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The subtle knocking on the door disrupted their discussion. Lacey tried her best to hide her tears, but her fear was evident. Korun blocked her from view as he nodded toward Blaen to open it. Calyxo was on the other side, clearly stricken with panic and frightened beyond measure.
“Your Imperial Lord wishes to speak with you,” she stuttered.
Blaen rubbed her shoulder. “We’ll be right out. Stay in here with Lacey please.”
Her entire body shook as she sat on the couch. Watching Lacey was the last thing on her mind.
Korun adjusted his armor and walked out of the room with his head held high. Blaen followed close behind. Lacey stood in the doorway watching them head toward the holograph standing in the center of the room. Everyone was silent and kneeling before Kryz’uhr. Lacey found herself lowering down to her knees as well. However, she made sure to keep her eyes on the figure in the center of the room.
“Korun!” Kryz’uhr called.
Korun dropped to one knee, with Blaen doing the same. “I am here father.”
“Allegiance to you, Your Imperial Lord of Ubos,” Blaen spoke softly behind him.
“Rise my son and tell me what has happened,” he demanded.
All eyes in the room shifted toward Korun as he stood to speak. “If you please, Your Imperial Lord, may we have this discussion in private as it contains sensitive information in regards to Ubosian law?”
“You shall speak now! Tell me what of our royal guard and the ship we gave to Briegrot.”
Korun sighed heavily, refusing to make eye contact. “Father, the ship you instructed us to have chaperone Briegrot to Ecury was taken advantage of. He used it to hijack other shuttles and is now taking control of Terra 5. We have not received any notice of what he demands as of yet.”
“Destroy the space station. I will not have my forces used for petty criminal behavior,” Kryz’uhr commanded.
“But father,” Korun cleared his throat, “there are hundreds of thousands of civilians in the space station, of all different creeds and planets. It will be a greater loss to the galaxy if we take such drastic measures. We must exercise caution.”
“We must exercise dominance! I will be a pawn in no creature’s plan. My planet will not be used as shelter. I will blast that station and everyone held on it. Once they’ve been held captive there is no knowing what they will have been swayed to do. I will not risk the lives of anyone else today. Deploy the guard and destroy Terra 5!”
“You can’t!” Lacey screamed running into the room.
Kryz’uhr’s image turned to face her. “Who dare speaks to the Imperial Lord of Ubos without first being addressed?!”
“Lacey of Earth!” she stood tall as she answered. Blaen wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her away, but she broke free of his grasp and returned to the center of the room. “You cannot destroy that space station. Korun promised that he’d find my friend. You promised me!”
“And who is the Prince of Ubos to one so pathetic and weak?!”
“I am not weak,” Lacey screamed.
Everyone in the room cringed at the sound of her defiance.
“You’re right,” Kryz’uhr chuckled. “You are both weak and insipid. How dare you interfere with intergalactic warfare. You know nothing of which you speak! A promise spoken to one who has sampled the erogenous force of my son has no bearing upon my decision. Terra 5 will be destroyed immediately. The ships will be corralled and disassembled. All those pledging their allegiance to Briegrot will be destroyed. And we shall invade Ecury, and render that planet useless to any solar system. Be lucky we do not set our sights on your planet Earth!”
“Please, don’t do this!” Lacey cried with tears streaming down her cheeks. She turned to Blaen who kept his head down. Korun was no better as he waved his hand at her to calm down. But she refused. “Korun, do something! You can’t let him do this. You promised that you would never let anything hurt me! Please!”
“He cannot save you! Korun why do you waste your time on such frivolous matters?! The female species of any other planet will not do to serve by your side. She is defiant and does not understand her place in this world, in this lineage. You will find another. And you, peon, should you dare utter another word to your Imperial Lord, you will be arrested,” Kryz’uhr warned.
“Please, Lacey go back in the room and let me finish discussing this with my father,” Korun pleaded with her.
“You ask this merely human for permission? You are the Prince of Ubos! Son of Imperial Lord Kryz’uhr of Ubos. You do not seek permission to do anything of one who’s succulence you beg to taste. I can feel your rhythms from here. I am disappointed in your decisions, but have no fear. I shall make this much clearer for you.”
“I am more than you believe!” Lacey screamed. “I am more than you will ever know! I am not weak! Your Prince made a promise to me and as having a diplomatic dinner with him on my first night in Varcadia, we have struck an accord that decrees his word be law to me!”
Lacey had no idea what she was saying but it sounded good. She needed the ruler of Ubos to relax. She needed him to give Korun time to negotiate the safe return of her friend but what happened next was far out of her imagination. Believing that Korun would back her up and him actually doing so proved to be two very different things.
“You hold no power in this place,” Kryz’uhr growled. “You hold no power on your planet, nor do you hold power on mine. You are troubling to the credence of our royal orders. I no longer wish to hear you speak. By order of your Imperial Lord of Ubos, I demand the royal guard place this Earthling under arrest. I sentence her to life in Radius Magnus. GUARDS! Seize her!”
“Father, NO!” Korun cried out, but there was nothing he could do. The same force of Ubosian guards that were ready to behead her were now placing Lacey under arrest. She cried out and struggled to get free but there was nothing she could do but surrender.
“Blaen please,” she whispered as the tears erupted from her again.
Blaen kept his head bowed. “Just let them take you.”
“Korun! PLEASE,” she screamed through the arms of the guards around her. “Don’t let them take me!”
Korun bowed his head in shame as the guards took Lacey out of the room. Turning to the hologram of his father, he pleaded with him, “Please don’t do this. Let me make this right and show you how I would rectify this matter as the next Imperial Lord of Ubos. Do not destroy Terra 5 just yet. Please give me the chance.”
Kryz’uhr sighed heavily, “Very well. As long as the Earthling isn’t distracting you then I can trust you to take your responsibilities to your crown seriously. I trust that you will take care of all diplomatic relations that arise from this fallout. Do not make me come to that side of the galaxy or I promise you all that I will destroy everything in my path and all those who oppose the mighty Ubosian rule!”
With a swift blip in the air, the hologram disappeared. Kryz’uhr was gone and everyone finally rose to their feet. Blaen made a mad dash to the hallway. Lacey saw him through the arms of the guards standing in front of her as they closed the doors and were transported down to the hotel’s loading docks.
Lacey realized that there wasn’t much they could do, but she wanted more than anything to believe that they wouldn’t leave her locked away. “Can you please tell me where we’re going?” she asked the guards.
The bigger one, who hit her earlier, turned over his shoulder and grinned, “You’re headed to Radiance Magnus. Super max. Nothing, and no one, gets in or out of there unless it be decreed. Good luck sweetie. Your prince cannot save you from your judgement.”
“I only wanted to save my friend and those stuck on Terra 5. They don’t deserve to die because of one tyrant,” she whimpered.
“Those tear things do not work on me,” he chuckled. “The only thing I can tell you is that your fighting against the Imperial Lord is a useless task. Look at where it has gotten you. I strongly suggest that moving forward you choose your battles wisely. Your prince and his guard cannot protect you.”
“Why do you keep calling him my prince? Do you not all serve him under the royal reign of Ubos?” Lacey questioned.
“Things are changing, Earthling. Your prince is just that. Yours!” he hissed.
Lacey wanted to ask more questions but the guard must have sensed as much and signaled for another to put a sack over her head. The cold metal against her flesh gave her the same tingling feeling but exploded it throughout her body. She was unsure of what was going to happen next. She was no longer worried about Emily, but instead feared for her own life. It was supposed to be a simple vacation. A simple getaway to escape the visual assault of her ex-husband’s happiness with his mistress. Her world was fading fast and as Lacey was locked into a seat, she only wished one thing...that she’d never met Korun, Prince of Ubos.
The bond, the rhythm, the energy she believed was between them seemed like a myth in that moment. She could hear the laughter and jokes as she was shipped off to a place she had no idea of whether she’d return or not. Lacey yearned to feel the warmth of Earth’s sun on her face. It was something she’d often took for granted, but never again. She made up her mind that at first chance, she was going to make a break for it. She didn’t know how and she didn’t know when, all Lacey knew was that her fight wasn’t over. It was just beginning.
The End of Book 1