by K T Munson
Diana stared in wonder at the great palace that was mounted on the back of the equivalent of a great sea turtle. She felt as though she could be gazing upon the lost world of Atlantis, or at least how it had been portrayed in movies and books. The turtle lifted its great head from the water as it munched on something resembling purple seaweed. It had four eyes, two set normally in its face like the sea turtles on Earth, and two more closer to the outside of its head.
“Amazing,” Diana said as they splashed down.
“It is truly a fitting home for an Empress,” Kal Zed agreed, but he appeared a little unnerved at being surrounded by water.
“Not fazed by the vacuum of space, but uncomfortable around water?” Diana looked at the cat, amused.
“It’s a natural state,” he informed her. “We didn’t have water like this on our home planet.”
“How do you know that?” Diana inquired.
“Stories,” Kal Zed said. “Lots and lots of stories. Of water that was like milk and fish that flew with the birds.”
“Sounds nice,” Diana said as the ship depressurized further.
“Greetings,” a man said. He had a narrow face and willowy frame. “Bearer of the Cosmos, I am Emperor Himond.”
“A pleasure,” Diana replied, unstrapping herself and following him out of the ship into the palace. “Please call me Diana. There is no need for formalities between us.”
“Your presence has been long awaited,” Himond said with a smile as he reached a hand out and helped her from the ship. “We feared the cosmos had been lost to space with my dear wife.”
The soles of her shoes made a soft humming noise as they connected with the crystal floor. The great vaulting ceilings that rose around her reminded her of a palace of ice. Were it not for the warm sun—and the fact that it was on a turtle’s back—she might have presumed it was.
“I do not pretend to understand its intentions,” Diana said as Kal Zed tiptoed uncomfortably behind them. “However, it has led me here, and I will take my place.”
Diana hoped she was as convincing as she was trying to be. She understood taking her place meant unlimited access to where Empress Katali had spent her final days. Being the Bearer of the Cosmos had only gotten her so far, but if she took her place and made it seem like she was actively seeking a suitor, she could investigate.
“There have already been discussions about the Dance of the Stars,” Himond confirmed, tucking his hands in this robes. “The universe has been waiting, eagerly, for the Heart of the Cosmos to return. I wanted to introduce my son, Hamyl.”
Hamyl had curly hair and a fine face—for an alien, that was. His figure and attractiveness nearly rivaled Dimar’s though they were not related. Just as Empress Katali had children before she became Empress, according to Kal Zed, Himond had a son. When he turned and smiled, Diana kept a careful smile on her face, because his teeth were pointed like his father’s. Diana wondered how Dimar’s mother had endured suddenly having pointy teeth; they looked uncomfortable.
“I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Hamyl.” Diana offered her hand, and he turned it and kissed the back of it.
Blinking, she was temporarily stunned into silence. He smiled sheepishly and asked, “Is this not a proper way to greet such a fine lady as yourself on Earth?”
“It is a formal and somewhat outdated way of greeting,” Diana managed as he slowly released her fingers. “I appreciate your attempt to make me feel at home with such a greeting.”
“I hope we will speak again soon,” Hamyl said.
Diana laughed. “We are on an island,” she said as she started walking.
“I had the fine rooms in the western wing prepared,” Himond said. “The view will suit you, I imagine.”
A guard opened a set of large metal doors engraved with images from space. Most of the crystal columns were also engraved with the same images. Diana listened to Himond talk about her own unexpected appearance after ten years while her eyes appraised their surroundings. Truth be told she was out of her element, but the Heart of the Cosmos had picked her specifically to find out the truth. She tried not to grimace, even if the truth had pointy teeth.
“Here we are,” he said after a moment.
Another set of doors opened to a great room. It was a large study area that appeared to be big enough to fit a small army. Despite its size, it was elegantly decorated. The only thing familiar was a sort of bronze desk that had grains to make it look like wood.
“We tried to make it as similar to your planet’s decorations as possible,” Himond informed her. “The crystal of the palace resonates with the Heart of the Cosmos to accommodate the Bearer. We just had to add the furniture.”
“It changes?” Diana asked, a little startled.
“Indeed,” Himond said. “It is alive, after all.”
“Of course,” Diana said, glancing back at Kal Zed with a look that asked why he hadn’t warned her. Turning back to Himond, she asked politely, “What is through that door?”
“Your private rooms,” he informed her.
“I believe I need to freshen up before the welcome dinner Kal Zed told me you had planned for this evening,” Diana declared with a well-constructed smile.
“Certainly.” He tipped his head. “Until tonight.”
Without hesitation she swept past him and into the large rooms. Holding the door open, she waited for Kal Zed to pad in and then closed it sharply behind her. Turning around, she nearly gasped at the splendor of the room. Everything was blue, and there seemed to be clouds trapped in a crystal above her head. The floor was carpeted in green. She quickly removed her shoes to test the softness. It was a carpet that felt like grass.
When she went to the balcony, there was a square pool that reminded her of a small inverted pyramid with steps leading down from all sides into the deeper part of the water. Lifting the edge of her dress she stuck a toe into the water and was delighted to find it was warm. Kal Zed jumped onto the bed with a yawn.
“It’s perfect,” Diana said, turning around to him.
“The crystal knows,” he said, tucking his paws under him as his eyes drooped.
“Now wait a minute.” Diana put her hands on her hips. “Why do you get to sleep?”
“Because Catorians are nocturnal by nature,” Kal Zed said without opening his eyes. “I did not sleep all night as I prepared for today.”
“Oh,” Diana said as she picked up a strange reader, like an advanced tablet, from the nightstand.
“‘Oh’ is right.” Kal Zed yawned again. “Get to reading.”
Diana flopped on her stomach onto the bed close to him, scratched his head, and started reading about the proper etiquette when selecting her council. He instantly started to purr. When her arm grew tired, she stopped and listened to his breathing. There was something soothing about listening to him inhale and exhale. It didn’t help that the reading soon grew boring when it went over her courtship. Rolling off the bed she went to the balcony to gaze out across the blue world, trying not to be afraid as she wondered how much danger she was really in.
Chapter 29
“I am not wearing something that shows my belly,” Diana informed Kal Zed.
It had been a busy morning. Diana had gone through the complicated process of assigning her people to various positions. It was necessary to ensure she kept them close in the coming days. She hadn’t seen Maura as much as she’d wanted to, and Dimar still hadn’t been returned. With each passing day and no progress, she had decided she wanted to ask him about his mother, but that was difficult to do when he wasn’t there.
“It is traditional for the Armanian,” the cat informed her. “It would honor the residing Emperor.”
“Isn’t there something else in this bloody endless closet that is Armanian and not exposing?” Diana demanded as she held up the strange garment.
“They revere a woman’s womb, which is located a little higher on an Armanian,” Kal Zed explained. “They expose the stomach to allow wo
men who are trying to get pregnant to touch fertile wombs.”
Diana’s face showed disgust. “That’s weird.”
“No stranger than your people revering women’s breasts.”
“Yeah, but I don’t go around touching women’s breasts when I want to get pregnant either,” Diana countered. “I am not wearing this.”
“Fine,” Kal Zed sharply. “The people of the desert area of Arman wear this.”
Diana yanked out the dress that Kal Zed had tapped with more force than was necessary. It was a long sleeved gown that seemed impossibly light. There was a buckle at the waist and a matching pair of pants that went underneath. It was the color of tears, perfectly white with just the barest hint of blue, and embroidered with gold.
“Okay,” Diana said softly before telling the cat, “Out. I’m changing.”
Five minutes later, mostly because it had taken a second or two to find shoes that matched, she emerged. When she twirled, the sleeves spun out as the dress remained unmoving. It fell just past her knees and belled out. The pants covered her legs, and she felt much more at home being covered from her neck to her toes. Her shoes were bright pink wedges with a circular heel that strapped on, which she’d mostly added to annoy a certain cat with how badly they didn’t match.
Kal Zed didn’t even look at her dress; he only stared at the shoes. “Those shoes are from the technologically eccentric race of Lime.”
“Please tell me they are called Limese,” Diana asked with a smirk.
“You can’t wear them,” Kal Zed said with a sigh.
“Poo,” Diana said, disappearing back in. “You’re no fun.”
“The ones in the mustard cabinet,” the cat called to her.
Diana came out a little while later with something similar to boot wedges. The strange boots came up just below her knees and the tight pants were tucked into them. The boots were made of a material of which she didn’t want to know the origin; they looked suspiciously like leather, but she very much doubted it came from a cow because of their texture. She decided not ask Kal Zed. Sometimes, ignorance was bliss.
“Okay,” Diana said, “ready to go.”
“Not yet,” Kal Zed said. Then he called out the door. “We are ready for you.”
A group of older ladies came in. At their lead was Omiriant, her face set in that of an old friend saying hello after an extended absence. Diana tried to keep the surprise from her face and failed as Omiriant reached out and put a hand at the back of Diana’s head. Omiriant placed her temple against Diana’s as they stood in a sort of half bow. It was like an incomplete hug where only their temples touched. Deciding it must be some strange greeting, Diana rolled with it.
When Omiriant pulled back, she said, “Welcome home, Bearer.”
Diana cleared her throat. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”
“Kal Zed has given me the honor of serving as your primary caretaker,” Omiriant informed her with a smile towards the cat. “You honor our family greatly.”
“You are the most appropriate choice,” Kal Zed informed her, jumping from the bed. “And I knew that the Bearer would appreciate a familiar face.”
Diana knew that Kal Zed had made an astute choice that had little to do with Diana’s familiarity with Omiriant, but she played along. “Thank you, Kal Zed. I could not have made a better choice.”
“We mustn’t waste time,” Omiriant announced. “Come along girls.”
In a blink she was swarmed like an Oreo by a colony of ants. They styled and sculpted her hair and covered her in makeup. By the time they were done, she hardly recognized herself covered in glitter and utterly flawless. Another woman brought a strange sort of simple hat for Diana to wear.
“This is the Bearer’s crown,” Omiriant explained, taking the simple silver headpiece. “It will change to match you for the ceremony.”
Nervous but willing, she allowed Omiriant to put the circlet upon her head. The moment it touched Diana’s head, it started to change. It expanded into a strange sort of crown with metal spikes. The back was long and wrapped around the back of her head. Navy blue beads and pearls decorated it.
The women all gasped and mumbled amongst themselves. It looked beautiful and terrifying all at the same time and yet Diana loved it. It felt as though it was an extension of her. The portion around her brow reminded her of entwined metal roots, while the top of a crown looked like daggers.
“What does it mean?” Diana asked, looking to Omiriant for answers.
“That you are made of the stars,” she answered, and the other women stopped their activities.
Diana turned her head again and said, “The pearls seem to shine.”
“They are illuminated,” Omiriant explained. “It will solidify your right to be here.”
“Why do you say that?” Diana asked, facing her again.
“The pearls are filled with stardust,” Omiriant explained, her voice was thick with emotion. Diana though she was going to cry as she removed the crown. “We’d better be going.”
Diana stood, a little startled, and strode carefully towards the doors. It was strange to think that all of this was real. To the point that sometimes she wondered if she had gotten into an accident and this was her carefully constructed reality since she was in a coma. Somehow she knew it was real, though, because she wasn’t nearly creative enough to invent half the stuff she had seen.
As she entered the dining area, she experienced the this-can’t-be-real sensation more than ever. Birds flew around the room. Strange looking attendants with their eyes nearly on each side of their head wandered the floor. They had to be the Makrain she had read about. They had terrible eyesight but could cook any recipe based on smell alone. They were the master chefs of the universe.
Diana took in the general layout of the room. The tables and chairs had formed from the crystal of the palace itself. Another table behind it was covered with all sorts of strange foods. Diana could see something alive splashing around in a strange looking pot at the far end. The table was long and rectangular with the Emperor sitting patiently at one end and an open seat at the other end.
Around the table were the Emperor’s small council, and next to them were those she had selected. When she entered many of them stood, though she wondered whether it was to get a better look at her or to be respectful. Diana let out a sigh of relief when she saw Dimar. Although she could see a fading bruise on his cheek, he seemed unharmed. Maura sat across from him with Kal Zed on her right. Adom held her chair back. He was in charge of her schedule and guests, while Omiriant was in charge of her care and planning for large events.
She had appointed Dimar and Maura to her defense. Maura handled the safety of her grand ship and any long-term defense, while Dimar handled her personal safety and the planet’s defense. Some of them had not been happy with her assignments, but Maura had spent very little time on any planet. Despite their protests, she knew they would do as she asked. Her friends didn’t understand why Diana wanted to keep Dimar close, and she couldn’t very well tell them it was because she was trying to solve a decade-old murder—if it even was a murder.
Sora would be among her personal guard when he returned from school. For now, Nihal and Grim would guard her. In the interim, she had given them leave to bring their families and to take a vacation before the Dance of the Stars. Certain she would not need them until then because she would be getting her advisor from Earth and would be far away from where Empress Katali died and whoever had orchestrated her death.
Kal Zed was her chief advisor and temporary representative. When Diana brought Melanie, if she agreed, Melanie would become the representative of the Bearer in meetings she couldn’t attend. Melanie would serve as the Empress’s ambassador and would be invaluable. Diana couldn’t imagine anyone else doing it, and hoped that Melanie would consent. Studying the empty seat next to Dimar, she wondered if Melanie would be there soon. If so, she would give Dimar flack back as good as he gave it and get counsel from a talking ca
t. As she prepared to sit, she wondered if she was Alice having just arrived at the Mad Hatter’s tea party. Where they were all mad there or just her?
“Bearer,” many said with a slight bow and sat down.
“It is an honor to finally be in the house from which I will one day rule,” Diana said carefully, trying to stay with her practiced speech as she stood and met everyone’s gaze in turn. It was easer then she thought to play the good little Bearer of the Heart of the Cosmos. “I am thankful that Emperor Himond has kept things running in the Cosmos’s absence. Shall we discuss events over dinner?”
After a general consent around the room, she glanced at Dimar to assess his reaction to seeing her after their separation and found his face strangely neutral. Sitting down she thanked Adom, who gave her a reassuring smile. Dimar seemed so unlike himself. No mischievous grin, no wink, not even a coy look—nothing. It made her wondered if he was just sullen from the bruise marring his good looks. She’d have to remember not to mock him about it later and cause him to go into full brooding. Without dwelling on it longer, she returned to the task at hand.
Chapter 30
Diana sat in their little ship as Kal Zed, and Dimar argued about the quickest route to the little blue-and-green planet she called home. Comparing the two Babel Stones she turned them over in her hands, wondering what it was about them that allowed all languages to be translated for the wearer and from the wearer. They were not the same, like flowers on a tree; each Babel Stone was just a little different. Size and shape varied, and if Diana had to guess, hers would make a better skipping stone.
The one in her left hand was rounder. It was for Melanie. It also wasn’t perfectly smooth; there was a small dimple on the dark side. Hers, on the other hand, appeared to have been perfectly weather worn. It seemed that all the worlds considered her to be special, as even the Babel Tree had given her a perfect stone.
When their argument became heated she glanced up at Dimar on instinct before letting her Babel Stone rest between her breasts. His coldness had been unexpected, and she didn’t understand it. It had seemed withdrawn after his brother had kept him captive. Perhaps it had something to do with his new rank. He was her advisor, and he cared for her safety, but only as a representative of the Heart of the Cosmos and advisor to its Bearer.
