"Prince!" Solar exclaimed after they turned off the communication system. "Why didn't you tell us you're a prince?"
"Legally, I'm a prince, but I don't really feel like one. Especially not since I had to leave. It doesn't matter anyway. I'll never be king of this place," Angron replied.
Solar's enthusiasm was undeterred. "It still sounds cool to me! If I were a princess, I'd go back to my planet and get myself crowned!"
"Even if your father was a traitor, and you were a monster that could slaughter the city at any moment, and essentially, they banished you so they'd never have to see you again?"
Solar cleared her throat and fell silent. Sephra patted Angron's shoulder reassuringly, signaling that they were accepted, so it couldn't be that bad.
Angron grappled with two different feelings. On the one hand, he was horribly worried that the monster within him could break free at any moment. On the other, he could have exploded with joy at seeing the most incredible place in the Galaxy once again. He lost himself in the sightseeing just like his companions. Glancing back, he saw that all of them were spellbound, even Sephra, who had lived here with him a long time ago.
However, he knew he had to face the hatred of his own kind, and as they descended, the atmosphere became tenser. Finally, their elevator stopped below, in the shimmering city of Mirellonos. Serion, Solar, and Daron gazed in awe while he and Sephra gathered themselves and opened the spaceship's gate.
"There won't be any problems," she whispered before they stepped out.
With a sigh, Angron descended the ramp with as much princely dignity as he could gather. He felt painful knowing he could never be as dignified as his father. He lacked the same pride.
The others followed.
They entered a vast chamber. Every shade of blue and silver was reflected in the columns, the floor, and the walls, which were made of the same resilient glass as the surrounding dome. Outside, millions of tiny fish swam in every color of the rainbow, but as they left the city's lights behind, they disappeared into the darkness. The spectacle was so captivating that, at first, they didn't even notice their gathering escort.
Soldiers stood in two disciplined rows. Their silvery armor sparkled. Directly in front of them were five individuals, two women and three men. They were members of the planetary council, the most powerful figures on the planet after the royal family. Each of them wore pristine, unadorned white clothing, except for the middle man who had a wide, deep blue pattern on the waist of his robe and an gold medallion hanging from his neck. They all bore a striking resemblance to Angron. They had the same light blue skin and dark blue hair, along with scaly arms and webbed hands. At first glance, it seemed impossible to tell them apart, except for the one who had a single large, shiny fin instead of legs.
The man in the middle had his hair tied into a ponytail. It contained some gray strands. He appeared to be about twenty-five years older than Angron. He, as the Chancellor, stepped forward with a grand, gentle, and completely fake smile. He knelt before the prince, and the others in the background followed suit.
Angron hesitated, then extended his arm. The Chancellor kissed the back of his hand.
"Your Highness, the joy of your return has sweetened all our days," he said.
"I am also very happy to be here, Chancellor Rattern," Angron replied in a flat tone.
He helped the older man to his feet and embraced him, as protocol demanded. However, he whispered in the Chancellor's ear.
"Do we really have to go through all this ceremony?"
The Chancellor responded with a dark growl, "We are just following protocol. You know how it goes. If you think, you little worm, that I'm enjoying this so much, you are sorely mistaken."
With that, they released each other, and although Angron made no attempt to put on a friendly face, Chancellor Rattern forced the kind smile back onto his face, but his eyes still glittered with anger.
The pilot wondered how, while Angron's father had managed to maintain his youthful appearance, the Chancellor, who was approximately the same age, had aged significantly. Though there were a few years between them, it still surprised him that a few shapeshifting enhancements made such a difference.
At this point, Rattern approached Sephra and bowed deeply.
"If I am not mistaken, the Grand Admiral also showed up on this glorious day. Although it is quite surprising to have an Imperial officer here, I am glad to see you again. Accept my congratulations on your appointment."
Sephra nodded reservedly. "Thank you. I am glad to be here again. I hope the past years have treated you well."
Rattern tilted his head to the side with a strange smile. "We've been living well since the old Emperor passed away and stopped terrorizing us. It would be best if we had more of these wonderful, peaceful years in the future. If I may ask, who are the other guests?"
Rattern looked back and saw that, albeit reluctantly, Angron had obediently embraced the other four council members one by one, just as protocol dictated. It was fortunate that he even knew what to do at all. His father had never raised him properly.
The Chancellor turned around and showed a smile to the other three guests, who introduced themselves in turn. Not that he bothered to remember their names. He cared the least about them.
He then returned to Angron and walked with him along the glass corridor leading out of the chamber. As they passed, the soldiers bowed. The other four council members joined behind them, and the guests followed.
"If I may inquire, Your Highness, how long do you plan to stay? I have, of course, prepared your accommodations, but your arrival was so unexpected that I'm not sure if I managed to arrange everything."
"We do not know yet how long we will stay, Chancellor."
"I understand," Rattern replied elongatedly, accompanied by a smile.
With this, he could deceive many. Shoutans were known for their hospitality, but Angron knew him well enough. The more Rattern hated someone, the more he smiled at them. Fortunately, Kha forbade punching a prince in the gut.
"I could say we came for a mission. Something that, of course, we don't intend to reveal, and we don't know how long it will take... However, we don't plan to stay for long. We have business elsewhere."
Angron thought it must have been difficult to articulate with such a wide smile.
"I understand, Your Highness. In that case, I suggest you rest, and your companions are free to explore our splendid city. We will host a banquet in your honor in the evening, and, of course, all of you are invited."
"That's very kind. Thank you. We all look forward to it."
The Chancellor bowed deeply.
"Everything for the guests. The soldiers will accompany you to your accommodations. If you'll pardon me, Your Highness, I have many important matters to attend to today, but, of course, we can continue this honorable conversation later."
With that, Rattern, without waiting for a response, turned on his heel and withdrew, accompanied by the other four council members.
"Following protocol," Angron thought bitterly as he joined his companions.
***
"This place is amazing," Solar muttered to herself in her own room.
All of them were given separate accommodations on the same corridor. After the spaceship, a little private space didn't hurt any of them, even if it was for a short time.
Her room looked like they had melted down great amounts of real pearls and coated the walls with them. There was only one window through which she could see the ocean. Looking down, she could admire deep-set red and blue corals illuminated by the city lights. Her bed was a water bed, and the first thing she did was jump on it until her claws tore the material. By the time she managed to patch the hole with something, half of the room was flooded with water.
Not long after, a servant girl without implants brought her a dress and asked her to attend the evening meeting in it. Solar just awkwardly smiled and asked her to do something with the bed if possible. The maid looked at her strangely for a few seconds before bowing and hurrying away.
After a quick wash, Solar put on the dress she received and was amazed at herself. She had never worn a skirt because her furry legs found loose pants much more comfortable. She couldn't even tell exactly what color the dress was made of because it changed as she moved, from white to blue to silver, adorned with pearls.
She barely saw any of this place, but she already loved it. She had forgotten about the bad feelings she had about the planet when they were still on the spaceship.
***
Serion, even if he wanted to, couldn't have lied. He had been to many places in his life, but for some reason, Shouta was never one of them. He had to admit that it impressed him much more than he had thought.
His accommodation overlooked a trench, at the bottom of which thousands of bright shells sparkled. They also brought him a garment that resembled a suit, asking him to wear it in the evening. He was stunned when he saw himself in it. It suited him perfectly, as if it had been designed for him. The shiny silver fabric almost blended with his hair, but he was least bothered by it. He couldn't wait for the evening.
As rushed as they were, he simply forgot about the sword. He wanted to see everything in this perfect place.
Since there were still many hours until evening, he decided to take a nap. On the comfortable bed, he almost immediately dozed off, only to wake up crying and trembling later.
He was dreaming of the darkness again.
***
Daron was having a great time. What he saw here exceeded all his imagination.
He was lying on his bed. He had already seen everything and tried on his clothes. When he wanted to go out, a guard stopped him. He asked him not to wander off alone, as he might get lost. When Daron declared that he was hungry, the guard said that they would bring him something soon. And that's exactly what happened.
Daron comfortably stuffed a piece of that purplish fruit into his mouth. He wished he had been born a prince. He would have never had any worries.
***
Sephra stood in front of the mirror until she was able to force a smile on her face. She had learned to behave as politely as Shouta's most intelligent and refined species, the Tencous. Those who knew her could see through it, as her eyes almost sparkled, but for everyone else, her expression seemed genuine.
"I hate this," she hissed between her teeth, keeping the smile. "I'll break the legs of whoever brought me this dress. Who can walk in this?"
She turned away from the mirror and tried to take a few steps in the high-heeled shoes she received. It took her ten minutes to make it through the room without stumbling. She considered it a small victory, but she didn't count the two times she fell and even sprained her ankle.
She clung to the wall to stay up.
"This is not me..."
She received a long dress, but she liked only the color of the fabric. It was dark purple, which would have emphasized her eyes, but she couldn't wear it. She knew she would look pretty and that it would suit her, but she would be uncomfortable in it.
She ordered the terrified maid to bring her something else. Although the girl tried to explain that protocol demanded it, Sephra shouted that she should not come with the Kha, as she knew perfectly well what was in it, having lived here herself for years. In the end, to emphasize her arguments, she landed a well-aimed hit on the girl's nose, breaking it.
When the terrified maid ran away, Sephra closed her door with satisfaction.
She knew exactly how things worked here. She had to be open about what she wanted. Shoutans could charm anyone with their polite speech, big smiles, and seemingly peaceful behavior. If they weren't treated firmly, they could talk anyone into anything. Even a vegetarian could be convinced to love meat just by saying, "because the Kha desires it." Sephra knew this because it had happened to her when she was young. She had not eaten meat since childhood, but once they persuaded her to taste it, and she almost threw up afterward.
She wanted to break something into pieces. When she tried to leave, a guard immediately stopped her. The Kha wished her to stay in her room until evening and not wander around alone. No, the Kha didn't care that she knew the city well.
Long ago, when she couldn't see through the system, she was in love with the planet. She was captivated by its beauty, allure, and perfection. But now she hated Shouta.
Sephra sighed and washed her face with cold water. She raised her head and stared at herself for a while before punching the mirror with her fist. She didn't care that the shards had cut her skin. The pain kept her alert.
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