Space Cadets
four
Colin barely had time to say goodbye to his family before he was shipped off to Zenia. It was a tearful moment, but his parents knew why he wanted to go. After that, things moved in a blur. Right away, he was forced to “clean up” for the queen. His shaggy sandy hair was trimmed and styled, and the stubble that had grown while he was working overtime was shaved clean. He was given a new uniform that marked him as part of the queen’s official guard and quickly thrown into the guard barracks to put his things away before meeting the Ambassador’s family. The room was barely the size of a closet, with metal bunk beds, thin sheets, and one flat pillow.
“I’m bottom bunk,” a voice said.
Colin turned to see another young man smile at him and toss his bag on the bottom bed.
“Too slow,” he said. “Anyways, I’ve got bad knees. Makes it hard to get up on the top.”
“That’s some bullshit,” Colin said. “What kind of a guard has bad knees?”
“You’re right, I’m just too lazy to climb,” he chuckled, holding out a hand. “I’m James. Looks like we’ll be bunk mates. They’re assigning me to one of the blondes. Not sure which one yet.”
“Colin,” he said, shaking James’ hand. “Blondes? You’ve seen them already?”
“Only in the papers and magazines,” James said. “You’ve never seen the Rothschild sisters?”
“I don’t really follow the gossip magazines and whatnot,” Colin said.
“Well, you’re in for a treat,” James said with a wink. “Good looking guy like you? This job is going to be an absolute breeze.”
Colin wasn’t sure about that. And he would be right. It was as if James had jinxed him. Colin didn’t get either of the blondes, but was instead assigned to a third red headed sister that he hadn’t seen in any magazines. Upon first impressions, he actually thought she was quite pretty. She had a very natural beauty to her.
Then she became an absolute nightmare.
Colin spent all day chasing Eliza all around the city, catching her any time she purposely tried to lose him or cause some kind of chaos that he’d have to protect her from. He was sure she was doing it on purpose, too. Not that he could imagine why. He had been nice to her, or so he’d thought.
By the time he escorted her back to her room for bed, he felt exhausted and nauseous. He kept himself as professional as he could, walking her to her door despite how she walked a few feet ahead of him.
“Anything I can do for you before I go?” he asked.
“Nope. Bye.”
And then the door was slammed in his face. Colin let out a deep exhale, leaning against the wall and rubbing a hand over his face.
“Nightmare,” he grumbled.
He checked his watch as he headed back to his bunk. His shifts lasted until a little past midnight, and the next one started before sunrise. That gave him about four hours to sleep at night. He flopped into bed, still in uniform. He had about five minutes of peace. Then James started to snore. Loudly. Colin’s eyes shot open again.
“Nooooo,” he whimpered, burying his face into the pillow.
That’s all he needed. He kept reminding himself that this would all be worth it in the end. At least, he hoped so.
He was at his post on time the next morning, standing outside Eliza Rothschild’s room until she woke up. She was up surprisingly early, and she seemed equally shocked to see Colin there.
“You’re already here?” she asked, disappointed.
“Yes,” he said. “That’s what 24 hour surveillance means. Breakfast isn’t until 8. Where were you headed?”
“Breakfast,” she said. “I’m eating by myself. There’s no reason to sit around the table for EVERY meal.”
“The papers your father gave me say otherwise,” Colin said. “He’d like you and your sisters to stay close by, just in case.”
“Just in case of what?” Eliza challenged. “Just in case someone tries to kill me, with absolutely nothing to gain from it?”
“They would gain something from it.”
“Don’t mock me,” Eliza snapped, pushing past him and walking away.
Colin furrowed his brow. He was being honest, but he didn’t say anything. He simply followed behind her. She didn’t speak or look at him. He awkwardly cleared his throat with a slight jog to catch up to her.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Have I offended you, somehow? Because I’d like to clear the air-“
“Yes, you have,” she said, spinning around and getting in his face. “You have offended me. Your very existence has offended me. The fact that you are here, following me around like a lost puppy is offensive to me.”
Colin was at a loss for words. She walked away again, and when he followed her she just scowled. She went into the kitchen and began weaving past the maids, opening cupboards to see what she could find. She picked up a box of granola, looking over it.
“I never liked granola much,” Colin said, trying to make small talk.
“Eat it, then,” she said, thrusting the box into his hands.
“What?”
“That’s an order,” she said. “You work for me, after all.”
“I don’t see what forcing me to eat granola has to do with protecting you.”
“I feel unsafe around men who hate granola.”
They stared each other down for a moment, then Colin sighed and put a handful of the crumbly cardboard-tasting stuff into his mouth.
“There, happy?” he asked.
She just sniffed, taking the box back.
“I like granola,” she said. “You’ve offended me once again. You’re not very good at your job.”
“I’m good at my job,” he promised her. “Apparently I’m just not very fun to be around.”
“You’re not.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” he shrugged. “Unfortunately for you, I am good at my job. You’ll just have to get used to me until the queen feels like you’ll be safe again.”
She scoffed and sat down at a table. He sat down across from her, taking out a tablet and scrolling through the schedule.
“Well it’s good you woke up early,” he said. “Like I said, there’s a formal breakfast with your family at 8. Plenty of time for you to get ready. And then after that, the queen has scheduled some time for your family to get a tour of the Zenian orchards. That sounds fun. Do you like fruit?”
“I have plans,” she said simply.
“Plans?” Colin frowned. “You have about half an hour this afternoon in your schedule for that. I just figured you’d want that time to rest.”
“I’m not doing any scheduled activities.”
“But… the schedule…”
“I’m not going,” she repeated. “I have plans. If you don’t like it, go home.”
It was clear she wasn’t about to be argued with. Colin looked from her to the tablet, then back to her. Then he awkwardly turned off the tablet and tucked it away.
“I won’t be held responsible if you get in trouble,” he said. “As long as you don’t get hurt. So I guess I’ll just have to come with you.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Colin didn’t feel good about that tone of voice, but he sat up straight and accepted her challenge. He needed this job, but now it was more than that. Now it was personal.
“I’m bottom bunk,” a voice said.
Colin turned to see another young man smile at him and toss his bag on the bottom bed.
“Too slow,” he said. “Anyways, I’ve got bad knees. Makes it hard to get up on the top.”
“That’s some bullshit,” Colin said. “What kind of a guard has bad knees?”
“You’re right, I’m just too lazy to climb,” he chuckled, holding out a hand. “I’m James. Looks like we’ll be bunk mates. They’re assigning me to one of the blondes. Not sure which one yet.”
“Colin,” he said, shaking James’ hand. “Blondes? You’ve seen them already?”
“Only in the papers and magazines,” James said. “You’ve never seen the Rothschild sisters?”
“I don’t really follow the gossip magazines and whatnot,” Colin said.
“Well, you’re in for a treat,” James said with a wink. “Good looking guy like you? This job is going to be an absolute breeze.”
Colin wasn’t sure about that. And he would be right. It was as if James had jinxed him. Colin didn’t get either of the blondes, but was instead assigned to a third red headed sister that he hadn’t seen in any magazines. Upon first impressions, he actually thought she was quite pretty. She had a very natural beauty to her.
Then she became an absolute nightmare.
Colin spent all day chasing Eliza all around the city, catching her any time she purposely tried to lose him or cause some kind of chaos that he’d have to protect her from. He was sure she was doing it on purpose, too. Not that he could imagine why. He had been nice to her, or so he’d thought.
By the time he escorted her back to her room for bed, he felt exhausted and nauseous. He kept himself as professional as he could, walking her to her door despite how she walked a few feet ahead of him.
“Anything I can do for you before I go?” he asked.
“Nope. Bye.”
And then the door was slammed in his face. Colin let out a deep exhale, leaning against the wall and rubbing a hand over his face.
“Nightmare,” he grumbled.
He checked his watch as he headed back to his bunk. His shifts lasted until a little past midnight, and the next one started before sunrise. That gave him about four hours to sleep at night. He flopped into bed, still in uniform. He had about five minutes of peace. Then James started to snore. Loudly. Colin’s eyes shot open again.
“Nooooo,” he whimpered, burying his face into the pillow.
That’s all he needed. He kept reminding himself that this would all be worth it in the end. At least, he hoped so.
He was at his post on time the next morning, standing outside Eliza Rothschild’s room until she woke up. She was up surprisingly early, and she seemed equally shocked to see Colin there.
“You’re already here?” she asked, disappointed.
“Yes,” he said. “That’s what 24 hour surveillance means. Breakfast isn’t until 8. Where were you headed?”
“Breakfast,” she said. “I’m eating by myself. There’s no reason to sit around the table for EVERY meal.”
“The papers your father gave me say otherwise,” Colin said. “He’d like you and your sisters to stay close by, just in case.”
“Just in case of what?” Eliza challenged. “Just in case someone tries to kill me, with absolutely nothing to gain from it?”
“They would gain something from it.”
“Don’t mock me,” Eliza snapped, pushing past him and walking away.
Colin furrowed his brow. He was being honest, but he didn’t say anything. He simply followed behind her. She didn’t speak or look at him. He awkwardly cleared his throat with a slight jog to catch up to her.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Have I offended you, somehow? Because I’d like to clear the air-“
“Yes, you have,” she said, spinning around and getting in his face. “You have offended me. Your very existence has offended me. The fact that you are here, following me around like a lost puppy is offensive to me.”
Colin was at a loss for words. She walked away again, and when he followed her she just scowled. She went into the kitchen and began weaving past the maids, opening cupboards to see what she could find. She picked up a box of granola, looking over it.
“I never liked granola much,” Colin said, trying to make small talk.
“Eat it, then,” she said, thrusting the box into his hands.
“What?”
“That’s an order,” she said. “You work for me, after all.”
“I don’t see what forcing me to eat granola has to do with protecting you.”
“I feel unsafe around men who hate granola.”
They stared each other down for a moment, then Colin sighed and put a handful of the crumbly cardboard-tasting stuff into his mouth.
“There, happy?” he asked.
She just sniffed, taking the box back.
“I like granola,” she said. “You’ve offended me once again. You’re not very good at your job.”
“I’m good at my job,” he promised her. “Apparently I’m just not very fun to be around.”
“You’re not.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” he shrugged. “Unfortunately for you, I am good at my job. You’ll just have to get used to me until the queen feels like you’ll be safe again.”
She scoffed and sat down at a table. He sat down across from her, taking out a tablet and scrolling through the schedule.
“Well it’s good you woke up early,” he said. “Like I said, there’s a formal breakfast with your family at 8. Plenty of time for you to get ready. And then after that, the queen has scheduled some time for your family to get a tour of the Zenian orchards. That sounds fun. Do you like fruit?”
“I have plans,” she said simply.
“Plans?” Colin frowned. “You have about half an hour this afternoon in your schedule for that. I just figured you’d want that time to rest.”
“I’m not doing any scheduled activities.”
“But… the schedule…”
“I’m not going,” she repeated. “I have plans. If you don’t like it, go home.”
It was clear she wasn’t about to be argued with. Colin looked from her to the tablet, then back to her. Then he awkwardly turned off the tablet and tucked it away.
“I won’t be held responsible if you get in trouble,” he said. “As long as you don’t get hurt. So I guess I’ll just have to come with you.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Colin didn’t feel good about that tone of voice, but he sat up straight and accepted her challenge. He needed this job, but now it was more than that. Now it was personal.