***Alexis***

Alexis was deeply concerned. She had been unable to get through to Destiney. Her friend had left still confused in her ideals. Alexis was sure that the new point of view Destiney was declaring had been put in her head by Rowl. He was going to be trouble. His words of dissent could spread and cause a war. King Siefer needed to be warned. Alexis picked up her sleeping daughter and went to the communication room. It was the only place with a monitor to the king's spaceship other than the one in the king's quarters. Since Destiney resided in the king's quarters, that monitor was unusable.

Alexis made sure that her use of the monitor would not be seen in King Siefer's chambers. She set up a call to his spaceship and waited for an answer. Within minutes, his face popped onto the screen. He appeared exhausted and dirty. His face also registered surprise that the caller was Alexis. He asked, "What do you need? If you are still trying to open the lab, I no longer care. Have Destiney unlock it."

Alexis answered, "It is far too late for that. She opened it long ago. My daughter is alive, and so am I. I found the cure. No one else needs to die."

King Siefer nodded and said, "I am glad. I should never have stopped you in the first place. My mind has been overwhelmed with the needs of so many that I disregarded yours. I apologize. I know that is not enough, yet I beg you to forgive me."

"I forgave you the instant my daughter was placed in my arms. I know you have many problems to contend with, but I must add one more. One of the men that arrived on the ship from the colonies has become an issue. He is filling Destiney's mind with ideas that are contrary to yours. He lived among the colonists for many years and has made her believe they should rule themselves. He has told her that you wish to make them clones of the Milisarians."

King Siefer broke in to ask, "Can you make her see the truth? I only wish to enhance their lives, not change them."

Alexis replied, "I tried. I told her you wanted to make them better versions of themselves, but this man is very persuasive. I fear he will spread his ideas to others and start a war."

The king's frown deepened. He asked, "What does this man look like? I am afraid I may know him well."

"He is tall and lean. Upon arrival, he lacked the muscle mass of most Milisarian men. That is changing as he trains with Nabvan. His hair is long and wavy. It is dark, yet several shades lighter than is normal among the warriors. His eyes are hooded, and there is a scar on his neck. I noticed it when he came to my wedding. Does he sound familiar?" Alexis asked.

“I must come home. You have described my brother. He is likely to cause a rebellion. He was sent to the colonies for his insufferable behavior. When our father died in battle, our mother let him do as he pleased. He ran with a group of rebellious boys from our village. He never gathered and lifted rocks to make homes, so his muscles did not develop properly. He refused to train as a Milisarian Knight when he turned fifteen. Instead, I found him stealing from a shopkeeper in the city. We fought, and I gave him the cut that made the scar you saw. The king punished him by sending him to the colonies. He hates all authority, especially the king. It must be doubly so now that the one who is king is also the one who gave him the scar. He was never supposed to return to Milisaria. He was banished for life. He almost killed the shopkeeper." King Siefer paced as he continued, "I have made many mistakes since I became king. The worst was forgetting that a ruler must be fair and kind. Destiney tried to tell me that love and understanding is not a weakness. She was correct. I allowed the power and responsibilities of ruling worlds to overshadow my love for our people and Destiney. I left her alone and vulnerable to men like my brother. I will end this journey now and come home. Destiney needs me, as do the Milisarian people. My ship should arrive in two days’ time. Thank you for alerting me. Protect my son from danger. My brother is evil enough to harm him."

Alexis shut down the monitor and erased all traces of the call. She once again gathered Nexxa into her arms. She would warn Nabvan of the problem. Perhaps he would be able to contain Rowl's ideas and keep them from making it to the villages. She hurried through the circular hallways that wound their way upward. It was a long way to the quarters she shared with Nabvan. She did not wish to meet Rowl on the way. She now feared him more than ever. He knew of her dislike and disdain for him. What if he caught her leaving the communications room and realized what she had done? She was relieved to reach the safe haven of her quarters, and even more so when Nabvan arrived shortly thereafter. She handed him a strong drink. He was going to need it when she sat him down for a long talk.