by Phoebe Nix
He looked ahead of him. “It’s not just because of the way I feel about you, you were proof that the Swarm was still a threat. When Father first proposed the idea of the Allegiance, of the Hagrans joining the Planetary Alliance, many of the kingdoms shrugged the idea off, thinking it was just our kingdom’s way of trying to control everyone. But Father never cared about that. He knew the threat still lingered. I think that’s part of the reason why he adored you so much.” Jerof ran his fingers through Liz’s curls. “He died knowing he was right all along.”
Liz’s eyes teared up. “I think we’ll all miss him.”
Jerof nodded. “And he gave us his blessing.” He turned his head to her, beaming as he closed his eyes and sucked a kiss out of her bottom lip. “I love you, Liz Janeck.”
Liz whimpered quietly, climbing to her knees. “I love you too, Prince Jerof Url’San. I thought I was going to lose you out there.” She nudged him in the chest. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
“I told you I was going to be alright.”
“I didn’t think you even believed what you said.” Liz rolled her eyes.
He chuckled, tracing his finger down her cheek as he gazed at her.
“I couldn’t have survived without you and Finoa,” he whispered, his head resting against her forehead.
“Yeah, I heard she picked out your weapons and everything. She’s a good mentor. She promised to start training me soon. I’ve been bugging her for some time now.”
The prince ran his fingers down Liz’s chest, stopping at her stilt to undo it.
“Whoa there,” Liz grabbed his hand, groaning in frustration. “You have a coronation to attend.”
“I know. I just need to see you.”
Liz climbed down the bed, allowing Jerof to undress her. He contemplated her body, running his fingers along her curves. “Liz Janeck.”
“Yes, Jerof Url’San?”
“You know I’m in love with you,” he said, pulling her back beside him. He slid his fingers up the back of her neck, then tugged on her hair ever-so-slightly as he scanned her. “It’s not just father’s blessing.”
“And I love you, too,” she swiftly said.
The corners of his mouth lifted. “My little Earthling, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
Liz nodded. “Go on. I mean, I’ve watched you fight for your life in a death ring, which almost gave me a heart attack. I think at this point, you can ask me anything.”
Jerof leaned toward Liz’s neck, brushing his lips against her skin. She wrapped her hands around his waist as she threw her head back, moaning in pleasure.
“What was it you wanted to ask me?” she smiled.
He pulled himself back, then looked her in the eye. There was a short pause. “Liz Janek.” His eyes glowed brightly. “Will you be my wife?”
Liz’s studied Jerof’s eyes for a moment, as she struggled to make sense of the moment. She was certain he could hear how loud her heart was thumping.
“What?”
“Will you be my wife?” he repeated. “You’ve said it yourself that you now feel like you belong here. We’re both head over heels in love with one another. We have my father’s blessing, and I’m sure your own father would share the sentiment.”
“My god, Jerof,” Liz exclaimed in disbelief, burying her face in her hands. “This can’t be real.”
“It’s the truest I’ve ever felt toward anyone,” Jerof said, cupping her head between his hands. “Be mine. Officially.”
Liz wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder. “Of course, Jerof. My god, yes!”
His fingertips stroked her back as they embraced. It was a while before he finally let her go. “Dammit, if it wasn’t for the Coronation, I’d show you right now happy you’ve made me.” He growled as he pulled away. “Now, go with Finoa. She’ll show you to your dressing room. Later, I’ll love you, my Queen, like you’ve never been loved before.”
Liz’s journey in Hagran had started as a nightmare she couldn’t wake herself up from, but it seemed to unravel itself into a fairytale she never thought she’d live. Her life on Earth was merely a memory buried in the back of her mind, rarely recalled, except for the times when she wondered whether her friends were safe.
They had, after all, ended up in the same aircraft. If Liz had made it out alive, then the rest of the girls probably did as well. The question was where they had ended up and whether they had been as lucky as she was.
Although Liz was an entirely different species, she no longer felt alienated. She was about to be part of the Url’San Royal family, part of a quest that was far more noble than spending her life writing copy for clients on a planet where her only concern was to make currency for a comfortable life.
Most of all, Liz felt transcended. Her life suddenly had a purpose.
As she followed Finoa along the hallway, she was led to a massive domed room with long, sparkling gowns everywhere she looked. Liz’s jaw dropped as she gazed around her. She turned around in circles as she let out a laugh.
“Holy shit,” she exclaimed. “Why have you been keeping this room from me?”
“We were waiting for your wedding day,” Finoa grinned. “But you’re not here to mix and match. You’ll be wearing the same dress that our mother wore. And you’ll pass it down to your children.”
“This all feels so unreal,” Liz murmured. “I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe I’ll walk out of here to be wed to Jerof. I can’t believe I even fell in love with someone from another planet.”
“You better believe it,” Finoa said as she led Liz to a compartment inside the closet room. She pressed a button and two sliding door opened, revealing a glowing amethyst dress and matching ballerina shoes.
Liz’s eyes widened. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Wait until you see what your King will be wearing.”
Liz was escorted to the Main Hall with Finoa’s arm linked to hers. The room had a colorful domed roof, lighting the whole interior in rainbow hues. Her heart was racing. She had never been so nervous; she could barely swallow.
Her hair was tied up in a high bun. The amethyst dress shimmered with her every move. Its long tail slid behind her as she gracefully strode in her lilac shoes. The chest line was heart shaped with a tight bodice, which extended to a puffy skirt and a wavering tail that glowed in different shades of purples with each of her steps.
She was anxious, lest she say or do something that would be considered inappropriate. She didn’t know how Earthly coronations went, let alone one on another planet. Finoa led her along the trail of blooming petals that adorned the floor. On either of their sides, Kings and Queens she had seen at the Summit were seated on luxurious fabric armchairs, which floated in the air, allowing their feet to dangle. She couldn’t help herself from gazing around her, until Finoa pinched her and told her to look ahead.
Liz nodded nervously and fixed her eyes on the two emerald green thrones set before her. The frames were made of black stone, which shimmered under the rainbow -colored glass. They were padded with velvety fabric, which from where she was standing, looked like soft fur that waved side to side.
There were three doors in the hall. Liz and Finoa walked in from the main entrance, while two other doors were on either side of the room.
One of them slid open as a man who looked like a preacher with a staff marched in. He was clad in a long white robe. His head was bare, but his beard was almost long enough to touch the floor.
“Kings and Queens,” he announced. “Prince Jerof Url’San.”
The attendees chanted as Jerof followed the guard, stopping where Liz and Finoa were standing, by the end of the petal trail.
He wore a robe that matched Liz’s dress in color, but it was shorter with a black stilt. He looked so regal and handsome, that it took Liz’s breath away. He looked at her with such heat in his eyes that Liz felt herself becoming wet. She couldn’t wait until he was inside her again.
The preacher stood before Jerof and Liz, as Finoa slipped into the front row.
“Your majesty,” the preacher said, looking at Jerof. “Are you willing to take the oath?”
“I am,” Jerof announced, raising his fist in the air.
“Will you solemnly promise to govern the Peoples of Url’San and other planets in the Allegiance according to their respective customs?”
“I solemnly promise to do so,” Jerof answered.
“Will you do your utmost to keep the People of Url’San and other Kingdoms in the Allegiance safe from the threat of the Outreach?” the preacher continued.
“I promise to do so.”
“Prince Jerof Url’San, I now crown you as the King of Url.”
The preacher lifted a golden crown from a padded cushion handed to him by one of the guards. He lowered the crown ceremoniously on Jerof’s head. The attendees in the Main Hall applauded, although some of them seemed to do so out of obligation. Then one by one, Kings climbed down their floating seats to bend their knee, as the other attendees in the hall shouted, “All hail King Jerof Url’San!”
Jerof paced to the two thrones, climbing up the steps that led to them. Liz followed. They both stopped and turned around simultaneously. Liz’s dress twirled and swished with her every move.
The Kings climbed back to their seats, which sunk a few inches as their weights pressed the floating chairs down.
“My Kings and Queens,” Jerof began his speech. “I must start by emphasizing that I would not have been here today if it weren’t for my father, King Lamnox’s efforts. I am here to pass on the legacy that he has created.” Jerof paused, swallowing and glancing at Liz before he continued. “King Lamnox was not just a father to Finoa and I. I believe many have considered him an invaluable paternal leader.”
The attendees nodded as they listened.
“The Allegiance was primarily my father’s establishment. I consider myself lucky to be passed on such a,” he paused, waving his hand as he gathered his thoughts. “Quest. And I am grateful that we can all gather here today as one.”
The Kings and Queens cheered, some of them with their eyes focused on Liz.
“However, so many of you have only known King Lamnox as a leader. Off the throne and apart from those Council meetings, he was first and foremost a Hagran father.” There was a short silence after his voice broke. He recollected himself, his eyes closed, then opened them again with a smile on his face. “My father was the one who taught me how to fight; how to be a warrior. If it weren’t for the way he had raised me, I wouldn’t be alive today. Not because I’d be dead after the ring battle. I wouldn’t have even survived a pack of Wanderhounds.”
The attendees let out a hearty laugh.
“And that aside, on his deathbed, my father gave me his blessing to wed a woman I never thought I’d end up falling in love with.”
Royal families gasped, some of them throwing around questions which could easily be heard in the domed room.
“Is it the Earthling?” one voice asked.
“It must be, she’s standing right there next to him,” another one answered. “She’ll be crowned.”
“Crowned? An Earthling? What nonsense,” one of the Kings commented.
“Kings and queens; may I please have your attention?” Jerof called out.
They toned down their humming until the Main Hall was silent.
“My father has given me his blessing to wed an Earthling. This Earthling, who I love with my whole being.” He gestured to her next to him, reaching for her hand.
“I know how this may look to a lot of you, but without Liz Janeck, I wouldn’t have found the answers I needed to make it this far. She was my motive, my muse and my savior. It sometimes feels like she has descended from the sky just to save me.”
Many of the kings appeared suspicious but remained silent. Most of them leered at Liz out of curiosity, as they’d never seen a creature that bore no hair and no color to her skin. They could tell she was an attractive woman, but she looked peculiar to their eyes, nonetheless.
Liz patiently listened to Jerof’s speech, but she couldn’t help but tremble, noticing that all eyes were on her. For a brief moment, she felt despised and revolting, but then she reminded herself that she was about to be crowned Queen. She pulled her chin up and smiled, turning her head to Jerof to watch his eyes glimmer as he spoke about her.
“I have never met anyone as strong as this beautiful Earthling standing by my side. I’d found her in the freezing cold in the Icelands with barely any clothes on and no hair to keep her warm. She kept herself safe from the Wanderhounds and was the one who helped save me from them,” he smiled as he narrated the story of how they met. “She’s an Earthling who had no idea that any of us even existed yet look at her today. If it were anyone else, I’m sure they would have lost their minds.”
More Kings and Queens began to accept the speech, glancing at each other in surprise and nodding in approval.
“She’s here, her hand in mine, about to be part of a war she never asked to be a part of,” he continued. “And she’s standing right there before you, fearless. Beautiful.”
“And she’s going to make a great warrior someday!” Finoa added from the front row. The Main Hall burst out laughing.
Jerof and Liz joined in. Jerof tightened his grip on Liz’s hand and gave it a little squeeze.
“That, too,” Jerof added with a nod of approval. “But in these times of trouble. In these unstable times where the Outreach is now an imminent threat, Liz is a beacon for this planet,” he paused. “To this universe, which needs to look at her like she’s just another species we can embrace. Because she’s foreign to our eye, our first impression is fear. We must not fear what’s different. As a people who have advanced at lightning speed in just a couple of centuries, and we can do better than that.”
Jerof turned to Liz and held both her hands. “I have been lost. For years. And I did not know it. I thought I knew everything, but I was wrong. I thought I only needed myself, and again, I was wrong. I thought I could save the world, the universe even, and failed to realize that I, myself, needed saving. That’s what you’ve done for me, Liz. You saved me. And for that, I will love you, forever and always.”
Liz felt tears well up in her eyes. “I love you too, Jerof. For so long now. My life before this, the one I had back on Earth, well, I thought it was complete. My problems, my worries, the loss of the people I loved. I felt like I was in control through it all, but I was far from it. It took being on another planet to show me that. To show me that there was so much more to life than what I had believed. A life with you, Jerof, is one I would trade everything for. A life together, I would die for. You say I saved you, but you’ve given me that strength. You’ve shown me there’s so much more to me than what I had thought. And for that, I am grateful. And I love you. So much. Always.”
Jerof leaned in and kissed her, pulling her into his arms.
Half of the Hall cheered, while the rest applauded in silence, shooting each other shrugs and confused glances. It was obvious that they had their suspicions, but Liz knew she was going to prove them wrong.
“Please, honor me and welcome to my side, Queen Liz Janeck!”
Finoa couldn’t contain her excitement any longer. She rose from her seat and climbed the steps to join the happy couple. She held Liz’s hand and raised it in the air, and the attendees began chanting her name.
A guard with a crown on a cushion came rushing into the hall, following the preacher as he climbed up the steps. After a short exchange of vows, to the cheers of many, he carefully placed the crown over her head before he climbed down the steps. Jerof and Liz turned to sit on their thrones as the chanting continued.
The Kings then climbed down their thrones a second time, bending their knee one after the after as the Hall shouted, “All hail the Queen!”
Epilogue
Liz struggled to open her eyes, as though her eyelids had been glued together. She use
d her fingers to part them, letting out a groan as she did. She was heavier than usual – much heavier. It felt like she had to wrestle her own body as she pushed herself off the ground.
Wherever she was, she wasn’t used to the gravity.
She felt dust under her fingers and could hear an incessant ringing in her right ear. Her sight was clouded with dark eye floaters and she still couldn’t see where she was. The ringing in her ear wouldn’t stop. She had thought it was inside her head until she turned, and the sound travelled.
A muffled thudding vibrated throughout her entire body, and she couldn’t stand still. She had to slowly sit back down until she felt like herself again.
There was something uncanny about where she was, and she slowly realized why as her vision became clearer.
Liz could see the ends of the land. Like she’d been on a floating ball suspended in space. The ringing seemed to come from a ship which wasn’t in her field of vision. She looked over her shoulder before she turned around, desperately searching for the source of the deafening noise, but what looked like a dark red vortex in the ground caught her attention.
Remnants of humanoid limbs whirled in circles until they disappeared at the bottom of the spinning pit, which looked like lava, swallowing the remains of casualties in a war zone.
“Hello?” she called out, but she couldn’t hear her own voice. She grabbed her own throat, and repeated what she said. Her vocal chords didn’t vibrate. The only sounds she could hear were the ringing and muffled battle cries from afar.
In the distance, she saw a conical ship, similar to the aircraft that sent her to Hagran.
It felt like walking with a ball and chain wrapped around her leg. She struggled to lift her feet off the ground, slowly stepping one foot in front of the other. It felt like it was taking her light-years to get to the ship. No matter how many steps she took, she seemed to be fixed in the same spot.
Liz gave up and stopped. And it was then that the conical aircraft began approaching her. It seemed to move at a steady speed toward her, but then it sped up until she realized it was going to run her over.
