by Anna Lewis
“Look, if you leave me alone, I’ll arrange for a boat for you with a contact I have in the government,” he said reluctantly.
He was obviously not interested in her. She felt dejected. But there was also hope rising from within her as she pictured everything going back to normal.
Before she could say anything else, he started walking away again. But then he paused and turned around after a few steps. “By the way, don’t worry about your friends on the boat that capsized. They were rescued and are all alive.”
Lindy’s mouth dropped open in surprise, wondering if this man wasn’t a news reporter or entertainment talk show host in disguise. She had so many questions she wanted to ask! But even as the prince walked away, he called out, “Don’t follow me!”
Lindy stopped herself from running after him again. Damn this prince. He’s got me. I’m not just running after him instead of the other way around, but he’s actually giving me orders.
She leaned against a nearby tree, sighing. “He’s giving me orders, and I’m actually following them. That’s a new one!” she said to herself. “Well, he’s royalty, after all…”
The next few days, Lindy did not hear from him. She woke up early every single day and scanned the entire beach for him, but he obviously didn’t want to have anything to do with her. But as she was again cooking lunch with Kay and her sister Kam, she overheard Elixir hanging out with some guards on break. They were discussing the rigorous training sessions that the soldiers had been undergoing.
“The war is nearing,” he told them when he joined them to have a taste of the dishes they had prepared.
“I still don’t know what the fuss is all about,” Lindy complained. “Is your Prince working for the government? Are you guys plotting an attack on another country?”
Kay and Kam looked at each other uncomfortably.
Eli ignored them and turned to Lindy. “A union of evil aliens from different planets have been planning another attack on Planet Vorton, the planet where we all come from. We can’t afford to lose more lives again!”
Lindy was shocked. She saw Kay and Kam throwing Eli dirty looks.
“What?” Eli said, throwing his hands up in the air and looking defensive. “She’s been here now for some time. She’ll find out the truth eventually.”
“Because of you and your big mouth!” Kam retorted.
“She can’t do us any damage,” Eli argued. He motioned to Lindy. “Look at the woman! Do you think she’ll be able to squeal on us or something? And when she goes back to the world of the humans, will anyone believe her if she told them? They’re just going to assume she’s gone mad on this island!”
“I guess you’re right,” Kay finally said in a quiet voice. Her sister was still fuming.
Lindy finally found her voice, recovering from the initial shock of the revelation. “So you are all from another planet… i-it’s true?” she croaked. “Aliens are actually r-real?”
“Yeah, we’re all aliens!” Eli told her with a grin. “Surprise, surprise!”
I am fucked, Lindy thought, gulping.
***
It will take some getting used to. Lindy couldn’t fathom the reality of living amidst aliens, but she didn’t have any choice so she assured her new friends that she was okay. It was touching that she could see their concern for her and not for their own welfare.
Elixir was the only one thinking that they had been protecting their kind. Most of those she’d become close to had actually wanted to protect her.
One evening, Kam had told her she’d be taking her along to the main house. “You can assist me there, Lindy. You’ve been such a wonderful student. I know our leaders will be happy to have you serve them.”
Lindy wanted to jump up and down with joy. It meant a lot in this community—almost like winning in the Academy Awards. Not only was this a huge compliment and achievement for her, but she would finally get to see the prince again. Her heart soared.
A pair of guards transported Lindy and Kam in an actual vintage-looking carriage pulled by horses. The only difference was that the carriage was made of metal and glass and the horses were all robots.
“There is a big celebration happening tonight,” Kam told Lindy as they traveled in the carriage.
“Really? What?”
“The Vorton Engineers will be unveiling their newest invention—a new battleship with special weapons or powers I believe.”
“Wow,” Lindy breathed. “It is a special occasion then. Prince Kristan will be delighted.”
“I guess,” Kam replied dubiously. “But you know, he’s hardly ever delighted by anything. He’s always so serious, but I can’t blame him. The pressure is on him to win this war and save the planet.”
Lindy nodded in agreement. “That’s a truly big responsibility. I can’t imagine how it must feel.”
“Yeah…but we all believe in him. It’s only him who doesn’t seem to believe much in himself.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Lindy said, imagining the haughty expression on the prince’s face the first time she saw him. To her it had been annoying, fascinating, and captivating at the same time.
“He’s generally kind to the soldiers, but very hard on himself,” Kam explained. “It’s because his father, King Oragon of Vorton, blamed him for the sudden attack that had gravely damaged our planet and led to the deaths of thousands of Vortons. As the head of the military his father felt that he should have been better prepared.”
“So he’s trying to make up for it…” Lindy said thoughtfully, feeling sorry for the prince then. She remembered how she’d once been so hard on herself too, to make it big in the industry, simply because she wanted to prove to herself that she was deserving of all the attention.
The carriage came to a stop. Through the glass windows, Lindy could see the entrance to the prince’s estate. The gates with the familiar emblem of the Vorton royal family opened, revealing an illuminated lawn decorated with flowers and lanterns. Several men and women were milling about, talking and having fun.
Lindy climbed out of the carriage after Kam, feeling self-conscious. She was wearing a special dress that one of the women had sewn for her as a gift. It was a long tight-fitting stretchy dress in forest green. She’d requested a slit on one side, which the seamstress had willingly put in and had admired. “So that’s what a slit in a dress looks like!” the young woman had said. “I love it!”
She’d worn her hair up, tied loosely in a bun. It appeared to be professionally done, which made her proud of herself. With no hairstylists at her disposal, it was definitely an accomplishment. She’d almost forgotten how she used to do it all herself when she had been auditioning for acting roles. As for makeup, there was none on the island, but she’d squeezed out the juice of some flower petals to use as a temporary blush.
As she and Kam entered the grounds and made their way to the kitchen at the back of the main house, she couldn’t help admiring the contemporary architecture and the impressive interiors she’d glimpsed through the open glass doors. The ground floor was probably three times as big as her penthouse, decorated even more elegantly.
Nostalgia came over Lindy as she recalled her penthouse and all the grand parties she’d been to. It was bitterly funny that she was going to be part of the kitchen crew instead of attending as a special guest as she had been accustomed to. Well, it’s bound to be an unforgettable experience.
The next few hours were very busy for Lindy as she and Kam led a team of cooks and servers. She didn’t even have time to check what was happening in the party area, she was so caught up in the chaotic preparations.
After a few hours, Kam tapped her on the shoulder and told her she could take a break. “We’re all good now, Lindy. The party’s in full swing, and the guests have all eaten already… You can rest. You did a fantastic job.”
Lindy looked at her blankly.
“Go and enjoy yourself,” Kam told her, shooing her away. “Join the party! There’s still some food
left in the banquet hall.”
“Huh? Am I even welcome there?” Lindy asked hesitantly.
“Of course,” Kam said. “Prince Kristan himself told me that we should join the party when we are finished here. Celebrations here last until the morning, you know…”
“What about you?”
“I’ll see you there later. I just need to catch up with some of my old friends who work here in the main house. Unless you want to go with me and meet them…” Kam gave her a knowing smile. “They’re old. Go mingle with your age group.”
After enjoying the feast they had prepared, Lindy went to freshen up before she cautiously slipped into the crowd gathered around on the lawn. The head engineer was about to unveil the specially made spacecraft, although she couldn’t spot it anywhere. Maybe it was going to come down from the sky with special effects or something.
He was explaining about the different features that could help the soldiers win the war. “… with new sensors that can detect other ships that are further away, and with the power to become invisible by voice command from authorized leaders…” he droned on.
Everyone oohed and aahed. But Lindy couldn’t concentrate on what the engineer was saying because her whole being seemed magnetized by the prince who was standing beside him. He was wearing the same maroon robe, this time over a two-piece uniform in plain gray. His flawless skin blazed distinctly in the evening, radiating that bluish light which gave him a regal aura.
She shook her head as the reality of being amongst aliens struck her once more. I’ll be damned. I don’t think I’ll be waking up from this weird dream anytime soon.
It was Prince Kristan’s turn to talk. Everybody fell into complete silence, even leaning forward to listen intently.
“I am very proud of the Vorton Engineers,” he said in a clear, loud voice. “This is a revolutionary spacecraft that will allow us to win battles on land and in outer space. I am confident that we will defeat the coalition of planets that attacked us and finally put their union to death—for good!”
Everybody cheered.
He raised up a hand, silencing them again. They hung on to his every word. “My dear fellow Vortons, I thank you for sticking with me here on our special mission, for giving all-out support to me and the King and the rest of our family, and for showing amazing love for our planet and our people.”
As the crowd clapped again, Prince Kristan signaled for the Head Engineer to reveal the much-awaited surprise.
Lindy gasped with everyone else when the engineer raised his hand and pressed something on the watch he was wearing, exposing the spacecraft that was just behind him all along but was in invisible mode.
All the aliens came nearer to admire the spacecraft in all its enormity, modern beauty, and power.
Lindy stood there in awe while everybody else swarmed around it. For a minute, she too was so mesmerized she didn’t even notice that the prince had left.
A server passed by with a tray of wine glasses that had a bubbling colorless liquid in them. “Hi, Lindy,” the server greeted with a grin. She couldn’t quite remember his name, but she saw him several times going into the kitchen earlier. “You ought to try the Vorton Wine! It’s something else!”
Lindy nodded absent-mindedly, smiling as she accepted the glass handed to her. She took a sip while still focused on the scene before her. The Vortons were excitedly babbling about the upcoming war.
“Mmm… It’s sweet,” she noted about the wine. “It doesn’t seem to have any alcohol content at all. Really good.” She took a longer sip this time.
When the crowd dispersed, she went back inside to look for Kam and ask what time they’d be heading back. From the huge ballroom area, she headed down one hallway that looked familiar, all the while drinking from the wine glass and appreciating the taste and the uplifting mood it seemed to be giving her.
The hallway was empty, and though she was wearing flats, she could hear her own soft footsteps.
The walls were all done in dulled metal with a strange textured design. One side had alternating mirrors and vertical blue lights that illuminated the path. Meanwhile, the other side was lined with doors.
“I think I’m lost,” she suddenly declared, stopping. The end of the hallway still looked quite far. She didn’t know where it led.
Before she could turn around, something caught her attention. One door was ajar and she could hear voices talking inside. Her naturally wild curiosity made her tiptoe toward the door to listen closely.
Suddenly, her head felt a lot lighter. Her heart was also beating fast. It was the wine taking effect. She looked down at the wine glass and saw that it was still filled to the brim, as it had been when it was first handed to her. That made her grin in amusement. Unlimited wine! These people sure know how to party, she thought, giggling softly to herself.
“We are going to win this war, father. I assure you.” It was the voice of Prince Kristan.
Lindy could barely make out the words as the alcohol was dulling her senses. She must have had too much.
“With the weapons we have now and the well-trained soldiers in our army, they have no chance against us…” he continued. His voice was like beautiful music warming her heart.
“That’s the same thing you said before!” a booming voice said. It was someone who sounded older, probably the King whom he appeared to be talking to.
Lindy inched closer toward the door and risked a peek. Glancing inside, she saw that the entire room was dark except for the light emanating from the hologram of the king in the center. Oh, my! That hologram looks so real!
She noticed that the king looked stern, but a bit anxious. His graying eyebrows furrowed as he spoke. “But yes I have seen the soldiers and the spacecraft. They may increase our chances of saving the planet…” he paused dramatically, a troubled look passing across his face. “… but I can sense that you have a real spy in your midst.”
Kristan looked rattled. “But…the human isn’t a spy. I can read her.”
“Perhaps it’s not her. The mind reader cloak will never work on humans.”
“You mean somebody here in the community has used the cloak to ward off my gift…” Kristan figured out.
Lindy was getting confused as she eavesdropped on more of the conversation. The wine wasn’t helping. She decided to get out of there before she got caught. This serious talk about spies was giving her the creeps.
Slowly and carefully she started making her way back down the hallway. She had not taken more than five steps when Kristan’s voice made her stop in her tracks. Holy shit.
“Human girl,” he called. “Come back here.”
With her heart beating fast, she turned around and smiled. “Hi, Your Highness.”
The prince was obviously not in a joking mood. He glared at her. “Come here, quickly now.”
Lindy approached him, her eyes boldly meeting his gaze. For a moment, he seemed to have forgotten what he was about to say. That made her feel a sense of achievement. Somehow… just maybe… she was having an effect on him too.
“Whatever you’re thinking, you are wrong,” he said curtly.
Lindy frowned. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked at him defiantly. “I thought you were going to send me home. Doesn’t such an important person like you know how to keep promises?”
He looked angered, but he remained calm on the outside. “Listen. First of all, I never made a promise. Second, my contact in the government hasn’t gotten back to me about the boat arrangement. And third, I really don’t like you staying here longer than necessary.”
Her eyes flashed with anger. She normally did not back down in any way. But at that moment, no words came to mind.
He breathed deeply, looking away for a few seconds before meeting her gaze again. “Lindy, I will do my best to speed up your departure. But as long as you’re here, you follow our rules and you do not act like what you humans call a spoiled brat or a celebrity with a big head.”
Lindy’s mouth
opened wide as she tried to come up with a good retort. This prince was making her blood boil.
“The servers may be treating you nicely, but they are just really like that. It doesn’t mean you are part of our community now. You are still an outsider and will never be part of this family. Now what you overheard just now was a private and confidential conversation that nobody was supposed to hear.”
“Fine,” she muttered, her arms still crossed. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. His words had been so harsh, and the part about not belonging had gotten to her big time. Having grown up as an orphan and dealing with life without any family support for most of her life, it had hit her where it hurt the most.
She noticed then that his eyes had suddenly mellowed. In a cool but less angry voice, he said, “Starting tomorrow, you are to work with the cleaners instead of the cooks.”
“But…” she started to protest.
He held up his hand to shut her up. He had that natural effect. “You will do as I say. No arguments.”
Brimming with pain in her heart mixed with the fury she was trying to control, she turned around without saying a word and stomped off. Nobody treats me like this, she thought crossly. But she was the only human on an island of aliens. She was powerless here.
***
The next day, Lindy woke up with a headache. At least she was able to prove that alcoholic drinks from alien worlds also resulted in hangovers.
To make matters worse, she could hear Kay and her boyfriend Calone arguing outside her room. It was something she had to put up with regularly, since she shared a bedroom with Kayraz in the living quarters of the community servers.
She covered her ears with a pillow but it was no use. Their voices were now rising uncontrollably. After a while, she could hear Kay whimpering while Calone shouted at her.
Lindy couldn’t take it anymore. She jumped out of bed and rushed out to see what was going on. She arrived just in time to see Calone raise a hand to hit Kay.