It took quite the convincing to finally get the king to relent and let us go, to be alone for a while. We sit in the same fighter that we used to get the ice world, only this time we are going to a tropical paradise. To a private island on some world, with a villa that no one is allowed to get near. We are entering the atmosphere and we are being buffeted, but soon we're in and on course.
The only people here are the staff that belong to this place, and they know that we are on our way. "Jahní, you feel ok?" I feel something is not quite right with her.
"I'm not so sure. I have to get to the island as quickly as possible." I begin to worry about her and now I feel the urgency of landing. Suddenly The fighter veers to the starboard and starts to go down.
"Jahní!" She doesn't respond. suddenly the controls on my side come to life, so I grab the stick. "Jahní, can you here me!" I get the fighter back on course, but I'm not sure what just happened. "Jahní, I'm not so familiar with this Bird, but I think I can get us there and on the ground. I hope."
Man this Bird is smooth and responsive. I look at the screen and as far as I can tell we are on course to the island, so I cross my fingers that we land safely. "Ant?"
"Jahní?"
"Yes."
"Thank God! You blacked out or something, but I got this Bird steady and on course." She answers something. "Are you able to take over?"
"I'm not certain just yet, please keep this course for about a half hour or so." I can hear and feel her discomfort and it is concerning; soon the flight computer starts beep, so we must be close. I look off to the port side and there it is. Gently pushing the stick this Bird gracefully turns, without much effort. What a fighter. "I think I can take it Ant."
"Ok, I'm letting go!" It feels like she got it under control. "You got this Jahní, just get us down."
She's got it steady now I can feel us slowing down, as we reach the landing pad. I feel her struggling with what is bothering her, but we touch down A OK. Jahní pops the canopy; I jump out of my seat rushing to the front of the fighter helping her unbuckle taking off her helmet. She is sweating profusely. "My God Jahní what do you feel?" I touch her and she's burning up. I turn and a couple of the servants are heading to us; I wave them on to hurry up.
We get her out of the fighter and rush her into the villa, all the while she's holding her abdomen. My mind is almost in a panic, it has to be something with the baby! Oh God Please don't take Jahní or my baby! A lump is in my throat, as I can feel everything she's going through. Once inside the residences Doctor is waiting for us, and he quickly takes her to the medical wing.
I follow closely and enter the examination room with them, he sees me and waves me over. "Please hold her hand and keep her company." I nod and lean down to Jahní putting my forehead to hers and she puts a hand on my head.
"Pray for us Ant, please so we don't loose our child." The tears roll down her face and I'm so choked I can't even speak, but I nod so she knows that I heard her.
She was bleeding and thank God that the Doctor was able to get it under control, I sit in a chair still wearing the flight armor. I'm holding her hand with my head resting on her shoulder. One of the servant girls, who is the acting nurse puts a hand on my shoulder. "You should go rest captain, she will be safe here."
"I'm fine thank you. I wish to stay here." She looks at me and puts her hand over her heart smiling she walks away. I must've dosed off, because the next thing I hear is the rumbling roar of a ship passing over the villa. I sit up grabbing the Majah-tu weapon I had strapped to my leg and I wait to see what the hell is going on.
I hear a voice that I recognize. The King is here! He steps into the room quietly seeing me holding a weapon trained at him. "Captain, I am not your enemy."
"I don't know that, you see the Doctor found that she was poisoned with an abortion inducing drug. That if we had been any later she would have lost the baby." He looks at me with a confused expression. "You gave her a drink just before we took off, so can you explain the coincidence."
Lahí walks into the room and reaches for her pistol, but the King puts a restraining hand on her arm. "Captain, I swear to you on the life of my daughter and the grandchild that I want to welcome, that I did nothing to Jahlahín. I want to meet the future of my family."
Slowly I put my weapon down. Somehow I feel he's telling the truth, and I nod accepting his answer holstering the pistol. He walks up to where Jahní is sleeping comfortably, tenderly putting a hand on her face as a tear rolls down his face. "I make you a promise Captain I will find who did this to her and they will pay."
Lahí walks up to me putting a hand on my shoulder, and I look up at her and she smiles compassionately at me. I put my hand on hers, and I choke back the tears that are forming in my eyes. They tried to take my child and put Jahní's life in danger as well, but who and why? I have a list of suspects, though without proof no accusation can be made.
"Father, how is it possible that someone was able to put something to hurt the child, with out our detecting it." Lahí has a perplexed expression that makes me begin to realize that there are more internal enemies, than I originally felt there were. "who can we trust if this is the case?"
"No one can be trusted now." They both look at me. "You both need to understand that things are changing. You cannot ignore the simple truth that you have a rat, in the palace with you." The King folds his arms across his chest pensively, but doubting my words. I can see it in his face. Lahí on the other hand seems to be really considering my thoughts to it's more logical conclusion.
"Father." Lahí says getting the Kings attention. "We cannot in good conscious pretend that the possibility of traitors exist in our people." the King tenderly looks down at Jahní touching her cheek with his fingers, but it seems to me that he is now taking it seriously.
"Captain, You must get some rest or at the very least take the armor off." I look at the armor and suddenly it feels heavy, so I slowly get up. I feel older than my actual age. I think it has to do with the power of the ring that I felt everything she did, so I sway a bit on my feet.
"Antonio!" Lahí holds me up. I pat her arm and nod to her that I'm fine; I walk away to the room that is ours to use taking off the armor, and just dropping it on the ground. I inhale feeling a bit better after taking that extra weight from my shoulders, I dress quickly into the casual cloths I brought with me.
I head back to the med wing and I run into the female nurse and she comes up to me, and gets close to me. "if you feel lonely I can help you." I take a step back looking at her. No Majah-tu female has ever approached me with such a suggestion. I raise my hand and show her the ring and she backs up some. "I'm sorry I did not know that you were pledged with the Princess." she bows deeply. "So, you are him?"
"That's right, I'm her husband. Now if you will excuse me I have to get back to her." She looks at me and can still see that she seems to be more interested in me. I walk away; if one thing I've learned is to avoid such trouble, because it will only complicate things. As if things aren't complicated enough already.
Once I get back, the King and Lahí both leave the room, giving me privacy. I decide to try to contact Jahní with my mind, so closing my eyes I focus on her. Jahní, can you hear me my love? There's no response from her; I feel desperate now and I try again. My Love. you are the center of my life. I... can't think straight without you. Please say something.
I... I hear you my heart, I am here. Please don't fear I will not leave you alone in this cruel universe. Thank God! She is there and listening to me. Tears of joy roll down my face, as I open my eyes and she is gazing at me. I move close to her and touch her face tenderly, while she smiles touching my face at the same time.
"Oh Ant, the baby..."
"It's ok, the baby is fine. Strong and secure in your womb, you just need to relax for a day or so." She lets out a sigh and reaches for me and we embrace each other, holding on tightly. I don't know what I would do if she were ever to die on me. "You can't scare me like that Baby. I'm not strong enough to lose you."
She grabs on to my cloths holding on to me tighter. "That's not true. It is you who are the strong one and I would be lost without you."
A couple of days pass and Jahní is back on her feet walking around carefully, but she's on her feet and that's all that matters to me. The King and Lahí wave good by, as they board the transport that brought them here; the King gave us a whole month to be here and rest and recover, from all the trials we've been through so far.
This place is beautiful, tropical like Hawaii. We walk the beach together freely holding hands, which is something we can't do back at the capitol. We find sea shells of various colors, different from the ones Back home yet the same. No one is with us since they have strict orders to guard the sky above, and the perimeter around the island. No one is allowed in without direct permission from the King.
Two weeks pass by and Jahní is back to her old self; the Majah-tu have an incredible healing factor in their bodies. We are running around the beach playing in the water and just enjoying each others company. One day we find a secluded cove, with a small grove of trees and a protected beach. It's gorgeous here and we decide to make this our spot.
I set up a tent that we brought with us and a blanket with a sleeping bag, while we sit there I build a fire. "Ant, I wish we could just stay here for the rest of our days just like this." Yeah I know what she means, cause this would be the best.
"Maybe one day we will be able to." She looks at me smiling; she has a robe on and she stands shedding it. She is beautiful, you can't see her pregnancy yet. Something tells me she would give birth and she would snap back to her shapely figure after the baby. I as of yet to see an over weight Majah-tu, it just might be something genetic in her people.
She goes to the waters edge and stands there looking out into the distance, so I join her and hug her from behind. The water is a beautiful turquoise with cobalt blue skies, a true paradise. She turns putting her arms around my neck. "I love you Ant. Thank you for being there for me always."
I gaze into her eyes and I take in her flawless beauty, as I run my fingers through her short hair. I kiss her softly at first, since I want to remember this time to savor her in this setting. As the moments pass our passion builds, and I can feel the beating of her heart and mine is matching hers. I scoop her up and walk back to the tent I set up earlier. The night is filled with the sounds of nature and the sweet moans of Jahní and I, while we love each other.