Chapter 53
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
The sun was high in the sky, and Tanalia’s capital was full of hungry workers ready to lunch.
Restaurants with alfresco seating made a killing on days like today. Tanalians were queued up for tables, grabbing takeout to eat on park benches, laying out their jackets to bask in the sunshine on the grass of the neatly manicured lawns outside the Royal Residence.
The main square of Randelie, however, was a shadow of its former self, many of its buildings having been rebuilt in Bauder’s taste.
There was none of its old-world charm. Still, they hadn’t figured out how to strip the air of its crisp, clear wind, the sun of its warming caress, the breeze of its ability to rustle tree leaves in a comforting whisper. Yet.
The benefit of the austerity of the rebuild was that there were large, flat, white stone walls that stood for stories above other buildings in the square.
Screens, if you could find the right projection equipment.
It started faintly. A tinkling of bells. A soft melody from a long forgotten song, one that the soldiers sang before the Great Compromise installed a royal family in that big house and enabled all Tanalians to prosper as they had never before.
The music emanated from every speaker, every communicator. Every view screen came to life, an image of the old opera house sitting proudly on the hill. The walls of the new monstrosity were all flooded with the image of its former glory.
The image pulled away from the opera house and faded into blackness. A new image appeared. A woman, dressed in a plum-colored military uniform sat in an ornate chair. Her blonde hair was woven into a braided crown. Hazel eyes, full of pain and promise, gazed out of screens across the planet.
Every Tanalian knew this face. Every Tanalian had grown accustomed to the sound of her voice, reminding them of a past that too few knew intimately.
“My name is Evelyn Alpertti,” the woman said.
An unnecessary introduction, but a welcome one.
The Sleeping Princess was considered by many to be a myth at this point, a long-dead martyr to the cause of Tanalian freedom, unsuccessful in her mission.
Underground betting pools had sprung up moments after the first video had crashed the data streams; speculations as to her continued existence ran incredible odds.
The optimists were going to rake in a fortune tonight.
“I am speaking to you, alive and well, from an undisclosed location in the galaxy. I would like to set the record straight.”
She crossed her legs and leaned the slightest bit forward. Hushed conversation buzzed around the square. Lunch was a forgotten prospect. The scent of burning food poured from more than one kitchen. Enterprising squirrels in the square feasted that afternoon.
“Many years ago, I signed a treaty. I agreed to sacrifice ten years of my life. I was to be the Amplifier for the planet of Bauder’s psionic research program. In exchange, the planet of Tanalia was to be left alone to recover from the aggression Emil Bellica had wrought.
“As we all know, that agreement was not honored.”
She looked directly into the camera lens, eyes ablaze with righteous indignation. Her face filled the wall of the opera house, and it felt as though her gaze met with every Tanalian in that square. Every Tanalian on a small comm screen at home.
“I have always loved Tanalia. Public service is a legacy that my family takes very seriously.
It is our responsibility to ensure that every Tanalian is able to become their best self.
To flourish, to grow, to explore their own hearts, and share that beauty with the galaxy.
I felt that ten years of my life was a pittance in that pursuit.
“But my actions proved to be foolish. I merely granted Emil Bellica a hostage that would allow him to bend my family’s will in whatever direction he so chose.
For that, I owe each and every one of you an apology.
I was wrong to throw myself on the sword when instead I should have picked it up and fought for our way of life with everything I had. ”
She took a small sip from a glass of amber liquid.
“Consider this my formal declaration. I am enacting the No Confidence Clause of the Tanalian Compromise Constitution. I am sure that my father has done everything he can to keep us all alive, but he has failed you. I am thankful I am alive. But life without liberty is nothing worth living.
“I will be home soon. I hope you will join me.”
The square roared.