Homes were burning. Screams of terror and rage mingled in the night air. It took him back in time to the day his entire family was slaughtered. From his vantage point atop a cliff Modas scanned the surface blow. For nearly a century he wanted the non manbeast Lassians to know how it felt but something was wrong. He didn't feel avenged, this didn't satisfy him. Instead he felt fear; dread, with it a sense of guilt.
The manbeasts who helped him initiate his cause assured him there would be no deaths. Too much had transpired and although he held animosity towards the Lassian warriors, they were still his people. The race's population had suffered enough. But, there would be bloodshed. Ganna's medical team was going to be busy.
Again. That sense of knowing his agenda was now being tainted; unjustified and dismantled. Adjusting his vision he focused on the village Chardon and his own family lived. At first he was satisfied with the fights erupting and already in full swing.
He could see Talas and Kelin barely holding off four manbeasts as they made their way back to their home, one side caved in exposing its innards. They seemed overly desperate and he almost smiled until Modas' gaze shifted and he saw why they ran so franticly. With shock, he watched his daughter, Una, raise her claws. Below her on the broken floor were Talas and Kelin's children. The two infants were in striking range and the oldest was already on the ground bleeding. He could hear the infants' cries and his legs moved on their own as he leapt off the cliff.
Even pushing his body into a tremendous speed he knew he wouldn't make it but he too became desperate and kept going. Still focused on his destination, he saw Talas and Kelin stop cold, a scream emitting from Talas worse than anything he had ever heard as Una's claws entered the first infant. Ribbons of blood flew upwards with her claws as she pulled them out in one quick motion.
Modas could feel the stinging of tears in his eyes, blurring his vision but he strained them, forcing his eyes to readjust.
This is not what I wanted!
He was almost 500 feet away when a flash of fabric came from the opposite side in front of him, halting his advance. His son, Und, flew into Una and punched her into the ground, forming a small crater beneath her. The look on his face spoke volumes. Modas didn't dare speak as he turned to see Talas in despair on his knees moving forward, shakily, towards his home. A wildness in his eyes.
Not bearing to watch, he averted his gaze and it landed on the four manbeasts behind Kelin. They too had halted at the sight of Una striking the infant, their claws retracted. Modas' vision seemed to waver as if he were tilting and his eyes locked with Kelin's.
Murderous intent. That is what he found staring back at him and seeing it in Kelin terrified him. Never had he, or anyone else, seen such malice in the warrior. Even in battles, Kelin was passionate and driven, not overtly aggression. He feared Kelin may not even know what was happening to him, having been pushed to the edge.
Ganna herself came running to the scene with three medical assistants behind her. She scooped up the bloody infant while her aides retrieved and took care of the other two children. Modas stood rooted to the ground where he stood. In an attempt to remove himself from Kelin's stare, he caught Ganna's pause in her stride as she cast a glare at him. In her eyes he saw something else. There was no surprise in what had just occurred. It was like she expected as much, saying 'I knew it'. And that is when he realized; this attack confirmed for her and the late Sestis what they had concluded all along. Manbeasts were just genetically made monsters with no sense of gratitude or belonging.
Und stood towering over his sister's unconscious body also staring at him. He could see the rage boiling in his son. Modas mindlessly pivoted to his right and went towards Talas who had stopped mid crawl. In his mind he had to get Talas away from here but as he got within a few feet of the fallen warrior he heard crackling and the air buzzed. Dark blue light cascaded on the ground.
"Get away from him!"
Kelin had formed large energy orbs in each hand, ready to unleash them. Modas halted. The manbeasts behind Kelin shook their heads in unison at him. A stalemate ensued for what seemed like eternity until Kelin rescinded the orbs and went over to Talas' side. He gently lifted his mate off the ground and carried him away.
"Are you satisfied, father?" Und spat.
Modas turned back to his son. Und grabbed his sister by an arm and dragged her out of the dilapidated home, then disappeared into the night.
One of the manbeasts came over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"We knew there were discontent factions within our ranks. We can try all we want but we can't control everyone."
"Not this," Modas spoke softly.
"Yes, it has all gone terribly wrong."
A sudden thought crossed Modas' mind and his eyes widened. He remembered the meeting a few years ago where a small group was intent on eliminating their leader.
"Chardon!"
"It would take more than a few manbeasts to take our leader down."
"No, only one, if their lucky." Modas knew all too well.
"Then we must hurry."
Modas nodded and they headed towards the communal building where he was sure Chardon would be in full battle mode.
What have I done?
He didn't want to harm the misguided manbeasts surrounding him in anger. Chardon searched their faces for some sense of hesitation or regret, finding neither. Six in all, they bared teeth and claws already caked with the dried blood of their fellow Lassians. It really has come to this. Standing beside him was Mara, breathing heavy from the fight. They were both determined to shield Jaron who lay behind them on the ground bleeding from four deep punctures from her left shoulder down to her abdomen. Claws had gone right through her front to back. Seeing her struggle to stay conscious through excruciating pain gave Chardon more resolve to stop them.
"Don't force my hand," he pleaded with the manbeasts. "If I must…I will use it…again."
This made them hesitate in their advance, giving him and Mara a window of opportunity. But, they weren't able to take it. From out of the dark came a blur of motion and the six manbeasts were knocked back a few hundred feet flying in the air like leaves in the wind before crashing down with loud thuds. In their place was Modas accompanied by three manbeasts. Chardon flinched when he turned a wild eyed stare at him, mouth twitching. Modas was in a sea of sadness, regret and madness. It was as if the great manbeast had come unhinged and it worsened as his gaze fell on Jaron.
Chardon knew why Modas had come so quickly; to save his leader. But Jaron was his mate and for the first time, Chardon felt relief that he had finally realized who was more important.
"You don't touch her!"
Mara rushed over to her mother and cradled her in her arms. Her stare burned into Modas, causing him to back away. Jaron had finally given in to her injuries and was unconscious.
**~**
The royal advisors stood around in a huddle off to the side of the throne while Halfar sat watching them. Everything in him said they were corrupt yet their words resonated with him. He had given Farin some leeway in visiting the first royal house palace to alleviate conflict because he was tired of having to keep tabs on her every waking hour each day.
Sometime earlier in the new season he noticed how developed she had become and how her guards often leered at her. His advisors suggested many times to find a lower royal to mate with her and now he understood. He wasn't ready to mate her to anyone but he knew it was only a matter of time before someone snatched her. If they did manage to somehow take her, he would tear them apart, publicly.
Tapping a finger on the armrest of his throne, he asked, "Are you done plotting so we can commence our meeting?" All five turned towards him and bowed.
"Our apologies, my lord," Mesrod replied. "We tend to congregate so often that it is part of our making."
"Yes, well the council is waiting. We need to put an end to these incidents of rebellion."
"Our people are upset about the blockade the Dreridians have placed on us," Prevcan stated.
"We have endured worse than this."
Halfar stepped down from his platform and walked towards the corridor to the left of him.
"What of Lady Farin?" Dondar inquired. "It would be wise to have her confined when you are away for these meetings."
"She is residing in the first royal house palace for the next moon phase." He saw the frown appear on three of his advisors' faces. "I do not have time for such constant supervision!"
"Of course, my lord."
Four royal guards followed Halfar into the corridor. He felt bothered by his advisors' reaction to Farin not being in the main palace and couldn't figure out what the issue was aside from her safety.
Dark grey sky hung over the region of the palace due to the cold weather making its way across Azrom. Most of the red flowers had closed their buds turning a pale violet to give a hint of life in the gloom. The landscape mirrored Farin's disposition as of late these past few weeks, wishing she could immerse herself in its dark embrace. Romnus had advised her to keep up the gleeful façade, a task she found harder to complete each day.
She leaned over the veranda just outside the banquet hall of the first royal palace and looked down. Far below she could see Batis lounging around the palace's boundary line along with his men while they waited for her to return. From her view they were tiny monsters. Batis turned around to look up, meeting her gaze, then smiled. She flinched, backing away and returned to the hall where the rest of the royal members waited.
"Come sit with us out of the cold, beautiful Farin!" Chastan sang, holding a hand out to her.
"The air felt nice." Farin sat down beside him
"Yes, the season is changing." He took hold of her sleeve and tugged. "Time for heavier wear."
Romnus glanced over at her. "It's getting late, we should disperse for the evening."
"What about my guards?"
"Batis will be fine where he is." She could hear and see the darkness fill him. From the moment he had come to get her for General Kur's bonding ceremony only to find Batis abusing her, he despised the soldier.
"No need for them," Chastan waved a hand, "I will escort you to your chamber."
He had volunteered as she knew he would. They had been spending more time together since her father started to allow visits. Their mating used to be fun but now as she tried to keep him focused on her she began to realize he could not be tamed. Romnus had warned her about his attention span waning after a while and of course, she knew soon after giving birth to their son on Lassa that he was not what she thought. Their son, a child he still could not know about.
"One last drink before we go?" Romnus gestured to a servant who turned and picked up a tray that had already been prepared. The servant carried it over and waited. "The elegant azure colored chalice is for you, beautiful Farin."
"How fitting," Reita cooed.
Farin reached over and carefully lifted the chalice off the tray. She inspected the delicate curves of its structure, marveling at how it sparkled like a gem.
"You had this made for me?" She almost couldn't contain her joy. He always knew how to make her smile, unlike Chastan.
"Of course. Anything for you."
Lord Aloni and Reita made a stern face and she wondered for the thousandth times how they really felt about her. Romnus raised his drink once the servant had finished serving everyone.
"To blood that binds."
They all raised their chalices and quickly downed the contents. Farin was never good at that so it took longer to consume her own. When she set her empty chalice on the table, Chastan stood, grabbing her hand to pull her up.
"Shall we, Lady Farin?"
Farin made a small bow to the royal family members. "May you rest well." She turned and left side by side with Chastan.
In her chamber, Farin crawled on the bed and laid flat on her back to stare at the ceiling. Immediately after, Chastan blocked her view with his flushed angelic face. He let one hand caress he breasts as he smiled down on her.
"You really are quite beautiful," he whispered.
She found no comfort in that since he frequented the brothel every chance he could. It was apparent to her that she was never going to be enough for him. Lowering onto her, his lips brushed hers. Farin felt exhausted from the stress her father had created and her body would not respond the way she wanted it to.
"Will you just hold me?"
"Only if you're unrobed," he laughed as he proceeded to undress her then himself.
He was groping her with fervor but it began to lessen until she saw his eyes flutter. In moments he was asleep, his nude body wrapped around her like a reptile. She was surprisingly relieved. Pulling him closer into her arms, she felt sleep take her as well.
Dondar stood stunned at the entrance of Farin's chamber along with Batis. He had donned on leather footings as suggested by Batis to eliminate the sound of their advance. The guard had told him of the recent rendezvous' between Lady Farin and Lord Chastan but he had not expected this. She was tainted, he was sure of it. And as Batis had reported on his observations, possibly by Lord Romnus as well. It solidified his advice to keep her confined. Now she was going through the royal palaces spreading her thighs for anyone who would want it.
It dawned on him that his lord would never believe him. He turned to Batis.
"Leave them be, until morning before they wake. Do you have a reconnaissance device?" Batis nodded. "Record this. I will tell our ruler there is a problem in this palace that needs his direct attention and then show him. Be ready to escort that half breed to the throne room when he requests her."
The smile on Batis face made the advisor cringe. He never liked the soldier and his men. Their methods for just about everything in life were barbaric. Pushing that aside from his mind, he focused on his new task. He had to report this to his colleagues. They would be just as thrilled as he was right then. Together, he and Batis crept slowly away back to the main palace border.
**~**
Halfar did not like being tested so early in the morning even if he had not slept during the night. His advisors had sour expressions and he almost feared what they were up to now. Sitting on his throne in casual attire, he threw one leg over the side of the armrest out of habit and leaned an elbow on the other.
"What is it?"
His first advisor moved cautiously forward and bowed deeper than usual. "My lord, there has been a development in the first royal house that needs to be addressed."
"And?" Halfar was getting irritated. They had a flare for the dramatic sometimes and it tried his patience.
"We will show you." He waved Dondar up and a recon device was produced.
Halfar watched it flicker to life and then the image cleared to perfect resolution. He felt his blood turn to ice water in his veins and a stabbing pain erupt in his chest as he stared at the image of his child wrapped in the arms of Lord Chastan. Of all the royal members of the first house, he was the worst. Halfar was well versed in Chastan's perversions and knowing his child was one of his conquest made bile rise up in his throat. He found that his body was now sitting upright and his hands were gripping the armrests so hard, the stone began to fracture.
"We are sorry, my lord. We did try to warn you. She is not fit to be in your presence and now tainted beyond finding a suitable mate. Putting her in the brothel would have been better than this."
Halfar wasn't listening anymore after that. He could see the advisor was still speaking but there was no sound. A flash of memory came to him and he remembered Chastan's handmaid scared as he marched down the corridor to her master's chamber. If she knew then so did Romnus who appeared at the right moment that time.
"Bring me Chastan's handmaid and Romnus' pet." It took all he had not to yell.
His advisors looked confused then two of them left with a set of royal guards accompanying each. He sat back in his throne and waited patiently. They would be gathering essentials for their masters and unguarded. He was going to teach them a lesson in true reign.
Within an hour, he heard the crying and yelling of Chastan's handmaid, Ponnae. He knew it was her because Romnus' personal servant, Biandra, would never show fear in the face of his guards. The two females were dragged roughly into the throne room and thrown at his feet.
"Show them," he commanded Dondar.
Ponnae's eyes grew wide with terror while Biandra just stared unmoved while they watched. It told him his hunch was right. They both knew what was going on in their masters' palace. He felt stupid for lifting the ban and allowing her to visit.
"You were accomplices to this. For that, you will be punished," he seethed.
The indignation on Biandra's face angered him further.
"Since you like to observe, maybe it's time you participated," he said to Ponnae. "Take her to the lower guards. Let them determine her fate." He liked the fear that oozes from her very being.
For Biandra he stepped down and backhanded her with the claw he had morphed his hand into. She went into the air and skidded across the floor as she landed. "Bring the Gruloc tamer."
His advisors pursed their lips simultaneously as they watched his royal guards oblige. He was amused by their reaction, so sure it was what they expected of him. Smiling, Halfar stood in the middle of his throne room listening to the handmaids cries fade as she was carried off.
Two of his royal guards came into the room carrying what he had requested. The Gruloc tamer was a giant whip, the fattest part nearly four inches in diameter and the end coming to a needle point. It stretched fifteen feet, weighing approximately forty kilos. Grulocs were large beasts that stood eight feet in height and could push an entire structure down with its solid muscle giving the massive frame extraordinary weight to accomplish the task. Many of their kind had been made to submit using the taming whip.
He went over to Biandra and using his claw, ripped her robes open to expose her flesh. Two columns were moved to stand side by side and tethers were secured on them. With a finger, he gestured to her then the columns. Guards dragged her to her feet and tied her wrists together before attaching the tether. From the opposite sides, they pulled the other ends of the tether until she was three feet off the floor her body dangling.
Standing twenty feet away from her he let his eyes linger on her for a moment. Everyone in the throne room stepped far away, not wanting to get accidentally hit by the tamer. Halfar wound it up into the air several times then let it go. The sound when it made contact to her skin was that of bones crushing but Azromians were tougher than that.
He wanted to break her. Her face contorted but she didn't scream. No. She was not going to give him that satisfaction. No matter. She was going to suffer for as long as he deemed it. He wound it up again unleashing another blow. By the fifth time, there was blood dripping on his throne room floor but she still refused to scream for him. He expected nothing less from one of Romnus' pets.
There were six of them surrounding her as she lay face down on the chamber floor being beaten. Ponnae bit her tongue to stop herself from screaming and they seemed to like that. When she was sure they might have had enough since they ceased the beatings, she let her tongue go, tasting her own blood. She was mistaken. Two of them held her down while one from behind used his sword to slice open her robe. Out of fear, she screamed and they laughed.
They took their time having a turn, always two holding her in position for whoever was next, another slamming her head into the floor after each time. When all six had finished, they left her there, bloody, in pain. She felt like dying then. A separate set of guards came in and lifted her off the floor. She saw the ceiling move as they carried her off down stone stairs and into a dark chamber she knew well; the dungeon.
Tired, yet still angry, Halfar dropped the tamer and ordered it away. He stared at the mess in his throne room then his clothes. Even at a distance, the blood splatter reached him.
"Clean this up! I have to change."
He left the throne room and marched to his chamber alone. His guard knew better than to follow him when he was in this state. In his chamber, he whipped off his once white tunic and brown leggings, now stained with blood. Standing naked he examined the lean muscle taunt with unfulfilled rage in the mirror. Grabbing a towel from the wet basin he meticulously wiped away every drop of blood from his flesh.
Halfar returned to his throne room wearing clean garments, the rage slightly subsided but his blood still boiled within him. The throne room was spotless as if nothing had ever happened and he decided to reward the cleaning servants later. His advisors kept their distance from the throne as he slowly sat down.
"Bring her to me."
He knew he didn't have to specify who. Batis and his men bowed low to him then rushed off down the corridor. Halfar thought he saw the soldier smile and was certain Farin would be brought in non-too gently. It was her own fault. Morning was in full swing meaning Chastan would have fled her chamber by now and Romnus would notice he was missing a member of his entourage.
The sound of claws scraping against stone screeched into his ears. From around the corner of the entrance came Farin fighting against her four guards, mainly Batis who finally gripped her wrist and flung her into the throne room. She landed halfway inside, bruised and bloody, in front of him. He held on to the armrests and leaned forward.
"Did you sleep well, my child? Was Chastan's flesh keeping you warm?"
Her face drained of color, her eyes widened and tears formed. She was in a dressing robe so he assumed Batis had dragged her out of bed naked and put it on her. There was silence in the room. His advisors had looks of approval.
"You have made a mockery of my kindness and disrespected my will on every occasion. Was that amusing for you?" She still did not answer him.
"My lord," Mesrod interrupted. The five had turned from their deliberations and stood side by side to face the throne. "It is a shame that she is no longer fit to be formally mated."
"Then what am I to do with this filthy thing?" Halfar asked. His voice was close to yelling but he had restrained himself. "She no longer has value in my court."
"That is true, my lord. No one in the royal houses would want her now, save for maybe Lord Chastan. And he would tire of her soon enough."
"See what you have done?" He finally yelled at her. She was crying softly still sitting with her legs sprawled awkwardly apart. "Even with royal blood coursing through your veins, you are nothing but trash!"
Batis advanced further into the throne room and bowed to him. There was a grin on his face. One even Halfar could see held nothing nice. "If she is no longer fit for royalty, I would gladly take her. She could still at least be of use mated to a royal guard. That would keep her in the palace under your watch. She is of royal blood, as you've said."
"Yes," Prevcan said. "Half breed she is but of your seed. We can't have the people or the royal houses against us. She is beloved by them."
Halfar sat back in his throne and thought for a moment. It did make sense to keep her in his circle. This time he would make sure to have a tighter rein on her. He met Batis' stare.
"Take her, if you want her." He waved her away.
"Thank you, my lord." Batis made another deep bow. "If you don't mind, I would like to seal the bond, with your permission."
"She's yours now. You can do as you please with her."
Farin screamed as Batis came and grabbing her by hair, forcibly removed her from the middle of the throne room with his three subordinates behind him. Halfar cringed at the sound, but endured it. They were just outside the entrance and he could see what was about to occur.
Farin fought with everything in her being even though she knew Batis was much stronger. She was barely past twenty and he was a seasoned war soldier of a hundred and forty years, maybe more. When they arrived just outside the threshold, she was at the point of defeat. Her body was too damaged for any longer of a fight along with blood loss. She could see it streaked across the throne room floor behind her. Batis threw her down on the floor, keeping hold of her dressing gown which tore partially from her body. Ringing filled her head as it landed hard on the surface bouncing slightly.
"Do not fret, lovely Farin," Batis laughed, removing his breast plate and cloak. They fell beside him in a clank. He bent over and grabbed one of her ankles, pulling her to him. "I will make sure my men get to taste royal flesh as well when I'm done. You will be thoroughly satiated before long."
A longsword with a hint of green in the blade went through the guard to Batis' right. It ran down in a diagonal path from shoulder to abdomen before disappearing back out from where it entered. The guards opposite Batis on the left protecting the advisors were collective cut down in the same moment. Halfar sat up in his throne, eyes bulging. From behind the advisors came Romnus. He went to Batis and yanked the soldier by his hair into the air and threw him into the throne room.
Halfar counted twenty or more royal guards loyal only to Romnus invade his throne room. General Kur appeared from the right, having dispatched the other two of Batis' unit. Blood was everywhere, even on his attire and he seemed to not care. There was nothing aesthetically pleasing about the bloodshed he just caused.
"I have warned you cousin," Romnus stated. His left arm now a pincer was driven down into Batis who lay flat on his back. Romnus stood up and kicked his body further in but to the side away from him.
Halfar, still angry, stood up as well. He walked down the steps of his throne and onto the floor. "You dare come to my palace after the deceit you perpetuated? Passing my child along your royal court? Was she to your liking, cousin?" he spat.
"I have never mated with Farin. If that is what your advisors have reported, they are mistaken. You do not listen to reason. I warned you that harming anyone of my royal house would be a declaration of war."
"Farin is not of your house! She is my child to do with as I see fit!"
"She is mated to Chastan and the mother of his child," Romnus replied calmly, "therefore part of MY royal house."
Loud gasps echoed through the room and Halfar sat stunned. He looked over to Farin lying half naked in a bloody heap, then to his advisors who were suddenly frightened. Romnus glanced in the same direction.
"Once again, you have been manipulated by a corrupt council instead of ruling on your own. How much lack of judgement do you now possess to do this?"
"I am the supreme ruler of Azrom! How dare you judge me?"
Halfar morphed his entire body, rising to nearly seven feet tall. A hint of dark red glinted along the armored shell of his body and the pincers opened. Romnus tilted his head slightly then morphed as well. It had been a long time since Halfar had seen his cousin's full form and had forgotten how enormous and truly menacing Romnus was, easily over eight feet in height. His black lacquered body and pincers dwarfed his own. For the first time, Halfar was caught off guard and it cost him.
As large as Romnus was, his speed defied reason. Before Halfar could think of moving, his cousin was in the same breathing space and a pincer made contact with his chest. His body was slammed into the stairs at the base of his throne. All the air left through his mouth as he tasted his own blood and knew the damage was bad. With one blow, Romnus had taken him down.
His cousin turned and walked away, morphing back to normal as he did so. Kur, Aloni and Kuhala stood waiting for him in the middle of the room. He turned to face Halfar again and sighed.
"You have brought this upon both our houses. I want mine and Chastan's handmaid returned. I know that in your madness, you have done something foul to them but let me make it clear. If they are near death or harmed in such a way that it is deemed worse than death, your reign ends."
The royal entourage exited the throne room. He watched Romnus carefully lift Farin off the ground and cradle her in his arms. She seemed so small against his broadness. Batis lay broken, covered in blood by a column and his advisors were visibly shaken. Two of them had slumped to the floor in fear. Azrom might apparently had its limits, Halfar thought silently.
A medical servant came rushing in and injected healing gel directly into his chest while he remained unmoved on the steps. He didn't dare try to rise, the pain excruciating and not sure if Romnus would return to deliver another blow which would probably kill him.
It all began to sink is as his wound healed. Farin had already found a mate and birthed a child? Have I been so blinded by my advisors that I did not see? Another revelation popped in his head. Chardon knew. There was no way Farin would have a child and her mother not know. More importantly, it was obvious that the child was not born on Azrom, leaving New Lassa. He took one look at the advisors again and immediately felt nauseous. What have I done?
Feeling the tissue fuse back together in his chest, was not a moment too soon as his body pitched forward from the power of bile coming up to vacate. A second wave sent him to his hands and knees, the ends of his hair dragging in the pool of vomit. What have I done? The tears stinging his eyes felt like hot embers were being pressed into them. He could feel the tension in the air. His royal court had just witnessed the downfall of their supreme ruler and he had no idea how to transition from this.
Romnus marched straight to his chamber and laid Farin down on his bed. Within moments, his personal medical team swarmed into the room and he stepped back to let them perform their work. He wanted to go back and dismantle Batis piece by piece then move on to the advisors. Halfar would be last to deal with. Behind him, General Kur stood silent. A new dilemma must have been brewing in his head.
Aloni went to retrieve Chastan from the royal bath. That he didn't bother to inquire his handmaid's whereabouts when he went back to his own chamber this morning was testament to his lack of leadership. It was why Romnus never gave him any real assignments for the royal house. Chastan's priorities were not in line with his or the other family members.
"This will end badly, won't it?" Kur asked.
"That depends on what Halfar will do after this. If he does not submit, there will be war between two royal houses. If he accepts his newfound situation, then I will be lenient."
"The royal advisors?"
"The same. If they defy me, they die."
Kur snorted. "That is not the same, Lord Romnus."
"She will need to rest for a while. Let's leave her be." Romnus walked out of the chamber.
"You love her," Kur said.
Romnus stopped at the veranda and wrapped his hands around the stone railing. He looked out into the horizon and let the morning breeze sweep over him. The he turned back to Kur.
"Yes, I do."
"Yet, you're willing to let Chastan have her?"
"He doesn't have her. But, for now, we can let Halfar and the rest of Azrom think he does."
"She's so young!" Kur exclaimed, slamming a fist into his own thigh. "One usually doesn't mate until the age of fifty."
Romnus smiled. "Farin never saw it that way. She likes to define her own destiny, even when it turns out to be wrong." Darkness filled him as he was about to call on his entourage. "You will search for our handmaids?"
"No need to search. He would have thrown them in the dungeon to rot. I'll go get them. Medical treatment should be ready and waiting."
"I will bring them with me."
Kur stared at him incredulous. "You can't be serious? Why would you want to come?"
"To bear witness to Halfar's madness. I want to know just how far he has gone."
"What if it's worse than death, as you stated?"
"Then there will be nothing for Halfar to redeem."
Romnus contemplated the real possibility that Halfar had indeed gone to a darkness so foul he may have to put both handmaids out of their suffering. Losing part of his entourage was like losing part of his family and Chastan's handmaid was loyal to a fault. Pushing his rage to the side, he was glad Biandra had left a fruit by his bedside the night before. Eating it was the first thing he did when he awakened. It was only an hour later that the guards he had posted to watch the main palace came bursting in past his chamber guards to deliver the report. By that time, the effects of the fruit had kicked in so he was able to remain calm. Halfar should thank her for saving his life for without it, he would have easily torn his cousin apart.
The dungeon had been newly enforced after the Razznian attack but it remained cold and barren with stale air. Romnus and the rest of the family leaders were led by Kur down into the deepest part of the palace. Guards watching the corridor did not engage them, instead moving away in fear as they passed. News traveled fast this day. Romnus saw the tremors in Chastan's hands, knowing what the young lord was thinking. Unlike Biandra, Ponnae was a timid creature.
Kur halted in front of two cells across from each other and went pale. Romnus stepped around him to take a look. In one sat Biandra, slumped against the wall, her body bloody, swollen, tattered, yet her eyes still shone with defiance. She squinted her one good eye and seeing him forced a tight grin. That's my loyal servant. He smiled back. A burning rage like nothing he had ever felt rose in him, negating the effects of the fruit but he kept his sanity by sheer will. Then he turned to the other cell.
The strangled cry that came out of Chastan was nothing compared to what Romnus thought he felt. Aloni raise a hand to his mouth, the sleeve covering the lower part of his face. Kur just stood, head reared back in awe. Chastan fell to his knees, hands extended in front of him. This was worse than death.
Even from his distance, he could see the shredded tissue between her thighs. They had literally destroyed her womb. The abrasions and bruising told where the bones had been broken. She lay on her stomach, head turned to one side, and her eyes void of everything. A soft puff of dust by her lips meant she was still alive, barely.
"We kill them now!" Kuhala shouted. He knew she was referencing whoever did this, but now was not the time.
"Have patience," he stated. "We will find who did this."
"Patience?" Chastan whispered. He dropped his hands down to the floor. "I want them torn apart." He raised his shaking hands again. "I want to tear them apart."
Romnus motioned to the medical team and they dispersed into two groups. He figured it would take weeks, maybe months, for the healing gels to repair such damage. A tremor went through his body, forcing him to turn back down the corridor and make his way out the dungeon. He couldn't bear another second of the tragic scene. Halfar had lost his mind. That was his final conclusion.
Reaching above ground, his legs faltered and he gripped the stone walls of the dungeon's entrance. His vision blurred until he saw everything in shades of red. I'm losing control! He raised a closed fist to hit the wall but it morphed on its own and the giant pincer punched through. His legs formed into lean muscled praying mantis legs and before he lost his senses completely, launched into the fields on the other side of the palace where his beloved fruit grew.
Field workers cried out in terror as he tore through the orchard, flattening the tall stalks, making a path to his prize. Barely of his own mind, he snatched a handful of them, shoving them into his gaping mouth and began to devour. With so much of its juices coursing into him all at once, his body froze from the shock. He immediately came to his own mind but too late as his vision cleared briefly before his entire system shut down. Romnus went face down into the dirt like a dying Gruloc beast, shaking the ground beneath him.
**~**
New Lassa was left in a state of anger and chaos in the aftermath of the manbeasts' insurgence. When the wounded count was announced, there was enough shame and blame to go around. Chardon made the decision to remain in male form as way to convey his seriousness. It didn't matter much to others but for some reason he felt it was the best course. As much as he despised Ganna, she had come through on all fronts. Her swift actions were unprecedented because she had expected it.
That angered him more. She and Sestis knew this would happen centuries ago and waited for the event with baited breath. It never occurred to him how wide the division in the three species of their race was. Manbeasts were created so many millennia ago that he assumed it was a non-issue. They were Lassians, plain and simple, just like the energy users and the warriors and everyone else. Everything had been fine until his father's leadership. He wasn't told all the circumstances but just finding out about them was no excuse for his poor judgement in leading his race.
In a bunker nearby, he sat on a concave bench along the wall of the large healing chamber, watching over the wounded as medical pods repaired their bodies. The chamber was full to capacity as well as another bunker in the east. He had chosen the bench closest to the little ones section. The tiny pod before him held Talas' infant boy. Thin tendrils of light ran back and forth inside the wounds, slowly closing them while reconnecting any blood vessels.
"You don't have to stay and watch," a female voice chimed up.
Chardon looked up, coming face to face with Ganna. She too was tired, he could see it in her demeanor. The scientist went about checking each pod's data, making adjustments as needed.
"Yes, I do."
"It's not your fault, really."
"How can you say that?" He snapped. "I."
"Are you a terrible leader? Of course. But this was set long before you became one. The reason I dislike manbeasts is because they are generally prideful and overly aggressive."
"That's not true! Modas was not like that and neither are his children." He stopped as he looked at Talas' child who was nearly killed by one of Modas' own.
"There are exceptions to the rule like all races," Ganna continued. "But we were not concerned with them."
"You mean Sestis and yourself?"
Ganna let out a loud sigh. "As a scientist I am always fascinated with the evolution of species, especially my own. Since we had closed off our access to other worlds there was no reason to keep such a large force of manbeasts. Sestis was just weeding out the bad from the good and finding a remedy that benefitted our race."
"No she wasn't!"
"Ah, yes. Her ambition did get in the way of the original plan and I tried to justify so much of it. Now, I just want to make our race better. Not a super power like she wanted, but as I said before, capable of holding our own against any enemy."
Chardon actually welcomed Ganna's blunt honesty. It dawned on him that it was not loyalty to Sestis or anything else. Ganna was always trying to find a way to make their lives better, just her execution lacked finesse.
"You will help me?"
"No," she replied turning to look at him. "I will help our race, in the name of Lassa."
A loud beep interrupted them and she ran over to the origin of the sound. Chardon stood up and went over to see what was going on. In the pod lay his cousin, Jaron, her skin not quite back to normal color. A few strands of pale red hair were visible, a sign of premature aging. Lassians didn't get those until they were at least four or five hundred years old.
"Oh my," Ganna commented, noticing the strands. "I think it makes her look more distinguished, don't you?"
He stepped away from the pod and leaned on the one behind him. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he tried to fight them back. The second beep sounded and the pod was purging the dry liquid from its chamber.
"I better contact her family," Ganna said. She moved to the commlink.
Chardon grabbed her wrist and stopped it midway. "Don't."
He knew Modas would be there in seconds and he was the last person Jaron needed to see when she woke up. Leader and scientist locked eyes and they silently concurred.
The pod's locking mechanism disengaged with another beep and the hatch receded exposing Jaron's naked body to bunker's open air. Ganna went to a cabinet and retrieved a robe, tossing it to him. He caught it and waited.
Jaron's eyes fluttered sporadically until finally they slowly opened to slits. The light hit them and she winced in pain. Chardon knew that feeling from when he had just awakened from a healing pod before. Forcing her eyes to open wider, Jaron stared up at the ceiling for a long time. Tears ran down both sides of her face then her hands cover it. Gently, he lifted her up and arranged the robe around her. She bent over all the way and continued to cry.
Ganna gave him a nod and exited the healing chamber. He couldn't bear it; not understanding the heartache and rage Jaron must be feeling. The doors opened again and he thought Ganna had forgot something until he heard a loud gasp. Mara stood in the entryway with tears forming. She sniffed hard, not letting a drop fall. He envied her strength.
"Mother?"
Jaron removed her hands from her face and looked up. Mara went to her, wrapping her arms tight around her. Chardon watched her stare at the red strands in her mother's hair, knowing what it meant and squeezed her tighter.
"Don't bruise her, Mara. She just woke up."
"I don't care," Mara sobbed.
"I do," Jaron said. "Let go of me, you foolish girl."
They both laughed at her usual disdain for affection. She reciprocated with a look that matched it. Chardon tried to help her out of the chamber and was shocked when she smacked his hand away.
"Don't touch me!"
"Mother!"
"Don't! You should have stopped this!"
"You can't blame him for this, mother! It was my father who started this!"
"You are the leader of our race!" She ignored her daughter's outcry. "I warned you. Now look what we have." He hung his head and backed away from her. Her eyes softened then and she smiled a little. "I'm sorry," she too hung her head and resumed crying.
"What do we do, leader? Everyone is so angry." Mara asked.
"I don't know, but I have to fix this somehow."
"Where is he?" Jaron suddenly blurted out. She amazingly had stopped crying and now had a look of poison.
"I think," he replied, "we should wait on that."
"Chardon!"
"No!"
"I'm going to have to agree, mother. None of us have spoken to him and he is not around. He may be hiding in a cave meditating."
"That won't help him this time," she snapped.
"No, it won't. But, he needs to stay away for now. He knows that, at least." Chardon held out his hand. "Come on, let's get you out of here."
"Are you going to fill me in on why so many healing pods are in use?"
He exchanged a look with Mara. It was going to have to be done sooner than later and he knew the first person she would want to speak to about strategy was Talas. That was not a viable option and won't be for a little while longer. Right on cue she asked.
"Where is Talas? I would have thought he would come running to see me back."
"This way," Mara spoke softly. She helped her mother out of the pod.
"What's wrong? Why are you both quiet?" Jaron's eyes bulged. "Is he…?"
"Just come," Mara nudged.
He led her to the little ones section on the other side of the healing chamber and stopped at the farthest pod. Jaron's hands went to her mouth as she saw the wounds being repaired on the infant boy. Her look of horror turned to rage.
"Who did this?" She demanded.
Mara didn't turn to her but responded. "Una."
Jaron's' hands clenched tight, all the color drained back out of her skin and her eyes went blank. There was nothing anyone could say to her now.
It was dark in the chamber. Jaron peered in to decipher a presence as she crept on unsteady legs towards the bed sitting against the far wall. Her eyes adjusted and finally a lump became visible on top of it. Light strands of hair hung over the edge. She went to the side and pulled the nearby chair closer so she could speak softly. On the other side of the bed lay Kelin, in deep slumber. Jaron didn't want to wake him with any talk above a whisper.
She sat on the chair, easing herself down slowly and jolted with fright midway. Talas lay on the bed, eyes opened staring into the abyss. There was no life in them. One arm crooked under her, the hand limp. When Talas didn't register her being there, Jaron continued her descent into the chair. She brushed some of the strands from Talas' face and a whimper followed.
All these decades she had never truly despised Talas, although there had been moments of disappointment and even envy, but not hatred. Looking back she realized how much energy she had wasted being angry and cruel to the warrior. And not just Talas. When she learned about Modas' feelings for Chardon from long ago it explained her own feelings of distrust towards him. Her unconscious decision to ration out affection spread onto everyone around her.
Now here she was showing affection to the one person who everyone deemed her rival. She snorted softly. Talas had the one thing she envied most of all; conviction.
"Why have you come?"
It was barely a whisper, like it had been breathed out and startled her out of her thoughts. She looked over and saw Talas focused on her. Those words of air came from Talas' lips.
"Shh," Jaron answered. "Don't speak. Just sleep."
Talas balled her hand into a fist and her eyes narrowed. "Why?" she demanded more forcefully, yet still barely audible. "Did you come for entertainment?" Talas choked a little and coughed. Tears brimmed.
"Of course not," Jaron seethed, trying not to yell. "I would never do such a thing."
"You have no love for my sake," Talas sputtered, "so why?"
Sobbing quietly with eyes squeezed tight, Talas started to curl further into a ball. Jaron had enough. She grabbed the edge of the bed cover and yanked it off just Talas. The room has chilly and she watched the shocked reaction from Talas.
"Get up!" She didn't care anymore if Kelin woke up as well. Seeing them both in such a pitiful state angered her more than Modas' unjust coup. "Your children need you! Get up and go take care of them!"
Talas stared up at her in awe, then rage crossed her face. Jaron smirked. That's right, get angry at me. She waited for Talas to get up, ready for a scuffle then remembered she wasn't in any condition to fight any more than Talas was.
Before Talas could plummet to the floor, Kelin reached over and stopped her fall.
"Let me go!" Talas' voice croaked slightly. She took in too much air and had trouble regulating her breathing for a moment.
"You too!" Jaron addressed Kelin. He gave her a look she didn't like but let it slide.
Kelin activated the glow orbs in the corners of the chamber and Talas leapt at her. She stumbled backwards, having no intention of letting the grieving warrior land a blow and lost her footing. Oh, for the love of Lassa, this is going to hurt. As she got closer to the floor, a hand grabbed her arm, stopping her fall. She used it as leverage to right herself and came in the direct gaze of Talas with a stunned expression. Kelin stood not far behind on the end of the bed with the same look.
Hands shaking, Talas reached over and pulled a few strands of her hair. In the now brightly lit room her red streaks shined like fire. Jaron gently took her hair out of Talas' hand and backed away.
"Good, you're up. Let's go."
"Jaron," Kelin called out.
But she was not going to hear what either of them had to say. She knew that tone; pity. "I know I haven't been very nice to you in our lifetime together but you need to know this. I have never hated you." She felt the tears well up then stream down her face so she sniffed loudly while wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "Now come on."
Jaron walked out of the chamber to give them time to get dressed properly. Her body gave out and she slid to the corridor's floor. She felt so weak, drained of everything, but there was no time for that. The person she had to face, the one who needed to tell HER why, was still missing. You can't hide forever, Modas.
**~**
Shivering from the waterfall rushing down on him, the pressure almost too much for him to bear, Modas focused on stillness. The reason he had sought out the waterfall and stumbled into was due to insects becoming attracted to his increasingly pungent body scent. His mane had grown tangled from neglect as he wandered the planet surface in a state of despair. He had stripped down to his leggings and was attempting to meditate while being cleansed.
He sat akimbo on a large rock beneath it, hands folded in his lap as he tried to focus on nothingness. It failed. He remembered when Jaron was pregnant with their first litter after returning from Earth and he told her that she meant everything to him. The strength of the water bent him over further and he let out a loud cry that was drowned out by its rushing roar. Modas planted both hands on the wet stone and let the water beat down on him.
There was no more vengeance, no hatred, left inside of him. All that remained was guilt and sadness. Jaron should have been the one person he protected in all of this. She would despise him for this, he knew, and it would take a miracle for her to forgive him. Again, he saw his daughter's face full of hate as she ran her claws through a helpless infant. Bile tried to make its way up his throat and he forced it down. No good. It came back up with brute force, sending him to his knees.
Using all the strength he could muster in his arms, he pushed himself up off the stone and stepped down into the shallow creek. Drenched, he stood staring up at the horizon and a pain crept in him. This was not their home world, this was not Lassa which made what he had done more heartbreaking.
Apologies were not going to be accepted. What am I supposed to do? The person he feared most was Jaron. She had warned him over and over that his agenda was nothing but a petty tantrum. After he had finally convinced Mara to let him take Jaron to the medical chamber she was taken away from him by force. No one wanted him near her let alone in the same room. Stricken with grief he started his trek.
Movement from one of the cliffs above him put him on alert and he quickly spit out the last of his vomit, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His claws slowly extended.
"So this is where you came to hide from your sins," his son, Mota, called down. He leapt along the ridges of the cliff until he landed on the ground and walked towards him.
Modas tried to gauge his son's mood and determined it was neutral. He rescinded his claws and turned to him, Mota stopping a few feet away to look him over.
"You look like a dead hoisen beast left out in the hot sun, father."
Modas grimaced at his joke. It was in bad taste even for him. He saw Mota spot the pool of vomit spreading thin in the water.
"How did you find me?" Modas was surprised how cracked his voice sounded.
"You sound like one on its last light too."
Modas felt tired. So very tired. Even at the death of his family, he did not have this feeling of utter defeat. Back then, he was filled with fire.
"You need to come back."
Modas just stared at him. He knew that but wasn't ready. As if reading his mind, his son sighed.
"Whether you're ready or not, it is imperative that you explain your actions to the council," he paused, "and my mother."
"I know," Modas whispered.
Mota went to his pile of robes and tossed them at him. Modas caught them, holding them to his chest. He raised his gaze up at his son and could feel the tears stinging his eyes.
"I can't," he replied. "I can’t explain this. It wasn't supposed to happen this way."
"What did you think would happen, father?" Mota yelled. "You turned our clans against our own people and fueled dissent for over a century!"
Modas flinched violently from his son's words as if he had been physically assaulted. He never knew how just words could hurt so much. Seeing Mota waiting patiently, he finally let his robes hang long from his hands before donning them.
"I guess it's going to take a while to get back. You don't look strong enough to go at any speed other than walking."
"That is true," Modas replied softly.
His son paused mid stride and turned back to look at him. "If you need to know, the infant is doing well. Talas not so much, but everyone is getting back on track."
Relief nearly took him back to his knees. If Una had killed the child, he would not be going back to explain. He would be going back for her memorial.
Madness. The arguments in the council chamber grew louder and more heated as the session went on. Trinon sat in a corner of the room disgusted and angry, not understanding how it had come to this. When claws and swords were brandished, he had enough. Knocking everyone and everything in his path out of the way, he exited the chamber. Halfway down the corrido he heard footsteps running after him but didn't turn around to see who they belonged to.
In the open air outside the temple, he inhaled deep then let it out. He proceeded up the hill on the opposite side and could still sense his pursuers. At the top, he sat down on the grassy knoll and stretched his legs out a bit, keeping them bent at the knees. His hands were planted flat on the ground and he threw his head back, letting his mane cascade down like a waterfall.
"Trinon!" His mother called to him. He kept his eyes closed. "Answer me!"
He opened his eyes and glanced up at her. She was furious but he could also see fear on her face. It was inevitable. Trailing behind her was Talas and Kelin along with Und who looked worried. Infuriated, he frowned, not wanting to be soothed like some baby beast.
"I can hear you." That stopped her mid stride and he regretted his tone.
"What is wrong with you? You haven't been yourself in years and I don't understand! Why won't you talk to me?"
His hands turned into fists and grabbed chunks of grass, his fingers embedded deep in the soil. A surge of panic gripped him. Talas came over and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Be still, she has a right to know. I told you that before."
"Know what?" His mother snapped. He could hear the fear he saw in her voice. "Trinon?"
Talas squeezed his shoulder and Trinon just nodded.
"You know that after the battle with the Razznians we reached out to other planets for resources until our planet recovered?"
"Of course I do."
"There was one planet that we visited where the natives were more than happy to assist us."
Trinon fell into a lull and he could see the lush green forests of that planet. The exotic foliage and how the air smelled slightly sweet. There was laughter all around him and even adults played in the trees with the young ones.
"We made negotiations and were sending what we could back through the gate."
"You mean the vegetation?"
"Correct."
"They were amazing. I wished we could have gotten more."
"So do I," Talas said sadly. His mother frowned.
The taste of the fruit fed to him by her small fingertips, the juice running down his chin and her laughing at his lack of manners. He could smell her deep brown hair as it brushed against his forearms.
"There was another race who inhabited a neighboring planet that also traded goods for their vegetation and they did not like sharing. Their leader came and made threats but they had never raised a battle with them."
"Oh Lassa's love," Jaron whispered.
"They attacked the planet and targeted us." Talas paused for a moment. "The leader of the planet assisting us had a daughter. She took a liking to Trinon and they spent each day together for the three years we were there."
Yes, she thought he was quite funny and beautiful. She told him so many times while they lay on the beach or atop a hill overlooking the forests. Her hair always adorned on one side with a single giant flower of vibrant color in contrast to her bronze skin.
"She was only a few months from giving birth when the attack happened."
Fire raining down on the forests. The smell of burnt timber and flesh. Dark clouds the color of charcoal as they churned from the heat and smoke. Her hand clasped tight in his as they ran for shelter. The enemy fighters descending onto the surface like spores.
"The fight was brutal and unjustified. Many of us were hurt but the planet and its people suffered more."
"They just destroyed the resource they craved so much," Kelin balked.
"Truly disgraceful." Talas looked down on Trinon but he did not acknowledge him. The quicker the story was told and over with, the better. "In their rampage, Trinon's mate was hit by a barrage of laser fire from their weapons."
Fighting back tears he could see vividly her hands holding her swollen belly as he turned to help over a fallen tree trunk. The look of surprise as stray laser fire from behind tore through her creating three holes that opened up like screams. Her belly torn to shreds, spilling out onto the ground, her shoulder and thigh like chopped raw meat. Him catching her in his arms in a state of shock.
"Trinon became something…else."
The time of darkness he couldn't recall for so long revealed itself to him. He could see enemy fighters being torn apart in a haze of red and realized it was he who was delivering the death rites. At some point he was grabbed from behind and restrained. He remembered howling and screaming to the sky above.
"Containing him took nearly all of us. He went insane. Seeing the carnage caused by his decree, the leader ceased the fighting and helped with the wounded. But it was too late for apologies. They were allowed to stay for repairs, but the leader of the planet made a decision to banish them from setting foot on his planet again."
The long trek into their humble gathering space, still wounded but able to walk, barely. Rows of their people along the aisle letting him pass. Seeing her grief stricken father on his seat at the end staring down on him in pity. His stumble to the floor on his knees as he bowed low in front of him, forehead to the ground, and said, "I am sorry for not protecting your child." No one moving for a long time and then feeling a thin hand set on top his mane. Knowing it was her mother who adored him.
"He was badly wounded and didn't know it. When he was able to somehow walk he went to apologize to her parents and her people. We had to literally drag him up off the floor. Once our group was healed, we returned to the ship with a few gifts from the people despite the devastation of some of the forests."
He remembered being basically dragged onto the ship and left slumped against the inner hull of the corridor in a daze. Talas looking down on him full of worry watching his catatonic stare into nothingness. Und picking him up like a grain satchel and tossing him over his shoulder. Carrying him to an empty bunk in the crew quarters.
"We kept his relationship with her a secret so for our group only Und and I knew about it."
They traveled halfway in the ship, deciding to use the gate at the last moment. Trinon felt numb, his vision blurry all the time and his hearing muted. The final leg of the journey, Talas and Und cornered him in the control room. He was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall, one knee drawn up, when they towered over him.
"Trinon is always smiling," Und said.
"Trinon loves to be playful and take things as they come," Talas added.
"You must return to Lassa as the Trinon we know."
Then it hit him; they were right. How could he explain his current state? Could he pull it off? He didn't have to worry because the moment his feet planted on New Lassa's soil his body reacted on its own. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards until he had a big smile on his face. He looked out to his family and the other Lassians who came to greet them and exclaimed, "We sure had a lot of fun! You should have been there!" He saw Talas and Und's face take on horrified expressions before they dissolved. Inside, his core felt broken and dimmed.
"It took everything in me to keep this secret, but I told him, he should tell you at least." Talas turned to Kelin. "I'm sorry to have kept this from you."
Trinon swerved his body towards them and in his tenor voice, a bit lower than usual, "You cannot tell father!"
His command startled them. No regrets for that, he was serious. His mother's eyes filled with tears and her hand covered her mouth, stifling whatever sound would erupt. He could tell she wanted to hug him, knowing not to. To his surprise, she took a chance and threw her arms around him. He surprised himself by not pushing her away but burying his face in her bosom and began crying.
"If father knew, he may understand," Und said after Trinon had stopped sobbing.
He gave his litter brother a look that he hoped would signal his anger but Und just stared back at him in defiance. Their mother, sensing the tension stood and whacked them both in the back of the head.
"Stop that! What is wrong with you?" She wiped her face. "We will not tell your father because I don't think he understands anything right now. What he's done has essentially ruined our race."
"Do you still love him?" Trinon asked.
"I don't know." His mother hung her head.
To his and everyone else's shock, his father's voice rang in the air.
"You're right. I probably wouldn't have understood."
Modas came out from behind the curve of the hill and stepped forward so that he was face to face with Trinon.
"But I do now. You need not have gone through that alone. I've failed you."
"You understand now? Good! Do you see now how trivial your vengeance was? How I wanted no part of your madness?"
He felt a new kind of disappointment in his father and litter sister, Una. Nothing could fix this quickly. Wishing he were back on that lush planet full of forests, he stood up and looked out at the horizon.
Jaron walked back down the hill towards the council chamber, leaving Trinon to some alone time. The way he had left the session, it would have caused an uproar. She was sure Modas was confused at his son's outburst but he shouldn't have been. From the beginning, most of their children did not approve of the uprising and now he was full of regret. She and Talas knew it would come to that.
Do you still love him? Those words haunted her and the answer she gave made it worse. The lies and deceit he had spun for so long were large and deep. How could she forgive him so easily? The answer; she couldn't. It was too much. Nearly a century of hatred and this is what he ends with.
She entered the council chamber to a hushed silence. Everyone had frowns on their faces and knew why. They were ashamed of their own behavior as they should be. Trinon held on longer than expected but she had been on the verge of sending a ball of energy into the middle of the fray herself. A few heads turned to acknowledge her return and she went to take her seat.
Modas went to stand by the window and leaned against it with his arms folded. He seemed less ferocious now. Jaron almost pitied him until the reason they were in the chamber came back to her. He turned to her.
"Will Trinon be alright?"
Her eyes bulged out of their sockets in disbelief, as did a few councilmen. "No, Modas! He is not well!" His eyes grew wide and he backed away from her with nowhere to go, hitting the wall with a thud. "Do you think anyone in this room is well after the heartache you caused?"
"I..."
"Don't you dare speak!" She roared.
In the midst of the silence she caught a glimpse of Chardon sitting at the table shell shocked. This was going to be a difficult task for her cousin and she hoped the unskilled leader would take the reins and soar.
There was no light. Romnus felt like he was enveloped inside a deep black hole, his body heavy, as if it had been filled with ore then hardened. He tried to lift his hands and nothing happened. Stillness. It had a calming effect and he decided to let his mind sink deeper.
A tiny prick in his neck made Romnus rear up from his position gasping for air, instantly grabbing his chest. His vision returned and he found himself in his own chamber with servants silently milling around. Reita stood at the foot of his bed staring down at him disapprovingly.
"You weigh more than a Gruloc, did you know that? It took an entire unit to remove you from the grove. What were you thinking, eating so many of them?"
At first he didn't understand what she was talking about, then all the events that transpired before he made the mad dash into the fields came flooding back. Anger rose but was immediately shut down by a massive headache. He tried to use pressure from the palm of his hands to ease the pain.
"Don't go rolling around too much." Reita pointed to the area beside him.
Romnus looked over. The beautiful Farin was lying next to him in what he assumed was a heavily drug induced sleep. Most of her wounds had healed but the damage obviously left her drained of energy. He had been in enough battles and seen enough wounded to deduct that much.
"How long?" His own voice sounded cracked and broken to his ears.
"Only a few days."
"Halfar?"
"In hiding at his palace. It seems he has confined himself to his chamber."
"The royal advisors?"
"Scared." Reita smiled when she said it.
"And," he began.
"Biandra is already lucid and quite angry at you for the recent episode."
"I'm sure she is."
Romnus motioned to a servant. "My garments."
"Going somewhere?"
"Are you here to stop me?" he asked as he reached over to retrieve his robes from the servant. "I am not going to the main palace. Chastan needs to be told."
His sister frowned. "He will be shocked, then devastated."
"Then, won't care."
"Yes, this won't be his first offspring and I am sure, not his last."
"It will be the last with her," Romnus replied.
He slid off the bed, the robes falling into place as he stood. Walking to the other side of the bed, he leaned over and lightly kissed Farin on the lips. When he turned to the entrance, Reita had a smirk on her face, staring at his bare feet.
"Come, lover, we have much to discuss." Reita got to the corridor then stopped. "Oh, and Chardon is returning to retrieve Farin."
"That will not be an option now."
Are you not going to even negotiate with her?"
"I believe once she understands the situation, she will agree with me."
He took another look at Farin before following Reita down the corridor. She was just as beautiful broken and scarred.
"I have a child, with Farin?"
Chastan sat dumbfounded at the table in the communal hall. The rest of the royal house members waited for the information to sink in. None of them had known except Romnus somehow. He glanced over at Kur who shook his head. Not even he knew about this? First there was elation of having a child with the beautiful Farin, then a twinge of anger. She kept it from me!
As though he had been reading his mind, Romnus spoke.
"She had to hide the child for the obvious reason. She could not gauge how Halfar would react to such news."
"That is no consolation! We would have protected her!"
Chastan made eye contact with each member of his family and saw something in them that he didn't like. It was as if they disagreed or was it disappointment? I am wrong to assume that?
"Farin is young and headstrong, you are not. It was a dangerous game you played. You should have known better than to engage." His sister lowered her gaze from his.
"The palaces are in an uproar and this news has added to it," Romnus stated.
"The houses know I have fathered a child with Farin?" Chastan could feel a ball of tension form in his gut. "Then I am mated to Farin?"
"It appears to be so," Kuhala answered.
Mated. He did not like that term. He adored Farin, but not enough to bond with her for eternity. There were others who had birthed his offspring, none of royal blood of course. If he had to play the part to keep her safe, then so be it. His sister was right. He should have known better. Farin was nearly thirty years too young to be mating yet he let himself indulge.
"When can I meet my child?"
"That we cannot know. It still may not be safe here. Chardon will be arriving shortly and it can be discussed then." Reita stood after that and headed out the hall.
"Halfar is the root cause of this. If he hadn't restricted her, she wouldn't have venture into my arms." He too stood and left the hall. As he walked out into the corridor the ball of tension tightened. The last thing he wanted to be was responsible for Farin's happiness. Looking up at the sky he determined the time of day and decided the brothel would not be full. He headed in its direction.
The remaining family members took sips of their drinks in silence after Chastan left, knowing where he was headed. Romnus tapped a rolled up scroll he had been reading earlier on the edge of the table. Such childish resolve. For Chastan to blame his inability to restrain himself on Halfar's strict child rearing was an insult to everyone in the room.
"WE must make sure he holds true to the façade for a little longer," Aloni finally spoke. He sipped from his chalice slowly.
"Just like WE would protect Farin, not him?" Kur snapped. He turned on Romnus. "How and when did you know?"
Romnus stopped tapping the scroll. "Did none of you notice?" All eyes went wide. "She was well rounded when she returned from Lassa some years ago. Even her fair skin had gained some color. Really, you did not see it?"
"To be that observant of Farin speaks volumes about your own feelings for her," Aloni pointed at him.
He glanced up into the ceiling, contemplating it and nodded. There wasn't much he didn't know about Farin. What he found odd was that Chastan never noticed how much time she spent with him as opposed to her supposed lover. Refocusing on the issue, he commented.
"Chastan is going to be a problem at some point. The royal structure is about to be reconfigured."
"Then you will take over rulership?" Kuhala exclaimed. Her excitement was obvious. Aloni turned his head towards him and he saw the gleaming.
"I have made it clear, I do not wish to rule. If I were ruler, I would destroy everything," he paused, "in order to make it better."
That silenced them, taking the excitement out of the air. Kur made a face.
"When you say everything, what do you mean?"
"Exactly that. I would be deemed worse than Halfar and our fathers combined."
"But you would make it better?"
Aloni explained for him. "To create a new order with a clean slate, one must first destroy the previous. Lord Romnus would be assassinated within half a century, or less."
"But, you would make it better?" Kur reiterated.
"Eventually the people will see the truth and yes, Azrom would be reborn."
Kur leaned back and folded his arms in deep thought. Romnus was curious as to what scheme the general had churning in his mind. It would have to wait for now.
"I must go check on our downed females then deal with Chardon when she arrives."
"Oh, I am sure Chardon will not let Halfar live once she finds out," Kur said.
"We have to prevent that from happening, General Kur. If she were to kill him, and on Azrom soil, there would be war between our worlds." Kur seemed to dislike the idea. Romnus got up from the table. As he passed him on the end, he patted the general on the shoulder. "It will be fine. I am sure you will find a way."
His entourage, sans Biandra was, waiting for him in the corridor. She would be his first visit, then Farin. Ponnae he decided to save for last because if she was unable to survive, he would end her suffering.
**~**
The gate atop the main palace burst open revealing a black and purple galaxy swirling around in the vortex before flattening. A single ray of light appeared like a runway and a small group of figures came forward. Chardon was the first to step onto the platform, followed by Chafar, Trinon and Talas. Reita noticed the weariness exuding from their bodies, a sign that great strife had occurred on New Lassa. She sighed. This was not going to make things easier.
"Lady Chardon, it is good to see you."
"Halfar has not come to greet me, yet again?"
"There is an explanation for that. One you won’t like."
"I am sure."
"Let us get you some refreshments first and you can tell me what has happened to make all of you so unapproachable."
That jolted the Lassian leader. "You can tell?"
Reita smiled. "Oh, yes. It is deep within you. I can feel it permeating from your core."
They walked in silence until Reita turned to the staircase leading to the first royal house palace. She watched the frown grow on Chardon's face.
"Why are we not staying in the main palace?" she asked.
"That is one place you do not want to be in."
Reita led the group across the courtyard where Kur's mother, Emalli, held the audience of the royal children. She glanced at the group and bowed her head.
"Who is that?" Chardon whispered. Reita laughed at the awe in her eyes.
"That is Emalli, Kur's mother. I'd forgotten that you have never met."
"Beautiful," Chardon replied softly.
That made Emalli laugh. "Kur said the same thing when he met me for the first time. Such a perverted child. He takes after his father in that."
"Come," Reita chided Chardon. "We have a small meal prepared for you."
When she returned to the communal hall with her guests, Romnus and Chastan were gone as well as two other members. Only Aloni, Kuhala and Kur remained. A fresh round of food and drink was placed on the table as they all sat down.
"I met your mother, General Kur," Chardon addressed him.
"Hmm. Stunning isn't she? If I weren't mated already, I'd have taken her."
Chardon blanched. "She's your mother."
"A shame about that. We would have remarkable offspring."
"Stop telling such disgraceful things," Reita snapped staring at him. He snorted and took a sip of his drink. She turned to Chardon. "Now tell me what has happened on New Lassa." That got the other members attention.
"Modas launched an uprising. Manbeasts against us all."
"That's madness!" Kur yelled.
"Yes, well, it turned out badly. He says it was not supposed to happen the way it did."
"What did he expect? Was there to be no blood shed in this uprising?" Kuhala asked.
"Oh, he expected bloodshed, just not the kind that occurred."
"I am not understanding." Aloni frowned.
"Children were also assaulted, as well as his own mate," Talas explained.
"So New Lassa is not a safe haven at this time?" Reita plucked a round of bread from the tray. "That may be to our advantage then."
"What are you talking about?" Chardon looked around the room. "What is going on here that we have to be in this palace and New Lassa's predicament is an advantage?"
"We think it is best if Farin stays on Azrom. And, in a short time that her child be brought here as well."
Chardon and Trinon both looked startled. Chardon set down the fruit she was eating. "You know about her child? Does Halfar?" Reita noted the fear in her voice.
"Yes, there was an incident and all was revealed."
"What incident?"
Reita suddenly felt uncomfortable. Delivering such news was not her forte and she didn't want to have the Lassians restrained afterwards. She watched Chafar continue eating and drinking as if none of this concerned him but there was a glint in his eyes. Something foul, like the one his father had on occasion although the boy resembled a Lassian more so than an Azromian. She took a deep breath and prepared to tell them.
"Halfar lost his mind and gave Farin to his royal guards as a gift." Romnus' voice boomed into the hall and stopped her before she began. His blunt revelation made her angry. This was not going to go well.
"What?" Chardon shot up from the table and whirled around to face him.
"I was able to get my guards into the main palace before too much damage was done. She is resting for now, her wounds healing properly."
Chafar stopped eating and also stood. "Where is my sister?"
Reita gave her half-brother a dirty look. With her stare she asked him 'What now?'
"There is no need to see her now. She is still resting." That only made Trinon rise from the table and stepped towards Romnus.
"It is not up to you, Lord Romnus. This may be your palace, but Chardon is her mother and Chafar her brother. If you deny them access, I will have to be their key."
Seeing her brother and the young manbeast face to face, Reita got up to intercede. Trinon had grown, as he would, to nearly as tall as Romnus. Her brother didn't have far to look down at him.
"You expect me to leave my child here, in a hostile environment?"
"No more than New Lassa from what I overheard." Romnus did not avert his eyes from Trinon's. "Very well," Romnus moved from Trinon's view. "My guards will escort you to her."
Chardon went to stand next to Trinon. "And then you will tell me what is going on in the palace, before I decide whether to kill her father or not!"
"That cannot, and will not, happen," Romnus sighed. "That is not the answer."
As they left, Reita slapped her brother. "What are you doing? We were supposed to neutralize the situation! You just aggravated it!"
"There was no reason to sweeten it. You agree, don't you Talas?"
Reita turned around and true enough, the Lassian warrior was still seated at the table sipping his drink. The dark patches around his eyes made him look hollow.
"He'll have to do more than beg for forgiveness this time," Talas replied.
"Halfar? Beg? Those two words are not synonymous," Kuhala snorted.
"His reign may be over," Romnus added.
Talas set down his drink and laid his arms on the table, hands flat. "As it should. I have long thought his rule was ill structured, lacking and cruel. But there was something I couldn't see. An element that steered it."
"You are quite observant as well, Lassian. You are correct. Halfar has been manipulated and plotted against by the royal advisors for centuries and he has probably just recently realized it due to this incident."
"You want us to take him." Talas turned his head to them.
"He needs time to heal and reassess what he truly wants."
Reita stood confused by their conversation. It was like they were speaking in a language only they knew. She almost envied it.
Watching her child sleep in obvious pain, made Chardon want to storm the main palace and demand Halfar reveal himself. The chamber was dimly lit, casting soft shadows on the bed. Chafar sat down on one side of her and used a finger to arrange her hair away from her forehead. Chardon found the lone seat in the chamber and pulled it up to the other side of the bed. She carefully inspected the faded wounds on Farin's arms and face with shaky hands. Trinon stood at the foot of the bed, his fists clenched tight.
"My beautiful child, what has he done to you?" She glanced at the guards. "Who did this to her?"
They shifted uneasily then one of them replied, "Her guard, Batis and his unit." She remembered him and that she had warned him about harming her child. "Where is he?"
"Lord Romnus broke most of his bones, so he is in medical being treated."
"He's not dead?" No one answered. She understood why they were leery to give her any more information. In her current state of mind she wouldn't trust herself either.
A medical servant entered the room then stopped when she saw Chardon. "My apologies," she bowed and was about to leave.
"No, stay. I need to know her condition."
The servant resumed her advance into the chamber. "She suffered a lot of damage. She fought hard. But, some bones were broken and there were a few deep wounds which took some time to heal."
"Was she," Chardon couldn't finish the words, let alone the thought.
"Violated? Thankfully, no. Lord Romnus got to her right before it was to occur."
She felt ill and drained. A heaviness came down on her as it echoed in her mind. Right before it was to occur.
"Poor Ponnae was not so lucky. Six royal guards had their way with her. She may not live," the servant continued.
Chardon felt her own eyes widen in disbelief. Even Chafar and Trinon turned to the servant. In the history of Lassa, as far as she knew, there had never been such an incident as that. What had gone wrong on Azrom to allow that kind of behavior?
"Who is Ponnae?" The name rang familiar.
"Lord Chastan's handmaid," the servant replied. "Lord Halfar had her and Romnus' handmaid punished for allowing Lady Farin and Lord Chastan to mate." The servant came over to the bed with an injection gun. "If you please, I must administer more healing gel."
"Of course."
Chardon moved out her way. She looked at Trinon, then her son and made a decision. If Halfar had truly lost his mind, then she would help him regain it. But, if he was just being the cruel dictator the Razznians claim him to be, his natural state, then no Azromian would stop her from ending his life and his reign in one act.
A guard appeared at the entrance to Halfar's chamber, adding to the already small group blocking access from either side of the corridors. Halfar noticed the nervous glance, along with the guard's reluctance to enter the room.
"A message, my lord."
"Speak it."
"Lady Chardon is at the first royal house palace."
Fear gripped him. One deeper than anything he had ever felt. "Who is accompanied with her?"
"Your son, Chafar, the warrior Talas and the young manbeast, Trinon."
"Is that all?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Dismissed."
The guard nearly ran into a fellow soldier as he spun around so quick to leave. I wish I could flee as well. It was only a matter of time before Chardon came looking for him and he had no explanation for his actions. To tell her he let himself be manipulated into harming his own child would be like crawling into his own grave. He had no doubt she would want to kill him. She was on the list of many who wished for his head. There was chanting from the people demanding a new ruler. Azrom's love for Farin was deeply rooted.
Lost in thought, he did not hear the ruckus outside his chamber until it was too late. He barely had a chance to look up and see the cause. The back of Chardon's hand swept across his face and he saw a blurry haze of starlight in his head before hitting the floor on the side of the bed. His vision tried to correct itself as he attempted to push up onto his hands and knees. The room tilted. She had given him a powerful blow but he was thankful she did not use her power. He remembered what New Lassa looked like after she had unleashed it. If she did that now she would take out not just him, but every Azromian on the surface.
"Get up!" Chardon commanded. "And look at me!"
His guards had unsheathed their weapons, some morphing and he raised a hand to signal them to stop. Too late. Trinon literally picked them off two and three at a time, tossing them over the veranda. The guards who were left backed away from the chamber's entrance and his reach. Halfar dropped his hand and obeyed Chardon's request. He flinched as their eyes met but she grabbed the sides of his head, refusing to let him look away.
"Why have you done this?"
Halfar squeezed his eyes shut and she shook his head to make him open them. They stayed that way for a long time, him on his knees and she holding his head in a firm grip looking down at him. So much despair filled him and the thought that he might have finally lost her came crashing into him.
Feeling weak, and monstrous he took hold of the front of her robe and cried out into her bosom. He found himself doing it again and again, his voice giving way with each one. The room had gone black but he could still hear his own screaming, feel Chardon's hands on his face and smell Lassian earth on her robes.
When he finally stopped, his body slumped down. Chardon moved her hands to the back of his head and stopped him from falling backwards. She held him close to her and he let himself rest there. He understood that he had been too young to rule, many of the elders against his entrance in the battle for rulership. The ones who insisted were his father's royal advisors. Two of whom were now part of his own. He had killed the others for the assassination attempt they manipulated Kur into delivering on Earth. Am I worse than my father, and his father before him? He felt Chardon's fingers run through his hair at the top of his head. I want to stay here, just like this.
Four royal guards from Romnus' palace charged into the room, ruining his solace. Chardon let him go so he could stand. The soldiers had on their most menacing faces and it almost made Halfar laugh. He could take them all out in seconds.
"Your presence is requested in the throne room," the leader stated.
"I am being summoned to my own throne room? By who?"
"General Kur."
That surprised him. There was nothing dictating the military had jurisdiction over the monarchy. "I am supreme ruler and no one summons me." Halfar stepped forward, pincers raised, and the guards backed away. "But, I will indulge him this time. Leave us," he snarled.
Chardon nodded to Trinon as the guards left and the manbeast blocked the entrance. Halfar turned and came face to face with his son, Chafar. He had not spent much time with the young warrior in training, now nearly equal in height with him. An expression of disappointment was aimed at him. He placed a hand on Chafar's cheek.
"I know. I'm sorry to have neglected you all this time."
"That is an issue, father, but the one I am worried about is your treatment of Farin." He removed Halfar's hand from his face. "I would hear her called half breed in your presence, yet you did nothing to deter it."
Halfar winced, his son's words felt like being run through with a longsword.
"Come, let's go see what your General has in mind," Chardon suggested, holding out a hand.
"Yes, I am curious as well." Halfar took her hand and they waked out into the corridor.
Romnus' guards led the way with Trinon, Chafar and what was left of his own guards trailing behind.
General Kur marched into the throne room, General Rass at his side, just in time to see Halfar enter from the side along with Chardon and her entourage. From his position in the middle of the room, he could tell there was a difference in Halfar. It took a moment but he figured out what it was: defeat. A haggard expression was plastered on his face and his body language suggested fatigue. Kur glanced behind him as the rest of his soldiers came in. He had brought six enforcers and eight guards just in case Halfar had truly gone mad and wanted to battle.
Halfar stood in front of his throne and an attempt to appear defiant seemed to be in progress. Kur waited for his ruler to get himself together. He clutched the scroll Romnus had left on the table earlier in his hands. The document was ancient but it detailed the monarchy and how it was to be structured. This is what he was basing his current actions on.
The royals of the first house and representatives from the other four flowed into the room as well. Kur had taken most of the day to convince them to attend his meeting. He looked back to Halfar and he looked ready.
"What has gone wrong in your mind that you dare to summon me, your supreme ruler?" Halfar yelled.
"It is not me that has had something go wrong mentally," Kur replied then added, "My lord."
The royal advisors were huddled in the far corner with looks of despair on their faces. You should be afraid. Kur stepped forward and unfurled the scroll. He held it at his waist as he addressed Halfar.
"For your actions against the royal houses and the people of Azrom, by Monarchy law you have been deemed unfit to rule."
Loud gasps erupted from the now large audience in the throne room. Halfar's face faltered for a moment then a kind of knowing replaced it. Kur inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. There would be no need to restrain him by force. He raised the scroll up and read the relevant passage.
"In the event the ruler is deemed unfit to rule, the head of military will take control and appoint a ruler." Kur rolled the scroll back up. "I, as General of Azrom's militia, with the consent of General Rass, decree your reign is over." A hushed silence followed and all eyes focused on Halfar. "Due to the nature of your crimes, I recommend that you be exiled from Azrom until a firm duration is set."
Again, loud gasps were heard. He glanced over at the royal advisors and the councilmen who conspired with them. Their punishment was due soon enough. Kur looked to Chardon as Halfar backed into the edge of the throne's platform in a state of shock.
"I know you are angry and it is your decision, but are you willing to accept him on New Lassa as your mate?"
Chardon lowered her head for a moment then raised it. "I will take Halfar to New Lassa."
"I am grateful to you," Kur bowed out of respect for her decision. She could have easily declined, leaving Halfar's fate in his hands. "With this, I appointed Lord Romnus of the first house as Supreme Ruler of Azrom."
He turned around to the royals behind him and saw the pained expression on Lord Romnus' face. Further in, the other royals stood dumbfounded. No one spoke for a long time and Kur wondered what was going to happen next.
"As the law dictates, I must accept your decision of face a battle for rulership," Halfar stated.
Kur turned back to him, surprised that he knew that. Then he chided himself for not realizing it. Halfar was always searching in the old databases to learn everything about Azrom. He waited for his reply. Halfar regained his composure and walked towards the center of the room and stared at Lord Romnus.
"I know that if you had not backed out of the battle so long ago that you would have ruled Azrom instead, and I cannot defeat you in a true battle." Halfar exhaled. "I accept you as Supreme Ruler in my steed and will go into exile."
Then Halfar did what no one thought they would ever see. He went down on one knee and bowed low to Romnus. Kur was stunned immobile and didn't notice Lord Romnus walk past him and lay a hand on Halfar's head.
"I thank you, cousin. Now, rise. I will give you a few days reprieve, but you must leave Azrom when called."
"I understand," Halfar seemed to struggle with something internally, then said, "my lord."
Lord Romnus faced Kur while Halfar stood up and returned to Chardon's side. "I do not want this. I thought it was made clear, my feelings about ruling."
"Yes, you did," Kur answered. "But you said you would make Azrom better and that is my only requirement for your reign."
Lord Romnus wiped his face with one hand and stared down at him. "What happens next will be on your hands."
"I will support and protect you." Kur went down on one knee and bowed low. "My lord."
In slow succession, everyone in the room did the same, leaving Lord Romnus the only one standing. Even Chardon and her people bowed. Kur took yet another glance at the royal advisors and councilmen. He knew they would sprint out of the throne room at the first chance and convene for a new strategy. As if hearing his thoughts, Lord Romnus whispered down to him.
"Make sure they are under close guard. I'll rip them apart if I feel for one moment they have defied me."
"As you request, my lord. I have already made arrangements for such an event." He saw Rass smile beside him. It was his mate's responsibility to see it through.
When everyone rose back up, Kur noticed some of the lower royals frowning. He recognized them from the fourth house. They had eyed the advisors earlier and Kur assessed there was going to be issues concerning them later. Lord Romnus caught this as well and nodded to him. A change in ruler was a harsh transition, especially when no blood was shed in the transfer. Given the current circumstances, he knew the people of Azrom would understand. As battle hungry their race may be going into a losing one was an ill decision for a warrior.
Kur motioned for the royal council magistrate. The man stepped out from the crowd and walked up to the platform next to the throne. Lord Romnus followed, taking the steps up to the throne slowly. At the foot of it, he turned to face the audience.
"I hereby anoint you, Lord Romnus, Supreme Ruler of Azrom," the magistrate announced.
Lord Romnus eased down onto the throne. His body fit perfectly into it, unlike Halfar whose slender frame had been nearly dwarfed by it. All heads bowed low to him and that nagging sense of foreboding came over him. He could see it in some of the royal guards and the council, their hostile intent. The magistrate went out onto the balcony and made a summons to the royal guards below to assemble the people.
After the throne room was cleared of everyone except those necessary to the royal court, Lord Romnus stepped down from the throne and approached General Kur. They stood face to face for a long time, randomly glancing at the royal advisors.
"You do realize what you have done?" Romnus asked Kur. "I will tear this planet apart."
"As you have said many times over, but you also promised to make it better. So I will trust in you as I had Halfar until it is deemed necessary to remove you as well."
"Then let us begin." Lord Romnus turned to the advisors. "Now, for all of you."
The royal advisors snapped their attention towards him. Fear and loathing filled their expressions. He waited for them to approach, which they did, slowly. Kur's eyes narrowed and Romnus set a hand on his shoulder to calm him.
"I want a meeting with the Dreridians within the next lunar phase. And, you will only deliver my agenda, nothing more. They will tell me if you try to negotiate otherwise and your lives end there." Some of them frowned. "Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes, my lord," they cried out in unison."
Kur raised an eyebrow at him. Romnus knew the general was curious about what he had discussed with the Dreridians after Halfar had stormed out of the meeting. He smiled at him. All in due time. The royal advisors scurried out of the room and Romnus watched them until they disappeared around the bend.
**~**
Mesrod walked at a brisk pace ahead of his constituents as they made their way towards the conference chamber. No one spoke a word until they were inside where he slammed his fists down on the console in the center of the room. Calba and Jabarz flinched.
"This was not supposed to happen! This is a disaster!"
"I never thought Halfar would be overthrown so late in our agenda," Prevcan stated.
"General Kur is more clever than we anticipated," Dondar added.
"Where did he find that scroll?" Mesrod asked himself.
"It would have come from the royal library," Dondar replied. "What's done is done. Now we must find a way to get in Lord Romnus' good graces and try to steer our agenda back on course."
"He will be a hard one to turn," Prevcan said.
"But it can be done if we are careful," Dondar concurred.
"And determined," Calba added with Jabarz nodding with him.
"Let's get this whole Dreridian affair over with. The quicker we sever our ties with those creatures, the better." Mesrod straightened his robes as he said it and made his way to the door. He was angry at the outcome but he believed it could be remedied. Azrom's future always relied on the advice and counsel of the royal courts because rulers were so undependable. In his eyes, Lord Romnus was no different. Even so, he felt his skin crawl with anxiety.
**~**
Halfar stared at Farin's sleeping form on the bed and his chest felt like it was going to rupture, spilling out his innards. He didn't dare move any further into the chamber for he had no right. The scene of Batis and his men wrestling her to the ground, intent on having their way with her right in the corridor, a sharp pain stabbed him in his head and he struggled back tears. He wanted to reach out and caress her hair but the way Trinon turned to look at him made him rethink it.
In two days, he would have to leave Azrom and make New Lassa his home for as long as his cousin decreed. At first, he was angry but then he realized it was what he had wanted long ago after the fight on Earth. The current circumstance was not ideal but he needed the break in routine to feel like he could still love. His view landed on Chardon who raised her head and stared back.
"I know I won't be forgiven. All I can do is promise you I would never harm any of you from this day forward."
"You have no idea how right you are," Chardon answered. "When she is well enough, a handmaid will be assigned to escort her son to Azrom."
Halfar felt his blood race. He would get to see Farin's child for a brief while. Then his skin heated up as he thought of the child's father. Chastan was not the type to show endearment for his children and that his fourth cousin did not think to restrain himself with someone so young angered him.
"There will be no retaliation," Chardon chided him.
"I know," he replied.
He smiled, delighted she could read his mind again after fearing their bond had been permanently severed.
"Come, we need to let her rest."
Chafar leaned over and kissed his sister's forehead before easing off the bed to obey his mother. Halfar was the last to exit the chamber and he took one last look back at Farin.
"I'm so sorry, my beautiful child," he whispered.
He turned away and ran into Chardon who stood blocking his path. She caressed his cheek for a moment then walked ahead of him.