Chapter 7:

(AUGUST 23, 2158)

Beyond the Far Away Gates


“Frederick? Frederick? Are you awake?” came a soft and melodic voice from the door.

A light knock ensued, followed by another.

“I’m awake,” Frederick said dishonestly. He had only just arisen from bed after having listened to Karin’s daily morning message to him.

In her message, Karin had recalled a pleasant dream that she tried to recite for him in its entirety. It was fantastical and highly idyllic, but she told her story with an optimistic tune. Not only that, she had seemingly made a real friend for the first time at Citizen School. Her apprehensiveness was apparent as she had asked for his advice on what exactly she should do about it...

“May I come in?” Serana asked from the door.

“I’m not fully dressed, yet,” he said as he buttoned his pants.

“That doesn’t bother me,” Serana said and added, “I’ll be your fiancé soon enough.”

There she goes again with that, he thought.

Serana had spent just about every minute they were together in trying to woo him. He was still uncertain if her desire for marriage was genuine or if she was being pushed into it by her father. It seemed more reasonable that the King had a greater stake in this, as it seemed his line ended with his two daughters.

“Fine, come in, then,” Frederick said begrudgingly.

Serana wasted no time in entering the room as Frederick began buttoning up his shirt. Her eyes traced the outlines of his muscled chest before offering to help with his dressing.

“I will remind you,” Frederick said as he let Serana take over with his shirt, “that I have no obligation to marry.”

Serana’s hands momentarily stopped their buttoning as her face tried to convince him that his words hadn’t bothered her.

“Forgive me, Frederick,” she said. “You are the handsome prince that I only ever envisioned in my dreams...I guess it’s too presumptuous of me to think I could influence something so perfect.”

Serana finished buttoning his shirt and adjusted it accordingly, showing no remorse in touching his toned form as she did.

“Am I, perhaps, not to your liking? Or is there already someone else?” Serana asked. She had nearly mumbled her words with a depreciated desire for the answer. Frederick knew caution had to be used in answering her.

“Your beauty will never be a concern,” he stated, “and to put it simply, I have no ambition for political arrangements.”

“If not for the politics, would you pick me out of a crowd?” Serana asked.

I’ve stepped on something deadly, he thought.

“What do you mean?” Frederick said. He desperately wanted time to stop. Eons would not likely save him.

“If I wasn’t a princess or an Elite, what chance would I have with you?” Serana asked.

“I could ask the same thing, couldn’t I?” he replied.

“What?” Serana asked, perplexed at the switch.

“If I wasn’t a Schraeder, would your infatuation still be the same?” Frederick asked. He didn’t like the tactic of flipping the question, as no one ever benefited from it, but it was better than blowing up spectacularly on his own.

“I’m not saying you don’t have a chance,” he continued in the wake of Serana’s pondering silence. “My priorities are just...different right now.”

He hoped she would be able to decipher his meaning. Her attempts at seduction since he arrived were truly second-to-none, but with her misunderstanding his own priorities, nothing ever stuck. It had left her in an obvious existential crisis where she could find no worth in herself.

“I will…” Serana began, “I will do my best in being useful to you.” Her face was less dejected and more thoughtful with these words.

Well, that’s a start at least, he thought.

“So, are we going to the plaza again, today?” Frederick asked. He wanted to lighten the mood but couldn’t help add a touch of sarcasm to his words. He had only been able to go outside to the plaza since he arrived.

“Yes, I was ho-” she stopped to correct herself at the reflection of her previous words. “I will check with Father if we can get some guards to take us farther.”

That was precisely what he wanted to hear. He needed to know just what it was everyone in the palace was so keen to hide from him, though, he already had his suspicions based on his day of arrival.

Frederick gave his first genuine smile to Serana as she begged her leave to speak with her father, the King. It was impossible for him to know if she had realized the importance of such a breakthrough.

He finished his morning routine by swinging the final article of his attire over his shoulder, and hoisting the straps to a tight and comfortable position. It just didn’t feel quite right going without his Mag-rifle.

Serana returned minutes later with a small escort of Legionnaires, all of whom shifted about with peculiar unease.

“Father has agreed to your request, though, there will be limitations on our exploration,” Serana said as she re-entered the room.

“That’s perfectly fine with me,” Frederick said. Anywhere that he was specifically asked to not go was all the information he needed. He would make a mental note of such areas and be sure to investigate them when he properly could.

“Shall we head out, then?” he asked.

Serana answered him by clinging to his side, content in being his escort for the day’s events.

The palatial plaza was filled with the same buzzing vibrancy that it had everyday Frederick had walked in it. The Citizens meandered about in a drone like fashion, half with a definite purpose and the other half hoping to find such purpose. There were those who rang their voices out for the attention and patronage of others and those that simply inspected everything that crossed their path.

It was all so lazy and meaningless, Frederick thought. Back in his City of Solsgård, he would never see such blatant idleness from the Citizenry. His regard for his own Citizens had drastically changed since coming to Illica. Now, it seemed clear to him that there was something lacking with the social ethics of this southern Principality.

“My Lord!” cried out a merchant Citizen. “Can I get you to take a look at this priceless heirloom of the last century? Or perhaps you wish to buy the young princess there a nice set of earrings?”

The pitching and flattery of Citizens came from left, right and every which way. It hadn’t been any different than any other day Fredrick had walked the plaza. The Legionnaires that accompanied them did little in stopping the crowd from growing, but they did maintain a suitable enough distance between the rabble and the royals.

Frederick did his best to retain composure at such unsightly behavior. With Serana at his side, he let her guide him through the plaza.

“How are you so used to this,” Frederick must have asked a dozen times already.

“The Citizens love the bustle of the plaza and the idea of being the central energy of the City,” Serana replied. She kept a fake smile on her to complement Frederick’s.

“There’s no order to any of it…” Frederick said through his fake grin.

“There never needed to be,” Serana said.

Frederick couldn’t help but think of the sight he had seen on his first day here, wondering how many from that filthy camp by the air docks had made their way here to the central plaza. He noted Legionnaires wandering about on patrol with a less than enthusiastic stride about them as they pushed and shoved their way through the jumbling crowd.

“We can go down this street for today,” Serana said. Her hand gripped him with more firmness.

“What’s down there?” he asked. The oddity of the street they were headed down was rather apparent. There were no Citizens whatsoever. A little further down beyond a curving bend, he had just noticed the sneaking plumage of a Legionnaire.

So they had to clear the whole street out so we could walk down it, he thought.

“It’s mostly residential with a few storefronts mixed in,” Serana said.

“What’s so special about this street, that you would take me here?” Frederick asked. He didn’t expect an answer, he was already aware that they were heading down here because it was considered safe.

“It’s not where I wanted to take you…” Serana said regretfully.

Serana drew closer to him as the street narrowed, snuggling up close to his side. It didn’t bother him much, as it reminded him of the same way Karin liked to cling to him at every free moment. Serana unknowingly matched some of the cuteness that Karin often exhibited by sneaking glances at him when she thought he wouldn’t notice.

The two of them walked down the empty street at a slow pace; partly from Frederick’s interest in observing the buildings around them and partly due to the leisurely guard of Legionnaires just in front of them. A glass window with a familiar marking across it caught his eye. It was the sigil of the Elite.

“What’s the purpose of this?” he asked, looking through the window of the building into what appeared to be an open lobby.

“That’s a branch for the Office of Moral Authority, of course,” Serana answered. Frederick wasn’t clear as to why that should be obvious. His City had nothing of the sort.

“What services do they offer?” Frederick asked. Serana looked puzzled at the question.

“They give help and therapy to Citizens with poor temperament or those who lack motivation of purpose…” Serana said. “Do you not have these services in Solsgård?”

“No,” said Frederick. He stared through the window at the empty lobby. Nobody was inside, and in fact, it seemed as though it had been closed for some time. Frederick was beginning to make clear connections now as to why the City felt so off. There had been near abandonment of the ethics and morals that the Alliance was supposed to uphold.

A solemn thought came to mind, Is this City even worth saving if it were attacked?

“I’d like to see your City one day,” Serana said. “If you choose not to remain in mine…”

“I’ll take you,” Frederick said. It was a plain answer, but it carried his genuine concern for her safety in remaining in this City or Principality.

“Your sister, too,” he added. “Maybe you’ll both feel a similar shock to what I’m experiencing…”

“I’d very much like that,” she replied. “But...if you can only take one...please take Amelia. She never wants for much, but she deserves your kindness far more than I do.”

He reflected on the fact that he had barely seen Serana’s younger sister since arriving. He surmised that she was being kept away from the outside as much as possible by their father. It was likely the King was hoping to wait out Amelia’s remaining pre-marital years before finding a prince far away to send her safely to. There was a familial protectiveness about the situation that Frederick related to immensely.

“There’s no need to choose,” Frederick said, “I’ll take you both.”

“That’s very princely of you,” Serana responded. He wasn’t prepared for her next action as she leaned up and gave him a light kiss on his cheek. Frederick thought he heard some snickering from the Legionnaire behind them.

“Sorry,” Serana said in a blush. “I know you must think that was unbecoming of me…”

“It’s fine,” Frederick said. “I’m used to my older sisters messing with me in the same manner.”

“I wasn’t-,” Serana began, “nevermind.” She giggled far more childishly than he expected of a girl her age.

“Hold still,” she said as she reached up with a handkerchief to the spot she had kissed. “I probably shouldn’t leave evidence, lest your sisters become jealous.”

Serana bore a wider grin as she laughed at her own words and gently wiped off the lip-stained mark she had left on Frederick’s cheek.

Frederick held his tongue on the matter. He didn’t want to sour the mood by saying that she was far more correct about one of his sisters being genuinely jealous.

Probably best not to tell Karin about this part of the day, he thought.

“You’ve mentioned a younger sister before, but I didn’t know you were so close to your other siblings,” Serana said, continuing with her light conversation.

“My older sisters like to mess with me and Karin,” Frederick responded. “They’re usually good-natured with their teasing, but sometimes they take it too far. Karin doesn’t always seem to recognize when they’re playing around...It can be upsetting for me to watch...”

“Karin is your younger sister?” Serana confirmed.

“Yes,” he said.

“You seem to really care for her,” she probed.

There was a pensive silence as Frederick thought of how best to respond.

“I’ve been...overprotective of her...for a very long time now,” Frederick said, finally settling on how to describe his guardianship. “I may have even spoiled her too much...no, I’m certain I have.”

“And what’s so bad about that?” Serana asked. “Has she turned out to be a bad person because of it?”

“No, certainly not,” Frederick said. He thought about the attachment he shared with Karin, and how ultimately, he had entangled his existence with her to a fatal degree. Life or death, where one went, the other would also follow.

“Well, I can’t see why you would think negatively of your relationship with her,” Serana said.

“I suppose I don’t,” Frederick said. In fact, he very much thought of it as the one tremendously positive thing in his life. However, he didn’t have the gumption to explain to the inquisitive girl at his side that his relationship with Karin had a mortal destiny to it.

“Then there is no shame in being overprotective,” she said. “I understand your feelings, perfectly well.”

Frederick smiled at her words, recognizing that she was approving of her own behavior as much as his.

Serana seemed satisfied with his answer. As the small excursion they took came to an end in the narrow street, they made their way back to the palace. Frederick wondered if he had divulged too much information, too quickly.

***

“Make sure your more experienced Legionnaires are stationed near the palace. I don’t care if they’re equipped with those clunky conventional weapons, as long as they know how to suppress a crowd,” said Lieutenant Colonel Leonhardt.

He was currently in the midst of discussing City warfare with the City Commander, fixing and mending small inconsistencies within the Legionnaire patrol ranks.

“Our best are already stationed there,” the City Commander replied dryly.

“These patrol orders suggest that they get swapped out on a consistent basis,” Leonhardt said. “And some of these patrols go off the grid as far as I can tell.”

“We find it best that our Units are familiar with every district within the City,” the City Commander replied. Leonhardt tried to wipe away the tension in his face with his hand.

There was tremendous concern over what he had seen this last week amongst the City Legionnaires. Almost certainly, some in the Legionnaire ranks didn’t belong. A cache of Mag-rifles they had brought for support had already gone missing. The manifest for each patrol was shoddily thrown together, and there was almost no accountability. The City Commander was reluctant to share information on this, though Leonhardt felt it was out of fear of being reproached by the King.

“I’ll be sending over a small unit of Enforcers to the palace, just in case...but Commander, we really need to discuss this other problem,” Leonhardt said.

“I’ve told you already, Lieutenant Colonel, we will not order such a disgraceful thing in our City,” the City Commander said. His stonewall stance on his opinion did little to convince Leonhardt.

“If you have to round them all up and do it outside the City, then do so. My Enforcers will assist in this...Hell, I’ll have them do the whole thing, but this situation will become untenable if we don’t deal with it soon.”

“Your Enforcers do not have that kind of authority here,” the City Commander stated. “Leave the domestic issues to the Legionnaires. Your Enforcers are here to guard the Schraeder prince and defend the City if it comes under attack. Do not presume to meddle in our internal affairs.” Leonhardt snarled a sound of disapproval at such an ill-advised policy, but restrained himself from pressing further.

The City Commander didn’t seem to recognize that a domestic security breach was worse than an external one. If it was just a matter of defending the City from the sea or the far more secure Northern approach, then Leonhardt could fulfill his duty with no issues. But to neglect possible foreign agents inside the City that could sabotage the Barrier was testament to suicide.

“Very well, commander,” Leonhardt replied. The City Commander left in utmost displeasure, not bothering with a parting salute.

Leonhardt looked out at the City from the command tower at the air docks. Down below and just inside the City walls was another clambering mass of people, begging for handouts. He had the unpleasant suspicion that none of the clambering horde were Citizens of this Principality or any other. It was a near certainty that those masses were outsiders, the enemy.

Leonhardt predicted the events to come from an obvious oversight. At some point, he would have to take action into his own hands, take full authority.

I could pass it off as a preventative measure to protect the prince, he thought.

He considered the implications of such a thing, but ultimately concluded that something would have to happen before he could justify any measure. He watched as several individuals in the crowd below broke away from the mass and nonchalantly made their venture through the narrow streets of the City.

***

Good evening, Frederick! I couldn’t stop thinking about hearing your voice today...I know I say that a lot, and it’s only been a short while since you’ve left, but it’s still the truth...I miss you every day.

Frederick listened to the message he just received from Karin, moments ago. Whatever wrinkled dour expression his face wore just before these messages, were replaced completely with a true, whole-hearted tranquility.

I’m glad you finally had a productive day! You must have really been excited to finally leave the plaza, I could tell, there was less anxiety in your voice. It must be tough down there...I can’t imagine being in a City the way you’re describing it, and they’re not even letting you fulfill your duty with the Enforcers Father sent with you...I know you said not to tell him about it, but don’t you think he might be able to do something?

And...you need to tell me more about this, Serana...you...you sound like you’re getting along...well. Is she the one you were supposed to...you know...marry? I know I don’t...I don’t have any right to meddle in your...affairs, but...you’ll tell me before anything becomes...serious between you two, right? I mean...I know you will...I shouldn’t be thinking like this...I don’t mean to sound jealous...but...I think you know...well, I hope you know...ughh!!! Just forget I said anything!!!

Frederick laughed at the stammering flustered voice. He knew he probably let on too much that he was enjoying the company of Serana. He had hoped Karin wouldn’t take it the wrong way, but apparently she had. He would have to rectify this error in tomorrow’s message to her.

I spoke with Katherine earlier tonight, she said that Vaela’s husband will be in your City briefly for a day. I remember Vaela mentioned that he was on a diplomatic mission, and hasn’t even been back to his Principality since becoming King. Maybe you can meet him and give him a warning about Vaela, haha! Katherine said he would be there on the 25th...I don’t know the details as to why, though. I’ll leave that investigation up to you!

Oh! I almost forgot to mention, but that girl, Ella...the friendly one I told you about the other day...we had some fun together in the Central Promenade earlier! I think she was as nervous as I was at first, just like you said! We got to talking more when she asked about the locket you gave me...she said it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen! I couldn’t help but tell her all about how you gave it to me and everything...She’ll probably be really interested in meeting you when you come back home...just a heads up!

I have to get some sleep soon, so I’ll end my message here. I hope you sleep well, and you have an even better day tomorrow!

I love you, always and forever!

With the usual static crunch at the end of every message he received, Frederick went to sleep, endlessly repeating Karin’s sign-off phrase in his head.