The Princess Rebellion (The Kyroibi Trilogy Book 2) Page 5

  “What ill effects?” she asked with a sinking sense of dread. Her father’s abstraction had been grounded since just before her birth.

  “Most begin to suffer mental breakdowns,” he explained. “It is natural for our abstractions to want to move on.”

  “Is that why Andryvessa was afraid of your stone?”

  El’iadryov nodded. “She was terminally ill. Had the stone been empty, she would have been powerless to escape its draw. That alone is enough to spark anxiety. This is also why an abstraction must give consent or be released immediately. Most who are witness to atrocities agree to stay as long as is necessary to aide in the proceedings, but still, we do all we can to keep them comfortable.”

  “But you haven’t gone mad,” Ellie pointed out.

  “Having use of this automaton body has helped, but still, I often found my thoughts drifting toward ascension. I was fortunate to have the archive, which allowed for comfort and a sense of companionship. But Ellie, in keeping my abstraction grounded for this long, I face a much larger repercussion. I am no longer simply grounded within this plane of existence. I’ve become bound.”

  “Bound?” A horrible feeling bubbled up inside her. “To the grounding stone?”

  He nodded again. “It was when I gave you the stone for safe keeping that I truly understood the ramifications of what I’d done. Without awareness, I have imprinted my pattern upon the stone. From there, I may project a portion of my abstractive root, in much the same way Rhymallian did to create the archive, but unlike the original master, I cannot ascend. Until my body is destroyed, I am to remain tethered to this realm.”

  “And your body is now the stone?” Ellie asked in confusion.

  “It is,” her father confirmed.

  “And so if you were to…” Ellie shuddered, unable to say the words she was thinking, but her father chuckled ruefully.

  “Destroying the grounding stone may in fact destroy my abstraction along with it,” he said with little emotion. “El’iadrylline, understand, I am without regret. But I do not wish to set a precedent. In time, the stone will break down on its own, releasing my abstraction back into the collective. I have done everything I can here. To stay any longer would be to subject our people to additional hardship.”

  “But then, where would you go? Earth?” she asked hopefully.

  “No.” El’iadryov smiled, bittersweet. “I must return to Ia’na Eidyn, if for no other reason than to return this borrowed body.”

  “And then what? You just sit around again, bodiless, waiting to what? Die again?”

  It all sounded terrifying, but El’iadryov shook his head and gave her a slight smile.

  “There are ways to accelerate the natural degradation of the stone. I do not plan to wait countless millennia for nature to run its course.”

  “But we’ve only just met. I…” Ellie trailed off as sadness lit her face in muted light. It wasn’t fair.

  “I’m sorry, Ellie,” he said quietly. “I did not wish to cause you suffering. I needed to discuss my situation with the Council and Temple keepers. Of course, the scholars wanted to document my experience. After all, advised or not, there is no denying I’m quite the curiosity. But staying here will only cause you hardship.”

  “You don’t think leaving will as well?”

  “I will not pretend death doesn’t leave a sorrowful legacy. If nothing else, I have been able to give your mother the peace of mind she never would have had otherwise. But even she has moved on and… let’s be honest, Ellie, my being here is not fair to her or Richard.”

  “I thought you two had a buddy bond or whatever.”

  “Richard Whitmore puts on a brave face and he does not harbor any ill will against me,” El’iadryov said with a chuckle. “He hides his insecurity well, but not entirely. It is bad enough he feels judged for being from a young planet. He doesn’t need his wife’s dead husband hanging around to complicate matters.”

  Ellie cringed. She hadn’t taken Richard’s feelings into consideration and she felt terrible. Especially considering the amount of open and unnecessary hostility she saw from so many different people in regards to Earth’s primitiveness. Still, it didn’t seem fair her father should have to go off to exile himself just for that.

  “I’m not leaving right now,” he continued, noticing her distress. “I still have a little usefulness left in me and besides,” he gave her a knowing look. “I understand my assistance is being requested for an unorthodox rescue mission launched from Du.”

  “I’m nervous about that,” Ellie admitted. “And frustrated. I can’t believe how many people just wanted to shoot them out of the sky with no concern for who they kill.”

  “Well, it’s just like that Earth saying, isn’t it? War is hell. Even out here in the supposedly civilized galactic center, escalated conflict comes with a human price.”

  “That doesn’t make it any easier to accept.”

  “I know,” El’iadryov beamed with pride. “Which is why I have every confidence that you and your ideals are exactly what is needed to bring about a humane victory for the Alliance.”

  A leaden lump settled in Ellie’s gut. Her father meant well, but his words were another reminder of how much she was up against.

  “No one said anything outright, but it was pretty obvious the council has concerns about leadership.”

  “So I’ve heard,” he said with a nod. “With the rumblings of war, I can understand the concerns. I know this will sound biased, but I hope you are able to travel to T’al Eidyn before we become too entrenched in battle. I am of the opinion that the Eidyssic observations will give you a fair overview of what you are up against.”

  “What I’m up against,” Ellie parroted darkly. “I’m not going to pretend that I’m naïve enough to believe all conflict is simply good guys versus bad guys, but I do feel a lot like I’m fighting against the Huptsovian Empire more than for the Ghowrn Alliance.”

  El’iadryov lifted his eyes, taken aback by the meaning of his daughter’s words.

  “Surely, there are some clashing ideals,” he began, but Ellie cut him off, shaking her head.

  “This is more than different ideologies on the best way to govern. I won’t speak ill of anyone, especially not family, but some of the… practices of the Ghowrn elite are barbaric at best.”

  “Ah,” El’iadryov nodded sagely. “Your mother still insists on an arrangement with the Sintarian prince?” he asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

  “I can’t believe she would think I would submit to an arranged marriage even if it wasn’t with a blowhard egomaniac like Gevandar. I’ve already refused. If they press the issue, I’ll simply leave them to their own problems.”

  “Now we both know that isn’t true.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Ellie admitted with a huff. “But,” she added with a sly grin, “I have it on good authority that there is a precedent of powerful alliances being delayed due to the Eidyssic service pledge.”

  “So there is,” El’iadryov said with a small chuckle. “I will admit that I may have twisted the meaning of the state service edict just a bit after discovering that my parents were approached about a political marriage.”

  “So this arranged marriage thing isn’t typical for Eidyn?”

  “No. But I am sure our role, that is our specific familial role, in bringing Svoryk’s empire to power influenced my parents’ decision to accept on my behalf,” El’iadryov explained. “I, on the other hand, felt no such patriotic guilt and did what I felt was best without outright defying my parents. It was not until I was given a chance to get to know your mother that we grew fond enough that I felt comfortable with the arrangement.”

  “Well, that’s all well and good, but I’ve already had the opportunity to get to know everything I need to about the overbearing prince and I value my human rights over saving face,” Ellie quipped.

  “I won’t speak for your mother, but I will say that right now, she’s in more upheaval than she’ll ever let on
. Your life is your own to live. Remember that. But do not be quick to damn the actions of those who believe they have your best interest at heart.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Ellie said with a short sigh. The urge to run was too strong to ignore. “I’m going to go blow off some steam so I can keep my head clear tonight. You will be at this planning meeting, won’t you?”

  “Of course I will,” El’iadryov said with a proud smile. “Go on, then.” He got up from the bench and gave her shoulder a brief squeeze. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  Ellie sat for just a moment longer, watching as her father disappeared into the growing crowd in the market before getting up and heading for the nearest lift to the surface. Too many thoughts and ideas crowded for dominance at the forefront of her mind, distracting her from her immediate surroundings. Elbows and shoulders jostled, adding to the confusion until a sharp jab to her hip brought Ellie back to the present and she yelped as the basket of fruit she’d struck fell from the hands of the girl carrying it.

  “I’m so sorry,” she apologized, dropping to her knees to scramble after the soft orange ovals that vaguely resembled mangos.

  “It happens,” came an exasperated and curiously accented voice from under one of the nearby vendor tables. “I appreciate the hand. Most aren’t so—oh! My apologies, your majesty!”

  Ellie looked up to see a girl who appeared to be a little younger than her, eyes wide for just a moment before she lowered her head so far her forehead rested on the path.

  “Oh please, don’t,” Ellie begged as she dumped an armload of fruit back in the basket. “I was entirely to blame and I am hardly qualified to be called royalty.”

  The girl raised her head slightly, peering at Ellie with one eye for a moment before lifting her chin to look at her head on. She wore the protective outerwear that marked her as a farm worker, but the wide, golden brown eyes peering out from under the shade brimmed hat were just as exotic as her accent.

  “But you are Princess El’iadrylline, heir to the Korghetian throne and Eidyn Master,” the girl stated in a no-nonsense tone. “I’m afraid you’re far too unique in appearance to deny your birthright.”

  Ellie felt every diode come to life in heated embarrassment. “I didn’t mean… never mind, that came out all wrong. I’m Ellie. Just Ellie.”

  The girl smiled and sat back on her heels, tossing the last of the errant fruit into her basket before sweeping the hat back off her head, revealing hair of the same shimmery golden brown. Her bright smile and fine features, which reminded Ellie of some of her mother’s contemporaries in the fashion world back on Earth, were at odds with the rough garments that were made for function over fashion.

  The girl gathered her basket and stood, piercing Ellie with a gaze that seemed to see right through her. “For all our sake, I hope you are indeed just, Ellie.”

  With a look that said far more than her words, she turned away, vanishing into the crowd of similarly dressed farmworkers, leaving Ellie confused, but certain of one thing: the girl was no simple farmer.

  Chapter 6

  Julian was not at the capital when Ellie returned. A recorded message explained that Ka’griannas had requested his assistance and he would see her that evening. Not wanting to stick around and risk the possibility of running into Prince Gevandar, she quickly changed and headed out early, hoping the change of scenery would lighten her mood.

  Like the farming village, the town square in Turss was bathed in the soft glow of filtered light. But instead of a manmade glass atrium, an exposed outcropping of translucent crystalline rock formed a natural roof far above their head. Again, she had to question the location of the capital city when there were places with such natural beauty. Surely there were other methods by which the royal family could show symbolic strength and humility.

  Turss appeared to be the Korghetian equivalent to an Earthly college town. Bookstores and cafes, plus a number of public houses, occupied the first floor of multi-storied, close packed buildings, allowing for private residences on the upper floors. Ka’griannas’ apartment was situated in one of these buildings, taking up three floors above a bakery.

  “El’iadrylline, it is so good to see you again.” Gri’s smile was wide and welcoming as he ushered her into the ground floor foyer, set between a bar and the bake shop. “It seems you’ve become an expert in navigating the Korghetian transport.”

  “It’s not unlike the trains back ho—um, back on Earth.”

  Gri’s eyes widened in surprise. “Do they run through the ground as well?”

  “In some places,” Ellie answered, going into an explanation of the different methods of travel on Earth.

  “Fascinating,” Gri marveled. “And all propulsion is fuel based?”

  “Well, some are transitioning into clean energy, and some are electric, but yeah, nothing like pulse.”

  “And with so many people. Why, it would not surprise me if the very atmosphere was visible with emissions.”

  “Uh… Well…” Even though Gri’s fascination held no admonishment, Ellie squirmed under the unintentionally harsh truth. “In some areas it is. We’re…” She nearly said working on it, but decided not to get into what would inevitably be a lengthy discussion about the myriad of human shortcomings that plagued Earth’s progress. “We’re primitive,” she instead said with a hint of a smile at the joke she knew would go over Gri’s head. “Not everyone is born with a built in teleportation device.”

  “Teleportation! That’s the second time today I’ve heard that word used to describe flash pulse. I must find out more about how these telephone devices work.”

  Ellie burst into laughter and was about to explain the difference when she paused. “Wait, where else did you hear teleportation?”

  Gri only answered by way of a telling smile before leading Ellie up to the apartment’s first level.

  “There are a couple of guests with us this evening who will be happy to see you,” he said as he opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Ellie to enter first.

  She barely made it over the threshold before she was crushed into a bear hug by two very muscular arms.

  “Oh my god, girl! Where have you been? This place is crazy amazing!”

  “Missed you too, Bethany,” Ellie gasped. “But what did my ribs ever do to you?”

  “Oopsie!” Bethany relaxed her grip, but still held Ellie by the arms. Ellie looked her over, glad to see she was no worse for wear, though there was something about her that was different. It wasn’t anything she could put her finger on, but there was definitely a change. Bethany noticed the extra scrutiny and winked. “We have got a lot to catch up on,” she said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

  “Yeah, you ain’t the only one. Give the kid some room to breathe.”

  “Vito! I mean, Vitokk!” Ellie untangled herself from Bethany’s hold and pulled the Sintarian into the hug pile.

  “Potato, tomato,” he said with a chuckle.

  “I was worried,” Ellie said. “About both of you, obviously, but you know…” She trailed off when she noticed Vitokk wasn’t the only Sintarian in the room. Commander Vonsse stood a few feet away, speaking with his first officer, who had swapped the Paisreatta space suit for an equally obscuring cloak.

  Vitokk followed her gaze and turned back with a wink. “Eh, I wasn’t too worried. It seems aside from my brother there are only a handful of SiFa royal guard who aren’t being held with the royal families in captivity. Most didn’t like a few things in my record but these ain’t normal times. The Alliance knows what I can bring to the party.”

  “Coffee? Please let it be coffee.”

  Ellie spun at the sound of Richard’s voice.

  “I didn’t know you were going to be here. I would have waited,” Ellie said, noting that her stepfather and father had arrived together.

  “I wasn’t sure if I would be welcome,” Richard admitted with a sheepish glance around the room.

  “You’ll find, Mr. Whitmore, the children of Eidyn do n
ot hold formalities in as high esteem as some other Alliance leaders. Besides, El’iadryov tells me you are well regarded on Earth for your ability to orchestrate illusions.”

  “I… never thought of it like that,” Richard stammered, caught between embarrassment over the compliment and amusement at its wording.

  “Well I never thought I’d be hanging out and casually planning a war with a famous director, in space no less, but here we are,” Bethany said with a shrug.

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Vitokk said and threw an arm around Richard, leading him over to a table full of refreshments. “And I’m sorry about the lack of caffeinated beverages, but try the brewed agila. It’s a little fruity, but it’s got a subtle kick in the pants.”

  “Is that everyone?” El’iadryov asked as Re’geya walked in with two Eidyn Ellie hadn’t seen before. She was about to note Julian’s absence, but instead raised an eyebrow as Bethany slipped away and greeted Re’geya with an embrace that was more than a little friendly.

  “Julian will be a little late,” Gri noted and motioned Ellie and the other two Eidyn over. “El’iadrylline, may I introduce our service volunteers, Yuraelli, and Bryotonnae. Re’geya, I believe you already know, though not as well as Bethany, it seems.”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you both,” Ellie said, bowing to each in turn. She had to suppress a faint glow of amusement as she met the eye of Bryotonnae, a tall, muscular, and apparently no-nonsense man whose name sounded to Ellie like the girly Earth name of Brittany spoken with a French accent.

  “We may as well get started,” said Ka’griannas after all introductions were made. He made his way to the front of the room as everyone settled into the available seating. Ellie stayed in the back, preferring to stand near the wall where she could see everything without drawing too much attention to herself.