Kellan was still sorry about that. He knew he had ignored his Brother-in-Law most of the times even though the young Phy’vohranian had gone to considerable length to lure him out of the room or cheer him up. Kellan had dismissed him several times.
Only the children had been allowed to stay with him. Aoran too, but that was because the kmer had just ignored him when Kellan had thrown him out of the room.
Perhaps he should go and apologize to everyone in the palace. He knew had been downright sulky and insufferable towards them lately.
Looking at his golden bracelet, he turned a small wheel at its side. A moment later a holographic view of his bedroom appeared in front of him. Unfortunately, it only showed him a still sleeping Sartak.
Sighing sadly, he turned off the device and straightened himself.
First stop was the bathroom.
When he entered the bedroom, he forced himself not to stop at the bed. Only reluctantly he passed Sartak and reached the stairs down. The sunken bathtub was already steaming with hot water and scented bath supplements.
He slid the robe from his shoulders and took off his slippers. Smelling his armpits, he winced and gagged.
Gods, had he seriously ran around smelling like a dead animal? People here must be either very polite or understanding because no one had pointed that out to him. He guessed it was politeness that had kept them from telling a royal that he reeked.
Embarrassing enough, he looked like death, but smelling like it also? He hoped it hadn’t ruined his reputation. Maybe he was allowed to let himself go for a while…or maybe they thought he was just crazy or odd.
Anyways, he needed to get back to his best; he needed to take up his work as Ambassador Daron’s understudy again and ask the king whether he needed him to do something for him.
Kellan also needed to start appearing in the public areas of the palace again and socialize with people. Moreover, he needed to ask Leylos if he had already reacted to the threat of the outlaws in the Cjon’vaiian neighboring galaxy.
Lowering his body into the hot water, he finally relaxed for the first time in about three weeks. Ever since Sartak had gone on this mission, he was stressed and worried; now even more because he wasn’t waking up.
Kellan leaned his head back. He sat on a step in the bathtub that was actually located pretty low. A few meters away he could see a higher step that wasn’t even touched by the water.
The tiles looked lighter and newer, and he knew it hadn’t been there before. He supposed it had been added sometime during the last two weeks. If the tub was filled completely, it would allow Kellan to still sit in the tub without drowning. The step would be perfect for him when he bathed together with Sartak…
And again he was in a bad mood.
Angry at himself, because every time he thought about Sartak, he went from normal to depressed, he grabbed a washcloth and started to rub his skin aggressively. Adding some body wash, he cleaned himself until his pale skin looked reddish. Then he began to massage shampoo into his hair. He rinsed and washed his hair four times before he actually felt clean again.
He left the bathtub and took a short shower to get rid of the last bits of soap. Then, he rubbed himself dry and wrapped the towel around his body.
His robe he left there because…well, that robe he had worn the last five days. Kellan only slipped into his shoes and returned to the bedroom.
Stealing a quick glance at Sartak, he went to draw back the curtains to let in some fresh air. The room smelled of sweat and no oxygen at all. It was hard to take a deep breath and it certainly couldn’t be good for Sartak’s recovery.
So when the curtains were all drawn back, he heard a quiet chirp. Dershra sat on a table and regarded him with uncertainty.
The little wyvern had been eating his meal from a plate; Kellan could still see some remains of meat and fruits.
His heart was aching; he had seriously forgotten about the little guy. Hopefully, he still loved him…even if he surely didn’t deserve the forgiveness of his pet.
“Come here, sweet,” he whispered and it seemed like Dershra’s mood lifted instantly.
The little guy chirped cheerfully and flew right into Kellan’s open arms. Dershra nuzzled his head against his neck and made happy sounds.
“I’m so sorry, little one. I’ll have the servants bring in a pet tree so you can sleep in our room,” he promised, kissing his wyvern’s little head.
Then, the wyvern hopped on his place on Kellan’s shoulders. He surprisingly took care not to hurt Kellan with his claws since he was sitting on his bare skin right now.
Quickly Kellan changed Sartak’s urine bag and washed his husband’s face once more. Everything else he had already done this morning and would repeat it this evening.
He placed a kiss on his husband’s lips and told him he would be back soon. After that, he left the room.
His two guards Jorax and Kalik had been waiting just outside the bedroom door and were now looking at anything else but Kellan.
Rolling his eyes at the prude pair, he headed to his dressing room. Crossing his sitting room, he noticed it was still a mess. It now had bookshelves, ottomans, chairs, tables and a big screen at a wall, but a lot of stuff was still lying around.
He changed into black leather trousers with metal studs and thicker leather patches on the knees; a long robe made of sheer black fabric that was layered and thus fluttered around his legs with every move. The sleeves were rather tight and made of a thicker velvety fabric and the seams were covered with lace. Black knee high boots and- since the v-neckline was rather revealing- a silver choker which covered the v-neck and also built a sharp and pointed cover over his shoulders completed his outfit.
Kellan also fastened his weapon belt around his waist.
He blow-dried his hair a bit until it was only damp and combed it back into a sleek hairdo.
Being quite satisfied- he still had dark circles around his eyes- Kellan nodded at his appearance in the mirror.
He went over to his chest and opened it via the iris scanner. Taking his twin swords and a laser wand, he closed it again by kicking the lid down with his foot.
When he came back into the sitting room, both guards gave him a stunned look.
“Your Highness is looking like you’re going on a killing spree,” Jorax, the guard with the brown hair and black eyes, said nervously; it seemed like he wasn’t too sure whether Kellan had really such intentions.
Kalik, the one with the slightly lighter brown hair but dark-green eyes, kicked Jorax’s leg.
“Is Ambassador Daron Jaxtell still in the palace?” Kellan asked while disregarding the comment about the killing spree completely.
Hell, he wasn’t going to dignify that with an answer.
“The Ambassador had left for Cjon’vaii last week, your Highness,” Kalik replied dutifully.
He nodded absently. That was not exactly what he had wanted to hear, but it was probably better this way. He had a feeling that Daron would have tried to talk him out of what he was about to do. At least he had done his preparations.
“We’ll. I need to speak to King Leylos. Now,” without further paying attention to both of his guards, he headed in the direction of the king’s office, knowing his guards would follow behind him.
“Your Majesty, I hope you’ve sent someone to make those outlaws pay for their crimes,” was the first thing he said when he went into Leylos’s office.
The king was signing some papers but lifted his gaze when he heard Kellan’s voice which sounded nothing like it used to sound.
Leylos remembered it to be sweet and gentle, not harsh and bitter.
In fact, it was the first time in two weeks Kellan had ever spoken to him. His demanding tone made him frown for a moment, but when he looked his Kmeri-in-Law up and down, he swallowed.
Kellan looked like an avenging angel; dark and dangerous. The usually smooth and full lips were pressed into a harsh line and he was scowling. His silver eyes gleamed with blood thir
st- at least that was what the expression would mean on a Phy’vohranian.
Leylos threw the pen on his desk and couldn’t help but feel the cold crawl on his back. Kellan seemed so serious and stern, he didn’t quite know whether he should tell him all the news or not. But then he remembered that he himself would want to know everything about the latest developments concerning the outlaws.
“I’ve sent a destroyer,” he said and waited for a reaction.
On his Kmeri-in-Law's face appeared a satisfied expression but only for a split second.
“Good,” he said tersely.
He took a deep breath. This Kellan was completely unknown to him. He behaved nothing like the man he had worked with two weeks ago.
It was frightening. He had no idea of how he would take the other news he had.
“They captured two of the outlaws, but they refuse to tell us about what they’re up to,” there, he had said it.
Kellan looked at him without blinking. His scowl only deepened and then…what was that? Leylos thought he imagined things, but Kellan…smirked. He seriously smirked.
He felt his heartbeat speeding up and his hands got sweaty as Kellan walked towards him. Damn, he didn’t like that look. He didn’t like it at all.
Stopping in front of his desk, Kellan placed his hands on the wood, looking Leylos into the eyes. The silver of his irises suddenly seemed so cold and merciless. He swallowed.
“They have tried to kill my husband and made me their personal enemy. They’ve attacked the crown. Therefore I demand their blood. But it is not for me to decide their fate. Thus I will let the goddess judge them. I call in a trial by combat. Let Mother Cosmos show mercy or contempt towards them,” he said, his voice strangely hollow and hoarse.
With an elegant swirl of fabric, Kellan turned around and left the room with his head held high.
Leylos sank into his chair. How had Kellan known about the trial decided by the goddess?
An icy feeling washed over him, made him shiver. Oh blasted galaxies, this was bad…very bad.
Swallowing hard, he leaned over to his desk. Pressing a button on his communicator, he waited for Jarvan to pick up.
When he finally heard his consort’s voice, some of his tension disappeared.
“Jarvan…have someone prepare a trial by the goddess,” he said, his tone grave.
14
The bright light of the spotlights seemed to burn into his skin. He covered his eyes from the blinding brightness. His gut clenched, his stomach rumbled.
Leylos’s hands shook nervously while he was sweating on his seat in the king’s box above the arena. Jarvan didn’t look content either. His face showed a rather grim expression. Leylos’s consort was rather pale too, and Leylos feared that he might faint. But then something went through his body. Leylos saw him straighten up and recollecting himself. He had offered Jarvan to stay absent from this trial, but his mate had only shaken his head. He was here to see these two man punished for hurting his son.
The rows for the viewers were filled. Of course, everyone wanted to see the Trial of the Goddess. It hasn’t happened in eighty years now. And even before that, it was a rare event. Not many people demanded the trial. Most were satisfied enough with letting the king decide. But Kellan had wanted this and Leylos still hadn’t found out how he’d known about it.
His sons, excluding Sartak who was still asleep, were sitting on the left side next to his consort. Kellan was sitting on the right side on Daron’s place.
Daron was currently on Cjon’vaii to talk with the council there. Things concerning the outlaws needed to be solved soon because more problems awaited them.
Further criminal activities were reported all around their galaxy and the neighboring galaxy. It wouldn’t pose a problem for Phy’vohran if those planets under attack weren’t their allies. But this was different…
Of course, Leylos would stick to his word and sent help to all of them. His honor forbade any other way of reacting towards the threat. But that also meant, that when things grew over his head, he might ask Earth for some help. They had an alliance now, hadn’t they? So asking them for some support, some ships and soldiers wouldn’t be hard. That was what was written in the contract, anyway. They’d mutually come to each other’s help- for the safety of the universe against common enemies and for a new age of peace.
Leylos believed in it or rather wanted to believe in it. He wanted the vision of peace around the universe to be real. They didn’t need to fight each other.
Instead, the different species could learn from each other, just like Xilitar shared their medical knowledge with other planets they considered friends or other planets used to hire Phy’vohranian mercenaries for the safety of their trade or to support their police forces. They could all benefit from each other’s cooperation.
Leylos wiped sweat drops from his forehead. This trial was straining his nerves. At least Kellan had brought his two guards, so Leylos supposed that one of them would function as Kellan’s champion.
After he had told Jarvan to have someone prepare the trial, he had gotten a note that Kellan had shown up in the arena as well. Leylos hadn’t thought much about it. Kellan had been the one to call in the trial, so it was quite understandable why he was also involved in the preparations.
But listening to the Harrison’s Hymn play in the background made him reconsider all this. It was the Harrison’s Hymn, but at the same time, it wasn’t.
This Hymn sounded darker, more melancholic and agonizing. It was more of a deadly lament filled with string instruments. All the lighthearted parts of the hymn had been replaced by the sorrowful chanting of a male and a female choir. They didn’t sing it in universal. This was older, ancient.
Leylos could feel the vibe of a long forgotten time. Each word sounded saturnine and full of despair.
“What is this language?” he whispered more to himself, but Kellan had heard him.
The young man turned his head towards him and gave him a blank look: “Old Latin mixed with Old German and Old English.”
Leylos frowned. He had never heard of this Latin. It wasn’t named after a country- that he was certain of. But of Germany and England which was part of New Britain now, he had heard.
The strange and creepy music went on. Jarvan grabbed his hand and squeezed it for a moment.
Yeah, the shivers running down his spine weren’t ones of the good sorts. He was rather frightened by what was played as the Harrison’s Hymn.
“This is not your family’s theme, isn’t it?” he better cleared this up now.
It couldn’t be Kellan’s family hymn. This was much too dark. This was music to scare somebody to death. But why did Leylos recognize parts of the Harrison’s Hymn?
“No. It’s my personal hymn. Every son who is the prince of a part of Earth has his own hymn,” Kellan answered with a straight face.
Jarvan hissed and bent over to give him a dazed look. His eyes were wide and his mouth stood open. He closed it several times but found no words.
“Why is THIS your hymn?!” he finally managed to ask, but Kellan only shrugged.
“It describes my life so far rather perfect,” was the short and facile answer.
This was the moment when the singing stopped and the music faded.
Leylos was still speechless. How in the name of all blasted galaxies could this sweet young man have such a sinister hymn?
Perfectly describing his past?
Goddess, what had happened to him before he came to Phy’vohran?
He was only twenty-two. There could be no way he had enough bad things happen to him to justify such a hymn. That wasn’t possible.
The king shook his head. He needed to concentrate on the trial because the fading of the music was his sign to speak.
He cleared his voice behind his upheld hand. Bringing it back to his side, he stepped forward until his knees hit the wall of the gallery rail.
“Good people! Today we have concurred to witness the judgment of o
ur beloved Goddess, Mother Cosmos! Consort Kellan bids the goddess’s sentence over the men who tried to kill my son Crown Prince Sartak!” his words were accompanied by the vengeful outcry of the public.
Everyone wanted to see Sartak’s attackers punished. Leylos wanted to see their heads off too. There was no question about it.
“Consort Kellan, I bid thy Champion to step forth!” his voice thundered through the arena.
When neither Jorax nor Kalik went to his side, he had a sense of foreboding.
Jorax and Kalik both looked at Kellan questioningly, but when Kellan lifted from his seat by pushing himself up with his hands, their faces lost all color.
Leylos’s heart stopped, his insides freeze and his gut became a chunk of ice.
“No. You can’t be so careless. The child! What if you-“ but Kellan shut him with a gesture of his gloved hand.
Stopping next to him, he overlooked the viewers and waved at them. No one dared to cheer or wave back. They were all in shock. Everyone knew he carried Sartak’s heir. It was dead silent.
Affecting a laugh, he waited for some divine intervention, but the goddess seemed to approve.
“Very well, then please take your position,” there was no use for solemn words, anyway.
He couldn’t order Kellan to name someone else. It was out of his hands. It was the goddess’s trial, and it was her choice alone. Not even the priest tried to stop Kellan, tried to end this madness. No one intervened and even though Leylos wanted to, he couldn’t. His fear of angering their goddess was too high. This trial was hers and not to be meddled with. She alone could stop this, but she seemed to approve. Leylos had to trust her decision. She knew better than him, and the outcome would be her will. Her will was holy and no men, no king could defy her will.
There was no sense in stalling the trial further.
“Do you want armor?” he asked, making Kellan stop mid-stride and turn his head.
“Thank you, your majesty, but I have to decline,” he answered smilingly.
Leylos watched as Kellan disappeared from his view. It was silent enough that he could hear him descend the stairs. The priest leading him down to the star tile on the arena ground spoke quietly to him.
The Golden Heart: Alliance Book One (Alliance Series 1) Page 18
