| |
MELIS CROUCHED LOW, studying his opponents. One held a wooden staff that matched his own and the other gripped daggers in both hands. Melis’s thighs burned as he leaned heavily on one leg and extended the other. Exhilaration coursed through his veins.
He was ready. Primed. Eager to fight. The energy pumping within him could hardly be contained. He was upset. No. Upset wasn’t the right word. He was livid. Someone had made an attempt on his life and he wanted them to pay. Dearly.
One of his opponents shifted on his feet and glanced at the other, his partner in this morning’s training. The glance was quick, seeking confirmation. He was unsure and therefore the weaker of the two.
One side of Melis’s mouth lifted. The slight movement unsettled the weaker opponent. He shifted on his feet again. A sign of the impatience his opponent was known for. All Melis had to do was wait. Taunt. He twirled the long wooden fighting stick across his hand nimbly. He’d learned from a young age how to wield the weapon and wield it well. There weren’t many in the palace who could best him with it.
The weaker opponent growled and the other tried to stay him with an arm across his chest. That didn’t stop the weaker opponent from rushing forward on heavy and clumsy feet.
Ah, he waited longer to attack this time.
With his opponent a breath away, Melis stepped gracefully to the side and shoved his opponent in the back, then swiped his leg under his opponent’s feet, making him pitch forward. Another swipe of his staff at his opponent’s ankle and a firm lift sent the other male flipping and landing on the floor with a loud crash.
“Ow!”
“Melis. Really? Was that necessary?” His brother, Themba, asked, trying to hold in a laugh.
“Why can’t we have the mats put down again?” Mxolisi, Melis’s younger brother, pushed up to sit and rubbed his lower back. A scowl was splattered across his face.
“I told you the lessons would become painful if you didn’t start taking them seriously,” Melis said. “You’re too impatient. Even when Themba tried to hold you back, you rushed forward.”
“Because I don’t see the use of staring each other down, waiting for one of us to make a move. It’s ridiculous.”
“And that’s why we’re not using the mats. Being impatient is going to start costing you.”
“I don’t want to participate in this anymore,” Mxolisi grumbled. “It’s a waste of time. I have work waiting for me in my lab.”
“Uh, oh. You did it now,” Themba said under his breath.
“Waste of time?” Before Mxolisi could nod, Melis kicked him on the chest and towered over him, his staff pressed onto Mxolisi’s throat. “As my heir, your life is in danger. You need to learn to protect yourself properly. Someone tried to assassinate me last night and they were good enough to send me to the medical ward this morning with shattered ribs and internal organs that needed repairing.”
“Melis,” Themba said softly.
Melis ripped his gaze from his youngest brother to look at Themba. “What if the assassin had been dispatched to your room or his first?”
Themba’s eyes flickered with a murderous glint. He played with the daggers in his hands. “I would’ve killed him before I let him harm my mate.”
Melis turned back to Mxolisi. “Could you promise the same?”
“Chikondi and I can handle ourselves. Besides, that’s why we have royal guards.” He glanced from Melis to Themba. “Right?”
“Don’t bring me into this.” Themba moved to stand behind Melis’s shoulder. “I complete my daily trainings and put in extra work with Melis.”
“Whoever broke into the palace also got around the guards and past the security system. The very system you built yourself. He was smart and cunning and ready to kill me. Face it, if he had come for you and Chikondi first we would be mourning you both this morning.”
Mxolisi pushed the staff from his neck and rolled away before finally getting up. Even that labored his younger brother. “I know I’m not as skilled as you both when it comes to fighting, but I do have some training. I’m not totally useless. I can defend my family.”
“I just...” Melis raked a hand through his hair, not caring when his fingers snagged on some tangles.
He hadn’t been to sleep since almost getting his brains splashed across his desk and floor. There’d been too much to do. He’d had an urgent meeting with Enne, the head of security. They’d reviewed and re-reviewed the footage and additional security measures had been put in place.
He was exhausted. By the time he’d taken care of everything that needed overseeing, the off-world guests had begun to arrive. He should’ve taken a nap or spent some time in the meditation chamber to calm himself and reset the day, but his adrenalin ran too high and, no matter what he did, he couldn’t bring himself down.
To help him work off his excess energy, Themba and Mxolisi had met him in the training facility. They weren’t set to meet any of the guests today, but Melis was, and he needed all the help he could get in order to pull off a relaxing meet and greet dinner.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if either you or Themba had been attacked or hurt. And your mates? They’ve become my sisters. I hate the thought of someone sneaking around the palace looking to harm either of them.”
Themba clasped a hand on Melis’s shoulder. “Thank you for thinking of their safety as much as you think of ours. The extra guards assigned to them makes me feel better.”
Mxolisi sighed. “I’ve never had to take these bouts of physical prowess seriously. I’m the third son. My death would be inconsequential to our kingdom. As long as you and Themba live, everything will go on as it should. Because of that I’ve been able to do what I wanted without anyone paying much attention to me.”
“You matter, Mxolisi. Now that you’re mated to a re Bacuzil, one of the most powerful non-royal families on Ipakethe, you’re more valuable than you know. You’re a target for anyone wanting to harm her family and ours.”
Mxolisi cursed under his breath. “Why can’t everyone leave me alone and let me work in my lab?”
Melis wanted to laugh at that. What Mxolisi called working in his lab, other people called technological breakthroughs.
“You’ve got a mate to think about,” Themba said. “It might’ve been fine for you to lock yourself in your lab working on one gadget or another before, but now you’ll need to take training seriously. We’ve hired extra guards, but the break-in last night was too close. We all have to step up to protect our family.”
Melis sighed. “I wish I could promise you both things will get easier now that our plan is in motion, but I can’t. There are four other Kgosis out there who don’t wish to see an off-worlder having a say in the dealings on Ipakethe, and they definitely don’t want to open our borders to outsiders. They don’t share my vision of a unified world and they don’t want to share their power with anyone. I fear they’re no longer resigned to grumblings or threats. I believe last night was proof of the lengths they’ll go to thwart my plans.”
“Have you talked to any of them? I don’t think even they would send an assassin to our kingdom. But they might have an idea of who could’ve?” Themba asked.
Melis scrubbed a hand down his face to grasp his beard. “I called each one right after the attempt. They don’t want an off-worlder at my side, but they vowed they wouldn’t kill me to stop it. I was reminded that killing me wouldn’t accomplish anything.” Melis nodded toward Themba. “You’re the first heir and you have an off-world mate. They think enough influential families are upset about my vision that someone might’ve tried to take matters into their own hands. They’ve promised to notify me if they find out any information.”
“Do you think they’ll target me too?” Themba asked. He clenched his jaws. The tendons jumped under his skin.
Melis wanted to reassure him, but giving him false hope wouldn’t accomplish anything. “We’ll have to remain vigilant. If we can change the other Kgosis’ minds, then I’m sure that will bring their subjects in line. I’ll have to keep talking to them, trying to convince them my vision will benefit us all.”
“Without off-world help we’ll continue as we are. No allies of significance. Only a few of our goods are transported off planet, so there’s no real economic growth. We don’t have a seat on any of the governing bodies in this sector so we’re at the mercy of other species as far as policy and rules. I don’t understand why they aren’t behind this,” Themba said.
“Because what I propose involves change,” Melis said, his anger rising again. “They think everything is fine as is, and would rather it stay the same than invite outsiders into our world.”
“I fear the only way they will be able to grasp the bigger picture is after they see the profits in their kingdoms and their credit accounts,” Mxolisi said.
Melis didn’t want it to come to that; he hoped to bring them around sooner, but he feared his brother was right. Only after the other Kgosis saw the benefit in their accounts would they reluctantly agree that Melis’s plan had been sound all around.
“I saw some of the transporters arriving. I don’t envy you. Some of the guests appear...high maintenance,” Themba said.
Melis snorted. He’d invited princesses, queens and dignitaries, all who were used to receiving preferential treatment. He’d expected them to be a handful and then some. “I’m fully aware.”
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Themba asked.
“You’re doubting me too?”
“He’s not doubting you. It’s a solid plan. Without outside help it would take us years to accomplish your vision on our own. Your plan will have us recognized as a Class 5-ii planet within the next two,” Mxolisi said.
Coming from Mxolisi, that felt good to hear. Mxolisi wasn’t like Melis and Themba, he didn’t do well with navigating precious royal egos or speaking in half-truths to garner favor. He spoke what was in his heart, always. It was the only way his analytical mind knew how to function.
“It’s just that we’ll have these off-worlders traipsing through our halls, touching our stuff and judging how we live.” Themba pushed his tongue through his lips, as if the words he’d spoken left a bad taste on it.
“Your mate...?” Melis remembered firsthand Payton doing just that. Most notably, she didn’t understand the communal bath and had called it unsanitary even after the disinfecting and filtration system was explained to her and she critiqued their food preferences daily and pretended to throw up when she didn’t like a particular dish.
“She’s one, to your many,” Themba said.
“And to those who don’t appreciate our way of life, I’ll bid goodbye and wish them well.” Melis promised.
“But not before making an alliance. I have some inventions that I need financial backers for,” Mxolisi added quickly. When both Themba and Melis gave him a surprised look, he lifted his shoulders. “I know that I like to keep my inventions secretive, but with all this alliance talk, I thought it would be nice to get contracts in place to help me see some of my costlier inventions to finish. Besides, we should make some kind of alliance with everyone you’ve invited in order to make all of this worth it. ”
Melis knew he meant worth the incessant, irate calls from the other Kgosis threatening to stop doing business with the bu Kumkani Kingdom. Or the kingdom elders who were constantly in his ears, telling him he was making a mistake and that his father wouldn’t have approved of such a plan.
Melis let out a hard breath. “I’ll make this worth it. I promise. The mate I choose will have everything our kingdom and Ipakethe needs in order to catapult our status.”
Melis stared at his brothers. They were strong, loyal and he would lay down his life for either one of them without hesitation.
“But I will not risk your lives or the lives of your mates. If you tell me you no longer want a part of this, I will stop.”
“But the guests—,” Mxolisi started.
Melis held up a hand, stopping him from saying anything further. “I will thank them for their time and send them home. This is my vision. A vision that I convinced you both was a sound and good plan for Ipakethe. I cannot, I will not, ask you to endanger your families because of it. You both mean more to me than Ipakethe.”
Themba and Mxolisi exchanged glances. Melis braced for the worst. He’d thought long and hard about his plan for over a year, and had spent just as much time working up to this point. There had been many calls, visits and meetings. He’d secured the most eligible females from near and far. He’d been excited to finally see all his hard work pay off.
But he meant what he said. The two males before him were his life. He’d promised his mother and father on their deathbeds to take care of them, and he would.
“You’re our family too,” Mxolisi said.
“Your vision is for the greater good for us and for generations to come,” Themba said. “I want my future children to live on a planet where civil unrest is a thing of the past and this plan you’ve envisioned for us—for Ipakethe—is how it will be accomplished. We stand with you.”
“Wait.” Mxolisi looked from Melis to Themba, then back to Melis again. “I didn’t know we were making powerful speeches. I want to say my part again.”
Melis smacked him in the side of the knee with his staff. “You don’t have to worry about beautiful speeches. Learn how to defend yourself properly and I’ll be happy.”
“Beautiful speech? Aw, I’m touched,” Themba said with a chuckle.
Melis crouched and swept his staff under Themba’s feet, sending him to fall on his butt with a hard thump. “It looks like we have a lot of work to do to get you both back into fighting shape. Mating has softened you.”