Romeo, Oh Romeo, Part 2

Posted on Sun Jul 24th, 2022 @ 5:11am by Lieutenant Commander Rin & Captain Gary Taylor

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Holodeck
2498 words - 5 OF Standard Post Measure

The castle perched on a hill overlooking the town, a foreboding edifice of cold grey stone. The guards snapped to attention as they passed, and other people bowed and curtsied along the corridors as they continued to the throne room.

The throne room was darker still, with light filtered through large green glass windows. On the throne sat a stately woman, bald, but with a crown that could give Glinda the Good Witch a run for her money. She was dressed in a gown as ridiculous as Rin's, except in shades of green with pink riibbons.

The Queen.

The Borg Queen.

In a frilly green dress.

Rin gave a snort. She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from bursting out laughing. This was supposed to be serious, damnit.

Gary stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the Queen,... a Borg Queen. He looked at Rin and then back at her 'mom' "Are you kidding me?" He said in a savage, low whisper as he looked around the throne room for the King when he spied him, standing looking out the window before he turned to take Rin and Gary into his gaze. He was a powerfully built man with long hair streaked with grey. He wore an open tunic, giving a glimpse of his chest. Rin's 'dad' was Khan.

He strode towards them with long, purposeful strides. His arms outstretched a bright charismatic smile on his face. "Ah, darling daughter, you have returned home, that pleases me. Your place is here." He said as he embraced Rin in a hug before turning to look at Gary. "And who is this?" He asked. "Sire, I am Sir Gary of Taylors.'' Gary replied. Khan turned to Rin, "A knight? i did not know you were seeing a knight." He looked at the Queen, "Did you know our daughter was seeing a knight? This most excellent. Most excellent indeed."

"If someone has set this up, I'm not sure if they deserve a promotion, a court martial, or both," Rin muttered to Gary.

"Hello Father, hello...Mom...." Rin giggled. Like legitimately giggled as if some emotional regulator in her brain just broke.

"Is something the matter, child?" Asked the Queen.

"No, no, everything's fine. I'm just....marveling at your dress." She swallowed more giggles. "Ahem... Your Majesties, I know you had hoped to arrange a marriage for me, but Sir Gary and I have come before you with our desire to... marry. He means a great deal to me, and it would hurt immensely if you would keep us apart."

"I see," said the Queen, leaning forward on her throne. "Tell us you love him."

"I do."

"Say it."

Rin took a breath and then, with actual conviction in her voice, announced, "I am in love with Sir Gary of Taylors. I trust him with my life, he provides wise counsel, and gives meaning to each day, so I am asking for your permission to marry the love of my life."

Gary steeped beside Rin and took her hand in his. "Sire, your Highness, I love Princess Rin. She is intelligent and warm, loving and graceful. Her face is the first thing I wish to see in the morning and the last when I go to sleep.''

"Well said Sir Gary! Well said indeed." King Khan said in a booming voice then he called out, "Bantam! Come here! From the wings came a small man, a dwarf who stopped in front of Khan and pointed at Rin and shouted. "The Princess! The Princess!" Khan sighed, "I can see that Bantam. Make arrangement for a royal wedding." He looked to Rin, "Darling Daughter, when do you wish to marry Sir Gary?"

"Oh, I'd swear to it right now, given the option."

"Nonsense daughter." Khan replied, "We must first have a celebration as we announce your upcoming marriage to Sir Gary. After all these things must have a certain style to them."

"I don't suppose this program allows eloping," Rin muttered to Gary. And then, louder, "Of course, father. Obviously, I was getting ahead of myself. I'm just so thrilled you're both so accepting of my choice and my feelings."

"I highly doubt it. We could try but I'd hate to see what would happen if we failed and... do you really want to get your 'mom and dad' mad?" Gary muttered back.

"It is alright daughter. You are excited about your marriage, it is understandable." Khan answered with a smile. "You just leave everything to your mother and me. You will have a wedding you will never forget." Khan assured her.

"I have no doubt of that. When might things be arranged?"

"Oh." Khan paused dramatically then continued, "I would say within the next day, two at the most for the arrangements to be made, then of course you and your mother must choose a wedding dress for you, my darling."

"That'll be the highlight of my day, second only to the ceremony, I am sure."

Rin's sarcasm was lost on Khan who beamed brightly at her. "I knew you would be happy darling daughter. I am quite sure you and your mother will find the perfect dress. While you two to that, Bantam will make the royal announcement and then we can plan the celebration."

Rin gets up on her tippy toes to plant a kiss on Gary's cheek. "And while I am having fun with Mom, you can enjoy getting to know your future father-in-law!" she beamed.

"Oh yay." Gary replied a smile pasted on his face. "That sounds like a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to bonding and getting to know your dad better.'' He gave Rin a return peck on her cheek, "You have fun darling." he teased.

Khan came to Gary's side and threw a muscular arm around his shoulders. "Come Sir Gary or can I call you son? We have much to prepare in regard to the celebration. It will call for much drink and food along with minstrels."

Meanwhile, Rin was swept into a room as bright as the previous room was dark. Colorful tapestries draped white walls.

The Queen practically slithered across the lovely marble tile, her green gown sweeping behind her. “We are so happy to have you back. It has been such a long time, hasn’t it? But everyone comes home,” the Queen mused happily as she flipped through a rack of dresses. “Now let see if we remember what you liked to wear.”

The dress she pulled out was an exquisite black and silver with jet embroidery and knotted silver cords.

“Actually, I think I’ve grown past my goth phase,” Rin replied. “Venturing out into color.”

“But you haven’t even tried it on.”

“I remember what it looks like on me.”

There was a long pause and a bit of a stare down between the two women. And then, as carefree as could be, the Queen tossed the dress to the side with a *giggle* and went back to the clothes rack.

“Green?” the Queen asked, an almost childish grin crossing her face as she pulled out another dress.

“Oh, that’s always been your color, Mom. Time for me to be my own person, don’t you think?”

“If you say so, dear. So, what color would you like?”

Rin didn’t really care. She didn’t really have a favorite color, and it wasn’t like this was *real.* This was an ends to a means. On the other hand, she was stuck here until program completion, and being a little more engaging would hopefully move things along.

“Blue. Dark blue, light blue, maybe some purple accents. You know, something that befits a royal wedding.”

What the Queen offered next was essentially Princess Di’s wedding dress, just in blue: giant poofy sleeves, piles of skirt layers, huge lace ruffles and a train that seemed to go on for miles.

“I will look like a marshmallow in that.”

”Don’t be silly. Marshmallows aren’t blue.”

Rin sighed. “How about something….Klingon.”

“Sweatheart, those dresses aren’t really for someone of your…body type.”

Rin crossed her arms. “Are you suggesting the Queen herself cannot find a dressmaker to make such a design suitable for me?”

“Touche.”

Meanwhile back at the castle, Khan and Gary were having a grand old time making plans for the celebration or rather Khan was. Gary's input consisted of saying yes or no at the appropriate times.

"So, Gary we have roasted chicken, roasted pigs. some beef to roast. Along with corn and potatoes of course both roasted. What do you think of roasted turkey? The animal or person?" Gary asked which brought a heartly laugh and a slap on the back from Khan. "Very good Gary." came Khan's reply as he moved on. "The grand hall will be decorated, with ribbons and banners. Our daughter just loves ribbons." Khan told him. "I hadn't noticed but I take your word Sire." Khan looked at him and whispered, "When we are alone you do not need to call me Sire, you may call me... Dad."

Gary blinked, once, twice before finding his voice. "Um sure Si.....I mean Dad."

"Very good. Now as I was saying, the hall will be decorated, and the minstrels will play. You and our daughter will dance. Her mother and I will dance. You will dance with her mother, and I will dance with my daughter. What do you think?"

" Lots of dancing Dad.''

Khan nodded and threw his arm around Gary, "Son, I do not need to tell you this, but her mother and I are expecting grandchildren, lots and soon."

"Um, okay?"

"So, don't use up all your energy celebrating." Khan advised.

"Got it Dad."

"Most excellent. We have clothes already picked out for the grandchildren. "They are made of the finest Corinthian leather."

Gary suppressed a groan and managed "Sounds wonderful" All while he thought Rin had to be having a better time than he was.

Rin, meanwhile, was absolutely not having a better time than Gary was. As the seamstresses worked on her dress, the Queen had insisted on tea, and so now Rin was having tea with a Borg Queen in a garish fluffy green dress.

"So, girl to girl, how's he like in bed?"

Rin did a full spittake. "Mother!"

"He's certainly a looker, I was just wondering...."

"I am *not* having this discussion."

The Queen pulled back a gave Rin a long lookover. "You're not telling me you haven't...."

"Not. Having. This. Discussion." Rin slurped her tea in a very unprincesslike manner.

The Queen considered her another long moment. "Not....ever?"

"This is why I hate romance novels," Rin muttered as she stood. "The servants can find me when the dress is finished."

And with that, she stomped out.

Elsewhere in the castle, Khan continued to talk and make plans and it was past mind numbing for Gary. "Say um Dad. That sounds great." he said only now realizing he didn't know what he was giving his approval on. "I need to find the princess and let her know all the wonderful plans we've come up with.

"Of course son. You do that and remember to conserve your strength for the appropriate time."

"Yeah um right, will do." Gary answered as he beat a hasty retreat and went looking for Rin.

Rin was basically doing the same, and the two collided as they came around the same corner in opposite directions.

"You know, if we kill Mom and Dad I get to be queen, I can declare ourselves married, and this can be over," she informed him very matter of factly.

"I don't think it will be that easy not that it isn't a tempting and intriguing idea. Which leads me to this, what happened with your mom?" Gary questioned his intended bride to be.

"Well, I've been away from home for too long, my cleavage leaves her underwhelmed and she would like the details of our sex life. How's Dad? Also...who is Dad?"

"What!?" Gary exclaimed a shocked look coming to his face. "What did you tell her? Dad is fine, full of big grandiose ideas which include us having lots of children as soon as possible. I think he would be overjoyed if you gave birth out in the grand hall and he is Khan Noonien Singh. Former ruler of over a quarter of the Earth's population in the late twentieth century. He and his followers escaped Earth aboard a sleeper ship and were discovered by Captain Kirk of the Enterprise some two hundred years later. Where Khan repaid Kirk's
rescue by trying to kill him and take over the Enterprise."

"Ah, the Eugenics War." Rin cocked her head slightly to one side in thought. "Those two actually make a rather good couple. As for what I said, I said nothing. I said I wasn't going to have that conversation. I'm currently in the midst of fleeing the conversation. But I'm sure if she catches up she'll helpfully ask you for details or maybe lecture you on technique."

Gary nodded, "A yeah both of them are megalomaniacs. Glad you didn't say anything about um the other. Though I am surprised she wasn't giving you pointers or a lecture on how to please a man. I mean she is the Queen you know." He looked around, " On another note, what kind of dress did you an Mom pick out?"

"I'm pretty sure she wears the pants in this family. And I guess you're just going to have to wait for the party to know."

"You think? I don't know Khan is a pretty tough customer, but he loves you, his darling daughter and you're telling me to wait because you don't know either. Waiting for mom to spring it on you."

"Well, I knew what it was going to be when I left. But I suppose I have now put it in Mom's hands. Which could be bad...but I'm not braving her questions for the sake of the dress."

Well, don't blame you there. Listening to your dad, telling me what they expected was bad enough." A worried look crossed Gary's face. "Um are you sure it's a dress? You did say you were leaving it in your mom's hands. It could be a green catsuit."

Rin gave Gary a long look. "You're not helping."

Gary looked at Rin, a slow smile coming to his face and spreading into a full-blown smile. "Meow." He replied.

Rin frowned. "Whoever did this to us is dying slowly and painfully. I am Chief of Intelligence. I have are a very particular set of skills."

"Put thoses skills to use and if you need help getting rid of the body or bodies, let me know. I have a particular set of skills as well." Gary informed her with a smirk.

(to be continued!)

 

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