Galgria-Present Day-2096

"NO!"

The scream was followed promptly by the slamming of a door and the King flinched back at the brute force of the rejection. "It's only for a few days, Elillia!" he tried to reason through the thick oak. "All you have to do is go to some of the allegiance's outposts, show your face and pretend like you care about your mother and I's legacy. Just for a little while. Is that so hard?"

She fumed, slamming her back against the wall and standing on one foot stubbornly, her arms folded firmly. "I don't want to go to any stupid planets!" she yelled. "You can't make me!"

"I am your father and your king," he snapped. "You will respect my authority. Your mother-"

"I don't care!" she retorted. "I will not go to some stupid planet for your stupid peace treaties!"

"You are acting like a child!"

"Well, you're treating me like one!"

"You're a princess!" the king snapped. "It is your responsibility to do this for your people!" When she didn't respond, he went on, making his authority very clear. "You're going, Elillia." She huffed but did not continue to protest. "And you're taking Liasion with you."

No, nope, not happening. "No way!" she cried. "I'm not going with him!" Not to mention how much she absolutely could not stand the man or how her father had so unsuccessfully attempted to match them. There was no way, absolutely no way, she would ever go to a peace treaty summit with someone that she was tempted to kill every second of every day.

"You will go and you will support peace throughout the galaxy," the king ordered. "And for the universe's sake, smile. You look like someone you hate died and then magically resurrected."

"Hmmph."

The king sighed. "You're to leave immediately. I have already informed your tutors. Please pack your things."

Elillia growled, chucking the nearest thing she could at the door. Her shoe bounced off and rebounded underneath her bed. With his point made, her father, rolling his eyes, turned and headed back down the hall.

"Stupid peace treaty," the princess snapped, heaving herself up and storming around her room. "Stupid rules. Stupid life. I don't want to go to some boring old peace treaty!" Growling, she yanked out a bag and began stuffing random articles of clothing inside. She had to find a way out of this. A loophole or a trick or...something. "Who wants peace anyway? No one cares!"

She scowled at her room, wishing it would somehow spit out all the answers to her unsaid questions. Why her? Why was she so different than her family? Why was the only thing they ever thought of was preserving the peace while she focused on other things, such as getting everything she wanted without a thought or care about the wellbeing of others?

People said she was a selfish brat with no concept of caring whatsoever. She couldn't say she disagreed. She'd always had everything she could ever want. She'd never been one to give anything she didn't have to either, so that probably wasn't helping.

Seriously, what was she supposed to do about that? Give away her treasures? Be kind?

Ew, no. Forget that. Kindness is for the poor, underfoot class. I never will sink to such mediocre mannerisms. Ever.

And the peace treaty was just another example of how she didn't belong.

Why not have a war? she grumped. It would be a million times better than a bunch of old people sitting around fretting over a future that is never going to happen.

With a huff, she dumped her bag from the bed and flopped in its place. There were times she wished she wasn't royal. Then she wouldn't be literally forced to travel the vast expanses of the universe for some arrangement she had wanted no part in to begin with.

There was a sharp knock at her door and she sat up with a groan.

Speaking of arrangements she didn't want.

"Go away, Liasion," she snapped, knowing full well that it was him at the door.

"Princess," came his stern voice. "Your father wishes me to escort you to Gilliak and, with the utmost respect to the both of you, I cannot decline such a duty and an honor."

Sure you can, Elillia thought dryly. Say no.

But Liasion was not like that. Loyal to a fault. Loyal to the crown, at least. A stickler for the rules as well and according to her father, the perfect match to level her hot-headedness. Boring was more like it. Even a Gardinian cat was more exciting than him and all they did was sleep all day.

"Whatever," she groaned. "Let's just get it over with."

"Now, Princess-" Liasion began to reprimand.

She sighed, standing up and blocking him out as she slung her bag over her shoulders and started to the door...and four days of utter torture. She yanked hard at the doorknob, nearly taking it off, and when the door flew open, she scowled darkly at the neatly-dressed man before her.

"...responsibility...honor...happy..." Liasion went on as she shoved past him and stormed down the hall.

"Happy?" she exclaimed in disbelief. "I'm supposed to be happy about this?"

"You're not required to be...as you put it simply...happy," he answered placidly. "However, as the eldest heir to the throne, you have a responsibility to your subjects and to the universe to uphold the peace. Your father and your...your mother...both worked very hard for what they have now. You should honor their hard work and this is the best way."

She huffed. "But do I really have to go to Gilliak?" she complained. "It's...so...so..." she hesitated, struggling to find the word. "Boring," she finally said.

"I see," Liasion sounded a little too pleased with himself. "And how much to do you know of the ISA, Princess? Do you know how or when it was formed or what it was designed to do?"

How much do you really know about your family's legacy? came his unsaid words and Elillia was ashamed to say nothing. "I don't have to," she retorted sharply, saving face in the only way she knew how. "It's not my peace treaty."

"The ISA is everyone's," Liasion argued, hurrying after her. "Every universe is counting on this alliance to uphold the delicate threads of trust and loyalty. To not make an appearance could jeopardize everything that we have worked to achieve."

"We?" Elillia sniffed.

"Just trust me, Princess. One day, you'll see how important this treaty is and you'll understand."

Keep dreaming, Liasion, she thought as they rounded a bend and came face to face with a battalion of soldiers, completing their training for the day with a five-meter jog. Elillia winced at the shrill whistle from the commander and the bark of his orders, instinctively cringing back toward Liasion who seemed less than phased.

The man glanced her way but wisely said nothing.

"Ellie!" came a voice from across the courtyard.

Both glanced up to see the eager orange hair bouncing over the crowd and the young prince's excitable grin and freckled cheeks as he came running toward them, arms open wide.

"Hey, Jakito," the princess replied calmly, allowing her little brother to hug her knees, for that was all the child could reach. He giggled, wrapping his body around her and squeezing tightly as he swayed back and forth.

"Carry me, Ellie!" he squealed. "Faster! Vroom!"

Elillia sighed. "Not now, Jakito. I have to go." She tried to take a step but only managed to stumble. She grunted but the prince didn't take the hint, clutching her legs tighter.

"Hey, buddy," Liasion interjected, noticing her discomfort. "Why don't we go get some ice cream? I hear a new shipment has just arrived from Kilderra." There was no emotion in his eyes as his gaze met Elillia's and he held out a hand to her sibling.

"Yeah!" Jakito cheered, letting go of the princess and hurrying over to take Liasion's hand. "Icecream! Yay!"

"Why don't you head on down to the launch pad and I'll meet you there?" the man suggested as Jakito began to drag him away excitedly. "This won't take too long."

"Whatever," Elillia said, shrugging. She watched them hurry off and she folded her arms, feeling uncomfortable and alone. The sky was bright and cheerful but she didn't agree. She dug a foot into the dirt and sighed. A faint breeze rustled the trees and the rainbow-colored leaves swooped to the earth all around her. She was aware of the odd looks the passerbys were giving her but she couldn't have cared less. So let them stare. She knew what they saw. The incompetent daughter, a disgrace to the Galgria throne, a perfect example of why her seven-rotation old brother would be a much better ruler than her. Because seven-rotations was so much more mature than nineteen-rotations somehow.

Let them think what they want, she thought. I'm going to be queen one day and then we'll see who's laughing.

With a glare at the last observer (who fled immediately upon being spotted), she spun on her heels and started toward the launchpad on the far side of the courtyard. Overhead, she heard the familiar whinny of the winged horses returning from their migration and she glanced skyward as the shadows passed over her and disappeared toward the stables.

She ducked her head as she stepped back inside and started down a side corridor toward the faint sound of rocket turbines. She weaved through a maze of passages and hallways. Everything was silent. It was still early. No one outside of the castle would be awake yet.

So why did she hear voices echoing from somewhere inside the building? And not the voices of her family?

She paused against the wall to listen curiously.

"...tell her...too dangerous...time...not ready...truth..."

She frowned. Who would be up at this time? What were they talking about? And why did it sound dangerous, whatever it was?

It's none of my business, she decided. And she really didn't want to get involved if it was at all avoidable. That was what her father and brother did, not her. Let them figure it out. I have my own problems to deal with.

The voices abruptly stopped and she froze, her breath catching in her throat. Had she been discovered?

"Someone's here..."

She spun, but no one was there. "What?" she snapped to the stillness. "Who's there?"

A shadow moved in the darkness behind her. She started to turn, but a firm hand gripped her shoulder with a vicegrip and a dark voice whispered in her ear. "You shouldn't have come here, Princess."

And then something wrapped around her mouth and nose and she remembered nothing more...

Darkness...

Pain...

Whispers all around her.

"Hey! Hey! Over here! There's someone else here too!"

"Where did she come from?"

She groaned, fighting against unconsciousness. Her head pounded and her heart throbbed, threatening to burst from her chest. What happened to her? The last thing she remembered was the voices in the darkness. What had happened after that?

I was drugged, she realized as another wave of groggy pain shot through her brain. And probably kidnapped.

So where am I?

"What do we do? Is she dead?"

"I don't-oh, wait, no, she's coming around now. Step back. Give her some room."

Voices rattled around inside her skull and she groaned again, weakly lifting a hand in the feeble attempt to block the noise. Someone reached down to help her up and the next thing she knew, she was teetering unsteadily and her stomach was reaching for her throat. "I think...I'm going to be sick..."

"Ohhhh no." The hands on her shoulders hastily spun her around. And just in the nick of time as what felt like a month's worth of breakfasts reared their ugly heads.

"Well, that's an interesting 'hello'," spoke the first voice, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

She had no idea who these people were but she already knew she wanted to kill them.

"Hey," came the second voice. It was higher, nervous, and extremely mind-numbing. "Miss? Are you all right?"

"No," she gasped. "I most certainly am not. Where am I? Who are you...people?"

"Ah..."

"Um..."

Finally managing to compose herself, she stood up and turned to face the two males behind her. The first was Gillian. He was standing a little further back, arms folded and eyebrows raised. The second was certainly not Gillian. It was obvious by his position that he'd been the one to help her up. She didn't like how close he was...or the way he seemed to be watching her with faint curiosity.

But there was one thing that scared her more than anything, even more than being kidnapped or thrown to who-knows-where.

And that was, wherever she was, she was trapped with her very worst hated enemy.

A human.