Chapter 33
Quin and Kol watched as Rokai’s ship lifted into the sky, then turned and walked several feet before Quin stopped and looked back at Jhan who still stood staring at the small speck in the sky rapidly fading from view.
“Are you coming, or are you going to stand here and wait for them to return?”
Jhan didn’t answer.
“Jhan!” Quin shouted.
Jhan, never one to startle at all, slowly turned his head toward Quin. His brow was wrinkled with confusion as he tried to work his way through all he was feeling. “Why would she want to go help him?”
“I’m sorry, what?” Quin asked.
“The female! Elspeth! Why would she volunteer to go back him up?!”
“If you listened to anything they said, she already has at least once,” Quin answered.
Jhan turned his head to look up into the sky again, his hands resting on his hips.
Quin and Kol shared a surprised look.
“Jhan? There something you want to talk about?” Kol asked.
“No!” he snapped. But followed that with an immediate, “The fuck is she following him around for? Does she know he has an Ehlealah?!”
Kol started laughing.
Quin just grinned.
Jhan turned and glared at both of them. If they’d been anyone other than who they were to him, they’d have been worried. But they’d grown up with him — Kol was actually his blood cousin — and while aware of all he was capable of, were not the least bit afraid of him. “I don’t find anything at all funny about this. Why is this funny?” Jhan demanded.
“Because you’ve obviously lost your mind,” Kol said.
“I’ve not lost anything at all! I just want to know! And somebody tell me what exactly a Druid Warrioress Priestess is!”
Quin started laughing. He walked back over and slung his arm around Jhan’s neck, forcing him to walk back toward the palace with them. “You saw the female, Elspeth, yes?”
“Of course, I did. I wouldn’t be asking if I hadn’t.”
“Well, it seems that Elspeth is a Druid Warrioress Priestess. And it seems, my friend, that she is, or will be, your Ehlealah.”
Kol slapped him on the back. “Welcome to the mated life.”
“I’m not mated!” Jhan insisted.
“So, if she comes back with Rokai, you’re not interested in pursuing her?” Quin asked.
“If? What do you mean if? I thought it was clear they both intend to return.”
“I’m sure Rokai will at some point. He may or may not bring her with him.”
“He has to. Tell him he has to!” Jhan insisted.
“Why does he have to?” Kol asked.
“Because, she hasn’t been thanked properly. And it’s the least we can do.”
“The very least, I think,” Kol said, nodding at Quin.
“Perhaps there’s a male among those at the palace that would be interested in her?” Quin said.
“I’ll kill him. I don’t care who he is, I’ll kill him!” Jhan snarled.
“You don’t know her, Jhan. Why are you threatening someone over a female you know nothing about?” Quin asked, clearly toying with him.
“I know she’s a Druid Warrioress Priestess. And that is all I need to know.”
Quin patted Jhan on the back just as he and Kol started laughing again.
“You are not funny. Not funny at all,” Jhan growled.
~~ ~
After many hours, Mirilla opened her eyes and gradually brought her vision into focus. The first thing she realized was that she was back in the palace. Though she lay in the medical unit staring at the ceiling, she had no doubt it was in the palace. The second thing she realized was that there was a shadow falling over her, and just managed to turn her head enough to identify the huge, red-skinned male standing to the left of her bed with his arms crossed behind his back. Her eyes widened and her body tensed.
Quin shook his head. “You are safe, Mirilla. Do not worry.”
She looked at him, blinking her eyes rapidly, but didn’t seem to believe him.
“I owe you an apology. Much more than that actually, I am here to beg forgiveness. In my rush to blame anyone for the attack on my family, I falsely focused on you. The things your brother did to turn focus on you are not your responsibility. And you didn’t lose your key — he stole it. Please do not fear me. Please do not fear being in the palace. You have always been a very appreciated member of this household. Do not let my rush to judgment change that. I was wrong.”
“Mir’ Ahn,” she croaked out, her throat dry and parched.
“Rokai is searching for him now. He will be brought to justice.”
She closed her eyes for the briefest moment, during which someone lay their hand on hers. Her eyes opened and she looked to her right. She tried to pull her hand away.
“Please don’t hate me,” Bart said.
She tried to swallow, ended up coughing, and trying to sit up, but failing to do so.
Bart slipped his arms beneath her to help her to sit up as Quin slipped pillows beneath her back, shoulders and head.
“I cannot speak to any happenings between you and Bart, but I can tell you that he has risked everything — his career, his very life, just to find you and make sure you are safe. He has called in favors from those who are more dangerous than you could imagine. He has risked all for you. Consider that he is only human while you are deciding his fate. Humans are not perfect. And as it turns out, neither are we,” Quin said. He walked to the end of her bed before turning to look at her. “I’ve given orders that you are to be treated as a member of our family. The best of care, the most attention to your needs. Nothing is to be spared in your recovery. I do hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive all of us.”
Mirilla watched as he left her room, quietly closing the door behind himself.
“I’m so sorry, Mirilla. Instead of defending you to Quin and everyone else, I added my own questions to those you were already struggling with. I don’t deserve forgiveness. If you want me to go, I will. But know this, I will forever make sure that you are protected, that you are safe. You will never need to experience fear again.”
“What did you do?” she rasped.
“I’ve been searching for you. I activated our retrieval teams and I’ve been invading every single space port, space station, and settlement I could find. Demanding they tell me if they’d seen you. Threatening to burn them all to the ground if I found out they were lying. I managed to disrupt the trade lanes in more than a few. But I really don’t care. I couldn’t find you, and my only focus was doing just that.”
Mirilla let her eyes fall closed.
“Do you need a doctor?” Bart asked.
“I need to rest.”
“I’ll be right here.”
“You should go.”
“I don’t want to go.”
“You don’t really want to be here. You’re feeling guilty. You’re forgiven. Go.”
Bart just sat there, knowing he should go because she told him to, but unable to make himself move from the chair he sat in .
A few moments later she opened her eyes and looked directly into his eyes. “Who found me?”
“Rokai. No one would speak to me because of my association with the Consortium. They spoke to Rokai. He found you.”
“Do you know what happened to me?” she asked.
Bart shook his head.
“Neither do I,” Mirilla said. “All I remember is falling. I remember thinking you’d come for me. Then lying in the dark. I don’t know what happened. I can’t tell you what happened. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“I know exactly what happened.”
“You do?” she asked.
Bart nodded. “You survived. Whatever you endured, you survived.That’s all I need to know. My admiration for you had grown more than I ever thought it could. You not only went out on your own to prove your innocence, you survived all that was thrown at you. You are so very strong, Mirilla.”
She settled into the pillows and turned her head away from him.
“I’m so sorry. I should have defended you vehemently.”
“It didn’t have to be vehement. It only had to be voiced. Sovereigna Eula defended me, and sent me to my room to get me away from all the accusations. You just stood there indecisively.”
“I know.”
They remained there quietly, each reliving the moments that led them to this point. After some time Mirilla finally spoke again.
“If it were me, I’m not sure I’d have done any differently than you did. The Sire’s arguments for my guilt were very practical. The circumstances my brother had taken advantage of, along with my hesitation to make our relationship public would have created doubts, had they been reversed.”
“I wasn’t convinced, but I could see the possibility,” Bart admitted. “I was so confused. It’s ingrained in me to follow common logic, and that’s what lay at the basis of each accusation Quin justified. But my emotions kept screaming at me that it couldn’t be possible. My own insecurities kept eating away at me, and let the confusion overrun the truth my heart already knew. I went to you the next morning to tell you I knew you were innocent, but you didn’t answer the door. It was only when the Sovereigna went back with me to beg you to open the door that I found that you’d left. I’ve been searching for you since.”
Mirilla closed her eyes again.
“I’m sorry, Mirilla. I’m sorry I made you feel that I wouldn’t protect you.”
“It wasn’t just that. I had to prove my innocence for myself.”
“And the only way to do that was find your brother.”
She nodded, then lay quietly for a few minutes clearing her throat from time to time.
“Would you like some water?”
“Please. Cold?” she asked.
Bart got up and walked over to a small shelf on the left side of her bed. He poured her a cup of cold water, then held it for her as she drank from the cup. She drank a gulp at first, causing herself to cough. After she settled down, she tried small, controlled sips and did much better. When she’d had enough she rested back into her pillows again.
“Are you hungry?”
“I don’t know.”
“Would you like to try a little something?”
“Maybe later. I really just need to rest.”
Bart nodded, then set the water down beside the pitcher he’d poured it from. When he turned back to her, her eyes were closed again and she was still and quiet. He went back to his chair and sat down, patiently waiting for her to wake the next time.
After about five minutes he looked up suddenly when he heard her voice.
“You’re forgiven. You don’t have to stay here.”
“Yes, I do. You’re the only thing that matters to me. Whatever it takes, I’ll earn your trust again. I will never let you down again. Every moment of your life, when you open your eyes, or look to your left or your right, it will be me standing there. You’ll see. I’ll always be beside you.”
Mirilla opened her eyes and looked tiredly at him once more. She really hoped he was right. She loved him as much as she always had, but the bruises on her heart were still very evident. Hopefully, he’d be able to help her heal them. Until then, all she could do was give him a chance. She closed her eyes and eventually fell asleep, knowing he was sitting right there, keeping her safe. When she realized that him being there made her feel more secure hit her consciously, she smiled slightly. They’d be alright, eventually. She peeked at him from beneath her lashes and found him leaning on the edge of her bed, watching her sleep. For now, though, it was enough to know he was here.
~~~
Alexandrus, true to Cruestaci expectations, lay on a soft blanket spread across the white grasses outside the palace, perfectly holding his head up, his little fists grabbing the blanket and pulling himself forward. He was already the size of an eight month old human child.
“Do you see that? He’s barely two months old! He’s not supposed to be that strong or that active yet!” She watched as her son gritted the little teeth he was born with and grabbed another handful of blanket to pull himself toward the edge with. She nodded aggressively. “Yep. He’s special. He’s the strongest baby ever!”
Quin laughed. “Vivi, all Cruestaci younglings have this strength. Even the females duplicate this behavior.”
Vivian shot him a look that said, I don’t think so.
“But our Alexandrus is the strongest of all. I will admit that,” Quin said grinning at his Ehlealah.
“You see it, too!” she exclaimed happily .
Quin laughed then reached out a hand to tickle the bottom of Alexandrus’ foot.
Alexandrus turned his head to look over his shoulder and snapped his teeth at his father while kicking his little feet.
Quin got a kick out of the little threats his son never failed to throw at anyone who got too close, except for his mother. He loved his mother and never even snapped at her. The most unpleasantness he’d send her way was a grumble to let her know he was unhappy with something.
“You have visitors,” Rel said.
Quin looked up to see who was approaching, yet didn’t alarm Vivian’s guards enough to make them move closer in to the family.
“Look, Ehlealah. Ours is not the only youngling.”
Vivian glanced up toward the front of the palace, but didn’t see anyone.
“There,” Quin said, pointing into the distance.
“Oh, my gosh! Kitty!” she exclaimed.
She got up and hurried toward Kitty, who was working his way toward them with a kitten in his mouth and two more following behind. When she got close to him, she paused to give him the choice of whether or not he’d introduce his kittens to her. He stopped long enough to bump his head against her thighs and purr at her.
Vivian scratched his head behind his ears, knowing that he loved that.
“They’re beautiful, Kitty!” she said, dying to cuddle one.
But a hesitant ‘mrow” pulled her attention from Kitty and his babies. “Oh, Kitty! She’s beautiful!” Vivian said, smiling at the adult female shraler who brought up the rear. She was standing about twenty feet behind Kitty, with another kitten in her mouth. The kitten she held impatiently dangled from her mouth, hissing and trying to bat its paws at her as though trying to make her release him.
“You’ve been busy!” Vivian said .
Kitty bumped his head against her thigh again, then walked past her. His kittens immediately followed, one of them even looking up at her as she passed.
Vivian looked back at Kitty’s female and realized she wasn’t moving until Vivian did. So, Vivian went back to her place at the edge of Alexandrus’ blanket.
Alexandrus, sharp and already not missing a thing, focused on Kitty and his family coming closer to him and excitedly started kicking his legs and trying to get to them.
Kitty stopped a few feet away and first sat, then relaxedly lay in the white grass, releasing the kitten he held in his mouth. The kittens started looking around curiously, exploring this new place and new creatures. He looked over his shoulder again at the female shraler, but instead of joining him, she simply sat — much like a sphinx would — watching him and her kittens as they explored more closely to the people than she was comfortable being.
The kitten in her mouth hissed and batted at her face again, his back legs coming up to try to push against her mouth to make her let him go. Obviously tired of holding onto him, she dropped him, allowing him to fall to the soft grass. He was up on his feet in a shot, bounding toward his brothers and sister to cause all out chaos.
“Well, we know who that one takes after,” Quin said.
Vivian smiled. “He’s brought his family to meet us.”
Kitty licked the kitten he’d had in his mouth and when he almost knocked it over, it gave a weak, little mrow. Kitty nosed it closer to the blanket Alexandrus lay on, and Alexandrus pushed himself forward, reaching for the kitten.
The kitten quickly moved out of reach, so Kitty moved close enough to Alexandrus for him to grab hold of his ear. After a few moments of this, all the kittens swarmed the blanket when they figured out their father wasn’t afraid of the curious new creatures. All except for one. The surly one who’d been carried by his mother. He climbed up in Vivian’s lap, allowed her to pet him, then quickly jumped down and charged over to Quin, where he sat back on his haunches and batted at him a few times .
Quin laughed boisterously, his fingers and hands gently tapping at the kitten as he batted at Quin. “I like this one.”
“I wish I could pet her,” Vivian said, gazing at the beautiful female shraler, content to sit about twenty feet away and watch her babies and her mate interacting with the people.
“She’s come around. It might take some time, though. She’s not been raised by people.”
“I’m surprised you’re not worried about the kittens with Alexandrus,” she admitted.
“They can’t sting for several more months. By then, if he keeps bringing them near, they’ll be used to us,” Quin explained. “At this point I’m more concerned with him biting one of them.”
Vivian laughed. “He only bites when he has to.”
“He bites all the time. Especially to get his way,” Quin said, looking lovingly at his son.
“Your mother says you did the same thing when you were his age. It’s probably how you got stung by a shraler when you were a baby.”
“I was never a baby. Babies are helpless. I was a youngling.”
“Of course,’ she said. She reached out her hand, petting several of the kittens before they tumbled into each other and sniffed Alexandrus curiously.
Kitty watched for a while, then got up and walked over to Vivian and flopped down beside her, his huge head in her lap, his belly extended as he waited for his belly rubs. “He’s my good boy,” she cooed at him.
Quin shook his head. “He’ll forever be a kitten with you.”
“As he should be. He’s my Kitty.”
An hour later as Alexandrus finally napped on his blanket with three of the five kittens curled up around him, and Kitty and his female snoozing only ten feet away with the other two kittens, a loud cheer in the distance disrupted the quiet afternoon.
“What is that?” Vivian asked.
Quin shrugged. “Sounds like the warriors training.”
Loud laughing and shouting sounded in the distance again, with hooting and more cheering .
“They seem to be having a great time, whatever it is.”
“It’s most likely some activity Jhan has arranged,” Quin said.
“Jhan?”
Quin nodded. “He’s been on edge since Rokai and the female he brought with him have been gone. And it’s getting worse, so I suggested he come up with a new training program for the warriors and guards. Hopefully he’ll work off some of that frustration.”
“I guess she’s really his mate if her sudden appearance, then disappearance has affected him that way,” Vivian said.
“That is my thought as well. But we won’t know for certain until she and Rokai return.”
“Have you heard from him?” Vivian asked.
Quin shook his head. “I’ve sent him a vidcom letting him know that the Ascension to the throne and conference of all authority that comes with the position of Sovereign from father to me is in four days. I have not heard back from him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be here to support you.”
Quin thought about it for a few moments and tried to seem positive, but couldn’t quite muster a convincing smile. “It is my hope.” Quin scratched the head of one of the kittens napping with Alexandrus. Suddenly he looked up at Vivian. “Are you ready to become Sovereigna, my Vivi?”
“Of course. We’ve discussed it.”
“I know that. But are you ready? I do not want the typical ‘I can do anything’ answer you habitually provide. I want to know if you are ready. If it does not please you, we can wait until it does.”
Vivian smiled. She knew the reason he was making sure she was okay with the position she’d be accepting alongside him. “I’m sorry I was so erratic while pregnant.”
“Don’t be. I have been assured that it is completely natural for females to behave that way. It is not erratic if it is expected. I will admit, though, that I’m glad to have you back. If you need more time to adjust to the drastic changes your body has endured, and the changes our lives have taken, you only need to say so. ”
She leaned across the blanket and kissed him. “I love you, and I love that you are so focused on making sure that I’m happy and healthy. But I’m okay. We’re a team. We do everything together, or not at all, right?”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s do this. I’ve been Sirena for a long time. And your mother is here to help me with any transition I don’t expect. And it’s time for you to accept your birthright. And for your parents to be able to take a step back so they can enjoy their lives for a change.”
Quin smiled proudly at her. “We will make Cruestace see that our visions are a good thing.”
“We will. Have you thought any more about those that thought to rise up against you taking the reins as Sovereign?”
“I have.”
“And?”
“You know those who actively planned and participated in the attempt to harm Alexandrus were executed.”
“Yes.”
“The others, those who simply joined those who voice their dissatisfaction, I don’t feel deserve the same punishment. I just can’t justify it. Instead, I plan to pardon them, and they’ll be removed from our military forces, but allowed to go on with their lives on Cruestace as they’d like.”
“What if they present another threat?”
“I’m not one to blindly trust, you know that. They will be checked in on. If it is determined they present a threat to anyone’s safety, it will be addressed. But it is not a requirement to agree with every action of the ruling family in order to be Cruestaci. I do not demand blind faith and complete submission. Not everyone will support the same ideas and visions, either current or for the future that we endorse. But laws are laws and they have to be respected, or there is no civilization or safety for anyone. They are welcome to be vocal about their views. What they are not welcome to do is create an unsafe atmosphere for everyone else. Hopefully with time, they’ll see that we can still be the Cruestaci that the multiverse has respected for eons, and offer an ever expanding future through our alliances with other worlds.”
“I admire you so much, Quin,” Vivian said, smiling lovingly at her mate.
He grinned at her, but before he could say anything else another round of cheers and laughter and whistles went up in the distance.
Quin looked off in that direction.
“Why don’t you go see what it is?”
“No, it’s alright. I’ll stay here.”
Another roar and a round of applause filled the air, calling to Quin’s natural desire to be a part of whatever his warriors were cheering.
Quin glanced that way once again.
“Go! Join them! You need to release a little of your own frustration.”
“Are you sure, Vivi?”
“Yes! Go. Join in. Whatever they are doing, have fun.”
Quin kissed her, then took off at a run, happy to be joining the warriors who would soon serve him as Sovereign.
~~~
Jhan spun and quickly ducked, dropping to sit on his heels on the ground as the leg of his opponent swept just over the top of his head. As the leg passed him, he took hold of the ankle and shoved it up in the air as he jumped to his feet, literally yanking his opponent’s legs out from under him.
His opponent fell to the ground, landing on his back. Before he could even moan, Jhan was standing over him with his booted foot pressing on his throat.
Jhan’s opponent lifted his hands palms up to signify his submission.
“Ha! Do you see what I did there?” Jhan asked, offering his hand to pull the male to his feet again .
“I do, Specialist Jhan.” The male bowed then returned to his place among the crowd of males who’d gathered for training.
“I wonder if you think you’ll have the same luck against me.”
Jhan turned and found Ba Re’ standing there, shirtless, inviting Jhan to spar. “Do you think you can take me?” Jhan taunted.
“I always could,” Ba Re’ answered.
“You’d better uncloud your memories, brother. I usually came out on top,” Jhan said.
“Are you afraid?” Ba Re’ asked. In truth he didn’t remember a lot, just flashes, but he’d grown to trust this male, who it turned out was his brother. He’d actually begun to feel drawn to him, like a family would, he assumed.
“No. But you should be,” Jhan said as they slowly circled one another, to the great pleasure of the males watching as those that didn’t already know realized they were brothers.
At first they progressed slowly, trading blow for blow, each feeling out the other, wanting to win, but not to damage the other too badly. But it wasn’t long before things picked up and they were beating each other senseless, but with smiles on their faces.
After a particularly nasty series of punches and kicks, Jhan was leaning over, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Ba Re’ was kneeling on the ground, doing the same.
“So, what say I take the winner?” Kol asked.
Most every male there knew who Kol was. Kol was a general who’d worked his way up through ranks, founding the Elite Warriors’ Unit along the way.
“Why wait?” Ba Re’ asked.
Kol chuckled and strolled into the middle of the quite large circle made by the males all enjoying the show put on by the Elite Warriors. “No reason that I can see,” he said, spreading his legs to stabilize his body as he defended himself from two different directions as Jhan attacked from the front and Ba Re’ from the back. The sound of flesh against flesh, grunts, growls, and shouts accompanied the spectacle that not one of the palace warriors wanted to miss. They fought until it became clear that no one was going to win, and just about the time they were ready to give in, the cheering of the warriors surrounding them fell quiet and one end of the circle opened.
Kol glanced in the direction all the males were looking and grinned. “Ah, now we have ourselves a battle!” he announced excitedly.
Quin strode into the middle of the circle and smiled threateningly at his lifelong friends. “Unless you are too afraid to fight me.”
“We have never in all our lives of friendship, been afraid to fight you,” Jhan taunted.
“Not even when we were all younglings, did we hesitate,” Kol said.
“Tell him, Ba Re’” Jhan said.
Ba Re’ looked questioningly at Jhan.
Jhan gave him a slight, barely perceptible nod.
“Not once have I wondered who among you could beat me. None of you can,” Ba Re’ tossed out.
“I said taunt him, not me,” Jhan said.
Ba Re’ laughed.
Kol wasted no more time and launched himself at Quin. Quin and Kol fought for some time while neither managed to throw the other off their game. Sometimes Kol would seem to get the upper hand, then Quin would counter and Quin would seem ready to win. Then Jhan and Ba Re’ both joined them, and the battle that ensued could only be described as a melee. After almost an hour’s constant beating on one another, the four childhood friends fell onto each other, laughing, sweating, and gasping for breath.
Kron walked up to them and looked down on them. “This is a spectacle I’m glad I missed,” he said, his hands on his hips.
“Like you could have beaten us,” Kol said.
“I’m pretty sure I can,” Kron answered.
“Oh, yes, now that we’re exhausted and tired from the real battle, you show up,” Quin said .
Kron laughed. “I just got off duty, otherwise, I’d have shown you all a thing or two.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” Jhan said, forcing himself to his feet. “Better yet, tell them. Who wants to fight Kron?”
“I will!”
“No, I will!”
“Me, too!”
Jhan laughed. “I think you’ll be busy for a while.”
“Well, come on then. Why am I still standing here alone?” Kron called, inviting whoever wanted to spar to the middle of the circle.
“And I will take some, too!” Quin said, getting to his feet and raising his hands in the air. “Come. Let’s make a memory of the day. Who will join us?”
Kol got up and offered Ba Re’ a hand to pull him to his feet. “It is good to see you here among us, cousin.”
“It feels good. I’m not going to lie and say that I remember everything. But I know where I belong, and it’s among the three of you.”
“The humans have a legend called the Four Musketeers. It started out to be three, but they weren’t truly whole until the fourth joined them. You’re our fourth, and we aren’t whole without you, Ba Re’.”
Ba Re’ nodded and patted Kol on the back. “It is good to feel like I belong.”
“You always have belonged. We were just waiting for you to realize it.”
Ba Re’ smiled.
Quin fended off a kick and circled around to grab Ba Re’ around the neck, hugging him close for a split second before ducking a second kick from his opponent.
Ba Re’ grinned at Quin, then looked around the training arena at all the males fighting, trying new techniques, training together. He stood in the middle of them, and instead of feeling alone as he had since returning except for the time he was with Rokai, he felt like he was a part of something that had existed for much longer than he could remember, or even cared to try to remember.
“Brother!” Jhan shouted as he took on three warriors.
“I’m coming!” Ba Re’ shouted in return, bellowing his battle cry as he instinctively jumped in to assist Jhan.
And in that moment, all that came before to change and sculpt who they once were into who they were now, was forgotten. The four childhood friends, now a Sovereign, a General, an Assassin, and an Elite Warrior, rediscovered the unique balance that made them brothers by choice. All was right between them once again, and always would be.