My Nameless Story

“So… you regret marrying Polaris?”
“Not her. This life I have to live… that I have lived.”

“This is the consequence of what you chose. When you were fifteen, you used to like those weird, bold girls who would giggle every time you looked their way and pull your swimming shorts down on the beach. They were every bit as unruly as you were. Then when you’re eighteen, this beautiful, prim princess walks into the village and you can’t keep your eyes off her. An infantile kid like you and an aristocrat like her actually end up marrying each other. That’s somethin’ I never understood and never asked you about.”

“I can’t explain it to you. Things were different back then. She was different. Now, I’m worn out from everything. If she wasn’t so hard on me, I could put up with it a lot better. You know… she’d be supportive and like the rewarder for me being who I am and being so great at what I do.”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake. Hand Venus over to your mother and spend a week alone. I get the impression that’s somethin’ you need.”

Epsilon’s cheeks turned red. “It is somethin’ I need, but I don’t have time for it.”

“So, nothing is goin’ your way. How frustrating. But… you chose this life. You got to make it work for you. Have some edge, kid. Don’t worry about people and what they say. Just be you. You’re the best at being king. As for Polaris… that girl is hooked on you for life, but she’s got her weak self-confidence and unreasonable fears. She takes it all out on you. You got to show her what you’re made of. Maybe then she’ll see you in a new light. And if she doesn’t, who cares? That’s her problem. Make yourself happy for once. What good is life without that? …But why did we have to speak about this now…of all times? Why so late?” Antares narrowed his grey eyes in regret. “You know… you tell me all this because I know that now, the reality of leaving this world is hitting you and it’s going to hit you harder. You will no longer be here for a long time, and you’re feeling all the responsibilities as a king releasing you. Now your life is running through your mind and you’re wondering, ‘Did I ever actually enjoy it? Will it be waiting for me when I come back? This is all what I’m trying to save.’ Everything, all your thoughts become sporadic. Will you want to be king again? Because, of course, you will return.” Antares didn’t expect an answer to this, because then he said, “Let the future alone for now. Focus on what you have to do. You are taking on the Saiteimians. No one else has ever done this before. I realize that if the prophecy is now starting to unfold, you may be an important part of making it become fulfilled. I trust you. No matter what confronts you, now or in the future, you will know what to do.”

Epsilon smirked to himself for a moment, and Antares watched him, thinking about how much his son resembled himself when he was younger.

“I can’t say how I feel right now,” Epsilon said at last. “Father, I have so many things in my mind. But… will you take my place?”
“You know I will. But if a foreigner should see me, they’ll know right away that I’m not you. Is that somethin’ you’re concerned about?”
“Right now, not in the least. …Bring Mom here with you when I leave.”
“Yes, and speaking of your mother… I’ll explain all of this to her when I get home since I know for a fact that you won’t do it.”

Epsilon gazed toward the fountain with apparent guilt. “I always hated tellin’ Mom things that made her sad.”
“Don’t worry about it. I told you I’ll do it.”
“Thanks.”

At this Antares folded his arms, tilted his head to the side a bit and peered at Epsilon with a look on his face that glowed with pride.
“If there’s anything you should know, son… is that with everything you learn, you become cleverer. I know what you’re doing is very dangerous, but I have no doubt it’s somethin’ you can do. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.”

Epsilon smiled slightly, and listened to the sounds of the water flowing out of the fountain for a while. The weight as well as the tension he’d felt dragging him down since the whole trying situation had begun finally lifted enough to let him breathe without dreading what tomorrow would bring. He had been losing his nerve somewhat until now; talking to his father was like speaking to an older, more experienced version of himself. Now his determination had been restored. He didn’t say anything more, but Antares seemed to acknowledge that his son had said everything he had been holding inside for too long. Without a word, Epsilon then led his father back into the castle.

Once they walked into the entrance hall, the doors suddenly opened and Polaris stepped inside. She glanced at both of them in surprise, and then looked right at Antares.
“Well, for a moment I thought Epsilon had a twin.”
Antares gave her a nod. “How are you, Polaris?”
Polaris looked at Epsilon. “I can’t find Venus.”
Epsilon stared at her, and slowly said, “I think she answered your question, Father, though she went deaf for a second there.”

Polaris’ mouth fell open, and Antares tried hard to suppress a laugh. “Epsilon,” she said, with her nostrils flaring. “I said our daughter is missing!”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“How can I not?”
Epsilon turned to his father with a look Antares understood at once because he said, “The suns are setting. I should be going.”
“Tell Mom I love her.”
“Already done,” Antares said with an amused smile and walked out the doors, closing them behind him.

Polaris faced Epsilon with her hands on her hips. “Tell me what you said again and see what happens!”
“Is that a threat?”
“More than a threat! I’ll actually do it! Don’t you care about our daughter?”
“I said don’t worry about her.”
“Why not?!”
“Because I know where she is.”
Polaris was taken aback by this for her arms fell at her sides. “Where is she?”
“She’s fine. And I… am going to bed after I eat something.” He turned away from the anger building up on her face and began climbing the grand staircase.
“Epsilon!” Polaris shouted so loud, it echoed throughout the entrance hall. He looked back over his shoulder.
“Where is she?”

He seemed pleased to hear this and smiled to himself. Then he turned around and pulled his robe out of his path with a simple smooth arm movement. Polaris watched him and felt her heart jump in her chest. He slowly came down the stairs with a smirk on his face.

“Pollux is putting ice on his nose from falling on it,” he said. “Corona is rubbing her head and thinking, ‘Oh, Pollux, you’re so cute…’. Father just realized he’s late for dinner. Mother is worried about what he’ll say when he comes home. Venus is… well, that’s a secret.”
At this Polaris ran up the stairs and met him halfway up it, gripping the white marble railing with one hand. She stood one step below peering upward at him so closely, she could see herself reflected in his blue eyes.

“Epsilon,” she said in a silent voice. “What am I thinking now?”

He looked at her for a long minute, his smile fading. He took her hand from the railing and held it tightly between both hands. She touched his wrist with her other hand and felt his pulse beating rapidly. His eyes never left her face while she did this. She raised her head and gazed up at him.
“Do you see…?”

He nodded. She watched the expression on his face mellow yet awaken in a way that made her bite the inside of her lower lip.
She pulled her hand away. He looked at her in question, with imploring eyes that almost made her feel guilty. She turned and began to walk back down the stairs, feeling him follow right behind her.
“Polaris-”

She stopped abruptly and faced him. He nearly walked into her, but stepped back and to her amazement, bowed respectfully.
“Enough of this,” she said as he stood upright. “Why did you not tell me?”
“I knew you would figure it out.”
“What if I didn’t?”
“You would.”

She looked away for a moment, and then stepped toward him. “So, how did you?”
“I knew. This month I had been feeling very different. I was seeing things and pictures in my mind. Finally, it all just came to me.”
“This is why you are so confident.”

He nodded and Polaris pressed her palms together. “You are remarkable,” she said, beginning to smile. “You knew all along… about me. You knew.”
He nodded again and she let out a laugh. “I have a husband… who can read my thoughts.”
“Now there’s nothin’ more you can ask of me.”
“Maybe. But don’t play games with me, Epsilon… I want to know if Venus is safe.”
“She’s fine. We’ll go find her first thing in the morning.”

Polaris seemed content at this, for she said nothing and nodded to herself a couple times. When she looked at Epsilon, he had already been staring at her for a long while, and when she turned to walk away, he quickly took her hand.
“What is it?” she asked him.
“Don’t even ask,” he told her. “’Cause you already know.”



Venus sat in a curvy, smooth tree, rubbing her bare feet against the bark, holding a pink flower in her hands. Its edges were a deep red and its center was a bright orange. It was so lovely she couldn’t help staring at it. A breeze blew through the trees and she got an idea from watching the flower’s petals move in the wind. She began plucking them off one by one.

“Mommy and Daddy stay together, Mommy and Daddy don’t stay together… Mommy and Daddy stay together, Mommy and Daddy don’t stay together…” She watched the flowers orange and red petals flutter to the ground and paused. What if her parents did separate? She couldn’t choose between them. Her father was fun and relaxed, and her mother was stern but sometimes sweet. The decision would be too difficult. What if they stayed together? But they seemed to argue too much. From what Venus could remember of her life, they had always argued. At first she thought it was normal, but when she began strolling around the villages when she was four and a half, she noticed a difference in other parents and hers. The village couples would smile admiringly at each other a great deal and hug each other. They would eat dinner together and talk, dance, and laugh while their children played in the sun-drenched fields and hid behind trees in the forests. It didn’t seem like anyone screamed at each other, or at least too loud.

Venus stared up into the tree, its every tree coated in flowers just like the one she held in her hand. She thought maybe all royal families had the same problem. Maybe being royal automatically put people in a bad mood all the time. She remembered her maternal grandparents not being friendly at all. They were constantly telling her to walk with her back painfully straight, shoulders back, and head held high. When she sat, she had to cross her legs. They said a princess wearing pants was a disgrace and that when she wore her royal dresses, she should walk with tiny steps to seem more lady-like and so as not to trip over the fabric. It was no wonder her mother always walked perfect. When speaking to people, she had to talk properly with flawless manners while making very womanly gestures. Venus wrinkled her nose. She couldn’t stand her maternal grandparents and got so angry with them one day, she stuck her tongue out at them and told them both to kiss her rear end. When she said this, her father burst out laughing, but her mother turned bright red and looked like she was ready to faint. Her grandparents snarled at her mother that her daughter was going to be the most unruly and crude princess in the history of Saihami. Venus saw her mother grow teary-eyed when they told her this, but her father was still too busy laughing to hear what they had said.

Venus breathed in the perfume of the flowers and slowly exhaled. In two days, she would return to school. She had begun school six months earlier and wasn’t exactly fond of it. Her teacher was nice. She had a quiet voice with a shy smile and a mass of hair of nothing but black curls. She patiently helped Venus in math when she needed it without making her feel empty-headed. Venus did enjoy learning and since Polaris had taught her how to read when she was three, she could read better than her whole class. The problem was she had a difficult time making friends. For some reason, the other children kept a distance from her and the girls seemed to think she was odd because she was a tomboy. They probably expected a prim princess with sophisticated outfits and long, shiny jewelry all the time. She did try to talk to her classmates, but it seemed like no matter what she said, it came out sounding like she was brainless or she would end up babbling about something no one seemed to care about. Finally she decided she preferred to be alone and hardly spoke at all, unless she needed to.

The branches of the trees shook and Venus looked down in surprise.

“Guess who?” Epsilon said, peering up at her. He was shirtless and wearing black shorts. He smiled at her and narrowed his eyes.

Venus nearly lost her balance and hugged the branch she was sitting on. “Leave me alone!” she said, shutting her eyes. “I want to be alone!”
“Are these yours?” Epsilon asked, holding up her sneakers. On Saihami, sneakers were plain and looked somewhat like shoes. They had no laces and no designs and Venus’ were a plain white.
“Duh,” Venus said, annoyed.
“Duh,” Epsilon repeated playfully. “If you want them, you gotta chase me for them.”

Before she could answer him, he disappeared. She slid out of the tree and landed on her feet on the grass. She saw some movement in some bushes ahead and ran through the thick, green jungle. She strayed from the trail and headed for the beach. A small ocean lay south of the castle but by looking at it you would never tell it was small because it stretched out as far as one could see. Venus stood before it, letting her feet sink into the warm white sand and feeling as small as a pebble compared to it. Its waters were sapphire blue like her father’s eyes, streaked with turquoise and the sky was clear. Since it was the end of the week, the waters were filled with children and their families. They splashed in the waves in their swimming suits, the squinty-eyed old men and women chuckling, tossing their grandchildren into the waves and parents waving their arms and snapping pictures with their cameras.

She felt a presence behind her and before she could turn around, someone picked her up into their arms and began carrying her down the beach. She let out a screech before smelling a familiar scent and realizing it was her father.

“You’re a stubborn kid, you know that?” he said to her. “Independent too. You spend a night out here, just thinkin’ about how you can’t fit in with the other kids, didn’t you? Just because yesterday you tried to play with them and they ignored you, splashed water into your eyes and called you a loser. Right?”

She peered up at him through her left eye, the eye that matched the color of his own. “How did you know that?”
“I know everything. You’re a rebellious five and a half year old. You know what I do with little girls like you?”
Venus cringed. “What?”

At this Epsilon broke into a run and headed toward the water. He suddenly stopped and with a single toss, Venus flew out of his arms and sailed into the water. When she stood up out of the sea, soaking wet, she seemed mad enough to spew lava. Epsilon stood on the shore watching her with a smirk on his face, and sitting beside him was her mother. At this moment, everyone on the beach noticed their presence and stopped what they were doing to bow respectfully to them. Epsilon bowed in return while Polaris nodded and looked at Venus.
“C’mon, kid,” Epsilon said to her. “We’ll play with you if you feel alone.”

Venus thought for a while, glancing around the beach and finally let her anguish go. She took a couple steps forward and caught sight of someone standing behind her father. Epsilon seemed to sense this, for he turned around in question. There stood a short bald old man, shriveled up like a dry leaf with little slits for eyes. He had a large camera hanging around his neck with a long lenses protruding from it. It appeared to be a heavy camera for it weighed his head down and caused him to haunch over.

“Your Majesties,” he said. “I would like to take a picture of you three, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Epsilon answered. He sat down beside Polaris and Venus walked out of the water and sat on her father’s lap. “Go ahead,” Epsilon said.

“Okay. I’ve got a perfect shot right here. Move in closer toward each other… that’s it! Okay! Now… smile!” They heard a clicking noise and he said: “Alright. That was great! Thanks a lot your Majesties!” He bowed several times then hobbled off toward the other end of the beach. Nearby to their left was an overhanging rock cliff with a small waterfall pouring into the glowing sea. The children were diving off it and splashing each other in the waters below. Venus gazed at them for a long while and Epsilon nudged her with his elbow.
“Do you want to try again, cutie?”
Venus watched them for another minute, then shook her head. Polaris gave Epsilon a look and he gathered Venus up in his arms.
“You’re too good for them anyways, love,” he said to her. “They’re the ones missin’ out.”

Polaris reached out to hold onto Epsilon’s arm when she saw the old man some distance away, squinting at the back of his camera and giggling in delight.

To be continued......Venus had some technical diffculties and couldnt post the rest of this chapter. (Technical difficulties: her dad kicked her off the internet)...LOL....sorry Venus.

Very funny. T_T



Once the weekend ended, the castle began to become as busy as one could imagine. Epsilon gave Pollux a direct order to begin coordinating and preparing for his family’s departure. After this, he reluctantly sat Venus down and explained that they were leaving on a very important trip to Sidon for a while to help people who were suffering at the hand of the Saiteimians. Of course, he didn’t give full details of just how cruel the Saiteimians could be, but it was enough to make Venus begin to sob and scream that she didn’t want to leave. In distressed anger, she pushed herself out of his lap and ran out of the room. Polaris impulsively went to follow her, but Epsilon knew better of it and told her to wait. In his mind, he could see Venus running to the cliff over the beach and sitting on the edge of it in misery. Though she had no friends on Saihami, she still loved her home and didn’t want to leave it for one day, not for anyone or anything. The suns set orange over the ocean, and still she sat there on a flat rock, listening to the waves against the rocks and feeling as if everything was being ripped away from her. This is when Epsilon walked with Polaris along the cliff and found his daughter just as he could see her in his mind. She sat facing the ocean, with her tangled hair down her back. Epsilon stood over her and she peered up at him, her eyes wet and the front of her shirt streaked from tears. He looked down at her with sympathy in his blue eyes for a long moment, and she then suddenly stood up and hugged him, crying into his robe. Polaris moved in beside him and Venus wrapped an arm around her. They stood this way, covered in orange light until all three suns finally dropped below the horizon, seeming to slip into the waters of the ocean.

Epsilon yet had a much larger task to carry out. He had to announce his plans to the people. Though Saihami obviously had similar resources as Earth, there was no radio or television on Saihami. When a king needed to make a public announcement, he had to do it in person. This is why Polaris began to get herself ready and dressed herself in a long white strapless dress that shimmered at different angles when she moved. She pulled her hair back and wrapped it around her head a couple times while intertwining it with a white silk scarf. She held it into place with a pearl ornament and put on long, silver chandelier earrings. She then did her makeup to match her dress, with sheer colors on her eyes and lips, and when she was done, she appeared angelic. She then turned to Venus. She dressed her in a long, red, wide sleeved velvet dress that narrowed at the waist then broadened at the ankles. It had a silver star sailing across the chest and leaving a silver streak and silver specks that covered the fabric down to Venus’ feet. Since Venus’ hair was so long, Polaris combed her hair back and simply held it in place with an amber clip. They then went up to the fifth floor of the castle and from there, up onto the roof. From there they could see down through the silver entrance gates, which were now open, and there was a sea of thousands of people, watching and waiting. Venus held onto her mother’s hand tightly and gazed down at the enormous crowd in awe. The way they moved and buzzed about, they looked like an army of insects. She had never seen so many people in one place before. This began to make her feel uneasy, and she stuck her thumb in her mouth to suck on it.

Finally Epsilon came up the stairs in a dark blue robe with a silver star embroidered on the chest and back and silver swirling lines around the sleeves and hem along with a silver sash. Pollux followed behind him in his usual black uniform with two rows or silver buttons lined up from the stomach to the chest. But this time his sash matched Epsilon’s robe. Pollux appeared worried as he took up his place before a small microphone that sat on the edge of the grey stone railing. He formally introduced Epsilon and when Epsilon came forward, the crowd immediately fell silent. Pollux stood to the side quietly while Epsilon looked out into the crowd and announced that he and his family were leaving Saihami to help defeat the Saiteimians. The people made a great deal of noise, which Venus took to be disappointment and her father calmly reassured them of his plans and thanked them for coming. Then, without a word, he turned away and ran back down the stairs. Pollux gave Polaris a strange look and followed him. Venus pulled her thumb out of her mouth to look up at her mother. Polaris had a blank expression on her face, and Venus simply put her thumb back into her mouth again.

For the next week, Pollux sat gathering information and reading in the library with his head between his hands. Meanwhile, an older man by the name of Mizar, along with his younger assistant Castor, was summoned to the castle. Mizar was said to have studied Vecsyan technology for his entire life and he and his apprentice were called in to repair what would be the transport for Epsilon and his family to Sidon. This transport was a small spacecraft kept in the castle’s basement and named after Princess Aldebaran. It had not been used in years and had accumulated layers of dust on its metal surface. Epsilon took one look at it and told Pollux to summon Mizar immediately.

Mizar and Castor lived quite a distance away which is why Epsilon told Pollux to be quick about communicating with them. Saihami had no means of transportation by technology. In fact, machines were forbidden by Saihamic kings only until two hundred years before. It was believed that machines were one of the reasons why violence prevailed on other planets. According to ancient kings, they were only built to be abused or used for harm. Since then, the rules had become lenient. Machines were used to benefit the people only in certain ways allowed by the law.

On Saihami, devices similar to telephones, but more like intercoms were used to communicate with each other. Once contacted, Mizar and Castor boarded a small boat and paddled up Arcturus River. They walked through wide grassy fields the rest of the way before reaching the castle. When they arrived, Venus hardly got to see their faces because they disappeared into the basement of the castle for the next week and all that was heard was the occasional pounding of metal that echoed up the hallways.

After spending hours in the library, Pollux came sleepily out and informed Epsilon of all the details he needed about the Vecsyans. One of the first things he said that seized their attention was:
“Sir, Vecsyans don’t have blond hair or blue eyes.” He looked at Polaris. “Or green eyes…” Finally, he peered down at Venus. “Or both.”

The next day, the grand doors swung open and Dr. Sirius, an eye specialist with a black mustache as thick as a paint brush, walked in carrying a black suitcase full of his tools. He sat Epsilon, Polaris, and Venus down, telling each to peer into what seemed like special, large binoculars that sat on the table while he looked into the lenses on the opposite side and wrote down the measurements of their irises. He checked over his notes again, then packed up his things and said he would return in three days.

Afterwards, all three of them sat in chairs while the maids rubbed bottles of hair dye into their hair with rubber-gloved hands. Corona creatively chose the specific colors of each: for Epsilon, a dark mahogany brown, for Polaris a reddish chestnut brown, and for Venus, a light amber brown. Upon hearing that her hair was going to be dyed, Venus screamed and attempted to run out of the room when Epsilon caught her and showed her that he and Polaris were going through the same process. At last she finally calmed down and allowed the maids to darken her strawberry blonde hair. Upon finishing their task, they gave Venus a mirror. She glanced in it and said nothing. She wore a dismal look on her face and vanished into her room for hours. Epsilon saw Polaris pull a handkerchief from her sleeve and wipe tears from the corners of her eyes. He tried not to let her see the worry on his face.

Dr. Sirius returned after three days, as he said he would, carrying the same black suitcase. Only this time it seemed whatever he was carrying was much lighter for the way he swung it when he walked.

“The contacts are done. They’re all in here,” he said, patting the case. He set it down on a table nearby and opened it. He explained to them that each pair of contacts lasted a year and that they had a six year supply. Each of their contacts was a different shade of brown, and he gave each of them a small white box with their names written on them. Epsilon thanked him and shook his hand. Pollux was waiting for him in the entrance hall to give him his reward.

That afternoon, Corona, along with the other maids carried up boxes of clothes to Epsilon’s room. They had woven extra heavy weight clothing for Epsilon, Polaris, and Venus, as ordered by Pollux. He had discovered the gravity on Sidon to be three times that of Saihami’s. They were to begin wearing the specially-made clothing to get used to the feeling of extra weight on their bodies. This was something Venus came to despise. She sat in her classroom all day, crying quietly because of pain from back spasms. The rest of the children, who had been staring at her for days because she was brunette and brown-eyed, now gave her looks as if she had finally cracked like an egg and lost her mind.

One day footsteps came up from the basement stairwell. The wooden doors opened and a man appeared, with a huge metal shield over his face and a square of glass on it so that only his eyes showed. He glanced around and wandered down the hallway. Corona caught sight of him and immediately fetched Epsilon. He came at once and the man turned and saw him approaching.

“King Epsilon,” he said in a muffled voice because of the shield on his face. “Mizar sent me to inform you of what we’ve accomplished.”
“Very well then,” Epsilon replied. “But I already see you’ve spent a lot of time welding.”
The man blinked in puzzlement, then quickly pulled the shield off his head. “I’m sorry your, Highness,” he said, turning red. “It’s me, Castor. I forgot I had this thing on.”

Epsilon smiled. Castor was about Pollux’s age and he looked so much like him, they almost could’ve been brothers. “Go ahead, Castor,” he said. “Tell me what I need to know.”
“Yes, sir. Aldebaran was pretty much outdated and rusty, since it hadn’t been used in so long. So we enhanced it, using Vecsyan technology, and brought it up to speed… literally. If you had used it before, it would’ve taken you a month to get to Sidon. Now it’ll only take you four days.”
“Excellent,” Epsilon said. “Well done, Castor, and tell Mizar the same.”
“He’s still down there, checking to see if everything’s working properly and I know he’ll be glad to hear that you’re pleased, sir.”
“Once he’s done, will Aldebaran be ready for use?”
“Ready when you are.”
“Good. When you’re finished, return upstairs and inform Pollux to receive your reward.”
Castor bowed deeply and went back down the basement stairwell.



The very next day, Polaris sat in one of the many castle dining rooms, at a long rectangular wood table, quietly sipping tea, when Pollux walked into the room and bowed.

“Polaris, I’m sorry to disturb you. This was delivered to the front doors.”

He was holding a small black velvet box. Polaris held out her hand without a word and took it from him. She opened it and let out a gasp. Inside was a silver necklace with a silver heart on the end. The silver heart held another heart in its center, made of garnet and outlined in diamonds. Polaris opened the silver heart and to her surprise, inside was the picture taken of her, Epsilon, and Venus on the beach. She looked at Pollux.

“Who delivered this?”
“I don’t know, ma’am. It was found sitting on the steps out front.”
“Strange.” Polaris carefully examined the picture. They each were smiling with such joy in such a beautiful ocean scene, you would’ve never known what truly troubled them. The picture was so serene, she almost forgot that their departure was in two days. She closed the heart and placed the necklace back into its box. Pollux raised an eyebrow.

“Was it a gift?”
“Yes. A very thoughtful one. I’ll give it to Venus.” She looked at him. “She deserves it.”
Pollux nodded and said: “A pretty necklace for a pretty girl. Just to inform you, Polaris… the maids have finished weaving Vecsyan style clothing for each of you. Aldebaran is programmed for its destination and is stocked with enough food and water to last you three weeks. It’s set up for your comfort and ready to go.”

Polaris turned her head toward the window. “Thank you, Pollux.”
He bowed and was about to leave when she suddenly said: “Wait.”
“Yes?”
Polaris rose from her chair and faced him. “Pollux, Epsilon does have a gift. But it’s not being able to foresee the future.”
“It isn’t?”
“No,” she said, folding her hands. “He has the ability to read thoughts and feelings. Even if you try to hide yourself from him, he can see right though you.”
Pollux shook his head in astonishment. “Well now… this all finally makes sense.”
“When he was having those nightmares, he was sensitive to Levi Ceti’s thoughts, though he was thousands of miles away. So, you can imagine… just how much strength he has in this ability.”

Pollux shifted his weight on his feet, with a look of confusion on his face. “Why does Epsilon have this and not someone in the royal bloodline… like you?”

“I have no idea. But I decided that doesn’t matter. King or not, I’ve decided to trust him. He can see things I can’t, and I have to rely on him. Besides… I never give him half the credit he deserves.”
With this, she gave Pollux a little smile that puzzled him even more, and sent him on his way.

Two days passed like the wind and Epsilon rose early on the day of their departure. Polaris opened her eyes slowly like curtains being drawn, and she saw him standing in front of the balcony doors, gazing outside. The sunlight fell across his face and Polaris felt a small jolt. She expected to see a gorgeous blonde, blue eyed man standing there, but instead saw a brown-haired stranger. Epsilon looked at her.
“It’s me,” he said.
Polaris sat up. “I forgot… you look different now.”
“I know. You do too.”
She touched her hair with one hand, then reached over toward the bureau for her contacts which sat in liquid in a container.
“Polaris,” Epsilon said.
She looked up. He beckoned to her. “Come here.”
She rose from the bed and walked over to where he was standing. “… What is it?”

“The suns are rising…” he said quietly. “For the minute, the edge of the sky looks like it’s on fire. To me, all creations of beauty relate to each other, so… I wanted to see you before you put your contacts on.” Polaris smiled to this, and for half a moment, the way the red sunlight hit her face and reflected off her green eyes, she looked like she did when she was seventeen. Epsilon felt a sudden sorrow in his heart and immediately looked away toward the sky.

“What we’re gonna do now is put on some Vecsyan peasant clothing, walk outside straight to Aldebaran, which is behind the castle, and leave. The only people who will see us leave are: Pollux, Mizar, Castor, and Father and Mother. Another thing I wanted to tell you was that… when we get to Sidon, you’ve got to let go.”
“Let go?”

“Yeah. Let go of everything you learned here, everything you lived. How to be royalty, everything. You’re not a queen anymore, so you can’t talk like one, you can’t act like one, and you can’t walk like one or roll your eyes like one. Got it?”
“You’re telling me this now? Don’t you think I knew all of this already?”

“Yeah, of course. But I put more emphasis on it, so you can remember it more clearly. You’ll see me saying this to you in your head, especially in times when you find yourself walking pin-straight as you do, talking with long words, giving orders, or expecting to be pampered by maids.”
“I can live like everybody else, despite the fact that I was born and raised in a castle as royalty. I will prove it to you.”
“Oh, no doubt, love. I’m just helping you. Now repeat after me… ‘My name is Liana Midani and my husband is Evon Midani. My daughter is Ariah Midani.’ Go ahead. Repeat.”

Polaris stared at his face and repeated this.

“Good. From now on you call me Evon, and I’ll call you Liana, and we’ll call Venus, Ariah. These are our new Vecsyan names. Let that sink into your mind. We can’t make any mistakes on this ‘cause they’ll figure out something’s wrong quick.” He touched her face and said, “Put your contacts on.”

They changed into their Vecsyan robes, which were tan and brown colored with black checkers around the sleeves and hem along with plain, tan Vecsyan shoes. Venus was waiting in the hallway after they changed their clothes, with her contacts in and already dressed by Corona in a Vecsyan robe, obviously feeling melancholy. She kept staring at the floor. Polaris ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair with reassuring words of everything that was yet to happen. Then she took her by the hand while Epsilon took her by the other, and they made their way to the back of the castle and outside. Here was a large open field with long swaying grass, and sitting in the middle of it like a dark hill was Aldebaran. It was shaped somewhat like a bug crouching and ready to take flight, and stood on four metal beams. Venus chewed her bottom lip and wondered how they had gotten it out of the castle’s basement and into the open. Epsilon then gave Polaris a sly grin, and they began to swing Venus into the air by the arms as they walked. Though she tried not to, Venus couldn’t help from laughing until her stomach ached. As they got closer to Aldebaran with the warm sun on their backs, they could see a small crowd of people standing around it, watching them approach. One of them was walking toward them. It turned out to be Pollux, who finally came clearly into view.

“Good morning, your Majesties,” he said in a strange sad tone that brought them back to reality. “How do you all feel?”
No one seemed to know how to answer this question, for no one spoke. Epsilon smiled at last and said: “We’re so refreshed and ready, we can’t explain how we feel.”

Pollux slowly nodded, appearing guilty all of a sudden. “Very good. Right now, Mizar is going to give you quick instructions on how to operate Aldebaran.”

Mizar was standing off to the side, his white shirt and wrinkled face stained in black grease. “It’s very easy,” he said. “It’s all voice activated. When you’re going to leave here, simply say, ‘Ready for departure.’ It will ask you, ‘What destination?’ In response, say: ‘Sidon, Quadrant Eight.’ It will repeat this back to you and ask, ‘Is this correct?’ Simply say ‘Yes.’ and off it will go. It’s programmed to its course and already set to land without any commands. Also… Aldebaran keeps it’s own gravity inside regulated to the same strength of the force of our planet. When you land and exit it however, that all changes so be prepared.”
“Everything you need and all your supplies are inside,” Pollux said. “We carried them in for you.”

Venus peered up at Aldebaran’s smooth metal surface while her father stayed silent. He had an unusually heavy frown on his face, and Polaris turned to him in concern.
“Let’s make this quick,” he said. “I don’t want to drag this on any longer than it has to be.”

“My very next words,” Antares said, coming forward. He looked at his son for a long while, and said, “I have to say it… you make a better blonde.” A short woman, no more than five feet with light, brown eyes and dark golden blonde hair like Epsilon’s true hair color stood beside him.
“Leave your son alone,” she said, spreading her arms and embracing Epsilon in a hug.
“Careful, Deneb,” Antares told her. “Don’t embarrass him in front of all these people.”

She kissed Epsilon on the cheek. “You always were my favorite son,” she said to him, holding his face in her hands.
“I was your only son, Mother,” Epsilon said.
“Even so! If I had any other children, you would still be my favorite.” She released Epsilon and gathered Polaris and Venus in each of her arms to hug them both at once. “Take care of each other,” she said to them. “And never give up.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” said Antares. “Let them leave without regret. We’re not here to change their minds.” He looked at Epsilon. “You know what you have to do,” he said sternly. “And when you’re done, I’ll be right here waiting for you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Antares gave him a slap on the back. “Go get ‘em kid.”
At this, Mizar glanced around and crossed his arms. “Aldebaran,” he said loudly. “Open doors.”

There was a sound of grinding metal, and a large ramp rolled down from beneath Aldebaran to the ground. Epsilon took Polaris’ and Venus’ hands and walked toward it. He paused and shook Mizar and Castor’s hands along the way, then saw Pollux standing silently to the side. He had such a sad look on his face, it took a while for him to bring his gaze up to Epsilon’s face. Then he held out his black gloved hand.

“To communicate,” he said, handing Epsilon a small metal box that looked like a radio. Epsilon put it into one of his pockets. “Thanks,” he said, and Pollux smiled weakly.
“Pollux…” He looked up.
“When I come back, we’re gonna drink all night together.”
Pollux laughed. “Sure thing, boss.”
Epsilon gave him a look, and Pollux said, “I mean, Epsilon.”
Epsilon smiled. “Until then.”

Polaris watched in wonder as Epsilon gazed uneasily about at everyone, then at the castle in the distance under the three suns. Then he closed his eyes in a sort of wince and began walking up the ramp. Venus put her thumb in her mouth, hearing their shoes clank against the metal. She turned around and the last things she remembered were the brightness of the sky, the smell of the beach on the breeze, and Pollux’s light brown eyes looking up at them, slanted in a look of worry.

“Close doors,” Epsilon suddenly said and the metal ramp lifted upward and slammed shut. The white florescent lights inside Aldebaran flickered on. It was bigger inside than it appeared outside, and nearly all open space. Everything was white, from the polished floor to the walls, to the tall ceiling. Venus felt like they were standing in the middle of a cloud.
On the wall before them there was a large black screen. Her parents peered up at it, then her mother touched her father’s arm.

“Epsilon,” she said quietly. He looked at her, staring directly into her eyes. She gazed back at him for what seemed like eternity, then gave him a brisk nod. Epsilon looked at the screen with an expression on his face that seemed to burn with determination.

“Ready for departure,” he said. The screen began to glow. “What destination?” a woman’s voice echoed.
“Sidon, Quadrant Eight.”
“Sidon, Quadrant Eight. Is this correct?”
Epsilon smiled. “Yes.”
“Confirmed.”

The floor began to tremble and Venus pulled her thumb out of her mouth. Before she could ask any of the questions circling in her mind, they suddenly felt weightless and Venus lost her balance and fell to the floor. Polaris quickly picked her up into her arms.
“We’re already moving and moving fast,” Epsilon said to her. “Go downstairs and get some rest.”

Polaris walked toward an opening in the floor that turned out to be a staircase that led downward. At the bottom, there was another white room with lower ceilings and two beds set up in one corner. In the opposite corner was a small refrigerator. Polaris put Venus down on the smaller bed.
“Go to sleep, Venus,” she whispered. “We’ve got a while before we get there.”

Venus lay down on her side and watched her mother climb slowly back up the stairs. Moments later, she was asleep.



Minutes spilled into hours. Epsilon didn’t eat, sleep, nor speak much during this time, but just sat in one of the white cushioned, square metal chairs that were nailed into the floor, set up before the large screen. His light brown eyes wouldn’t wander around the room and he would hardly blink. Polaris sat beside him, watching him intently as if she were about to say something, or actually several things, but she never did. Whether he deeply regretted his decision of leaving a world of perfection to go to one which was the opposite while putting his life and that of his family’s in danger, she couldn’t tell. He had no fear or distress on his face, nor evident guilt for that matter. But he was painfully silent. Her mind was sorting through every reason for his odd behavior, from him still being angry with her to the depressing blackness of space on the screen. But what she did know is that he knew exactly what she was thinking. When she would look away from him, she could feel his eyes upon her, then she would hear him sigh.

“Liana,” he said at last.
“Yeah?” she answered.
He smiled sweetly, but his face quickly dropped into a frown again. “Do you know how much… how much I care about you, and Venus?”
Polaris sat up straight in her chair. “How much? More than anything. Why do you even ask me this?”
“I’m putting you through a lot, and it will only get worse. I can already see it.”
“…What are you seeing?”

“That… to get through this, we have to be strong in every way. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whenever things get very difficult, please don’t think that I did this to hurt you or Venus.”
“Evon…” Polaris shook her head with a nervous smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You will see.” He swallowed, and said, “I want you to rehearse with Ariah her new name, our new names, and what she is to say when someone questions her about where she is from. Teach her how not to let anyone know who she really is.”

Polaris nodded dejectedly and went downstairs. For the next four days, she practiced with Venus on everything she was to say to not let her true identity be revealed. Venus wasn’t enthusiastic about any of this, and only looked very tense. She asked her mother relentless questions about the Saiteimians, and only got discouraging answers. There was nothing good to say about them, and Polaris could tell Venus was growing more and more afraid as her five and a half year old imagination began to run off on its own.

“You know we won’t let anything happen to you,” Polaris told her. “We love you too much.”
“But how are we gonna beat them?”
“Your Dad has a plan. He’s going to try to become friends with the Emperor. Then, we can find out secrets about the Saiteimians to help us defeat them.”
“What kind of secrets?”

“Well, a long time ago, there was a queen on our world named Capella. She said that one day a special, good Saiteimian was going to be born to destroy all the rest of the bad Saiteimians. Now we know that the Emperor has a son, who is not acting like all the other bad Saiteimians. He might be able to help us defeat them and set the slaves free.”
Venus looked puzzled at all this, and Polaris said, “You might not understand everything because you’re still a little girl. But don’t worry... we’ll be okay. Now go to sleep. You’ve been awake for hours.”

Venus lay down with her mind busier than ever, listening to Aldebaran’s reverberating engines as Polaris went upstairs. She sat beside Epsilon, and reached for his hand.
“She’ll understand when she gets older,” he said, without looking at her. “For now, she is trying to figure things out on her own.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry if I’ve been distant. I’ve a lot to think about.”
“I know.”
“Have you slept much?”
“No, but I’m worried about you, Evon. You haven’t slept more than six hours since we’ve left.”

“Don’t worry about me.” He let out a quiet sigh, and said, “But I guess that’s too much to ask of you.” His voice was soft, and his eyes finally met hers for the first time in hours. Polaris got up at this and sat in his lap. The surprise on his face was enough to nearly make her laugh, and she curled up in his arms as if she were a child. Without a word, he at last began to smile. She laid her head on his shoulder, inhaling his scent which enveloped her, and fell asleep.

She heard in her hazy dreams some time later an echoing voice:
“Two hours to destination.”
Her eyes opened slightly, and she felt Epsilon touch her face.
“Wake Venus up. Get your things together.”

Polaris drowsily got up and went downstairs. She arranged their clothing into three sacks and made sure the things they needed, such as their contacts and hair dye was hidden in specially sewn pockets on the insides of their Vecsyan robes. She shook Venus awake and gave her a glass of water. While she sipped at it sleepily, Polaris brushed her long hair to relax her. Finally, she grabbed two sacks of clothes while Venus carried the last one, and they made their way up the stairs.

Epsilon stood in the middle of the room with his hands in his pockets. Polaris placed the sacks of clothes on the floor. “Now what?” she asked him.
“We wait,” he said, sitting down and still looking at the screen. Polaris followed his gaze. In the center of the black screen was a small, brown dot. Venus dropped her sack of clothes on the floor and sat on it.
“Mama, I’m tired,” she said, yawning. “Don’t fall asleep,” Polaris told her, kneeling beside her. “We’re almost there.”

They sat in nervous agitation, watching the brown spot on the screen grow larger and larger. The room was quiet, but it was obvious their thoughts were racing. Venus seemed too confused and exhausted to notice.
“Thirty minutes to destination,” the voice echoed again.
“Just look at how big that planet is,” Epsilon said quietly, watching the screen. “It’s no wonder they have enough space to multiply.”
Suddenly the entire room shook and jerked violently, Venus let out a scream and held onto her mother.
“What was that?” Polaris asked Epsilon.
“Gravity,” he answered. “It’s pulling us in.”

Polaris pulled Venus onto her lap, reassuring her in a calm voice. She didn’t think it helped much. While she held her daughter in her arms, she could feel her heart beating like a drum. Polaris looked at Epsilon, who watched her with a dire expression on his face. He could feel her fear and see the images she held in her mind of their deaths before even reaching ground.
“It’s okay,” he told her. “We’re gonna be fine.”
“Entering atmosphere,” the voice said. The floor began to tremble again. A sheet of brown now filled up the whole screen and the shapes and ridges of land could be seen.

“After this shaking stops,” Epsilon said. “… and we’re there.” He stood up and walked over to Polaris to kneel beside her. “We’re okay,” he said, rubbing Venus’ back. “Trust me.”
“Warning!” the voice said suddenly. “Aldebaran’s approach detected by Saiteimian radars.”
Polaris’ eyes widened. “… Evon, they know we’re coming.”
“Yeah,” Epsilon answered. “But that’s alright. We want to be noticed.”

Venus peered out through one eye. The screen showed thick brown clouds swirling past them. They reminded her of on Saihami when she stood in the waves while they pulled back to sea, and she would watch the water flow backward between her legs and around her ankles. Finally, the brown clouds broke apart, and she heard her mother draw in a sharp breath. Dark cities stretched out below them, covering the brown land. Even as Aldebaran kept moving swiftly along, the cities did not end. Polaris looked at Epsilon in amazement, but before she could speak, the voice resounded:

“Landing location reached.”

They again felt the weightlessness they had felt when leaving Saihami, and for a long terrifying moment, it felt like they were falling from the sky like a stone. The room shook terribly and Venus almost became nauseous, but held tightly onto her mother. She couldn’t decide whether or not to scream in panic, when she looked at her father. His face was solemn, but showed no fear and this made her hold in her terror. At last the shaking stopped, and everything became silent.

“Landing successful,” the voice said, and the screen darkened to black. Epsilon quickly stood up.

“Let’s go,” he said. “Get your things.”

Polaris set Venus down and stood up in a daze, grabbing her sack of clothes. Venus picked up her sack, feeling so disoriented she wanted to cry. Everything seemed surreal.

“We have to move fast,” Epsilon said firmly. “They know we’re here and they’re gonna come looking for us. We have to find them first. Open doors!”

The floor slanted downward, and the metal ramp rolled out. Epsilon grabbed their free hands and led them both outside. The first thing they noticed once their feet touched the ground was the gravity which pulled them achingly downward. It was felt in every muscle in their bodies and Polaris let out a groan in shock. Epsilon pulled them closer to him and continued moving. Venus looked up at the sky. It was a mud brown, with two faded bright spots, which she guessed were the suns. The air was musty, and there was nothing around them but stunted, twisted trees and a dusty path seeming to lead nowhere. She wanted to ask her father exactly where they were going when they heard someone shout. Her father looked up in alarm and her mother gasped. Two dark figures appeared in the distance, hesitating where they were for a brief moment. But once they caught sight of the three of their faces, they began to run toward them.