Swords were drawn. Emerald and I were off our equine and headed into the palace. We both had made black, hooded capes out of a special fabric, not many things could penetrate.

We wore the capes over white body suits made of the same fabric. White face masks protected our faces. Tall, black boots protected our feet and legs, and long black gloves covered our hands and arms. Only our eyes were visible and barely at all once the hoods were covering our heads.

Emerald’s dark blue eyes were captivating, and I had a hard time not looking at them when her hood was back.

Just before making an attempt to go through the huge set of doors at the front of the palace, I looked once more at my wife. I pushed the black hood back and took the bottom of her face mask and pulled it down.

I placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “You stay right with me, Love. Everything will be fine if you do that.”

She gave me a nod and took a deep breath. I pulled the fabric back up and pulled her hood back up. Then I turned and reached out to open the door.

There was no need for locks as the handles of the doors had memory chips in them and would only open for those who had been screened and approved to open the doors.

I had lived there. I had been approved. Now it was time to find out if they had ever erased my prints from the chip.

I took the black glove off my right hand and took the glass knob in it.

It twisted easily, and I pushed it open. The mob of Earthlings who waited cheered as the door swung open.

After replacing my protective glove, I took a step inside and reached back for Emerald’s gloved hand.

Her voice was shaky as she asked, “Caleb, you don’t find it odd that no one was on the streets as we came here. No one is protecting this entrance. All the Euthenians seem to be hiding. This is a trap of some kind. They knew we were coming, that’s obvious.”

“I’m sure they do know, but it seems to me they are in no position to fight. They’re hiding instead. Just come with me and trust me.” I gave her hand a tug, and she stepped inside with me.

She gasped with how beautiful the entrance area was. A domed ceiling was painted a deep blue color with arrows of gold seeming to shoot out of it. The interior was made of the same material as the exterior.

Everything shined and glowed. Our leather boots made no noise as we tread across the floor that sparkled with rare gemstones inlaid in them.

A green liquid ran into a bowl that was built into the wall beside the door. “What’s that for?” she asked me as she gestured to it.

“A decontaminator. They’re inside all entrances. One washes their hands in it whenever they go inside anywhere. That’s why the Euthenians never get sick.” I pulled her along with me.

The others waited outside, and Emerald and I found no one inside the palace.

Moving from the entry room to a huge room, full of overstuffed furniture and various works of art, Emerald was taken aback by all the beauty.

“This place is amazing. If I were you, I would never have wanted to leave here.” She turned and looked at everything.

A picture of a tall man caught her eye, and it took a second to realize it was the Prince in the painting. His long, blonde hair fell across one shoulder. Just underneath it, there was a smaller painting, and she took in a sharp breath.

“That’s you, Caleb! With the Prince! That’s you and him, together!” She looked over her shoulder at me that I was now frowning.

“I hope he understands why I did this. The last thing I want is to hurt him. He’s a good man.” I took her hand and pulled her to go to the next room.

“Where could they all be, Caleb?” she asked as we entered another huge room. This one was some type of media room with large screens all over the black walls.

“Hiding from us. I think it’s safe to bring them all in. Do you think you can help me make sure they don’t destroy anything?” I led her back to the entry room.

My heart sank as I saw the majority of the men had already come inside. It was Emerald’s father who disobeyed my order and started the surge of men into the palace.

I cut my eyes at her as I said, “I hope it won’t upset you, but I have to deal with him the only way that will work for these men to understand they have to obey me.”

She gave me a nod and stayed by my side.

I raised my sword above his head. “Disobedience will not be tolerated. All who are in this room need to follow me in an orderly fashion.” I turned to Emerald. “Please go and tell the men outside to maintain their position and we will get back to them once we’ve dealt with these men. Then close the door to stop this from happening again.”

Emerald walked away to do what I told her as her father stood in front of the line of men who had come inside.

He reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her. “Emerald, what’s this about? Why does he think it’s acceptable to leave us outside? It’s getting darker by the second out there.”

I approached them. “Let her go.”

Emerald’s eyes went wide as her father let her go. I gave her a nod, and she took off to do what I’d told her to.

After telling the other men who were waiting what I had told her to, Emerald closed the door and came back to me as I waited for her.

“Follow us and do not touch a thing in this place,” I told the men and then started walking, Emerald by my side.

We went through the entire palace and out another door into a courtyard. It was surrounded by a tall white wall, made of the same material the rest of the palace was.

The large area was lit up, and a large fountain sat in the middle of the purple grassy area. Yellow streams of water shot up from the middle of the gorgeous fountain.

I took Emerald’s hand and moved to one side. I gestured for the men to go outside which they did.

“This place is not to be pillaged. This is not a mission of mayhem and destruction. It is a mission to get equal rights for us all. You all defied my orders to stay outside. Therefore, you will be kept here for one night. With the first morning’s light, you will be allowed to come in. At that time, you will all have to bathe in the cleansing waters and be decontaminated before you are given a room.”

I took Emerald by the hand and led her back inside. Her father yelled out, “This is an outrage!”

I didn’t look back. I walked back in and closed the door, trapping the men in the back.

Emerald didn’t say a word. I had no idea if she was upset with me or not. “Emerald, I…”

She stopped and turned to me. “I need no explanation, Caleb. They didn’t follow your order. They have to learn. I understand.”

I nodded and resumed moving forward to let the other men in. When I opened the door, I found them waiting as I’d told them to.

“Come in. You will all have to bathe before you can move about the palace on your own and I want to talk with you all before that happens. There may be people in here, and we need to stay in groups to maintain our safety.”

Taking my wife by the hand, I led the way to the bathing hall as the men followed the couple. The room was narrow, and a series of spouts were near the top of the low walls.

Fluffy, white robes hung on hooks opposite the spouts and Emerald was intrigued by the design. “What happens in here?”

“A disinfectant is sprayed from those spouts and will kill any bacteria, germs, or parasites any of these men might have.” I looked at the men. “You are to take your clothes off and place them in the bins at the end of the room and then stand under one of the spouts. It will come on, and you are to stay in the spray until it goes off. Then put on a robe and you may then tour the palace in groups of five. No touching anything, though.”

“What about you and I, Caleb?” she asked.

“I’m going to take you to my old room, and we will get cleaned up in there.”

“Where are these men to sleep?” she asked.

The men looked at me, waiting for my response.

“You will find the bedrooms on the second and third floors. Any you want, but don’t break anything. Be careful. And remember to stay in groups of five or so. An owl call will be our signal if anyone finds anyone or anything that might be of interest to our mission.”

“When will we eat?” my brother, Jared asked.

I threw back my hood and rolled my eyes. “Am I to do it all? Lead this pack of misfits and figure out every little detail?”

Emerald pulled her hood off and her facemask. She smiled and patted me on the shoulder. “If you’ll see me to the kitchen I can make something to eat.”

I gave her a nod. “Thank you.” I looked back at the men. “When we have something ready to eat I’ll ring the bell that runs through the palace. Then you will come back to the entry room, and I will show you to where the food is.”

I took her hand in mine and led her away. We went up an enormous staircase, and then another and another before we reached the floor my old room was located on.

When I opened the door, I stopped and took in a deep breath. “They still have the aroma I ordered when I was here.”

Emerald stepped inside and took in a deep breath. “Very nice, lavender and…”

My lips touched her ear, and my arms went around her as I came in behind her. “And honey. Like from back home. They don’t have honey here, and Kerr had the scent of the nectar the sweet flies that are here made. He adjusted it to make the smell I love so much.”

“That was very nice of him.” Emerald turned in my arms and placed a kiss on my cheek. “Having regrets?”

“Only that I have some men who won’t do as I say. It’s imperative to show the royals we are not animals. The reason they deny us so many things is that we have little respect for things.” I kissed her lightly on the lips. “Come, let us shower and change, and then see to the men.”

Carefully, we pulled off our protective clothing, and I took her into a private room off the bedroom. It had a large cube in the middle with a spout coming from the ceiling.

I took her in my arms and pulled her under the spout which immediately started spraying warm liquid over us.

“It feels like Heaven, Caleb.” She ran her arms around my neck, and I kissed her.

I ran my hands down her back, gripping her bottom in them. Lifting her up, she wrapped her legs around me as I slid my hard length into her.

The shower was surrounded by a clear wall, and I pressed her against it. It held her so I could press myself into her more easily.

I made slow, even strokes as he kissed her. Her kiss took me away from what I’d done. The threat of an attack was the last thing on my mind.

I was back in the comfortable room I’d first called home when I came to the planet.

Our bodies were wet and slick. We moved along each other’s easily. The way she felt was amazing as I moved inside her.

Emerald’s nails raked my back as I plunged into her over and over. The water cut off, and I groaned and carried her from the shower to the bed. Her body still wrapped around mine.

I lowered her to the bed. “This is so soft, Caleb.”

Running a hand over her shoulder, I smiled at her as I moved his body to cover hers, pressing myself into her again.

She pulled her bottom lip between my teeth. “This feels unreal, Caleb.”

I placed slow, deep strokes as I looked at her. “Do you want this life? Here like this? Or should we abandon this?”

The way her eyes darted back and forth as they searched mine let me know she was unsure. The woman had been so sure she wanted a simple life, but now that she’d seen a little of what the Euthenians had, she seemed to be changing her mind.

“It is nice to have these comforts. I can’t lie about that.” Her knuckles grazed my whiskered cheek.

My lips touched her neck, making her moan and arch her body to meet mine. I loved the comforts of the palace, but I knew the responsibility it meant for both of us if I went through with what I was doing.

I wanted to think no more about it. I pulled back and looked at my wife. The woman I wanted to build a life with.

Her blonde hair looked dark as it was wet. Her blue eyes sparkled in the light of the room. The bed was soft, and my body pressed hers into its depths.

She deserved comforts like this. I pressed my lips to hers. Her tongue found mine and her kiss was eager as she arched up to me, beckoning me to make harder thrusts.

I gave her what she wanted. I went into her hard and deep, making her body quiver with the desire she felt for me.

Her soft skin rubbed against my body, her breasts like firm pillows, pressed to my chest. I let all other thoughts leave my mind.

Only Emerald mattered at that moment. Moving in and out of her with hard, fast strokes, I focused on her breathing.

It was hard and came in waves. I wanted to hear how she sounded when she fell apart for me. I moved faster and harder until she was shaking and writhing beneath me. Her moans filled the room, and I watched her as she climaxed. Her breathing went sporadic, and her face looked like it was glowing.

Love made my heart swell. I kissed her as my body climaxed along with hers.

I knew with absolute clarity I had to make this work. I had to make sure my wife and the family we’d make would have everything.

A loud sound rang out, and I pulled my mouth from hers. “That does not sound good.”

I kissed her one last time and then rolled away from her. She sat up, her eyes wide. “Should we put our protective clothing on?”

I gave her a nod, and she jumped off the bed and hurried to dress. She pulled the white body suit on and then the boots and gloves.

We could hear the sound of knocks on the various doors along the long corridor as the sound of men’s voices came ever closer.

We pulled our black capes on and pulled the hoods up. Our masked faces were barely visible. I placed the belt that held the sheathed sword around her waist and buckled it.

“Stay right by me, Love.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll play hell losing me.”

Knocks came to our door. “Some of our men are missing!”

I threw the door open and saw my brother, Jared moving down the hallway. “Jared! How many are missing?”

Jared turned back. “Finally! There you are. We’ve been searching for you for the last hour, Caleb!”

He came back and walked past us. Emerald and I fell in behind him, moving fast. “How many, Jared?” I asked.

“All of the ones you left outside.” Jared took the stairs two at a time. “Things are not what they seem to be in this place, brother.”

As we hit the last stair of the three sets, Emerald noticed the paintings along the wall in the large room the stairs opened up in.

The King was in one. The Queen in the one next to his and then there was one of Prince Kerr.

Emerald said, “How beautiful the Queen was with long, blonde hair and deep green eyes. The Prince definitely took after her with his good looks. It was a shame she met an early death.”

All three of us stopped abruptly as two of the Palace Guards walked in through a side door. “Halt!” they shouted.

I drew my sword and Emerald followed, drawing hers. I took my brother by the arm and pulled him to stand behind us.

“We do not wish to harm you,” I called out to them.

“Surrender your weapons. We have the rest of your men,” one of the guards said.

Jared leaned and whispered. “They’re lying, there are more men upstairs. About twenty of them.”

I was sizing up the guards. Both were taller than I was. Both broader in the shoulders and I knew they were better muscled than I was.

The Euthenians came muscled. Both wore the Palace Guard uniforms. Deep blue body suits made of the same protective fabric their clothes were made from and silver capes, boots, and gloves.

Their weapons were long poles with a paralyzing charged tip on them. With a quick click of a switch, the charge could go from paralyzing to kill. The poles were five feet long.

The length made them hard to handle in my opinion. I’d watched the guards practice while at the palace.

Things didn’t often require their skills as all the citizens of Euthenia knew the rules, and most of the time they followed them.

I was certain I had more skill in fighting than any of them. If Emerald could manage to keep one’s attention on her for even a few moments, I could have both taken care of in seconds.

They had no hoods or face masks. It would be unfortunate, but to stop them, their heads would have to be severed from their bodies.

The precise reason I had made the sharp swords for. I knew I would have no issue taking their heads, but Emerald would not want to do it.

The two men had long, dark hair and they were very handsome as the majority of Euthenians were extremely attractive. One glance at Emerald had me knowing she’d never be able to cut the handsome men’s heads off.

Her voice was sure and strong as she called out to them, “This can be accomplished peacefully. We only wish for the same rights the rest of the Euthenian citizens have. It’s not a hard thing to grant us. There should be no need for blood to be shed.”

“You came with weapons. Do you expect us to believe you meant for no blood to be shed with your take-over?” The guard on the right asked.

The guard on the left added. “You may as well know the men we’ve captured have told us of the mission to take over the entire planet. The leader of your little expedition has been quite forthcoming. He told us he is the father of the woman who will be queen.”

I fought the urge to run my hand over my face as I was more than pissed about Emerald’s father. The man was not only an idiot but a traitor as well.

“That man is not the leader of anything,” I informed them. “I am the leader, and my intention is only to gain equality. This planet is the only place we have to call home. You see us as Earthlings, but the fact is we are not that anymore. Neither we nor our children can go back to Earth. I only wish to speak with Kerr when they get back.”

The guard on the right cocked his head and said, “If you merely wanted a meeting with the Prince then why bring the entire army of male settlers with you?”

“They were coming anyway. I could not stop them. It was either me to lead them, or another would’ve.” I gestured to the walls covered with priceless art. “This place would have suffered heavy damage if that would’ve happened. I have great respect for the palace and the cities. It was never my intention to destroy anything, unlike the other man who was asked to lead this revolution.”

The guards paused as if in thought. They whispered to one another for a while and then looked back up at us. The one on the left said, “You have begun a revolution at one of the worst possible times.”

Emerald asked, “Do you mean because the royals are all gone? Because that’s the perfect time to do this.”

The other guard shook his head, making his dark waves bounce over his broad shoulders. “I mean because an uprising has already happened here.”

Emerald and I looked at each other with confusion. I looked back at the guards. “Care to explain?”

The guards retracted their poles and holstered them. One said, “If you put the swords back in their sheaths, we will take you to the one who can explain.”

Emerald leaned in close as Jared did, and she said, “Should we trust them, Caleb?”

I looked at my wife and then my brother. “I think so.”

Jared hissed, “You think? We need a little more than that, brother.”

“This is a strange situation, Jared. We have our protective gear on, and they are not asking us to hand over our weapons. Keep your knife hidden as well, and we will go along to find out what in the hell is going on.” I put my sword back into the sheath that hung at my side.

Emerald did the same, and we made our way across the large room and followed the guards out of it.

Emerald asked, “Can you tell us where you took the men you captured?”

“To the cells, underground. They are being treated well. The conditions there are better than any of the places you people live. The food is better, more nourishing.” The taller of the two nearly identical guards said.

The other chuckled. “Though they all complained about the mite stew they were served.”

I laughed as I knew well the diet the Euthenians consumed. Insects were the main staple. I’d gotten used to it while living in the palace.

One of the guards pushed his earpiece as a message came over it. All could hear the other man speaking through it. “We have captured the remaining men on the third floor. The monitors show no more rebels in the palace.”

Jared mumbled, “So much for the uprising.”

One of the guards looked back as they kept walking. “You have nothing to worry about, Earthling. Like I said, your people are being well cared for. The only thing I feel bad about is it looks like you left all your women back there alone. They’ll have a rough time of it.”

Jared spoke up, “They’re a tough bunch of women. No need to worry about them.”

Both guards sighed. One spoke, “Tough. That’s what you people are all about, isn’t it?”

The other said, “You make things so hard for yourselves. When offered water, you declined. When we offered to teach you how to make your own water system, you declined. The same with the solar energy system. You want it rough for reasons we can’t comprehend. But now that we have enough of you to study, maybe we can begin to understand how to communicate with you more effectively.”

I pushed my hood back and took my mask off. My expression was one of agitation. “Who did you offer those things too? I’ve never heard any talk of it.”

Emerald went to push her hood off as well, but I grabbed her wrist and shook my head. She left it on and continued to follow the guards.

“Your leader, of course.” The man on the right said.

“We have no leader,” I said.

The guards stopped and turned to look at us. One asked, “You don’t know your leader? You lead a revolution and do not know the leader of your people?”

I shook my head. “Tell me his name.”

The taller one said, “Samuel Winters.” Both guards looked at us, their handsome faces riddled with confusion. “His wife’s name is Anna. They have two, nine-year-old twin daughters.”

I looked back at Jared and then at Emerald. “Have either of you ever heard of any of them?”

They both shook their heads. The guards looked even more confused.

“They live in the city closest to the settlement. That man has been in charge of it since we began it. You are asking for equal rights from the wrong people,” the shorter guard said. “It’s he who has denied you the things you seek. Your own kind did that to you. We thought you were all in agreement. The man has petitions with all of your signatures on them, stating you did not want our assistance.”

Jared grasped me by the shoulder. “The man lives in the city. How is that? We aren’t allowed to it.”

The taller guard said, “Only because he said you all wanted none of our ways. You wanted the desolation, and it was best to keep you out of the cities so you wouldn’t be tempted by the easy way of life in them.”

“I need to see this man who has governed us all without us knowing.” I shook my head. “We have been left in the dark for far too long.”

Emerald and Jared nodded in agreement. The guards turned around and continued on their way through the large palace.

The taller guard said, “Many thought it odd. He and his family live in a very nice place. He’s one of the King’s dearest friends. He frequents the palace and even has a set of rooms here. I suppose it’s one of the many things it seems the King has hidden from us all.”

We followed the guards in silence for the rest of the long walk to wherever it was they were going. My mind was spinning out of control as I had no idea what was going on anymore.

To think another man from Earth would do the things I’d done to his fellow Earthlings seemed impossible. And how could the man be a close friend to the King?

I knew the King thought Earthlings to be incapable of real intelligence. The fact was that the King didn’t care for them at all.

I knew that for certain as I’d had many conversations with the man. Nothing was making sense. The whole situation seemed beyond my control any longer, and that thought made me angry.

I was not a man who liked to be out of control. The truth about everything had to come out, and then I could find a way to deal with it all.

My fight no longer seemed to be with the royals. It seemed it was with a man no one had ever heard of.

If the man is friends with the King, though, how easy would it be to unseat him and place another in his position as leader of the Earthlings?

Perhaps the poison that had been made for the King would best be spent on the man who was the secret leader of the Earthling settlement.

Many things needed to be done, and it seemed we had only a few to help. Emerald, Jared, and I were the only ones free at that time.

And I wasn’t very sure just how free we were. It seemed someone else was in charge with the royals gone.

As we made our way through the room with the many works of art, one of the guards stopped in front of the painting of Prince Kerr and me. He turned to look at me. “It’s you!”

The other guard nodded. “I thought I recognized you. Caleb! You grew a beard. The Prince talks about you often. Hopefully, he will take the news well.”

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the two guards. “I remember you two now. The twins, Zin and Zan. You let your hair grow out. It was buzzed against your skulls.”

“We were new when you were here. They buzz all the newbies,” the shorter guard I knew as Zan said.

I gestured to the shorter one and introduced him. “Zan, this is my wife, Emerald and my oldest brother, Jared. The tall one is Zin. Kerr and I used to give them hell when I was a guest here.”

“Nice to meet you,” Emerald said.

Jared added. “The pleasure is all mine. Now can you tell us what the hell is going on?”

Zan laughed. “Patience. We’re almost there.” They began walking again.

I took Emerald’s hand as we went into another room. This one was dark, and the guards turned on small lights to make their way to a bookcase.

Pulling a red-covered book, the case moved back to the wall. The guards walked into a room filled with monitors.

Each room in the palace was on the screens. The cells where the other men were being kept were up too, and they could see all the rest of the men had been captured.

All rested on comfortable beds though, and no one seemed the least bit distraught with their cells that were larger than their homes in the settlement.

The lights went up, and the back of a blonde head hovered near one of the monitors. Zin said, “We’ve brought them to you as requested.”

The person rose. Long, blonde hair cascaded to a narrow waist. Long, flowing white robes were draped over the tall person.

When she turned to face us, we all gasped.

I thought she was dead!