by Roxie Ray
Rosa lifted her hand and waved back, before turning to me with a look of delight on her face.
“This balcony is a stroke of genius,” she said, as I came to stand beside her. “You can see your people, and they can see you.”
“That was the idea.” I nodded. “Often enough kings sit upon their thrones in castles that are kept far from the common folk. This room maintains the security of the castle, but still allows the people a glimpse of their king.
“Do you come out here often?” Rosa asked.
I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. “Not as often as I would like,” I admitted.
“It’s beautiful, Quatix,” she said, drawing a little closer to me even as she continued waving.
The two children by the giving well were so delighted that they were dancing around as they continued to wave.
“That’s a beautiful well,” Rosa observed.
I had grown so accustomed to seeing it there that I had completely lost sight of its beauty. I looked at the well through Rosa’s eyes and saw the sculpted, wrought iron top structure, falling into the well’s sturdy stone base. The pulley was simple but large, and it was the only thing that was free from the amber vines that snaked along the well’s substantial structure.
“It’s been standing for many centuries,” I told her. “Generations upon generations of Vandor’s townspeople have collected their water here.”
Rosa smiled. “Everything about Vandor is beautiful,” she said.
I could see that she had fallen in love with my planet and my city, and it only made me love her more. That thin steel rope that had connected us the first time I had laid eyes on her had only grown stronger with the passing days. She had become more than just a beautiful enigma — she had become my closest friend and confidant.
“Good evening, my King, my Queen.”
I turned and saw Brags enter the balcony, with Sophia by his side. Sophia was smiling, but I had known Brags long enough to discern worry on his face, even when he was trying to remain calm.
“What is it, my friend?” I asked, cutting to the chase.
I noticed Rosa glance at me, and her stance changed immediately. Even in her royal silks, she looked like a warrior ready for battle.
“I believe my spies have found the location of the vuter,” Brags told us.
Rosa and I exchanged a glance. “But, that is good news,” I said. “Do you not believe we can trust it?”
“No, I think the information is legitimate,” Brags replied. “The vuter is on a small planet called Kea-Tar.”
I frowned, trying to figure out why the planet was unfamiliar to me. “Why is it that I have not heard of this planet before?” I asked.
Brags sighed deeply. “Because it is in the Lyrae Galaxy.”
Fuck.
“Wait, does that mean what I think it means?” Rosa asked, looking up at me.
I nodded. “We’ll have to leave our galaxy, cross over. It is a more significant journey.”
“It will take us a week,” Brags told me. “We will have to use a wormhole.”
“Why is that a problem?” Rosa asked.
“Wormholes are risky,” Sophia said, speaking up before Brags or I could answer. “There are many things that can go wrong, and oftentimes the space crafts that try have not survived the journey.”
“Isn’t there a way to go to this planet without using a wormhole?” Rosa asked. “What about light speed and major jumping?”
“That is possible only within the same galaxy,” I explained. “The only way to cross between galaxies is through a wormhole.”
“And there’s no way to get to where we need to go without using a wormhole?” Rosa asked.
“Even if we were to use major jumps at light speed, it would take centuries,” Brags said. “The galaxies of the universe are too large and far apart to travel between, which is why worm holes were born. But they come with their dangers.”
“They are dangers we cannot avoid,” I said. “We need to make this journey. Getting this vuter is the only way to ensure the safety of our planet and our people.”
“I agree.” Brags nodded, with resignation.
“Then it is decided,” I said. “Inform the Protectors.”
“When do we leave, my King?” Brags asked.
“Tonight, when the moon hangs above the castle.”
I felt Rosa tense next to me, and I knew she hadn’t expected a departure so soon. I took her hand and kissed it gently, trying to reassure her.
“I will inform the Protectors,” Brags said. “Are we to prepare the Destroyer for the journey?”
“Yes, the ship is strong, and all its repairs and services are up to date,” I said. “Stock the ship with whatever we will need for the journey. Make sure we have reserves in case we are delayed and have no friendly place to land.”
Brags gave Rosa and I a parting bow, and then he left the sunroom’s balcony to carry out my orders. Sophia went with him, leaving Rosa and I alone. The atmosphere had changed drastically from a few moments ago. Rosa looked pale and weary; her eyes flitted over Vandor with regret that I couldn’t understand.
Since her mind was closed to me, I tried to interpret the expression on her face. She must be feeling abandoned by my imminent departure. I hated having to leave her behind, but the journey to the Lyrae galaxy was too dangerous for me to risk taking her. Again, I felt that distinct prick of guilt knot in my conscience. If I truly loved her, perhaps I should have left her on Earth where she belonged. The circumstances were different, but in the end, was I really any different from my father.
“Never fear, my love,” I told her, trying to inject confidence in my voice. “I know this is difficult to accept, but I do not plan for this to be a long journey.”
Rosa sighed and nodded slowly. “You have to do this, I understand that,” she said. “You’re right, this vuter is too important. We can’t let it fall into the hands of someone who will misuse it.”
Love for her burgeoned in my chest. She amazed me at every turn; it was almost like she was born to this life. I leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead. I heard distant giggling reach us from near the giving well, and I turned to see that the children were still there and that they were watching us with interest.
Rosa laughed softly and waved to them again. I watched as the uncertainty receded a little as she interacted with the people that she was destined to rule over. The children started to move away from the well, and my eyes landed on a tall figure that was half hidden behind the trees that paved the way up to the well. His face was obscured from view, but I recognized his dark purple scales immediately.
A growl ripped from my throat, and Rosa gasped at the abrupt and menacing sound. “Quatix?” she asked uncertainly.
I grabbed Rosa’s hand and pushed her behind me. I didn’t take my eyes off Nils. He had obviously been on Svante for some days now and I wondered how long he had been watching the castle.
“Quatix, what’s wrong?” Rosa asked.
“We are being watched,” I said in a low voice.
Nils, aware that he had been caught, stepped out from behind the tree unabashedly and narrowed his eyes at me. It was a threat and a challenge all in the same breath, and a deep and abiding anger coursed through me.
“I know him,” Rosa said.
The shock of her revelation had me turning to her in a panic. “What do you mean?” I demanded. “How do you know him?”
Her eyes darted over my face, taking in the worry. “Uh, well, it’s not that I know him personally. What I meant was that I recognize him,” she explained. “He was at the marketplace that first day we arrived on Svante. He was watching Sophia and I.”
Another feral growl ripped from my throat, but when I turned back towards the tree Nils had been hiding behind, he had disappeared from view.
“That bastard!” I said furiously.
“Quatix, you’re scaring me. What is it? Who is that Svantian?”
“His name is Nils,”
I told her. “And he belongs to the Sives.”
“The outlaw gang that attacked us the day we left Earth?” Rosa asked.
“The very same,” I nodded. “Which means he’s been here on Svante waiting for us to return, or he followed us here on Bis’er’s orders.”
“Do you think he was on the ship that attacked us?” Rosa asked.
“It’s entirely possible.” I nodded. “But there’s no way to be sure. The Sives have grown into quite the force since Bis’er took command. They are no longer the unruly outlaws they once were. Now they resemble an army.”
I saw Rosa’s skin rise, and I drew her to me and kissed the top of her head. “I will not let anything happen to you, my Queen,” I promised. “I would rather die.”
“You are not allowed to die,” Rosa said fiercely, as she pulled away from me so that she could look up at my face. “You are not allowed to leave me alone in this world. Do you understand me?”
Her eyes blazed with the fever of a warrior queen, and I felt my knees go weak at her strength. That invisible bond that tied me to her cemented itself inside me, a constant reminder that without her, there was no future for me.
“Rakar,” I said, addressing one of the guards that manned the entrance to the sunroom’s balcony. “Go and find Lord Brags and Lady Sophia, tell them to meet me in the royal chambers immediately.”
“At once, my King,” Rakar nodded, as he left his post on my command.
“Come,” I said, taking Rosa’s hand and leading her through the sunroom towards the castle’s main body.
We made our way to our chambers in perfect silence. I was lost in my thoughts, and it seemed Rosa was lost in hers. The whole time, however, she kept her hand firmly in mine. The comfort of her touch soothed me and gave me perspective amidst the chaos of an uncertain future.
I noticed the steady rise and fall of Rosa’s chest. Was she scared about being left alone in Svante without me? Was she nervous about my safety?
I recalled the day of our arrival. She had dismissed all her guards without a moment’s thought to her own safety. As impressive as her authority had been, I could not risk her doing that again, especially now that I knew the castle was being watched — especially now that I would not be in Svante to personally ensure Rosa’s safety.
“Rosa, my love,” I said, walking over to her. “I will need your help in this.”
She smiled. “Of course. I want to help.”
“I cannot bear the thought of seeing you hurt. I know you don’t like being followed around the castle or the city, but while I am away, I will need you to keep your contingent of guards around you at all times.”
Rosa frowned at me as though she did not understand. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she pulled her hands out of mine.
“Excuse me?” she said.
“I just mean —”
“If you think I am staying behind on Svante while you go off on this mission by yourself, you are dreaming.”
15
Rosa
He wanted to leave me behind. I hadn’t even realized it until just now when he had mentioned increasing my security. But I stood my ground and took in his stunned expression. Clearly he had not expected me to insist on coming.
“I am going with you,” I said firmly.
Quatix took a deep breath. “My love —”
I recognized that tone of voice. He was trying to manage me. I had used that tone countless times to talk my patients off a ledge, every time I wanted to talk them out of a decision I thought was going to be a bad one.
“Don’t,” I said coldly, cutting him off. “This is not a negotiation. I’m coming with you and that’s the end of it.”
Quatix raised his eyebrows. “That is not the end of it, not by a long shot. You cannot accompany me on this mission.”
“Why not?” I demanded. “You told me we were partners in this.”
“And we are,” Quatix nodded. “Which is why you need to stay and safeguard Svante while I am away.”
“Do you take me for a fool?” I demanded of him. “You’re not leaving me to safeguard Svante, you’re trying to safeguard me.”
“Is that so wrong?”
I took a deep breath. “I love for you wanting to protect me,” I said, trying to remain calm. “But I will not be left behind, Quatix. You said it yourself; this journey is going to be a dangerous one —”
“Which is exactly why you should stay here.”
I gritted my teeth together. Quatix’s eyes were blazing with stubborn insistence, but he was severely underestimating me if he thought he could convince me to stay behind on Svante.
I turned my back on him and headed straight for my wardrobe. He looked slightly puzzled, but he followed me into the closet. I pulled open one of the travel chests that had been pushed to the corner and started to pack my things.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Quatix asked.
“We’re leaving tonight, aren’t we?” I said pleasantly. “Well, I need to get ready.”
“Stop it,” Quatix said, trying to grab my hand. “You’re staying here.”
I pushed his hand off me, and he dropped it immediately. “Where’s the intercom again?” I asked conversationally. “I’ll need Meri-Dana’s help getting ready. She can stay behind on Svante while we’re away. I don’t see a need to bring her with us.”
“My love, please,” Quatix sighed. “You will not be alone. I will have Sophia stay back with you. You will have company and —”
“You think I’m concerned about being left on Svante alone?” I demanded.
“I just —”
“I’m not a child,” I snapped. “I can stay here alone. But I’m not willing to let you go on what is possible a life threatening mission while I remain here, useless.”
“I will come back to you,” Quatix said, in a low voice.
“Can you promise that?” I demanded.
Quatix opened his mouth, but I saw the uncertainty in his face. I also knew he wouldn’t lie to me.
“I’m not letting you go without me,” I said firmly.
“Why not?” Quatix demanded.
“Because I love you!” I all but yelled, filled with emotion that I had been suppressing all this time. “I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my life, and that terrifies me, because everyone I have ever loved, I have also lost.”
Silence filled the room, and Quatix’s eyes softened. He took a step forward and held his hand out to me. Reluctantly, I slipped my hand into his.
“I understand you want me to be safe,” I said. “But you also wanted me to be your queen. We’re in this together or not at all. I will not be left behind.”
I raised my eyes to his and saw the conflict raging there. After a moment, he sighed deeply in defeat, and I knew I had won this fight.
“I am the king,” Quatix said softly. “And yet with you, I have no power. What spell have you cast on me?”
I smiled in triumph and walked into the circle of his arms. “Thank you,” I breathed against his chest.
I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed him long and hard, letting my tongue slide along the fullness of his bottom lip. His hands ran up my back and undid the knots of my gown, letting it fall lose around my hips and exposing my breasts. He growled in my ear, but this growl was unlike the one he had let loose only a few moments ago on the balcony. This one was hungry, lustful and filled with need.
His hand fell over my left breast, and my nipples hardened immediately. My hand fell upon his erection, and I was about to undo his trousers when there came a sharp knock on the chamber doors.
“Who’s that?” I asked breathlessly.
Quatix’s eyes were wild when he pulled away from me. I saw the lust drain out, only to be replaced with regretful realization.
“Brags and Sophia,” he told me. “I sent for them.”
I sighed and stepped back, pulling the dress back onto my shoulders and reaching back to redo my strings. Quatix pushed my hands away gently as he di
d them for me. His fingers lingered on my back for a moment, and then he bent down and dropped a tender kiss on the nape of my neck.
“You make me want to give up my crown and spend my days and nights holed up in a cave somewhere, seeing to your every pleasure.”
I smiled. “Maybe one day, my handsome King,” I said, winking at him.
With a gentle chuckle, Quatix moved out of the wardrobe and towards the chamber’s main solar to let Brags and Sophia in. By the time I followed him into the main solar, Brags and Sophia were already in our chambers, standing in the floating wing that looked out at Skorasis Falls.
“Nils?” Brags said incredulously. “Are you sure?”
Quatix nodded. “And apparently he’d been following Rosa and Sophia that day in the marketplace.”
“That traitorous bastard,” Brags hissed.
Sophia moved closer to her husband. “We will make sure castle security is doubled,” she said.
“As to that, our plans have changed,” Quatix said, glancing over at me.
I tried not to look too pleased with myself as he told Sophia and Brags what we had just decided.
“Rosa will be accompanying us on the journey to the Lyrae Galaxy.”
Brags raised his eyebrows in surprise, but Sophia smiled knowingly.
“Is that wise?” Brags asked.
“Probably not,” Quatix sighed. “But the queen has spoken.”
Brags turned to me with wary eyes. “My Queen, I understand your need to join us, but —”
I moved closer to him and put my hand on his arm. “And I understand your need to protect me. But I am not going to be a queen who stays behind and waits.”
I saw a flash of admiration flicker across Brags’ face. He looked me in the eye for a long moment, and then he nodded.
“Very well, my Queen.”
I patted his arm and turned to Quatix. “What are we going to do about Nils?” I asked. “He’s obviously watching us, and he may not be the only one. If we leave Svante, the Sives will know.”
Quatix nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “Which is precisely why we need a decoy.”
“An excellent idea,” Brags agreed. “What do you suggest?”