Raven's Song Read online

  “The truth is, Father, that I love Caitlyn,” Max declared.

  “And you had to bring her fifteen hundred miles from her home to tell me that? Something I already know?” Frederic asked.

  “No,” Max answered quickly.

  “Then, with all the dangers here in East Chieftown right now, what’s she doing here?”

  “The Fulsoms would never attack her.”

  “You have one more chance to answer my question, son,” Frederic intoned with low, cool ominousness.

  Max swallowed hard, “I’m gonna ask her to marry me.”

  Frederic leaned forward in his chair, “Could you repeat that?”

  Max’s body suddenly filled with a bold strength, and he returned his father’s stare unflinchingly. “I love Caitlyn, and I’m gonna ask her to marry me,” Max told his father as he reached into his pocket, produced the box he had gotten from Daryl, and presented it to Frederic.

  “So you even have the ring already?! Good, good! It’s funny, though! I never thought it’d be you who destroyed me, Max! Because that’s it, isn’t it?! You want to destroy me! That chucklehead there I could believe, but you?!” he griped, his hand waving distractedly at Ronald during his last remark.

  Ronald, knowing his boss and mentor meant this remark to be mostly humorous, played along, feigning offense in a visibly comic manner.

  Max’s eyes narrowed and a touch of steel edged his voice, “What’re you gettin’ at?”

  “A corporate military officer shouldn’t marry the daughter of a state governor! Everyone will think I’m trying to get Abraham deeper in my pocket, which will bring all our enemies down on us! And there’s the small fact that Abraham himself is less than pleased with my conduct right at this moment, and should he think I’m trying to use this marriage as leverage, he might take his business to another corporation, perhaps even Liberty,” Frederic snapped.

  “I’ve given you ten years of my life and damn near lost the woman I love, just to serve you and Veriform, and this is my reward?! You forbid me to propose to her?!” Max asked in a heated voice, the last paltry shreds of his timidness instantly vanishing as his hands formed into tight fists at his sides.

  “Would that do any damn good?! No, by all means propose to the girl, and when we’re neck deep in shit, you’ll be the one to answer for it!” Frederic ranted.

  Max broke into a bright smile, quickly saluted, and, without permission, hurried from the room. The generals watched with smiles as he departed, proud of the fact their younger friend had finally stood up to his sometimes overbearing father. They turned back to Frederic to find him staring them down. Their smiles instantly, and almost simultaneously, vanished.

  “So which of you knew he was going to do this?” Frederic asked his generals.

  Neither of the men in question spoke up.

  “Both of you, then? Well, I know I made it seem like I was upset by this development, but in all honesty, I couldn’t be happier.”

  The other men in the room looked to each other with confusion before Michael asked the question they both had in mind. “What do you mean, sir?”

  Frederic’s hard expression was replaced with a warm smile, “Let’s face it; Max and Caitlyn are made for each other, so marriage makes perfect sense, even if my son took his sweet-ass time getting around to it.”

  “Yeah, not to mention the fact you wouldn’t let Max from under your thumb for a decade,” Ronald interjected, his voice a nearly inaudible mutter.

  Nonetheless, Frederic heard him, and his hard expression instantly reappeared, “Something to add, Ronald?”

  “No sir. Just let a fart go on accident,” Ronald bluffed with a touch of flippancy.

  “Yeah, I thought something noxious just spewed from your body. Anyhow, before I was interrupted, I was going to say there’s more to my letting Max propose, and what I’m about to say cannot, under any circumstances, leave this room. The fact is, I have it on good authority that the president’s decided to let her body pass into death,” Frederic revealed.

  Frederic’s divulgence caused both generals to begin speaking at once. “One at a time!” Frederic barked.

  Ronald won the honors of speaking first, “The president’s only ninety-eight. Any doctor could easily prolong her life, so why’s she choosin’ to die?”

  “You’re still a relatively young man, Ronald, so I understand why this confuses you. The president’s held a government position since the age of forty-three, and half a lifetime of responsibility has taken its toll on her. She knows she could continue to live, but she doesn’t have the desire to do so.”

  “So what happens next?” Michael asked.

  “When she passes away or resigns the presidency, a special election will be held where the governors will vote to decide who among them will become the next president,” Frederic explained.

  Michael nodded, “I get it. And if Caitlyn marries Max before this election–”

  “Governor Floyd might be more inclined to vote for Bertram,” Frederic finished for him.

  “And how’s that supposed to help us? Bert may be your son, but he’s made it abundantly clear he’s not gonna do you or Veriform any special favors as governor of Raven. Couldn’t imagine him changin’ his mind if he became president,” Ronald pointed out.

  “He’ll come around eventually,” Frederic assured his generals.

  “Between Max gettin’ married and your bonus political bargaining chip, I’d say it’s a win-win deal, sir,” Michael observed.

  Frederic nodded, “It is, and now we should get back to the original point of the meeting. Let’s outline what steps we’ll be taking to compensate the families of our fallen troopers.”

  FOUR

  Caitlyn was sitting on the parlor floor, where she was helping Angelina assemble a model gantry crane. Ernesto and Daryl stood chatting quietly by the doorway, and sitting on a couch alongside Nicolene was her daughter Annaliesa Von Raben-Hartnett. Annaliesa, or Anna, was a thirty-four-year-old voluptuous beauty with long, lustrous black hair, a gorgeous face, and deep brown eyes that, even in her happiest moments, always seemed to possess a hint of sadness.

  “So, Caitlyn, are you happy to be back with Max?” Anna asked.

  “Absolutely! Even when I was dating other people, my thoughts were always on Max,” Caitlyn answered.

  Just then Max entered the room and made a beeline towards Caitlyn.

  “You look like you’re on an important mission, Maximilian,” Anna observed.

  “Uncle Max!” Angelina squealed as she leapt to her feet, ran to the man, and enthusiastically threw her arms around him.

  “Sorry to disturb you, ladies, but could I borrow Caitlyn for a bit?” Max requested as he hugged his niece.

  “Absolutely,” Nicolene allowed.

  Caitlyn stood and went to Max’s side. “See if you can finish your model before I get back,” she told Angelina, giving the girl’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze as her uncle released her.

  Max then took his lover’s hand and escorted her from the room.

  #

  Von Raben Manor’s acclaimed garden was located directly behind the mansion. It was a large thing filled with numerous flowerbeds, low hedges lining gravel walkways, statuary and topiaries, and a large fountain which dominated the garden’s center. Max and Caitlyn casually strolled down one of the garden’s many paths, their hands clasped lovingly.

  “So why’d you bring me out here?” Caitlyn asked.

  “To enjoy your company,” was Max’s casual reply.

  “You left your father’s meeting early just to be with me?!” a shocked Caitlyn asked.

  “Is that so hard to believe?”

  “I suppose not,” Caitlyn said, “if it wasn’t for the fact you’ve hung on his every word for the last decade.”

  “That’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Max admonished.

  “Really?! Can you even use the bathroom anymore without an order from him, or does all your plumbing lock up if you try?!” Ca
itlyn jabbed.

  “That’s classified Veriform information,” Max retorted with a wry grin.

  The couple continued on towards a secluded spot in the gardens rear, where Max had them come to a stop in front of a tall, boxlike construction of weathered wood planks standing beneath the boughs of a weeping willow. A small door and windows had been cut into its walls, and it had obviously been used as a play structure for children at some point in the past. It still possessed fixtures for swings, and a tube-style slide spiraled from its top. The top of the structure was an observation deck featuring a safety railing festooned with faded signs featuring warnings such as “NO TRESPASSING” and “KEEP OUT”, all painted in childish script on yet more weathered wooden planks.

  “Remember this?” he asked.

  “How could I ever forget?! It's our fort! I can't believe it's still here! This is where we first met. I still remember it so clearly, too. You sure were a painfully hyper little boy,” Caitlyn recalled, her demeanor becoming wistful.

  Max moved behind his lover and wrapped his arms around her waist, “And you were a bossy, hotheaded little girl. I can honestly say, though, that that was easily one of the best days of my life. You remember the other first moment we shared here?”

  “Of course. It's where we first kissed,” Caitlyn said as she turned to her lover with a sultry smile, her romantic intent blatantly obvious.

  Max held up his hand, stopping her progress and causing her to regard him with puzzlement. “I did bring you out here for another reason. An important one,” he revealed.

  “And what would that be?” Caitlyn asked.

  Her heart began thudding wildly in her chest when Max went down on one knee and presented her with a small box containing a ring.

  “Lovely, perfect Caitlyn,” he recited, “I’ve known you since we were small children. At first we were just friends, but over the years that friendship has blossomed into so much more. I've stupidly allowed other obligations to come between us, but these years apart have made me realize how vital you are to me. I love you with everything I have, Caitlyn Floyd, and beg you to do me the honor of being my wife.”

  Caitlyn had been stunned into complete silence. She loved Max dearly, but she never thought he would ever commit to her in any real serious way, let alone propose marriage. Now he had done just that, and she was uncertain how she should answer. This man was without a doubt the love of her life, but most of their adulthood had been spent apart while he served in his father’s corporate military. Would he be willing to finally and completely put her before his duties to his father and Veriform? She looked down and found Max gazing up at her with a hopeful expression on his face, a face she thought was impossibly handsome but her friends found only mildly attractive at best, and knew the answer.

  Smiling her brightest smile, she answered, “Always and forever!”

  Max ripped the ring from the box and slid it onto Caitlyn’s outstretched finger. He then stood, swept her into his embrace, and kissed her deeply.

  #

  The Von Raben ladies, Ernesto, and Daryl were still in the parlor when Frederic and his generals entered.

  “Grandfather!” Angelina gushed as she hurried to Frederic.

  Frederic went down on one knee and caught the gleeful girl in his arms, “My little lady!” He then stood, settled his granddaughter on his hip, and went to his wife.

  “Finished already?” Nicolene asked.

  “Yes, and I’ve come to see if our youngest has brought ruin on us yet.”

  The sound of the front door banging open was accompanied by Max’s excited call, “Mom! Father! Everybody!”

  “I see he has,” Frederic observed as he sat Angelina down and turned just in time to see Max and Caitlyn come dashing into the parlor.

  They both had radiantly ecstatic smiles, their faces were ruddy with a mix of excitement and exertion, and they clasped hands as if they feared separation. “Everyone’s here?! Good! That’ll save time! I've gotta announce that Caitlyn’s accepted my proposal of marriage!” Max announced.

  A shocked silence followed, which Angelina quickly broke. “Yea! Uncle Max’s getting married!”

  Everyone in the room now flocked to the newly engaged couple and offered congratulations, hugs, and handshakes.

  “My baby’s getting married?!” Nicolene asked as she squeezed Max tightly.

  “Mom, you’re crushin’ me!” Max grunted.

  She then went to Caitlyn and embraced the woman. “Thank you for making my son so happy!” she gushed.

  “It’s my greatest pleasure!” was Caitlyn’s joyous reply.

  Nicolene stepped back and took Caitlyn’s left hand into her own, “I must see the ring.”

  Caitlyn presented the ring, a thin gold band with small, square-cut diamond in its setting.

  “It suits you so well!” Nicolene complemented.

  “I’m already in love with it!” Caitlyn assured her future mother-in-law.

  FIVE

  A female investigative reporter recounted:

  At the founding of the Federation, the Von Raben and Fulsom families were close allies, close enough to set up their conglomeration, Superior Holdings, in Chieftown, a megalopolis which grew out of the Kansas City metropolitan area of ancient America. Being wealthy and powerful, both families have always played a part in all aspects of Federation affairs, influencing everything from government policy to fashion trends. After nearly two centuries of coexistence, the two families suddenly split their conglomeration in 2545, and Chieftown itself into two separate entities, the Fulsom’s Liberty Enterprises in West Chieftown and the Von Raben’s Veriform Holdings in East Cheiftown. This heralded the start of a feud so shocking in its ferocity that in the year 2633, the president ordered a cessation of hostilities between them under threat of severe punishment. Despite these constant threats, the families continue their violent conflict to this day, using a legal loophole which allows corporate armies to engage in pseudo-military activities, so long as only members of said armies and corporate property are harmed. Tonight, we’ll go inside the backrooms of both corporations and learn all we can about the machinations of these bitter enemies.

  Alexander Fulsom, Chairman and CEO of Liberty Enterprises, let out a disgusted snort, dismissed the screen-cloud, and left his study. He lived with two of his three children in a large, elegantly decorated mansion located in a posh, upper-class neighborhood of West Chieftown. Alexander, a tall, rail-thin man of sixty-one with a hard, hawkish face, short, unruly silver hair and steely brown eyes, stroked his thin mustache as he stepped into his sprawling backyard and made his way towards his two children who lived with him. His tall and devastatingly handsome thirty-four-year-old son Richard, the younger of his twin sons, was dressed in only his trousers and was facing down a LSA trooper, the standard-issue weapons of the LSA, a rapier and main gauche, or left handed dagger, in their hands. Lounging on a nearby picnic blanket was Celeste, his youngest child, who at twenty-seven was a buxom beauty with long, red hair and striking green eyes, both of which were artificially colored.

  As Alexander approached, Richard darted forward with a powerful thrust of his rapier, which the trooper barely deflected, the young man's attention being held by Celeste's shamelessly erotic posturing, her habitually skimpy wardrobe aiding these actions. Alexander suspected, with no so small amount of shame and disappointment, that he knew how, and with whom, his daughter would be spending her evening. Richard was a well-known and talented duelist and continuously honed his skill with the aid of the best LSA troopers. This duel was a quick one, as Richard easily maneuvered inside the trooper’s weak defenses and brought his dagger to the man’s throat. The men separated and the trooper offered his hand, which Richard blatantly ignored.

  “Good morning, my children,” Alexander greeted.

  Upon hearing her father's voice, Celeste immediately adopted a primmer pose and looked to him with a sheepish expression. Richard arrogantly tossed his weapons at the trooper, who awkwardly
caught them in his arms. He then dismissed the trooper and turned to his father, his muscular body glistening with sweat as he ran a hand over the sodden buzzcut on his head.

  “What brings our beloved pater out on this fine day?” Richard asked, the ever-present hint of sarcasm in his voice not affecting his father in the slightest.

  Once he was certain the trooper was out of earshot, Alexander answered, “I’ve come to ask if either of my children have been watching the news tickers as of late.”

  When neither of his children spoke up, Alexander slowly shook his head and glowered, “An intelligent person always knows what’s going on in the news.”

  “We apologize, Pater,” Celeste said quickly.

  Alexander continued, “If either of you had been watching the news, you’d know that two days ago Maximilian Von Raben proposed marriage to Caitlyn Floyd, and she’s accepted. They’re to be married one week before the High Summit.”

  “Damn! I was hopin’ he’d marry me!” Richard wailed sarcastically.

  “This is a serious matter!” Alexander intoned as he cast a cold look on his son.

  “Does this mean the Floyds will be siding with the Von Rabens in our feud?” Celeste asked.

  Alexander was pleased with his youngest child’s grasp on the direness of the situation. “It could come to that, but what concerns me is that my sources tell me that Frederic Von Raben has discovered that the president has decided to let nature take its course.”

  “What’s that mean?” Celeste asked.

  “It means that she wants to die, and if this is true, then an election will be held after her death to determine the next president of the Federation. An election we obviously want your brother Stephen to win. It’s apparent that Frederic’s allowing his son to marry Governor Floyd’s daughter in a bid to win his vote, which means we also have to begin an active manipulation of this election. We cannot, under any circumstances, allow Frederic’s son Bert to win this election,” Alexander explained.