The Significant

by Kyra Anderson

  “They do not need to know that.”

  “They already know it,” Remus said. “They know that our past relations with Gihron are riddled with blood, and anyone who wants to tear you down will use that as a means to pull you out of power and destroy Tiao.”

  “Only if they gain something out of it,” Isa said. “And, as long as Venus is still operational, no one will gain anything from Gihron’s victory.”

  “That is not true. Remember, you—”

  A knock from the door stopped him and the door opened as a steward walked into the room and bowed his head.

  “I heard that my palace had become infested with Elites,” a voice said with a laugh.

  Kailynn was surprised to be meeting the queen of the planet in such an informal setting. She was dressed in rich clothes of gold and red, ornaments in her hair and heavy makeup on her face, accenting her soft, dark skin. Despite the incredible difference in her appearance from anyone Kailynn had seen before, she was enthralled by the queen’s beauty.

  “Glynna,” Isa said with a warm smile, walking forward and taking the queen’s shoulders as the queen did the same to Isa, both kissing each other cheeks. “It has been far too long,” she said.

  “Indeed it has,” Glynna said. She turned to Remus. “Elite Remus,” she said, bowing her head with a teasing smile. He bowed deeply.

  “Your Majesty,” he said with same teasing tone.

  When he straightened, he also kissed both her cheeks. “It is wonderful to see you again,” he said, his smile sincere.

  “I have missed you both. Isa, Remus, welcome back.”

  “Thank you,” Isa said. “I hope you are well.”

  “Of course, I always am,” Glynna said, glancing at the other two in the room. “You brought your caretakers?” she asked, confused.

  “No,” Isa said, turning to Kailynn and Rayal. “Rayal works as head of the Intelligence Agency. He’s here as an advisor. This is Jacyleen, his assistant.”

  “Oh, I see.” Glynna said.

  “I heard there was an emergency that postponed the dinner,” Isa asked, her face becoming concerned.

  “Ah, did one of your birds already find you?” Glynna asked with a broken laugh. “Yes, there was a poison found in the wine. Naturally, everything must be checked, now. As you know, it is terribly bad luck on Fortunea to have a dinner without wine.”

  “Was it domestic or imported?” Remus asked.

  “Both, actually,” Glynna answered. “Rest assured, we have the situation under control. There is no need to be concerned. At every summit, there is an assassination attempt. You know this.”

  “Let us hope that there is only one,” Remus said with a small laugh.

  “Yes, let’s,” Glynna chuckled.

  Kailynn could not help but wonder how many assassination attempts these leaders had endured to be able to joke about their own murders so lightly.

  “I would stay and visit, but I am afraid I have to disappear before the next convoy arrives,” Glynna said. She reached forward and took Isa’s hand. “I just had to see you. It’s been too long.”

  “It has,” Isa agreed, smiling. “We’ll catch up sometime after tomorrow.”

  “Yes,” Glynna agreed. “I will see you both tomorrow.”

  The Isa that led the Elites into the enormous conference hall of the Fortuean Palace was not the Isa Kailynn knew. Isa was not dressed in her normal uniform. She wore all black, her clothes formfitting and perfectly tailored to her, making her appear far more intimidating. Her hair was pulled away from her face and the look in her eyes changed her entire demeanor from the Isa everyone knew to the Golden Elite of Tiao.

  The remaining Elites were dressed in grey dress clothes, all perfect in their appearance, causing everyone’s eyes to turn and the conversations around the room to halt as everyone looked at the Elites. Kailynn, Rayal, and the other two advisors were dressed formally, but they were not nearly as impressive as the Elites.

  Isa stopped briefly in the doorway as the eyes turned to her. After the two second pause, she barely motioned with her fingers and the Elites began moving around the room, silently following the cue to go around the room and learn what they could.

  Isa and Remus walked further into the room, Rayal following them. Kailynn knew that the former caretaker was bugged so he could record every conversation Isa had with the other planetary leaders. There was something about the secrecy of everything happening in the meeting that thrilled, and terrified, Kailynn.

  “Golden Elite Isa!” a voice called, walking to her. She smiled graciously and extended her hand, palm down, to the man that approached.

  “Juren,” Isa greeted. “I have not seen you in years.”

  “It has been too long,” the man said, taking her hand and trying to pull her hand up to his mouth to kiss, however, she kept her hand low, forcing him to bow down. When he straightened, he released her hand and smiled, trying to hide his irritation.

  Kailynn glanced around the room as Isa struck up casual conversation with Juren about his family.

  The room was tiered two levels and circular. In the middle, everyone was walking around and mingling, no one interacting with the large, circular table with a hologram of Fortunea’s seal in the middle. Around the circular room there were several chairs with glass tables in front of them, a transparent hologram of the planet’s name on the front of each table. Kailynn saw a lot of planet’s names that she had never heard of, as well as a few that she recognized. She found Tiao’s table on the top tier, directly across the room from the golden throne for the Queen with her advisors seated next to her.

  Kailynn wondered how they could conduct a meeting in such a large room with so many people.

  Another delegation of people walked into the room, quickly assessing the area before walking to the center of the room to mingle with everyone else.

  As Isa was finishing the conversation with Juren, one man started toward her. Rayal, spotting him quickly, took Kailynn’s arm, turned her to him, and forced her to take a step back from Isa. He glanced sideways, watching Isa, causing Kailynn to watch as well, confused.

  “Elite Isa,” the man said, smiling broadly and approaching her.

  “Habim,” Isa greeted with a broad smile.

  The man took her extended hand and bent down to kiss it.

  “I was hoping to get a chance to say hello before the meeting,” he said, straightening. As Isa’s hand returned to her side, Kailynn caught the flash of light that reflected off the tiny disk she had between her fingers.

  Rayal reached into his pocket slowly.

  “Habim!” a man called from across the room.

  “Oh, excuse me,” he said quickly. “The boss is calling.”

  The man walked away and Isa turned back to Juren.

  “My apologies, please continue,” she said.

  As the man was about to speak, a soft beeping sounded from Isa’s pocket.

  “I apologize again, one moment,” Isa said, grabbing her phone from her pocket and popping out the earpiece. In the same motion, she slid the disk into the slot in the back of her phone. Kailynn only saw the movement because she was looking for it.

  “Your doctors can’t figure out how to implant one?” Juren said teasingly.

  Isa forced a smile and placed the earpiece in her ear.

  “Elite Isa,” she greeted.

  She turned away from the group and pretended to talk to someone. Rayal extracted his hand from his pocket as Remus took up the conversation with Juren.

  Kailynn turned her wide eyes to Rayal.

  “Keep your face straight,” he said seriously.

  Isa took out her earpiece, popping out the disk and slipping it between her fingers as she approached the group again.

  “Forgive the interruption.”

  “Elite Isa,” Rayal said walking up to her and pretending to whisper to her. She nodded once and he turned to walk away.

  “Oh, Rayal,” she said quickly, her hand reaching out and taki
ng his wrist. She slipped the disk into his hand. “Keep an eye on Tia?”

  “Yes, Miss,” he said with a bow of his head.

  Rayal and Kailynn walked away from Isa and moved across the room.

  “What the hell just happened?” Kailynn whispered.

  “Isa’s spies are reporting to her,” Rayal whispered back.

  “That was…I mean…everything here is so…”

  “I know,” Rayal said with a nod. “You thought being a Significant had a lot of hidden pretense? Politics is far worse. But Isa’s one of the best. Remember, it’s all a game of smoke and mirrors as you try to survive those who want to stab you in the back.”

  Juren excused himself from the conversation and Remus turned to another leader, discussing something trivial. Before the meeting, everyone was catching up and testing the waters, trying to determine the best strategy for each planet depending on the mood of the leader that day. Isa was trying to pay attention, but she continued to glance around the room, seeing who had joined them and who she wanted to talk to in the limited time before the meeting.

  “You always did stand out in a crowd,” a voice said, suddenly at her ear. She whirled around to face the woman.

  The initial surprise of the voice faded and elation filled every part of Isa.

  “Vanessa?” she breathed, her eyes going wide.

  The woman smiled broadly.

  “Hello, Isa.”

  Isa, unable to help herself, hugged the older woman quickly.

  “Sorry,” Vanessa said, “I guess I really should call you Elite Isa, now.”

  “I…” Isa looked over the woman and shook her head slowly. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  “Ms. Henrick?” Remus asked, also surprised to see the woman as he walked to Isa again.

  “Elite Remus,” Vanessa greeted. The small group of politicians from the planet Nexia looked over the woman warily. Vanessa Henrick was referred to in the Altereye System as a shadow politician. She was seen at many of the large summits and peace meetings between planets, but no one knew where she had been born or who she truly served, which made her very dangerous.

  Isa, however, knew Vanessa as one of the former teachers at the Elite Academy. Vanessa had only been a teacher for half of a year. She was ordered into exile for trying to insight rebellion with Isa and the group that eventually came to run the Syndicate. Isa had not seen the woman in twenty years.

  Yet Vanessa looked exactly the same, her red-auburn hair pulled into a loose braid, exposing the piercing hazel eyes. She was extremely beautiful, but unbelievably intimidating.

  “What are you doing here?” Isa asked, following Vanessa’s lead as they walked away from the group to discuss things on their own.

  “Her Majesty Glynna asked me to sit as advisor for the meeting,” Vanessa explained.

  “I didn’t know that you were in her favor so much,” Isa said. “I haven’t seen you in twenty years.”

  “I would have visited, but I was in exile.”

  “…I thought you had been executed,” Isa whispered, her voice straining.

  “No, no,” Vanessa assured. “Venus could not risk upsetting you further, or you might have caused some damage.”

  Isa let out a soft bark of laughter.

  “Things have been very difficult for you lately,” Vanessa noted. “I certainly hope that this meeting does not create more problems.”

  Isa looked at Vanessa suspiciously. The older woman laughed.

  “I keep my finger on the pulse of everything,” she said. “I had to watch you from afar.”

  Isa shook her head again. “I can’t quite grasp the fact that you’re standing in front of me right now.”

  “I am sorry for not reaching out to you sooner, but I watched all the reforms you put on Tiao and I’ve been following your work mending the Alliance. I knew you would do amazing things.”

  “…not everything I had hoped.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about that,” Vanessa said with a gentle smile. “There is still time.”

  Isa blinked, confused at the tone in the woman’s voice.

  “Vanessa,” she started slowly, “you’re here for Glynna, but…it seems strange to me that you are here, yet not a member of her court or council. I have not heard from you in twenty years, and now you’re here, at this conference, when we are discussing a very severe problem with the Ninth Circle.”

  Vanessa’s smile widened.

  “You have learned the game well,” she complimented. “I won’t try to convince you that I’m on your side, just know that I am. And, if you can handle this problem with the Ninth Circle, I will make sure you have all the support you need, should there be any other change in circumstances.”

  Isa blinked at the woman, surprised and confused. Vanessa glanced at the door and smiled.

  “It would appear that Yuta is here. I will go over and say hello,” she said, her smile showing her irritation at having to do so.

  As she walked away, Isa watched her, confused and concerned.

  She was pulled out of her thoughts, however, by a shaky voice.

  “Elite Isa,” the man said. She turned around and saw Kren, an old, withered man who had been dictator of his planet since he was twenty, standing behind her.

  “Kren,” she greeted, bowing her head and slipping easily into another language. “It is a pleasure to see you again. Are you well?”

  As she listened to Kren complain about his old bones and how he wished he was young again, Kailynn and Rayal started walking to the different Elites that were conversing with different planetary leaders. Kailynn could feel the apprehension in the room, and she realized that Rayal was right. There were far more false pleasantries in politics than in work as a Significant.

  They had made it back to Remus when Isa was approached by an older, nervous man and a handsome, tall man. Kailynn watched their interaction, seeing the way the younger man leered at the Elite, looking her over appreciatively. Kailynn ground her teeth together.

  “What’s wrong?” Rayal asked, seeing her expression.

  “That asshole,” she hissed, nodding.

  He looked at the two and sighed.

  “That’s Orille from Barcel,” he said. “And one of his advisors, Syna.”

  “Look at the way he’s looking at her.”

  She felt even more irritated when Isa looked at him and smiled.

  “Don’t worry,” Rayal said with a small laugh. “Isa can sure as hell handle herself, even with these jackals.”

  Isa turned and smiled politely as Syna complimented her.

  “I appreciate that you’ve noticed.”

  “So confident,” he said, laughing.

  “I have every reason to be,” she told him.

  “I do hope we do not offend you,” Orille said, fidgeting. It was clear he was worried about upsetting Syna. He cleared his throat and laughed worriedly. “Elite Isa, I do hope you will visit us in the near future. We have developed a ship that—”

  “I’m sure she’s not interested,” Syna said sharply, glaring at the older man. “Perhaps you should sit down. You look tired.”

  Isa glanced between the two, seeing the way Orille quickly obeyed, walking away.

  “You have him trained,” Isa said darkly.

  “Sometimes, even great planetary leaders need to be guided,” Syna said, standing directly in front of Isa. “I’m sure you understand my meaning.”

  “I do,” she assured, her voice strong and steady.

  “Perhaps you are in need of that sort of guidance?”

  “No.”

  “Perhaps…” he looked over her slowly, his eyes finally meeting hers again, filled with dark fire, “there are other services that you require.”

  “I have no need for your services, Syna.”

  “I hear that often,” he said confidently. “But they all come to heel, in the end.”

  “You think you can bring me to heel?” Isa challenged. “You could never control me.”


  “Everyone in the Alliance calls you the white tiger.” He gave her a half smile. “I’m curious if you’re like that in all facets of your life.” Isa stared back, her eyes unblinking and her expression controlled. “Perhaps I should find out for myself.”

  His hand reached for her waist, but she caught it quickly, smiling.

  “Syna,” she started, “if you try to touch me, they will have to amputate after the damage I deal. I promise.”

  Syna laughed quietly, taking his hand back from her.

  “What will they amputate?”

  “That depends on how insistent you are,” Isa said, her smile lined with ice. “Maybe one limb, maybe two.” She glanced down and her smile widened. “Or perhaps something you value more.”

  She walked away, her head high.

  Syna watched her, his eyes alight with anger.

  “Bitch,” he grumbled, turning back to his table.

  The pleasantries continued with Isa receiving seven secret messages from different people in different forms. Kailynn only saw two of the exchanges and was shocked at how easily Isa managed everyone in the room.

  A steward appeared at the door and raised his voice, announcing the arrival of the queen.

  Glynna walked into the room, her vestments of gold and red hugging her curvy figure tightly. She wore a headdress that extended down her nose, delicate gold chains brushing across her cheeks. She walked toward the throne as everyone bowed their heads. Once she passed them, they went to their tables, sitting for the start of the meeting. Isa was the only one who remained once Glynna had walked by her. She moved to the center of the room, standing next to the platform and waiting for everyone to take a seat.

  Glynna sat in her throne between a young woman who appeared to be her daughter and Vanessa. Kailynn sat in a chair behind the Elites at the table with Rayal, looking at the various faces around the room.

  “Your Majesty,” Isa started, bowing her head once more. Isa’s voice could be heard around the cavernous room, clear and strong. “I offer you my sincerest gratitude for your hospitality to Tiao and the others of this alliance. Your generosity is unparalleled.”

  “Your gratitude is accepted, Golden Elite Isa,” Glynna said with a shallow bow of her head. “You have my permission to command the meeting.”