IS: Chapter 67

It was noon when Katrina's Shuttle touched down at the Ny Roskilde Spaceport on New Ålborg. I'd been keeping tabs on the comings and goings from the Spaceport in preparation and had specifically instructed the Portmaster to let me know when her Shuttle Came in. Of course, she hadn't come just by herself, she'd arrived on the Scout-class JumpShip Pride of Apollo. A Brand-Spanking-New JumpShip that had been manufactured by the freshly built Apollo Shipyard that Duke Michael Watson had been building on the moon of Eurydice for the past two years, with some technical help from my own engineers.

The Pride of Apollo was the first JumpShip off the Lines, relatively small at only ninety-thousand tons. However, the Scout-class represented something bigger than just a single ship. It represented a renewal of Apollo's long shattered and crippled industrial might. There was talk of rebuilding the Ruined Diplass Technologies production facilities and the Roe Weapons Systems Aerospace Fighter Lines that had been mothballed and decommissioned after the Lyran-Commonwealth War. The Duchy of Apollo was on the rise industrially, and the Pride of Apollo was the first stone laid in that wall, now that the Shipyards on Eurydice had become the foundation.

At any rate, aside from Katrina's shuttle, which had been situated in the Small Craft Bay, the Pride of Apollo was also bringing in a cargo of rare earth metals that had been mined from the Hills of the Delphi Province on Apollo. I had purchased that cargo to be used in my own factories. The relationship I had with the Watsons was a symbiotic one, after all. It didn't hurt that Katrina and I were dating, though I suspected that this trip that Katrina was taking to see me might change that. It would be something of an ironic reversal if that was the case, the Woman proposing to the Man, but then, I'd been so busy outside of our scheduled liasons that I wouldn't have had time to think up a romantic way to pop the question even if you paid me a Billion C-bills.

Accordingly, I was anxious. If I was right, then this weekend had to go perfectly. I had to sweep Katrina off her feet and seal the deal. Of course, the issue with that was the anxiety it was causing me. I'd been staring at my reflection in my bedroom mirror for the past twenty minutes, tying and retieing this damned tie. I knew I shouldn't have gone with a bow tie, but I'd let my stylist talk me into it. I should have never let Minister Kowalski talk me into hiring that damned style consultant. I couldn't get the damned thing straight! Not straight enough to matter, anyway. This had to be perfect, damnit!

The Stylist, some fly-by-night fashionista from Tharkad, had me dressed in a Blue Suit with Green Pinstripes, a White Shirt, and a Red Bow Tie. Blue for Katrina's House Colors, as House Watson's Coat of Arms was a white swan on a cobalt blue field. Red and Green were the bull and grass on the Poniatowski Arms, while white was shared by both our families, in Katrina's case, the aforementioned Swan, and in mine, the field the Arms were set onto. The whole ensemble was supposed to suggest a union of our houses, but in a tasteful, subtle way. Of course, that would only work if I could get the damned bow tie right!

I growled low in the back of my throat as I untied my bow tie for the umpteenth time and began to retie it once again. As I did so, however, Susie showed up in the doorway behind me with a confused look on her face.

"What are you doing?" She questioned.

"This weekend has to be perfect, Susie. I can't afford not to look my absolute best here, but this damn tie refuses to stay straight!" I growled out.

"Are you sure this is about the tie, Jozef?" Queried Susie.

"How do you mean?" I asked, frowning as my tie once again refused to sit straight after retieing it.

"Leave that for a second. I'm saying you could get nervous about this, and you shouldn't be." Insisted Susie.

"I'm not nervous, Susie. I've faced down entire Lances of Mechs on my own. I don't get nervous." I pointed out.

"No? What do you call tying the same bow tie a million times, then?" Questioned Susie.

"All right, maybe I am a little nervous." I admitted.

"Why? You like Katrina, and she likes you, right? You guys have been dating for a while, yeah?" Queried Susie.

"That's true, but I think this might be the weekend we get engaged. What if I blow it?" I asked.

"Look, I just turned eleven, so I don't know a whole lot about this stuff, but it seems stupid to me that you're worried about screwing it up now. If you were gonna screw this up, you'd have done it by now, right?" Asked Susie.

"Huh, you know. That actually makes sense." I blinked.

"'Course it does. I'm awesome." Smirked Susie, going right back to her usual self after giving a single piece of good advice. I could only chuckle at that. She was still a kid after all, even if she was growing up fast.

"What's so funny?" Demanded Susie.

"Nevermind, squirt. I'll tell you later." I grinned.

"Hey! I just grew two inches the past week, I think I'm getting a growth spurt!" Protested Susie.

"Sure you are. You're still my Kid Sister, though." I nodded.

"Yeah? Well, this Kid Sister's about to kick you in the shins if you don't take it back!" Warned Susie.

"Sorry, sorry!" I placated, holding up my hands.

"Yeah, you are." Nodded Susie.

"Seriously, though. Thanks for the advice, Susie. I think I needed that." I thanked.

"Sure, what else are Sisters for?" Questioned Susie.

A knock on the door signaled the arrival of one of the servants or security personnel. I turned to see that Agent Veluri, one of the new recruits that Minister Simowitz had trained recently and assigned to my security detail, had arrived. Apparently, Bikram Veluri had been the best of the recent graduates when it came to cryptography and had been assigned to the Palace's Comms Staff on Ny Roskilde. He was the son of an Architect from Tondinur on Lanka, whose family had been one of those who had made a hefty pile of C-Bills during the rebuilding of Placida after the Oberon War. They'd used some of that wealth to send Bikram to the Academy, where his talent for Maths got him placed in Cryptography Courses, which was where Minister Simowitz's people noticed him.

"Yes? What is it?" I queried.

"You told me to warn you when Lady Watson was about to arrive?" Asked Agent Veluri.

"And she is?" I asked.

"Indeed, My Lord. Her car is passing through the security gates as we speak." Nodded Agent Veluri.

"Right. Looks like it's time to make some magic." I nodded.

"Knock 'em dead. Not literally, I mean." Chirped Susie.

"I know." I beamed at my Kid Sister.

Then, with a grin on my face and butterflies in my stomach, I made my way out of the Ducal Apartments to the lifts. The Palace Complex was rather large, after all. More akin to a castle than a mansion. Lifts were needed to get from the Ducal Apartments on the top floor all the way to the entrance hall on the ground floor. As I entered the lift, Agent Veluri entered after me. I turned to the man and nodded at him.

"How do I look?" I questioned.

"I am sure Lady Watson will like it, My Lord." Intoned Agent Veluri, diplomatically.

"Oh, damn your diplomatic answers, Man! Give me an honest opinion!" I hissed out.

"You want an Honest Opinion, My Lord?" Queried Agent Veluri.

"Yes, I promise you won't be reassigned somewhere unpleasant just tell me, I can't afford to screw this up!" I insisted.

"The bow tie is a bit crooked, My Lord." Answered Agent Veluri.

"I knew it!" I exclaimed.

"That is not a bad thing, however. I am told that on places such as Apsalar, a bit of asymmetry helps sell the illusion of effortless grace. Sprezzatura, I believe it is called." Offered Agent Veluri.

"Have you been to Apsalar?" I asked.

"I cannot say I have had the Pleasure, My Lord." Refuted Agent Veluri.

"The place is more hills than plains, which would be fine if not for all the corruption. Minister Jonsson spent all year last year just tamping down on local crime syndicates in the hills. I think that Apsalar might not be exactly the image I want to send here." I pointed out.

"You did ask my honest opinion, My Lord." Reminded Agent Veluri.

"So I did, and I cannot fault you for agreeing. It's too late now, at any rate. The time to change was fifteen minutes ago." I agreed.

"As you say, My Lord." Nodded Agent Velluri.

And with that, the rest of the trip on the lifts passed in silence, for what little there was of it. Just a few moments after the conversation lapsed, the lift doors opened onto the balcony that oversaw the floor level and was attached to the grand staircase in the Entry Hall of the Ducal Palace of Ny Roskilde. The Hall was decorated and laid out in the style of a Baroque Palace from Europe on Old Terra. All marble floors, oil paintings, and stucco walls. In reality, it was one part of an incredibly high-tech complex that was part Fortress, part Ducal Residence, and Part Administrative Center. In fact, the Security gates that Katrina's Groundcar had just passed through held a dozen different sorts of sensor equipment and were built of materials rated to withstand fire from Mech-sized Weapons. As I made my way down the Grand Staircase, Agent Velluri nodded at me.

"Good luck, My Lord." He opined.

"Thank you." I responded.

Then Agent Velluri was gone, headed down a doorway that would ultimately lead to the Palace's Communications Center, where the Comms Unit was. I watched his gray-suited form leave to head back to his post for a moment before straightening up and focusing on the front door. A few moments later, a pair of uniformed Palace Guards opened the double doors and Katrina Watson entered the Great Hall of my Palace on Ny Roskilde.

She was stunning, as always. Perfectly sculpted form fitted into a blue dress of gossamer silk that made her look like she was headed to a ball or party. I knew that her lithe form wasn't just for dancing, though. She was a right terror on the battlefield, after all. My equal in so many ways and better than me in a few others to boot. As her heels clacked across the marble tile of the Palace floor and I descended the grand staircase to meet her, I could only reflect that I was incredibly lucky to have her as my girlfriend. Katrina could find a suitor literally anywhere she wanted, after all. I couldn't screw this up.

"My Lady." I offered, bowing.

"My Lord." Cutseyed Katrina.

A series of photos were snapped for the newspaper as I bowed and Katrina curtseyed, going through the formalities of our meeting. Once that was over, however, a crooked grin broke over Katrina's face, and suddenly I was reminded that this wasn't just Colonel Katrina Watson, Future Duchess of Apollo. This was Katrina Watson, my former Academy Squadmate, my Girlfriend, and one of my Best Friends. Just seeing her crack that grin made all my anxieties over the perfect weekend vanish, and I suddenly felt silly that I had been worried so much. Now that the formalities were done with, I rushed to Katrina, my own face mirroring her grin, and we embraced in the middle of the grand hall, kissing each other. For a few moments, we just held each other, kissing, before breaking apart.

"It's good to see you, Jozef. You've been so busy lately." Intoned Katrina.

"Well, you know what they say, heavy lies the head that wears the crown." I offered.

"Who's they?" Questioned Katrina.

"You know, the Royal They." I answered.

"So stuffy people in Academy Classrooms, then?" Queried Katrina.

"Exactly." I nodded with a grin.

Katrina let out a giggle and then grabbed my arm. I couldn't help but waggle my eyebrows at her in response as I made a joke about that.

"Why, Lady Watson, how forward of you." I smirked.

"Come on, I haven't seen your house before. Show me around." Insisted Katrina.

"Sure, I'll give you the tour. No flash photography, please." I quipped.

"Arse." Giggled Katrina.

Then, together, we headed out as I gave Katrina a tour of my Home. We were making snide remarks and quipping the whole time and I realized I had been stupid to be so worried that I would screw this up. After all, if this was anything to go by, our patter clearly hadn't missed a step, and we were still as in sync as always, even after months with only video calls to go on.

It really did seem just like old times. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the next chapter. Katrina Watson arrives on New Ålborg for a weekend of romance with Jozef. Jozef meanwhile, senses he might get engaged this weekend and gets anxiety over screwing up and choking at the last moment. He's knocked out of his funk by his Adoptive Kid Sister, and he and Katrina seem like they're still as in sync with each other as ever, banishing Jozef's Worries. Of course, this is just the start of the weekend, so mishaps could still happen, but it's already going well enough.

At any rate, the next chapter will involve the next part of the Romantic Weekend. Katrina will talk with Susie for more than a few moments at a time, and dinner will be served. I'll also have a few more images out before then as well.

Stay tuned. . .