“I’ll never see Paris. It isn’t fair.”
Julian stared at me a long time before his eyes grew cold and distant. He didn’t say anything. He turned and walked away; his hands shoved deep in his pockets. I had to jog to keep up with him.
“Hey,” I said, pulling on his arm. “What’s wrong with you?” I’d thought he was sympathetic to my feelings. I guess I’d been mistaken.
“Me? Thou art the problem. Whining about the Paris you have never seen, and your beloved Earth, and all thou art missing. You have no idea what true sorrow or true sacrifice or true beauty is. Look around you for a minute.” He scowled at me. “This is beautiful.”
I glared straight up at him, refusing to look. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “It’s nice,” I said, in measured, angry tones. “Can you take me to Captain Augustus now?”
He bowed, his face a cold, hard mask. “As you wish.” We walked the rest of the way in silence.
Captain Augustus appeared delighted to see me, a welcome change from Julian who treated me like a disease he didn’t want to catch. I’d hoped Julian would drop me off and leave, but instead, he joined us for a cup of tea in Captain Augustus’ office.
We were at the Central Sky Port, the equivalent of an airport for spaceships. It had been the first place I’d seen when we landed on Vega, and it brought back all sorts of uncomfortable memories. I’d been looking forward to my life here when I’d arrived, excited about being a princess. All of my hopes had come crashing down about five minutes after landing on this stinking planet. It made me realize I’d rather be a regular girl on Earth than an ugly princess on Vega, especially an ugly princess with a beautiful older sister.
“You have honored me with your presence, Princess Starr,” Captain Augustus said gallantly. He wore a military uniform too, but his ensemble was dark blue with red accents. All the males on this planet wore uniforms, even the men collecting garbage on the streets. So far, Julian and my father were the only men I’d seen wearing white. It suited my father, but it made me feel like Julian took the whole Prince Charming thing a bit too far.
After taking a dainty sip of tea, I smiled at Captain Augustus. The tea was sweet and with a slightly fruity accent, and he served it in a cup, which looked like solid gold. I thought about trying to look at the bottom to see if it had been stamped but decided it might be a bit gauche for a princess.
“Captain Augustus, thank you so much for all you did for my family and me on the way here.” I made a sweeping hand gesture I’d rehearsed earlier, nearly knocking one of the teacups to the floor. Julian raised a dark eyebrow. I knew he secretly laughed at me. He always seemed to either be laughing at me or mad.
“I only did my duty,” Captain Augustus said, but he looked pleased, especially when he realized I wasn’t going to knock over any more teacups. “Thou art too kind.”
Julian made a noise sounding suspiciously like a snicker, but I chose to ignore it and focus on Captain Augustus instead. “Your job is so difficult. You brought us all the way here, and now you have to turn around and go back there again. It must be tiring.” I patted his arm and shook my head in sympathy.
Julian rolled his eyes, and when Captain Augustus got up to get more tea, I stuck out my tongue at him. Fortunately, Captain Augustus didn’t see, since it was un-princess-like, but Julian brought it out in me. Captain Augustus poured more tea from a gold pot on a side table and sat back down on the ornately carved wooden chair behind his desk.
Maps covered each surface, his desk, the walls, and even the floor. Most looked hand-drawn, but others seemed high tech, with blinking lights and three-dimensional elements. Vegonians were into gadgets. The only one I could see the point of was my cell phone, and that happened to be utterly useless on this planet.
In spite of their fascination with machines and technology, Vegonian fashions weren’t modern at all. They had a distinctly steampunk vibe. I hated it, but I’d never been a vintage or retro sort of girl. Even the idea of wearing old clothing others used skeeved me out.
“It is an honor for me to be able to guide the craft leading all Vegonians home. It is not difficult at all.”
“But surely you have time to take a little rest. When do you have to leave again?” I tried to keep my tone as innocent as possible, but I could feel Julian’s gaze on me. I refused to look at him.
Captain Augustus took a sip of his tea. “We leave in exactly ten days. It will be a glorious time when all the refugees return to Vegonian soil.” He looked like he might tear up. Vegonian men, in my honest opinion, were way too emotional and not shy about sharing it.
“Glorious. What time will you be leaving exactly?” Both Captain Augustus and Julian looked at me oddly. “So I may wish you a bon voyage.” I improvised quickly, and Captain Augustus beamed.
“At exactly two clanks past weevik,” he said. “Or noon, if you are going by Earthly time measurements.”
“Two clanks past weevik. Got it.”
Julian and I walked back to the palace in silence. I was planning my great escape, and not in the mood to talk, so his lack of conversation suited me fine. As soon as we neared the palace gates, I saw Maya there waiting for me.
“Maya,” I squealed and ran into her arms. She wore a fire engine red Vegonian dress. When I hugged her, I realized something felt weird. My perfectly petite friend did not feel at all like a size two anymore, but I knew she hadn’t gained any weight. The increase in her volume was caused by some bizarre padding she wore under her dress, making her look like a little round sumo wrestler trapped inside a red satin tent.
I pulled back, about to demand answers, when I saw the expression on her face. She watched Julian with something close to adoration in her soft, brown eyes. He had his hands behind his back and stared up into the trees, oblivious to the fact that the second hottest girl on Vega was checking him out.
“Julian.” I dragged Maya closer to him. “Have you met my best friend, Maya?” I was a famously good matchmaker. I’d fixed Brittany up with her last five or six boyfriends.
Julian shook his head and bowed. “Charmed,” he said, but barely glanced at her. I guess it must have been because of her new padded look. Maya stood there acting weird until Julian apologized and said he had to go.
It was a relief to see him walk out of the palace gates. He always put me on edge and made me feel strange and upset. He seemed to be watching me and judging me all the time and acting less than pleased by what he observed.
As soon as we were alone, I pulled Maya over to a bench under a beautiful shady tree covered in pink, fuzzy blossoms. Vega was sort of like a jungle, with warm, sultry air. It rained daily, although usually only after dark, which was kind of pleasant. Exotic and beautiful, and an excellent place for a vacation, but I didn’t want to live here.
I held Maya’s hands and gave her a long, hard look. I didn’t have to say a word. She understood immediately.
“I guess you’re wondering about this.” She glanced at her body. Her breasts looked enormous and her bottom so big it hung over the back of the bench. Her hair, done up in three random ponytails, stuck out at various angles from her head. The only thing the same was her face. Of course, even her pretty face looked ridiculous atop the grotesque monstrosity which was now her body.
I poked at her false breast with my finger. It had the consistency of a beanbag chair. “What is this stuff?”
Maya shifted her breasts slightly to even them out. One of them had slid too far to the left and looked like a growth under her armpit. “It’s body padding. I’m trying to look more Vegonian.” She eyed my edgy cute t-shirt with something close to blatant desire.
“Why?” I asked, getting angry. “You’re adorable. Are your parents making you do this?”
Maya shook her head sadly, her ponytails flopping against her face. “I want to fit in. Vega isn’t what I expected.”
“Tell me about it.” We sat side by side on the bench, staring straight ahead, and arms touching.
�
�I’m…not pretty here.”
“Me neither,” I said, patting her hand. “But you’re still pretty to me.”
Maya looked at me, brown eyes large and sad in her face, pale blonde hair sliding out of her ponytails and falling in soft wisps against her cheeks. “You’re still pretty to me too.”
“Thanks. Sadly, you’re the only one on this whole planet who thinks so. Except maybe Adrian, of course, but he’s in Bergula, so it doesn’t even count.”
She leaned her head against my shoulder. One of her ponytails tickled my chin, but I didn’t mind. “I’m so unhappy here,” she said and burst into tears.
“I get it, and that’s why I want to go back to Earth.”
Maya sighed. “You can’t. It would be impossible.”
“Would it?” I asked, and she stiffened. She lifted her head from my shoulder and looked at me, wiping her eyes.
“What are you planning, Starr?”
“I’m going to sneak aboard the transport ship when it leaves in ten days and go back home,” I whispered in her ear.
Her mouth dropped open. “What about your parents?”
I gnawed on my lower lip. “I can’t live here, Maya. Of course, I feel bad about my family, but I have to go. I’m miserable.” I paused a second, holding my breath. “Do you want to come with me?”
She shook her head. “I hate it here too, but I can’t leave my parents. You’d never see your family again. You’d never see Adrian or me again, either. Can you live with that?”
She looked so hurt I pulled her into a fierce hug. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. You have to understand.”
“I understand wanting to leave, but you’re the only thing that makes this planet bearable for me. If you go, it’ll be even worse. And what will your parents do?”
“They have Astra, the pretty one.” A cold, hard knot of jealousy formed in my stomach.
“They love you too, Starr,” Maya said softly.
I weighed the accuracy of her last statement. My mother still treated me the same way, although I barely saw her, but I’d noticed a definite difference in how my father acted toward me. He’d always been so patient and kind and accommodating. Here I seemed to do nothing but irritate him.
Maya left after I swore her to secrecy and made her promise to lend me her body padding and clothing. She also knew where I could get a dark wig. Women were trying to copy Astra’s hair, and curly, black wigs were all the rage on Vega. It disgusted me on a certain level that I was buying into it by getting one of those wigs, but I needed a disguise, or I’d never make it to the transport ship.
I took daily walks around Celesta, and the more I got out, the more I realized how much I wanted to go back to Earth. First of all, Astra’s pictures were everywhere. Kids wore t-shirts with Astra’s face plastered on them, shops sold “Princess Astra” souvenir plates, and women flocked to shops to buy the latest Princess Astra fashions. The only picture I saw of me was on a commemorative plaque about the arrival of the royal family to Vega. My mother stood front and center in her lime green nightmare. My father was utterly handsome, as always. The artist made Astra’s skin glow, and her hair flowed over her shoulders like shiny ebony waves. I looked like a skinny scarecrow in a black dress way in the back. It was horrible.
Astra, who’d never spent a moment on clothes, skincare, makeup, or her hair, was now a beauty and fashion icon. She got all the attention, and the entire population of Vega liked and admired her. The unfairness of it all sickened me.
As I stared into the window of a shop, glaring at the newest photos of Astra, a boy approached me. Close to my age, with sandy, brown hair and a friendly smile, he was no Adrian, but cute. The best thing about him? He noticed me. It was a plus, since I often felt like the invisible girl on this planet.
“Hello,” he said. He wore a military-style uniform, like every other man on Vega, but it wasn’t navy blue like Captain Augustus’ or white like Julian and my father’s. It was a dark, khaki brown and enhanced his coloring.
“Hi.” I straightened my back and fluffed my hair. I had on the sweetest little pink sundress and strappy, flat sandals, although I sometimes wondered why I even bothered anymore. Seven solid days of being unattractive had taken its toll on my self-confidence. Some days I considered not even wearing makeup; not that anyone would even notice. Oddly enough, however, this boy noticed me.
“Art thou Princess Starr?” His eyes, warm and brown, had little green flecks in them.
“I am.” I smiled at him.
“My name is Roman,” he said, smiling enough to show a dimple in one cheek. “Would thou like to walk with me?”
“Sure.” I grinned at him in a slightly idiotic way. I was so happy. A boy approaching me to talk seemed normal, like the way things had been back on Earth. I’d almost forgotten how nice it could be.
As Roman and I walked around Celesta, I started talking, and for some reason I could not seem to stop. No one else had been even remotely interested in what I had to say, but Roman was, so I told him all about Earth and my life there and how much I missed it.
“Some of the shops here are cute, but I miss having malls. Do you know what malls are?”
Roman blinked, and I realized he hadn’t been listening. In fact, he looked bored. “No, I do not know about those, but I have a pressing matter to discuss. Princess Starr, may I ask you for a boon?”
“A what?” I didn’t know what a boon was, but it didn’t sound good.
“A boon. A favor. There is something I require your assistance with.” He looked slightly uncomfortable.
“Sure.” I felt pretty confident Roman planned to ask me out, and figured he was working up the courage. Boys often hedged around like this. Sometimes they were so overwhelmed by my looks they ended up shy and tongue-tied near me. I always tried to be kind and understanding when this happened. I found it sort of sweet.
“This is a little difficult for me.” He held a cap which matched his uniform in his hands and twisted it nervously. Adorable.
As I waited patiently for Roman to find his courage, I realized I didn’t know how I should respond. I’d technically promised Adrian I’d wait for him but didn’t know if the promise I made meant no dating other people or if it was just a general idea. We hadn’t been specific about the details, and I didn’t know what I should do. Roman saved me a great deal of worry and thought when he finally spoke.
“It’s about your sister, the lovely Princess Astra. Do you think she would care to be my date for the Moon Ball in two months?”
I stared at Roman in shock. The Moon Ball, part of the Moon Festival, was the biggest event of the year on Vega. It was like combining prom, homecoming, the winter formal, and Christmas all into one.
“You want me to ask Astra to go to the Moon Ball with you?” I could feel the corner of my eye twitch with the effort it took not to beat Roman over the head with his hat.
He swallowed hard. “Thou art her sister, and I have worshiped Princess Astra from afar since the first moment I saw her. She is lovely beyond compare.”
“What is it about her you find so lovely, exactly?” I had to know. To me, Astra looked like the same sweet, slightly chubby girl I’d known all of my life. No one on Earth had ever called her lovely beyond compare, as far as I remembered. They said “lovely” when referring to her personality, or her charity work, or her attitude, which was code for saying she was not good looking, but she was a nice girl.
Roman scratched his chin. “Isn’t it obvious? It would be enough if it were only her ebony tresses, her sparkling eyes, her alabaster skin, and her gracious disposition, but it is much more. Princess Astra is beautiful and good in every way.”
“And how do you know this?” I folded my arms across my chest. Roman started to answer, but I couldn’t take it anymore. “You know what? Forget it. Don’t bother trying to explain.”
“Will you help me, dear Princess Starr?”
“I don’t know,” I said, although I already knew I was not
going to help Roman after he tricked me into thinking he liked me. I felt so used.
Roman looked forlorn. “Perhaps, I am too late. Perhaps Princess Astra already has an escort for the Moon Ball.”
I rolled my eyes. As much as Roman annoyed me, he may have been right. Each time I’d seen Astra lately, a crowd of handsome young men surrounded her. I’m sure one of them had already thought about asking her to the ball. I didn’t want to say as much to Roman, however, since it could prolong what had turned out to be an excruciatingly painful and humiliating encounter.
“I have no idea. Why don’t you put your name and contact information on a piece of paper, and I’ll give it to her. How does that sound?”
I wanted to tell him to get lost but controlled my impulse. It wasn't worth the effort. A huge grin broke across Roman’s face, and he pulled out an envelope covered in pink roses from his jacket pocket.
“I knew you would help me, Princess Starr. I could tell you would be sympathetic to my cause.” He handed me the envelope. It even smelled like roses. Vegonian men had to be the biggest metrosexuals in the entire galaxy.
“Thank you, Princess Starr,” Roman said as I shoved the envelope into my purse. “You truly have a lovely personality.”
I stared at him in shock. Roman had called me ugly in code, and he didn’t even realize it. He was still grinning like an idiot as I stomped away.
When I got back to the palace, I found Astra reading a book in the library. She sat all alone, and I was grateful. I don’t know if I could have dealt with seeing her surrounded by her posse of handsome men at the moment. I threw Roman’s rose-scented envelope onto her lap and flopped onto the chair next to her. Astra looked at me in surprise.
“What’s this?” she asked, gently opening it.
“Something from one of your many admirers.” I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my voice. I’d been insulted and continuously humiliated over the last week. Today was the icing on the cake.
Starr Valentine Page 5
