Deathstalker 06 - Deathstalker Legacy

completely at ease in Jesamine's company. She wasn't used to that. She found it charming. And she liked the way he could look so serious as he thought about things. He fixed her gaze with his, and she paid him her full attention as he spoke. "You're used to being adored, Jesamine. I still find it rather embarrassing. I'd much rather be admired. I don't want to give up being a Paragon to be King. I was able to do things as a Paragon.
    Tangible things. Things that mattered."
    "Fight the good fight?"
    "Yes! Exactly!"
    "You'll be able to do that and more, as King," said Jesamine. "As a Paragon, you could only protect a few people at a time. Once you're King, the decisions you make and help Parliament to make, will lead to whole worlds being better, safer places. You're a good man, Douglas Campbell. God knows you meet few enough of them in show business, so I value one when I meet one. Parliament could use a good man as King, to keep them honest. You can't say no."
    "You're right," said Douglas. "I can't say no. Not when my father wants so desperately to step down.
    He's already carried the burden far longer than he should ever have had to. You know about my brother James?"
    "Of course. Everyone does."
    "Of course. He wanted to be a King. He would have been good at it. But instead, it falls to me. And I'll tell you this, Jesamine . . ."
    "Jes."
    "What?"
    "Call me Jes. All my friends do. My real friends."
    "All right; Jes. I'll tell you this; I won't let politicians push me around, like they did my father. I won't be anyone's figurehead. Let Parliament deal with the politics of Empire; my concern is morality. Doing the right thing. And to hell with whether I'm adored."
    "You know," said Jesamine. "I don't think I've ever met anyone like you, Douglas."
    "Oh. Is that a good thing?"
    "I think so, yes. It's . . . refreshing. I do so admire passion in a man. You're not nearly as stuffy as they say. So; you be the Empire's moral guardian, and I'll take care of the being adored. I think . . . we're going to get on well together."
    Douglas looked at her. "Who says I'm stuffy?" "Oh shut up and kiss me."
    "Thought you'd never ask . . ."
    In Anne's office, she and Lewis were chatting chummily together over what was left of the tea and biscuits. They'd been friends most of their lives, right back to when they were both children growing up on Virimonde. They'd been so close for so long it was assumed by practically everyone that they would eventually marry. When they could both find the time. Assumed ... by everyone but the two of them. As teenagers their hormones had briefly driven them over the edges of friendship and into bed, but it didn't take them long to realize they made much better friends than lovers. They went their separate ways quite happily, always keeping in touch, until they both ended up on Logres; whereupon they quickly resumed their old friendship, secure in the knowledge they'd finally found someone they could be sure wanted nothing from them.
    Lewis stirred an extra sugar lump into his tea, and rooted through the biscuit barrel. "Hey; she's eaten all the chocolate ones."
    "She's a star," Anne said easily. "They always get first pick. In fact, it's probably in her contract. Dig
    deeper; there's probably a few chocolate chip cookies left."
    "It's not the same." Lewis abandoned the biscuit barrel, and looked meaningfully at a blank monitor screen beside them. "How do you suppose they're getting on?"
    "They'll do fine," Anne said sternly. "No peeking, Lewis. They are quite capable of sorting this out for themselves. They have a lot in common."
    Lewis raised an eyebrow. "The Prince and the Showgirl? Come on, Anne; that only ever works in bad vid dramas."
    "They're both stars in their own right, both very strong personalities, and both of them are surprisingly good people."
    "Surprisingly?"
    "Oh yes. Given their background and their almost universal popularity, it's a wonder they're not monsters. God knows I've had to deal with enough monstrous egos in my time, in politics and show business. There's something about great personal authority that brings out the worst in people. I suppose when everyone will forgive you anything, you just can't help but push the limits to see what you can get away with; Given how adored and worshipped Jesamine is, I'm constantly amazed how sane and balanced she turned out."
    "Some people hide their inner monsters very carefully," Lewis said quietly.
    Anne looked at him. "You're not talking