Royal Hearts

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “I take it that you mean she needs your protection?”

  “Yes. As the king, it’s my duty to protect her. My role on Raz is to do everything I can to keep her safe.”

  “Hmm…I would gladly relieve you of that duty. Between you and me, I look like I’m physically more able to win a fight.”

  It took Hathor a moment to understand what William was getting at. Just because William was taller and broader in the shoulder than him, it didn’t mean he was better suited to protect Ann. Half the battle was in strategy, after all. “You’d be surprised at how well I can engage in battle when I need to,” he dryly stated. “I have been trained since childhood to fight for the queen.”

  “Yeah. Well, I can beat up any guy I want to here on Earth.”

  Clearly, this wasn’t the avenue Hathor wanted to pursue. A servant of the queen was expected to maintain a humble attitude at all times. Also, he was to do no harm unless it came down to self-defense or in defending the queen.

  Forcing aside the urge to wipe the smug smirk off of William’s face, Hathor asked, “How much do you know about Ann? Do you remember dumping her once she moved to Florida? Do you remember rejecting her for four years before she went to Raz to be the queen?”

  “She mentioned something about that in the past, but I did no such thing. She and I were dating, and she was convinced she was destined to be a queen of some other planet. I didn’t believe her at the time. Let’s face it. It sounds like something a person makes up. Anyway, when I saw the Sphinx and a blue little creature come for her, that’s when I realized she was telling me the truth. I wanted to go with her, but she wouldn’t let me. I still don’t understand why. Things were going great between us. Despite what you think, I would never have dumped her, even if she had moved to Florida. She never gave me a chance. I could have been a good king. That’s what I’m going to show her. She’s going to take me with her this time.”

  Hathor frowned. “In case you didn’t understand what I said earlier, I’ll make myself clearer. I’m the king. That means she’s already married. We’ve been married for two years and we have a daughter.”

  “So?”

  Hathor blinked in surprise. “So?”

  “Yeah. So what? Look, what happened in the future we came from isn’t necessarily going to happen this time. We’re all starting with a clean slate. The future is wide open.”

  It took Hathor a minute to find his voice. “But Raz needs her. She’s the queen. She has people to rule over, other planets to help, a daughter to have… Raz will cease to exist without her.”

  “That’s why I’ll go with her when it’s her time to go. I’m not going to risk the lives of people on another planet to keep her here.”

  “But she’s married. To me.”

  “Not yet. The future is wide open. Anything can happen.”

  Heat crept up in Hathor’s face. “But there’s a child. That child won’t exist if we’re not married.”

  “I can give her a child. Then that child will exist. These details are easy to work around.”

  “You can’t do this. I love her.”

  “And I don’t? I just spent the last six years wishing I could be with her. You’ve had your chance. It’s my turn.”

  Hathor’s jaw clenched. What did Ann ever see in this creep? “All you care about is yourself. You don’t care who you hurt. Ann was happy with me.”

  “Interesting that you should say she was happy with you. I like the sound of that. It’s almost poetic.” He stood up. “It looks like you’ll just have to win her from me. I have nothing more to say to you, so I’ll be glad if you show yourself out.”

  Hathor watched as William left the room. Don’t hit him. A king never loses control. He maintains the dignity worthy of the queen at all times, regardless of his feelings.

  Hathor rose to his feet and stiffly made his way out of the house. He couldn’t let Ann down. He couldn’t let Raz down. He would fight for her, and he would win. But he would do it with honor. He wouldn’t stoop to William’s level.

  He made it to Kent’s car, got in, and slammed the door. Wincing, he said, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to shut it so hard.”

  “That must have been some talk you two had,” Kent said, turning off his radio.

  As Kent backed out of the driveway, Hathor felt better. “William is the most selfish person I’ve ever met.” He glanced at his new friend. “I’m sorry, but I can’t explain what happened back there or why I’m so upset about it. It’s something I have to keep to myself.”

  “You don’t owe me an explanation. Your business is your business.”

  “Thanks.” As Hathor stared out the window, he couldn’t help wishing he was back on Raz with Ann and their daughter.

  ***

  William watched Hathor leave and grunted. Who did that twerp think he was to demand that William change his plans? William had suffered for six years to get to this moment. How could he be expected to give it all up? It was his turn to find the love that had been denied him for so long.

  “No way am I giving up,” he whispered. “It’s my turn to be happy. You had your turn. Now it’s mine.”

  Glancing at the phone, he decided he would make a phone call to Ann. He would ask her on a date. It would be their first date alone, and he would take her miniature golfing. She loved that game, he recalled.

  “I’ll get my way this time,” he promised. “And no one’s going to stop me.”

  ***

  Present day

  The Ivory Palace

  Planet: Olympia

  Second Commander Jaz breathed a sigh of relief when she and Guard Lino climbed their last step. Her entire body ached from their long ascent. She took a moment to stretch her sore muscles before ringing the doorbell, which chimed an assortment of melodies.

  “I hope they know where Queen Ann is,” Guard Lino said as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. “I hate to think we made this climb up here for nothing.”

  “Even if they don’t know where she is, I’m sure they will want to help us find her,” she replied.

  The door opened, and Hephaestus greeted them then asked, “What can I do for you?”

  “I am Second Commander Jaz and this is Guard Lino. We traveled from Pale in search of Queen Ann from Raz. She was supposed to come here with Hathor almost a week ago, but we haven’t heard from her and wondered if she ever made it.”

  Hephaestus stiffened. “Come in.” He limped aside for them to enter. “Zeus will want to talk to you right away. Please have a seat, and I will get him for you.”

  After a moment, they chose the enormous, plush white sofa trimmed in gold.

  Looking around the room, Jaz could see that the gods and goddesses were used to the very best and expensive things money could buy. The large chandelier in the middle of the room was made of diamonds and had the image of each god and goddess who lived in the palace carved into it.

  Since Zeus and Hera were the head god and goddess, they were at the top of the chandelier. The other gods and goddesses were lower, according to their rank of importance. The rest of the room was filled with white furniture with gold trim, and the plush carpet was white with golden images of the gods and goddesses woven into the fabric.

  Flowers of various colors were the only things that gave the room a sense of warmth. The rest of it seemed more like a monument than a place to live.

  Jaz turned to Lino. “We know one thing. They didn’t talk to Queen Ann or Hathor.”

  Zeus entered the room, followed by Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Ares, and Apollo. “You said Queen Ann was supposed to come here?” Zeus asked.

  “She left Pale about five days ago and hasn’t returned,” Jaz replied, getting to her feet. “She wanted to talk to you about forming an alliance with us. We are expecting an attack any day now from the clone of a former leader on our planet.”

  “Attack? As in war? Now we’re talking!” Ares said, his eyes lit with excitement.

  Ignoring Ares, Zeus told Jaz, “Queen A
nn hasn’t been here.”

  “That’s what we were afraid of,” Jaz said. “We have no idea what happened to her or Hathor. The last time we saw them, they were using the Book of Spells to come here.”

  Zeus glanced at Apollo, who nodded that she was telling the truth. “You say that there will be an attack on Pale,” Zeus replied. “May we inquire as to the nature of this attack and how it involves Queen Ann?”

  “Our past leader made a clone of himself before his death. We weren’t even aware he had a clone until recently when the clone escaped from Pale. Upon examining the situation, we discovered his plans to kill Queen Ann and then conquer Pale. Unfortunately, the plans did not include any details, so we cannot predict how the clone will act. All we can do is be vigilant so we’ll be ready when he strikes with his army, which we assume he’s acquiring as we speak.”

  The gods and goddesses glanced at each other before Athena spoke up. “Queen Ann’s disappearance must be related to the clone.”

  “That’s what we think, too,” Jaz agreed. “We’ve sent out our best Palers and Laxes to find Omin’s clone or Queen Ann and Hathor, but there is no sign of them anywhere. It’s as if they vanished.”

  Zeus nodded. “We will help you. What we need is a suitable plan to find her.”

  After a moment of silence, Jaz ventured to ask, “Have any of you seen Guard Falon? He is our companion on our mission to find Queen Ann, but we lost him back at one of the caves along this mountain.”

  “There are many caves along the side of this mountain, but they lead to the Underworld. If he found an opening to it, then that’s where he is right now. The Underworld is Hades’ domain.”

  “So he’s safe. That’s a relief.”

  “I didn’t say he was safe. I just said he somehow ended up in the Underworld. Unfortunately, we are not allowed down there without Hades’ permission. He is very territorial when it comes to his domain.”

  “And depending on his mood, he may or may not let your companion out of the Underworld,” Hera added. “He’s not the easiest god to get along with.”

  “There is some hope, though, since Persephone is about to return to him,” Aphrodite said. “Moved by his love for his wife, he will often do generous and kind acts.”

  “Persephone goes to the Underworld every six months out of the year,” Hera added.

  “I will miss the fresh flowers,” Aphrodite said. “Demeter, her mother, is quite cranky when Persephone’s with Hades. She never did learn to accept Hades as a son-in-law, and since she controls the weather, we all have to bear with her bad mood. On the other hand, it is romantic in a sad way.”

  Hera rolled her eyes at the comment.

  “So you think our chances are good that Hades will allow Guard Falon to return to us?” Jaz asked, wishing to get back on topic.

  “I think so,” Zeus replied.

  “And if not, we can always battle Hades to let him go,” Ares said.

  “War is to be the last resort,” Athena replied. “Get a hold of yourself, Ares.”

  “Must you always be logical?” Ares mumbled. “You have the passion of a rock.”

  “Enough,” Zeus interrupted. “We have more important things to think about than your petty fights. We have to come up with a plan to find Queen Ann. She’s in trouble and needs our help. That is our first priority.”

  Ares and Athena immediately stopped their bickering.

  Jaz was glad for their concern over Queen Ann’s safety, but she was disappointed they didn’t care so much about Guard Falon’s safety. But she would stay on Olympia until he was back with her team. If it meant that she would have to confront Hades herself, then so be it. No Paler would dare leave one of their own behind, no matter what.

  Chapter Eleven

  Six years in the past

  Dayton, Ohio

  Planet: Earth

  As soon as school ended for the day, Ann and Stacey hopped in the car Ann’s mother let her borrow. They had wanted to bring Teresa along, but since they were meeting two guys instead of three, they felt it would be too awkward. They promised their friend that if either one of them were going to see either guy again, they would ask him if he had a friend they could pair Teresa up with.

  “It doesn’t make sense,” Ann said as she threw her backpack on the backseat. She took out her car keys and put the one she needed into the ignition. “Teresa should have been the one to go to the college fair instead of me. I’m the one who’s moving, not her.”

  “I think you were meant to be there,” Stacey replied as she slipped into the passenger seat. “You were supposed to meet Hathor.”

  Did Ann really believe that? Was there such a thing as coincidence, or did everything happen for a reason?

  “Anyway, you might as well enjoy going out with a good looking guy while you can,” Stacey continued.

  “True.” It certainly made life more enjoyable, and it’d give her something fun to write about in her diary.

  “Speaking of guys, how are things with William?” Stacey asked as Ann drove out of the parking lot. “Has he asked you out yet?”

  “He called last night and asked me out for Friday night. He’s going to take me miniature golfing.”

  “That sounds like fun. I wonder if college guys think they are too sophisticated to play miniature golf?”

  “I don’t see why college guys wouldn’t play miniature golf. It’s a fun game no matter how old you are.”

  “Good point.” Stacey studied her reflection in her compact mirror before she closed it and looked at her friend. “Are you nervous?”

  “I am, but it helps that you’ll be there. You know, to ease the tension. The first couple of dates are always the worst.”

  “Do you have a preference for either William and Hathor yet?”

  Ann considered the question. They were both good looking, although in different ways. William had a rugged, outdoors-type appeal. Hathor, on the other hand, had a regal appearance about him that reminded her of the classic knight in shining armor character she’d once heard about.

  “It’s too soon to tell,” she finally said. “Besides, I don’t know if things will go anywhere with either of them. But,” she shot her friend a teasing grin, “this might be the beginning of something big between you and Kent.”

  “I don’t want to jinx anything, but I have a good feeling about him.”

  “I do, too. I think he’ll be good for you. However, I can’t help but wonder what you’ll do about Toledo if things work out with him. You’ve been wanting to go to college there ever since freshman year.”

  Stacey shrugged. “I can be persuaded to go to another college if it meets up to my standards.”

  Ann chuckled. She was going to miss Stacey when she left for Florida. But she tried not to think about it. This was a good day, and she didn’t want to spoil it.

  A few minutes later, she pulled into the visitor’s parking lot at the college. “Well, this is it. Are you ready?”

  “No and yes. If I could calm my nerves, I’d be better off.”

  “You’ll do fine. Remember, this could be fate.” Ann parked her car and turned off the engine. Taking out the campus map, she studied it. “The Student Union is that way.”

  “Since you’re better at maps than I am, I’ll follow you.”

  Amused at her friend’s mock salute, Ann led the way to the large building.

  As soon as they spotted the guys, Stacey grabbed her arm and stopped her. “Maybe we’d better not do this.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I don’t know what to say. Kent’s going to think I’m a stupid high school girl.”

  “No, he won’t.” When Stacey didn’t look convinced, she added, “Think of it this way: he’s probably just as nervous as you are.”

  “Do you think so? Do guys get nervous like we do?”

  “Of course, they do.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “For one, they’re human like we are. And two, Carson told me one time th
at he was afraid to talk to Lisa because he was too nervous.”

  Stacey’s face brightened. “He really said that?”

  Ann nodded. “And here’s something else to remember: if Kent doesn’t like you, you’ll be where you were before, with no boyfriend anyway. So what have you got to lose?”

  “I’m sure glad you’re here. I don’t know what I’ll do when you’re gone. Oh, here they come.”

  Ann turned her attention to Hathor and Kent, and she returned Hathor’s smile. She had to admit that he was attractive in his blue jeans and green t-shirt.

  “Did you have any trouble finding this place?” Kent asked.

  “Nope. It was a piece of cake,” Stacey replied.

  By the way Stacey grimaced, Ann could tell that Stacey felt self-conscious about the ‘piece of cake’ comment, so she quickly said, “The map was easy to read.”

  “That’s the beauty of this campus. It’s easy to navigate,” Kent replied. “It’s just one of the reasons why this is a great college. Would you like to see the rest of the campus?”

  “Sure,” Stacey said.

  The three followed Kent as he talked about the wonderful things on the campus, but Ann was barely listening. She would have been more interested if she had any chance of going to school here, but she would be going to a Florida college.

  She was acutely aware of how close Hathor walked next to her. Usually, she didn’t like to get near a guy until she got to know him better, but with Hathor, it was as if they had known each other for a long time, so it felt natural to be so close to him. The same wasn’t true with William. With him, she found herself keeping a safe distance.

  For a brief moment, she thought that it was too bad that Hathor wasn’t the one who planned to go to college in Florida, but she quickly dismissed it. She didn’t even know Hathor well enough to think such a thing.