Chapter Two: The First Meeting
King Alfor and Queen Alanna stood by the landing port waiting for the young prince's arrival. Behind her mother's voluminous skirts was their young daughter Allura, desperate to see her first Drule child. The King and Queen shared her curiosity but were too polite to share that information. Only rarely did a Drule come to Arus and it was usually over an attempt to make a trade agreement. His father had wanted to please King Zarkon. Korrinoth was mineral rich in lazon, a resource that Arus desperately needed in order to advance. Korrinoth, rich in wealthwith resources, was poor in livestock and vegetation. Most foodstuffs were shipped into that cold, forbidding world. It was easily paid for by Korrinoth's great wealth. King Alfor was worried about the arrangement. Drules were known to be quite aggressive when they did not get what they wanted. King Alfor tried not to be judgmental. As a race the Drules were legendary carnivores, and that, as much as anything else, had shaped their culture. Unlike humans, without meat they would starve to death. He often wondered if that was where there legendary fighting prowess came from.
King Alfor had not failed to notice that one of his military officers, Coran, was lurking in the background. Coran, a rising star in the planetary defense department, was wary of the Drule ship's approach.
"Coran, relax. It is an unarmed transport ship." King Alfor boomed.
"…Transporting a Drule Crown Prince." The serious officer quickly added. "A strange cargo, I might add." Coran nervously watched the ship move into a landing position.
"Your concerns have been duly noted." The king replied stiffly. Coran had been quite vocal in his disapproval of this arrangement. "I think Zarkon is hoping that the children will like each other. He had hinted that he would not be against a royal marriage between our two children." King Alfor laughed as he watched Allura's eyes fly open.
"Darling, not in front of her." Queen Alanna shot him a hot stare.
"Relax, Zarkon was not serious. A Drule and a human…Alanna, the thought is preposterous."
"Daddy, why is the prince sleeping?" Allura pointed to the boy was being carried down the ramp. His luggage was unceremoniously being deposited unto a robotic carrier which followed.
King Alfor and Queen Alanna ran up to the guards carrying the child. Behind them, trailed a diplomat and from what King Alfor could tell – some sort of Drule medical professional.
"What happened?" The King asked in Universal, a language spoke by most court officials. One of the Drules looked at the king and .
"Your Majesty, the child took ill from warping. It was his first time handling a space jump. He hit the console. He will recover. Do you have a place that we may lay him down?" The magistrate answered coolly.
"Follow me." Queen Alanna motioned. They walked quickly back to the Castle of Lions and placed the child on a bed in the guest room. Coran followed behind as King Alfor had to excuse himself for other matters.
"We can call a doctor." She offered. The boy had started to moan in his sleep.
"I am Magistrate Borak. Dr. Nerok will attend. He has known the child since his birth." Nerok ordered the magistrate to close the shades in the sunny room.
"It will take him time to adjust to the sunlight in your world. You may want to keep him in a darkened room for most of the first week day." The docor stared directly into the eyes of the Queen. As always, she damped down her utter fascination with the Drules cat like eyes. The doctor's eyes were emerald green – a color she had not seen before on any Drule.
"He is a extremely bright. He has an excellent ear for languages. He is fluent in Universal and he speaks some Arussian. He was well prepared for this visit. His teachers tell us he has an excellent ear for language. I am sure English will also come easily to him." The magistrate said as he walked over to the boy. He brushed away the boy's thick hair with an almost fatherly concern. The doctor gave him a disapproving look.
"He is asleep. He will never know and it is something I have longed to do. In many ways, he is as much mine as Zarkon's." The magistrate murmured to the doctor in Drule.
"Borak, your words are inappropriate. You cannot equal yourself to the Great King. The court is amazed about how long you have kept your head. How do you manage so when you cannot maintain discipline?" The doctor said as he pushed the big man away.
"Nerok, I am a useful man. And as long as I remain useful, the King will let me be as I am. He, more than anyone else, knows I love the boy with all of my heart. I cannot help it. Zarkon was born to be a king and I was born to be a father." The man bristled back.
"And that is why your poor wife is always with child. Korrinoth does not need so many lawyers." The doctor answered back with a snort.
"Do not complain. I always pay your ridiculous bills on time. I am going back to the ship. I have to speak with Zarkon." The magistrate turned to the Queen. "I must depart but I will be in frequent contact with you. If you have any questions about the prince it is best to try to contact me first. The king, being a single father in a caste where the women tend to the emotional issues of their children, tends to be a bit overwhelmed with parenting. He leaves those problems to me." The Queen nodded and the magistrate left.
The doctor He opened the boy's his eye lids and shone a light inside. He seemed satisfied. The Queen noticed that the doctor quickly arranged the hair to hide several bruises on the child's neck.
"Doctor, how long are you staying? You sound like you are leaving soon?" Queen Alanna looked nervously at the boy. She put a hand on his head. It was hot but she did not know if this was the way a Drule normally felt. The Drule carefully considered the regal woman before him. The look of concern worried him. Perhaps it was a bad choice to leave their young prince in the hands of these weak humans. He knew the humans were gentle with their children. That is why he covered the strangulation marks and told her that there had been an accident. The child had obviously shown disrespect to Zarkon and was punished. This was the way with the warrior caste. In his mind, he felt stupid to say otherwise. Yet, his instincts knew better. The humans, he reasoned, already thought them to be savages. But how could they think otherwise? It was the warriors, the very worse traits of his people magnified into one caste, who braved the depths of space to keep the lesser monsters out of Korrinoth's way – and that is who the humans confronted. He did not necessarily mind their opinion of his species. After all, without the fear of a Drule warmasterlord's wrath, the Galactic Alliance would have overrun the Denubian Galaxy by now. The humans lust for lazon was legendary.
"He has a slight fever but leave it be. He has been treated. The deep sleep is part of our healing process. He will recover shortly. The magistrate and I will leave once the prince has awoken. Our presence will only delay his transition into your household." The doctor calmly sat next to the boy while and waited. Allura, a curious child, snuck in.
"I thought he would be bigger. You are a giant. They say the Drules are from a race of giants." Nerok smiled at the pretty little girl. He was surprised how good her Universal was, considering she was a human.. She reached over to touch his fin like ears.
"We vary in size and shape. Those of Korrinoth are especially large." Nerok answered slowly. He was grateful for the company. He was the equivalent to a pediatrician on their world and had a fondness for children.
"Are you part fish?" She giggled. Nerok was amused at her forwardness. Most human were afraid of his people.
"I'm a mammal, like you. But, I will tell you a secret. My father was a merman." He was happy that he had known the human word for such a fantastical creature. He answered with a wink and what was close to a twinkle in his eye. Allura did not know whether to believe him or not. She turned her lips up in a twisted way. She looked over at the boy whose ears, though large, were shaped with a pinnacle on the end.
"His ears are different than yours. He should be larger. Except for his skin, he looks like a pretty elf." Nerok could not contain his boisterous laughter which echoed down the halls. The girl spoke the truth. She reached over to touch his hair which remained her of freshly fallen snow. The doctor stopped her.
"That is sacrilege. Do not touch his hair." He murmured.
"He's special. Unlike me, he has the blood of several races running through his veins. Those ears are a gift from the High Drules, a very ancient race. Eventually,you will see his pointy canines which are a trait of the Wyvern, a rare thing to find these days. You see his hair, only the Empress Jain's descendants can claim that color at birth. It is considered sacred. It is said that those who possess it are loved by the gods. It must have come from his father's side – his grandfather was rumored to be the evil Wyvern wizard prince, Zarka." Nerok leaned over and pushed a strand of the pure white hair silver away from the boy'shis face.
"Does he have cat eyes, like you?" She looked up at the man. She had never seen such green eyes in all her life. They sparkled like jewels.
"Yes. His are yellow. That is the dominant color on Korrinoth." Allura leaned over and touched the boy who moaned.
"I like cats. He is very pretty for a boy." Nerok began to laugh heartily. Queen Alanna ran into the room.
"Quiet, both of you. The boy sleeps." Coran followed behind. His eyes never waivered from the boy. Alanna eyed the doctor suspiciously. She knew those bruises were more than a slight hit to a console. She did not like being lied to. The doctor ignored both of them
"Forgive my loudness. The Princess was just commenting on the prince's beauty. It and is a point of amusement at the court. " Nerok unapologetically looked bristled back at the Queen.
"Forgive me, for I do not understand the humor of it." Nerok shrugged and pushed his patient a little. He looked like he was trying to wake the boy up. A moan escaped the boy's lips. The doctor shook him gently.
Queen Alana called for Allura to come. Nerok put up his hand calling them back over.
"He is about to awake. Princess Allura, I shall tell you a secret about Drules. We fear objects of great beauty for they drive the heart to lust for what it cannot or should not have. We think of them as cursed. The child's very name is the essence of this idea." Nerok whispered as the boy's eyes fluttered open.
"Where am I?" The boy asked in Drule.
"On Arus." Nerok answered back.
"I missed the jump. I was looking forward to that." Nerok smiled. He was a tough little boy. He had been beaten hard, in a healing coma for two standard days, and all he could complain about was missing his first warp. Perhaps, he was not as weak as the court feared.
The young girl rushed over to the bed. The saffron eyes focused on her. He was still drowsy from the medications. His eyes wandered over to the Queen who smiled. The day had been unreal to the child. The last thing he remembered was being in front of his father. It was slowly dawning on him that he was being abandoned again.
"I do not wish to be here. Nerok, take me back home or to my school. I promise I will do better. I will work harder. I will make father proud." Tears filled up in the boy's eyes. Nerok considered the situation. This was a warrior's child.
"Silence, you shame yourself before women. This is Queen Alanna and Princess Allura of Arus." Nerok barked.
"She looks like Althea. I do not want to be among the humans. It will make the others talk even more." The doctor had not counted on the boy being so difficult. He had been more compliant in the past.
"Silence, shoshi. You must not speak of this. I have to go now. Make your king proud." The doctor whispered something to the child that seemed to comfort him. "I really must leave. It is better this way. He will learn faster if I am not around. The prince knows what is expected of him." The doctor got up and grabbed his bag.
"Sir, the Magistrate has already boarded your transport. The king wishes to bid you farewell. The guards will escort you." Coran called over to palace guards. He noted that the doctor looked pleased to leave.
Allura was sitting on the bed. She was practically on top of the boy. He didn't seem to mind her closeness. She seemed to be calming him down. He was as curious about her as she was about him. With great excitement she reached over and touched his face. He practically jumped back. He was not used to people touching him. She looked at her hands expecting the light blue to rub off on her.
"Allura, that was rude." Her mother snapped. She paid her no heed. The children were lost in each other, delighted at their differences.
"What's your name?" She asked. The boy still groggy and very thirsty did not immediately answer.
"My name is Allura. What is your name?" The girl demanded an answerboy looked puzzled for a minute.
"My name is Prince Lotor, son of Zarkon, Supreme Warmaster and King of the Ninth Kingdom." He crowed as he puffed out his small chest. Queen Alicia had to cover a smile. He must have been introduced to a human before. The boy certainly said it with bravado. Coran was not so amused.
The children were playing a game on the bed. He was pointing to things. Allura was telling him the word for it. The doctor did not lie. He had an amazing ear, Alanna thought, as he easily repeated back the words. Coran was not so impressed. Allura, unfortunately, was not doing so well with the Drule words he offered back.
Coran called the Queen outside.
"My Drule is not good but the child indicated that you resembled his mother. You, my lady, do not look like a Drule." Coran gave a slight bow. "There were some odd rumors a few years back…"
"Which were denied by Zarkon." She cut off Coran. "The geneticists say such a mating would have been impossible so I take the king at his word. Other things give me more concern. Someone has beaten that child. Did you not see the marks on his face and neck?." Queen Alanna offered back.
"He is used to beatings. That is their way." Coran realized how cold he sounded when the words tumbled out. He was not focusing on the well being of the child but the words that were said.
"It is cruel. He is only a few years older than Allura." The Queen said as she sucked in her breath.
"Do not let his youth deceive you. He is the son of a Drule king. He has already seen more horror than you or I could ever imagine and you know what I have been through." Coran touched Queen Alanna's arm. "This is not a human child, hell, Iit isn't even a Drule one. As I have pointed out to the king, this is a Drule prince. Your Majesty, we better go back in there. It would not be a good idea to leave the children alone for too long." Queen Alanna and Coran found the children sitting close together on the bed. Allura was practically in Lotor's lap. He tentatively was reaching out to touch her, his hand trembling. He had his finger on her mouth. He was carefully tracing the bottom lip trying to teach Allura the Drule words for her Arussian ones. It was hopeless.
"Mouth"." She giggled.
"Pretty mouth." He laughed back. Queen Alanna, with a look of surprise, pulled her daughter away. For a moment, she caught a gleam in the young boy's eyes. She saw a flash of anger directed at her as she pulled the young princess away.
"Allura is my friend." He protested. The Queen ignored him.
"Give back Allura." He snapped as she ushered the girl into the hallway. A low guttural growl escaped his lips.
"It is time for sleep, Prince Lotor. You will see her in the morning." Coran answered in his atrocious Drule. The angry boy got the message and threw his head back. He crossed his arms across his chest. Coran would have laughed at the scene save for the look of determination in the boy's eyes that belied his years.
"Allura is my friend. She is mine." Lotor grumbled defiantly.
"Not while I'm alive." Coran muttered under his breath as he left the obviously annoyed child.
Allura was being just as difficult in the hallway. Alanna practically was dragging the princess away. Queen Alanna knew, due to her station, that Allura had few playmates. Alanna had been excited about this arrangement. She had hoped the prince would become like a brother to Allura. He was an excellent solution to a difficult problem. Arussian social hierarchy forbade her to play with the children of commoners. What few relatives she had her age were living in other cities. She would only see them on holidays. This antiquated social custom had isolated the young princess from other children. She was too sheltered and protected for her own good. And from the look of the boy, he also suffered from that lonliness peculiar to royals. Queen Alana knew she was going to have her hands full with those two.
Coran had different thoughts racing through his mind. He had been against the hosting of the child since the topic had been broached earlier that summer. The king was sure that it would help the now growing trade relations between the two neighboring planets. Coran, like most of his military officers, feared the Drules. The warrior caste, which dominated their military, was known for their cruelty and excesses. He had personally experienced it himself which made the king think he was prejudiced towards the Drules. The king was not incorrect on this point.
Where Queen Alanna saw a fragile, hurt child on that bed; Coran saw a Drule prince – bred for one purpose – conquest and domination. He wondered why the father would send him to a peaceful world rather than further his own education in the martial arts that he would need to survive the brutality of their own caste system. A weak prince stood no chance. Did his father presume him to be so strong that a year would not matter? Coran doubted this. The child was very small for a Drule. Perhaps there was another prince that Coran did not know about – birthed by a concubine that Zarkon favored. Maybe he wanted the boy to be weak so that the other would take him in the Arena. The security officer could not fathom a single reason that the Drule wanted his only known son on Arus.
Lotor awoke. He found his luggage had been placed in the room. He ran to the windows and drew the blinds. He fell back as the light streamed into the room. He pulled the blind tight and then after a few moments he picked up the edge – his eyes trying desperately to adjust to the brightness of the morning sky.
He turned around to find Queen Alanna standing at the door.
"Good morning, Prince Lotor." She smiled. He looked her over carefully. He took in her scent. She had doused herself with a perfume made of a flower he did not know. He was listening to her heartbeat. She was in a peaceful state. He listened to the pattern of the words. He took them for a traditional greeting. He responded in kind.
"Good morning, Queen Alanna. He answered as he watched her face for a response. He saw none that would indicate whether he had answered her correctly. It had been such a long time since anyone had spoken Arussian around him that he had to fight to recall the words.
"Right words." The Queen nodded. His face brightened up.
"Come with me. " The Queen motioned. She brought him to the sink and showed him how to turn on the faucets and where the toiletries were. The right side of his face was a deep purple. He seemed to understand what the items were for. She helped him unpack some of his clothes and ready himself for the day. The only time he struggled was when she tried to help him with his long tangle of hair. She started to braid it but he pulled her hand away.
"Do not touch. The gods will be angry. I belong to them." He carefully combed it back and tied it. She motioned him to follow her.
"Bring back Allura." His determined voice repeated the phrase again and again as she followed him to breakfast. Allura was already at the table. His smile widened as he went to take a seat next to here. He stood politely by his chair and pulled Allura out of her seat rather roughly. Allura smacked him hard. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her close. Queen Alanna heard a guttural growl escape the boy's throat.
"No. Queen Alanna is here. Allura is being inapprpriate." The princess and the Queen stared at the boy trying to figure out what was wrong as she separated the children. Only the stern Nanny in the corner figured it out. She laughed. Lotor shot her a harsh look. Servants were not supposed to laugh at royals.
"The prince has good manners. He wants Her Majesty to sit first." Queen Alana sat down. Lotor, with a look of self-satisfaction, pulled out the chair for Allura. Queen Alanna did not like that he has been rough with Allura but she reasoned that he did not have the words yet. She would have to find a language teacher for him.
He made a circle in the air around all the food.
"It is breakfast." Queen Alanna responded. His curious eyes were focused on everything before him. He looked ravenous. He repeated the word and then pointed to each dish until a name was given. He proudly recited all of them. Feeding him proved to be a bit more difficult as there was little meat at the table. He settled for some bacon and eggs and fish. There was some interest in the fruit – but he looked quite unsatisfied with the meal.
"You were hurt. I am taking you to see a doctor." The young queen continued. She pointed to his bruises. He gave her a puzzled look.
"No doctor. Nerok says Lotor is good." The boy shook his head. The Queen called for Coran to reason with the child. Like any other child, the thought of needles and pain ran through the boy's brain.
Coran came in and walked over to the boy.
"You are going to the doctor. You will not give the Queen trouble." He calmly said in Drule. He leaned over and grabbed Lotor by his shoulders and pulled him close. The boy's eyes narrowed. Allura and the Queen heard a soft growl emminate from him. For a moment, he looked more like a feral cat than a little boy.
"Coran, unhand him." Queen Alanna reproached the officer. Coran ignored the Queen's pleas. Lotor's face turned to astonishment as he tried to turn to look at the Queen. He did not know the words but he was sure that the woman had yelled at the man. He was looking at Coran waiting for a response. No woman would ever speak like that at home, especially when another male was punishing a child. He let the young prince go.
"Queen Althea wrong. Coran …" The boy did know the words to finish. He looked at Coran expectantly. Coran knew that he had just lost the first battle with this child. He would always view him as a weak human.
"The Queen's name is Alanna. And you are wrong for questioning her." Coran's dislike of the child was growing by the minute. Lotor looked at the Queen. He rolled his eyes and swallowed hard.
"Prince Lotor will go to doctor. Coran will come." Queen Alanna smiled and pulled Lotor close. "See Coran. He is quite reasonable when you are gentle with him. He wants you to come. I think he likes you."
"Of course, Your Majesty." Coran responded. Was he the only one that heard the impertinence in the child's voice. He did not ask Coran to come, he ordered him to go. The child wanted a translator – that was all.