Space Cadets
seven
“If my room wasn’t five stories up that would’ve worked, just so you know.”
Eliza nudged past Colin as they left the dining hall. Eliza had, as agreed, sat down to breakfast with her family and the queen. The king and one of the princes were in attendance, but thankfully no Tobert. The queen had done most of the talking as usual; King Dominic was a fairly soft-spoken man. Zenian society was matriarchal, so Korinne was the true heir and ruler. Dominic had been a Lord on one of the other planets. Eliza couldn’t remember the whole story of how they came to be married but she knew it was something terribly romantic and fairytale-like.
Marcellus hadn’t been thrilled at the idea of her ditching her family activities yet again, but Eliza insisted that she wanted to see them setting up preparations for the month-long celebration in the city and he gave in. Now she was marching along the white stone streets and Colin followed her without complaint, as he had agreed.
“Yeah, well. There’s no use in having a good plan if you can’t execute it,” Colin replied.
“Then next time I’ll just rappel down the side of the palace,” Eliza retorted.
“I believe you would,” he said warily. “Listen, I know this isn’t the ideal situation but why are you so adverse to having a guard? I’m just here to make sure you’re safe. At least you can leave the palace this way.”
Eliza wrinkled her nose but he couldn’t see it because she faced stubbornly forward. “I don’t want a babysitter, for starters. I’m not a child,” she said. “And secondly, I don’t want to spend all day being begrudgingly tailed by someone who’s being paid to be constantly in my presence.”
“Don’t you always have security when your family travels?”
“It’s not the same. Obviously if our security was always this tight, you wouldn’t be here because I’d already have a hired shadow.”
Eliza swung a right and headed into the heart of the historic part of the city. There wasn’t anything particularly death-defying to do here, but it did have the second largest library in the galaxy and a museum. She’d tried chasing Colin off with danger, maybe boring him would work better. Along the way they passed a temple dedicated to the goddess Zenaria, who was believed to have created the Zenix Galaxy with her tears. She had been worshipped here for centuries; now she was largely a ceremonial figure but there were still functional temples tended to by priestesses and visited by devout worshippers.
Eliza paused in front of the temple to admire the marble and crystal statue of the goddess that guarded the temple entrance. She had a serene expression on her face and had her arms spread like she was welcoming people in. There was a small altar at her feet and it was supposed to bring good luck to leave something. Eliza dug through her bag until she found a silver button that had fallen off of who knows what; probably something with puffy sleeves that her mom had made her wear. She set the button at Zenaria’s feet. A young priestess had just stepped out to sweep the entrance steps and she flashed Eliza a warm smile.
Colin said nothing as Eliza resumed her walk but she felt like he was watching her. No doubt trying to figure out why she was so different from the rest of her family. People always wondered at that. She went to the library first, unable to keep from gasping when she saw the seemingly endless rows of towering bookcases made of polished black wood. There was a beautiful skylight that made the pearlescent white walls and floor seem to glow.
“It’s so much better than the pictures,” she said excitedly, wandering through the aisles and gazing around in awe. She found a thick book about the history of the galaxy and sank into a big, plush chair. She admired the pretty binding and print and briefly forgot Colin was even there until he sat down in the chair next to her. She scrunched down further into her seat, trying to ignore him. She hoped he’d get tired of sitting there waiting for her to pore over an old book but to her annoyance he remained there patiently. He didn’t even tap his foot or fidget. Eventually she looked up to see if he’d fallen asleep but he was just looking around at the library.
“My sister would like this place,” he said.
“You have a sister?” she asked before remembering she didn’t want to talk to him.
“Yeah. We have something in common, isn’t that terrible?”
“Unless your sister is five foot ten and gorgeous then I’m not sure we have that much in common,” Eliza muttered. “But she likes books, your sister? So she’s the brains of the family then?”
“I know you mean that as an insult but actually she is brilliant so I can’t argue with you on that.”
Eliza gently closed her book and returned it to the shelf with the same care you might show a newborn. She was getting annoyed with the level of discipline and patience Colin seemed to have. If she’d had one of the other pretty boy guards she probably could’ve sent him running by now. Well, he’d no doubt break eventually. She wasn’t very interesting or charming, and she didn’t make this assignment easy. In the meantime, she may as well make the best of her situation.
“I’m hungry,” she said. “And I’m in a hurry, so I hope you know how to ride a hover board.”
Eliza nudged past Colin as they left the dining hall. Eliza had, as agreed, sat down to breakfast with her family and the queen. The king and one of the princes were in attendance, but thankfully no Tobert. The queen had done most of the talking as usual; King Dominic was a fairly soft-spoken man. Zenian society was matriarchal, so Korinne was the true heir and ruler. Dominic had been a Lord on one of the other planets. Eliza couldn’t remember the whole story of how they came to be married but she knew it was something terribly romantic and fairytale-like.
Marcellus hadn’t been thrilled at the idea of her ditching her family activities yet again, but Eliza insisted that she wanted to see them setting up preparations for the month-long celebration in the city and he gave in. Now she was marching along the white stone streets and Colin followed her without complaint, as he had agreed.
“Yeah, well. There’s no use in having a good plan if you can’t execute it,” Colin replied.
“Then next time I’ll just rappel down the side of the palace,” Eliza retorted.
“I believe you would,” he said warily. “Listen, I know this isn’t the ideal situation but why are you so adverse to having a guard? I’m just here to make sure you’re safe. At least you can leave the palace this way.”
Eliza wrinkled her nose but he couldn’t see it because she faced stubbornly forward. “I don’t want a babysitter, for starters. I’m not a child,” she said. “And secondly, I don’t want to spend all day being begrudgingly tailed by someone who’s being paid to be constantly in my presence.”
“Don’t you always have security when your family travels?”
“It’s not the same. Obviously if our security was always this tight, you wouldn’t be here because I’d already have a hired shadow.”
Eliza swung a right and headed into the heart of the historic part of the city. There wasn’t anything particularly death-defying to do here, but it did have the second largest library in the galaxy and a museum. She’d tried chasing Colin off with danger, maybe boring him would work better. Along the way they passed a temple dedicated to the goddess Zenaria, who was believed to have created the Zenix Galaxy with her tears. She had been worshipped here for centuries; now she was largely a ceremonial figure but there were still functional temples tended to by priestesses and visited by devout worshippers.
Eliza paused in front of the temple to admire the marble and crystal statue of the goddess that guarded the temple entrance. She had a serene expression on her face and had her arms spread like she was welcoming people in. There was a small altar at her feet and it was supposed to bring good luck to leave something. Eliza dug through her bag until she found a silver button that had fallen off of who knows what; probably something with puffy sleeves that her mom had made her wear. She set the button at Zenaria’s feet. A young priestess had just stepped out to sweep the entrance steps and she flashed Eliza a warm smile.
Colin said nothing as Eliza resumed her walk but she felt like he was watching her. No doubt trying to figure out why she was so different from the rest of her family. People always wondered at that. She went to the library first, unable to keep from gasping when she saw the seemingly endless rows of towering bookcases made of polished black wood. There was a beautiful skylight that made the pearlescent white walls and floor seem to glow.
“It’s so much better than the pictures,” she said excitedly, wandering through the aisles and gazing around in awe. She found a thick book about the history of the galaxy and sank into a big, plush chair. She admired the pretty binding and print and briefly forgot Colin was even there until he sat down in the chair next to her. She scrunched down further into her seat, trying to ignore him. She hoped he’d get tired of sitting there waiting for her to pore over an old book but to her annoyance he remained there patiently. He didn’t even tap his foot or fidget. Eventually she looked up to see if he’d fallen asleep but he was just looking around at the library.
“My sister would like this place,” he said.
“You have a sister?” she asked before remembering she didn’t want to talk to him.
“Yeah. We have something in common, isn’t that terrible?”
“Unless your sister is five foot ten and gorgeous then I’m not sure we have that much in common,” Eliza muttered. “But she likes books, your sister? So she’s the brains of the family then?”
“I know you mean that as an insult but actually she is brilliant so I can’t argue with you on that.”
Eliza gently closed her book and returned it to the shelf with the same care you might show a newborn. She was getting annoyed with the level of discipline and patience Colin seemed to have. If she’d had one of the other pretty boy guards she probably could’ve sent him running by now. Well, he’d no doubt break eventually. She wasn’t very interesting or charming, and she didn’t make this assignment easy. In the meantime, she may as well make the best of her situation.
“I’m hungry,” she said. “And I’m in a hurry, so I hope you know how to ride a hover board.”