The Star Princess (Beyond Fairytales)

by Jessica E. Subject

  A figure darted out from behind a tree to his right. The king.

  Other figures flanked him, aiming their weaponry in a row of red dots along the king’s back.

  “No!” Deion darted toward the father of his betrothed. What was the man thinking, going out in the open like that?

  Pushing off the ground, he launched into the air and shoved the king to the ground.

  As he fell, searing pain sliced through his leg then his shoulder, but he couldn’t focus on that. He got to his feet and grabbed the king under his arms. It was all he could do to drag him to safety while ignoring the hurt. Plazer fire continued all around him, but he didn’t stop, resting the father of his betrothed between two containers, blocked from direct aim. Deion turned to seek out the two aides, but the light from a plazer distracted him. It hit him square in the chest, shoving him back. The agony was so great that he didn’t feel the impact as he hit the ground, landing beside the king.

  A dark figure stood above him. He didn’t know whether it was friend or foe.

  He tried to focus, but his vision blurred, revealing nothing more than a shadow.

  “Deion! Are you okay?”

  I... . No sound came. He choked on the thick liquid bubbling in his throat. Darkness fell upon him. All ability to control his body slipped away.

  Chapter Five

  Ro’sa cringed at the incessant buzz from her com unit. After her toe-curling, mind-numbing ride in the lift with Cyrus, she couldn’t sleep, couldn’t clear her mind of him, from his soft, sensual lips to his arousal pressing against her. But more than that, his confession kept her awake. Was he truly the prince of Earth, about to make all her dreams come true? Or did he trick her, make her want to believe she would marry the prince, only to live across the universe, bound to the other man? A man she could never love.

  A resonating boom snapped her from her thoughts. The walls shook around her, and she clung to the bed. The door to her quarters glided open, revealing her best friend out in the hallway.

  “Ka’lyn, what are you doing here?” Ro’sa hadn’t seen her friend in the castle since she’d married. “What’s going on?”

  Clicking her com unit onto her utility belt, Ka’lyn darted inside. “No time to talk. I’ve got to get you out of here.”

  “Wait!” Her friend wasn’t wearing her usual burgundy skin suit. “Why are you dressed as a guard? What aren’t you telling me?”

  “The Mindues are attacking.” She yanked off the covers and tossed Ro’sa her suit. “You must depart immediately with Prince Deion.”

  “Leave?” Ro’sa shimmied into her garment. “I can’t just fly away while my home is under attack. That would be heartless and careless.”

  “No, careless would be for you to keep arguing with me.” Ka’lyn grabbed her arm, yanking her into the hall.

  Ro’sa dug her heels into the floor. “But I can’t run off to Earth and abandon my parents.”

  “They are the ones who arranged the marriage and the ones who want me to make sure you get on that ship. Now, let’s go.”

  “Wait. You were the one who said I shouldn’t marry Deion. Remember?”

  “Well, things have changed, and you need to trust me.” She circled behind Ro’sa.

  “You’ve got to come with me then.” Still unsure of the true identity of the prince, Ro’sa didn’t know whether she’d experience love and happiness or be miserable until she found a way back home.

  “I can’t.” Her friend shoved her, not allowing her to stall any longer. “My husband is here, and I have a duty to fulfill.”

  “Duty?” Ka’lyn had no duty. Not since leaving the castle to marry her husband.

  “Yes, I told you. My duty is to get you off Minjet with Prince Deion. Alive! And your stalling and wanting answers is not helping.”

  Another boom rocked the castle. A chunk of the wall crashed in front of them, igniting Ro’sa’s urge to flee. She jumped over the chunks of plaster and scuttled along the hall.

  “Down here.” Ka’lyn stood behind her, one foot hidden inside a recess in the corridor.

  Doubling back, Ro’sa stepped into a tunnel she’d never known existed. One so close to her suite, anyone could have used it to get close to her, sneak inside without drawing the attention of castle security. “Why didn’t I know about this?”

  “Because you didn’t need to. It’s only meant to be used as an escape route.” Ka’lyn sprinted ahead, not giving Ro’sa time for any more questions.

  Yet she had so many. How long ago had the tunnel been built? Were there others? Why hadn’t she been told of them? Of the threat of danger? And why did her best friend know more about the castle than her? She held back the vastly multiplying force to ask them as she struggled to keep up.

  Even as she ran for her life, her stomach churned with the thought of leaving it all behind. Not in a couple of days, but in a few moments, with no chance to say good-bye to everything she knew, only to be thrown into the arms of a stranger from Earth.

  Ro’sa glanced ahead to sneak in one more question, but her friend had disappeared. One second she felt dirt beneath her, and the next, nothing. The floor had vanished. She swung her arms, willing the ground to return, but gravity hauled her down into a dark abyss. Her side slamming into a hard surface, she cried out from the pain radiating in her hip, her voice echoing. But the crash hadn’t stopped her, didn’t even reduce her speed. She kept descending, no chance to get her feet underneath her. Clawing out all around her, she tried to stop her fall but couldn’t locate anything to grip on to. Finally, she landed on her ass with a thud, the impact jarring her hipbone again. Though she did slow, she couldn’t stop, the incline too steep and the surface too smooth to gain any traction.

  “Help!”

  The chute opened up into a cavern. Ro’sa shot out the end, free falling. She closed her eyes and tensed, expecting a crash landing, but bounced, landing on a soft surface. Lying back, she breathed in deep, trying to calm the pounding of her racing heart. No way anyone could sneak into her quarters that way.

  A shadow passed across her field of vision, and she opened her eyes. Ka’lyn.

  “Are we there yet?” Ro’sa couldn’t handle another ride like that.

  “Almost.” Her friend offered her a hand up. “But we’ve got to go now.”

  They dashed through another tunnel, Ro’sa cautious to keep up. If another hole lay ahead, she wanted to know about it before plunging unaware. Light through holes pierced in the ceiling allowed her to watch where she placed each step.

  At the sound of plazer fire, a lump formed in her throat. She clung to the opposite wall, increasing her pace. More light burst through ahead, and she bolted, ready to escape the tunnel and the fighting.

  Ka’lyn grabbed her wrist. “Wait. We have to stay here for the signal.”

  Hurry then wait? If Ro’sa were allowed to carry a plazer, she would rush out there, shoot the Mindues herself, and flee the planet. After she ensured her parents’ safety, of course.

  Ka’lyn touched a finger to her lips. “Stay here. I’m just going to see what’s going on out there.”

  Before her friend reached the mouth of the tunnel, a familiar man zipped inside and paused by Ka’lyn. Rog, her father’s aide. “No time to waste, Commander. We’ve suffered major casualties, but the way is clear for now.”

  Ro’sa spun toward her friend. “Commander?”

  Ka’lyn shook her head, keeping her attention on Rog. “And the prince?”

  “He was shot trying to save the king. With proper medical attention, he’ll live.” The man glanced at the ground. “Unfortunately, his aide didn’t make it. Shot in the head.”

  A whimper escaped from Ro’sa’s lips. Her knees gave out before she had the chance to process the news. All air escaped her lungs. Had the man who ignited her desires been executed? Or shot saving her father? Didn’t matter. The prince would never survive the journey to Earth. She had no reason to leave now.

  “They’re both being placed in cr
yo chambers as we speak. If the doctors on Earth can get the tissue regenerator we gave them to work, the prince will live.” Rog helped Ka’lyn lift her to her feet. “But, we’ve got to get you on that ship, Princess.”

  “I can’t,” she choked out. “I can’t fly a spacecraft, and what about my father?”

  Rog tossed her over his shoulder as if she weighed as little as a sack of teawah, not answering her question.

  Ro’sa pinched the back of his arm. “My father, Rog. What condition is he in?”

  But the man remained silent, allowing her to draw her own conclusion. He took off, Ro’sa bouncing on his shoulder and Ka’lyn keeping pace beside him.

  “And our weapon?” Ka’lyn asked.

  “Ready to go.” Rog didn’t even break stride. “We need to get the ship out of the atmosphere, and then we can set it off.”

  “Then send it off without me.” Ro’sa shoved off Rog’s shoulder, falling to the ground. She stood and dusted herself off, ignoring the tightness in her chest. “This is my planet, too. And if my father has been shot, I need to be here during his recovery and to help my mother rebuild.”

  Rog clasped her shoulders. “Ro’sa, your father is dead. The prince intercepted the first blast, but not the second. It was a clean hit, straight to the head. No chance to save him.”

  Tears burned the corners of her eyes. She struggled in his grasp. “My mother needs me.”

  He shook his head. “The queen is dead, too. You’re an orphan, now, and I must fulfill your father’s last order to get you onto that ship and on the way to Earth.”

  Ro’sa glanced at her friend, wanting to object but not finding the words, the pain of her loss suffocating. Her parents, both of them, dead. She choked on a sob as a vise tightened around her chest. The sound of static enveloped her, muting the urgent voices around her.

  Someone guided her into the darkened ship, though she had no idea who, unable to focus on anything but the crushing agony of loss. Arms surrounded her. Lips pressed against her cheek, and then she was alone, buckled into a chair in a vibrating spacecraft that was to take her to a brand-new world.

  What use would she be to them? She had only the clothes on her back to offer. And after her journey through the caves, her suit was punctured and dirty. She was in no condition to meet the royal family of Earth, let alone help them rebuild their planet. Maybe they wouldn’t want her. They’d blame her for the death of the prince and his aide and banish her to wander the planet alone.

  The shaking in the shuttle increased in intensity. Ro’sa’s stomach churned, launching bile up to her throat. Closing her eyes, she swallowed the burning mass. Why hadn’t she died with her parents? She refused to go on without them.

  The ship shot forward like an animal pouncing. Ro’sa clutched the arms of her chair, unable to move beyond that, inertia clutching her tight in her seat.

  A sweet smell wafted into her nostrils. Fuel of some kind. She breathed in deep, letting it fill her senses, yearning for something to numb the pain. Or, if she was lucky, bring a peaceful end to the nightmare her life had become.

  Clouds shoved into her thoughts and loosened the grip of her loss. Her mind spun, and she floated through a dark void. Then the void disappeared.

  Chapter Six

  “Look, Grover! She’s waking up. Go get Alexandra.”

  “Wait, how’s she look?”

  “Green. How am I supposed to know. I’ve never seen her any other way.”

  Ro’sa cringed with the crackle of static that followed the unfamiliar voice. Bright light pierced through her eyelids. She reached up to cover her face, but a bond around her wrist prevented her from getting her arm above her shoulders. Same thing on the other side. Panic clutched her gut, but freaking out would simply make her captors use other forces. She couldn’t afford their attention until she’d located her escape route.

  Had the Mindues captured the ship as it headed to Earth? Or had she arrived at her destination, only to be taken prisoner? Peeking through one eye, she surveyed her surroundings. From the primitive clothes covering her body to the absence of modern medical equipment, she guessed Earth. The Mindues were barbaric, but they had technology far more advanced than even her home planet. They’d have her in a seamless chamber without any steel trays or stands she could possibly use as a weapon.

  Regardless of who imprisoned her, she refused to stay. No one had any right to confine her.

  Curling her thumb into her palm, Ro’sa tried to make her hand as narrow as possible. If she could slip out of her bonds, she’d be gone before Alexandra, whoever she was, arrived.

  With precise movements, she wriggled one hand out. Removing the second was even easier. Almost too easy. Whoever had restrained her needed pointers on how to tie someone up properly, but she wasn’t about to teach them.

  Ro’sa sat up and eased the strange plug out of her nose. Clenching the edge of her bed, she waited for her head to stop spinning. Who knew how long she’d been out? She didn’t remember anything after escaping Minjet and had the cramped muscles to prove it.

  A sudden pain squeezed her soul. She’d left her home planet under attack, unable to protect it or bury her parents. Why hadn’t she fought harder?

  Willing her legs to cooperate, she slid off the makeshift cot. Able to stand, Ro’sa took a cautious step, her arms out like a baby learning to walk. One foot forward then two. All her parts worked fine, including her bladder, though she didn’t have time to worry about that. Steadier on her feet, she staggered to the door. When she twisted the handle, she didn’t expect it to be unlocked, yet the door swung toward her, granting her access to explore the unfamiliar world she’d landed on.

  Ro’sa yearned to run as far and as fast as possible, but she paused, confused by her easy escape. Had her captors left the door unlocked to grant all their people access to her? Or was she not their prisoner at all?

  “There you are!”

  Ro’sa’s heart leaped into her throat. She cringed, scared to turn around and face the woman. Probably Alexandra, but who was she, and what did she want with her?

  “How are you feeling, Ro’sa?” Her tone dropped, filled with concern. “Do you need to use the bathroom? Are you looking for some food?”

  “Yes.” She turned around, craving both at once, though as soon as she caught sight of the woman, her stomach sank.

  With her sparkling crown, the woman had to be the queen. Her dimples and narrow, slightly hooked nose resembled those of Deion, the prince who didn’t want her. She’d fallen for the aide—now dead—not her betrothed.

  Ro’sa turned around, and with slow, measured steps, walked to stand before Queen Alexandra. She curtsied but could not muster the smile she knew appropriate for the formal greeting.

  “Oh, no need to bow to me.” The queen pinched the sides of her skirt and curtsied. “I’m nowhere near as important to this planet as you are.”

  A heavy weight fell on her shoulders. How could they put so much hope on her arrival? She had nothing to offer, not with her parents dead and her home under attack, if it had even survived. And she sure didn’t have feelings for the prince she was supposed to marry. Well, nothing more than disgust and disdain.

  “I will show you to your quarters now that you have awakened.” The queen gestured her forward. “I’m sorry we had to restrain you, but you kept trying to remove your oxygen.”

  Those tubes in her nose? Her nose still itched from where they’d rested in her nostrils, but at least they were smaller than the full face masks used on Minjet to supplement oxygen. Maybe the people of Earth weren’t as primitive as she’d been led to believe.

  The queen guided her through a maze of humid corridors. Water droplets trickled down the walls, pulling rust along with them. The place seemed derelict. Abandoned. A stark contrast to the bright reds, yellows, and oranges of the flowing material used in the garments of Queen Alexandra.

  At the next T-intersection, the queen turned right and stopped at a metal door blocking their prog
ress. She yanked on the long handle of a door and a high-pitched squeal echoed off the walls, followed by a bang and a series of crunches as the queen heaved the door open. “This is your room.”

  Ro’sa shuffled inside. While she was used to living underground, her quarters reminded her of a large metal box, a dungeon of sorts. Although decorated with elegant fabrics and a multitude of furnishings—some she didn’t know the purpose of—but it lacked any view of the outside. She’d at least had faux windows installed in her bedroom at home, and remote access to any part of the royal grounds.

  Alexandra stepped in behind her. “It’s not much, but we are unable to stay aboveground until the Mindues have been subdued.” She winced, wringing her hands. “The Confederacy contacted us as soon as your planet was attacked and advised us to seek shelter underground until they were sure you weren’t followed here.”

  Ro’sa stared at her feet, ashamed for thinking of no one but herself. Not only had her parents sacrificed to get her off Minjet, but the inhabitants of her new home had, too, losing Cyrus and nearly losing their prince in the process. “Thank you. I’m very sorry about Cyrus. He was a good man.”

  Queen Alexandra bowed her head. “He will be missed, but he knew of the possible sacrifice of his life when he agreed to serve as the prince’s aide. To be honest, we weren’t even sure they would make it to your planet, but no one could convince my son and his friend to send someone else.”

  Ro’sa chewed her bottom lip. The three days she’d been around them hadn’t given her enough time to truly be acquainted with them. She believed she could have loved Cyrus, but feared she could not care for the prince. However, maybe her betrothed would be different on Earth. “How is Prince Deion?”

  “As well as can be expected. We’ve managed to repair all of the tissue damage with the regenerator, but we’re still waiting for him to rouse.” Queen Alexandra bounced on her toes, her eyes lighting up. “I should tell him you’re awake. Maybe that would encourage him to join our world again.” Without another word, she gathered her skirts and strolled out the door.