27. Timon
1484 Words
We're in the medical area on the ship. My parents are each on a little table in the same room. They're still covered by sheets. But Fomek hooked the blood drips back up.
"You meant a spaceship."
"Yea, I did."
"I don't know how this works."
Omar nods. "The brains are very helpful for that. You can ask them questions about the medical stuff here. They can teach you a lot. There are also a few offices here. Since you're the first doctor, I guess you get the first pick."
I motion to a brain, "Is there an apartment specifically for the doctor near here?"
"No, medical personnel apartments are in section b. If he is a command level doctor, you could place him in the command apartments."
"Yea, that'll be good. I don't want to shove him over into section b by himself."
Omar nods. "Can all commanders move the ship?"
"Only those given permissions by Kehlani."
"Who has she given permissions to?"
"No commanders may move the ship without her on it."
"I like that rule."
"Who is the captain of the ship?"
"Alden."
"So he outranks her, but he can't move it without her?" Omar scratches his head.
"Correct. She would need to give permission for that."
Alden rubs his eyes. "Well then she can't go anywhere without me."
"Master code updating. Accepted."
"WHAT?"
Omar laughs. "You can't leave without him, and he can't leave without you. That seems fair."
"Yea, I guess. As long as I can still get on the ship alone. I like being here."
"That's fine, baby." Alden kisses my head. "Does anyone else have permission to move the ship?"
"Not unless both of you are on the ship."
"That works."
Omar glances at me. "Oh I was supposed to tell you to connect to Dipak. He wanted to ask you about a man with a horn nose? I don't really know."
"I guess I can try now. Let's go up to the command area. Are they good for now?"
"Yea, they are perfect. The blood drips are good." Fomek instructs the brain. "Check the blood drips hourly. Make sure blood remains in the cup and the end of the tube is in the mouth. Let me know immediately if anything changes."
"Yes, sir."
The 4 of us go up to the command area. Omar and Fomek are roaming around checking out stuff. Alden sits in the captain's seat and puts me on his lap.
Omar glances at us. "Connect to the Celestial Dragon. The 1 with Dipak on it."
Marcus pops up in our lasers. "We found my parents. They're going to be ok."
"That's good news. We needed to ask about those horn people. Did you have contact with them before what Tye saw?"
"No. I didn't even realize more people were out there this advanced."
"Yea, we didn't either. Ok, thank you. That's all I needed. Well, Dipak wanted me to show the communication on the black boxes. Alden, there should be a black box on the side of your chair. Pick that up and hit the green button."
There's a big crash beside us.
"Sorry, my bad. Didn't realize that wasn't connected to anything."
I nod and Alden gets the box.
"There you see. Take a walk, and I'll do the communication a little more."
"Ma'am, there is a visitor at the castle for you."
"Who is visiting?"
"Tim."
I become stiff as a board.
Marcus cracks up laughing. Omar and Fomek stare at me. I watch out the window on the other side of the room.
"Who is that, baby?"
The brain answers. "Timon Conan Sandes. Chosen mate of Kehlani."
"I HAVE TO PEE." I run the hell out of there.
"DON'T YOU GO TO THE PLANET WITHOUT ME."
I don't get very far down the hallway and Alden picks me up over his shoulder. He walks into an empty apartment with me. He puts me on the couch and stares at me.
"I wasn't going to the planet without you."
"So, how do you know Tim?"
"When I was younger, before 400. He sat at my daddy's table as an advisor. I adored him. He was older and more mature. I just... I thought for sure we would be mates. I tried to see him as much as I could. My daddy figured it out and everyone liked Tim. Daddy said Tim would be a good king and I could sign a bonding contract with him. The contract stated that when I turned 400, we would take a potion that would make us mates, if we weren't already." Alden's eyebrows shoot up. "They signed it. For years, he was my escort to events. I got a few kisses out of him. I adored him. I was positive he was mine."
"But you never got physical with him?"
"That was my story. I'll tell you Tim's side now. I was an annoying little kid with a crush that he couldn't get to go away. He knew how I felt. He signed the bonding contract because it put him as 2nd in command. He could be acting king when daddy was away. He got a lot from that contract. All he had to do was escort me to the events. So he did that. He always told me I looked pretty. But he never treated me as anything but a princess. I can see that now. He never tried for any alone time with me or to see me when he didn't have to. Then 1 day, he had to go to another village for something routine. It was a couple hour trip. I heard he was leaving, so I ran down to the entrance to say goodbye. He kissed me on my cheek, through the veil and told me that he would be back in a couple of hours. 3 hours later, I was informed that he had met his mate on that trip." I shrug my shoulders. "It voided our contract immediately."
"What did you do?"
"Nothing I could do. I went to the feast the castle put on for them. I smiled and told them congratulations. Then I ran and hid. I did what they told me I had to."
"How did he take it?"
"I watched him at the feast before I went up. He was happy. When I told them congratulations, he looked relieved to be rid of me." I snuggle into Alden. "I felt like such a fool. He finally got rid of the annoying child." He doesn't say anything. "After that, I decided I wanted to wait for my real mate. Daddy said that was fine, and he would send me to school while I waited. Then Daddy gave me the magic game and I took years of magic lessons in the castle. Then I left for school when I turned 400."
"Did Tim stay as an advisor?"
"Yes, I think so. But he wasn't there. While I studied magic, I never saw him. He and his mate weren't there at all. After I went to school, Kina told me he came back with her. But I think I only seen him once in 15 years. I came home a couple of days early for a school break. I don't think anyone expected me. I only passed him in the hallway. He didn't even see me. I haven't spoken to him since I told them congratulations."
"What do you think he wants now?"
"I have no idea. Maybe word of my daddy being found has spread already. He probably wants to see him."
"Well, he's not getting up here. Let's go collect the doctors and we'll go down."
We get back to the castle and the 4 of us go to Alden's office. Everyone's already here. Except Tim. He's not in here. Maybe he left. I relax and sit on Alden's lap. Omar, Fomek, Dracul, Kane, and 2 other people are at the other end. Victor, Clark, Jenny, and Alkawn are at our end.
"So the former king and queen were successfully transferred to our ship. They will recover there. Was anything found with them worth noting?"
I snuggle back and relax.
Victor motions at him. "There a guy..."
Alden puts his finger up and Victor shuts up. Then he rubs my back.
Jenny shakes her head. "Seemed to be some old records, but everything was destroyed."
Alden moves me around, so I'm more lying on his lap. I snuggle into his chest and make shapes.
"The stairway led to a house that was rubble. Nothing there either."
"Thank you, Kane."
I must fall asleep because the next thing I know, Alden is carrying me to our house. He puts me on my feet by the table and kisses my head. "Let's get some food, and we'll go to bed. This was a long hard day."
- Writer
