Mike had gone to Ellie’s side and pulled her into his arms. Two sets of frightened eyes stared at her. “But you don’t know, do you,” Ellie said softly.
“No, Mother, but the feelings I sensed were those of your First Knight.”
Ellie stared at her, then she turned to Mike and lifted a hand to caress his cheek. “Then I, too, feel hope,” but her actions belied her words. She put her arms around his waist and clung fiercely to him.
Mike looked over her head at Krys, not certain about how he should feel. He wanted to hate this young woman, but as he saw the agony in her eyes, he wanted to hold her in his arms, as well. Clearly, the vision had taken a great toll on her. He reached a hand out to her, and she stood up and took that hand. He pulled her to himself with one arm, Ellie pulled her in with another arm, and the three embraced.
Tarn stood to the side, forgotten. When Mike noticed, he disengaged and stepped over to Tarn. “Ellie told me you had been helpful to Krys with her visions, and I see she’s right. Thank you for your last question. I would not have wanted the vision to end without it.”
“Uh, we might not be done yet, Sire.”
“After what’s gone on here, I think we can dispense with titles. Don’t you think Mike might be a little more appropriate?”
“No, Sire. I’m just a lieutenant.”
“You’ve also been a key player in all of this, and I suspect you’ll continue to be. Ellie considers Krys part of her family, and that makes her part of my family, too. I get the impression that might include you some day, as well, eh, Lieutenant?”
Tarn’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped back from Mike. “That’s the second time I’ve heard the word ‘family’ used here. Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Sire?”
“I’ve only known you and Krys for a short time, but it’s pretty obvious you’re in love. Will that lead to marriage? Is that what you’re asking?”
“Did it for you, Sire?”
“It did. I thought you knew.”
Tarn stared at his First Knight, then grasped his arm and led him away from the women who were, at the moment, wiping at each other’s tears. When they reached the far wall, Tarn stopped and turned to face Mike. “Are you a king, Sire?”
“I’m married to your Queen. She tells me that makes me King. Why?”
Tarn nodded his head as things fell into place. “There’s something about dirt falling through spread fingers, Your Majesty. What does it mean?”
“Just a private thing between Ellie and me.”
Tarn’s lips pressed together in determination. “Explain it,” he demanded.
Mike looked at him with furrowed brow. “It’s nothing important, and it’s private, Lieutenant.”
Tarn took a deep breath, then let it out and said softly. “Then I ask you as family, Mike. It’s that important.”
Mike stepped away, then turned back to Tarn. “Very well. Are you familiar with how Ellie and I escaped from my home world?”
“Not all the details, but in a general way, yes.”
“It was a long voyage, a very long voyage. We were under a lot of strain, and everyone was counting on me to navigate Resolve. I was doing well enough for a while, particularly when we were being tracked, but after we solved that problem, a lot of the stress went away. I expected my skills to continue improving, but they didn’t. In fact, they got worse. I started making mistakes. I missed a few jump entry points, and a couple of calculations went awry. I dug in and flogged myself, but it was obvious to my Rider and to Ellie that something was wrong. To make a long story short, we talked about it, and she even Tested me, not to see if I was true, but to see if she could discover why my performance was slipping. And she figured it out.”
“Figured what out?”
“I come from a long line of ancestors who were closely tied to the land on which they lived. I guess it’s in my genes or something, because I, too, am tied to the land. I didn’t even know it, but when Ellie asked me what I would most like if I could have anything I wanted, I thought for a while, then found myself in my mind reaching for a handful of dirt. I held out my hands and let the dirt trickle through my fingers. Do you see where I’m headed with this?”
Tarn nodded. “The nearest dirt was light years away.”
“Exactly, and that was the source of my distraction. Once I understood, I could deal with it and the problem went away.”
Tarn blinked as his mind reviewed the words of Buskin’s vision, until now unsolved. It was no longer unsolved. “Thank you, Your Majesty. It all makes sense now.”
“What makes sense?”
“I ask your leave to delay the explanation, Your Majesty.”
“Tarn,” Mike said threateningly, “this was all man to man. Why must I wait?”
“Things are going to start hopping around here, Your Majesty. Real soon, and I’m not sure we’re done with the vision Krys just had. Let’s finish that one up before we move on to another. Some of her visions are accompanied by words. Let’s find out if this one was.”
Mike took Tarn’s shoulder and led him back to Ellie and Krys. “Is there more to the vision?” he demanded.
Ellie answered with a grin. “There is. It was accompanied by words. This vision was so strong for Krys that she tells me the words are clear, not a riddle this time.
“Never underestimate your opponent. The man of dirt learned his lesson well. His battle is won, and all is well. Friends and family are all that matter now.”
His eyes lit up, and they shared a moment of triumph. He nodded to Krys, then took Ellie in his arms. “Surely it means you survive.”
“I think it does, Michael. How else could all be well for you? I think my realm will survive after all.”
Mike and Ellie turned to Krys and invited her into another embrace. She, too, enjoyed the moment, though in her mind, she most enjoyed Ellie’s clear display of love for the man of dirt, the knight in shining armor she had foreseen for Ellie so many years ago. Her thoughts turned to Tarn, her own knight in shining armor, and she discovered him standing with his back to them.
“Join us, Tarn,” she called.
He turned to her with a stricken look, and she instantly sobered, misunderstanding his grief. She let go of Mike and Ellie and went to him. “I’m sorry, Tarn. We’re not excluding you.”
“I know,” he said absently.
Alarm suddenly filled her eyes, and she understood the stricken look. Tarn’s gaze lifted from hers to Ellie’s, then to Mike’s. “I hope you’re right, Your Majesties. I’m not certain that you are.”
“Right about what, Tarn?” Mike growled, his arm slowly falling from Ellie’s waist.
Tarn closed his eyes, hating what he was about to do. “What if you’re wrong, Sire? What if it really is a riddle? The words of all the other visions have come in the form of a riddle. Why would this one be different?”
“Because I saw so clearly,” Krys assured him. “I’ve never seen so clearly.”
He shook his head and took her hand. “All your visions have been messages, My Lady. Every single one. Whether it was a message of hope, or a message of instruction, or a message of warning, each was a message, and the message carried by each has been of grave significance to the outcome of this war. Why would this one be any different?”
“But it’s so simple.”
His lips pursed as he nodded his head. “It is… on the surface. I don’t know what happens on Triton with the Imperial Senate, but clearly, something of import takes place. We can’t say for certain that the Queen lives through it, but you sensed that Mike is coming away from this engagement with a sense of hope and accomplishment.”
His gaze rose to take in all of them. “Look deeper, all of you.” He stared at Mike for a time, considering how best to disagree with his First Knight and King. “Someone, or some thing has gone to a lot of trouble to send these visions to Krys. We’ve listened to all the messages, and now the war is over. Right?”