showed. "Cafeteria." The doors finally closed and the lift
began to move upwards.
Corolyn had been incensed with her daughter. They had had an agreement
and so far Brianne had consistently gone against it. But she couldn't
help smiling as she watched the monitor. Brianne was behaving like a
girl, finally. Even better like a girl in love, even though there was no
way Brianne would have known that yet. But anyone mature enough could
recognize the behavior if they've seen it before. In fact it reminded
Corolyn of how she had been with her husband the king when they had
first begun their courtship.
"Celesta?"
"Yes, Majesty?"
"Will Brianne be okay if I let her skip a dose tonight? I'd really hate
to interrupt this new development."
"Unfortunately, no. The Princess' biometrics is already declining.
However she should be okay for another three hours maximum."
Corolyn worked the display controls and zoomed in on Brianne's face. She
looked pensive, and a little distracted. "Celesta you have the ability
to read body language, right?"
"Yes Majesty."
"Can you read the Princess? Tell me where she's at?"
"Give me a few moments to examine the video." It was nearly a minute
while Celesta reviewed the last hour of video up to current. "She's very
attracted to the lieutenant. He intrigues her and she is definitely
enthralled by him. Definitely aroused. But..."
Corolyn looked up at the ceiling in annoyance, she sometimes hated how
AI's were programmed with human idiosyncrasies. "But what, Celesta?"
"She's fighting it, hard."
Corolyn watched the display for a bit longer. "Celesta, is her gift
ready?"
"Yes, Majesty the program finished compiling 30 hours ago. The holo-
suite has been reserved to the Princess' leisure."
"Excellent." Corolyn stood from her desk and headed for the door. The
cafeteria was only a few moments away.
Brianne suddenly stiffened as she focused on something behind him, as he
turned Matias saw the Queen approaching with a broad smile. "Hello, you
two," she said arriving at the table. Brianne looked horribly frightened
as her eyes kept shifting between her mother and Matias. Good, she's
realizing she still has an appointment to keep.
Lt. Freau jumped to his feet and stood at attention. "Good evening your
Majesty."
Corolyn smiled and gently pulled Matias' hand down from the salute.
"Matias, I told you saluting is not required of you any longer. Mo-
Majesty will suffice just fine." Even if Brianne was willingly spending
time with her fianc?, there was no way in seven hells she was ready to
face the hard truth that soon her last name would be Freau and Matty
would be calling the Queen mom. There was knowing and then there was
Knowing.
"Brianne?" Corolyn turned to the girl who looked like she wanted to run.
"You and Lt. Freau come with me."
"But-"
"Don't worry, honey, I promise you'll like this."
Brianne glanced over at Matias and then slowly stood. If Matias was
coming and her mother was smiling it couldn't have been too bad. She
didn't realize until after the fact that she had interlaced her fingers
with his and stood very close to him. By that time there was nothing
Brian could do to let go. "This way." Corolyn spun on her heel and
quickly left the cavernous dining hall. With Brianne actually following
her for once.
They came to a larger than normal set of doors with a large control
panel on the wall next to them. Corolyn called to the AI as they
arrived, "Celesta?"
"Always with you, Majesty."
"Please load the program."
"Program loaded, enter when ready."
As the doors hissed open Corolyn turned and covered Brianne's eyes with
her hand. Brianne stiffened as fear began to rise. "Don't be scared.
It's a surprise." Corolyn said as she gently guided Brianne over the
threshold.
As they passed through into the halo-suit Brianne's yellow jumper and
Matias' engineering coveralls were transformed into form fitting leather
motorcycle suits. Brianne felt the energy field travel across her body
and the sudden change in clothing and cried out in a panic. "Mom! What
are you doing?"
"Giving you your birthday present!" Corolyn exclaimed as she pulled her
hand from Brianne's eyes. "Sorry it's late."
Brianne blinked several times to ensure she hadn't lost her mind. "Where
are we? Are we even on the ship?" They were back on Earth, standing on a
deserted bit of mountainous highway that climbed and curved in one
direction and turned and fell in the other. Brian knew this road. His
best friend had owned an old beaten up Kawasaki Ninja and had taught
Brian how to ride out here. The road was almost never occupied as it had
been bypassed by an interstate years ago. The landscape was a near
perfect rendering, only missing the nearby housing development in which
they had lived. The sun even felt warm against Brians face.
Matias examined the new garment he wore as he spoke, "This is a halo-
suite Prin- Brianne. We use them for training, education, research
and...recreation... What are those?" Brian turned to look at what Matias
was pointing at and felt his jaw hit the ground.
There leaning on their kickstands were two Ducati 1199 Panigale
motorcycles, one pink and the other black. "You can have anyone you like
so long as it's the pink one," Corolyn whispered. Brian turned in
stunned silence. "Oh come now Brianne. I'm your mom, of course I knew.
And I would have rung you by your neck if you had gotten hurt. But it's
safe here. Loilas will be monitoring you as well as Matty and will make
sure you don't get hurt."
"Uh, Majesty, I don't even know what those are." The Queen turned to
Matias. The engineer in him was visbly intrigued.
"They're called motorcycles. They're a popular mode of transportation on
Earth. And dangerous the moment you aren't paying attention. Being a
member of my husbands armed services I'm guessing you have a neural
link?"
"Yes ma'am, just upgraded to the forty terabyte model."
"Good, drop your firewall, Celesta needs to download some information to
you."
Brianne and Corolyn watched as Matias closed his eyes and his body went
rigid. A few moments passed and he blinked several times as his brain
accessed the new information it had been given. "Matias?"
"Ten by ten, Ma'am. Wow, it's interesting being an expert at something
you've never done before."
"Let's find out!" Brianne turned to get on her bike when Corolyn grabbed
her arm.
"Matty, I need to speak to the princess for a second please." Matty
understood that she meant alone and quickly walked the distance to the
bikes and began to familiarize himself with the strange machines.
Corolyn made sure she had Brianne's attention before speaking. "You have
two hours, Missy. You've gone too long without a dose as it is. These
doors will be sealed until they come to collect you. Fight them and all
this goes back into the either. Clear?"
Brian had to swallow the lump in his throat before he could speak. "Yes,
mom."
Corolyn kissed Brian on the forehead, which was an unusual gesture for
both of them. "Be careful, Brianne. Just like those bikes, your body can
get you into trouble if you don't keep it under control." Brian
understood and glanced over at Matty; whose leather suit was fitting
quite well. "We'll talk later."
Brianne walked over to Matias and he turned as she approached. His eyes
flicked up and down her body and he didn't bother hiding his smile.
"Ready?" Brianne quickly pulled on the matching pink helmet to hide the
blush that he had caused.
"Yes."
The bikes screamed into life and in a cloud of acrid smoke from burned
rubber Brianne let out the clutch and was off like a rocket with her
fianc? quickly giving chase, He preferred the view anyway.
It didn't take long for Brian long to discover where his control of the
bike ended and the computers began. He had made several mistakes that
would have possibly caused him his life in the real world. But as he
felt his knee sliding on the smooth asphalt in a long right hand
sweeping curve the bubble of air that kept him from completely laying
down suddenly dissipated and Brians heart was in his throat before he
realized he wasn't falling because the safeties had kicked in. With a
grin he righted as he exited the turn, down shifted and twisted hard on
the throttle as a miles long strait away opened up before them.
Matias was actually a better rider than the Princess because of the
download to his neural link. Even then what his fianc? lacked in skill
she made up in aggressiveness and Matty found himself having to work to
catch up as they entered the strait away. He had seen the wobble of her
front wheel in the turn and so hadn't expected her to punch it so hard
on the exit.
Basic flight school was a requirement for every soldier in service to
the empire and he could remember the exhilaration he had felt the first
time he had taken control of the I/A-19 fighter-trainer and put it
through its paces. But this was different and as he slipped into
Brianne's draft and watched his odometer continue past 140mph, as he
felt the engine beneath vibrate in perfect tune... he got it. He
understood why Brianne hadn't gone less than 70 miles an hour in the
last hour and a half. But this was his first time and he still needed a
break. And once he was able to pull up along side he motioned to the
side of the road.
Brian pulled over at the end of the strait away as the road rose and
leaned into a gentle left turn. He surmised he probably could have taken
it a full speed as he stopped the engine and pushed down the kickstand.
Matias dismounted his own bike and walked over as Brian removed his
helmet, letting his sweat dampened hair cascade down his back.
"What do you think?" Matias glanced over at his bike and smiled.
"Don't take offense to this, babe, but there are many people who don't
think to much of the humans on your planet but good lord can your people
build a demon. People ride these all the time where you come from?"
Babe. He had called her Babe. It caused butterflys in her stomach.
Brian mentally slapped himself and answered the question. "Not everyone,
but yeah, I wanted one for my birthday. But mom had flatly refused. I
guess it makes more sense now. There's even a global racing league and
everything. It's what I wanted to do for a living. This is the first
time I've gone that fast though." Sadness creeped into her voice as it
occurred to Brian, not for the first time, that his life was definitely
not going the way he had wanted it.
"Well maybe when you ascend the throne we could look into starting a
racing league on Tyrol. You'll be the monarch then, your mom couldn't
stop you then. We have racing too, but nothing like this. Our racing has
too much technology involved. I'd love to take that thing out on to some
of the courses back home."
It was a pleasant thought, Brian mused as he dismounted his own pink
Ducati. It would be to have a motorcycle racing league on Tyrol, but
something told him he'd never be allowed onto a real bike on a real
road, Queen or not. More pressing, though, was how close he found
himself standing to Matias as he turned.
It registered that there was moisture and heat trapped beneath the tight
leather of her suit between her thighs. Brianne made the mistake of
looking up at Matty who hadn't backed away, even worse he was looking
very handsome with his sweaty helmet hair and twin dimples from that
lopsided smile. Brianne literally felt her knees weaken. "Brianne-"
Her hands reached up and latched onto his neck, pulling him down as she
rocked onto her toes and pressed her lips against his startled mouth.
Matias slipped his hands around her tiny waist and pulled her up and
closer. The only sound was Brianne's heavy breathing through her nose
for several long moments. Until she finally managed regain control of
herself and pulled away abruptly almost making her own bike fall over
behind her.
The tears in her eyes were not what Matty expected to see. "Brianne..."
His mother had been right. It had been a struggle to regain control of
his body; every second that had passed had taken him closer to stripping
Matty right there on the side of the road. This was so much more than
Brian was ready to handle and he realized he had to get away from
Matias. He wasn't able to think clearly when the young man was in his
vision.
"How..." Brian had to clear his suddenly dry throat. "How do we get out
of here?"
"Computer, show gateway."
The gateway appeared off to their left and Brianne quickly began walking
towards it. The doors opened to show three of the technicians waiting.
Her leather suit changed back to her yellow jumper as she crossed the
threshold. "Princess Brianne, you're early." Brian looked back at the
confused looking Matias and then back at the techs, knowing what it
would mean if she went with them.
"I don't feel well."
The lead technician gestured down the corridor, "This way to your
quarters, Princess."
Brianne was hiding in the dorsal lounge, leaning her head against the
glass. The vibrations from the ships engines and Reflex Furnace could be
just barely be felt through the surface. She was looking through her
eyes own reflection from the bright lights overhead. Staring out into
the vastness of deep space. What had once been little pin pricks of
light had now become the familiar streaks of light as they entered the
final home stretch towards Tyrol.
All around a flotilla of other ships had taken formation around the
capitol ship. Frigates, cruisers, corsairs; even one nearly as large as
the one Brianne rode currently. The best description was a battle ship.
It bristled with what had be very large cannons...
Which were