Part 25
The Citadel, Illyria
Max's hands came up to frame Liz's face as he deepened the kiss. Liz felt herself open completely to him, willing the flashes to come, willing them to tell her what she wanted to be true - that this was Max, that this was NOT some shapeshifter imitating her boyfriend, trying to cause more trouble.
It was almost too easy. The flashes came fast and furious, so muddled Liz had a hard time sorting them out.
Flash*
Young Max getting off the school bus, seeing Liz for the first time, knowing that he loved her already.
Flash*
A gunshot. Terror when Max realized that Liz was hurt. No hesitation as he risked his entire existence to heal her.
Flash* Flash* Flash*
Their first kiss, jealousy when he thought she was getting back together with Kyle, finding the first orb together, helplessness and grief as he watched her walk away from him after they first heard the destiny message, overwhelming love when he first caught a glimpse of her at the buses before they headed off to Frasier Woods for the infamous second camping trip, determination and pride and love when she bravely let him leave her so that he could go after Maria and Michael who had disappeared through the portal with Tarsus…
His lips moved from her lips, down to her neck. The connection was broken so suddenly Liz gasped.
But it was enough. He was Max. The flashes were memories only he could have, feelings only HER Max would have stored away in his subconscious. The relief that flooded her was so intense, her knees almost gave out on her.
Could it actually be true? Could it all really be over? It was almost impossible to believe.
"I'm sorry you were worried." He was whispering into her hair. "But it was the last time Liz. We are never going to be separated again. I promise."
Liz pulled back, gazed up at him. "How can this be real Max? After all he's done - why would Tarsus just give up?"
Max closed his eyes briefly, shaking his dark head. "I don't know. All I care about is that he has." He grinned wryly. "Of course, that doesn't mean we're going to waste any time getting out of here." He moved away from her, started throwing her clothes into her bag. "Just in case."
Liz watched him for a moment. His back was tense. She could see that he wasn't totally relaxed. He WAS worried that this was a trick. It was the final evidence that she needed that this was indeed Max. He was trying to hide his concern from her, but he was still nervous.
"Max, what did Tarsus do to you when you were gone?" Liz asked, going to join him. He was slamming her suitcase shut.
Max turned to look at her. "What do you mean?" He asked, sounding evasive. His eyes were shadowed. So she was right. He HAD been hurt.
"I felt it Max. They hurt you somehow. What did they do to you?"
His expression softened at the concern in her voice. "I should have known I couldn't hide it from you. There was a little bit of a misunderstanding before Tarsus managed to find me." He paused, scrubbed his hand across his face wearily. "Let's just say the guards got a little rough before Tarsus intervened. Everything was totally chaotic out there, because of the explosion."
Liz eyed him for a moment. He seemed to be telling her the truth, but now wasn't really the time to press the issue anyway. She was in complete agreement that the sooner they were out of the Citadel, the sooner she would actually start to believe that all of this was true.
"What about your mother?" Liz asked as they made their way down the stone corridor several minutes later.
Max paused at the fork in their path, glanced warily around the corner before replying, "Just in case there are a few guards still unaware of the new status of things." He told her, rolling his eyes. "Milena is already gone. I sent her ahead to the camp to tell my people that we're fine." He took her by the hand, glancing back at her again. "Are you ready?"
"Ready?" Liz wrinkled her brow in confusion.
"Ready to spend the rest of your life letting me make you deliriously happy?" Max grinned at her. "Because it starts today you know."
Liz smiled back. "It started the day you healed me." She told him, totally serious.
Max's gaze darkened. He dropped her bag and hauled her into his arms. "You are mine. Forever." He brought his lips down on hers so quickly, she momentarily lost her breath.
A shiver ran down Liz's spine as they broke apart several moments later. She stared up at Max, feeling confused. That kiss had been unlike any he had ever given her before - so possessive it was almost scary.
He seemed to notice her discomfort though and quirked a grin at her. "Sorry about that. Lost my head." He didn't wait for her answer though, picking up her hand and pulling her after him down the corridor.
**********************************************
Illyrian Safe House, near Salisbury, England
"We are the Illyrian Royal Guard."
Isabel couldn't help herself. She gasped. She could feel Michael tensing up beside her. "What do you want?" He demanded.
The woman inclined her head slightly, but her gaze was unwavering. "We do not want anything your Highness. Our sole purpose is to serve you - at least for now."
"Where did you come from?" Isabel demanded. "How did you get here?" It was just too confusing. She had been told that she and Max were the only ones capable of opening the portal to their planet. Was nothing they learned ever the truth? It was like for every step forward, they took two back. It was supremely frustrating.
"Please Princess, calm yourself." The woman urged. "I will explain everything. But you appear fatigued. Why don't you and General Tristandor seat yourself. It is a lengthy enough tale."
"NO!" Michael's tone brooked no opposition. "We don't have time for "lengthy tales." He spat the words in disdain. "I need to see Maria and I know Izzy wants to see Alex. Give us the short version and make it snappy."
"Michael." Jennetta stepped forward, took Michael's hand in hers. "You need to listen to her. It's important."
Michael sighed heavily, threw himself down on a nearby couch. "Can we just get on with it then?"
Isabel watched him for a moment, a slight twinge of desire coursing through her at the casual way he threw his arm over the back of the sofa.
A flash of Tristandor was instantly in front of her eyes. Firelight was playing across his features as he stared lazily at her, a slight grin on his face. "Are you coming over here Miri or do I have to come and get you?"
Isabel shook her head, closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, he was Michael again and he was not paying the least bit of attention to her. He was listening to the strange woman intently.
It was not the first time this had happened. Her visions of Tristandor were no longer just in her dreams. They were taking over her entire life.
Every time Michael did something, she remembered a reflected moment in her former husband's life, showing her that it was still him, that he was right in front of her.
Isabel swallowed, hard. Alex is right in this building! She reprimanded herself. Stop it! He is going to be devastated if he even suspects what is going on with you.
And yet, she felt Michael drifting away from her like a physical blow. Just being in Jennetta's presence was reinforcing his resolve that the memories they were both experiencing meant nothing, that whatever it was they had once shared, it was over.
"…Princess?" Isabel realized that the woman was speaking to her.
"What?" She asked abruptly. She saw Michael and Jennetta exchange a look. "I'm sorry. What was that?"
"I asked if you brought the orbs with you?" The woman repeated patiently.
"We have the one Max didn't take with him." Michael answered for her, still looking at Isabel strangely. "But we're jumping ahead of ourselves here. You said you had a story to tell us. Why don't you start with your name?"
The woman looked momentarily abashed. "I apologize. My name is Jemma Stafford. I am Princess Andrina's bodyguard. Or I was." Sadness flashed across her expressive face.
"Princess Andrina?" Isabel asked, frowning slightly. She had thought that she was the only princess on Illyria. Tess had been queen but she had not been a princess by birth, merely a noblewoman.
"Your aunt." Jemma elaborated. "She came to Earth almost two hundred years ago to broker an agreement with the humans which was meant to end the war on our world once and for all." She sighed heavily. "But things went awry from the very beginning. Her brother, your father, was killed almost as soon as we arrived and the portal was closed to us." Jemma smiled at Isabel. "She was the White Lady too you see. She could open the portal to Earth but not the reverse. We were stranded."
Jennetta spoke up. "But we learned that the portal reverses itself on the Solstice. It's why we're here." She looked frightened. "We're not wrong are we?" Isabel felt her own heart sink. Were their hopes of saving Max and their friends totally off?
"You are not wrong." Jemma replied. "The problem lay in King Gordian's death. The portal only works when both the White Lady and the Blue Prince live. Despite the fact that they both only control one direction, their bond as twins is what truly controls the gateway. When the King died, Andrina could not open the portal at all. The bond was broken you see."
"I don't understand." Isabel shook her head, glad that she had something to concentrate on other than the fact that Michael was sitting two feet away from her. "Why did Andrina never come to find us?"
"She did." Jemma told her. "The problem was the Crash. Andrina was captured when she went to meet your ship. I have never managed to find her again since, although I do know that she finally did escape the FBI."
"So she's still out there somewhere?" Isabel felt her heart swell. They had family, right here on Earth!
"Possibly."
"Who cares?" Michael demanded, getting up. "We have other things to worry about. If you knew that we had crashed, why didn't YOU ever come to look for us? Do you know what kind of life I had?"
"It was not my mission to find you." Jemma replied simply. "When Andrina disappeared I continued my task, which was to create and train an elite force of humans to form an Earthly contingent of the Royal Guard."
Isabel and Michael glanced at each other. "Why? To guard who?" Isabel asked.
"The Queen of course. Or the one who will one day be our queen." Jemma amended. "Andrina was sent to Earth to make a marriage treaty for your brother." She addressed this to Isabel. "When King Gordian died, the plan seemed doomed to failure as Andrina was trapped and we later heard that Jaxon had married your sister." She told Michael. "And yet our mission was still clear. We had to choose someone to represent the Earth should the treaty ever become necessary."
"This all sounds a little medieval." Isabel commented. "You didn't really think that the Earth would all congregate behind one human girl just because she married Jaxon?"
Jemma shrugged. "It was a different world when we arrived here." She said. "At the beginning of the nineteenth century, it was inherently likely that it could be done. Marriage created unimpeachable bonds between nations then. Why would planets be any different?"
Isabel stood up. "Well, whatever. The point is, its not going to happen. There is no treaty and there is no queen, which is all to the good because we can use your guards instead."
Jemma frowned. "We will help you, but the queen will still be chosen from amongst the best and brightest of this planet. Once your brother is bonded to her, the Earth will be our closest ally. We will defeat the Dernians and take control of the planet as is rightfully our place as Illyrians."
"Max is not going to be ruling the planet." Michael stated firmly. "My daughter is the Chosen One. There is no need for any bonding. Max is already taken anyway. He's not going to let you choose some random human, I'll tell you that right now."
Jemma was staring at Jennetta. "The Chosen One?" She narrowed her eyes. "Who has told you that this is she?"
"Everyone." Michael replied. "Tarsus, Queen Milena." He paused. "Lucianus Nestorian." He finished triumphantly. Isabel knew that he still had little idea who the mysterious Lucianus was, but his name seemed to hold a lot of weight with every Illyrian and Dernian.
Jemma whitened. "But I do not understand. The Chosen One is to be of Illyrian and Dernian descent."
"She has to be of mixed blood. Jennetta is - she is half Dernian, half human." Michael returned, sounding irritated. While he did not particularly relish the thought that his daughter was the Chosen One, Isabel also knew that he was NEVER going to let anyone take her right to the throne away from her. "And speaking of her half human side, I want to see Maria. NOW." He stood up and moved up beside Isabel. "We can finish this discussion later."
Jemma still looked shocked. "But it can't be," she whispered to herself. Isabel saw Jennetta frowning.
But there was no time to pursue the discussion because the door to their right suddenly burst open and Maria came whirling through. "Michael!" She launched herself at him, knocking them both back against the wall. She was kissing him all over his face and Isabel could see that he was certainly not displeased by the fact. "They just told me you were here! I missed you so much!"
Isabel felt a pang when Michael's hands thrust themselves into Maria's hair, bringing her mouth to his for a fierce kiss that made them all stare. Maria stepped back a moment later, a dazed expression on her face. "And that would be WHY I missed you." She murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Hi Izzy!" She said as her gaze focused on Isabel.
Maria seemed to recognize that the expression on Isabel's face was not exactly friendly. "Are you okay?" She asked. "You look a little freaked out."
"I'm fine." Isabel tried to make her voice sound normal, but it sounded a little rude even to her own ears. "Where's Alex?" She asked desperately, looking for any way to get out of the room. The glare that Michael was sending in her direction was enough to make her want to burst into tears.
"Just down the hall." Maria replied. "He's still sleeping. He has a huge bump on his head. I was knocked out too." Isabel could hear her still chattering as she hurried through the door Maria had just entered from. "But my head must be too hard to do any real damage."
Isabel paused after the door slammed shut behind her. She leaned against the cool wall, knew that her cheeks were flaming. She had not realized that seeing Maria with Michael that way would be so hard. She WAS used to it after all.
But she wasn't used to seeing it since she had remembered who he was to her. And he didn't even care.
Looking around, Isabel realized that the building had suddenly truly transformed itself into a hospital. The floor was linoleum, the walls white-washed. She could hear soft music playing in the room just down the corridor. Peeking through the doorway, she saw Alex lying in a heavy wooden bed, his eyes closed, a bandage around his head.
She swallowed, felt the tears about to pour from her eyes. Her heart swelled at the sight of him, all thoughts of Michael, Tristandor or whoever the hell he was, suddenly filthy in her mind.
"Alex." Isabel pulled a chair up beside his bed, grasped his warm hand in hers. A feeling of security enveloped her entire being. She felt like she was coming home.
And yet she still laid her head down on the pristine sheets at Alex's side and sobbed.
*********************************************
He came back to consciousness, aware that someone was weeping nearby. Forcing his eyes open, he had to slit them against the bright light. His head felt as if it was about to explode. He tried to reach up to massage away the pain, but realized suddenly that he couldn't move his arms.
"Liz?" He croaked.
The sobbing was cut off abruptly. He felt cool hands on his face. "Wake up! It's time to wake up now."
He recognized the voice, was disappointed because it was not Liz.
Max licked his lips, managed to speak again as the woman's face came into focus. It was his mother. "Mother?"
"Yes, its me Jaxon. Wake up now. I must speak with you. I must confess! There isn' t much time!" His mother was beginning to sound hysterical. "Please my son! I must beg your forgiveness."
Max shook his head hard, trying to clear it. He was almost completely aware of his surroundings now. He realized that he was chained to the wall of a cell very similar to the one in which he had last seen Liz.
"Where is Liz?" Max asked, his voice becoming stronger. He tilted his head to the side, pulled one of his arms close enough so that his fingertips grazed his temple. He was able to heal some of the damage that had been done to his face.
"Gone." Milena brought her hands up to cover her own face. "He took her. I don't know why. He deserted me here after all I've done for him and took HER."
"Mother, calm down." Max ordered. "Can you get me out of these chains?"
"I cannot. They are made of a substance that is resistant to molecular manipulation."
It had taken Max this long to process the last part of his mother's previous statement. He was still a little fuzzy. His last memory was of one of Tarsus's men kicking him hard in the head as he had fought to escape them. It was clearly affecting him and until he could truly heal himself, he was going to have some trouble concentrating. "What do you mean 'after all you've done for him?'" He must have heard her wrong.
"You don't understand Jax! I had no choice. It was for our son. I agreed to help him capture you, to help him subdue Mirana and Tristandor because he promised me that OUR son would sit on the throne. But he has abandoned me and has taken HER. He is going to use HER child to rule the planet."
Max stared at her. "Mother, what the hell are you talking about? I'm your son." She had clearly gone crazy. This could not be the same serene, cryptic woman he had met only the night before. She was pacing the length of the cell, wringing her hands in dismay.
Milena stopped abruptly in front of him, stroked his face lightly. Max felt the pain in his head disappear under her touch. "You are my son, but you are not the son I bore in love." Tears filled her eyes. "I do love you my Jaxon, but you were not born of love but of duty. My true son must sit on the throne. I have lived a life full of misery and this one thing must come true for me. It has been my dream since he was born. He is meant to unite our world. He is half Dernian and half Illyrian you know." She confided, suddenly sounding for all the world like she was telling him the time of day.
Max could see that her mind had snapped. And yet he had to try. "Mother? What are you talking about?" He whispered. "Who is your other son?"
"Ren of course." Milena smiled at him sweetly. "He is your brother Jaxon. He will make an excellent king."
Max just stared at her. "Ren? REN!" His mind was frantically putting the pieces together. They had never known who Ren's mother was, only that his father was Nasedo.
Ren was his brother. And Ren's father was Nasedo.
But his mother was behaving as though Ren's father was still alive - that he had JUST betrayed her.
"Mother." She was standing still now, gazing at him blankly. "MOTHER! Who took Liz?"
"He took her." Milena replied in a monotone. "I betrayed Andrina with him and he betrayed me with HER."
His mind was still racing. "Tarsus took her, right? Tarsus, Mother." His mother was clearly in a complete muddle. She was mixing Tarsus up with Ren's father - with Nasedo.
She was confusing Tarsus with Nasedo who had been dead for almost two years. Danala had killed him when she had first arrived on Earth.
"Yes, Tarsus." Milena nodded. "The father of my son."
"Mother. Please think. Laren is Ren's father. Tarsus has taken Liz, but he hasn't betrayed you - he is your enemy, has always been your enemy. Laren is dead." Max clenched his jaw, hoped that she could pull the pieces together long enough to reassure him that what he was beginning to think was not true.
It could NOT be true.
"Laren IS Tarsus." Milena sighed heavily, sliding down the wall so that she was seated next to Max on the floor.
"No Mother. Laren is dead. Nasedo is DEAD!" Max practically roared the last word, straining against his chains.
"No Jaxon. Laren is not dead. He was gone for fifty years but he came back to me you see." Milena dropped her head wearily onto his shoulder. Max flinched away from her, her touch making him physically ill. "They are all the same being. My Laren, your Nasedo, Danala's Tarsus. They are all Ren's father. And they ALL betrayed me."
The Citadel, Illyria
Max's hands came up to frame Liz's face as he deepened the kiss. Liz felt herself open completely to him, willing the flashes to come, willing them to tell her what she wanted to be true - that this was Max, that this was NOT some shapeshifter imitating her boyfriend, trying to cause more trouble.
It was almost too easy. The flashes came fast and furious, so muddled Liz had a hard time sorting them out.
Flash*
Young Max getting off the school bus, seeing Liz for the first time, knowing that he loved her already.
Flash*
A gunshot. Terror when Max realized that Liz was hurt. No hesitation as he risked his entire existence to heal her.
Flash* Flash* Flash*
Their first kiss, jealousy when he thought she was getting back together with Kyle, finding the first orb together, helplessness and grief as he watched her walk away from him after they first heard the destiny message, overwhelming love when he first caught a glimpse of her at the buses before they headed off to Frasier Woods for the infamous second camping trip, determination and pride and love when she bravely let him leave her so that he could go after Maria and Michael who had disappeared through the portal with Tarsus…
His lips moved from her lips, down to her neck. The connection was broken so suddenly Liz gasped.
But it was enough. He was Max. The flashes were memories only he could have, feelings only HER Max would have stored away in his subconscious. The relief that flooded her was so intense, her knees almost gave out on her.
Could it actually be true? Could it all really be over? It was almost impossible to believe.
"I'm sorry you were worried." He was whispering into her hair. "But it was the last time Liz. We are never going to be separated again. I promise."
Liz pulled back, gazed up at him. "How can this be real Max? After all he's done - why would Tarsus just give up?"
Max closed his eyes briefly, shaking his dark head. "I don't know. All I care about is that he has." He grinned wryly. "Of course, that doesn't mean we're going to waste any time getting out of here." He moved away from her, started throwing her clothes into her bag. "Just in case."
Liz watched him for a moment. His back was tense. She could see that he wasn't totally relaxed. He WAS worried that this was a trick. It was the final evidence that she needed that this was indeed Max. He was trying to hide his concern from her, but he was still nervous.
"Max, what did Tarsus do to you when you were gone?" Liz asked, going to join him. He was slamming her suitcase shut.
Max turned to look at her. "What do you mean?" He asked, sounding evasive. His eyes were shadowed. So she was right. He HAD been hurt.
"I felt it Max. They hurt you somehow. What did they do to you?"
His expression softened at the concern in her voice. "I should have known I couldn't hide it from you. There was a little bit of a misunderstanding before Tarsus managed to find me." He paused, scrubbed his hand across his face wearily. "Let's just say the guards got a little rough before Tarsus intervened. Everything was totally chaotic out there, because of the explosion."
Liz eyed him for a moment. He seemed to be telling her the truth, but now wasn't really the time to press the issue anyway. She was in complete agreement that the sooner they were out of the Citadel, the sooner she would actually start to believe that all of this was true.
"What about your mother?" Liz asked as they made their way down the stone corridor several minutes later.
Max paused at the fork in their path, glanced warily around the corner before replying, "Just in case there are a few guards still unaware of the new status of things." He told her, rolling his eyes. "Milena is already gone. I sent her ahead to the camp to tell my people that we're fine." He took her by the hand, glancing back at her again. "Are you ready?"
"Ready?" Liz wrinkled her brow in confusion.
"Ready to spend the rest of your life letting me make you deliriously happy?" Max grinned at her. "Because it starts today you know."
Liz smiled back. "It started the day you healed me." She told him, totally serious.
Max's gaze darkened. He dropped her bag and hauled her into his arms. "You are mine. Forever." He brought his lips down on hers so quickly, she momentarily lost her breath.
A shiver ran down Liz's spine as they broke apart several moments later. She stared up at Max, feeling confused. That kiss had been unlike any he had ever given her before - so possessive it was almost scary.
He seemed to notice her discomfort though and quirked a grin at her. "Sorry about that. Lost my head." He didn't wait for her answer though, picking up her hand and pulling her after him down the corridor.
**********************************************
Illyrian Safe House, near Salisbury, England
"We are the Illyrian Royal Guard."
Isabel couldn't help herself. She gasped. She could feel Michael tensing up beside her. "What do you want?" He demanded.
The woman inclined her head slightly, but her gaze was unwavering. "We do not want anything your Highness. Our sole purpose is to serve you - at least for now."
"Where did you come from?" Isabel demanded. "How did you get here?" It was just too confusing. She had been told that she and Max were the only ones capable of opening the portal to their planet. Was nothing they learned ever the truth? It was like for every step forward, they took two back. It was supremely frustrating.
"Please Princess, calm yourself." The woman urged. "I will explain everything. But you appear fatigued. Why don't you and General Tristandor seat yourself. It is a lengthy enough tale."
"NO!" Michael's tone brooked no opposition. "We don't have time for "lengthy tales." He spat the words in disdain. "I need to see Maria and I know Izzy wants to see Alex. Give us the short version and make it snappy."
"Michael." Jennetta stepped forward, took Michael's hand in hers. "You need to listen to her. It's important."
Michael sighed heavily, threw himself down on a nearby couch. "Can we just get on with it then?"
Isabel watched him for a moment, a slight twinge of desire coursing through her at the casual way he threw his arm over the back of the sofa.
A flash of Tristandor was instantly in front of her eyes. Firelight was playing across his features as he stared lazily at her, a slight grin on his face. "Are you coming over here Miri or do I have to come and get you?"
Isabel shook her head, closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, he was Michael again and he was not paying the least bit of attention to her. He was listening to the strange woman intently.
It was not the first time this had happened. Her visions of Tristandor were no longer just in her dreams. They were taking over her entire life.
Every time Michael did something, she remembered a reflected moment in her former husband's life, showing her that it was still him, that he was right in front of her.
Isabel swallowed, hard. Alex is right in this building! She reprimanded herself. Stop it! He is going to be devastated if he even suspects what is going on with you.
And yet, she felt Michael drifting away from her like a physical blow. Just being in Jennetta's presence was reinforcing his resolve that the memories they were both experiencing meant nothing, that whatever it was they had once shared, it was over.
"…Princess?" Isabel realized that the woman was speaking to her.
"What?" She asked abruptly. She saw Michael and Jennetta exchange a look. "I'm sorry. What was that?"
"I asked if you brought the orbs with you?" The woman repeated patiently.
"We have the one Max didn't take with him." Michael answered for her, still looking at Isabel strangely. "But we're jumping ahead of ourselves here. You said you had a story to tell us. Why don't you start with your name?"
The woman looked momentarily abashed. "I apologize. My name is Jemma Stafford. I am Princess Andrina's bodyguard. Or I was." Sadness flashed across her expressive face.
"Princess Andrina?" Isabel asked, frowning slightly. She had thought that she was the only princess on Illyria. Tess had been queen but she had not been a princess by birth, merely a noblewoman.
"Your aunt." Jemma elaborated. "She came to Earth almost two hundred years ago to broker an agreement with the humans which was meant to end the war on our world once and for all." She sighed heavily. "But things went awry from the very beginning. Her brother, your father, was killed almost as soon as we arrived and the portal was closed to us." Jemma smiled at Isabel. "She was the White Lady too you see. She could open the portal to Earth but not the reverse. We were stranded."
Jennetta spoke up. "But we learned that the portal reverses itself on the Solstice. It's why we're here." She looked frightened. "We're not wrong are we?" Isabel felt her own heart sink. Were their hopes of saving Max and their friends totally off?
"You are not wrong." Jemma replied. "The problem lay in King Gordian's death. The portal only works when both the White Lady and the Blue Prince live. Despite the fact that they both only control one direction, their bond as twins is what truly controls the gateway. When the King died, Andrina could not open the portal at all. The bond was broken you see."
"I don't understand." Isabel shook her head, glad that she had something to concentrate on other than the fact that Michael was sitting two feet away from her. "Why did Andrina never come to find us?"
"She did." Jemma told her. "The problem was the Crash. Andrina was captured when she went to meet your ship. I have never managed to find her again since, although I do know that she finally did escape the FBI."
"So she's still out there somewhere?" Isabel felt her heart swell. They had family, right here on Earth!
"Possibly."
"Who cares?" Michael demanded, getting up. "We have other things to worry about. If you knew that we had crashed, why didn't YOU ever come to look for us? Do you know what kind of life I had?"
"It was not my mission to find you." Jemma replied simply. "When Andrina disappeared I continued my task, which was to create and train an elite force of humans to form an Earthly contingent of the Royal Guard."
Isabel and Michael glanced at each other. "Why? To guard who?" Isabel asked.
"The Queen of course. Or the one who will one day be our queen." Jemma amended. "Andrina was sent to Earth to make a marriage treaty for your brother." She addressed this to Isabel. "When King Gordian died, the plan seemed doomed to failure as Andrina was trapped and we later heard that Jaxon had married your sister." She told Michael. "And yet our mission was still clear. We had to choose someone to represent the Earth should the treaty ever become necessary."
"This all sounds a little medieval." Isabel commented. "You didn't really think that the Earth would all congregate behind one human girl just because she married Jaxon?"
Jemma shrugged. "It was a different world when we arrived here." She said. "At the beginning of the nineteenth century, it was inherently likely that it could be done. Marriage created unimpeachable bonds between nations then. Why would planets be any different?"
Isabel stood up. "Well, whatever. The point is, its not going to happen. There is no treaty and there is no queen, which is all to the good because we can use your guards instead."
Jemma frowned. "We will help you, but the queen will still be chosen from amongst the best and brightest of this planet. Once your brother is bonded to her, the Earth will be our closest ally. We will defeat the Dernians and take control of the planet as is rightfully our place as Illyrians."
"Max is not going to be ruling the planet." Michael stated firmly. "My daughter is the Chosen One. There is no need for any bonding. Max is already taken anyway. He's not going to let you choose some random human, I'll tell you that right now."
Jemma was staring at Jennetta. "The Chosen One?" She narrowed her eyes. "Who has told you that this is she?"
"Everyone." Michael replied. "Tarsus, Queen Milena." He paused. "Lucianus Nestorian." He finished triumphantly. Isabel knew that he still had little idea who the mysterious Lucianus was, but his name seemed to hold a lot of weight with every Illyrian and Dernian.
Jemma whitened. "But I do not understand. The Chosen One is to be of Illyrian and Dernian descent."
"She has to be of mixed blood. Jennetta is - she is half Dernian, half human." Michael returned, sounding irritated. While he did not particularly relish the thought that his daughter was the Chosen One, Isabel also knew that he was NEVER going to let anyone take her right to the throne away from her. "And speaking of her half human side, I want to see Maria. NOW." He stood up and moved up beside Isabel. "We can finish this discussion later."
Jemma still looked shocked. "But it can't be," she whispered to herself. Isabel saw Jennetta frowning.
But there was no time to pursue the discussion because the door to their right suddenly burst open and Maria came whirling through. "Michael!" She launched herself at him, knocking them both back against the wall. She was kissing him all over his face and Isabel could see that he was certainly not displeased by the fact. "They just told me you were here! I missed you so much!"
Isabel felt a pang when Michael's hands thrust themselves into Maria's hair, bringing her mouth to his for a fierce kiss that made them all stare. Maria stepped back a moment later, a dazed expression on her face. "And that would be WHY I missed you." She murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Hi Izzy!" She said as her gaze focused on Isabel.
Maria seemed to recognize that the expression on Isabel's face was not exactly friendly. "Are you okay?" She asked. "You look a little freaked out."
"I'm fine." Isabel tried to make her voice sound normal, but it sounded a little rude even to her own ears. "Where's Alex?" She asked desperately, looking for any way to get out of the room. The glare that Michael was sending in her direction was enough to make her want to burst into tears.
"Just down the hall." Maria replied. "He's still sleeping. He has a huge bump on his head. I was knocked out too." Isabel could hear her still chattering as she hurried through the door Maria had just entered from. "But my head must be too hard to do any real damage."
Isabel paused after the door slammed shut behind her. She leaned against the cool wall, knew that her cheeks were flaming. She had not realized that seeing Maria with Michael that way would be so hard. She WAS used to it after all.
But she wasn't used to seeing it since she had remembered who he was to her. And he didn't even care.
Looking around, Isabel realized that the building had suddenly truly transformed itself into a hospital. The floor was linoleum, the walls white-washed. She could hear soft music playing in the room just down the corridor. Peeking through the doorway, she saw Alex lying in a heavy wooden bed, his eyes closed, a bandage around his head.
She swallowed, felt the tears about to pour from her eyes. Her heart swelled at the sight of him, all thoughts of Michael, Tristandor or whoever the hell he was, suddenly filthy in her mind.
"Alex." Isabel pulled a chair up beside his bed, grasped his warm hand in hers. A feeling of security enveloped her entire being. She felt like she was coming home.
And yet she still laid her head down on the pristine sheets at Alex's side and sobbed.
*********************************************
He came back to consciousness, aware that someone was weeping nearby. Forcing his eyes open, he had to slit them against the bright light. His head felt as if it was about to explode. He tried to reach up to massage away the pain, but realized suddenly that he couldn't move his arms.
"Liz?" He croaked.
The sobbing was cut off abruptly. He felt cool hands on his face. "Wake up! It's time to wake up now."
He recognized the voice, was disappointed because it was not Liz.
Max licked his lips, managed to speak again as the woman's face came into focus. It was his mother. "Mother?"
"Yes, its me Jaxon. Wake up now. I must speak with you. I must confess! There isn' t much time!" His mother was beginning to sound hysterical. "Please my son! I must beg your forgiveness."
Max shook his head hard, trying to clear it. He was almost completely aware of his surroundings now. He realized that he was chained to the wall of a cell very similar to the one in which he had last seen Liz.
"Where is Liz?" Max asked, his voice becoming stronger. He tilted his head to the side, pulled one of his arms close enough so that his fingertips grazed his temple. He was able to heal some of the damage that had been done to his face.
"Gone." Milena brought her hands up to cover her own face. "He took her. I don't know why. He deserted me here after all I've done for him and took HER."
"Mother, calm down." Max ordered. "Can you get me out of these chains?"
"I cannot. They are made of a substance that is resistant to molecular manipulation."
It had taken Max this long to process the last part of his mother's previous statement. He was still a little fuzzy. His last memory was of one of Tarsus's men kicking him hard in the head as he had fought to escape them. It was clearly affecting him and until he could truly heal himself, he was going to have some trouble concentrating. "What do you mean 'after all you've done for him?'" He must have heard her wrong.
"You don't understand Jax! I had no choice. It was for our son. I agreed to help him capture you, to help him subdue Mirana and Tristandor because he promised me that OUR son would sit on the throne. But he has abandoned me and has taken HER. He is going to use HER child to rule the planet."
Max stared at her. "Mother, what the hell are you talking about? I'm your son." She had clearly gone crazy. This could not be the same serene, cryptic woman he had met only the night before. She was pacing the length of the cell, wringing her hands in dismay.
Milena stopped abruptly in front of him, stroked his face lightly. Max felt the pain in his head disappear under her touch. "You are my son, but you are not the son I bore in love." Tears filled her eyes. "I do love you my Jaxon, but you were not born of love but of duty. My true son must sit on the throne. I have lived a life full of misery and this one thing must come true for me. It has been my dream since he was born. He is meant to unite our world. He is half Dernian and half Illyrian you know." She confided, suddenly sounding for all the world like she was telling him the time of day.
Max could see that her mind had snapped. And yet he had to try. "Mother? What are you talking about?" He whispered. "Who is your other son?"
"Ren of course." Milena smiled at him sweetly. "He is your brother Jaxon. He will make an excellent king."
Max just stared at her. "Ren? REN!" His mind was frantically putting the pieces together. They had never known who Ren's mother was, only that his father was Nasedo.
Ren was his brother. And Ren's father was Nasedo.
But his mother was behaving as though Ren's father was still alive - that he had JUST betrayed her.
"Mother." She was standing still now, gazing at him blankly. "MOTHER! Who took Liz?"
"He took her." Milena replied in a monotone. "I betrayed Andrina with him and he betrayed me with HER."
His mind was still racing. "Tarsus took her, right? Tarsus, Mother." His mother was clearly in a complete muddle. She was mixing Tarsus up with Ren's father - with Nasedo.
She was confusing Tarsus with Nasedo who had been dead for almost two years. Danala had killed him when she had first arrived on Earth.
"Yes, Tarsus." Milena nodded. "The father of my son."
"Mother. Please think. Laren is Ren's father. Tarsus has taken Liz, but he hasn't betrayed you - he is your enemy, has always been your enemy. Laren is dead." Max clenched his jaw, hoped that she could pull the pieces together long enough to reassure him that what he was beginning to think was not true.
It could NOT be true.
"Laren IS Tarsus." Milena sighed heavily, sliding down the wall so that she was seated next to Max on the floor.
"No Mother. Laren is dead. Nasedo is DEAD!" Max practically roared the last word, straining against his chains.
"No Jaxon. Laren is not dead. He was gone for fifty years but he came back to me you see." Milena dropped her head wearily onto his shoulder. Max flinched away from her, her touch making him physically ill. "They are all the same being. My Laren, your Nasedo, Danala's Tarsus. They are all Ren's father. And they ALL betrayed me."
