Of Pride and Power - 35. Interlude- Depths of Bonds

Eighteen years of training and service to the Duke of Somerset, who became our sovereign, Aelfric Elias Tudor have led me to my current life. Nearing the third decade in my life, I have no regrets about my choice to follow Lord Eli after the foiled robbery attempt, I made. During my visits to the Palace, I would regale the young princes with the tale among many others I have picked up over the years out at sea. Of course, many of these visits after the war for the throne were marked with restless nights of activity between me, Aelfric Elias Tudor, Archduke Dudley, Sir Walsingham, and occasionally others like the foreign Lord Takechiyo or Lady Howard. Though unconventional in terms of physical and sexual activities, it was a far cry from the libelous orgies that Aelfric Elias’ enemies outside and inside the English realm portray. Eli’s lovers treated each other with respect, perhaps not equals, but they were partners with their roles in the bed chambers and at court. Though sex was filled with passion, we had far more cries of joy entertaining Eli’s children with various scenic trips down the Thames River or horseback rides across the countryside. All three of the boys are inquisitive and insightful in various ways from Henry’s engineering ideas, Will’s pranks to test reactions, and even the toddler Jamie’s questions about a scar on my wrist, which he guessed came from a sword wound. While I have engaged with many lovers over these years, I have never found the type of peace that I felt with Eli’s family. Whether it was three or six lovers, perhaps none if it was just the children and me, I never felt left out or abandoned in the throng of bodies and motions. Like Lady Howard, I grew up with few family members, until I met Duke Eli on that dirt road in Devonshire. For them, I vowed to serve the realm and become the best sailor in the entire Navy, worthy of Aelfric Eli’s support and love.

On June 17^th, 1569, I returned to London after a six-month shakedown cruise of my first command, HMS Golden Hind. I had served in many positions as a Royal Marine on land and sea but always preferred the latter. According to Eli, the sea was the source of all life, and its power should never be doubted despite our ability to traverse it. Beyond the adventure and beauty of the vast sea, I was also an explorer, a concept that many have given up on with the advent of advances. Despite everything we saw and the realms we reached; my men longed for shore leave through the standard Royal Navy rotation. However, the Golden Hind could not dock at any port in Eastern England due to the special requirements for the vessel. While I could have traveled to Portsmouth or Davenport for a deepwater harbor, I promised Henry Tudor, our crowned prince, that I would be back by his youngest brother’s birthday with gifts for him and his siblings. As I have never lied to children and do not wish to start, especially with royal heirs, I made plans to surprise those I consider my second family by docking in London. Technically, London was the Royal Navy’s headquarters until Davenport’s new naval fortress was completed or the planned joint base off Scapa Flow for the English and Scottish navy was commissioned per Eli’s and Admiral Clinton’s plans.

However, getting permission to dock in London, especially with a ship like Golden Hind was not an easy feat. Very few members of the court or even Parliament’s ministers knew the Golden Hind or similar ships existed. While Eli was preparing to declassify the ship class, Archduke Dudley and Sir Walsingham had limited the visibility of the ships. Thus, when we were near English or allied ports, we had to use motorboats to ferry the crews back and forth to naval port terminals. As Captain, I must show our “Level-Black” sigil ring, which meant no record of our shore leaves could be kept by the naval quartermaster of any English port. It was advised by the admiralty that our ships avoid docking near commercial ports unless there was urgent intelligence.

I had some interesting intelligence for Sir Francis Walsingham from the Norwegian and Baltic coast, which we had reconnoitered. The activities of the Russian Navy were very extensive throughout the Danish ports. Dedicated military dockyards and repair facilities around Copenhagen for Russian warships indicated at the very least Russian influence and worst Danish allegiance to the Russian Empire in the east. Their ships and technology were comparable to the Habsburg and our own, but an oddity that we discovered in shadowing their warships at extreme range was an ability to escape detection of radar as they neared coastal waters of the Flemish Republic and English Calais. These ships were likely equipped with a Core, which grants them additional power and computational abilities to hide from detection. However, ships such as the Golden Hind also had a Core, which is used similarly, and we have become adept at stalking these warships. While all these facts were interesting minutia, the heart of the intelligence involved discovering troop and equipment movements into transport ships bearing Danish flags heading eastward. We knew that the Habsburg-Roman Alliance and the Russian Empire were opposing forces on the continent, but seeing troop movements so close to England from a neutral port, this may indicate a new front opening for the combatants. As such Sir Walsingham would need to be apprised, for countermeasures to be created. Thus, I delivered intelligence reports to Sir Walsingham through the naval headquarters upon my arrival in London and a meeting was scheduled for June 23^rd to discuss the reports.

In the past, I was able to get my men nicer accommodations, even within a few urban estates around Portsmouth, where warm running water, clean linen beds, and well-cooked meals from stewards were available. My position offered many benefits, and this was not seizing private property for personal use, per se. Often, the estate stewards were cowed by the rowdy gaggle of sailors and grudgingly accepted us due to my connection to Aelfric Elias Tudor. The Royal Navy did reimburse the estates for food and lodging, but the payments were never as great as the nobles who had built these urban estates for their private pleasures. The servants were also unhappy to serve people, who were not their intended masters, plus many of these men had equal or lower social standing than the servants. It must have been embarrassing for them to serve us.

When we reached the city, the London estates were especially busy with the influx of a thousand royal army officers and enlisted men from the Earl of Sussex, Thomas Radclyffe, domain. The leaders of the army were living within the city as if they were nobles, along with enlisted gentry from their lands at designated barracks or inns. The commoners and peasant-levy troops were camped outside London, making a temporary home throughout the countryside. I knew a northern expedition was being prepared, so it could have been difficult for me to obtain rooms beyond doubling up with royal army troops. However, unlike the majority of the Earl’s troops living in overcapacity barracks and inns, I had impressed a certain Baron of Radclyffe’s army to relinquish his urban estate to my men in exchange for not revealing the existence of his illegitimate son with a French courtier from Picardy. As the Baron had recently married a Count’s only daughter, allowing him to inherit the Count’s land, it would have been a major scandal. The Baron was angry, but he choked back his vitriol as he ordered his men to make a camp outside the city. His servants left at the estate were bitter at first for having to serve us, so they attempted to offer us old bread and chicken stock while hiding stores of wine, meats, vegetables, cheeses, and fresh flour. Of course, my first officer, Thomas, found the supplies and began organizing the servants for kitchen duty with threats of whipping and verbal taunts. After the first day and my men were settled, I made my way to meet up with Archduke Robert Dudley at the Port of London’s terminal.

The Archduke was inaugurating a hydraulic crane for the port, which improved the ability of freighters to quickly load and unload items. After a short speech, I greeted my old benefactor and friend. Among Eli’s lovers, I knew the Archduke was the oldest and deepest in connection to Eli, being the official royal consort as well. Though it would not be uncommon for people in his position to be jealous of other lovers, the Archduke was kind and respectful. Like their oldest child, Henry, Archduke Dudley held a view of the world based on practical concerns over function, so we often discussed my vessel’s various systems. He called my ship a “submarine”, an apt title based on the Latin words for “below” and “sea”.

After his speech, I approached the Archduke, who was flanked by two royal guardsmen.

“Greetings, Robert. I trust you're well?” I said in a friendly manner with a deep formal bow.

Robert recognized me and waved his guards to follow further back behind him, “Indeed, Captain Drake,” his tone lowered a few octaves as he spoke to me conspiratorially, “I've been reviewing the latest assessments of your pressure hull integrity, and I must say, it's holding up admirably after the six-month shakedown cruise.”

I grinned and replied softly in his ear so it would be hard to be overheard, “That's a relief to hear. The last thing we need is a breach in our hull while we're navigating the depths. Have you identified any areas that might need reinforcement or maintenance?”

Robert nodded, “Not yet, but I'll be conducting a more thorough inspection in the coming days when you dock at the Davenport base. Additionally, I've been contemplating some adjustments to your rudders. With the current design, I believe we could improve maneuverability, especially in tight situations.”

“Aye, maneuverability is key, especially when we're dodging potential hazards or evading pursuit. What modifications do you have in mind for the rudders? How long do you expect the Golden Hind to be in Dock?”

“I propose we slightly increase their surface area and adjust the angle of deflection. This should provide you with more precise control over your heading, particularly at lower speeds or when making delicate maneuvers. It will take no more than two weeks at most, maybe just a few days if I use my ability with Eli’s help on design.”

“Sounds like a plan. I trust your expertise in engineering, Archduke Robert. As for the ballast tanks, any concerns there?”

“Actually, yes. During your last deep dive over 300 feet, you reported some irregularities in the operation of one of the ballast tank valves. It's not a major issue yet, but if left unaddressed, it could compromise your ability to maintain proper buoyancy.”

“We can't have that. Ballast tank issues can quickly escalate into a full-blown emergency. Can you and the fair folk engineers prioritize repairing or replacing that valve as soon as possible?”

“Agreed, Captain. I plan to have it taken care of promptly. While we're at it, I've been exploring options for enhancing your ballast control system. With some adjustments and perhaps the incorporation of more modern components from Avalon, we could achieve even greater precision in managing your dive depth. A submarine, such as the Hind, can theoretically reach depths of 600 feet and still surface. The machine shops in England are still not refined enough to make the components, but Avalon’s fabricators could.”

“Anything that improves our control over the submarine's dive is worth investigating.”

“If there are any other technical matters you'd like to discuss or areas you'd like me to focus on, please don't hesitate to let me know.”

“Archduke Dudley, your attention to detail and innovative thinking are invaluable assets to Golden Hind’s operations. Let’s continue striving for excellence in all aspects of our submarine's performance.”

We spoke at length about what’s been happening in England as we neared the estuary, where the riverboats from upper tributaries of the Thames River unloaded their passengers. Sir Ambrose Dudley, brother of Archduke Robert Dudley, Puck, his omega partner and royal toxicologist, and Edward Wimbledon, their lover and supposed dead king Edward VI with striking red hair, along with their newborn child, Richard, were arriving today for Jamie’s 3^rd birthday party. I had met Edward Wimbledon during his journey west from London with Sir Ambrose Dudley; I even offered him my bed for various activities, but he was still grieving over the loss of his lover. We had a brief relationship during those months, mutually beneficial, but we were in different places in our lives.

After the fight for the throne ended, Edward changed his Tudor family name to protect Eli’s legitimate claim to the throne after the downfall of Mary. Edward has spent the last ten years training as a pilot in the nascent Royal Air Force, which is moving to close the gap for air supremacy that we lack against the Habsburg-Roman alliance.

After several hours of chatting over tea and sugary pastries, the ferry from Somerset finally arrived with our guests. We greeted one another, including an awkward hug between me and Edward, who was hurt that I chose to travel south to train in Plymouth on ships rather than stay with him. We are good friends, but it is hard to share intimacy with former lovers.

As we made our way to leave the terminal, a radio message began to sound from the speakers. Several beeps were rapidly chirping out, expressing urgency.

Robert frowned, “What the bloody hell, the emergency system isn’t meant to be on yet!”

Then, the voice of Crown Prince Henry Tudor giving everyone a dire warning began and ended within seconds. A loud boom could be heard from our location.

The two royal guardsmen standing behind us were leveling their guns at Archduke Dudley, but Ambrose tackled his brother to some benches on the side before they could properly aim. However, this move did result in the older brother being shot in the shoulder. Upon hearing Henry’s warning and seeing the gunfire at the Port terminal, the crowds panicked. I drew out my sidearm and ran to Archduke and Ambrose. Edward, Puck, and baby Richard were in another corner of the room. Edward had pulled out his Royal Air Force-issued revolver as well. In terms of strength, we were confronting unknown enemies and conspirators around us, including invisible foreign enemies according to Henry. The idea of invisible enemies made me connect with the intelligence that I had given Royal Naval Headquarters earlier that week. If I were not mistaken, the enemy we were facing right now was the Russian Empire.

Amid the panicked crowd, the two royal guardsmen attempted to approach our area from two directions. They used the crowds as human shields protecting themselves from reprisal fire from our firearms. However, what neither man knew was that Archduke Robert had several abilities that defied common sense, such as the ability to cause a human body to burst into flames. Both guardsmen were engulfed in fire before they could fire another shot.

“Ambrose, you got to stay strong,” Robert cried out to his brother, then looked at me directly, “Is your medic somewhere nearby Captain Drake?”

I frowned, “My medic is still on the ship, but we’re inside the port complex and the motorboat is still docked at the military pier. It might be faster to bring Sir Ambrose to the medical bay on the Golden Hind, along with everyone else.”

What I left unsaid was that I had a suspicion that in addition to invisible troops, there were likely invisible warships near London as well. I wish we could rescue Aelfric Eli and Sir Francis as well, but Sir Ambrose is injured, and Archduke Robert would not be safe in London with so many foes. We needed to deal with the problems we could fix first.