We were surrounded by people – families, too. I cringed at the idea that children would witness my demise. If only there was a way to warn them, to ask everyone to please leave the area unless they wanted to witness a man's bloody end. But there wasn't.
A few people recognized me right away, though I admit I looked a bit rough and haggard.
“King Bazarok has returned,” someone yelled.
Others joined him, and I could see the pained look on Kapoc's face as people celebrated, excited to see me. Of course, none of them had any idea what was happening, or that their happiness would be short-lived. I tried to smile and appear pleasant, however. They didn't deserve to be part of this. The least I could do was go down smiling. For the people, right?
Kapoc and I walked upon the stage. People kept staring, watching, and waiting to see what their king had to say. I could guarantee that most of them weren't going to like it, though.
“Attention, everyone,” I said, my voice coming out softer than I'd intended. Yet everyone in the area quieted down on command. “As many of you know, I have returned to Optorio. But my presence will be short-lived, I'm afraid. I do apologize for what you're about to witness, but I need you all to hear this. This is my choice.”
A mumble rippled through the crowd. People were growing concerned. There was more and more talking, so much so that the next part of my speech was almost not heard at all.
“Please accept my brother, Kapoc, in my place as king, for I'm not going to be of this world much longer–”
Just as I started my concession speech, the ground beneath our feet shook violently, sending Kapoc to the ground. Members of the crowd were screaming and shouting. The shaking was so violent, I barely managed to stay on my feet.
“What's going on?”
People were running around, screaming, “There's a bomb! A bomb! Get out of here!”
They were running away from us. Kapoc tried to command them to stay, but another explosion shook us, sending shrapnel within inches of Kapoc's head.
One of his guards rushed over to him. “It's the army, sir. Someone dispatched them, they're setting up bombs at the perimeter and are heading this way.”
The army. My army. The same army I threatened Kapoc with, but had never called upon. And yet, now they were here.
Someone must have been looking out for me.
Kapoc grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the stage where the bulk of the explosions were centered. “Looks like we're going to have to do this fast, then,” he said. He pushed me down and reached for his sword, but I was much faster than him. I dodged the blade, but with no weapon of my own, I had nothing to fight back with.
My men filled the area with fighters, killing off Kapoc's guards one-by-one, cutting them down quicker than I'd ever seen before. My men outnumbered his, but until that moment, I had no idea how much support I truly had.
My brother swung the sword down, missing my head by mere inches. I was playing defense, but I needed a weapon. I was dead in the water without one, and sooner or later, Kapoc was going to get lucky with one of his wild swings.
I saw General Lazarzo, one of my closest allies nearby. I called out to him. “I need a weapon,” I said.
He rushed over to me, risking his life by doing so, and handed over one of his own weapons – a sword.
“Do you need my help, my king? It would be my honor.”
“No, but thank you. I can handle my brother,” I growled, running toward Kapoc at full speed.
My brother was still a swordsman and put up a fight. My blade hit his but never touched him. But at least I had something to defend myself with and to block his blows. Kapoc lost his footing at one point, but he didn't go down. I swiped to the right, to the left, and to the right again, but he managed to stop every single thrust and swing.
Most of the fighting around us was over. Kapoc's forces, such as they were, had been routed by the army. All that was left was Kapoc and I. We stood in the center of the public courtyard, our blades up, circling one another.
“You made a promise, brother,” Kapoc snarled.
I shrugged and grinned at him. “Looks like things have changed,” I replied. “It doesn't appear that the people want you on the throne.”
He snarled and ran toward me, his sword raised above his head. I blocked the blow and danced to the side. Kapoc was angry. Frustrated. And as gifted with a sword as he was, when he was angry and frustrated, he was prone to mistakes.
He came charging in at me again, sword raised above his head. He brought it down in a murderous arc, but I deflected his blade with my own. As I pinned his sword to the ground with mine, I made my move. Snatching the knife off my belt, I thrust it straight up and into Kapoc's neck.
Blood sprayed from Kapoc's neck, spraying me in the process. His eyes were wide as if he couldn't believe what had happened. He'd gone from king to corpse in a matter of minutes. I twisted the blade and felt it bite deeper into his flesh. He looked at me for a moment and opened his mouth to speak – but all that came out was a large, bloody bubble.
The bubble popped, and the light of life left Kapoc's eyes. I pulled the blade of my knife out and let his body fall to the floor. All around me, silence reigned as we all realized that Kapoc was now dead. We were a people without a king.
But then, applause started somewhere in the room. One person clapping at first. And then one-by-one, everyone else began to join in. Soon enough, the thunderous sound of ecstatic applause filled the air, shaking the hall every bit as much as those explosions had.
I looked down at the corpse of my brother and felt only a grim satisfaction.
But the people were happy, and in the end, that's what mattered.
Chapter Ten
Civil war. I hadn't asked for it, nor had I expected it. But word had gotten around that Kapoc was going to publicly execute me. And as such, my people had come together to save me. My people.
As I stood before them, they were on their knees in a show of deference. Kapoc and his men were dead and gone. There was no more threat to me or Paige.
“King Bazarok,” Lazarzo, one of my most loyal friends spoke, his head down, “we are pleased to have you back where you belong – on the throne once more.”
Yes, with my brother dead and no other heirs in line to take the throne, it was mine. Unquestioned and undisputed. There was no one else who could try and steal it from me. If I wanted, I could be King and live out the rest of my life without fear, travel as I'd like, but always return here. It's a dream for so many people, I was sure. But it wasn't mine.
“Please, Lazarzo, stand. Everyone, stand.” I demanded.
They did as they were told.
“Thank you all for everything you did. For saving my life. I can't thank you enough, honestly. I had no idea things would play out this way, and for that, I am eternally grateful. But–”
There was a collective gasp through the throne room. What could this “but” be about, they had to wonder?
“I do not wish to serve you as your king. I do not believe that I am worthy of this crown.”
“But without you, who will lead our world?” Lazarzo asked.
Honestly, I didn't know the answer to that one. I thought back to how Earth was run. There was something called a democracy, with elections and elected officials. Would something like that work for our world?
“We will vote someone in, someone who will have limited powers and who will pass the control down to the next person voted in after several years in office. We, the people of Optorio, will be free. We will no longer be ruled by a royal family. This is my one and only act as king, to destroy the monarchy once and for all.”
I placed the crown on the throne, leaving it behind as I walked from the dais.
“I trust Lazarzo to make sure this gets implemented, while running things in the meantime.”
“Why? Where are you going?” he asked me.
“Home. I'm going home.” I said with a smile forming on my lips.
; Never before had I felt like I had one, solid home. But with Paige waiting for me on Earth, there was nowhere else I wanted to be.
Chapter Eleven: Paige
Every plane, every helicopter, hell – every bird – caused me to turn and look anxiously up at the sky, hopeful for an alien spaceship carrying Baz. But as the days went by, I started to realize that maybe he wasn't coming after all.
I sat at my parent's house, drinking some iced tea on their front porch, letting the days go by. I'd return to Mahogany Tavern once I'd had a chance to grieve. But for now, being there made me think of him. Stepping foot into that place was damn near impossible, because I'd break down in tears as soon as I'd walk in the door.
Never again would I see him there. It killed me to accept that. It wasn't that long ago when I'd sworn off men and hadn't looked at one twice. But then Baz came into my world and turned it all upside down. And now he was gone.
Josie was running things for me at the Tavern, but her calls and texts were even more urgent as the days went by. She wanted to know what was going on, but how could I tell her that I lost the man I loved because his alien brother wanted to kill him? How could I tell her about my time on another planet. It didn't even feel real to me, and if I told anyone about it, I'd be sent to a mental hospital.
And yet, I needed to talk to someone. The only person I could talk to was Baz, of course, but he was gone. Likely forever.
I took a sip of my chamomile tea, hoping it would bring me some semblance of peace. I might not ever feel peace again, I thought, but I needed to try. I needed to try and relax some, to potentially get some sleep.
I felt my eyes growing heavy, so I allowed myself to slip off to sleep outside. Because I hadn't slept for days, any amount of sleep – even on the front porch – was better than none. I was exhausted both mentally and physically, so I fell asleep, feeling like just being out underneath the night sky, I was somehow closer to him.
“Paige.”
Even in my sleep, I heard his voice. I felt his lips against my forehead and it hurt so fucking badly. I'd never feel his touch again, and I felt the tears stinging my eyes.
“Wake up, darling,” he said to me.
His voice sounded so real, too – so real that I felt like if I opened my eyes, I'd be able to see him standing there. So I did. I opened my eyes, expecting the dream to come to an abrupt end.
But it didn't.
“Baz?” My voice was shaky as I sat up. “Is that you? Is that really you?”
“It is,” he said.
He kissed my lips, and that's when I knew it was real.
He was alive. He'd come back to me.
“You're alive,” I sobbed. “You're alive. I thought he was going to kill you. I assumed you'd lied to me.”
“I did lie, Paige, and I'm sorry about that. I know how much you hate lying and I hope you can forgive me.”
I kissed him long and hard before telling him, “There's nothing to forgive. You kept your promise. You're here, and you're alive.”
“And I'm yours,” he said.
“And you're mine,” I said, feeling like my heart could literally burst. “And I'm yours.”
“I love you, Paige.”
“I love you too, Baz.”
And I meant it. I really did. There was no one in this world I wanted to be with more than the man beside me. Or rather, the alien beside me.
But that could be our little secret.
THE END
Optorio Chronicles Box Set II – Optorio Civil War
Book 1 – Homecoming
Chapter One
Tarkonil
Finally back on my home planet, beneath the beautiful twin moons, you'd think I'd find some measure of peace once and for all. After spending time on Earth, well away from home and all I was familiar with, I was happy to return. It was a bit of a rough period on Optorio after Baz abdicated the throne. It had taken a little time for the Regent Council he'd ordered to rule in his place to really step up and take charge.
But eventually, with a little time, things began to turn around. Life on my home world began to smooth out, and I assumed things would really start looking up. The people and our world would flourish. Especially with Baz's brother, Kapoc, dead and gone, there would be no more threat of war, no more battles for control of Optorio. We could focus on making our world prosperous for all.
And for the most part, that was the case. On the surface anyway. Though the Regent Council and some of the wealthier class of Optorio grew fatter and richer, that prosperity and good fortune – the very things the Council was established to ensure for the people – wasn't shared by all.
I walked the streets of Tochasea, our capitol city, unable to meet the eyes of most of those I passed. Many were begging for food, money – scraps of anything that would help keep them going another day. And I'd already given what I had. I'd given everything I was able to give to try and ease the suffering and deprivation I saw all around me. I'd given almost all, but there were so many, and I had precious little left for myself.
But I too, needed to eat and having given away as much as I had, I was struggling to make that happen.
A pretty woman with exotic features stepped in front of me, making me stop in my tracks. She wore next to nothing, flaunting her full breasts and toned tight body. The woman grinned salaciously, running a hand through a thick mane of white-blonde hair as she stared at me.
“You look lonely,” she purred, running a finger down the length of my chest. “Maybe I can keep you company for a bit?”
“No, I'm fine,” I said and tried to walk past her. “But thank you.”
The woman grabbed me by the arm, stopping me from leaving. Like most Optorion women, she was far stronger than she appeared. But I was not in the mood for company, and even if I were, I would not utilize the services of a prostitute. It was exploitative and wrong – to say the least.
And when I turned back and looked into her eyes – eyes I suddenly realized were far too young for the life she was living – my heart broke for her and I felt like weeping.
“Please, sir, I'm begging you. If I don't get at least another customer –” She stopped speaking and I saw the light in her eyes – what little remained – suddenly go out. She set her jaw and apparently steeled herself to the reality before her. “Never mind. I'm sorry for my outburst. I'm sorry to have troubled you, sir.”
I wanted to stop, to ask her what would happen if she didn't get at least one more customer tonight – but I couldn't. But I had an idea. I wasn't blind or deaf to the suffering going on around me and had heard stories about men forcing women into the sex trade – and dealing out terrible abuses should they fail to produce. I'd heard those stories but didn't want to believe them. That was the kind of thing that happened elsewhere – not on Optorio. And most certainly, not in Tochasea, the most prosperous city in the system.
Feeling terrible, but not knowing what else I could do, I reached into my pocket and felt for any spare change that might be in there. It wasn't enough. Not by far and I knew it. It most certainly wouldn't be nearly enough to satisfy her boss. I knew that and feared the consequences for her, but it was all I had. It was all I could do.
“Here, miss,” I said, handing over the change. “I wish I could do more, but it's all I have. I'm sorry.”
The woman looked down at her hand and sighed, pocketing the change and walking away without as much as a “thank you.” Not that I could blame her. Common courtesy wasn't a concern when you were dealing with life or death, as many of the people on the streets of our formerly great capitol city were.
When Baz's father had been on the throne, the people had been taken care of. He could be a bit of a tyrant, I had to admit. But it was mostly when dealing with off-worlders and people not from Optorio. He was a rigid man, set in his ways. He did not like change and he did not like to be challenged.
But when it came to caring for his people, he always went the extra mile. He'd opened shelters for those who had no pl
ace to go. Made sure they had food, a place to sleep, and had an army of people to help clean them up, get them trained, and get them back to living a normal, productive life. He'd created jobs – had just invented them out of thin air – simply to make sure his people could work. Could care for themselves and stand on their own two feet. It infused them all with a sense of pride and dignity.
As I looked at the young woman as she walked away, I ruminated on the fact that it was pride and dignity that was sorely lacking. And had been ever since Baz had abdicated the throne. There was some small part of me that was angry at him for doing it. By doing so, he'd paved the way for this sort of greed and corruption – for this sort of deprivation and suffering among the people. He wasn't psychic, but he should have known this would happen. At least, that's what the bitter, angry part of my mind told me.
But deep down, I knew I was just angry at the state of things on our world. This wasn't Baz's fault and there was no way he could have known what would happen. Logically, I knew that. And as his friend, I'd encouraged him to follow his heart. To do what he felt was best for him and not be beholden to tradition or a life of servitude if he did not desire it.
Sometimes – like when I walked among those in need in the city – I regretted ever encouraging him to follow his heart. There was some small part of me that wishes I had spoken out against it. Had encouraged him to stay, to follow tradition and sit the throne when his father passed.
But that was the selfish part of me. Baz had every right to live his life the way he saw fit.
I sighed as I passed an older woman holding two small children at her side. Her nearly translucent skin was dirty, unkempt, and to be honest, she smelled horrible. The thick shock of dark hair on her head was filthy and her face was a mask of pain and desperation. She needed to feed her children as well as herself – but I had nothing to give.
“Please, sir,” she said, her voice hoarse. “My children haven't eaten in two days.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. But as with all matters, I held my emotions in check. I was a member of the Regent Council and couldn't be seen to be emotionally unbalanced. It just wouldn't be proper and would give my enemies among the Council – of which, I had a few – ammunition to use against me.
Mated to a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 3) Page 29