"Here?" Brian asked.
"no, no, the couch goes HERE" Ilana said. Brian grunted, and shifted the furniture into place.
"on second thought, I like it better here, by the window" Ilana said after a moment's thought. Brian sighed, and moved the couch across the room to the new spot.
"then again…" Ilana said, pondering "under the skylight would have better lighting…yes, there!" she said at last. Brian moved the couch again, and stepped back.
"yes! Perfect!" Ilana said, before standing up and stepping back to look over her new dollhouse. Doll palace was more appropriate: it had more rooms than pieces of tiny furniture. Assembled by one of the royal craftsmen for her seventh birthday, which had just passed, Ilana clapped her hands and bounced on the balls of her feet inside her new day slippers, the color of blue diamond and decorated with such, which her mother had purchased for her one of her trips to the southlands. Twirling in her new dress, which her grandmother had had made for her, she hugged her companion closely.
"oh thank you Brian!" she said as she released him. Brian smiled sheepishly, a warm glimmer in his eyes which, Ilana had noticed, had grown in the three months the two had been friends.
"come on!" Ilana said, pulling Brian over towards the center of her play area "we're just in time for tea!"
Set in the middle of the room was a small table, covered in a spotless white tablecloth and set with hand-made china and tea set. Around the table, save for two seats near the head, were an array of dolls and stuffed animals. One in particular, a well-loved stuffed bear with one eye, sat at Ilana's left.
"why yes, Sir Fluffington, I would like some tea, thank you" Ilana said as she sat at the head of the table. Brian smiled to himself as Ilana motioned for him to sit. Ilana enjoyed holding these impromptu "dinner parties" for her toys. In a way, it was both entertainment and education, as she would no doubt have to do this for real in the future…and he doubted he would be so welcome then…if he was even….
"Brian!" Ilana said "would you care to join us, or are you simply planning to stand around catching flitterflies all day?" Brian snapped back to the present, and hastily sat down.
The door to the playroom opened, and Amelia, Ilana's governess, stepped inside. Carrying all the regality of a dowager empress, Amelia had been the caretaker of Ilana's mother when she was a child, and the handmaiden of Ilana's grandmother. She knew the ins and outs of the court like the back of her delicate hands.
"princess" she said with her gentle voice, kind and full of wisdom "your Grandfather has sent another gift. Shall I have it brought in?"
Ilana smiled at her caretaker, before turning back to her "guests"
"will you all please excuse me?" she asked politely, curtseying as she stood. Brian saw Amelia beam out of the corner of his eye. The woman was surprisingly accommodating of his presence, considering what he was.
"thank you, Amelia, that would be lovely" Ilana said as she walked across the room, full of youthful charm. Amelia bowed, and retreated, closing the door behind her. Brian rose, bowed stiffly to the "guests" and walked over to where Ilana stood, staring out the window at the active kingdom below. The palace's pearl-white outer shell gleamed in the midday sun. Manus Units stood at attention outside the main gates, and a few flew overhead on patrol. In the city itself, citizens on their midday strolls and lunch breaks chatted happily, with few signs of hostility. Young women admired fashions in store windows, office workers lunched on fresh fish and bread sticks, and adolescent sons of the well-to-do showed off speeders and air cars given to them by their families. A few military personnel stood out here and there in their red and blue uniforms. Guards stood at attention on street corners, their emotionless helmets giving no insight to their thoughts. Overhead, speeders and transports ushered goods and people across the city and the planet.
"(sigh) it's so wonderful, isn't it Brian?"Ilana asked as she leaned on the windowsill "everyone is happy, there's no wars, no fighting, no problems at all! It's all so…perfect."
Brian said nothing. He found that he enjoyed her happiness, and didn't want to spoil her mood with his stories of tumult below. He shifted his hand up into his sleeve to further hide a large burn on his arm that he had received only that morning, and recalled what the king had said to him only three days after he had met Ilana…
[=]
"alright, boy" the king said, glowering down at the trembling worker in front of him "my daughter clearly sees something in you that entertains her. For that purpose, and that purpose only, you are being allowed to come up to the surface. You will return to your machine to carry out your required shifts, and you will entertain my daughter when you are not. It's up to you to squeeze sleep in there. "
The king knelt, coming closer to Brian's face "you are to tell her NOTHING about yourself, understood? No injuries, no secrets, and no complaints…not that you have them…" he said pointedly, placing a hand on Brian's shoulder and squeezing "…do you, boy?"
"n-n-n-no, y-your m-m-m-m-majesty" Brian shivered, wincing in the king's grip.
"good" Fredrick grunted, before rising and walking toward his throne room "Ilana is in the gardens. Go to her. And know, 26801, that you are being watched at all times. So don't fail me. I am certain you understand, yes?"
"y-yes, sir" Brian stammered.
"good."
[=]
"what could it be?" Ilana's voice snapped Brian out of his thoughts. He looked over to where a pair of chamber servants had brought in a large package, bigger than one of his toolboxes, and placed it on Ilana's play table, apart from her dinner guests.
Ilana carefully removed the paper from the package, to reveal a polished cedar box, inlaid with silver inscriptions and a carving on the cover that looked like Ilana.
"open it, princess" Amelia said, before stepping away. Ilana looked up at her governess, then at Brian, before gently reaching out and opening the box.
All of a sudden, a gentle sound drifted from within the wooden confines, and a pale blue glow emanated from the figure of a woman, dressed in a flowing white gown, that rose from the center of the box, and began to mover body in rhythm to the sounds. Both children's eyes widened, Brian's more so. He could not define this sound. The cacophony of noise in the machine rooms did not give off gentle vibes like this. It wasn't an alarm. And it wasn't the electronic beeping of a system scanner….what was it?
"oh!" Ilana gasped in delight "it's just like the Winter Princess!" Brian's train of thought flew off the rails at Ilana's comment.
"the what?"
Ilana froze in her glee, before turning away from the music box to face Brian.
"you've never heard the Winter Princess?" Ilana asked, unbelieving.
"no" Brian said simply. Ilana stared at her friend. She knew by now that Brian was VERY different from her, but he had never heard one of the classic Galalunian stories...?
"come with me" She said, standing up and grabbing Brian's hand before reaching across the table and clutching Sir Fluffington. Brian followed her as she dragged him out of the room, into the main royal chamber.
"Mommy!" Ilana called as she ran into the royal lounge, Brian hanging off one hand and sir Fluffington in the other "mommy, could you read me my story a little early today?"
Maria smiled down at her daughter as she ran up.
'Now, Ilana, we agreed that..." she began but Ilana shook her head.
"no, no, not for me. for Brian!" she said as she tugged on the young worker's hand "he's never heard it! ever!"
Maria looked harder at the young boy whom Ilana had come to adore, and sighed.
"very well. I suppose we can read a story a little early today." she said as she turned and walked toward a large bookshelf. Ilana squealed in delight, and dragged Brian over to the window before sitting down. Maria brought a well-worn book over to the two children, before sitting down on the floor, her skirts pooling around her. she opened the book, and began to read.
"long ago, in a distant land, there was a beautiful princess. She was kind and gentle, and beloved by her subjects, and she in turn brought joy to them. The kingdom was rich in goods, and enjoyed peace with the kingdoms around it. The princess made sure to care for all her subjects, and she made her father, the king, very proud. Her kingdom prospered, and warmth and love spread through the land.
But north of the kingdom, in a land untouched by the light of the sun, there lived a powerful but cold warlock. He commanded mighty powers, and vast armies of demons and monsters. But His heart was frozen, as he knew no love, and none loved him, as he ruled through fear and hate. The warlock looked down upon the kingdom and was jealous of the riches and laughter of the people. He saw the princess and envied her for her happiness and how her people loved her. He desired that love for himself.
The princess secretly loved one of her subjects greater than any other. This man, a simple but mighty warrior, was a member of her royal guard, who protected the princess from danger. She dreamt about this warrior in her sleep, and watched him from afar as she was awake. He always put the good and safety of his fellows and the people above his own life.
One night, the warlock sent several of his warriors to kidnap the princess. They struck as she slept and attempted to carry her away. But the warrior, ever vigilant, heard her cries and sprang to her rescue. He managed to drive off the kidnappers, but not before he was struck by their blades. The Princess brought him back to her own royal chambers, and cared for him, nursing him back to health through her own love and compassion. As the warrior regained his strength, the king could see in the princesses' eyes her love for him. Realizing that the Warrior brought great joy to the princesses' heart, he made the warrior his daughter's personal bodyguard, so that the two may be together at all times.
Meanwhile the warlock raged. His anger and his vast powers generated great storms that lit the skies and struck fear into his helpless subjects. He was tempted to unleash his vast demon armies upon the kingdom below…when he stopped. And he pondered.
Looking through his well of visions, he saw the princess and the warrior, each one bringing joy to the other through their companionship. An so the warlock once again stopped. And he pondered.
Then, he had an idea. An awful idea. A cruel smile crossed his face at his wonderful, awful idea. Turning to his chambers of creation, he began to conjure a powerful new demon from the depths of his frozen heart. The mixture coming together, the warlock unleashed his brew as a sinister cloud.
Below, in the kingdom, night had fallen, and all was quiet. No one was able to see the thin, dark mist that crept through the streets, seeming to encircle the royal palace.
In the princesses' bedchambers, the warrior stood, proud and strong, as the princess slept. He did not notice the thin tendril of swirling, dark fog that crept through the window, and suddenly launched itself across the room to wrap itself around his head.
All of a sudden, the warrior felt himself as if awakening from a deep sleep. His eyes widened, as, all around him, what had been pristine and orderly was thrown into chaos. The princesses' bed was overturned, her sheets strewn about. His eyes widened when he saw them stained with blood. Then, he heard the princesses' screams of terror. Dashing to the window, he watched her being carried away by a brutish beast, as she screamed, hammering away at its armored back. Climbing to the windowsill, he leapt to the wall and began to pursue the monster.
The warlock watched from his well, sneering as the delusional warrior leapt from the castle wall, charging across the rooftops as he followed the warlock's phantom creature. The princess slept peacefully, not knowing her beloved was racing to his doom.
The warrior followed the monster, running and leaping as fast as he could. But despite his efforts, he could never catch up with the monster. He was amazed that no one else could hear the screams of the princess, but determined to save her from this beast.
eventually, the monster left the city limits, dashing out into the country, and finally into the mountains to the north. The warrior followed, undaunted and unafraid. As he chased the monster up the highest peak, he smirked. The monster seemed to be tiring. The he gasped. the monster had vanished.
Impossible! The warrior thought. How could such a creature simply vanish?
Climbing up to the last spot the monster had been, the warrior found himself looking into the mouth of a cave. Rushing inside, he finally found the monster, standing before a large pit.
Release the princess! The warrior barked. The monster turned….and suddenly turned into a cloud of smoke, before vanishing into the walls of the cave. The warrior was stunned by this, before racing to where the beast had left the princess.
"princess!" he cried "are you alright?" the princess slowly raised her head….then sneered cruelly at him, before vanishing into the shadows.
"welcome" a cruel voice said, as the warrior grabbed at empty air "to your destruction!"
The warrior spun, drawing his sword, and faced the warlock, whose hands glowed with dark energy. As the warrior raised his sword, the warlock sent a powerful blast of energy towards him. Before the warrior could avoid it, it hit him and passed through his chest. The warrior gasped in pain as his heart became encased in ice. The warlock laughed cruelly as the warrior collapsed.
"now" the warlock said, as he used his dark powers to seal the warrior in a prison of ice, "for the next phase of my plan…"
Many days passed, and the warrior's disappearance had the kingdom baffled. The king sent out search parties everywhere, but no trace of the warrior could be found.
The princess's sorrow cast a pall over the kingdom. The skies became overcast, and the rains fell like her tears. The warlock watched through his well, sneering at her sorrow, preparing for his triumph.
[=]
The Princess stood on her balcony, looking up into the dark sky, tears slowly falling from her eyes. All of a sudden, something floated down from the sky, and she reached out and grabbed it…then gasped as her tears flowed anew.
It was a piece of the warrior's uniform. Painted on it, in what she miserably assumed to be her beloved's blood, was a compass rose, with the "N" for North circled.
"Father!" she cried, dashing to the throne room.
[=]
The king amassed his army, and sent them marching north, intending to free the warrior from the warlock's clutches. As they approached the mountain, however, they found themselves set upon by a horde of vicious beasts and forests of frozen thorns. They had no choice but to retreat.
The Princess meanwhile, grieved for her loss, and the losses of her people. She heard their moans and cries in the night, and in doing so came to a realization.
SHE was the one the Warlock wanted. Why else would he take the one man with whom her happiness, and by extension the kingdom's happiness, rested?
And so she made a plan.
One night, as the kingdom slept a fitful sleep, thunder clouds rumbling to the north, the Princess slipped out of the palace. Clad in simple clothes, she dashed north, knowing, without any directions given, where her love was held.
As the princess raced north, the Warlock watched, cackling, as he unleashed the next phase of his plan. Once again, a mist passed through the streets of the kingdom, this one coating everything it touched in frost and ice. The people, happily asleep, found themselves thrown into endless nightmares, unable to awaken.
The princess, as she climbed the mountain on which her beloved was held, suddenly looked down and saw the mist clouding the kingdom below her. She stared, horrified, but she knew she had to press on.
She climbed ever higher, shivering as the air grew colder and colder. Ice began to appear on the rocks, and, as she clambered over a rise, she found herself in a tumultuous village of clapboard houses haphazardly built in a cramped space between the rocks. Dim lanterns flickered in the windows, which blew out as she passed.
"hello?" she called "is anyone here?"
No one answered. The buildings themselves seemed to shrink away before her.
The princess knew that no one would aid her out of fear of the Warlock, and so, with a sigh of sadness, pressed on.
The princess shivered in the cold that surrounded her, blowing through her clothes and biting into her skin. She began to lose hope in her mission…when she looked up.
There, before her, was the palace of the warlock. Tall towers and buttresses looked like they were carved out of the ice and rock of the mountain. The gate was open and the drawbridge down, as if…he had been expecting her.
The Princess slowly approached the gate, looking around for guards, monsters, or traps. Seeing one, she ran through the doors, and into the deep recesses of the palace.
She was immediately confronted with a set of stairs that spiraled downwards. Down, down, down she went, each stairway becoming tighter and tighter.
Finally, when she thought there was no further down to go, she came to a large, open chamber. A balcony with a pair of staircases stood at the far end. And in the middle, where a fireplace normally would have stood, She saw the warrior in his prison of ice.
The Princess ran to him, holding back her tears as she tried to rouse him from his slumber.
"My love, wake up, please, awaken! We must leave this place of nightmares and sorrow!"
"INDEED!" a voice roared. The Princess whirled, and saw the Warlock standing on the balcony. A sneer was plastered across his face, and the princess heard the storm rage outside.
"good evening princess" the warlock said "princess, who's kindness and love is revered throughout the land." He walked down the stairs, never taking his eyes off her " come to this place, where there is not love or warmth to be found."
"what do you want with me?' the Princess demanded, as she stood to shield the warrior's helpless form.
"what do I want?" the Warlock said innocently. He was silent for a few moments, as if pondering.
"what I desire" he said at last " is for you to become my queen, and bring your love to my kingdom."
"what?" the Princess shouted " Never!"
"no? " the warlock said "for too long, my people have wasted in this frozen hell, knowing no compassion or warmth, as no matter what I have tried, I have been unable to lift the storms that plague us."
He walked to a window that materialized in the far wall, and looked out into the howling wind and snow.
"would you leave these people to this?" he said, gesturing to the storm. The Princess, however, was not looking. Her eyes were fixated on the frozen form of the warrior. The Warlock growled
"alright, how about this" he went on "I have trapped your kingdom in eternal frozen slumber, in which they will remain…unless you agree to become my bride." He walked over to the princess, and looked casually at the frozen warrior "I will even free your champion, to live his life as he see's fit, free of all worries. As he spoke, his reached out and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. She shivered at the coldness of his touch. " Surely, this is a simple price to pay?"
The Princess considered. Her people were in danger, as was her beloved…surely, she could…
Suddenly her face hardened as she looked up at the warlock.
"MONSTER!" she cried suddenly as she struck at the Warlock, throwing him away from her "one so evil as you is not worthy to be my prince! One who would try to manipulate my mind with his spells!"
the Warlock stood, looking at her in disbelief. No one had ever overcome his mindspell, never! Anger built in his frozen heart at her rejection.
"why?" the warlock raged "you love all others without hesitation! You show mercy to thieves and compassion to murderers! And yet you look upon me, who was unloved and unwanted by even his own mother, with such revulsion! WHY?"
The Princess cast a long look into the warriors empty eyes, before stepping away to face the warlock. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes.
"your heart' she began slowly "is apart from those in my kingdom who do harm to others. They act because they feel cheated, or because they feel they have no choice. But you…you act knowing full well that innocents will be harmed, and you go forward anyway." Her face scrunched in anger "you kidnapped the man I love, to force me to come up here, and you expect me to just fall into your hands out of pity?" her anger dissipated as fast as it had come "you need more than pity. You need love…but it is not a love I can provide…nor is it the kind you want."
The warlock stared at her. She DID love him…but she was right, her logic was sound….it was not the love he desired, the love of warmth and contact and connection that he had been denied. Confusion and anguish ripped through him, filling him with pain at her rejection. And so, he fell back on his crutch: anger.
The Warlock roared, his rage unleashing in the form of a blast of energy.
"if you will not love me, then DIE!"
The princess closed her eyes, a single tear falling, knowing she had failed as she turned and shielded the warrior's body.
Then, just as the beam was about to strike, a shield of red energy appeared, deflecting the blast away.
"what?" the warlock cried, throwing another blast. This too was deflected.
"how is this possible?" the warlock cried, throwing another pair of blasts, both of which were deflected.
"because…" the princess began, realizing what was happening "your power is built on hate. You have never known love. And my love for my dearest is stronger than your hatred." She turned to face the trapped warrior "and now, I know what I need to do"
As her heart beat with love, the princess pressed her lips to her beloved's frozen face….and the warmth of her heart melted away the curse, freeing the warrior from his icy tomb. Overhead, the clouds parted, and the sun shone through the newly opened mountains, shining on the isolated valley. The peasants came out and cheered, reveling in the light.
The warlock, stood, stunned at the sight of the sunlight twinkling and glistening off the melting ice that covered the mountains of his kingdom, slowly reached his hand out into one of the beams of that shone form the sky. It's strange warmth suddenly filled him with an unfamiliar emotion: regret. With a gasp of anguish, he suddenly felt his knees weaken as warmth flowed through his veins for the first time. He now realized the full extent of what he had done.
"I see now" he said "that one cannot force true love. It must be earned." He looked back to where the princess was helping the Warrior to his feet. He turned away in shame.
"Go now. Leave me, but never each other. I will do what I must to atone…if it is possible."
The princess looked to the Warlocks' face, highlighted in the sun. She could see now, with his face no longer hidden by shadow, the deep lines of sadness and guilt. She smiled lovingly at the warrior, before she released him and stepped over to the warlock, who was surprised when she gently wrapped one of his hands in her own.
"for too long, you have hidden in shadow" she said "when you could do so much good with your power…." She pulled him towards the entrance of the cave, where the sounds of cheering could be heard below. They looked down, the warrior joining them. The people, who had so long lived in fear, now cheered loud and long at the sight of their ruler, facing this change not with wrath, but with kindness.
"come with us" the princess said, surprising the warlock further "and we will show you what love truly is…"
[=]
several days later, the Warlock, surrounded by guards, was seated as a guest of honor as the Princess and the Warrior were wed. as the two ran happily from the chapel, the crowds of people roaring in approval, the Warlock stood, and unleashed another spell. This one, however, did not unleash chaos, or fear. The crowd cheered further as the sky filled with light and color, and harmonious sound filled the square. The Princess and her new prince looked on in joy, as the royal carriage carried them off into a life of happiness and peace.
[=]
"the end" Maria said as she closed the book, and looked down at the two children. Ilana had fallen asleep, her hair poofed out as she leaned against Brian's shoulder, a smile on her face. Brian stared up at her, his eyes fill of awe.
"did you like the story?" Maria asked kindly as she stood to place the book back on the shelf.
Brian could only nod, before he looked down at Ilana. Maria saw his eyes seem to glow, as an expression of adoration began to creep across his face. Just as suddenly, he seemed to snap out of it.
"well, we'd better get our little Princess to bed" Maria said, as she gently lifted Ilana's tiny body off of Brian's shoulder and into her arms. For a girl going on eight, Ilana was rather small. Maria was slightly worried about that, but the royal doctors had assured her that it was a minor issue, and she would have a normal growth cycle.
"okay, um…." Brian wavered, before bowing "goodnight, Your Majesty."
Maria smiled down at Ilana's friend, before giving a small bow in return so as not to wake Ilana.
"I'd…better be going" Brian said hastily, before turning and rushing out of the room. Maria heard the hiss of the maintenance hatch opening and closing quickly. She paused. She had been tempted to ask him to stay, but she shrugged, and carried the dozing form of her daughter back to her bedchambers.
[=]
Maria tucked Ilana into bed, and was reaching for the lights when Ilana moaned and her eyes drifted open. Maria withdrew her hand as Ilana roused herself from her sleep, looking around as she became aware of her surroundings.
"mommy? Where did Brian go?" she asked immediately as her eyes fell on Maria.
Maria smiled at her daughter "you fell asleep, sweetie. He had to go to work."
"oh" Ilana said, looking downcast. Maria caught it at once.
"so, why don't you tell me what you two have been doing?" she asked. Ilana's head snapped up, a smile beaming across her face.
"well, today, we went out into the stables, and I let Brian feed one of the racing ponies! It bit him after that, but he still laughed. He said he'd never been bitten before, and he guessed it wasn't something he would miss." She giggled for a few moments "after that, we ran around in the gardens, and we played on the mayspinner. Brian can always get it spinning so fast, it's so much fun!"
"after that, it got a little rainy, so we came inside, and we read a few books. Brian never knew reading was so much fun…I think he's still trying to figure out what "fun" means: he keeps asking what the point of something is every now and then. Then, I looked up, and Brian was climbing on the ceiling supports!"
"he was doing what?" Maria asked in concern.
"I know, I was scared too. But he didn't fall. He Jumped!"
"really?"
"yes! He jumped, and did an amazing somersault, and then jumped off one of the bookshelves, and landed on his hands! His hands!" Ilana held up her tiny palms as if to demonstrate "he was so amazing, like one of those acrobats on the harvest festival! I asked him to show me how to do it…but he said you wouldn't like it if he did that."
"he was right" Maria said "I don't want you doing dangerous stunts like that, understand?"
"uh-huh" Ilana said, before continuing.
"the rain had stopped by then, so Hobbes took us flying in my airskimmer! Brian liked it a lot: he's never been up in the air before! He stared to say something about the machines, be then he stopped….."
Ilana's face suddenly fell, as if she had remembered something bad.
"What? What is it?" Maria asked in concern.
"it's just…sometimes, when I'm telling him about things, I look up, and he's just…staring at me, and…he looks so sad…" Ilana said, starting to tear up a bit "… like he's forgotten something really important, but he doesn't know what it is." She let out a hiccupping sob, as Maria hugged her close.
"I just want to cheer him up…he seems so sad all the time." Ilana said. Maria thought about when she had summoned Brian from the machine halls. He had appeared, covered in grease and oil, almost unrecognizable. She had asked him to get cleaned up, and he had reappeared, spotless, only a few minutes later. There were MANY mysteries about Brian's life, that she knew no one would ever know….
"you should stay close to him" she said to Ilana "…keep him safe. He's very special"
" I know he's special" Ilana said, rubbing her nose as her tears subsided "why do you think so?"
"because he makes you smile, my little buttercup!"
Ilana giggled as Maria playfully poked her nose.
"oh, Ilana" Maria said as she hugged the princess again "you're growing up into a beautiful angel of a princess. Your father and I are so proud of you."
"I love you mommy"
"and I love you, Ilana."
Ilana suddenly got a mischievous gleam in her eye "but that doesn't mean I can't TICKLE YOU!"
"Ack! No!" Maria giggled as the two dissolved into a playful tickle fight.
[=]
deep below, Brian had just enough time to catch an hour of sleep before his shift started. The klaxon blared flatly, and he set off with the mass of other Workers to his station.
'well, well" a familiar voice said "got bored of hob-nobbing with the uppers eh? Decided to slum it down here?"
"Alfred" Brian said, turning as the blond head of his friend, 26802, shouldered through he crowd. "how'd your neck?"
"better" Alfred said flatly, as she fell instep woith Brian "so, how's the littlest princess?"
"she's fine…"
"well, that's sure swell. It's good to know that your time that 's reserved for you to sleep and eat and do other necessary things to survive is now being monopolized for the amusement of a little girl…"
"HEY" Brian growled "it's not like that. Ilana's very nice. She's shown me things we could never have imagined! There are other worlds, Alfred! Other planets with people, who don't have workers to run the machines for them! And the food!"
Brian smiled as he described "iced Cream" to a disbelieving Alfred, and a few other workers who were listening in.
"so…it's a sweet, frozen food, with no nutritional value, and yet they eat it anyway? Why? What's the point?"
"yes!" Brian said "I was the same way, but Ilana's been explaining to me that not everything on the surface has to have a point, like down here."
Alfred was silent for a few moments.
"wish I could try some of that iced cream" he mumbled. He looked up at Brian 'do you think you could…?"
"sorry" Brian said sadly "the king expressly forbid me from bringing anything down, or bringing anyone up."
"indeed." Alfred said, bitter again "fat bastard. I bet he stuffs himself with that stuff all day…"
"Alfred" Brian said, putting a hand on his shoulder "we need to be patient. Ilana's already said that she would do something about us when she is older and able to make decisions. She's too young now."
"tell her to hurry up." Alfred said as his station came up "I'll wait…but not much longer."
What frightened Brian more were the mumbles that accompanied Alfred's statement from a few other workers.
[=]
The next afternoon, Maria was preparing for an upcoming visit from Fredrick's mother, the dowager empress, when one of the servants slowly approached."I beg your pardon, milady, but there is a matter I think you should be made aware of."
Maria turned to follow the servant's gestured finger…to see Brian, standing alone and looking quite forlorn just inside the doorway.
"oh dear' Maria said to herself.
[=]
"Ilana's not here?"
Maria had led Brian into one of the drawing rooms of the palace, whre she had sat him down to tell him what was happening.
"No, sweetie, she had to leave suddenly." A little TOO suddenly, Maria thought bitterly as she recalled Fredrick suddenly telling Ilana that the two of them were going to visit one of her uncle's just that morning. "She won't be back until Tomorrow."
"Oh…okay." Brian shifted uneasily "i…I should be going, I guess" Maria sadly watched the boy shift uneasily, before he stood, bowed, and turned to leave. As he did so, however, Maria saw a red stain on his sleeve, and something dripping onto the carpet from his hand.
"oh my goodness, Brian, you're hurt!" Maria said, coming to her feet at once and rushing over to the boy. She got down on her knees and tried to ignore the look of blind terror that crossed Brian's face.
"here, let me look at that" she said, gently pushing Brian's' sleeve up…to reveal several more raised scabs that indicated recent injuries in addition to the bleeding gash that crossed the back of his hand.
"goodness gracious, Brian what happened to you?" Maria asked in horror at the sight.
"it's nothing. I'm fine" Brian said, fear dripping off every syllable.
"no you're not. You're hurt. Here let me get a med-kit-" she began to say, but as soon as she took one of her hands away, Brian wrenched himself free of her grip and fled down the corridor.
"wait!" Maria called after him as she stood. She saw two guards standing at one of the doors nearby "stop that boy…gently!" she added quickly. The soldiers moved to intercept Brian…only to be caught flat-footed when Brian jumped, ricocheted off the wall, flipped over the faltering soldiers' heads, and continued his sprint unimpeded.
"follow him!" Maria ordered as the embarrassed soldiers tried to regain their composure.
Maria knew the hatchway Brian used to enter the Palace was behind her, so Brian must have been looking for another way to escape.
"contact the guards in the garden. Tell them that Ilana's worker companion is trying to escape, and may use the garden hatchways. He is NOT a threat, but restrain him, gently. He's scared out of his wits."
"yes, milady" one of the soldiers said as he relayed the instructions.
"try to get him into a room. Do NOT approach him if you succeed, he's terrified."Maria went on, as she came to an intersection and looked around. Brian was nowhere to be seen.
Maria walked quickly down several more corridors, calling Brian's name, and forcing the soldiers to do likewise. For over an hour, the three, accompanied by other guards and servants, searched the palace interior for Brian.
"milady, the boy was seen running into the dining hall. We've sealed the exits, but have not approached, as you instructed." One of the soldiers said as he took his hand away from his comm. Device.
"Thank you" Maria said, as she ran off into the east wing of the palace.
[=]
Maria and the two guards entered the chamber to see a group of servants clustered around a large table in one corner of the room. They bowed respectively when they saw the queen, but kept their eyes on the shadows under the tablecloth.
"move aside" Maria ordered. The servants scrambled clear as she ducked down on her knees and, gently lifting the material, looked under the table.
Brian was curled up in the dark corner, trembling in sheer, petrified terror. He stared at her through wide eyes.
oh Fredrick, she thought to herself what have we done to these people?
"Brian, why don't you come out of there? No one's going to hurt you."
"even through his shaking, she could make out his vigorous headshake.
"please, Brian" she pleaded " I want to help you. You're hurt. Let me take care of you."
Brian's eyes seemed to become wider, and his shaking became less intense. Not much to say, as he was still shuddering violently. For several long, tense moments, nothing was said, as Maria tired to put on a face of comfort and safety.
"w-why are you doing this?" Brian finally asked, his voice shaky.
"Because you're hurt, and you're Ilana's friend" Maria said reassuringly; she hoped mentioning Ilana would calm him down. It seemed to work: Brian stopped shaking, and slowly began to inch out of his hiding spot.
"that's it, come on" Maria said in a motherly way, wondering off-handedly if it would work on Brian. She reached out one of her long, delicate hands to the boy. He stared at it, before he raised his own appendage, which still shook violently. But he accepted it.
Maria was struck by how rough his skin was for someone so young.
[=]
The servants stared as Brian slowly edged out form under the table. Maria took his hands in her own, and helped him to stand. He stared up at her with wide, sad eyes. He looked utterly confused.
"what are you all staring at?" Maria barked at the servants 'one of you get me a med-kit. Go on, shoo!"
The servants snapped back to reality, and, still casting off-hand glances at Brian, all but fled the room.
"hmph" Maria huffed as she turned back to Brian. One of the soldiers ran into the room carrying a field medical kit.
Brian, would you sit on the table, please?" Maria asked as she opened the box. Brian complied without hesitation.
"now, let me clean you up" Maria said as she pushed his sleeve back and applied antibiotic cream to the gash on his hand. The spot hissed for a moment as building infection was counteracted, but Brian didn't even flinch. As Maria waited, she rubbed a dash of the cream on some of the scabs that sat on his forearms.
"alright, now you need to keep this clean or else it won't heal" Maria said as she wrapped the hand in a clean white bandage "do you have gloves you can wear?"
Brian shook his head .
"only foremen get gloves" he said simply. Maria scowled.
"that's not right" she said "you should all have gloves for the sort of work you do." Brian merely shrugged. As Maria finished, Brian leapt onto the floor, and looked over her work.
"thank you" he said "I guess I should be going now?"
Maria looked at the boy. If he was here to play, he had just gotten off shift, which meant he was probably exhausted
"why don't you stay here and rest for a while?" Brian stared at her with wide eyes, and Maria feared another chase.
"w-where would I stay?" Brian stammered. Maria smiled.
"follow me" she said, leading him out of the room and into the guest wing of the palace.
"here" she said as they came to a door, that opened into a moderately sized room, with a good-sized bed and large windows.
"I can…stay here?" Brian asked, looking around the room.
"correct." Maria said. "Why don't you try and get some sleep for a few hours?"
Brian looked up at her, before looking around the room again. He then turned to face her.
"yes, your majesty" he said, bowing to her. Maria smiled, before looking over Brian's dusty worksuit. "here, why don't you get out of those clothes and get comfortable. I'll have one of the servants clean them up for you."
Brian grabbed at his clothes protectively, looking down at the well-worn material. Maria found herself wondering if he had ever taken the one-piece gray suit and black boots off before.
"o-okay" he said at last, seeming to warm up to the idea. Maria smiled again.
" leave them in the corridor. I'll come check on you in a few hours." She said
[=]
Several hours later, Maria quietly entered the room, dressed in a nightgown and robe as she was preparing for bed herself, and was surprised to see that the bed was empty, and perfectly made.
"Brian?" she called out gently oh dear, I hope he hasn't run away again.
Over here, your majesty" she heard his voice respond. Maria walked around the bed, and stopped when she saw Brian curled up with one of the smaller blankets and a pillow in the corner of the room.
"Brian?" she asked, confused "why are you on the floor?"
"I'm sorry" Brian said, genuinely sad "I don't mean to be ungrateful, but I just couldn't get comfortable."
"we can get you another bed, you don't have to sleep on the floor"
"do you have any bricks? Or some rocks, those would work too.' Brian asked the question it so casually that it took a moment for the message to sink in. Maria felt her knees shudder under her nightgown.
"Brian…" Maria asked, as she sat on the bed to steady herself "do you…really, sleep on rubble? Piles of bricks?"
"yes" he said it without flinching, without sounding bitter, without any emotion at all, as if he was describing the paint color on the walls. Maria put a hand to her mouth to stifle a sob.
"sometimes others are sleeping on top of me" he went on "if I'm luck, I'll get a spot that's indoors, so the leaking water won't get to me." Maria just stared at the boy, who looked sad again, and squirmed uncomfortably, as she noted he often did when scrutinized.
"Well, if you are going to sleep on the floor, then so am I" Maria said, as she got down, her nightgown pooling about her, to lie down beside Brian. Before she could even react, Brian had already placed the Pillow under her head and positioned the blanket over her.
That's when she saw them. As she had asked one of the servants to clean and mend Brian's uniform, he was only wearing a muscle top and a pair of shorts. So she could see, in visceral detail, that Brian was covered, over almost all of his exposed body, with scars.
"oh gods" she whispered as tears sprung to her eyes. She gently reached out and touched one of the wounds. Brian didn't jerk away, but he looked uncomfortable at her reaction.
"oh gods…" she said again "did you…get these from work?"
"yes"
"how?"
"well, sometimes there are failures up the line, and that leads to backups in our station, which can sometimes overloads the system." He pulled up the shirt to reveal a particularly large scar that covered most of his lower abdomen. Maria gasped in horror.
"that one came from a piece of cylinder head that blew out, and I happed to be in the way when it did. I'm glad for that" he said as he let the shirt drop, not noticing Maria's disbelief "since it hit me, no one else was hurt."
Maria reached out and gently prodded the area of the scar. Brian didn't wince, but with his stoic nature, that didn't mean anything.
"do you…do you care for the other workers?" Maria asked "do you consider them your family?"
"we're all each other has." He replied, before he let out a large yawn. Maria looked down at him, concern written across her face, before she pulled Brian close as they leaned up against the bed.
"you're very brave" she said "Ilana is lucky to have such a loyal friend as you."
Brian said nothing at first, as the thunder began to rumble and roar outside, and lighting flashed.
"i…I'm glad…I'm glad that the princess is happy with me." He said at last, before he jumped as a large lighting bolt struck nearby, the accompanying thunder rolling alongside it.
Maria sat on the floor, holding Brian close as the lighting flashed outside. With each rumble of thunder, Brian jumped, and pulled himself closer to her, as if hiding.
"Are you afraid of the thunder?" she asked. She felt him nod
"it reminds me of when the M-Machine exploded." He mumbled. Maria shivered. She cold only imagine what horrors Brian had suffered in his life, to have earned as many scars as he had.
Maria felt her emotions conflicting. Brian being Ilana's friend aside, she, as not only a Surface dweller but a royal, was at best supposed to be unconcerned with the workers situation.
but the part of her that was a mother saw this boy, this abused little boy, forced to work, who had never been held, never been comforted. never known any emotion besides fear...
...never been loved.
"You'll be alright, Brian" she said soothingly as she felt him jump again. the storm was getting worse. the instincts that all mothers have when they are confronted with an abused and helpless child overpowered any doubts in her mind.
"you're safe here. nothing will hurt you. just try to sleep now."
"b-but i n-need to get up for my shift..." she heard his voice mumble from where his face was pressed to her side.
"i'll get you up...don't worry."
she gently brushed a delicate hand across one of the many scars that covered his body.
"no one will hurt you...I promise."
[=]
Fredrick and Ilana returned home the next day. Maria had awoken Brian, as she had promised, and sent the boy on his way after forcing him to eat something. Ilana had come running inside, talking excitedly about a new racing speeder her uncle had purchased, before Amelia took her upstairs for her studies. Fredrick had followed, a deadpan expression on his face, which turned to despair once Ilana was out of sight.
"What is it?" Maria asked, any questions regarding Brian temporarily pushed aside. Fredrick looked down at her, before wrapping her in his arms desperately.
"Something terrible has happened" he said quietly.
[=]
"dead?" Maria gasped as a few tears sprung to her eyes. They two were sitting in the lounge area of their bedchambers, the doors closed and lights dimmed.
"according to the witnesses, Edward insisted on testing it himself." Fredrick went on as he wrung his hands, staring at the floor. Maria stood, and walked hastily to the window, stifling placing a hand to her mouth. The two were silent for several long moments.
"what…what about Lance?" Maria asked. Fredrick sighed.
"I don't know. Modula and I are thinking about putting him in the academy…."
"the academy? Fredrick, you can't be serious!" Maria said, suddenly angry. Fredrick looked at her in surprise.
"you want to send that boy to military school? His father just died, and you want to put him in Military school?" she looked fierce. Her eyes glowed with anger, and her fists were clenched. She shook with disbelieving anger for a few moments, before sighing and turning back to the window.
"hardly what I'd call taking care of him" she said quietly. Fredrick glared.
"Maria" he said "I've already begun receiving awkward questions from the parliamentary representatives over 26801…"
"his name…" Maria said sharply, whirling to face him again "…is BRIAN!"
The two glared at each other, Fredrick scowling as realization hit.
"so" he said at last "he got to you then?" he huffed "I'd hope d that brining Ilana with me would have discouraged him form staying…"
"I insisted" Maria said crossly. Fredrick's head snapped up to look at her.
'what?" he gasped "for Luna's sake, Maria, why?"
"Fredrick, he has more scars on him than the veterans of a hundred wars! He had cut himself, and when I tried to help him, he ran away in terror!" Maria shouted, as Fredrick felt fury boiling inside him "They're AFRAID of kindness, Fredrick! They think we only want to harm them!"
"GOOD!" Fredrick Roared, the veins on his neck bulging in rage. Maria flinched back in horror.
"It's GOOD that they're afraid! They'd BETTER be Afraid! If they are anything but afraid of us….." he petered off, looking away, ashamed for losing his temper.
"well…you remember last time." He said at last. Maria turned away, stifling tears as she remembered what had occurred…not so long ago….
"I tolerate the boy because he makes Ilana happy. She needed a companion, I'll accept that." He turned to exit the room, but paused in the doorway.
"but I will make it clear to you, as I have made to him. If he steps out of line even once…."
He trailed off, letting the menace in his voice finish the sentence. Maria glared at him, but said nothing.
"I need to see to the details of Edward's funeral, and the clearing out of the laboratory. Modula will look after Lance." He looked up at her again. "if it is any consolation, I'm giving him to Skirata."
Maria's head snapped up in surprise, then she smiled a small smile.
"that's good, very good. Kal will take care of him."
"I thought you'd approve" Fredrick said with a smile of his own, before he turned and left the room.
[=]
:Several days later:
the deconstruction and relocation of Edward Valjean's research facility was a large job, too large for the few technicians who had staffed the facility. And so, extra hands had been drafted. As the various workers went about disassembling the machines in the lab, 26802 was sent to remove the books from the shelf in Edward's office.
"Taking down books…who has time to read this much, anyway?" Alfred mumbled to himself as he pushed a stool into place to boost him up to the higher shelves. He had already stacked several boxes of texts and audio disks nearby.
Decadent rich, that's who.
"huh? Who said that?" Alfred said, looking around "show yourself!"
But no one appeared, and the voice did not repeat itself.
"huh. Must be hearing things." Alfred said to no one as he climbed onto the stool. Even with its extra height, he was still standing on his toes to grab the books on the top shelf.
"ergh…' he grumbled as he reached to grab a physics book. But, despite his efforts, he only succeeded in knocking it over. Growling in frustration, he felt around, trying to grab it's rough exterior. His hands finally brushed it's cover, and he grabbed it, 'ah-HA!'-ing in triumph…just as the stool toppled over, depositing him onto the hard floor.
"rrrrgh" he growled, as he stood. Then, he noticed the book in his hands.
"the mind of…Zeon?" he said to himself.
Hello…..
"who's there?" Alfred asked, starting to get afraid.
hello….
Alfred looked down at the book again.
"the book?" he whispered "nonsense! Books don't talk!"
Not all of them, no. but this one…..
"w-who…what…what are you?" Alfred stammered, ready to bolt, yet strangely rooted to the spot he stood on.
I am one…who has awaited someone like you…
"me? But what use am i? I'm just…."
Bitter? Resentful? Angry? Yes, yes you are. But you are more than that.
Alfred gasped as the book began to glow.
You are of the chosen…and you will set your people free….from the tyrant…
Set…them free?" Alfred froze. The idea…freedom…for all the workers….
Open me…and together we will crush the royalists and reclaim what is rightfully ours…this world!
"before I go anywhere with this….mind telling me your name?"
my name? I am the spirit of death upon my foes. I am the sword of justice, the voice of truth, the vengeance of the oppressed. I am the master of the firstforged and the father of the titans.
I am General of the armies of the Royal state of Metropolis, and warlord of the machine Empire.
I…am ZEON.
Alfred stared at the glowing book, imagining the secrets contained within. Then, his thoughts turned to Brian, and what he had said before...
"alright General" Alfred said as he peeled the cover back "let's see what we can do."
[=]
several days had passed since Edward's funeral. Queen Maria sat in the royal lounge, reading a book in her nightgown as one of her handmaidens brushed her hair. Despite her age, the Queen had kept a regal beauty about her: few lines marked her face, and her hair retained its golden color.
"milady" her handmaiden asked as she paused in her brushing "would you like me to get your new slippers? I believe you left them in your travel bag after your journey."
Maria looked down at her bare toes, wiggling them as she pondered "yes, I would like that, thank you."
"at once Milady" the young handmaiden said as she placed the hairbrush on a table and quickly left the room. Maria continued her reading, but her mind wasn't on her book. It was on Brian.
What can I do with him? She thought to herself if anything happens to him, Ilana will be devastated.
I could bring him up here…permanently….no, no, Fredrick would never approve. He's already got that monster from the Triple Eclipse watching him….then again…..
Yes…Yes! I will do it! I'll….
A noise out in the corridor interrupted her thoughts. It almost sounded like something had smashed.
"Ilana" she thought with a sigh "playing another one of her little games, why doesn't she…." Maria's thoughts stopped short when she remembered that she had put Ilana to bed but an hour ago.
Slowly, ever so slowly, she stood, and walked slowly over to the chamber door, which the maiden had left partially open. Looking out into the darkened corridor, she felt an urge to call the guard, when she though she heard voices.
"hello?" she called "is someone there?"
she heard what sounded like a stifled "AAAH!" before a POOMPH was followed instantly by something burning hot tearing into her chest.
All at once, her legs gave out and her body went numb with pain. It felt like a ball of magma had torn her skin apart. She couldn't feel her legs. The pain was unbearable, but she found she couldn't scream. She couldn't make any sound at all. She managed to raise one of her delicate hands to the center of the pain in her bosom.
It came away stained dark red with her blood.
Her vision began to flicker, drifting in and out of blackness as a choking sob escaped her chest, accompanied by a spurt of blood from the back of her mouth. She felt like she was drowning.
As Maria lay on the floor, the life slowly seeping from her frail body, she was vaguely aware of voices around her.
"why did you shoot her?" said the first voice.
"she surprised me!"
"idiot."
"we…we gotta get a medic…"
'we can't get a medic! If we do, they'll know we shot her, and then we'll be terminated faster than you can say 'for the glory of zeon!"
"well…what do we do, then…?"
"…"
"…Alfr…"
"DON'T SAY MY NAME!"
"…"
"leave her. This will be a message for that fat bastard."
"leave her? We can't…h-hey, wait for me!"
Maria forced her eyes open, and looked up into the face of a young worker, at least the same age as Brian, with curly black hair and crude glasses. Fear and sadness was written over his face. She also noticed that he had a handgun in his trembling grip.
"help…me…please…" she whispered, feeling herself slipping away.
"I'm…I'm sorry!" the boy said, turning and running off into the dark corridor.
Maria did not even have the energy to raise her head to look where he went. The weak light began to fade, as she felt herself start to slip away.
"Fredrick my love…..Ilana….oh my darling…stay close to Brian…you…you….."
Maria opened her eyes one last time…and gasped at what she saw.
"don't worry" an utterly beautiful woman who bore more than a striking resemblance to Ilana said as she gently picked the queen up in her arms "you will see them again soon. Now, just rest….rest….."
[=]
"milady?" one of Maria's handmaidens called as she stepped tenderly out into the corridor "mistress? I heard a noise…your majesty?"
A loud scream from the royal chambers sent the guards scrambling for the doors.
[=]
Ilana awoke with a yawn as the morning sun streamed through her bedchamber windows. She was especially happy, because today was the day when Brian got off shift very early in the day, and so would have more time to play with her. She was planning to have Hobbes take the two of them to the Royal Observatory, so she could show Brian the stars through one of their powerful telescopes.
Amelia knocked, and slowly entered the room.
"princess….I'm afraid we will have to cancel your plans for today." She said very slowly. "your father would like to see you."
"why?" Ilana asked, disappointed "Brian and I were going to the observatory today!"
"yes, yes princess, I'm sorry, but please…it's rather important…."
Ilana huffed, but slipped out of bed and stepped into her slippers.
"very well" she said as she followed Amelia out the door and down the corridor. Ilana barely noticed that Amelia seemed very nervous, and wasn't letting her run ahead like she usually did.
"what's going on?" she thought to herself 'has something happened?
"Daddy?" she asked as she entered her parent's bedchambers "what's going on? Why can't I go to the observatory with Brian today?"
Fredrick sat in the large chair he reserved for private conversations with close family and friends. He looked absolutely devastated as he looked at Ilana. Ilana noticed this, and her anger drained away immediately. Then, she noticed another key detail.
"daddy?" Ilana asked, looking around "where's mommy?"
Fredrick said nothing, only closed his eyes and shook his head miserably. Ilana then saw that the door to her parent's bedchambers was open…but no lights were on. A cold feeling settled in her stomach.
"Mommy?" Ilana cried, running towards the door before Amelia could stop her "MOMMY?"
[=]
Brian was worried. Not his usual worried. Something had gone horribly wrong. He had been waiting in Ilana's bedchambers for several hours, but she had not yet returned. That morning, when he had arrived, she had been sad, very sad, in tears, and when he had asked her what was wrong, all she had managed to tell him was that 'Mommy's gone' she had asked him to wait for her to return, and had promptly departed.
What could have happened? He thought to himself is something wrong with the queen?
The door opened, and Brian turned as Amelia walked slowly into the room.
"miss Amelia" Brian asked, coming up to her "what has happened? What's going on?"
Amelia looked down at Ilana's playmate, wearing a face of sadness.
"Brian" she said "last night…someone snuck into the palace…and did away with the Queen. She's been murdered. "
"murdered?" Brian asked in disbelief.
"yes." Amelia went on "I know that you understand. The king asked me to tell you that Ilana cannot play today. He wants to keep her close to him for her own safety. You understand, yes?"
"y-yes" Brian stammered, his mind still reeling from the news.
Brian stood, shocked for a few long moments after Amelia had gone.
Who would want to kill the queen?
Then, an expression of realization crossed his face.
"Alfred…." He whispered. Exiting the room and quickly running back to his entrance hatch, he opened the cover and slid into the dark tunnel. He knew exactly where Alfred would be at this time of day…
[=]
Brian ran through the workers city. He had memorized the layout of the whole complex through years of going back and forth, navigating piles of rubble, overcoming obstacles…and locating hiding places.
He finally came upon a large truss that supported a bridge that ran high above the city, one that workers from sector 8827 used to get back to the city. Agilely climbing up the steel girders, knowing where weak spots were and avoiding them, he soon found his quarry stretched out on a cross-beam.
"why'd you do it?"
Alfred didn't look up from his perch. He lay, his eyes still closed, positioned as if he was covering something.
"you'll have to be a bit more specific" he said non-chalantly.
"why did you kill the queen?"
this time, Alfred did react. He sat up and looked Brian in the eye. Brian was surprised. There was a fire in his expression that had not been there before.
"that's an awfully blunt accusation, isn't it?" he said "assuming I killed the queen just because she's dead?"
"I'm sorry…"
"no you're not. You don't even know the meaning. Just a vestigial word for a feeling you've never felt."
Alfred turned and sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the beam, looking Brian in the eye.
"Don't you see, Brian?" Alfred said suddenly, gesturing to the ruins surrounding him "don't you see? It's gone, everything that makes us what we are, stolen from us. "
"what are you talking about?" Brian asked. Alfred sighed angrily.
"we were gods once, Brian. We once ruled this world. All of us, our race." He gestured broadly, indicating the surface as well "e were once the masters of Galaluna."
"what?" Brian said disbelieving "what are you talking about? Since when did you talk like that?"
Alfred didn't answer, he simply looked away. Brian stared at him for a few long moments, before sighing and beginning to climb down.
"Brian" Alfred said. Brian looked up. Alfred was leaning over the edge, looking down at him.
"for the record, I did NOT kill the queen" he said "that is the truth."
[=]
Brian made his way back to the surface, thinking about what Alfred had said.
We once ruled Galaluna? he thought to himself, nonsense! how could we have? we're just...
his thoughts trailed off as he reentered the main palace, and made his way to Ilana's bedroom.
Princess?" he called gently as he entered.
Ilana was sitting on her windowsill, looking out at the cloudy sky as she leaned against the windowframe. she was silent as he approached.
"Ilana" he said "i heard about your Mother. I'm...sorry"
Ilana said nothing. Brina was silent as he looekd at his boots. . he didn't know what else to say.
"Brian?"
Brian looked up, but Ilana's gaze was still directed out the window.
"did…did you…kill my mommy?" the last bit came out as a choked sob.
"what? No! I…" Brian said, before stopping abruptly as Ilana turned to face him, her eyes brimming.
"you swear?" she said, before holding out an extended pinky "pinky swear?"
Brian stared at her.
By the gears, she actually thinks I did it.
Brian slowly wrapped his pinky around hers, looking into her eyes. The strange feeling he usually got when their eyes met was oddly silent.
"I swear, I didn't."
Ilana's eyes brimmed, but she smiled at him.
"i…I had to see you say it…."s she said, withdrawing her hand as she stepped forward and hugged him tightly "I Believe you. I'm sorry."
"it's…alright"' Brian said. Ilana pulled away, her smile still there, but her eyes were brimming with tears. She turned away, walking over to the window to look out at the night sky. She could see storm clouds gathering to the north, and shivered.
"whats the matter?" Brian asked as he came up next to her.
"a storm…" Ilana said, pointing to the clouds "it's going to be big…." She sniffled "and now Mommy isn't here….to make it less scary…."
She choked out a few sobs, as Brian stared at her, helpless for what to do. Then, the feeling in the back of his mind sent an idea into his head.
"I'll stay with you"
Ilana's head snapped up.
'but…but don't you have to work?' she asked timidly. The feeling sent out another signal, and Brian felt his face change.
It felt odd. The sides of his mouth curled up slightly, as his eyes seemed to feel…warmer.
"not tonight. Tonight, I'm going to stay and take care of my friend." The feeling made him say. For some reason, he believed that she would do the same of their positions were reversed. Ilana stared up at him, before her face scrunched in a strange mixture of happiness and sadness as her eyes shimmered. She stepped forward and enveloped him in another hug as she buried her face in his chest.
"thank you…" she whispered. Brian felt the feeling move his arms to wrap around Ilana's trembling shoulders. It was getting harder to tell the difference between the feeling and his own movements.
"ill take care of you…" he said, holding her comfortingly "no matter what"
[=]
in another room, Fredrick stared out of the windows at the gathering clouds. An empty bottle of scotch sat on the table, along with an empty shot glass. Fredrick leaned on the glass, more than a little buzzed, as he dwelled on his grief. With a roar of anguish, he lurched away from the window, overturning the table and sending the contents shattering to the floor.
"Rasp….." the King growled as he stood, his shoulders heaving.
The shadowy figure of the Triple Eclipse night materialized form the curtains.
"the boy….the working class scum I have tolerated for Ilana's sake…he is behind Maria's death, I know it! Find him….." Fredrick growled as he pounded a fist into his open palm "end him….."
"yes, your majesty" the black-clad figure said as he vanished into the shadows.
[=]
in Ilana's room, Brian was tolerating the obscenely soft material of Ilana's bed, which she described as "Smooshy" to hold her as she slept. The two had not even bothered to change out of their day clothes. Brian held Ilana, sir Fluffington squished between them, feeling her flinch as the lightning struck outside, and rain pattered at the windows. He held her tighter, determined to keep her safe from the storm.
"princess!" Amelia hissed as she suddenly ran into the room "Princess, we've got to get Brian out of here!"
Brian sat up as Ilana shook herself awake suddenly.
"w-what do you mean?" Ilana asked in fear.
"your father is sending the guards to take him away! He thinks Brian killed your mother!"
"but he can't!" Ilana said, springing out of bed and trying to pass Amelia "I'll tell him…"
"he's in no mood to listen" Amelia said, in a voice that evoked no disagreement "I'll try to stall them, but you must get Brian out of here if you want to keep him safe!"
Keep him safe, echoed in Ilana's mind. She looked up at her governess, and nodded seriously. Amelia smiled comfortingly at her and then at Brian, before turning and leaving the room. Ilana ran to the door and locked it, before turning and looking around.
"here, Brian, help me" she said, as she went over to her tea table and began to push it towards the door. Brian ran over, and, to Ilana's surprise, effortlessly shoved it into place to block the doorway.
The two hard tramping outside, and Amelia's voice muffled through the door. They both flinched when a loud SLAP! Was heard, and stepped back when someone began pounding on the door.
"w-what do I do?" Brian stammered, as the wood around the locks began to splinter.
Ilana looked around, before she remembered: there was a secret Servant's passage out of her room for maids and cleaners. All she had to do was remember where…
"here!" she said, running over to a wall panel and pushing in. a small section of the wall slid aside, revealing a dimly lit passage.
"come on!" Ilana said, grabbing Brian's hand and pulling him into the darkness. The passage slid shut just as the door finally gave and the guards stormed in.
[=]
The two children ran down one of the wide hallways, looking for a place where Brian could escape.
"we're cut off from your usual hatch, and we'll never make it into the gardens with the guards everywhere." Ilana said as she pulled him along. She looked back at her companion "any ideas?"
Brian seemed to ponder as the two ran, before his face lit up.
"yes, yes! Turn left…" he said as they came to an intersection "…here?"
The two found themselves face-to-face with a man in a long black coat, with shining hair that looked like armor, and sinister looking eyes.
"26801" he said in a voice that sent chills down Ilana's spine "his Majesty the king has ordered your death." The man suddenly threw back his coat, to reveal a pair of long, thin Knives that gleamed in the din light "and I am sworn to do his bidding."
Ilana didn't hesitate, and dragged the terrified Brian back the way they had come. The man seemed to materialize out of nowhere before them, his knives missing Ilana by a mere inch as they shot towards Brian's face.
Acting on impulse, Brian threw himself flat. Still, he felt the blades skim his forehead as they ripped by. He jumped up and looked at Ilana.
"Run!" she cried as the man stepped around her.
"stop it!" Ilana cried "why are you doing this?"
"I Apologize, Princess" the man said as he drew another knife "I do not wish to go against your wishes, but your father's orders are clear."
"no!" Ilana cried as she grabbed his coat. The man simply slipped out of the long garment, leaving Ilana to fall unceremoniously onto her backside as she tried to fight her way out of the material that now enveloped her. The Man leapt after Brian's fleeing form, drawing a second knife form a seemingly infinite source.
"if you struggle, it will just make it hurt more" the man said, as he sent the next pair of knives towards Brian. Brian, displaying agility that even impressed the man, dodged one knife, while deflecting the other.
"impressive" the man said as he landed "in another time, you may have been eligible to receive training from the order. Oh well…" he finished, drawing another blade. Brian kept running. This time, the man sent one blade high, to distract Brian, while sending the other one into the floor.
Brian missed it, and tripped over the stuck blade.
"a shame, really" the man said as he drew a large knife and stood over Brian's' fallen form. He put a boot on Brian's back, pushing him down as he tried to rise.
"you appear to have some potential, but alas" he said, raising the Knife 'the king's order is my life…."
Then, his long duster fell on top of him, distracting him long enough in surprise for Ilana to trip him, and then smash a vase over his head. He collapsed in a heap.
"meanie!" she said as she kicked him in the face. Brian stood quickly, and stared at her.
"you…you saved me…" he stammered. She looked at him.
'of course I did" she replied "you're my friend"
Brian stared at Ilana, who had gone against her father's wishes and just put herself in mortal danger…for him.
"come on!" Ilana said "we still need to get you out of here!"
grabbing Brian's' hand, she pulled him down the hallway. They paused long enough to pick up Sir Fluffington form where Ilana had dropped him, and then they raced on.
[=]
"here!" Brian said, stopping in the large corridor that ran down the center of the palace "this is where the king sent me back the first time!"
"here?' Ilana asked, looking at the blank wall as Brian began to look at the busts of nobles that lined the corridor. The adrenalin of the fight was starting to wear off, and she could feel exhaustion creeping up on her.
"which one was it…" Brian mumbled "ah! Here!"
he stood on his toes to flip back the bearded head, and push the button.
To Ilana's surprise, the wall slid aside in the same manner the servant's corridor did, revealing the tunnel and the ladder within. Brian stepped inside, and slid onto the first few rungs of the ladder.
"just push the button, and the door will close. " he said.
Ilana knelt next to the opening, staring down at her friend, her only friend, for what could be the last time. Shortly before, all she could think about was getting Brian out. Now that it was happening…
"well…goodbye, Brian" she said sadly. She could feel her eyes brimming.
"will I ever see you again?" Brian asked mournfully as the realization caught up with him as well, looking up at Ilana with sad eyes. Ilana was barely in control of her own emotions.
Ilana stared at Brian, before squeezing Sir Fluffington's paw one last time…and handing the bear down to him.
"here. I want you to take care of him."
"but…but why?"
"he's…not happy in the palace anymore. He'd miss you." Ilana said, trying to lighten Brian's spirits.
Brian stared up at this girl, this surface dweller who had shown him compassion and friendship, before reaching across his jumpsuit and ripping off the strip of fabric with the number "26801" painted on. He handed the dusty cotton strip up to the princess, who stared at it for a moment.
"I think I'm gonna have to miss your birthday this year, so I want to give you your present now" Brian said "and this is all I own"
Ilana, unable to stop a few tears form sliding down her cheeks, shakily took the material from Brian. "I'll cherish it always" she said as she choked back a sob.
Form down the hallway, the sound of running feet was heard.
"I have to go now, Ilana" Brian said "I'll take good care of Sir Fluffington for you."
"t-thank you" Ilana sniffed.
"happy Birthday"
then, he slid into he cavern below. Ilana stood on her toes, hit the button, the door slid shut… and Brian was gone, as if he had never been.
Just then, the guards rounded the corner, led by the man with the black coat. He looked fierce.
"where is he?" he demanded. Ilana flinched back in terror.
"h-he ran away…" she pointed down the corridor, which ended in, conveniently, and open window.
"send word to the perimeter guards. He may have escaped into the gardens," the man said to the soldiers. He then cast one last glance At Ilana, before he and the men charged down the hall. Ilana watched them go, and then stood for a few long moments.
She then dashed back to her room as she heard the soldiers shouting after her. Racing past her servants, she ran into her play chambers, closed and locked the door, and then walked to the large window that dominated the far wall. The moons glowed bright in the sky, and the stars twinkled.
Gazing down through tear-filled eyes, Ilana clutched Brian's number; the only thing he could say truly belonged to him.
Ilana fell to her knees, sobbing as she clutched Brian's number to her chest.
As the moons of Galaluna shone down, Ilana wept, alone, in the dark confines of her playroom, as crashes and shouts came from all around, the sound of barking hunt animals and search parties, all with the single intent: to kill her best friend… for something he didn't do.
"Well mommy…I kept Brian safe…." she whimpered "but…but you never told me it would hurt this much…"
[=]
deep below, Brian emerged on a dark walkway, surrounded by pipes, that looked down on the gaping abyss below. He could make out the shapes of machines humming and roaring as they did their work.
He held sir Fluffington up to look at the soft toy closely. The bear's single eye seemed to stare at him in sadness.
"well, sir Fluffington" Brian said quietly "I guess you'll be staying with me for awhile. I can't promise any tea parties, and it's gonna be pretty loud and dirty….but I'll take care of you."
As if it was cued, the shift change claxon blared. Brian cast one last longing glance up the shaft form which he had came, before holding Sir Fluffington up to the shaft and making a waving gesture with the bear's paw.
He then gently slipped the stuffed animal into a large pocket on his tool belt, before setting off to his workstation, vanishing into the smoke and steam as the familiar chorus rose over the din of the machines.
One-oh-one-point-one-one-one-one, get it up to one-point one-one…
to be continued.
