“I would rather know now,” I said, irritated.
Kyle sighed and nodded. “Before I was born, my father and mother were exiled from our home planet, Morgon. He was in line to rule, until he was caught using the wealth for his own needs and stealing from the public. He brought my mother to Earth, where I was born. Ever since, he has been full of anger. He heard in the Universal News that Emréiana had been attacked. There were plenty of rumors about you then. One was that you were killed, the other that you had escaped to a safe planet. No one knew for sure except for the Elaeye. Then my father saw your aunt at the grocery store and noticed the tattoo on the back of her neck. He then saw you with her, and put the pieces together. He waited for an opportunity to use this information. He wasn’t expecting me to fall in love with you. He was angry with me and tried to force me to break up with you.”
That made sense of why his father didn’t like me being around Kyle.
“When the Borain Warriors made camp back in Alice, my father knew. That was the day he called me into his office. He knew they were after you and told me I shouldn’t interfere with Emréian business. Then he told me about your bonding process, which I wasn’t too happy about, either. I didn’t know for sure it was going to be Aaronmon, but I had a gut feeling.”
I felt guilty. “I’m sorry about that—”
“Don’t,” Kyle cut me off. “I should have told you who I was. I should have told you I knew about you. And because I didn’t, I am ashamed of what happened back in Alice. When I broke up with you, it wasn’t because I didn’t love you, it was because I knew you had a future that you needed to figure out without me getting in the way. The problem arose during graduation.” I could feel guilt engulfing his soul. “Before leaving for graduation, my father told me that he had come into contact with the Bremoir. He told them who you were in exchange for them taking over Morgon and allowing him to rule. They knew you were in Alice; however, they didn’t know who the Lenai was. I should have warned you. I should have warned Earth, but my father is stronger than you’d think, and I wouldn’t trifle with him. He wanted to attend the graduation ceremony for laughs. He hated being stuck on that planet, and he was glad to see it crumble. I felt helpless. When I saw you get struck down, I had to save you. My father was angry and would have killed me if it weren’t for my mother. I heard that you made it here safely, and I tried to move on with my life. I lived with my parents on a Bremoir ship while they planned to seize Morgon. That’s when I heard about the virus that they infected Emréiana with. It wasn’t until I heard you were sick that I gained the courage to actually fight back. There was no way I could let you die. So I stole the antidote from the lab and took off in one of their ships in order to get the antidote to you.”
There was a lot to take in, and my feelings were becoming hard to control. I went to the door and opened it with my abula, then paused.
“This is a lot to think about. I need to discuss things with my mother. I’ll return tomorrow,” I told him before I left.
As I moved down the hall toward the dining room, I considered everything he’d told me. He was an alien, too. With everything I had been through and learned in the past year, I shouldn’t have been surprised. I was starting to wonder if anyone on Earth was actually human. Nothing was making sense to me.
In the dining room, my mother sat at the end of the table with Aaronmon at her side. There were several other people from the palace, but I didn’t stop to greet them.
“Lenai, I was told you were going to eat in your chambers. Are you feeling better?” she asked.
I wanted to call her and Aaronmon out right there for lying to me, but I couldn’t cause a scene in front of everyone.
“I need to talk to both of you, alone.”
I pushed my empathy on them so they knew I was angry, but didn’t allow my tone or facial expression to give too much away to the others.
“Excuse us,” she said before sliding her chair away from the table.
I followed her and Aaronmon to the Honure room. I didn’t even shut the door before I started my rant.
“Kyle? It was Kyle!” I shouted. “Why couldn’t you tell me?”
Mother and Aaronmon glanced at each other before either of them would answer me.
“We needed to make sure he wasn’t a spy or trick,” my mother explained. “We especially didn’t want to tell you it was him and then learn that he was a shape-shifter species. We wanted to wait till you recovered fully before even approaching the subject.”
“I’m more than recovered, I’m furious!” I growled.
“Don’t talk to the Krea Mannannala that way,” Aaronmon said, stepping in.
“Even you, my betrothed, kept it from me. You knew everything about me and him!”
“It was best to wait until we knew for sure.” Aaronmon came closer. “Don’t you think I was a bit confused to see your dead ex-boyfriend walk in here? I was elated to have the antidote, but then feared it could be a trap. Then I worried about how you would feel about it. Never once did we not think of you when deciding to wait.”
I wanted to be angry. I wanted to tell them both off, but I couldn’t help but feel that I would have done the same thing if I were in their shoes. I shook off my harbored grudges and sat in the nearest chair at the table.
“So do we trust him, or do we keep him locked up?” I asked.
“We were counting on you to use your empathy to figure that out,” my mother said.
I replayed my encounter with him in my mind. “He never lied to me. Some people can be good at lying, but not Kyle. I always knew he was keeping something from me. I just never imagined it was this.”
“We still need to keep your history hidden from the public.” Aaronmon took a seat across from me. “Nobody needs to know that he was the Earth boy that you had a relationship with. It could be just the thing needed to bring about a vote.”
“So what do we tell them? How do we explain his Earth English and his retrieving the antidote?”
“We lie with the truth,” my mother said.
Aaronmon nodded. “We tell them about him being a Morgon who lived on Earth because of his parent’s exile. We mention that they lived in Alice and that you two were classmates, but that is all. They still think that your human boyfriend was killed, and we will let them believe that. We tell them about his father’s deal with the Bremoir, and how he retrieved the antidote. That is all they need to know.”
I agreed to the story before leaving for my chambers. There was a lot that I needed to take in, and while my strength was back, I was still tired. When I reached my room, my dinner was waiting for me. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten. I looked outside and noticed it was still raining—I wanted desperately to eat under the stars, but that was not going to happen. I took my food over to the small table in my room instead.
As I ate, I thought about my last moments with Kyle on Earth. Everything was starting to make sense now. All his secrets, his family’s attitude, and his funeral. The sight of him dying had been branded into my brain since graduation, and now I didn’t even know how to feel about that memory. But what about the future? What should I do now that he was alive? I had loved him my whole life. I had loved him so much there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him. But I’d spent the past year trying to get over him.
Then there was my bonding ceremony. Even now, the feelings I got around Aaronmon were hard to pin down. Did I love him? And if I did, did I love him more than Kyle? In the end, it didn’t matter, as the bond would take care of anything I ever felt for Kyle. Even if I didn’t love Aaronmon as much as I loved Kyle, I still had to go through with the ceremony. It was my duty to the people to secure my role as Krea by bonding with an honorable man like Aaronmon. Nothing was going to stand in the way of that—not even Kyle.
CHAPTER NINE
Morning had come along with the press. The media clamored for information, wanting to know more about the person who saved the citizens of Emréiana. Someone in the
palace had tipped them off that it was not a scientist; that the antidote was, in fact, brought by another species. The only people who really knew about Kyle were Aaronmon, Krea Mannannala, and me, so the media heard very little about the actual details.
Maids came in to help me prepare. Aaronmon would be doing the explaining, but I would introduce Kyle and thank him publicly for his deed. They picked out an armored top that was beaded with crystal stones and a long silk skirt covered in a light blue swirl design. My hair was down, the tiara in place. I also made sure to wear my ring made from ecliptin.
After the maids were finished, I joined the others at the onmore. My mother and Aaronmon were already inside, sitting on couches against the walls. I took a seat next to Aaronmon.
“Good morning, Lenai,” he said.
I bowed my head in response. “Where is Kyle?”
“They will be bringing him on a secure ship.”
“This is Kyle we are talking about—he saved my life. He should ride with us to the conference halls,” I said, angry.
“How can you trust him? He has lied to you his entire life,” Aaronmon said.
“Lied? The way I lied to him and kept my heritage a secret?”
“That’s different. You didn’t even know who you were until a year ago. But he knew. He knew about you!”
I wanted to back Kyle up, but I knew this was an argument I would lose. It was true that Kyle knew who I was even before I did. That hurt in many ways—but that was not something I could think about today. Today we had other issues.
We sat quietly as the onmore took off.
My mother moved to sit across from us. “We have prepared a medal you will present to Kyle,” my mother told me. “He’ll be surrounded by guards during the ceremony, and the media is aware of this. We want to show him our thanks, but at the same time keep the citizens safe in case he is not to be trusted.”
“I understand.”
“Carsona, I wanted to tell you before we arrived—I know this confuses your feelings.”
I could feel her sincerity warming my soul, and at the same time, I felt Aaronmon become hardened with jealousy.
“I’m not quite sure what you mean,” I lied.
“I mean, I had talked to Aaronmon before about your bonding ceremony being in an amona. But since Kyle has arrived, and I know of your history, if you need more time, I can stay Krea for longer. The ceremony is important if you wish to rule, but you are my daughter, and your happiness means the most to me.”
I was relieved that my mother cared about my feelings. But my duty was to Emréiana and everyone on Earth.
“Thank you Mother Krea Mannannala, but I don’t think that will be necessary.” I decided to go ahead with my initial plan. “I actually think it would be best if we moved up the bonding ceremony. I had thought about this before Kyle’s arrival and I still think it is best. Being around Aaronmon with this bond is difficult, and I would prefer not to wait too long.”
Aaronmon’s surprise tangled with my mother’s. They both sat there looking at me.
My mother smiled slightly and asked, “When were you thinking?”
“I think three Hurmon moons will suffice. Since we are having the press conference, I figured we could also announce the ceremony.”
“Then it is done. Expect to have the ceremony in three Hurmon moons.” My mother then moved back down to the end of the couch, leaving me some privacy with Aaronmon.
“Are you sure you want to have it sooner?” Aaronmon asked.
“I think it’s best.” Even with the tension between us, I could still feel our bond pulling on our emotions.
“And what about Kyle? You’re just going to ignore your past with him? You’re already over it?”
“I’ve had a year to get over him.” I kept my head held high.
“Yes, but you thought he was dead. This is different.”
“Remember, we broke up before he died, or didn’t die,” I said. “Either way, I’ve made my choice. I want to bond with you. I will take over the crown and help end this war.”
Aaronmon’s feelings were so mixed that my empathy had a hard time sorting them out.
“Do you love me the way you loved him?”
Aaronmon’s words caught me off guard. I sat quietly for a moment before replying, “We’re bonded.”
“That doesn’t matter. Before we were bonded, you loved him. I want to know if you love me, and that is why you want to move the ceremony up.”
I took a deep breath and searched my own emotions, which were a mess. I didn’t know what I wanted. My empathy was good at detecting other people’s feelings, but it seemed immune to my own.
“Aaronmon.” I faced him and grasped his hands. “I can’t say for sure that I know what my heart wants. Everything has changed—I’ve changed. I loved Kyle, that’s true. I know I still feel some sort of love for him. But we would have to get to know each other all over again for me to love him the way I did then.”
“That’s not my question. Do you love me?” Aaronmon pressed.
“If you would quit being impatient, I was getting there!” I said. “I’ve wanted to complete our bond for a while now. It’s hard to distinguish between love and the bond, but I know something is there. I care for you, and I want you next to me. Please. Let’s have the ceremony.”
Aaronmon took a deep breath. I could tell he wasn’t entirely convinced, but what I told him was the truth.
“I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but I will.” Aaronmon’s voice grew stern. “There are a lot of people who would love to see you fall and not take the crown. If you make a bad move around Kyle, a vote will be called. If they even learn about Kyle, a vote may be called. If your feelings are not sorted, then you need to do so. I’m not like your mother. I want your happiness, but if you put yourself in a situation that can bring about a fall of the Elaeye…”
“That won’t happen–” I began.
“You say that, but I’m not entirely convinced,” Aaronmon interrupted doubtfully.
“You don’t trust me!” My heart pounded in anger, and my face became hot.
“I don’t trust him!” he growled. Then he sighed, and I could sense him calming. “Look, I worry about you. You have worked so hard to get where you are now, and I don’t want that messed up because of some fling you had in the past. I want you to be careful.”
The word fling stood out.
“Don’t worry, I will be careful. But get this straight: Kyle was more than just a fling. I loved him. I’m proud that I loved him, and I won’t forget that I ever did.”
“And that’s why I’m afraid you can’t ever truly love me,” Aaronmon said, defeated.
His words wounded me. There was nothing else I could honestly tell him to change his feelings on the matter, and Aaronmon knew it, too. He moved to sit by my mother. I released my tension, exhaling. I replayed Aaronmon’s last words over and over in my mind. It stung knowing that he truly believed that I could never love him. But it was the small bit of doubt in my heart that hurt the most. A tear fell down my cheek, and I quickly wiped it away.
The rest of the ride was quiet. There was a lot that needed to be processed and too much that I didn’t have answers to. When the onmore landed, I barely noticed. My mother’s voice broke into my thoughts.
“We’re here,” she said softly.
I followed her out the door, passing Aaronmon. His tension was colliding with his own remorse. I had to close off my empathy to him. His presence lingered behind me as we walked into the building. Once we reached the waiting room, I turned and gave him an apologetic look. I got a weak smile in return, telling me that he understood.
While we waited for everything to be prepared, I sat quietly next to my mother. I knew she had overheard the argument, and I hated to make her worry.
“You know,” my mother began, “when Terishin bonded to her husband, she didn’t want to.” I looked at her, confused, and she went on. “When they first met, they both knew they were to be b
onded to each other, but she fought it. She wanted to make her own choices, not let her body make her decisions.”
“But she ended up bonding,” I pointed out.
“Exactly, and she was happy. I think the bond works that way, too. Find who is compatible and stay together and thrive. I want you to make your own decisions and be happy, but I also see a lot of caring between you and Aaronmon. It could just be the bond, but like Terishin, it could be more.”
“Thank you, Mother,” I said.
The door swooshed open, and a tall, skinny woman appeared.
“Family of the Elaeye, the press is ready.”
We stood up and followed her to the main conference hall. We walked into the auditorium and were circled by the orbs that recorded the event. I ignored them the best I could as we made our way to the stage. Aaronmon stayed standing while my mother and I took seats on the couch provided.
The room quieted as Aaronmon stepped up to the podium.
“Thank you, citizens, for coming,” Aaronmon said, “and thank you for being patient as we gathered information about the virus that infected many citizens of our planet and the man who saved those who were sick, including our Krea-to-be, Lenai Carsona. There have been rumors about the man who brought the antidote, stealing it from the Bremoir after his family was taken under their wing. I would like to give you the facts. Kyle, from the planet of Morgon, was born on Earth after his father and mother were exiled from their home planet for embezzling government funds. His father struck a deal with the Bremoir, which led to the identity of our Lenai being revealed. Kyle did not agree with his father’s new allies, and when he learned of the virus, he stole the antidote that cured the sick.”
Questions arose from the crowd about Kyle being from Alice. Aaronmon held up his hand. “It’s true that the boy lived in the same city as the Lenai, which was how his father learned her identity. Yes, they were classmates and friends, but she did not know of his true origins on Morgon. You can find more information on this in the packets provided to you. Now Lenai Carsona would like to thank the hero.”
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