The Unbalanced Three

Chapter XI ~ The One

"What does the girl have to say about it?" red-beard asked. Lexi wasn't sure if she was supposed to respond to the question herself or let Thomas. Luckily, Thomas spoke up before she had to. 

"When Morrison woke up I realized she had the knowledge of a Tae, and no explanation for her attack. I had to explain the three worlds and races to her; she knew nothing about us. I am convinced she is Angelike, but her existence on Duo makes no sense to me. As you know, that's why I reached out to the palace to update you and ask permission to bring her here." 

"You assumed she was Angelike, but Draconians have our same healing abilities. Did you consider she might be lying?" demanded The One.

Lexi was about to say something most definitely not respectful to defend her honesty but Thomas beat her to it.

"Despite what you think, I am not an idiot," he countered. ""If I had detected any dishonestly in her I would not have brought her before you. Furthermore, if she was Draconian, why would the Daemon have attacked her?" Lexi raised her eyebrows. Despite all his warnings to her, Thomas was dangerously close to sounding disrespectful. There was no way a soldier was allowed to speak to The One like that. 

The One narrowed her eyes, "Do not act like I am wrong to doubt you. If I remember correctly, it was your poor judgement which landed you an assignment on Duo in the first place."

Thomas looked murderous, and as he stared down The One Lexi got the same uncomfortable feeling you get while witnessing an argument between two people in a car as you sit in the backseat and pray the driver doesn't drive off the road. She felt the urge to step back.

The One stood. "I had hoped your time on Duo would be good for you, but you're just the same. Do not presume that you can do whatever you please just because you are my heir."

Wait a minute, what? Lexi felt her brain buffer for a second. Her heir...Thomas was The One's son? That couldn't be true, it didn't make any sense! Lexi whipped her head to face Thomas.

And yet, Lexi supposed it kind of did make sense. She should have known he wasn't a simple soldier, he acted like someone who knew power. And she could see the resemblance between mother and son, though she'd missed it at first: they had the same blue eyes and dark hair, and the same commanding presence. However, The One was terrifying and Thomas, though a bit frosty, was surprisingly kind.

He was also, apparently, dishonest. 

He met her eyes briefly but quickly looked forward again, leaving her to gape in shock at the back of his head. Why hadn't he told her? He'd explained everything else! As heir...that meant Thomas was probably going to rule this entire planet someday. Lexi realized she had been casually talking to one of the most important people she would probably ever meet. Oh God! And she'd argued one of his planet's policies with him.

The One looked between the two of them and smirked, clearly recognizing Lexi's surprise. "Hiding from who you are, now, Thomas?" She clicked her tongue, "so weak. I would think you would be more grateful I didn't disown you."

"He didn't hide anything." Lexi interjected coldly, feeling suddenly protective. "In case you weren't aware, we only met this morning, and it's been a busy day." 

It was strictly true; they had met that morning and they had been busy, even though Lexi knew they'd had plenty of time to talk. And yes, she was obviously upset she'd been kept in the dark, but she regretted showing her surprise in front of a woman who wanted to use it as ammunition against her son. With a mother like that, Lexi almost understood why he'd hidden his connection with her. 

Thomas stayed silent and still, but from her position a few steps behind him, Lexi could see his hands, which were still folded behind his back, were clenched so tightly the knuckles had turned white. Momentarily she wondered what would happen if she reached out and grabbed them, but quickly pushed the thought away. She had no reason to do that; she barely knew him.

The One fixed her fierce gaze on Lexi, whose brief dose of courage was quickly retreating as she considered the implication of contradicting the literal leader of the world. 

"Watch yourself, girl. Even though you are not from Unum,  you will respect me, regardless of your connection with my son. Remember, Ovwan Blackthorn's favor is not worth nearly as much as mine is." 

The One sighed, turning to address her council. "We cannot decide anything until we have more information." The One motioned to a nearby guard. "Take her to The Order. Ask for the guide, Kari Stormweather."

Kari Stormweather? That sounded like a name, but what was the Order? With her attention back on Lexi, The One proclaimed, "with the Order's assistance, by tomorrow we will know who you are, and what your intentions are. Then, we can determine what to do with you and whether you belong on Unum. For your sake, I hope you have told no lies."

Despite the fact that Lexi knew she had been truthful, she couldn't help the doubt that crept into her mind as she stood looking up at The One and her council, seated on their platform of thrones. Even if she could establish her honesty, did she belong in this world? Did she want to? 

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