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Deathworlders Should Not Be Allowed To Date! 58
🕑 Added 2024-10-29 03:36:11 +0000 UTCLuna VI query: Set the source to the leaked files of the first reconnaissance operation of Irisa AND the translation logs of Princess Amara Auralyn.
Sure!
Luna VI query: How did Argor’s kidnapping happen?
Your request will generate an account from multiple points of view. Do you wish to proceed?
Luna VI query: Yes.
***
Nathan's perspective:
Gripping a damp cloth in one hand, Nathan pressed it in slow circles over the vast, oval dining table in the Royal Palace, spreading a faint sheen of moisture across the polished wood. Earlier, he’d stacked the chairs with their tail-accommodating backrests in the corner to give himself space to work, and they now sat neatly, waiting to be put back in place for the guests.
The silence wrapped around him, drawing him deep into thought until a voice startled him from behind.
“How are you still not finished? The guests will be here soon, and we are far from ready.” Amara’s voice came from behind, her tone balanced between urgency and amusement.
Turning, Nathan found Amara holding a baking dish, freshly pulled from the oven, its edges still sizzling. His attention drifted from the steaming food to Amara’s attire—a single apron draped around her neck and oven mitts shielding her hands. Nothing more.
“Unbelievable.” A faint red crept up his neck. “I know that look, Nathan, but now is hardly the time for that.”
“If you hadn’t fired your mother’s entire staff, we’d have plenty of time for... everything.” Nathan’s reply held a playful edge, more a deflection than a true complaint.
“No comfort is worth the risk of betrayal.” Amara set the baking dish down, her orange eyes holding his with a hint of mischief. “Besides, I rather like having this palace all to ourselves for a while. We would have never done the things we did in the conference room last night otherwise, would we?”
He chuckled, conceding once again to the impossibility of winning an argument with her. “You’re right. Maybe we could send Argor with Yelara and Elysira once a week. I think they genuinely like him.”
“They do,” Amara agreed, though her eyes glinted with something more. “But they have ulterior motives. Elysira is pregnant, and Yelara... she’s going on her first date with Reynolds soon.”
“Yelara and Reynolds? How did that happen?” Nathan asked, surprised. Elysira’s news was hardly a shock—the surprise was that it hadn’t happened sooner—but Yelara dating a human was unexpected, given her often-voiced disdain for human skin tones. She’d only shown interest in Ryo under the Queen’s orders at the start of their now-forgotten Irisa exploration mission,
“Yelara’s sister came out of her coma, and Reynolds spent a lot of time helping with her recovery.” Amara’s gaze softened. “We can ask them for the details when they arrive.”
“This dinner is turning into a group date,” Nathan said, scratching his head. “Good thing Mia will be here to keep the conversation from getting too... strange.”
“Aldrinch, too.” Amara removed her oven mitts and tossed them onto the table. “He will bring most of the food since all I can cook is roasted meat. Mia mentioned something about bringing human desserts.” A hint of yellow tinged her cheeks, betraying her anticipation. “I am looking forward to that.”
Nathan smiled, reaching to ruffle her hair, but Amara’s tail intercepted his hand. “No time for that either. I still need to change into something more presentable, and you need to help with Argor, he has to look ready for the guests.”
Nathan glanced back at the stacked chairs. “What about setting the table?”
With a mischievous look she reserved only for moments alone, Amara turned slowly, her still-recovering form revealing softer curves. The sight of her made him momentarily forget about the chairs, the table, and even dinner. “Aldrinch and Mia will be the first to arrive; they can help with that.”
With a quick parting glance, Amara disappeared into the corridor, leaving Nathan with a wide grin before he remembered his own task of getting their son ready.
He tossed the cleaning cloth onto the table and followed her into the long corridor, though he veered right at the end, heading toward the nursery—a room once belonging to Queen Khala but now was Argor’s domain.
Entering, he found his son unusually awake, nestled in a crib among a collection of colorful stuffed animals from both Irisa and Earth—something Amara claimed would help develop his camouflage. Leaning over the crib, Nathan smiled down at him. “I may not be your favorite, but today, let’s agree on no crying, alright?”
After a long moment, Argor’s body showed a subtle glow of yellow, a smile brightening his small face. Nathan sighed in relief, thinking that perhaps this might indeed be an easy evening.
Amara’s Perspective:
Dressed in her favorite opaque top paired with comfortable pants and brilliant Oczoil leather shoes, Amara returned to the dining room to find Aldrinch's staff setting the table while he chatted with Mia near the door.
Aldrinch was wearing an opaque robe, an obvious contrast to Mia's elaborate outfit that seemed to have more accessories than Amara could name. At a glance, she noticed earrings, lipstick, and a hair clip—all items unlikely to catch on among Irisian women for cultural and practical reasons.
Amara crossed the room to join them but quickly grew bored with the conversation, the culprit being Aldrinch, who had launched into stories from his youth that she'd heard dozens of times before.
Only once the table was set and the staff had left—nearly colliding with Yelara as she entered—did the conversation drift away from Aldrinch’s youth, turning to a topic in which Amara was an expert, Sally's plan to save Irisa.
Ryo and Elysira arrived before the food had a chance to get cold, and Reynolds showed up moments later. He was much shorter than Nathan, his skin a bit darker, and his gaze was sharp, showing no trace of the tiredness she was used to seeing.
When Nathan returned with the comforting news that Argor was quietly sleeping, Amara had already saved a seat beside her, and the others greeted him from their places at the table.
As everyone settled in and began easing into conversation, Amara remained purposefully more reserved than the others, her gaze shifting from face to face. Her mind instinctively evaluated how much of her true self she should reveal, adjusting her demeanor based on who was present.
Skipping over Nathan and Aldrinch, she glanced briefly at Mia and Reynolds—the human who constantly helped Nathan avoid trouble, and the doctor who had cared for her baby. She decided she could trust both. Elysira and Yelara were her close friends, the only caveat being Elysira’s proximity to the Martians, but that wouldn't be a problem here since this was a gathering to enjoy themselves, not to talk business.
Amara's gaze then landed on Ryo, and there it lingered. For Elysira’s sake, she had taken Ryo to see the children in the park, but since then she hadn't interacted with him. Sally had alerted her that Ryo was spying on her species, and having him in the private area of the palace—her home—raised every red flag it could.
If not for Nathan and Elysira vouching for him, Ryo would never have been invited. Not only because of logical concerns but also because of the lingering resentment she felt ever since he had pointed a knife at her after causing a rift between her and Elysira. This had never been discussed or resolved due to Zandrid and the countless worries during her pregnancy afterward.
As long as Ryo was here, Amara didn't feel like she could relax or be herself.
"If I'm not welcome, I can leave," Ryo said quietly, his voice causing the table to go silent. Elysira was the most affected, her neck and face shifting to a shade of purple.
Amara was stunned that he had seen through her so easily. She glanced at her arm and chest, seeing nothing but blue, and couldn't understand how Ryo had read her thoughts.
"Why are you assuming that?" she asked in a neutral tone as Nathan looked at her with concern.
"Cut the crap, I'm not stupid." Ryo continued eating, not even looking at her. "Ely told me she had to persuade you to invite me, and now you're sitting there quietly, staring at me. It couldn't be more obvious."
It wasn’t Amara’s intention to start a scene, but she was the queen and this was her home. She couldn't back down or show weakness, even among friends. This was something she couldn't avoid for her own sake and that of her species.
"You drove a wedge between Elysira and me and even dared to threaten my tail," Amara said directly—a level of bluntness she wouldn't have used before but had adopted from interacting with humans. "Do you presume I might simply forgive you? Nathan and Elysira might tolerate you, but you have not once offered me the courtesy of an explanation or an apology."
"I think we should—" Elysira began, but Ryo cut her off.
"What's there to explain? Yelara stepped on my toes because she was following your mother’s orders, and I did the same to you by making Elysira my informant." With how smoothly communication had been going recently, it was easy for Amara to forget how challenging the early days of the mission were. "If I'd known how much you two meant to each other, I might have done things differently..." he added softly, "or perhaps not."
Ryo averted his eyes as he finished, leaving Amara wondering whether this was an attempt to explain himself or apologize.
The table fell silent, no one speaking as her eyes locked onto the Martian across the oval table. It felt as though Elysira, Yelara, and Aldrinch were all waiting for her to pass judgment as their queen rather than seeing her as a friend in this moment. Mia and Reynolds were no different; though she wasn’t their queen, they seemed unwilling to get involved, keeping their opinions to themselves.
Nathan seemed to be the only exception; his arm reached across her shoulder and gently touched her ear as he offered his opinion. "I think you should use today to clear up those misunderstandings. So much has happened this past year, perhaps enough the crack even a tough rock."
Amara understood that Ryo most likely saw her and her mother as a single faction at the beginning of the mission. The tendency of her species to avoid discussing personal matters had led to many misunderstandings that were only cleared after the incident with Zandrid, which had forced everyone to be on the same page during the investigation. But still, could she simply let everything go and pretend Ryo's presence didn't bother her?
An awkward silence persisted as she pondered.
"You have to put your family and your species first, and I have to follow orders. I understand if you don't want me here." Ryo set his plate aside and began to stand.
Elysira watched this with a hint of gray painting her neck, and even Nathan remained silent this time.
As Ryo turned his back to leave, Amara spoke. "You are not my friend, and I cannot trust you even slightly." Her voice cut through the silence, her words clear and direct. "But as long as we keep our roles separate and you are willing to forget the past, you can stay. We could start over and leave the misunderstandings behind."
Ryo paused, glancing back with a trace of surprise in his eyes. "Didn’t think you’d offer me even that."
Amara softened slightly, allowing a faint trace of yellow to appear on her neck. "You earned a chance when you agreed that taking Elysira away from Irisa now is a terrible idea."
With that, Ryo returned to his seat, signaling his acceptance without words. The tension subsided, and Amara finally felt herself relax, joining the conversation with renewed ease. She even shifted the focus to Elysira, who soon became the center of attention, encouraged by everyone to remove her makeup and reveal the emerald rings around her eyes.
Once they finished the main course, Mia eagerly served dessert, and the dinner naturally took on a more lighthearted tone. Nathan playfully fed Amara grapes, and, after some good-natured prodding from the group, Ryo did the same for Elysira. This display of affection put Reynolds and Yelara in an awkward spot, which was quickly resolved when Reynolds confidently placed an arm across Yelara’s shoulders, leading Mia and Aldrinch to exchange equally flustered glances before practically begging to excuse themselves to go check on Argor.
With their wish granted and Nathan’s prediction of a 'group date' unfolding into reality, the evening stretched into night. Amara realized she had never felt so normal, even though nothing was truly 'normal' about the people around the table.
The atmosphere was light. The once cold palace felt warm. Old conflicts and differences seemed overcome.
How long had it been since she’d enjoyed such a broad circle of friends? For most of her life, there had only been Aldrinch and Elysira, but since Nathan’s arrival, others had been drawn in, one by one.
As she wondered where they’d all be a few harvests from now, the lights flickered, and an explosion shook the palace.
Reynolds spilled his drink on Yelara, Ryo managed to steady his and Elysira’s drinks, and Amara accidentally pricked Nathan with her claws.
“What was that?” Yelara’s gaze fixed on the blinking lights.
Amara rose from her chair, heading toward the door to question the guards, but a loud noise of shattering glass stopped her. Her head whipped toward the corridor leading to Argor’s room just as a flash of light burst from that direction, sending waves of purple through her body.
The sound of chairs scraping back was immediate. While others hadn’t yet reacted, Nathan and Ryo had already bolted, vanishing into the corridor before Amara could make a move.
A loud bang followed by gunshots spurred her to action.
“Get the guards, Yelara.” She issued the command, her mind flooded with worry, only vaguely comforted by the knowledge that Aldrinch and Mia had been with Argor all along.
Amara sprinted through the palace corridors, her focus singular, barely registering the row of broken windows at the intersection. Glass shards crunched beneath her steps as she reached the nursery and froze.
In the center of the room lay Argor's crib, shattered, with stuffed animals strewn across the floor. Against the far wall lay Mia, facedown, a trail of blood connecting her to the crib. Closer to the window was Aldrinch, a bullet hole in his forehead, his eyes open and lifeless.
"No," she whispered, taking a reluctant step forward, her skin drained of any color but blue, her mind refusing to process what she was seeing.
Then, as her field of view broadened and her eyes landed on Nathan lying on the floor, a switch flipped. Her skin flooded with a constellation of tiny black spots, raw sorrow taking hold. She hadn’t even noticed Ryo’s absence; her focus narrowed to Nathan alone. Dropping to his side, her hands shook as her claws tore through his shirt, desperate to stanch the bleeding.
Red blood smeared across her gray and black hands, but she halted as her eyes widened at the sight of a black substance forming around the circular wounds on his chest, knitting the skin together as though weeks of healing were taking place in moments.
“He has the military version of the nanites. He won’t die easily.” Reynolds’ voice came from the doorway, and as Amara turned, his eyes were already darting, his focus entirely on Mia as he activated the brain IO interface.
Elysira appeared at the door moments later, her skin a mottled purple and gray. She scanned the room, searching for Ryo, and froze as her eyes fell on Aldrinch.
Seeing Nathan recovering, Amara’s focus shifted. “Can you save Aldrinch?”
Both she and Elysira waited, but Reynolds didn’t reply. He only glanced at her with sad eyes before his attention returned to Mia.
The question hung heavily until Yelara entered, leading a group of guards. “The guards are here, Amara!”
As her gaze landed on them, a simmering rage built inside her, her body flashing red while black spots continued to flicker across her skin. “Can any of you explain what happened?”
The guards bowed deeply, their tails coiled around their legs, though none offered an explanation beyond their obvious fear of being punished.
One guard—a tall, muscular female—pressed a clawed finger to her ear as if listening, then stepped forward, still avoiding Amara’s gaze. “My queen, the watchers outside report that a ship broke through the Caladris dome and was seen hovering over the palace before breaching the dome again to escape.”
Amara’s eyes fell to the broken crib, and a sickening realization began to settle in her mind.
“What about Ryo?” She forced her voice to remain steady.
Elysira moved to stand beside her, silently awaiting the guard’s response as she communicated through her earpiece.
“The human is on the ceiling. He was shot in the leg, but it appears he took down one of the attackers—the body is up there with him…” The guard continued, mentioning the mobilization of military forces and the elders sending a fleet in pursuit. But Amara's mind grew hazy, her focus slipping after a certain point, as if she’d become an empty shell in a crumbling world.
Mia was unresponsive, Aldrinch was dead, and her son had been taken.
Hearing a cough, she found Nathan awake, gazing at her. Amara collapsed into his arms, speaking in broken, incoherent phrases as she wept, paying no heed to duty or reputation, oblivious to everyone’s attempts to console her.
***
This was an account based on Argor’s kidnapping. The previous narrative is based on the events of the eleventh month of the exploratory mission of Irisa. According to your current settings, no queries will be suggested.
Comments
guido pier
Fuck you. Tftc. We had him for ONE chapter.
