Chapter 2
It was said that the river planet flowed into what was considered to be a fountain of youth. Those that were deemed worthy would take the inaugural journey with the royal family to be blessed by the waters within. They would primarily be baptized into a life of youth and prosperity.
“You are my son and you may feel that this is an antiquated way of thinking, but it doesn’t matter. You’re to keep your mouth shut and to do what is required, regardless of what you think about any of this. I don’t feel good about your choice of companions for the dinner, but it is you’re right. She’s not one of us. I’ve heard of her exploits and let’s just say that I’m not impressed by her need for sexual gratification.” Rollins was Niles father. He looked at his son and knew that he did not turn out the way that he expected.
“As you said, father, I have every right to choose my dinner companion. I have given her the bouquet. I do hope that you do not try to embarrass me tonight. I don’t want this and I never had a need to mate with anyone. I find her refreshing and she doesn’t stumble over her feet to please me. The others are followers, sheep’s that don’t know any better, but I can’t say the same thing for her.” Prince Niles Starr had been groomed for this moment from the day that he was born. The day had arrived. He was to choose his princess and most likely the one that would rule with him after his father had been long dead and buried.
Niles wore the crown of responsibility with distinction. He showed compassion. It was one thing that he did only to get the goat of his father. He had chosen Scarlet precisely for the reason of getting underneath the skin of his father. He found her actions to be reprehensible and the stories of her sexual conquests were legendary. He did admit that he was curious about what it was like to taste that forbidden fruit. He could have chosen anyone. He had gotten his huge arms from the genetic makeup of his father, but the blue in his skin was given to him by his mother’s genes. It brought a tear to his eye to know that she would not be here for the big day.
His father put his hands on his son’s shoulders in genuine concern for his son’s well being. “I know that you miss her, but you know that she’s here in spirit. I think that she will be here with us. We may even feel the electricity of her presence in the air. It is not uncommon for the other world to bleed into this one, so close to the age of choice. I know that I’m going to look for her.” Rollins had never remarried and he knew that he would never find another like Everest. She was one of a kind and it was her blue skin that drew him to her like a moth to a flame. His infatuation was met with fierce distrust, but she was finally won over by how kind and considerate he was to others. That was the air that he put on, until after the marriage was consummated.
Niles whole body was lanky, but it was his arms that got him noticed in a hurry. He had to have his clothes custom made, just so that he wouldn’t rip through them with a light flex of his muscles. “I miss her, but I know that she’s always here where it matters.” He touched his heart. He didn’t want to tell his father that the day after her death that he had seen her walking like a ghostly image by his window in the middle of the night. He wanted to keep that secret to himself. It was the one thing that he shared with his mother and one that he would never share with another.
“I do hope that you have picked something nice to wear this evening. We want to put on a good show. There’s a lot at stake and whoever we choose to bring with us to the fountain of youth will make all the difference in the world. They will stand with us and together we will show this world and the others that we can be trusted with the responsibility of the trade routes.” It was a hard job and one that was met with a premature graying along Rollins temple. He didn’t like being the bad guy, but he needed to make sure that those that wanted to trade were doing it for the right reasons. They had some problems in the past and that was when they put in safeguards to make sure that that didn’t happen again.
“I had something made specifically for the occasion, father. You needn’t worry about me and I have everything well in hand. He stood from the table, hovering 6 feet high and walking with the weight of his arms holding him down. It was that weight that gave him the power of 10 alien men. He was a fierce warrior when it came to defending his father and his family. One punch and he could knock somebody out. They feared him and it was that fear that he felt was doing his family an injustice.
He walked upstairs and stood at the window overlooking the orange and blood red sky of the evening. When the two suns went down, it would be time to bring Scarlet into his household. He had convinced himself that he was doing it against the family, but he harbored an interest in getting to know her better. It wasn’t primarily physical, but his need for procreation was making his libido go crazy. He couldn’t keep it down. It didn’t matter what he thought about, it was his need for physical release with a female form that pushed him into choosing someone that would most likely spread to receive him.
A couple more days and they would take that pilgrimage and finally seal the fate of someone into their confidence. They would be given the rare gift of youth and they would bathe in the waters that would bless them with great intellect. They would drink from the well and feel the powers of health and healing flowing through their veins. He had no idea if Scarlet was the woman that would stand by his side, but he needed to find out one way or the other. He wore his bloodline like a badge of honor. The crest of his family was burned into his skin just below his neck in the center of his chest. It was a rite of passage and one that he screamed through the whole ordeal.
Those that lived on the river planet heard his cries of anguish, but they could do nothing to soothe his pain. He touched the spot where the brand had been placed. It was there for all time. He knew that it meant that he was in the ruling class. He actually thought that his father was joking when he pursued him with the branding iron. It turned out not to be anything of a laughing matter.
One of the suns had gone below the tree line. The other was in the process of doing the same. It was such an eerie sight, but also fascinating to watch Mother Nature in its glory. He steeled himself for what was to come, before turning and getting dressed appropriately. The white shirt and black pants were soon joined by a brown slick feeling coat. He picked up the jeweled bracelets. He placed one on his right wrist and the other was going to be given to the person that was worthy to wear it. Whether it was Scarlet or not remained to be seen.
He heard the winged steed and looked out the window to see Scarlet announcing her presence in style. A Pegasus like animal with grey eyes landed in the courtyard and Sousa was right there to help her down, as gingerly as possible.
Sensing something, Scarlet looked up at the window to see the form of the prince looking down from above. “Amazingly as it sounds, I’ve never been with him and maybe it’s high time that I remedy that situation. He is very handsome and his blue skin is almost like an aphrodisiac. I want to reach out and touch him in a more profound way. I may not want to join him, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t play with my food first.” What Scarlet didn’t know was that Niles interest was not just about breeding. He had reached the end of the mating cycle. His father didn’t even know that his body was calling the shots.
He saw her in the ceremonial robes and the alterations that she had made were definitely something that might make his father have a heart attack. The plunging neckline and the way that she showed off her assets was not what the dress was made for. In its natural form, it was all the way to the neck and all the way down to the ankles with no skin appearing anywhere. At first, he was appalled that she would do something like that, but then he had to smile at the gall that it took to take such a risk.
He looked at her and saw her, as a pearl at the bottom of an ocean. It was a quaint term used by earthlings. He only learned it from Sousa, as he was a descendant from that planet. The way that he talked about death and famine and the way the people hurt one another was something that he could never wrap his mind around.
Apparently, religion was a big contention between people in the east of the planet. They would fight over the right to worship in their own way. For Niles, he saw that compromise was the order of the day. He didn’t have to hold people to his values, as everybody had the right to live their lives in the way that they saw fit He looked at the gold bracelet on his wrist and the decorative stars that would signify his family’s name.