Chapter V: Revelations
Her head ached. Liz tried to remember what had happened. She sat up in the bed, a bed that wasn't hers but one she had ended up in.
"I think it would be better if you lay down."
Liz looked to the direction of the voice.
"Nicholas" she thought to herself.
"Where am I?"
She looked around cautiously.
"I can't answer that."
"What's going on?"
Avoiding the question, Nicholas paced in front of her, eyeing her.
"Zan has good taste in women."
"What?"
"Don't pretend that you don't know."
"You're a skin."
The statement seemed more like a question.
"Smart too."
"What do you want with me?"
At this, Nicholas smiled.
"But just as clueless too."
He stopped briefly and then circled her.
"You don't remember do you? About Zan."
"Oh… but what does that have to do with me?"
Liz tried to avoid the memories of that night. It still haunted her.
"Oh no… Not that. Maybe it's time for a little history lesson."
Nicholas stopped and raised his hand to the bare wall of the room. A bright light emitted from his hand, sort of like the projectors in a movie theater.
A picture of Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess came up.
"The royal four, or so thought to be. The great ruler of Antar (a picture of Max is flashed), his queen (a picture of Tess), the princess (a picture of Isabel) and the second in command (a picture of Michael). You know their history, their destiny; but it's time for you to know the truth, the way things really were. The history erased to non-existence."
The wall now showed something somewhat like a movie, a movie where Nicholas was the narrator.
"As most stories, this story is about a girl. How one girl changed the lives of ten royals and their people; but I'm getting ahead of myself. You see, Zan, Vilandra, Rath and Khivar were all friends, very close friends…"
Liz grimaces slightly.
"… Zan's father had made an alliance with earth to help in the war. In order to do this, he had to betroth his son with, well… a human of royal blood.
That day though, Zan and the others had disobeyed his father's instructions not to leave the ship. Eventually they got lost in the woods, but were lucky enough when they came across a group of children their age by accident. Zan had stopped in his tracks as he saw them, causing Rath to roll down the hill that they were on and twisting his ankle; but as Rath fell, he grabbed Zan's ankle, causing him to follow suit.
"Are you alright?"
One of the two girls had asked Zan as she helped him up, but Zan didn't answer. Zan couldn't answer. She was so beautiful that he couldn't say a word. The girl repeated her question but he didn't hear it, but he did catch the comment her friend made.
"He probably hit his head harder than he thought."
The other girl had helped Rath up, even if he had tried to refuse it. He didn't need any girl's help.
"Zan, are you alright?"
Vilandra and Khivar had run down the hill as fast and carefully as possible to avoid further injuries.
"I'm fine… but I think Rath sprained his ankle."
Zan looked to Rath who was now sitting on a rock a few feet away from him, arguing with the girl who had helped him.
"Zan… that's a strange name."
Zan looked at the girl and studied her. He asked himself whether this could be love. He wanted her to be the one who he married. If he could pick whom he wanted, it would be her and yet, it seemed that it was impossible. Then he finally spoke.
"I'm a visitor. As is my sister and our friends. But what pray tell, is your name?"
"Elizabeth, and these are my friends Alexander and Mary."
"This is my sister, Vilandra and our friends, Rath and Khivar."
They stayed for a while, talking and playing. They had forgotten about their previous engagement. Zan had to meet with one of his suitors. Even if he didn't want to leave, he had to. They said their goodbyes to their new friends and quickly left. And when Elizabeth had asked him whether she'd see him again, he acted as if he couldn't hear her.
They rushed to the ship at once. Zan healed Rath once they were far enough from the prying eyes of humans. But when they arrived, they had been found out and received a scolding from the king himself, even more so because not only had they arrived late, but covered in mud and what not. They were sent to clean up at once and were told that they would meet the princess later at dinner.
He couldn't think. He couldn't concentrate. As he walked through the gardens, the beauty of the flowers reminded him of Elizabeth. In a few hours, he'd meet whoever he was to marry and then it would be the end of all hope. Everything would be over. He might as well get over it then.
He saw a girl in her light blue dress, one he had not seen in the palace before, the princess no doubt. He fought himself and picked a flower as he walked up to her.
"A beautiful flower for a beautiful lady."
He said as he held the flower out for her take it even though her back was to him.
"Thank you."
She said this as she turned around slowly.
"Elizabeth?"
Zan looked at her and couldn't believe his eyes. It was her!
"Zan?"
"What… what are you doing here?"
She took the flower from him and smelled its sweetness before replying.
"Coming to meet the prince. To give away my life to a total stranger. What are you doing here?"
Zan smiled slightly.
"To see you."
Elizabeth gave him a disbelieving look.
"You… You're… You're the prince?"
Zan nodded, smiling wider.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
He asked the same thing in reply.
"You left in such a hurry and… and I've always wanted to be normal, I've always tried to deny who I am. And… well… there."
Nicholas stopped for a second and glances at Liz. Her emotions were unclear and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. It was nearly time to finish it.
"This had all happened while I was a mere child, about nine or ten. I was ignorant to my surroundings and did not know which side was which, but six years later things had changed. Friendships and alliances were broken. All caused by a misunderstood accident.
You see jealousy overtook some and caused quite a kerfuffle. The day that Khivar himself betrayed Zan's trust over a girl, over Elizabeth, affected the futures of most. Zan was enraged. He used his powers to attack Khivar but he reflected it with his own, hitting his own brother, me. I nearly died. They attached me to machines, different in variety but without one, I would die. Everyday, Khivar would come and say that he would avenge my sacrifice, my accident and that they'd find a way to help me. I could hear him, but I held nothing against Zan. Our side of the alliance had broken furtively. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing and he used Vilandra, swaying her this way and that, but he was soon found out and exiled.
Although to his luck, things changed between the Antarians and the humans, an argument that had gotten out of hand. Its motives are now and will forever be unknown. The marriage of Zan and Elizabeth was broken and the rest were forced to be ended, Rath and Mary's and Vilandra's and Alexander's; and so, Zan was betrothed to Ava and Vilandra to Rath. That is the real history."
Nicholas ended the movie and looked at Liz.
"If you have any questions, you may ask."
Liz didn't know what to think. Everything was just settling in.
"Did… Did they have children? I mean, the Antarians and the humans."
Nicholas studied her, grimacing. He was nothing like his brother. He didn't enjoy the merciless killing and as a secret to most, he never held Zan responsible, though he did not know why.
"Yes, but they were soon found and killed after the royal massacre."
Liz felt sick. They had murdered innocent children, her children.
"What happened to you? Obviously they found a way, to… to heal you."
"Zan helped create his own enemies. I was the first of the skins, but I was flawed."
"Flawed how?"
Nicholas felt anger burning in his chest. How much didn't she know? He hated to live like this. It was not fair. Most would probably love to be in his place, but to him it was torture.
"Do you know what it feels like to be sixteen forever! It wasn't supposed to be this way."
Liz was taken back, he seemed pretty much calm before he blew out at her. She obviously had struck a nerve; but he still hadn't explained why he had taken her.
"What does this have to do with me? What do you want with me? If Zan and Elizabeth hadn't ended up together, what do you need me for?"
"Oh, but you see. They did in the end. Just before the royal massacre. Elizabeth came back and told Zan to keep the battling forces off of earth since they were on neither side. She said it quite angrily too, but you see true love never dies. As annoying as it is, seeing her just made him fall in love with her again even though he was already remarried… Things happened that just ensured their own deaths."
"You still haven't answered my question. What do you need me here for?"
Nicholas smiled. It was time to finally give her what she wanted. In all her frustration, pain and other emotions, this would truly hit her harder. He answered her slowly.
"I need the heir to the throne."
"What?"
Nicholas repeated his statement.
"I know. I heard you. I meant… What? How?"
"Liz, did you really think that Zan would do something like that to you? He was under my own control. It was easy, especially because his feelings towards you produced more… successful results."
This time he was referring to what had happened just two weeks before.
Liz stared at him. It was all his doing, all his fault. Couldn't he have done it in another way?
"Yes, you see. I plan on returning to Antar and claiming the throne myself. There is no point in running or trying to escape. There are many of us out there to recapture you for me. You are, after all, in our… shall we say… headquarters."
Liz was pregnant with Max's child. It seemed so impossible. I just couldn't be happening. Not only was she pregnant with Max's child, but she was also being held hostage so that the aforementioned child could be taken away. This was all too much. Why was this happening to her?
"And what if I won't let you take my child?"
"You have three choices here Liz. One, give us your son and you can return to Roswell like nothing happened (you keeping your mouth shut of course). Two, you come with us back to Antar with your son after he is born and become my queen. Three, we take your son and kill you or you try to escape with him and we kill you."
He said all of this while counting off of his fingers.
"How do you know that I'm having a son?"
He didn't answer.
"They will realize that I'm missing and try to find me."
"We already have that covered."
Nicholas snapped his fingers and two of his men came in with a girl that looked exactly like Liz.
Liz's eyes widened.
"They won't know the difference. And if you choose your first option, no one will be the wiser. You can resume the life she lived for you. You have a choice in what college to go to, what course to take up, who to date, everything."
"They'll never fall for it."
Liz said this only half believing it and Nicholas' reply only confirmed that he had seen her lack of confidence.
"Just you wait and see."
Her head ached. Liz tried to remember what had happened. She sat up in the bed, a bed that wasn't hers but one she had ended up in.
"I think it would be better if you lay down."
Liz looked to the direction of the voice.
"Nicholas" she thought to herself.
"Where am I?"
She looked around cautiously.
"I can't answer that."
"What's going on?"
Avoiding the question, Nicholas paced in front of her, eyeing her.
"Zan has good taste in women."
"What?"
"Don't pretend that you don't know."
"You're a skin."
The statement seemed more like a question.
"Smart too."
"What do you want with me?"
At this, Nicholas smiled.
"But just as clueless too."
He stopped briefly and then circled her.
"You don't remember do you? About Zan."
"Oh… but what does that have to do with me?"
Liz tried to avoid the memories of that night. It still haunted her.
"Oh no… Not that. Maybe it's time for a little history lesson."
Nicholas stopped and raised his hand to the bare wall of the room. A bright light emitted from his hand, sort of like the projectors in a movie theater.
A picture of Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess came up.
"The royal four, or so thought to be. The great ruler of Antar (a picture of Max is flashed), his queen (a picture of Tess), the princess (a picture of Isabel) and the second in command (a picture of Michael). You know their history, their destiny; but it's time for you to know the truth, the way things really were. The history erased to non-existence."
The wall now showed something somewhat like a movie, a movie where Nicholas was the narrator.
"As most stories, this story is about a girl. How one girl changed the lives of ten royals and their people; but I'm getting ahead of myself. You see, Zan, Vilandra, Rath and Khivar were all friends, very close friends…"
Liz grimaces slightly.
"… Zan's father had made an alliance with earth to help in the war. In order to do this, he had to betroth his son with, well… a human of royal blood.
That day though, Zan and the others had disobeyed his father's instructions not to leave the ship. Eventually they got lost in the woods, but were lucky enough when they came across a group of children their age by accident. Zan had stopped in his tracks as he saw them, causing Rath to roll down the hill that they were on and twisting his ankle; but as Rath fell, he grabbed Zan's ankle, causing him to follow suit.
"Are you alright?"
One of the two girls had asked Zan as she helped him up, but Zan didn't answer. Zan couldn't answer. She was so beautiful that he couldn't say a word. The girl repeated her question but he didn't hear it, but he did catch the comment her friend made.
"He probably hit his head harder than he thought."
The other girl had helped Rath up, even if he had tried to refuse it. He didn't need any girl's help.
"Zan, are you alright?"
Vilandra and Khivar had run down the hill as fast and carefully as possible to avoid further injuries.
"I'm fine… but I think Rath sprained his ankle."
Zan looked to Rath who was now sitting on a rock a few feet away from him, arguing with the girl who had helped him.
"Zan… that's a strange name."
Zan looked at the girl and studied her. He asked himself whether this could be love. He wanted her to be the one who he married. If he could pick whom he wanted, it would be her and yet, it seemed that it was impossible. Then he finally spoke.
"I'm a visitor. As is my sister and our friends. But what pray tell, is your name?"
"Elizabeth, and these are my friends Alexander and Mary."
"This is my sister, Vilandra and our friends, Rath and Khivar."
They stayed for a while, talking and playing. They had forgotten about their previous engagement. Zan had to meet with one of his suitors. Even if he didn't want to leave, he had to. They said their goodbyes to their new friends and quickly left. And when Elizabeth had asked him whether she'd see him again, he acted as if he couldn't hear her.
They rushed to the ship at once. Zan healed Rath once they were far enough from the prying eyes of humans. But when they arrived, they had been found out and received a scolding from the king himself, even more so because not only had they arrived late, but covered in mud and what not. They were sent to clean up at once and were told that they would meet the princess later at dinner.
He couldn't think. He couldn't concentrate. As he walked through the gardens, the beauty of the flowers reminded him of Elizabeth. In a few hours, he'd meet whoever he was to marry and then it would be the end of all hope. Everything would be over. He might as well get over it then.
He saw a girl in her light blue dress, one he had not seen in the palace before, the princess no doubt. He fought himself and picked a flower as he walked up to her.
"A beautiful flower for a beautiful lady."
He said as he held the flower out for her take it even though her back was to him.
"Thank you."
She said this as she turned around slowly.
"Elizabeth?"
Zan looked at her and couldn't believe his eyes. It was her!
"Zan?"
"What… what are you doing here?"
She took the flower from him and smelled its sweetness before replying.
"Coming to meet the prince. To give away my life to a total stranger. What are you doing here?"
Zan smiled slightly.
"To see you."
Elizabeth gave him a disbelieving look.
"You… You're… You're the prince?"
Zan nodded, smiling wider.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
He asked the same thing in reply.
"You left in such a hurry and… and I've always wanted to be normal, I've always tried to deny who I am. And… well… there."
Nicholas stopped for a second and glances at Liz. Her emotions were unclear and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. It was nearly time to finish it.
"This had all happened while I was a mere child, about nine or ten. I was ignorant to my surroundings and did not know which side was which, but six years later things had changed. Friendships and alliances were broken. All caused by a misunderstood accident.
You see jealousy overtook some and caused quite a kerfuffle. The day that Khivar himself betrayed Zan's trust over a girl, over Elizabeth, affected the futures of most. Zan was enraged. He used his powers to attack Khivar but he reflected it with his own, hitting his own brother, me. I nearly died. They attached me to machines, different in variety but without one, I would die. Everyday, Khivar would come and say that he would avenge my sacrifice, my accident and that they'd find a way to help me. I could hear him, but I held nothing against Zan. Our side of the alliance had broken furtively. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing and he used Vilandra, swaying her this way and that, but he was soon found out and exiled.
Although to his luck, things changed between the Antarians and the humans, an argument that had gotten out of hand. Its motives are now and will forever be unknown. The marriage of Zan and Elizabeth was broken and the rest were forced to be ended, Rath and Mary's and Vilandra's and Alexander's; and so, Zan was betrothed to Ava and Vilandra to Rath. That is the real history."
Nicholas ended the movie and looked at Liz.
"If you have any questions, you may ask."
Liz didn't know what to think. Everything was just settling in.
"Did… Did they have children? I mean, the Antarians and the humans."
Nicholas studied her, grimacing. He was nothing like his brother. He didn't enjoy the merciless killing and as a secret to most, he never held Zan responsible, though he did not know why.
"Yes, but they were soon found and killed after the royal massacre."
Liz felt sick. They had murdered innocent children, her children.
"What happened to you? Obviously they found a way, to… to heal you."
"Zan helped create his own enemies. I was the first of the skins, but I was flawed."
"Flawed how?"
Nicholas felt anger burning in his chest. How much didn't she know? He hated to live like this. It was not fair. Most would probably love to be in his place, but to him it was torture.
"Do you know what it feels like to be sixteen forever! It wasn't supposed to be this way."
Liz was taken back, he seemed pretty much calm before he blew out at her. She obviously had struck a nerve; but he still hadn't explained why he had taken her.
"What does this have to do with me? What do you want with me? If Zan and Elizabeth hadn't ended up together, what do you need me for?"
"Oh, but you see. They did in the end. Just before the royal massacre. Elizabeth came back and told Zan to keep the battling forces off of earth since they were on neither side. She said it quite angrily too, but you see true love never dies. As annoying as it is, seeing her just made him fall in love with her again even though he was already remarried… Things happened that just ensured their own deaths."
"You still haven't answered my question. What do you need me here for?"
Nicholas smiled. It was time to finally give her what she wanted. In all her frustration, pain and other emotions, this would truly hit her harder. He answered her slowly.
"I need the heir to the throne."
"What?"
Nicholas repeated his statement.
"I know. I heard you. I meant… What? How?"
"Liz, did you really think that Zan would do something like that to you? He was under my own control. It was easy, especially because his feelings towards you produced more… successful results."
This time he was referring to what had happened just two weeks before.
Liz stared at him. It was all his doing, all his fault. Couldn't he have done it in another way?
"Yes, you see. I plan on returning to Antar and claiming the throne myself. There is no point in running or trying to escape. There are many of us out there to recapture you for me. You are, after all, in our… shall we say… headquarters."
Liz was pregnant with Max's child. It seemed so impossible. I just couldn't be happening. Not only was she pregnant with Max's child, but she was also being held hostage so that the aforementioned child could be taken away. This was all too much. Why was this happening to her?
"And what if I won't let you take my child?"
"You have three choices here Liz. One, give us your son and you can return to Roswell like nothing happened (you keeping your mouth shut of course). Two, you come with us back to Antar with your son after he is born and become my queen. Three, we take your son and kill you or you try to escape with him and we kill you."
He said all of this while counting off of his fingers.
"How do you know that I'm having a son?"
He didn't answer.
"They will realize that I'm missing and try to find me."
"We already have that covered."
Nicholas snapped his fingers and two of his men came in with a girl that looked exactly like Liz.
Liz's eyes widened.
"They won't know the difference. And if you choose your first option, no one will be the wiser. You can resume the life she lived for you. You have a choice in what college to go to, what course to take up, who to date, everything."
"They'll never fall for it."
Liz said this only half believing it and Nicholas' reply only confirmed that he had seen her lack of confidence.
"Just you wait and see."