"Peneloppe, can you sit down? We need to talk."
I hate worrying my wife of thirteen years, but this time it was necessary. This was serious, more serious than normal. This is about something that happened almost 18 years ago.
Penelope sits down on the couch beside me.
"Torin are you okay? You have been acting weird the past few days and it is worrying me."
I look her in the eyes and knew that I had to tell her the truth.
"Peneloppe there is something I need to tell you."
"What, what is it?" She places a hand on my thigh in concern.
"Almost 18 years ago I was sent to Luna for six weeks on a diplomatic mission."
"What about that trip? I know you took it, it is not exactly private news."
When I don't say anything for a moment, she asks "Torin what aren't you telling me?"
Multiple emotions grace her face in a matter moments.
"What I have never told you is what happened behind the scenes on that trip. When I arrived I met the late Queen Channary. At first sight I was immediately taken by her beauty and no-nonsense-attitude.
"After a week of being on Luna, I finally worked up the courage to ask her to dinner and she accepted. She wasn't a very good person, P, but she was different with me. She let down her walls. We took to each other straight away. Soon we were seeing each other in private all the time. We even used to sneak out to the regolith sectors to get away from the hustle and bustle of Artemisia palace.
"We fell in love, P, fast and hard. She even let me see her without her glamour on and she was still beautiful. But like everything, all good things must come to an end. A week before I left someone must have said something to her because then all of a sudden she thought I had been using her the whole time to get Lunar secrets for Emperor Rikan. I tried to her that I would never do that to her but it was no use, she had already made up her mind. I left a week later and never spoke to her again."
Silence filled the air.
"Torin?"
"Yes?"
"When did leave Luna?"
"I can't remember the exact date, but it was around mid to late march, 109 T.E."
"That is nine months before Queen Selene was born."
"I know."
"You think that you're her father, don't you?" Penelope looked at me with kindness in her eyes.
"I, I don't know. Channary to my knowledge was only with me during the four weeks we were together, but that leaves a couple weeks of wiggle room and knowing Channary, she most likely had someone warming her bed. I just don't know what to do."
"I think that we should go find out if you have a daughter," P says looking me in the eye.
She gives me a look and I knew that no matter what happens she would stand by me and support me.
~tlc~KAIDER~tlc~
"Konn-dàren, such a pleasure. How may I help you today?" Fateen asks us from behind her desk.
When left, Fateen took his place and office. I had requested a meeting in here because it was private and if there is a doctor I trust in the research wing of the palace, it is Fateen.
I look over to Penelope, who is sitting in the chair beside me. She gives me an encouraging smile and nods.
I lean forward and place the palms of my hands on the edge of her desk.
"I want to have a paternity test done."
Fateens eyes widen.
"A p-paternity? For who?"
"Queen Selene of Luna."
"Oh, you want to know the father of the Lunar queen. Well, for one we need to ask permission first. And then if we do get permission, we would need a blood sample possible father to see if the DNA matches and no one knows who it could be."
I thought she would say that.
I lower my voice and lean in even closer to Fateen, practically whispering into her ear.
"The thing is that we need to keep it private for now and if my suspicions are correct, I will tell her Majesty myself in person when she comes to visit Emperor Kaito in two weeks."
Fateen just cocks her head at me.
"And whose DNA will I be trying to match with hers?"
"Mine."
~tlc~KAIDER~tlc~
Fateen pulls gloves onto her hands and faces Penelope and I.
"Okay, well this is a fairly simple procedure. I just need to take a blood sample and put it into this computer," She gestures at the computer behind her which already has something on the screen.
"And then what?" Penelope says, standing behind the chair I'm sitting on and placing a hand on my right shoulder.
"As you can see I already have Her Majesty's DNA on the screen because we have samples of her blood from the Cyborg Draft. When I put in Konn-dàren's blood sample, his DNA will show up too. Then all I have to do is see if they are compatible."
"So you need to see if our DNA matches, am I correct?"
"Yes, now if you can please hold out your arm we can start."
I hold out the arm and feel the needle pierce my skin and see it fill with my blood. In seconds the needle is out of my arm, and Fateen is uploading my sample to the computer.
Fateen turns and smiles at us.
"Now while we are waiting for the results, I would like to know what position you want to be in when you get the results."
"Position?" Penelope and I say at the same time.
"Where you want to be. You can continue sitting there but you will most likely see the results as they come in. You can simply turn around or you can wait in the hall. I have no preference so the choice is all yours."
P and I look at each other.
"I think we will wait in the hallway, if you don't mind Miss Fateen," Penelope answers for us.
"Oh! Not at all! Right this way," Fateen says leading us into the hallway.
The hallway was quiet with two chairs just outside the office. It was a private hall and the only ones who ever come down this way is Fateen and med droids.
P and I sit down on the lush green chairs as Fateen excuses herself. We don't say anything for a few silent moments and it feels like an eternity waiting to find out if I have a daughter or not.
"What will we tell Ryan? I mean if it is true?" Penelope asks as we lean together.
Ryan Rikan Konn was our seven year old son. Born later into our lives because we thought we were infertile. Ryan was a normal boy who likes trucks and airplanes with shaggy brown hair in a manner very similar to His Imperial Majesty.
"We tell him the truth. We shouldn't lie P, it goes against our morals."
"I know it is just how do we tell him. He has spent his whole life without siblings and knowing he will never have any and then suddenly he has a seventeen year old sister? One who is Lunar and Cyborg?"
I pull away from her.
"Is there a problem with her?" I say to her angrily.
"I don't mean it like that, what I mean is that it would be a lot for a seven year old just to find out that he has a sister. But to find out that she is cyborg and lunar? Both of those are things he has been told to fear. It is just a lot to take in.
"Torin, you must know that if she is your daughter that I will love her no matter what. She is a part of you Torin, one from before we met and even though I don't like the fact that you slept with Queen Channary, it happened before we met and I can't hold it against you or her for that matter," Penelope finishes.
Before I can respond Fateen comes into the hallway.
"Sorry for the delay, I had to update your profile Konn-dáren, with your new blood samples."
My hands start to tremble and Penelope takes them in her own.
"Congratulations Konn-dàren, it would seem you have a daughter."