Part 3
GAR'S LIFE

I was born in the reproductive vats of our empire's capital. I am not a
clone, just simply a being born without the care of a mother or father. I
thank who ever they were however.  For even from birth I was destined to
join the warrior caste of our society (the fact that in a fit of rage I
broke my nurse's arm might have had something to do with it).  Even as a
babe I was at least three inches taller than my closest peer.  From the
time I could walk, I was raised in the best warrior guild on the planet. I,
and the rest of the children who were lucky enough to be accepted into this
guild, were trained in the martial arts and in the use and repair of
complex firearms. We were taught the fundamentals of combat, and each
mastered the thousands of ways to bring down an opponent.  For it would be
my duty later in life, just as it was for all the members of my guild, to
protect and defend her majesty The Tigress.

The Tigress (she had no other name), was both the physical and spiritual
leader of my people. I matured faster than most of my peers, and it was
just after my seventh cycle (year) that I was called to her palace guard.
Most of my guild never even made it that far, and so a whole new training
period began. So it was not until the beginning of my eighth cycle that I
was called to active duty and stationed at her country estate.  How I
loathed that job, I would have to stand around for hours perfectly still
even when no one was around. I was being watched of course, monitors on the
walls scanned me constantly and any movement in this building except during
shift changes was considered a threat and the security was sounded.  After
almost a cycle and a half of this (my early career passed by without much
incidence) there was something to break the monotony.

The Tigress, after all this time, finally decided to spend a cycle or two
at this particular residence.  Most of the guards were assembled out in the
courtyard to welcome her Highness.   There was much fanfare and goings on.
She was not alone, there was a whole entourage of people with her.  I found
it hard to suppress a giggle when two kittens made sport of trying to get
some of my comrades to move from their statued position. Even from across
the courtyard I could see one of my companions was sweating profusely under
his load of five children.  He was very soon going to have to move and the
penalty for moving except when ordered was three dozen lashings.  Luckily
for him The Tigress in all her awareness, saw the kittens and had one of
her honourguard remove them from the besieged sentry.

Lucky for me, I was stationed in the dining room and so saw her Highness
fairly often.  Being 8'1" and much more muscular than my comrades who were
an average 7'9" or so, I was usually chosen if she needed to have a guard
run an errand for her.  I was liking this arrangement much better.  With
less standing and more moving around, I was getting a much higher rate of
job satisfaction.  But the biggest complement came the day she started
calling me by name. The Tigress being a mighty ruler, and having to meet so
many people constantly, there was only about three or four handfuls of
people that she truly knew by name. Oh she did know many names and many
people but not really the two together.  So it surprised almost no one when
upon her departure I was transferred to her royal estate and positioned in
the great ballroom of her castle.

Balls on my planet were just coming into style.  While we may have been
ahead in most areas, our music was just barely starting to mimic the works
of the great terran composers. I suppose it would look almost comical to
see giant winged cats dressed in advanced neo-fabrics waltzing around the
floor. But anyway I was there for all of them, I had never been to a non-royal
ball but I'm sure they were nowhere near the decadence I observed.
More food was left over than most families eat in a year.  None was wasted
however.  The Tigress was by no means a ruthless tyrant and all the leftovers
were distributed amongst the general public. With so many people
on the planet and so many jobs to fill, unemployment was unheard of, and I
of course had my job.

The description of my job would change rather quickly though. It all began
during the celebration of the Tigerwaltz Bi-cycle Ball.  The time was late
at 'night' and the ballroom was all but deserted.  I was the only guard on
duty, most of the other guards were re-assigned that afternoon.  With so
many guests arriving, the east and north wings had to be converted into
accommodations.  And because of the greater number of people (most of them
very important officials) higher security was a must.  So it was that after
the evening ball, all the other guards left and I was alone in the great
hall. It was interesting to think of myself in that great room all alone
with the grand chandeliers and ornate marble floor.

A sound off to one side made me look up from my thoughts.  At the far end
of the great room one of the large carved doors slowly swung open.
Carefully moving only my eyes, I surveyed the ballroom's newest occupant.
It was the High Cub, similar in your terms to the crown prince or in this
case, princess.  She was a marvel, her delicate striped wings betrayed her
lineage to the royal family of tigers.  But instead of the usual orange and
black stripes her's were comprised of a stunning shade of vixen red offset
by bands of ebony. She was still young, not more than a full seven cycles,
yet she was already had the royal height and build.  I was a good foot
taller than her, but in strength she was very close to my abilities.  She
entered the room and obviously not sensing my presence, looked around once
and then beckoned through the door behind her.  In through the doorway
peered a very scared and also very un-royal kitten.  Probably about the
same age as the High Cub he was much shorter and much weaker looking, both
in build and in fur markings.

He gingerly stepped into the huge expanse before him, his common orange and
white marbled fur shining in the light from the doorway.  She took his hand
in hers and slowly led him out into the soft twilight of the room.  Once they were
in about the middle she stopped.  As he came to a halt, his
shaking was evident even from my point of view across the room.  His kind,
the commoners, were not even allowed inside the royal estate, let alone
into the palace.  For him to be here, inside the royal ballroom was
unthinkable. Sensing his nervousness, she took him in a tender embrace and
held him to her.  The poor lad almost collapsed into her, obviously faint
with fear.  After a time they slowly parted, and then, ever so slowly began
a long and solo waltz. Though no music played they kept perfect time,
growing ever faster and smother as his confidence built.  Two of our suns
could be seen through the thick blinds casting the pair into a single
twirling silhouette on the reflective marble floor. He was some dancer,
once he got warmed up that is. Soon they were pivoting and gyrating all
over the room, each lost to the world and conscious only of the movements
of the other.

Like an atomic reaction the gravity of the scene in front of me slapped me in the
face, these two young kittens were in love.  The classic tale of the
prince and the young maid was playing out before me, only the genders had
been reversed.  Their love was forbidden and as such could not exist, the
consequences were astounding, only one High Cub was conceived at any one
time.  That kitten must be trained in the ways of The Tigress and live
solely for the purpose of taking over from her mother.  Upon the day she
took the throne, an egg was extracted from her body, combined with the seed
of another pure tiger who would be her mate and thus starting the next High
Cub.  This mix-match of genes before me could not take place!  And yet as I
watched the pair twirl and dip in front of me I could not bring myself to
report it.  Better to let the High Cub inform The Tigress herself, I
reasoned.

The dance was obviously over, for the two young lovers came to a stop in
the middle of the floor.  They held hands at arms length and looked into
the eyes of the other.  Then slowly, ever so slowly, they moved together
and locked in a long tender kiss.  After an eternity, they parted and
simply were contented to gaze at each other again. Suddenly without
warning, for whatever reason, he happened to glance over her shoulder.  He
let out a muffled cry as he caught sight of my dark figure, clad in the
normal black armour of the palace guard.  His knees gave out on him and he
slumped to the floor, sobbing softly.  The High Cub, on the other hand, had
not noticed me and so was puzzled by her partner's behaviour.  She mumbled
something to him and he answered pointing to my location.  Now it was her
turn to cry out, but unlike him she kept her wits about her.  Calming him
down, she strode toward me using every inch of her regal bearing.  She must
have not seen that I was taller than her, for as she approached a slight
cloud of fear crossed her face.

I was looking at her, it was too late to hide that fact, so I simply kept on
returning her gaze as she approached me.

"Who are you?" She demanded, her voice cracking slightly with emotion.  She
was obviously quite aware of the punishment she would receive if she was
found out.  Sensing her unnecessary fear, I reacted in probably the last way
she would have expected. I dropped to one knee, bowing low and lowering
my head in a sign of submission as I answered her question.

"By her Majesty's leave, I am Gar, Third Flank of the Tiger's Fang Guard,
and your's to command,"  I recited, giving her my name and rank as was
required when being addressed.  If I had looked up I probably would have
seen a look of bewilderment on her face, a guard on duty had to bow before
no one not even The Tigress herself.

"V...very well, uh... Gar. Please stand," She stammered. I did not, but I
did raise my head. She continued, speaking almost on the brink of tears.
"How much... How much have you seen?" She inquired.

"I saw your Majesty enter the room." With my response the young tiger burst
forth in a torrent of emotion.  Covering her face with her hands, she
collapsed to the floor shielding herself with her wings.  Her young friend
had mustered the courage to approach by this time, he knelt on the far side
of her gently stroking the short striped fur on her wings. Sensing his
touch she sat up and buried her face in his chest.

The young kitten's eyes had not left me since he had first seen me,
gathering all the strength he had, he forwarded a question to me.

"You have to kill me, don't you?"  His voice, slightly deepened with the
onset of manhood, was shaking terribly.  At the thought, the form leaning
on him let forth a fresh wave of sobs.  Hoping to comfort them both
slightly, I formulated an answer.

"What?  Kill a guest of the Royal Heir, I think not."  My answer provided
the desired response.  His shoulders relaxed a little, and the High Cub
stopped her sobbing. "You do realize your Majesty, that I will have to
report this." Her fear was rank in my nostrils.  "But I think it would be
better if you did."  I held out my communications module toward her, she
carefully took it in her paws and pressed the activate button.

"Yes Gar? Oh my Liege, it's you!  What is wrong, have you been crying?" The
voice on the other end was shocked to see the tear-stained face of the
future monarch.

"Yes, I have been crying.  Can you summon my mother?"  The young High Cub
spoke the command, then ended the transmission.