This the second part in the Surrender verse series. I would strongly advise to read the first one before you read this one.
The Aldebaran royal gardens were bathing in the late afternoon light, stretching their tidy geometric patterns almost out of Luke's sight. He liked the way the sun was on Aldebaran, is was a bit more orange than was he used to know on Earth. And definitely better than the blueish ambient colour on Proxima. Here, most of the vegetation was coloured by a natural golden shimmery pigment, making the trees look like elaborated metal craftwork. In most Aldebarans' eyes it was the most common thing in the world, but Luke viewed this planet as huge shining jewel.
He was fascinated by all the small differences and took classes to catch up on all the knowledge he lacked, learning about history, geography, culture and even politic. His main activity was still to practice and train to stay in good shape and build some new skills and fighting techniques. During his days at the Royal Palace, the prince didn't need personal protection, so Luke was free to other things, but he was always happy to back to their chambers at the end of the day.
Luke was casually leaning on the railing the balcony when Ashton wrapped his arms around his waist and rested his head against his shoulder. They both sighed in the comfort of the embrace. They have been very tactile with each other right from the beginning, and nothing has changed ever since. In the two months that has passed since Luke moved to Aldebar, their relationship hasn't really evolved, much to his dismay. They have shared a lot of hugs, cuddles and other small touches, but nothing further. And if they also shared a bed more that they would admit, no one had to know.
And actually no one really knew what was going on behind closed door. Officially Luke was just Ashton's bodyguard and he acted very professional when in public. So for the vast majority, it was strictly professional between them. Even Calum didn't know, beside the fact that he became this closest friend very rapidly. This new friendship helped Calum to open up to Ashton himself too. The raven-haired man started to talk to the prince more as a friend, using his first name only to address him and being more comfortable in general.
Luke knew Ashton well enough by now to be aware that the prince must have reciprocated at still some of this feelings. But he was too afraid to approached the topic directly. Ashton was the centre of his new life and he couldn't risk to lose him. So he kept enjoying their proximity silently and wondering if his loud quick heartbeat was noticeable.
Ashton placed a small kiss on Luke's shoulder blade and then move his chin on top of it to admire the view.
"Long day?" Luke asked gently.
"Yes...", the prince sighed again. "but not a bad day.", he smiled small. For a moment they just stayed like that. It felt natural and soothing. Then Ashton's smile suddenly widened when he whispered "I have good news for you" in a teasing way.
He could see from the corner of his eyes, Luke arching an eyebrow and humming.
"We're going on another planet, for a visit."
Luke turned in the embrace and faced Ashton with huge eyes. "Really?" The prince nodded and confirmed "Really.". A big, bright smile stretched on the blond lips before he pulled Ashton in a bear hug.
"That's awesome!" He cheered loudly. Then, he blushed and stepped away a bit, not looking at Ashton in the eyes anymore. "Not that I don't like Aldebar, because I love it, really. I'm just excited to discover more."
Ashton chuckled "I know, don't stress it."
"Where are we going?"
"Prima Antares. We're leaving at the end of the week. But we're not going for tourism... I'm sorry, it's a diplomatic encounter for the negotiation of a commercial treaty."
Luke rolled his eyes "I know, it's not for tourism. But you're not going to kill my joy, even if you try!". He stuck his tongue out and Ashton couldn't help but laughed.
Ashton loved how Luke could be cute and even a bit childish when he was relaxed, and still be an impressive bodyguard in needed times. Actually, during the last months, Ashton had found himself loving a lot of things in Luke. And he wasn't sure how to handle that.
With his face pressed against the window of the spacecraft, Luke stare at Prima Antares. To him it appeared light pink and pastel purple. But he knew from his research the Antarian didn't really see it that way. He had used his class time to learn about the planet, figuring out the civilisation and culture. Apparently it looked like the antic Greece of Earth. But Luke had no idea what it looked like. It was a bit weird to think that he could finally learn about his birth place only after leaving it. But of course Luke didn't regret a single bit leaving Earth.
Luke was in owe when they landed in Ascalon, the capital city. It was hard for him to keep a stoic face when they walked between the beautiful white marble buildings. The architecture seemed to always tend to geometric, simple or pure shapes and volumes, even though the stone was decorated with a lot of engraved ornaments. It gave a nice feeling of strength, serenity and stability, like this civilisation has existed since forever and will always exist. It was majestic. Luke felt a little small and definitely impressed.
Ashton took the head of the trio as they climbed the wide stairs of the palace. Luke and Calum walked right behind him, a couple of feet away. Of course, they were expected, and the Emperor was waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Like the rest of the Antarians, his skin and hair were blue. But to be precise, his skin held a rather pale hue, sky blue, which contrasted with his black eyes. He was a massive man, with a large stature, a head of navy blue hair barely disciplined and a bushy beard. On his right stand his first counsellor, Ruben Rakkam, and on his left his daughter and heir of the Kingdom, princess Kimiko. All three of them wore luxurious outfits mostly made of white fabrics that seemed draped around their body in the most elegant way.
After their exchange of respectful greetings and presentations, they were all led to a private room filled with plump seats and sofas. Food and drinks were on display on a finely sculpted coffee table. The other five sat down comfortably, but Luke kept on standing at the periphery of the room. One of his hear listened to the polite conversation but he mainly stared at the view of the city the window provided.
But suddenly his attention was pulled back to the discussion by Calum's outburst.
"Mike is missing?!"
The raven haired boy was usually not one to speak loud, especially during a diplomatic session. He was on the whole a calm, collected and serious person. But something seemed to have broken his behaviour. Luke let his eyes roamed the different faces, waiting for an answer, just like Calum and Ashton were.
"He left in middle the night and no one knows where to." The Emperor sighed; he seemed concerned. "One of our spacecraft is missing, so he probably left the planet. But that doesn't really help; if anything, it only extends even more the field of search."
"You know how he is. Short-tempered. Hothead. Trouble maker. He could have come with any crazy idea, and just leave the next minute." counsellor Rakkam scolded.
"But... we can't just do nothing." Calum argued back.
"I'm afraid there's not much we can do. It would be a waste of energy to run after him across the whole galaxy. We just can't do that.", Rakkam answered phlegmatically. The royal family was more quiet on the other hand.
"I could try to find him." Luke slipped, a bit unsure of himself. "I'm not very useful right now, I could put this spare time to good use. If none of you mind, of course." he added with a respectful but short bow.
Ashton nodded and asked "What do you think, Emperor?".
"That seems like a good idea." His majesty approved with a small smile to Luke.
"Maybe you should take Calum with you. He is a more familiar face to Mike." Ashton suggested kindly. Calum agreed in a heartbeat and almost dragged Luke out of the room. He led the two of them in the maze of corridors and stairs, he seemed to know his way. After a moment the blonde couldn't help but ask.
"Hum... Who is Mike actually?"
"The younger child of the Emperor. The prince."
Luke remembered reading about the Emperor having two children. But Mike's name wasn't mentioned in his memory. Actually, he didn't recall anything about him, beside his existence being briefly acknowledged.
"And where are we going?"
"His room. Looking for a hint of where he might be."
"Alright."
Luke has never seen Calum that determined and ... upset? He would even say angry, which was really unlike him. He wondered why but didn't really question it further. He didn't want to make his friend in an even worse mood.
A few solar systems away, on a slowly drifting asteroid, Mike was hiding a smile. Face absolutely emotionless, all in control, the faint ticking of the cash machines in the background, the Antarian took the card on top of the pile.
"I raise you by 4'000."
Mike moved the coins forward and looked serenely at the other players. The young prince had been playing for a couple of hours now, building up a small fortune. Against him were three players who seemed to know each other pretty well and to be regulars at the borderline illegal casino they were staying at. Two of them were Kormn, a biped specie with a humanoid body covered by scales, four small but piercing red eyes, and an insect-like mouth, two mandibles on the sides. Besides being from the same specie, they were still quite different. One of them, who seem to be the leader of the trio, sitting right in front of Mike, was a massive male, tall and muscular, with yellowish-green scales. The other one was slim if not frail, his scales had a rich brown colour. He had shown a great strategy trough the game, much more base on practical analysis than on instinct. The last player was an Imalite, already of a certain age, judging by the thin lines furrowing his charcoal-black and leather-like skin. His two anthracite horns formed large curves around his ears. But the most noticeable trait was the large scar crossing the left side of his face. The man had barely pronounced a word for all the time he had been here.
All three of them were a bit taken aback by the huge amount Mike put in the game: everything he had earned so far. The small Kormn laugh incredulously. The large one immediately smirked "I call it bluff". The other two finally choose to drop after a second of hesitation during which Mike taunted "afraid?" with a rise of his eyebrows. At last, his opponent placed the same amount on the table.
"So what you got?" Mike asked, unshakeable.
The large Kormn then showed his cards, and he had a good hand. But the young Antarian revealed his own and smiled brightly letting the shock of his fatal victory settle. Promptly, he took all the coins on the table and left saying "It was nice playing with you guys".
There was no doubt the three had planned of robbing Mike's money. Seeing the ring on his fingers, his general appearance and posture, there was no hiding his prestigious status. They most likely thought he stood no chances against them, who were used to the tropes of the game. But unfortunately for them, Mike was a really good player too. Even if it had been a while he had played a real live game rather than an online one, he wasn't as rusted as one could expect.
Mike had only taken two steps toward the exist when he heard a roar coming from the big Kormn.
"Catch him!"
In one swift move, Mike turns around and kicks the table, sending all coins and card flying around. Not taking a second to stop, he rushed across the rooms and jumped through a window. He started to run in the streets winding the asteroid. Urbanized by consecutive momentary opportunism, the building frame was left unregulated and unequal. It turned out in a maze of alleys, stairs and bizarre-shaped places. Mike though it would work in his favour, but he soon discovered the three players were right on his heels. They must have known the place far better than him.
"Shit!" he mumbled under his breath, taking a sharp turn to another alley.
"Hello young man..." a voluptuous creature susurrated in his ear.
Mike jolted back. Street was crowded with ladies barely covered up, half of them chatting with men, the other just standing and sending teasing looks around. The young Antarian soon figures he was near a brothel. That made him uncomfortable, even though he should have expected it considering the kind of activities hosted on the asteroid. He started to move forward again, trying to ignore the apostrophes. Clutching to his messenger bag, he suddenly got an idea. He reached inside and threw around a handful of coins won at casino. A loud gasp sound in the alley and soon everybody was crouching down hastily. Just in time to slow down the three angry players running after him.
Mike smirked and changed his direction once again. Soon, he was in an empty and narrow passage, unfortunately blocked by a back-lit silhouette in the middle.
"Get out of my way!" he shouted, not stopping nor slowing down.
"Prince Mike?"
The silhouette soon came visible, but it was no familiar face. The man who stood there had a very pale beige skin, blond hair and blue eyes, with a common biped stature. Not only Mike didn't seem to know the man who yet called his name, but he couldn't even tell his specie, which was pretty rare for the heir who had seen a lot of foreigners in his life.
Mike choose to ignored it all and follow his own path pushing the stranger to the side. Except the other man didn't lose his balance at all. Instead he caught Mike in his arms and completely stopped him.
"Leave me alone!" he struggled against the grip, ineffectively. Steps were heard and a second later the shot of an impulser passed by Mike's head. Less than a second later, the prince was dragged by the arm in the maze of streets again. He focused on running, his leg hardly keeping up with the pace imposed by the stranger leading him. Soon, he saw a flash of light, indicating that his saviour and/or kidnapper was fighting back with his own impulser. The dull sound of a fall indicated that he knew extremely well how to aim right.
Mike was divided between the relief that the stranger seem very skilled and the fear that he might he might turn those against him very soon. But he was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts, when he felt an arm sneak around him and his feet leaving the ground. A scream died in Mike's throat as he fell like jumping then falling. He closed his eyes waiting for the impact of the fall. But nothing came. When looked up, he saw the stranger's profile, calm and almost smiling, as they swung swiftly, hung by a grapnel. The young prince had to admit, the man had very nice features. He looked a few years older than him, but he seemed to have had a radically different life path.
When they landed, Mike was still half-carried around. They took a couple of sharp turns in the streets and soon they stopped, in a dark corner. The stranger put a hand on Mike's mouth, while he tried to catch his breath. A few seconds later, someone rushed in the adjacent street but passed them by.
"Your reputation of troublemaker is not stolen, your highness." The blond man teased as he removed his hand.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Mike asked, not turning a hair.
"I'm Luke. And I'm bringing you back on Antares."
To his surprise the prince scoffed. "So my dear father found nothing better than to hire a mercenary to send me home.". The shock and the adrenaline running through his veins morphed into anger and resentment.
"I'm not a mercenary, nor am I under your father's command. Now if you would follow me than would make everything easier."
"I don't quite feel like making your task easier, mister mercenary."
"...Fine."
"Will you fucking put me down?!" Mike groaned, carried over Luke's shoulder like a vulgar sack.
"Watch your mouth, your highness".
Luke had to admit he was a bit surprised by the prince's attitude. Sure, Mike was young, but his behaviour was certainly childish. He acted like a complete spoiled but rebellious kid. Maybe he should have been less taken aback considering Calum had warned him. And all of that was verified. But Calum seemed to still held some sort of sympathy, as least, for the prince, judging by his silent worry. Yet Luke wasn't one to let this kind of behaviour pass. He had known a lot of kids who thought they were tough back on Earth, and he never let himself be belittled by them.
They soon reach the local astroport, or more like one of the random docking spot on the asteroid. Once inside the spacecraft he dropped the young Antarian on a seat where he landed with a jingling coins' sound. Luke sent a quick message to Calum telling him he had found the missing prince and they were ready to leave.
"Listen" Mike suddenly said with a serious tone. "my bag holds a small fortune. It's all your, if you just leave me in any astroport of the galaxy."
"Yeah, but preferably in Talagoo, right? Where you left the spacecraft you borrowed."
"Shit... I forgot the thing has a tracker on."
Luke frowned. Yes, the spacecraft had a tracker on, but it was deactivated, which had not simplified their research. But apparently, Mike wasn't the one who deactivated the tracker, nor did he know about it.
"By the way, I don't appreciate the way you think I can be bought."
"Well, you're a mercenary."
"I told you, I am not."
"Then who the hell are you, 'Luke'?"
"I am the personal bodyguard of his highness Ashton, prince of the Aldebaran Confederation."
"Asht... Oh damn... I completely forgot about his visit..."
Luke caught the way Mike's body slumped down on his seat. He felt guilty. Maybe he was not that of a bad guy.
"Wait, is Calum on Antares too?" Mike suddenly questioned with a new found interest.
"Well no..." Luke started with an arched eyebrow.
"Oh." And the disappointment was visible on his face.
"Cause he's right here." The blonde finished right when the doors of the spacecraft opened on the said man.
"Mike!"
"Cal!" the young man beamed while running to him. They met in the middle and great each other with a warm embrace. Luke blinked a couple of times, utterly confused by the physical display of affection, something Calum seemed very uninterested in... until now.
The Aldebaran took Mike but his shoulder to push him away a little and gave a stern look. "Don't you ever to that again! Do you have any idea how worried everybody was?"
"Oh yeah... So worried that they didn't send anyone until you came, and even then they rather send Aldebaran than their own people... No one cares, Calum."
"Of course they do!"
"And how would you know?! You weren't there! You barely even sent me a message all through last year! You're not any better than them, just putting me in corner, hoping that I'll be quiet so you can forget about me!" Mike raged on before he crossed his arms and looked sideways
Calum sighed, a frown on his face. He placed a hand on the prince's shoulder before he answered calmly and sincerely. "I'm sorry.... Mikel."
The blue-skinned man turned around with a surprise expression "Did you... call me... Mikel?"
"Well, that your name now, right?"
"I guess..." he replied unenthusiastic.
"Do you... not like it?" Calum carefully asked.
"Whatever." He shook off Calum's hand and exiled himself on the furthest away seat, near the exit doors.
Calum joined Luke at the spacecraft dashboard, from where he had obviously heard everything going on in the room.
"I feel like I'm missing some key information here..." Luke quietly spoke.
The raven haired man didn't reply for a moment. Then, he sighed once again shaking his head. "Mike lived on Aldebar for a few years. It was some sort of diplomatic exchange, or whatever... He never really liked Antares anyway, so he was happy to leave. While he was there, I was in charge of him. We had great times, even he was a bit of a daredevil who dragged me into some troubles. He definitely brought some life to the palace."
Judging by the fond look over Calum's face as he was recalling this period of time, Luke assumed he had indeed "great times" with Mike. Could it be that maybe there was even a bit more to it?
"Around a year ago, Mike had to go back on Antares though. You see, Antarian aren't born with an assigned sex or gender, they are 'neutrals' until their puberty."
"Yeah, I read about that."
From what Luke knew, this transition time is complex to say the least, both physiologically and mentally. Not always easy to handle, nor for themselves neither for the entourage. Hormones are in a mess, body sometimes hurts or hitches, mood swings and a myriad of other things. Some say that the process can be influences earlier on depending on your behaviour or your perception of yourself. But still, sometimes, people are not satisfied with the result. The transition plays a big role in the Antarian society as well. It's the time when Antarian change their names. They are given a 'base name' at birth to which a masculine of feminine suffix is then added.
"Mike turned out to be a male, which was announced about a month ago, at the end of the heaviest part of his transition. So... he's Mikel now. But... he doesn't seem to be too happy about it..."
The concern and worry laced in his voice were not even hidden. Calum really cared about the prince. Luke wondered how much exactly but didn't find it in himself to ask. He nodded a couple of times but his interlocutor didn't seem to pay attention to him anymore, just staring blankly at the outer space. Luke pressed a couple of commands and declared: "Alright. I think it's time to take off, gentlemen.".
But, not a minute after they left the asteroid, an alert message popped on the dashboard.
"Shit. Looks like we're followed. Those guys are really after him, huh."
"What guys?" Calum frowned.
"I'm not really sure, but I think Mike won their money at games or bets."
"I'm not even surprised..."
Ashton was on a break after a couple of hours of painful negotiations. On a couch full of upholstered cushions displayed on a sunny terrace of the palace, he was trying to relax. Except he couldn't push off of his mind the thought of Luke. For one, he really wished he could spend some time with him, now that he was temporarily off duty. And secondly, he really wondered where he was now.
As if someone heard him, the small prism of his metal wrist band started to flicker, indicating a call. Soon a holographic screen appeared in the air, showing Luke and Calum in their spacecraft.
"Hey Ashton."
"Oh hey! How are you?"
"No ideal actually. We got Mike and we're on our way back, but it seems like we're chased by some mercenaries or pirates."
Ashton sat up straight, all senses heightened. Not only was he worried about Luke, Calum and Mikel, even more than he previously was. But he also swore he caught something, or maybe someone, from the corner of his eyes, looking at him from the palace, and backing off suspiciously fast when he moved.
"We're going to change plan, trying to shake them off. We'll take road 5505. Which means we should be here early tonight."
"Alright. Take care of you. See you soon."
"Bye Ash!"
When the connexion was over, Ashton got up and went back inside the palace. Once again he caught a piece of the white drape of a tunic floating out of the room right as he entered. Something was wrong.
Mobilising all his discreteness and all his spying knowledge, Ashton followed the mistering individual along the palace's corridors. A few times he felt like he was about to be noticed, but beside one time he had to quickly hide behind a door, he seemed to do a decent job. After five long minutes he finally stopped and the guy, who was apparently a local servant, disappeared inside a room. The door didn't let any sound be heard, even when Ashton tried to pressed his hear against it. He frowned with concern but had no choice but to go back to the reception salon, a bad feeling stirring his guts.
"Did we just make hyperspace jump?" Mike asked as he moved toward the front of the spacecraft after a few turbulences.
"Yeah, you made some very clingy friends..."
"Where did you even go?" Calum interrogated.
"I was just playing cards in a casino..."
"Oh yeah... 'just' that."
"Come on!" Mike protested "I spend the whole year locked down inside the castle! I wouldn't turn down the occasion to fly out."
"What occasion?"
"I got this message, inviting me to a card tournament in this casino."
"That sounds fishy." Calum muttered and Luke nodded in agreement. "Was there even a tournament when you got there?"
"No... But they were other players who seem to have received the invitation too. So we decided to play a few games."
"Same players that are now after us?" Luke asked but he already knew the answer.
"Hum.... Yeah?"
Suddenly, the spacecraft jolted violently. It rocked side to side while the dashboard screen turned red everywhere. Luke grabbed the manual command in an attempt to stabilise them.
"What's going on?!" Mike screamed, clutching to the nearest seat, desperately fighting against the pitching movements to get harnessed.
"We're attacked! One motor's down." Luke informed trying to remain cold-blooded.
"How can they still be after us! We jumped!"
Luke frown. Mike was right. There was no way they knew. Unless... Dodging a new laser, Luke franticly pressed a couple of button.
"Luke?" Asked Ashton through the screen. Another alert message popped up: communication frequency hacked.
"Someone is intercepting our communications. The pirates found us again. We should stop all communication."
With that, Luke cut the line and focused back on dodging yet another attack. Being on a hyperspace road there was barely any flexibly or room to move aside.
"We should leave the road!" Luke suggested over the noise of all the alarms.
"What?! You're crazy!" Calum protested "If we leave hyperspace now we might end up anywhere! Like in a burning star!"
"But if we don't, we'll die!"
Another shot hit the extremity of the left wing, reducing the stability again.
"Ok, fine, let's get out of here!" Calum finally agreed.
"Everybody holds tight!"
Pacing around the room trying to stay cold headed, Ashton couldn't help but think about Luke, Calum and Mike. His friends were in danger somewhere in the galaxy, there must have been something he could do! The gears were turning full speed inside his brain, unfortunately they were completely free-wheeling, unable to grasp onto any clue that would help.
Finally, the Antarians came back in the reception salon. The Emperor at the lead, then Princess Kimiko and counsellor Rakkam in his wake. For a tiny moment, so tiny Ashton wasn't even sure he actually saw it, Rakkam's arm was around the heiress waist, then it was back along his side. The princess seemed to caught Ashton's glance and a light blush covered her cheeks with a deeper shade of blue. Was it just real? Were princess Kimiko and counsellor Rakkam in a relationship? A romantic relationship? Was the Emperor in the confidence? Did he know?
Anyway, that wasn't the top priority right now. He pushed all that in a corner of his head.
"We have a problem, your highness."
"What is wrong, my friend?"
"I just received a communication from Luke and Calum. They have found Mike."
"But that's a very good news! Is he okay?"
"He is fine and on the way back. Unfortunately, they have been followed and are now attacked by pirates. Moreover, our commination channel has been hack, so we had to cut all connections, and can't have any news."
"Isn't it quite a coincidence?" Rakkam picked up.
"What do you mean?" Ashton frowned.
"I begin to find it all really weird that Mike disappears the exact same day you're here to negotiate. And that your people out of all, are the one to find him in the vast galaxy. And now you claim that he is with your people but unsafe and out of commination, so we can't verify any of your story."
"What are you insinuating, counsellor?" Ashton interrupted.
"I make no insinuations." Rakkam fulminated "I am accusing you of conspiracy against Antares! You tried to plot against us in order to manipulate or force us during the negotiations!"
"This is ridiculous." Ashton rolled his eyes. What a paranoid. But the Aldebaran prince was surprised by the silence that followed, all eyes on him. "Your highness...? You cannot believe this man's accusations. You know me, you know I wouldn't do that!"
"I'm sorry Ashton." The emperor shook his head "I can take no risk. This needs to be clarify. Meanwhile, you should be kept somewhere safe. For all of our sakes."
Ashton tilted his head, not sure he got the meaning right. But a second later, he saw guards coming in the room and coming for him. Ashton evaluated his possibilities but he knew he couldn't fight them. Not right here, not right now. Resigned he complied to follow the guards out of the room, another plan already formed in his mind.
They crossed a couple of corridors walking slowly but steadily. Ashton wasn't hampered by any way. The guards were just holding one of his arm each, in a firm but not unbreakable grip. They were probably going to give him a "royal treatment" and not do anything that could actually seriously hurt him. He kept glancing the windows, watching out for the right moment.
Suddenly he stamps on one guard's foot, elbows the other in the ribs and break out of their grip. He started to run as fast as he could towards the end of the corridor, accumulating speed and force. Ashton finally projected himself against the last glass panel on the left. With a loud crack, he felt the shard cutting through the precious fabric of his clothe and then through his tender skin. He let himself fall down, and against all his instincts, forced his body to line up, foot first, arms along his sides and head straight. Soon the diffuse impact of the water engulfed him and he started to pushed upward with everything he had. May he not die in the grand basin of the Antarians royal gardens.
Thankfully the Aldebaran spacecraft did not end up anywhere near a supernova. Unfortunately, however, it did end up in the middle of an asteroid field. One second they were leaving the hyperspace, and the next they were rushing right to a giant rock, masking all the visual field of the damaged spacecraft.
Luke turned the command sharply in a lifesaving reflex, but they were only aiming at another asteroid with way too much speed. The blond man started to juggle between left, right, up and down, only to escape the collision by a fraction. Again and again. Until once, he was just a little too late. The right wing of the spacecraft hit an asteroid in a tearing sound. The impact violently shook the vessel. Mikel shrieked gripping his seat for dear life. Despite the shock, Luke manage to regain control of the spacecraft and kept on his mission to get out of field. He was pretty sure he made at least two complete barrel rolls in the process, and lost his sense of orientation a few times, but with one last manoeuvre, he finally saw an exit and rush the spacecraft out of this mess.
With a profound sigh, Luke finally let go of the commands, consciously ignoring all the red warning lights and beeping noises.
"Is everyone okay?" he asked, turning around, mostly to check on Mikel.
"If... If we... " the young prince panted "If we exclude my.... Cardiac arrest... Everything is... is fine!".
"Oh wow. I didn't know you were that good of a pilot!" Calum exclaimed.
"Thanks." Luke answered lips tight. This reminded him a little too much of his escape from Earth. "You know what's not good though?"
"Tell me?"
"We're burning. And at least one of our reactor is dead. We need to land. Fast."
"But we're in the middle of nowhere!" Mike piped up.
"Calum can you run a scan around, see if there's any liveable planet around."
He nodded and complied while Luke tried his best to extend the life of their spacecraft, redirecting a bunch of flows, shutting down some others.
"We're at least a little bit lucky, it seems." Calum soon explained "The fourth planet of this solar system is breathable. No life besides bacteria and small plants. But there's a scientific station." He pointed out at the said planet at the horizon of the spacecraft. "Can we make it there?"
"We'll have to." Luke answered, with a very serious face.
A few minutes later they were entering the atmosphere with much shaking from the poor-condition spacecraft. Without the help of the failing electronic system, the landing was more than uncertain. They almost crashed down on the rocky surface of the planet, definitely ending the vessel's life. Luke felt the shock running up his bones. Once, twice... four times as they chaotically rebounded. Finally, the spacecraft stopped in a dust cloud. And the silence was.
Luke turned around expecting the worse. Calum had blood running down his arm, form the fall of a part of the cockpit. He started to cough too. But that mean he was at still alive and breathing. Turning some more he found Mike, seemingly unarmed, but the way his head hung low was no good sign. Luke unbuckled his harness and briefly check on Calum before going to the Antarian. Placing a hand under his nose his was hoping to feel some expulse of air. And soon he was relief to find one. He shook Mike's shoulder a little. Then a lot. And with a bit a stimulation, the prince finally got back to reality.
"You okay? You passed out, but you don't seem injured."
"I'm... fine..." Mike coughed.
Calum had freed himself from his own harness was now near them. "We need to get out. This thing might blow up any minute."
Judging it was too risky to go through the doors, on any closer to the wing and burning reactor, Luke lead the trio to climb off the spacecraft by a hole in the hull.
It was dusk on the rocky planet.
"Without the help of the electronic system I couldn't do much better, but I think we're about 1 or 2 hours away from the scientific station. We should go now while there's still a bit of light. We should find something for your arm there Cal. Will that be okay?"
"Yeah, it's just a cut."
"But it's bleeding a lot."
"I'll be fine, let's go." Calum decided.
"Cal..." Mike whined in a small voice, fidgeting with his fingers. "I'm sorry. It's my fault you got hurt."
Calum smiled fond fondly through the pain and place his good hand on the prince's shoulder. "Shut up, Blue Blood. It's not your fault and I'll be alright."
"I keep putting you in trouble."
"Yeah... But I keep running back to you every time"
"I'll be more careful, I promise."
"Don't you dare. Don't become a boring person. There's already so many out there." Calum smiled tenderly.
Luke made no comment, even if he was dying to tell them to kiss already. It was heart-warming to see Calum who was usually so quiet and reserved, show some display of affection. Even if their mutual fondness was obvious to Luke, it seemed like they never acknowledged it or pretended to be oblivious. It must have started back when Mike was on Aldebaran, when he was younger and not "gendered" yet, and it didn't take much to rekindle this old flame. If Luke was romantic, which he was, he would say they were meant to be.
Even if that tugged a corner of his mouth up with a second, he soon frowned looking at the rocky peak in front of them. They started the long walk that was ahead of them, with not much said. They felt unsafe, worried and tensed. They knew their conversation wouldn't change that. In silence, they started to climbed up the crest on top of which the station was standing up as their saviour.
Night was finally settling down on the Antarian Palace, lilac skies getting flecked with shining silver spots. All the occupied rooms now casted their light through their windows. But Ashton obviously chose a dark one to sneak back inside the majestic building. He had played a long game of hide and seek in the royal gardens alleys, but at last he overheard guards being called back to the casern. Apparently, they supposed Ashton had escaped outside of the palace enclosure and was now hiding in Ascalon's streets. But there was no way Ashton would leave now. There was too much in stake and he needed to go to the bottom of this story.
Things seemed to slowly get calmer, Ashton assessed as he stepped in a corridor. But he probably had no luxury to wait more; he had to investigate now. His only clue was one specific door. But how to get there in the maze that it was in here. Judging by the view he had of the garden, he figured the global direction he had to follow, towards the great basin. Moving in the huge and crowded place without being noticed was a nightmare. More time than he could count he felt like he was about to be busted. He had to make so many impulsive decisions to hide than he lost he sense of orientation a bunch of times.
It took him more than an hour to reach the room he was looking for. But finally, he was back there again, leaning against the wood panel trying to hear the quietest sound. Nothing. There was no light under the door neither. He wished really hard, that this meant there was no one inside. Otherwise, he was just dead. Jiggling the knob as silently as possible he peeked an eye inside, but the room was still completely dark. A few seconds later, with more adaptation, he figured he was alone. Sighing with relieve, he stepped inside and carefully closed the door behind him.
He was in the room where he saw the servant that spied on him disappear earlier that day. It was an office; boringly normal, at first glance. Yet, all sorts of intriguing details started to jump out at him. On the desk, at the centre of the space, sat a bunch of electronic device, which were not just for administrative work. As far as Ashton could tell from his own knowledge, they were surveillance tools. Grazing over the control prism, he was not surprised to see that the device was locked. Moving to the side, he roamed through files with questioning names: "K.", "M.", "A." and so on. In the first one, Ashton found a considerable amount of pictures of the Antarian princess. They were annotated with suspiciously precise comments on her habits, her taste, her personality. In the second one he discovered the same type of content, expect Mike was the target this time. There was also a file on the emperor, and finally one about Ashton himself. Inside, a copy of his invitation for the treaty negations had the date circled heavily.
Someone was conspiring against him, and planning on taking action today precisely. But he wasn't the only one in danger, clearly the royal family was targeted. Ashton took a step towards the shelves on the side, where seemingly random objects were aligned. He recognised a few of them as Mike's belonging. They were not vital possession, but they sure held a sentimental value as they were souvenirs from his time on Aldebaran. One in particular caught Ashton eyes. It was a wooden box case, the size of a jewel box, the lid adorned with fine marquetry of rosewood, citrus wood, and ebony. He carefully opened it, closing his eyes for a second and silently praying for his guess to be wrong.
Ashton knew this box very well, as he offered it to Mike himself, among other gifts, at his departure from Aldebar. It all started from a joke, how could it turn so dramatic now? The Antarian prince had laughed on top of his lungs one day as Ashton told the tale of a time he had escaped from an attempted kidnapping by stabbing his opponent with a letter-opener. Mike had answered that sometimes he wished to get rid of his guard on Antares the same way. The day he left, Ashton had given him the box where, in a velvet cushion, had laid a dagger made of the most precious Aldebaran silver, embellish with navy blue crystals and pearly white opals.
"It's more efficient than a letter-opener. So, please, use it only on tough...envelope." He had winked.
Ashton reopened his eyes and all the blood drained out of his face. He was looking at an empty box.
He got out of the room in panic. Someone was going to be murdered. He was going to be accused.
Unless....
Unless..
The curtains were flowing out, slightly agitated by the evening warm air coming through the open window. The two moons lit the scene with their uneven coppery crescents. On his bed, the emperor was sleeping soundly. He was blissfully unaware of the assassin leaning over him, ready to pass a silver blade across his neck and end him without a sound.
Bang! The shock of the impulser shot against the attacker's thin leather propelled them away from the bed. An unpleasant sizzling sound echoed with a muffled cried. Ashton got out of the shadow from where he had aimed. He took a couple of careful steps.
"Ashton?!" the emperor exclaimed, bewildered and up straight in his bed.
The assassin stumbled to the balcony and seemingly fell from it. But when Ashton run there and looked down, there was nothing. No trace of the dark silhouette.
"Your Highness. Are you alright?"
"Ashton I don't understand. What happened?"
"You're not dead. But it was close."
"I thought you were my enemy... But you saved my life. Or is that one of your ruse again?"
"Can I ask you one question?"
The old Antarian nodded, but his face showed nothing but distrust.
"Do you know that Counsellor Rakkam is dating princess Kimiko?". The scowling face of the Emperor only got darker, but Ashton went on before he could answer. "Now tell me, who would profit the situation of a dead emperor, a lost heir, and a charmed but grieving heiress?"
Ashton watched as the expression on the Emperor face shifted from confusion to shock.
Luke had scoop on arm under Calum shoulder to help him long ago and now he was wondering if he was not completely carrying him. There were still groans and rales coming from him from time to time, but it was not what you would call a good sign. Thankfully the scientific station was now in front of them.
Mikel rushed to the door and pushed against it with all his strength but the iron panel didn't move the slightest. Luke hushed him to move aside and to grab Calum. The Aldebaran crashed in the young prince embrace, much to the concern of the latter.
"Cal?" he questioned but got no answer.
Luke shot his impulser towards the door which finally creaked open. He got inside first, on his guards. He suspected the station to be abandoned as there was no light while the night had now fell. But prowlers and squatters could have taken over the location. Judging by the silence, the darkness and the dust laying inside, nobody had been here in a long time. He explored a bit around pushing the door that weren't sealed but not much had been left here. He family reached a large room with a long panoramic window over the rocky valley they were overhanging. A few tables, chairs and benches were scattered around. The light turned on as he stepped inside. This was very good. First it meant that the station was powered by a solar energetic system, and that it still worked. Then, as the lights were off before, it was confirmation they were alone. Finally, it would be more convenient for the soon to be performed surgery, as Luke spotted a cupboard with an emergency symbol. He had to shoot the doors open but was relived to find an intact first aid kit inside. He then brought together a two benches in a makeshift bed. He ran back to find Mikel struggling to bring Calum up a flight of stairs.
Luke figured the injured Aldebaran had now passed out. He rushed to bring him to the benches where he laid him down. The blond man was familiar to this kind of situation and kept himself cool. Mikel on the other side was freaking out and asking a million things.
"What's happening? What can we do? Is he going to die?"
"Mike!" Luke boomed cutting him as he started a new question. "I'll handle this. I promise, he's not going to die. So now, I need you to find the radio, or anything to could help us send a message. Okay?"
The prince slowly nodded. He was a bit naïve, for sure, but not stupid. Luke knew he saw clear into his message. It took a few seconds more but Mikel eventually left, reluctant. The procedure seemed oddly familiar as Luke performed it. Maybe it was because he had done it a solid dozen of times now, maybe it was because he did it on Ashton a few months ago. Clean, sutured, protect, and he even found in the kit a blood production booster which was welcome. Once Calum was treated, Luke took a second to brace himself.
It was supposed to be almost holidays. Almost. Expect it didn't turn out this way at all. They had just escape death. But for how long? They wouldn't be able to stay here endlessly. They needed to send that message and to get help.
Just when he was about to go after him, Mike came back his arms full of what look like a pile of electronic junk. He dumped them all on a table nearby. "This is all I could find." He said resigned. "This place must have been abandoned for at least 200 years! This old crap is useless, right?"
"Maybe not." Luke smiled. This old crap was the brand new technology on Earth. Maybe he was not an engineer but he had learned one or two things from the team he escaped with. There was a slight chance, but a chance still, that he could make that work.
Mike walked closer to Calum cautiously.
"He'll be fine." Luke said serenely. "He may have a scar though."
Mike nodded and sat down next to Calum. He ran his hand along the sleeping man's cheek.
"Stay with him. Make sure he's stable. I'll go check this ... old crap."
He was about to leave but the blue-skinned man caught his wrist. "Thank you, Luke."
Luke smiled and sat down at the table nearby. It was a mess, and he recognised very few things, but little by little, disassembling, connecting, testing, he was figuring out the way to go. It was a long and fastidious work, but Luke knew it was needed.
It must have been about two hours when he heard a weak sound coming from the bench.
"Calum!" Mike exclaimed as the injured man slowly opened his eyes. "Oh my god you're awake!" the prince crushed the waking man in a tight hug.
"Let him breath Mike... He might be dizzy and weak for a while more."
Luke was proven right as Calum had fell back asleep just after letting them know he felt "alright but tired". The prince seemed to be considerably relieved though. And for a moment is was just silent work, just a few beeps and clicks here and there.
"M... Mike..." was heard about half an hour later.
"Hey." The prince smiled leaning over Calum.
"Mikel."
The young man smiled sadly, looking down for a second.
"Why do you not like it?" Calum asked, his voice hoarse and low. "Did you not want to be a man?". He sounded still a bit wavy and weak. But he seemed conscious enough to talk. Luke decided not to interfered as they seemed to have a lot to talk about. He could pretend he didn't hear, just like in the spacecraft.
"No... It's not that." Mike shook his head. "I've always felt like man, and I'm glad I turn to be same gender outside as I feel inside."
"Then what?"
"I'm just..." He looked down again and spoke lowly. "I'm afraid some people might treat me differently."
"Who?" Calum frowned and place his good hand under Mike's chin.
"The one I like."
"...Why?"
"Cause he's a man too." The prince was on the verge of tears.
"If they liked you before that shouldn't change anything. They should still see the amazing person you are."
"Am I?" Mike questioned as a joke, but it ended up sounding more like genuine interrogation.
"You are brave, bolt, lively, and fun. You are stubborn and mischievous, and you run ahead of troubles. You are smart and know how to decipher anyone. You make life bright and interesting. You are you. And I still see you the same light. Nothing has changed. I promised."
"Don't they things like that... It makes me hope."
"Hope what?"
"That you might like me."
"I do like you."
"But I mean like, not j...."
Mikel was shut up when Calum pull him in a kiss. Luke smiled from his table, thinking it was about time. And as good news never comes alone, his makeshift radio finally worked. He may have interrupted some really emotional and romantic moment by shouting "yes!", but he didn't really feel all that guilty about it. Luke recorded a message and started to emit it on loop, on the broadest frequencies he could. Hoping it would eventually work.
They knew it could take a long time until their signal get noticed by someone, so Luke decided to search for water and food as they would soon need it. It continently let Mikel and Calum have some alone time. The injured man was felling gradually better. He could now sit and talk properly but Luke advised him not to get up just yet.
"Can I ask you something?" Mike questioned in the comfortable silence.
"Sure."
"Why did you never send me a message? Or call me?"
"I did. I mean, I tried... but you never answered. So I thought maybe you didn't want to talk. Maybe your transition was affecting you didn't want my company anymore. Or even that you never even like me to begin with."
"Of course I did! But... I never received anything from you..."
"What?"
"Did you receive anything from me?"
"No... I thought you never wrote..."
"this is so weird..." Mikel wonder.
"There's plenty of thing that don't add up." Luke jumped it, coming back with bottles of water he extended toward both the others. "I have a lot of questions and I hope we'll find a way to get back to Antares to get the answers."
"I sure hope so" the prince said "I've never been so drawn to go back home."
"What is really that bad over there?" Calum asked.
"You have no idea... This past year has been terrible. First they decided to completely put me away for my transition, pretending it was for my own good. Then they started dismissed everything I said, every time I would get upset or angry. Obviously they blamed it on the transition again, as if it made me completely insane! They didn't even believe me when I told them about things being stolen from me. In the end, both my father and my sister started to act like I didn't even existed anymore. Never visit me, never ask about me, isolating me far away from them."
"I'm so sorry Mike..."
"All that put you in place where you would jump to the occasion of leaving, even for a shady card tournament." Luke puzzled. The Antarian prince turn to him with frown eyebrows as he went on. "And then you found an oddly easy path for you to escape and a spaceship ready to flight right away. Except this precise vehicle had its tracker turn off."
"So you mean, it's someone from the inside, someone from the palace, who wants me dead."
"I don't know about dead, but at least ...out the way. Any suspicion?"
"Rakkam."
"The first counsellor?" Calum questioned.
"I saw him being very manipulative around my father and my sister. He's also the one who pushed the most the narrative of my transition effecting me too much. And I always had a bad feeling about him, like he's hiding something."
"That makes sense but maybe we shouldn't jump to conclusion too fast."
"Ashton may be in danger." Luke cut in, a thick worry stiffing his traits. "I shouldn't have left him alone on Antares..."
"He's a big boy, Luke. He used to handle danger himself before you were here, you know?"
"I know, but still, it's my job now."
"You're not failing him, if that's what you're wondering. You did what was right. And you saved Mike."
Luke sighed and finally decided to sit down. It was hard for him to stay inactive as he couldn't do anything more than what he had already done, and more worry was still adding to the pile.
"So... Ashton's bodyguard, uh?" Mike tittered after a second, a smirk on his lips.
"Hum... yes." Luke answered warily, afraid of betraying himself about his feelings. Mikel was definitely good at reading people. Maybe a little too much.
"Hey! Look!" Calum exclaimed, pointing at the window. "Something's entering the atmosphere!"
A small luminous dot leaving a wake behind was now visible in the starry sky. Much brighter and bigger than the asters, it seems like was indeed coming into this planet. It rapidly lost its shine, growing more and more visible as a flying mass.
"It's coming here!" Michael cheered. "It's the rescue!"
A minute later the prince was also able to identify it as a Antarian spacecraft.
"They won't be able to land on this peak; we should go outside."
Luke carefully put Calum on his two feet and asked Michael to help him out, while he was leading the way. The rescue was precisely looking for them as they move toward them in a straight line. Soon they cast a light on them and once they were recognised, a rope ladder fell down. Mikel went first followed by Calum and finally Luke. Inside they were welcome by a mixed team of guards and medics. A second later the Emperor, follow by Ashton, entered the room to meet them. Mikel and his father shared a tied hug.
"Calum! What happened? Are you alright" Ashton asked right away, noticing the bandage on his arm.
"I'm fine. Don't worry" the assistant smiled and turn to their third companion. "Luke did a good job." He was then brought to the side by a doctor who started to check him up.
When Ashton's eyes landed on Luke, it seems like he wanted to said to many things for his brain to decided what to actually pronounce. They ended up staring at each other for a solid two seconds.
The prince finally said awkwardly, "Hi."
"Hey" Luke smiled.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good. What about you?" the bodyguard asked frowning at the winkled clothes and the tousled hair.
"I'm better now that you're all safe."
"Ashton..." Luke started with a low voice eying the Emperor, still in discussion with his son. "we got reason to think Rakkam is plotting something on Antares."
"Yeah... We know. Let's all sit down and talk about it."
The medical team insisted on checking everyone up before going into space. In the meantime, the guards placed the debris of the Aldebaran spacecraft in a magnetic sphere, ready to be towed. Luke and Mike were confirmed to be perfectly okay, beside bruised and scratches. Calum's injury was treated so that it wouldn't leave a scar, but Luke was complimented for his good work in state of emergency. Soon everybody sat around a round table in the back of the cockpit, as the ship was going back into outer space. The rescued were asked to share their story first. Mikel started with the way he left his home planet the previous night, then his adventure on the asteroid, the chase and finally their crash.
"It seems like this was schemed by someone on Antares, moreover, someone from the palace, quite close to you." Luke said warily, once the tale was over. He didn't want to create a diplomatic issue, but he still felt like this had to be said. But much to his surprise, the emperor only sighed and shook his head.
"You're more than right. Ashton, would you let them know what you discovered?"
"After a bit of a... misunderstanding..., I was lead to investigate inside the palace. I found a room with surveillance material. The one used to hacked our communication channel. There also your Aldebaran items, Mike."
"What? I thought they had been stolen?"
"Kind of. Along with trying to make you feel bad, they were trying to blame Aldebar for Emperor's assassination they attempted."
"What?! When... Dad..!"
"I'm fine." reassured the Emperor. "Thanks to Ashton." he nodded respectfully.
"I already had suspicious, but after the incident, we went to check on first counsellor Rakkam, who was found trying to run away and clean the proofs."
"So it was really him." Calum processed. "We had doubts on our side as well, but no proof."
"Why include Aldebar though? Isn't it riskier?" Mike questioned.
Ashton's lip thinned in a tight line before he answered. "Actually the plan didn't come from him. He was spotted by the Vlagosis for his position and his ambition. They convinced him to execute their scheme. Rakkam would be Emperor and have Vlagos' support for his reign, if he succeeded in breaking our alliance and place Aldebar in a precarious situation."
"And he could have succeeded." sadly recognized the Emperor. "Except they all completely underestimated you, my friends." he smiled turning to Ashton, Calum and Luke successively. "I am sincerely sorry for all the trouble we have put you into. And I am incredibly grateful for the exploits you accomplish: saving Mikel, thwart a conspiracy against us, and saving my life. In the lights on these recent events, I am more than willing to renew and even strengthen our alliance."
Calum, Ashton and the Emperor spent the rest of the flight negotiating the treaty they originally were here for. From what Luke could hear, it was going more than good. He had moved to another sit with Mikel, who was now dosing off. It had been a long day for him. Luke had to admit, now that adrenaline was vanishing from his system, his fatigue was steadily setting in.
"You know, you're pretty cool actually." Mike said suddenly. His eyes were closed and Luke had thought he was asleep now. "Thanks for saving me. And Cal." the prince added in a warn voice.
"You're not that bad neither, your highness." He teased.
Mike laughed lazily. "You don't lack bravery, nor courage. So I don't know why you didn't tell Ashton already."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh shut up!"
"...Just sleep already."
Mike groaned but said no more, leaving Luke to his own thoughts until they reached their destination.
The sun was nearly rising when the spacecraft finally landed in Ascalon. The sky held a pretty purple gradient, from pastel to indigo, where a few stars were still visible. Ashton bid his goodnight to the imperial family as Calum, Luke and himself were led to rooms located in another wing.
"If we consider the good side, the negotiations went extremely well." Calum cheered.
"Sure, I can't believe it's already all set and done! We might have some time for tourism" he smiled at Luke. Ashton couldn't wait to finally have some alone time with him. He had wanted so bad to take him in his arms when was rescued, but unfortunately, at this moment his prince composure couldn't allow such a thing. Now, he was not only tired physically, but emotionally drained as well. He needed to let his façade fall down and be himself, plainly and simply.
And that's something he could do with Luke. It was one of the changes Luke brought in his life. He felt very less alone with his responsibilities and loved to retreat to their own bubble of tenderness. Especially now that he felt like he could have lost him, he needed some quiet time to enjoy the simple fact that Luke was there, next to him.
But he couldn't take that for grated, and shouldn't. He wished he could be bold and just ask him to be his boyfriend. It was very frustrating to be so close yet still too far. But Ashton knew Luke had already been through a lot of traumatic event, and just wanted to make him feel good and safe, and absolutely not pressured or conflicted.
"That will be without me, I'm going to sleep for an entire day. Goodnight!" Calum yarned as he entered his room. Ashton and Luke went down the corridor their own suite, nobody had to know they usually only use one bed.
"You know, as much as I appreciate having visit that are not boring, I wouldn't mind a little more boredom next t..."
As soon the door had closed behind him, Ashton had wrapped his arms around Luke, hugging him for dear life, as a way to make up for the delay of the gesture.
"Ashton?"
Despite Luke's apparent surprise, Ashton didn't let go. On the contrary, he only tightened his embrace.
"Just give me a minute...."
"Okay". Luke wrapped his arms around him and they stayed like this for a moment.
Ashton took a deep breath, taking in Luke's reassuring perfume, and finally loosened a bit his hold. "I was so worried." He whispered, his voice a little weak.
"I'm fine, I promise"
Ashton pull back just enough so that I could look at Luke in the eyes. Those two blue iris stared right back at him. "Luke... I... I really thought I would lose you today. And that thought was unbearable. It's not just that I don't want to think about my life without you. It's that ... I can't." Ashton sigh pressing his forehead against Luke's. "I can't imagine my life without you anymore. I just can't...."
Luke's hands cupped his face so they that could look in each other's eyes again. In the blue see, there was a glint that wasn't there before. But Ashton didn't have the time to question what it was. Plum lips pressed a soft kiss onto his. Then a second one. And a third. And then, Ashton realised he hadn't reciprocated them. He finally closed his eyes and let himself be engulfed by the burning feeling of love.
"You're the only one I need in my life." Luke eventually replied, when their kiss ended. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I'm not going to let you go."
They kissed some more, enjoying the simple fact that it was now possible. After a while they decided to go to bed. After they showered and changed, they settled in bed and cuddled together. The sky was getting more and more pink, the first rays of the sun filtering through the curtains. Sleep was slowly claiming them.
"You're the sun of my life" Luke murmured fighting back vapour of sleep. He let his fingers roam Ashton's shoulder, admiring the shimmery skin.
"And you're my guiding star."
Luke smiled widely with his eyes closed "Are we gonna be this cheesy?".
"Just this once." Ashton whispered stealing one more kiss. "I love you."
"I love you."
Calum had the right vision. The three Aldebarans spent all the following day sleeping. When they finally emerged, it was already time for dinner. They were all invited to share the imperial family's table. Princess Kimiko was there as well, but judging by her sully mood, she had been informed of the events of the nights. She stayed quiet for most of the meal and eventually decided to leave early.
Mikel, on the other hand, was beaming radiantly. He soon told the diners that he had a good news.
"So I had a long conversation with my father, and even though staying here doesn't seem half as bad as it used to be, we agreed that I would be more comfortable on Aldebar. If you would have me, of course."
"We would be very happy to have you by our side Mike." Ashton nodded.
"Yay!! You're the best Ashton! Thank you so much. And thank you too, dad."
They all cheered to Mikel moving back and spent the rest of the evening chatting lightly.
Later that night, Luke and Ashton sat on their private terrace, appreciating all the foreign smells floating up to them in the warm air. They were hovering the gardens, mostly quiet as this hour. If you excluded Mikel and Calum, chasing each other, after the prince had thrown his new boyfriend in a fountain.
Luke laughed softly at them. "This, is going to be one hell of an adventure."
"Just one more, my love."
Hello!
I'm so sorry this took me forever! I don't know if it's up to the wait, but I hope it's at least decent enough. I wrote this 3 times before being satisfied with the result, so I really pray that it is not too bad.
What do you think about Mike? And Malum? And Lashton? And everything? I'd love to know what you're thinking about this second part, so please let me know in the comments!
Also, if this is received well, I might write another part. I can definitely see this becoming a series. But you know... one day ^^"
Lots of Love,Kassie <3