Queen of the Stars

by Haley R Lawson

  I said, “Let me go. I am just going to keep being human. I’m going to keep using my heart. Let me fail. I don’t care. This is bigger than dirty dishes. That is a baby!”

  She let go and I ran to the man holding the baby. He had taken him out of the basket but was just standing there in shock. I got to him and said, “My name is Rose. I am a friend of Prince Charles and Princess Ella. Would you consider letting me have the baby?”

  “Of course, I’m not fit to be a dad and he belongs with them!”

  I took the baby and headed to find Charlie’s uncle. I was so worried the baby wouldn’t be okay. I just held him as tightly as I could. I was following signs to the infirmary and turned the corner nearly walking into Malerie. The look on Charlie’s face was so helpless. I could see it in his eyes that he had stopped breathing.

  Malerie said, “I heard a blind guy caught it. What are you doing?”

  Charlie looked so taken aback and said, “Caught it?”

  “You didn’t know? Your sister popped out a bastard child. That’s your nephew right there being held by pond scum. Our babies will be worth so much more than that. So, how did you end up with it?”

  I said, “The man who was chosen gave him to me as a gift. We are dating.”

  Malerie rolled her eyes and pulled Charlie along. He looked back over his shoulder and I silently said, “I have him. He’s okay.” There were tears in his eyes. Royal guards approached Malerie and Charlie. He couldn’t come with me.

  I finally found the doctor’s office and it was full of people. They all had some sort of work injury. I checked in and the nurse explained things were slow because the doctor was delivering a baby of his own. When she asked the reason for my visit, I explained that I had the baby last night and was there because he had this pink rash. The baby’s pattern had started to come in. She just went with it. I sat down with the baby. He was so tiny and so important.

  Eventually it was my turn to see the doctor. He ran his hand over the crest on the blanket and said, “Your son is beautiful, where did you get that blanket?”

  “Sir, my name is Rose. This is Princess Ella’s baby. They just dropped him to a new family…”

  “And you were lucky enough to catch him. You probably want me to make sure he’s not defective right?”

  “I’m a friend of Charlie’s. I was given the baby by the man who caught him. You are Charlie’s uncle Winston, right?”

  He seemed so relieved. “Yes I am. I will take care of this little guy until Charlie figures something out. Don’t worry, I’ll say my wife had twins. Thank you so much for bringing him here and protecting my family.”

  “Can you examine him before I go? He was in a basket on a very fast-moving drone and it dropped him, and I carried him without anything all the way here. I just… I’m worried about him.”

  “The pattern is just some mild skin irritation. He’s breathing and responding to touch perfectly. He is perfect. If you see Ella, please tell her I said so. Tell her that her mom would be so proud.”

  “I definitely will. I am on the service staff so I will go and tell her right now.”

  I really didn’t want to leave him. I had just held a future king and held his life in my hands. I eventually got the courage to leave the office and go to Ella.

  Chapter 12

  Love is Poison

  Icouldn’t imagine Ella gave that baby up willingly, so I was incredibly worried about her. I ran as fast as I could to the royal quadrant. The elevator was taking too long, so I ran to her room and my fear was confirmed even from down the hall. The door was open and as I went in, there was broken and moved furniture everywhere. Luke was laying on the floor by the door. He was unconscious but breathing. I ran to Ella in the bedroom and there were tears streaming down her face. She was paralyzed and couldn’t speak. I said, “Ella, the baby is safe. He is with your Uncle Winston. I will go get Charlie. It’s going to be okay.”

  I ran to Charlie’s room and used my key to go right in. I ran into the bedroom and Malerie was seducing him. His clothes and watch were all ripped off. I froze in that moment and Malerie got up and slammed the door. I just stood there frozen.

  I heard Malerie through the door. “Wow, that true love potion your step-mom gave me really worked. All of your spots are pink. Charlie! Oh my god! Charlie, this isn’t funny! Charlie!” She ran out of the room and said, “You say a word and I will say it was you. I don’t know what you people do for a dead body, but you might want to do it.”

  She took off. I ran in and Charlie was paralyzed just like his sister. He was thankfully still alive and breathing. Conner came looking for his watch and at first thought he was interrupting something, but then realized what really happened. He turned Charlie on his side and made him throw up. He told me to get water and ice. He sat Charlie up after and put ice on his chest. “It will overheat his heart and organs. We need to cool him off.”

  Conner was purple, except for the places he had been burned which were a mix of dark red and black covered in a thick layer of scarring. His eyes were still the same though. I did as he said. But then I thought of Ella, and said, “His sister needs help too. She’s been like this longer!”

  He took off to Ella’s room and told me to stay with Charlie. I kept pouring ice water on him until eventually he could talk. His first word was “Ella” followed by “baby.”

  I tried to reassure him. “Conner went to help Ella and the baby is safe with your aunt and uncle.”

  He went to get up but was too weak. I said “Conner seemed to know what he was doing. She will be okay.”

  He started crying. “I’m sorry you got pulled into this and for the way I’ve been treating you!”

  “Charlie, it’s okay. It will all be okay.”

  Another royal alarm sounded. The last thing I wanted to do was leave Charlie, but he said, “You have to go. If they find you here, you will be killed. Go. We need to know what’s going on anyway. I will be fine. Go!”

  I left his room and felt my heart breaking with every step.

  Chapter 13

  The Good King

  Igot to the assembly and there was an extra royal on the balcony. He looked very upset. The King stepped forward and said, “Our ship has just suffered a major tragedy. My two eldest children were taken from us, just as my daughter’s prince charming arrived to take her with him. As devastating as his loss is, Prince Alexander has agreed to be a royal guest for the remainder of the week until he can determine what happened to his fiancé. Please show him the best hospitality the ship has to offer. His younger brother is here as well and may choose one of our remaining princesses as his bride.”

  Prince Alexander looked very disgusted in the king’s choice to turn over the engagement so quickly after losing his children. He seemed to actually be a reasonable person, at least in grief.

  After the assembly, I returned to Charlie. Conner helped me move him to his room where he had already taken Ella with Luke’s help. I told them what happened, and Ella said, “They are going to take Sky. She’s closest in age to Alex’s brother.”

  I replied, “I won’t let them take her. We will figure this out.”

  Charlie emotionally responded, “No, let them take her. Then he can never hurt her again. Although their marriage politics are flawed, Alexander’s family are good people. Sky needs to go. I’m sorry Ella, but you know I’m right. Rose don’t tell her we are alive. Help her impress Alexander’s brother. Once Sky is safe, we will figure the rest out.”

  I agreed and went to Sky’s room. She had absolutely destroyed it. I hugged her and she said, “How am I supposed to impress him at the social? My family is gone!”

  “Sky, as much as it hurts, you have to do your best. I know your brother and he would see this as a new chance for you. Besides, there is nothing for you here anymore. You are beautiful inside and out, and this prince will love you!”

  She got off of the bed and dried her tears. I helped her get dressed and do her hair and make-up. She said,
“I’m sorry you have to clean up my mess. I was looking for a necklace my mom gave me. It’s a star. Her star.”

  “Did you find it?”

  “I think the queen took it for the twins. I have this one Ella gave me though.” It was very simple, but it looked beautiful on her. She practiced royal language while I went to see the twins.

  Jenna had a glowing necklace on that was no doubt Skyler’s. It looked really nice on her, but it didn’t really go with her dress. The woman dressing them kept calling them by the wrong name and had dressed them in each other’s favorite color. They tried to tell her, but she took it as them being difficult and stormed off without doing their hair or makeup. I could’ve left them that way, but they were hurting too. I switched their dresses, did their hair and makeup, or at least what you can do on squirmy five-year old’s. They thanked me and as I put a necklace on Jaisy, Jenna said, “My mom took this from Sky…Sylvia and made me put it on. She thinks I can win over the prince. I am five. I don’t want to get married or leave my sister. Can you put my twin necklace on me and give this back to Princess Sylvia please?”

  I did as she asked. I caught Skyler just as she was heading into the dining hall and put the necklace on her. She handed me Ella’s with tears in her eyes. I said, “No crying now, she wouldn’t want you to be sad. You are meeting a prince, now go get him. I will keep this safe for you.”

  Prince Theodore looked like a mess as he walked past us. I walked away but overheard him come up to her and say, “Princess, you don’t have to do this. I don’t know what your father’s thinking. We all need time.”

  “Sir, we need to eat, and we need to be around other people who can help us through this. Thank you, but it’s better than being alone.”

  “I hadn’t thought of it that way. You’re very smart. I think my brother needs to be around you too. He wouldn’t let me into his room. Do you mind if I sit with you until it’s time for dinner?”

  “Not at all, I would love that.”

  He admired her necklace and they started talking about constellations. There was a tiny bit of good left in that insane day. Once I knew they were okay, I decided to head back to my job if I even still had one.

  Chapter 14

  Royally Messed Up

  Imade my way back to the elevator and went towards Conner’s room but was instead pulled into one of the guest suites by Malerie. She said, “I made a huge mistake! I think I killed Prince Alexander. I just wanted him to love me and take me with him. I acted like a greeting party and slipped the love potion in his drink. He’s dead… I think… I can’t go to jail.”

  “I made the drink. You were never here. You don’t have any more love potion, right?”

  “Nope, I used the rest on him.”

  “Okay, go to your room.”

  She left and I forced an alien prince to vomit. Then I stripped him to his underwear and poured ice water on him. Needless to say, he was not exactly happy when he woke up. I said, “Prince Alexander, your highness, please don’t get up. You were given a poison by someone who believed it was a love potion. We need to keep you cool and hydrated. I’m very sorry about this.”

  “Is my brother safe?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but there is no reason to be concerned for him.”

  “Two royals are dead. I was poisoned and you don’t think I should be concerned?” He went to stand up, but his legs buckled under him.

  I caught him and said, “I will go check on your brother.”

  “This place needs to go on lock down. Get me a security supervisor.”

  I went to the supervisor’s office and said, “The visiting prince needs to speak to the security supervisor.” I returned with the security officer and upon seeing the Prince’s condition, he called an immediate lock down. Other officers came and collected evidence.

  The prince was barricaded in his room and I was stuck in the living room. He asked for me after a few minutes. He said, “How did you know how to help me?”

  “I helped someone last night with the same problem. I had been on call and a royal called me very urgently to help him treat his neighbor and friend.”

  The security officer said, “Which royal was it?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  The officer got all up close and scary and said, “You do understand you are our top suspect right?”

  The prince said, “She wasn’t the one who gave me my drink. It was some blonde girl in a much nicer dress.”

  The security officer said, “This woman is a service staff member. She delivers all drink and food. She had been in a lot of trouble lately and she just happened to be in the area.”

  The prince said, “Then, why save me?”

  “Ask her, not me!” the officer responded.

  “Sir, go look at the reports from last evening. It will tell you who she serviced.”

  He ordered the guards to the exterior door and asked me to sit with him. “I don’t believe you did this. I also don’t believe the girl who gave me the drink meant to do this either. Was it the princess you helped last night? Is she alive?”

  Alexander deserved the truth, but it wasn’t mine to tell and it would’ve put too many people in danger. “No, it wasn’t the princess. She died today with her brother. We had an assembly when you arrived.”

  “Nothing the king told me made sense. I thought maybe…”

  His brother and Skyler were brought into the room. Alexander said, “Skyler, I’m so sorry about your siblings. I’m so glad you are safe. If you will have us, Theodore and I would like to take you with us.”

  “I would be honored.”

  “Theo, are you okay?”

  “Yes, I was just worried about you. When are we leaving?”

  There was a commotion in the hallway. Alexander ran out and Ella, Luke, Conner, and Charlie were all being taken away. Prince Alexander ordered the men to stop. The man said, “Sir, these unruly people are suspects in the Prince and Princess’s murders. We are just arresting them.”

  Prince Alexander almost fell backwards, but I caught him and held him up. He said, “I was promised to marry Princess Ella since 2010. Do you really think I do not know what her and her brother look like? Unhand them at once.”

  The man said, “Your fiancé had a baby out of wedlock and the king’s orders are to throw her into the dungeon.”

  “A king who would murder his own children is no king under my father’s council. Unhand them at once and stand down.”

  The men left and I helped Prince Alexander sit down. He invited the others into his room and told them to sit. Skyler ran to Ella and Charlie. After a good reunion hug, there was a lot of explaining to do.

  Chapter 15

  Some Explaining to Do

  Ella was brave and took the lead. She said, “Alex, I am so sorry. I met Luke before we were promised, and my father wouldn’t listen.”

  “You have nothing to apologize for. I am just glad you are okay. I know our proposal was not, but I at least hope our friendship was real.”

  “Of course, it was.”

  “Okay, so can someone tell me what happened?”

  I said, “There was a royal dinner like there is every weekend and…”

  Prince Theodore interrupted, “Servants do not speak out of turn.”

  Prince Alexander put him in his spot. “And little princes do not interrupt a lady while they are speaking. Please go on.”

  “Ella left early to help her sister with a dress malfunction. She went to her room to get supplies and went into labor before reaching her sister’s room. No one knew until this afternoon when Princess Sky… Sylvia…”

  Alex stopped me. “Hold on, who is Sylvia?”

  “Skyler… her step-mother thought Sylvia was more royal. I’m sorry. I just started as a member of the service staff last Sunday and I was training myself to use her formal name.”

  “It’s okay, go on.”

  I told Alex everything as I remembered it.

  I couldn’t tell if
Prince Alexander was angered or saddened by the events of the past twenty-four hours. He eventually found some words. “The king dropped… is the baby okay?”

  “Their uncle said he was perfectly healthy.”

  He pulled out a phone and when a man answered, he said, “Yes sir, we arrived. I know you sent us to bring back a princess, but the king you left in charge cannot be relied upon. I am going to send Theo home, but I need to stay and fix things here. I love you too.” He hung up the phone to address the room. “Charlie, I will be taking over as king, but you will take control once things are back in order. Miss, for your bravery, you will become a member of my royal court. Ella we are going to get your baby back and Luke will also be awarded a position at court. Thank you all for your patience and bravery. I will send my men to arrest your father and step-mother.”

  Prince Theodore asked if he could stay a while to get to know Sky. His brother told him yes but that there was no longer an arranged marriage. Conner went back to his room before I had a chance to say anything to him. Prince Alexander asked to speak to me in private. He asked my name and how I ended up on the ship and service staff. He told me that now that I was a royal, I be with Charlie. Since Charlie was to be king, he said it was a good way to ensure I’d never be a servant again. I told him what happened to Conner’s family, explained I hadn’t seen my own since before the ship, and then went on to say I did not know how to be a royal and was not comfortable having the people I worked with have to work for me.

  He seemed to understand but said, “I’m going to change things around the ship. I’ll need you to identify the things that need changing. I’m not ordering you to be a royal, but please understand that if you do not, you will not be allowed to marry Charlie.”

  “I’m not the type of person to have servants and fancy clothes and food while others are suffering. You keep bringing up Charlie, and yes while I do care for him deeply, I do not wish to marry him. I only just met him. Charlie and I have already started a list of things that need changing. Thank you for your time, but I really must be going now.”