First of all, I'd just like to apologize for the length of time
between updates. I honestly meant to finish Chapter 7 last week, luckily I
have a very good excuse—I unexpectedly spent a few days in the hospital
with appendicitis. So there! No one can blame me for that! Mwahahaha! :P
Well, here's the next chapter, enjoy!
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Andromeda, and I don't own Harper. (cry, sniffle, cry) However, I DID create the planet and its people from my own little mind. If they resemble other characters, either in the show, other
fanfics, or real life, it's purely coincidental.
If I ever leave this world alive
I'll thank ya
For all the things ya did in my life...
Wherever I am, you'll always be
More than just a memory
If I ever leave this world alive...
-Flogging Molly
When I'm alone
I dream of the horizon
And words fail me
There is no light
In a room where there is no sun
And there is no sun if you're not here with me, with me
From every window
Unfurl my heart
The heart that you have won
Into me you've poured the light...
-Time to Say Goodbye, Sarah Brightman
Lysation Love
Chapter 7
Pyrrha watched the Empress leave the room with a faint smile which vaguely resembled triumph. With a satisfied look around the empty room, she too walked quickly out of the sun filled chamber.
Unbeknownst to Pyrrha, Liandra was smiling as well. Her smile was not one of triumph however. She had the expression of one who's received confirmation of news they had hoped was not true. Indeed, as she made her way regally through the blue marbled halls, she was thinking sadly Pyrrha, her once dearest friend. Liandra had known for some time that Pyrrha was Philammon's spy. How he had turned her, she did not know, nor when. Why was a much easier question to answer; if Liandra ever acted against him secretly, violating the ancient pact, he'd have every right to dethrone her and take Lysat for himself. It hurt really; she had grown up with Pyrrha. The two had shared each other's deepest secrets, greatest joys, and strongest sorrows. Pyrrha had been there for each of her children's births, and had even forsaken marriage herself so that she could continue serving her Empress. Now, at this moment, if she were to keep Semele's whereabouts to herself, Pyrrha would report her and Lysat would be lost to Geithan rule, and Liandra would be executed. But she would not leave the only child of her beloved third husband to Philammon's wrath.
Quickening her pace, Liandra caught sight of a Geithan servant. Beckoning him to come closer, she said in a hurried voice,
"Tell your Lord I must speak with him immediately." The servant bowed, murmured a 'Yes Your Majesty' and ran off. Even as the servant disappeared from sight, Liandra caught the arm of one of her own servants who was walking by. Startled, the young girl turned to see who gripped her arm and brown eyes widened as she recognized her Empress.
"Your Majesty...?" She started to ask questioningly. Impatient, Liandra gave her a small shake.
"No time for that now girl! Quickly, tell me your name!"
"N-Noela, Your Majesty," The girl answered in a whisper. Noela. She recognized the name. Was she one of Pyrrha's girls? Dark eyes narrowing, Liandra's scowl gave her a sinister look.
"Are you loyal to Lysat girl?" Looking bewildered and flustered, Noela's eyes also flashed with indignation.
"Of course I am!" She replied hotly, till she remembered who she was speaking to and hastily lowered her eyes.
"For your sake I hope you are. I need you to deliver a message for me." Leaning forward, Liandra whispered something in the girl's ear. Again Noela's brown eyes widened. Despite appearing stunned, she offered no protest.
"You must hurry," Liandra said softly, releasing her arm. Noela nodded, bowed, then turned to leave, spurred on by more than her urgent job; Liandra's normally emotionless eyes had betrayed a look of fear.
)(
"What exactly are you talking about?" Rhade calmly interrupted Beka's frantic tirade of babbling.
"What do you mean 'What are you talking about?'! Dylan and Harper are in danger and we need to help them before Philammon-"
"Who is he again?" Rhade crooked one eyebrow, infuriating Beka.
"Perhaps your oh-so-superior Nietzschean intelligence isn't working today, huh Rhade?" She snarled. The two stood there glaring at each other until Trance interrupted them.
"Look, you two are wasting time! Dylan told us to get the missiles ready and-"
"Trance, my weapons are always ready," Andromeda's indignant voice pointed out.
"Right, sorry Andromeda," Trance offered a small smile to the ceiling.
"Perhaps I can explain the current situation better," Rommie said as she entered the room and crossed over to where they stood. Quickly summarizing all that had happened up to the point when Beka and Trance had left, she finished with,
"And I no longer have contact with Dylan. Harper is not responding either."
"Why would Dylan—or Harper—turn off communication? What's going on down there?" Beka asked incredulously, arms folded as though she demanded answers. Neither Rommie's troubled gaze nor Rhade's thoughtful expression could provide them.
"This may not be good," Trance said softly.
)(
'This is too good to be true!' Harper thought to himself happily. Bliss filled his mind and his heart. He was finding it hard to miss even Beka or Trance or Rommie. 'I could definitely get used to this! Constantly fixing Andromeda or spending every day-and night-with a beautiful girl? Lucky for me, I get to have both!' Indeed, he couldn't remember a time when things had felt so perfect. Of course, there was that little matter with Philammon-the creep-but Harper felt sure that would work itself out. No one had to know Semele was not on Lysat until she was gone and safe on the Andromeda. Grinning, Harper envisioned Semele handing him tools as he made repairs and explained how everything worked to the love of his life.
"Seamus! Keep stirring or it's going to boil over!" Semele scolded as Harper's hand did not resume movement for several minutes.
"What? Oh, sorry," He said hastily returning to his task. Cooking was not really his forte, and Andromeda's meals were fine. Still, home cooked food was rare in his diet, and it did smell delicious...whatever it was. He gave Semele a sheepish smile and she pretended to roll her eyes in exasperation.
"Is this what I'm going to have to put up with for the rest of my life?" She asked the ceiling dramatically. Stifling a laugh, Seamus put on his 'innocent' face.
"Come on, you know I'm cute!" To prove his point he stuck his tongue out at her. Semele made a face in return, finally saying, as steam began to rise in large amounts from the pot,
"I told you it'll boil over, and then you'll just have to find your own dinner." Again, Harper quickly began stirring and the steam eventually abated.
"What exactly do you mean by 'find'? What exactly are we eating?" Harper asked in a slightly worried sounding voice. Semele just gave him a dark smile and turned back to what she was doing.
"Hurry or we won't be able to have dinner before dark."
"Would that be so bad?" He asked without thinking. Harper had not seen the night sky from a planet in some time. A part of him that he didn't really know existed longed to feel ground beneath him as he looked up at the stars. 'Guess it's the mudfoot in me,' He thought bitterly. Perhaps understanding his thoughts, Semele walked over to kiss him on the cheek, smiling.
"That's a lovely idea Seamus. I haven't eaten outside at night for awhile. It'll be very romantic."
It was romantic; Harper decided as the munched the food while sitting on the ground. Sitting next to each other, they had talked for a little bit and finally lapsed into silence only interrupted by chewing. Pausing in his concentrated eating, Harper fingered the torque around his neck. The golden metal had changed to gleaming silver as night had fallen. In the center was a small jewel whose color seemed to change constantly, though you didn't realize it was doing so until it was already a completely different shade. The metal was smooth and Harper delighted in running his hand across the slippery surface. A rather nasty voice in the back of his mind wondered how much it would get on the market, but he quickly squashed it.
"It's lovely, isn't it?" Semele caught him running his hand over the torque. Glancing at her Harper agreed that it was.
"I have a matching one, but it is at the Palace..." She sounded sad, so Harper reached over to gently clasp her hand. She leaned forward as well but before they could kiss, embrace, or do whatever they were about to do, a sound made them draw back sharply.
"What was that?" The words were barely out of Harper's mouth before a horse came crashing through the forest right to them. Scrambling to their feet and out of the way of the horse's hooves, they exchanged worried looks when they saw the cloaked rider on the animal.
"Princess!" The figure practically fell off the creature in its haste to reach the two of them. Harper took a protective step towards Semele.
"Please, Your Highness it's Noela!" The girl threw back the hood and tripped in her attempt to bow before Semele. Confused, Semele bent to help her stand.
"How did you find me Noela? What are you doing here?" Her gaze was kind but her voice was firm and Harper was again reminded that she was royalty.
"Your mother, the Empress I mean, she sent me, to tell you-"Noela was staring at Semele intently but then she seemed to notice Harper's presence. Staring at him in confusion, she saw the torque at his throat and gave a small gasp.
"Your Highness! What have you done?" She asked in a scandalized tone. "A commoner? A foreigner? What will My Lord-"
"Philammon need never know," Semele stated coldly, dropping her hands away from the girl. She moved nearer to Harper and slid her hand into his.
"Now what was my mother's message?" Noela stopped staring at Harper as she remembered why she was there. Wringing her hands anxiously she explained at a nearly incomprehensible speed what Liandra had told her.
"Philammon knows where you are! He's sending soldiers to come get you Your Highness!"
"To kill me?" Semele asked in disbelief.
"No my Lady, to return with you of course. But...him," She glanced uneasily at Harper, "He will no doubt kill when he finds what you have done," She said this last part respectfully and bowed her head in an apologetic manner. While Harper's head spun with this information, Semele was already thinking things through. Biting her lip as she thought, she spoke at last.
"I'm grateful for your message Noela, it was brave of you." Noela bowed gratefully. "I need you to take Prince Seamus with you and return to the capital, not the Palace!, and take him somewhere safe-"
"No way!" Harper interrupted angrily, turning to face Semele. "I'm not leaving you!"
"Seamus, Philammon will kill you if he finds you! You'll be safer this way! I'll go to the Palace and get a few things, then come get you and we shall leave." Harper was sputtering protests as the two glared at each other. Looking from one to the other, Noela said in a hesitant voice,
"Your Highness, Sea-that is, my Lord's...er...Captain is at the Palace. Perhaps if he was taken to him...?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine Semele, if Dylan's there," Harper pointed out. Semele did not seem inclined to trust his welfare to one man.
"I don't want you to get hurt," She said softly, staring up at him.
"And I want to be with you," He said in an equally soft, but still insistent voice. Finally, Semele dropped her gaze and sighed.
"Very well, Noela, you take the horse. Take the long way back, perhaps the soldiers will here and think it is me. Don't worry," She added at the girl's alarmed face, "They will not hurt you. Seamus and I will walk back to the capital." Turning away as Noela hurried back to the horse, Seamus winked and said in a sarcastic tone,
"I thought I was 'Prince' Seamus,"
"The title 'Prince' implies that you have sense," Semele sniffed before walking back to the lodge. Grinning, Harper walked after her.
)(
It was no use; on his fifth attempt to leave Dylan had again been stopped. Each time he was told that it was for his own safety.
"Yeah, right," He would mutter, glaring murder at whichever poor servant or guard had been forced to stop him. He found it difficult to believe it was his safety they were worried for. Philammon had also refused to speak with Dylan. Feeling it was safe to assume he was being watched, he had turned off his communication to Andromeda just to be safe. Things were not going at all the way he had planned. 'When have they ever?' He asked himself ironically. He was no closer to finding Harper than he had been when Beka and Trance had left, and he didn't even dare contact them to let them know what was going on. At least he still had his force lance, so if things got too crazy he could just blast his way out. Until he knew more about where Harper was and what Philammon was planning however, he kept it hidden. Now Liandra has asked him to meet her, and he could only hope she would have good news for him.
"Thank you for coming," Liandra said softly as Dylan entered.
"It's not like I have anything better to do," He said, not particularly concerned with sounding polite. The Empress did not seem to notice his less than solemn tone.
"I have news, on...the Princess, and your crewmember," Liandra glared at him. "I take it I can trust you with such information...you will not use it to harm my daughter?"
Dylan gave an exasperated sound. "All I want is to take my engineer and get off your planet."
"I'm sorry to see you take your treaties so lightly," Liandra remarked icily, though she had not really expected him to care overly much about rescuing Lysat.
"Look, I'm sorry, really I am, but I think things have gone a little beyond treaties, don't you?" Waving her hand as though brushing this comment away, Liandra continued as though he had not spoken at all.
"I have received news that my daughter, and your engineer, are headed towards the capital. To do what, I am not sure. I would ask you to go into the capital and wait for them, so you may warn them of the situation here."
"I'd love to help, but I've been having a little difficulty getting out of here," Dylan explained, crossing his arms. Liandra did not seem deterred by his comment.
"Of course I know several ways you can use to leave the Palace undetected. I've been here since I was born, you know. I need you to tell the Princess to go to the Sisters, she'll understand what I mean, and to wait there until I can safely bring her back."
"And my crew?" Dylan asked simply.
"As soon as you are reunited you may leave as you are able," She gave a small bow, and then beckoned with one hand. Out of the shadows that filled the room a man stepped forward.
"Do you accept, Captain?" Liandra asked softly. Dylan didn't hesitate.
"I'll do as you ask,"
"Then you have my thanks," The man turned as though expecting Dylan to follow him. "He will lead you out of the Palace," Liandra explained. Nodding, Dylan walked quickly so as not to lose sight of the man.
)(
"Here we are Seamus," Semele said proudly as she stood at the top of the hill, a sack slung across her back. Seamus stared down at the sea side capital that sparkled in the sunlight.
"What do you think?" She asked, grinning at his awe-strucken face.
"It's a tad bit better than the cities on Earth," He managed to say weakly. Laughing, she adjusted the bag on her shoulders. They stared down at the city for a few more minutes before Semele said, in a graver tone.
"We should separate here, so as to attract less attention. You can see how to reach the Palace from here, yes?"
"Yeah, it's kinda hard to miss," Harper pointed out, one hand shading his eyes from the bright sun.
"Good, and you remember the way back to the lodge?"
"I think so," He said uncertainly.
"Well, if we are not able to meet up at the Palace, if you must leave for some reason, wait for me at the lodge, or I'll wait for you, and we'll meet there before going to your Andromeda."
"Sounds like a plan," Was all Harper could think to say. His heart was beating too fast for him to think straight. They didn't know what waited for them at the Palace, nor were they sure when they'd see each other again, though they planned to meet at the entrance when ready to depart. Impulsively, Harper grabbed her arm and turned her, kissing her fiercely on the mouth.
"We must go," Semele said, breaking away after a moment. Her eyes filled with tears and she hugged him tightly. "Be careful, Seamus," She whispered.
"Hey, you too," He said in reply. They gave each other one last smile, looked into each others' eyes one more time, before turning to different paths.
"See you soon," Semele called over her shoulder.
"Yep, see ya in a little while," Seamus called back, each trying to sound lighthearted and not worried at all. Heart still hammering in his chest, Harper forced himself to keep walking, to not turn back and insist they just go hide somewhere until rescued by Dylan or Andromeda. 'Quit being a coward,' He reprimanded himself harshly. 'Everything will be fine...' Feeling a little more confidant, he picked up his pace, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible. He would not be content until Semele was safely with him aboard the Andromeda.
End of Chapter 7
Time To Say Goodbye
Places that I've never seen or
Experienced with you
Now I shall
I'll sail with you
Upon ships across the sea
Seas that exist no more
I'll revive them with you
-Chorus from 'Time to Say Goodbye'
Again, sorry it took so long peoples, I promise I'll do my best to write Chapter 8 asap!!! (If you write reviews I'll most likely write faster...;) Take care everyone!
-Luna Sealeaf
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Andromeda, and I don't own Harper. (cry, sniffle, cry) However, I DID create the planet and its people from my own little mind. If they resemble other characters, either in the show, other
fanfics, or real life, it's purely coincidental.
If I ever leave this world alive
I'll thank ya
For all the things ya did in my life...
Wherever I am, you'll always be
More than just a memory
If I ever leave this world alive...
-Flogging Molly
When I'm alone
I dream of the horizon
And words fail me
There is no light
In a room where there is no sun
And there is no sun if you're not here with me, with me
From every window
Unfurl my heart
The heart that you have won
Into me you've poured the light...
-Time to Say Goodbye, Sarah Brightman
Lysation Love
Chapter 7
Pyrrha watched the Empress leave the room with a faint smile which vaguely resembled triumph. With a satisfied look around the empty room, she too walked quickly out of the sun filled chamber.
Unbeknownst to Pyrrha, Liandra was smiling as well. Her smile was not one of triumph however. She had the expression of one who's received confirmation of news they had hoped was not true. Indeed, as she made her way regally through the blue marbled halls, she was thinking sadly Pyrrha, her once dearest friend. Liandra had known for some time that Pyrrha was Philammon's spy. How he had turned her, she did not know, nor when. Why was a much easier question to answer; if Liandra ever acted against him secretly, violating the ancient pact, he'd have every right to dethrone her and take Lysat for himself. It hurt really; she had grown up with Pyrrha. The two had shared each other's deepest secrets, greatest joys, and strongest sorrows. Pyrrha had been there for each of her children's births, and had even forsaken marriage herself so that she could continue serving her Empress. Now, at this moment, if she were to keep Semele's whereabouts to herself, Pyrrha would report her and Lysat would be lost to Geithan rule, and Liandra would be executed. But she would not leave the only child of her beloved third husband to Philammon's wrath.
Quickening her pace, Liandra caught sight of a Geithan servant. Beckoning him to come closer, she said in a hurried voice,
"Tell your Lord I must speak with him immediately." The servant bowed, murmured a 'Yes Your Majesty' and ran off. Even as the servant disappeared from sight, Liandra caught the arm of one of her own servants who was walking by. Startled, the young girl turned to see who gripped her arm and brown eyes widened as she recognized her Empress.
"Your Majesty...?" She started to ask questioningly. Impatient, Liandra gave her a small shake.
"No time for that now girl! Quickly, tell me your name!"
"N-Noela, Your Majesty," The girl answered in a whisper. Noela. She recognized the name. Was she one of Pyrrha's girls? Dark eyes narrowing, Liandra's scowl gave her a sinister look.
"Are you loyal to Lysat girl?" Looking bewildered and flustered, Noela's eyes also flashed with indignation.
"Of course I am!" She replied hotly, till she remembered who she was speaking to and hastily lowered her eyes.
"For your sake I hope you are. I need you to deliver a message for me." Leaning forward, Liandra whispered something in the girl's ear. Again Noela's brown eyes widened. Despite appearing stunned, she offered no protest.
"You must hurry," Liandra said softly, releasing her arm. Noela nodded, bowed, then turned to leave, spurred on by more than her urgent job; Liandra's normally emotionless eyes had betrayed a look of fear.
)(
"What exactly are you talking about?" Rhade calmly interrupted Beka's frantic tirade of babbling.
"What do you mean 'What are you talking about?'! Dylan and Harper are in danger and we need to help them before Philammon-"
"Who is he again?" Rhade crooked one eyebrow, infuriating Beka.
"Perhaps your oh-so-superior Nietzschean intelligence isn't working today, huh Rhade?" She snarled. The two stood there glaring at each other until Trance interrupted them.
"Look, you two are wasting time! Dylan told us to get the missiles ready and-"
"Trance, my weapons are always ready," Andromeda's indignant voice pointed out.
"Right, sorry Andromeda," Trance offered a small smile to the ceiling.
"Perhaps I can explain the current situation better," Rommie said as she entered the room and crossed over to where they stood. Quickly summarizing all that had happened up to the point when Beka and Trance had left, she finished with,
"And I no longer have contact with Dylan. Harper is not responding either."
"Why would Dylan—or Harper—turn off communication? What's going on down there?" Beka asked incredulously, arms folded as though she demanded answers. Neither Rommie's troubled gaze nor Rhade's thoughtful expression could provide them.
"This may not be good," Trance said softly.
)(
'This is too good to be true!' Harper thought to himself happily. Bliss filled his mind and his heart. He was finding it hard to miss even Beka or Trance or Rommie. 'I could definitely get used to this! Constantly fixing Andromeda or spending every day-and night-with a beautiful girl? Lucky for me, I get to have both!' Indeed, he couldn't remember a time when things had felt so perfect. Of course, there was that little matter with Philammon-the creep-but Harper felt sure that would work itself out. No one had to know Semele was not on Lysat until she was gone and safe on the Andromeda. Grinning, Harper envisioned Semele handing him tools as he made repairs and explained how everything worked to the love of his life.
"Seamus! Keep stirring or it's going to boil over!" Semele scolded as Harper's hand did not resume movement for several minutes.
"What? Oh, sorry," He said hastily returning to his task. Cooking was not really his forte, and Andromeda's meals were fine. Still, home cooked food was rare in his diet, and it did smell delicious...whatever it was. He gave Semele a sheepish smile and she pretended to roll her eyes in exasperation.
"Is this what I'm going to have to put up with for the rest of my life?" She asked the ceiling dramatically. Stifling a laugh, Seamus put on his 'innocent' face.
"Come on, you know I'm cute!" To prove his point he stuck his tongue out at her. Semele made a face in return, finally saying, as steam began to rise in large amounts from the pot,
"I told you it'll boil over, and then you'll just have to find your own dinner." Again, Harper quickly began stirring and the steam eventually abated.
"What exactly do you mean by 'find'? What exactly are we eating?" Harper asked in a slightly worried sounding voice. Semele just gave him a dark smile and turned back to what she was doing.
"Hurry or we won't be able to have dinner before dark."
"Would that be so bad?" He asked without thinking. Harper had not seen the night sky from a planet in some time. A part of him that he didn't really know existed longed to feel ground beneath him as he looked up at the stars. 'Guess it's the mudfoot in me,' He thought bitterly. Perhaps understanding his thoughts, Semele walked over to kiss him on the cheek, smiling.
"That's a lovely idea Seamus. I haven't eaten outside at night for awhile. It'll be very romantic."
It was romantic; Harper decided as the munched the food while sitting on the ground. Sitting next to each other, they had talked for a little bit and finally lapsed into silence only interrupted by chewing. Pausing in his concentrated eating, Harper fingered the torque around his neck. The golden metal had changed to gleaming silver as night had fallen. In the center was a small jewel whose color seemed to change constantly, though you didn't realize it was doing so until it was already a completely different shade. The metal was smooth and Harper delighted in running his hand across the slippery surface. A rather nasty voice in the back of his mind wondered how much it would get on the market, but he quickly squashed it.
"It's lovely, isn't it?" Semele caught him running his hand over the torque. Glancing at her Harper agreed that it was.
"I have a matching one, but it is at the Palace..." She sounded sad, so Harper reached over to gently clasp her hand. She leaned forward as well but before they could kiss, embrace, or do whatever they were about to do, a sound made them draw back sharply.
"What was that?" The words were barely out of Harper's mouth before a horse came crashing through the forest right to them. Scrambling to their feet and out of the way of the horse's hooves, they exchanged worried looks when they saw the cloaked rider on the animal.
"Princess!" The figure practically fell off the creature in its haste to reach the two of them. Harper took a protective step towards Semele.
"Please, Your Highness it's Noela!" The girl threw back the hood and tripped in her attempt to bow before Semele. Confused, Semele bent to help her stand.
"How did you find me Noela? What are you doing here?" Her gaze was kind but her voice was firm and Harper was again reminded that she was royalty.
"Your mother, the Empress I mean, she sent me, to tell you-"Noela was staring at Semele intently but then she seemed to notice Harper's presence. Staring at him in confusion, she saw the torque at his throat and gave a small gasp.
"Your Highness! What have you done?" She asked in a scandalized tone. "A commoner? A foreigner? What will My Lord-"
"Philammon need never know," Semele stated coldly, dropping her hands away from the girl. She moved nearer to Harper and slid her hand into his.
"Now what was my mother's message?" Noela stopped staring at Harper as she remembered why she was there. Wringing her hands anxiously she explained at a nearly incomprehensible speed what Liandra had told her.
"Philammon knows where you are! He's sending soldiers to come get you Your Highness!"
"To kill me?" Semele asked in disbelief.
"No my Lady, to return with you of course. But...him," She glanced uneasily at Harper, "He will no doubt kill when he finds what you have done," She said this last part respectfully and bowed her head in an apologetic manner. While Harper's head spun with this information, Semele was already thinking things through. Biting her lip as she thought, she spoke at last.
"I'm grateful for your message Noela, it was brave of you." Noela bowed gratefully. "I need you to take Prince Seamus with you and return to the capital, not the Palace!, and take him somewhere safe-"
"No way!" Harper interrupted angrily, turning to face Semele. "I'm not leaving you!"
"Seamus, Philammon will kill you if he finds you! You'll be safer this way! I'll go to the Palace and get a few things, then come get you and we shall leave." Harper was sputtering protests as the two glared at each other. Looking from one to the other, Noela said in a hesitant voice,
"Your Highness, Sea-that is, my Lord's...er...Captain is at the Palace. Perhaps if he was taken to him...?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine Semele, if Dylan's there," Harper pointed out. Semele did not seem inclined to trust his welfare to one man.
"I don't want you to get hurt," She said softly, staring up at him.
"And I want to be with you," He said in an equally soft, but still insistent voice. Finally, Semele dropped her gaze and sighed.
"Very well, Noela, you take the horse. Take the long way back, perhaps the soldiers will here and think it is me. Don't worry," She added at the girl's alarmed face, "They will not hurt you. Seamus and I will walk back to the capital." Turning away as Noela hurried back to the horse, Seamus winked and said in a sarcastic tone,
"I thought I was 'Prince' Seamus,"
"The title 'Prince' implies that you have sense," Semele sniffed before walking back to the lodge. Grinning, Harper walked after her.
)(
It was no use; on his fifth attempt to leave Dylan had again been stopped. Each time he was told that it was for his own safety.
"Yeah, right," He would mutter, glaring murder at whichever poor servant or guard had been forced to stop him. He found it difficult to believe it was his safety they were worried for. Philammon had also refused to speak with Dylan. Feeling it was safe to assume he was being watched, he had turned off his communication to Andromeda just to be safe. Things were not going at all the way he had planned. 'When have they ever?' He asked himself ironically. He was no closer to finding Harper than he had been when Beka and Trance had left, and he didn't even dare contact them to let them know what was going on. At least he still had his force lance, so if things got too crazy he could just blast his way out. Until he knew more about where Harper was and what Philammon was planning however, he kept it hidden. Now Liandra has asked him to meet her, and he could only hope she would have good news for him.
"Thank you for coming," Liandra said softly as Dylan entered.
"It's not like I have anything better to do," He said, not particularly concerned with sounding polite. The Empress did not seem to notice his less than solemn tone.
"I have news, on...the Princess, and your crewmember," Liandra glared at him. "I take it I can trust you with such information...you will not use it to harm my daughter?"
Dylan gave an exasperated sound. "All I want is to take my engineer and get off your planet."
"I'm sorry to see you take your treaties so lightly," Liandra remarked icily, though she had not really expected him to care overly much about rescuing Lysat.
"Look, I'm sorry, really I am, but I think things have gone a little beyond treaties, don't you?" Waving her hand as though brushing this comment away, Liandra continued as though he had not spoken at all.
"I have received news that my daughter, and your engineer, are headed towards the capital. To do what, I am not sure. I would ask you to go into the capital and wait for them, so you may warn them of the situation here."
"I'd love to help, but I've been having a little difficulty getting out of here," Dylan explained, crossing his arms. Liandra did not seem deterred by his comment.
"Of course I know several ways you can use to leave the Palace undetected. I've been here since I was born, you know. I need you to tell the Princess to go to the Sisters, she'll understand what I mean, and to wait there until I can safely bring her back."
"And my crew?" Dylan asked simply.
"As soon as you are reunited you may leave as you are able," She gave a small bow, and then beckoned with one hand. Out of the shadows that filled the room a man stepped forward.
"Do you accept, Captain?" Liandra asked softly. Dylan didn't hesitate.
"I'll do as you ask,"
"Then you have my thanks," The man turned as though expecting Dylan to follow him. "He will lead you out of the Palace," Liandra explained. Nodding, Dylan walked quickly so as not to lose sight of the man.
)(
"Here we are Seamus," Semele said proudly as she stood at the top of the hill, a sack slung across her back. Seamus stared down at the sea side capital that sparkled in the sunlight.
"What do you think?" She asked, grinning at his awe-strucken face.
"It's a tad bit better than the cities on Earth," He managed to say weakly. Laughing, she adjusted the bag on her shoulders. They stared down at the city for a few more minutes before Semele said, in a graver tone.
"We should separate here, so as to attract less attention. You can see how to reach the Palace from here, yes?"
"Yeah, it's kinda hard to miss," Harper pointed out, one hand shading his eyes from the bright sun.
"Good, and you remember the way back to the lodge?"
"I think so," He said uncertainly.
"Well, if we are not able to meet up at the Palace, if you must leave for some reason, wait for me at the lodge, or I'll wait for you, and we'll meet there before going to your Andromeda."
"Sounds like a plan," Was all Harper could think to say. His heart was beating too fast for him to think straight. They didn't know what waited for them at the Palace, nor were they sure when they'd see each other again, though they planned to meet at the entrance when ready to depart. Impulsively, Harper grabbed her arm and turned her, kissing her fiercely on the mouth.
"We must go," Semele said, breaking away after a moment. Her eyes filled with tears and she hugged him tightly. "Be careful, Seamus," She whispered.
"Hey, you too," He said in reply. They gave each other one last smile, looked into each others' eyes one more time, before turning to different paths.
"See you soon," Semele called over her shoulder.
"Yep, see ya in a little while," Seamus called back, each trying to sound lighthearted and not worried at all. Heart still hammering in his chest, Harper forced himself to keep walking, to not turn back and insist they just go hide somewhere until rescued by Dylan or Andromeda. 'Quit being a coward,' He reprimanded himself harshly. 'Everything will be fine...' Feeling a little more confidant, he picked up his pace, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible. He would not be content until Semele was safely with him aboard the Andromeda.
End of Chapter 7
Time To Say Goodbye
Places that I've never seen or
Experienced with you
Now I shall
I'll sail with you
Upon ships across the sea
Seas that exist no more
I'll revive them with you
-Chorus from 'Time to Say Goodbye'
Again, sorry it took so long peoples, I promise I'll do my best to write Chapter 8 asap!!! (If you write reviews I'll most likely write faster...;) Take care everyone!
-Luna Sealeaf