Seize the Day - NaNoWriMo Attempt - Chapter 12
So in the past five days, I only wrote during two of them. But! This morning I caught back up to the NaNo goals... and tomorrow and Saturday I hope to get ahead, maybe even 50k words by Saturday day.
Previous Chapters:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
“You want us to build new trade routes?”
Jazz blinked at the woman’s tone -- her name, if he remembered correctly, was Laquesha Smith. Laquesha frowned at him, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back in her seat. “I do,” he said, clearing his throat. He glanced around the room, noticing the all too deadly stares he received from Laquesha’s own council.
“And how, exactly do you propose we do that, Prince Jasper?” she asked, her voice loud and booming in the small room. Her frown twisted, her painted lips just a shade darker than her skin. “The majority of the waterways have been handed over to the United -- and the land is treacherous. Not to mention we don’t have the funds to make land routes possible --”
“The Empire will provide the money for you,” Jazz said, trying as best as he could to look the woman in the eye. His voice wavered as he spoke, making him clear his throat again. “Lack of trade is what’s impacting your economy the hardest -- building new, functional trade routes and paying workers to build it will bolster your economy, as well as the Empire’s.”
The woman pursed her lips together, her arms tightening over her chest. “Does the Empire itself even have the money to spare?” she asked, that frown on her face still there as she then loosely folded her hands on top of the table.
Jazz paused, feeling his own lips tug downwards at the corners. He hadn’t had the time to look over the Empire’s budget, not since he passed out almost as soon as he made it into his hotel room. “I -- don’t know, off the top of my head,” he admitted, his voice quiet and meek. He cast another guilty glance around the room. “I would hope that there is.”
“Hope isn’t good enough for me, Prince Jasper,” Laquesha murmured. leaning back in her seat again. The room they met in lightened up, some, as the sun shone in the windows, no longer hidden by the thick band of clouds that seemed to follow Jazz everywhere, these days. She tapped her long fingernails against the varnished cherry wood, each little action filling Jazz with even greater dread. “Please do not promise me money that the Empire itself does not have to spare.”
“I wouldn’t,” Jazz said, sucking in his lips for a moment before sighing. He ran his hand over his hair, careful not to muss it up even further. “But please consider my idea? I feel that it’s the best possible solution for your colony’s particular predicament.”
“I will discuss it with my council shortly, after you’ve left, Prince Jasper,” Laquesha responded, looking at him with half-lidded eyes. She paused before opening her mouth to speak, once again. “If you have no other ideas, you may return to the Capital. I’m sure that you would much rather be with your father, considering he is still in recovery for his wound. We will contact you for more information, should we determine your new trade routes idea would be profitable for all involved.” Her lips peeled apart, revealing her even teeth one at a time as she smiled. “If that is alright with you, your highness?”
Jazz blinked, a slight frown settling on his features as he glanced over his paperwork. “Perhaps we should come up with another arrangement to get your colony what it needs, for the time being?” he asked, folding his own hands on top of the table and leaning forward some. “You guys are low on resources, correct?”
“Of course. But all of the colonies are, my Prince,” Laquesha said, her own smile fading. “The war with United has left a lot of the colonies wanting, and we currently lack the manpower to determine new routes for trade, amongst us and the mainland of the Empire. Please, keep that in mind when looking over the Empire’s budget.”
“I’ll arrange a meeting with the other colonies. Perhaps between the rest of them, we’ll be able to come up with a solution that will be less costly for all involved,” Jazz said, nodding his head to himself.
“I hope so, Prince Jasper,” Laquesha murmured, all pretense dropped. She stood up from her seat, trailing her slender hand along the table. “There are many who are unhappy with the existence of the colonies in the first place -- and I’m not just talking about the United.”
Jazz watched Laquesha withdraw her hand from the table, his eyes lifting to meet hers. Her hard stare softened, but only a little bit, before she looked away and moved towards the door. Sighing, he sensed he had no choice but to follow and stood up himself, tugging his suit back into place as he did so. He scooped up his paperwork and placed it back neatly inside his folder, each piece in its place.
It wasn’t until he had walked out of the meeting room that the weight of her words hit him. He spun on his feet, brow furrowed and mouth open, but the door had already been shut and locked behind him.
A chill rolled down his spine. There are many who are unhappy with the existence of the colonies.... Like the Resistance, maybe? Is that what drove them to their behavior? Is that why they were going after his father?
He would have to investigate things further, once he had arrived home from the western colonies. Jazz bit his lip and nodded to the Emperor’s Guard. “Take me back to the hotel room,” he said, trying to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. “I need to pack a few more things and then we can head back to the Capital.”
With hours of flight time remaining ahead of him, he would have plenty of time to research things. To finagle a budget that may allow for greater trading amongst the colonies themselves. To finagle a route that would please both the colonies and the United, by staying out of their newly won territory. His mind raced, ideas piecing themselves together as the Guard walked him to their vehicle, and then drove him back to his hotel room.
How in the world did his father even manage to do this, day in and day out? How did the man not collapse underneath the pressure?
Jazz shook his head and closed his eyes. Maybe that was why his mother had left -- the pressure had been too much.
***
Savin smiled at Emperor Callahan, flipping through the chart he had in his hands. “Good news, Emperor,” he said, his smile widening somewhat. “It appears I cleared out all of the infected tissue. Your temperature’s gone down, and the incision site looks so much better, now. You should be out of here in a few more days.”
Casio blinked. He had a hand over his side, and he looked away from Savin. He ran his fingers through his dark gray hair and shook his head. “The pain’s still there,” he said, his voice thick. He cleared his throat. “Will I still be given painkillers?”
“Of course,” Savin said, his smile fading somewhat. “We have taken you off the morphine drip for now. But you’ll be given a prescription painkiller, and when you leave we will also provide you with a prescription.”
Casio nodded, relaxing somewhat into his hospital bed, his eyes closing in relief. “That’s good to hear,” he said. He paused, opening his eyes again and studying Savin carefully. He then sat back up, straightening his back as he met Savin’s eyes. “You know, my current medical staff is getting a little old on age, and I don’t believe they would have handled my nearly going spetic as well as you and your father have.”
Savin blinked, then gave a bashful smile and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m -- not entirely sure I follow, Emperor Callahan,” he said, trying to give off an air of mild confusion.
“How would you like to become a member of my personal medical team?” Casio asked, his eyes lightening up some. “You’re a skilled doctor -- and so is your father. I would like to have the both of you on my team.”
Savin tensed at the mention of his father, but forced himself not to show it. “I’m not sure my father would accept such a prestigious position,” he said, keeping his voice quiet. He then offered Casio another smile, one that hopefully looked sincere. “I would, however, like to join your medical staff. It would allow me greater ease to keep up with your recovery, and we can always move you from the hospital here to a private room in the Palace, if you wish. I’m sure the Emperor has his own medical room available there, should he need one, right?”
“Of course,” Casio said, smiling back. “Then perhaps you can arrange for my transition from this hospital to my room back home. I miss the Palace, you see. And my son.”
Savin nodded, taking out a pen and making a note on Casio’s chart. He tried not to think about his conversation with Jazz the day before, how Casio wanted Jazz to find a woman so that he could produce an heir. “How is he doing, by the way? I haven’t heard from him since I updated him on your condition,” Savin said, trying to appear nonchalant.
Casio raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the pillows. He folded his arms loosely in his lap, fingers hardly tangled together as he studied Savin for a moment. “I haven’t spoken to Jasper much, either. Alexandra was in earlier this morning, though. Said Jasper was coming back from the Western Colony already. Supposedly, a deal wasn’t necessarily struck, but multiple solutions are now on the table.”
“Already? That’s rather quick, isn’t it? I’d thought he’d be there longer than that,” Savin said, trying to keep the conversation going. If Jazz were traveling, of course he wouldn’t have received any of Savin’s texts, yet.
“That means Ms. Smith probably railroaded him,” Casio said, shaking his head. “The boy is so unused to how politics work -- even when sitting inside my own Council room, he doesn’t ever seem to quite grasp what’s going on.”
Savin prickled at that, feeling his teeth grind together a little bit. He put the chart back in its place at the foot of the bed and tapped his hands along the footboard. “Maybe he knows better than you think?” he suggested, hoping that his defensiveness didn’t creep into his voice. “I mean, it’s not like he’s me. He’s been raised in a political atmosphere.”
“Raised in a political atmosphere or not, Jasper has been rather... resistent against participating in any meaningful way in politics,” another voice said from behind Savin. Savin tensed, this time visibly, as Casio raised an eyebrow.
“Councilor Foraker,” Casio murmured, his expression darkening somewhat. “What brings you here?”
Savin turned to glance at the other man, trying to keep his expression neutral. Mitchel gave a small shrug of his shoulders. Today, he wore a different suit -- one that still fit him perfectly. “I came to bring you news about the Western Colonies. Ms. Smith has taken the time out of her busy schedule to contact me directly, in an effort to reach you.”
Casio sat up straighter, pain registering on his face for only a moment as he studied Mitchel. Savin glanced between the two of them and sighed, pulling his fingers away from Casio’s chart. “I will go ahead and allow you to discuss the matters of the Empire in private, Emperor Callahan,” he said.
“It’s perfectly alright for you to stay, Dr. Bates,” Casio said, giving a dismissive wave of his hand. “Councilor Foraker has to understand that I am not the one in charge of my empire, at the moment,” he said, giving Mitchel a pointed look. “Whether my son was railroaded or not by Ms. Smith is not something I need to know from you, Foraker. I also specifically asked for no visitors other than Jasper or Alexandra.”
“Alexandra sent me in her stead, your excellency,” Mitchel said, tweaking the knot of his tie. He frowned, regarding Savin with a disdainful look. “You can call her yourself and ask, if you wish?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Casio said, annoyance creeping into his tone. “I know Jasper wouldn’t have sent you -- and it’s unlikely that Alexandra would have, either. What is it that you really want from me, Foraker? It’d be best for both of us if you just spoke freely with me.”
“I don’t think Jasper is ready to handle the Empire,” Mitchel said, approaching the side of Casio’s bed. His expression remained grave, and he refused to look in Savin’s direction. Which was good, because Savin could feel his hands ball into fists at his sides. In an effort to hide his outward signs of anger, Savin slipped his hands into his pockets and waited for Mitchel to proceed. “Why not assign one of your Council in his stead?”
“He is one of my Council, Mitchel,” Casio muttered. He cleared his throat and glanced at Savin. “Dr. Bates -- maybe it would be best if you stepped outside. Please, start making arrangements for my return to the Palace. And please tell your father about my offer -- the same one I gave you extends to him, as well.”
Savin nodded, backing away from the foot of Casio’s hospital bed. “Of course, Emperor Callahan. I will inform my father as soon as I see him,” he said, giving a slight bow of his head. He then turned on his heel and marched out of the hospital room, grateful he could frown openly as the door shut quietly behind him.
The Guard all turned to him, and Savin found himself pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He now had an in to the Palace, but had it really been worth it? Savin shook his head, trying to push that thought aside as he began to walk down the hospital hallway. He needed to check on his other patients -- and he needed to talk to Mari, as well. Maybe even his father.
First, though, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent Jazz one quick, hopeful message: I’m in.
Next Chapter
Previous Chapters:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
“You want us to build new trade routes?”
Jazz blinked at the woman’s tone -- her name, if he remembered correctly, was Laquesha Smith. Laquesha frowned at him, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back in her seat. “I do,” he said, clearing his throat. He glanced around the room, noticing the all too deadly stares he received from Laquesha’s own council.
“And how, exactly do you propose we do that, Prince Jasper?” she asked, her voice loud and booming in the small room. Her frown twisted, her painted lips just a shade darker than her skin. “The majority of the waterways have been handed over to the United -- and the land is treacherous. Not to mention we don’t have the funds to make land routes possible --”
“The Empire will provide the money for you,” Jazz said, trying as best as he could to look the woman in the eye. His voice wavered as he spoke, making him clear his throat again. “Lack of trade is what’s impacting your economy the hardest -- building new, functional trade routes and paying workers to build it will bolster your economy, as well as the Empire’s.”
The woman pursed her lips together, her arms tightening over her chest. “Does the Empire itself even have the money to spare?” she asked, that frown on her face still there as she then loosely folded her hands on top of the table.
Jazz paused, feeling his own lips tug downwards at the corners. He hadn’t had the time to look over the Empire’s budget, not since he passed out almost as soon as he made it into his hotel room. “I -- don’t know, off the top of my head,” he admitted, his voice quiet and meek. He cast another guilty glance around the room. “I would hope that there is.”
“Hope isn’t good enough for me, Prince Jasper,” Laquesha murmured. leaning back in her seat again. The room they met in lightened up, some, as the sun shone in the windows, no longer hidden by the thick band of clouds that seemed to follow Jazz everywhere, these days. She tapped her long fingernails against the varnished cherry wood, each little action filling Jazz with even greater dread. “Please do not promise me money that the Empire itself does not have to spare.”
“I wouldn’t,” Jazz said, sucking in his lips for a moment before sighing. He ran his hand over his hair, careful not to muss it up even further. “But please consider my idea? I feel that it’s the best possible solution for your colony’s particular predicament.”
“I will discuss it with my council shortly, after you’ve left, Prince Jasper,” Laquesha responded, looking at him with half-lidded eyes. She paused before opening her mouth to speak, once again. “If you have no other ideas, you may return to the Capital. I’m sure that you would much rather be with your father, considering he is still in recovery for his wound. We will contact you for more information, should we determine your new trade routes idea would be profitable for all involved.” Her lips peeled apart, revealing her even teeth one at a time as she smiled. “If that is alright with you, your highness?”
Jazz blinked, a slight frown settling on his features as he glanced over his paperwork. “Perhaps we should come up with another arrangement to get your colony what it needs, for the time being?” he asked, folding his own hands on top of the table and leaning forward some. “You guys are low on resources, correct?”
“Of course. But all of the colonies are, my Prince,” Laquesha said, her own smile fading. “The war with United has left a lot of the colonies wanting, and we currently lack the manpower to determine new routes for trade, amongst us and the mainland of the Empire. Please, keep that in mind when looking over the Empire’s budget.”
“I’ll arrange a meeting with the other colonies. Perhaps between the rest of them, we’ll be able to come up with a solution that will be less costly for all involved,” Jazz said, nodding his head to himself.
“I hope so, Prince Jasper,” Laquesha murmured, all pretense dropped. She stood up from her seat, trailing her slender hand along the table. “There are many who are unhappy with the existence of the colonies in the first place -- and I’m not just talking about the United.”
Jazz watched Laquesha withdraw her hand from the table, his eyes lifting to meet hers. Her hard stare softened, but only a little bit, before she looked away and moved towards the door. Sighing, he sensed he had no choice but to follow and stood up himself, tugging his suit back into place as he did so. He scooped up his paperwork and placed it back neatly inside his folder, each piece in its place.
It wasn’t until he had walked out of the meeting room that the weight of her words hit him. He spun on his feet, brow furrowed and mouth open, but the door had already been shut and locked behind him.
A chill rolled down his spine. There are many who are unhappy with the existence of the colonies.... Like the Resistance, maybe? Is that what drove them to their behavior? Is that why they were going after his father?
He would have to investigate things further, once he had arrived home from the western colonies. Jazz bit his lip and nodded to the Emperor’s Guard. “Take me back to the hotel room,” he said, trying to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. “I need to pack a few more things and then we can head back to the Capital.”
With hours of flight time remaining ahead of him, he would have plenty of time to research things. To finagle a budget that may allow for greater trading amongst the colonies themselves. To finagle a route that would please both the colonies and the United, by staying out of their newly won territory. His mind raced, ideas piecing themselves together as the Guard walked him to their vehicle, and then drove him back to his hotel room.
How in the world did his father even manage to do this, day in and day out? How did the man not collapse underneath the pressure?
Jazz shook his head and closed his eyes. Maybe that was why his mother had left -- the pressure had been too much.
***
Savin smiled at Emperor Callahan, flipping through the chart he had in his hands. “Good news, Emperor,” he said, his smile widening somewhat. “It appears I cleared out all of the infected tissue. Your temperature’s gone down, and the incision site looks so much better, now. You should be out of here in a few more days.”
Casio blinked. He had a hand over his side, and he looked away from Savin. He ran his fingers through his dark gray hair and shook his head. “The pain’s still there,” he said, his voice thick. He cleared his throat. “Will I still be given painkillers?”
“Of course,” Savin said, his smile fading somewhat. “We have taken you off the morphine drip for now. But you’ll be given a prescription painkiller, and when you leave we will also provide you with a prescription.”
Casio nodded, relaxing somewhat into his hospital bed, his eyes closing in relief. “That’s good to hear,” he said. He paused, opening his eyes again and studying Savin carefully. He then sat back up, straightening his back as he met Savin’s eyes. “You know, my current medical staff is getting a little old on age, and I don’t believe they would have handled my nearly going spetic as well as you and your father have.”
Savin blinked, then gave a bashful smile and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m -- not entirely sure I follow, Emperor Callahan,” he said, trying to give off an air of mild confusion.
“How would you like to become a member of my personal medical team?” Casio asked, his eyes lightening up some. “You’re a skilled doctor -- and so is your father. I would like to have the both of you on my team.”
Savin tensed at the mention of his father, but forced himself not to show it. “I’m not sure my father would accept such a prestigious position,” he said, keeping his voice quiet. He then offered Casio another smile, one that hopefully looked sincere. “I would, however, like to join your medical staff. It would allow me greater ease to keep up with your recovery, and we can always move you from the hospital here to a private room in the Palace, if you wish. I’m sure the Emperor has his own medical room available there, should he need one, right?”
“Of course,” Casio said, smiling back. “Then perhaps you can arrange for my transition from this hospital to my room back home. I miss the Palace, you see. And my son.”
Savin nodded, taking out a pen and making a note on Casio’s chart. He tried not to think about his conversation with Jazz the day before, how Casio wanted Jazz to find a woman so that he could produce an heir. “How is he doing, by the way? I haven’t heard from him since I updated him on your condition,” Savin said, trying to appear nonchalant.
Casio raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the pillows. He folded his arms loosely in his lap, fingers hardly tangled together as he studied Savin for a moment. “I haven’t spoken to Jasper much, either. Alexandra was in earlier this morning, though. Said Jasper was coming back from the Western Colony already. Supposedly, a deal wasn’t necessarily struck, but multiple solutions are now on the table.”
“Already? That’s rather quick, isn’t it? I’d thought he’d be there longer than that,” Savin said, trying to keep the conversation going. If Jazz were traveling, of course he wouldn’t have received any of Savin’s texts, yet.
“That means Ms. Smith probably railroaded him,” Casio said, shaking his head. “The boy is so unused to how politics work -- even when sitting inside my own Council room, he doesn’t ever seem to quite grasp what’s going on.”
Savin prickled at that, feeling his teeth grind together a little bit. He put the chart back in its place at the foot of the bed and tapped his hands along the footboard. “Maybe he knows better than you think?” he suggested, hoping that his defensiveness didn’t creep into his voice. “I mean, it’s not like he’s me. He’s been raised in a political atmosphere.”
“Raised in a political atmosphere or not, Jasper has been rather... resistent against participating in any meaningful way in politics,” another voice said from behind Savin. Savin tensed, this time visibly, as Casio raised an eyebrow.
“Councilor Foraker,” Casio murmured, his expression darkening somewhat. “What brings you here?”
Savin turned to glance at the other man, trying to keep his expression neutral. Mitchel gave a small shrug of his shoulders. Today, he wore a different suit -- one that still fit him perfectly. “I came to bring you news about the Western Colonies. Ms. Smith has taken the time out of her busy schedule to contact me directly, in an effort to reach you.”
Casio sat up straighter, pain registering on his face for only a moment as he studied Mitchel. Savin glanced between the two of them and sighed, pulling his fingers away from Casio’s chart. “I will go ahead and allow you to discuss the matters of the Empire in private, Emperor Callahan,” he said.
“It’s perfectly alright for you to stay, Dr. Bates,” Casio said, giving a dismissive wave of his hand. “Councilor Foraker has to understand that I am not the one in charge of my empire, at the moment,” he said, giving Mitchel a pointed look. “Whether my son was railroaded or not by Ms. Smith is not something I need to know from you, Foraker. I also specifically asked for no visitors other than Jasper or Alexandra.”
“Alexandra sent me in her stead, your excellency,” Mitchel said, tweaking the knot of his tie. He frowned, regarding Savin with a disdainful look. “You can call her yourself and ask, if you wish?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Casio said, annoyance creeping into his tone. “I know Jasper wouldn’t have sent you -- and it’s unlikely that Alexandra would have, either. What is it that you really want from me, Foraker? It’d be best for both of us if you just spoke freely with me.”
“I don’t think Jasper is ready to handle the Empire,” Mitchel said, approaching the side of Casio’s bed. His expression remained grave, and he refused to look in Savin’s direction. Which was good, because Savin could feel his hands ball into fists at his sides. In an effort to hide his outward signs of anger, Savin slipped his hands into his pockets and waited for Mitchel to proceed. “Why not assign one of your Council in his stead?”
“He is one of my Council, Mitchel,” Casio muttered. He cleared his throat and glanced at Savin. “Dr. Bates -- maybe it would be best if you stepped outside. Please, start making arrangements for my return to the Palace. And please tell your father about my offer -- the same one I gave you extends to him, as well.”
Savin nodded, backing away from the foot of Casio’s hospital bed. “Of course, Emperor Callahan. I will inform my father as soon as I see him,” he said, giving a slight bow of his head. He then turned on his heel and marched out of the hospital room, grateful he could frown openly as the door shut quietly behind him.
The Guard all turned to him, and Savin found himself pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He now had an in to the Palace, but had it really been worth it? Savin shook his head, trying to push that thought aside as he began to walk down the hospital hallway. He needed to check on his other patients -- and he needed to talk to Mari, as well. Maybe even his father.
First, though, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent Jazz one quick, hopeful message: I’m in.
Next Chapter