My mother said she would meet us in the back of the palace on one of the lower terraces. She stood waiting as we landed. I assisted Annalise and held her hand as we joined my mother. I felt Annalise’s palm become sweaty in my grasp, so I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. When we reached my mother, Annalise was trembling. I hated that she felt this way. I placed my arm around her as I made the introductions.
“How lovely to meet you, Annalise. But Rowan lied to me.”
My head jerked toward my mother, but I noticed a smile hovering on her lips. To my raised brows, she added, “Rowan told me you were a beauty, but he was wrong. You are indeed stunning, my dear.”
I felt the tension flow out of Annalise at my mother’s words. I looked down at her and saw her tentative smile.
“Thank you, my lady.”
“Come here, dear, and tell me about yourself. Don’t be shy around me. I will not bite.” Her words were filled with her smile.
“You know my Rowan has never expressed such a strong interest in any female before. I have been simply dying of curiosity over you.”
“Mother!” I exclaimed, exasperation filling my voice.
And so it went. It seemed my mother was thrilled at finally meeting the female who had stolen my heart and was eager to share my secrets with her. My face flamed with embarrassment more than once, and as it turned out, I was the uncomfortable one in this encounter.
As I began to think about taking our leave, I felt a sudden change in the atmosphere. I glimpsed his robes flying as he thundered, “Rowan, what the devil is going on here?”
I flew to my feet to face my father, but my mother beat me to it.
“Alexyon, why it is so nice of you to join us, dear.” She flashed him her smile that turned him to putty every time.
“Sharra, what is going on here?” he asked in a softer tone.
“Alexyon, I am sure you would like to meet Annalise, would you not?”
Mother had effectively diffused him. I still bristled, unsure of what his next action would be, but he stiffly approached Annalise, bowed to her reluctantly and said, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“My liege, the pleasure is mine,” she responded in a quaking voice.
He perused her until my mother cleared her throat, grabbing his attention.
Her eyes bored into his and I could only imagine the telepathic exchange taking place. My father’s face flushed, but he nodded once to my mother and then said, “Rowan, we will meet here later tonight to discuss this situation.”
In a flurry, he was gone as quickly as he had shown up.
I turned to Annalise and said, “I suppose I should take you home as I need to return to the Academy shortly.”
We bid my mother farewell and were on our way.
As I walked her to the door, she stopped and looked me in the eye. “There is no use denying your father’s displeasure at seeing me with you.”
“No, I suppose there isn’t. However, it will not deter me, Annalise. My mind is set regarding us and he will not change it for me.”
“Are you sure, Rowan?”
“I thought we had discussed this previously. I have never been more sure of anything. What must I do to make you believe me?” I tilted her chin up and looked into her lovely eyes. “It is you I want to be with, Annalise, and no other.”
My lips grazed hers and I took a step back. “I must go, but I will contact you later tonight. Keep your mind open for me.” I smiled and added, “Oh yes, you have bewitched my mother as well. She would never have said those things to my father otherwise.” The creases in her brow disappeared as she graced me with a radiant smile.
“Until later.”
Chapter 7
That evening, I returned to the palace. When I arrived, the war of the universe broke out. My father regarded me with cold speculation. I didn’t dare utter a word.
“What are your plans with her?” he asked sharply.
“Alexyon, please. You promised you would remain calm and here you are already breaking your promise.” My mother was on my side, her words proving that.
My father raked his hands through his hair before throwing them up in disgusted resignation.
“I suppose I am outnumbered in this discussion. The two of you are in league with each other over this… this chit!”
“Do not dare speak of her in that derogatory manner!” I exclaimed, my eyes narrowing.
“Rowan is right, Alexyon. How would you feel if someone called me that?”
My father stared at us and stammered, “Well, it seems the two of you have already laid your plans!” His nostrils flared.
“Father, if you will but calm down, I will explain.”
“Calm down? Rowan, if you think my reaction is bad, think about your subjects and how they will react!” he thundered, the vein in his temple throbbing.
My mother went to him and circled her arms around him. She always had a knack for pacifying him and they had a deep, telepathic conversation. My father finally took a deep breath and nodded.
“So tell me of your plans,” he commanded. “Since I am certain I will be unable to change your mind, I suppose I need to know what your intentions are with the female.”
**********
As soon as graduation ended, my parents and I made our way back to the palace for a brief celebration. I was an only child so there weren’t many relatives there. A few aunts and uncles, my grandparents and some close friends. Voldruk and his family arrived, but only stayed for a brief visit as he had his own celebration to attend. Everyone toasted me as I managed to graduate first in my class.
It was a disappointing day for me, however. The only one I wanted to share it with was Annalise, but she was forbidden to be there because of our unjust and useless covenant.
The next day, I made my way to the Council to petition the Elders.
I submitted my request for an audience, which was granted. It was scheduled for later that day. My stomach was twisted in knots until the time for the audience finally arrived.
I made my request and gave the required documentation.
“I am proposing the abolishment of the existing caste system on Vesturon with regards to High Born citizens and the taking of a mate. Currently, the convenant exists that disallows High Born citizens to court or mate with those who were born under less fortunate circumstances. Our convenants have always tried to benefit the commoner, as well as the High Born, and yet this caste system still exists. It is a contradiction to what Vesturon is and what it stands for. My proposal would allow High Born citizens the right to mingle, court and even mate with commoners. And the same would be true for commoners.”
When I finished, the Elders all gaped at me. One of them finally sputtered, “Why that is preposterous!” There were a multitude of Elders agreeing with the one who spoke.
Another one piped in, “That would dilute our bloodlines!”
“First off, the High Borns could still be required to mate with Vesturions thereby keeping our bloodlines undiluted. But if I may ask you, would it not benefit our race to introduce new bloodlines into it?” I ventured into an area that was rarely discussed.
Oh the horror that descended on their faces. I should have kept my mouth shut on that last comment.
“How dare you even suggest such a thing!”
“Please, allow me to explain. We could stipulate that there has to be some Vesturion blood in said person… they cannot be a complete and total alien. For example, if a High Born Vesturion desired to mate with a human, and the human had some amount of Vesturion blood, it would be allowed. But if the human had none, well, only then would it be prohibited.”
“I speak for the majority here when I say that this must be deliberated before we can hand down our decision. However, speaking for myself, I must say I am quite shocked by your request, my lord. Of all the requests we receive, this has to be the most shocking I have ever heard.” The Elder who spoke was a pinched-faced male.
“I apologize if I ha
ve offended anyone here. That was certainly not my intent. I was of the mind that if we considered ourselves a society for the good of everyone, we must apply that to everyone in the population. We cannot continue to have these dichotomous rules in place when, in fact, they simply don’t fit anymore.”
“Yes, I see. We will take the rest of today to deliberate and you will have your answer in the morning, my liege.”
“Thank you, Council. Until then.” I bowed to them and left.
Chapter 8
I wanted to rush to Annalise and tell her of everything, but I knew it would cause her worry. It would be difficult enough communicating with her telepathically, trying to hide my feelings over the matter. As it was, she knew immediately I was not pleased with the outcome. Morning could not arrive soon enough, although I dreaded it as well.
When my time approached, I quickly made my way to the Council chambers. My fears were confirmed when they adamantly denied my request. What made it even worse was now it was all over Aurora that I had made the request. My father was most disconcerted over the whole process and agonized over how it all would affect my reputation.
“I must continue this and I will pursue it with a vengeance,” I informed him.
“I supposed the damage is done,” he said dejectedly.
Much to our surprise, we began to receive reports throughout the land of supporters for my cause. They were from commoners and High Born alike, insisting how right I was in my request.
I was visiting Annalise when she said, “Your supporters are gaining momentum. They are catching the notice of people everywhere from all the lands.”
“Annalise, it is inspiring me. Tomorrow, I plan to request another audience with the Council and present my proposal again.” Her eyes brightened and I declared my resolve.
The next morning as I prepared to leave, a group of Guardians made a visit to the palace, requesting my presence. I entered the reception room where we usually received official visitors. My father and mother were there, along with the group of six Guardians.
As I began to greet them, I noticed the stricken looks on my parents’ faces.
“What? What is it?” I asked, my pulse racing.
“Annalise has been taken,” my father began.
“What?” I roared. “Where is she? I must go to her!”
“We do not know where she is. She has been kidnapped and is being held by a group of zealots. They are demanding you give up this mission of yours, Rowan. They do not like what is happening throughout our land.” My father’s lips were pursed with suppressed fury.
“Tell me everything… NOW!” My eyes blazed with murderous intent. I would stop at nothing to get her back, but I needed all the details.
“She was taken this morning as she made her way to work. They sent us this missive with the demands.”
As I read the image before me, I felt the blood drain from my face. They had included a photo image of her, bound and gagged. Her face was bloodied and bruised and I could tell she had been crying, as there were tracks of tears upon her cheeks.
My jaw clenched and I ground my teeth. My first inclination was to race off to find her, but I needed to formulate a plan.
“We need to locate her. I want every tracking expert on this NOW. Look at this image and dissect it and see what can be ascertained. Go now!” I commanded the Guardians.
I dashed to the transcom in the room and called up the Guardian headquarters, informing the Commander of what had transpired.
“I want every available Guardian placed on this immediately. Order them to report in if you must. We must have some information on this group. I want to know who their leader is, where they operate, and what their agenda usually consists of. And I want this information yesterday,” I commanded with authority.
“Yes, my liege.”
“I will be arriving there shortly. My goal is to have Ms. Drakkar back here by midday and no later.”
“Yes, my liege.”
I turned to leave the room and caught a glimpse of my parents. I had forgotten about their presence. I stepped back when I noticed the looks on their faces.
To my raised brow, my father responded, “It would appear that the leadership role comes naturally to you, my son.” His voice was tinged with awe.
I looked at my mother and her words mirrored my father’s. “Your father is correct, Rowan. Your ability to lead is truly a joy to observe. I am so proud of you.”
“Hold that thought until I have my female back here safe and sound,” I retorted as I blew out of the room.
**********
Several hours passed before they located Annalise. She was found on the outskirts of town in a dank, dark cell, beneath the ground. I went down myself to retrieve her, not trusting anyone else to do it. She was shivering with cold, bruised and shaken, but appeared to be in fair condition.
I carried her up the rickety steps and immediately teleported her to the palace, where I gingerly placed her on a bed in one of the guest rooms. I called in the medical healer to have her examined, to ensure she hadn’t suffered any internal injuries. She was traumatized by the ordeal, and had been beaten, but would make a full recovery.
When I was able to process everything, my blood began pounding in my ears and my insides turned to jelly. I was beyond ecstatic that she was alive and well, yet I was furious for it happening in the first place. I would see to it that those responsible for this would be handed out the harshest of punishments.
As soon as the healer sedated her and she fell asleep, I stormed over to the Council chambers. I didn’t wait for the required invitation to enter. Instead, I nearly tore the door off its hinges as I made my way inside.
All eyes suddenly were upon me and I launched into my attack on them.
“You sit there in your high and mighty positions, handing down decisions like they are trivial occurrences. This is going to cease. This morning, I was informed that a young female who is very dear to me was kidnapped because of my attempt to abolish our ridiculous covenant regarding the caste system. These zealots took Ms. Drakkar, beat her and dumped her into a cell beneath the ground, demanding I give up my crusade for this change. Let me tell you something, this occurrence just made my cause all the more important.
“I am going to tear up this land until I find the ones who are responsible for this. I am garnering support over the entire territory. I am going to make it my sole mission to get this covenant repealed and changed. I don’t care if it takes the entirety of my life to do so, but I will get it done. It may involve civil disturbances, but that will be on your heads. Now I suggest that each and every one of you get your heads out of your arses, or wherever you keep them, and start listening to the subjects of Vesturon. You are representatives of the people, but your tyrannical methods are not demonstrative of that. You will see me every day until this changes.”
I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room. My anger began to subside when I noticed the looks of appreciation being thrown my way. I nodded and made my way back to the palace.
**********
“How are you feeling?” I asked as her eyes fluttered open.
She peered about the room wild-eyed and began to gulp convulsively. I flew to her side and took her into my arms.
“It is okay, Annalise. You are safe. You are at the palace and I will not let anyone or anything harm you again.” I massaged small circles into her back. It wrenched my heart to see such fear in her eyes.
“Everything is going to be fine now, love. You are safe with me.”
I felt her shudder and I knew she was reliving her horror.
I leaned away from her so I could wipe the dampness from her cheeks. I looked at the bruises on her face and softly touched them. She looked into my eyes and I felt her fear dissipate.
“I thought they were going to kill me,” she croaked. “I was so scared.”
“As was I when I received the news. But you are safe now and I will not let anything like this happen again
. I have already informed my parents I am moving you in here. I cannot bear the thought of ever losing you again.”
She nodded, and then looked up at me. “But what of the Elders? What will they say?”
I snorted and replied, “After today, I do not know. I gave them a few choice words this afternoon. After seeing you were safe and well, and the healer sedated you, making you fall asleep, I am afraid I showed myself to the Elders. I told them to get their heads out of their arses!”
“You did not, Rowan!” she gasped.
“I am afraid that is exactly what I did. And that was after I nearly tore the chamber doors off. I fear I have made no friends there, but it needed to be said.” I gave her a rueful smile. “But the interesting news is that all of this has incited our people to get involved. News reports are pouring in from all points in favor of my actions; and I think with some more nudging, the Council will be forced to act.”
There was a knock on the door and my mother stuck her head in. “May I come in?” she inquired.
I glanced at Annalise and she nodded her consent.
“We are so happy you are safe and sound, Annalise, and I speak for Alexyon as well. You would have been proud of Rowan. He took charge of the situation and in no time, they discovered your whereabouts. How are you feeling, dear?”
“I’m a bit sore and shaky, but otherwise glad to be here.”
“Would you care for something to eat?” my mother asked.
“Deity! With everything happening, I forgot about food. Are you hungry or thirsty, Annalise?” I couldn’t believe how forgetful I was.
“Please, something to drink would be wonderful.”
“I’ll take care of it,” my mother said and disappeared.
“So what’s next for us, my lord?” I saw the life seeping back into her lovely eyes.
“Annalise, are you trying to provoke me? You know how I dislike you using that term!”
“I like to see your reaction, Rowan. You are funny when you become exasperated.”
“Hmm… funny, huh? How so?” She had roused my curiosity.
“You get a crease on the bridge of your nose and the corners of your mouth turn down in a very fetching manner. Maybe funny is not the best choice of words. More like cute!”
“Cute!” I shouted, rising to my feet. “Bloody hell, what male wants to be cute? Bunny rabbits and smorteens are cute. Not grown Vesturion males!”