Title: Midgame
Rating: PG-13/R
Category: M/L, M/M, Kyle/Isabel
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Roswell characters. They belong to Melinda Metz, Jason Katims, etc. However I do claim Nikolai, Tristan, Erik, Liam, Serena, and Christiana as mine. Except for Serena's name...Anyway, don't sue me, you wouldn't win much anyway.
Summary: Second in the Battlefield Antar series, sequel to King's Opening, and I recommend you read that first. The crew moves to Skyview Castle. Kivar gets pissed because his plan to kill Max didn't work. Isabel and Kyle get closer. The Resistance gains ground.
Chapter 3 – What's the Story?
Daimtos and Maikos sat in the war room a few days later, somewhat anxiously awaiting Kivar's arrival. He'd called an early-morning strategy meeting, and they weren't sure what he had up his sleeve.
"I heard that a high-level transport arrived this afternoon," Daimtos said quietly.
"And we weren't notified?" Maikos asked in surprise.
"Apparently Kivar didn't feel the need. My source couldn't figure out who was on it."
"You have sources watching our own people now?"
"Even those following the king are our people. I watch everyone. Kivar wouldn't have it any other way. He must have been working very hard to keep this under wraps."
Maikos nodded. They were silent for a few moments, each thinking deeply.
"He wouldn't have brought back..." Maikos trailed off.
"After all this time? Would it be worth it?"
"You never can tell with Kivar. And he has experience with them."
"He lost."
"So did we."
Daimtos said nothing in reply. He shifted his gaze to the huge map on the wall. If only Skyview was still the right color.
Max and Liz were sitting on their balcony watching the sunrise. In the week they'd been at Skyview it had become their habit to do so.
"One thing I can say for Antar," Max commented softly. "Its sunrises are a hell of a lot better than Earth's."
Liz laughed quietly. "It is beautiful. And so is this castle. I can definitely understand why it was so important to your family."
"Sometimes I wish I could remember more...I think maybe if I could that it would help things."
Liz nodded and squeezed his hand. "If you're meant to remember, then you will. You know the story, and you know that Kivar is not the kind of leader who should be in power."
"I know." Max sighed. "I just keep thinking...no one has told me why Kivar wanted to seize power in the first place."
Liz felt her eyes widen. "You're right, they haven't. I wonder why..."
"Me too. That's why I want to remember."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, each deep in thought.
"Max! There's a room in the castle that's just full of records from every year of your family's reign. It was locked by a member of your family before Kivar captured the castle so that he couldn't get in and destroy the records. You can open it. Maybe the whole story will be in there!"
Max gazed at Liz in astonishment.
"How do you know?"
"Serena was telling me about it. She wanted me to remind her to ask you about opening it. Apparently she just wanted to check and make sure all the books and manuscripts and stuff are surviving well." Liz beamed. "We can find out the truth."
"That's all we've wanted all along."
"I know."
"Do you know where the room is?"
Liz shook her head. "I'm not sure."
"We could ask Rena or Liam...but they've never told us the whole story and I'm assuming they know. So maybe they don't want us to know."
Liz shook her head. "I don't think so. They weren't alive when it happened. I'm sure they've told you everything they know."
Max nodded. "You're probably right. I trust them completely."
"So should we ask them about it?"
Max considered for a moment. "I think I want to keep this between you and me for now. In case we find out something we don't want to tell the others...you know, something they might not want to hear."
"My Max, always out to protect us all," Liz commented with a smile. "Okay, we'll find it ourselves then. I think there's a plan of the castle on the wall of the main library. We should start there."
Max nodded. They got up from their seats on the balcony and headed indoors. Max stopped abruptly before he opened the door of their quarters and entered the hallway.
"Liz, no matter what we find out about who I was and...and who I was with, you are the love of my life and my soul mate. Just know that I will always love only you, okay?"
Liz smiled serenely. "Max. I know you love me. The past is in the past. We can't change it...well, not easily at any rate," she amended, thinking of Future Max. "We have to live in the now, Max, and right now you love me. Right now you and I are bound together so that no one can tear us apart. Even death couldn't stop us, Max. Why would I let something that happened over fifty years ago tear us apart?"
Max almost could have cried. He knew how much Liz loved him, but every time she told him like that, he still had trouble believing that he really deserved it.
"I love you, Liz Evans."
"I love you, Max Evans."
Isabel and Kyle sat sipping coffee in the medium-sized kitchen Isabel had insisted be added on to the royal quarters. She'd said she could stand having cooks to prepare most of the meals, but she wasn't going to let them do all of the work. She could hold her own with coffee, tea, and simple meals, and she damn well would.
Over the week that the group had been living in Skyview Castle, Isabel and Kyle had spent quite a bit of time together, but they were still getting used to the fact that they'd finally acknowledged the feelings they had for each other.
"I keep feeling like we should go on a date," Kyle commented, setting down his coffee mug. "But I don't know where we could go or what we could do."
Isabel smiled. "Yeah, it's not like there's a movie theatre or a great restaurant nearby." She reached across the table and took Kyle's hand. "It's okay though. It's enough for me that I'm with you at all." She sighed. "For the past year, I've gone through some pretty tough stuff. Leaving Jesse was hard. But I know he's moved on and I know that I have too. And the main reason I had the strength to let both he and I let go was you. You are my rock, Kyle. You have been even longer than I've had romantic feelings for you. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Kyle gave a serious smile. "Isabel, I think I love you."
Isabel's eyes widened. "I might love you," she said softly. Neither one of them wanted to push it and actually say the words all by themselves, but it was enough for the moment. Isabel smiled and took a sip of coffee.
A/N – Thanks for the continued feedback guys. Again, I apologize about the time between chapters, but rest assured that I won't abandon this story! Keep reviewing, I live for feedback, lol...