Kyra’s eyes opened wider at the mention of her husband. “The King was there during the escape?”
He nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Interesting. Her lips pursed and she tilted her head back, his words sticking at an unspoken thought in her mind. “Where is he now?” she asked, looking back at Alcander.
“With Hector in the Military Complex. He’s insisted on leading the search for the escaped residents.”
“Good. Keep an eye on him.”
“O-on the King?” he stuttered, clearly taken aback by such a request.
“Do you have a problem with that, Alcander?” she asked.
His eyes widened as the shock registered on his face. “Your Highness, he is the King!”
“And I am your Queen!” she replied, astonished she had to quantify anything for him at all. He swallowed and again cowered beneath her imposing stare.
“Forgive me,” he pleaded, his head bowed before her in shame.
“Just do your job. Put extra guards outside the Elder’s room. Gather the soldiers who were supposed to be monitoring the other detainment rooms and have them escorted to the Government Center to await further instruction. When the Transport Stations are shut down I want the transport searched car-by-car. Find out who was on board last and what station they disembarked at.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I will see to it immediately.”
“I hope so,” she dismissed. He turned on his heel and quickly exited the Throne Room, heading back in the direction of the Military Complex. She watched him retreat in silence and briefly considered whether she had come off too hard, or not hard enough.
“Well, you’ve certainly got a mess on your hands, Kyra.”
The hairs on the back of her neck pricked up as she recognized the voice. Quickly she turned and came face-to-face with a set of golden eyes. She bent into a deep curtsey and dipped her head forward. When she stood upright again she found the golden eyes still staring intently at her.
“Hello, Mother.” It had been a long time since Korina Straton set foot on Terra. She’d long ago retired to an opulent residence in a nearby universe, ascending Kyra to the throne in her place while she lived out the rest of her generation as an Elder. Her appearance was as meticulous as ever: pale blonde hair cropped just above her shoulders, her skin as radiant and luminous, effectively hiding her older age. By all accounts she was the most beautiful woman Kyra had ever known, her own dark eyes and hair a poor contrast to her mother’s beautiful appearance.
“Hello, Darling. I’ve been hearing some rather unsettling rumors as of late. I thought I’d come inquire in person as to their validity.”
Kyra gave a curt smile. “My apologies for having to inconvenience you; fortunately, I have everything under control.”
“Do you?” Korina asked rhetorically. “A sacred artifact was stolen and the King kidnapped in the attempt to retrieve said artifact. The Last City residents you’ve brought back have managed to escape, slip out undetected from the watch of your Crown Soldiers, and the woman responsible for it all still lives?”
“I do not plan to pass sentence on her until I speak with her myself.”
“Giving credence to a Resident who would plot against the Crown is not a wise move, my dear.”
“That will be my judgment to make,” Kyra asserted.
Korina turned her back and began a slow pace around the throne. The silence in the room stretched out between them, a growing thickness that disconcerted her. She wondered just how much the Queen Mother knew about the situation. Clearly she had been apprised of the goings-on of Terra, but there was some information she was either lacking or choosing not to divulge, such as the fact that the Elder woman was claiming to be Thea Thanatos. If there had been any measure of doubt about the demise of Thea Thanatos the Queen Mother would have come back to Terra willingly and without hesitation. There was no indication she knew either way and Kyra vacillated on whether or not to inform her.
She was growing inpatient at the Queen Mother’s interference. Regardless of whom the Elder woman claimed to be it was her responsibility to deal with the matter, not Korina’s.
Finally the Queen Mother stopped pacing and turned back to face Kyra. Her eyes had narrowed and her chin jutted out, making her posture increase in height. “I will speak to her,” she announced.
“That won’t be necessary,” Kyra dismissed her.
Korina’s eyes narrowed. “I’m afraid I insist. There is no one alive apart from me who could look into the woman’s eyes and know if she is indeed Thea Thanatos.”
So there was doubt. For nearly a generation the world believed the original family was gone, forgotten in time. In all likelihood the Elder woman was lying, and yet Korina Straton felt compelled to find out for herself. Had Kyra mistaken the Queen Mother’s intentions? What other reason could there be for her wanting to question the captured woman? Under any other circumstances she would have loathed her mother’s interference in matters of the Crown. However, there was no doubt in Kyra’s mind that if Thea Thanatos wasn’t involved, even in name only, her mother would not be there.