A Royal Christmas in Space

Book 1: Chapter 12

"You thought you could get away." Prince Drak's voice filter was set for deep and threatening. "It's not that easy to escape me."

She got her feet underneath her and twisted out of his arms. "I, I, I..." Her heart was pounding so hard, she'd lost the ability to form words.

"You told so many lies."

People walking through the spaceport were beginning to stop and watch. The peace officers and the captain of the Sønderknuste moved closer to get a better view.

She took off her sunglasses and slid them into her jeans pocket. She wanted to look Drak directly in his mirrored visor. "I did and I'm sorry."

The small crowd of onlookers grew, forming a half circle around the pair. Sprinkled among the faces of strangers, Pluckie saw a few she recognized. There was Gasha and Cookbot, Brandy and Loralee, Nova and Bubby.

"I took advantage of your hospitality," she continued. "I'm sorry for that too. And for teaching your children the forbidden knowledges of long division and reading. Although, to be honest, Bubby never really caught on to the reading, so you don't have to worry about that."

Drak clenched his hands into fists. "Did you mean what you said about falling in love?"

"Yes." She nodded. "Are you going to kill me now?"

"Kill you?" He took a step toward her. "I'm going to marry you." He lowered himself to one knee. "That is, if you'll have me."

Pluckie couldn't believe what was happening. The tears of sadness and shame she had wept only moments ago were replaced with tears of joy. "Now that the truth is out," she cried, "now that there are no secrets between us, I know we can be happy."

"Oh... right." Drak didn't sound so positive. "We can't be happy if one of us is still keeping secrets."

Without saying another word, he rose to his feet, took Pluckie by the elbow and dragged her to a nearby closet.

"What's going on?" she asked as he shoved her into the cramped space. "Is it a Ralfie attack?"

"You deserve to know the truth about me." He tried to shift his weight from one foot to the other, but their bodies were pressed so close together, it was impossible. "First, I need to free my right hand. If you could..."

"Oh yeah." Pluckie lifted her right arm up out of Drak's way. The tips of her fingers brushed the brim of her large, floppy hat.

"No," he said, "My right hand. Your left hand."

"Sure." She lifted her left arm so that both her hands were just touching her hat.

"I guess it's the hat that's the problem," Drak said. "It's too big for this space. Can I just..." He snatched it off her head and placed it on the top shelf.

Pluckie, with her hands still raised in the air, twisted around to look up at it. "I can't reach that high. You'll get it down for me before we leave?"

"Yes, of course," the Prince quickly said, "but for right now, you deserve to know the truth about me." He then did something she never expected he would do. He pressed a finger to a button on the right side of his neck and took off his helmet mask.

"Wheldon Beyette?" Pluckie gasped.

The appealing young man stood before her, wearing his signature glasses and bow tie and Prince Drak's combination full body armor/life support suit.

"How is this possible?" she asked.

Wheldon took a deep breath before launching into his explanation. "I killed the real Drak Revin last year just after the Saturnalia Spectacular. I was a soldier in the Resistance Army Liberation Front."