by Tasha Black
“Thank you,” Zane said.
He signed off and walked to the window.
There was something odd about the conversation he’d just had. But he couldn’t figure out what.
His door chimed and he went to the portal.
BFF-67 hovered just outside.
“My lady wonders if you would like to accompany her to lunch,” BFF-67 said politely.
“I thought she would never ask,” Zane said, feeling relieved. “Was there trouble at home that extended her hologram?”
“No, Anna just called to alert her that the princess package winner also receives complimentary meals for herself and her companions,” BFF-67 said.
Zane blinked, trying to absorb what the little drone just said. There was a lot to unpack.
“The winner of the princess package?” he echoed stupidly.
“Oh yes,” BFF-67 said. “It’s a wonderful package. But poor Juno must have been under the mistaken impression that she had won lodging and wardrobe but was on her own for meals. It’s no wonder she accepted an invitation to dine with that awful King Cassius. Anna felt terrible that she hadn’t alerted her sooner about her meals.”
Juno didn’t have enough money for food of her own.
“Juno… isn’t a real princess,” Zane breathed.
“She’s from Terra-4, I should think not,” BFF-67 said. “But I dare say she has courage and heart equal to any royal.”
Terra-4… Zane resisted the urge to shudder.
Earth’s first explorers had begun by trying to re-create their home planet through terraforming. Their early attempts resulted in a misery of desert-like planets where residents scrabbled for food and shelter.
Terra-1 was treated like a historic landmark, its residents enjoyed resources sent in tribute from all the later human settlements.
By Terra-30 or so, the humans had the hang of terraforming and life was more welcoming. It was nowhere near as lavish as on his own planet, but it was bearable.
Terra-4 was practically a wasteland.
He wondered how a wonderful person like Juno could have come from such a terrible place.
Suddenly Anna’s words took on new meaning.
You’re one in a million.
There were so many prejudices against humans from the early Terras. Trash, garbage, junk, all those words were commonly used to describe such people.
“Zane, did you not know Juno was from Terra-4?” BFF-67 asked worriedly.
“Of-of course I did,” he said, trying to sound convincing.
But BFF-67 was already flitting worriedly back toward Juno’s door.
“Wait,” he called to the little drone.
By the time he made it to the hallway, it was already gone.
He stepped back into his room in a daze.
Fragments of his time with Juno flashed in his memory.
I want to help my people…
This princess thing is really something…
I’m always hungry…
That last one broke his heart and left him reeling.
She was avoiding mealtimes because she had no credits of her own. Yet she was ready to help in the Agro department, ready to meet with a king, to sell off her most valuable worldly possession in order to help people she had never seen.
He had never met her equal.
Zane loved her now with a raw intensity that almost hurt.
He would help her, and he would help her people.
The truth dropped on him, an anchor on his chest.
He staggered backward from the window, collapsing on the edge of his bed, head in his hands.
The best way to help her, the only way to really help, was to do what he had thought he was free of.
Gods, how many worlds had he bypassed in this hulk of a ship to be free of his crown?
But no matter how far he went, it pulled him back all the harder, like an elastic cargo band. His father’s first mage had said it would be so, and Zane had laughed.
He had no wish to be king of Agwithia. He had flung himself to the darkest corners of the universe to avoid it.
But Fate had handed him a mantle he could not shake.
If he loved Juno, really loved her, he would have to go home and rule so that her people could thrive.
A picture of his step-father sprang vividly to mind.
The man had been a timid consort, kind and soft-spoken until he wore the crown of Agwithia.
Now he raged and stormed, a tyrant like any other.
Unwilling to become what he hated, Zane had run rather than taking his rightful place when he came to manhood.
When the stars aligned again, would Zane stalk the marble floors of the palace of Agwithia, crying out commands in a thundering voice as his flunkies cowered?
If that is what Juno needs, I will.
But in his heart, he wasn’t sure if he could.
Zane, the rightful heir of Agwithia, sat motionless at the edge of a bed made for a servant, as a battle took place in his soul.
16
Juno
Juno was sliding a groomer through her hair when BFF-67 zoomed in, lights blazing on her tiny origami form.
“Is everything okay?” Juno asked. “Is he coming to lunch?”
“I have made an error,” BFF-67 chirped anxiously. “I have made an unspeakable error.”
“I’m sure everything will be fine,” Juno said, trying to hide her smile. She couldn’t imagine a scenario in which the little robot could be capable of doing something unspeakable.
“He didn’t know,” BFF-67 shrilled, spinning past the wall of glass and nearly tangling herself in the curtains.
“Who didn’t know?” Juno asked. “Please don’t hurt yourself. Come sit on my hand and tell me.”
She extended her arm, palm up.
BFF-67 hovered in the air for a few seconds, then zoomed in and landed, folding herself into a small, round shape.
“Zane,” BFF-67 said quietly.
“What about him?” Juno asked.
“He did not know you weren’t a real princess,” BFF-67 said. It was strange to hear her bell-like voice pitched in sadness. “He did not know you were from Terra-4.”
Oh.
Every interaction with the handsome valet flashed through her mind seemingly at once.
Suddenly, his deference made sense.
And so did his declaration that she was his mate.
He must be furious now.
Poor BFF-67.
“It’s okay, BFF-67,” Juno said quickly. “I’m glad you told him.”
BFF-67 made a wheezing sound of disbelief.
“Really,” Juno said. “I don’t want to actually pretend to be something I’m not. I thought he knew this was just for fun.”
“It’s not just for fun,” BFF-67 said. “You are royal to me. You are as kind, generous and gracious as any empress.”
“That’s very sweet of you,” Juno smiled at the little robot.
“He didn’t know,” BFF-67 said worriedly again.
“I’m sure he’s very disappointed,” Juno said. “But this explains a lot.”
“He loves you,” BFF-67 said.
“He did,” Juno agreed. “Or at least he thought he did. I think it’s time for me to give him a little space. Besides, there’s something more important that I came here to do.”
She was certain Zane would not find her so interesting now that he knew the trappings of a princess were nothing but a game of make-believe.
“May I recharge?” BFF-67 asked in an even smaller voice than usual.
“Of course,” Juno said. “But I command you not to feel sad about telling Zane. I am very happy that you did. If I had known he wasn’t aware, I would have done it myself, which would have been very difficult. You saved me from a painful conversation.”
BFF-67 chirped half-heartedly.
Juno watched as the little drone folded herself into a paper airplane shape and glided to her charging dock, then she took a deep breath, and w
alked over to the glass.
I will look into these trees and feel sorry for myself for exactly one minute. Then I will go and do what I came here to do.
The trees swayed in a breeze that momentarily cleared the mist, giving Juno a view of tangled branches reaching for the light.
That breeze was made by a machine.
The light is a filament, not a star.
And I am a piece of Terra-4 trash, not a princess.
But the trees were still beautiful.
And Juno was still clothed and safe.
And she was about to put a warm meal in her belly, and maybe help her people at the same time.
She had been feeling more than a little guilty about spending a day being romanced instead of using every moment at her disposal to pursue help for Terra-4.
She ran back to the entry of her suite and found the pouch Zane had delivered last night.
It was remarkably heavy.
She eased open the strings.
Inside, a large coin shone so brightly it almost hurt to look at it.
She looked closer and recognized the Dragolion symbol on it.
Her breath caught in her throat.
That was a medallion.
Its value was so great that Juno had never seen one before. No one she knew had ever seen one.
She stretched the purse strings wider and saw that there was more than one medallion.
Juno’s mouth dropped open and she had to close the pouch again, squeeze her eyes shut and beg herself not to pass out.
Two medallions was more money than her whole neighborhood could earn in a lifetime.
She opened the pouch again.
The medallions were still there. There were seven of them.
This much money would be life changing back home. But any change would only be temporary. Once it ran out, they would be right back where they were. What her people needed more than anything was work. It wasn’t enough money to bring business to her planet.
But it was enough to arm a rebellion.
Which might be enough to convince King Cassius to ally himself with Terra-4.
It could be enough to buy her people the chance to migrate to a place where their labor could be fruitful for generations to come.
She dashed over to her communicator and pressed the combination to rouse Cassius’s lackey.
She might be Terran trash, but she was about to have her second meal with a king in twenty-four hours.
17
Juno
Juno held her breath as the platform sank swiftly to the lower level.
King Cassius would be waiting below.
It was odd, the way the hairs on the back of her neck prickled at the idea of leaving her suite without Zane.
Maybe there was something to the mate bond idea, something real about it. But Zane would break it soon enough, she was sure of it, and then she would be free of his hold.
Even as she thought it, a wave of honeyed pain swept through her and she closed her eyes against it.
I love him.
The pain was nearly unbearable.
There is no time for extraneous emotions like love, she reminded herself harshly. My friends are counting on me.
At last the platform came to a halt.
Sure enough, there stood King Cassius, resplendent in a scarlet tunic, his crown shimmering in his golden hair.
Crex and Ozmarck flanked him, one pace back.
“Princess Juno,” the king sang out.
She nearly cringed at the pretend title which had caused so much unnecessary pain with Zane. She would have to tell King Cassius the truth, if he didn’t already know.
“Hello, your majesty,” she replied, bowing deeply.
She patted her inner pocket and felt the reassuring weight of the medallions.
Even if Cassius somehow didn’t know she was a pretend princess, the medallions in the pouch were real enough to gain his ear.
He bowed in return.
“There’s something I’d like to talk with you about,” Juno said.
“Tut, tut, my dear,” Cassius replied. “Food first, conversation second. You look famished.”
She was famished.
But she didn’t love him saying so.
Nevertheless, she nodded, and they swept off into the body of the ship.
It was late afternoon, and the main corridor was less crowded than usual. A Cameliunak lady tottered into a jewelry shop. A handsome humanoid man carried a sleeping toddler toward one of the main platforms.
Otherwise, Juno was alone with Cassius and his entourage.
“The ship is quiet today,” Cassius said, as if echoing Juno’s thoughts.
They passed an enormous glassy storefront that seemed to sell only blended beverages.
“Shall we attempt to dine at the Titanium Dining Room again?” King Cassius asked.
“Is it safe for you there?” Juno asked, surprised that he would want to dine again at the site of the attack.
“The proprietor has assured me of my safety,” he replied. “He may be more attuned to my protection than any other restauranteur on the ship.”
She nodded. That made sense.
They headed back to the familiar room, where the same host welcomed them with a pained expression and brought them to a table in the back.
Cassius murmured to a server and someone appeared with a pitcher of mango juice.
Juno could hardly pay attention to her surroundings. She was too worried about exactly how to broach her conversation with the king.
She should have waited, made a plan.
In her haste, she might have wasted her only chance.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Cassius said lightly.
“I have something to tell you,” she said, determined to see this through. “And something to give you.”
His eyes twinkled in a pleased way.
“What would you like to give me?” he asked.
She pulled the pouch from her pocket and set it on the table in front of her without offering to him.
Cassius’s eyes widened and his fingers drummed the tabletop impatiently.
“My people want to help yours,” she said. “This is to arm your rebellion. But I need you to know something about me.”
“I already know,” he told her, smiling smugly.
“Y-you do?” she asked.
He nodded knowingly. “And I respect you all the more for it, I assure you. I appreciate a straight shooter and I can see that is what you are.”
“It was never my intention to be dishonest,” she said.
“But to mention certain things in the beginning would be indelicate,” Cassius replied. “You have nothing to fear from me, my dear. I would never take advantage of your feelings.”
Juno wasn’t sure how feelings came into it, except the overwhelming embarrassment on her part. But she was glad he knew her secret. That made everything else easier.
“May I?” he asked, indicating the pouch.
“Of course,” she said. “Please.”
She watched his face as he saw the medallions inside.
Cassius’s mouth dropped open. “Do you normally carry this much cash?” he asked, coughing slightly.
“I sold the crown,” she laughed, glad he was still determined to have a sense of humor about the princess thing.
His brow furrowed slightly.
“I hope that this will help you arm your rebellion,” Juno said. “But now I have something to ask of you.”
“Anything you like,” he replied too quickly.
Behind him, the horned bodyguard winced.
“I want to go with you,” she told him.
“Will you have the backing of your people?” he asked. “I will need all the resources I can manage.”
Was he asking her if she could come up with the funds for her own passage?
She thought back to her friends on Terra-4. Even if they couldn’t help, she still had plenty of fancy clothes to sell.
“
I know they will do all they can,” she said carefully.
He smiled like a cat drinking cream.
“Of course this helps,” he said, weighing the pouch in his hand. “But without a wave of manpower, we can’t be assured of success.”
Manpower?
Workers - they needed workers on Frigalia, of course - so that King Cassius could fulfill his promises to his people. And of course, Terra-4 had a huge surplus of able-bodied workers, just waiting for an opportunity like this one.
She didn’t have to beg him. She didn’t even have to ask.
He was offering her people a place on his planet.
“We have a trained force of thousands,” she said, her voice shaking slightly in her joy. “They can be mobilized within a week.”
18
Cassius
Cassius observed the princess of Adair with satisfaction.
She was clearly besotted with him and had been about to admit it, had he not saved her the humiliation. The last thing he wanted was to be publicly embarrassed by some backwater princess fawning all over him.
She had sold her crown to give him the cash she thought he needed to arm a rebellion.
And now she had promised an army of thousands.
And the backing of her people.
He tried to imagine the riches her royal family represented. It was dizzying to imagine a nation so powerful they could send him an army of thousands on a whim.
Ozmarck scowled at him.
Cassius glared back and the horned giant looked away.
He turned back to Juno, his mind reeling.
She was so young. There was an innocence about her. He suspected this was her first voyage alone.
No…
What if she had not yet communicated with her family?
Surely, they would want to further research the king she planned to support.
It wouldn’t take much digging for them to learn the real story. And once they did, they would never allow their princess to give him such a fortune.
They were bound to discover that he hadn’t been deposed at all, but rather he was merely tired of living among his aging, whining subjects, and had absconded with their treasure to live in the lap of luxury on a space cruiser.
