The sound of footsteps from behind her made her spin around, wondering if a Paler had tracked her down. But it was only Hathor. She relaxed.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said with a smile. “Are you thinking of him?”
“Him? You mean William?”
He nodded and joined her on the balcony.
“No. I was thinking of Earth. This planet is a lot like it,” she explained.
After a long moment, he said, “I’m not sure how to bring up a certain subject since it’s probably a sensitive one.”
She turned toward him in interest. “What is it?”
“I just wondered, will you miss your parents? From the few studies I’ve done about Earth, I learned that humans reproduce the same way humans on Raz do. That means you would have a mother and a father. I can’t help but think they must be searching for you.”
“No, they aren’t,” she softly replied. “They were hit by a drunk driver—in a car accident—when I was nineteen. They were killed instantly.”
“Oh. That’s horrible. I’m sorry.”
“Since you mention that humans on Earth and Raz both have a mother and a father, what happened to your father?”
“He died when I was five. I don’t remember very much about him. After he died, my mother decided not to remarry. Under ordinary circumstances, she would have, but my mother was in a battle with an ogre, and the ogre stabbed her in the lower abdomen. The Great Magician healed her wound so she survived, but she wasn’t able to have any more children. She didn’t see any reason to marry a man she didn’t love since there was no chance she could have a daughter. That’s why we had to consult the Great Magician about the next queen.”
He gestured to her left hand, so she held it out to him.
He turned it over and touched her wrist. “Your birthmark is in the shape of a crown. That is how I knew you were the next queen.”
Eyebrows furrowed, she studied it. “I never realized it had a shape.”
“You have your identity right here. Too bad the gods and goddesses didn’t see it before we had to search for the stone.”
“Yeah, well, we didn’t know about the special alliance back then. Now that we do, we have an advantage. I think they’ll help us against the Palers.”
His smile widened. “You’re thinking like a queen. Maybe now you’ll stop doubting your ability to rule Raz.”
“Calling for help from allies is a lot different from facing a burning cave or a dragon,” she pointed out.
“Everyone has to start somewhere.”
Realizing he was still holding her wrist, she cleared her throat and crossed her arms. “So, I’m guessing you’re eager to return to Raz, and not just because the planet will be secure with another queen. You have a deep love for your world.”
“Yes, I do. I’m proud to be a part of it. I hope that some day you can think of it as your home.”
She looked at him, surprised that he sounded worried that she might never come to accept Raz as her home planet. “I’m sure I will,” she said. If it was anything like Earth, then she figured it was a matter of time before she got used to it.
“Well, I better get back to bed,” he replied. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
She wished him a good night then turned her attention back to the stars and the possibilities of the future that awaited her.
Chapter Twelve
Mount Olympus
Planet: Olympia
The next day, Ann, Hathor and Leo made it back to Mount Olympus where the gods and goddesses greeted them in their palace.
“Did you get the stone?” one asked.
“Did the Sphinx make those clothes for you?” another wondered.
Others asked questions, but Ann held her hands up to silence them as she stopped in the middle of the room. “First, yes, I do have the stone.” She opened her right hand and showed it to them.
Hera ran to grab it, but Ann closed her hand.
“Before I give it back, I promised the Sphinx I would talk to you on her behalf. But before I do that,” she lifted her left wrist, “I am the next queen of Raz.”
She expected the news to make their ears perk up so they would be more willing to listen to her, but she didn’t expect them to kneel down in order to honor her.
“Forgive us,” Zeus said, his hand on his heart. “We had no idea.”
“And forgive me for losing my temper yesterday,” Hades added. “If I had known of your importance, I never would have asked for the deaths of you and your companions.”
“It’s alright,” Ann assured them. “I didn’t know about the special alliance until the Sphinx explained it to me.” She took a deep breath, hoping she sounded braver than she felt because her heart was racing a million miles a minute. “Please, stand up.”
The gods and goddesses obeyed.
“Please,” Zeus began as he approached her, “you must let us pay you homage. Stay here tonight. We’ll let you stay in our finest bedchambers. We will offer you the best of our foods and provide you with clothing much better than what the Sphinx did.”
She glanced at Hathor, wondering if he was as surprised as she was by their dedication to the queen of Raz, but it seemed as if he expected it. Turning her attention back to Zeus, she nodded. “That’s very kind of you, but I have some things I wish to discuss first.”
“Oh, certainly.” Zeus motioned to the plush white couch. “Sit. Make yourself comfortable.”
Ann obeyed, Hathor and Leo following her lead.
“What is it that concerns you?” Athena asked as the others sat down.
“I promised the Sphinx I would talk to you about making an ivory palace for her and her nymphs,” Ann said, deciding it was best to get down to business.
Hera sighed. “She wants to be one of us, but she can’t be because she’s a crossbreed.”
Ann shook her head. “At first, I thought she wanted to be like you, too, but since talking to her, I can assure you that’s not it at all. What she wants is a nicer home. She poses no threat to you if you’ll let Hephaestus build her a new palace.”
Zeus looked at Athena. “Do you think this is a wise move?”
Athena turned her gaze to Apollo. “Does the Sphinx tell the truth?”
“She does,” Apollo replied.
“It would be wise to follow the next queen’s advice,” Athena told Zeus.
“Very well,” Zeus said. “Hephaestus will start immediately.”
Hephaestus stood up. “I will do so at once.”
Ann blinked, shocked that was all it took to get them to agree to the Sphinx’s request. “Okay then.” She shifted on the couch and addressed her next concern. “Hathor and I lost the Book of Spells on Forestaria. It’s a planet in the Musical Galaxy.”
“We’re aware of it,” Zeus replied. “Do you need help retrieving it?”
“It would be much appreciated,” Ann said. “If I was already the queen, I could just wish myself over there. Since I’m not, we need that book in order to get to Raz.”
“The Palers have been trying to kill Ann,” Hathor spoke up. “They don’t want her to get to Raz. We’re not sure why, but they’ve been setting up obstacles for us ever since we left Earth.”
“We’ll get you to Forestaria,” Zeus promised. “You have our word.”
“Thank you,” Ann replied. “Here is the stone.”
She held it out to Zeus, and he took it. Afterwards, they placed it over the fury who came back to life. Pleased by the turn of events, Hades took the fury back with him to the underworld where he reigned.
***
Alpha Head I
Planet: Pale
Leader Seta sighed as she watched the holographic image of Forestaria floating above her desk. “How long will that Razian wait before he retrieves his book?”
“It can’t be much longer,” First Commander Jaz replied. “He’ll want it back.”
“Agreed.” Seta tapped her fingers on the desk and shook her head. “If O
min had tracked him instead of the Book of Spells, we’d know where he went. Well, I guess all we can do is wait. He’ll want to come here to get that book before he goes to Raz.”
The telephone buzzed.
“Speak,” Seta greeted.
“Leader Seta,” one of the prison guards began, “there is a Lax in the Great Prison who hasn’t been injected yet. He’s part of the Laxy Rebellion.”
“Inject him at once,” Seta ordered. “His punishment will be to gather Laxes so Palers can eat them.”
“That’s going to be a problem.”
Seta glanced at Jaz who shrugged. With a sigh, she asked, “What’s the nature of the problem?”
“The liquid…” He cleared his throat. “That is, the solution that goes into the injection needle…”
Seta gritted her teeth. “Get on with it!”
“The solution is gone. We’ve ordered more, but a group of rebels stole the shipment. Another one won’t come in until tomorrow.”
“Fine. Do it as soon as you can.” She hung up and looked at Jaz. “How can the Laxy Rebellion be so powerful? Laxes barely have the energy to do anything unless we give them energy boosters.”
“They must have found another energy source.”
“Or found a supply of energy boosters.” Seta shook her head. “I don’t know how much longer Palers will be able to survive without turning on each other. We have no other food source besides the Laxes.” She sighed. “We’ll think of something.” Somehow, someway, she would see to it if it was the last thing she did.
***
Ivory Palace
Planet: Olympia
After Hathor, Ann, and Leo enjoyed their dinner, Zeus insisted on showing them through the garden that surrounded the palace. Since Ann seemed to enjoy the variety of flowers and plants, Hathor took it as a good sign that she’d enjoy the gardens surrounding Raz’s palace as well. While Zeus gave the tour, Hathor glanced at the lion that yawned in boredom. Hathor couldn’t blame him. He was already familiar with the plant life on this world.
“And these are the statues of the main gods and goddesses,” Zeus said when they came to the middle of the garden.
“The main gods and goddesses?” Ann asked.
Zeus turned to her and nodded. “Yes. Six of us rule over all the others.”
“I bet I know which ones.”
Noting Ann’s excitement, Hathor focused in on their conversation.
“Let’s see,” Ann began. “There was you. You were the head god. You were best known for your mighty thunderbolt and your hospitality to travelers. Then there was Hera your wife whose bird was the peacock. Poseidon ruled the seas and possessed the trident. Demeter oversaw the agriculture. Hades ruled the underworld, and Hestia oversaw the family life.”
Zeus’ smile widened. “You are familiar with us?”
“One of the courses I took in high school was on ancient mythologies. I found the Greek myths to be particularly fascinating. There were so many interesting stories.”
“Is that what they did after we left? Kept our history recorded to be passed down from one generation to another?” He took a deep breath, his chest swelling with pride. “I had no idea our legacy would last so long. It’s been centuries since we left Earth, you know.”
“Oh, I know. But I am wondering, just how many of the myths were true?”
“Tell me what you’ve heard, and I’ll tell you if they’re accurate.”
As Ann began to relate one of the stories, Leo headed off down one of the paths in the garden. Curious, Hathor followed him, wondering what had caught his attention. The lion roared and hurried forward.
Hathor picked up his pace and went down the path. But before he could catch up with Leo, someone grabbed his arm. Turning, he saw Aphrodite who wore a pink dress that barely concealed anything. Forcing his gaze back to her face, he cleared his throat. “I was just seeing where Leo was going.”
“Oh, I know.” She waved her hand dismissively at the path Leo took. “I summoned him to the waterfall in that direction. He’ll be back soon. Zeus can be so dull. I thought you might like a diversion.”
Heat rose to his face as it occurred to him exactly what kind of diversion she was talking about. “I’m going to marry Ann.”
He shook her hand off his arm. Leaving Zeus and Ann had been a bad idea. Even if it was boring, he should have stayed with them. Being alone with Aphrodite was only going to get him in trouble.
“You’re not married yet,” Aphrodite insisted as she stepped in front of him. “I’ll let you in on a secret.” She lowered her voice and came closer to him, making him back up when her breasts brushed against his chest. “While I was on Earth, many mortal women would come to my temple and complain their lovers didn’t know how to satisfy them.” She peered up at him and traced his arm with her finger. “Believe me, Hathor. You don’t want that to happen with Ann.”
Whether or not this was something that happened on Earth long ago, he didn’t know, but that had little relevance to today. “That might be a priority on Earth, but on Raz it’s not.”
Her eyes grew wide, though she seemed amused. “It’s not?”
“No. The priority is that I get Ann to Raz so she can become queen.”
She burst out laughing. “Are you always stuck on your duties?”
“I was raised to do everything possible to serve the queen. Right now, it means taking her to Raz.”
“And after you marry her, what are you going to do with her?” She shot him a meaningful look. “You’ll be serving her in bed. And that,” she touched his chest, “is where I come in. I can help make her wedding night everything a bride dreams of.”
“On Raz, we wait until we’re married before doing that kind of thing, so doing it now is out of the question.”
He made another move to step around her, but she blocked him once again. “You’re not on Raz right now.”
“Aphrodite,” he said as he removed her hand from his arm, “I’m going to marry Ann.” He hesitated to add anything but finally decided to. “I’ve grown rather fond of her.”
“You love her.”
“I haven’t known her that long.”
“Nonsense. Love doesn’t always take years to develop. Or in the case with Zeus and Hera, thousands of years. Sometimes love happens right away. And in your case, you’re in love. You might be reluctant to admit it, but it’s true.” She placed her hands behind her back and smiled. “I’d like to say my son Cupid had something to do with it, but I’m afraid you fell in love all on your own. That being the case, I won’t interfere. I might enjoy a good session in bed…or in other places…but I don’t believe in breaking up true love.” She winked and patted his behind. “I’ll send the lion back to your little group.”
Love Ann? He was fond of her, yes. She was nice and had a good sense of humor. Despite her uncertainty about her role on Raz, she was already demonstrating her ability to take the lead by her negotiations with the Sphinx and the gods and goddesses. She would make an excellent queen. It would be a privilege to serve her. But love? No. He couldn’t love her because after she had a daughter, she would divorce him and marry William.
He hurried back to the statues, choosing not to dwell on it. When he reached Ann, Zeus was telling her about how he, Poseidon, and Hades divided up their areas of rule.
“So that one did happen as the myth says?” Ann asked. “You drew lots?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t dominion over the entire Earth. It was only over Atlantis,” Zeus replied.
“And Hades didn’t like his lot?”
“Actually, he was quite happy with it. Hades hated to be social with anyone, so he welcomed the opportunity to go to the underworld where very few people bugged him.”
The lion ran over to Hathor. Smiling, he petted the golden mane. Granted, he could think of other things he could be doing with his time, but he was much safer staying here than venturing away from Ann. Who knew if Aphrodite would change her mind? Love or not, he wouldn’t be
tray Ann, and not just because she was going to be the next queen. She was his friend. If nothing else, she was definitely his friend.
***
The Great Prison
Planet: Pale
The treatment swept throughout the Great Prison, and this time Omin was affected. Slivers of pain pulsed from his mind to his limbs. Gritting his teeth, he dug his nails into his arms, trying to make the sensation stop. But it didn’t. It only got worse. Sparks that felt like fire ravaged through the rest of his body, making him jerk uncontrollably.
When the room shifted, the pain was gone. Gasping, he collapsed on the floor. White Terror. How accurate the warning. How effective the treatment. And he, of all Palers, should know just how much damage the treatment could do. He had created this system himself. Long ago. But no one remembered. They thought Pale had always been this way.
He reached up and touched his face and grimaced. Seta had done a pretty good job of disfiguring him. But he would get his revenge. Somehow, someway, he would rise above this and rule Pale once again.
Chapter Thirteen
Space Port Central
Planet: Olympia
Zeus, Athena and Apollo led Hathor, Ann, and Leo into a spaceship the next day. Once they were on their way to the Musical Galaxy, Hathor leaned toward Ann and glanced out the window as the stars passed by.
“Are you sorry to leave Olympia?” he whispered.
She looked over at him. “Is it obvious?”
“I notice you really enjoyed your time talking to the gods and goddesses.”
She smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I spent a semester in high school reading the myths and writing papers about them. I never believed any of it, of course. I mean, they were myths. But now I know the myths had a basis in real stories with real people. It was so much fun finding out just how the stories changed from generation to generation.”
“I’m glad you had a good time.”
“Didn’t you have a good time?”
A Royal Engagement (Enchanted Galaxy Series Book 1) Page 11