A little bit longer than usual but hopefully just a good as the other chapters in this series. All feedback is welcome.
Kat stirred before opening her eyes. The last thing that she remembered was watching a presentation for the Renewal Festival. Oh no! The meeting! She looked around wildly. She had fallen asleep during Charlie's council meeting! What an idiot she was!
"Calm down, Kitty-kat." Charlie's voice was sleep roughened. She realized then that she was snuggled into his lap like a small puppy.
"I fell asleep."
"Yes, you did," he agreed as he pulled her closer. "Are you still tired?"
"Ah..." she looked around the room nervously, noting the dimly lit surroundings.
"Well, I could use another hour of sleep, myself." He rested his head on top of hers.
"I have things to do!" she squeaked as she wiggled off his lap. She winced when she felt the cool floor under her bare feet. She looked around frantically for her missing shoes. She finally saw them resting on the floor next to his chair. "My shoes!"
"Yes. I took them off. I assumed you would be more comfortable without them." Charlie explained. "Come back here. We don't have anything that is pressing." He held his hand out, his posture relaxed and his eyes sleepy as he reclined in the huge chair. Evidently she wasn't the only one that had dozed off.
"My lessons!" she protested as she slid her shoes on and backed towards the door.
"I've been meaning to speak to you about that, Katrina," he sighed before rising.
"What about it?" she twisted her fingers nervously.
"I know that you need to take these lessons before you can be registered; and as our future queen, you have to be registered but once these lessons are done, I don't want to ever see you using magic."
"What?" she growled as her back stiffened.
"You don't understand, Katrina. I won't have a wife that has uses her power against me. My first wife was a master at using her power to her advantage and my disadvantage. But not this time! This time I will be the dominant one in our marriage."
"So you are judging me because your first wife was a bitch. I won't even go into how unfair that is, Charlie. But no one said that we had to get married. In fact, I never planned on marrying any man, let alone a king from another world. I guess being a king's mistress is more than most women could hope for." She laughed bitterly. "Believe it or not, Charlie, I came here to escape this very thing on Earth. Did you know that they lock up children that have "powers" on Earth?"
Charles paled.
"You mean that you were..." Emotion flared in his eyes.
"It doesn't matter, Charlie. Forget I said anything. The last thing I want from you is pity. I'll be your chosen, since Rand left us no option on that score. I'll do my duties as such but other than that I believe that we would best be suited to live separate lives." Kat turned to leave the meeting hall.
"I don't think you understand, Katrina. There is no such thing as living separate lives, when you have a chosen. Once we bond, Kat, and believe me we will, there is no going back. I won't be able to survive without you."
"Find a way because I won't marry a man that refuses to accept all of me." Kat opened the suite's door and left closing it firmly.
* * * * * * * *
Charles stood by the table as he watched the door close behind his chosen. In frustration, he slammed his hand against the table. He barely felt the pain in his knuckles as he broke the skin. It had definitely not gone as he had hoped. In fact, he was in a worse position than he had been earlier.
Turning, he hit a button on the communications console. Immediately Councilor Dean's voice filled the room.
"I need to talk to you, Dean."
"I'll be right there, Charles."
A few minutes later, Stephan walked back into the meeting hall. He noticed that the king was standing at the window by himself.
"What is it?"
"What do you know about Kat's background?" he finally asked without turning around.
"Not much. I know she came back with Prince Randall. She lived in North America, the United States, I believe."
"I need you to do some digging, Stephan. Find out everything you can about her. I want to know where she grew up and her family."
"If I'm not out of line here, Charles, wouldn't it be better to just ask her?" Stephan offered. It seemed like a sure recipe for disaster.
"She won't speak of it. Plus I want you to find out Earth's customs on Magic."
"All right. Give me a couple of days and I'll have everything you want."
"Thank you, Stephan. But before you leave, I want to talk to you about something else." He turned around and walked towards Stephan.
"What?" Stephan asked as he observed the tension in the other man.
"My mother. I want to know your intentions, Councilor."
"I was wondering when you would notice." Stephan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"It's quite obvious to anyone that is in the same room with the both of you."
"Charles, I won't lie to you. Your mother is a special woman and I've ignored the need to claim her for many years. First, I was married and then she was grieving for your father. But I think back now and realize that I let a good thing slip away. And I'm trying to recapture it."
"So you are trying to make up for lost time?"
"Yes and no. I'm definitely trying to make up for the time that we've lost but that's not all that's involved. You know that I never bonded with my wife? It was because I knew that she wasn't my chosen. "My other half." The first time I laid eyes on your mother was at my wedding reception. It was then that I realized who my chosen really was – because the first time I touched her - I knew I had made a horrible mistake. But I had given my oath to Hope and I am a man of honor."
"So you stayed in a marriage that was a sham?" Charles looked at him with a look of disbelief. Divorce wasn't common on Venus but it did happen.
"No not a sham. Hope did everything she could to be a wonderful wife to me. And I tried to be the best husband I could be. But I knew that something was missing. I was content and I'm sure that I made Hope happy. Then came her death in the accident. Now finally your mother has come out of her own grieving and I'm not going to wait any longer. She's my chosen and I can't, no, I won't let her walk away again."
"So you intend on bonding with my mother."
"Yes I do, just as soon as I can convince her." Stephan said determinedly.
"I wish you the best, Stephan. I know my mother. She is a stubborn woman."
