My mother had been beautiful. Smart. Kind. Loving. Strong. So strong. I didn’t blame her for what happened to our family,but that didn’t make the truth easier to hear. I played it through one last time. When the projection flickered, and her image began to dissolve, I let it go. I’d heard enough. I really, really hoped there were other messages for me. Videos from when I was a baby. Images of me with my mother. With my father. Private family moments I could review later. Images from a life filled with love instead of danger.
Now wasn’t the time.
“Remember.” My mother’s voice drifted away as her glowing image faded and disappeared. “Trust your instincts. And trust no one—until you are sure.”
The hologram vanished, leaving the room achingly empty. For a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t think as the column sank back into the floor, all traces of it gone. My mother’s words echoed in my mind, heavy with implications I wasn’t ready to face.
I knew everything now.
Everything.
I wasn’t the naive woman who’d mistakenly been sent here from Earth.
I wasn’t the long-lost princess clueless about her home planet.
I wasn’t… well, I wasn’t Paige any longer.
My mother had empowered me to be what she’d known about me from birth.
I was Queen Edelene.
What was I supposed to do now? I knew the truth, but what the hell was I going to do about it?
I swiped at my cheeks, clearing the tears before any more could spill. I couldn’t afford to fall apart. My mother was counting on me to protect her people. My people.
No matter how alone I felt, I had resources. Ways.
“System,” I said, my voice shaking but resolute.
“Yes, Princess?” the AI responded, its crystalline glow pulsing softly from the wall.
“Can you communicate with the Coalition Fleet?”
“Of course.”
“Privately? Can you make sure no one can intercept the message? Not even Queen Alienor? Or the military? No one?”
“Of course, Princess. My system has advanced quantum encryption. Anything you request of me is top secret per Queen Madallaine’s request.”
Thank god I had this mega-computer on my side. I was going to need all the help I could get. “I need to contact Commander Zeus in the Coalition Fleet. I don’t know where he is, but he has his own battleship.”
The panel shimmered for a moment, and then the room dimmed as a large screen descended from the ceiling, bathing the space in a pale blue light. The face that appeared a few minutes later was one I hadn’t seen for a few days, but one I would never forget.
Commander Zeus was as imposing as his name suggested, his dark hair cropped close and his brown eyes sharp as cut glass. His light copper skin was common among the Prillons, but his eyes and hair looked very…human. His coalition uniform was pristine, adorned with insignias marking his rank and years of service.
“Princess Paige,” he said, his voice steady and calm despite the flicker of surprise in his expression. “Insuri is a busy place today.”
What did he mean by that?
“How can I assist you, other than returning you to Earth?”
I swallowed hard, steadying myself. I rolled my shoulders back, just as my mother had held them in the video.
“Commander,” I said, my voice firm despite the whirlwind inside me. “I need your help.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, and for a moment, he studied me as if gauging the weight of my words. Then he gave a single nod. “I’m listening.”
20
