***Alexis***

Alexis tossed and turned all night. Luckily, Nabvan was on duty. She could not have kept him from waking as she constantly moved around. Her belly was starting to show the same bruises as Marie's. She felt achy all over and was eating less and less. She was taking the same potion that she gave to the other women, and it kept her from vomiting. She was at least receiving nourishment and remained strong. She felt the weight of responsibility for the other humans. She had chosen them for the voyage, and now their lives were in jeopardy. It was up to her, as the only one with scientific knowledge on Milisaria, to find a cure for this incompatibility. First, she had to discover why it only happened in some of the women and not others. Added to her worry for them was the one for Destiney. She was different now that Siefer was away. She seemed so lost. Alexis prayed for Siefer to return soon.

Alexis showered and dressed. She used some of the face enhancing products from Earth that she had found in a box in the lab. They helped hide the deep circles under her eyes and brighten her pale cheeks. She slowly walked to the lab. Her research was more important than ever. She feared there would come a time when she was unable to work. An answer needed to be found before that came about.

Excited murmurs ran through the city. They reached the lab as Alexis was about to leave. A large caravan was approaching. The king was returning. Alexis felt the relief down to her bones. Destiney would have her husband back, and Alexis could concentrate on a cure.

The caravan arrived and was soon inundated with Milisarians who wished to greet the warriors. Some of the guards had left families behind that were anxious to see them. Destiney shoved her way through the crowd in order to reach King Siefer's waiting arms. He hugged her close and reached to take Scyon from her. The baby cried out and clung to his mother. He did not remember his father. King Siefer was shocked by the baby's refusal and his hurt came out as anger, "What have you done to him? Have you not spoken to him of his father during all this time? Have you taught him fear rather than strength?"

Destiney backed away from his angry tirade and took the baby home. Alexis saw the confrontation and followed her. She comforted her friend with the words, "He is tired. His journey was long and hard. He didn't mean those angry words. He was just deeply saddened when he realized Scyon didn't remember him. I am sure he feels guilty for being away so long. Soon he will realize that the baby was too young when he left to remember him. Give him time to clean up and rest. He will become the kind and understanding man you knew."

King Siefer entered his chambers late that night. He was exhausted. The council members had questioned him for hours about the villages. Nabvan had shown him the progress of the young men sent from the villages to train. The Milisarian people followed his every move, seeking answers and advice. He just wanted to be left alone. He knew in his heart that he had treated Destiney terribly. It had hurt his soul to realize Scyon had forgotten him and he had taken his pain out on her. Her sweet face had changed so quickly from happiness to despair. He owed her an apology but was unable to get away from his duties until now. He stood over his son's crib and marveled at the change in him. The tiny infant was gone. There was already a hint of the man he would become. His arms and legs were muscular, and his face held a fierce expression even in sleep. He turned to the bed and saw that Destiney was awake and watching him. He stripped off his clothes and climbed in beside her, pulling her against his chest. "I am sorry for hurting you today. I should not have turned my pain into anger at you. Scyon will get to know me again. I missed you dearly. Snuggle close and help me sleep. It has been a tiring journey." He fell asleep almost instantly.

Destiney was wakened by Scyon's cries of hunger. Her husband was gone. She dressed herself and the baby and angrily stomped her way to the lab. She knew that Alexis would be there and she needed someone to complain to.

Alexis felt she was making progress. She had a potion that seemed to allow human and Milisarian blood to mix without side effects. There was much more work to do before she could test it. She wasn't even sure that this was the real problem that needed to be solved. She heard the door open and thinking it to be one of her students, she said, "Bring me the test results from yesterday. We need to compare them with these." When no one answered, she looked up to see Destiney and Scyon. She could easily tell that things were not going well between King Siefer and Destiney. She could feel frustration and anger emanating from her friend. She set aside her work and asked, "What did he do now? Nabvan said he seemed fine last night. Didn't he come home?"

Destiney replied, "He came home, apologized, and promptly fell asleep. When I woke up, he was gone. I never even got to say welcome home. He hasn't shown any interest in what happened while he was away; at least not to me or Scyon. I'm sure he is listening intently to the Milisarians right now. I guess I know where we stand in order of importance."

Alexis sighed and said, "You know better than that. The two of you mean everything to him. I've seen the way he looks at you both. You were warned about how much time he would have to spend away from you as king. He almost didn't put his name on the ballot for that very reason. You made a promise to help him uphold his duties. Don't be jealous of the time he spends with his people. Be there to help him. Things will slow down once he has caught up with everything that occurred while he was away."

Destiney replied, "I hope you are right, but he acts differently than he used to. He has no patience and angers easily. That is not the man I married. He was kind and thoughtful. He never lost his temper. Now I feel the need to censor everything I say or do so that he doesn't get angry."

"He has so many new problems to deal with. He has only been king for a short time. We don't know what kind of horrors he saw in the villages. Time and love heal most things. Give him a chance." Alexis gasped and abruptly sat down. Pain sliced through her midsection and she bent forward in agony. The pain slowly subsided as Destiney rubbed her back.

"Let me get Nabvan for you. He can carry you home," Destiney declared. "You should be in bed."

Alexis protested, "No! Do not summon him. You must not tell him about this. He would stop me from coming to the lab. I need to be here and work on finding a way to stop this. Just help me get to our quarters, and I will be fine. I promise to rest."

After Destiney had taken Alexis home, she found that her husband had finally come back to their chambers. He acted a little calmer and less angry. He coaxed Scyon into his arms with a toy that squeaked. He finally listened to Destiney's recitation of the things that had happened while he was gone. When she finished with the list of Scyon's new accomplishments, she told him about losing Marie in childbirth. She explained that like her, two women were doing fine, but Alexis and another one had symptoms similar to Marie's. She realized that she had made a huge mistake in telling him about Alexis when he immediately began to rant about her continuing to work. "Alexis should know better. She needs to stay home in bed. If Nabvan will not stand his ground and make her listen, then I will." He stormed from the room and left Destiney open-mouthed with regret.

Alexis jumped out of bed in terror when she heard her door explode inward. She was shocked to see King Siefer standing in the pile of bent metal. Worried that something had happened to Nabvan, she begged, "Tell me quickly, is Nabvan hurt? Was there an accident?"

Instead of the comforting voice she expected, King Siefer shouted, "I am closing the lab. By my orders, it will be locked. You will stay away from it and remain here to rest until the child is born. I am the king, and I will be obeyed!"

As Alexis began to plead, Nabvan walked in. He had heard the yelling from far down the hallway. "What do you think you are doing? You have no right to shout at Alexis. She is not well, and you are making it worse. If you have a problem, you should have come to me, not torn down my door and frightened my betrothed."

"It is because of her sickness that I am here. It would seem you can not control her actions, so I must. She is banned from the lab, and it will remain locked until she has given birth. You may find it acceptable to risk her life and that of the child, but I do not."

Nabvan could not believe the change in his dearest friend. In the past, he would never have made such uncompromising commands. Nabvan argued, "She is trying to find a way to stop this illness from progressing. She is not the only one that is sick. She needs to finish her work."

King Siefer shouted back, "Her work is done! Science can not cure this. Her body needs rest. Destiney did not work and she did well. Alexis must obey. I am not asking her to stop. It is a command from the king. I demand obedience and respect." He turned and left without a backwards glance.

Nabvan rushed to hold Alexis. She admitted, "I thought Destiney was exaggerating. She said he had changed. I was so sure that she was wrong, but I don't know who that man was. He must have used up all of his kindness and patience dealing with the villagers."

Nabvan replied, "He has never been so arrogant and demanding in all the years I have known him. He is taking his power to the point of no return. The guards did not say anything about him acting this way while they were traveling. Perhaps, after some time, it will pass. If not, then I foresee trouble ahead. Destiney and he will fight and there will also be problems among the warriors. They do not respond well to angry demands. They would have died for the man Siefer used to be, but this King Siefer is another matter. If he grows to be like Shene, someone will kill him."

With pleading eyes, Alexis asked, "What do I do about my work? I need to be in the lab to finish it. I refuse to allow another woman to die. I brought them from Earth. They are my responsibility."

Nabvan gently kissed her lips and promised. "Give him a few days to see reason, and then I will plead your case once again. I hope to convince him to allow you to be in the lab for at least a few hours each day. He has listened to me before. Maybe, he will again. I am sure that Destiney will fight for your rights as well."