by Anna Lewis
“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.
“Don’t you dare hit her!” she yelled, running forward to move in between them.
He paused, his enraged eyes meeting her indignant gaze. For a moment she felt a wave of fear passing across her whole being, afraid that he’d hurt her. But she stood her ground. Her entire life had taught her to stand up for her rights and never back down from a fight, especially if she knew she was right.
“Aarrgghh!” he cried with fury before plodding away.
Lindy breathed a sigh of relief, and turned around to comfort her good friend. She was now crying hard, something Lindy had never seen her do before.
“It’s all over…” she sobbed.
Lindy tried to comfort her, telling her it was all for the best. They went back to their room where Lindy made her stay while she prepared breakfast for them both. It was their rest day, anyway.
Throughout breakfast, the two girls talked. Kay let out all the pain she’d been keeping inside of her. Lindy just listened. And when they embraced, she suddenly missed Belinda and knew that her best friend was probably still mourning for her supposed loss.
When Kay finally calmed down and fell asleep, Lindy went to the beach to think. Looking out into the ocean, her heart burst with emotion. And in an instant, she knew that she really had to find a way to get back home as soon as possible. And there was no one else to help her except for the prince.
A little while later she was showered and geared up in hiking attire she’d borrowed from some of the ladies. I’ve been through the woods many times, she thought. I can do this.
The dense forested area was at least safe from most wild animals. She knew there could be snakes lurking around, though, but she didn’t want to dwell on the possibility of running into any. The bright sun shone through the thick branches and leaves, cheering her up somehow despite the fact that she seemed to be moving in circles. Finally, she decided to take a break.
As she leaned on a tree trunk, almost breathless, the rustling of leaves nearby made her spin around. She caught sight of a familiar man zipping through the trees.
That looks like Elixir! she thought immediately, deciding to follow him secretly.
Not far from where she’d rested, she found herself approaching a clearing where the voices of soldiers could be heard.
“Where’s Eli?” she whispered, scanning the grounds. She’d lost him toward the end, but at least he’d been able to lead her to the training area.
She didn’t even know if she was allowed in the area, so she cautiously came closer, trying not to make any noise or to attract attention to herself.
The soldiers were busy doing their exercises so she was able to sneak into the building behind them, which she figured was connected to the main house somehow. Or maybe the prince would be in that building today.
Upon entering, she observed that there was no receiving area. It was just a series of hallways and some elevators. The plain metallic walls appeared lifeless and intimidating.
A sense of nervousness began to creep into her heart. Checking the signs, she was still deciding where to go when she heard Eli’s voice.
“Hey, Lindy!” he called in a whisper. “What are you doing here? Are you stalking me now?”
“Very funny,” Lindy answered, making a face. “And what are you doing here?”
“I asked first.”
“Fine. I’m looking for Prince Kristan.”
Eli scowled at the mention of the name. She didn’t know if he was somehow jealous, or if he was actually harboring negative feelings toward the prince.
“Do you know where I can find him?” Lindy continued.
“What do you need? He doesn’t just talk to anyone, you know…” he trailed off. His eyes darted to the left and then to the right. “We should get out of here before we get caught.”
“You mean you sneaked in too?” Lindy asked in surprise.
“Yeah, I wanted to see if I could somehow try to get back into training,” he admitted, pulling her to the entrance.
Lindy suddenly felt sorry for him, realizing how much he still wanted to become a soldier despite his previous failure.
“Isn’t it allowed to try again?” Lindy said curiously. “Maybe you should try to talk to the prince too…”
“Who should try to talk to me?” a familiar voice interrupted.
Lindy’s eyes widened at the sound. Slowly she turned around and was again captivated by the sight of the handsome alien man with the bluish glow. He was wearing his usual royal garb that made him so daunting yet so alluring.
“Lindy dragged me here to try and see you,” Elixir lied without flinching.
To Lindy’s surprise, he even placed an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “She’s desperate to talk to you, even though I tried to stop her.”
“I am not desperate!” Lindy hissed in an irritable voice. She didn’t know if it was her imagination or if the prince actually smiled a bit at that.
“Anyway, now that you’re here, Your Highness, I’m off,” Elixir said. “I am sorry to disturb you and to barge in here without permission.” He bowed and left hurriedly before Lindy could protest.
Prince Kristan simply nodded and then turned to Lindy with his famous smirk. “I am surprised you’re feeling fine enough to walk through the woods and come here after having drunk so much of our wine. You must really be desperate.”
“I’m not!” Lindy almost shouted, forgetting she was speaking to an alien prince. “I mean, okay. Maybe just a little.”
He waited expectantly for her to go on.
She straightened her back with greater confidence, imagining the entire scene to be part of one of her movies. “Let me speak to my friend Belinda. She’s my only family and I want to let her know I’m okay.”
He paused for a while, thinking. Then he shook his head. “It would put us all in a risky position.”
“But…”
“Are you done?” he followed up quickly in a cool voice. “I’m busy.”
Fuck this asshole of a prince, Lindy thought, her blood boiling again. You’re a heartless bastard and if not for the kind Vortons I’ve become friends with, I hope you lose that damn war!
The prince’s cool gaze turned into a glare for just a second, but it was gone so quickly she may have conjured it up. “You wanted to say something else?” he asked in that nonchalant tone again.
In a snap of a finger, Lindy teared
up and feigned weakness. Maybe, just maybe, playing “girl in distress” will work better. It does with most men. She played it up well, and on screen it would have earned her a Best Actress Award! However, she just couldn’t make herself beg. She simply explained that she’d been feeling homesick and it had been making her feel ill.
Her tears began to feel real, and she could sense her heart constricting as she recalled the frightening storm in her mind. Her shoulders began to shake as her sobs increased. “Just let me go home…”
She thought it was working at first because his distant eyes seemed to be softening. But then, when he finally spoke, her cheeks flamed and her entire body heated with anger at his words.
“Lindy, you’re really a gifted actress,” he started. “Unfortunately, we’re not into movies here. We have much better, more important things to take care of. Don’t waste my time and yours. So if you’re done with your drama, you can go find our Head Cleaner to talk about your new job for tomorrow.”
Lindy straightened up and wiped her tears away as she glowered at the retreating back of the prince. “Asshole,” she muttered, wanting to strangle him.
***
The next few days were busy for Lindy as she was trained to be one of the cleaners in the training area. Since she’d grown up helping her aunt with house chores and working as a student, she was able to adjust well to the job. It entailed tough tasks, but she wanted to prove to the prince and to herself that she could do it all excellently.
She often worked in silence, focusing all her energy on completing tasks efficiently. The Head Cleaner would frequently praise her and even said that he admired her for doing such an amazing job at this despite her celebrity status back home. He was beginning to feel like a big brother to her, which was quite endearing.
There were times when she would feel so degraded, but she would immediately try to shift her perspective, thinking that this was a great way for her to stay in shape and to strengthen her body.
She remembered all those assistants who had been at her beck and call. She felt bad for all those moments when she’d felt so pressured at work that she sometimes took it out on them, snapping, or giving orders without a care in the world. During those times, she forgot about her past and it always made her feel guilty—especially now.
Often Prince Kristan would pass by as he was on his way to his office or to a meeting. He’d greet the other cleaners, but to her he would nod in acknowledgement only. Well, at least he was being polite enough. Maybe he was afraid of what the other cleaners might think.
One time when she’d seen him rounding a corner in the building, she had followed him with her eyes as he spoke to a device in his watch. When he’d abruptly turned around, their eyes had accidentally met. She’d felt something inside of her jump, but he’d simply shifted his gaze and ignored her.
Lindy, you better watch it, she had warned herself. You are not crushing on this guy! You’re too old for that and it was never your style. Besides, he’s not even worthy of your attention. He is the least worthy! Yet she couldn’t deny the physical attraction that drew her to him and activated her senses into full alert every time he was around.
One morning, despite the exhaustion of Lindy’s body from the work of the past weeks, she woke up at dawn and decided to watch the sunrise on the beach. It had been a long time since she’d last seen it, and she was hoping it would again have that magical effect on her. She needed to rest and refresh her mind, heart, and spirit.
As she walked down the stretch of the shore, absorbing the beauty of the sky and the heat of the sun, she started to relax. She pushed away all worries about her present and future, and simply concentrated on the spectacular view, the grains of sand rubbing against her bare feet, and the cool breeze blowing on her face.
Her blonde hair danced in the wind, along with the hem of her long skirt which she had paired with a sweater-type top that one of the ladies had given her. Her anxiety seemed to melt away as the minutes passed by and the sun finally rose above the sea, shining radiantly.
She was about to head back, ready to face reality again with renewed strength and conviction, when she saw a figure hunched under a tree near the beach. Her heart skipped a beat as she came nearer and she recognized the muscular body of the prince, bent forward while seated on the ground, his arms casually resting on his folded knees. His handsome face was shadowed by the tree’s leaves, but she could see that he had not shaved for a while.
Despite his treatment of her over the recent weeks, her heart went out to him. She wondered if he was still worried about that spy, or if his father remained doubtful of his ability to lead the army to victory. It was such a huge burden to carry.
She took several steps in the other direction, knowing she might be late for her tasks that day, but something seemed to pull her back toward the prince. She looked back and gazed at him in silence. He didn’t look as intimidating at that moment. He didn’t even resemble a prince or an army chief or the leader of a planet. In that instant, he was just an ordinary man looking forlorn, needing a friend, as he stared out into the ocean.
Pushing her second thoughts aside, she plodded over to plop down on the ground beside him. I am Lindy Miles, famous multi-awarded actress! she thought to herself proudly, gaining confidence as she recalled her career achievements.
She hadn’t realized she’d positioned herself a bit closer to him than she’d planned. Their shoulders grazed, making him throw her a look of disbelief. Even through the sweater she had on, she could feel the heat passing between them.
He regarded her with interest for some time, which made her feel really self-conscious. But then his intense brown eyes narrowed, the golden sparks darkening too. He was obviously taken aback by her boldness in approaching him.
“You,” he said in a terse voice. But he did not move away.
Her eyes met with his. She smiled bravely, trying to look friendly. “Hi, Prince Kristan,” she said casually. “So, you’ve decided to watch the sunrise again today.”
He ignored her and faced forward again in silence.
Lindy tucked her knees under her chin, wrapping her arms around her legs and following his gaze. They sat side by side in silence for a few minutes before he finally spoke again.
“I don’t need a friend right now, Lindy,” he said bluntly, motioning for her to leave. “And we’re not even friends to begin with.”
Lindy could feel her cheeks flaming. Here he was pushing her away again. She had never made a fool of herself so many times in front of the same person in her entire life. And she’d never before had to keep asserting herself to any man.
“Why are you mean to me? I didn’t do anything bad to you…” Lindy said in a sharp tone, trying to control her rising anger. “You don’t seem as harsh to the others. Is it because I’m an outsider?”
He breathed deeply then turned to face her again, looking her in the eye.
Her breath caught in her throat as she found her face inches away from his. She felt herself becoming entranced by the mysterious golden sparks gliding across his eyes, their color dimming and brightening alternately. It seemed to signal the emotions he was keeping locked inside.
“Maybe it’s just wrong timing for you and me,” he whispered.
What is he saying? she wondered with a mixture of puzzlement and excitement.
He continued. “What I’m saying is that we could have been good friends if we had met a long time ago… back when I didn’t have to worry about my people’s welfare or about my planet’s future…”
“Hmmm… I find that hard to believe somehow,” Lindy told him. “I can’t picture you as someone relaxed or friendly at all. But well, something told me a while ago that I’m the only one with the guts to approach you and offer a shoulder to cry on. Come on! Try me. I’m a good listener!”
“You are one weird, persistent woman,” he noted, frowning. “But I don’t need a shoulder to cry on as you put it. I’m perfectly fine.”
Lindy laugh
ed. “Suit yourself!”
To her astonishment, he chuckled. Then with a bit of hesitation, he eventually said, “Maybe you’re right. And everybody else is right about me too. I’ve become too obsessed with this upcoming war.”
“Well, I would be miserable too if I lost a really important acting award that I was expecting to win,” Lindy said in understanding, already hating the imagined scene and knowing she would do whatever it took to win the next time around.
“You’ve heard of my story…”
Lindy nodded with a grin. “Word gets around.”
“Yeah, well… Guess even Vortons can gossip.”
Lindy actually giggled. “Oh. My. God.”
“What?” he said in confusion.
“You just cracked a witty remark!” Then scrunching her nose, she retracted her comment. “Well, not so witty but just… something not so serious.”
Kristan gave her a strange but obviously amused look.
She felt her heart soaring. “You know what I mean,” she said quickly, looking away.
Then to her shock, she felt his hand touching her knee very gently. “Thanks, Lindy,” he said in a genuine tone that made her face him again. “I really appreciate it.”
A few seconds of silence passed as she felt the physical attraction increasing between them. She could feel its thick presence in the air, making her imagination fly. But she stopped it before it got further. Besides, he had that smirk on his lips again, as if he knew something that she didn’t.
“Okay, tell you what!” Lindy said excitedly, wanting to break the spell just to relieve herself of the invisible tension. Her blue eyes twinkled as she came up with a bright idea. “How about we play hooky for today?” she suggested. “Just for today, like high school kids cutting classes for the first time!”
He laughed then. “You’re crazy, human lady!”
She grinned. Her heart fluttered from the way the sound of the nickname rolled off his tongue. It wasn’t anything romantic, but it was still special. She was different to him, and that made a difference. What’s more, he was just so cute when he wasn’t busy being an uptight prince preparing for war.