Beyond Orion

by Laura D. Bastian

  “What will Sir Tarros say to this?” a small, attractive woman at the end of the table asked.

  The words mixed together as everyone spoke at once.

  I raised my hand. It took a moment, but eventually everyone quieted down. “The Healers and my two assistants were there with me.” I motioned toward Marshal and Delilah still standing by the doors. “The mantle was passed to me. I ask you to calm down and we will discuss the needs of the kingdom.”

  “Princess.” Speaker Plurz put a lot of emphasis into that one word. “You are not the ruler. We have a king already.”

  I opened my mouth, but another council member cut me off. “Because you were nowhere to be found, we did our research and found a distant relative of the king’s. He has been in training and study of the histories and knows more about ruling our nation than anyone. By the vote of the people yesterday, he was deemed to be our ruler.”

  “You dared to override my father?”

  “We didn’t override him. He gave his blessing to Sir Tarros yesterday. The mantle should have passed to him at your father’s death.”

  I could feel their frustration and confusion as they looked at me.

  “Because you are the king’s daughter, perhaps he did pass on some authority to you. It has been that way since the beginning of our kingdom.” Jamina Coost looked over the council as she spoke. “Is it possible they could both have the same authority?”

  “We will have to look into it. Should we call for Sir Tarros?” Speaker Plurz asked.

  A man halfway down the table said, “But we worked so hard to get someone reliable to replace her since she fled. Someone Shander couldn’t manipulate.” He looked at me with concern in his eyes.

  “The law makes it clear. Marcus Tarros is now the king.”

  “What?” I asked, unwilling to believe what they were telling me.

  “The vote has been tallied and more than eighty-six percent of the population has decided your distant cousin, Sir Marcus Tarros, is the king. It was the only way to prevent it from falling to Shander.”

  “Impossible. I am the next in line. I have the royal blood in my veins stronger than anyone else. And the mantle has already been passed to me.”

  Though I could feel the power of my calling upon me, there was no way to describe it to these people.

  The council turned to each other and began discussing things as if I weren’t there. Having lost their attention, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I needed to find Sir Tarros and let him know his services were no longer required.

  Chapter Two

  Marcus

  The nerve of those people, I fumed as I walked down the hall, flanked by Delilah and Marshal.

  The council hadn’t even noticed me leaving the room. Too caught up in their arguments, thinking they knew what was best for Rommader. I’d trained under my father’s guiding hand for my entire life. And because I left at my father’s command, they were going to hold it against me.

  I checked my appearance and sighed in relief that I was dressed as formally as I was. I needed to look as official as possible when I met this so-called king. I lifted my head in time to avoid ramming into someone in the hallway. Marshal and Delilah moved to stand between us, but I waved them back.

  “Excuse me.” His voice was deep and I blinked a couple times trying to focus on his face. He was as tall as me, but slightly smaller than Jai and Ryad in build. His dark blond hair reached to just above his collar, reminding me of some of those humans on Earth. He shook his head and the hair that had fallen across his hazel eyes fell back. When I met his eyes, a tingle at the base of my skull intensified for a moment and was gone.

  I nodded. “Excuse me.”

  He bowed slightly in return. Did he know who I was, or was he being polite? He didn’t make the sign of respect most servants did, and his clothing indicated he was not of a lower class. And why did I feel like I could trust him or call on him for anything?

  “Who are you?” I asked at the same time he said, “What are you running from?”

  “I’m not running.” I stood straight and stared him down.

  “Oh, I suppose you always rush through the hallways with your mind elsewhere and ram into people?”

  I tried to hold back a snort, but it still escaped me. I could see his lips twitch as if he were trying not to laugh.

  “Who are you?” I repeated.

  “Marcus Tarros at your service.” He bowed. “And you are?”

  “You!” This was the man who would take my throne. I crossed my arms over my chest, fighting the desire to trust him. Did he have the same kind of persuasive powers Shander had? Behind me, Delilah and Marshal shifted as if preparing to act if needed.

  He looked at me as if my stance didn’t bother him at all. “‘You’ cannot be your name.”

  “I am… Queen Amira.” It would take me a while to get used to my new title.

  “Queen?” An enchanting smile spread across his full lips. “Hello then, my dear.”

  “How dare you?” I sputtered, trying to think of something to say that would rip the crazy look off his face.

  “You see, My Lady, if you are the queen, and I am the king, then of course that means you are my wife.”

  “I am not your wife, and I never will be. I am the rightful heir of this kingdom. I do not know the circumstances of your ordination, but it does not supersede mine.” My emotions were at war. He seemed nothing like Shander, yet I felt myself drawn to him. My spine tingled again and I reached back and rubbed my neck.

  “Ah,” he nodded and the smile changed to one of pity. “The wayward princess has finally decided to return. But now you find you are too late and are going to make a fuss.”

  I dropped my hand to my side and forced myself to calm down. Words would get me much further than a tantrum would, but I wished I could stomp my feet and scream.

  Marshal stepped forward. “You would do well to watch your words.”

  I placed my hand on his arm, glad for a reason to show my authority. He nodded and stepped back.

  “Mr. Tarros, I am sorry for your misunderstanding. I have returned to Rommader to do my duty as was always planned. Whatever you may have heard about me is false, and I will not allow you to insult me again. As your queen, you owe me your respect.”

  “And as your king, and therefore official husband, you owe me your complete and total devotion.” His hazel eyes twinkled.

  Delilah barely managed to stifle a comment, but I could tell she was upset.

  “I am not your wife and you are not my king,” I said to Marcus.

  Marcus offered me his arm. “Come, my dear, we have much to discuss, and unless you would rather do it with the council members watching our every move, I suggest you get off your high horse and come with me.”

  At his words I realized there was a commotion behind me. I turned to see members of the council rushing from the room as if they finally realized I was gone. Though I hated Marcus’s insinuations, there was something authoritative as well as comforting about him that made me obey.

  I recognized a difference between the way he compelled me to follow and the way Shander had always manipulated me.

  Marcus turned his head to the side and spoke to the council members. “I will speak with Queen Amira privately. Continue with your duties and we will call for you when ready.”

  My mouth dropped open and I snapped it shut. The council listened to him with the same honor and respect they had always shown my father over the years. Something about Marcus made them listen, though it was different than with Shander. Maybe it wasn’t a gift of persuasion, but it was obvious he had enough authority to get them to obey. If I ever wanted to get my kingdom back, I knew I would have to work with him. At least until I could figure out how to work against him.

  “Marshal, Delilah, please accompany the council and answer any questions they may have. Marcus and I have some things to discuss.” The two bowed and I reflected on the difference of behavior from here and E
arth. There they had posed as my parents. Here, I was in complete authority.

  Marcus led me through the hallways as if he owned them. I admired his poise and confidence, but that in turn angered me. He was not welcome here. I was the rightful heir. And though somehow he was related to me, I had no clue how far back and whether his claim to the throne had more validity than mine.

  How had this all happened? Shander hadn’t been on Earth long when I learned of his arrival. He would have just left Rommader, so how could the Grand Council have replaced him so quickly? Perhaps the council could see through his lies and maneuverings after all.

  “How long have you been here?” I asked.

  Marcus didn’t even glance at me. “A few days.”

  “Where did you come from? Who are your parents? Why have I never met you before?”

  Marcus smiled but kept his eyes straight ahead. “All in good time, my dear.”

  “Don’t call me that.” I struggled to control my temper. I had never been so flustered in my life. The way he said my dear sent tiny shivers down my spine.

  I didn’t trust myself to fall for a man after my previous mistake. There would be no way Marcus would have any claim to me. Or my throne.

  “Amira.” Marcus’s voice caressed my name. “I do not wish to go into detail here in the hallways. If you will have the smallest amount of patience, I can answer all your questions with more privacy.

  “Where do you plan to take me?”

  “To my office.”

  I raised my eyes and looked ahead. We were heading toward my father’s wing and I felt a sinking sensation we were going to Father’s office. “It is not your office.”

  Marcus glanced at me but kept walking. With my arm tucked in his, I had two choices. Yank it out and throw a fit in the hallway, or march ahead with whatever grace and poise I could manage.

  Two new guards I had never seen stood in front of the door to my father’s office. I would never admit defeat and call it Marcus’s. I met their eyes and could tell when one of them recognized me. He placed his hand over his heart in the familiar salute. The other guard did a double take, and half raised his hand to his heart before turning his attention to Marcus. The indecision on his face was comical. I tried to hold back a smile, but I couldn’t help feeling vindicated. I was the true heir and they knew it. Now if I could solidify my claim and make sure the rest of Rommader would accept me.

  Marcus didn’t speak as the guards opened the doors and allowed us in. I pulled my arm out of Marcus’s and headed directly to my father’s chair. Marcus raised one eyebrow at my actions and smiled.

  “Please, have a seat anywhere.” He sat on the sofa near the wall and propped his left ankle on his right knee as he leaned back. I held back a sigh when it looked like he belonged in this room more than I did.

  I clasped my hands together and placed them on the desk then stared him down. “Talk.”

  Marcus looked me over and instead of speaking he watched me. If he was trying to make me nervous, he was doing a good job. Who taught him how to turn the tables?

  “Where did you come from?” I asked.

  Marcus avoided my question and asked one of his own. “What was it like?”

  “What?”

  “Traveling. What was it like?”

  “How did you know about that?” My stomach clenched, knowing the secret wasn’t as guarded as I’d hoped it had been. The council would have known some of the particulars, but why would they have told this to Marcus?

  “Your father told me.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Perhaps he wanted to make sure I understood you would be returning sometime.”

  “Yet you still accepted the throne?”

  “The people needed stability. Your father was dying. Shander was obsessed with finding where you’d run off to and no longer seemed to care about the nation.”

  “Did you know Shander?”

  “We met.”

  “And what did he think of your arrival?” I asked, leaning back and folding my arms across my chest. “He didn’t feel threatened by you being here?”

  “I doubt he gave it much thought. All his attention was on finding you.” Marcus looked me over with more scrutiny, and I fought against the urge to check my hair or adjust my dress.

  “So you just waltzed in here with the plan to take over my throne and did it right under Shander’s nose?” I asked.

  “I had no intention of taking the throne from anyone.” Marcus shifted his foot to the floor and leaned forward. “But when it was handed to me by the voice of the people, I stepped up.”

  “Well, you can step down right now. I am here. It is my throne.”

  “You’ll have a hard time convincing the people of that.”

  “Why? They will see I am the rightful heir. I have the training and authority to rule this country.”

  “They won’t forgive you for running off.”

  “I didn’t run.”

  “Then what did you do?” Marcus sat up a little and met my eyes. The intensity of his gaze kept me rooted. “You were not here during your father’s illness. You were not here to take your duties as you should have. You were not here to stop Shander from making a total mess of things. You were gone.”

  “I was forced to go.”

  “Do you think that will matter to the people of Rommader?” Marcus asked. “My life was changed completely because of the will of the people. I am the closest living relative to King Chark—aside from you and Jai—and the laws state the crown must follow the blood line. Shander tried to change things to fit his own agenda, but the people refused to give it to him.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you think they’ll look on you kindly for making them go through the effort to fight Shander? If you had been here, you could have stopped it.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed at my temples, trying to soothe the headache developing. If Jai were here, he’d be able to heal me and I could stay focused better, but what Marcus said made sense. Though I didn’t want to accept it.

  “Where is Jai?” Marcus asked as if knowing my thoughts. I wondered if the last dose of Densinne on Earth was still in my system. I had to be more careful until I could get control of telepathy again. I’d eased up a lot on Earth.

  “He’s not here.”

  Marcus looked at me and frowned. “He abandoned you?”

  “Do not speak of things you don’t understand.”

  Marcus leaned back and looked me over once more. “Why did you leave? And why did you come back?”

  The change in his tone was enough to make me consider answering him. I leaned back in my father’s chair and debated on what I should tell him.

  “What were you told?” I asked. If my father had told him about the Traveling, what else did he say?

  Marcus started lifting his fingers as if counting off the different versions of my absence. “That you didn’t want the responsibility of the kingdom. You left when your father offered you an out. You were too spoiled to know how to care for the people. You were crazy and had a mental breakdown, so the Healers suggested a vacation and you didn’t want to return. And my personal favorite is that you were expecting a child so your father sent you away.” Marcus grinned. “Any truth to those?”

  I shook my head. “No.” Who could possibly be responsible for such nonsense?

  “So why did you leave?”

  “Shander.”

  “He made you leave? But why? He’s been trying to find you for months.” Marcus shook his head.

  “That’s why.”

  “You ran away from your responsibilities to get away from Shander?”

  Slow deep breaths were the only thing that kept me from screaming in frustration. “Shander and I were engaged once.”

  “Ah, you got cold feet.” Marcus nodded.

  “He was abusive.”

  The grin disappeared from Marcus’s face.

  “Shander didn’t want me. Or he did, but not as much as he wanted the kingdom.
He used his Talent of persuasion to convince me I was in love with him. Then as our relationship progressed, it was obvious I didn’t mean as much to him as the power I could give him through marriage. When I showed any sort of interest or kindness to a man, Shander would get jealous. Enough that he struck me.”

  “He hit you?”

  “On multiple occasions. Jai helped me get away. When we explained the situation to my father, he wouldn’t believe it at first. Shander had done something to convince my father I was delusional. That I made everything up. When he tried again, Jai saved me once more and he hid me away until he could convince my father of the truth. Father believed him that time and vowed to put me in a place Shander couldn’t reach me. He wanted to solve the problem with Shander without me there to be used as leverage.”

  I rubbed my finger across the small figurine of a bird on my father’s desk, lost in my thoughts of my time with Shander.

  “Father thought the best thing would be to send me away while he took care of things here. He was supposed to send for me months ago, but as time went on, I knew things weren’t working according to plan.”

  “Why didn’t you come home sooner?”

  I shook my head. I didn’t want to admit I had enjoyed my time on Earth. He might use it as leverage against me. It had been a learning experience and one I was sure would help me in my life as the ruler of Rommader.

  “Shander sent someone to kidnap me and return me home. My friends and guards were able to stop him, and we decided together it would be best to wait before returning. We didn’t know the way things were here. We only knew that if I allowed Shander to get a hold of me, he would marry me right away and have legal authority to rule. And if I were to die soon after our marriage, it wouldn’t have mattered to him.”

  “So you hid from him?”

  I looked at Marcus. “I did.”

  Marcus studied me for a moment then sat up a little. “Maybe you aren’t as stupid and spoiled as they made you out to be.” I glared at him and he smiled. “Don’t get me wrong. I still think it was a bad idea for you to run away, but I did meet Shander briefly. He disturbed me for some reason and I knew he was obsessed with you, but I didn’t realize why.” Marcus’s gaze trailed over my body once more, sending shivers over me, but they were much different than the kind Shander had always produced.