A week later, Xanthe was without her golden armour when she strode across the courtyard to the Senate. She had been listening to Prince Loren play the lute in his reception room, when a small dot appeared in the upper right quadrant of her vision, summoning her to the Senate. She hoped it was good news. The last reports from Nan had been promising, it appeared that the Eridani forces had finally succeeded in damaging one of the giant black space ships. She was hoping this summons was to announce its complete destruction. Lost in her thoughts, she relaxed her usual hyper-vigilance.

"No!"

The sudden shout had her spinning around, crouching low to the ground. The whine from a neuroblaster shot past her right ear, missing her by millimetres. The next second, Janna stood over her, shielding her from further threat with her own body. People screamed. Guards shouted, and Xanthe straightened, staring at the bodies of Prince Loren and his bodyguard. Both of them had needles sticking out of their necks.

"He tried to kill you, Matris!" whispered Janna in shocked tones.

Unspeaking, Xanthe strode forward. "Are they still alive?" she demanded curtly. One of her guards looked up from where she had been kneeling, next to the bodies.

"Yes, Matris." The guard frowned. She pointed to an object which looked exactly like a conductor's baton, lying just beyond Tayne's outstretched hand. "There's the weapon. A neuroblaster."

Prince Loren was lying half on top of his bodyguard, with a fist still clutching a handful of the man's uniform.

"I think Loren tried to help me," murmured Xanthe. She was almost certain it had been Loren's voice with that warning shout.

"Hmm," Janna pursed her lips, unconvinced. Her heart was still racing at her charge's narrow escape. A millimetre to the left - and it could have been Xanthe on the ground, dead and bleeding at her feet.

"In any case, he will have to be confined until we find out exactly what happened here. Take the Prince to his quarters," she told two of her guards, "and hold him there until the Matriarch decides what to do with him. The other can go straight to the Patrol House for interrogation."

She looked around at the crowd of onlookers which was gathering, drawn by the commotion.

"Quickly!" she snapped.

Much as she wanted to go with Loren, Xanthe couldn't - she needed to talk to the Matriarch immediately. Whether Loren had been involved or not, it was clearly evident that his bodyguard, Tayne, had tried to kill her. She found it hard to believe that he had been working under orders from the Orion Sovereignty, but even if he had gone off on his own like a chaotic comet, this event had put the entire alliance at risk.

                                                              ~~~

"He what?" asked King Mykel, blinking. He felt as if he had fallen backwards through a wormhole.

"Bodyguard Tayne tried to kill Xanthe. He fired a neuroblaster at her," repeated the Matriarch coolly.

"Is she all right?"

The King's quick concern caused the Matriarch to relax a fraction. "The Matris was unharmed," she replied.

"I can only apologise on his behalf," said the King stiffly. "I give you my personal assurance that there was no such order given by me or my council. Tayne was acting completely on his own." The King was furious and worried at the same time. What in Rigel's name had possessed the man? He must have gone mad, to risk the future of the entire Constellation on some personal vendetta.

"From what we have been able to establish," continued the Matriarch, "Tayne was one of those who refused to believe the attacks on your planets come from an outside, invading force. He honestly believed he was helping to defend Orion. Unfortunately, that won't save him from compulsory Rehabilitation."

"Of course not," agreed the King, swallowing. Damn the man - his dangerous stupidity had placed the whole alliance in jeopardy. How could the Eridanis and the Matriarch possibly forgive this?

"You will be relieved to hear that Tayne has cleared Prince Loren of any involvement," said the Matriarch, tactfully. No need to tell the King that Tayne had laughed aloud at the suggestion. "That pathetic little - little opera singer?" he had sneered.

"In fact, it appears Prince Loren may have saved Matris Xanthe's life."

"Loren did?" gasped the King, not so tactfully.

The Matriarch smiled significantly and gestured to someone out of sight, to come forward. "I think we may have found a solution to our current problem."

King Mykel watched bemusedly as Loren and Xanthe came forward hand in hand, both with smiles on their faces although Loren had one eyebrow raised.

"I suggest a symbolic alliance, to pre-empt the strategic one. A marriage between your son, Prince Loren, and my daughter, Matris Xanthe. I have their agreement. What do you say?"