***Destiney***

Destiney had seen very little of her husband since his return. She often watched as he settled issues between the Milisarians just so she could feel a part of his life. He would sometimes carry Scyon in his arms as he spoke with his people. He seemed determined that his son would not forget him again. Each night he returned to the king's quarters to eat and sleep. He barely spoke to Destiney, and when she tried to ask questions, his malicious expression closed her mouth. When he did take a few minutes to eat with her, someone always called him away. The business of being king took precedence over his family.

Tonight, Destiney was the determined one. Things would be different. She took Scyon to Alexis and planned a romantic evening with King Siefer. She showered and covered her body with oil. A bodysuit made from an almost transparent silver cloth was her choice of clothing. She had a guard bring all of the king's favorite foods and a drink that resembled whiskey. He would not be able to ignore her now. She intended to refrain from asking questions in an effort to keep him from becoming angered. She planned to soothe his nerves instead.

King Siefer was late in arriving home. Destiney let it pass without question. She had comfortable clothing for him to change into ready and waiting. She helped him undress and handed him a portion of the powerful drink. He seemed to enjoy it immensely and asked for more. After giving him more, she rubbed oil into his mighty shoulders and smiled as he sighed in appreciation. As he dressed, she uncovered the food and filled his plate. She began to hand feed him. He arched a brow in question, and she said, "You deserve some relaxation. You are always doing for others, so let me do this for you." He gave in and ate every bite.

The monitor buzzed, and King Siefer pushed Destiney away to answer it. She could not believe how rude his actions were. He should not allow anything to interfere with his privacy, yet he answered every call and turned his back on the one who truly loved him. He took several calls before returning to the table. Destiney held back her building frustration. She did not want to fight tonight.

The meal was coming to an end when the king casually mentioned, "The colonies need tending. I leave in three days to check on each planet. I will be gone for a long time. Make sure our son remembers me."

Destiney tried to remain calm and asked, "Can someone else go instead of you? Surely, there is a trustworthy Milisarian Knight that can go in your place. If there is a problem, you can use the monitor to speak with them aboard the spaceship."

"This will be the first trip to the colonies since I was made king. I need to be there to introduce myself and show them that I will use my power to control their planets. If I send someone else, my authority will be questioned, and I will appear weak."

Destiney begged, "Take Scyon and I with you. You promised we could travel with you sometimes."

King Siefer protested, "Not this time. You would be a distraction that I can not afford. If we have to fight to keep the colonies under our control, you could be harmed. Our people need you here. You did well in helping them while I was in the villages. I expect you to do it again. I imagine Alexis will need you soon also."

Destiney's anger rose, "Alexis needs to use the lab, but you closed it. I need to be with my husband, yet you give time to everyone except me. I tried to make tonight special, and you spoiled it by answering every call. You want Scyon to remember you, but you are going to leave us behind. You are not the same man I married. You have become arrogant, aloof, and unkind. What is wrong with you? I am not the only one who has noticed the difference in your attitude. I know the man I love is inside you somewhere. Let him back out!"

King Siefer stood and strode toward the door. "The man you married was a lowly warrior. I am now a king. I warned you about the lack of time I would have to be with you and you were fine with it. Now you want to scream and throw it in my face. As for tonight, I did not ask you to make it special. You did not ask me if I had time for such things. Yes, I am a different man. I can not show kindness or give anyone special treatment. I would soon lose control of this planet and others if I showed any weakness."

"In this chamber, no one sees you except me and Scyon. You can let go of your control and just love us. We will not think any less of you. Truthfully, neither would anyone else. Love is not a weakness. Kindness is not a weakness. Understanding is not a weakness. Anger and cruelty are. You saw firsthand what it did to Shene. He soon cared for no one except himself. Do not let that happen to you!" Destiney reached out to him, but he shook off her caressing hand.

The king growled, "Never again compare me to Shene. He was born uncaring. He ignored the needs of the villages. He loved no woman but used many. I am nothing of the sort. I remain faithful to you and only you. I do not ignore the villages, and I care deeply about my people. I may care too much. I want everyone and everything under my rule to be well cared for. If I must neglect you to make it so, then I will. You have all that you need right here. You have food, clean water, clothing, and technology. The rest of my kingdom does not."

Destiney sadly replied, "I have everything, but you. By the time you come home each night, there is nothing left for me. You have given it all away. I watch you with your people. You are impatient and terse with them and yet they are treated with more respect than you give me. Scyon sees your actions. He will someday be able to understand how you treat others. Do you really want him to act as you have been?"

King Siefer scoffed, "If he ever wishes to rule, then he must be like me. It is not what I would want for him. It was not what I wanted for myself. I did not have the ambition or dream to rule a kingdom. You, Nabvan, and Alexis are the ones who begged me to do this. If you do not like what you now see, then blame yourselves. I am your creation." He left and did not return that night.

Destiney sat in a corner of the bedchamber with her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. She rocked back and forth as she cried. The night had turned out all wrong. This argument was by far the worst she and her husband had ever experienced. A chasm had opened up between them, and she did not know how to cross it. She admitted to herself that he was right about many things. He had never considered being king. It was Nabvan's and Alexis's idea. She had willingly encouraged him to take the job. He had fought against it but gave in when she pushed. It was also true that he was not like Shene. He cared. He just showed it in all the wrong ways.

Destiney changed and climbed into her cold bed alone. She did not retrieve Scyon. If she went to get her son, Alexis and Nabvan would learn of the argument. She wanted to keep her shame to herself.

King Siefer spent the night in his old quarters. No one saw him enter and he would make sure no one saw him leave. His responsibilities weighed heavily on his shoulders as well as his mind. He knew that his actions were sometimes misconstrued by others. He was unable to find a compromise. Destiney was correct; deep inside the old Siefer still existed. He just did not know how to combine the king with the man he had been. Being responsible for thousands upon thousands of people on many different worlds was frightening. The only way he knew to hide that fear was with arrogance and anger. It gave him the strength to act as if he knew how to run a kingdom. Maybe someday he could let down his guard. He just hoped it would not be too late. He tried to sleep but lost the battle.

At dawn, King Siefer began ordering his warriors to load the spaceship. He had decided not to wait three days to leave. Destiney was already angry. They were not speaking. He was not sleeping. He would not humble himself and go back to their quarters. He might as well leave now.

His guards were less than happy about the change in plans. Most had families and had expected to spend the three days with them. They were in no hurry to be on a spaceship with their king. The man they had admired as they traveled from village to village was not the one shouting at them to hurry. This version of the king was harsh and unfriendly. They feared that if he acted this way in the colonies, there would be war.

Nabvan brought a contingent of Milisarian Knights to travel with King Siefer. In case of any resistance by the colonists, the king would need more than just his guards. The king almost refused to take the knights, but their steely-eyed countenance changed his mind. 

He decided it would be foolish to rely only on his guards and his own swordsmanship. These men had fought along side him in conquering the colonies, and they could be trusted to protect him now.

King Siefer sent a servant to alert Destiney of his imminent departure. He dreaded her reaction and felt it best to say goodbye with others around. He did not want a repeat of their argument from the previous night.

Destiney was shocked and hurt when the servant relayed King Siefer's message. He was not only leaving days earlier than he had promised, but he was not giving them a chance to reconcile after their bitter fight. Their goodbye would be made in front of the entire city. She would not have a moment to beg for his forgiveness. She quickly donned an overcoat and dressed the baby appropriately. She found herself becoming angry once again as she hurried through the capitol building. He could have at least warned her hours ago that he had changed his plans.

The warriors and guards were already aboard the ship when Destiney entered the spaceport. Nabvan was speaking in earnest to the king. She was willing to bet that he was asking that Alexis be allowed into the lab while the king was away. She did not blame him. The last time she had seen Alexis, she was shocked by her appearance. She saw her husband shake his head and knew he had once again denied the request.

King Siefer spied Destiney's entrance from the corner of his eye. He dismissed Nabvan and turned to take his son. He hugged Scyon and kissed his forehead saying, "Do not forget me. I am doing this for your sake. I will miss you, my son." He handed Scyon back to Destiney and nodded his head at her. He only said, "Take care. I will be back." Then he boarded the spaceship and left her to sob in Nabvan's arms.