Celestial Love

by Juli Blood

  “How will we move our things onto the ship?” Bryan asked.

  “We’ll do it this morning. If anyone asks, I’ll say I want to get settled and see if I need anything else from the space port before we launch. All of which is true,” Kalea answered.

  “Then I guess I’d better start packing,” Bryan said as he stood.

  “Actually, you need to see Dr. Henderson first...” Kalea said with a smile, “and so do I.”

  “Just in case you should be copied later?” Uncle Evan asked.

  “Really, I don’t see how they could get away with cloning us, but why take the chance,” Kalea said.

  “It’s all a chance,” Gilbert mumbled.

  “True,” Kalea replied. She reached for Bryan’s hand and held it as they walked out of their sitting room together, leaving the others behind.

  ~

  When they returned, their quarters were empty and they both set to packing. It was only when their morning meal arrived that Kalea realized that she hadn’t really slept at all.

  “Princess Kalea, please join me for breakfast,” Bryan called formally from the sitting room. Obviously, the staffer was still setting things out.

  Kalea closed her last case and initiated its security seal before walking out to the sitting room. Smiling at the staffer she said, “Thank you, it looks delicious.”

  Bryan drew out her chair and she sat. When he had taken his seat she bowed her head and waited. Bryan thanked the Holy One for the bounty and prayed for continued protection and wisdom for all. Raising his head he noticed the staffer had left and said, “I think we could both use a nap.”

  Kalea smiled and said, “Definitely. I think shortly after the mid-day meal.” Bryan smiled too and then they focused on the food. Kalea was so tired she felt she had to actually concentrate so as not to drop her fork.

  “Alright. A short nap is required.” Kalea admitted.

  Bryan smiled and said, “Good, I was afraid you really meant to wait until later.”

  “I did, but my body isn’t agreeing with my mind.”

  When they finished eating, they both went to lie down for a brief nap. Thankfully no one interrupted them.

  25

  Jonas, Harold and Danielson insisted on helping with their luggage. When Bryan had opened the door to their suite the three men were standing there and simply took two bags each. Kalea realized that she had twice as many bags as Bryan but knew it couldn’t be helped. Together they led the way to the Peacemaker and to their quarters. When they had entered, Bryan turned to the men and said, “You can leave them there for now.” Nodding, they set the bags down and left without a word.

  “So,” Bryan said, “where should I stow my gear?”

  “I’ll show you,” Kalea said with a smile and led him into the bedroom. Bryan was a bit surprised but didn’t comment.

  Kalea opened the door to what he thought would be the bathroom to reveal another room entirely. “What’s this?” he asked.

  “This is our sitting room. The bath is through that door. This couch extends into a fairly comfortable bed I’m told. There are storage areas all around the room both here and in the bedroom so we should have plenty of space.” Glancing around Kalea looked at Bryan and said, “This is one of the reasons I wondered if this ship was really meant for my Father. He would never need this much room.”

  “But even without our current situation I could easily see how you would,” Bryan said.

  “Yes, sometimes it seems foolish but the customs vary so much between cultures I really must bring an extensive wardrobe along on any long voyage,” Kalea replied.

  “True, but you also need room for a stash of milk caramels,” Bryan teased.

  Kalea laughed and turned to go get the bags. “I have a stash now do I? I don’t remember packing a stash.”

  “I thought there would be more room in my bag but it’s really your stash,” Bryan said as he followed her back to the main room they had first entered. “So what do we call this room?”

  “This is the office.” Kalea answered.

  “Isn’t it odd that the sitting room is more private than the bedroom?” Bryan asked.

  “No. There’s an outside entrance to the sitting room but I had Gilbert code it for emergency exit only,” Kalea answered.

  “Good, now I don’t have to worry about someone accidentally coming in during the night,” Bryan said as he activated the antigravity function of all four of Kalea’s bags. With the straps of two bags in each hand Bryan guided them into her room and then went back for his.

  “You know that only you and I and our immediate security detail can get in here, right?” Kalea checked.

  Turning back to her he smiled and said, “Yeah.”

  Kalea smiled and had to admit Bryan did have a way of making her smile even when she was stressed.

  They hadn’t gotten far with their unpacking when Franklin arrived with some surprising news.

  “Forgive me for interrupting, but I knew you would want to know immediately,” Franklin began as he stepped into the office and secured the door behind him. “Dr. Henderson has completed her scans and feels certain that all the remaining members of the crew are indeed who they should be. To further support that, I received word from Randolph, but it wasn’t what I expected.” With that he handed over a secure data tablet and waited as they read it together.

  Security Alert – Code Red

  The following crewman was found dead here on Estar Beta. It is believed that someone has been able to impersonate or clone him. Be advised that the imposter is to be considered highly dangerous.

  “Is that all?” Kalea asked.

  “No,” Franklin answered as he took the secure data tablet back and opened another file. “This followed from King Douglas. It was sent shortly after but they arrived together.”

  “I don’t understand,” Kalea said as she took the second data screen.

  “It seems the secure transmission of the first message was so complex it delayed its relay and allowed the second to arrive with it,” Franklin explained.

  Kalea nodded and then read the message from her Father. “He says not to wait for the replacement sensors but to launch as soon as we’re ready. He too suspects the secure communications network has been compromised. He said the solution will be in place with the first delivery of supplies.”

  “When will that first shipment arrive?” Bryan asked.

  “We have no way of knowing yet,” Kalea answered. “All our plans and schedules are no longer valid. I don’t have any idea what the plan is now. I haven’t even gotten a report from the Environmental Restoration teams as I expected.”

  “It would seem King Douglas supports your decision to launch,” Franklin said as if to remind them that he was still there.

  “Yes, but I still think it needs to be unannounced. Do you see any reason why that would be a problem?” Kalea asked.

  “No. Per your instructions, the crew has been notified of the special mid-day meal and all staff can easily be accounted for at that time. If someone is missing, we can easily find them prior to the end of the meal,” Franklin replied.

  “Very well, I have time yet to finish unpacking and then I must take a quick tour of the shops before the meal,” Kalea said a bit distractedly as she began thinking through what she might need to find.

  “How about we skip the unpacking for now and just go shopping?” Bryan suggested.

  “Why?” Kalea asked.

  “It will give you more time and will be less suspicious than you dashing around trying to find something before the meal. Most will assume that you could come back later and you don’t want them to question why that might not be true,” Bryan pointed out.

  “Alright, we can go now,” Kalea said and then waited for Franklin to exit first. As they exited the ship moments later Kalea was surprised when Jackson and Harold followed them but she didn’t say anything, after all Gilbert was just being his usual over-protective self. Besides, maybe she could put them
to good use.

  Upon returning to the ship, Kalea smiled at the look on Gilbert's face when not only was Bryan carrying packages but so were Jackson and Harold. He relaxed somewhat though when Danielson and Kyle followed empty handed.

  “Couldn’t find enough for them to carry?” Gilbert asked indicating Danielson and Kyle.

  “I thought about it, but they would have just called for more help,” Kalea admitted with a smile as she breezed by on her way to her quarters.

  Gilbert actually laughed.

  As Bryan, Jackson and Harold deposited their loads in the office, Kalea said, “Thank you for being such good sports about this.”

  “Truthfully,” Jackson answered. “…it was a relief. I was getting concerned that you had been working too much.”

  Kalea smiled but didn’t comment. After all, he spoke the truth.

  “We’ll see you for the mid-day meal,” Bryan answered as they turned and headed back into the corridor.

  “Did you mind?” Kalea asked.

  “No, I can honestly say it was a very informative experience,” Bryan said with a smile. “It did confirm for me one important thing, though.”

  “Oh? And what was that?” Kalea asked as she turned and began sorting out the packages.

  With a hand on her upper arm Bryan gently turned her back toward him as he said, “It showed me that, although over the last week, I have gathered a lot of information about you. I still don’t know you, and I want to.”

  Kalea’s brain stuck on the “gathered…information” line. “Gathered information from whom?” she asked.

  “Your mother, Uncle Evan, even some from your father but that was before we left Estar Beta. They’ve been very helpful and I’ve appreciated some of their insights, but today just made it so clear that all the things I’ve learned about you are really just a few facts. What you like and don’t like to eat or the things you like to do.” Smiling, he reached out and stroked her arm as he said, “Important as all of those things are, they aren’t you.”

  “They are parts of me,” Kalea answered not really sure where he was going with this.

  “Until today, I would have agreed,” Bryan said as he reached up to brush back a strand of her hair. “Today, I saw a side of you that I hadn’t seen before. You were relaxed and enjoying yourself. The things you bought and why you bought them, showed me that there is so much more to you than just the facts I’ve been told.

  “After lunch you will launch Peacemaker and we will have a four day journey to Saxionias. You don’t have the Environmental Restoration report that you expected and I’m hoping you will agree to spend these next few days with me. Just me.” Bryan emphasized as he lifted his other hand and stroked both her arms. “I want to know you, Kalea. Really know you.”

  “That probably won’t happen in just four days.” Kalea said with a teasing smile.

  “I know,” Bryan answered. “I’m sure it will take a lot longer but we have to start somewhere. Besides, as I was reading the Bible these last few days, I realized something.”

  “Oh, what was that?” Kalea asked always interested to see what others had discovered in the Ancient Writings.

  With a smile at her eagerness, Bryan continued, “I realized that love is a choice. I can know a lot about you but to truly love you I have to choose to love you. And Kalea, I do.”

  Leaning forward Bryan kissed her forehead. Surprised, pleased and a little nervous Kalea said the first thing that came to her mind, “You kissed me.”

  “No,” Bryan said as he leaned in again. “I didn’t really kiss you. I want to. You’re a beautiful woman and I’m only human.” This time Bryan caressed her cheek as his eyes took on a look that sent shivers up her spine. Feeling each other’s emotions was wreaking havoc on their concentration. “We’ll wait Kalea, because I want more than the moment…I want forever. And when I do kiss you, and I will, you’ll know it.”

  Kalea leaned in just a little but Bryan simply took a deep breath and straightened, “Kalea, please! A man can only handle so much temptation.” Exhaling, he took her hand in his and said, “Everyone’s waiting. Let’s eat and launch so we can get back to this conversation.”

  Kalea smiled and followed him from the room. What he said about love being a choice rang true. ‘Thank You Holy One. You provided a wonderful man and now You’ve helped him choose me too.’ Thankful and happy Kalea couldn’t stop smiling as she considered the next few days. They sounded like a lot of fun.

  26

  “Are you ready?” Bryan asked as he took Kalea’s hand and tucked it into his elbow. She looked splendid in her long flowing formal gown of shimmering royal blue with gold trim. Her hair was pulled up in some fancy style that just made him want to set it free.

  “Yes, but the more important question is…are you?”

  Bryan hesitated a moment and adjusted his jacket which felt surprisingly stiff and uncomfortable. Then he smiled and admitted the truth. “I’ve given it a lot of thought since you mentioned it again yesterday, being back yet not being the Crown Prince anymore. I guess I should have had everyone address me as Prince Bryan once I left but to be honest I never thought of it.” Smiling he turned and took both her hands in his. “Truthfully, I fear Father will try to pretend nothing has changed. I’m not even sure if Mark has returned. If he hasn’t then that will make it even more difficult. However, I take comfort in knowing that I am in God’s will. I know He has a plan that is far greater than my father’s. Now all we have to do it remind my father of that.”

  The last four days they had tried to block out all the stress and frustration that had become the norm since their wedding. Limiting the crew’s access to them, they had talked and shared for hours. Even simple things like working out together had been fun.

  Now reality was back. Today Bryan was to present her to the Noble Assembly and his family.

  Communication with Saxionias had finally caught up with them last night and it was vague at best. It seems both governments feared that the communication networks were unsecure. All Kalea really knew about today’s schedule was that she was to attend this first meeting with the Noble Assembly and then she and Bryan would join his family for a meal.

  Giving his arm a slight squeeze Kalea said, “We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.”

  Bryan leaned in and gave her a quick kiss and a smile before leading them out into the corridor. Surrounded by their security detail they made their way through the Peacemaker to the docking bay.

  Sharing a smile, Kalea gave the signal and the docking bay doors opened revealing the short passageway from the Peacemaker to Saxionias’ space station Alpha. Kalea waited for Bryan to lead. She knew how he was feeling, but not what he was thinking. He wasn’t sharing and she wasn’t sure if that was because he was distracted or because he needed his privacy.

  The forward security detail was stationed along the first hundred feet of Alpha station and at the end King Alexandros waited with a small party to welcome his son home. Kalea took in their brightly colored garments and her first thought was how uncomfortable they all looked.

  They hadn’t gone very far into the space station when suddenly, Kalea couldn’t seem to breathe. Instinctively she reached for her throat as it felt tight. She stopped walking and was becoming dizzy but before she could even try to explain, Bryan swept her up in his arms and darted back into the Peacemaker.

  “She can’t breathe!” Bryan called out to everyone as he ran. The security detail fell in behind him as he rushed her to the Med Lab.

  ‘Try to relax.’ Bryan tried to calm her as he ran. ‘I know that sounds crazy but you’re going to be fine. I’ve got you. We’re almost there.’ Rushing through the ship, he was so thankful he didn’t make a wrong turn as he quickly arrived at the Med Lab. The team was ready and they quickly took charge as he laid her on the table.

  Bryan stepped back, but his fear mounted as he noticed the blue hue of her lips and the fact that she wasn’t even trying to share her though
ts with him. Striving for calm he began to pray, asking the Lord to heal her and repeatedly sharing feelings of calm and hope, knowing it was all he could do.

  In moments, that felt like hours, Kalea was breathing again. “Slow steady breaths.” Bryan heard Dr. Henderson say as she continued to work over Princess Kalea.

  Trying not to wince from the intense headache Kalea asked, ‘What happened?’ finally feeling as if she was able to catch her breath. She didn’t realize that she hadn’t spoken the question aloud until Bryan voiced it for her.

  “What happened to her?” Bryan asked the room in general.

  Giving him a look, Dr. Henderson answered. “It would appear that something Princess Kalea inhaled caused her to have a severe allergic reaction. This reaction caused the swelling of her bronchial tubes and prevented her from breathing.” Looking back to Princess Kalea she continued, “We will now run extensive tests to determine what exactly caused the reaction and then find a way to prevent it from happening again. However, as you are aware, the Royal Council must be notified and they will most likely require your immediate return.”

  “They already have.” Franklin said from the doorway to the Med Lab. Pierce had to step aside to let him in as he had been one step behind Prince Bryan from the moment he scooped Princess Kalea up into his arms and ran back to the Med Lab.

  “We are to leave immediately.”

  Kalea’s eyes flew to Bryan and she asked. ‘How will your father handle this?’ Kalea asked and then coughed.

  Instinctively stepping forward, he was stopped again by a med tech. Bryan’s feelings were a confusing mix. Forcing himself to take a calming breath he quickly praised God that she was breathing again and then turned his mind to the problem at hand. He knew his father would react poorly and there was even a small chance that the Noble Assembly would wonder if this was a trick. Their primary concern would be about the overall agreement being fulfilled. ‘Admittedly this could cause problems. My primary concern, however, is you. You know that, right?’