Alien in the Family

he’d never considered the idea, and now that he had, he wasn’t a fan. “Ah, I have no idea.”
    “He’d lose his position,” Gower said. “The Chief Councillor can’t be a member of the royal family. He wouldn’t really be considered royal, though any children would be.”
    “If they had any,” Tito said. “I’m not sure how long an A-C woman can continue to bear children, but if it’s Alexander’s mother we’re talking about, the chances would be slim if she was an Earth woman.”
    Alexander still looked like this was a discussion he’d never imagined having and never wanted to have again. “I’m sure my mother isn’t interested in the Councillor. He’s old enough to be her father.” He sounded just this side of horrified.
    “You’d be surprised at the age gaps some happy couples have.” Alexander’s look of horror increased. I considered sharing that his parents had done the deed in order to have him and Gregory, too, but decided to take pity. “But if you haven’t seen any romantic sparks, let’s assume there aren’t any.”
    We were heading back up the Strip. “Not that anyone asks the driver’s opinion,” Tim said, sarcasm knob up to full, “but I think the fact that we have A-C spies around who can tell the incoming A-C space cruiser filled with A-C warriors exactly where to attack is a bigger deal than playing the royal dating game.”
    Alexander looked uncomfortable. “I doubt it will be filled with Alpha Centaurion warriors.”
    The way he said it made all of us look at him, including Christopher, who turned around in the front seat. “Just who would it be filled with, then?” he asked Alexander, Glare #1 in full force.
    Alexander gulped. “The best warriors in the system. The Free Women.”
    Before anyone could freak out, Gower’s phone rang. We all let Alexander’s pronouncement sit on the air while Gower gave some one-word replies and did a lot of grunting and Tim drove us back to the Mandalay complex.
    Gower hung up. “That was Richard. The Diplomatic Corps is on site in full force. Only Robert has been allowed to talk to Gregory.”
    “Thank God for small favors,” Martini said. “I’m calling them the least of our worries right now, though. Let’s deal with the question of what to do when the Free Women army arrives.”
    There was a lot of silence. “Renata could call them off,” Chuckie said finally.
    “Not if they believe her to be a traitor.” Alexander looked miserable. “I know Councillor Leonidas wouldn’t send a battle cruiser after us. I doubt he’d send any ship. He knew we were coming to Earth to ask for your help, under the guise of the Wedding Protocols.”
    “Queen Renata thought there was a ship after you, though.”
    “There was.” Alexander gulped again. “I believe my great-uncle sent it, though. And if I’m correct, then he would have told the Free Women that their queen was a traitor . . .”
    “And that would mean they’d consider themselves, what, honor-bound to kill her and anyone she was with?” I knew I’d guessed right by the look on Alexander’s face. “Oh, goody. How far behind you were they?”
    “Far.” Alexander perked up. “We received a transmission when we left our solar space, advising us that a ship was being sent to follow.”
    “Leonidas giving you fair warning?”
    “I believe so, yes.”
    “One ship to handle three?”
    Martini snorted. “If Kyrellis was any example, Renata could take every one of the rest of the Planetary Council and all of us besides all on her own. God help us if we actually have a regiment of Amazon warriors coming here.”
    I looked at Gower. “Well, we’ll fall off that particular bridge when we’re pushed.”
    He nodded, and I had a feeling he knew what I was thinking. “Exactly. Or as we like to call it, routine.”

CHAPTER 41

    MARTINI AND I WERE BACK IN OUR HUGE SUITE in the hotel. C.I.A., A-Cs, Chuckie, and Martini had all gone over it—it and all the rest of the two floors our personnel were on—and came up with nothing.
    Tito was installed in a room for his own protection. He’d gone home to get some things under heavy guard. We didn’t want to lose another power piece.
    Per Chuckie, my mother was briefed, had discussed the situation with Queen Renata, had the P.T.C.U. on high alert, and was doing all sorts of other high-level, need-to-know stuff Chuckie and Mom both felt I didn’t need to know.
    The rest of my family, having heard thirdhand that I was