down the hallway.
Knowing it would be best to let the King explain things , Edward simply led the way.
Upon entering, Bryan quickly took in the details of the King’s office. To his right at the far end was a table with four chairs. On his left was the king’s desk. The wall behind the king’s desk was lined with book shelves and there was a credenza behind his chair. Before the desk where two chairs and the far wall was nothing but windows. The dark wood and dark red carpet with the gold accents in the fixtures gave it a strong formal feel.
“Good morning Prince Bryan,” King Douglas greeted as he gestured for them to have a seat. “Did you receive Princess Kalea’s message?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I did. Unfortunately, it left me with more questions than answers.”
“Yes, I imagine it did. Even w ith secure communications there are just some things that we don’t say except in person,” King Douglas explained. “But before we go any farther, we can dispense with the formalities. You can call me Douglas. How does that sound?”
Edward was a bit uncomfortable translating this because for him to call King Douglas anything other than ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Sir’ just felt wrong. He was faithful in his duties however , and Prince Bryan replied, “Thank you, I shall try to remember, also please feel free to call me Bryan. It will make things easier on Edward.” Bryan said with a smile and waited for Edward to translate. At the slight smile on the kings’ lips he continued. “Now, about Princess Kalea?”
“ Yes, well, Bryan you see not everyone on Estar Beta was in favor of your marriage to Kalea. There is a relatively small group of people who feel we can improve our own defenses. They feel that if you know our defense capabilities and strategies you could simply attack later and we wouldn’t be able to defend against you. We considered that possibility but it was felt that our current need outweighed the threat. We also did extensive research and found that your planet is very honorable in all its treaties. You also haven’t attacked any other inhabited planets in an effort to increase your territory, so we felt you could be trusted,” King Douglas explained and watched to see how Bryan would react. When Edward finished speaking he continued.
“W hat this means is that when the water filtration system in SC-17 was damaged, either purposefully or by accident, it opened up an opportunity to get Princess Kalea out there. You see, the exact date of your wedding hadn’t been released to the people until this morning. The holographic image was broadcast just after we received the news about SC-17. Unfortunately, it could easily be seen as a response instead of a report.” King Douglas shrugged his dismay and waited for Edward to finish translating.
“Why would damage to a water filtration system require Princess Kalea’s presence?” Bryan asked , trying not to sound suspicious.
“Kalea developed the systems. Actually she did most of the planning and development of all the sea cities. She and Randolph have similar interests and pursued similar degrees at the University. She is the best one to determine how the system was damaged and if it was intentional,” King Douglas explained.
When Prince Bryan nodded that he understood and Edward had a sip of water, the king continued. “Captain Fletcher and his men have taken control of SC-17. Because they are suspicious, they are allowing only Kalea to enter or leave the city. I told her to keep her quarters on the shuttle instead of moving into the city, and that she is to have her personal security detail with her at all times. I informed Captain Fletcher of this as well. If he has a problem with it, I have instructed the head of her security team to prevent her from going without them. If she finds out … she is not going to be happy with me,” he finished with a shrug.
Bryan was
Knowing it would be best to let the King explain things , Edward simply led the way.
Upon entering, Bryan quickly took in the details of the King’s office. To his right at the far end was a table with four chairs. On his left was the king’s desk. The wall behind the king’s desk was lined with book shelves and there was a credenza behind his chair. Before the desk where two chairs and the far wall was nothing but windows. The dark wood and dark red carpet with the gold accents in the fixtures gave it a strong formal feel.
“Good morning Prince Bryan,” King Douglas greeted as he gestured for them to have a seat. “Did you receive Princess Kalea’s message?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I did. Unfortunately, it left me with more questions than answers.”
“Yes, I imagine it did. Even w ith secure communications there are just some things that we don’t say except in person,” King Douglas explained. “But before we go any farther, we can dispense with the formalities. You can call me Douglas. How does that sound?”
Edward was a bit uncomfortable translating this because for him to call King Douglas anything other than ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Sir’ just felt wrong. He was faithful in his duties however , and Prince Bryan replied, “Thank you, I shall try to remember, also please feel free to call me Bryan. It will make things easier on Edward.” Bryan said with a smile and waited for Edward to translate. At the slight smile on the kings’ lips he continued. “Now, about Princess Kalea?”
“ Yes, well, Bryan you see not everyone on Estar Beta was in favor of your marriage to Kalea. There is a relatively small group of people who feel we can improve our own defenses. They feel that if you know our defense capabilities and strategies you could simply attack later and we wouldn’t be able to defend against you. We considered that possibility but it was felt that our current need outweighed the threat. We also did extensive research and found that your planet is very honorable in all its treaties. You also haven’t attacked any other inhabited planets in an effort to increase your territory, so we felt you could be trusted,” King Douglas explained and watched to see how Bryan would react. When Edward finished speaking he continued.
“W hat this means is that when the water filtration system in SC-17 was damaged, either purposefully or by accident, it opened up an opportunity to get Princess Kalea out there. You see, the exact date of your wedding hadn’t been released to the people until this morning. The holographic image was broadcast just after we received the news about SC-17. Unfortunately, it could easily be seen as a response instead of a report.” King Douglas shrugged his dismay and waited for Edward to finish translating.
“Why would damage to a water filtration system require Princess Kalea’s presence?” Bryan asked , trying not to sound suspicious.
“Kalea developed the systems. Actually she did most of the planning and development of all the sea cities. She and Randolph have similar interests and pursued similar degrees at the University. She is the best one to determine how the system was damaged and if it was intentional,” King Douglas explained.
When Prince Bryan nodded that he understood and Edward had a sip of water, the king continued. “Captain Fletcher and his men have taken control of SC-17. Because they are suspicious, they are allowing only Kalea to enter or leave the city. I told her to keep her quarters on the shuttle instead of moving into the city, and that she is to have her personal security detail with her at all times. I informed Captain Fletcher of this as well. If he has a problem with it, I have instructed the head of her security team to prevent her from going without them. If she finds out … she is not going to be happy with me,” he finished with a shrug.
Bryan was
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