Who's They? Chapter 3
I do not own Twilight or the characters but I do like to play around with them. Michelle Rhodes is my lovely beta and I thank her for it. I want to thank my lovely sister Leigh Warner for pushing my ass to keep on writing. Sorry about the long gap between this update and the last one. Internet is a touchy subject right now and hopefully I can find a way to get it at home. Enough about me on with the show...
"So what are you going to do?" Angricka asked me.
I stared at the table for a long time thinking about how I trusted Ang with my darkest secrets; how no matter what, we were in this hell together, and we both hated what Victanya was doing to Pooshka. I glanced up at her and shrugged my shoulders.
"Oh, have you heard the newest rumor?" Ang asked me.
"Uh, no. Thanks for changing the subject by the way."
"Rumor amongst the guards is that Victanya isn't really royal blood." she whispered knowing that if anyone heard her she would be beheaded on the spot.
"What? Her eyes are purple." I whispered back
"They say that she wears lens to keep her eyes purple."
"Impossible." I said with the wheels turning in my head.
"They say that Jessaria invented them."
"Hmm, that would explain her always being under Victanya's thumb, but do you think there is any truth to it?"
"I don't know Bell. I honestly don't know."
"I have to go Ang. I got to work on those translators and the weapons."
"Ugh don't remind me."
"I'll see you in a couple hours."
I walked back to the castle thinking about the aliens, Queen Leaha and all the good she had done for Pooshka, and how Victanya was destroying all of the hard earned good will. I was so lost in thought that I didn't see Jaykob until I collided with his chest.
"Sorry." I mumbled
"No worries Bellka. Enjoying the sunshine?" he asked.
"Yeah, its nice to see the outside for a change. I don't get to see it as often as I would like. How about you?"
"I'm loving it. I just want to lay on the grass and roll around in it." He said as he laughed and winked at me.
"Right." I said not quite getting his joke.
"Oh, I got a letter that belongs to you. I got it before the queen could get her hands on it." he whispered.
"Thanks." I said holding my hand out.
Jaykob reached out and hugged me as he looked around stealthily and slipped the letter into my pocket.
"It's from your sisters." he whispered.
Then I understood his behavior. The queen usually monitored her workers' mail. Just so she could keep us loyal for lack of better word. Jaykob had risked his life for bringing me this letter, but Victanya owned him as well.
"You shouldn't have done this." I hissed. "You could get into serious trouble.
"It wasn't checked in yet; I was helping the mailman, and it was on top. I grabbed it before anyone could see it." He explained like it was nothing.
"Thank you, so much." I said as I reached up and scratched him behind his ear.
He smiled and turned and bounded off in the direction he came. I shoved the letter down in my pocket as far as it would go so no one would see it. I hurried back to my office and pulled up the schematics for the weapons.
"Damn, there you are. I can't believe we have been missing this all the time." I muttered out loud as I noted the changes and grabbed my stuff and headed to the workroom.
"Hey, has Angricka come back?" I asked Tryler, one of our many helpers, who shook his head no in return.
"Hey Bell, what has you so excited?" Ang asked as she walked through the doors.
"I figured out our problem." I said as I held up the schematics for the hidden weapons, laying the corrected ones next to a copy of the older ones.
"Damn, Just making the piston smaller and out of iridium is all we had to do? You're kidding me right?" she said, as she looked them over.
"I couldn't believe it either; I just sat down, and there it was staring me in the face."
"Well then, let's get a prototype built, so we can get it to the Queen and get out of this prison and back home." She rushed out.
I could tell she was just as excited as I was. I saved the schematics and a back up that I had encrypted and sent to my personal data pad. I was suddenly feeling very nervous about our project and the reason it was to be used.
"Can you handle this, Ang? I need to get back to those translators."
"Sure. May I talk to you in your office for a minute though?"
"Yeah." I lead her down the hall to my office, and she handed me a paper telling me she was going to build one just in case of a worse case scenario.
"Do you want to inform the queen or do you want me to tell her?"
"I'll do it on my way to work on the project."
I gathered our notes and headed to the Queen's throne room.
"I need to speak to Queen Victanya ." I announced to Ben as I neared the door.
"Wait here." Ben said as he walked back a ways. Then when he reappeared he announced, "She will see you now."
I hurried in and bowed as I neared the throne.
"Welcome Bellka. What do you have for me today?"
"I think that we fixed the issue with the weapons Your Majesty."
"Do you have a working model?"
"We should by the next full moons."
"Why so long?"
"The pistons need to be smaller and made of Iridium, which will take a while to shape."
"Very well. And the translators?"
"Heading to work on those now. I'm having issues with the speech patterns and getting the translators to recognize the aliens' patterns. I will need to spend lots of time with the aliens to work on it."
"How can we get these done sooner." The queen asked.
"Your highness, anything in the room with us will interfere. The translators will pick up on their signatures instead of the aliens." I sputtered out quickly making it up as I went, hoping she would buy it.
"Very well, if you say so. If anything happens it will be your head on a silver platter here at my feet."
"Yes your highness." I stammered out as I bowed again and backed out of the throne room.
"Ben, a moment please." The queen ordered as I opened the doors.
I walked to my quarters and prepared for bed. I awoke with a start sometime before the suns arose in the sky. I had dreamed of a burning palace and bodies lining the streets. With eyes as green as the grass, Queen Victanya was standing among the bodies laughing by the streams. When I couldn't fall back asleep, I remembered the letter from my sisters. I was still feeling paranoid, so I went about like I was going to do laundry and hid the letter in my sleep pants. I pretended to grow tired and stretched. I walked back to my bed and crawled in and covered my head. Once I had switched on my small reading light that I kept under my pillow, I began to read the letter.
Bellka,
I write to you and hope you are well. The Que is taxing everyone again. This time it's nearly double the last rate. A messenger came by to tell us if we didn't pay we all would be working in the mines. I know you are probably not getting these letters or you would have replied by now, but its getting harder to make it on what you are sending. Don't worry though; we will figure out what to do. We miss you and wish you could come home. Aliska has been selling jewelry that she has begun to make and is working on something special for you on your wedding day. I have started a garden in hopes of keeping the village folks from starving. Mom and Dad would be so proud of you. I just know it. I will go for now.
Love always and forever
Your sister-
Rosesaylay
I cried for the people of my village, who where having such a hard time. I knew I too couldn't go home until the weapons were finished and now the translators. If only I knew a way to help. Before long, the suns rose, and there was a knock on the door.
"Good morrow Ben. What brings you this early?" "Good Morrow Bellka. The Queen says that since you will be alone with the aliens, you will need an escort there and back. I will walk you there, and when you are done, you will knock on the door to the room four times, and I will escort you back to your office quarters or the throne room. The Queen doesn't want anyone to get to the aliens."
"They can't understand us or vice versa." I quickly lied, which was only half true but still.
"I know, but she want to be prepared when they can and do."
"Oh, I see." I sighed. "Let me finish dressing."
"I'll be right out side."
As we walked to the medical bay I decided to ask Ben about the queens past and the present.
"Ben, how did Queen Leaha die?"
"BBBaaaddd health." He stuttered
"You don't seem too sure about that."
"That's what the doctors said."
"There has to be more to it." "Don't go getting into trouble Bellka." He added
"How did Victanya become queen?"
"She was the only one with royal blood when Queen Leaha died." '
"Were they sure about that?"
"She had the purple eyes."
"True. Well I'll knock four times. Oh Ben, can you see if the Queen can get us a more suitable location. The medical bay isn't quite big enough."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks Ben- for everything. I don't want you to get into trouble."
"Bella…" Emmett boomed as I walked into the room.
"Hello. How did you all sleep?"
"It's ok, but we would really like a spot big enough to stretch our legs and a place to clean up. Emmett is starting to smell horrible." Jasper joked
"I'm working on that now guys."
"Where are the guards? They all left last night and didn't return." Jasper asked noticing we were alone.
"They are going to be leaving us alone. I am hoping that it will help me figure out what's going on. Why is Edwardish so quiet?"
"He's been playing with your translators since you gave them to him yesterday, well after getting it out of Emmett's pants when the lights went out."
"And?"
"He can't figure them out, and it's bothering him."
"There's not much left to do. I'm just trying to prolong it."
"Why?" Edward spoke up
"I'm not sure, but I think the queen intends to invade your planet, and your going to lead her to it without knowing it."
"NEVER!" they shouted in unison.
"SHHHH! There are still guards outside the door." I hissed
"Sorry."
"Everything ok Bellka?" Ben asked stepping in the door. "I heard shouting."
"Yeah I accidently pinched one of them."
"Don't do it again. You scared me. Ang would have my hide if I let anything happen to you."
"Sorry. Won't happen again"
When Ben closed the door again, I turned back to the aliens and noticed that Edward had a hard glare on his face.
"Where you in on it this whole time?" Edward hissed at me.
"No, why do you think I told you to pretend not to understand anyone but me, and I gave you the translators."
"How do we know they aren't tracking devices?"
"I built them myself. These haven't been anywhere near the queen or anyone else." I said as tears started to fall down my face.
"Easy Edward, She's not the bad guy. She's an easy read." Jasper told Edward shaking him by the shoulder.
"I promise I will do anything I can to get you out of here and to help you get home. Just trust me. Please?"