The King's Brightest Star

Ellis sat under the blistering heat of the sun, basking in its glow, and wondered why she felt that way. She had set out her supplies. An unsent message to her parents telling them she was moving far away. Check.Her suitcase filled with all the stuff she had in her room. Check.A backpack filled with food for the journey. Check. All her identification and paperwork. Check. The beauty of the sun shining over the sea had always comforted her soul. She drew her knees to her chest and hugged them. On the horizon, the sun was setting, painting the sky red. The purple filtered through, making the clouds dance in the fiery sky above. Closing her eye, she savored the sound of the waves and the cries of the seagulls, the scent of salt permeating through her senses. She felt mildly sticky but didn't pay much attention to it. She had felt the happiest here since she was bo

The first thing she saw when she awoke again was Nadia's face. Another round of palpitations plagued her. Her senses seemed to be drowned underneath water and she was staring at this other human's face who had little sympathy for her. "Deep breaths," Nadia commanded. "Come on, breathe through it!"Though the voice sounded faraway, Ellis followed it. After a few minutes, she felt her racing heartbeat slow to a near-normal pace. "Why me?" she asked finally. "Out of all other people in these universes, why was I picked to be the Empress? Surely, the Emperor would prefer to marry someone of his own race."As awkward as it sounded coming out of her mouth, she knew it was not derogatory. Marrying another species wasn't the norm when she was on Earth, so she couldn't see why it would be so anywhere else."Well, Zothea, the planet you will be living in most of the year, is actually much more advanced than humans. They found species that are gen

"Well, what about you? Did you have a husband?" Ellis asked. This time she was polite. She started to sympathize. "I did. They call them mates here. Mine died so I went back into the pool. It will take a long time to find someone new, though." Nadia's voice was tight as she replied. Ellis quieted down. "I'm sorry to hear that. But can I ask why it will take a long time?"Nadia's jaws tightened visibly. "I'm not a high priority. You, on the other hand, would be. Don't ask me why. I don't make the rules. If you refuse the Emperor, you'll be quickly matched with someone else."Ellis nodded. She'll find some way around it when she reached Zothea. For now, she needed only that information. She could deal with everything else as it came to her. "How long will it take for us to get to the Emperor's planet?"There was silence. "We reached when you fainted. We transferred you to another room." She looked around and explained. "They

Ellis wanted to retreat but Logan and the two others stood behind her, effectively cutting off her escape route. The room had gone eerily silent as if they were waiting for something to happen. Without warning, she felt two firm arms grasp her and suspend her in the air. She closed her eyes, mortification coloring her cheeks as she hoped the ground would open up and swallow her. Why was she being treated like Simba from The Lion King? Sorry, she hadn't signed up for this. She'd long been an adult and being cradled and shown off like a newborn was the last thing she wanted with her life. Apart from being the Empress of an alien solar system, that is. She clutched at the arms that held her by her ribcage to make sure she wouldn't fall. "Empress Ellis has arrived!" Logan's voice boomed. The room erupted into noise, the creatures banging the tables and shouting her name in unison. When Logan set her back on he

Ellis was quiet for the rest of the ceremony. She was led back to a strange room. She had to admit that she was tired of these strange rooms.Considering the situation, she went to sleep in a large, circular depression in the room lined with pillows of all sizes and colors. She had to say that it was well decorated and looked cozy. When she opened her eyes, she had to wonder why it was so easy for her to sleep. She stretched her body and rolled over onto her stomach. She peered over the edge of the depression and saw Logan sitting on the floor with his back against the wall on the other side of the room. Ellis ducked down immediately, not wanting him to see her alone. Without the presence of another person in the room, Ellis wasn't sure how to interact with him. It just seemed so... foreign to her. "I won't hurt you," he said. His voice was husky and deep, quite pleasing to hear. She wondered if this was the little chip in her brain making his voice