My mother must have realized what I was doing. “Carsona, I think it’s about time that you go and get dressed. The ceremony is in a few hours.”
I reluctantly pulled myself from Grawl’s conscience and followed her to my room. Everyone seemed to be up in arms about something— including my mother. I pieced together that it must have something to do with whatever Grawl seemed happy about.
“What’s going on?” I asked my mother once we entered my room.
“So far, none of the Dianie have shown up— not a single one.”
“What!” Something felt off about this. “How bad is that?”
“It means that they may not see you as being fit to rule. But even that does not cover all of them. Elise knew for sure that at least half of them were voting for you, even after they learned of Kyle. Something must have happened.”
I could feel my special day turning into a nightmare. My stomach tightened.
“Carson.” My mother took my hand to comfort me. “Let’s not worry about this today. They are not here, and there is nothing we can do about that. Let’s focus on you and Aaronmon.”
I inhaled deeply. She was right. I would not allow this problem to ruin my day. It was something that I could deal with tomorrow. I released my breath, but found no ease from the weight that bound me.
After my mother left me in my room, I watched the news feed from my abula. I was hoping that they would shine some light on the Dianie situation, but I was left even more confused. All they were reporting on was the ceremony, but it didn’t seem as if they even realized that none of the Dianie came to the city to watch it. The palace seemed to be abuzz with this problem, yet not a single media crew picked up on it. The muscles in my stomach clenched. Something was not right.
During the following hours I tried to reassure myself that everything was going to turn out fine. I slipped into the delicate dress. I pulled my hair up in a loose bun, leaving several strands to sweep along my cheek bones. I brushed translucent, shimmering powder onto the base of my neck, leaving my cheeks bare. I thought about placing some on my Gemini nilva as well, but I realized, looking at it, that the silver in the ink already had a hint of shine.
I gazed at myself in the mirror. Even with Kyle, I had never thought about my wedding day. But even so, I assumed I would be wearing a puffy white dress, heels, a wedding ring, and a tiara. But Emréians were a lot more delicate than fancy. My light pink dress complemented my curves and hung loosely from my waist down. I thought I would be wearing flats, which is what Emréian women typically wore for shoes, but I was informed last night that during the ceremony it was customary for everyone to go barefoot. Because of the bond, it was never necessary for there to be wedding bands. The pheromones linked us to each other only. The only traditional item I would be wearing would be the tiara that my mother gave me back on Earth, and even then I only wore it because I was part of the Elaeye.
The chime of my door pulled me from my thoughts. I answered it, startled to see Kyle. “Can I come in?” he asked.
“Sure,” I said, allowing him to enter.
He came in and stood next to my vanity. I expected him to say something, but instead he stood there mutely, staring at me.
“Is there something wrong?” I asked looking down, expecting to find something on my dress.
“No.” He dropped his gaze to the floor. “You just look really beautiful. That’s all.”
I flushed. “Thank you.”
Kyle crossed the room over to me and brushed one of the loose strands back behind my ear. His envy was practically yelling at me.
“You should probably leave,” I said. “I can’t have anyone suspecting anything.”
“I will leave, but I came to say goodbye.”
“Goodbye?” I gasped.
“I’m leaving today,” he said, his eyes softening.
“But you said you would stay for my ceremony.”
“Carson, do you really think it’s fair to me to have to watch the woman I love marry someone else?”
I bit my tongue. I knew I was being selfish, but I wanted a proper goodbye. I wanted to be able to spend a day with him before he left for Morgon. If he left now, I might never see him again. However, there was another part of me that knew I needed to let him go to allow my love for Aaronmon to grow.
“Okay,” I said, ignoring the quiver in my words. “It’s only fair that you leave today.”
“Before I do, I need to ask you one last time.” He took a step closer, standing over me. “Do you still love me?”
It was a question that I did not want to acknowledge. Of course I still cared for him. He was my first love, but how far did that love go? I didn’t know, and with my heart opening up to Aaronmon, I was content with not knowing.
“I love Aaronmon,” I told him. While the words were true, there was an instant regret that settled in. Kyle’s emotions boiled with anger.
“That isn’t what I asked you. I asked if you still love me.” His words were fierce and hit me like a brick. Kyle stepped back, and I could feel him trying to calm down. “No, never mind. It’s better not to know.”
“Kyle, I can’t tell you that I don’t love you, because in many ways I still do. But I think it’s time that we realize that our chapter is over. I was selfish to keep you around the palace. But I do love Aaronmon, and I think what I want is for you to be happy for me, because I am happy.”
Kyle tore his eyes away from me, “If you’re happy, then that is all I want.” Then he sauntered past me, heading toward the door. Before he stepped out, he turned slightly and said, “You look very gorgeous.”
A tear rolled down my cheek. I brushed it away quickly. I loved Aaronmon and I would be happy today. No tears should ruin this moment in my life.
As the time approached, I wondered why they left me stuck in this room alone. My hands were starting to shake. I sat on the bed taking long, deep breaths. The words that Aaronmon said the other day crossed my mind: cold feet. Was that what I was feeling? His following comment also danced around in my thoughts. Why did they call it cold feet? My feet most certainly were not cold. The thoughts brought a faint smile to my face. Only Aaronmon would have me analyzing this now. There was nothing for me to be nervous about, I decided.
The hour came when my garnix escorts, neither of whom I knew, appeared at my door, holding a large tent. They didn’t say a word as I approached the canopy. At the very top there was a ball made of the same stone as the ring around my finger. From the top down, the carrier was covered by a silk fabric, accented by lace, touching the very bottom of the wood base that was decorated with elegant engravings. Before I entered the tent, I looked for any shadow that might hint that Aaronmon was already in the tent, but the dark silver of the tent hid everything well. I thought he probably was already inside, but when I entered I found that he wasn’t. I sat on the cushioned floor of the tent. It rocked back and forth as the men carried me around the palace. When the small pavilion came to a stop, I braced myself for Aaronmon’s entrance. Outside the tent, I could hear the door opening, and Aaronmon asked which side to enter. There was a silence as his shadow made its way over to my left side. My pulse accelerated. The flap opened slightly, causing my stomach to flutter. Aaronmon climbed gracelessly inside and settled himself. I held back a laugh. He finally settled and gave me a nervous glance.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered, leaning in closer to me.
I studied his dark gray cotton pants and the opened shirt that revealed his chest. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”
The comfort of his presence put me at ease. I reached for his hand as the sway of the moving canopy brought us closer together. I allowed the bond to take over my feelings. I smiled at him. I grew eager to tell him that I truly loved him. I allowed my empathy to expand, giving subtle hints of my true feelings. But as I opened my empathy further, I also took in the feelings of the two garnix: a mixture of nerves, fear, and angst. Aaronmon instantly caught my concern. His hand tightened aroun
d mine, and he gave me a look telling me to prepare myself. We both knew that something was not right.
Everything came to a stop. My heart sounded so loud in my ears that I was sure they could hear it. Everything was quiet. I did not dare to move. My body stiffened, and a cold fear swept over me. Aaronmon leaned in and whispered hastily, “Carson, you were trained to protect yourself, I need you to stay calm. I will be right here with you. I won’t let anything happen.” I stared deeply into his stern eyes. He believed the same thing as me—they were going to kill us.
A sharp angry grip ripped me from Aaronmon. The tent’s soft lighting was replaced by the harshness of the palace’s bright basement. I flailed against my captor and let my instincts take over. His arms were wrapped around my waist and across my chest. I allowed my weight to shift slightly and dropped low, tossing my captor to the ground.
I looked over, finding Aaronmon struggling to fight off two of the other intruders. I ran toward him, but a figure jumped in front of me. I heard a loud pop, and my body hit with the stone ground. A pain drilled into the left side of my jaw from the assailant’s blow. He grabbed my arm, yanking me up fiercely. A glimpse of his dagger heading toward my neck made me grab his arm and twist it down. I used my empathy to heighten the physical pain, something I hadn’t realized I could do. Up until now, everything had been emotional, not physical. His screams grew louder, making Aaronmon and the other two attackers pause. I pushed even further and his screams of agony increased. Words that I did not understand flooded from his mouth. I imagined that in some language he was pleading for his life. I pressed more, and then there was nothing; no pain, no emotion. I looked at his body, stunned. A sickening feeling crept up. Did I just kill him?
I leaned into him, feeling his breath on my cheek. He had passed out. I turned back toward Aaronmon who, along with the other two, was baffled by my technique.
“Who are you?” I yelled at them.
They looked at me with fear, but did not comprehend. I walked toward them.
“Who sent you?” My words were stern. They looked at each other and reached into their pockets.
“No!” Aaronmon said loudly, but was too late. Whatever it was, it was already in their mouths. Not even seconds later, their convulsing bodies were on the ground. I stood in horror, watching them as they died.
Aaronmon raced over toward me and placed his hands on my chin. I winced at the pain.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I nodded, holding back the tears. “Do you think they were with the Bremoir?”
Aaronmon looked at me uncertainly. “Maybe, but they were another race, one I’m not familiar with. For them to know as much as they did about the palace and how to get down here, someone had to tell them.”
I agreed. There was something more to this attack than just the Bremoir. Aaronmon tied the unconscious attacker to a nearby railing with rope found in a storage area of the basement. We hoped to get some answers out of him.
We found the hovering elevator and went up for help. The palace was in a panic and garnix ran from room to room. Then one spotted us.
“They’re over here!” A mob of Emréians rushed towards us. After Aaronmon told them about the attack and of the prisoner in the basement, they rushed us to the healing facility. Dr. Hemplen tended to my wounds and to Aaronmon’s. As he did, I noticed white sheets on four figures. I suddenly realized that they were the men who were supposed to carry me out.
“Dr. Hemplen,” I asked him, “who were the men who died? The garnix who were supposed to be my bridal carriers?”
“They were your own personal garnix and Aaronmon’s,” he said sadly.
A lump formed in my throat. I didn’t understand how I didn’t realize it before I entered the tent. It should have been Nouse and Gabon. I walked over toward their bodies and gave them a respectful bow. I did not know anything about their personal lives, but they had always protected me.
I felt Aaronmon’s presence behind me. I turned to face him and leaned into his chest, allowing his warmth to comfort me.
“Carson.” His voice sounded hollow. “We have some bad news.”
“What else could go wrong?” I asked.
“Someone killed the prisoner. Someone got to him before the other garnix got down there, and he was dead, his throat slit.”
My heart sank. Why was I not surprised? Someone other than the Bremoir must be guiding them.
My mother quickly rounded the corner. As soon as she spotted me, she wrapped her arms around me. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” I could hear a throbbing in her voice. “When you never showed up and they found the garnix, I thought I had lost you.”
“I got lucky,” I said.
“You are strong,” my mother said. “You really are a new breed of Emréian.”
I didn’t say anything. I could feel that there was something else that my mother wanted to tell me.
“Carson,” she said, “I need you and Aaronmon to come with me. There is someone who could shed some light on the attack.”
We walked into the Honure room, finding Elise sitting in one of the chairs. Her face was hidden behind a dark cloak, and I could feel her strong fear of being caught. The question was, caught by whom?
My mother took the seat next to her while Aaronmon and I took the seats across from her. She scanned the area quickly before speaking.
“Carson, I don’t have much time to tell you this, but I came as soon as I knew for sure.”
“What is it?” Aaronmon asked.
“Colamous is working alongside the Bremoir. If he gets the throne, he will end the war by giving them Earth and allowing them to keep the planets they have already gained.”
“He can’t do that!” I raised my voice. “No one would stand for it!”
“If he wins the throne, he can and will. He has already convinced many of the Dianie that it would help the planet prosper and stop the deaths of innocent lives, since we are losing this war.”
“We are not losing this war, Elise,” I argued. “It just started!”
“That isn’t the point, Lenai,” she said calmly. “Those assassins were from one of the planets that the Bremoir took over. The Dianie are working to get Colamous the throne and that means killing you.”
“That’s treason,” Aaronmon said.
“Yes, but if the entire Dianie are on Colamous’s side, no Emréian would believe that they would commit murder within the Elaeye. To them, this attack just looks like another Bremoir attack.”
“How do you know this?” Aaronmon asked her.
“I have an inside source,” my mother spoke up.
“Who?” I asked.
“It’s a friend, but we can’t reveal the name.” Elise said. “It’s too dangerous.”
I chewed on my lip in thought. “What do we do?”
“They won’t give up until you are dead,” Elise said.
“I can’t let them do this,” I argued.
“I know.” Aaronmon grabbed my hand. “But you can’t do anything if you die, either.”
Aaronmon was looking from Elise to my mother. They all seemed to be thinking the same thing, but I was left in the dark. I used my empathy to search for answers. There was a sadness that seemed too painful for them to tell me. Aaronmon gripped my hand. His feelings told me that it was too hard for him to let go, cluing me in to the distressing plan.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“The palace attack one Solonomon moon ago is still under investigation. While it seems there is no sign of Lenai Carsona, it has been speculated that she has left the planet. A few sources from inside the palace have informed us that the Lenai is no longer safe here. The Dianie have told us that it seems the Bremoir are using races from the captive planets as terrorists. It is not clear how the attackers knew how to get into the palace, but Grawl, Dianie of Borondton, states”—the video clip showed images of me and the palace, the voice changed to Grawl’s.
“It is a tragedy, what happened on such a celebratory day. The
palace was heavily guarded as usual, but because of the huge amount of traffic they could have very easily slipped in. While the chances of an attack are always high during special occasions, I do think that everyone was too trusting of the fact that we are typically a very peaceful community.”
The screen transitioned to images of Colamous greeting a crowd of Emréians in Borondton, then another of him getting his Ominus nilva right below the hairline of his short blond hair. The reporter spoke again. “Grawl’s son Colamous is the next in line to take the throne. While Krea Mannannala has the throne, the Elaeye still needs an acting heir. Because Aaronmon was not bonded to the Lenai, he cannot act as Empre, leaving Colomous as the only successor to the Emréian throne.” The video briefly showed Aaronmon stepping out of the palace. My heart skipped a beat.
I turned the video off and laid my abula on the table of my bed. I stared at the ship’s walls, imagining the devastation to come if Colamous were to take the throne. The public did not know the whole truth, but they needed to. I just hoped that when I returned, it would not be too late. Colomous could play dress-up all he wanted, but in the end, I would do everything necessary to keep the throne. I would be back before the vote in five Hurmon moons, so he’d better not get too cozy.
I thought back to the image of Aaronmon. His eyes looked sad and tired. I knew exactly how he felt, because I was feeling it, too. There was an emptiness inside of me without him. I wanted nothing more than to bring him with me, but he needed to stay to protect my mother as she would be the only thing standing in the way of Colamous gaining the Dynamen power. I closed my eyes, clutching a pillow into my chest. I recollected how I left him back on Emréiana.
•••
I had stood at the bottom of the elevator that connected to the space ship. A soft breeze had picked up, catching the bridal dress that I had still been wearing. The skies became a gloomy, murky shade of gray, giving the air base an ominous feel. I wondered if it was my mother’s emotions tying in with her Aríenom gifts that caused the sudden change in the weather’s mood. Aaronmon and my mother stood in front me, ready to say goodbye. I tried to channel my empathy away from their bitter, grim feelings, but it grew harder the closer the time came for me to leave.
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