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Chapter Thirty-One

VOLAN

A nger thrums through my body, pure and righteous and unbelievably powerful. All my life, everything I’ve worked towards… it meant nothing. My father never cared about our little kingdom - all he wants is power. He never cared about me, either—I was just a tool to use and discard.

The only one who ever cared for me was Maya, and I betrayed her.

After everything I did, it was for nothing.

I glance around at my bedroom—luxurious sheets on a large bed, smooth rock walls intermixed with metal doors. Food, fruit from the surface, and other luxuries litter my personal space. More wealth than I could possibly ever need… and I would trade it all just to know that Maya was safe.

I’m trapped in this gilded room, forbidden from leaving.

I glare at the locked solid metal door, barring me from my escape… and rampage. I wouldn’t claw through it even if I tried. The only way to operate that lock and free myself is by using one of my father’s toys; devices similar to the ones that Maya carried with her. Only the highest-ranking guards have those devices. I’ve never bothered carrying one, never barred from entering anywhere before.

Even if I were able to get to the other side, the King’s personal guards are waiting. ‘For my protection’, my father had claimed. No… they are here to trap me like the raving animal that I am. Even if I were able to escape this prison, there would be no convincing them to look the other way.

“You know, you should try to eat something,” Tanis says, as he sits at my desk. He picks at the food, taking the best pieces for himself. I’ve never seen him so… disrespectful. Even he’s lost his faith in me. I can’t blame him.

“Where is she?” I ask, my voice guttural.

“Your father sent her to the arena cells,” he replies. “Along with your other two companions.”

“She’s alive,” I breathe out a sigh of relief. I receive a grunt in reply.

Tanis casually peels back the skin of some fruit, completely undeterred by my aggressive pacing. He holds out a piece of fruit towards me, “Want some?”

“Of course I don’t!” I snap, slapping the offending food from his hand. It bounces across the room. “Why are you here, Tanis? Shouldn’t you be out there with the other guards, keeping me locked up?”

“I’m here for your orders,” Tanis sighs, staring up at me.

He’s never been the smartest of males, but his heart is always in the right place. I’ve never really been able to fault him for anything. His loyalty touches me.

“My orders?” I scoff. “What could I possibly order you to do? What would even be the point? It’s not like I can help anyone from in here.”

“Is that what you want to do?” He asks, leaning forward. His eyes bore into me, as if he’s trying to see into my soul. “To help?”

“All I’ve ever wanted to do is help!” I shout, throwing up my arms and pacing away. “I want to help our people. I want to help Maya. Hell, I want to help you even find that perfect mate, just like how you’ve always talked about.”

I sink onto the soft mattress of my bed, a groan slipping free. I scrub furiously at my eyes.

The luminae on Tanis’ skin pulse gently, telling me he’s happy. Probably because I admitted that I cared about the unfeeling bastard. The very bastard that thought to bring me food and drink, knowing he was likely to be turned away by the King’s guards. The only being to consider me at all after my arrest.

“I’m sorry for…” I sigh, waving my hand at the discarded fruit. “I just… Our people are dying, Tanis. Ever since we found ourselves on this planet, we’ve been rotting away in the dark. We are supposed to be warriors. We should have led the charge to the surface. We should be liberating this world, defending others from danger… and instead, we force other tribes to fight in the arena, all so that they might live another day while they battle the dangers alone. Tell me, Tanis, how are we any different from those slavers? What happened?”

“Your father happened,” Tanis replies. “And you happened.”

I huff, unable to deny him. “I’ve been spoiled. And naive. How could I not see it? All those times I was forbidden to go on patrol. All those times he turned me away, telling me I was not ready to rule. I believed him. I thought he loved me, he was grooming me to take over… but…”

“He’s your father,” Tanis replies. “You’re supposed to trust your father. As our king, we are supposed to never question his wisdom.”

I scoff. “If I’m ever being that stupid, you’re welcome to punch me.”

“Noted.”

I glance across at the male. He’s back to picking at what is supposedly my dinner.

“Oh Tanis,” I sigh, exhaustion pulling at my shoulders. I spent so many years of my life dedicated to my people, and look at where I’ve ended up--alone, trapped, and helpless. It’s not like they even care; the only one here is Tanis, and he’s eating my damned food!

“As soon as the door opens, you should just leave. Get away while you can. If I live through the night, and that’s a big if, then best I can even hope for is exile. And I’ll tell you now… I’m not leaving my mate behind. I’ll fight for her.”

And I’ll die for her. As strong as I am, I’m just a singular warrior. There is no way I can fight against hundreds of warriors. I doubt I’ll even make it to her side… but I’ll still try.

I hang my head, defeated. There’s nothing I can do. I can’t help myself. I can’t help Maya. I’ve doomed everyone.

“Of course our people care. They’ve just been waiting for a true King to lead them.”

I laugh, the sound bitter as it erupts from my throat. “A true King? Look at me, Tanis. I’m trapped in a room, sulking. I can’t fight, because I can’t even get out! It’s not like I can just command an army to stand with me.”

“Sure you can,” Tanis replies.

I raise my head, sadness touching me. He still doesn’t understand. He thinks everything is alright, just another night of me being punished for sneaking out of my room without the escort of my guards. He thinks everything will be fine in a day or two, like always.

“Tanis…”

He’s staring at me from across the room, a smirk stretching across his lips. He raises himself out of the seat, coming to stand at attention before me.

“All you’ve got to do is give the order,” he tells me. “We’ve been waiting a long time for a suitable leader to be ready.”

I blink at him. “What? Who’s we?”

“A sizable number of guards. Many prominent citizens and councilors. Even several warriors from other tribes are willing to step in. Your people are ready to support you, whenever you are ready to truly step up.”

I scrunch my nose at him, disbelieving. “It sounds like you’re saying that you’ve somehow managed to muster an army.”

“I have very much indeed mustered an army,” Tanis replies.

“But… how?” I ask. My head swirls. It’s impossible, isn’t it? Tanis? Of all beings, he’s soft-spoken and quiet. He cares far more than his fearsome appearance implies and always does as he’s ordered to.

Tanis shrugs, as if this isn’t a truly unbelievable feat. “A lot of people are unhappy. All it took was a few words here and there, and then things just sort of fell into place. I’ve spent the last few cycles doing all I can so that when you are ready to lead us to victory, so will be your army.”

“Why wait for me?” I ask. “If you truly have an army, you could have overthrown my father already!”

Tanis sits beside me on the bed, holding his hands out before him. He studies them, as if he’s trying to imagine just what he can grasp. A kingdom apparently, if he set his mind to it.

“I never wanted the throne, Volan. I’m a warrior, not a leader. I can organize fighters, but our people need someone who questions whether they deserve to lead—someone who worries about making the right choices and not someone who thinks it’s their divine right to just make decisions for others.”

“And you think that’s me? The male who just betrayed the one person who trusted him completely?”

Tanis nods firmly. “That’s exactly why. You’re haunted by your mistakes. The worst leaders are those who never doubt themselves.”

I stare at him, stunned into silence.

“You spend your time training with us guards, constantly pushing us to be better. Why? So that we don’t get hurt. When you aren’t with the council trying to convince them of things to change, you are sneaking off to patrol, even at your own personal risk.” Tanis’ luminae pulse vibrantly, lighting up the room with his passionate speech.

“Did you really think us guards were so oblivious to our Prince walking past in those ridiculous disguises? We’ve watched you. We’ve noticed that every action you do is for us, for your people. It’s never for your benefit. You actually care, and so we have dedicated ourselves to you. You are a True King. You are the one meant to lead us.”

I gape at him. All this time…

“You are a smarter male than I’ve given you credit for,” I tell him quietly, “and you are far more loyal than I deserve.”

Who is this male, and what did he do with my Tanis? We are so going to have to talk about this once I’m done. At the very least, he’s getting promoted to Advisor rather than a simple guard. Lights, I’m going to find this male a mate even if it kills me.

Tanis looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to talk. To give him an order. It’s all he’s ever done, I realize. He’s been waiting a long time for me to make this decision.

My mind is a whirl as I stare at nothing in particular, too active for me even to notice any decor around me in the dimly lit room. A pain squeezes at my chest, as if a hand was reaching out and gripping my very heart. My lungs feel tight as I try to breathe in deep, desperate for cool and calming air.

I’ve waited for this moment for years… and it’s not at all how I wanted to achieve my dreams. I imagined a joyous time, surrounded by those I cared about. Instead, I am about to declare war on the very male that’s supposed to dedicate his life to caring and protecting me. I’m about to send the very people I have grown to respect to their deaths.

“The king… is not fit to rule anymore,” I declare after a long moment, the words wrenched from my broken soul.

Tanis grins at me, the very same expression he wears whenever he’s won a particularly hard fight - usually against several opponents at once. The male is formidable—truly fearless.

I hold up my hand, stalling him. “I do not know if I am fit to be your king either, Tanis. I made a promise to Maya, and I broke it. I am not a male of my word, as you seem to believe me to be.”

“You promised to return her home, correct?” Tanis asks.

“I did.”

“Then just return her home.”

“I...” A bitter laugh escapes me. “You make it sound so easy. Sure, Tanis, I’ll just break out of this locked room, lead my new army to overthrow my father, and then escort my mate back home where she will promptly leave me. Who knows, maybe we’ll just stop by for lunch and save her people while at it! Of course, that all depends upon us actually getting beyond that locked door. Easy. Not even my father’s personal guard can open this door without one of those special devices, and unless you have one on hand, it’s impossible.”

As if responding to my sarcastic outburst, a loud click echoes through the room. Both Tanis and I freeze, staring at the door as its electronic lock disengages with a soft whir. The heavy metal door swings open so very slowly, inch by inch revealing our freedom.

“What the—” Tanis stares at the door, genuine shock flickering across his luminae. The same surprise that I feel. “Did you do that?”

“That was rather unexpected,” I agree with him.

I stare at the door with wide eyes. Every inch of my body alert. Is this the moment that my father’s guards come bursting in? Will they be here to expel me from the kingdom, to live as a vagabond, or to kill me for my treasonous acts?

My eyes land upon the equally shocked guards gathering on the other side of the door, peering in at us. Clearly, they didn’t do it.

“I don’t know about the stopping to get lunch part,” Tanis mutters. “But it seems that we aren’t fated to stay sulking in this dark room.”

The door is open. I don’t care if it was the guards, or just the Gods intervening with my fate. I can get through, and I can find Maya. This is my chance, I realize, as fiery hope runs through my veins. It burns as it rushes through my limbs, and my luminae lights up the room in response to my intense emotions.

“I refuse to be a slave to the darkness,” I say out loud. “I refuse to break or bend, and I will fix that which is broken.”

My heart beats strong at the thrill of the upcoming battle.

I’m confident as I step towards my father’s chosen warriors. They draw and raise their spears towards me, even though I’m lacking my own weapon, as a vicious and bloodthirsty smile splits across my face.

Their defense doesn’t bother me, not one bit. I am my own weapon. My father tried to stop me from training, but I always found a way, even if it involved sneaking about with Tanis’ help.

With a battle cry, I dash through the door. I lunge, dodging the first attack and ducking under the sharpened blade as it swings past my shoulder. Using my momentum, I slam my arm against the side of the blade to push it safely aside, while my body slams into the guard’s torso. He stumbles back, knocking into his companion. As the male falls with a shout, I snatch his weapon from his loosened hold. Planting my foot on his stomach, I spin my weight and body to bring the spear stabbing down towards my second opponent, as they both struggle upon the floor.

The spear sinks deep.

Silence stretches in the hallway as I look down at my enemies. I breathe heavily, panting even, as a laugh bubbles from deep within me.

“You have two choices: stay down and admit loyalty to your new King, or die.”

The males stare up at me with wide eyes, their luminae pulsing furiously in their shock. Between both their heads, the spear tip is embedded into the stone floor. I could have easily killed them just now, and they know it. They are outmatched, having become lazy over the years, comforted by their strength in numbers. Meanwhile, I’ve been training relentlessly, all so that I might protect our people if it ever came to it.

“Mercy!” One of the males stutters, shaking. I shake my head at him, ashamed at his lack of courage and strength.

The other male looks up at me defiantly, and for a moment I fear that I will indeed have to take more drastic measures. Finally, he says, “Wherever you lead, my King, I will follow.”

I stare at him for a long hard moment, tension crackling between us. Let’s be honest, I don’t trust this male as far as I can throw him; especially since he was so quick to transfer his loyalty.

“Inside the room,” I direct them, stepping back to give them space to stand. “Let’s see how you like being kept prisoner for now. We’ll deal with you later.”

With a shove, I watch my bedroom door swing close, once again becoming a cell door as it clicks shut with a slight noise. It’s rather… undramatic.

“Tanis, are you ready?” I ask my friend as he collects the other spear, preparing himself for war.

The male gives me a nod, ready to follow me to the darkest of depths. He’s lucky; I’d never send a warrior before me to brave danger that I myself wouldn’t face. But I would accept a friend at my side.

“It’s time for us to walk in the light.”

I’ve waited for this moment my whole life. I’ve worked endlessly. None of it matters anymore. Not the fame, not the riches, not even the glory on the battlefield. I don’t care if anyone ever remembers my name. Today is the day that the false king falls, and I restore my people’s honor.

Today is the day that I will chase after my little Maya.

She can run, but I will chase. She can hide, but I will find her.

I want this little female.

And I’ll give her everything that she wants - be it planet, kingdom, or even my soul.

Because one thing is certain - I love her.