Sacrifice
A Sequel to Quietly into the Night
Conventional Couples
Rating: PG-13

Chapter Six

Antar – Three years earlier

"Liz, is there any way you can hurry this along?" asked Kyle nervously. "I mean, I'm not trying to rush you or anything, but shouldn't you push or something?"
"Damn it Kyle, I just had one baby and said goodbye to it. Will you cut me some slack here before I have the other one? In case you haven't noticed, this is a lot of work!" panted Liz as another contraction racked her already tired body.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry. But I'd feel a lot better if we could be doing this some place else."
"Kyle, it's not too late, you can still go after them."
"No way Liz, I said I'd stay here and protect you, and I will. OUCH!" he yelled as Liz squeezed his hand in pain. "That really hurt Liz."
"Gee, now you know how I feel," she responded dryly.

Kyle turned to one of the physicians who had just entered the room. "Can't you do anything?" he demanded. "This is crazy. You are supposed to be an advanced society, but childbirth still hurts!"
"Kyle, relax, it's not that bad, really," said Liz.
"I'm sorry Liz, I'm just getting worried," he said as an explosion rocked the building. "I'm going to go check that out, I'll be right back," he said as he rushed from the room.
Liz bit her lip softly as another contraction tore through her body.
"I believe the time has come My Lady," said the physician as she moved to the foot of the bed.
"I'm not your lady," grunted Liz as she began to push. "I wish you'd stop calling me that."
"You are the wife of our King," said the physician respectfully. "That makes you our Queen."
"But Max refused to take the throne," said Liz, as she rested between contractions."
"The citizens of Antar understand that My Lady, and in fact, it makes us respect the royal family more. Your husband was ill equipped to rule Antar and recognized that. He didn't allow his ego to override his common sense. Helping the citizens to set up a more democratic form of government made us love him, and you all the more. Please, do not deny your position as queen My Lady. It may save your life." She urged Liz to push once more and in a few moments, Liz's son was born.

"Liz, come on, we have to get out of here now!" shouted Kyle. "I'll carry you if I have to. The rebel forces have overrun the city and are making there way here." He stopped when he heard the thin cry of a baby fill the room. "Oh my God, Liz, you had him. Is he OK? Are you OK?"
"We're fine, I'd like you to meet Kyle Alexander Michael Evans," said the proud but tired mother.
"Liz, we don't have time for this. Can I move her?" he asked the physician."
Before she could answer, the door to the room was pushed in and soldiers quickly filled the small space.
"By the order of His Royal Highness Kivar, we demand that you surrender," said one of the soldiers.
"Kivar is dead," said Liz, pulling her son close to her. "I saw him die on Earth."
"As much as I hate to disillusion you, I am very much alive," said Kivar as he walked through the door.

Liz gasped and held the baby even tighter as Kivar stepped closer. "Is this the girl child?" he asked the physician.
"No Lord Kivar. This is the second born, the son. The girl child was born earlier today."
Kivar moved closer towards Liz and reached for the baby. Kyle quickly stepped in and removed the child from Liz's grasp.
"No, don't let that bastard near my child!" she shouted. "He's a traitor. He convinced me to stay here. He said we'd be safe. Get my child away from him!"
Kivar turned to look at Kyle. "You convinced her to stay here?" he asked. "Why?"
"Because it was a chance to hurt Max Evans. Liz was mine first. I had her. She belonged to me. Then he came and stole her away from me. I wanted him to know how much I hurt," said Kyle as he stared at Liz with loathing in his face.
"You son of a bitch," she said. "You are half the man Max is. I can't believe after all he did for you that you'd betray him this way."
"Where is Zan?" inquired Kivar of Kyle. "Did they leave for another part of the city?"
"There gone you idiot. Back to Earth. They're safe. All of them are safe."
"What!" he roared. "Where is the girl child? I need her. She is an integral part of my plan."
"Well then, I guess this plan, like all your others, is a failure, because Lexie is back on Earth as well," said Liz.

"Bitch," spat Kivar as he leaned over and slapped her across the face. As he did, ring that he wore caught her face, and put a large gash in it. Blood dripped from the gash, but Liz refused to lift her hand to wipe it away.
"Kill her," he said.
"I don't think so," she said calmly. "For I am the Queen of Antar, and if you kill me, the people will know Kivar. There will be no controlling them. They will destroy you."
"She speaks the truth Lord Kivar," whispered one of his advisors. "Support for the royal family is strong on the planet, and especially strong here in the capitol city."
"Fine. Take the three of them back to the Palace. I'll deal with them later."
Liz began to struggle. "I'm not going anywhere with him. He betrayed me, he betrayed my husband. I can't stand the sight of him."
Kivar laughed. "I can think of no more fitting incarceration than to put you with your sworn enemy."
The soldiers pulled Liz from the bed and pushed her towards the door. Before she left, she caught the eye of the physician and mouthed "Thank you," to her.

Royal Palace

"Kyle, I am so sorry I said those things to you," whispered Liz.
"Don't be," he whispered back. "I'm the one who told you to say them, remember?"
Liz gave a small laugh as she remembered hearing Kyle's voice inside her head, prompting her to call him a traitor and say she despised him. "How did you know it would work?" she asked.
"Well, I wasn't a hundred percent sure," he admitted. "But it was worth a shot. Honestly, he doesn't really seem to be the sharpest knife in the drawer."
The two laughed softly, and Liz shifted a little, rearranging the small weight of her son in her arms.
"So, am I really going to have to call him Kyle Alexander Michael every time that I want to play catch?" asked Kyle.
"Surprisingly enough, I've been thinking about that," said Liz. "How about if we call him Kam?"
"Kam," said Kyle, trying out the name. "Kam Evans. I like it, sounds like the name of a kid who could grow up to be president or something."

The door to the cell swung open, and guards came in and pulled Kyle roughly from the floor and pushed him out the door. Another guard stood above Liz with a disgusted look on his face. "Come with me," he commanded. Carefully, Liz stood up, swaying a little because she had not yet regained her strength. The guard led her down a dank hallway and up a staircase. They walked down another hall, this one more brightly lit. Stopping before a door, he passed his hand over a pad on the wall and the door swung open. "These will be your quarters, Your Highness. If there is anything you need, please ask, and we shall do our best to accommodate your wishes."
"I wish to go home," said Liz.
"I'm sorry, that is not possible," said the guard as he escorted Liz into the room. Liz looked around the room, which was spacious and furnished comfortably.
"You will find sleeping quarters for you and the child over there," said the guard pointing to two doors across the room. "And the other prisoner will be here," he said pointing to a door on the opposite side of the room."

"What!" she cried. "You can't seriously expect me to live with that bastard! There is no way that will ever happen."
"It is what My Lord Kivar has commanded, and so it shall be done," said the guard. "If you need anything, you simply have to press the communications panel by the door," said the guard as he left the room. After he left, Liz surveyed the rooms, missing nothing, including the electronic listening devices hidden around the main room and her bedroom." Liz looked in Kam's room relived to see that there was an Antarian style crib as well as clothing for the baby. She quickly bathed him and dressed him and sat down to nurse her small son. "Oh Kam," she whispered. "I hope I did the right thing."