*XI*
She woke up groggily, confused by the new surroundings. As she regained most of her balance, she realized they weren’t new surroundings. They were rather old surroundings she hadn’t been in for a year or so.
The sewer home was much the same as it had been when she had left it, what seemed like an eternity ago, to go to Roswell. She hadn’t been back since.
From Roswell she had headed to California, stopping along the way to perform odd jobs for money. Then she had decided to leave the U.S., just in case Lonnie and Rath were after her, and mind warped her way to Japan, to China, Russia, and most of Europe. Then that feeling of need had swept over her and she had started back.
She’d lost her juice in England, but managed to stowaway on a ship headed to Long Island. She’d used some extra money to ride the subway to the City and walked the short distance to her former home. She’d been planning on staying the night and heading out in the morning, but her past excursions had caught up to her and she passed out.
So now here she was, Lonnie and Rath had apparently been gone awhile, because dust had settled everywhere. It wasn’t obvious, but Lonnie was way anal about keeping the place neat and clean, or at least orderly and organized to her.
Ava dragged herself from the lumpy couch and tread over to the small kitchen area. The fridge was pretty empty. Some eggs, unopened cheese, ham, curdled milk, some cherry coke… Omelet, she decided.
Her movements were slow, she was tired and weak, but she got her breakfast cooking. Making a face as she dumped the expired milk down the sink drain, then she poured herself some soda. It was flat, but it was all she had. Sipping it, she flipped the omelets over to cook the other side and then went to the small bathroom.
She popped some Tylenol and stared at her self in the grimy mirror. She was a complete wreck. She’d shower after breakfast.
Back in the kitchen, she plopped down at the counter, wishing for the aspirin to kick in or for Zan to come back to life and take her headache away. Tears sprung up at the thought of her lost lover…Zan…
She swiped furiously at the tears. She was such a baby, it had been over a year ago, and she still blubbered at the mere thought of his name. She conjured up a picture of him in her mind; tall, dark, handsome, strong…a king…
She had to be strong like him, it was her duty as his Queen.
So she’d stay here until she was fully recuperated. When she had all her powers back at full force she’d go to Roswell and help the cornballs deal with whatever shit was going on there. Then she’d handle Kivar and return to her planet.
That’s what Zan would have wanted.
------
He’d been surreptitiously avoiding Liz for the past two weeks. He’d gotten her her own room, one close to his but far enough away that temptation wouldn’t be a problem.
She was so anxious to get a hold of his father. To let him know she was safe, and Bastian wanted to help her. He really did, but he didn’t, for two reasons.
Number one being that he didn’t know what to expect from his father. Would he not want him around? Would things be awkward? What if they ended up hating each other? It was just too big of an unknown to form a connection with Max Evans.
The second reason was that if he and Liz connected, she’d be able to read every thought and emotion in his head and body. Not a good idea considering he was pretty sure she wasn’t interested in him the way he was in her. She treated him more like a kid brother or a son than a boyfriend. If she knew how he felt about her…
He didn’t want to deal with her rejection or pity.
So he avoided her.
But he did want to help her, and he did want his father to know of his existence, so…That was what he was doing in the desert at night without a guard. Trying to figure out a way Liz could contact Max.
Crackle. Snap. He froze, the feeling of being followed that had been irking his consciousness leaping to the very front of his brain. He spun quickly, catching sight of trailing cloth as the wearer ducked behind a cactus.
Bastian raised his eyebrow, the plant provided little hiding room, and he heard a very feminine “Ouch!” as a pricker jammed into his shadow. He cleared his throat and in the most commanding voice he could muster ordered her to come out.
Small hands pushed long blond hair away from dark brown eyes and behind an ear. She stared at him as if waiting for an execution order. He sighed, exasperated, “Kendy.”
------
Blue eyes watched avidly as the well-dressed man got out of his Mercedes. She crept up slowly, acting innocent and disinterested as she went up to the car. The man was discussing prices with a hooker on the corner.
Ava ran a hand along the bottom of the car, changing the license plate to New Mexico, then she very casually strolled up to the driver’s side door and leaned against it. No alarm. Moron.
He was obviously very new to this game. You never drove a new Benz around in a neighborhood like this at night without an alarm, and…She carefully tried the door, it came open easily…unlocked. This guy was practically begging to have his car stolen. Of course, she was more than happy to oblige.
“Shit,” she muttered as she used her powers to start the vehicle. It was obvious a deal had just been struck and the two of them were headed to the car. “Yes!” she exclaimed, putting it in gear.
“Hey!” He had just spotted her. “That’s my car!”
Not anymore, bub, she thought as she squealed away. Nice acceleration. Now, she just had to get out of this maze of a city and on open highway. Checking the glove box she found an assortment of condoms and hundred dollar bills. “Must be my lucky night,” she smirked.
Now, to Roswell.
------
She came out from behind the tall green plant she’d learned was called a cactus and curtseyed to her Prince. Why did he always catch her in embarrassing positions? She despaired of ever being able to act sophisticated and look gorgeous in front of him. Fate was obviously against her on this one.
“Why are you spying on me?”
“I’m not spying!” she exclaimed, outraged at the suggestion.
“Then what are you doing in the desert in the middle of the night, following me around?” he asked him skeptically, eyebrow still raised.
“I was trying to keep you safe!” she shouted.
Again his look was plainly disbelieving. “You were trying to keep me safe?”
“Yes,” she whispered, wondering why it sounded so ridiculous when he said it but made so much sense in her head.
“And why do you feel that I am unsafe in the middle of nowhere?”
If she didn’t know why she felt half the things she felt about him, how could she come up with a reasonable answer to that question? “Be-because,” she stuttered, “we’re on a strange planet with strange people and animals and…and we don’t know if we can trust these humans…and…” She stopped, because she really didn’t know what else to say and because her excuse was getting lamer and lamer.
“Liz is human.”
She didn’t say anything in response to that, especially not the fact that she didn’t trust Liz. It wasn’t like the other girl had done anything, it was just the way Bastian looked at her sometimes…Kendy didn’t like it.
“I knew you wouldn’t accept any guards with you, so I didn’t suggest you bring any, but, and forgive me if I’m being insubordinate, I didn’t like the thought of you out here all alone with no one to protect you.”
“You want to protect me?” She nodded and he smiled, causing a weird reaction in her stomach.
“Yes, Prince Bastian.”
“And how do you propose to protect me small one?” he inquired, sounding amused. She didn’t say anything, just looked at the sandy floor. She really couldn’t protect him. She was too small, too young, and she didn’t have any powers, and…and…
A gentle hand tilted her face upward and then she was staring into honey amber eyes that enveloped her with warmth. She shivered as the sensation passed through her body and Bastian frowned, taking the cloak from his shoulders and placing it on her bare ones.
“Let’s go back to the ship, Kendy.”
“Please,” she stopped in her tracks, forcing him to stop to, “you are my Prince, Bastian, and one day you will be my King. Please let me help you,” she pleaded.
He just watched her, eyes guarded, contemplating her words. Kendy met his eyes, for the first time standing tall and proud before him, wanting so badly to prove her worth to him. “I really can trust you, can’t I?” he breathed.
“Yes, Bastian, you can.”
He nodded, smiling softly in what seemed to her amazement. “Thank you, Kendy. I’m in desperate need of another friend. And…I think there may be something you can do for me.”
“What?”
He tugged on his ear, thinking. “Servants are allowed to go into town if their masters need something of a local variety, correct?”
“Yes, you Highness, if we are ordered to, but Kivar sends guards along to prevent escape and there are already spies in the town to watch King Zan and his inner circle.”
He was nodding. “Yes, but guards can be easily ditched. Yes, this will work.” He started walking again and she followed anxiously behind.
“What will work?” she wanted to know.
“Come to my quarters after dinner, I’ll tell you then, okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed, still bewildered, but willing to do as he bid. He grinned again, and she thought again that he really wasn’t the type of prince Antar would expect from someone raised by a man like Kivar.
“Thanks again, Kendy. And, it’s just Bastian, the Highness stuff isn’t something I’d expect from a friend.” And then he left.
Kendy stood for a moment outside the ship, clutching his cloak to her and staring after his retreating back, before going inside herself.
------
“King Zan?” Max stopped immediately at the sound of the soft voice. He turned, hand in front of him, ready for battle if need be. The warning hand was dropped in a second and his jaw dropped for a beat before he regained control.
The girl stood a few feet away, head down, giving him quick glances before looking around fearfully again. What had stopped him however was her remarkable resemblance to his Liz. True, her hair was blond and her skin lighter, but she had the same body type and eyes as his missing girlfriend.
“Um…It’s Max here, Max Evans.” She nodded and looked around again.
“Can we, um, can we go inside? Kivar has spies everywhere.”
“Oh, sure.” He turned back to the Museum door and unlocked it, he held the door open for her and she scrambled in. He shut the door behind them and turned on the lights, but didn’t switch the sign to open yet. “What is it?”
She was staring at him as if she had seen a ghost and then curtseyed, but her shoe buckled and she was falling. He grabbed her quickly, steadying her. “Thank you,” she whispered, obviously mortified, “I’m not used to these confining clothes and such shoes. The style is much different on Antar.” She adjusted her skirt and stood without his help.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“I am Kendy, your Majesty, Prince Bastian’s servant. He asked me to give this to you.” She held out an envelope. “I think it’s from Liz. I have to go now, or I’ll get in trouble.” She curtseyed again, this time without help, and fled.
“Thank you,” he murmured, staring at the white envelope. He opened it slowly and pulled out the piece of paper inside.
Dear Max,
I’m all right. I have no doubt you were worried. I just miss you. Everything is fine here, well, as fine as can be. Bastian managed to save me from being put to death or worse yet, becoming one of Kivar’s whores.
Lonnie, Tess, and Nicholas are here as well as Kivar. Rath is dead. Nicholas dyed his hair, it’s the funniest thing, but apparently Antarians are all blond and he was feeling isolated. You and Bastian are oddities from what I’ve discovered, black hair…Gasp, it’s unheard of.
Bastian’s nineteen, Kivar had his growth rate messed with, but he’ll age normally from now on. He’s so much like you, Max. Your hair, your eyes, your ears…There’s nothing of Tess in him and from what I can tell, he’s not very fond of her as a mother. He’s so sweet, he’ll be a wonderful king, just like you.
He doesn’t have the power to connect or I would have contacted you sooner, as it is, Kendy will be our only means of communication. We can trust her, even if she doesn’t like me, she’s in love with Bastian and won’t betray him. He doesn’t see it though, it’s kind of the opposite of our relationship. Girl loves guy and guy doesn’t notice instead of guy loves girl and girl is stupidly oblivious.
I’m trying to find out all I can about Kivar’s plans, but either they don’t have any or they’re really good at keeping secrets. I’m leaning toward the former or else Bastian would have heard something. Kivar considers him more loyal than even Nicholas or Lonnie, of course, he’s never given them any reason to question it.
Don’t get me wrong, Max, he doesn’t actually feel any loyalty to Kivar, and I’m pretty sure he’ll be willing to join us. I haven’t been able to bring up an escape yet, he’s been avoiding me and when we do get together, we’re interrupted. But it will happen, I promise.
I need to wrap this up, Kendy just arrived and this was kind of sprung on me at the last moment. Bastian just thought of it and informed me before dinner. You’ll be reading this tomorrow afternoon if everything works out. Really gotta go…
Give everyone hugs and kisses from me.
Love always,
your Liz
------
Like Father, Like Son - AU M/L MATURE [COMPLETE]
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Rowedog, ISLANDGIRL5, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, FSU/MSW-94, Hunter, Island Breeze, Forum Moderators
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dreamangel
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: far from reality
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dreamangel
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: far from reality
*XII*
He was having one of those days.
Those days meaning the hot, humid, muggy atmosphere and blanking brain and sluggish movements. Those days when everyone around him seemed to be keeping secrets and judging him with their eyes are they complimented him to his face.
He had thought that was over with, all the hidden motives, but apparently the knowledge that he had saved a rebel’s life and now had her set up in the lap of luxury caused some people to think opinions needed to be revised.
So Kivar was having another one of those parties on one of those days, when Bastian just wasn’t feeling up to his prime.
He sunk gratefully into a large, overstuffed chair that Kivar had set up on his larger balcony shelf. He had one of the back rooms whereas Bastian had a frontal room and only had room for himself and a very small person outside his room. He found this arrangement unfair. He wanted the space to be free, Kivar wanted it to give his guests more places to snoop about his power and grandiose control over Zan’s son.
Bastian hated being on display.
But it was peaceful at the moment, the chill in the desert air that accompanied nightfall had chased loiterers away from the secluded spot and he now claimed it as his sanctuary from the crush of the party.
“Wha’s up wit da doom an’ gloom little prince?”
The sound of a body hitting fabric rippled through his awareness and he stifled a groan. “Good evening, Aunt Vilandra.”
She chuckled, a harsh sound that grated on his nerves. Liz said his Aunt Isabel in Roswell was much more refined than street urchin Lonnie. He desperately hoped so. According to Liz, Roswell was an infinite improvement to the ship, he was tempted to go into town just to be free of confinements and restraint, but Kivar forbade him the privilege.
“Yous is always so proper, little man, ‘nough to drive me an’ ya peeps crazy-like.”
He merely scowled at her. “Fine. Lonnie, I really don’t understand how anyone can comprehend anything you’re saying, you really shouldn’t criticize my speech when yours is so crude and grammatically incorrect.”
She stared at him blankly and he sighed. “The way you talk is annoying.”
“So yous is saying dat yous wants me ta be cornball like dat Isabel chick an’ her prissy Mary friends?”
“Essentially.”
“Yous is definitely Maxie’s kid.”
“Why do you say that?” He narrowed his eyes at his aunt, acting nonchalant. If she knew how anxious he was for her answer she’d prolong the delay until he was on the verge of storming off. She enjoyed having that kind of power over people.
Lonnie shifted position so that she was sitting up instead of lying on the couch. She studied him in the dark, her tongue occasionally slipping out between her lips as she contemplated the question and her answer.
Finally she slapped her hands together and smiled at him. “I say dat ‘cause yous both have da biggest sticks up your asses.”
He just stared.
“A’ight, a’ight.” She shook her head at his immobile stance. “Yous really gotta learn how ta chill princey.”
She looked around until she had caught a servant’s eye and beckoned her over. The girl came running quickly, though how she did it without tripping over anything was beyond him. He would never be able to travel at that pace in a crowded room with his head practically glued in a position parallel to the floor without falling on his face.
“Yes, your Highnesses?”
“C’mere.” The girl approached Lonnie slowly, the fear instilled in her of royalty she’d had since birth would only increase around the infamous Vilandra. Lonnie rolled her brown eyes at the girl’s timidness and grabbed her by the scruff of her dress. The girl gasped as she was pulled downward and her dress began to tear.
“Lonnie!” he warned.
She ignored him, staring instead at the girl who was now face to face with her. “Wha’s your name?”
“Rai-Raina, your Highness.” She was trying to keep her eyes down and off the Princess’s face.
“Well, Raina,” she leaned back, releasing the girl as she placed her arms along the length of the couch, “I’s needs ya ta do me a little favor.” Her eyes darted between Lonnie and Bastian, unsure of the favor.
“Yes, Princess?”
“Scurry on down ta them kitchens an’ get us some Heinekeins.”
Bastian looked at Lonnie, confused. The girl just curtseyed and left. “What-a-kens?”
“Heinekeins, doan worry it’s jus’ beer.”
“What’s beer?”
She made one of those noises in the back of her throat. “It’ll loosen ya up, maybe get rid of dat stick.” He remained skeptical.
He had said exactly nothing more in the time it took for Raina to leave and come back. She offered up the two green bottles silently and both took one, Bastian observing it curiously. As Raina turned to go, he caught her sleeve. She flinched.
“Highness?”
“Take the rest of the night off Raina, and see the tailors about fixing your dress. It’s on me, and if they give you trouble tell them they can take it up with me.”
She now looked straight into his eyes, her green ones shocked. “Y-yes Prince Bastian, as you command.” He nodded, smiling gently, and let her go. He watched her progress as she made her way out of the room, blending into the background to avoid detection by a noble.
“Yo, B, get ya ass over here.”
He turned back to his aunt reluctantly, wanting to escape this chaos himself. At least it was winding down. Seated again, he looked at her and then at the bottle.
“What do I do?”
She laughed at him. “Pop da top an’ drink, it ain’t rocket science.”
He opened the green glass and brought it to his lips. It had a pungent smell that he wasn’t sure he liked. Opening on eye he looked at Lonnie, who held an unopened bottle. “Why aren’t you drinking?” he asked as he took a sip.
Fire ran down his throat and seemed to spread rapidly throughout his entire body, sparks went off in his brain. He gazed blankly over at his aunt who seemed to be fairly blurry. She was grinning.
“Yous kiddin’ me, beer messes wit’ alien brains. I’s doan touch the stuff.”
He couldn’t understand what she was saying, and so he just stared, puzzled, trying to work his muddled brain around the words. Unable to do so, he just nodded and put the beer down. “I don’t think I want any more.”
“Nah?”
“In fact, I don’t really want to be here.”
“Nah?”
“And so,” he stood, a little wobbly on his feet, “I’m leaving.”
“’Kay. Have some fun, B.”
“Good night, Aunt Vilandra.” He gave her a sweeping bow and nearly toppled over. Lonnie steadied him.
“Careful, little man, we’s doan want yous ta get hurt.”
“Thank you. I hope no one saw that.” He glanced around at the fuzzy world, unable to focus on one thing.
“Naw, I’s doan think so. Yous go run along now, B, get yourself a little sumthin’ sumthin’.”
“What?”
“Ne’er mind. Jus’ get ya bony butt out of here.”
“I do not have a bony butt!” he cried, indignant.
“Get!”
He went, deciding he really wanted to lie down.
------
He was having one of those days.
Those days meaning the hot, humid, muggy atmosphere and blanking brain and sluggish movements. Those days when everyone around him seemed to be keeping secrets and judging him with their eyes are they complimented him to his face.
He had thought that was over with, all the hidden motives, but apparently the knowledge that he had saved a rebel’s life and now had her set up in the lap of luxury caused some people to think opinions needed to be revised.
So Kivar was having another one of those parties on one of those days, when Bastian just wasn’t feeling up to his prime.
He sunk gratefully into a large, overstuffed chair that Kivar had set up on his larger balcony shelf. He had one of the back rooms whereas Bastian had a frontal room and only had room for himself and a very small person outside his room. He found this arrangement unfair. He wanted the space to be free, Kivar wanted it to give his guests more places to snoop about his power and grandiose control over Zan’s son.
Bastian hated being on display.
But it was peaceful at the moment, the chill in the desert air that accompanied nightfall had chased loiterers away from the secluded spot and he now claimed it as his sanctuary from the crush of the party.
“Wha’s up wit da doom an’ gloom little prince?”
The sound of a body hitting fabric rippled through his awareness and he stifled a groan. “Good evening, Aunt Vilandra.”
She chuckled, a harsh sound that grated on his nerves. Liz said his Aunt Isabel in Roswell was much more refined than street urchin Lonnie. He desperately hoped so. According to Liz, Roswell was an infinite improvement to the ship, he was tempted to go into town just to be free of confinements and restraint, but Kivar forbade him the privilege.
“Yous is always so proper, little man, ‘nough to drive me an’ ya peeps crazy-like.”
He merely scowled at her. “Fine. Lonnie, I really don’t understand how anyone can comprehend anything you’re saying, you really shouldn’t criticize my speech when yours is so crude and grammatically incorrect.”
She stared at him blankly and he sighed. “The way you talk is annoying.”
“So yous is saying dat yous wants me ta be cornball like dat Isabel chick an’ her prissy Mary friends?”
“Essentially.”
“Yous is definitely Maxie’s kid.”
“Why do you say that?” He narrowed his eyes at his aunt, acting nonchalant. If she knew how anxious he was for her answer she’d prolong the delay until he was on the verge of storming off. She enjoyed having that kind of power over people.
Lonnie shifted position so that she was sitting up instead of lying on the couch. She studied him in the dark, her tongue occasionally slipping out between her lips as she contemplated the question and her answer.
Finally she slapped her hands together and smiled at him. “I say dat ‘cause yous both have da biggest sticks up your asses.”
He just stared.
“A’ight, a’ight.” She shook her head at his immobile stance. “Yous really gotta learn how ta chill princey.”
She looked around until she had caught a servant’s eye and beckoned her over. The girl came running quickly, though how she did it without tripping over anything was beyond him. He would never be able to travel at that pace in a crowded room with his head practically glued in a position parallel to the floor without falling on his face.
“Yes, your Highnesses?”
“C’mere.” The girl approached Lonnie slowly, the fear instilled in her of royalty she’d had since birth would only increase around the infamous Vilandra. Lonnie rolled her brown eyes at the girl’s timidness and grabbed her by the scruff of her dress. The girl gasped as she was pulled downward and her dress began to tear.
“Lonnie!” he warned.
She ignored him, staring instead at the girl who was now face to face with her. “Wha’s your name?”
“Rai-Raina, your Highness.” She was trying to keep her eyes down and off the Princess’s face.
“Well, Raina,” she leaned back, releasing the girl as she placed her arms along the length of the couch, “I’s needs ya ta do me a little favor.” Her eyes darted between Lonnie and Bastian, unsure of the favor.
“Yes, Princess?”
“Scurry on down ta them kitchens an’ get us some Heinekeins.”
Bastian looked at Lonnie, confused. The girl just curtseyed and left. “What-a-kens?”
“Heinekeins, doan worry it’s jus’ beer.”
“What’s beer?”
She made one of those noises in the back of her throat. “It’ll loosen ya up, maybe get rid of dat stick.” He remained skeptical.
He had said exactly nothing more in the time it took for Raina to leave and come back. She offered up the two green bottles silently and both took one, Bastian observing it curiously. As Raina turned to go, he caught her sleeve. She flinched.
“Highness?”
“Take the rest of the night off Raina, and see the tailors about fixing your dress. It’s on me, and if they give you trouble tell them they can take it up with me.”
She now looked straight into his eyes, her green ones shocked. “Y-yes Prince Bastian, as you command.” He nodded, smiling gently, and let her go. He watched her progress as she made her way out of the room, blending into the background to avoid detection by a noble.
“Yo, B, get ya ass over here.”
He turned back to his aunt reluctantly, wanting to escape this chaos himself. At least it was winding down. Seated again, he looked at her and then at the bottle.
“What do I do?”
She laughed at him. “Pop da top an’ drink, it ain’t rocket science.”
He opened the green glass and brought it to his lips. It had a pungent smell that he wasn’t sure he liked. Opening on eye he looked at Lonnie, who held an unopened bottle. “Why aren’t you drinking?” he asked as he took a sip.
Fire ran down his throat and seemed to spread rapidly throughout his entire body, sparks went off in his brain. He gazed blankly over at his aunt who seemed to be fairly blurry. She was grinning.
“Yous kiddin’ me, beer messes wit’ alien brains. I’s doan touch the stuff.”
He couldn’t understand what she was saying, and so he just stared, puzzled, trying to work his muddled brain around the words. Unable to do so, he just nodded and put the beer down. “I don’t think I want any more.”
“Nah?”
“In fact, I don’t really want to be here.”
“Nah?”
“And so,” he stood, a little wobbly on his feet, “I’m leaving.”
“’Kay. Have some fun, B.”
“Good night, Aunt Vilandra.” He gave her a sweeping bow and nearly toppled over. Lonnie steadied him.
“Careful, little man, we’s doan want yous ta get hurt.”
“Thank you. I hope no one saw that.” He glanced around at the fuzzy world, unable to focus on one thing.
“Naw, I’s doan think so. Yous go run along now, B, get yourself a little sumthin’ sumthin’.”
“What?”
“Ne’er mind. Jus’ get ya bony butt out of here.”
“I do not have a bony butt!” he cried, indignant.
“Get!”
He went, deciding he really wanted to lie down.
------
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dreamangel
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: far from reality
*XIII*
Kendy was in the kitchens, helping to clean the place up because so many of the kitchen maids were attending the party as servers. She wished she had been allowed to serve, if only to keep an eye on her Prince. He had confided in her his dislike of the events and she thought if he had a friend nearby he wouldn’t get so down. But no, they already had enough help…
She looked up from her scouring of the oven just as Raina came in. “Rai?”
“Kendy, hi! Need some help?”
“Please.” She made a face. “The faster this is done the faster I can leave.”
Her friend knelt down beside her, grabbing another scrub brush and started working on a grate that Kendy had handed to her.
“I thought you were serving at the party?”
“I was, Prince Bastian dismissed me.”
“He did?”
Raina nodded and then a dreamy expression came into her leaf green eyes. “He’s really very handsome, Kendy, you’re so lucky,” she gushed, “And his arms…Whoa, I just wanted-”
“So what did you do,” she interrupted.
“Huh?”
“Did you spill the drinks on him or what?”
“Oh, you mean why’d he dismiss me?”
Kendy nodded and then buried her head back in the oven, hoping Raina hadn’t noticed the rather obvious subject change. She didn’t want to discuss Bastian’s charming outward attributes, or even his appealing inner ones, with her friends. They stirred up something inside of her she was trying to avoid.
“Raina?” she prompted when her friend didn’t answer.
“Hmm?” Her friend had that look in her eyes again. “Do you have something I could use for my hair?”
Kendy gave an exasperated shriek and pulled the leather strip out of her hair, handing it to Raina. Her honey blond hair cascaded around her shoulders and she flicked it back impatiently, not noticing the black streaks her dirty hands had made.
“So anyway, Princess Vilandra called me over to where she and Prince Bastian were sitting, then she ripped my dress…” Kendy then noticed the tear at the collar of the blue fabric, which Raina’s silver white hair had been hiding. “Then she told me to bring them some whatems, the stuff in the green bottles from town, so I did and then his Highness said I could go and he smiled at me and told me he’d pay for the damages to my dress, and now I’m here.”
Kendy nodded as the story was completed and then leaned back in the oven. Suddenly she froze and then sat back on her heels, feeling dazed. She glanced at her friend and then rubbed at her forehead. “Rai? Did you say the green bottles?” she inquired faintly.
“Uh-huh. He has a really nice smile…”
“Raina!” she screeched.
“What?”
Calm down, she ordered herself, just don’t freak out. She grimaced, she had been sticking close to Bastian, who was sticking close to Liz, and the human’s expressions of speech were rubbing off on her, as she had been dismayed to discover a week ago.
“Um, could you cover for me, pretty please?”
Green eyes regarded her suspiciously. “Alright…But-”
Kendy was all ready out the door and started on her mission. Determination coursed through her.
She had to find Bastian.
She had been in the kitchens and around the royals quarters to know those green bottles meant trouble. Lonnie used them all the time. It was common knowledge that Kivar had tired of her streetie ways quickly and she slipped whatever drink was in those bottles into his meals to keep him bound to her.
He always seemed to go insane during those times.
She had to find Bastian.
There was no telling what the stuff would do to him and she would die before letting any harm befall her Prince.
------
The party room was full, but a full perimeter sweep revealed the fact that Bastian wasn’t there. But Lonnie, Kivar, and Tess (as she had taken to calling Ava, another habit of both Liz and Bastian) were. There were also several highborn nobles who decided to take exception to her presence.
“Excuse me,” she said, irritated and ashamed as one of them tried to manhandle her on her way out, “Keep your hands to yourself.”
“You dare! I could have you thrown in the brig for refusing my attentions,” the aqua-eyed young man hissed, pressing her against a wall.
She snorted, pushing him away. “I am Prince Bastian’s personal,” she emphasized the personal, “servant.” Her assailant paled. “Now who’ll end up in the brig?” He backed off slightly and she pushed him the rest of the way and left without a backwards glare.
Fuming silently she ran over the possible alternative destinations of Bastian. She swore the man needed a keeper, but no matter how often she tried to take that role he managed to sneak out of it and away from her. Okay, possibilities:
1. The, um, “entertainers”
2. The desert
3. His room
4. Liz’s room
Short list, she mused. She crossed of the entertainers in her mind, Bastian was never into that sort of stuff. Three choices. Kendy placed the desert last, it was the farthest away, she’d go to his room first. She tried to keep her thoughts away from the last possibility.
To quote Liz: She didn’t want to go there.
So here she was in front Bastian’s door, about to knock even though she had a key. She was afraid of the state he might be in. It wouldn’t be proper to barge in on her future King if he wasn’t…decent…
Kendy took a deep breath but stilled her hand before it hit the wood panel. She wavered an instant then wrapped her slender fingers around the knob.
And then Bastian came stumbling around the corner.
“Bastian!” she cried and rushed to his side.
“Liz?” he asked and she recoiled from him instantly, a stinging sensation in the left side of her chest. He stumbled forward a little more and then sunk to the floor outside his door.
“Bastian! It’s me, Kendy.”
“Kendy?” He tried to focus his eyes on her but couldn’t. She whimpered in pain at the lost look in his beautiful amber eyes. “You look like Liz.”
She frowned, cradling him to her, and remembered the ash and grime she had smeared into her hair while cleaning, turning her hair a brownish color. “Well, you look like King Zan,” she retorted.
“Yesss,” he slurred, “Liz says so, too.”
Great, just what she wanted, more comparisons to Liz. His infatuation with the other girl hurt. Quite suddenly he sat up and attempted to get to his feet but tripped and sank to his knees before her.
“I want to see Liz.”
“Bastian, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She rose herself and managed to wrestle him up beside her.
“Why not?” he demanded, trying to dislodge himself from her helping embrace, but he only ended up leaning more heavily on her.
“Because you’re not yourself. What did Lonnie do to you?”
“She gave me a beer.”
“A beer? What’s that? Is that’s what’s in those green bottles?”
“They were very green, yes. I felt all fuzzy and tingly after drinking it. You know,” he looked down at her drowsily, “Everything’s still a little fuzzy.”
“How about we get you into bed?”
“Bed?”
She nodded. “A nice, warm, comfy bed. Come on.” She coaxed him forward and propped him up against the wall opposite his room then she turned and opened his door. Maneuvering them carefully into it, she shut the door and then led him to the bed.
“I wanted to sleep earlier, that’s why I left the party, but I couldn’t find my room.” He looked around. “Are you sure this is my room?”
“Positive. And this…” she pointed, trying to keep Bastian steady, “is your bed.”
“It’s a nice bed.”
“Yes it is, it’ll be even nicer if you’re in it and asleep.” And out of trouble, she added in her head. Then all her thoughts flew out of her head as Bastian stumbled again, causing them both to crash onto his bed…Him on top of her.
Kendy started to panic, she couldn’t think straight. The fact that his lean, hard, extremely masculine body was crushing her into his cedar smelling bed was overwhelming. She felt hot all over and her body began to ache with some indefinable need and she tried frantically to push him off of her.
“Bastian!” she pleaded, desperate and close to tears. She didn’t want these feelings, she didn’t want her body running out of control, and she definitely didn’t want to fall in love with her Prince…
“I can’t move, I’m too heavy.” His breath tickled her neck, his lips brushed over her pulse, making her shiver with longing to have those lips in other places, places no one had ever touched before.
Her face flamed and she began to wiggle her own way out from under him, ignoring the way her body moved against his…ignoring the way it felt…
Free! She gave a huge sigh of relief and came up from beneath him flustered and out of breath, she used another massive amount of energy to turn Bastian’s muscular body over and rested on her hands, hovering above him.
“Okay, so now you’re in bed.” He looked up at her confused as she slid off the bed. “And I’m not.”
She started toward the door but then turned around and kneeled down in front of him. “What are you doing?” he asked, he had managed to sit up finally.
“I’m taking off your boots, you can’t sleep in them,” she told him as she pulled the heavy black footwear off. "I thought you couldn’t move.”
“I can now,” he said simply, “I feel light again.”
“Uh-huh.” She grunted as she wrestled his left boot off. He laughed at her as she went tumbling to the floor from the force of the tug. Kendy glared at him and he sobered immediately.
“Are you mad at me?” he asked, sounding intensely apologetic, “I didn’t mean-”
“It’s fine Bastian,” she cut him off. Standing she picked up the boots and headed to his closet. “What do you want to wear to bed? It’s going to be hot.”
“I don’t want to wear anything.”
Kendy froze, not liking the mental picture his words brought to mind. Okay, that was untrue, she certainly liked the picture…But she shouldn’t. She shouldn’t. She couldn’t think of him like…that. In that way…
“Well that’s not an option,” she stated as firmly as she could, though her voice trembled slightly.
“Why not?” he whined.
“Because…Because I said so.”
“That’s not fair!” he cried, “I’m the Prince, I should get what I want. That’s how it works!”
“Not tonight it doesn’t.”
“You’re mean.” She grabbed a pair of what Liz had termed “boxers” that she had bought for him on one of her visits to town and then finally faced him. He was pouting.
He looked adorable.
“Here,” she placed the boxers on the bed, “You wear these, all right? That’s close to nothing.”
He looked at the boxers then back at her. “Okaaaay,” he agreed slowly.
“Good. Good night, Bastian.”
“’Night,” he echoed.
She nodded once and again walked to the door. Her flight was again halted at a frustrated moan from behind her. She sighed, knowing she couldn’t leave if he needed her, not even if being in his room with him stripped her of her sanity.
Slowly she made her way back to where he was sitting on the bed, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. He couldn’t seem to get his fingers around them. She clasped his hands and put them to the side, he just looked up at her, bewildered.
“Let me help,” she ordered.
He nodded and she got to work quickly, her hands brushing against his toned chest. Kendy kept her eyes on the buttons, not daring to let her attention wander. The close proximity was wreaking havoc on her senses and a visual would probably do her in.
“Okay,” she whispered, stepping away from him. He was able to pull his shirt off without getting tangled up in it and then he stood, still unsteady on his feet.
“Thanks,” he said slowly. She nodded and started backing away, unsure whether it was really okay to leave him alone or if she should just stay and wait till he was safe in bed. Then, without warning he dropped his pants.
She stared.
She couldn’t help it, he was standing in front of her NAKED!!! She shouldn’t be looking at him, he was way above her station and they were friends…Just friends. Kendy blushed furiously and finally averted her gaze.
A loud crashing noise, however, forced her head back up. Her Prince was lying in a heap on the floor, frowning at the boxers and then he raised his soulful eyes to her, near tears. She relented immediately and was at his side once again. She helped him up and then took the boxers.
“Put your hands on my shoulders,” she coaxed as she knelt at his feet, “Then lift your right foot…”
“Which one is that?”
“This one,” she said, tapping, “And now your other one…There we go.” She pulled the boxers up as fast as she could, trying to still her trembling fingers. She stood again and found herself flush up against his body. They stared at each other and then he gave her a silly grin.
“You’re sweet, Kendy.” His hand brushed gently against her cheek and then tangled in her hair. She just stared up at him, shocked speechless again. What was she supposed to say to that? How was she supposed respond to his caress? Was it all part of what the beer had done to him or did he mean it?
Before she could work her mind around the questions, before she could say a word, or push all the flutterings in her body away…
He kissed her!
She melted immediately, her body flowing against his…They fit together perfectly…She opened her mouth slighted, allowing his tongue to slip in against hers, and she kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as his other hand worked its way up her back…
“Bastian…” she murmured, unable to actually form a coherent sentence. This shouldn’t be happening, he was a Prince…she was a servant…the two didn’t mix…
At all.
She pulled away.
“I have to go,” she stated firmly, breaking away from his embrace and rushing to the door and out of it, not looking back.
------
He was asleep. At least, he thought he was…He knew he was laying in his bed and his eyes were closed, but sensations were running through him that felt too real to be a dream.
He could feel tiny hands just barely touching his chest…eyes burning into his nude body…those same hands sliding up his legs…slender body pressed tightly to him…soft lips…warm mouth…silky hair brushing against his hands…smooth arms tugging him closer…and a sweet, soft, breathy voice whispering his name…
Bastian opened his eyes to be confronted with darkness, he let his eyes adjust to the gloom, but still couldn’t see straight. He tried to organize his whirling thoughts and all he got was the feelings in his body and the remembrance of a recurring dream he’d had since he turned thirteen.
His muddled brain only came up with one solution.
Liz.
------
Kendy was in the kitchens, helping to clean the place up because so many of the kitchen maids were attending the party as servers. She wished she had been allowed to serve, if only to keep an eye on her Prince. He had confided in her his dislike of the events and she thought if he had a friend nearby he wouldn’t get so down. But no, they already had enough help…
She looked up from her scouring of the oven just as Raina came in. “Rai?”
“Kendy, hi! Need some help?”
“Please.” She made a face. “The faster this is done the faster I can leave.”
Her friend knelt down beside her, grabbing another scrub brush and started working on a grate that Kendy had handed to her.
“I thought you were serving at the party?”
“I was, Prince Bastian dismissed me.”
“He did?”
Raina nodded and then a dreamy expression came into her leaf green eyes. “He’s really very handsome, Kendy, you’re so lucky,” she gushed, “And his arms…Whoa, I just wanted-”
“So what did you do,” she interrupted.
“Huh?”
“Did you spill the drinks on him or what?”
“Oh, you mean why’d he dismiss me?”
Kendy nodded and then buried her head back in the oven, hoping Raina hadn’t noticed the rather obvious subject change. She didn’t want to discuss Bastian’s charming outward attributes, or even his appealing inner ones, with her friends. They stirred up something inside of her she was trying to avoid.
“Raina?” she prompted when her friend didn’t answer.
“Hmm?” Her friend had that look in her eyes again. “Do you have something I could use for my hair?”
Kendy gave an exasperated shriek and pulled the leather strip out of her hair, handing it to Raina. Her honey blond hair cascaded around her shoulders and she flicked it back impatiently, not noticing the black streaks her dirty hands had made.
“So anyway, Princess Vilandra called me over to where she and Prince Bastian were sitting, then she ripped my dress…” Kendy then noticed the tear at the collar of the blue fabric, which Raina’s silver white hair had been hiding. “Then she told me to bring them some whatems, the stuff in the green bottles from town, so I did and then his Highness said I could go and he smiled at me and told me he’d pay for the damages to my dress, and now I’m here.”
Kendy nodded as the story was completed and then leaned back in the oven. Suddenly she froze and then sat back on her heels, feeling dazed. She glanced at her friend and then rubbed at her forehead. “Rai? Did you say the green bottles?” she inquired faintly.
“Uh-huh. He has a really nice smile…”
“Raina!” she screeched.
“What?”
Calm down, she ordered herself, just don’t freak out. She grimaced, she had been sticking close to Bastian, who was sticking close to Liz, and the human’s expressions of speech were rubbing off on her, as she had been dismayed to discover a week ago.
“Um, could you cover for me, pretty please?”
Green eyes regarded her suspiciously. “Alright…But-”
Kendy was all ready out the door and started on her mission. Determination coursed through her.
She had to find Bastian.
She had been in the kitchens and around the royals quarters to know those green bottles meant trouble. Lonnie used them all the time. It was common knowledge that Kivar had tired of her streetie ways quickly and she slipped whatever drink was in those bottles into his meals to keep him bound to her.
He always seemed to go insane during those times.
She had to find Bastian.
There was no telling what the stuff would do to him and she would die before letting any harm befall her Prince.
------
The party room was full, but a full perimeter sweep revealed the fact that Bastian wasn’t there. But Lonnie, Kivar, and Tess (as she had taken to calling Ava, another habit of both Liz and Bastian) were. There were also several highborn nobles who decided to take exception to her presence.
“Excuse me,” she said, irritated and ashamed as one of them tried to manhandle her on her way out, “Keep your hands to yourself.”
“You dare! I could have you thrown in the brig for refusing my attentions,” the aqua-eyed young man hissed, pressing her against a wall.
She snorted, pushing him away. “I am Prince Bastian’s personal,” she emphasized the personal, “servant.” Her assailant paled. “Now who’ll end up in the brig?” He backed off slightly and she pushed him the rest of the way and left without a backwards glare.
Fuming silently she ran over the possible alternative destinations of Bastian. She swore the man needed a keeper, but no matter how often she tried to take that role he managed to sneak out of it and away from her. Okay, possibilities:
1. The, um, “entertainers”
2. The desert
3. His room
4. Liz’s room
Short list, she mused. She crossed of the entertainers in her mind, Bastian was never into that sort of stuff. Three choices. Kendy placed the desert last, it was the farthest away, she’d go to his room first. She tried to keep her thoughts away from the last possibility.
To quote Liz: She didn’t want to go there.
So here she was in front Bastian’s door, about to knock even though she had a key. She was afraid of the state he might be in. It wouldn’t be proper to barge in on her future King if he wasn’t…decent…
Kendy took a deep breath but stilled her hand before it hit the wood panel. She wavered an instant then wrapped her slender fingers around the knob.
And then Bastian came stumbling around the corner.
“Bastian!” she cried and rushed to his side.
“Liz?” he asked and she recoiled from him instantly, a stinging sensation in the left side of her chest. He stumbled forward a little more and then sunk to the floor outside his door.
“Bastian! It’s me, Kendy.”
“Kendy?” He tried to focus his eyes on her but couldn’t. She whimpered in pain at the lost look in his beautiful amber eyes. “You look like Liz.”
She frowned, cradling him to her, and remembered the ash and grime she had smeared into her hair while cleaning, turning her hair a brownish color. “Well, you look like King Zan,” she retorted.
“Yesss,” he slurred, “Liz says so, too.”
Great, just what she wanted, more comparisons to Liz. His infatuation with the other girl hurt. Quite suddenly he sat up and attempted to get to his feet but tripped and sank to his knees before her.
“I want to see Liz.”
“Bastian, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She rose herself and managed to wrestle him up beside her.
“Why not?” he demanded, trying to dislodge himself from her helping embrace, but he only ended up leaning more heavily on her.
“Because you’re not yourself. What did Lonnie do to you?”
“She gave me a beer.”
“A beer? What’s that? Is that’s what’s in those green bottles?”
“They were very green, yes. I felt all fuzzy and tingly after drinking it. You know,” he looked down at her drowsily, “Everything’s still a little fuzzy.”
“How about we get you into bed?”
“Bed?”
She nodded. “A nice, warm, comfy bed. Come on.” She coaxed him forward and propped him up against the wall opposite his room then she turned and opened his door. Maneuvering them carefully into it, she shut the door and then led him to the bed.
“I wanted to sleep earlier, that’s why I left the party, but I couldn’t find my room.” He looked around. “Are you sure this is my room?”
“Positive. And this…” she pointed, trying to keep Bastian steady, “is your bed.”
“It’s a nice bed.”
“Yes it is, it’ll be even nicer if you’re in it and asleep.” And out of trouble, she added in her head. Then all her thoughts flew out of her head as Bastian stumbled again, causing them both to crash onto his bed…Him on top of her.
Kendy started to panic, she couldn’t think straight. The fact that his lean, hard, extremely masculine body was crushing her into his cedar smelling bed was overwhelming. She felt hot all over and her body began to ache with some indefinable need and she tried frantically to push him off of her.
“Bastian!” she pleaded, desperate and close to tears. She didn’t want these feelings, she didn’t want her body running out of control, and she definitely didn’t want to fall in love with her Prince…
“I can’t move, I’m too heavy.” His breath tickled her neck, his lips brushed over her pulse, making her shiver with longing to have those lips in other places, places no one had ever touched before.
Her face flamed and she began to wiggle her own way out from under him, ignoring the way her body moved against his…ignoring the way it felt…
Free! She gave a huge sigh of relief and came up from beneath him flustered and out of breath, she used another massive amount of energy to turn Bastian’s muscular body over and rested on her hands, hovering above him.
“Okay, so now you’re in bed.” He looked up at her confused as she slid off the bed. “And I’m not.”
She started toward the door but then turned around and kneeled down in front of him. “What are you doing?” he asked, he had managed to sit up finally.
“I’m taking off your boots, you can’t sleep in them,” she told him as she pulled the heavy black footwear off. "I thought you couldn’t move.”
“I can now,” he said simply, “I feel light again.”
“Uh-huh.” She grunted as she wrestled his left boot off. He laughed at her as she went tumbling to the floor from the force of the tug. Kendy glared at him and he sobered immediately.
“Are you mad at me?” he asked, sounding intensely apologetic, “I didn’t mean-”
“It’s fine Bastian,” she cut him off. Standing she picked up the boots and headed to his closet. “What do you want to wear to bed? It’s going to be hot.”
“I don’t want to wear anything.”
Kendy froze, not liking the mental picture his words brought to mind. Okay, that was untrue, she certainly liked the picture…But she shouldn’t. She shouldn’t. She couldn’t think of him like…that. In that way…
“Well that’s not an option,” she stated as firmly as she could, though her voice trembled slightly.
“Why not?” he whined.
“Because…Because I said so.”
“That’s not fair!” he cried, “I’m the Prince, I should get what I want. That’s how it works!”
“Not tonight it doesn’t.”
“You’re mean.” She grabbed a pair of what Liz had termed “boxers” that she had bought for him on one of her visits to town and then finally faced him. He was pouting.
He looked adorable.
“Here,” she placed the boxers on the bed, “You wear these, all right? That’s close to nothing.”
He looked at the boxers then back at her. “Okaaaay,” he agreed slowly.
“Good. Good night, Bastian.”
“’Night,” he echoed.
She nodded once and again walked to the door. Her flight was again halted at a frustrated moan from behind her. She sighed, knowing she couldn’t leave if he needed her, not even if being in his room with him stripped her of her sanity.
Slowly she made her way back to where he was sitting on the bed, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. He couldn’t seem to get his fingers around them. She clasped his hands and put them to the side, he just looked up at her, bewildered.
“Let me help,” she ordered.
He nodded and she got to work quickly, her hands brushing against his toned chest. Kendy kept her eyes on the buttons, not daring to let her attention wander. The close proximity was wreaking havoc on her senses and a visual would probably do her in.
“Okay,” she whispered, stepping away from him. He was able to pull his shirt off without getting tangled up in it and then he stood, still unsteady on his feet.
“Thanks,” he said slowly. She nodded and started backing away, unsure whether it was really okay to leave him alone or if she should just stay and wait till he was safe in bed. Then, without warning he dropped his pants.
She stared.
She couldn’t help it, he was standing in front of her NAKED!!! She shouldn’t be looking at him, he was way above her station and they were friends…Just friends. Kendy blushed furiously and finally averted her gaze.
A loud crashing noise, however, forced her head back up. Her Prince was lying in a heap on the floor, frowning at the boxers and then he raised his soulful eyes to her, near tears. She relented immediately and was at his side once again. She helped him up and then took the boxers.
“Put your hands on my shoulders,” she coaxed as she knelt at his feet, “Then lift your right foot…”
“Which one is that?”
“This one,” she said, tapping, “And now your other one…There we go.” She pulled the boxers up as fast as she could, trying to still her trembling fingers. She stood again and found herself flush up against his body. They stared at each other and then he gave her a silly grin.
“You’re sweet, Kendy.” His hand brushed gently against her cheek and then tangled in her hair. She just stared up at him, shocked speechless again. What was she supposed to say to that? How was she supposed respond to his caress? Was it all part of what the beer had done to him or did he mean it?
Before she could work her mind around the questions, before she could say a word, or push all the flutterings in her body away…
He kissed her!
She melted immediately, her body flowing against his…They fit together perfectly…She opened her mouth slighted, allowing his tongue to slip in against hers, and she kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as his other hand worked its way up her back…
“Bastian…” she murmured, unable to actually form a coherent sentence. This shouldn’t be happening, he was a Prince…she was a servant…the two didn’t mix…
At all.
She pulled away.
“I have to go,” she stated firmly, breaking away from his embrace and rushing to the door and out of it, not looking back.
------
He was asleep. At least, he thought he was…He knew he was laying in his bed and his eyes were closed, but sensations were running through him that felt too real to be a dream.
He could feel tiny hands just barely touching his chest…eyes burning into his nude body…those same hands sliding up his legs…slender body pressed tightly to him…soft lips…warm mouth…silky hair brushing against his hands…smooth arms tugging him closer…and a sweet, soft, breathy voice whispering his name…
Bastian opened his eyes to be confronted with darkness, he let his eyes adjust to the gloom, but still couldn’t see straight. He tried to organize his whirling thoughts and all he got was the feelings in his body and the remembrance of a recurring dream he’d had since he turned thirteen.
His muddled brain only came up with one solution.
Liz.
------
-
dreamangel
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
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*XIV*
The knock came unexpectedly on her door just as she was starting to fall asleep. Liz grumbled silently to herself as she clambered out of the bed she had just crawled into. Her long, wispy, green nightgown brushing the floor as she padded barefooted to the door.
“Who is it?”
“Liz? It’s me,” Bastian’s voice said. She frowned, wondering if something was wrong to make him come to her this late at night.
“Bastian, what is it?” she asked anxiously as she flung the door open. He stood there in a pair of black boxers and blinked at her. Concerned as she was, the only thing she could focus on was the clouded look in his eyes. “Bastian?”
He gave her a large, lop-sided grin, one that immediately sent her mind back to a night so long ago, when Max had gotten drunk. And then he kissed her.
HELLO! her brain screamed. She felt disoriented and almost unconsciously responded to his kiss. God, he felt good…
But no…this wasn’t right, she reminded herself as he picked her up and strode forward into her room, slamming the door behind him. She had to stop this, he wasn't Max. But her body wasn’t listening to her head, all her body knew was that he felt like Max and kissed like Max and tasted like Max and held her like Max and touched her like Max …All her body knew was Max.
No, no, no, he’s not Max, he’s Bastian, and he’s supposed to be my son!
But she couldn’t pull away, because right then, the flashes started.
--The floor was hard, the room a dull white and gray, black shadows cast into every crevice, but he couldn’t see that, couldn’t feel that…His attention was on the starlight flooding in from the open ceiling of the observatory, surrounding her body…Her tiny, perfect body. Liz, his mind cried…--
--His bed was soaked with sweat, his covers flung off to the side to cool his burning body, but the ache wouldn’t go away. He closed his eyes, picturing his dream girl again, her dark eyes smiling, shining, calling to him…And he choked out her name as she started fading away, wondering where in the universe she was.--
--"Well, I've been having these...dreams-"
"Dreams?" she interrupted, becoming pink herself, "What kind of dreams?"
"Um, well, there's this...girl...in them, with me, and..." He couldn't go any further. His dreams were private, and for some reason, he wanted to keep his dream girl to himself.
"A girl? Anyone I know?" she teased, "Should I be giving you the ‘talk’?" He knew she would push it, and he had vowed to try...
"Um, no, Mother, Kivar already talked to me about...that. And I don't think you know her." He felt a dreamy smile cross his lips. "She's like no one I've ever seen. She so small, and she's got this long brown hair and these eyes...They're huge, and so deep, I think I could drown in them."
"Really?" He looked over at her, surprised by her distant voice. She looked faint.
"It's when I'm older," he stammered, "Not now. I know, because I know what my body will be like then, it's like when I'm 18, 19..."
His dream was conjured up again. He could tell his body was more mature, he had grown into his full height, well-muscled, powerful...And she was so tiny in his arms, yet she fit so perfectly. He could feel her body too, all soft and warm. Belonging to him.
Her name ran in circles around his brain, begging to be said...
"And does this mystery woman have a name?" Tess asked guardedly.
"Liz," he sighed, not realizing he had let it slip. When he had, he straightened and looked at his mother. He hadn't wanted to share that detail. He had wanted to keep it to himself.
She looked...stiff. That's all he got. Her face was a mask of unemotion, her eyes dark as death. Now she was the one drawing away, a reaction that thoroughly confused him. Wasn't she the one who wanted him to share?
"She doesn't exist."
"What?"
Her eyes were cold, and when she looked at him he knew she was seeing his father, her eyes so unforgiving. "She's not real, Bastian," she told him, "Forget your dreams and settle down with a nice Antarian girl when this war is over."
"Mother, I-"
"Bastian. I am your mother, and I know what's best for you. You have to believe me, sweetie," her voice softened, "Believing in a dream is only going to get you hurt. Your destiny lies elsewhere."
He didn't like where this conversation was headed. This talk of destiny uneased him. He was master of his own fate, not some pre-ordained babble she kept speaking of.
"Besides," she stated cruelly, "Even if she did exist she's probably no more than a tease. A heartless bitch who would keep you on a string until she wanted to toy with you again. She's probably-"
"NO!" he shouted, leaping up from his seat. He stared at his mother, and when he spoke his voice was strident and trembling with emotion. "No, Mother, you're wrong. Do not talk about her that way. She is not what you say, she is perfect. Perfect," he ended in a whisper. Then he left the room.
This was why he never talked to her. She didn't understand anything about him.--
--He attacked, no qualms about it, tearing into his opponent as if he wasn’t even there. He was so frustrated…those dreams…but instead of distracting him, they were honing his abilities. He concentrated more now, on his swordsmanship as well as his studies.
The glistening glint of silver descended and he parried, knocking the other lord to the ground. In an instant his own sword was raised, ready for the kill.
“Bastian!” Kivar’s voice rang out through the training hall, and Bastian froze, sword point mere inches from the man’s throat. He straightened and saluted his opponent, then took off his protective gear and walked silently across the mats to his step-father.
“Yes, Kivar?”
Gray eyes were smiling as he looked at the man still lying in the floor, “Good,” he murmured, almost to himself, “Bastian, the ship has had it’s first view of earth, I thought you might like to witness the landing after you get cleaned up.”
“I would enjoy that, thank you.” He bowed slightly and then walked away, stripping his sweat-soaked shirt of his body. This tension was killing him, and the physical exertion of fencing was the only way to relieve it. He could of course, get some female companionship, but none of the ladies on board were appealing.
None of them were her. --
--“There is a specific person I have in mind for my mate, Kivar, I will accept no substitutes.”--
-- He couldn’t tear his eyes off the young woman in front him. It was his dream girl, his Liz. Flesh and blood before him.
He had found her.--
--“You look a lot like your father. Exactly like him, in fact.”--
--“You have that same air about you, Bastian. When I look in your eyes…I know I can trust you, with my life if necessary.”
She was touching him.
She was actually touching him, and her skin was really soft.
He opened his mouth, wanting to tell her about his dreams, about his feelings, about everything that ever happened in his short life…--
--“That’s part of the big “destiny”. Be alone, be aloof, be King. I’ve been taught since my birth to hate everything my father was and is, to be opposite him in everything, to want to possess everything that is his.”
He met her gaze head on, judging her reaction. She was still watching him, an eyebrow raised.
“Do you?”
“No.” He laughed a bit, “In fact, the older I get, the more like my father I become.”--
--“Yous is definitely Maxie’s kid.”--
-- He could feel tiny hands just barely touching his chest…eyes burning into his nude body…those same hands sliding up his legs…slender body pressed tightly to him…soft lips…warm mouth…silky hair brushing against his hands…smooth arms tugging him closer…and a sweet, soft, breathy voice whispering his name…
Liz.--
------
--“Miss Mary Mack-Mack-Mack, all dressed in black-black-black…” Maria’s palms slapped against hers as they chanted in unison, laughing when they messed up. She glanced away for a moment, pushing her dark hair behind her ears, and met the gaze of the new boy…--
--“Max Evans is staring at you again.”--
--Pain shot through her like the bullet that had caused it, Maria’s voice was getting farther and farther away…Everything was dimming into black ness…Then a soft voice, deep, rich, vibrating…”Liz, LIZ! You have to look at me. You have to look at me.”--
--I could feel everything he was feeling. I could feel his loneliness. For the first time I was really seeing Max Evans, I saw me as he saw me, and the amazing thing was, in his eyes, I was beautiful. --
--Max Evans has put a force on me. It's like my whole life changed in an instant. It's just so ironic that when something like this finally happened to me, it was with an alien. --
--Everything was soft, new, and she wanted so badly for him to just lean forward, just an inch…”Liz, it's not safe. I mean, for you and , and me to....it's not safe.”
“I don't care.”
“Liz I really, really wish that this could be something, you know, more. But it can't. We're just...”
“Different.” --
--It's September 24th, I'm Liz Parker and five days ago I died. But then the really amazing thing happened. I came to life. --
--Part of me wants safety, wants to go back to how things were, to a life that I could predict, where I know how life is going to be. And the other part of me wants to go somewhere else, into the unknown.--
--She was so happy her grandma was here…”So, in any case, Kyle's not somebody that I'm going to marry or anything. But it's...you know. We have a good time together. It's good.”
“What?” she asked, knowing her grandmother expected more.
“Well, not every relationship has to be the be-all and end-all.”
That was exactly what she wanted to hear, but at the same time… “Right....it doesn't?”
“No...everybody wants to find her soul mate, but there's so much time for that. I think it's nice that you have somebody you can have fun with.”
A soul mate…someone who had seen, no, touched her soul… “What if there was something else?”
“Something else?”
She sighed, her grandma was so good at this. “Someone else.”
“Now, this is worth the price of the airfare.”
“What if this someone else could potentially be...you know, what you said.”
“Is there?”
Was there? Was Max the one? Could he be… “But what if were like complicated...like incredibly, incredibly complicated?”
“Well, one thing I can tell you....if it isn't complicated, he probably isn't a soul mate.”--
--“Hi, Max...it's Liz. I'm at the hospital. Something happened to my grandmother. We don't know if it's serious, but it seems really bad. I'm just scared. Look, I don't even know why I'm calling you. I guess I just wanted to hear your voice or something. Now I just feel completely stupid.”--
--The tough thing about following your heart is what people forget to mention, that sometimes your heart takes you to places you shouldn't be, places that are as scary as they are exciting and as dangerous as they are alluring, and sometimes your heart takes you to places that can never lead to a happy ending.
And that's not even the difficult part. The difficult part is when you follow your heart, you leave normal, you go into the unknown.
And once you do, you can never go back.--
--“I know you think that I was foolish, you know, to write about that day and you and everything. What I wrote in my journal, it didn't really have anything to do with science. Um...that day that you saved me, I felt something that I just had to put into words...so years from now, if anyone ever...if anyone ever touches me the way that you did, I'll know what it's supposed to feel like.” She blushed, embarrassed, and stared up at him.--
--The wind blew gently, making her hair swirl around her face as she smiled at him and he smiled back, amber eyes glowing…Have you ever had a moment when you're with the one person in the world you want to be with and the wind is blowing through your hair and the song that just describes your entire soul happens to come on, and then the person that you want to be with happens to love the same song and suddenly you realize you're listening to it together? And that no matter how crazy your life has gotten there's this one moment...this perfect moment...where you could just say that no matter what happens, nothing can take this moment away from me...--
--She opened her mouth, ready to tell him something that had been bugging her for awhile. “Max, you know when you said before that we couldn't be together? That we were different? I just sort of accepted it, you know? Because I thought that it was like physically impossible. That it...that it couldn't be. But when I saw Maria with Michael...the truth is that...I was hurt, Max. Why is it ok for them, but it's not ok for us?”
“Liz, I think that what I'm afraid of isn't that we try this and it works out really badly. What I'm afraid of is we try it and it works out really well. I'm afraid of feeling everything that I know I would feel. Because I know it's not meant to be. And somewhere down the line, we're gonna get hurt. I can live with that. I just couldn't bear to hurt you.”
“But that's not your decision, is it?”
“I guess not.”--
--“I better go,” he told her.
“Why?”
“Cuz if I don't go right now, things are gonna change.”
“Change, how?” she inquired playfully.
“I'm gonna have to touch your hair...cuz it's so soft...and I'd have to tell you that...no matter what we go through, it's all worthwhile for me because we're together.”
“And then?” she asked, anticipation coursing through her body as she tilted her head upwards.
“And then...I'd have to do this...” The kiss was short, tempting…so very sweet…and then--
--Tears slipped lightly down her cheeks, so much…So much had happened in one day. Their one day together, and now…She shivered as he went down the ladder, his lips still burning on hers…A step back?--
--“You can't let go of him, can you?”
“I don't want to,” she stated, emotion shaking her voice.--
--She looked from the pulsing red heart on her balcony, their initials branded together, to Max and his silly, drunken grin…
“This can never be normal Max.”
“What’s so great about normal?”--
--He had seen her fantasy! Mortification paralyzed her body. Somewhere between all the making-out and the stars, he had seen her shower fantasy, where…Oh God! “The main thing is...I didn't just see what you saw. I felt...what you felt...when you saw me. And I never thought anyone could really...ever feel that way about me.”--
--She couldn’t believe it, after everything… “So everything Nasedo told me was true. You and Tess were meant to be together.”
“Liz.”
“I mean, it's your destiny, right?”
“I wish I could go back Liz. Back to when things were normal.”
“Me, too. I just wish that I could have stopped you from saving my life that day in the Crashdown.”
“Don't say that.”
“Max, the day that you saved my life, your life just ended.”
“No, that was the day my life began. Liz, when I was in that room, and they did what they did to me. You're what kept me alive. The thought of you. The way your eyes look into mine. Your smile. The touch of your skin. Your lips. Knowing you has made me human. Whether I die tomorrow or fifty years from now, my destiny is the same: it's you. I want to be with you, Liz. I love you.” He loved her! She felt her heart begin to burst…
“I love you.” And their kiss was a promise.--
--“Max, you do have a destiny. You just heard it. I can't stand in the way of it.” Oh, how she wished she could.
“But you mean everything to me.” She leaned forward, kissing him with a finality that she knows is going to tear her apart.
“Goodbye, Max.” she whispered as she turned and left.
“Liz. Liz, wait.” He couldn’t just leave it, could he? She turned to look at him, then ran off, knowing that if she looked back, she never be able to go through with it.”--
--He looked good, a little ruffled, but good. Of course, he always looked good. She shouldn’t have come back, even though she had to…She’d just distance herself from him gradually, push him toward his destiny as much as it would kill her to do so.--
--White roses, serenades, he was so persistent…And so resistant to what she was trying to do. He had to be with Tess.
“You have to make me fall out of love with you.”
But he wouldn’t, and she didn’t want him to…
God, his eyes…
“…and I shall believe…”--
--“I’m not this perfect person…”--
--“God, Max, you just have to trust me.”
“I guess that’s the problem, Liz.”--
--“I thought you didn’t believe in God?”
“I believe in you,” he told her and held her hand, she felt her world start to brighten again.--
--“Max…” Could she tell him now? She wanted to, and if he’d had a vision…Maybe…maybe they could still be together.--
--Pain. Numb. He was kissing her and her heart was being torn out of her chest. That was it, she wasn’t going to waste anymore time crying over Max Evans!--
--Tess was pregnant with Max’s son, and all she felt was betrayal, no matter how unfair that was to him.
“Do you love her?”
“Not like I love you.”--
--“I have to save my son.”--
--"I want to help you get him back." She looked up at him earnestly, "He should be mine, Max, I need to do this."--
--Leather…Max…Zan’s son…Bastian…her son…all grown up…How?
Max I need you.--
He broke away from her angrily and stared down at her luminous brown eyes. Her breasts were heaving and her lips were swollen, and all he wanted to do was take her right then and there, but he couldn’t…She belonged to his father.
“Bastian…” she implored, looking as if she were a bit frightened of him.
“No,” he said harshly, preventing her from saying more, “It just figures that the one thing I want most is his.”
He left her standing there without another word.
------
The knock came unexpectedly on her door just as she was starting to fall asleep. Liz grumbled silently to herself as she clambered out of the bed she had just crawled into. Her long, wispy, green nightgown brushing the floor as she padded barefooted to the door.
“Who is it?”
“Liz? It’s me,” Bastian’s voice said. She frowned, wondering if something was wrong to make him come to her this late at night.
“Bastian, what is it?” she asked anxiously as she flung the door open. He stood there in a pair of black boxers and blinked at her. Concerned as she was, the only thing she could focus on was the clouded look in his eyes. “Bastian?”
He gave her a large, lop-sided grin, one that immediately sent her mind back to a night so long ago, when Max had gotten drunk. And then he kissed her.
HELLO! her brain screamed. She felt disoriented and almost unconsciously responded to his kiss. God, he felt good…
But no…this wasn’t right, she reminded herself as he picked her up and strode forward into her room, slamming the door behind him. She had to stop this, he wasn't Max. But her body wasn’t listening to her head, all her body knew was that he felt like Max and kissed like Max and tasted like Max and held her like Max and touched her like Max …All her body knew was Max.
No, no, no, he’s not Max, he’s Bastian, and he’s supposed to be my son!
But she couldn’t pull away, because right then, the flashes started.
--The floor was hard, the room a dull white and gray, black shadows cast into every crevice, but he couldn’t see that, couldn’t feel that…His attention was on the starlight flooding in from the open ceiling of the observatory, surrounding her body…Her tiny, perfect body. Liz, his mind cried…--
--His bed was soaked with sweat, his covers flung off to the side to cool his burning body, but the ache wouldn’t go away. He closed his eyes, picturing his dream girl again, her dark eyes smiling, shining, calling to him…And he choked out her name as she started fading away, wondering where in the universe she was.--
--"Well, I've been having these...dreams-"
"Dreams?" she interrupted, becoming pink herself, "What kind of dreams?"
"Um, well, there's this...girl...in them, with me, and..." He couldn't go any further. His dreams were private, and for some reason, he wanted to keep his dream girl to himself.
"A girl? Anyone I know?" she teased, "Should I be giving you the ‘talk’?" He knew she would push it, and he had vowed to try...
"Um, no, Mother, Kivar already talked to me about...that. And I don't think you know her." He felt a dreamy smile cross his lips. "She's like no one I've ever seen. She so small, and she's got this long brown hair and these eyes...They're huge, and so deep, I think I could drown in them."
"Really?" He looked over at her, surprised by her distant voice. She looked faint.
"It's when I'm older," he stammered, "Not now. I know, because I know what my body will be like then, it's like when I'm 18, 19..."
His dream was conjured up again. He could tell his body was more mature, he had grown into his full height, well-muscled, powerful...And she was so tiny in his arms, yet she fit so perfectly. He could feel her body too, all soft and warm. Belonging to him.
Her name ran in circles around his brain, begging to be said...
"And does this mystery woman have a name?" Tess asked guardedly.
"Liz," he sighed, not realizing he had let it slip. When he had, he straightened and looked at his mother. He hadn't wanted to share that detail. He had wanted to keep it to himself.
She looked...stiff. That's all he got. Her face was a mask of unemotion, her eyes dark as death. Now she was the one drawing away, a reaction that thoroughly confused him. Wasn't she the one who wanted him to share?
"She doesn't exist."
"What?"
Her eyes were cold, and when she looked at him he knew she was seeing his father, her eyes so unforgiving. "She's not real, Bastian," she told him, "Forget your dreams and settle down with a nice Antarian girl when this war is over."
"Mother, I-"
"Bastian. I am your mother, and I know what's best for you. You have to believe me, sweetie," her voice softened, "Believing in a dream is only going to get you hurt. Your destiny lies elsewhere."
He didn't like where this conversation was headed. This talk of destiny uneased him. He was master of his own fate, not some pre-ordained babble she kept speaking of.
"Besides," she stated cruelly, "Even if she did exist she's probably no more than a tease. A heartless bitch who would keep you on a string until she wanted to toy with you again. She's probably-"
"NO!" he shouted, leaping up from his seat. He stared at his mother, and when he spoke his voice was strident and trembling with emotion. "No, Mother, you're wrong. Do not talk about her that way. She is not what you say, she is perfect. Perfect," he ended in a whisper. Then he left the room.
This was why he never talked to her. She didn't understand anything about him.--
--He attacked, no qualms about it, tearing into his opponent as if he wasn’t even there. He was so frustrated…those dreams…but instead of distracting him, they were honing his abilities. He concentrated more now, on his swordsmanship as well as his studies.
The glistening glint of silver descended and he parried, knocking the other lord to the ground. In an instant his own sword was raised, ready for the kill.
“Bastian!” Kivar’s voice rang out through the training hall, and Bastian froze, sword point mere inches from the man’s throat. He straightened and saluted his opponent, then took off his protective gear and walked silently across the mats to his step-father.
“Yes, Kivar?”
Gray eyes were smiling as he looked at the man still lying in the floor, “Good,” he murmured, almost to himself, “Bastian, the ship has had it’s first view of earth, I thought you might like to witness the landing after you get cleaned up.”
“I would enjoy that, thank you.” He bowed slightly and then walked away, stripping his sweat-soaked shirt of his body. This tension was killing him, and the physical exertion of fencing was the only way to relieve it. He could of course, get some female companionship, but none of the ladies on board were appealing.
None of them were her. --
--“There is a specific person I have in mind for my mate, Kivar, I will accept no substitutes.”--
-- He couldn’t tear his eyes off the young woman in front him. It was his dream girl, his Liz. Flesh and blood before him.
He had found her.--
--“You look a lot like your father. Exactly like him, in fact.”--
--“You have that same air about you, Bastian. When I look in your eyes…I know I can trust you, with my life if necessary.”
She was touching him.
She was actually touching him, and her skin was really soft.
He opened his mouth, wanting to tell her about his dreams, about his feelings, about everything that ever happened in his short life…--
--“That’s part of the big “destiny”. Be alone, be aloof, be King. I’ve been taught since my birth to hate everything my father was and is, to be opposite him in everything, to want to possess everything that is his.”
He met her gaze head on, judging her reaction. She was still watching him, an eyebrow raised.
“Do you?”
“No.” He laughed a bit, “In fact, the older I get, the more like my father I become.”--
--“Yous is definitely Maxie’s kid.”--
-- He could feel tiny hands just barely touching his chest…eyes burning into his nude body…those same hands sliding up his legs…slender body pressed tightly to him…soft lips…warm mouth…silky hair brushing against his hands…smooth arms tugging him closer…and a sweet, soft, breathy voice whispering his name…
Liz.--
------
--“Miss Mary Mack-Mack-Mack, all dressed in black-black-black…” Maria’s palms slapped against hers as they chanted in unison, laughing when they messed up. She glanced away for a moment, pushing her dark hair behind her ears, and met the gaze of the new boy…--
--“Max Evans is staring at you again.”--
--Pain shot through her like the bullet that had caused it, Maria’s voice was getting farther and farther away…Everything was dimming into black ness…Then a soft voice, deep, rich, vibrating…”Liz, LIZ! You have to look at me. You have to look at me.”--
--I could feel everything he was feeling. I could feel his loneliness. For the first time I was really seeing Max Evans, I saw me as he saw me, and the amazing thing was, in his eyes, I was beautiful. --
--Max Evans has put a force on me. It's like my whole life changed in an instant. It's just so ironic that when something like this finally happened to me, it was with an alien. --
--Everything was soft, new, and she wanted so badly for him to just lean forward, just an inch…”Liz, it's not safe. I mean, for you and , and me to....it's not safe.”
“I don't care.”
“Liz I really, really wish that this could be something, you know, more. But it can't. We're just...”
“Different.” --
--It's September 24th, I'm Liz Parker and five days ago I died. But then the really amazing thing happened. I came to life. --
--Part of me wants safety, wants to go back to how things were, to a life that I could predict, where I know how life is going to be. And the other part of me wants to go somewhere else, into the unknown.--
--She was so happy her grandma was here…”So, in any case, Kyle's not somebody that I'm going to marry or anything. But it's...you know. We have a good time together. It's good.”
“What?” she asked, knowing her grandmother expected more.
“Well, not every relationship has to be the be-all and end-all.”
That was exactly what she wanted to hear, but at the same time… “Right....it doesn't?”
“No...everybody wants to find her soul mate, but there's so much time for that. I think it's nice that you have somebody you can have fun with.”
A soul mate…someone who had seen, no, touched her soul… “What if there was something else?”
“Something else?”
She sighed, her grandma was so good at this. “Someone else.”
“Now, this is worth the price of the airfare.”
“What if this someone else could potentially be...you know, what you said.”
“Is there?”
Was there? Was Max the one? Could he be… “But what if were like complicated...like incredibly, incredibly complicated?”
“Well, one thing I can tell you....if it isn't complicated, he probably isn't a soul mate.”--
--“Hi, Max...it's Liz. I'm at the hospital. Something happened to my grandmother. We don't know if it's serious, but it seems really bad. I'm just scared. Look, I don't even know why I'm calling you. I guess I just wanted to hear your voice or something. Now I just feel completely stupid.”--
--The tough thing about following your heart is what people forget to mention, that sometimes your heart takes you to places you shouldn't be, places that are as scary as they are exciting and as dangerous as they are alluring, and sometimes your heart takes you to places that can never lead to a happy ending.
And that's not even the difficult part. The difficult part is when you follow your heart, you leave normal, you go into the unknown.
And once you do, you can never go back.--
--“I know you think that I was foolish, you know, to write about that day and you and everything. What I wrote in my journal, it didn't really have anything to do with science. Um...that day that you saved me, I felt something that I just had to put into words...so years from now, if anyone ever...if anyone ever touches me the way that you did, I'll know what it's supposed to feel like.” She blushed, embarrassed, and stared up at him.--
--The wind blew gently, making her hair swirl around her face as she smiled at him and he smiled back, amber eyes glowing…Have you ever had a moment when you're with the one person in the world you want to be with and the wind is blowing through your hair and the song that just describes your entire soul happens to come on, and then the person that you want to be with happens to love the same song and suddenly you realize you're listening to it together? And that no matter how crazy your life has gotten there's this one moment...this perfect moment...where you could just say that no matter what happens, nothing can take this moment away from me...--
--She opened her mouth, ready to tell him something that had been bugging her for awhile. “Max, you know when you said before that we couldn't be together? That we were different? I just sort of accepted it, you know? Because I thought that it was like physically impossible. That it...that it couldn't be. But when I saw Maria with Michael...the truth is that...I was hurt, Max. Why is it ok for them, but it's not ok for us?”
“Liz, I think that what I'm afraid of isn't that we try this and it works out really badly. What I'm afraid of is we try it and it works out really well. I'm afraid of feeling everything that I know I would feel. Because I know it's not meant to be. And somewhere down the line, we're gonna get hurt. I can live with that. I just couldn't bear to hurt you.”
“But that's not your decision, is it?”
“I guess not.”--
--“I better go,” he told her.
“Why?”
“Cuz if I don't go right now, things are gonna change.”
“Change, how?” she inquired playfully.
“I'm gonna have to touch your hair...cuz it's so soft...and I'd have to tell you that...no matter what we go through, it's all worthwhile for me because we're together.”
“And then?” she asked, anticipation coursing through her body as she tilted her head upwards.
“And then...I'd have to do this...” The kiss was short, tempting…so very sweet…and then--
--Tears slipped lightly down her cheeks, so much…So much had happened in one day. Their one day together, and now…She shivered as he went down the ladder, his lips still burning on hers…A step back?--
--“You can't let go of him, can you?”
“I don't want to,” she stated, emotion shaking her voice.--
--She looked from the pulsing red heart on her balcony, their initials branded together, to Max and his silly, drunken grin…
“This can never be normal Max.”
“What’s so great about normal?”--
--He had seen her fantasy! Mortification paralyzed her body. Somewhere between all the making-out and the stars, he had seen her shower fantasy, where…Oh God! “The main thing is...I didn't just see what you saw. I felt...what you felt...when you saw me. And I never thought anyone could really...ever feel that way about me.”--
--She couldn’t believe it, after everything… “So everything Nasedo told me was true. You and Tess were meant to be together.”
“Liz.”
“I mean, it's your destiny, right?”
“I wish I could go back Liz. Back to when things were normal.”
“Me, too. I just wish that I could have stopped you from saving my life that day in the Crashdown.”
“Don't say that.”
“Max, the day that you saved my life, your life just ended.”
“No, that was the day my life began. Liz, when I was in that room, and they did what they did to me. You're what kept me alive. The thought of you. The way your eyes look into mine. Your smile. The touch of your skin. Your lips. Knowing you has made me human. Whether I die tomorrow or fifty years from now, my destiny is the same: it's you. I want to be with you, Liz. I love you.” He loved her! She felt her heart begin to burst…
“I love you.” And their kiss was a promise.--
--“Max, you do have a destiny. You just heard it. I can't stand in the way of it.” Oh, how she wished she could.
“But you mean everything to me.” She leaned forward, kissing him with a finality that she knows is going to tear her apart.
“Goodbye, Max.” she whispered as she turned and left.
“Liz. Liz, wait.” He couldn’t just leave it, could he? She turned to look at him, then ran off, knowing that if she looked back, she never be able to go through with it.”--
--He looked good, a little ruffled, but good. Of course, he always looked good. She shouldn’t have come back, even though she had to…She’d just distance herself from him gradually, push him toward his destiny as much as it would kill her to do so.--
--White roses, serenades, he was so persistent…And so resistant to what she was trying to do. He had to be with Tess.
“You have to make me fall out of love with you.”
But he wouldn’t, and she didn’t want him to…
God, his eyes…
“…and I shall believe…”--
--“I’m not this perfect person…”--
--“God, Max, you just have to trust me.”
“I guess that’s the problem, Liz.”--
--“I thought you didn’t believe in God?”
“I believe in you,” he told her and held her hand, she felt her world start to brighten again.--
--“Max…” Could she tell him now? She wanted to, and if he’d had a vision…Maybe…maybe they could still be together.--
--Pain. Numb. He was kissing her and her heart was being torn out of her chest. That was it, she wasn’t going to waste anymore time crying over Max Evans!--
--Tess was pregnant with Max’s son, and all she felt was betrayal, no matter how unfair that was to him.
“Do you love her?”
“Not like I love you.”--
--“I have to save my son.”--
--"I want to help you get him back." She looked up at him earnestly, "He should be mine, Max, I need to do this."--
--Leather…Max…Zan’s son…Bastian…her son…all grown up…How?
Max I need you.--
He broke away from her angrily and stared down at her luminous brown eyes. Her breasts were heaving and her lips were swollen, and all he wanted to do was take her right then and there, but he couldn’t…She belonged to his father.
“Bastian…” she implored, looking as if she were a bit frightened of him.
“No,” he said harshly, preventing her from saying more, “It just figures that the one thing I want most is his.”
He left her standing there without another word.
------
-
dreamangel
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: far from reality
*XV*
Kendy was in a glorious mood. She couldn’t help it, Bastian had kissed her last night. The Crown Prince of Antar had kissed her last night.
A the moment it didn’t matter to her that they could never be together. It didn’t matter that she was only a servant and he was next in line for the throne. All that matter was that she was Kendy and he was Bastian, and he had kissed her!
She hurried down the corridor, preparing speech that would let Bastian know kindly but firmly that they could only be friends, as much as she wanted it to be more, they could only be friends.
“Kendy!”
She stopped, mid-skip. “Liz?”
“Thank God I caught you.”
“What’s the matter?” she asked the older girl.
“Can you go to the kitchens and get some coffee for Bastian. He was really drunk last night and he’s going to have a horrible hangover.”
Kendy stilled, “How did you know he was drunk?”
Liz looked at her curiously, eyes sad. “He came to my room last night,” she said quietly.
But that was impossible, she had put him to bed, he had been asleep. “What happened?” she had to ask, even though she dreaded the answer.
Liz just shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. He won’t remember.”
“What do you mean by that?” Kendy exclaimed. She was getting fairly frustrated with Liz’s tight-lipped attitude. It was like she was speaking in code or something. If something was wrong with her prince, she deserved the right to know.
“Alien brains can’t handle alcohol. Since Bastian echoes Max in most qualities, I’m guessing it will effect him the same way it did Max.” Her voice grew sad as her eyes, and the tone took on one of longing and regret. “Just get the coffee Kendy, I’ll meet you in Bastian’s room.”
------
He groaned at the pounding in his head. Or wait, was that the door? He paused and listened for a moment. It was both.
“Coming,” he growled. Getting up he wiped the grit out of his blurry eyes, jeez, his tongue felt heavy and cottony. He needed to brush his teeth. He grabbed his robe and put it on over his boxers before he opened the door. “Liz?”
“Hey, how are you feeling?”
He rubbed his head and gave her a sheepish smile. “I’ve been better. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I can’t remember what happened after Lonnie gave me that, what’s she call it? Hin-a-kin, or…that beer,” he finally concluded.
She gave him a sympathetic smile. “I thought as much. Go sit down,” she said, shooing him back into his room.
“Got the coffee!” He looked over at Kendy as she came to a skidding stop by the door. She was breathing heavily and her face was flushed.
“Coffee?”
“It’ll help clear your head,” Kendy told him, then gave Liz a quick glance, “At least that’s what Liz says.”
“Well, I’m willing to try anything. I’ve got the worst headache…” He took the cup from Kendy and sipped it, letting the warmth seep down into him. “Thanks, Kendy.” She smiled at him sweetly, and he ruffled her hair.
“Liz said you wouldn’t remember anything about last night?” She posed it as a question, sounding a little disbelieving. He racked his brain, but nothing, just a big blur.
“She would be correct, I can’t recall a thing.”
“Oh.” He looked at her, wondering at the disappointment in her soft voice.
“It was sweet of you to be concerned about me Kendy.” She flinched slightly, but then sent him a tremulous smile.
“What are friends for?” she asked.
“Kendy! I got the food you wanted.” The three of them looked down the hall as the silver-haired blond came towards them.
“Raina, thank you!” Kendy exclaimed, taking the tray her friend had brought.
“Yes,” Bastian repeated, “Thank you. I’m starving!” He eyed the food thoughtfully. “Unfortunately I don’t thing I can eat all that by myself. Would you three like to join me?”
The new girl sputtered, blushing, “I-I have t-to go ba-ack to the kitchens…Thank you so much for offering your Highness…I’ve n-never-“
“It’s all right,” he interrupted smoothly, smiling at her, “I understand. You have duties, I’m not offended.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “By the way, how’s your dress?” He did remember that, at least that was something.
She gave him a brilliant smile, her green eyes sparkling. “I dropped it off this morning, no trouble.”
“Good.” He nodded at her kindly. She looked to be about bursting to say something else, but dropped and curtsey and ran back the way she had come. They stared after her. “Strange girl,” he commented.
“You gotta love her, though,” Kendy pointed out.
He shook his head. “So what about you two? Wanna join me for breakfast?” They both shook their heads no. Liz smiled at him.
“If your appetite is as big as Max’s, you won’t need any help. And then you’re going to get some rest, your eyes are awful red…”
He rolled his eyes. “Come on,” he pleaded, “I need to now what happened last night.”
“Well…” It was Kendy who responded this time, “When I found you all you had done was wander around, so I put you to bed.”
“Thanks.” But wait…he had been the one to put his own boxers on, right?
“And I didn’t see you at all, Kendy just informed me of what happened this morning, so…Sorry, I can’t help.” He looked at her sharply, but she was staring at the floor. For some reason he had a sneaky suspicion that she was hiding something.
“Okay, well at least I didn’t do anything stupid.” Both girls gave a little tittering laugh, and he looked them over skeptically.
“We’re leaving now,” Liz told him, grabbing Kendy’s hand, “Bye!” And they hurried back down the hall. He shook his head after them and went back inside his room. Women, he thought.
------
“Why did you lie?” Kendy asked her.
Liz shrugged, “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done, and if he can’t recall then it really doesn’t effect him.”
“What did happen?”
She stopped and gave the younger girl her full attention. Brown eyes met identical brown eyes and they stared at each other. “I’m not going to be a threat to you Kendy.”
“What?”
“You love Bastian-“
“I do not!" she protested.
Liz just shook her head, “You do, and I can see that. I just want you to know that whatever Bastian feels for me…It’s just a crush. He’ll come around sooner or later.” She started walking again.
“Why don’t you want him?” She looked back at the confused blonde.
“I have Max, Kendy. And I love him, Bastian’s like a son to me. I can’t feel that way about him.” There was more to it than that, but broken down, that was the basics. Kendy would have to accept it.
She waited for the girl to catch up to her and they walked in companionable silence back to Liz’s room, where Kendy had already had a breakfast set up.
------
Kendy was in a glorious mood. She couldn’t help it, Bastian had kissed her last night. The Crown Prince of Antar had kissed her last night.
A the moment it didn’t matter to her that they could never be together. It didn’t matter that she was only a servant and he was next in line for the throne. All that matter was that she was Kendy and he was Bastian, and he had kissed her!
She hurried down the corridor, preparing speech that would let Bastian know kindly but firmly that they could only be friends, as much as she wanted it to be more, they could only be friends.
“Kendy!”
She stopped, mid-skip. “Liz?”
“Thank God I caught you.”
“What’s the matter?” she asked the older girl.
“Can you go to the kitchens and get some coffee for Bastian. He was really drunk last night and he’s going to have a horrible hangover.”
Kendy stilled, “How did you know he was drunk?”
Liz looked at her curiously, eyes sad. “He came to my room last night,” she said quietly.
But that was impossible, she had put him to bed, he had been asleep. “What happened?” she had to ask, even though she dreaded the answer.
Liz just shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. He won’t remember.”
“What do you mean by that?” Kendy exclaimed. She was getting fairly frustrated with Liz’s tight-lipped attitude. It was like she was speaking in code or something. If something was wrong with her prince, she deserved the right to know.
“Alien brains can’t handle alcohol. Since Bastian echoes Max in most qualities, I’m guessing it will effect him the same way it did Max.” Her voice grew sad as her eyes, and the tone took on one of longing and regret. “Just get the coffee Kendy, I’ll meet you in Bastian’s room.”
------
He groaned at the pounding in his head. Or wait, was that the door? He paused and listened for a moment. It was both.
“Coming,” he growled. Getting up he wiped the grit out of his blurry eyes, jeez, his tongue felt heavy and cottony. He needed to brush his teeth. He grabbed his robe and put it on over his boxers before he opened the door. “Liz?”
“Hey, how are you feeling?”
He rubbed his head and gave her a sheepish smile. “I’ve been better. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I can’t remember what happened after Lonnie gave me that, what’s she call it? Hin-a-kin, or…that beer,” he finally concluded.
She gave him a sympathetic smile. “I thought as much. Go sit down,” she said, shooing him back into his room.
“Got the coffee!” He looked over at Kendy as she came to a skidding stop by the door. She was breathing heavily and her face was flushed.
“Coffee?”
“It’ll help clear your head,” Kendy told him, then gave Liz a quick glance, “At least that’s what Liz says.”
“Well, I’m willing to try anything. I’ve got the worst headache…” He took the cup from Kendy and sipped it, letting the warmth seep down into him. “Thanks, Kendy.” She smiled at him sweetly, and he ruffled her hair.
“Liz said you wouldn’t remember anything about last night?” She posed it as a question, sounding a little disbelieving. He racked his brain, but nothing, just a big blur.
“She would be correct, I can’t recall a thing.”
“Oh.” He looked at her, wondering at the disappointment in her soft voice.
“It was sweet of you to be concerned about me Kendy.” She flinched slightly, but then sent him a tremulous smile.
“What are friends for?” she asked.
“Kendy! I got the food you wanted.” The three of them looked down the hall as the silver-haired blond came towards them.
“Raina, thank you!” Kendy exclaimed, taking the tray her friend had brought.
“Yes,” Bastian repeated, “Thank you. I’m starving!” He eyed the food thoughtfully. “Unfortunately I don’t thing I can eat all that by myself. Would you three like to join me?”
The new girl sputtered, blushing, “I-I have t-to go ba-ack to the kitchens…Thank you so much for offering your Highness…I’ve n-never-“
“It’s all right,” he interrupted smoothly, smiling at her, “I understand. You have duties, I’m not offended.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “By the way, how’s your dress?” He did remember that, at least that was something.
She gave him a brilliant smile, her green eyes sparkling. “I dropped it off this morning, no trouble.”
“Good.” He nodded at her kindly. She looked to be about bursting to say something else, but dropped and curtsey and ran back the way she had come. They stared after her. “Strange girl,” he commented.
“You gotta love her, though,” Kendy pointed out.
He shook his head. “So what about you two? Wanna join me for breakfast?” They both shook their heads no. Liz smiled at him.
“If your appetite is as big as Max’s, you won’t need any help. And then you’re going to get some rest, your eyes are awful red…”
He rolled his eyes. “Come on,” he pleaded, “I need to now what happened last night.”
“Well…” It was Kendy who responded this time, “When I found you all you had done was wander around, so I put you to bed.”
“Thanks.” But wait…he had been the one to put his own boxers on, right?
“And I didn’t see you at all, Kendy just informed me of what happened this morning, so…Sorry, I can’t help.” He looked at her sharply, but she was staring at the floor. For some reason he had a sneaky suspicion that she was hiding something.
“Okay, well at least I didn’t do anything stupid.” Both girls gave a little tittering laugh, and he looked them over skeptically.
“We’re leaving now,” Liz told him, grabbing Kendy’s hand, “Bye!” And they hurried back down the hall. He shook his head after them and went back inside his room. Women, he thought.
------
“Why did you lie?” Kendy asked her.
Liz shrugged, “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done, and if he can’t recall then it really doesn’t effect him.”
“What did happen?”
She stopped and gave the younger girl her full attention. Brown eyes met identical brown eyes and they stared at each other. “I’m not going to be a threat to you Kendy.”
“What?”
“You love Bastian-“
“I do not!" she protested.
Liz just shook her head, “You do, and I can see that. I just want you to know that whatever Bastian feels for me…It’s just a crush. He’ll come around sooner or later.” She started walking again.
“Why don’t you want him?” She looked back at the confused blonde.
“I have Max, Kendy. And I love him, Bastian’s like a son to me. I can’t feel that way about him.” There was more to it than that, but broken down, that was the basics. Kendy would have to accept it.
She waited for the girl to catch up to her and they walked in companionable silence back to Liz’s room, where Kendy had already had a breakfast set up.
------
-
dreamangel
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: far from reality
*XVI*
“So you haven’t heard anything?” Liz asked plaintively.
“Nothing. Either Tess has told Kivar he can’t trust me or they just can’t think of a plan.” He shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to do. He hated to see her so disappointed, but she did look cute with her brow all furrowed like that…he sighed.
“We need to find out what’s going on, and I need to contact Max.” She chewed her bottom lip, as if thinking hard. “And I need to know why Tess has left me alone all this time.”
“Oh that’s easy,” he piped up, happy he could help her with something, “Kivar ordered her to stay away from you in case she did something that would “diminish my pleasure” or something.”
“Why doesn’t she just mindwarp herself over here?”
He shook his head. “Can’t, she lost the ability when I was born. You know,” he continued thoughtfully, “I think I might have stolen it from her when I came out.”
“You can mindwarp?”
He nodded, “I can also heal.” And form connections, but he wasn’t going to cop to that now. She wouldn’t like it that he lied to her in the first place.
She smacked him upside the head. “Ow!” he exclaimed, “What was that for?”
Pretty brown eyes rolled and she asked, “Why didn’t you just heal your hangover?”
“I never thought about it, I guess,” he answered, smiling sheepishly. Liz shook her head.
“Okay, so we have healing and mindwarping. Anything else? Can Kendy do anything?”
“No. Only those with royal blood in their veins have power, unless you’re a Skin, because they had those programmed in.” She shut her mouth, showing him that he had been correct in anticipating her next question.
“So how are we going to do this?”
“Kendy can deliver a message to my father,” he said simply, but Liz shook her head.
“We’ve done that too many times, Kivar will start getting suspicious if she goes into town every other day and she disappears for a few hours every time.”
“Right…So what do we do?”
“We need to get off this ship and have a little one-on-one with our fearless leader,” she told him, grinning wolfishly. He returned the smile slowly.
“How do we do that?”
She gave a frustrated moan and stopped pacing his room, then she threw herself on his bed and looked at him stymied. “That’s the problem, I can’t think of anyway it would work. I mean, if you mindwarp us out, they’ll find out eventually…We need a story that will keep them out of our hair, no summons for you, anyway, and someone who’ll cover for us,” she mused.
There was a perfunctory knock on the door and then Kendy rushed in and dropped onto the bed with them, sighing leisurely. “Thank goodness, those kitchens are so hot.” She fanned herself with her hand, “I thought I was trapped there forever!”
He laughed down at her and tugged a strand of her hair, keeping it confined and playing with the sleek feel of it. He was intent for a moment on watching the way the light hit upon it, making it the gloss of pure gold.
“Are you done admiring my hair, Bastian?” Kendy asked, looking at him with amusement. He dropped the curl immediately, turning red.
“Sorry,” he muttered. Liz and Kendy just laughed at him. Jeez, he almost liked it better when they had the tension between them. Lately all they seemed to do was gang up and tease him mercilessly. It was enough to drive a man insane…
“What were we talking about?” the blonde asked.
“Bastian and I need an alibi, one that will give us enough time to get to town, confer with Max, and get back. Got any ideas?”
“How come you don’t just send me?”
“Too fishy, you’ve been going too much lately.”
“Raina?”
“She’s not a personal servant, she’s only allowed out when the kitchen needs something, and they just had a run yesterday,” Bastian vetoed the idea.
“Well, I’m already scheduled for tomorrow. Make a plan and I’ll tell King Zan.” She shrugged, looking at them expectantly. “Well? You guys are the masterminds, I’m just the errand girl, think fast!”
“Kendy!” they both said.
“Okay, okay,” she giggled. Her eyes alight with laughter. They looked like liquid silk, Bastian observed to himself, staring at her unobtrusively. Wait, he stopped himself, what was he thinking? Kendy? Shouldn’t he be noting what Liz’s eyes looked like when she was laughing? Not Kendy… “I got it!”
“Got what?”
“I’ve just gotten an idea!”
“Well,” Bastian deliberated, “I suppose there’s a first for everything.”
“Bastian!” she gasped, tossing golden hair out of her face and she slapped him.
“Ow! What it this? Intergalactic Hit Bastian Day?” he demanded.
------
Kendy exchanged a glance with Liz and they grabbed the pillows Bastian was lying on. “Hey!” he protested as he fell back. Then his shouts were muffled as they bombarded him with the pillows.
“Oh, you two are gonna get it!” he cried, snatching the pillows out of their hands. The girls screamed and tried to scramble off the bed, but Bastian had Liz by the hem of her dress and Kendy was snagged back by a powerful arm that pulled her down onto the soft bed. “Now I have you at my mercy!” he gave a mock-evil laugh that caused them to giggle more, “Cower before me puny women!” And then he attacked.
“Bastian!” they screeched together as he tickled them. Kendy tried to squirm away, but only managed to entrench herself further underneath him. “Liz, help!”
“I can’t,” she said back, “I’m stuck!” More giggling ensued.
“Whoa.” Everyone froze and turned to the doorway, where a woman was standing. “Sorry fer inta’rupptin’.” Lonnie grinned at the and then winked at Bastian. “Nice goin’ B, ya got yerself two cherries ta pop.”
Kendy looked at Liz, confused about the reference, but Liz just shook her head, blushing and removed herself from the compromising position the three of them had put themselves in.
“Did you need something, Aunt Vilandra?” Bastian asked in his “Prince” voice. She shivered, not liking the change that left him so cold and inaccessible.
“Nah, jus’ haven’t seen ya in a few days, wanted ta make sure ya din’t get any…lastin’ effects from the beer.”
“Nothing permanent. Thank you for inquiring about my health, Aunt Vilandra, it’s nice to know you have some concern for me.”
She shook her head and thumbed her nose, “You my boy, B.” She smirked at them again. “Have fun Duke.” And then she walked out.
They waited, silently and solemnly for a minute and then looked at each other. “I think I just got an idea,” Liz said.
“What?” she asked.
They were whispering now, disturbed by the intrusion into their private sanctuary. “We use that,” Liz said, gesturing in the general direction that Lonnie had just disappeared.
“Use what?” she echoed.
“That. What they assume, about us.”
“Oh…” Kendy’s voice faded out.
“What?” Bastian asked, “What are you talking about? What are we doing?”
The girl’s rolled their eyes at each other. Boys were so dense. “Kendy,” Liz said, taking charge, “You go into town and tell Max to have someone waiting for us at the drop off point tomorrow night at midnight.” She nodded. “Bastian and I will sneak out through his window and take off through the desert from here. You understand what to say to cover for us.”
She nodded again. “I got it, you two will be “occupied” and wish not to be disturbed for any reason.”
“Good.”
“What do you mean ‘occupied’?” Bastian queried, baffled.
“Just work with us, Bastian,” Liz ordered, “Don’t ask questions.”
He sighed heavily, “Fine.”
------
They hit the ground hard. “You all right?” Bastian asked her.
“Fine,” she whispered back, “Let’s go.”
They headed away from the ship, in the direction Liz had first come from, Bastian mindwarping them until they were out of sight of the ship.
She heard an engine humming close a few hours later and she peered out from behind the shrubbery she and Bastian were hiding. “That’s our ride, come on.” She tugged him after her and stepped out into the headlights.
“Shit, Liz!” Michael exclaimed from the new Jeep.
“Hey Michael,” she greeted back, climbing into the vehicle. Bastian cautiously got in after her. Michael stared at him as if he had seen a ghost. Liz frowned at him, seeing how uncomfortable with the scrutiny Bastian was. “Bastian, this is Michael Guerin. Michael, this is Bastian.”
“Nice to meet you,” Michael said gruffly and put the car in gear.
“You too,” Bastian responded quietly, looking at Liz helplessly.
“Don’t worry Bastian, Michael’s like this with everybody, it’s not you.”
Michael gave her a glance. “Funny Liz, you turned into a comedian in your absence. I’m so thrilled.”
Liz didn’t reply to that. “How are my parents?”
“They took the get-away excuse easy. Your dad muttered something about ‘that Evans boy’ and chopped up some meat. Your mom just shook her head and asked why you never bother to inform her of these things. Perfect Lizzie Parker slipping up?” he teased.
“Shut up, Guerin!”
------
Bastian started the mindwarp a little before they entered town, making sure that all the guards were covered. Michael parked in an alley by a UFO Museum and cut the engine. “Get out,” he said shortly.
Bastian scrambled out and then helped Liz down, who smiled at him gratefully as Michael led them silently through a back entrance. He had never known Rath, but from what history books said, Michael was pretty much the original. Strong, silent, gruff, powerful…Exactly as the Commander had always been described.
“Here we go,” Liz murmured. They suddenly came into the center of the place, and he tore his eyes away from the gruesome displays. A group of eyes swung towards him. There was an older man, blue eyes, gray hair. Then the teenagers, a blonde girl with green eyes, another blond boy with blue eyes, Vilandra, or Isabel…And then amber eyes met his briefly, eyes they reminded him of his own, and then they flickered to the girl beside him and shone with relief.
“Liz,” he breathed. And then Liz was gone from his side, brown hair streaming as she ran to his look-alike, his father.
“Max!” There were tears in her voice as he caught her up against him.
“Liz, Liz, Lizlizlizliz…” his father chanted, running hands over his body, kissing every inch of her face he could reach.
Some part of Bastian was wounded, but that part was buried, and he wasn’t really feeling heartbroken. It was almost as if he had known all along she couldn’t really be his. But she had been his dream girl since he could remember, and he didn’t know if he could care about anyone else. Feel for another woman what he had felt for her.
His hands clenched and he looked away. Brown eyes were looking at him curiously. “Hello,” she said in a well-mannered, cultured voice, “I’m your Aunt Isabel. You can call me Izzy.” Suddenly she grinned, making her much more approachable. She swept him into a hug and kissed his cheek. “Thank God we finally found you, I thought Max was going to go insane. And he turns into a big enough lunatic when Liz isn’t around, with both of you gone…” she shook her head, “Sheer madness.”
They turned their attention back to the reuniting couple. Liz’s legs were now wrapped around Max’s waist, and they were kissing passionately. “Are they always like that?” he asked, feeling as if he had just caught his parents making out on the couch.
“Pretty much,” she retorted, “Of course, it’ll get worse if we don’t do something.”
Just then they broke apart for air, but just barely. “I’m never going to let anything come between us again. Never,” he murmured against her lips, refusing to let her go.
“There’s definitely nothing coming between you right now,” Isabel called to them, “You know, you have a son here who might want to meet you or something.” Max looked at them abashedly and let Liz slide down his body. She was instantly grabbed by other blonde girl, who pulled her into a squealing hug.
“Maria…Need…to…breathe…”
Bastian and Max eyed each other warily. They appeared exactly alike, it was like looking into a mirror, with the only thing different being their clothes. “I’m Max,” Max said, sticking his hand out, “I’m your father.” He scratched his temple with the other hand. “I don’t know which you should call me.”
“How about we start with Max and work our way up to Dad?” he suggested, extending his hand too. “I’m Bastian, your son.”
Max gave him a slow smile and drew him into a hug. “Welcome home, Bastian, I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”
Bastian held back tears and nodded against his father’s shoulder. “Thanks,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Ain’t this sweet?” a voice ricocheted down from the stairs leading to the front entrance, “A cornball reunion.” Everyone slowly turned to face the trespasser, guards up, ready for a fight.
------
“So you haven’t heard anything?” Liz asked plaintively.
“Nothing. Either Tess has told Kivar he can’t trust me or they just can’t think of a plan.” He shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to do. He hated to see her so disappointed, but she did look cute with her brow all furrowed like that…he sighed.
“We need to find out what’s going on, and I need to contact Max.” She chewed her bottom lip, as if thinking hard. “And I need to know why Tess has left me alone all this time.”
“Oh that’s easy,” he piped up, happy he could help her with something, “Kivar ordered her to stay away from you in case she did something that would “diminish my pleasure” or something.”
“Why doesn’t she just mindwarp herself over here?”
He shook his head. “Can’t, she lost the ability when I was born. You know,” he continued thoughtfully, “I think I might have stolen it from her when I came out.”
“You can mindwarp?”
He nodded, “I can also heal.” And form connections, but he wasn’t going to cop to that now. She wouldn’t like it that he lied to her in the first place.
She smacked him upside the head. “Ow!” he exclaimed, “What was that for?”
Pretty brown eyes rolled and she asked, “Why didn’t you just heal your hangover?”
“I never thought about it, I guess,” he answered, smiling sheepishly. Liz shook her head.
“Okay, so we have healing and mindwarping. Anything else? Can Kendy do anything?”
“No. Only those with royal blood in their veins have power, unless you’re a Skin, because they had those programmed in.” She shut her mouth, showing him that he had been correct in anticipating her next question.
“So how are we going to do this?”
“Kendy can deliver a message to my father,” he said simply, but Liz shook her head.
“We’ve done that too many times, Kivar will start getting suspicious if she goes into town every other day and she disappears for a few hours every time.”
“Right…So what do we do?”
“We need to get off this ship and have a little one-on-one with our fearless leader,” she told him, grinning wolfishly. He returned the smile slowly.
“How do we do that?”
She gave a frustrated moan and stopped pacing his room, then she threw herself on his bed and looked at him stymied. “That’s the problem, I can’t think of anyway it would work. I mean, if you mindwarp us out, they’ll find out eventually…We need a story that will keep them out of our hair, no summons for you, anyway, and someone who’ll cover for us,” she mused.
There was a perfunctory knock on the door and then Kendy rushed in and dropped onto the bed with them, sighing leisurely. “Thank goodness, those kitchens are so hot.” She fanned herself with her hand, “I thought I was trapped there forever!”
He laughed down at her and tugged a strand of her hair, keeping it confined and playing with the sleek feel of it. He was intent for a moment on watching the way the light hit upon it, making it the gloss of pure gold.
“Are you done admiring my hair, Bastian?” Kendy asked, looking at him with amusement. He dropped the curl immediately, turning red.
“Sorry,” he muttered. Liz and Kendy just laughed at him. Jeez, he almost liked it better when they had the tension between them. Lately all they seemed to do was gang up and tease him mercilessly. It was enough to drive a man insane…
“What were we talking about?” the blonde asked.
“Bastian and I need an alibi, one that will give us enough time to get to town, confer with Max, and get back. Got any ideas?”
“How come you don’t just send me?”
“Too fishy, you’ve been going too much lately.”
“Raina?”
“She’s not a personal servant, she’s only allowed out when the kitchen needs something, and they just had a run yesterday,” Bastian vetoed the idea.
“Well, I’m already scheduled for tomorrow. Make a plan and I’ll tell King Zan.” She shrugged, looking at them expectantly. “Well? You guys are the masterminds, I’m just the errand girl, think fast!”
“Kendy!” they both said.
“Okay, okay,” she giggled. Her eyes alight with laughter. They looked like liquid silk, Bastian observed to himself, staring at her unobtrusively. Wait, he stopped himself, what was he thinking? Kendy? Shouldn’t he be noting what Liz’s eyes looked like when she was laughing? Not Kendy… “I got it!”
“Got what?”
“I’ve just gotten an idea!”
“Well,” Bastian deliberated, “I suppose there’s a first for everything.”
“Bastian!” she gasped, tossing golden hair out of her face and she slapped him.
“Ow! What it this? Intergalactic Hit Bastian Day?” he demanded.
------
Kendy exchanged a glance with Liz and they grabbed the pillows Bastian was lying on. “Hey!” he protested as he fell back. Then his shouts were muffled as they bombarded him with the pillows.
“Oh, you two are gonna get it!” he cried, snatching the pillows out of their hands. The girls screamed and tried to scramble off the bed, but Bastian had Liz by the hem of her dress and Kendy was snagged back by a powerful arm that pulled her down onto the soft bed. “Now I have you at my mercy!” he gave a mock-evil laugh that caused them to giggle more, “Cower before me puny women!” And then he attacked.
“Bastian!” they screeched together as he tickled them. Kendy tried to squirm away, but only managed to entrench herself further underneath him. “Liz, help!”
“I can’t,” she said back, “I’m stuck!” More giggling ensued.
“Whoa.” Everyone froze and turned to the doorway, where a woman was standing. “Sorry fer inta’rupptin’.” Lonnie grinned at the and then winked at Bastian. “Nice goin’ B, ya got yerself two cherries ta pop.”
Kendy looked at Liz, confused about the reference, but Liz just shook her head, blushing and removed herself from the compromising position the three of them had put themselves in.
“Did you need something, Aunt Vilandra?” Bastian asked in his “Prince” voice. She shivered, not liking the change that left him so cold and inaccessible.
“Nah, jus’ haven’t seen ya in a few days, wanted ta make sure ya din’t get any…lastin’ effects from the beer.”
“Nothing permanent. Thank you for inquiring about my health, Aunt Vilandra, it’s nice to know you have some concern for me.”
She shook her head and thumbed her nose, “You my boy, B.” She smirked at them again. “Have fun Duke.” And then she walked out.
They waited, silently and solemnly for a minute and then looked at each other. “I think I just got an idea,” Liz said.
“What?” she asked.
They were whispering now, disturbed by the intrusion into their private sanctuary. “We use that,” Liz said, gesturing in the general direction that Lonnie had just disappeared.
“Use what?” she echoed.
“That. What they assume, about us.”
“Oh…” Kendy’s voice faded out.
“What?” Bastian asked, “What are you talking about? What are we doing?”
The girl’s rolled their eyes at each other. Boys were so dense. “Kendy,” Liz said, taking charge, “You go into town and tell Max to have someone waiting for us at the drop off point tomorrow night at midnight.” She nodded. “Bastian and I will sneak out through his window and take off through the desert from here. You understand what to say to cover for us.”
She nodded again. “I got it, you two will be “occupied” and wish not to be disturbed for any reason.”
“Good.”
“What do you mean ‘occupied’?” Bastian queried, baffled.
“Just work with us, Bastian,” Liz ordered, “Don’t ask questions.”
He sighed heavily, “Fine.”
------
They hit the ground hard. “You all right?” Bastian asked her.
“Fine,” she whispered back, “Let’s go.”
They headed away from the ship, in the direction Liz had first come from, Bastian mindwarping them until they were out of sight of the ship.
She heard an engine humming close a few hours later and she peered out from behind the shrubbery she and Bastian were hiding. “That’s our ride, come on.” She tugged him after her and stepped out into the headlights.
“Shit, Liz!” Michael exclaimed from the new Jeep.
“Hey Michael,” she greeted back, climbing into the vehicle. Bastian cautiously got in after her. Michael stared at him as if he had seen a ghost. Liz frowned at him, seeing how uncomfortable with the scrutiny Bastian was. “Bastian, this is Michael Guerin. Michael, this is Bastian.”
“Nice to meet you,” Michael said gruffly and put the car in gear.
“You too,” Bastian responded quietly, looking at Liz helplessly.
“Don’t worry Bastian, Michael’s like this with everybody, it’s not you.”
Michael gave her a glance. “Funny Liz, you turned into a comedian in your absence. I’m so thrilled.”
Liz didn’t reply to that. “How are my parents?”
“They took the get-away excuse easy. Your dad muttered something about ‘that Evans boy’ and chopped up some meat. Your mom just shook her head and asked why you never bother to inform her of these things. Perfect Lizzie Parker slipping up?” he teased.
“Shut up, Guerin!”
------
Bastian started the mindwarp a little before they entered town, making sure that all the guards were covered. Michael parked in an alley by a UFO Museum and cut the engine. “Get out,” he said shortly.
Bastian scrambled out and then helped Liz down, who smiled at him gratefully as Michael led them silently through a back entrance. He had never known Rath, but from what history books said, Michael was pretty much the original. Strong, silent, gruff, powerful…Exactly as the Commander had always been described.
“Here we go,” Liz murmured. They suddenly came into the center of the place, and he tore his eyes away from the gruesome displays. A group of eyes swung towards him. There was an older man, blue eyes, gray hair. Then the teenagers, a blonde girl with green eyes, another blond boy with blue eyes, Vilandra, or Isabel…And then amber eyes met his briefly, eyes they reminded him of his own, and then they flickered to the girl beside him and shone with relief.
“Liz,” he breathed. And then Liz was gone from his side, brown hair streaming as she ran to his look-alike, his father.
“Max!” There were tears in her voice as he caught her up against him.
“Liz, Liz, Lizlizlizliz…” his father chanted, running hands over his body, kissing every inch of her face he could reach.
Some part of Bastian was wounded, but that part was buried, and he wasn’t really feeling heartbroken. It was almost as if he had known all along she couldn’t really be his. But she had been his dream girl since he could remember, and he didn’t know if he could care about anyone else. Feel for another woman what he had felt for her.
His hands clenched and he looked away. Brown eyes were looking at him curiously. “Hello,” she said in a well-mannered, cultured voice, “I’m your Aunt Isabel. You can call me Izzy.” Suddenly she grinned, making her much more approachable. She swept him into a hug and kissed his cheek. “Thank God we finally found you, I thought Max was going to go insane. And he turns into a big enough lunatic when Liz isn’t around, with both of you gone…” she shook her head, “Sheer madness.”
They turned their attention back to the reuniting couple. Liz’s legs were now wrapped around Max’s waist, and they were kissing passionately. “Are they always like that?” he asked, feeling as if he had just caught his parents making out on the couch.
“Pretty much,” she retorted, “Of course, it’ll get worse if we don’t do something.”
Just then they broke apart for air, but just barely. “I’m never going to let anything come between us again. Never,” he murmured against her lips, refusing to let her go.
“There’s definitely nothing coming between you right now,” Isabel called to them, “You know, you have a son here who might want to meet you or something.” Max looked at them abashedly and let Liz slide down his body. She was instantly grabbed by other blonde girl, who pulled her into a squealing hug.
“Maria…Need…to…breathe…”
Bastian and Max eyed each other warily. They appeared exactly alike, it was like looking into a mirror, with the only thing different being their clothes. “I’m Max,” Max said, sticking his hand out, “I’m your father.” He scratched his temple with the other hand. “I don’t know which you should call me.”
“How about we start with Max and work our way up to Dad?” he suggested, extending his hand too. “I’m Bastian, your son.”
Max gave him a slow smile and drew him into a hug. “Welcome home, Bastian, I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”
Bastian held back tears and nodded against his father’s shoulder. “Thanks,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Ain’t this sweet?” a voice ricocheted down from the stairs leading to the front entrance, “A cornball reunion.” Everyone slowly turned to face the trespasser, guards up, ready for a fight.
------
-
dreamangel
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: far from reality
*XVII*
“Ava!”
She laughed, happy that Liz was glad to see her. She hurried down the steps and into Liz’s arms, hugging each other tight. “Were have you been?” Liz asked excitedly.
“Around,” she replied, shrugging, “Went ta Europe, saw da sights. It ain’t the shit, but it passed time.” Liz smiled. “Then I’s got dis funny feelin’ an’ I headed back ‘ere. Waylaid in da City, lifted a car, and ‘ere I am, back in dis cornball town. So, ‘sup?”
“A lot, actually,” Liz told her, leading her over to the group, “And I’m thrilled you came back, I missed you.”
“I missed ya too, Lizzie.” She looked at her best friend shyly and Liz gave her shoulder a squeeze.
“Come on, we’ll fill you in.”
Ava looked the group over bashfully, their last encounters hadn’t been that great. She hadn’t really got to know any of the humans, but they were looking at her apprehensively, as if trying to figure her out. She bet they were wondering if she was like that bitch, Tess. Isabel and Michael were glaring at her, distrustful. She deserved that, she guessed, she hadn’t been all that forthcoming last time they talked.
Max’s gaze on her was impassionate, as if he were reserving judgment on her for Liz’s sake. She gave him a small smile to thank him for sticking up for her when Rath had threatened her last year. His eyes lost some of there aloofness and he gave her a tiny nod.
She then turned her attention to the person beside Max, and sucked in a breath. Amber eyes regarded her curiously. He looked like Zan, well a more Maxlike Zan, but he was definitely one of the kings.
She frowned and walked up to him, studying him closely. He just watched her as she circled around him. There was no tugging at her lower extremities like there was when Zan had been around, or even to the lesser extent Max caused in her libido. She felt something for him, but it had no sexual connotations.
She came back in front of him, looking him right in the eye. Then she reached out and brushed his bangs back and fixed the collar of his shirt. “Get a peep at ya!” she exclaimed, “Straighten up, ya look like a disgrace ta ya name!”
He smiled. “Yes Mother,” he replied, voice teasing. She gave him a soft smile.
“So’s who are ya?”
“Ava, this is Bastian,” Liz said, “Max’s son.”
She looked at Liz, surprised. “Ain’t no way!” she exclaimed, surprised as hell.
“Kivar performed some genetic engineering on him as a baby, growth hormones were stimulated, body and brain. He’s the equivalent of a nineteen year old, same as us,” Liz informed her in the science whiz tone.
“How’d Kivar get his grimy hands on ‘im? And whens were ya preggers, Liz?” she demanded. Liz shook her head.
“Bastian is also Tess’ son.”
Ava thought on this for a sec, then smacked Max. “Asshole, what were yous thinkin’? Fuckin’ dat bitch? She ain’t got nothin’ on Lizzie!”
“Ava!” Liz exclaimed, “It doesn’t matter, it’s over and done with, okay.”
She shrugged and glared at Max. “’Kay.” Then she looked around, “Where’s da bitch anyway?” The group exchanged looks.
“With Kivar,” Liz said, as spokesperson, “She betrayed us…”
“Bitch,” she muttered, shaking her head, “Bad seed in every group, only ours had two. Speaking of, Lonnie and Rath is missin’, watch ya backs.”
“Um,” Bastian put in, “Lonnie’s on the ship, Rath’s dead.”
“Well, that’s sumthin’ then. So what’s we gonna do?”
“You’re going to help?” Isabel asked, voice cold with disbelief.
“Yeah, I’s gonna help, Vilandra," she stressed. Isabel flinched. “Ya gotta problem wit’ dat?”
“Hey,” Max intervened, “Cool it you two. Izzy, Ava isn’t Tess, and Ava, Isabel is not Vilandra, or Lonnie. She’d never betray me like they did to both Zans. Is that understood?”
Isabel nodded and Ava shrugged. “Got it Duke, you da man.”
------
“Alright, let’s get down to business.” Everyone gathered around him and he slipped Liz underneath his arm, where she belonged. “What’s been going on?”
“We don’t know,” Liz notified him, “That’s the problem. Bastian says they aren’t doing anything except training, and Kivar isn’t forthcoming with any immediate plans.” Max looked at his son, who nodded in agreement.
“Fine, they can mess around, but we’re going on the offensive. I’m tired of waiting for Kivar to make the first move. So we need to come up with a plan quick and we need to carry it out before they have a chance to counterattack.” He was frustrated with the waiting, he wanted Liz safe at home and he wanted his son away from Kivar, Tess, Lonnie, and Nicholas. “So,” he clapped his hands together, “Any ideas?”
“Well,” Liz started, getting that cute little pout that meant she was thinking hard, “Let’s go over what we have.” She looked around at everybody. “We have the Royal Four now that Ava’s here, each with their own set of powers…And Bastian, who can heal and mindwarp, and we have Kendy on the inside right now, and possible help from the scullery maids and servants.”
“And,” Bastian added, “Since the number of serving class outweighs that of the noblemen, we have an advantage. Plus, we have three look-alikes here.”
Max picked up on Bastian’s train of thought and grinned, “Which means we can infiltrate and take them out one-by-one.”
“Exactly,” Bastian concurred. They smiled at each other, eyes sparkling.
“Okay,” Maria put in, “That is just freaky.”
------
“Ava!”
She laughed, happy that Liz was glad to see her. She hurried down the steps and into Liz’s arms, hugging each other tight. “Were have you been?” Liz asked excitedly.
“Around,” she replied, shrugging, “Went ta Europe, saw da sights. It ain’t the shit, but it passed time.” Liz smiled. “Then I’s got dis funny feelin’ an’ I headed back ‘ere. Waylaid in da City, lifted a car, and ‘ere I am, back in dis cornball town. So, ‘sup?”
“A lot, actually,” Liz told her, leading her over to the group, “And I’m thrilled you came back, I missed you.”
“I missed ya too, Lizzie.” She looked at her best friend shyly and Liz gave her shoulder a squeeze.
“Come on, we’ll fill you in.”
Ava looked the group over bashfully, their last encounters hadn’t been that great. She hadn’t really got to know any of the humans, but they were looking at her apprehensively, as if trying to figure her out. She bet they were wondering if she was like that bitch, Tess. Isabel and Michael were glaring at her, distrustful. She deserved that, she guessed, she hadn’t been all that forthcoming last time they talked.
Max’s gaze on her was impassionate, as if he were reserving judgment on her for Liz’s sake. She gave him a small smile to thank him for sticking up for her when Rath had threatened her last year. His eyes lost some of there aloofness and he gave her a tiny nod.
She then turned her attention to the person beside Max, and sucked in a breath. Amber eyes regarded her curiously. He looked like Zan, well a more Maxlike Zan, but he was definitely one of the kings.
She frowned and walked up to him, studying him closely. He just watched her as she circled around him. There was no tugging at her lower extremities like there was when Zan had been around, or even to the lesser extent Max caused in her libido. She felt something for him, but it had no sexual connotations.
She came back in front of him, looking him right in the eye. Then she reached out and brushed his bangs back and fixed the collar of his shirt. “Get a peep at ya!” she exclaimed, “Straighten up, ya look like a disgrace ta ya name!”
He smiled. “Yes Mother,” he replied, voice teasing. She gave him a soft smile.
“So’s who are ya?”
“Ava, this is Bastian,” Liz said, “Max’s son.”
She looked at Liz, surprised. “Ain’t no way!” she exclaimed, surprised as hell.
“Kivar performed some genetic engineering on him as a baby, growth hormones were stimulated, body and brain. He’s the equivalent of a nineteen year old, same as us,” Liz informed her in the science whiz tone.
“How’d Kivar get his grimy hands on ‘im? And whens were ya preggers, Liz?” she demanded. Liz shook her head.
“Bastian is also Tess’ son.”
Ava thought on this for a sec, then smacked Max. “Asshole, what were yous thinkin’? Fuckin’ dat bitch? She ain’t got nothin’ on Lizzie!”
“Ava!” Liz exclaimed, “It doesn’t matter, it’s over and done with, okay.”
She shrugged and glared at Max. “’Kay.” Then she looked around, “Where’s da bitch anyway?” The group exchanged looks.
“With Kivar,” Liz said, as spokesperson, “She betrayed us…”
“Bitch,” she muttered, shaking her head, “Bad seed in every group, only ours had two. Speaking of, Lonnie and Rath is missin’, watch ya backs.”
“Um,” Bastian put in, “Lonnie’s on the ship, Rath’s dead.”
“Well, that’s sumthin’ then. So what’s we gonna do?”
“You’re going to help?” Isabel asked, voice cold with disbelief.
“Yeah, I’s gonna help, Vilandra," she stressed. Isabel flinched. “Ya gotta problem wit’ dat?”
“Hey,” Max intervened, “Cool it you two. Izzy, Ava isn’t Tess, and Ava, Isabel is not Vilandra, or Lonnie. She’d never betray me like they did to both Zans. Is that understood?”
Isabel nodded and Ava shrugged. “Got it Duke, you da man.”
------
“Alright, let’s get down to business.” Everyone gathered around him and he slipped Liz underneath his arm, where she belonged. “What’s been going on?”
“We don’t know,” Liz notified him, “That’s the problem. Bastian says they aren’t doing anything except training, and Kivar isn’t forthcoming with any immediate plans.” Max looked at his son, who nodded in agreement.
“Fine, they can mess around, but we’re going on the offensive. I’m tired of waiting for Kivar to make the first move. So we need to come up with a plan quick and we need to carry it out before they have a chance to counterattack.” He was frustrated with the waiting, he wanted Liz safe at home and he wanted his son away from Kivar, Tess, Lonnie, and Nicholas. “So,” he clapped his hands together, “Any ideas?”
“Well,” Liz started, getting that cute little pout that meant she was thinking hard, “Let’s go over what we have.” She looked around at everybody. “We have the Royal Four now that Ava’s here, each with their own set of powers…And Bastian, who can heal and mindwarp, and we have Kendy on the inside right now, and possible help from the scullery maids and servants.”
“And,” Bastian added, “Since the number of serving class outweighs that of the noblemen, we have an advantage. Plus, we have three look-alikes here.”
Max picked up on Bastian’s train of thought and grinned, “Which means we can infiltrate and take them out one-by-one.”
“Exactly,” Bastian concurred. They smiled at each other, eyes sparkling.
“Okay,” Maria put in, “That is just freaky.”
------
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dreamangel
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: far from reality
*XVIII*
Tess strode purposefully down the hallway, refusing to let that bitch spoil her life any longer. She didn’t care what Kivar said, Liz was bad news, and she would not let her corrupt Bastian the way she had Max.
The door to Liz’s room opened just in front of her and Tess was surprised to see a blonde replication of the very girl she was out to destroy. “Who are you?” she demanded.
The girl dropped into a deep curtsey. “Kendy, your Majesty,” she told her in a tremulous voice, “I am servant to his Highness and the Lady Elizabeth.”
“Oh, well. I must speak with the Lady Elizabeth,” she said sarcastically making to move past the serving girl.
“She is not in there, Majesty.”
Tess paused, “Then where is she?”
“She is with Prince Bastian, my Queen, in his chambers. She has been there for the past few days, I was just returning some of her things to her room.”
“Days?” Tess repeated, blanching. No, no, no, she had left this too long, she had to end it now, before her son was in too deep to get out.
“Yes, Majesty.”
Tess didn’t say another word, just turned on her heel and headed in the direction of her baby boy’s quarters.
------
Kendy waited breathlessly as Tess stalked away. A few moments later the door behind her opened and Bastian stuck his head out. “All clear?”
“Yup.” He came out into the hallway, followed by Ava. Michael and Isabel remained inside. “That was close,” she told him nervously.
“Yeah,” he agreed, “Nice save though, I totally believed it.”
Kendy smiled and cuffed him lightly. “I’ll head to the serving quarters now and set everything up.”
“Good,” he nodded, “Be careful.”
“I will,” she assured him, shaking her head at his paranoia.
“Kendy…” She looked up sharply, surprised by his serious tone of voice.
“What?”
He looked at Ava, who raised an eyebrow. Blushing, he walked her forward a few paces, out of his new mother’s earshot. “I mean it. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you, Kendy. You’re my best friend.”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked into his somber eyes. “Bastian,” she choked, hugging him tightly, “I promise I’ll be fine, okay?”
He nodded and looked down at the floor, ears tinted pink. She laughed, he was so cute, and kissed his cheek in a best-friends way. She really wanted to tell him she loved him, just in case this whole thing didn’t work and one of them died or something.
But she didn’t cross that just friends line, maybe as a vow that there would be another chance, or maybe because she wasn’t sure what would happen if that boundary was broken.
“Now, you and Ava get going, you have your part to fulfill.”
“Yeah, I think we gave my father and Liz enough time.” He beckoned to Ava and gave her one last hug, then he and the pink-haired girl continued after Tess and she went to the kitchens to find Vala and Raina and Sidra. They had their own work to do.
------
Liz gasped, taking her lips away from Max’s to work on the buttons of his shirt. Max didn’t allow the neglect to continue, he growled fiercely, capturing them back and sliding his hands over her bodice, tugging it away from her body
“Max!” she sighed as his tongue slowly slipped down her neck, lavishing the sensitive skin above breasts. One hand had moved from the bodice to her stays as he lowered her to the floor, his lips never ceasing in their explorations. The other slipped up the skirts, skimming over her smooth thighs and making her moan. “Max…” she whispered again, feeling hot and needy.
They had been apart too long, their bodies aching for each other, souls crying for its mate… They needed this, now, more than anything.
“Liz,” he groaned, tracing the private part of her soaked, silk panties. She tossed her head from side to side, her hips moving against his hand.
“Max, please,” she begged, unable to keep the desire from her voice.
“I know, love. God, I know,” he responded, catching her lips in his once more. Her hands fluttered randomly before locking themselves in his raven hair, pressing him closer to her body. She was glowing wherever his skin touched, making the fire coursing through her body burn hotter, brighter…
“I need you , now, Max, please!”
“Yes,” he said, voice harsh with the same desperation that was in hers. He started pulling her dress off and she went to work on the leather pants, getting in each other’s way but not caring. The emotions rampaging through their bodies not allowing any distraction from the task it was trying to complete.
“Bastian?” The query froze them, half naked on the floor, and they stared at the door in horror. A knock sounded again and again Tess called for her son. Max and Liz exchanged glances, then slowly got up.
“One second Mother,” Max called, making a face. He and Liz inspected each other, they were both looking properly disheveled, and both blushed, aware that they had gotten carried away with their roles. He brushed a kiss against her temple and then went to the door.
Liz held her breath, praying for the deception to work. Tess looked Max over from head to foot, taking in his state of dress and then threw her a disgusted glance. “I need to speak with my son alone, Liz, if you wouldn’t mind?” Her voice was pure ice, and Liz resisted a triumphant grin that the plan had worked.
“Of course, Tess,” she replied, voice just as frosty, and then swept to the door, not bothering to adjust her clothes. “I’ll see you later, Bastian,” she whispered sweetly to Max, giving him bedroom eyes. She saw his own eyes darken with a primitive need and shivered.
Max stepped back to let her pass and she came abreast of Tess. “Whore,” the other girl muttered.
“That’s rich coming from a slut like you,” was her parting shot. Tess slammed the door behind her and Liz allowed herself a broad smile.
“Well?” Bastian’s head peeked around the corner, followed by Ava’s. She let them see her grin.
“It worked,” she hissed, walking over to them.
“Obviously,” he mused, staring at her disapprovingly, “What did he do, maul you?”
“Nothin’ Liz din’t appreciate,” Ava said, smirking. Liz just blushed.
------
“Bastian,” Tess told him, “I don’t think you should get involved with her. I know when we spoke about this before you didn’t want to listen, but there are some things you need to know.” She was looking at him as if she needed him to understand, as if her words were of the utmost importance.
He kept his face impassive, but was a little taken aback by the fact that she loved Bastian. That she loved anything. But she did, it was there in those lying blue eyes of hers.
“You need to understand, honey. She’s a bitch, a whore, and you do not want to be associated with girls like that. People are talking, honey, you’re losing some support because of her. The lords are starting to think you might not be a fit predecessor for Kivar, and you and I both know you were meant to be King, Bastian, and you’re going to be the greatest one since Zan, but not if you continue on like this. She’s not worth your future, Bastian.” She paused, expecting an answer, but Max didn’t say anything.
“Bastian are you paying any attention to me?” she demanded, sounding as if Bastian barely ever paid attention to her.
“I’m not Bastian, Tess.”
Her eyes were confused, “Wha- Max…” she breathed, backing away from where they were seated on the bed. “How?”
“Bastian and Liz.” He got up slowly, advancing on her. “I’m sorry about this Tess, because like I said before, life is precious. But this is war, and you are the enemy.”
“No!” she cried, running to the door. He extended his palm, calling up the electric green barrier. She pounded her fists against it, “No!” She spun to look at him and then slid to the floor. Her posture radiating defeat.
“This is all your fault,” she said sullenly.
“What?” he asked.
“This.” She gestured helplessly around. “You never loved me. I tried so hard to be her Max, you have no idea how hard, but I couldn’t be her, Max, and you couldn’t love me. All I wanted was for you to love me. If you had I wouldn’t have gone to Kivar, we could’ve hidden out on Antar and joined the rebellion. We could’ve ruled together, raised him together… But the flash that last night, I saw that you had gone to her and I knew you wouldn’t love me, that you hadn’t even when we…” she trailed off.
He gazed down at her, feeling pity. “I am sorry Tess.”
“That’s not good enough, Max. Were you thinking of her when we made love?” He said nothing. “I knew it, I knew there had to be some reason Bastian was so obsessed with her. You were thinking about her when you laid me down on that floor, when you were in me…” she started crying.
“What did you expect Tess? That I would just fall out of love with her? And don’t even start about the observatory, you're the one who started that. You were the one to mindwarp me.”
“Maybe,” she hissed, “But I wasn’t the one to finish it!” There was more silence. “He never loved me either. Bastian, I mean, I was never his mother. I was just some woman in his life…He never needed me either. Just her. Always her.” She laughed suddenly, it sounding loud and unnatural in the stillness of the room.
“Tess…”
“Don’t start again Max, don’t even try. You know what?” she asked, then continued, “Don’t even bother attempting to kill me either, I’ll do it myself. I’ve been dead since I came out of that pod anyway.” She held her hand toward her head and Max made no move to stop her. “Max?” she said, her tone childlike, fragile, “Tell Kyle and Jim I loved them. Tell them thank you.”
He nodded. “I’ll tell them.”
“Promise?”
“I promise, Tess, I’ll tell them.”
She nodded and let the last of her power build in her palm, and then sent it into her brain, bursting it painlessly. Max winced as the life went out of her body and she slid further onto the floor. He let down his barrier. “Come in.”
The door opened and they walked in. Liz gave a little gasp, so different from the one he had caused earlier, and buried her face in his shirt. “I’m sorry, Max.” He kissed her forehead, watching his son.
“She did it herself, Liz. In the end, I guess it was the only thing she had control over.” His son bent down and closed the lifeless blue eyes. “Bastian?”
His eyes were shiny and he shook his head. “She tried to be a good mother to me, she did, but I could never bring myself to love her back.” He looked back down at Tess and then at Liz and then at Ava, who reached over and hugged him tightly.
“It’ll be okay, Bastian. I’ll take good care of ya.” And then she ran a hand over the front of her body until the streaked hair was completely blonde and curly, the piercings and heavy make-up disappeared, and the leather miniskirt was a full satin dress. “Now,” she said, her accent gone, “Let’s finish this.”
------
Tess strode purposefully down the hallway, refusing to let that bitch spoil her life any longer. She didn’t care what Kivar said, Liz was bad news, and she would not let her corrupt Bastian the way she had Max.
The door to Liz’s room opened just in front of her and Tess was surprised to see a blonde replication of the very girl she was out to destroy. “Who are you?” she demanded.
The girl dropped into a deep curtsey. “Kendy, your Majesty,” she told her in a tremulous voice, “I am servant to his Highness and the Lady Elizabeth.”
“Oh, well. I must speak with the Lady Elizabeth,” she said sarcastically making to move past the serving girl.
“She is not in there, Majesty.”
Tess paused, “Then where is she?”
“She is with Prince Bastian, my Queen, in his chambers. She has been there for the past few days, I was just returning some of her things to her room.”
“Days?” Tess repeated, blanching. No, no, no, she had left this too long, she had to end it now, before her son was in too deep to get out.
“Yes, Majesty.”
Tess didn’t say another word, just turned on her heel and headed in the direction of her baby boy’s quarters.
------
Kendy waited breathlessly as Tess stalked away. A few moments later the door behind her opened and Bastian stuck his head out. “All clear?”
“Yup.” He came out into the hallway, followed by Ava. Michael and Isabel remained inside. “That was close,” she told him nervously.
“Yeah,” he agreed, “Nice save though, I totally believed it.”
Kendy smiled and cuffed him lightly. “I’ll head to the serving quarters now and set everything up.”
“Good,” he nodded, “Be careful.”
“I will,” she assured him, shaking her head at his paranoia.
“Kendy…” She looked up sharply, surprised by his serious tone of voice.
“What?”
He looked at Ava, who raised an eyebrow. Blushing, he walked her forward a few paces, out of his new mother’s earshot. “I mean it. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you, Kendy. You’re my best friend.”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked into his somber eyes. “Bastian,” she choked, hugging him tightly, “I promise I’ll be fine, okay?”
He nodded and looked down at the floor, ears tinted pink. She laughed, he was so cute, and kissed his cheek in a best-friends way. She really wanted to tell him she loved him, just in case this whole thing didn’t work and one of them died or something.
But she didn’t cross that just friends line, maybe as a vow that there would be another chance, or maybe because she wasn’t sure what would happen if that boundary was broken.
“Now, you and Ava get going, you have your part to fulfill.”
“Yeah, I think we gave my father and Liz enough time.” He beckoned to Ava and gave her one last hug, then he and the pink-haired girl continued after Tess and she went to the kitchens to find Vala and Raina and Sidra. They had their own work to do.
------
Liz gasped, taking her lips away from Max’s to work on the buttons of his shirt. Max didn’t allow the neglect to continue, he growled fiercely, capturing them back and sliding his hands over her bodice, tugging it away from her body
“Max!” she sighed as his tongue slowly slipped down her neck, lavishing the sensitive skin above breasts. One hand had moved from the bodice to her stays as he lowered her to the floor, his lips never ceasing in their explorations. The other slipped up the skirts, skimming over her smooth thighs and making her moan. “Max…” she whispered again, feeling hot and needy.
They had been apart too long, their bodies aching for each other, souls crying for its mate… They needed this, now, more than anything.
“Liz,” he groaned, tracing the private part of her soaked, silk panties. She tossed her head from side to side, her hips moving against his hand.
“Max, please,” she begged, unable to keep the desire from her voice.
“I know, love. God, I know,” he responded, catching her lips in his once more. Her hands fluttered randomly before locking themselves in his raven hair, pressing him closer to her body. She was glowing wherever his skin touched, making the fire coursing through her body burn hotter, brighter…
“I need you , now, Max, please!”
“Yes,” he said, voice harsh with the same desperation that was in hers. He started pulling her dress off and she went to work on the leather pants, getting in each other’s way but not caring. The emotions rampaging through their bodies not allowing any distraction from the task it was trying to complete.
“Bastian?” The query froze them, half naked on the floor, and they stared at the door in horror. A knock sounded again and again Tess called for her son. Max and Liz exchanged glances, then slowly got up.
“One second Mother,” Max called, making a face. He and Liz inspected each other, they were both looking properly disheveled, and both blushed, aware that they had gotten carried away with their roles. He brushed a kiss against her temple and then went to the door.
Liz held her breath, praying for the deception to work. Tess looked Max over from head to foot, taking in his state of dress and then threw her a disgusted glance. “I need to speak with my son alone, Liz, if you wouldn’t mind?” Her voice was pure ice, and Liz resisted a triumphant grin that the plan had worked.
“Of course, Tess,” she replied, voice just as frosty, and then swept to the door, not bothering to adjust her clothes. “I’ll see you later, Bastian,” she whispered sweetly to Max, giving him bedroom eyes. She saw his own eyes darken with a primitive need and shivered.
Max stepped back to let her pass and she came abreast of Tess. “Whore,” the other girl muttered.
“That’s rich coming from a slut like you,” was her parting shot. Tess slammed the door behind her and Liz allowed herself a broad smile.
“Well?” Bastian’s head peeked around the corner, followed by Ava’s. She let them see her grin.
“It worked,” she hissed, walking over to them.
“Obviously,” he mused, staring at her disapprovingly, “What did he do, maul you?”
“Nothin’ Liz din’t appreciate,” Ava said, smirking. Liz just blushed.
------
“Bastian,” Tess told him, “I don’t think you should get involved with her. I know when we spoke about this before you didn’t want to listen, but there are some things you need to know.” She was looking at him as if she needed him to understand, as if her words were of the utmost importance.
He kept his face impassive, but was a little taken aback by the fact that she loved Bastian. That she loved anything. But she did, it was there in those lying blue eyes of hers.
“You need to understand, honey. She’s a bitch, a whore, and you do not want to be associated with girls like that. People are talking, honey, you’re losing some support because of her. The lords are starting to think you might not be a fit predecessor for Kivar, and you and I both know you were meant to be King, Bastian, and you’re going to be the greatest one since Zan, but not if you continue on like this. She’s not worth your future, Bastian.” She paused, expecting an answer, but Max didn’t say anything.
“Bastian are you paying any attention to me?” she demanded, sounding as if Bastian barely ever paid attention to her.
“I’m not Bastian, Tess.”
Her eyes were confused, “Wha- Max…” she breathed, backing away from where they were seated on the bed. “How?”
“Bastian and Liz.” He got up slowly, advancing on her. “I’m sorry about this Tess, because like I said before, life is precious. But this is war, and you are the enemy.”
“No!” she cried, running to the door. He extended his palm, calling up the electric green barrier. She pounded her fists against it, “No!” She spun to look at him and then slid to the floor. Her posture radiating defeat.
“This is all your fault,” she said sullenly.
“What?” he asked.
“This.” She gestured helplessly around. “You never loved me. I tried so hard to be her Max, you have no idea how hard, but I couldn’t be her, Max, and you couldn’t love me. All I wanted was for you to love me. If you had I wouldn’t have gone to Kivar, we could’ve hidden out on Antar and joined the rebellion. We could’ve ruled together, raised him together… But the flash that last night, I saw that you had gone to her and I knew you wouldn’t love me, that you hadn’t even when we…” she trailed off.
He gazed down at her, feeling pity. “I am sorry Tess.”
“That’s not good enough, Max. Were you thinking of her when we made love?” He said nothing. “I knew it, I knew there had to be some reason Bastian was so obsessed with her. You were thinking about her when you laid me down on that floor, when you were in me…” she started crying.
“What did you expect Tess? That I would just fall out of love with her? And don’t even start about the observatory, you're the one who started that. You were the one to mindwarp me.”
“Maybe,” she hissed, “But I wasn’t the one to finish it!” There was more silence. “He never loved me either. Bastian, I mean, I was never his mother. I was just some woman in his life…He never needed me either. Just her. Always her.” She laughed suddenly, it sounding loud and unnatural in the stillness of the room.
“Tess…”
“Don’t start again Max, don’t even try. You know what?” she asked, then continued, “Don’t even bother attempting to kill me either, I’ll do it myself. I’ve been dead since I came out of that pod anyway.” She held her hand toward her head and Max made no move to stop her. “Max?” she said, her tone childlike, fragile, “Tell Kyle and Jim I loved them. Tell them thank you.”
He nodded. “I’ll tell them.”
“Promise?”
“I promise, Tess, I’ll tell them.”
She nodded and let the last of her power build in her palm, and then sent it into her brain, bursting it painlessly. Max winced as the life went out of her body and she slid further onto the floor. He let down his barrier. “Come in.”
The door opened and they walked in. Liz gave a little gasp, so different from the one he had caused earlier, and buried her face in his shirt. “I’m sorry, Max.” He kissed her forehead, watching his son.
“She did it herself, Liz. In the end, I guess it was the only thing she had control over.” His son bent down and closed the lifeless blue eyes. “Bastian?”
His eyes were shiny and he shook his head. “She tried to be a good mother to me, she did, but I could never bring myself to love her back.” He looked back down at Tess and then at Liz and then at Ava, who reached over and hugged him tightly.
“It’ll be okay, Bastian. I’ll take good care of ya.” And then she ran a hand over the front of her body until the streaked hair was completely blonde and curly, the piercings and heavy make-up disappeared, and the leather miniskirt was a full satin dress. “Now,” she said, her accent gone, “Let’s finish this.”
------
-
dreamangel
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: far from reality
*XIX*
“So you’ll help?” she asked, just to make sure.
“Of course we’ll help,” Vala scolded her, “What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t?” Raina and Sidra just nodded in agreement.
“You guys are the best,” Kendy told them and gave them all a hug, “So then you understand what to do?”
“I’ll take the kitchens,” Raina said, “I’m there the most, they’ll trust me.”
“And I’ve got the north and south wings of the ship,” Vala continued.
“Which leaves me with the east and went,” Sidra finished.
“And I need to find Bastian.” Kendy clapped her hands smartly, “Alright girls, let’s get to it!” They giggled and started splitting up.
“Oh, Kendy?” Raina asked, on her way out.
“What?”
“We do get jobs in the palace when this is over, right?” She gave a cocky grin and was gone before Kendy could reply. She shook her head for a moment at her friend’s antics and then left the serving quarters in search of her Prince.
------
Bastian had separated from Max, Liz, and Ava and was looking for Kendy. Liz would show his father the way to Kivar’s chambers, and Max would then deal with him. Bastian didn’t have time for that, he had to make sure Kendy was okay and had not gotten caught divulging their plans.
A tiny scream alarmed him terribly and he ran in the direction of the voice, hoping against hope that it wasn’t who it sounded like.
No such luck.
“Lonnie!” he cried, barreling into his aunt. She was thrown off balance and he caught Kendy before she fell to the ground. He sucked in a breath, she was bleeding badly.
“That weren’t very smart, B.” He looked up at Lonnie as she rose, wiping spittle away from her mouth.
“Do not lay a hand on her ever again, Aunt Vilandra,” he told her icily, not taking his eyes from hers.
“But, Duke, ya doan undastand. She was plottin’ ‘gainst Kivar. Ya know we’s got a ‘no tolerance’ policy ‘bout shit like that.” She looked him in the eye, trying to convey the importance of her statement. He didn’t move a muscle. Her eyes widened. “Shit, Duke, no…Doan tells me it were your idea? Damn, B, that ain’t good.”
“Of course it was my idea! She’s only a servant, she wouldn’t dare a rebellion on her own.”
Lonnie shook her head. “But why, B, I means ya had da throne. Right there, bam! What’cha thinkin’?”
He snorted. “First off, Kivar is a tyrant and doesn’t deserve to rule, which he would for a long, long time due to that husk. Second, if he conceives an heir with you, I will not inherit the throne. And thirdly, do you honestly think that I’d believe you were content with your position, Lonnie? You’d kill me off in an instant, you know it.”
She smirked. “Yous is real smart princey, and ya right, I’s would killed ya ‘ventually.” She thrust out her hand and he went flying into the opposite wall. She advanced on him before he could get up, and threw power down to keep him in place.
Bastian winced, heat eating him up. “I’s sorry, B, really I’s am. Yous a good kid, I’s like you a lot, but yous in my way. And I doan tolerate people ins my way. You undastand, right B? This is da way its gotta be.” She shrugged and looked at him with those cold, feeling less brown eyes.
He screamed, the pain increasing…He struggled, trying to get his hand out and up, but unable to move. He was paralyzed from the neck down. More heat, he felt his skin beginning to go raw, and he gritted his teeth, refusing to give in.
He had to get up. He had to stop her, because once she was finished with him…she’d go after Kendy…
A slippered foot suddenly swung up and crashed into Lonnie’s throat. She gasped, helplessly as she clawed at her crushed windpipe. She looked at him pleadingly, “B…”
Bastian slowly regained control of his body, and he healed himself inwardly, reforming skin over the blisters. He looked at his aunt’s body, unable to help her now, and not completely sure if he would have had he been able to.
Kendy fell to her knees beside him on the floor. She reached out a trembling hand to touch him, and he grabbed it in his own, pulling her weak form into his lap. “You okay?” she asked quietly, eyes fluttering.
“I’m fine Kendy, you saved my life.” She smiled fleetingly and nodded, then leaned against him. “Kendy, look at me,” he ordered her, "You have to look at me."
Her brown eyes opened one last time, and they met his…He sparked up the connection at once, ignoring the images he received from her mind and concentrating of finding her injuries and healing them. “You’re all right,” he murmured as he felt her knit back together beneath his hands, “You’re all right…”
She curled up against him, breathing even, and he held her close, the pictures from her mind playing in a continuous loop in his head. He had almost lost her, he realized, and was suddenly stunningly aware of the depth of his feelings for the tiny girl in his arms.
He loved her.
------
“He ain’t here,” she stated, reverting back to her street talk. Max ran a frustrated hand through his hair and looked around.
“We need to find him, we need to end this.”
“How’s about we split up,” she suggested, looking down the corridors. “You and Liz go that way, an’ I’ll head down this way here. Tha’ way wes got all da bases covered.”
“Good, idea,” Liz said, smiling at her, “Be careful, okay Ava?”
“Doan get all cornball on me now, Lizzie, jus’ go. I’s can take cares of myself.”
“I know,” Liz replied, smile fixed, “Well see you later.”
“Got it. See ya,” she called as she headed down her hallway. Max would keep Liz safe, she wouldn’t have to worry about her, and Bastian would be okay. He was Crown Prince after all, heir to the throne…He’d be fine.
“Tess? Surprised to see you down this way.”
She froze at the amused tone in the condescending voice. It was Nicholas, just great, an annoying prepubescent Skin to deal with.
“Step off, Nicky,” she told him, spinning to look at him, “I ain’t got time ta mess wit’cha.”
“Why, going to wipe out some more civilizations? What is it with you and genocide, Tess? I don’t understand it.” He was circling her. Ava smirked at him, showing him he wasn’t affecting her in the least
“An’ I doan get wha’cha were thinkin’ doing that ta ya hair?” Her smirk grew as he turned red to the roots of his bleached blond hair.
“You-”
“You want me to take this one, Ava?” They both turned their attention to Michael’s sudden appearance at the end of the hallway. “Me and the boy wonder here have some unfinished business.”
“Sure, Mikey,” she agreed, backing away, “You have fun, I’s got myself a tyrant ta find and destroy.”
“Good luck,” he told her.
“You too,” she tossed over her shoulder as she left. “Hey!” she stopped, “Where’s da Ice Queen?”
“She got lost,” Michael called, not taking his eyes off Nicholas, “But I wouldn’t worry, Izzy can take care of herself.”
“I ain’t got no doubt about that.”
------
Isabel cursed under her breath as she peered around a corner. She couldn’t believe she had lost Michael… And now she was trying to find her way around this ridiculously complex ship, looking for her brother or at least someone she knew.
She’d been lucky so far, there hadn’t been any guards posted around, and everyone seemed to be staying in their rooms. She wasn’t sure if it was because their sneak attacks had failed or what, but she wasn’t taking any chances.
Checking one more time, she told herself the coast was clear, and she glided out into the middle of the room, heading as swiftly as possible to the door on the other side.
“Going so soon, Vilandra?”
She froze, the voice penetrating deep into her body. It was a voice of absolute authority and control, yet spoke of a gentleness and passion that teased her senses. She slowly turned around, facing the man who had caught her when she had been so sure of her escape.
He was tall and gangly, with blond hair and gray eyes. He reminded her of Alex in a way. But his smile was not Alex’s, it was one of a predator on the scent of fresh meat, and his eyes held none of the patient love of Alex’s, merely possessiveness and desire. And she knew who he was.
“Kivar,” she whispered, voice catching in her throat.
He smiled wider and moved toward her easily. He lifted his hand and traced her jaw, and she found herself tilting her head into his palm, wanting his touch. He leaned toward her and captured her lips in his own, and she couldn’t resist…
“Ah…” he rasped, lifting his head from hers, “It has been too long my love, too, too long.”
------
“So you’ll help?” she asked, just to make sure.
“Of course we’ll help,” Vala scolded her, “What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t?” Raina and Sidra just nodded in agreement.
“You guys are the best,” Kendy told them and gave them all a hug, “So then you understand what to do?”
“I’ll take the kitchens,” Raina said, “I’m there the most, they’ll trust me.”
“And I’ve got the north and south wings of the ship,” Vala continued.
“Which leaves me with the east and went,” Sidra finished.
“And I need to find Bastian.” Kendy clapped her hands smartly, “Alright girls, let’s get to it!” They giggled and started splitting up.
“Oh, Kendy?” Raina asked, on her way out.
“What?”
“We do get jobs in the palace when this is over, right?” She gave a cocky grin and was gone before Kendy could reply. She shook her head for a moment at her friend’s antics and then left the serving quarters in search of her Prince.
------
Bastian had separated from Max, Liz, and Ava and was looking for Kendy. Liz would show his father the way to Kivar’s chambers, and Max would then deal with him. Bastian didn’t have time for that, he had to make sure Kendy was okay and had not gotten caught divulging their plans.
A tiny scream alarmed him terribly and he ran in the direction of the voice, hoping against hope that it wasn’t who it sounded like.
No such luck.
“Lonnie!” he cried, barreling into his aunt. She was thrown off balance and he caught Kendy before she fell to the ground. He sucked in a breath, she was bleeding badly.
“That weren’t very smart, B.” He looked up at Lonnie as she rose, wiping spittle away from her mouth.
“Do not lay a hand on her ever again, Aunt Vilandra,” he told her icily, not taking his eyes from hers.
“But, Duke, ya doan undastand. She was plottin’ ‘gainst Kivar. Ya know we’s got a ‘no tolerance’ policy ‘bout shit like that.” She looked him in the eye, trying to convey the importance of her statement. He didn’t move a muscle. Her eyes widened. “Shit, Duke, no…Doan tells me it were your idea? Damn, B, that ain’t good.”
“Of course it was my idea! She’s only a servant, she wouldn’t dare a rebellion on her own.”
Lonnie shook her head. “But why, B, I means ya had da throne. Right there, bam! What’cha thinkin’?”
He snorted. “First off, Kivar is a tyrant and doesn’t deserve to rule, which he would for a long, long time due to that husk. Second, if he conceives an heir with you, I will not inherit the throne. And thirdly, do you honestly think that I’d believe you were content with your position, Lonnie? You’d kill me off in an instant, you know it.”
She smirked. “Yous is real smart princey, and ya right, I’s would killed ya ‘ventually.” She thrust out her hand and he went flying into the opposite wall. She advanced on him before he could get up, and threw power down to keep him in place.
Bastian winced, heat eating him up. “I’s sorry, B, really I’s am. Yous a good kid, I’s like you a lot, but yous in my way. And I doan tolerate people ins my way. You undastand, right B? This is da way its gotta be.” She shrugged and looked at him with those cold, feeling less brown eyes.
He screamed, the pain increasing…He struggled, trying to get his hand out and up, but unable to move. He was paralyzed from the neck down. More heat, he felt his skin beginning to go raw, and he gritted his teeth, refusing to give in.
He had to get up. He had to stop her, because once she was finished with him…she’d go after Kendy…
A slippered foot suddenly swung up and crashed into Lonnie’s throat. She gasped, helplessly as she clawed at her crushed windpipe. She looked at him pleadingly, “B…”
Bastian slowly regained control of his body, and he healed himself inwardly, reforming skin over the blisters. He looked at his aunt’s body, unable to help her now, and not completely sure if he would have had he been able to.
Kendy fell to her knees beside him on the floor. She reached out a trembling hand to touch him, and he grabbed it in his own, pulling her weak form into his lap. “You okay?” she asked quietly, eyes fluttering.
“I’m fine Kendy, you saved my life.” She smiled fleetingly and nodded, then leaned against him. “Kendy, look at me,” he ordered her, "You have to look at me."
Her brown eyes opened one last time, and they met his…He sparked up the connection at once, ignoring the images he received from her mind and concentrating of finding her injuries and healing them. “You’re all right,” he murmured as he felt her knit back together beneath his hands, “You’re all right…”
She curled up against him, breathing even, and he held her close, the pictures from her mind playing in a continuous loop in his head. He had almost lost her, he realized, and was suddenly stunningly aware of the depth of his feelings for the tiny girl in his arms.
He loved her.
------
“He ain’t here,” she stated, reverting back to her street talk. Max ran a frustrated hand through his hair and looked around.
“We need to find him, we need to end this.”
“How’s about we split up,” she suggested, looking down the corridors. “You and Liz go that way, an’ I’ll head down this way here. Tha’ way wes got all da bases covered.”
“Good, idea,” Liz said, smiling at her, “Be careful, okay Ava?”
“Doan get all cornball on me now, Lizzie, jus’ go. I’s can take cares of myself.”
“I know,” Liz replied, smile fixed, “Well see you later.”
“Got it. See ya,” she called as she headed down her hallway. Max would keep Liz safe, she wouldn’t have to worry about her, and Bastian would be okay. He was Crown Prince after all, heir to the throne…He’d be fine.
“Tess? Surprised to see you down this way.”
She froze at the amused tone in the condescending voice. It was Nicholas, just great, an annoying prepubescent Skin to deal with.
“Step off, Nicky,” she told him, spinning to look at him, “I ain’t got time ta mess wit’cha.”
“Why, going to wipe out some more civilizations? What is it with you and genocide, Tess? I don’t understand it.” He was circling her. Ava smirked at him, showing him he wasn’t affecting her in the least
“An’ I doan get wha’cha were thinkin’ doing that ta ya hair?” Her smirk grew as he turned red to the roots of his bleached blond hair.
“You-”
“You want me to take this one, Ava?” They both turned their attention to Michael’s sudden appearance at the end of the hallway. “Me and the boy wonder here have some unfinished business.”
“Sure, Mikey,” she agreed, backing away, “You have fun, I’s got myself a tyrant ta find and destroy.”
“Good luck,” he told her.
“You too,” she tossed over her shoulder as she left. “Hey!” she stopped, “Where’s da Ice Queen?”
“She got lost,” Michael called, not taking his eyes off Nicholas, “But I wouldn’t worry, Izzy can take care of herself.”
“I ain’t got no doubt about that.”
------
Isabel cursed under her breath as she peered around a corner. She couldn’t believe she had lost Michael… And now she was trying to find her way around this ridiculously complex ship, looking for her brother or at least someone she knew.
She’d been lucky so far, there hadn’t been any guards posted around, and everyone seemed to be staying in their rooms. She wasn’t sure if it was because their sneak attacks had failed or what, but she wasn’t taking any chances.
Checking one more time, she told herself the coast was clear, and she glided out into the middle of the room, heading as swiftly as possible to the door on the other side.
“Going so soon, Vilandra?”
She froze, the voice penetrating deep into her body. It was a voice of absolute authority and control, yet spoke of a gentleness and passion that teased her senses. She slowly turned around, facing the man who had caught her when she had been so sure of her escape.
He was tall and gangly, with blond hair and gray eyes. He reminded her of Alex in a way. But his smile was not Alex’s, it was one of a predator on the scent of fresh meat, and his eyes held none of the patient love of Alex’s, merely possessiveness and desire. And she knew who he was.
“Kivar,” she whispered, voice catching in her throat.
He smiled wider and moved toward her easily. He lifted his hand and traced her jaw, and she found herself tilting her head into his palm, wanting his touch. He leaned toward her and captured her lips in his own, and she couldn’t resist…
“Ah…” he rasped, lifting his head from hers, “It has been too long my love, too, too long.”
------
-
dreamangel
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: far from reality
*XX*
His hand traced her spine, causing her to shiver, and she arched into him, her body brushing his in all the right places… “What are you doing to me?” she murmured clinging to him as his lips captured hers again.
“Setting you free,” he told her, slipping his hands beneath her tight shirt. “Come to me, Vilandra,” he begged to the entity lurking inside of her, “Come beloved…”
She shook her head, befuddled, as the dark part of her soul tried to overwhelm her…tried to respond to his call. “My name is Isabel,” she gasped, fighting to regain control of her mind, and therefore, her body.
“No, my love,” he chuckled, the husky tone traveling into her core and setting her ablaze with yearning. “You are Vilandra and you love me, and we will be together again.”
The darkness was sucking her in… “Yes,” she hissed, as he brought her closer to him, the full length of his lean body rubbing into her.
She remembered his body…pulsing over her, naked and slick…She remembered waiting for him in the night, waiting for her parents to fall asleep, for Zan to go for his midnight rides…She remembered dying for him, to protect him…She remembered his final vow as he held her, that he’d find her again, love her again…
“We’ll rule together this time, my love, everything will play perfectly into our hands. There will be no need for sacrifice… All we need to do is get rid of your brother and everything will be as it should.”
His breath teased across her skin, seducing her even as his lips came in contact with hers again. Vilandra concentrated hard on his words as he left her lips, working down her throat, sucking at her neck… She groaned, craving his mouth on other parts of her body…
Get rid of your brother...
The part of her that was still Isabel swam to the surface, taking control again. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped, not believing she had almost given in. She glanced down at the top of Kivar’s head, still working softly at the tender skin of her long neck.
She fought disgust quickly, forcing herself to respond to his overtures as if nothing had changed, as if she were still Vilandra, willing to do anything for him. Her hands roamed his back, and she felt for the patch of Skin that covered the destruction button. Fingers grazed over it, the husk dipping inward a little.
Isabel smirked and slipped around so that her front was pressed to his back. “Kill him you mean?” she inquired, sucking on his earlobe. She felt him shudder as her breath blew against the wet spot.
“Yes, Vilandra.” And she could hear the indulgent smile in his voice. She slid her hands down his back before taking them off him completely. Stealing herself for pain, she clenched them together.
“My name is Isabel," she repeated coldly and swung as hard as she could into his lower back. She could feel the button depress, and smiled, satisfied. He turned, the activation not kicking in immediately, his gray eyes surprised and betrayed. “No one threatens my brother.”
And then he disintegrated.
Isabel slowly slipped to the floor, physically exhausted from her inner struggle of domination. She looked at the pile of dust on the ground before her and felt a delayed sense of pride. She had done it, she had destroyed her worst enemy.
It was over.
------
“I can’t believe that’s it.’
They were gathered in the desert to say good-bye to their visitors. Maria had just succeeded in voicing the shared disbelief. They had taken the ship relatively easily, the lords, grossly outnumbered as they were, had not been able to battle against the servants, and had submitted.
When word had gotten out the Kivar and Nicholas were dead, there had been no rebelling from the prisoners. They were all pretty much useless without their leaders.
Bastian was standing off to one side, with Kendy and Ava, waiting to say so long. The ship was preparing for take-off, and they had only a few moments before they had to go aboard. He watched the woman who had adopted him say good-bye to Liz. There was some muttering about cornballs and then they released each other from the hug.
It went on down the line, then Kendy joined in, and then Bastian, everyone wishing them luck. “Be careful,” Max said, shaking his hand and then giving him a tight hug. He nodded.
“We’ve got guards, so everything should be all right on the ship. It’s just when we get home that I’m worried about,” Bastian admitted to his father.
“It’ll be okay,” Max assured him, “Here. This letter is for the leader of the rebellion on my part. Hopefully that should help smooth over any transitional problems from that front.”
Bastian slid the letter inside a pocket and smiled at his father. “Thanks…Dad.” Max smiled and hugged him again.
“I’m gonna miss you,” he whispered. They came apart and Bastian looked at Liz. She looked to be about to cry. He stepped over until he was in front of her. Gently he reached up and wiped away a tear. She gave a choked sob and took him in her arms.
He closed his eyes, holding her securely, sorry for this moment. She had been his first love, and his first real friend. He didn’t want to leave her, knowing he’d never see her again. He let her go a little at a time. “I’ll miss you, little mother,” he told her quietly, kissing her forehead.
------
She watched him walk away, and clung to Max as he held her. “I don’t want him to go,” she said, sniffling.
“Me either,” he told her, “But he’s a man, Liz, he doesn’t need us. He has his own destiny to fulfill, one he made for himself.”
They waved together as the three departing friends finally disappeared into the ship, bound for a planet far away. “I’ll miss him.”
Max nodded. “Just don’t worry about him, Liz. He has Ava and Kendy, they’ll take care of him.”
“I know.” Then she sniffed again. “I’ll miss them too.” Max just laughed and pulled her closer, kissing her soundly on the lips.
“Let’s go home, Liz, our parents are more than likely going to give us hell. We’ll probably be grounded for months.” They turned and headed to the cars as a group as the ship rose and accelerated upward, heading beyond the atmosphere.
“Not for months,” she countered, feeling happy, “We start college in four weeks, they can’t keep us under probation there.”
------
Kendy stared out the bridge’s window, staring at her home planet. She had never seen it from this angle, and she found it breathtaking. The reds of the oceans mixed with the blue and green of the land. The orange sun was at its zenith over the Capitol City, and she could just imagine the fluffy pink clouds drifting through the pale yellow sky.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
She looked at Bastian, who had come up beside her and was leaning on the railing, eyes fixed on the sight before them. “Spectacular,” she agreed.
He sighed heavily and turned around, resting his back against the railing now. She looked at him curiously and he gave her a forced smile. “What is it, Bastian?”
“Think I can pull this off?” He raised an eyebrow at her, and she laughed. “Kendy, I’m serious.”
She quieted down and patted his arm. “I’m sorry Bastian, but I know you can do this. You were born to be King after all.” His lips quirked a little and he glanced back at the rapidly approaching land.
Friction was producing sparks against the hull, giving them a light display. They were silent as the crew went through docking procedures and eventually landed. He stared at the lowering hatch and Kendy gave him a little push as they caught a glimpse of the crowd gathered outside.
“I guess its time to test that theory,” he said, taking a deep breath. With one last peek at her, she gave him a reassuring smile, he joined Ava and they walked out into the mass of Antarians.
Kendy waited, watching the other people on the ship finishing their duties and escorting Kivar’s supporters away. She listened with half a mind to Bastian’s speech and the uproar it caused, they other half of her mind was wondering what was going to happen now that they were finally home.
Would Bastian have time to be her friend?
------
He was anxious as a guard escorted the thin man into his presence. His meeting with Kivar’s Chancellor had gone well, the older man pledging loyalty and support to Bastian, not he just had to gain the same from the rebellion’s leader.
The man didn’t bow to him, just stood, defiance in his eyes, and Bastian smiled. “Please sit down,” he told the man. He complied, still straight-backed and proud. “I don’t know if you’ve been informed, but Kivar was killed on earth, and I am now King. I’m Bastian.”
The man nodded curtly, suspicious. “Cadell.”
“Well, Cadell, you’re probably wondering why I asked you be released from the dungeon.”
“It crossed my mind.”
“I’m changing things around Cadell. I never approved of Kivar’s methods, and I can now do something to fix it. I find myself in a position in which I am sorely lacking advisors. So that is my proposition to you. Chancellor Galen has already given me his word and he and his highest ranking friends will act as half my council. The other half will, hopefully, be made up of you and your most-trusted leaders.” He took a deep breath and waited.
“How do I know I can trust you?” Cadell asked, stony-eyed.
He shrugged, “I guess you don’t, but my father gave me something to give to you. I believe it is to give you reassurance of my dedication to this task of being King to all Antarians. I want peace, Cadell.”
“I will trust no word of Kivar’s,” he spat back, ignoring the letter Bastian held out to him.
“It’s not from Kivar, Cadell,” he said softly.
The man’s eyes grew wide with hope. “Prince Zan?” he questioned, voice barely above a whisper. Bastian nodded and placed the letter into the man’s trembling hands. He reverently opened the seal and pulled the contents out.
“You can read English, right?” Bastian inquired, afraid that there may be a kink.
Cadell nodded. “It was best that all of us learn the language of the land to which we sent our King.” And he skimmed the letter, touching a hand to the page, and slowly, in halting English, began to read aloud:
To my people,
I will not be returning to Antar. My home now is here on Earth, as Max Evans. I can’t remember being Zan, being a king, though I wish I could.
I have learned of your support from both my enemies and my friends. When I found my son I was surprised, he had turned into a man already and he had no need of me. I ask of you to look at him now, as a man. As my son. As your King.
He has proven himself worthy of that title, not by birth, but by deed. He will be a good King, a good leader. Much more than I could ever be.
I ask that you accept him as much my people, that you become his people. That you support him in his bid for peace among Antar and among the five planets. He is honest in his desire to be what you need; a strong leader, and he is willing to listen to anyone with an opinion.
He will unite you as I never could.
Let him be your rock, your pillar of strength. Let him be a shoulder to cry on. Let him be your King.
It’s his destiny, and I believe that with all my heart.
He’ll do his best and he will succeed, this I promise you in my last breath as your King. Good luck, I wish you long lives and a peaceful existence.
Good-bye my people,
Zan
Bastian didn’t let his tears fall. His father’s letter had been written in a rush, poorly organized, but full of faith in his son. Bastian only wished to prove him correct in his assumptions of Bastian’s abilities.
Cadell was watching him closely, obviously judging his reaction. “Will you help me?” he asked. The mad studied him longer, thinking hard.
Finally the man gave a short nod. “His Highness has a high opinion of you, I hope you can live up to it, and Zan’s reputation.”
“I’m not my father, Cadell, I am my own person, and I will rule as Bastian. Not as Kivar, not Ruark, not even as Zan. And I will do what they have failed at. I will have peace on my planet, and I will keep it.”
Another nod. “I believe you will, your majesty. Now, my people?”
“An order had already been given to have them released. In a few days there’s supposed to be a coronation,” he added, “Afterward I’ll be meeting with my council and the leaders of the other planets to go over current affairs. You may want to make a list of topics to discuss.”
“Of course,” Cadell said, inclining his head, “A few days then.”
“Yes.” Bastian watched him go, but them something occurred to him just as Cadell got to the door. “Cadell, wait!”
The man paused, “Yes, King Bastian?”
Bastian smiled at how easily Cadell said that. “My grandmother…”
------
His hand traced her spine, causing her to shiver, and she arched into him, her body brushing his in all the right places… “What are you doing to me?” she murmured clinging to him as his lips captured hers again.
“Setting you free,” he told her, slipping his hands beneath her tight shirt. “Come to me, Vilandra,” he begged to the entity lurking inside of her, “Come beloved…”
She shook her head, befuddled, as the dark part of her soul tried to overwhelm her…tried to respond to his call. “My name is Isabel,” she gasped, fighting to regain control of her mind, and therefore, her body.
“No, my love,” he chuckled, the husky tone traveling into her core and setting her ablaze with yearning. “You are Vilandra and you love me, and we will be together again.”
The darkness was sucking her in… “Yes,” she hissed, as he brought her closer to him, the full length of his lean body rubbing into her.
She remembered his body…pulsing over her, naked and slick…She remembered waiting for him in the night, waiting for her parents to fall asleep, for Zan to go for his midnight rides…She remembered dying for him, to protect him…She remembered his final vow as he held her, that he’d find her again, love her again…
“We’ll rule together this time, my love, everything will play perfectly into our hands. There will be no need for sacrifice… All we need to do is get rid of your brother and everything will be as it should.”
His breath teased across her skin, seducing her even as his lips came in contact with hers again. Vilandra concentrated hard on his words as he left her lips, working down her throat, sucking at her neck… She groaned, craving his mouth on other parts of her body…
Get rid of your brother...
The part of her that was still Isabel swam to the surface, taking control again. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped, not believing she had almost given in. She glanced down at the top of Kivar’s head, still working softly at the tender skin of her long neck.
She fought disgust quickly, forcing herself to respond to his overtures as if nothing had changed, as if she were still Vilandra, willing to do anything for him. Her hands roamed his back, and she felt for the patch of Skin that covered the destruction button. Fingers grazed over it, the husk dipping inward a little.
Isabel smirked and slipped around so that her front was pressed to his back. “Kill him you mean?” she inquired, sucking on his earlobe. She felt him shudder as her breath blew against the wet spot.
“Yes, Vilandra.” And she could hear the indulgent smile in his voice. She slid her hands down his back before taking them off him completely. Stealing herself for pain, she clenched them together.
“My name is Isabel," she repeated coldly and swung as hard as she could into his lower back. She could feel the button depress, and smiled, satisfied. He turned, the activation not kicking in immediately, his gray eyes surprised and betrayed. “No one threatens my brother.”
And then he disintegrated.
Isabel slowly slipped to the floor, physically exhausted from her inner struggle of domination. She looked at the pile of dust on the ground before her and felt a delayed sense of pride. She had done it, she had destroyed her worst enemy.
It was over.
------
“I can’t believe that’s it.’
They were gathered in the desert to say good-bye to their visitors. Maria had just succeeded in voicing the shared disbelief. They had taken the ship relatively easily, the lords, grossly outnumbered as they were, had not been able to battle against the servants, and had submitted.
When word had gotten out the Kivar and Nicholas were dead, there had been no rebelling from the prisoners. They were all pretty much useless without their leaders.
Bastian was standing off to one side, with Kendy and Ava, waiting to say so long. The ship was preparing for take-off, and they had only a few moments before they had to go aboard. He watched the woman who had adopted him say good-bye to Liz. There was some muttering about cornballs and then they released each other from the hug.
It went on down the line, then Kendy joined in, and then Bastian, everyone wishing them luck. “Be careful,” Max said, shaking his hand and then giving him a tight hug. He nodded.
“We’ve got guards, so everything should be all right on the ship. It’s just when we get home that I’m worried about,” Bastian admitted to his father.
“It’ll be okay,” Max assured him, “Here. This letter is for the leader of the rebellion on my part. Hopefully that should help smooth over any transitional problems from that front.”
Bastian slid the letter inside a pocket and smiled at his father. “Thanks…Dad.” Max smiled and hugged him again.
“I’m gonna miss you,” he whispered. They came apart and Bastian looked at Liz. She looked to be about to cry. He stepped over until he was in front of her. Gently he reached up and wiped away a tear. She gave a choked sob and took him in her arms.
He closed his eyes, holding her securely, sorry for this moment. She had been his first love, and his first real friend. He didn’t want to leave her, knowing he’d never see her again. He let her go a little at a time. “I’ll miss you, little mother,” he told her quietly, kissing her forehead.
------
She watched him walk away, and clung to Max as he held her. “I don’t want him to go,” she said, sniffling.
“Me either,” he told her, “But he’s a man, Liz, he doesn’t need us. He has his own destiny to fulfill, one he made for himself.”
They waved together as the three departing friends finally disappeared into the ship, bound for a planet far away. “I’ll miss him.”
Max nodded. “Just don’t worry about him, Liz. He has Ava and Kendy, they’ll take care of him.”
“I know.” Then she sniffed again. “I’ll miss them too.” Max just laughed and pulled her closer, kissing her soundly on the lips.
“Let’s go home, Liz, our parents are more than likely going to give us hell. We’ll probably be grounded for months.” They turned and headed to the cars as a group as the ship rose and accelerated upward, heading beyond the atmosphere.
“Not for months,” she countered, feeling happy, “We start college in four weeks, they can’t keep us under probation there.”
------
Kendy stared out the bridge’s window, staring at her home planet. She had never seen it from this angle, and she found it breathtaking. The reds of the oceans mixed with the blue and green of the land. The orange sun was at its zenith over the Capitol City, and she could just imagine the fluffy pink clouds drifting through the pale yellow sky.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
She looked at Bastian, who had come up beside her and was leaning on the railing, eyes fixed on the sight before them. “Spectacular,” she agreed.
He sighed heavily and turned around, resting his back against the railing now. She looked at him curiously and he gave her a forced smile. “What is it, Bastian?”
“Think I can pull this off?” He raised an eyebrow at her, and she laughed. “Kendy, I’m serious.”
She quieted down and patted his arm. “I’m sorry Bastian, but I know you can do this. You were born to be King after all.” His lips quirked a little and he glanced back at the rapidly approaching land.
Friction was producing sparks against the hull, giving them a light display. They were silent as the crew went through docking procedures and eventually landed. He stared at the lowering hatch and Kendy gave him a little push as they caught a glimpse of the crowd gathered outside.
“I guess its time to test that theory,” he said, taking a deep breath. With one last peek at her, she gave him a reassuring smile, he joined Ava and they walked out into the mass of Antarians.
Kendy waited, watching the other people on the ship finishing their duties and escorting Kivar’s supporters away. She listened with half a mind to Bastian’s speech and the uproar it caused, they other half of her mind was wondering what was going to happen now that they were finally home.
Would Bastian have time to be her friend?
------
He was anxious as a guard escorted the thin man into his presence. His meeting with Kivar’s Chancellor had gone well, the older man pledging loyalty and support to Bastian, not he just had to gain the same from the rebellion’s leader.
The man didn’t bow to him, just stood, defiance in his eyes, and Bastian smiled. “Please sit down,” he told the man. He complied, still straight-backed and proud. “I don’t know if you’ve been informed, but Kivar was killed on earth, and I am now King. I’m Bastian.”
The man nodded curtly, suspicious. “Cadell.”
“Well, Cadell, you’re probably wondering why I asked you be released from the dungeon.”
“It crossed my mind.”
“I’m changing things around Cadell. I never approved of Kivar’s methods, and I can now do something to fix it. I find myself in a position in which I am sorely lacking advisors. So that is my proposition to you. Chancellor Galen has already given me his word and he and his highest ranking friends will act as half my council. The other half will, hopefully, be made up of you and your most-trusted leaders.” He took a deep breath and waited.
“How do I know I can trust you?” Cadell asked, stony-eyed.
He shrugged, “I guess you don’t, but my father gave me something to give to you. I believe it is to give you reassurance of my dedication to this task of being King to all Antarians. I want peace, Cadell.”
“I will trust no word of Kivar’s,” he spat back, ignoring the letter Bastian held out to him.
“It’s not from Kivar, Cadell,” he said softly.
The man’s eyes grew wide with hope. “Prince Zan?” he questioned, voice barely above a whisper. Bastian nodded and placed the letter into the man’s trembling hands. He reverently opened the seal and pulled the contents out.
“You can read English, right?” Bastian inquired, afraid that there may be a kink.
Cadell nodded. “It was best that all of us learn the language of the land to which we sent our King.” And he skimmed the letter, touching a hand to the page, and slowly, in halting English, began to read aloud:
To my people,
I will not be returning to Antar. My home now is here on Earth, as Max Evans. I can’t remember being Zan, being a king, though I wish I could.
I have learned of your support from both my enemies and my friends. When I found my son I was surprised, he had turned into a man already and he had no need of me. I ask of you to look at him now, as a man. As my son. As your King.
He has proven himself worthy of that title, not by birth, but by deed. He will be a good King, a good leader. Much more than I could ever be.
I ask that you accept him as much my people, that you become his people. That you support him in his bid for peace among Antar and among the five planets. He is honest in his desire to be what you need; a strong leader, and he is willing to listen to anyone with an opinion.
He will unite you as I never could.
Let him be your rock, your pillar of strength. Let him be a shoulder to cry on. Let him be your King.
It’s his destiny, and I believe that with all my heart.
He’ll do his best and he will succeed, this I promise you in my last breath as your King. Good luck, I wish you long lives and a peaceful existence.
Good-bye my people,
Zan
Bastian didn’t let his tears fall. His father’s letter had been written in a rush, poorly organized, but full of faith in his son. Bastian only wished to prove him correct in his assumptions of Bastian’s abilities.
Cadell was watching him closely, obviously judging his reaction. “Will you help me?” he asked. The mad studied him longer, thinking hard.
Finally the man gave a short nod. “His Highness has a high opinion of you, I hope you can live up to it, and Zan’s reputation.”
“I’m not my father, Cadell, I am my own person, and I will rule as Bastian. Not as Kivar, not Ruark, not even as Zan. And I will do what they have failed at. I will have peace on my planet, and I will keep it.”
Another nod. “I believe you will, your majesty. Now, my people?”
“An order had already been given to have them released. In a few days there’s supposed to be a coronation,” he added, “Afterward I’ll be meeting with my council and the leaders of the other planets to go over current affairs. You may want to make a list of topics to discuss.”
“Of course,” Cadell said, inclining his head, “A few days then.”
“Yes.” Bastian watched him go, but them something occurred to him just as Cadell got to the door. “Cadell, wait!”
The man paused, “Yes, King Bastian?”
Bastian smiled at how easily Cadell said that. “My grandmother…”
------