Meet the New Jailer

Posted on Tue Aug 23rd, 2022 @ 10:49pm by Princess Elana Orsini
Edited on on Thu Jul 13th, 2023 @ 10:30pm

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: China - Imperial mansion
Timeline: Date 2371-06-17 at 0900
1595 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

At 0850, Elana, dressed in what her mother would term as dull colours, walked into her father’s study in the house. Dressed in a black dress and her hair twisted up into a proper chignon with black flats on her feet, she was content at the image she portrayed. Of a woman who was mourning and she didn’t care who knew it.

She paused as she entered the study. The Emperor of course was not present but it was the place that Lady Haughton had arranged for Elana to meet the new head of her personal security. Elana hated the Study, it was her father’s domain.

“Your Highness should sit at the desk” Gloria said, her tone cold as she came up behind her. She was pissed that Elana had locked her out of her bedroom suite and had not eaten dinner or breakfast that morning.

“I will not. It's my Father’s desk and no one but he sits there, or at least until my brother takes the throne” Elana said, moving towards the small sitting area.

Gloria narrowed her gaze at the straight back of the Princess.

Elana took a seat on the couch, her legs crossed at the ankle and her knees primly together. “I take it you have information on the officer for me?”

“You don’t need to know Your Highness.” Gloria replied.

“Really?” Elana’s tone held no interest at all. But Gloria’s attitude was starting to grate “You would do well to remember your place Lady Haughton.” Elana looked to the door “Maria, bring me the file for the officer please.”

“Yes Your Highness” her aide said calmly and stepped in with a PADD. She handed it to Elana ignoring Gloria’s glares.

“Thank you Maria.” Elana clasped it and placed it in her lap. “You can send the Officer in when he arrives.”

Maria nodded and scampered from the Study to wait outside the room.

Gloria on the other hand was not impressed. “That woman will be finding a new job, or she should lose her head for treason..”

“No she won’t and if you do anything to her, you will find out how much like my father i can be” Elana stated coldly.

“Are you threatening me, Your Highness?” Gloria asked curiously.

“How clever of you to ascertain that.” Elana replied in her flat voice. “Keep it in mind. You are here at my sufferance. If I choose to, I can have you killed.”

“The Emperor assigned me here.”

“And he is not here to protect you.” Came the Princess’s reply. “Keep your thoughts to yourself Lady Haughton and leave Maria alone. She is non-negotiable.”

There was a rap on the door.

“Yes?” Elana called out before Gloria could reply.

The door opened. “Your Highness, Captain Reece is here to see you”

“Send him in please, Maria.”

“Yes, Your Highness” Maria stepped back and waved an Imperial Guard into the room.

A few beats later, a tall, powerfully-built man entered the study. He was dressed in full Imperial Guard dress uniform, his cover tucked up under his left armpit. He had the look of a seasoned warrior, one who others would be wise to not anger.

As he stepped into the study a bit more, his eyes quickly traversed the room, moving past Lady Haughton as if she wasn't even there, until they landed on the eyes of the Princess. His eyes seemed to peer into her heart and soul as he stepped closer and bowed respectfully. "Your Highness," his voice a deep rumbling baritone. He then straightened back up and waited for her to speak. He still did not seem to notice the other woman in the room.

Elana inclined her head. "Captain Kyle Reece." She greeted him politely. "According to this information you have the misfortune to be assigned as my new security detachment chief."

He dipped his head respectfully as he replied. "No, malady, not a misfortune. I am honoured to serve and protect a member of the Imperial Family. Especially one as noble as you are, Your Highness."

His words, while sounding rehearsed, had a feel of honesty in them, fueled from his tone and the way that he looked at her. His eyes had never left hers, from the moment they locked on.

Elana broke the look as Gloria sniffed. "Her Highness is here as a punishment Captain. The Emperor sent her here to 'Rest'. Your job is to make sure she stays here."

Elana had to roll her eyes but she remained silent as Gloria spoke. Then she said, "How many men are under your command Captain?" She was going to ignore Lady Haughton for as long as possible.

"My Lady," Kyle began to reply, acting as if he hadn't heard the other woman speak. "I have a total of eight soldiers, currently patrolling this property. Of that, two are my inner core." He pulled out a data crystal and placed it on the table in front of Elana, then stepped back to his original position. "Those are the personnel files of all my soldiers, should you wish to familiarise yourself with any of them, so you know who is protecting you. While we are here, you will not see most of my force. They are trained to remain invisible, even right out in the open. I know this, for I trained each one of them personally. When you travel out of this property, you will be fully protected, at all times."

Lady Haughton sniffed "Only at her Father's, The Emperor's command, will she be leaving here."

Elana stood and picked up the data crystal. "Thank you for the information Captain. I appreciate it. I can, however, assure you that your men and yourself will have very little to do. I will contain myself to my suite of rooms on the second floor in the south wing. The only times I will be out of them will be for formal occasions. My aide Maria, who you met outside will be seeing to my meals and the like. You and your men should settle in." She gave Lady Haughton a cold look. "I do hope these arrangements make it easier for you and your men to do your jobs."

Kyle bowed again, still keeping his eyes locked on hers. "It is our oath to serve and protect you, Your Highness, no matter where you are located." He stood back up and reached into his pocket, pulling out a compact hypo. He showed it to Elana. "With your permission, Your Highness, I need to inject this transmitter into your wrist. It is linked to my personal PADD, and it keeps me up to date with your position, within a square metre and your vitals, should we become separated for any unforeseen reason. I can pick up its signal even if you were on the far side of the Beta Quadrant."

Elana considered it. And then she slowly lifted her left hand and turned it over so he could inject the transmitter.

"Thank you, m'Lady." He said softly as he stepped forward, gently taking hold of the back of her wrist with his left hand, his touch warm and surprisingly tender from a warrior of his calibre. He then carefully placed the injector port against the inside of her skin. Looking back up into her eyes, he depressed the trigger, injecting the tiny transmitter into her wrist. There it would stay, hidden by most scanners.

"That didn't hurt, did it, Your Highness?" Though he was speaking quieter, there was still a powerful animal quality to his voice. It could be thought, by an outside observer, that they had known each other their whole lives.

Elana calmly withdrew her hand from his. "No it didn't. " she replied. "Thank you, Captain, for your diligence." She added.

He nodded as stepped back. "Your Highness." The small PADD in his jacket beeped once. "We are now linked, m'Lady."

At no stage did Elana smile, she merely nodded. "I will be returning to my suite. I am sure you and your team will settle in well Captain."
She headed for the door.

"Your Highness." Lady Haughton briskly walked after her. "Your suite needs to be cleared by the Captain's men."

Elana spun around, eyes flashing, showing emotion. "My rooms are off limits to you Lady Haughton and to anyone else other than Maria. End of discussion." So saying she spun around again and stalked from the Study.

Kyle moved in Elana's wake, a silent sentinel.

Elana ignored him and Maria who had fallen into step behind her as she walked back up the stairs to her suite in the south wing. She paused outside the door, kicked off her heels and scooped them up with her right hand, and entered the room.

Maria took up position at the small table and chair set up where she had gotten placed before the door.

Once Elana was inside, Kyle closed the door quietly and took up his post directly outside. No one would disturb her while he was there. He then notified his team that their principal was resting and they were to start taking shifts between guarding their area and resting. He, himself, would only rest when the Princess was asleep for the night.

Maria barely spared the man a glance and got busy with sorting the piles of PADDS on the small table. She sent one glower down the hall to where the Lady in Waiting hovered before going back to work.

~TBC~