unbefitting
"They are becoming most unsettled. They demand a meeting."
"And Jetidi?"
"Less than fifteen minutes out. They have retrieved the only other ruler that is located within the three cities."
"Has she been informed of her duties."
"She has. She says she has been feeling you, Jetidi, and the human Hayden for a while and she has long to be close."
Kellum could not help but look around the throne room. How different it was. Instead of an empty throne and the four advisor's chairs, now sat two empty thrones and eighteen chairs in a half circle.
"I have a great deal of questions for the new rulers. The way they are all connected is most peculiar. You say that you do not feel a connection to any of them but the human Hayden?" Dezrick questioned.
"I felt something when Jetidi touched me. A sense of belonging."
He could not be for sure about anything. He might have some of his memories back but there appears to be huge gaps in them. Some memories seemed out of order and confusing. He felt like he had two lives. One where Hayden was to be his mate and one where it was Jessalynn.
The sight of her had brought him pain unlike he had ever felt before. He did not understand it.
Last night he had dreamed he was back on that ship with her and everything inside of him was telling him not to leave her. That he would have never left her, not for any reason.
He could not tell which emotion bothered him more. The fear of leaving her or the guilt he felt. How could he forget about someone who obviously meant so much to him?
When had he let his emotions start to rule him?
He needed all his memories back and he needed them now, but he did not have a second to spare. He had to get his government in order, and he needed to bring home his queen.
His queen. That statement was enough for him to need to sit. He was completely overwhelmed.
Kellum caught himself before he could take his place at the throne. Maybe he was king now, but he did not feel like he belong there yet. Not as long as her throne remained empty.
"My King?"
"Repeat."
"They will be here momentary."
"I want Jetidi and Hayden in robes. Pureell will have to wait until she is sworn in.
"Yes, my King."
"Have you gathered any other information on the Queen's predicament?"
"I have found a rough location. It sits on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. I will not be able to be more precise. There is over two hundred on board. Their defenses are weak, but I have not found a way on board. Our children could take down their technology so that will not be a problem."
"Are the men preparing?"
"As you have requested."
"How did we not know they were already here?"
"They are not sending out any signals and must have been here for longer than we have been observing this planet. I would put this ship at half the size of the one on the way."
"They never communicate between the two?"
"I would have picked up any signal between the two. They are here, my King, and are being prepared as we speak."
"Tell me more about Pureell."
As Dezrick spoke, Kellum neatened his own robe of white with heavy silver threading. How many had worn this before him? How many have been up against the obstacles that he was up against?
His advisors were traitors. Never had that happened before, so how was he supposed to handle the situation?
There was no one for him to ask. The committee could not know what the advisors had done, or they would worry about the same being done again. No one knew that an eighteen-year-old boy had just became their king. He could not even talk to his family or friends because no one remembered Jessalynn but him and two seven-year-old children.
"Dezrick, replay the last day before my memories were tampered with."
"I would advise against that, my king. All medical advisors on your case have deemed introducing you to your past memories a delicate situation."
"Replay the images."
The young man on the screens looked just like him yet he barely recognized himself. His candora was torn and bloody. His body tensed with rage. Despair filled his eyes.
"Have them release me now or they are declaring war. They will not get away with what they have done. Do you hear me? I will not rest until everyone of them have paid for what they have done."
How could that be him?
"Dezrick, what was your advisement when they wanted to do the treatments on me?"
"I advised them against it. That is to be used in only extreme cases. At the time we were not even sure if she was your mate or not."
"But I was sure?"
"You had no proof, but yes, my King, you spoke as if very sure that she was your mate."
Kellum's eyes went back to the screens. "You do not know what you are doing to her. You must let me go to her. I cannot bare her pain." The him on the screen begged.
"Pause it. What was their answer to this?"
"They worried that she was having an ill effect on you."
"They feared her? A seventeen-year-old human?"
"Yes, I believe they did. They were also scared of who you were with her."
"Who was I with her?"
"Different, my King"
"Was I at any time unbefitting a king?"
There was another paused that he was unaccustomed to before he received his answer. "No, my King. Not unbefitting a king of this world. You were just not the king the advisors were accustomed to."
"Because of her?"
"Yes, my King."
"I cared for her?"
"I am unable to answer that."
"Do not tell me what you thought I felt, tell me how I spoke about my feelings for her."
"You told her you loved her often. You would forget yourself when you were with her. She made your blood pressure unsteady every time she laughed or touched you."
"I loved her?"
"Yes, my King."
"Remove the images. The rulers may enter."
A door opened to the left of him. New robes had been made for Jetidi and Hayden. Large and heavy like his, but theirs were silver with heavy white threading.
He was king and all he had to rule at his side were a seven-year-old boy, a human girl his own age, and a nineteen-year-old educator in training.
She was pale, tall, and thin. Her light blond hair was in braids all around her head and her eyes were so lite blue they were almost transparent. Seeing him, she bowed. "My King."
He did not even know how to address the three in front of him. "Thank you for coming so quickly."
"I was awaiting today, my King. For weeks I have known the time was coming, I just did not understand my part in it."
"Jetidi, says all of you are connected. That all of you have gifts, may I ask what yours are?"
"I am unsure how to explain it, my King. I think you could say that I have the answer. What is the question that you long to know, my King?"
He looked uncertainly at Hayden then back at Pureell. "Will I_____."
"You will be. You will not only be a good king, you will be a king who rules with his head and his heart. The very things the advisors doubted about you will be the very things that make you the kind and just king that we need."
"Will____?"
"Sorry my King, I do not have all the answers, I have the answer. I think I am still getting the hang of things."
With a slight smile and another bow, she moved across the room and took the fourth seat on the left.
After a bow of her own, Hayden went to the chair closest to his throne.
She looked as uncertain as he did.
Jetidi moved directly across from the thrones. "We each have our place. You will need to take yours, my King."
His place. He had put it off as long as he could. As much as he would hate it, he could not face the advisors without being very bit the king. The missing person at his side sat heavily on his heart.
Kellum sat as tall and as proud as he could. He knew what he had to do. As much as he was not looking forward to what was ahead of him, he knew it had to be done.
"Anything you would like to add before the advisors are escorted in?" He asked.
"You know what you must do, my King. We stand behind you whatever you decide to do." Pureell addressed him first.
"Follow your heart, rule with your head, my King." Were Jetidi's words.
Hayden had her hands tucked into her lap. When she looked at him, he could see how much she longed to ease his mind. Even without her touch, he felt the peace and strength she sent his way. "I believe in you. You just have to believe in yourself."
"Dezrick, have them escorted in."