Chapter Seventeen

JESSE

As Gwynnara gave the signal for the executioners to swing, I closed my eyes. I braced myself and prepared to see my relatives.

I imagined the executioners swinging their axes in perfect synchronicity. I wondered if they practiced their motions together.

I was going to die.

I waited for the horrible moment when the axe hit my neck, but it never came.

Instead, I heard the sound of metal against metal. My eyes flew open. My executioner had turned his weapon and blocked Annalee's executioner from cutting off her head.

What was going on?

I supposed Gwynnara was wondering that as well. She stormed over to the executioners.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "You only have one assignment." She was furious.

"I know," said the executioner, pulling off his hood. "But it's hard to kill your best friend."

Gwynnara's jaw dropped. Annalee and I lifted our heads. "Porter," she muttered. "What are you doing here? Do you honestly think you can save them? Look around you, man."

She gestured broadly at the crowd.

"There's no one here who will help you," she said coldly. "You are all on your last breath."

She made a beckoning motion to the guards that stood along the sides of the courtyard. "Get another block. We are going to have a rare triple execution today."

"Porter," I whispered. "Now all of us are going to die. What were you thinking?"

"You worry too much, Jesse." Porter obediently held out his hands and allowed them to be tied.

When Gwynnara returned, she indicated an area to place a third wooden block. They roughly shoved Porter down and pressed his head into the wood. I could see Annalee's hands tremble, and I wanted to comfort her. There would be no comfort for any of us until we arrived on the other side of death.

Gwynnara was making another speech about the foolishness of going against the Bureau, but I wasn't listening anymore. I could barely concentrate. It seemed like I was living in a dream. We were going to die in minutes, and there wasn't a way out. Without Porter, there was no one to help us.

"We are going to try this one more time," said Gwynnara. "And this time, there will be nothing stopping us."

The executioners raised their axes again. Once more, I held my breath and closed my eyes, waiting for death.

But I guess it wasn't our time to die. The swing of the steel blades was halted again, this time with a shout from the Queen's Advisor.

"Halt," he commanded, running up breathlessly. "I order you to stop this execution."

"By whose authority?" asked Gwynnara. "No one who can stay the Controller's order."

"No one?" said the man. "Surely there is one person who outranks you, Gwynnara.

Suddenly the Controller looked less sure of herself.

The Advisor lifted his voice and spoke to the crowd and guards. "By order of the Queen, stop this execution."

"What does the Queen care about the Bureau's business?"

"There is a new monarch, Controller," said the man. His eyes were like steel. "She has different concerns than the previous regime."

Gwynnara typically had the authority to do whatever she wanted. The Advisor was showing her a different world, one in which she had considerably less control. As she stood open-mouthed, he began to bark out new orders.

"Bring in the prisoners," he commanded. His voice rang out in the silent courtyard. The guards looked at the Controller uncertainly. She had her fists clenched together but nodded her assent.

"Porter, how did you magically appear behind me?" I asked.

"I used the Bureau stone. And I called in a favor from a friend."

I wondered what kind of friend had that amount of power.

As the guards lead us away, the Queen's Advisor turned to the crowd again.

"There is a new ruler on the throne," he said. "We must be prepared for change."

His words seemed almost prophetic.

I certainly hoped things were going to be different.

It didn't seem possible that Annalee and I had escaped our sentence twice. I supposed we still had work to do in this life.

ANNALEE

I had been contemplating the role I played getting myself into this mess. I came to the conclusion that the situation I found myself in was my fault. Jesse hadn't thought anything like this would happen when we got married. He thought I was a sweet Earth girl who could help him keep his family farm. In fact, we had helped each other.

The Earth girl had gotten herself arrested and made him risk his life rescuing her. When I disobeyed him again, I got myself caught a second time. Eventually, we were caught and almost killed, only being spared by a miracle.

It was all too much for my conscience. I wanted to give Jesse a way to exit this relationship gracefully. I would tell him I planned to leave and return to Earth. I was sure he could find a more suitable bride from Yordbrook. Perhaps someone existed in the Underground who would understand him and not care about his tattoo. He would be better off if I got out of his hair.

I would give up on the money. I would lose it because I hadn't stayed married to him for a year. I would have to give up my dream of becoming a teacher, which was my reason for starting this ridiculous adventure.

Surprisingly, realizing that I would never be a teacher didn't bother me that much. Doing the right thing was more important to me than clinging to a dream. I had made some stupid and selfish decisions, but there was a way to fix everything.

What truly hurt was the realization that I would be leaving Jesse and never see him again.

"Please sit here while I let the Queen know her visitors have arrived."

Jesse looked at Porter, who shrugged, appearing as mystified as we were. I found it difficult to believe myself. A few minutes ago we were prisoners, but our status had quickly upgraded to visitors.

I hoped the Queen would be lenient on Jesse. Of course, it was foolish. He was an Underground leader; she was compelled to be harsh and set an example.

But there was a small hope in my heart, just the same.

We waited in silence. I wasn't sure what to expect in an audience with the Queen, but I was so happy to be alive I didn't care.

Jesse and Porter both looked awful. Even if they had been wearing their best clothes, they had dark circles under their eyes. And they weren't wearing their best clothes. Their attire was torn and dirty.

When Porter and Jesse first met me, I had looked horrible. I hadn't had the opportunity to fix myself. Now I was going to meet the Queen. I didn't think of myself as a vain person, but I wanted to look my best for royalty.

There was a floor to ceiling window down the hall. If I stood at the correct angle in front of it, I would be able to see my reflection. I dragged my tired body up to make myself presentable.

There wasn't much I could do about the bruises and bumps on my face, but I drew my hood up. It would cover my matted hair. Was that the only thing I could do? I had torn my clothing in many places. My bare feet were crusty with dried blood.

I returned to the men. "I can't see your Queen looking like this," I murmured.

"Annalee," Jesse said. "I wish we could attend to your wounds immediately, but the Queen is requesting our presence. She stopped our execution. I'm sure she understands that we don't look our best. It will be only a few more minutes."

"I get it. I don't mind going to see her. In fact, it's an honor." To be honest, I wouldn't have minded lying down and taking a little nap first. "The problem is that I think my appearance will be offensive to her."

"I find that unlikely."

"Perhaps I misspoke. Pitiful is more like it. What I meant was, she won't want to look at a wreck like me."

"I have heard good things about the new Queen," Jesse said. "I'm sure she will overlook your appearance, Annalee."

I nodded. I supposed I could try to hold it together and not remember that I looked like a hovercraft had hit me several times and landed on me. I would not think about the fact that every inch of my body ached. I would conveniently forget I could barely keep my eyes open.

I could be dignified and channel my inner strength. I would have to be myself, I supposed. I didn't have the strength to put on any masks right now.

The Queen's Advisor opened the door. "Would you all please follow me? The Queen would like to speak with you."

JESSE

We were lead into a small chamber decorated as a sitting room. We approached the Queen with our heads down. Annalee attempted a Yordbrook curtsy to the best of her ability. Porter and I bowed.

Annalee didn't fall over, so I considered the curtsy a success. When I looked up, I froze. I recognized the Queen immediately. From the shocked expression on her face, I assumed she remembered me as well. Her expression changed quickly, and I wondered if I had imagined the moment of recognition.

"Your majesty." Porter took her hand and kissed it. She looked like she was trying very hard not to react but her cheeks betrayed her. They turned pink. They were as bright red as they had been when I had inadvertently spotted her making love with Porter. The last time I had seen this woman was on the day I had gone to find Porter and ask him to help me rescue Annalee.

Porter's face looked like he was a man in love. How was Porter in love with and having intimate relations with our new Queen without me knowing anything about it? I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, but he had no answers on his face.

I would have to get the whole story out of him after we left this room. If we had managed to escape death, we would be in a cell together for a long time, and he would have the rest of our lifetimes to tell me his tale.

"I wish to speak with the three of you," the Queen said.

We sat silent and listened. She was a beautiful young woman, with pale skin and elaborately braided brown hair. Her eyes were brilliant green, and her movements were graceful.

"I am young and new to the throne, but I have some ideas that I would like to discuss with others who may share my views."

Her eyes flicked briefly to Porter. He tried to hide his smile, but couldn't quite manage it. The Queen was doing a better job of remaining composed.

"Could you be more explicit about your views, your Majesty?" I asked.

"I understand my Bureau has arrested these men because you are leaders of the Underground."

"That's correct." There was no reason to lie.

"Mrs. Melnyk has been arrested for the crime of possessing technology she brought from another planet."

"That's right," Annalee said. She sensed the undercurrent flowing between the Queen and Porter, but couldn't understand it.

"What exactly do you want from us, your Majesty?" Porter asked. He gazed at her intensely. I doubted he was only talking about the present circumstances. Porter was thinking about his future as well.

The Queen lifted her chin and met the gaze of each of us before she spoke.

"I wish to open a discussion between the throne and the Underground."

"To what end?"

"I want to reintroduce technology to Yordbrook, Mr. Melnyk."