~Chapter 16~
Victoria awoke standing up. She was tied with chains to a metal column. Max was in an identical position at a column 4 or 5 ft. away. His head was slumped to one side so she knew he wasn't conscious. Victoria tried to reach him with the telepathic link they had. And she wasn't sure she had until he straightened his head. He opened his eyes and looked to her, then around, then back to her in silent alarm. Apart from the light shining on them from somewhere above, their surroundings was dark and murky - but it seemed like they were in some big old warehouse of sorts. No more time for contemplation because a voice drove their attention back to the front. "Oh the King and Queen awake."
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
At Max's look - Nicholas said, "Oh surprise on two accounts, eh? One-" He threw out his arms. "Yep it's me." "And two---what, you didn't think I knew she was 'the queen'." He laughed without much humor. "Of course I've known a long time. I've been waiting for her to surface one of these days. Why do you think Tess was treated insignificantly? Because she was. I knew she had no real power that could impact my causes."
"Now I must give respect where respect is due, at least how I see it. You two had hellluva lot of power. Everyone thought the royals were the greatest thing in our galaxy - well, not everyone apparently."
"What do you want?" Max interrupted.
"Well, first of all- I have a bit of a score to settle. From past and present life both. Then when you two are sufficiently agreeable - we'll move on to my plans and what am I but a humble and noble servant of Khivar?"
"We're not doing anything to help you or Khivar." Max stated with simple defiance.
Nicholas walked over to survey Victoria, "Speak for yourself. You know she's no Ava - Khivar thinks he could probably use just her and still accomplish what he wants. How about it? In the mood for becoming a traitor again?"
"I was never a traitor." Victoria spit out.
"Well maybe not in the general sense. I never died, so certainly we both know that you were less than a perfect and loyal wife at the end." -Nicholas.
"Go to hell." -Victoria.
Nicholas laughed harshly. "Oh I am here already." He continued, "You don't like Earth much more than I, unlike Zan- err, 'Max' over there - who likes this god awful place. So help me with my plan and we can both leave it - then we can get to Khivar's plans."
"I don't want to hear it." Victoria.
He grabbed her chin. "No!" She yelled and pulled away from his touch.
"Leave her alone." Max demanded.
"You don't make commands upon me anymore, deposed king. Not this life anyway." -Nicholas.
Nicholas stood in front of Max now. While Nicholas provoked Max, Victoria was busy trying to get them loose.
She used her powers to sear the chains in two, but kept them up as if they were still holding her. Victoria sent Max a mental message. ~My chains aren't binding me anymore. I'm working on yours now. Be ready.~
Max looked at Victoria as he heard her in his mind. Then back to Nicholas.
When Max's chains dropped, Victoria let hers go. Max sprang at Nicholas just then and Victoria blasted his mind - causing him a great burst of pain. Nicholas fell on his knees in pain and grasped his head in his hands.
At Nicholas' yell - someone who looked like Isabel, but who Victoria sensed instantly wasn't her - and four other people, aliens but not completely natural, instead- were like Nicholas. Victoria got from Max that it was Isabel's double, Lonnie. But she didn't have time to read more impressions because the girl and the others grabbed Max and Victoria who were side by side now. Victoria saw hate in Lonnie's eyes directed to her and something else..
They pushed Max and Victoria to the ground and by this time, Nicholas had recovered. He got up and struck Victoria across the face as she was subdued on the ground.
"Bitch, I knew it was you who blasted my mind." Nicholas glared down at her.
"Think she has more power than him?" Lonnie asked.
"Wouldn't surprise me. He's no great king nowadays. And the both of you-" He said to them now, "-look at you, just practically like a newborn king and queen."
"I think the two of you need to be taught a history lesson or two."
Nicholas looked back to Lonnie and she was grinning with malice. "Indeed they do."
Nicholas put one hand on each of their heads and their minds were filled with some memories as they saw images.
Zenovia was pregnant. Flash to an image of Max holding an infant.
Zan clothed in a royal cornflower blue robe and Zenovia in a sweeping white one with matching blue trimming and underlay. Zan held her at her waist with his left hand and in his right, nestled against the crook of his right arm and his chest - was a tiny infant in a white gown and blue blanket. Zan and Zenovia were at the railing of a large balcony. Hundreds- no, thousands of people looked up at them from far below on the ground. Zan and Zenovia looked at one another and smiled. Then Zan raised the infant high. "Behold, my son. Your future king." He addressed the crowd. The baby raised one tiny fist as if saluting his future subjects. There was great cheering. The city was in joyous uproar. Great celebrating. Everyone seemed happy. Everything was perfect and right.
Flash to the night skyline. Zenovia was looking out at the city, holding the small boy in her arms - pointing out things to him. Zan came up behind them and kissed each of their heads and wraps his arms around them and looked out at the city.
Another flash to a dark haired, dark eyed little boy seated on his father's knee who was seated on a throne.
All was seemingly perfect. Then on the trail of these emotion-filled beautiful memories forced upon them - their mind was ravaged.
The boy- older now, and an innocent mirror image of his father was standing in front of a scene he did not understand. Everyone at war. Everyone he loved and some he didn't know.
Zenovia was screaming. The boy tried to go to his mother, but he was held back by two soldiers.
"Uncle Khivar" Came in front of the boy while Zenovia was restrained and Zan was helpless to help his son. Zenovia and Zan were bleeding and barely conscious. Ava was on the floor. Unconscious or dead? Rath - where was Rath? In the background somewhere perhaps. The enormous throne room looked as if a war had broken out in it or entered into, one.
Khivar pulled the boy to him in a hug. The boy looked at Zan and the last words from his son, was "father" as Khivar plunged a small dagger into the boy's heart. Zen screamed in the background, "My son!" Zan was in anguish. Villandra looked horrified. She couldn't even believe it.
Then back to present. Max and Victoria were awake in the present - their mind having been ravaged by the very scenes as if it was yesterday - their senses had been fully aware. Victoria came back to the present screaming. "No!" Max yelled out as he held his head.
"Didn't know you two had a kid, huh?" Lonnie said.
"Oh and died so young too. What was he - let me see, I think nine." Then Nicholas laughed harshly.
"You bastard!" Victoria cried. No one was holding them down now. Victoria was crying and Max was holding her now, shocked.
"Ahhh- well you didn't think it was all power and flowers did you?" Lonnie said.
"Shut up!" Max shouted at her.
Without warning - they all heard a crashing in the background.
Victoria awoke standing up. She was tied with chains to a metal column. Max was in an identical position at a column 4 or 5 ft. away. His head was slumped to one side so she knew he wasn't conscious. Victoria tried to reach him with the telepathic link they had. And she wasn't sure she had until he straightened his head. He opened his eyes and looked to her, then around, then back to her in silent alarm. Apart from the light shining on them from somewhere above, their surroundings was dark and murky - but it seemed like they were in some big old warehouse of sorts. No more time for contemplation because a voice drove their attention back to the front. "Oh the King and Queen awake."
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
At Max's look - Nicholas said, "Oh surprise on two accounts, eh? One-" He threw out his arms. "Yep it's me." "And two---what, you didn't think I knew she was 'the queen'." He laughed without much humor. "Of course I've known a long time. I've been waiting for her to surface one of these days. Why do you think Tess was treated insignificantly? Because she was. I knew she had no real power that could impact my causes."
"Now I must give respect where respect is due, at least how I see it. You two had hellluva lot of power. Everyone thought the royals were the greatest thing in our galaxy - well, not everyone apparently."
"What do you want?" Max interrupted.
"Well, first of all- I have a bit of a score to settle. From past and present life both. Then when you two are sufficiently agreeable - we'll move on to my plans and what am I but a humble and noble servant of Khivar?"
"We're not doing anything to help you or Khivar." Max stated with simple defiance.
Nicholas walked over to survey Victoria, "Speak for yourself. You know she's no Ava - Khivar thinks he could probably use just her and still accomplish what he wants. How about it? In the mood for becoming a traitor again?"
"I was never a traitor." Victoria spit out.
"Well maybe not in the general sense. I never died, so certainly we both know that you were less than a perfect and loyal wife at the end." -Nicholas.
"Go to hell." -Victoria.
Nicholas laughed harshly. "Oh I am here already." He continued, "You don't like Earth much more than I, unlike Zan- err, 'Max' over there - who likes this god awful place. So help me with my plan and we can both leave it - then we can get to Khivar's plans."
"I don't want to hear it." Victoria.
He grabbed her chin. "No!" She yelled and pulled away from his touch.
"Leave her alone." Max demanded.
"You don't make commands upon me anymore, deposed king. Not this life anyway." -Nicholas.
Nicholas stood in front of Max now. While Nicholas provoked Max, Victoria was busy trying to get them loose.
She used her powers to sear the chains in two, but kept them up as if they were still holding her. Victoria sent Max a mental message. ~My chains aren't binding me anymore. I'm working on yours now. Be ready.~
Max looked at Victoria as he heard her in his mind. Then back to Nicholas.
When Max's chains dropped, Victoria let hers go. Max sprang at Nicholas just then and Victoria blasted his mind - causing him a great burst of pain. Nicholas fell on his knees in pain and grasped his head in his hands.
At Nicholas' yell - someone who looked like Isabel, but who Victoria sensed instantly wasn't her - and four other people, aliens but not completely natural, instead- were like Nicholas. Victoria got from Max that it was Isabel's double, Lonnie. But she didn't have time to read more impressions because the girl and the others grabbed Max and Victoria who were side by side now. Victoria saw hate in Lonnie's eyes directed to her and something else..
They pushed Max and Victoria to the ground and by this time, Nicholas had recovered. He got up and struck Victoria across the face as she was subdued on the ground.
"Bitch, I knew it was you who blasted my mind." Nicholas glared down at her.
"Think she has more power than him?" Lonnie asked.
"Wouldn't surprise me. He's no great king nowadays. And the both of you-" He said to them now, "-look at you, just practically like a newborn king and queen."
"I think the two of you need to be taught a history lesson or two."
Nicholas looked back to Lonnie and she was grinning with malice. "Indeed they do."
Nicholas put one hand on each of their heads and their minds were filled with some memories as they saw images.
Zenovia was pregnant. Flash to an image of Max holding an infant.
Zan clothed in a royal cornflower blue robe and Zenovia in a sweeping white one with matching blue trimming and underlay. Zan held her at her waist with his left hand and in his right, nestled against the crook of his right arm and his chest - was a tiny infant in a white gown and blue blanket. Zan and Zenovia were at the railing of a large balcony. Hundreds- no, thousands of people looked up at them from far below on the ground. Zan and Zenovia looked at one another and smiled. Then Zan raised the infant high. "Behold, my son. Your future king." He addressed the crowd. The baby raised one tiny fist as if saluting his future subjects. There was great cheering. The city was in joyous uproar. Great celebrating. Everyone seemed happy. Everything was perfect and right.
Flash to the night skyline. Zenovia was looking out at the city, holding the small boy in her arms - pointing out things to him. Zan came up behind them and kissed each of their heads and wraps his arms around them and looked out at the city.
Another flash to a dark haired, dark eyed little boy seated on his father's knee who was seated on a throne.
All was seemingly perfect. Then on the trail of these emotion-filled beautiful memories forced upon them - their mind was ravaged.
The boy- older now, and an innocent mirror image of his father was standing in front of a scene he did not understand. Everyone at war. Everyone he loved and some he didn't know.
Zenovia was screaming. The boy tried to go to his mother, but he was held back by two soldiers.
"Uncle Khivar" Came in front of the boy while Zenovia was restrained and Zan was helpless to help his son. Zenovia and Zan were bleeding and barely conscious. Ava was on the floor. Unconscious or dead? Rath - where was Rath? In the background somewhere perhaps. The enormous throne room looked as if a war had broken out in it or entered into, one.
Khivar pulled the boy to him in a hug. The boy looked at Zan and the last words from his son, was "father" as Khivar plunged a small dagger into the boy's heart. Zen screamed in the background, "My son!" Zan was in anguish. Villandra looked horrified. She couldn't even believe it.
Then back to present. Max and Victoria were awake in the present - their mind having been ravaged by the very scenes as if it was yesterday - their senses had been fully aware. Victoria came back to the present screaming. "No!" Max yelled out as he held his head.
"Didn't know you two had a kid, huh?" Lonnie said.
"Oh and died so young too. What was he - let me see, I think nine." Then Nicholas laughed harshly.
"You bastard!" Victoria cried. No one was holding them down now. Victoria was crying and Max was holding her now, shocked.
"Ahhh- well you didn't think it was all power and flowers did you?" Lonnie said.
"Shut up!" Max shouted at her.
Without warning - they all heard a crashing in the background.