Kingdom Imperiled
The midday sun shone down on the olive grassy plains of a distant world. Somewhere within the ocean of land and trees laid a town with a large castle as the centerpiece. The small kingdom was young, only a few generations old and had the name Danaus. It was clean but has only advanced to a medieval state. Still consisting of knights and carriages. It was simple and the citizens of the town were at peace.
Deep within the castle, in a lounge room with much comfortable seating, was a civil meeting between three royals all sitting at a large wooden table. There was a large fire place against one of the sides illuminating the room in an orange light. The walls were mounted with the heads of many alien beasts. There was a large cabinet holding many bottles of alcohol. The floor had many elaborately woven rugs, cozying the room with their warmth. One of the royals was a woman in a beautifully-made red dress. She had her graying brown hair in a bun poking out of the large crown adorning her head. It was Matilda, the queen of the kingdom Grosbeak that was only a couple hours from Danaus.
"What do you say, Moon?" Matilda asked the woman sitting across from her. "Ready to establish this once and for all?" She slides a sheet of paper, a pact for acceptance. The other woman, Star's mother, Moon Butterfly, takes the paper with a proud smile. Her eyes radiated an ecstatic soul.
"Nothing would please us more." Moon said to Matilda, gratefully. "Right, Star?" The other royal sitting between them was the young princess herself, now thirteen years old.
"Of course.." Star agreed, trying to fit in with the queens. Moon signed the paper with her extravagant signature before picking up a small dagger and removing one of her long gloves. She pricks the middle of her right thumb deep enough to bleed a droplet and stamps her finger print next to her writing all under Matilda's own writing and blood.
"Well,.." Matilda laughs and puts her hands up momentarily. "That does it!" She let's another giggle out. "We are now legally allied kingdoms!" The queen of Grosbeak stands up, as does Moon. They reach for a handshake before breaking professionalism and hugging. They laugh together, enraptured with the monumental agreement. They knew this would begin a new era for them.
"What you've done for this kingdom is a debt that cannot be repaid, Matilda." Moon told her, breaking their hug.
"Oh, calm down." Matilda said with a chuckle. "I wanted this just as much as you." She looked over at Star who stood up with them. The young girl was smiling softly, almost somberly for whatever reason. "You better visit me more now, Star."
"I-I will!" The girl told her. "Your castle has a lot of cute boys working there." This made Matilda laugh and made Moon outline her brow with her finger and thumb in disapproval.
"Oh, you've been so obsessed with boys lately, Star." Moon complains. "Yet you have no interest in studying legislation or treasury for Danaus."
"Ugghh.." Star groaned, sitting back down in defeat. "..it's sooooboriiing.." She slouched in her chair, having no enthusiasm about the topic.
"Has she gone through Mewberty?" Matilda asked Moon with a smirk. "Didn't you say your's was quite a.. debacle?" Her laugh made the queen of Danaus sigh in shame.
"Yes, it was.." Moon answered with a tired voice. "And Star hasn't but I'm certain it's going to be a horrifying time for the young men of the kingdom.."
"I'm never going through that!" Star stood up again, feeling defensive about her aging. "I'm gonna stay young and cute fo-evah."
"Forever.." Moon corrected with a hint of frustration in her voice. She shook her head with smile and composed herself before looking at Matilda. "I will have my men begin the foundation of the trade route between Danaus and Grosbeak." Her face lit up again, excited for her plans. "It'll be like a highway for any citizen of ours' to travel as they please. I am absolutely thrilled for what's to come."
"Likewise." Matilda smiled genuinely, happy to see her long-time friend and political partner's undeniable beaming. "Now, I'll be going. Have to get started on the plans myself!"
"Star, please see Matilda out to her carriage." Moon told her daughter.
"Yes, mother." Star acknowledged. Moon held onto Matilda's hands and smiled at her.
"Until next time, my friend." She said softly.
"Until then." Matilda replied similarly. Moon let go of her hands and exited the lounge, leaving Star with the other queen. "So then, shall we go?" Star nodded with a pensive face and led the way out. Their path passed by the many servants, guards, expensive decorations and furniture in the castle. A number of the castle guards offered to go with the two but Star assured them it was alright to their wonderment.
Star had something on her mind and severely wanted to tell Matilda what it was. This was something that she wanted private between the two and there were too many bystanders around for that. So she bided her time. There was a corridor of armors near the visitors' entrance that was usually free from any castle staff at this time.
"Star, can you slow down a bit?" Matilda asked, breaking the young girl's thoughts. "Are you trying to leave me behind?" She joked.
"Sorry, Matilda!" Star told her before stopping for her older friend to catch up.
"Is everything alright?" The older woman asked. "You haven't said a word. Usually, you're so talkative. No wildlife interested you lately? Maybe a boy you've found cute?"
"Haha.." Star looked back at the woman with a friendly face. "I guess things have been a little boring lately." She looks back ahead with the face she gave Matilda gone.
"Oh.. Then that gives you more of an excuse to come to my castle more." Matilda tells her as they reach the corridor of armors. "Don't tell your mother but I basically see you as a daughter!" She said to Star with a laugh. This made the princess of Danaus stop. The queen of Grosbeak stopped as she did, taken aback by her abruptness. "Star?.." The teen's heart raced and a deep fear grew within her stomach. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth, ready to speak.
"There's.. something I have to tell you about Primrose.." This shocked Matilda's heart. She hasn't spoken of her late daughter in years, even to Star.
"Prim?.." The older woman questioned, not sure where Star was going with it. "What is there to say?" Matilda had a distant and somber look in her eyes. Star closed her eyes, swallowing the developing anxiety.
"That day, didn't happen the way you were told it did.." Star's voice was shaky and even a little quiet. Matilda furrowed her brows, feeling a growing pit in her body.
"What do you mean? The-.. There was a fire in the castle that day, was there not?" Her voice became more desperate as she spoke. "Dozens of people lost their lives! Even you almost died, didn't you?" She waited for Star to answer, whom remained quiet. "Didn't you?!" It took everything Star had to continue speaking. She clenched the the sides of her dress and pushed herself to say what she had say.
"No.. Only Primrose died that day.. It was a lie, a cover-up." Star explained solemnly. "I-I didn't want there to be a partnership with Danaus and Grosbeak without you knowing the truth!" Her voice ached.
"So you wait until after everything is signed and cemented?!" Matilda screamed in sorrow. Her hands were shaking and she couldn't stop her lower lip from trembling.
"I didn't have the courage to say it with my mom around!" Star turned to the deceived woman with a face of deep remorse. "I'm so sorry!.." Matilda looked down in shock after seeing her like that. It upset her. The fact that it did began to upset her more. Her arms crossed and her fingers dig into her forearms slightly.
"..How did it happen?" She asked quietly with very little stability in her voice. "Surely, it was still accident.." Star closed her eyes. She was going to tell her the solid truth.
"..It was me.." Star muttered in shame, a soft response that still pierced Matilda's heart. "I was showing my light magic and lost control of it.." The older woman was having trouble thinking. The more she tried, the more she lost herself in despair.
"You.. did that.. with your magic?.." Matilda asked, distraught. "Her body was unrecognizable.. It took me weeks to get over the shock I felt.." She thought back to the many times she spent with Star. Matilda was able to cope with the loss of Primrose with the help of Star. They got so close. Matilda would tell her anything, even seeing her as another daughter. "You're.." All these memories felt like they were shattering. Like none of them mattered. "You're a monster.."
"Matilda.." Star felt like she was going to break down into tears as she saw her elder friend cover her face in hopelessness. The young girl approached Matilda carefully. She put her hands on the woman's arm to comfort her. "I don't know if you could ever forgive me but you deserved to know.." Matilda lowered her hands off her face and let her eyes cry. She looked at Star with a face of revulsion before quickly clamping her hands around the princess' neck. Star grabbed onto the tightening hands around her. Matilda drove her thumbs into her, completely blocking any air from traveling through. Star wanted the pain to stop but felt like she deserved it. The sorrow was making her body weak. She looked into the eyes of the woman strangling her, they were void of any spirit. The silence Matilda displayed drove a rich fear within Star as her vision became blurry. Star's light was sparking from her eyes, as if wanting to be released but the girl kept it bottled, not wanting to hurt another person she cared about. Her ears popped and became muffled like they were plugged. Star felt her throat's pain more and more but Matilda kept squeezing as hard as she could. Suddenly, a weak sound entered Star's hearing followed by a dampened clanking.
Her body fell to the ground as she felt the tight grip around her go away. Her vision, still blurry, made out three pairs of legs scrambling around each other. One pair was Matilda's and the others' seemed to be of castle guards. Star could barely hear the world around her but knew that Matilda was screaming. Another three pairs of legs appeared from outside of Star's vision. Two more guards and the legs of her mother. After some more screaming, Moon turned away from the incarcerated Matilda, right as Star's hearing began to return.
"Have her executed.. Now!" Moon commanded, her voice overwhelmed with panic. The guards started pulling the woman away, struggling to keep her constrained.
"You won't get away with this!!" Matilda bellowed as she writhed. "A queen can't be gone for long!! They'll notice and send you all back to hell where you monsters came from!!" Matilda's cries echoed through the castle labyrinth. The pain and desolation of her voice filled anyone that heard it with fear. Moon couldn't bare to look as the guards took her friend away. Her thoughts raced for a solution to the madness that this event would bring but she never found one. The end of Danaus was unavoidable. Her eyes looked at Star. She was still on the floor, whimpering and trembling. The redness on her neck marked with Matilda's fury.
Within the suburbs of Echo Creek, a car drove through the empty streets between the comforting homes. It drove at a steady pace for some time before slowing and parking in the driveway of the Diaz house. Inside were Rafael and Angie Diaz recovering from their long trip.
"The lights are still on." Angie comments, picking up an empty coffee cup from the center cup holder. "Marco's still awake." Rafael rubs his eyes with his index and thumb before sighing.
"Can you tell him the news?" He asks his wife, his voice fatigued. "I need to get to sleep." Angie agreed before the two exited the vehicle, removing their luggage from the trunk as well. Angie knocks on the door of their house, trying to summon Marco. They wait for some time, enough time to be confused with their son's lateness. They look at each other before they decide to try the door knob. With it being locked, Rafael uses the house key they carried.
"Marcooo!" Angie called out upon entering. "We're home!" There was a silence. Still no answer from their son.
"Oh, boy.." Rafael exhaled, too tired for patience. He left his luggage by the door and went upstairs. Angie looked at the TV and saw the credits of a movie scrolling. Her eyes moved to the table in front of the couch and saw two cups of unfinished tea along with Marco's phone by one of them. She picked up the cup away from the phone and noticed it was still slightly warm. She drank some and it tasted incredibly bitter.
"Janna.." She said to herself, recalling the young girl's preference.
"Marco?" Rafael peaked his head into his sons room to find it empty.
"Rafa!" Angie called out from below. "Is he up there?" The father looked at the bathroom door. It wasn't closed and the light inside was off.
"I don't think he's home." Rafael said in a surprised voice from above. Angie looked around the kitchen and noticed a dent in the flooring. To her, it looked something heavy and blunt hit it.
"Did that little mocóso have a party or something?" She asked herself with some animosity. Her face formed to a weak scowl as she took her phone out of her purse and put it to her ear.
Janna walked down the nighttime Main Street. Cars were still being driven and even a few people were out walking. The citizens that were passing by the girl would stare at what was happening behind her. Marco was following as he carried an unconscious Star on his back. Janna looked back at him; his arm was back to normal. His skin looked completely healthy from his finger tips to his shoulder. He and Star looked like they were in an accident, as they both had ripped clothes and some injuries. Janna looked down at her shirt and blushed. Her entire midriff was exposed and it made her embarrassed being seen this way. She wasn't used to showing this much skin.
"Heh-Hey, slow down, will ya?" Marco requested with a strained voice.
"Oh,.. right.." Janna stopped for a moment and let him catch up. "How's your arm feel?"
"Back to the way it was before." Marco assured. "I can't believe I just did that." He said with tiny smile. Janna furrowed her brows in concern.
"I guess there's no helping it.." She said. "..you're gonna be involved no matter what." Marco felt a noticeable anxiousness in her tone and felt guilty.
"..Yeah.." He didn't know what else to say and thus became silent. They walked without exchanging words for a few moments before Janna felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She withdrew her device and stopped walking once seeing who was trying to reach her. "What's wrong?" Marco asked, stopping himself.
"Your mom's calling me." She told him with a nervous tone.
"She's calling you?" Marco inquired before realizing something. "Oh, right! I left my phone at home when we rushed out.." His face looked down in regret.
"Dude, you got to stop leaving your phone at home!" Janna scolded with a blush, not wanting to deal with the situation at hand.
"I never use it so I just forget about it!" Marco defended.
"Well, what do I do?!" Janna panicked with the ringing phone in her hand.
"An-Answer it!" Marco reluctantly suggested.
"Arrgh!" Janna accepted the call and put the phone up to her ear. "Hellooo?" She answered with an uncharacteristically soft voice.
"Hey, Janna, míja, how are you doing?" Angie asked on the other side with her usual bubbly voice.
"Hey, Angie!.. Uh.." Janna's face became noticeably redder. "I'm doing alright.. How about you?" Marco couldn't help but crack a humorous smile at Janna's attitude. She noticed it and frowned at him as she gave him a tap in the arm.
"Good!" Angie sighed on the other side. "Hey, listen, we just got home from our trip and noticed that Marco left his phone here. You were here too just now, right? Is he with you?"
"Oh!" Janna eyes widen at this surprise. "You-You guys are back?" She asks as she looks at Marco who makes a similar face before furrowing his brows and looking down.
"Yeah, just got back now." Angie said with a stretch. "Oh, you left your jacket hanging here, by the way.. So! Is he with you?" Janna was at a bit of loss of words.
"...Yes. Yup. He's with me." She told the mom, still looking at Marco. "We're at Ferguson's house."
"Oh, great! Can you hand him the phone?"
"...He's actually in the bathroom right now.." Marco gave Janna a raised brow but accepted her answer. Angie gave mutter of frustration.
"Alright, then. Just tell him to come home now. Tell him we really need to speak with him."
"Yeah.." Janna agreed kind of somberly. "No problem. Bye.." She put her phone away and looked at Marco.
"What happened?" He asked, somewhat knowing what was coming.
"Your mom wants you home." Janna told him. Marco looked down again before speaking.
"I can't. I won't go." He said with resolve, lifting Star higher up on his back.
"Yes, you will." Janna contradicted. "If you don't, your parents will get suspicious. Then they'll get involved with all this." She gestured at Star still unconscious on Marco's back. "If you want them safe, you'll go back and pretend like nothing's happened." Janna said this with a stringent tone. Marco exhaled and thought before smiling.
"You're right.." Janna smiled at this.
"Of course I am."
"So then. What do we do with her?" Marco asked, referring to Star. "Take her to your place?"
"No, Mom would be pissed.." Janna crossed her arms and spent a moment for strategy. "Oh, yeah.. I know."
Jackie was relaxing at home on her couch. The TV was on, showing a children's cartoon as her mother was busy with something in the kitchen. The teen was deep in thought. She couldn't get Star out of her mind but she knew there was nothing she could do. She just hoped that she would be safe and maybe even come around to visit sometime. Her thoughts were halted by the doorbell ring. Jackie stood up, slightly surprised before walking to it. She looked through the peep hole and saw Janna in a really unimaginative top. Behind her was Marco in his under shirt that was ripped up on the right shoulder. Jackie gasped as she saw Star being carried on Marco's back.
"Oh, shit!" She said aloud in shock.
"No cussing!" A young voice from behind demanded. Jackie opened the door and looked at her friends.
"What the heck happened?!" She asked vexed.
"Long story.." Marco answered in a tired tone. Jackie approached him and took a closer look at Star. She saw the cuts and bruises, the tears on her clothes made her sigh in pity.
"One of those things attack her?" Jackie asked, dispirited.
"Yeah.." Marco replied softly. "But she got it! The little orb appeared and flew into her." Jackie smiled at this but was still upset at her friend's state.
"Hey.." Janna got her attention. "We can't take her back to Marco's. His parents are back and they want him home." Jackie stood up straight and crossed her arms. Looking quite understanding.
"..And you want him to go home to avoid their suspicion.." She speaks for her old friend.
"Exactly." Janna smiles and looks at Marco. "She catches on quicker than you." He looks at her with a disgruntled face before speaking to Jackie.
"So.. can she stay here?" He asks hopefully. Jackie looks at them with clenched teeth and sharp inhale.
"I really don't think so." She says surprising the two.
"What? Why?" Janna questioned.
"Let's not talk about this here. Just—.." Jackie looked inside the house and toward the kitchen. Her mother's full attention was on a phone call she was having. "Just bring her in quick. Take her up to my room. It's the second door up on the right." Before Marco could ask anything, Jackie opened the door wide and urged him to enter. He walked into a cozy living room with a large L-shaped couch facing a big flat-screen TV. He saw a little girl with brown hair, glasses, and baby blue pajamas playing a portable video game on the floor. Behind her were the stairs up. Marco could hear a woman on what seemed to be a business call in the kitchen. The situation made him freeze up. "Go. Go!" Jackie whispered to him aggressively. Marco walked passed the entrance to the kitchen and was nearing the girl on the floor. She noticed and paused her game to look up at Marco. Her face turned confused when she noticed Star on his back.
"Hehe.. Hiiii.." Marco smiled nervously at her as he continued past to Jackie's room. The girl watched him go up for a moment before standing up and walking to Jackie.
"Hey, Mom, Janna's gonna be here for a bit, alright?" Jackie told her mother from the kitchen entrance with a forced smile.
"Yeah, okay, honey. Just no sleepovers." She replied quickly before returning to her phone call. The little girl approached Jackie and asked her question.
"Who was that boy that—MRPH!!" Jackie covered her mouth before she can say anything else and carried her to the couch.
"Claudia, quiet!" Jackie commanded, releasing her hands from the girl's lips.
"Why?" The girl asked with a frown. "Was that your boyfriend?"
"No, I'm her boyfriend." Janna appeared from behind Jackie with a smirk.
"You're a really pretty boy." Claudia complimented.
"Thank you." Janna accepted.
"I've told you about Janna before, Claud." Jackie said with a chuckle as she led Janna upstairs.
"Oh.. Wait, can I go?" The girl asked her older sister, looking over the couch.
"No." Jackie denied, making the girl scowl.
"Why not?" She complained. "I'm gonna tell mom." Jackie growled. Janna laughed at her anger.
"Listen.." Jackie walked up to Claudia. "If you stay down here and keep this a secret, I'll buy you Nebula Troopers 3, okay?" This made the small girl gasp before a wide a smile appeared on her face.
"Okay!" She agreed happily.
"Attagirl." Jackie rubbed her little sisters head before going back up the stairs with Janna. Claudia turned back around on the couch and continued with her game. Once the two teen girls reach the top of the stairs, Jackie groans. "Guess I'm gonna have to shell out sixty dollars for a game now.."
"Didn't know your sister was visiting." Janna informs. "So you did have to leave earlier. I thought you were just wanted Marco alone with me."
"I did want that." Jackie told her as they approached the door to her room. "Claudia coming was a surprise to me." Before they could open the door, they hear a familiar voice on the other side. It sounded quite angry.
"Is that fucking.." Janna grimaced.
"Oh, no.. Dammit, I thought she'd still be in the bathroom." Jackie sighed and opened the door. Inside, the two saw Star lying back on Jackie's bed. Next to the bed was Marco holding his hands up in defense from the person yelling at him with a sharp finger. It was Brittney. Almost pushing against him as she harassed his senses. She had the same outfit as she did in the mall but her coat was off, exposing her hot pink blouse.
"You thought you could just sneak in here like some creep?!" She yelled. "What are you even trying to do bringing some hooker to Jackie's home?!" Janna watched in utter confusion. What in the world was Brittney doing here? Jackie walked up to the angry cheerleader, surprising Janna.
"Britt.." She muttered.
"And why are her clothes all ripped?!" Brittney added. "What did you do to her?!"
"Brittney!!" Jackie yelled, scaring the loud girl. Brittney turned her head and looked at Jackie with wide eyes before noticing Janna near the door. "I told him to come up here." Jackie said to her with a tired voice. The other three looked at each other with lost faces.
"Jackie, what the hell is she doing here?" Janna asked her with some disgust. Her tone made Brittney glare at her. Jackie was quiet before releasing another sigh and putting her hands on her hips.
"Everyone, just calm down. Guess I've got some explaining to do."
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The mystery of Star slowly unravels further!!
Thanks so much for reading, playas.
Hey, got a question. Does anyone know how to respond to reviews on the app for this damn site? I don't use a PC so I'm stuck with phone. If anyone knows, please tell me. I wanna talk to you guys! ( ~_~)ゞ
If there isn't, should I just respond to comments at the end of the chapter here? Whatever works.
Okay.
Byyyyyyyye!
