#kentaurus

The smoky scent of the fire tickled his nose as she carefully seated herself before looking him over. 

The answer to her question was far more numerous than either would care to admit truthfully. But he’d merely nodded, as he slipped one of his hands within the other and squeezed to lessen the trembling.

“No ma’am,” Castor answered as he watched the fire’s light dance across her hooded face. 

“You have been called here because I know being around people with strong personalities can be…suffocating….” she quietly tapped her finger against the desk’s wooden surface before continuing. “ So often is the voice of many drowned out by the sounds of a strong few. You’ve no doubt felt it, have you not? Especially tonight…Being the youngest of the group, you no doubt face obstacles when trying to connect with your peers on…an emotional level.”

He blinked, feeling her presence now directly in front of him. He hadn’t heard the moment when she’d neared, much less stood up to cross the room. Nevertheless, he’d forced himself to listen as she continued “Now you have a chance to hear the sound of your own voice. To allow me to hear what you truly think.”

“So it seems,” he nodded, stepping back from the fireplace’s smoldering heat as he allowed his eyes to trace the faint outline of the nearby dark tapestries that hung unevenly against the wall, almost as if something was behind them.

“Tell me, Castor,” came the headmistress’s voice, pulling his attention back towards her. “ How does it sound…?” she asked, as he felt her gloved hand barely graze his arm. 

“Hearing your own voice?”

“Ah….” he smiled, before taking an uneasy step back as his hand instinctively touched his arm. He hadn’t noticed how quiet the study had been before. He chuckled, grimacing as he took it all in.  “Quiet. Very quiet. But I’m afraid I’m not exactly a man of strong opinions, my lady.”

“Maybe not personally, but you tend to gravitate strongly towards people who are….” she stepped past him. “Personally, I believe you can always tell a lot about a man from the company he decides to keep….do you not agree?”

“Of course your ladyship!” he nodded, trying to ignore the urge to look at the darkest corner of the study. “But…I only keep their company because…well…you all are the closest things I have to a family…Vraden might not say much,  but he’s very insightful when he wants to be and  I admire how creative Cladestonia is.”

“Creative?” she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder.

“Yes,” he nodded. “She’s always able to see things in ways I didn’t think were possible! With concepts, pictures, stories, and sometimes…ideas. She’s really good at it…” he fidgeted, this time carefully eying the partially cracked statue of a laughing man tucked neatly in the corner. “Maybe even a little too good…” he hesitated, as the headmistress turned to face him. “Sometimes I hear her talking and….it just worries me.”

“Worries you?” she asked, nearly startling him as he slowly nodded and swallowed.

“Yes…I’m not sure I can trust her anymore…” he confessed, leaning ever so slightly as he glanced toward the darkest corner. It was too faint to see, but he could’ve sworn that he saw the outline of something there, hidden behind one of the vast dark tapestries. Sighing he shook his head,  “but I don’t know what to do. If I tell the others, they might turn on her…or worse.”

“I see,” the headmistress gently nodded. “You are only looking out for her best interests…However I know being around her, you no doubt have heard what she and the few others must think about the king…you were too young to remember, but it doesn’t stop you from being just as hurt as they are,” she murmured as she turned to face the fire. “What you must feel….it’s understandable but…I can’t keep protecting you all forever….” she sighed, picking up a small piece of paper from her desk before tossing it into the fire that promptly exploded.

Castor stepped back, nearly startled by the sharp decrease of heat as he watched the once brilliant orange flame slowly begin to turn a cold viridescent as the headmistress stood there motionlessly. “Not from the king, and not from the star.”

“My ladyship?” Castor cautioned, careful not to get close to the cold fire. “Perhaps we may be able to change that? At least in regards to the star-,”

“Oh?” she blinked as the fire’s light flickered across her shrouded features.

“Can you…keep a secret for me, my lady?” he whispered, briefly fidgeting as he glanced at the nearby shadows.

“Of course…” she nodded, briefly looking from the shadows to him. “What’s wrong?”

“Although we were not able to find the bodies of our comrades, while we were scoping the parameter, I was able to find something that they had no doubt recovered before the forest had claimed them.” He carefully withdrew a small brown envelope from his pocket and held it forward. “It was in the olden tongue, so I couldn’t make much of it. I thought of asking the others… but maybe it’d be put to better use in your hands?” Castor asked, watching her trembling hands turn the letter over and over.

After a moment or so of silence, he cleared his throat as he took a hesitant step forward, "My lady...Should we send another search party out for the bodies?"

“No....That won't be necessary…” her voice wavered as her eyes continued scanning the page’s content. “This...this is perfect.” the darkness around her face receded to reveal a small smile. “Thank you, Castor. This act of loyalty to the future empire will not be forgotten.”

The forest seemed to hold it’s breath as the star gestured to the surrounding glowing trees. 

“When the order was finally established, a primordial star gave up her spot in the sky, to stay on earth in order to guide the order and firmly cement its placement as the bridge between our worlds. It was a move that impressed the other stars, and to show their support for the newly found order, they made the Asterius that you saw in the market. One created and cultivated from the power of each court to symbolize its unity within the order.”

“Was there any particular reason why they chose a tree  as a symbol?” she asked, as she stared at the glowing trees, gently swaying in the night breeze.

“Yeah…but what’s with your tone? Trees are cool!” he frowned, almost sounding offended.

“They’re alright…but I mean why do stars take such interest in them if they’re practically everywhere? Surely you guys must have cooler things than just…trees!”

“We do but…we wanted to use something familiar to both worlds and besides, have you ever noticed that no matter how far into the heavens a tree can ascend it must always stay rooted to the earth to survive? It can never forget its origins, no matter how far or great it grows…” he smiled thoughtfully as his foot scuffed against the ground. “Isn’t that something?”

Asha slowly nodded, and turned her eyes upwards “Hmm I guess it does sound a bit more…fascinating when you describe it like that…but why do yours glow?”

The star hummed thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin, “Well, the short scientific and aesthetic answer would be bioluminescence to attract nocturnal pollinators. Plus you can always appreciate their beauty no matter what time of day. It makes the nighttime forests nicer, doesn’t it?”

She nodded in agreement, “It does. But what’s the long answer?”

“Well,” he started as he straightened himself. “I don’t know the details exactly but I think it’s also because of their connection to some greater network of energy both with each other and the world around them. One of my nannies would always tell me about it when I was little and couldn’t stop climbing them but it’s pretty convoluted if I’m being honest.”

“A network of energy…” she whispered as her eyes trailed the trees’ glowing roots. “Like your energy?”

“Something like that,” he shrugged before thoughtfully staring at the sky. “I mean they sort of come from our world…so I guess it only makes sense that they would act like that…”

“You know before you told me any of this, I never would’ve thought that something as simple as a tree could hold so much meaning in the grand scheme of things,” she confessed. “Sure there was the wishing tree, but that felt more like a relic than anything else…not some political  cosmic display of diplomacy…”

“You’d be surprised…there’s a reason why most Asterius made today are no longer created by all four courts…”

“They aren’t?” she asked, a bit taken aback as the star shook his head.

“No not anymore, not since Deneb’s Asterius came into the picture…”

“Deneb has an Asterius?”

“Most members of the royal star families and high-ranking nobles do…but few have a tree as controversial as hers….” he hesitated as if mentally debating something before he eventually nodded and turned to her. “Asha” he stated suddenly as she straightened herself in preparation. “You remember how when we were in the forest you told me that you knew that the crimson court hated Deneb because of your father’s writings, right?”

“Right,” she nodded, trying not to shift uncomfortably. 

“Did your father ever state why?” 

“No…his master had been vague about the situation…but from what I could tell, it seemed as if the bad blood between the two parties was a little more extensive than just the courts…it seemed like it involved the council too…”

“It did,” Cepheus carefully nodded. “But did he say anything else?”

“Well…he theorized that it was the result of some act of defiance she did a few years ago that involved her children…you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“I do,” he confessed. “I don’t know if you’ll like the story but I suppose for you to understand anything I’ll need to give you a few details…”

He gestured for her to follow as they slowly began to near the forest. “I’m not sure if I’ve told you this explicitly,” he started as the glowing trees and shrubbery began to surround them.   “but the crimson court and cerulean court have always hated  each other. They’ve led countless wars and battles against each other long before the order,  Deneb, and her children ever entered the picture.”

“Why?” She asked as she ducked beneath a low-hanging  branch. “Was it differing philosophies? Scandalous love?” She called after the star who’d somehow managed to put a rather large walking distance between them. “Cultural differences? Why did they hate each other?”

He paused as if listening out for something before she finally made her way to his side, “Differing philosophies and a bloodthirsty competitiveness to conquer the galaxies,” the star frowned and abruptly looked away. 

Had…had he been ashamed of his court’s past? She wondered before he quietly continued, “Nevertheless it all seemed to come to a head when during one of these wars…the council, being as senile as they are, had grown both tired and indifferent to the constant fighting. So they decided to exercise their powers to ensure peace would prevail, one that, unlike their past attempts, could not be so easily dismissed…” The star sighed, slowly moving his hand as the air around his fingers began to glow a soft misty blue. 

Soon the rest of the world followed, rippling and blurring, as she blinked, trying to rub the uneasiness from her eyes as her surroundings slowly began to come into focus as she looked around. They were still in a forest, that much she could be sure of as the familiar sight of large, thick glowing greenery greeted her.

But where the distant yet elaborate town of Banquo had once stood was gone, and in its place was a seemingly endless glowing body of water. 

Were they…at the beach? No this couldn’t have been the beach, at least not one she’d been familiar with. Her eyes traced along the light blue shoreline as she took one hesitant step forward before rubbing her eyes in disbelief.

The ocean was glowing. Real oceans didn’t glow. But the feel of the calm sea breeze passing through her braids had nearly convinced her otherwise.

“Wait…” she started, looking around. “Is this another illusion like what you did with the scrolls?”

“Something of the sort,” the star smiled as he spoke from behind her. “Are you enjoying the view?”

She nodded, before looking around again, “Yeah! It’s…beautiful -,” her voice trailed off as she took in the sight of the star who’s skin was now a beautiful shade of cyan, while his hair was nearly white. 

Was this what a blue star looked like? She wondered, as she looked him over and over again.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been staring, but it was enough to earn herself an all too knowing grin as the star arrogantly extended a sapphire colored wing. “I was talking about the sea, but if you think I’m beautiful as well, and wish to stare,” he humbly gestured to himself as another wing revealed itself. “then by all means, my dear-,” 

“What?!” She scoffed, before waving her hands dismissively as she looked away. Thank God her blushes weren’t visible. “Ha! No! No way! I was talking about the beach! Not you! It’s the beach that’s beautiful, see?! You’re just…blue!” 

“Mmhmm.” He hummed teasingly as his now brilliantly blue  colored iris seemed bright with laughter. “Well either way I hope you enjoy whatever view you choose to partake in….or indulge…”

“I bet you say that to all the girls, don’t you?” she huffed and took a step back as she crossed her arms.

“Only the ones with good taste,” the star lazily grinned, never breaking eye contact with her as he stepped closer to her. His grin only sharpened as she glowered. “The ocean is that way, Asha.”

“I know that, you silly star!” She snapped and sharply turned to face the body of water, hoping to enjoy any semblance of peace she could get.

But alas, no peace came when she heard the king’s voice echoing from behind her as he lightly laughed, “Seriously Asha? Beautiful?” The other voices joined in as she tensed, trying to steady herself with one breath after another.

“Don’t get too attached Asha…Don’t you remember what your poor old father wanted?” rang the king’s voice in her ears again as she flinched. “ You’re not supposed to be a part of this world, remember? Much less enjoy it or the beings that come with it.”

She wasn’t enjoying it. She wasn’t! She’d only been stating the obvious when she’d called the beach beautiful! She hadn’t meant anything more than that!

“Asha?” called Cepheus’s voice as she broke into a cold sweat. The echoes of voices faded like smoke as she blinked. “Asha, are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” She blurted, perhaps too quickly to convince anyone before she gestured to their surroundings, “But where are we exactly?”

“Kepler,” he answered as his wings quivered at the passing breeze.

“Kepler?” she narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t recall hearing of a city or country named Kepler…unless- her eyes widened as she stared back at the ocean.  “is this the ocean where you were before you heard my wish? Where you said that Deneb met her soul mate?” 

His smile grew as he nodded. “Yes.”

Ah! So this was the place! He hadn’t been lying when he’d called it beautiful, she thought as she looked over the shoreline once more. If there’d ever been a place she imagined as the setting for a scandalous royal alien fairytale then it would be here. But speaking of royalty…“Where’s the castle?”

“The castle?”

“Yeah, the Cygnus castle? You know the one you told me you loved to visit…you said you could see the waves from it, remember?”

“oh…OH!” he blinked in surprise, before lightly slapping his forehead. “Sorry…That castle wasn’t built yet…”

“Oh…” she replied, trying not to feel disappointed.

“But there’s another castle and a human village not too far from here…” 

“A human village?!” she gasped as he nodded. “There are humans in space?! Why?!!”

“Atlanteans, astronomers, diplomats, smugglers, the sheer expansiveness of the universe- take your pick!” he laughed as he listed the reasons on his clawed fingers. “A lot of humans settled here for different reasons. But the one thing they all have in common is that they’re well taken care of.” He hummed thoughtfully before lowering his hand. “You know Asha if you ever decide to come to space…I’m sure the other humans wouldn’t mind accommodating you and your family! 

Asha frowned. “You think I should stay with the other humans?”

“Of course! I mean…isn’t that what you wanted?”

Well..yes…but…she hadn’t wanted to do so without him. 

She couldn’t explain why, but…In this strange world. In his world, he was her only piece of familiarity. Her safety. How could he be so casual about them splitting up?

“Oh brother, do you hear this guy?!” the king’s voice angrily called as his figure slowly materialized before her. His grip on his spear tightened as he rudely waved to the oblivious star. “Ugh see whenever I tell you that age does not equate to wisdom, it’s because of things like this! You think he’d try to be a little less obvious about it!

‘A little less obvious?’ she wondered, as the king rolled his eyes before continuing, 

“C’mon Asha! Even Dario would be able to tell you that going into space is not the wonderful fix-all solution he’s trying to sell you.” She grimaced, her gaze no longer able to meet his as he stepped forward and shook his head disapprovingly. “Did you really think things would be any different in his world?”

‘I...I don’t know unless I go…maybe things could be different…it could be a fresh start! Maybe I could help people!’ she weakly thought in reply.

“Fresh start?! Asha Those people live amongst stars- why would they bother to entertain anything you have to offer? You have no powers, no title, no wealth, or relevant skill for that matter”

‘I know but…I won’t know unless I try…’ she’d meekly thought as his cruel laughter filled his ears.

“Try? Asha, you haven’t even made your decision to leave and he’s already decided to put you as far away from him as possible. Out of sight, and out of mind.” She could feel the ghost of his hand resting on her shoulder. “Changing environments isn’t going to change anything, Asha, not when we all know that the real problem has always been you. See? It didn’t take your little star very long to figure it out now, did it? He’s not very different from me, is he?”

She bit her lip, feeling her fingernails slowly dig into the palm of her hands as her name echoed within her own ears. Maybe Cepheus had been calling her, she didn’t know. She couldn’t hear him over the sound of the king’s voice teasingly asking her, “What? You didn’t think he wasn’t going to be embarrassed by you?”

‘No! He wasn’t embarrassed!’ she thought, clutching at the cape’s edges. ‘Beauty aside, his world was unarguably dangerous. Her father had almost been killed upon entering it, and now people with ties to it were trying to kill her! Maybe he was just trying to protect her, right? 

“Where’s your confidence?” the queen’s voice gently whispered. It sounded concerned, and maybe if she’d been in a better state of mind, she would’ve thought caring. “ If you’re so sure he’s looking out for you then why don’t you tell him how you really feel?”

She could practically hear the grin in the king’s voice as he quickly added. “Or are you just too afraid that he’ll turn you down like the prince did?”

“Asha?” came Cepheus’s voice as she felt him grasp her shoulders. “Asha, are you alright?”

“I-,” she stopped, as a low growl reverberated overhead. 

The growl hadn’t been deafening, but something about it had felt wrong as if she were hearing the sound of a creature that never should’ve existed in the first place.

Her eyes promptly darted to the cloudy yet translucent sky above, narrowly catching sight of something large swiftly disappearing into the clouds as another growl shook the ground. 

She hadn’t seen much of what it was, nor had she wanted to. But from what she could determine, its body had been all too similar to the Atlantean serpentine she’d seen Allepac destroy. 

Only this one had been far bigger and more…organic looking… like it was something more than just an instrument of war….

“W-what in the world was that?!” she cried, stumbling behind the star as her eyes refused to leave the sky.

“The leviathan,” the star casually answered as he looked up at the sky. 

“The Leviathan?” she grimaced, quickly crouching behind the star as another growl filled the air. “Um…quick question...why is it growling like that? Better yet why is it flying?!”

“It’s probably determining whether or not to kill whatever it senses approaching.”

“Kill?” 

“With extreme prejudice…” the star cheerfully replied as if it were the most casual thing in the world. “this could get very nasty very quickly.”

Why he was so calm about this was beyond her…sure this might’ve been an illusion but it was a rather unpleasant one! Then again, he had stated that a star’s true form was rather large…what if he’d been bigger than the leviathan? Was that even possible?!

She hoped not, she thought, before a figure stepped out of the forest and approached.

To her surprise, it was a rather handsome man dressed in stately blue robes who looked to be somewhere in his late twenties or possibly early thirties. He appeared to be partially African, but she could tell through his white-colored dreadlocks, and crystal blue eyes, that he also carried Atlantean heritage, and just like any Atlantean she’d suspected his appearance no doubt, betrayed his true age. 

Sighing, he’d looked up and down the coast as if searching for something before he shook his head and withdrew a blue crystal attached to his necklace.

“Oceans,” he grumbled and watched with disgust as the glowing waves crashed along the shorelines. “Why did it have to be oceans? Does she have any idea how terrifying these things are?!” He sighed, shaking his head before he took one deep breath after another, and carefully kneeled, maintaining some distance from the water before he bowed his head and placed a hand over his heart.

 “Oh patroness of arts, protector of the seas, the heart of the Kraieyek empire,” he paused, as the sound of the ocean filled her ears once more. A sound that was promptly broken by the string of curses that left his lips as he abruptly rose back to his feet before backing away.

She hadn’t seen it at first until he’d moved, just out of reach of an emerging stream of water flowing upwards towards the beach. Such motion should’ve been impossible she thought as the water began to slowly encircle itself, as smaller streams began to branch off, connect, and tangle into a pattern of sorts. 

The pattern formed no sooner than a figure slowly rose from the ocean’s depths. A multitude of brightly glowing cyan-colored eyes broke the surface. Water cascaded over her shoulders as she slowly rose to the edge of the shore.

To call her full height frightening would’ve been an understatement, but seeing it now hadn’t made it hard to understand why her father had reacted the way he did to the star’s heights. 

The star that stood before the man couldn’t have been any shorter than seventeen feet, as he bowed to her once more. Yet even despite her height, she was beautiful. Her skin was a pleasant shade of blue perfectly decorated with cyan-colored tattoos that spanned from her collarbone to her forearms and cyan-colored fingertips. Her four irises were a piercing shade of blue that sharply contrasted the dark blue of her scleras and the near whiteness of her hair. 

“Vitrius,” she softly spoke. All of her eyes focused on him as water continued dripping from her white hair.

“Vitrius” Asha whispered. As in Tau Vitrius? ! Her father’s mentor?! This is what Tau Vitrius looked like? She hadn’t expected him to somewhat resemble the Atlanteans so much given the disdain he’d shown for their dialect and its influence. 

Wait, but if Vitrius was her astronomer, then that star could only be —“Your Majesty…” he bowed, leaving Asha unsure whether she should have been more impressed by the star’s beauty or Vitrius’s fearlessness.

But…she had to admit, that save for the faded scars on her limbs and the weariness in her eyes, Deneb looked shockingly young. Maybe no older than seventeen or eighteen which was far too young to be a queen. 

“I apologize for the informal setting,” she started, swiftly stepping by him. “Had I known you’d arrived so quickly, I would’ve arranged for something a bit more formal….” Maybe Asha had been imagining things, but she could’ve sworn that Deneb’s accent sounded…familiar.

“You’ve heard the news haven’t you?” she spoke, breaking the silence once more as she turned to face him.

“Yes…I believe congratulations are in order for your ascension to the throne,” Vitreous replied as he crossed his arms behind his back. “Headmistress Karagash sends her regards.”

She darkly scowled, before stepping away with a scoff. “Of course…. I take it that your superiors were overjoyed at the announcement weren’t they?”

“Some were,” Vitrius confirmed with a small nod. “Barring the headmistress of course…but it seems as if most are cautiously optimistic in the council’s proposal…I know your feelings on the matter but there is no denying that your move is arguably as forward as it is backward. From the moment your sister abdicated, you were the only viable option to become Apsuramal.”

“You're too optimistic Vitrius,” she sighed, sounding more exasperated than anything else. “Ascension or not Vega’s banishment was not necessary nor will it do me any favors in the near future…”

“With all due respect my lady, sentiments aside, as high queen your power must be absolute and unquestionable. The situation that has brought us here is far from ideal, but even you must admit that banishing her will undoubtedly limit the options your opponents have to overthrow you, as that’s one less viable figurehead that they can use to challenge you.”

“And with all due respect astronomer,” she spoke. The ground silently yet somehow softly shook with every step she took. “Optimism aside, it was a rather well-planned self-inflicted blow. As it currently stands I am a rather unpopular Apsuramal, and the banishment of not only a superior healer but an initially more popular contender to the throne will certainly do me no favors in the eyes of my detesters or the ones who have yet to make up their minds on the matter.”

She turned her eyes towards the horizon as she placed her arms behind her, briefly allowing Asha a view of the small but luminescent cyan scales that littered her forearms almost in the patterns of constellations. “If I go through with the council’s proposal then everything my people and ancestors have worked and bled for, what my mother died for, all of it will have been for naught.”

She hadn’t expected the silence that followed as the pair stood in tandem watching and listening to the incoming waves.

To her surprise, Vitreous had been the first to break the silence as he shook his head. “Not quite,” he interjected. “Pardon my optimism, but as bleak as the situation may be it has yet to become totally hopeless.”

“Why do you say that?” she asked, as she spared him a glance.

“You may not have been born destined to rule the throne, but it seems as if fate has proven otherwise. Call it an old astronomer’s superstition,” he shrugged as he walked towards her. “but my master’s always told me that things never happen without reason…maybe you cannot be the perfection that the court wants, but you can be their hope, and sometimes that’s all people, or maybe even beings  need.”

“Do you really think I could be the hope my people need even when my desires do nothing more than push us closer to the very same war we sought to end?”

The silence that followed was partially expected. The star had not asked an easy question. Any answer given would undoubtedly be unsatisfactory, but that hadn’t stopped Vitrius from thoughtfully replying, “It’s possible… although it’s far too early to say for sure…but even if they do not accept you as much as you’d like they’ll always need you. You are their Apsuramal. Their lifeline. They are a part of you just as you are of them. So neither of you can exist without each other, even while you’re still figuring things out.”

She said nothing as the waves continued to roll against the shoreline. Somewhere from above the Leviathan’s calls faintly echoed, as Vitrius cleared his throat,  “You don’t have to believe me your Highness, but the worst thing you could do is to let your enemies know you have fallen apart. Not when they’re still looking for the opportunity to strike.”

“Yes,” she took in a deep breath as she nodded. Her posture straightened as she turned back towards the ocean. “For now there is still time…And with it, hopefully, opportunities as well…”

“Did the council grant your request for a second hearing?”  he murmured thoughtfully.

“They did. Of course, you know they were rather adamant about the marriage arrangement, regardless of whether or not I made any valid counterarguments. But thankfully the meeting proved to be quite useful in…other ways to say the least,” a ghost of a smile appeared on her face. “Mortal word isn’t the only one that spreads quickly.”

“Oh?” he raised an eyebrow at her words before turning to her. “Care to share what’s transpiring on your side of the galaxy?”

“My informant has confirmed rumors about a certain diplomat of the Myrkadius”  Deneb hummed before kneeling at the small patterned streams of water that promptly twisted itself into a small figure. “From what we gathered, her name is Alhena.”

“Alhena?” Vitrius repeated, looking somewhat surprised. “I didn’t know she was a diplomat…”

“She is…You’ve heard of her?”

Vitrius nodded. “She is a distant relative of the current Myrkadius I think. A remarkable singer as well. Maybe even too remarkable.”

“Hmm…” Deneb’s eyes narrowed as with a flick of her finger, the water figure immediately froze. “From what I hear she’s everything you’d expect in a silver star- ambitious, intelligent, manipulative, and whatnot, save for the one thing.”

“Oh?”

“She lacks significant physical power. It’s the only thing that’s keeping her from achieving a much higher status within her own court. But what she lacks in ambition, she certainly makes up for in charm and beauty…” Deneb laughed, muttering something in a strange language as red slowly began to seep into the small water figure before it shattered.

“Well, if he’s going to be like that, you might as well take a lover too,” Vitrius replied without hesitation as she cast him an ever-so-questioning glance. “What?” he shrugged as Asha nearly choked in disbelief. “I said what I said.”

Asha could tell from the way Deneb simply stared in an almost apprehensive way that she was used to Vitrius’s strange advice, as she continued, “Affair aside, I received word that Vega has accepted the sanctuary the Myrkadius offered her upon her abdication and banishment…”

“Sanctuary? So…that means…”

“Yes,” Deneb sighed and closed her eyes. “We finally know who she was with all those nights she’d been absent. She was probably the informant for the spies the silver court had sent to examine our border territories.”

“That’s… treason, isn’t it?” Vitrius asked as she nodded and he grimaced. “Goodness. There’s never a peaceful moment amongst your kind, is there?”

“You are one to talk,” Deneb frowned. “Exactly how many wars has your species started over trivial matters?”

“This isn’t about us,” Vitrius retorted as Asha quietly conceded Deneb’s point. “Drama aside, have you received any more intel from that other source? Perhaps they might know something given how they were the ones who’d been rather quick to inform you of the Myrkadius’s infiltration attempts!”

“No,” she shook her head. “Lately…They’ve been strangely silent…”

“Were you ever able to figure out who the source of that intel was?”

“Not yet. I’ve combed through all the spy networks in every corner of the universe, but it seems as if whoever it was spared no expense to ensure they wouldn’t be discovered…a calculated action no doubt, but if my suspicions are correct, I believe it originated from a different court.”

“There’s only one other court that would bother concerning themselves with the affair of the silver ones…” Vitrius added. “Perhaps you should look into allying with them.”

“That might not be possible,” she scowled. “The Solaris, no matter how friendly he may appear to be has always been rather adamant on staying away from us. Whether it be because of his friendship with the Nocturnes, or his partial ownership of the Terracotta court, my mother was never able to get anywhere when it came to attempting to secure an alliance between our courts.”

“But that should be changing rather soon,” Vitrius spoke with a small note of hope in his voice. “I overheard that the Solaris had personally requested that none of the astronomers attend the Sentenga Solstice this time.”

“I take it most of you weren’t pleased with that,” her eyes glowing rather smugly as Vitrius scowled. 

“Why would we be?” 

She chuckled. “Well if it’s of any consolation to you, I’ve heard the reasoning behind said the decision was on behalf of the Myrkadies and the Nocturnus, who by all means plan to be in attendance when the heir to the court is formally announced.”

“The Nocturnus and Myrkadius are attending?! I thought the Myrkadius and the Solaris despised each other!”

“Shocking isn’t it?” Deneb smiled, evidently amused. “But he’s done so under the notion of promising peace talks and alliances. All too coincidental, but I suppose from the view of the Solaris…if he were to establish a new level of tolerance between the two it would undoubtedly strengthen the council’s faith and favor towards him, which is exactly what he would need given both the Nocturnus’s growing influence and the legacy he is leaving behind for his heir.”

“Agreed, but…did he have to do that by excluding us?!” Vitrius huffed. “We’ve been working on facilitating their relations for millennials!”

“So it seems…” Deneb calmly replied. “He was after all strangely absent from the council meetings today….Any idea on who the chosen heir will be?”

“I’ve heard inklings of theories from my colleagues… most seem to be torn between Tomiolin and Rigil Kentaurus… Tomiolin is said to be rather studious and disciplined, whereas Kentaurus is said to be a bit more…unfocused, but even then most can’t deny that his charisma, sheer power, and superior skills as a healer and warrior almost make him the perfect candidate.”

Deneb’s lip curled, as she scoffed, before asking, “And what of Proxima? Does anyone believe in his chances?”

“He was…considered…but they didn’t really want to entertain the thought as much…apparently he’s a bit of an odd one…”

“Indeed,” she nodded as she stood. “He is more crimson than anything else.”

“Proxima is half crimson?” he raised a brow towards her.

“Yes.”

“How do you know that?”

“His eyes…” she whispered as her darkened claws grazed the side of her face. 

“Are they the same as the crimson royal family?” She nodded, as her expression hardened and her eyes narrowed. “I see…But if your mother was interested in pursuing an alliance of sorts, did she ever formally introduce you to the three princes?”

“Yes.”

“Well…” Vitrius began. “Would you…ever entertain the idea of a possible alliance with one of them?”

“No.”

“No?” he took a step back and looked her over. “And why not!?”

“For as admirably disciplined and focused as he is, Tomiolin lacks any meaningful warrior prowess. Proxima is of crimson blood, and Kentaurus is…Kentaurus.”

“Meaning?”

“He is kind. Too kind, to be effective when in a leading role. Therefore he is not in the least bit desirable.”

“Well then, we are fortunate that you seek to make him an ally and not your husband!” Vitrius smiled as her gaze darkened. He must’ve seen the displeased look on her face as he cleared his throat before promptly adding. “I merely speak facts, Arided. You don’t have to like your allies. But if you can tolerate each other more than any third party, then I think your alliance is safe.”

“But even then, you forget just how crucial ownership of the Terracotta court is for both parties. They’ve been taking care of that minor court for eons, no doubt with the plan of utilizing it to its fullest potential if something were to say unfortunately but not unexpectedly happen to another major court.”

Vitrius eyes widened before he firmly shook his head. “They couldn’t replace your people-,” 

“You’d be surprised,” Deneb casually answered. “But if they are in on it, then that limits my potential for any strong alliance…which brings me back to where I am now…The cerulean court’s best healer now resides in the heart of any enemy’s empire, who strongly supports the crimson court, which very few would think of standing against.” She glanced over her shoulder at Vitrius. “And even though I exposed Vega’s treason it has done little to sway my court’s opinion towards me…if anything it’s only soured their opinion on the family as a whole…so if I am not careful I may end up exhausting all of my options. And what then? Would this higher power that you think put me on the throne save me then? Or would it abandon me in the hands of my enemies?” she asked, as her grip on her forearm tightened.

“I…I do not know, my queen. I wish I did…”

“I know…I only wish…wait”  her voice lowered as thunder rippled through the air.

“Did you feel that?” she whispered over the faint rumbling of thunder.

“Feel what?!” Vitrius retorted as he fearfully eyed the roaring waves>

“What’s happening?!” Asha shrieked, covering her ears as she turned to face Cepheus.

“Plot. The plot is happening,” the star simply replied as several soldiers rushed into view. 

“Your Highness!” called one as several soldiers bowed in acknowledgment to their queen.

“A powerful presence has been detected approaching the planet!”

“This way your Highness! You must be prepared to evacuate if needed!” one of the guards called, as a roar pierced the air. This time a bright beam of golden light accompanied it as the clouds tore open, briefly revealing an object headed straight towards the ocean.

In a heartbeat the queen was gone, sharply yelling commands as she headed towards the ocean where the object had disappeared. 

“Arided!” Vitrius screamed as he ran after her. “Arided come back!”

His words were lost to the wind as three pairs of blue wings emerged from her back. She was a mere blur as she swiftly intercepted the falling object before diving into the dark depths below.

And then everything was still.

All onshore stood silently as the leviathan’s figure slowly came into view once more, looming overhead as it growled.

But the peace would not last long as the queen’s body broke the ocean’s surface, carrying something in her arms as she returned to the shore.

“Are you alright your highness!” one soldier questioned as she finally reached near the edge of the crowd.

“I’m fine,” she calmly answered. Her blue wings shimmered as upon closer inspection Asha realized that her wings had been littered with what appeared to be small eyes. Whether or not the eyes were functional or merely a decorative pattern of her wings, Asha could not tell. 

“What in the world is that?!” Vitrius spoke, pointing to the rather large object she had retrieved. 

“Not a what,” Deneb corrected as she set the object down and turned to the nearest guard. “But a who. Fawaris send for the healers.”

“Yes your Highness,” the female guard bowed before swiftly departing.

Asha quietly stepped forward, trying to examine the figure. But there was little she could make out beneath the golden feathers, torn wings, and bloodied wounds. Given the horns it displayed, she’d nearly settled on mistakenly concluding it to be some sort of monster when Vitrius gasped, promptly breaking the silence as he cried, “Good God that’s Kentaurus!” 

“Kentaurus?” Deneb’s face twisted as any sympathy it held vanished.

“The prince?” Asha asked the figures who could not see nor hear her. “But what is he doing here?!”

She was going to kill him, or at least that’s what Asha suspected until she’d seen the queen pause, thoughtfully looking him over before shaking her head. “Take him to my healing chambers,” she commanded as a pair of guards stepped forward. “Make sure he has no weapons on his persons before he reaches my chamber-,”

“Excuse me?!” Vitrius exclaimed. “You can’t just-,”

“I can…and I will,” she answered briskly, before turning to her general. “See to it that news of this does not reach beyond here.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The soldiers nodded and gave the queen a bow as the soldiers carefully carried the prince away.

“Thank you,” she whispered as her expression softened before she turned to Vitrius. Her lips curled with something that could’ve been amusement. “You look as if you witnessed a murder.”

“More like the beginning stages of a complete and total political disaster,” he shrugged before staring down the path that the guards had taken the prince.  “So…do you want to talk about how the prince, who by all means should not be here given the recent happenings, looks like he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt?”

“If we must” she sighed, gesturing for the astronomer to follow her.

Nightfall was on the horizon as they swiftly moved through the rather large glowing forest that would’ve swallowed Asha whole had it not been for Cepheus, who’d navigated with an inhumane air of familiarity. 

As Cepheus had promised, the star’s castle and capital city were extravagant. From the architecture to how it had seemingly been built to interweave with the various waterfalls and floating islands surrounding it as several ships flew by,  Asha could’ve spent hours staring at the scene before her, had it not been for the urgency of Kentaurus’s condition.

“Do you think you’ll be able to heal him?” Vitrius asked as the pair stood over Kentaurus’s pitiful body. He’d barely looked better, but at least he’d looked somewhat humanoid as the feathers on his arms and face had receded, allowing for more of his features to become noticeable. He looked no older than Deneb, but it was hard to tell, given how his face had been completely enshrouded by shadows that Asha suspected was one of Cepheus’s…artistic choices in censorship. 

“No,” she shook her head as she knelt by him. “But it is as you have said,” she paused. Her fingers glowed a gently cyan blue before she softly traced Kentarus’s side, earning herself a small grunt from the unconscious star as his clawed fingers tensed. Sweat gathered on his brow as a dark thick liquid oozed from his wounds before carefully folding itself into a small sphere. “Any other star would’ve died from half of the wounds he has. The fact that he is still alive despite having this amount of venom in him is nothing short of miraculous…His healing powers are exceptional. ” she begrudgingly sighed, watching Kentaurus’s body gradually relax, as true to her words, it began to repair itself. Bone, feather, and skin seemed to knit, regrow, and connect as the star quietly stirred. 

“I neutralized the venom within him,” she explained. “His body should be able to handle the rest.”

“Thank goodness,” Vitrius sighed, slowly raking his hand down his face. “He is rather fortunate that he was able to end up so close to you in this state.”

“Indeed,” Deneb replied, not sharing any of the astronomer’s relief or sympathy as she stared at the still form before her. “Although I doubt he could be that fortunate all things considered.”

“Hmmm well…at least he’s alive.”

“For now…” she sighed, crossing her arms. “Vitrius?”

“Yes, your Highness?”

“Have you received any word of the happenings at the solstice?”

“Not yet Your Highness…although I do expect it to be delayed given the issues with our attendance…or lack thereof” he grumbled beneath his breath.

“Unless your colleagues have direct informants within the court I’d expect it to be compromised as well…”

“I doubt that…” Vitrius grinned. “Of course, you know that when one enters the world of your court politics, they must see to it that they are prepared by any means necessary.”

“Hmm.” she thoughtfully hummed. “How quickly do you think it will be before your order declares a formal announcement?”

He stared at the ceiling thoughtfully, “If this had been a situation lacking foul play then I’d have said at most an hour. But given what we see… I’d probably say Days. It honestly depends on the decision that our council makes. Of course, this isn’t considering all the rumors that will be spreading and whatnot-,”

Her eyes widened. “Would it be possible to see to it that these rumors were to spread a bit earlier and further than intended?”

“It is…but why do you ask?”

She frowned, nearly about to answer when a low groan emerged from the table before them. 

“He’s waking up,” she murmured as her brows furrowed in displeasure.

“Please make a good first impression,” Vitrius whispered as Kentaurus’s eyes weakly opened. Pale golden eyes with hints of light coral fervently scanned the room before settling on the pair standing before him.

“Ugh,” he groaned, placing a clawed hand on his forehead as one of his wings weakly moved. The eyes on his horns and wings slowly blinked as he groaned once more. 

“I feel awful…” his voice whispered, sounding hoarse and strained.

“Fortunately you look even worse,” Deneb tonelessly replied as Vitrius stared at her in disbelief. 

The prince tensed, sharply turning to face her before wincing. “Arided?...Arided is that you?”

“Deneb.” she flatly corrected. Her voice lacked any sense of pride or passion as she continued “ Deneb del Apsuramal. You are in my realm now.”  

“Your… realm?” His eyes widened as he sat up. Feathers fell from his body as he looked around the room. “Astronomer,” he called as Vitrius blinked. “Have you received any word from my court?”

“No, your Highness. Nothing recent”

“No?” Kentaurus repeated, his face paling as his eyes widened. .“No…that can’t be right…Helias…Father… should’ve….Tomiolin was supposed to...but if they didn’t…then…”

“Your Highness? Are you alright?” Vitrius called as Deneb stood in front of him. 

Kentaurus didn’t answer. Realization must have hit him like ice as he slowly began to shake his head. His fingers slowly lengthened into claws as darkened golden feathers began to emerge from his arms..  “I… I have to leave. Now.”

“Stay where you are,” Deneb commanded as he coldly glared at her.

“You don’t understand!” He cried. “They need me.”

“You are in no position to help anyone much less yourself,” Deneb impassively answered. But she was too late as he slung his legs over the edge of the table, fully intent on leaving before he’d nearly collapsed. 

Fortunately for him, his body had never hit the ground as it quickly lifted itself back into the bed.

“You are in no state to travel,” Deneb’s voice came once more as her hands and eyes glowed. “Much less defy me.”

Kentaurus sat there, as she continued to watch him, but whether it was out of observance or maybe even morbid curiosity Asha wasn’t sure.  

“Uhh…” Vitrius hesitantly started as both stars’ eyes turned towards him. “Your Highness, since it is taking a while for the news to break… perhaps you could…give us an update on your situation? That is if you don’t mind, of course..”

Silence.

Vitrius fidgeted, before adding, “We might be able to better assist you-,”

“Assist me?” Kentaurus repeated as if trying to slowly ween himself from the shock that had threatened to take him over. “No. They’d kill you. Both of you…” He paused, lowering his clawed hands from his face as his eyes narrowed towards her. “you’re his intended, right?” He asked Deneb.

“Not willingly,” she replied as she turned towards the nearby cabinet, and telekinetically moved the jars around. “But I suppose that handing you over to Betelgeuse would be the proper thing to do to improve our relationship…he must be exhausted searching for you.”

He froze, as the blood drained from his face. “Who…who told you that he was after me?”

“You did. Just now.” she calmly answered, facing him as he began to tremble. “But you needn’t worry. You were wise to crash land on a planet of sanctuary. So the most I can do to you is rid you of the crimson poison.”

Silently, he looked over himself, tentatively stretching his wings before he asked, “You healed me?”

“Not completely. But your body should be rid of the venom. Then you can rebuild yourself.”

“....thank you, your highness,” he mumbled. A partial scowl tugging on his lips as he bowed his head. His clawed fingers clutched at the sheets. “You are too kind”

“Indeed I am,” she replied, lazily staring down at him. “But if you did not want me involved then why have you come seeking shelter in my domain?”

“I didn’t come for shelter. I have come to ask for something selfish.”

“That being?” She asked, turning to the jars and tubes she’d kept on a nearby dresser.

He swallowed, unable to meet her gaze as he said “I came for a debt. Your debt.”

She paused, briefly mulling over her words before asking, “And how exactly am I indebted to you?” 

He took a deep breath as he straightened himself, not quite able to fully hide his wince before he weakly remarked, “Discretely sending you the location of those spies wasn’t as effortless as it seemed. But I thought it was only fair that you knew given the intricacies of their infiltration and whatnot.”

“You did that?!” Vitrius exclaimed, as Deneb’s eyes slightly widened. “But why?! With all due respect, do you understand the trouble you would’ve brought both yourself and your court had you been discovered?!”

A small grin made its way to Kentaraus’s lips, as he weakly lay back down. “Of course, I was well aware of the consequences. But I couldn’t stay silent…not when I saw the parties involved…” he sighed. “I thought the Apsuramal deserved to know…”

Vitrius said nothing as his eyes landed on Deneb who’d solely stared ahead. Her gaze focused on the nearby balcony, no doubt on the darkness that had completely consumed the sky. 

“Was she there?” Deneb asked quietly. 

Kentarus frowned, shifting uncomfortably before nodding. “I saw her…”

“She…wasn’t alone was she?”

He shook his head. “No. She wasn’t. She was at his side.”

Deneb said nothing, only looking away as her hand clenched into a fist. Neither party spoke as Kentaurus’s gaze settled on his hands again, and for a moment, Asha began to wonder if the prince had begun to sympathize with her. 

Deneb had said Kentaurus was kind, hadn’t she? Maybe too kind… Asha remembered before the silence broke. 

“The solstice started normally,” Kentaurus slowly began. “Family from near and far gathered as father prepared to address the court. I could tell he was anxious about something…but I didn’t want to push the matter…not when we’d spent the past few nights bitterly arguing. I couldn’t see the reason for him not allowing your kind to come,” he murmured as he turned his gaze to Vitrius. “Even if it was only to appease the Nocturnes and the Myrkadies.”

It was hard to ignore how his voice dripped with hatred as he muttered ‘Myrkadies’… It nearly rivaled the loathing that had filled Deneb’s voice whenever she’d murmur the word crimson.

“I’d contemplated skipping the event entirely, and I would have if not for  Proxima. He’d visited me the last night I’d argued with father, and in good faith, requested I come. He had all these plans and dreams that he told me about. It had been a long time since I’d seen him so hopeful and open. But with new opportunities on the horizon who could blame him?” Kentaurus asked as he plucked at the feathers on his arms. Dark blood welled in the place where feathers once were, before promptly disappearing as his skin healed itself.

“Even if he wasn’t chosen I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to make him happy so I agreed to go. I should’ve known something was amiss when he’d gathered Tomiolin, me and some of our other siblings before the ceremony to indulge in what humans call…a feast. But it  reminded me of the old days when we’d do everything together before we’d all drifted apart…” His eyes narrowed as he shook. “He even wished us good luck- even when most thought he wouldn’t be selected.”

He took a deep breath as little by little his claws, feathers, and horns disappeared. Save for the slight goldish hue of his skin and long hair, he almost looked humanoid. “I remember…Father started to make his announcement. We were all certain he’d choose Tomiolin when our aunt ran in, choking and writhing as she barely managed to tell us that one of our advisors had been found dead and that the suspect was…well, she never got to reveal that part….” He shook his head. “There was something wrong with the food. He poisoned it somehow, probably with either his or the nocturne’s venom, and all those who weren’t strong didn’t survive past that point…A tenth of our lower court died where they were…” he whispered as Vitrius’s jaw dropped.

“There wasn’t much time to escape. It’d been rather miraculous that we made it out of the castle. We’d all suffered some injury at that point and the poison was taking its toll- some were worse than others, and most didn’t make it out. But I’ll never forget the sky I saw when we did. It was scarlet…just like the court that had invaded. The court my father had always been so insistent that had been…our allies. Our friends. Now they’re aligned with the silver ones, gleefully observing our downfall.”

“But we’d refused to give up. Even when our family who’d once been in the hundreds was now nothing more than a handful. …We’d nearly reach safety when my father who’d been well injured at that point started slowing down. He could’ve healed himself then and there but why bother? In his eyes, he blamed this on himself. 

He’d listened and enabled the crimson court to poison and overthrow us. My cousins, most of my siblings, our lower court, and the rest of our family were gone because of him… Tomiolin and my mother tried to assure him that it wasn’t his fault. If we could reach safety…and maybe your territory, then we’d have a fighting chance at restoring what had been lost. But there’d been little time before our pursuers found us once more. I tried to buy them all some time. Told them to take Father and go while I held the attackers back.”

He sighed. “I did everything I could…but it wasn’t long before I was overwhelmed...I was frightened…in fact, I was hoping they’d kill me rather than take me prisoner…but what I hadn’t known was that I wasn’t alone. My mother had turned back…she insisted I go while she held them off. She told me that she would catch up with me and the others… I didn’t want to leave her…but I was frightened…and when she promised me that she’d see me again…I believed her. At least I wanted to and like a coward…I ran. But I didn’t make it very far until I learned that…her promise would never come to pass. All at the hands of the one who’d ensure that he now sat on Father’s throne…”

He sat up now, as his eyes narrowed and his body tensed. “All of Proxima’s dreams and hopes he’d told me about…I’d always supported them, never once knowing that I, like the rest of your court and my family was never meant to be a part of them.”

He shook his head. “I was supposed to find Tomiolin, Helias, my father, and the rest of my siblings here… my father had something he wanted to tell me, that he promised he would when we reunited…but if they didn’t make it…”

Vitrius swallowed, his expression full of terror as he glanced at Deneb, who’d merely nodded. “I understand…” she softly spoke. “I need to discuss some things with my astronomer.” Kentaurus faintly nodded and looked away from the pair as they exited the room.

“That was worse than I thought,” Vitrius whispered, breaking the silence as the door closed behind them, leaving the pair alone in the hallway. “And I knew it wasn’t going to be good.”

“I know…” Deneb confessed. Her expression wavered, nearly softening before she shook her head. “Nevertheless it may very well be the opportunity I and so many have been looking for.” She replied as she eyed the room door. “Vitrius” she murmured, quietly. “I need to ask a favor of you…”

“A favor?”

“Since there has been no word of it yet, I want you to break the news to the order. See to it, that as soon as they grant the prince sanctuary it spreads to the furthest corners of our universe-,”

“Break the news? Grant sanctuary? You want the order to handle this? But doesn’t Kepler  already offer enough sanctuary by itself?”

“It does, but both of us know that my court is currently in no position to leverage the power to prevent the Nocturnes from coming given his current position as my intended…However,” she paused, gesturing to him. “If the order steps in, then there’s very little that most courts can do to either the prince or my court. Thanks to the Order’s given neutrality and power even the council themselves will be unable to look the other way, having no choice but to respect it.”

Vitrius hesitantly nodded, “Alright…I’ll see to it that he is placed under the institution's care, then.”

“Thank you,” she bowed briefly, before turning away.

“Where are you headed?” he called after her.

“I must speak with my general. We must prepare for all outcomes while waiting for the order.”

“So you will help him then?” Vitrius asked.

“I have no other choice,” she whispered. “Consequences to my own court aside, with him here I have far more political leverage and opportunities to not only secure my power but to expand it as well in both of our courts. He may not be an ideal ally, but perhaps he can be useful in other ways.” She sighed. “Nevertheless he is right. I owe him a debt. He offered me assistance when it wouldn’t be in his best interests. It is only right that I return the favor.”

“I understand my lady,” Vitrius bowed. “I will see to it that his word is verified and sanctuary granted before the end of the day.”

She nodded as he headed down the hallway and towards a balcony that offered him another breathtaking view of the beautiful kingdom. From here Asha could see the clouds floating over the water as a few small distant islands floated overhead.

Had her father ever seen this? She wondered, unable to keep herself from gawking at the passing ships whose sounds filled the air. Surely if he had truly become Sirius’s astronomer then he should’ve at least been acquainted with it!

Vitrius must’ve been used to the view by now, as he failed to show the slightest hint of awe when he pulled a small ring from his robes.  He clicked the side of the ring as it opened, contorting itself into a small hollow golden sphere as a small image of a woman formed, one made out of a strange blue light that flickered and…blinked?! Sounds of running and papers shuffling filled the air as the figure turned their gaze back towards Vitrius.

“What in the world is that??” Asha whispered.

“An armillary sphere. It was an old astronomer instrument that they partially repurposed to allow communications over vast galaxies,” Cepheus quietly explained.

“So you’re telling me that humans on Earth used to have technology that allowed them to talk to each other when they were in space?”

“Exactly!” he nodded. “Pretty neat isn’t it?

“Are you kidding me?! Nowadays we can’t even communicate in a timely matter if we’re cities apart unless we have trained birds!” she huffed, quietly fuming before she enviously eyed Vitrius’s armillary ring. “I want one. No, I need one.”

“Become an astronomer and I might be able to make that happen,” Cepheus whispered back as Vitrius’s face grew serious.

“Tau” the figure spoke as Asha gasped, unable to believe her eyes or ears as the figure’s face changed from surprised to worry.

“Naruci,” Vitrius bowed his head in acknowledgment. “As expected you look as if you’ve received some bad news.”

“Vitrius….this is bad…this is really really bad! The- wait,” Naruci’s voice waivered as she cautiously looked around. “Are you safe?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “I am on Kepler.”

“In the Cygnus constellation? Tau  I thought you said you were safe!”

“With the Apsuramal here? Ha! I’m safer than you are!”

“Oh thank goodness,” Naruci sighed. “I’ve been in and out of meetings all morning! Our head astronomer is beside himself, and I suspect our headmistress will send out a beacon soon. It’s gotten so bad that even the king himself is involved.”

“The king?” he repeated. 

“He has his own informants within the court you know…even when we’ve all advised against it…I’m not sure if the alpha stars are aware of this…but I doubt they’ll be happy when they find out…”

“Of course, he’s not listening to sound advice,” Vitrius scowled as he rubbed his temples. “Must be the 2% star blood in him talking. You give these fools an ounce of supernatural blood and suddenly they think even their mistakes are blessed.”

Naruci’s laughter filled the air before she shook her head. “Starblood or not, he’s been rather attentive in the meetings, or so I’ve been told. He’s even let the crown prince get involved, who’s been giving some rather solid suggestions as of late….”

“I know his presence has made the headmistress all too happy…”

“I wouldn’t say that…no one is certain what course of action she’ll take. Most suspect that she may want all astronomers on the field to return. But you? You need to stay put! Something terrible happened at the solstice today. There was a coup. The youngest son…an illegitimate heir took matters into his own hands! We were hoping it wasn’t true but…” she shook her head. “We may be looking at a compromised court!”

“I’ve heard,” Vitrius nodded. “Has the council spoken to you yet?”

“Not yet. But the headmistress has been rather vocal in that she suspects the crimson ones are behind it. The head astronomer for the crimson court has tried to argue otherwise. He believes that to take such actions and accusations without further investigations would be detrimental to the eons of diplomacy that both courts have used to maintain the terracotta court. But I fear that the headmistress disagrees.”

“Of course she does,” he sighed. “The Atlantean blood that flows through her veins has made her all but merciful when dealing with the enemies of the cerulean court…”

“She needs to be careful…” Naruci whispered as her voice crackled and her form flickered. “The crimson court isn’t the only court involved with this, but their astronomers are being more intensely scrutinized than the silver court’s… It’s only a matter of time before this gives way to resentment and unrest, which is the last thing the order needs now, especially when we are not seeing eye to eye with the crimson court…It could all be a part of their plan...”

“Agreed,” he nodded as he carefully sat on a nearby sofa. “Were they able to contact the Nocturnes or Myrkadius?”

“They were…but both are ‘seemingly’ ignorant of the happenings in the court. But we have reason to suspect otherwise.”

“Shocker,” Vitrius rolled his eyes. “But from what I hear they may very well be the reason why we weren’t invited to begin with…it’s an odd move no doubt, all things considered. It just makes them look more inherently suspicious and as you said they are throwing their alliance away…” he thoughtfully rubbed his chin before turning back to the figure. “You said Proxima is on the throne now?”

“For the time being it seems as if He’s been declared as temporary regent.”

“Temporary, hmm? He must have reason to believe that his claim to power is uncertain….Has there been any news on the whereabouts of the other members of the royal family? The Solaris and his children?”

“Yes…their bodies are in the current custody of the new Solaris. All save for one…Helias I believe she was the only one left alive….We’ve tried everything to convince him to let us in, but he won’t even grant us an audience. Word has it that he and some of his allies were spotted traveling across the Hyades. As in search of something…or someone. There’s rumors that Kentaurus is still out there…” 

Vitrius’s face darkened. “I need to speak to the headmistress immediately …I need to request sanctuary.”

“Sanctuary?” Naruci repeated as confusion laced her voice. “Wait…did you find?”

“He’ll need it,” Vitrius spoke. “If the court’s lack of prompt reporting or the council’s silence is anything to go by, it’s clear from the silver and crimson court’s movements, that they are preparing for some type of political action. Kentaurus may be the only thing we have to keep their plans from coming to fruition.”

“Very well…I will see if I can grant you an audience with her. But it may take a while…”

“Tell her that Princess Helias and the Cerulean court’s fate depends on it. Exaggerate if you have to. Neither of us can afford to see what the crimson or silver court has in store.”

“Asha-,” Cepheus’s voice came, breaking her away from Vitrius’s conversation. “C’mon there’s something you need to see-,”

“Alright,” she nodded. It made sense that the story’s crucial element wouldn’t be taking place here. Tau Vitrius was after all just an astronomer. Her father’s teacher who in the end had been all too anxious to cut himself off from the order. Questions loomed in her mind as she reluctantly cast Vitrius one last fleeting glance before she followed after Cepheus.

A part of her was surprised that they hadn’t gotten lost as he led her down a hall of seemingly endless beautiful corridors and rooms. Had she not known better she nearly would’ve suspected him of being intimately familiar with the castle he’d always held in such high regard. 

But then again, this was his vision, wasn’t it? And as such there was no limit to what creative control he had, even if it all had felt strangely real to her. 

“Asha?” he started once more. “Are you enjoying it? The story I mean-,”

“It’s nice,” she lied, slowing her pace as she thought over the astronomers’ conversation. “But…Tau mentioned the king being 2% star blood… was the royal family of Rosas predecessors…actually star bloods?” She came to a stop as the implications of her words hit her.

If the king had been of star blood heritage, then that must’ve meant…their powers…their abilities…did all of it come from the creatures Rosas had sworn to destroy? Better yet why would the stars attack a kingdom ruled by a starblood if they seemed to have strong ties to them? 

She shook her head, there was no guarantee that Magnifico had been a blood relative to this king or his bloodline, as it wasn’t exactly uncommon for other noble houses to take over when a royal family…unexpectedly died out… but still, she couldn’t help but wonder…did Magnifico know? Did Ignacio know? It could’ve explained the king’s disdain for Rosas’s past involving its predecessor, but it undoubtedly led to more questions than answers…

She groaned, massaging her temples. She needed to think this over when she was feeling better…or at least in a better state of mind…

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they were…” Cepheus sighed, as his voice abruptly pulled her from her thoughts. “Most of the time both human and star parents were from rather high ranking classes amongst their own kinds…so to some humans, having a star blood was the greatest gift a star could give.”

“So…why didn’t the astronomers trust them?”

“Well…” Cepheus hesitated. “Ties to powerful stars aside, Tau and the rest of the astronomers probably hated them because they sometimes created and utilized certain loopholes when it came to the order’s power…they often had ulterior motives of their own in their defiance and 

they…uh…” he paused as if struggling to say something before he came to an abrupt halt. 

His eyes scanned the hallway.

“Cepheus?” Asha asked, carefully staring at his face. She didn’t know if it was her question or something else…but he seemed to be…looking for something?

“Huh? Oh Sorry…I…got distracted there,” he apologized with a smile before turning to her. “I know we’re on a time limit here, but I just remembered something that I wanted you to see.”

“Really? What is it?” Asha asked

“Here,” he gestured for her to follow him as he turned down a corner where a pair of doors stood. With a mere flick of his hand, the doors opened as he stepped forward, and turned to her. “Asha…”

“Yes, Cepheus?”

“Look….I know that you currently have a lot on your plate when it comes to astronomy…and this might honestly be the last place you’d want to see…but there’s something here that I think you’d like…if you want to see it.”

“Alright,” she slowly nodded. “Show me…”

He let out a silent sigh of relief before slowly offering her a hand.

Letting him lead her into a dark room hadn’t exactly sounded like a safe plan, but as he said, she did need a distraction, and what better way could she get one than by doing something she’d know she’d never normally consider doing?

Silently she slipped her hands into his, faintly feeling the gentle squeeze of his clawed fingers around hers as he pulled her into the darkness that awaited them.

Had it not been for the glow of his eyes or the cape that adorned her shoulders she nearly would’ve considered the darkness suffocating. But with a simple wave of his hand, several small candles posted near the entrance ignited, faintly offering her some relief from the overwhelming blackness that had nearly swallowed them both whole.

Unlike the hallways, the ceiling for this room had been spherical, as softly glowing veins and trees grew along its glass-like walls. Light from three circular moons illuminated the room’s center, as the sound of the gentle stream filled her ears.

Her eyes traced along the small glowing constellations carved into the dark Aegean-colored stone floor before settling on the large object in the center of the room.

 “What…what is that?” she whispered, taking in the sight of what appeared to be…a telescope. 

Instinctually she reached for her own telescope within her satchel, silently cursing herself as her hands came up empty. She must’ve left it at home. Well, telescope or not, she was certain that the instrument before her had easily dwarfed hers and any other she’d seen floating around Rosas. 

“Yep!” the star nodded and confirmed her suspicions as he appeared beside her. An evident note of pride was present in his features. “The royal astronomer’s telescope.”

“So you’re really telling me that this is…a telescope?! Really?!” 

“Of course I am!” He nodded, “The observatory would be quite useless without it….”

“The observatory? So this was the place that the royal astronomers used?”

“Yes…well at least it was until the other castle was built” he nodded as he stepped around her. “But it’s pretty neat, right?” He paused, staring at several of the stone human-like statues on the edges of the room, all depicting who she assumed were…astronomers. “Generations upon generations of various astronomers used to work here…each leaving their own distinct mark in their own way.”

“Do you know who was the last royal astronomer? Or…which star they worked for?”

 He tensed as his smile wavered. “Sothis…He was the last member of the royal family to have an astronomer before the bridge was…broken.”

“Do you know Sothis?”

The star frowned, “From what I understand…he met his astronomer through Vitrius…”

Oh… Oh. 

She gulped. Unable to decide if what she was now feeling was horror or a strange sense of pride in her father. He really had taken the job, hadn’t he? Obviously, he’d survived his encounter with Polaris… But what choice did he have? As an unintended pawn in the stars’ scheme, he was only trying to protect his family, wasn’t he? She took a deep breath, trying to re-focus on her surroundings once more before she asked,  “Did…did his astronomer ever work here?”

“Maybe?” Cepheus frowned as he shrugged and briefly looked around. “I wouldn’t know….any mark he’d leave upon this observatory would be far after our story’s happened anyway. So you’re probably not going to find it here.”

“How exactly do you know this place so well?” she whispered as she hesitantly approached the instrument.

“Know it so well?” his laughter was a sharp contrast to the fear she’d felt as she examined the telescope. “Asha this is a vision- everything you see here is what I make it to be.”

Carefully she reached forward, and her finger grazed the side of the telescope. The feel of cool metal against her fingers left her in awe as she murmured, “And yet it all feels so real…”

Real. It felt real. She wondered before she’d touched it again. Encircling it, her mind took in every detail and perfection of the instrument’s build. 

Now she could only imagine the stars she’d be able to see with something like this! All the maps she’d be able to make! They’d be far superior to the ones she’d made with her father… Her chest burned as she paused. 

Her father….

What was she doing? Her father wouldn’t have wanted her to see this. He’d probably have been horrified if he’d seen the treason she’d committed, both against their people…and his best friend.

How could she have forgotten him?

She shook her head. Probably in the same way he’d deemed her not deserving enough to know, she thought. Maybe she shouldn’t be thinking about him right now.

After all, she’d come here to admire the engineering of the place, not the astronomical contents. Yes. That was all, she nodded to herself before looking over the telescope once more, this time taking note of the intricate stone carvings on its side. She couldn’t help but trace her finger along its patterns, as it trailed from the lens to what she assumed was the power source. 

‘Had the telescope also needed the spark to work?’ she wondered, and as if sensing her thoughts the star silently reached for the telescope with a glowing blue hand. His fingertips grazed against its surface as the carvings began to glow with a familiar cerulean blue as the sounds of gears turning and shifting filled the air as she stepped back in awe.

“This…this is amazing!” she laughed and looked at the star who was also laughing. “What can you see from it?”

“Moons, planets, galaxies…but, if you angle it a certain way,” he paused as he looked it over.  “You can see Earth from here….”

“You’re lying!” she gasped as he shook his head.

“Not this time. Hold on a second,” his brows furrowed in concentration as he continued to fiddle with the knobs, in a way that seemed…oddly familiar.

Wait a second…why did a star know how to use a telescope? Better yet what had he meant by not lying this time?!

Had he lied to her before?! She hesitated. Maybe he was just teasing and she, of course, was overthinking this…but then again…how coincidental was the star showing her this when she’d been asking him a question about the past? He was the one controlling this vision…so who was to say that he hadn’t done this intentionally? 

What if he- smack.

She blinked. Pain sharply ate away at her forehead as she gingerly removed her own fingers from her temple.

Yep. She grimaced as the pain from the self-inflicted smack continued to sting.  That would definitely snap her out of it.

Granted she hadn’t meant to hit herself that hard as she had a feeling that adding a permanent mark to her forehead was the last thing she wanted. 

Oh well…at least she was in a better place than Cepheus who looked dangerously close to cursing either her planet or the telescope.

She’d cast the star a glance before she knelt by the nearby stream. Her reflection in the clear water greeted her, as did the sight of a normal-looking forehead. 

She let out a sigh of relief as she slumped forward. In the grand scheme of things, a mark on her forehead didn’t amount to much, as she still had the fair to worry about…and the king, and the prince, and worst of all the assassins. 

She sighed, feeling a cool breeze pass as she tightened the cape around herself.

What had she gotten herself into? She wondered, gently pushing back a stray braid as the wind passed over her again, filling her ears with the gentle sounds of whistling and sighing, until she heard it.

So soft and quiet that it had nearly been swallowed by the breeze that had carried it.

‘Asha,” 

She froze. 

 Her eyes promptly scanned the room for any signs of life, only to be greeted by nothing more than glowing flora, astronomical tools, and still statues.

“Asha?” Cepheus called. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she lied, as her eyes briefly looked around, trying to offer her some assurance in the vast emptiness of the observatory. “How’s the telescope going?”

“Fine. I should have it ready in a little bit,” he promised before turning his attention back to the telescope as she continued to look around.

They were alone. Or so she hoped. 

But she was certain that she’d heard something, or rather someone, whose voice had been far too feminine to belong to Cepheus.

Hearing things hadn’t exactly been a new occurrence as of late, but there’d been something different about that voice from all the others she’d heard jeering and laughing in the depths of her mind that startled her.

In any other case, she’d probably have just chalked it up to something logical like stress and illness, but her constant run-ins with the supernatural had more than made her privy to the less-than-easily explained side of life.

Cautiously she rose to her feet, never once taking her eyes off the less than well-lit parts of the room where the desks resided. 

Tentatively she took one step forward, then another. It was stupid to go into an unfamiliar dark room alone, but if what the star said was true, then there should be nothing dangerous here, right? 

Or at least, that’s what she hoped as she mentally placed the star’s name on the tip of her tongue and prepared herself for what awaited her as she reached the other part of the room.

To her relief, there had been nothing more than papers and candles that had littered the seemingly ancient stone desks. Or at least that’s what she had expected. 

Her eyes scanned the rows of carved indigo stone tables neatly aligned against the wall. Each desk was adorned with various tools, books, small statues, and trinkets of past astronomers whose names were proudly etched into the side of the stone desks. Forever cementing their legacy of service to the royal family.

She’d nearly been about to pass another desk when she saw it, the final desk perched against the wall. But unlike the others that had been soothing shades of indigo, there was something of a reddish tint to this desk, as its side was strangely void of any names, and its surface absent of awards, medals, or statues. Save for the small half-melted candle and papers unevenly scattered across its rough surface, the desk was nearly barren as if waiting for the day that its astronomer would imprint upon it.

It was a rather peaceful sight, but she’d be lying if she said that it hadn’t confused her.

What was a red desk doing here of all places? She wondered, as she slowly stepped in front of it, taking in the strange serenity of the observatory’s darkness.

But the stillness before her was short-lived as she felt another breeze pass her, this time seemingly bringing the lone candle before her to life. 

She knew she should’ve walked away. But as the candle’s soft green light flickered, bringing to life the diagrams and pictures on the once-empty pages, her curiosity was insatiable.

Carefully she examined the pages, taking in the sight of an image of a heart surrounded by the various symbols and annotations of Cosmelathian.

It hadn’t seemed uncommon for astronomers to integrate other scientific fields into their disciplines, but she hadn’t expected to see biology of all things here. Perhaps it was the heart of a star? She wondered as her eyes squinted at the illustration.

‘Find it.’

What was ‘it’ supposed to be? The heart in the illustration? But if so, who’s heart was it and why did she need it?

But all logical thought seemed to leave her as she watched the words re-arrange themselves once more.

‘Do you know who he really is?’ 

She gasped, the paper nearly slipping from her grasp as she shook. Something strange was happening!

“Cepheus!” she cried, tightening her grip on the paper as she sprinted towards the center of the room where he was with the telescope.

“Asha! I was just meaning to call you!” he remarked as she keeled over, nearly out of breath. “This admittedly took…way too much but I finally got it to find earth,” he proudly smiled as he turned to her. “Wanna see?”

“thanks…but…Not right now,” she gasped as she shook her head. “I….I found this,” she held the paper forward as it floated into the star’s grasp. “Do you know what that is?!”

“Yeah…” he nodded, slowly looking it over. “.it’s paper”

“I know it’s paper!” she rasped. “But what does the paper say!”

He paused, looking from her to the paper, then back to her as if he were deciding on whether or not to answer. Finally, he relented, saying “Nothing.”

“I…I beg your pardon?” she asked.

“It says nothing,” he repeated, before facing the paper towards her. “See?”

“What?! Let me see that!” she cried, quickly taking the paper from his hands, as she hurriedly examined it. 

He had to have been joking. She prayed against all odds that he was. But sure enough, the once detailed page she’d seen was now blank, perfectly void of any and all signs of writing or drawing.

“No…this…this can’t be possible…”

“What can’t be possible?” Cepheus asked as he stared over her shoulder. 

“I must’ve grabbed the wrong one-” she shook her head as she looked back towards the desk. “There were papers full of drawings on one of the desks back there…”

“Oh, you found the astronomer’s desks?” he asked, as his brows raised.

“Yeah,” she quickly nodded, trying to ignore the nagging fear that they were no longer alone. “I did…but the one I found this from… was a red one-,”

“A red one?” the star blinked, looking at her as if she had suddenly grown two heads. “In this castle?” he shook his head with a smile. “Asha, there is no way a red desk would be here. Not in a room that was specifically tailored for astronomers of the cerulean court.”

“I know but I’m telling you what I saw!” she cried. “And I know I saw a red desk. It was empty, but there were papers on it! One that had on a heart or something!”

The star’s expression was unreadable. “Are you serious?”

She fervently nodded as she gestured for him to follow. “I am! Come on I’ll show you!”

By the time they’d reach, she could tell that something was amiss.

Where a fairly barren red desk had once resided now stood a well-decorated blue desk, proudly adorned with the various rewards, scrolls, and statues as its side read Tau Vitrius.

Wait- Tau Vitrius?! But…his desk had been on the other side of the room! How had it gotten here to replace the other one she’d seen so quickly?! This shouldn’t have been possible! This wasn’t possible!

“Oh, I see you found Tau’s desk,” Cepheus casually remarked before withdrawing some papers from it. 

“I…I don’t understand,” she whispered, looking it over. How could it have completely changed in the span of minutes that it had taken her to retrieve Cepheus? She shook her head, something was off, terribly off.

“This is my fault…” he confessed. “I take so many creative liberties at time with this stuff in an effort to make it more…humanly immersive if you will, that sometimes I think I lose sight of the little things-,” he placed the paper back down on the desk. “But are you sure that it was a red desk that you saw?”

  “Yes, Cepheus! I’m not crazy, I swear! This wasn’t the desk that was here! It couldn’t have been! The one I found was empty and red! I’m not lying I swear!” she cried, her voice growing louder with each word as she hurriedly rummaged through papers. “There was a paper of a heart here telling me to find something! I don’t know what it meant or why it said it but I-,” They both froze as the sounds of distant knocking echoed through the air.

“What was that?” she whispered. Her heart raced as she stepped behind the star.

“Ah,” Cepheus gasped as he placed the papers back down on the desk. “The rest of the story is starting to take place…” He paused looking towards her. “If you want we can stop here, maybe pick it up some other time?”

“No,” she shook her head as her gaze lowered. “I’m sorry Cepheus…I came here for answers, and I’m not leaving until I get them.”

He eyed her carefully, leaving her unsure whether her words had displeased him. Nevertheless, he nodded and took her hand as he led her out of the room.

It felt nice to hold hands again. Although she had to admit that it hadn’t felt as…intimate as it had in the bakery… could she blame him? After all she’d confronted him with earlier, she now suspected that he was only doing this in an attempt to make her happy… And embarrassment aside, she did appreciate it…. 

She shifted uncomfortably as he continued to talk more and more about the castle in an effort of what she could only assume was to either lighten the atmosphere or change the subject completely.

But after that little outburst, she had no doubt that he probably thought she was insane…How couldn’t he? None of this was real. It was all an illusion- a re-enactment that the star had provided for her. 

She doubted that she'd ever received a proper explanation for what she had, or rather hadn’t seen in the observatory, but now she could no longer deny what she now feared.

She was hearing and seeing things that weren’t there- even in a world that somehow no longer existed.

Was her mind really that far gone? Had she always been this unwell? She feared the answer, but not as much as she had feared the question that the paper had shown her. 

‘Do you know who he really is?’ 

She didn’t know who the ‘he’ was specifically referring to. Had it been the king? The prince? The star? She wondered as her eyes settled on his back.

Either way, she knew that regardless of the individual, the answer was no.

She didn’t.

At least not when it had felt like the star was hiding something from her. 

Maybe she was overthinking this. She prayed she was overthinking this. But prayer or not she couldn’t stop herself from frowning as the king’s voice began to whisper from the depths of her mind once more, ‘See?’ he teased as the star realized she’d stop. He’d turned back for her of course, pointlessly chatting away as he led her down another hallway. ‘He’s no different than I or your father,’ the king’s voice whispered again. 

No, She clenched her fists. He was different. He had to be. He even said so himself. He thought she deserved to know the truth! It was why they were here in the first place!

‘And you’d really take his word for it? Have you learned nothing from your past experiences, Asha?’ the prince laughed.

“Asha?” Cepheus’s voice emerged through the laughter. When had they stopped holding hands? She wondered as she looked down at her fingers, noticeably missing his warmth. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she sighed, fighting the frustration that ate away at her. “Just a little…tired I guess…it’s been a long day…”

“Yeah it has,” he nodded. “But don’t worry, this will be over soon.”

Why soon? She wondered. Was he that eager to part ways with her? Or worse, see Amala again? 

She bit her lip as she stepped away from Cepheus, watching as his expression changed to curiosity. 

“Cepheus” she started. “What is this sanctuary that Tau speaks of?”

He blinked, “Sanctuary? Oh. It was an act of the order’s highest power when they would step in to decide the fate of a star. Under their protection, the star was to reside on a planet that historically had been acquired peacefully. From there, they were immune to the council’s ruling and it was forbidden that any opponents of said star approach them. And as you can see, luckily for Kentaraus…Kepler was one of those planets.”

“And the stars would respect that? Even when said order had come from an institution full of humans?”

“They had to,” he replied as his expression grew serious. “The order had an entire primordial star backing them. That’s not something any star would take lightly.”

“Even the Nocturnes?”

“Especially the Nocturnes. Everyone in the crimson court knew better when it came to ‘sanctuary’. Especially at the cost of…certain punishments…”

Was that how great the order and Allepac’s power had been? She wondered. Surely it couldn’t have been anything to scoff at if they’d had one of the strongest and most influential courts acting somewhat warily. But why had he forgotten to mention it earlier? Granted she knew that the night had been all but easy for either of them…still, she couldn’t keep herself from asking

“How come you never said that this planet offered sanctuary?” she frowned, glancing at him skeptically as he tensed.

“Ah…well-” he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. “I thought you’d appreciate it more if I made the story do it for me….I didn’t know you wanted to hear it from me directly.”

He paused, cutting off her following question as he gestured towards the nearest door, gently cracking it open. 

 On the other side, she could see Kentaurus. Only this time half of his body was off of the bed, partially obscured by the shadows and sheets wrapped around him as he weakly stared at Deneb who stood nearby.

It had been hard to see at first given the shadows that had clung to his face, as he turned away but Asha could tell he’d been weeping.

She hadn’t pictured a star ever being able to do something like that, but given his circumstances, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. In a day he’d lost everything- his family, his home, his court members and if he weren’t careful, soon he too would lose his life.

“I...I understand if you do not want me to linger… I’ll leave if you wish me to,” he hoarsely whispered.

But Deneb seemed unaffected as she merely shook her head before telekinetically moving him back into the bed again. “No…I’m just here to tend to your wounds…and give my condolences… I am sorry that you have lost your family…”

He sat there silently, allowing more tears to fall before looking away. “Why did you change your name?” 

“Deneb…” she paused, as the eyes on her wings blinked in tandem. “Deneb was a name that my astronomer gave me. I’d only recently become acquainted with him nearing the end of the war when it happened. In the midst of our travels, the crimson ones attacked us. I fought back, and as an act of gratitude, he gave me a new name.”

“A new name…Arided was a beautiful name…” he said softly as Deneb hesitated before her gaze sharpened.

“There was nothing in this world left for Arided anyway. The royal family is gone and the kingdom is on the verge of breaking….but you understand how that feels…don’t you?” 

“I do…” he slowly nodded and winced as he straightened his posture. “Which is why I cannot let Proxima live any longer. He will wipe your court out of existence. It’s why the Nocturnes and Myrkadius are backing him in hopes of replacing your court with the Terracotta court… I meant to send you this earlier…but I was…afraid that my brother…” he shook his head. 

“It’s only natural he is this way,” Deneb replied softly. “He is of crimson blood. No matter what you mix them with, they will never be able to hide the madness nor destruction that their blood carries.”

“But he is also my brother,” Kentaurus weakly added as he scowled. “My half brother…”

“Half brother?”

He faintly nodded. “A good bit of the members of the terracotta court have always been loyal to us, but nothing secures relations like a being created for the sole purpose of it.”

“Who is his mother?”

“Some low-ranking crimson court noble. One with royal blood if his eyes are anything to go by,” he shrugged. “I don’t even think he knows her.”

“I suppose that explains why he staunchly stands by the Nocturnes and Myrkadies. Even in spite of sharing half of his blood with you.”

“I know…” he conceded with a heavy sigh. but it’s the only way he can receive the backing for the throne and terracotta court. The nobles have never liked him, not when his ties to the Nocturnes made our people wary of him. Even in the terracotta court where he was their acting reagent, they didn’t like him. But if I can gain enough strength, and take back the Terracotta court, then I could put an end to it.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?” she asked, tilting her head ever so slightly as all her eyes focused on him. “Unlike him, you are not of both courts.”

“No. But I am just as if not more powerful than he is. And if there’s one thing the terracotta court will always respect then it’s strength…” he paused. Softly shiting to face her. “It’s why I have come to you for help.… You have painted the heavens red with the blood of the crimson court. You’ve formulated a cure against the Nocturnes’ deadly venom. If there’s anyone in this universe who has the knowledge I seek. Then it’s you.”

“You expect me to give you this knowledge?” 

He quickly shook his head “Not without something in return of course,” he replied as she looked away. “If you give me what I need then I will be required to repay the favor.”

“You are granting me favors?” she asked as the corner of her lips twitched upwards. “And here I thought I was the one in debt.”

“You are…but…as it stands, I have no power nor position to demand anything from you. I am in your realm now…So the best I can do is make a reasonable request, by promising you payment in any way you see fit..”

If she’d been surprised, then she’d done a remarkable job of hiding it as she looked him over thoughtfully, before speaking, “I already owe you for assisting me with the network of spies that the silver court had established. But if you wish to truly repay me then I want you to give me two things in return.”

He listened quietly as she continued “If you are to take back control of your court, your power will not be as indecisive as you may think. The Nocturnes will undoubtedly use the council against you, just as he has me. So for this, I propose an alliance of sorts. You are the most numerous court in the universe, just as we are the only court that has perfected the art of countering the crimson ones’s power. If we stand together then they will not be able to use their leverage against us.”

“Alright…” he slowly nodded as if thinking it over. “That sounds reasonable…what is the other thing?”

“Second. If I am to give you this knowledge then I expect something of equal knowledgeable value in return.”

“That being?”

“Your healing techniques.” She explained as his eyes widened.“You are arguably one of the best healers on this side of the universe. If you teach me how to become a healer near your caliber then I will consider the debt between us settled.”

“Alright,” he slowly but reluctantly agreed. He must’ve known that he truly had no options as he gloomily asked her, “So do we have a deal?”

She nodded, as he held out a clawed hand that she gingerly took.

Carefully they shook. Once. Twice and then a third time just as Vitrius walked in. 

“When can we start?” Kentaurus asked as he carefully removed his hand from hers. The eyes on his wings seemingly glowing as she glanced at Vitrius. 

“Now, if you’re ready,” she simply replied as he nodded and a tray of blue porcelain tea cups carefully levitated towards them.

“Um…Did I… miss something?” Vitrius asked as he cautiously looked from one star to another, watching as Deneb poured both herself and Kentaurus cups of tea. 

“Nothing of importance,” Deneb answered, not taking her eyes off Kentaraus who solemnly stared back at her and then at the tea.

“What’s this?”

“Your first test. You must develop resistance to venom via regular ingestion and repeated exposure..” 

“It…it won’t kill me, will it?” he asked, as he suspiciously stared at the teacup.

“Not at this dosage. But I must warn you…your path to reclaiming your courts will not be easy nor painless.” Her eyes glowed as she raised her teacup to her lips. “Are you prepared to do whatever it takes?”

He firmly nodded, as he hesitantly took the cup of tea. Slowly he sniffed it, before wincing. “Yes. No matter the cost. But-”

“But?” Deneb repeated as her brow raised.

“Since we’re starting now, here…take this,” he reached his empty hand forward, slowly moving his finger as a small object materialized within his hand. Had it not been for its glowing center, and the darkened cracks that decorated its sides, it probably would’ve mistaken it for a normal, albeit very large seed.

“What is this?” Deneb asked as the object levitated itself into her hands.

“An asterius seed. It was the last thing my father gave me before we departed. I meant to keep it safe, but during some exchanges, it was…wounded…. “ his eyes lowered before he shook his head. “Nevertheless, all healers within my court must undergo a trial in order to prove their abilities. So this will be your first and final test.”

Deneb said nothing as she examined it, before shaking her head. “It is too far gone.”

Kentaurus shook his head as he lifted the cup to his lips, “Not quite,” he remarked, uttering a silent prayer before he emptied the cup in one swift gulp.

At that moment something flickered across Deneb’s face but it had been far too quick to decipher as Vitrius shook his head, and started to speak, “Your Highness, I’ve recently been debriefing with my colleagues and I’ve received word that your sister, Princess Helias is alive and in cust-,” his words turned to a scream when he saw Kentaurus keel over, black and yellow liquid spewing from his lips as he began to collapse.

Deneb said nothing, merely sipping her own tea as she gave the Asterius seed a rather uninterested look. “We have our work carved out for us.” 

“What? No sugar today?” he teased as he picked up the tea cup with a trembling hand. 

Asha wasn’t sure how many times they’d done this, but she could tell from the star’s relatively unhappy expression that he’d more or less grown used to the poisoned tea time as he sipped from the cup. To his credit, he’d done well fighting the urge to gag as he shuddered before meeting the Apsuramal’s gaze with a rather displeased one of his own. “I’m starting to think you just like to see me suffer-,”

“Not this time,” she replied as she withdrew a strange-looking scroll from thin air. “My astronomer received this today.”

His brows furrowed as he lowered his cup. “You don’t think-,”

She faintly nodded. “Unfortunately.”

That was all he needed to hear before silently taking the scroll from her as Tau Vitrius quietly entered the room. “Good afternoon Your Highnesses.”

“Vitrius,” Kentaurus spoke, as Vitrius paused. “Do you know what this is?”

“Good news I hope?”

Kentaurus smiled, as he lowered the scroll. “I like you. You’re optimistic.”

“I try to be, Your Highness,” Vitrius flatly replied as Deneb sipped her tea. “Otherwise I’d just go mad…”

“Likewise….” Kentaurus sighed as his grip tightened around the scroll. “He has invoked Full Sarukto.”

“Sarukto?! This soon after ascending the throne?!” Vitrius looked to Deneb who carefully lowered her tea cup. “He can’t do that-,”

“Oh he can, and he has,” Kentaurus sighed as he ran a clawed hand through his long hair. 

“Sarukto…is that some sort of duel?” Asha whispered to the star beside her.

“Something of the sort, yes,” he carelessly nodded as he eyed Deneb’s tea cup that she’d filled once more. 

“How long do you have?” Deneb asked.

One year,” he spoke, trying to keep his tone neutral. “No more and no less…”

“One year?” Vitrius whispered, before turning to Deneb. “Is that enough time?”

“It will have to be,” she responded. 

“Did he specify if it was a year in Earth time or Keplar?” 

“Earth,” Kentaurus answered with a heavy sigh. “It’s already a genius offer by his standards and I doubt the Myrkadius or Nocturnes would have allowed him to give me any longer…so in a year’s time….We’ll fight….For the throne, for the court, for everything. One of us will have to die”

“Are you going to accept?” Deneb asked as silence filled the room.

“I have to.” Kentaurus softly replied as he eyed Deneb’s tea stirring itself.  “To turn down a Sarukto that has this much hanging in the balance is unthinkable…But he doesn’t want me to do it alone…”

“Why do you say that?”

“This is no simple Sarukto. No. This is the full Sarukto of old, which allows both participants to have a partner of their choosing...” 

“A partner?” Vitrius repeated. “Where exactly are you supposed to find a suitable partner at this hour?”

“Nowehere” Kentaurus sighed. “Proxima has seen to it that most are dead, or if not, won’t even entertain the idea of facing off against him. Not when he has the Myrkadius and Nocturne on his side. No one in their right mind would-”

Deneb placed her tea cup down. “Then consider yourself fortunate that I am what most would consider insane.” She stood to her full height, towering over him as the antler-like edges of her crown expanded. “I will accompany you.”

“You?” Kentaurus shook his head. “No…you can’t do that! Your court needs you!”

“Yes…but you need me, do you not?”

“I know…but you don’t understand,” he trembled. “If something happens, when something will happen…I don’t think I’ll be able to save you…how could I, when I couldn’t even save my own family?”

“Then we will get stronger…both of us will train until we are confident in our abilities… both in protecting ourselves but above all else, our courts. We cannot waiver. Not when they are on the verge of wiping us out.”

“Alright…” he nodded, not quite looking her in the eye as he continued. “but promise me you will enter under an alias of some sort…just something to make them know that it’s not you… they wouldn’t take too kindly to learning of the Apsuramal’s involvement.”

“Very well.,” she replied. “You may call me whatever you wish, but rest assured I have already prepared for the worst case scenario…” she spoke as her eyes lingered towards Vitrius. “See to it that they are carried out to the best of your abilities, should anything happen.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Vitrius whispered as he solemnly nodded.

She sighed as Kentaurus fidgeted before taking another uncomfortable sip of his tea. Maybe it had been because of the recent development or the tea itself, but his skin lacked its normal hue as sweat gathered along his brow. “We will accelerate your training…come tomorrow, I will take you to the other side of Kepler. From there I will teach you every combative technique to use against the crimson ones.”

He sighed, abruptly sitting across the fire from her. “Yeah. Just thinking, I guess.”

“Understandable,” she nodded as she placed her cup down. “Care for some?”

“Is it poisoned?”

She shook her head, “Not this time.”

“You drink unpoisoned tea?”

“Rarely. But it is something of a tradition,” she replied as the kettle poured a steaming blue liquid into the teacup. “My father and I would always drink it the night before battle.”

“Battle?” Kentaurus frowned as he lowered the cup from his lips. “Who are you fighting tonight?’

“No one. I am going to be embarking in a little bit. But if all goes well, you will see me in the morning.”

“Oh,” Kentaurus relaxed as he sipped the tea before abruptly spitting it out, a string of alien words spilling from his lips as Deneb laughed. “What in the world, DENEB-?!”

“My father was never good at making the drink.” She smiled, before turning her gaze towards the ocean, “Personally, I can do better, but it wouldn’t taste the same way it did when he was around.”

“Oh,” Kentaurus replied with a brief cough as he set the cup down. “When it came to human beverages, my father was never much of a tea man. He preferred the alcoholic kind, strong drinks that most humans would choke on. The humans in our world used to host festivals with contests for their drinks that my father taste-tested. It was all fun and games until some of our peghasus ended up breaking into their stash and drinking some. ”

“They drank some?”

“Yep! You should’ve seen how they flew, they were like this-,” he traced strange patterns and loopy loops in the air as Deneb chuckled.

“That sounds like how my father flew the one time he attempted to tame a peghasus.”

“Your father rode a peghasus?” he asked as she reached for her bow before standing up.

“Once,” she nodded, as she looked into the starry night sky overhead. “I wish I had known why…But he was enamored with it…he would always tell us stories about how its wings would span the width of the heavens and how with every beat thunder would emerge! I always wanted to ride one, but I never really got the chance-,”

“I can give you one.”

“Give me one?” she repeated inquisitively.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “A peghasus…it wouldn’t be hard to find one that suits you…think of it as a gift to seal our alliance…” he noted as his hands slipped around her arms and waist, carefully adjusting her arms and angles. “I mean you already are learning how to fight like a golden star, you may as well learn to fly like one…”

“Thank you,” she said softly as she took a deep breath before re-focusing.

He paused setting his cup down as his smile seemed to vanish. “I’m…I’m sorry about what happened to your family.”

“Thank you.”

“Deneb?”

“Yes?”

“How did you get over it? The mourning I mean.”

“I didn’t. Most don’t.”

“Oh…I…I’m sorry-,”

“Don’t be,” she quietly replied as her fingers grazed the rim of the teacup. “I forgot how terrible he was at making this,” she smiled as her gaze landed back on her cup. “Perhaps If he ever wanted to start a war all he had to was just send our enemy a cup of this-,”

“That seems a bit inhumane don’t you think?”

“Against the crimson ones? Not particularly.”

Kentaurus snorted as a small smile came on his own face. “making jokes tonight, hmm? Seems like someone has her own sense of humor-,”

“Do I?” she asked, raising a brow as she took another sip of her tea. “You’re a bad influence.”

“Or,” he grinned as he leaned towards her. “Maybe you have a thing for terrible-tasting tea.”

“Both,” Deneb replied as she gulped down the last bit of her tea. “It is most definitely both.”