Fighting For Your Rights

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Entering the room that had been widened upon Hayden’s request, Owen made his way to the area that was still in the shape of an oval. Most of the windows and the door that used to lead outside had been sealed off. Hayden sat at his gold throne with the back flared out like peacock feathers encrusted with precious stones and an onyx placed at the very top to show the eye of the peacock feather. Each arm of the chair was the head of a peacock and contained touch controls to operate everything the king wanted. Owen approached the king then bowed his head as he knelt before him, “You called for me, Your Majesty?”

Hayden walked up to him and offered his hand, “I hear you had a disturbance in your lab.”

Taking Hayden’s hand, Owen stood, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

The king kept hold of Owen’s hand as he continued, “What I don’t understand, Owen, is how a man of your expertise and skill could allow a mere woman to overpower you?”

“She had guns that she took from the guards, Your Majesty. Besides she took me by sur…”

Before Owen could say anymore, the king punched him across the face tightening his grasp on Owen’s hand as he dropped to the ground. The king opened his fist and dropped the metal bar from his hand. As it clunked to the ground, Owen leaned on the floor with his other hand knowing if he spit out the blood or the lost tooth it would bring forth another punishment. “You let her go. You never approved of the law of the eldest and so you helped her to escape.” The king crouched down beside Owen, “Give me one good reason why I should not cut you apart like I did the other guards that failed me?”

The king released Owen’s hand and both slowly stood. Rubbing his jaw, Owen swallowed the blood and tooth. Not taking his eyes away from the king, Owen replied, “Your Majesty, I vow that I will find this woman and take care of her. Not only is there your reputation to protect, but mine as well.”

“You helped her to escape, how can I trust that you will actually kill her?”

“What will prove my loyalty, Your Majesty?”

“I want her head and the head of her grandma.”

“Excuse me, sire?”

With the CURT at the ready for his signal, the king snapped his fingers and an older image of a woman in her thirties posing for a simple photo appeared on the wall. “You allowed Robyn Star to escape, granddaughter of Mariah Masda.”

“Who, sire?”

“A woman who has been a thorn in our side since my father took the throne.”

“How old is this woman?”

Hayden walked to the window, “86.”

“Your Majesty?” Owen laughed.

Glaring at him with disapproval in his eyes, he replied, “She is a grave threat. My father did nothing about her and by the time I took the throne, I thought she was done for.”

“You were misinformed?”

“She had people on the verge of a revolt. I knew my father was searching for her to eliminate her, but…”

“He never found her because she was protected by the people.”

“She married a James Amerow.”

“Who is he?”

“No one of importance, just a man she met and convinced to marry her. She had to have a reason and I’m sure it was to further her plot to overthrow my father. So, if you want a place to start that would be the place.”

“You really want me to risk killing the grandmother?”

“Risk?”

“Sire, I am sure that the people still know who she is.”

“Then we make sure it stays hidden. You want redemption then do as I command.”

Owen bowed, “I will get the job done, Your Majesty.”

“If I don’t hear from you in two days,” Hayden said walking slowly towards Owen, “you better run and hope that your uncle has changed his mind on your importance.”

Without saying a word, Owen turned, keeping his head low and quickly walked out of the office.

XXXX

Owen slid another gun into the inside pocket of his jacket. The smell of Robyn drifted to his nose and he took a deep breath to enjoy it even more. He shook his head to dispel the enjoyment from his head then spotted the hat that she wore. Picking it up, he ran his fingertips across the brim. He slid the cap over his head and quickly left his room.

The soldiers watched as Owen walked through the hallway with any glance at them or eye contact. They knew of his mission and knew of his reputation. It was unknown to them the real reason why he was chosen for this mission, but they believed he would get the job done. The guards that had let her go still hung by their wrists in the courtyard with their removed heads resting on the ground below them. Only the soldiers saw and knew the price of loosing the king’s property.

Owen took a deep breath as he grabbed the doorknob to an outside door. He took a breath consumed by inner turmoil about what to do. The king was right, he never approved of the law of the eldest. However, he had no place to go. He was a man without a country to declare loyalty. Sanctuary was only permitted by a man who he despised. He finally turned the knob, but as he opened the door, he was taken off guard by the strong gust of wind. He held onto the door to keep it from swinging off its hinges, and with most of his strength he forced the door to close and fought his way to the gates of the palace. Owen stopped at the gates and turned to the guard’s box. The window opened as he approached and a guard questioned, “Can I help you, Mr. Dored?”

“What is the reason for the wind?”

“There is a hurricane in Florida?”

“Are you sure that it isn’t closer than that?”

“I don’t believe that nature has ever brought a hurricane this far north.”

Owen turned to look at the sky and around at the tops of the trees within a few feet of touching the ground. “Who said anything about nature doing this?”

“Sir?”

Turning to leave, Owen muttered to himself, “Did you accomplish your goal of controlling weather, Uncle, or did someone else take your idea?”

XXXX

Angela Amerow looked up from her books of weather at the sound of the buzzer and took a deep breath as she approached the door. She pressed a button and spoke into the intercom, “Who is it?”

“Please let me in, Ms. Masda.”

Angela’s fingers froze over the intercom at the name she had not heard in years and feared the day she would hear it again. The fear was that Robyn would not be ready in time, but it was mixed with excitement that the time had finally come. She slid her finger across the screen to see the figure outside her door. Immediately recognizing the clothes that Robyn had worn, Angela wondered if she should trust the man that helped her granddaughter escape. “There is no Mariah Masda living here,” she stated sliding her finger across a panel just under the intercom and another panel slid open. Angela slid her hand inside the open panel and a scanner read it. A touchpad appeared in the air a few feet from her face. She pushed the button for security and panels covered the books and music that were considered illegal.

“Perhaps there is an Angela Amerow.”

She waved the screen away with the back of her hand, “Yes, now you have the correct name.”

“May I please come in?”

Angela took a deep breath realizing that if she refused it would give him cause to wonder who she truly was. “Granted,” she relented and the door slid open from the command. Looking at the giant in front of her, she figured the only option was he helped Robyn instead of her overpowering him in anyway. “I see you had no problem getting past the front door,” she muttered walking back to her desk and picking up her book.

Ignoring her comment, Owen spoke, “I have come about your granddaughter, Robyn Star.”

“She is eighteen. She should be at the White… the king’s palace.”

“She escaped early this morning,” he said.

“I know this is not something I should say to a guard or whatever you are to the king, but I am happy she escaped. I wish she would have come to me.”

“You have not seen her today?”

“If I had, do you think I would tell you?”

“You just answered a question with a question. That mostly happens when…”

“When someone is guilty,” she interrupted returning to her book with a disregard of his authority. “Believe it or not I know the basis of an interrogation and how to read people.”

“Really, and what do you see in me?”

“Are you sure you want me to tell you the truth?” Angela replied looking straight into his eyes.

“I am curious.”

Not taking her gaze off of him as she placed her book on the desk and stood, Angela answered, “Right now you are unsure of what course to take.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Your attitude,” Angela replied walking to a table to pour something to drink. As she grabbed for another cup, she continued, “You seem more cautious about what you say or do around me in order to gain my trust…”

“Well, if I want to find her…”

“But you don’t know why you want to find her. I can see by your eyes,” she said as she handed him a cup of tea and leaned on the counter, “you were happy that she did escape.”

“You are very good, but…”

“But unfortunately, I have predicted you correctly, and you cannot admit it, which I understand. You must keep up your reputation.”

“When she escaped,” Owen explained, “she wandered through the tunnel system and stumbled upon my private lab. She overtook me...”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Why not? You didn’t think your granddaughter could escape?”

“What doesn’t make sense,” she clarified, “is my granddaughter being able to overtake you.”

“She took two guns from the guards, Miss Amerow.”

“It is Mrs. Amerow,” she quickly corrected then continued, “you are a big man, Mr…”

“Dored, Owen Dored.”

“You are not helping your case Mr. Dored, you of all people should not have been overtaken by a girl of eighteen.” Owen nervously took a sip from his cup, “By that little action right there, I know you helped her. For that I am eternally grateful. Did the king send you on this mission to redeem yourself?”

Owen set the cup down on the counter she was leaning on, “You are someone a soldier never wishes to interrogate especially for an eighty-six-year-old.”

“I will take that as a compliment.”

“Mrs. Amerow…” Owen’s words were interrupted by shattered glass as pieces of wood and stone flew threw them and into the apartment. Owen lunged towards Angela and pulled her to the ground to protect her. She heard him yell and she pulled herself out from underneath him. Looking down at the piece of wood in his leg, she grabbed for a cloth hanging on the cupboard door.

She looked into his eyes and yelled over the howling wind, “Hold still while I pull it out.” Trying to ignore the forceful winds around her from the hurricane, she took a strong grip on the piece of wood and yanked it out of his leg. As he placed pressure on the wound, she rushed to the kitchen to grab a rag and tied it around his leg. “We have to get out of here,” Angela called as she helped him to his feet.