by L M Lacee
As she drummed her fingers on the arm of the throne, she was in two minds whether to call Sennha. If she did, she would be admitting she was incapable of solving this problem. If she did not, it could escalate and Sennha could return to find the house of Oraintarre gone. What to do, her mind whirled with confusion and half-formed plans, she was relieved when Julope finally arrived with her pitiful night-light.
Taking the light, she dismissed Julope with a warning to make sure she had food for her in the morning. Then she walked slowly up the cold stairs to her bedroom, with no power there was no lift to take her directly to her suite. Eddea had no idea how many stairways there were, never having walked any in her home before. The muscles in her calves were burning by the time she reached the landing of her floor.
She stood there unsure which corridor she was meant to proceed along; she bit her bottom lip with worry trying to decide where she should go, and was on the point of calling for Julope, when she saw her third sister Medenna walking quickly along the end corridor with a small light held out in front of her.
Eddea smirked, at least her servant had found her a better source of light she hurried after her sister and saw her entering a door now Eddea knew where she was. Four doors down, and to the right of Medenna’s suite was hers. With quick silent steps she made the sanctuary of her rooms and breathed in a sigh of relief.
That was until she discovered her bedroom was near freezing. She dragged every bit of clothing from her closets and drawers and piled them onto her bed, in the hopes they would keep her warm throughout the night. Then she remembered the linen rooms at the end of each corridor and ran to see what she could carry back to her room, only to find her greedy sisters and cousins had raided the blanket and linen rooms before her, and even the coats had disappeared from the seasonal room.
The scalluts had left nothing behind, even the scarfs were gone. Eddea fumed and stomped back to her suite, cursing her family loudly, hoping they heard her. It did cross her mind to go to each female and demand they share what they had stolen from her, but she knew they would have locked their doors against her attempts to rip the bedding from their beds. Also, there was the niggling fear that she may not find her way back to her own suite if she went too far away. Visions of her wandering the floors, freezing and hungry with her pitiful light, haunted her thoughts.
Sighing, she dressed in her nightwear, then layered dresses over the top and lay in bed trying to stay warm. The unpleasant thought solidified that she eventually would have to comm Sennha for her return, and as she wiggled about trying to find a patch of warmth. She decided before she was forced to comm her sister she would try to negotiate with the impossible desoul herself. She grimaced as she realized that she would have to take the advice her third sister Medenna had screamed at her over final-meal. That it would be wise and strategic if they waited until the following morn or even the next morn to confront the female. It could be possible that by then the female would be in a better mindset. On that thought, Eddea drifted off to sleep and dreamed of flaming bodies and eyes filled with stars that promised death.
SEVEN:
The house of Oraintarre spent a very uncomfortable night without heat, because the windows throughout the Empirer had remained broken. Cold air circulated, causing rooms to become even colder as the night wore on.
It was not only the cold winds, the sisters and cousins of house Oraintarre had to contend with. Nightmares so horrific they froze the blood in their veins plagued the family causing them to wake repeatedly with screams of terror echoing throughout the Empire.
It seemed the citizens of Oraintarre had fared no better, and by early the next morning it was no secret their planet had stepped back in time. After a cold and for some hungry night, people were starting to realize the rumors circulating, since the Governor had been summoned to the Empirer, were true. The sisters had angered the Star Daughter and now they the citizens would pay for their stupidity.
As Eddea paced the First Sister’s private lounge, she knew that shortly the population of Oraintarre would start beating a path to her door to demand answers. She was well aware supplies had dwindled over the last several wekens and had not been noticed by anyone other than the Warriors and the traders. They of course informed the Governor who had reported this to the house of Oraintarre whereby she had taken no action. Deciding that the populace were grumbling as usual about their living conditions. Not once did she take into consideration the demands from the Maikonians to speak to their Warriors and the shortage of imports as being significant or connected?
She stomped across the carpet feeling put upon, this, of course, was all Sennha fault if she had not gone off world for luneras, this would have been placed in her hands and she would be the one having to make the decisions. She just knew the people were going to complain to that male, the Governor who would then demand she do something. So the people only had what they had stored to last until the Star Daughter relented or the Warriors were returned that was not her fault they should have prepared better. Unlike her foolish cousins and sisters she was unafraid of starvation, she knew the Empirer’s larders were well stocked; she had checked with Julope the day before. It was what her servants were for, to see to mundane things like this, and if the populace had not done likewise, so be it. Perhaps, she thought this could be a learning experience for the people of her world, which she would explain to that male, the Governor if he dared to visit her again.
As it so happened, the Governor had presented himself to the Empirer earlier that morn, only to be told by the third sister Medenna. Eddea was in seclusion, and she would restore order to the world as soon as possible. When he asked about the arrival of the next cargo shipments, he was told that there would be no more shipments until order had been restored to Oraintarre. He was once again cautioned to say nothing and then ordered to leave.
Realizing the House of Oraintarre would once again fail in their duties to the people they were sworn to protect, the Governor delayed opening the shops and markets until after second-meal, in the hopes there would be no panicked buying. Unfortunately in that he was disappointed, within hours the markets and shops were empty. By mid-afternoon the Governor was so angry he re-laid what he knew to everyone who came to him to ask what was happening. He made sure they all knew to go to the Empirer for more up-to-date information, and when the other business owners came to him to discuss what was to be done. He told them what he was told that morn, then he assured them if things did not improve within the weken, he would ask the Star Daughter himself to relent and hoped he had the fortitude to do so.
On the second morn, after another cold and hungry night. Eddea sent for Medenna, irritatingly she had to wash in cold water, which she obtained from her drinking jug as there was still no power, therefore still no flowing water. The food she had eaten was left over from the night before, and this morn it was even colder than it had been when Julope brought it to her. It seemed Medenna had had the foresight the day before to have the servants plug the windows in the bedrooms to minimize the cold air entering. Unfortunately they had used most of the extra bedding to accomplish the task whether that was on purpose or because it was all they could find to cover the broken windows. She had no idea but planned to ask them that pointed question today.
Medenna answered Eddea’s summons only to find her sister half-dressed and pacing among the debris of her room. Clothes, plates, glasses, jewels and shoes were scattered around the floor and covered every surface of her room. Her sister she saw was a Roment.
When Eddea spied Medenna, she kicked a dress out of her way and snarled. ‘Where have you been, there is no one to help dress me and where are the servants, Julope has not attended me this morn, is she dead?’
Her meaning was clear, Julope had better be dead as that was the only excuse she would have for not being there. Medenna leaned against the door frame, unable to bring herself to enter her sister’s room. She was very tired, nightmares had kept her on the edge of terror for most of the ni
ght and she was sure her room last night had been colder than the night before, even with the windows covered. It was probably because someone had stolen half of her blankets and when she found out who it was, she would make sure they died a very cold death. It had taken her fifteen mins to warm just her fingers so she could dress herself this morn, as her servant had not appeared this morn as well. She said now to her half naked sister. ‘No she is not dead, she like every other servant has left.’
‘When!’ Snapped Eddea.
Medenna shrugged. ‘Sometime through the night.’
Which was true, at Julope’s urging all the servants had escaped after the family had settled for the night. With no threat from the Warriors to hunt them down and return them, they felt their freedom for the first time and took advantage of it. Some literally ran for the hills, others like Julope and her sisters went to the port where they were warmly received and quickly transported up to the Warship.
Eddea stilled, her eyes turned black, and she released a piercing scream. Medenna could hear glass breaking all throughout the floor they were on, which meant they would be even colder tonight. She screamed to be heard above the high pitched sound. ‘Stupid bitchre, shut up. We cannot fix the windows, if the world remains shut down.’
Instantly Eddea stopped screaming but her eyes remained black as her emotions were still roiling under her skin. She screamed at her sister, breaking more glass as she did. ‘Go and get the world working again. Go see that scallut NOW!’
Medenna scrambled hurriedly from the room when Eddea was on the edge of insanity, which she was now, her rage would be out of control and she was not going to be the one that ended up bloody or dead. She would leave that honor for one of her stupid cousins, they unlike her, were expendable after all.
Running to her rooms to dress for her outing, she smiled thinking at least with one or two of them dead, there would be available blankets.
With the servants gone, and Eddea in her room, the rest of the family of sisters and cousins had to provide for themselves. It was not something they had ever done before. The fights between the females got quite bloody and brutal, but on the plus side a twin after being thrown down the cellar steps found the alcohol, so there was plenty to rejoice about after all.
EIGHT:
Dressing quickly in what she considered appropriate attire to meet with a female who purported to be the mythical Star Daughter. Medenna walked rapidly from the Empirer just as more glass shattered and the fighting started. She did not stop until forty minutes later when she came to the buildings that housed the port.
A place she hardly ever visited at least on foot, she was quite proud of herself; she had only been required twice to ask for directions, where she had been met with barely concealed contempt. She wanted to explain that it was not her fault that she had no idea where the furin port was, but then she remembered as a sister of the house Oraintarre, she did not have to explain anything to anyone other than the First Sister.
So instead she took note of the people who had been rude to her, she would deal with them when the Warriors were returned, until then she would allow the people to feel smug in their rudeness to a sister of the House of Oraintarre. Finally, as her thoughts circled back to the female, she found herself outside the empty port which echoed her desolate feelings. When she and her family went off world, they were sequestered in their private transporter and then they boarded their family’s ship. The luxurious, extravagant one of a kind cruising ship. Hellinsliner, from the renowned ship builders, the Hellin family, which sadly was not here, it was with the First Sister.
Medenna sighed regretfully. She knew the Hellinsliner would have hot water and food, glorious hot food and copious amounts of alcohol on board. She sighed again as she looked at the empty dock where the ships shuttle usually remained when not in use; It was probably for the best. Otherwise, she would have been tempted to board and leave this mess to her sisters and cousins.
NINE:
Medenna was mistaken, the port was not as deserted as she first thought. A large ship and several smaller ships were docked at the far end of the port. They did not, however, look like the ships that she normally saw flying around her world or in orbit. These were sleek blue and purple crafts, and the cruiser she was sure that was the name of that type of vessel; it seemed very deadly, with all of its weaponry on display.
She did wonder if the display was a form of intimidation or did all cruisers look like that. Either way, she felt a trickle of fear race over her skin at their presence here on her world. Even more so when she made to enter the terminal and came to a halt as two unknown Warriors stepped in front of her, carrying blasters and swords strapped to their backs. Two animals she knew to be Turqualls rose from their slumbering positions in the sun and moved next to the Warriors.
Her mind went blank at the overt threat and her hands trembled as her head lowered in fear. She watched them move closer from under her impossibly long eyelashes and felt sweat break out all over her body, something seldom felt by a sister of the house of Oraintarre. Fear coated her tongue causing her mouth to become dry, her fight-or-flight instinct kicked in and it was that feeling of flight which strengthened her spine.
A sister from house Oraintarre did not flee from anyone. They cried and stormed from a room or screamed and threw things and they definitely fought but flee, never. Medenna remembered she was the third sister to the Matriarch of Oraintarre and threw her shoulders back and demanded her body to stop sweating and trembling. With her head held high, she adopted her First Sister’s condescending tone and imperiously demanded the Warriors blocking her way to move.
‘Move aside.’ When they did not, she snarled. ‘I said, move aside. I am the third sister from the house of Oraintarre, how dare you stop me from addressing the Star Daughter?’
Lukkas and Nikolas looked at each other and then the Turqualls. Medenna watched as the bigger of the two Warriors touched his link and spoke in a strange language, one she had never heard before, outraged that she could not understand him, she stamped her well shod foot and again demanded. ‘Cease speaking in a language I do not know. We use Coalition General on our world, and as Warriors you should know that.’ When they ignored her, anger took control of her tongue.
‘Do as I say, speak Coalition, cease this babbling or I will have you thrown in the tank and then we will see if you speak foreign languages, after you are collared and chained.’
Deadly silence met her statement, Medenna wished her words back the instant they had left her mouth, especially when the level of violence rose dramatically. Nikolas finished his comm then with Lukkas stared without expression at the female. Neither Warrior nor Turquall moved or answered her, yet she felt the skin on her back tighten, as if in warning of danger lurking behind her. Suddenly it occurred to her that she had rushed foolishly from her home without support.
She looked at the two Warriors and the two Turqualls who looked, she thought angrily back at her, and realized she was not in a position of power here. She felt her heartbeats increase when she heard a slight noise behind her. She feared what she would find if she turned around, instinct as old as time made her watch the eyes of the Warriors and Turqualls and then as if she had tempted fate, they looked pass her. Slowly she went to take a step away from the two giants, only to come to a stop when she heard a female voice say.
‘Well… well, and what do we have here, Nikolas, Lukkas? A visitor for me?’
Medenna spun around, relief on her face and in her eyes until she noticed the uniforms on the two females. At one time she had tried to get one of the older Warriors to explain their ranking system to her. After she had issued numerous threats, he did finally tell her that their system was innate, which seemed preposterous. She had always assumed he lied until now, because as she fearfully stood before these two females, she just knew they were Warriors of rank and dangerous.
She swallowed as she stared between the two females, who were so very different in appearance to each other. O
ne was slim of body like the Oraintarre females and was as tall as herself, even though her eyes were a frightening black they were similar to the shape of her own. Medenna thought she was pleasing to look at, although her hair was very black and her skin pale.
The other female was unnerving, she was just a little taller and had the same black hair but it was short and yes as Medenna looked closer, she was amazed to see that the female had different shades of blue at the tips of her spiked hair. Her skin color was a pinkish tan almost like the Oraintarre skin tone, but this female was very muscular like the females who worked the mines, and her eyes were frightening, they reminded her of the stories her mother had told her of Poho’s eyes. The female’s eyes were a pale gray, with an amber ring that seemed to pulse with some kind of energy. She was sure they held something else in their depths, but she was unsure what it was. Suppressing the shiver of fear that wanted to crawl all over her skin, she thought that maybe what she saw was death.
Both females were obviously from some species Medenna had never encountered before, neither looked like the Star Daughter, she wondered if maybe they came from another world like Oraintarre.
Her sister Sennha said new worlds were always being discovered and established by the Coalition, which is why she had to attend the Capital so often and stay so long. But if they did come from a new world, then why did they associate with the one called Star Daughter unless she was an Impoef and had tricked them like she had tricked the Warriors. Medenna thought that was always a possibility and one she and her sisters may have to explore later.