“Please make sure your safety harness is on,” said the Guardsman who sat across the aisle from me.
“Do I really need a babysitter?” I asked. “Did he really think I was going to take over the ship and refuse to leave?”
The Guardsman looked at me, his expression completely neutral. “Just following orders.”
I shook my head. It was bad enough that Jendrish was kicking me off of his planet and out of his life. I didn't need somebody watching me all the way home.
The ship rumbled to life and it wasn't long before we were rocketing through the sky and entering the darkness of space. As I looked at the stars all around us, I couldn't stop the tears from falling. How was I supposed to go back to a normal life after all of this? How was I supposed to feel like I fit in with people back on Earth knowing this was out here? After seeing what I'd seen?
I wasn't even back yet and I already knew Earth was going to feel too small. And I was going to feel far more out of place than I already did.
One of the pilots was coming down the aisle toward the rear of the ship. But just as he was about to pass me and my shadow, he pulled something from his belt. I didn't have time to react, let alone say anything, when a red laser burst from the small weapon in his hand. The laser hit the Guardsman in the chest and blew a hole into him. I watched as blue blood poured from the wound and pooled in his lap. He was quite obviously, dead.
The pilot turned to me, the weapon still in his hand. I felt my eyes grow wide and my heart start to thunder in my chest.
“We won't be having any problems with you,” he said. “Will we?”
I shook my head quickly and after pointing it at me a moment longer, the man nodded and tucked the weapon back into his belt. He took off his helmet and I found myself staring at a man I didn't know. He had the typical Optorion features – the smooth, almost translucent skin. He had long black hair, shot through with silver that fell very near to his waist. He wasn't an exceptionally large man, but he looked trim. Fit. Somebody I might not be able to beat in a physical concentration.
“What can I do for you?” I asked, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.
He sighed and sat down on the arm of the chair on the aisle across from me, studying me for a long moment.
“Well, my name is Veshna,” he finally said. “And I'm going to need some help dealing with Jendrish. That's where you come in.”
I wasn't sure how I knew, but it came into my head that I was looking at the man who'd masterminded the assassination attempt.
“You tried to kill him,” I said.
He nodded and gave me a small smile. “And now that I have you, I'm going to finish this.”
Book 6 – The Future King
Chapter One
Jendrish
Morning dawned and I hadn't slept a wink the night before. I watched the Optorion sun rise over the ocean, setting off a blaze of colors on the surface of the deep red waters. I leaned against the railing of the balcony and breathed in the salty air.
Usually, the sight and scent of the ocean could soothe me. Could calm my frayed nerves. But it wasn't doing anything for me in that moment. Riley used to say that it never appeared that I felt anything. That I had no emotion. She teased me about being a robot. But the truth of the matter is that Optorions felt things very keenly. We just aren't expressive about it. Unlike humans, we tended to keep our feelings inside and avoid all outward displays of emotion. We were just more controlled and less demonstrative.
But I felt things. I felt them very deeply. And as I stood there, on that balcony, staring out at the ocean, I was feeling Riley's absence very keenly. Very deeply.
I had sent her away. Packed her up and sent her back to Earth. It had been a difficult, painful decision to come to, but ultimately, I believed it was the correct one. It was the only one I could have made, given the circumstances.
Touching the spot where I'd been shot still drew a wince from me, but it was getting better. I was getting stronger. My body was healing and soon enough, I'd be one hundred percent again. And when I was, the people who'd attacked me – the people who'd very nearly killed Vink, and did kill a number of other people – were going to be brought to heel. They were going to be made to pay.
I'd sent Riley away because I did not want her to be witness to that. I did not want her to see my bloodlust and need for vengeance.
But most of all, I'd sent her away because I feared for her. I feared for her safety. For her life. I couldn't even protect myself at my own coronation. How could I protect her here in the palace? Sooner or later, my would-be assassins would return and the last thing I wanted was for Riley to be caught in the crossfire.
Unless I got to them first.
I feared it would be a vicious and bloody campaign to root out the rebels and bring them to justice, but it was going to have to be done. More Optorion blood would have to be spilled if I hoped to win – and maintain – the peace.
“I've brought your breakfast, Your Majesty.”
I turned at the sound of the voice to find Ynora standing in the doorway, bearing a tray full of food. I gave her a small smile. She stepped across the balcony and set the tray down on the table next to my favorite chair. Everything smelled magnificent and for the first time in days – perhaps even weeks – I was ravenous.
“Thank you, Ynora,” I said as I sat down in the chair.
“My pleasure, Your Maje – ”
I held up a hand. “Please, it's Jendrish. Just Jendrish,” I said. “There is no need for all of this Majesty stuff.”
She avoided my gaze. “It would be improper, I fear, given my station.”
I looked up at her. “Your station?”
“Yes, Majesty,” she said. “I am but a servant in the palace.”
I shook my head. “You are a valued member of this household, Ynora,” I said. “And I am sorry if I've ever made you feel otherwise. I truly appreciate all you do for me around here. And I'm also sorry if I don't express that very well either.”
Her smile was small, but genuine. “You are not like the other Royals I've served here in the palace.”
“Because I'm not Royalty,” I said, my voice still somewhat thick. “I'm just a soldier who got stuck into a position unexpectedly. I'm just trying to do a good job on behalf of all the people.”
“And I believe you will do just that.”
I cocked my head and looked at her. “Do you?” I asked. “Truly believe that.”
She nodded. “I do.”
“Why do you believe that?”
For the first time, she looked at me, her eyes haunting and yet – filled with hope. It was a look I savored. It heartened me greatly to know that other people believed in me. Even when I did not believe in myself.
“Thank you, Ynora.”
She smiled. “You two were a lot alike, you know,” she said. “You and Riley.”
“How so?”
“She was much like you,” she replied. “She did not care for formalities or a person's station. She judged a person by the content of their character. Not by what they did or what they had.”
I nodded and smiled. “That sounds like her.”
“And she too, hated to be called by a formal title,” Ynora said. “She insisted that I call her Riley.”
My laugh was soft and nostalgic. It had been only a couple of days, but I missed her tremendously. Ynora gave me a small curtsey and turned to leave, but I stopped her.
“You two were close,” I said, not a question.
She nodded. “We were,” she replied. “I miss her a great deal.”
“Was she happy here?”
Ynora opened her mouth to speak, but then hesitated and remained silent for a moment.
“Was she, Ynora? I would really like to know.”
“May I speak freely, Your Maj – ”
I cocked my head at her and she gave me a small smile.
“Jendrish,” she corrected herself. “May I speak freely, Jendrish?”
She shifted her feet and looked down at her hands, which were clasped in front of her. She was clearly, still uncomfortable with the idea of being so – familiar – with a king and speaking her mind. That was something she was going to have to get used to though. I wasn't a typical king. And if I ever turned into one, I would hope that Vink put me down himself.
“She struggled here,” she admitted. “She felt alone much of the time. Lonely.”
I nodded. “She mentioned it, but it didn't seem like a large problem. She said she would handle it.”
Ynora was wringing her hands nervously. “With all due respect, what would you expect her to say in that situation? That she was not okay?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again. I did not know how to respond to that question. My hope was that she would have felt comfortable enough with me to give voice to her concerns.
“Riley feared that you had enough on your plate without adding her own troubles to your pile,” Ynora said. “She told me that she would find a way to deal with it. But she wished that you had spent more time with her. She knew that you are a busy man, what with a world to run, but all she wanted was to spend time with you.”
I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “I wish I had spent more time with her, to be honest.”
“Then why did you not?” she pressed. “You are the king. Surely, you could have delegated some of your responsibilities to others.”
“Because I don't want to be the kind of king who pushes his work and responsibilities off onto others.”
She laughed. “I tend to believe that the kitchens will run just fine without your guidance. Or that the janitorial crew can function without your insights.”
I gave her a small smile and looked away, feeling the heat creep into my cheeks once more.
“I suppose I can be a bit – overbearing – at times?”
Ynora nodded. “Indeed.”
“I am just trying to feel my way through this, Ynora,” I said. “I do not really know what I am doing.”
“Then don't try to do everything,” she said. “Trust those around you to do the jobs you can't. Give them more responsibilities. Empower them to have a say. If you truly want Optorio to flourish, let the people you surround yourself with help you.”
She was not much older than I was, but she had a wisdom that was well beyond her years. I had not spent much time talking to Ynora, and now I was sorry that I had not. She was very intelligent, very well spoken, and had a fiery spirit. I could see why she and Riley had bonded the way they had.
“Perhaps, I need to start doing that,” I said.
“One thing I can tell you with certainty, is that she loves you,” Ynora said. “Very truly and very deeply. The love she carries for you is something I hope to find one day for myself. And she was looking forward to the future with you.”
The stabbing pain of guilt cut through me. I knew she cared for me as I cared for her. Sending her away had been one of the most difficult things I'd ever done. But it had to be done.
“I was faced with a difficult choice,” I said. “I made what I believed was the best decision.”
She stood silent for a moment and I could tell that there was something on her mind. Something she wanted to say or a question she wanted an answer to.
“What is it?” I asked. “What is on your mind?”
“I – I would just like to know why you sent Riley away,” she asked. “It's obvious to me that you cared for her every bit as much as she cared about you. I just don't understand why you sent her away.”
I debated with myself about how honest to be with her. After all, it was my personal business. It was a decision I had to make and that fell upon my shoulders – nobody else's. Still, Riley and Ynora were close and there was a small voice whispering in the back of my mind that argued she deserved the respect of some answers – which gave me the answer I needed.
“It's not because I did not love her,” I said. “I did. I still do. It's because I love her that I sent her away.”
“Forgive me for being thick, but that doesn't make sense to me.”
“I just watched my oldest and dearest friend nearly die,” I said. “I was wounded myself. I watched several other people murdered right before my very eyes. And that was at my own coronation. If I couldn't keep order, keep people safe there, how could I expect that I could keep them safe elsewhere? I sent Riley away because I don't want anything to happen to her. I don't want her being hurt or killed on my account. If somebody is going to attempt to take my life again – and I have every suspicion that they will – I don't want Riley in the way of that.”
Ynora nodded, but I could tell she wasn't satisfied. “But shouldn't she have had some say in that? I don't mean to speak out of turn, but it seems to me that if you two love each other, have thrown your lots in together, then she should have had some say in the decision. If she felt like risking her life by being with you was worth it, shouldn't that have been her right? I imagine that you would expect the same consideration, right?”
I leaned back and ran my hand through my hair. I hadn't considered things in quite that light before. It was an angle I hadn't seen. Ultimately, she was probably right. And in an ideal world, I would have asked Riley how she felt about things. But we weren't living in an ideal world. We were living in a world where people were trying to kill me. And until that threat was over, the decisions about how to best handle it fell to me. That was my duty. My responsibility.
“Vink almost died on my account,” I said, my voice soft. “I could not bear it if Riley had been hurt or killed because of me.”
Ynora opened her mouth to argue, but I raised my hand to stop her from speaking.
“I understand your argument. And I don't disagree with it. You've given me a lot to think about as I hadn't considered that viewpoint before,” I said. “But like I said earlier, I am still just figuring this out as I go along. And that seemed to be the best – and only – way I could ensure that Riley remained safe.”
Ynora looked at me a long moment before nodding. I knew she didn't like my answer, but it was all I had to offer her at the moment. She excused herself and left my chambers. I looked down at the tray and suddenly didn't feel very hungry anymore.
Standing up, I walked to the railing and looked out at the ocean. Perhaps, when this was all settled and we had a true peace on Optorio, I would travel to Earth and find Riley. Explain myself to her – and hope that she was willing to take me back. Maybe one day, we could be together again.
But until that day, I made the best decisions I could. And I deemed it best to keep her safe by removing her from the equation. It pained me terribly, but I cared for her too much to watch her die. It was the best decision I could have made. And I intended to keep telling myself that until I believed it.
Chapter Two
Veshna
I was a cautious man. I considered things carefully and thoroughly and rarely left anything to chance. I had known going into our assassination attempt that there was a possibility – if not a probability – of failure. But, it was a chance I'd had to take. It would have been ideal for us to be done with Jendrish with one, clean shot.
But life, very seldom, was ideal.
Which was why I'd had a backup plan in mind. If I couldn't kill Jendrish and be done with it at the coronation, I knew I would need a secondary plan. If he survived the assassination attempt, getting close to him again was going to be all but impossible. He would be on guard for it. Even worse, the Royal Guard would be watching for another attack. Waiting for it.
Which meant that I would have to find another avenue of attack. One that would hurt him every bit as much as I wanted him to be hurt – except that it wouldn't require a drop of his blood to be spilled.
I looked back at the human woman I had bound in the back of the transport ship. Riley, they said her name was. Jendrish'
s human whore. I supposed that physically, she was an attractive woman. I had seen a number of human women that my father had imported and had always been surprised by their physical similarities to Optorions. They were similar and yet different in the many ways that mattered.
Still, it wasn't entirely difficult to see why an attractive human woman like this one might tempt men like my father, Jendrish, and even Bazarok, to indulge themselves in what I considered to be a rather – peculiar taste. Though, for me, I would never find alien women attractive enough to forgo the sheer beauty and grace of an Optorion woman. I believed in keeping ourselves – and our bloodlines – pure. Clean. Optorion.
I had heard plenty of rumors that scientists, working under the orders of Jendrish himself, had been developing a way that he and this human could produce a child. A child of mixed blood. Impure blood. An heir to Jendrish's throne.
It was an idea that had made my blood boil. It disgusted me thoroughly and completely. The idea that a child not of pure Optorion blood – a mutant – could one day sit upon the throne of our world, had enraged me. I had vowed that I would never allow that to happen – or I would die trying to prevent it. Optorio should be ruled by Optorions only. Our bloodlines should be pure. Clean. Untainted.
As I looked at the woman in the back of the transport, I felt nothing but disgust and contempt for her. She glared at me with hatred in her eyes. But lurking just beneath the surface of that rage, I could see something else – fear. The woman was putting on a brave face, but deep down she was terrified. I could see it. I could smell it. And it was intoxicating.
It was going to give me great pleasure to kill her. Though, it was going to give me even greater pleasure to force Jendrish to watch me kill her – right before I killed him.
With our assassination attempt a failure, I would never get another shot at him. But given that I had his whore, I could force him to come to me – on my terms, in my place of choosing. At which point, I would kill him and enact my own plans.
It wasn't perfect and it wasn't ideal. But again, life was seldom ideal and you had to take what you were handed and make something of it.
Mated to a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 3) Page 49