Rhen picked up his raw meat and gestured towards their plates. “I don’t know what you see in food. It serves a purpose, fuel for the engine. That’s all. But everyone always seems to get so worked up about it.” He took a bite of meat and added, “Nk sent out word to my people that I’d remove their bloodworms. Do you know how many of them responded favorably?”
“No,” Tgfhi said, since his mouth was empty and everyone else’s was full.
“Every single one of them,” Rhen replied harshly. “All these years, I thought they supported my father, but little by little, I’m finding out they thought he was a tyrant.”
Latsoh and Erfce spotted Ceceta in the doorway of the cafeteria and sat up straight.
“Now I’m in trouble,” Rhen said, following their gaze.
Ceceta walked over and sat down beside Latsoh. Instead of saying hello, she picked up her muffin and began to eat.
Rhen narrowed his eyes as he watched her. “Do you really want to know what’s wrong, Tgfhi?”
“I heard you,” he answered. “I’m sorry the Surpens didn’t like your Dad.”
Rhen snorted. “No, that’s just a trivial thing. Do you want to know the real reason why I’m upset?” Rhen’s eyes never left Ceceta.
“Why?”
“I’m upset because Prince Pento told me that his father won’t let him take my fight classes anymore. Do you know why the Zorthan prince has been banned from taking my class?”
“No,” Tgfhi said. Obviously, Rhen was leading up to something.
“He isn’t allowed to take my classes anymore because Surpen’s been kicked out of the Convention.”
Ceceta gasped and dropped her muffin.
Tgfhi felt the blood draining from his face. “Surpen’s no longer in the Convention?”
“Yeah,” Rhen said. “That’s right. Surpen’s been kicked out of the Convention. Do you know why we were kicked out? Because some Fire Elves saw Jet and me fighting for the Norans when the Rasacks attacked their planet. Bosternd discovered that those same Fire Elves kept their mouths shut until they stopped by the Elfin University. Any idea why they might start talking about our involvement after swinging by here… Ceceta?”
“Why would you think that I would know?” Ceceta asked.
“Did any of Latsoh’s friends recently visit you?”
“No!” Ceceta exclaimed. “Why are you implying that I had something to do with this? I’m furious with the Fire Elves for telling on you! It’s terrible that Surpen was kicked out of the Convention. Rhen, I love you. I didn’t want any of this to happen to you.”
Rhen snorted and rose from the table. He was taking his anger out on Ceceta, but it was his fault that Surpen had been kicked out of the Convention, not hers. He was the one who’d rushed in to save Noran. He was still furious with Ceceta for ignoring him for the last two weeks, but that was another issue. “Come on, Jet. Let’s go.” They walked out.
“Crap,” Erfce said after they’d left.
“Worse than crap!” Tgfhi said. “Convention members aren’t allowed to attack other Convention members. This is going to change everything.”
--
They didn’t see Rhen again until the next morning. He’d had to work overtime with Bosternd and Nk to settle all the issues that had arisen from Surpen’s being removed from the Convention.
Rhen’s two weeks of separation from Ceceta were finally up, so Lilly had shown up earlier that morning to be with her husband. “Hi,” Lilly said to Rhen’s friends, when they arrived in the student dining hall.
“Morning,” Erfce said. He and the others watched as Rhen took a seat as far away from Ceceta as possible.
Ceceta had been saving the seat beside her for him, but he hadn’t even glanced in her direction. “Rhen, do you want to sit over here? There’s plenty of room,” she told him, indicating the spot beside her.
“I’m fine,” he said, without looking up.
Ceceta didn’t know what to say. Just then, Reed entered the dining hall. He waved towards his subjects and approached Rhen’s table. “Hey Rhen, I’m sorry. I know we were supposed to ride tonight, but I have to cancel on you. The Neptians are demanding a meeting with us. I’m sure you can understand.”
Rhen debated whether he should remind Reed about Loreth’s dealings with the Neptians, but he decided to hold his tongue. He’d already tried to warn them once and James had shut him down. “No problem. We’ll ride another time.”
“Definitely. By the way, Dad told me to tell you that he’s planning to stop by this weekend to visit you.”
Rhen jumped at Reed’s words. He’d just been thinking about his father. “Dad’s visiting me this weekend?” he asked, sounding confused. “But he’s… he’s gone.”
Reed had wondered why Rhen had appeared startled, and now he knew. “No, um, your biological Dad… Henry.”
Rhen felt foolish. Of course, Reed had been talking about Henry. "Okay, but tell him to come at the end of the weekend. Otherwise, I might not be back in time.”
“Where are you going?” Reed asked, wondering if he needed to alert James that Rhen was leaving.
“Home to see my Mom. I haven’t seen her since… well, since I was… you know.”
Reed nodded, feeling relieved. “I bet she’s looking forward to seeing you. Have a great time.” He stepped back to go, but Erfce caught his arm.
“Hey, have you seen Charlie? I have a question for him.”
“Charlie? No. I haven’t seen him in a while. I’m sure he’s around somewhere.”
“If you bump into him, will you tell him I’m looking for him?”
“Sure,” Reed said before leaving.
“You have a question for Charlie?” Lilly asked. “What is it? Maybe I can answer it for you.”
“It wasn’t anything important,” Erfce said. He was relieved when Rhen changed the subject by inviting everyone to join him on Surpen for the weekend. He didn’t want Latsoh to figure out that he was looking for Charlie so he could buy back her portrait.
--
Later that evening, Ceceta and her friends were studying in her living room when Jet and Lilly walked into their adjoining apartment. Ceceta rose and walked over to the opening between the two rooms. “This looks great, Jet,” she told him, gesturing to the open wall between their two apartments. “It makes both of our places seem bigger.”
“I like it too,” said Lilly.
“Did Rhen work on it with you?” Ceceta asked.
“No,” Jet told her. He waved hello to the others.
“Oh.” Ceceta hesitated for a moment. “Where did you guys go for dinner?”
“To a great restaurant in Warton called the Black Posh,” Lilly said. She rubbed her growing belly. “The food was excellent.”
“Did they serve Rhen raw meat?” Crystam asked. “I tried to get a reservation there for Tgfhi’s birthday last year, but they wouldn’t serve us raw meat.”
“He wasn’t with us,” Jet said. He was surprised they didn’t know.
“He wasn’t?” Ceceta asked.
“No, it was just the two of us,” Lilly said. She took her time lowering herself down onto the couch in her apartment.
“So, where’s Rhen?” Ceceta asked.
Jet and Lilly glanced at each other. They’d both thought that Rhen had told Ceceta where he was going. He must’ve been angrier with her than they’d realized. Jet glanced at Ceceta’s friends. They seemed to be focused on their studying. Stepping forward, he whispered to Ceceta, so the others wouldn’t hear. “He went home right after his last class.”
“He went home? Without asking me to go with him?” Ceceta repeated in a tiny voice, her eyes welling with tears. This was the Genisters’ fault. She’d tried multiple times over the last two weeks to approach Rhen, but the Genisters had kept them apart.
Crystam glanced over at Latsoh to see if she, too, had heard Ceceta. When she saw Latsoh’s eyes widen, she shook her head. They weren’t surprised that Rhen had left without telling Ceceta.
What had she been thinking? Over the last two weeks, they’d tried to get Ceceta to end Rhen’s ‘punishment.’ She had told them that she wanted to end it, but she’d never told Rhen it was over.
“I’m sorry,” Jet told Ceceta. He reached out for her hand to comfort her, but Ceceta jerked away.
“It’s okay. I was just wondering. Thanks.”
Ceceta picked up her textbook and sat back down on her chair. She bent her head forward so her long blond hair covered her face. She knew they blamed her for the situation getting out of hand. It was killing her that she couldn’t explain why she’d been so tough on Rhen. If only she hadn’t sworn secrecy to the Genisters.
The words on the page before her began to blur. He’d left her. Rhen had left her. He didn’t want to be with her. She couldn’t believe it.
Suddenly, anger coursed through her body as she became filled with rage. She was not going to let the Genisters ruin her marriage! Standing up, Ceceta threw her book behind her. It smacked against the wall, making everyone in both apartments jump. “I’m going to Surpen. Who wants to come?” Her friends all nodded excitedly. “Get your stuff and meet me at the portal in half an hour.”
After Tgfhi and the others had bolted from the room, Ceceta turned to Jet and Lilly. “Are you coming?”
“If it’s alright with you, I think we’ll stay here for the weekend,” said Lilly.
Ceceta noticed their clasped hands. She couldn’t blame them for wanting some alone time. They’d been apart for as long as she and Rhen had.
Half an hour later, Ceceta and the others stepped through the school’s portal onto Surpen. The circular portal room was empty. Its tan stone floor and bright red walls glowed in the setting sun. Music drifted into the room through the open windows.
“Whoa,” Latsoh cried out, when a blast of hot air hit her. She put her bag down and waved a hand in front of her face. “I didn’t remember Surpen being this hot before. It’s oppressive.” Her clothes were already clinging to her sweating body.
Ceceta chuckled. “It wasn’t. During Rhen’s coronation, he used his powers to make Surpen feel comfortable. He didn’t want anyone getting heat stroke.”
“No way,” Erfce said. He hadn’t even noticed. “That’s a great power.” He wished he could control the weather on Ponto. He’d make it warmer.
Ceceta walked over to one of the open arches that served as the room’s windows. “Surpen’s a desert,” she reminded them. “It’s always hot and it rarely rains. That’s why we dress in loose-fitting clothing.” She placed her hands on the waist high stone ledge and took a deep breath. She’d missed the smell of Surpen’s sun baked stones.
“It’s gorgeous,” Crystam said by her side.
Ceceta gazed out over the City of Surpen with pride. The setting sun basked everything in a warm, golden color. Most of the buildings within the City were two-stories high and every structure had been painted in rich, vibrant hues.
“It looks like an impressionist painting,” Crystam said.
Ceceta squinted at the buildings. “You’re right. It does.” She smiled when a light breeze cooled her face. The wind made the music they were hearing louder.
Latsoh stepped up beside her. “Is there a festival tonight?”
“No. Music was banned on Surpen for so long that our people play it every day now.” They stood in silence for a few minutes listening to the rhythm of the City. “Thanks for coming with me. I know we were supposed to move Tgfhi and Crystam into their apartment this weekend, but…”
“No need to thank us,” Crystam told Ceceta, giving her a hug. “We’re excited to be here. You can help us move into our apartment when we get back.”
The sound of someone running echoed into the room from the hallway to their right. They turned around as a short man wearing a red tunic entered the portal chamber. The man’s head had been shaved and he wore a metal collar around his neck. He stopped short when he noticed his Queen. “Your majesty!” he exclaimed, bowing low before Ceceta.
“Is that one of your slaves?” Crystam whispered.
“No,” Ceceta told her. “Rhen did away with slavery after he became Emperor.”
The man stood up and reached for the slave collar on his neck. He jiggled the metal ring while saying, “I worked for the Royal Family as a slave for eleven years. I retain my collar to show my honor. There are many in our Empire who wish they were as close to the Royal Family as I am." He sounded rather pleased with himself. Turning back to Ceceta, he said, “It’s good to have you back with us, my Queen.”
“Thank you,” Ceceta said. “Would you mind telling me where I might find my husband?”
“Yes, of course. I’d be happy to take you to him.” Before Ceceta could respond, he clapped his hands and four servants appeared to take their luggage. “Come with me.”
As they followed the man through the palace, they had to sidestep groups of Surpens. Finally, after waiting for a mother and her eight children to pass by, Tgfhi threw up his hands and said, “Why are there so many commoners in your palace?”
“Emperor Rhen has opened his palace to all of his people. We come and go as we please. He enjoys having us here,” the man explained.
“But doesn’t the palace become too crowded, if everyone can come and go as they please?” Erfce asked. He thought about what would happen on Ponto if they opened their palace to the public.
“No, sir,” the servant said. “If the palace becomes too crowded, we leave and come back another day. No one benefits from taking advantage of the Emperor.”
Erfce shook his head. He couldn’t believe the Surpens would be that considerate of one another.
“Ceceta,” Crystam asked, when they passed through a room that was honey yellow with billowing azure curtains. “Why don’t you have any windows? All of the windows in your palace are arched openings in the walls.”
“As I said, we’re a desert planet. Glass windows would restrict the airflow through the palace. It’s much cooler with the open archways. That’s also why we don’t have any doors on our rooms. We need to keep the air moving.”
The servant brought them to a small study that was tangerine orange in color. There were four Surpen soldiers playing cards at a table to their right, a mother and her daughter standing by an open archway on their left, and in front of them sat a plump woman with short blond hair. She was holding a golden clutch and applying lipstick to her already made up face. Across from her was a skinny woman with long, brown hair, brown eyes and an enormous number of freckles. The thin woman was wearing a silver shawl with tassels.
Ceceta inhaled sharply when she saw the two women sitting together talking. “What?” Crystam asked, but Ceceta shook her head, as the freckled woman smiled in greeting and the blond woman winked at them.
“There you are, my Queen,” the servant told Ceceta.
Ceceta glanced around the room but couldn’t find Rhen. “Where is he?”
“Over on the sofa with his mother,” the man replied, gesturing behind the two women.
The Surpens in the room bowed to Ceceta as she entered. She nodded to them as she made her way to the high-backed sofa. Peering over the top, she found Rhen’s mother, Orpel, sitting upright with Rhen’s head on her lap. It appeared that Rhen was sleeping lengthwise on the sofa. Orpel was gently stroking his short brown hair as he slept.
Orpel caught movement out of the corner of her eye and lifted her head to find Ceceta staring at her. “What are you doing here?” After what Rhen had told her, she was surprised to find Ceceta on Surpen. He had complained that she’d been more interested in her studies than him. She hadn’t even asked after his health when the Rasacks had attacked.
“I came to join Rhen,” Ceceta said, moving around to the front of the sofa. “These are my friends, Erfce of Ponto, Tgfhi of Tgarus, Latsoh of the Fire Elf Kingdom and Crystam of Ventar.” As Ceceta introduced her friends to Orpel, the two women sitting near them watched. It was obvious they were eavesdropping. Latsoh was shocked to see tha
t they had elfin ears. She couldn’t figure out what tribe they were from, because they weren’t dressed like elves. The brown-haired woman wore a shiny, silver dress with her silver shawl and the blond woman wore an enormous golden muumuu. The woman in gold seemed familiar to Latsoh. She wracked her brain to try to remember where they’d met.
Orpel smiled at Tgfhi and Crystam. She felt as if she knew them. “Congratulations on your engagement. Have you set a date for the wedding?”
“Not yet, your majesty,” Crystam told her.
Orpel inclined her head towards Crystam. “You look very much like your mother.”
“Oh, do you know my mother?”
“Yes. Both your mother and your father,” Orpel said, while glancing towards Tgfhi, “come to my palace every weekend for dinner. We’ve become good friends.”
This was news to Tgfhi and Crystam, but before they could question Orpel about it, Ceceta gestured towards Rhen. “How long has he been asleep?”
“Not that long,” Orpel said. “We ate dinner. Bosternd showed Rhen all of the improvements he’s made to the palace and then we came in here to talk.” She narrowed her eyes. “If you know what I mean.”
Ceceta felt her anger flare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Two weeks of separation? Don’t you think that was a little extreme? He’s furious with you because every time he tried to catch your eye, you’d turn away. You didn’t even acknowledge him after his battle with the Rasacks.”
Ceceta wanted to scream. She’d tried to talk to Rhen, she’d tried to catch his eye more than once, she’d even tried to end their separation, but the Genisters had prevented her at every turn. She felt like jumping over the couch and punching the two Genisters who were watching them. This was all their fault and she couldn’t even tell anyone about it. “Listen, Orpel, I can’t explain what’s going on here. Please know that you’re not getting the whole story.”
Ceceta’s friends glanced at each other, wondering what she was talking about.
“You should’ve thrown your separation rule out the window after the Rasack attack,” Orpel said. “You know what’s at stake here. If Rhen …”
The Surpen King_Part 1_Return of the Gods Page 26