Horizon Storms - Kevin J. Anderson [166]
But she couldn’t simply walk in and demand the title of Theron Mother, even though she felt she could institute changes—dramatic changes—that could benefit both her world and the Hansa. The Therons knew and loved their leaders, and Sarein had been gone for a long time. Even when she’d lived on Theroc, she had never engendered much devotion in the people. She spent little time with green priests, felt no calling for the worldforest. Everyone would recognize her as a pawn of the Hansa.
And Basil’s ideas of blithely rescinding the long-standing Theron independence made her uneasy. Sarein gradually realized that he now exerted more power over her than she influenced him. As difficult as it was to admit, she was halfway in love with Basil and didn’t want to leave him behind.
Eventually the captain summoned her to the cockpit. “If you come forward now, Ambassador, you can see Theroc in the front observation panels. Thought you’d like to have a look.”
“I’ll be right there.”
In truth, she didn’t want to see, but she entered the cockpit of the diplomatic transport and stared down at the cloud-smeared landmasses where she’d been born. Sarein traced the outlines of the continents. Oddly, she was more familiar with the geography of Earth than of Theroc. How could she possibly rule this planet? It would be a sham.
Normally, the Theron landscape would have been a carpet of green separated by large bodies of water, but now she could see countless dark stains. In a way, she was glad Estarra wasn’t here with her…
Though they had shared many recent tragedies, Sarein spent too little time with her sister. It was a painful oversight. She had focused on her own political activities and obligations, while the Queen had her cadre of attendants and advisers, and the genuine friendship and love of King Peter. But that was no excuse. They should have been friends, allies…sisters.
Before Sarein departed for Theroc, the two young women had walked together in the Whisper Palace’s fern garden, passing feathery fans that grew bright green under the sunlight, talking of how life had been when they were just children: simple, optimistic, innocent.
Sarein also felt a wary concern about leaving Estarra and King Peter alone and unprotected. She tried to convince herself that the assassination attempt had merely been Basil’s bluff to put Peter in his place, but she was never sure.
Estarra had stopped beside one of the small potted treelings, looking at it distractedly. “In a way, I envy you. I still feel I belong on Theroc.”
Sarein ran her fingers along the soft lacy fronds of a fern. “Sometimes it would be easier if the two of us just switched places. You could go back home where you want to be, and I’d stay here on Earth.”
The Queen laughed in surprise. “You may be my sister, Sarein, but I wouldn’t give up my husband. I actually love Peter, you know.”
“Yes, I know. It’s painfully obvious.”
They had stood together looking at the single treeling on display, reminded of the immense burned forests. Estarra herself had brought this particular treeling as a gift to the Chairman when she’d first come to Earth, and Nahton often used it for communication.
Sarein put her arm around her sister’s shoulder. “It’s just an ironic twist of fate that we’re each better suited for the other’s responsibilities. You’d really like to go back to Theroc, even now that it’s all burned and broken?”
“That’s when it’s possible to love it the most.”
Sarein had playfully yanked one of Estarra’s carefully twisted braids, as she’d done when they were both little girls. No doubt the royal guards, who always discreetly kept watch on them, were horrified at such a disrespectful action on the part of the ambassador, but Sarein didn’t care.
“Come with me, Estarra. You can help me pack.”
Now, as the captain stabilized his orbit, then prepared the descent trajectory, he studied his high-resolution scanners. “Quite a bit of difference down there. A lot of traffic in the air, in orbit, and on the ground. I thought Therons didn’t do much space travel.”
Sarein