Providence Ch. 17

Lamar sat on his cot, the headache he had been suffering for weeks finally starting to ebb. His brother was not far away, sitting much the way that Lamar was, only instead of squinting in the light, Brody groaned with his pain every few minutes, swaying in a non-existent breeze.

The medical tent they had called home was now almost deserted. Most... no, all of the young cadets and soldiers that had been on their ship had perished.

All but them.

A strange wave of emotion had swept through Lamar when he was told that for the first time. An emotion he had never felt before.

All dead, save for he and his brother. A painful death at that, most either severely burned or suffering internal injuries that were beyond the small medical staff's capabilities.

What of their families? Lamar had thought. What of their wives and children and parents waiting for them back on Nero?

Lamar had never had to answer to anyone save Cyrus. He had always executed his missions with his brother at his side, and returning to their quarters afterward with a sense of accomplishment and pride.

After the nurse had told them of the massacre and how no one else had lived, Lamar hadn't been able to look at himself in the mirror. He hadn't been able to speak for days, the unknown emotion welling so fiercely that his throat clogged and trapped his voice.

His eyes would burn every time he thought of the fatherless children crying into their mother's arms. His chest would swell and then drop with... that emotion that plagued him.

Lamar thought he might know what name to attach to it, but he was very reluctant. To feel it was one thing, but to admit it was quite another.

He wasn't ready for that yet. He wasn't sure if he ever would be.

A young cadet sidled up to them and asked the two brothers to follow him. And they did without a word. Not that they were burning with conversation. Brody and Lamar had remained uncharacteristically quiet over the weeks they recovered their injuries. No words could explain how they felt or grieved or mourned.

The young man guided them to the ship waiting outside the medical tent, and Lamar and Brody entered and were greeted with the smug expressions on the faces of the staff. They peered at them, criticizing and judging them. Seeing deep into them.

Lamar wondered if they saw the stain of the 'emotion' he was trying desperately to disguise inside himself.

Cyrus waited, an unreadable expression on his face, at the head of the small crowd. His stature was as it always had been: impressive, intimidating.

Predictable.

The young cadet mumbled words, "The brothers Lamar and Brody, sir," but Lamar wasn't listening. He stared at his feet in practiced reverence, although his mind raced. He had not forgotten their leader's parting words so many weeks ago.

Even though he had tried.

He and Brody were to die if they failed their mission to retrieve the Prince.

They had failed.

Dread crept up Lamar's back, but then dissipated quickly.

This was meant to be his fate. This was what he deserved. The slow, painful death that was sure to meet them was what Lamar dutifully prepared himself for.

It was meant.

His heart and mind sagged in relief. A heavy weight seemed to metaphorically lift from his shoulders. He would pay. Perhaps the pain he endured would lessen the pain of the faceless people without a son or father or husband on his home planet.

"Follow me," Cyrus said in a low voice. They followed blindly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brody tremble, whether from pain or fear Lamar wasn't sure.

A long tunnel was trekked, low light hardly illuminating the shadows. Several doors were passed with armed guards standing outside them.

Cyrus then stopped, turning slowly to the brothers.

"I am sure you two think that what lies behind this door is your very painful death."

When neither of them offered a surprised response, he smiled cynically. "No doubt, you would expect that. However, I am sparing you... for now."

This did result in their heads turning upward, and Brody's eyes bulging in shock, his jaw falling nearly to the fall.

He laughed openly at them. "The only reason you are to live is because your mission was not a total loss. Despite the fact that everyone on your ship died. There were two survivors, though. And not you two."

With that, he pressed his hand to the control panel, and the door slid open revealing two men lying on cots.

The two men that had been brought down by darts in Lamar and Brody's feeble attempt to apprehend the Prince.

"These two men will give us the answers we want. And you two will get them... any way you can."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alec, among several other men, stood in the sand dunes waiting for the ship to arrive. Most were silent, some coughing in nervous restlessness. The stars twinkled overhead and the sky was a blue-black. Tonight was the night... the night the first relief ship would arrive.

It had been a day and a half since the Miyan ship had left their planet. Just hours ago they had notified Alec that they were nearing Cantu and would land within the hour. Aron had dispatched soldiers and other guards to help welcome the ship and bring in the supplies, all while watching for any of Cyrus's men.

They saw the lights of the ship stop in the darkened sky, slowly turn, and then descend at a snails pace. They're cloaking device had been activated, and to the untrained or unsuspecting eye, their lights looked like stars. But Alec was very trained, and turned to the soldiers around him and told them to get ready. Relief was on the way.

Soon the sand and air around them circulated, swirled, and spun in earnest, forcing most to look away and guard their eyes.

Alec did not. He never noticed, as his heart counted the seconds that passed with each hard, thumping beat. He didn't hear the hum of the ship or the whistling wind. He didn't feel the cold of the night or the metal of the gun in his hand. He never spoke a word aloud.

But he prayed.

He prayed, for perhaps the first time in his life, for Fate to allow this one request. The survivors needed this more than they needed their next breath.

The guards settled on the near cliff stood watch, waiting for any enemy activity; their guns were cocked and their ammunition ready. There were five men with the specific job of carrying the supplies in quickly. Alec and two others were to take the captain of the ship and his crew in to talk to Aron, to welcome them and thank them.

The ship landed in the sand, and the sound of rushing air washed over them as the pressure stabilizer released. A fog of steam emitted from the lower cabin. The lights died and the desert grew quiet. The large access ramp began to lower slowly, and Alec's heart beat even faster in anticipation.

It was too dark to discern facial characteristics, but Alec guessed the first man walking down the ramp was the captain, Marcus.

Two others followed close behind him, and as Alec took a step forward, the rest of his team sprang into action.

Controlled chaos ensued. The supplies were gathered quickly, Alec and the others guided the Miyan crew into the nearby cave.

"Welcome," Alec said with sincerity. "I hope your entry wasn't too bad."

"No, fine. I doubt Cyrus's expecting many visitors on the dune planet," Marcus answered. "There were a few probes out searching the outer rim, but for the most part, it looks like all the activity is at Aevar."

"Well, that's good for now, I guess. Come on. Aron and the Royal Family have been waiting to meet with you."

Marcus nodded and motioned for his crew to follow. "How have they been? The Prince and Princess?"

"Better than expected, considering. They have adjusted well." He averted his eyes, and hoped that his words were something more than a little exaggerated. He hoped that his optimism would be genuine soon.

He hoped the Royal Family would heal quickly.

"Good, I was worried about them. Its gotta be rough, you know? Losing your family like that."

Alec nodded. "Yeah."

Soon they were winding their way through the tunnels toward the large conference room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The wind gave a distant howl in her ears, no doubt from the ship that had landed just beyond the rise of the dunes behind her. No other movement caught her eye, however. No scurrying desert rodent or slithering reptile. The desert slept, even though Liz's mind continued to race with life.

She was sure Aron and the survivors expected her to attend the introductions and welcome ceremony. But she only wanted to sit alone in the quiet of night.

Liz had spent the last several days succumbing to her feelings towards the Prince. Just feeling, not fighting, for the first time in her life.

And already she found herself falling faster and harder than she had intended.

She shivered, but not from the cold.

Koen had done everything known to man to accommodate her hesitancy. When she was reluctant to talk, he invited Cora to tag along. When she was hesitant to train with him as a student, he tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

It was laughable actually. The Prince of Aevar dressing, conversing, in every sense of the word acting like a commoner. He actually pulled it off quite nicely, though it was clear that no one would simply forget that he was a royal.

And he thought she didn't know about the covert glances he sent her when she wasn't looking. But she did. His eyes would practically burn her skin, and then pull away and hide when she glanced at him. It was exhilarating and confusing at the same time.

And she wasn't at all sure how to act or say when he did look send those soul-searing looks her way. Cora had made several comments, all of which went in one ear and out the other. Cora had enough problems with Will hounding her ever five minutes. Liz didn't want to bother her friend with her own love problems as well.

Love?

Is that what she felt when he looked at her that way? That her stomach melted and her heart quickened and her skin tingled with his every move? That her tongue swelled in her mouth and her chest grew tight? Is that what all those wonderfully frightening reactions meant? That she was in love?

No, it couldn't be. She was a warrior, not a lovesick fool.

A warrior didn't love. A warrior didn't pine for a man's affections. A true warrior didn't daydream about a Prince and what he would say or do next.

Yet, there she was, doing that very thing. Sitting on a sand dune, staring at the stars, wishing that Prince Koen would sweep her off her feet and teach her about love.

Because she knew she had so much to learn, so very much. Would he find her naiveté unappealing? Would he change his mind and run to the next open, willing set of arms he could find? Would he–

"Liz?"

She turned to her left and found the object of her affection towering over her with an inquisitive expression on her face.

"What are you doing out here?"

Liz swallowed hard before answering. "Um... I just – I just needed some air."

"Oh," he said. "Do you... do you want me to leave?"

"No!" She cringed when she heard the desperation in her voice, and mentally shook her head. Warrior, yeah right. "Um, no, you can join me. You know, if – if you want." Her attempt at playing off his presence was pitiful.

Koen took his seat next to her and tried desperately not to stare. The light from the stars and moons made her skin glow and shimmer. Her eyes sparkled.

"So..."

"So..."

The uncomfortable silence persisted until, "Oh, how's Mabyn doing?"

"She's doing good," he said with a nod. "She misses Dominic, though. But it can't be helped."

"Yeah. But I guess for a ten year old kid it doesn't make any sense."

"No," he shook his head with a sad smile on his face. "I tried explaining it to her. That Dominic and the other soldiers were off training and would be back in a week or so, but to a kid a week is a lifetime. Isabel helps some, but... it's not the same."

"I know how she feels."

He turned to her. "Yeah?"

She nodded, but kept her eyes on the stars. "Yeah. Not understanding anything. Being scared and alone. It's not a fun place for a kid to be."

"Are you still?" he asked, with a great deal amount of hesitancy, not completely sure if he should dig that deep. "Scared and alone, I mean."

Liz said with a quiet voice, "I'm not so much scared anymore. And... besides Aron, I've always been alone. We had to be."

When he saw the sadness gloom over her features and her eyes cloud with emotion, Koen said quickly, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, its okay. I guess I got use to it after a while. Moving every few months. Not having any friends or family. Never having any roots or links to anyone or anything. It's lonely but... when it's the only thing you know it's not so bad."

She turned to look at him, finding him much closer than she had previously thought. "Its when you find out that there's so much more out there, that things get... difficult."

"Like now," he said in a hushed voice. "You see family and relationships between people and... you wish you could have had that. Can have that."

She nodded, because her throat was too tight to answer. Her skin was burning under his gaze again, only this time, she was looking at him too. He wasn't hiding his perusal. Koen was staring right at her... and she couldn't look away.

"You're not alone anymore Liz." She sucked in a breath when her hand was enveloped in his. "You can have family now. You're not alone."

His breath hit her cheeks in a light puff of warm air. When had their faces drawn so close together? Not that she wanted him to move away. She didn't want him moving at all.

Their noses touched, and when her slight, breathy sigh escaped her lips, he finally lost the battle that he had been waging, and kissed her. A kiss that was more acquainting than anything. Their skin touched in a whisper of an embrace, and then separated just as quickly.

His heart pounded in his chest, his pulse thundering in his ears. Koen forced his eyes open to look at her, and found her eyes still closed, still clinging to the new monumental moment between them.

Who was he to deny her? He brought his lips to hers again, this time with more contact, more passion, more... everything.

And just when he reached to pull her closer to him, she broke free and ran, leaving him panting in confusion.

"Liz?" he said breathlessly. "Liz!"

But she had already disappeared over the dune.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And so the journey began: a lost and disillusioned Prince embracing his Destiny.

A hardened warrior opening his heart for the first time.

A Princess blossoming outside of her duty-imposed cocoon.

And a once isolated woman trying to balance her heart with responsibility.

Aevar had fallen by the hands of Cyrus, just as Fate had predicted. The lush green forests and clear blue rivers were no more. Many thousands had suffered and died in the invasion. Many more questioned why such a thing would happen to such a good and prosperous planet.

They knew not of the oracle that resided on the small dune planet.

They knew not of the prophet who had spent years raising and training her into the strongest weapon known to man.

They knew not of the survival of their Prince and Princess.

They knew not of the small army assembling to avenge the King and Queen's death.