The Narabithian Chronicles: The Prophecy of Three

Chapter 7-Revised: Dinners and Doubts

As they arrived on the Royal Living Quarters floor, level twenty three or so, they were greeted by an enormous living room, full of purple sofas, fire places, and paintings hung on extravagantly decorated walls. Gen sighed happily, before realizing that on one of the sofas sat a black Catling, who stood as they entered the room. "Kali!" Tabitha grinned, running and giving the Catling a hug.

He was tall, lean, and muscular, with short cropped black hair which matched the fur on the rest of his body. He had green eyes, and a pearly white smile. Gen thought he looked like a cross between a movie star and a panther. His tail twitched in excitement. "Ah, Tabitha, it's so good to see you," he said in an African accent, hugging the young girl back. "We missed you at our wedding."

"Wait, what?" Tabitha said, pulling back. "You got married?"

"Yes, Jahzara and I were married a week after her coronation, two years ago," he replied. Tabitha ran her hand through her short hair.

"I can't believe you finally got married and I missed it," she sighed plopping on the sofa nearest to her. She glared at Exlore. "What else I have I missed that you forgot to tell me?" A look of fear crossed the young war veteran's face, and Gen could swear his hair was beginning to stand on end.

"Uh," he muttered, a look of desperation on his face as he tried to think of anything he could have missed.

"Oh, leave the poor boy alone. He also missed our wedding," Kali said. He turned toward Exlore, with a strange glint in his eye. "Would you like to explain why, or shall I?" Exlore gulped, and a pang of pain crossed his face, and he gripped his side.

"I was battling Tankors trying to make it back to the capital after I had protected you and watched over you while you searched all of Eden, until you found out they were on Earth and went to go look for them," he said through gritted teeth. Kali raised an eyebrow, but said nothing else. Awkward silence descended upon the group, until Kali seemed to finally recognize the other's presence.

"So, you must be the Heirs, hmm? My name is Kali, prince of Narabithia and husband of the Queen of the Nadirs. And you are...?" he said, holding out his hand for them to shake and formally introducing himself.

Jake grabbed his hand, shook it firmly and introduced himself, saying, "I'm Jake, son and Heir of Uriah. This is my dear friend Gen, Heir to my mother, Miriam. These are my twin cousins, Jeff, Heir to my uncle Boden, and Rusty, Heir to my aunt Dyani." He had been practicing these lines for weeks, and now that he said it out loud, it made this whole adventure, which felt like a dream, suddenly feel very, very real.

Kali shook hands with everyone, and he smiled when he saw Gen. "She did it again. Mother was indeed the best matchmaker," he said.

"What?" Gen said, incredulously.

"Tabitha will explain it to you later, I'm sure," he said laughing. Gen looked over at Tabitha, and could swear that once again she was blushing. Her eyes briefly swept over Exlore, and he too seemed to be blushing. What the heck...? She wondered what exactly was going on.

"Anyway," Kali said, changing the subject, "I was called to fill in for Exlore when they got the message that he was escorting Tabitha, and hopefully the Heirs, home safely. It's such a pleasure to meet you all. I just wish my wife were here for the feast." He sighed, and his shoulder's sagged a little. "Ah well," he said straightening up. "We better get you all settled in and prepared for the feast tomorrow."

He clapped his hands and they were ushered from the living room up a set of stairs to a hallway lined with bedrooms. "All right, there is a blank room for each of you; those rooms are the ones without name plates. Each of you grab the handle of one of those doors and wait while it scans your hand," he said. The four teens did as they were commanded.