Remembering their first encounter, she made matters worse when she showed up to rescue Mirsux. When she fought with his soldiers, a great force of energy had emitted from her. He was not certain from where the power came, if it was within her, or some other source. What Julkaz was certain of was that Ariella was the cause of Mirsux’s returning energy.
“Julkaz, my son.”
The voice of his mother drew his attention back to the present and he turned to her. Queen Heopsie was a female replica of her son. Her white hair was neatly coiffed and full luscious lips accentuated her graceful features. They shared the same skin tone, a golden hue. Her eyes were paler than her son’s bright sapphire, however. They were both striking examples of their own gender.
He smiled and his face softened at her presence. With a long sigh, he dispelled his earlier agitation with the machine. She returned his smile, and then frowned at the mess on the floor. An attendant, who had been standing in the shadows, came immediately to remove the scattered components.
“Come, sit with me a while,” she entreated, in her soft silky tone. “We must talk.”
She led him to a dais where two chairs stood, both identical in design with intricately carved dark wood. Scarlet satin covered the soft parts and one large Yarzib jewel rested in the top part of each backrest. The jewel, the most precious in the sector, was the prize of Xygor. It was like earth’s diamond, only a thousand times more valuable. It had more brilliance and little if any flaws. Julkaz took the larger of the two seats and his mother gracefully sat in the remaining.
“That contraption is of no use,” she said, indicating the broken instrument the attendant had removed.
“I will make another,” he replied with a sigh.
Heopsie reached over and took Julkaz’s hand. “My son, there is another way for you to awaken the planet’s life force… the Z’raschein.
A puzzled expression crossed his face as his eyes brightened. “How?” he asked, now animated.
“The new princess!” she announced joyfully.
He rose from his seat and paced the dais for a while, then stopped short. “How will she awaken it?”
Heopsie arose as well and walked over to her son, speaking quietly. “She has fulfilled one of the prophecies. Some time ago, the oracles declared there would be one to awaken Nabalar’s Z’raschein. She is the one.”
“Then how will that help me, Mother?” he was confused.
“If she has the power to awaken the Nabalarian prince, she can awaken you as well. She has that power,” Heopsie’s voice was excited.
“She did exhibit great power when we last met,” he mused. “But how will we get her here? I cannot risk going back to Nabalar to take her, they will be expecting me.”
* * *
Anger had become her ally and determination her closest friend, the only things she could count on in her situation. Neither could Ariella rely upon, nor could she trust her prince and his parents. A heaviness settled in the pit of her stomach at the thought of their refusal to honor promises they made to her. Because, that’s what it was… an outright refusal to save her father. They had the means and the wherewithal to do as she requested, and as they had promised. However, they failed on their end of the deal and she’d had enough.
Two days after her argument with Mirsux, the day orb was bright and cast a cool glow inside their chamber. Her eyes were closed but she knew Mirsux had turned to face her. Keeping her eyes closed, she feigned sleep, hoping he would go away so she could execute her plans. Getting to Xygor was high on her agenda and she knew exactly how she would get there.
“Ariella, I know you’re awake and I know you are still angry with me.” His sultry tone washed over her, quickening her disloyal heart.
For a moment, there was silence and she was ready to breathe a sigh of relief, then she felt hot lips on her own. The explosive heat which surged through her caused her to arch into him. Fighting it was of no use, she’d learned that the hard way. The last time she tried to suppress the voltaic charge he caused in her, the Diainspar jewel almost detonated. The jewel had flared so brightly, and sent a charge through her body, that she ended up assaulting her husband. Mirsux certainly didn’t seem to mind, but she found it was easier to give in to begin with.
A buzzing sound, signaling the tele-communicator, interrupted their kiss. Fortunately, Mirsux had made certain to have the chamber channel alert them when needed, instead of opening automatically as the ones in the great hall did. She would have hated having the channel open while they were in the throes of passion. Ariella groaned, reluctantly pulling away from Mirsux. With obvious annoyance, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed pulling on a robe.
He stepped in front of the panel pressing the red dot in the center of the screen to initiate the conversation. The screen flashed on and the face of the Xygorian Prince appeared.
“Greetings, brother,” Julkaz said with a light chuckle. His eyes danced in amusement at the displeasure on Mirsux’s face. “I see I have interrupted an intimate moment.”
“What do you want?” Mirsux’s fists clenched at his side.
“I have something that may be of value to you,” Julkaz replied with a taunting grin.
Mirsux noticeably clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. Ariella moved up beside him and took his hand, trying to calm him. Resting her head on his shoulder, she felt the tension in him building, ready to erupt. He inhaled deeply before opening his eyes, then glowered contemptuously at the figure on the screen.
“There is nothing of value you can offer me. Take your merchandize elsewhere,” Mirsux ground through clenched teeth.
She squeezed his hand to remind him that she was there for him. He reached his hand up, about to terminate the conversation when a small section of the monitor brought up the face of a man behind bars. Mirsux frowned; his hand stopped in mid-air.
Ariella gasped and stepped forward towards the screen. Her eyes widened glistening with moisture. Her hand reached up to trace the contours of the man’s face. A sob escaped as she stared into the sunken features of her father.
“Daddy,” her voice cracked with emotion. Her breath came in shallow gasps trying to fight the tears that threatened to surface. “Daddy!”
The screen suddenly went blank.
“No!” she cried. Frantically she tapped the screen, trying to get it to come back on, to no avail. Her fingers moved rapidly across the smooth surface. With pain-filled eyes, she turned to Mirsux, shrieking, “Get it back! Pleeease! Get it back!”
He touched several places on the monitor, his fingertips leaving a faint red glow in their wake. The channel refused to return. Several more tries yielded nothing. Ariella ran her hand across the screen, her shoulders shaking as the dam of emotions broke free allowing sobs she could no longer hold back to escape.
Mirsux gripped her shoulders attempting to pull her from the screen. She wrangled from his grasp and continued her frenzied attack on the telecaster. As realization finally sank in, she whirled to face him; her face twisted in anger. With tears streaming down her face, she took several deep quavering breaths trying unsuccessfully to gain control of her emotions. When Mirsux reached for her, she violently pushed his hand away.
“Don’t you come near me!” she hissed.
He reached his hand out towards her. “Ariella, listen to me. It’s a trap, do not…”
“Don’t what? Don’t rescue my father? You forbade me from even speaking the name of the Xygorian prince, and then he contacts you! And you tell me it’s a trap? Tell me, what should I not do?”
“Do not take the bait,” he replied his voice soft.
“Too late, husband,” she replied, acidity in her tone.
Mirsux cocked one brow. She had his full attention. “What does that mean?” he asked cautiously, not wanting to antagonize her further.
She looked at him, sparks flashing in her emerald gaze. In an even tone that belied her feelings she replied, “I will save my father, just try and stop me.”
Defiantly, flipping her hair back, she stomped towards the bathroom. Mirsux called after her, but she ignored him. Once inside, she locked the door. Stripping off her sheer gown, she blocked him from her mind, determined to carry out her plans. Her decision had been made; there would be no further delays. She’d previously located a transporter pod which she intended to use. With her new found determination and knowledge that her father was alive and on Xygor, now was as good a time as any.
After showering, she retrieved her old sub-commander uniform from the closet and changed into it. When she returned to the bedroom, Mirsux was gone. She took full advantage of the time alone to complete her plan. She had to leave via the secret entrance; otherwise, she would face opposition not only from her husband, but his parents as well.
She wished her old commander, Delvin, was here to help her accomplish her father’s rescue. But part of her bargain with Mirsux’s parents arranged for his return to Earth and his family. He would have been more than willing to help her, which is more than she could say for Mirsux and his parents. No matter what they had come against, they had always been a formidable pair. But she had found a partner in crime who would help her rescue her father. Gulk, one of her attendants, promised that when needed, he would be there for her.
Opening a drawer of her night stand, she pulled out a rectangular communicator. She moved her fingers across the screen, creating a circular pattern. Gulk immediately appeared on the screen.
“Princess,” he responded to her summons with a smile.
Which her jaw clenched, she drew upon her inner resolve. In a commanding tone she said, “Gulk, it is time.”
“Yes, Princess,” the alien replied before the screen went blank.
Ariella looked around the room. Her eyes rested on the Diainspar jewel nestled on the velveteen pad in the wooden box on the nightstand. At the center of the faceted spherical jewel, burned an orange flame that appeared to be getting brighter with each passing day. As she touched its surface, the flame flared, almost filling the sphere. For a moment, she caressed it, taking pleasure in the smoothness of its surface and the electrical exchange between it and her.
With one final look around, she made her way to the secret entrance a few feet away from the main door. As she stepped through, the wall closed behind her. At that same moment, she heard the bedroom door open knowing then that Mirsux had returned.
When she stepped out into the open behind the palace, her steps quickened, as did her heartbeat. Mirsux would soon realize she was gone and perhaps come after her. With this in mind, she began to sprint away from the large metal and glass building that was the Nabalarian palace. Something deep inside told her this was her last day on Nabalar and that she would not be returning.
Chapter 20
About three hundred yards from the palace, Ariella paused, the scenery brought a flood of memories crashing against her. An unexpected crash on an unknown planet; gray clingy dust and the purple leaves of the Alzanuas. She recalled the way the leaves changed to bright orange as she and Delvin passed by, revealing their presence to the Migrels.
The shrubs again responded to her passing. She moved into action witnessing their purple to orange transformation. The further she got from the palace, the faster her heart raced, and not because of the change of the plants’ color or her vigorous pace. She knew it was because she was leaving Mirsux behind. The dull ache that grew within her very core confirmed that realization. Still, the need to find her father outweighed her connection to Mirsux. Mirsux would be angry at first, but she knew if his love for her were real, then he would eventually find a way to make things right between them.
Gulk stood waiting for her next to the transporter pod he had helped her acquire. Just yesterday, she had happened upon him while roaming the commune where the planet’s residents lived. She had been in the community trying to occupy her time while contemplating how she was going to rescue her father.
Running into him was practically an answer to prayer. While wandering through the commune, distracted, he had stopped her. “Princess, what are you doing here alone? Where is your guard?”
“Gulk, I’m fine,” she responded, wanting to calm his concerns. Happy to see him, but surprised at his presence, she asked, “How come you are out of the palace?”
“I am not on duty today, Princess,” he replied with a smile.
Her thoughts turned to the first time she met Gulk. It had happened when Julkaz captured Mirsux. With the help of the king, she had set out to rescue him, just as she intended to rescue her father now. Since that time, after he attributed Mirsux’s safe return to her bravery, Gulk had been exceptionally attentive. She recalled his pleading for her to save the prince before she left for Xygor; and then, upon her return, he knelt before her with gratitude, pledging his allegiance.
Running into him in the village, she found herself pouring out her heart. “I need to save my father and I don’t know what to do.”
“Princess, I will help you in any way I can,” he’d said. “I also have something that may be of use in that mission.”
He’d led her to a small secluded house located a few miles from the palace. Inside the house was a transparent cylindrical contraption about ten feet tall and five feet in diameter. The object resembled the elevator inside the palace.
Looking at him quizzically, she asked, “What is it?”
He grinned, running his hand over the glass. “It is a transporter, Princess. You will need it to rescue your father.”
Her heavy heart and racing pulse brought her back to the present. Gulk was standing near the transporter with an anxious look on his face. When she was a few feet away from him, he appeared alarmed while pointing to something behind her. She whipped her head around to see what he was pointing at. Behind her, about a hundred or so meters, were approximately a dozen Nabalarian soldiers rushing towards them.
“Go back. I’ve got this,” she said to him, stepping inside the transporter.
He shook his head. “No princess, I come with you.”
The soldiers were closing in. “Are you sure?”
Gulk responded by stepping into the pod. When he touched the face of the small square computer inside, the craft’s engine emitted a loud screeching noise. Swearing softly, he touched the screen again. Ariella shuffled impatiently as the soldiers closed in to about twenty meters. Gulk was desperately working to find the right frequency to start the spacecraft. When the soldiers were ten meters away, the engine’s only response was another loud screech. Just as the army reached their position, the transport responded, zapped into the air. After hovering for three seconds, it zipped away at light speed.
Realizing she had been holding her breath, Ariella let out a long sigh. Gulk leaned against the transparent glass closing his eyes. However, before either of them could rest easy, the small communication monitor flashed on. Heffun’s angry face appeared on the screen, Mirsux standing next to her. King Volnomy stood a few feet behind them, a coy smile on his face.
Mirsux stepped forward, angrily glaring at her. He spoke in a modulated tone, “Return to Nabalar at once, Ariella.”
“No, I must do this Mirsux. You know that.”
Heffun pushed her son aside, locking her eyes onto Ariella. Her tone was commanding, “You will return home at once or bear the consequences!”
“I will bear whatever consequences, but I cannot return without my father. I’m sorry,” she replied.
“Very well,” Heffun responded through pursed lips.
The queen stepped aside, motioning to a monitor behind her. On it, Ariella saw Delvin tied to a post while the Migrels built a fire nearby. Ariella’s emotions blocked her throat; her heart thundered in her chest. Delvin was supposed to be back on earth. Did they imprison him? Why? Her mind strayed for a moment, thinking about her captain.
Images of her father in a prison cell on Xygor flashed before her, pulling her full attention back to her mission. Straightening her shoulders, she assumed a determined
stance.
“No, you will not manipulate me like you did before,” she stated. “I will not be swayed by your tricks this time.”
As Heffun moved, Ariella’s eyes followed her closely. She knew the queen was capable of going to any length to get what she wanted. Heffun had proven that when she had manipulated Ariella into staying on Nabalar. This time, however, it wasn’t going to work. Heffun left the room as Mirsux continued to plead for her return. Volnomy winked at her several times on the sly, conveying his agreement with her decision.
Heffun returned to the room carrying the bejeweled box containing the Diainspar. Snapping the lid of the box shut, she inserted the key into the lock turning it until it clicked. She then held up the knot of Ariella’s and Mirsux’s hair, which had been plaited together, for all to see.
Ariella’s heart pounded and her chest tightened, as she anticipated what Heffun intended to do. “What are you doing?” she asked, confused.
“If you do not return at once, we break the bond of marriage,” Heffun threatened. With widened eyes, Mirsux moved as if to say something, but Heffun put her hand up, stopping him. “You return at once and I return this to you.” Heffun stared intensely at Ariella.
“I cannot do that,” she said, feeling her heart start to break. “You promised to help me and you broke that promise. I have to save my father.”
Without a word, Heffun took a small canister from the hand of Ubea. The attendant held her head down, refusing to look at Ariella. She knew the attendant was only following orders. Heffun snapped off the cap of the canister. A bright blue flame appeared. She held the hair over the flame looking directly into the monitor. It felt to Ariella as if the woman peered into her very soul.
Ariella’s heart drummed loudly; her chest ached. Although Mirsux had a pained expression, he made no move to stop his mother as the hair caught fire and quickly disappeared into the flames. Something inside her snapped, making her knees weak and her head heavy.
Slowly, darkness swirled around her and she began to sink to the floor of the transporter. Mirsux’s voice screamed her name, but before he completed it, everything went black.
Awakening: The Prince of Nabalar (The Princes of Uvieroein Book 1) Page 17