Chapter 21 – Flirting with Evil

Alex found herself in an elaborately decorated sitting room with every type of luxury imaginable in it. She also had a maid attending her, who was insisting that she get changed from her dusty military uniform to something more 'comfortable,' which turned out to be a dress.

"Ma'am, Solaris insists that you wear the formal dresses of the court," the maid kept saying. "Pants are for the sirs, if you get my meanin'."

Eventually, the Major relented and allowed the maid to garb her in a dress—one that made her look somewhat more curvy than she was used to, and one that showed off way more than what she was used to, as well.

"Don't you have any other dresses that I can wear?" Alex asked repeatedly, as she looked into the huge mirror in her room. "One that doesn't show off as much skin as this?" she muttered while looking at the dress again.

It really was beautiful. Floor length and elegant, the red and gold dress accentuated her flaming hair, though the bell-shaped bottom half was all she liked. The top was a different matter. With long bell-sleeves and decorative elbow cuffs, the whole thing made her feel like a princess, but the neckline was a whole other story. It had a boat-neck cut and was very pretty, although it took a severe plunge, showing off a bit more skin than what she really wanted revealed. It didn't look bad at all—she was just uncomfortable about wearing it. Making a face, she tried to pull the material up farther, but was met with defeat. She hoped that she didn't need to bend forwards in front of Solaris or anyone else.

The next step in her tedious dressing was styling her hair, which her maid did by pulling it back and making it stay there with what looked to be a huge ruby and gold hairpin. It really looked nice—better than the other times she put her hair up, but Alex didn't like the circumstances in which she was dressed up so nicely.

After checking to see if all her work was good, the maid gestured for Alex to follow her—she was to go to a dinner with Solaris and the king of the castle. She was hoping to make a good impression so she could get herself, and her friends, off of this planet. But, if she couldn't right away, Alex was determined to find out all she could about the supposed Androidian god who was supposed to be there.

Alexandra soon found herself in the most beautiful dining room she had ever seen in her life. It had an ornately painted, vaulted ceiling, and had tapestries hung everywhere. In the center of the entire room, there was a smallish table, where three places were set: one at each end, and one on one side. Alex didn't have the slightest clue as to where to sit. She didn't need to, however.

Just as she went into the room, Solaris entered from another door, and walked over to her, his face alight with a smile. Alex could now see him in full for the first time.

He was tall with gleaming brown eyes and dark blonde hair. His features were boyish, but he had the charm of a twenty-five-year-old suitor. His skin was tinged with gold, and he walked with a sure-footed gait. He was garbed in ceremonial robes, which was a gold set of pants and long-sleeved shirt, and a red tunic-like garment with a high neck and lots of gold embroidery. He also wore black boots and his hair was spiked every-which-way. He was pretty handsome, Alex thought, but there was something about him that she instantly didn't like.

"My, how lovely you look!" he exclaimed as he took her hand and led her to the table, pulling out a chair near the head of the table for her to sit at. "The others are coming soon," he assured her, and walked around to the other side, sitting directly across from her.

"Please tell me why I am here," she said, wanting to know his intentions exactly.

"This is a feast in your honor, my love. It was you who saved me from certain death, and because of that, everyone's eternally grateful."

"All right," she allowed, "but what about my friends? What happened to them?"

Solaris looked at her with a grim face. "They are in the dungeons. They attacked me, and so need to pay the price. Their execution date is scheduled for sometime during the next week."

"Execution? Are you serious? Why? They're on Death Row because my Commanding Officer didn't like you dragging me? Where's the justice there?"

"I'm afraid I didn't tell my father everything. I know your—what was it?—Commanding Officer wasn't fully guilty…but you must see that if they are allowed to leave, then you need to go, as well…and I don't want that to happen."

"But—" Alex began, but was cut off by the blaring of horns and the pounding of drums. Solaris jumped to his feet, Alex following his example. The huge doors of the chamber burst open.

"Announcing His Majesty, Pollux, King of all Olympus!" a herald yelled and a very old man strode into the room.

The king was tall, but stooped in his old age, with a closely trimmed beard and cascades of long white hair. He wore ceremonial robes, just as his son did, though they were in brilliant orange and gold. He also wore a small golden crown, pocked with orange stones. His dark brown eyes were serious, but he smiled when he saw Alex and his son.

"Welcome! Welcome!" he exclaimed as he embraced his son, then Alex. "My son says that you saved him from death. That is a cause for celebration! What is your name, miss?"

Alex smiled as she said, "Major Alexandra Croft, milord. You may call me Alex, if it please you."

Pollux smiled and took her hand. "Thank you, Alex, milady. Now, let us all feast!"

The three sat down, and the food began to be served.

"Milady," the king began as he helped himself to some roasted meat Alex didn't know, "where are you from?"

"I uh, um… My friends and I are from the planet Tierra." She didn't know whether it was a good idea telling him where she originated from, but since Tierra didn't have a Spacegate that they knew of, she thought that it was okay to do so.

"So you are not of this world?" King Pollux seemed shocked. "What god rules it?"

Alex knew this was a trick question, but answered anyway. "Um, none, milord. We are a race of people who fight against the Androidians." As she said that, she glanced at Solaris, and was taken aback at the weird expression on his face, but what it meant, Alex did not know.

"Ah. And so we are, as well!" The king took a long drink from his cup, and made a face. "I think this wine is a bit off," he said, and suddenly fell over onto his plate.

"Father!" Solaris yelled, rushing to get up and over to his father. He pushed the king back against the chair and felt for a pulse. There was none. Pollux was dead, and Solaris had just risen to the throne.

The man looked over at Alex with a pale face, but she could sense deep within him a feeling of triumph—she suspected he had done it.

"Is he—?"

Solaris nodded, and Alex's suspicions were confirmed. Alex's hands came up to her mouth and tears sprung to her eyes. The man had been so kind to her, even when she was a stranger…and now that they were getting to know each other, he was dead.

Solaris pulled her into an embrace, Alex powerless because of her emotions to stop him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and held her close, trying to reassure her that he had been very old and his time had come.

"I'm sorry you had to see it, Alex…but his time was up," Solaris said as he eased away from her. "He was the one who ordered the execution of your friends. Now that I'm king, they will be turned free, even if your Commanding Officer—John O'Brien, was it?—tried to attack me."

"Solaris, you must understand…what you did to me back there would've been considered wrong on our planet. He was just obeying the customs we are used to. He thought that you meant me harm."

The new king held Alex's arms in his hands and brought her closer to him. Looking down, he said, "If I let them go, though, Alex…I…well, I'll need to watch you go, too.

"There was a story my mother used to read to me when I was really little…it was about a young prince, who, by his foolishness, was going to attempt suicide to escape the hardships of life. But then, a young maiden stopped him from doing just that, and they lived happily ever after together. I held onto that dream for twenty-some years now, thinking that it would come true. But, this morning, I gave up…and wandered into the woods to end my life—because a life without hope isn't a life at all.

"And then you came. It was almost like I imagined it. Can't you see? You're my destiny, Alexandra."

"Whoa…ah, what?"

"I believe that it was fate that has brought us together. We were made for each other."

"Whoa…" she said again. "Okay, but about that destiny thing again? Why?"

Solaris looked at her simply. "You fulfilled the story. You're the one whom I am destined to spend the rest of my life with."

"Ah," she said, and Solaris leaned down, kissing her to emphasize his need for her. Alex couldn't do a thing to get out of it.