RHEN

by Charity Kelly

  “Right,” Bosternd teased. Rhen reached out his arm and pushed Bosternd, causing him to tumble over onto his right side with a grunt.

  “Sorry,” Rhen apologized, rising to his feet. “I forgot it was dark in here.”

  Bosternd was about to ask Rhen why he didn’t want anyone to know he had the ability to see in the dark when he felt Rhen’s hand on his shoulder.

  “Let’s go. I want to find out if Ceceta would like to skip tonight’s meal.”

  “Okay,” Bosternd said while standing up and lighting his flare light.

  They walked through the underground maze that comprised Surpen’s Military Command Headquarters. The bunker was a labyrinth of hidden rooms and tunnels that had been carved by lava at the beginning of their planet’s creation. Rhen had discovered the tunnels shortly after he’d been appointed Commander of Surpen’s Military Force and had relocated Surpen’s command offices from the palace to the caves. It had taken weeks for Rhen’s men to learn to navigate the bunkers’ paths. Any outsider would’ve been lost forever in its dark tunnels.

  Rhen grabbed Bosternd’s red tunic and pulled him into a hole on his left. Bosternd reached out his hand to touch the cool stone walls as his flare lit the way down a tunnel he had never noticed before.

  When they exited the tunnel, Bosternd was surprised to find himself near the bunker’s main entrance. “What passageway was that?” he asked, eyeing the dark hole behind him.

  “That’s the Ceceta Passage,” Rhen said. “When I want to get out of here in a hurry to find Ceceta, it takes me to the closest exit.”

  Bosternd laughed. They stepped into a bright room and were saluted by fifteen soldiers wearing red military tunics, black boots and black weapons belts. After returning the salute, they moved on to the next room, where they were again greeted by saluting soldiers. When they had entered the next passageway, Bosternd asked, “Do you think she’ll be upset when she learns the Thestran Royals are coming?”

  “Yes,” Rhen replied, sounding exasperated. “She’s been cross a lot lately. I can’t figure out what’s bothering her.”

  Bosternd pinched his lips shut rather than state the obvious.

  They left Surpen’s military headquarters through the main stone doorway, stepping outside into the hot Surpen sun then pausing to salute three battalions of soldiers who were waiting for General Nk to take them on drills. Rhen told the second lieutenant in charge to begin a training exercise, and then he and Bosternd proceeded across the dry brown field towards Surpen’s Castle in the distance.

  Suddenly Rhen stopped so short that Bosternd bumped into him. “Everything okay?” Bosternd asked when Rhen lowered his head and turned towards his right.

  The Surpen Palace, with its high stone walls, was right in front of them. It had been built as a place of refuge from attack and had little character. The outer wall was three stories tall. It was comprised of smooth, dark brown stones and had only three openings – the front gate, the rear exit and a new side exit that faced the entrance to Surpen’s military headquarters. Inside the Castle’s protective outer walls was the palace itself, a tall stone structure that had recently been painted white. There were multiple open archways starting on the second floor that let in light and air. The first floor of the castle was impenetrable stone. Like the protective outer wall, there were only a few openings that led into the castle and all of them had heavy, metal doors, which could be sealed during invasion.

  “Rhen?” Bosternd asked again, his eyes gazing to the right, where the barracks and stables for the Beasts were located, and then to the left, towards the main city of Surpen. Farmers with carts of goods pulled by Beasts were interspersed along the main road that passed the palace and led into the city with merchants driving landjets. The City’s brightly painted three-story high mud and stone buildings stretched far and wide, touching the tip of Surpen’s arid desert beyond. “Is everything okay?” Bosternd asked, turning back to find Rhen’s head still bent downward and his eyes closed, as if he were listening for something.

  “Yes,” Rhen answered, opening his eyes. “I thought I heard Loreth.”

  Bosternd scanned the top of the palace’s outer wall for the King’s advisor. “I don’t see him.”

  “Nor do I,” Rhen said, continuing towards the palace.

  They entered the palace’s side courtyard, saluting the soldiers on guard before crossing the gravel pathway to the closest door into the castle. “Do you want me to come with you?” Bosternd asked, hesitating before the stone steps that led up to the door.

  Rhen turned back to face Bosternd. His friend’s right hand was gripping the hilt of the sword in his weapons belt. “No,” Rhen said, allowing Bosternd to return to the safety of their military headquarters. “I’m sure I’ll see you tonight before dinner.”

  “Definitely,” Bosternd agreed. He watched as Rhen opened the metal door and stepped into the dark stairwell that led up to the royal family’s living quarters. Rhen turned to wave and Bosternd noticed that his eyes had turned almost pure white in the dark passageway. “Your eyes,” Bosternd said, warning his friend. As soon as Bosternd spoke, Rhen’s eyes turned black again.

  “Thanks,” Rhen told him. “I guess I have a lot on my mind.”

  “Who wouldn’t in your situation?” Bosternd replied, shrugging his shoulders. He’d heard that Rhen had been ordered not only to attend tonight’s dinner but also to remain mute in the presence of the Thestrans. The very idea that Rhen wasn’t allowed to ask his birth parents any questions after having been abandoned years ago infuriated Bosternd. It seemed to him that Andres was manipulating Rhen to get to the Thestrans and that bothered him.

  Rhen frowned. “I think Loreth planned tonight’s event.”

  “Will you follow the rules he and your Dad set?”

  Rhen hesitated a moment before nodding. “I will honor my father by obeying him.”

  Bosternd opened his mouth to reply, but Rhen had already turned to go. Rhen ran up the stone steps to the third floor. He walked down the corridor towards Ceceta’s bedroom, passing rooms painted fiery orange, forest green, sunburst yellow and periwinkle blue.

  Rhen paused outside the open stone doorway to his wife’s bedroom and scanned the lemon yellow and spring green room. Ceceta wasn’t there, which meant she was in the Queen’s sitting room: the only other place where Loreth would never show himself.

  Rhen took a shortcut through the throne room to reach the Queen’s sitting room. He was pleased to note that his father’s throne room was empty. Loreth and Dad must be off plotting this evening’s festivities, he thought as he jumped the three small stone steps out of the throne room. He sailed past several empty conference rooms and stopped outside of his mom’s sitting room. Although he was a man and could march into the room unannounced, he preferred to give his wife and mother some warning that he was there. Clearing his throat, Rhen waited until the rustling in the room quieted down before stepping through the open archway into the butterscotch orange and powder blue room.

  His Mom, dressed in robes of green, sat on her chaise smiling up at him while working on one of Andres’ tunics. Rhen returned the smile with warmth in his eyes. As soon as Orpel registered his smile, Rhen saw her lean back in her chair and relax. His smile was enough to tell her that he was alone. If he’d been with anyone, she would have seen it on his face and dropped to the ground in a low bow before leaving the room. Knowing he wasn’t there for her, Orpel pushed her gray hair back behind her ears and pointed over towards the small opening that served as the room’s window, careful to remain silent in case there were any males in the corridor behind Rhen. She didn’t want to risk being punished for breaking Surpen’s Code that forbade women from speaking in front of men, unless asked a direct question.

  Ceceta stood with her back to them as she gazed out past the military barracks towards the desert. She knew there were mountains in the distance, but the waves of heat radiating off the hot sand blurred their view. Ceceta had heard Rhen but hadn’t tu
rned around. Orpel would have given her some indication if he hadn’t been alone. If she had coughed, Ceceta would have dropped to the floor like her mother-in-law and crawled out of the room. Instead she stood with defiance, ignoring Surpen’s law that demanded women bow in the presence of men. Rhen crossed the room and stepped up behind her. Without speaking, he kissed Ceceta on the top of her head before wrapping his arms around her body and pulling her into him.

  She leaned back into his body, placing the back of her head against his chest as she reached up with her hands to hold his arms where they crossed her. She could feel the warmth of the Surpen sun on his clothing and tightened her grasp with pleasure. Twisting, she brushed her cheek against his tunic. Rhen tightened his embrace, his body reacting to her attention. Ceceta smiled to herself before shaking her head.

  “What?” Rhen murmured, bending down to nibble on her earlobe.

  Ceceta was a typical Neptian with blond hair, dark brown eyes and blue skin. Her full lips were a darker shade of blue than the rest of her and Rhen found them intoxicating. “Love,” he whispered, kissing her cheek.

  Ceceta saw the shadow of a reflection of her mother-in-law behind her on the wall and flushed with embarrassment. She struggled to break free from Rhen’s hold, but he held her a moment longer before releasing her.

  “I’ve heard the news,” Ceceta announced. She hadn’t heard anyone in the hallway after Rhen had entered the room so she assumed it was safe to talk. Walking over towards Orpel, she picked up a yellow tunic that she had been sewing for Rhen. “Are you alright?”

  Rhen nodded and turned to face them. His red military tunic, with its black piping and black military bars on the sleeves, lay flat against his front. The two swords hanging from his weapons belt were freshly polished. Only Rhen’s black military boots looked out of place. They bore a coating of dust on them from his walk across the field to the palace. Rhen ran a hand through his short brown hair and studied his wife. “How are you?” he asked.

  “Fine,” Ceceta replied, her lips thin with worry.

  He gazed at her for a moment. “I’ll ask Andres to excuse you.”

  Ceceta’s blue skin flushed with anger. “Over my dead body,” she snapped. “You think I don’t know your father? You think I haven’t been living on Surpen for the last ten years? Andres and Loreth have something planned for you tonight, and whatever it is will be dangerous. I want to be there to help you in any way I can.”

  “Thanks,” Rhen told her. Deciding it was time to change the subject, he wandered over to look at her work. “That’s beautiful, my love,” he said, while inspecting the black stitching that had been sewn into the cuffs of his new tunic.

  Ceceta laughed and tossed a pillow at him. “Liar!” They both knew she was inept at stitching his tunics. Orpel had been doing his and Andres’ tunics ever since they had arrived on Surpen.

  “No, really, Mom,” Rhen clarified, the side of his mouth rising as he lifted the yellow tunic. “You really have outdone yourself this time.” He was pleased when Orpel blushed from the compliment. Leaning over to give his Mom a kiss, Orpel surprised Rhen when she reached out and grabbed him, squeezing him tight. “It’s okay Mom. I’ll be fine.”

  When Orpel refused to release him, Rhen reached up to remove her arms. “Mom,” he reassured her, staring into her grey eyes. “I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m sure you’re right,” Orpel agreed. She released Rhen, wrapping her arms around her own body for comfort.

  Rhen reached out to take her chin in his hand. “Don’t forget,” he said. “I bested the last Thestran Royals I met.”

  “But this is the Thestran Queen Mother we’re talking about.”

  “It’ll be fine, Mom. There’s no way Dad would ask me to fight her. He knows how strong she is. He’s probably just going to try to get some information from her.”

  Orpel snorted. She didn’t believe that for a minute.

  Rhen bent down to kiss her on the top of her head. “I love you,” he whispered before rising to go.

  Ceceta lunged out to grab Rhen’s hand as he turned. “Yes,” she told him with determination. “It’ll be fine.”

  Rhen smiled at her strength. He debated snuggling up into her again but decided against it. He needed to find his Dad. He wanted to know what the plans were for tonight. He wasn’t sure if his Dad would tell him the truth while Loreth was around, but perhaps he would get lucky.

  Chapter 3

  Thestran Royal Palace

  “Hey, Mom,” Thestran’s King James called down the hallway in the hopes of catching his mother before she entered her bedroom.

  The Queen Mother pushed open the mahogany door to her bedroom and waved for James to follow her in. Over her shoulder, she threw out, “I’m in a bit of a rush, James. Is it important?”

  James rounded the doorframe and stepped into the living room area of his parents’ private bedroom. His mother pointed towards the brown couches in the center of the room, offering him a seat. “I’m good,” James told her, closing the door behind him. He glanced towards the bathroom on his left and the bedroom on his right to make sure there weren’t any servants in the room. “Listen, Mom, I heard from Reed that you’re thinking of going to Surpen tonight to visit Max.”

  Kate paused momentarily as she removed her black sweater. “That’s right. I’m on my way now to meet your father at the portals.”

  “I’m glad you’re going. It’s been a while since you’ve visited Max at school.”

  Kate opened her closet and walked in. “Your brother’s been so busy that we haven’t wanted to disturb him,” she said, returning a moment later carrying her formal black and gold cape. She hoped James wouldn’t notice that she was dressing in formal Thestran attire for her visit.

  “I’ve been thinking about Max lately,” James began. “I’m worried about him. I know he’s enjoying the boarding school you enrolled him in, but his being on Surpen may be a security risk.” James pushed off from the door and walked over to his mother, who had fastened her cape around her shoulders and was checking her hair in the mirror against the wall. Lowering his voice, James added, “Recently there have been some disturbing reports about Surpen. A few of the oracles I use have mentioned a man named Rhen. He’s the leader of Surpen’s military and if the oracles’ predictions are correct, there’s a chance that he will conquer the Universe.”

  Kate had heard the same thing. “That’s nonsense,” she said. “How can a Surpen conquer the Universe? There aren’t any Surpens with power. It’d be impossible.”

  James looked down at the beige carpet at his feet with embarrassment. “Don’t forget I was recently beaten by a Surpen without powers. I don’t know how he did it, but he dodged all of my power blasts.”

  “He was lucky. That’s all,” Kate replied. She turned to place her hand on James’ cheek. “It’ll never happen. Oracles can make mistakes. The Surpens will never conquer the Universe.”

  “In any case, I want you to tell Max it’s time to come home. I don’t want Andres kidnapping him and using him against us.”

  Kate shivered involuntarily at James’ words and stepped backwards, bumping into the table under the mirror. The impact rattled the wall, making the mirror shake. “Oh,” Kate turned around quickly to steady the mirror so it wouldn’t fall. “Whoops,” she said with a laugh. “That was clumsy.” Dropping her gaze, she looked at the round clock on the tabletop “Is that the time? I’ve really got to go.” She jogged towards her bedroom door and opened it. “Good night, James. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

  Before she could step out into the hallway, James added, “If you can’t get Max to return with you tonight, at least make sure that he’s back for Sage’s wedding. I’m very unhappy with him for missing my wedding and Reed’s. It’s about time that he start attending family functions. He’s old enough to act responsibly now.”

  “Sage’s wedding,” Kate whispered, her eyes gazing at a spot over James’ head.

  “Mom?”

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p; Kate’s eyes focused on James’ face. “Good idea, James. I’ll let him know. See you tomorrow at breakfast.”

  Kate walked briskly down the carpeted hallway in the Thestran Royal Family’s private wing of the castle to the stairwell that would take her to the Council Chamber. Stepping out onto the Grand Hallway, she waved towards her admirers as she crossed the hall and opened one of the Council Chamber’s double doors.

  Thestran’s Council was not in session, so the ornate, wooden room was mostly empty. James’ assistant and two pages were working at the Royal Family’s crescent desk in the center of the room, while a cleaning crew was vacuuming the open, circular floors above, where the Delegates’ desks were located.

  “Sorry,” Kate apologized as she reached her husband.

  Henry reached out to squeeze her hand. “Everything okay?”

  “Yes.” Kate took a shuddering breath and smiled. “I can’t wait to see him.”

  “You’re sure you don’t want to bring some guards with us?” Henry asked. “I find it unusual that after all these years Andres has finally decided to let us see Rhen.”

  “Shh,” Kate whispered. “It’s Max here.” She glanced about the room to see if anyone had heard.

  “Darling,” Henry said, pulling her attention back to him. “The oracles’ predictions have me worried. Why has Andres finally decided to allow us on Surpen? Doesn’t it seem odd that his invitation would come on the heels of James and Reed’s defeat by a battalion of Surpen soldiers? That King really opened up a can of worms when he decided to pit us against the Surpens in the hopes of catching sight of the Black Angel.”

  “I’m sure the timing of Andres’ invitation is just a coincidence,” Kate replied. “There’s nothing to fear. We, of all people, know that. Max was born with elfin blood. None of the elves have powers. How could he possibly conquer the world?”

  “Sage has powers,” Henry stated, naming their elfin daughter.