Kari’s P.O.V.

In Space, The Cockpit

I stood between the seated Claire and Alonso, who appeared irritated. I have been keeping secrets from them for days, and now it is catching up with me. As much as I admit I should have told them before, I feared that I would be looked at differently. I rubbed my arm with nervousness. I hope that after I tell them at least something, they will be okay. I do not want to bring up Nylah. I am not ready to talk about what happened to her.

“Who were those men?” Claire asked.

“They are the guards sent from my home planet,” I responded.

“If they are there, why were you so worried?” She asked.

“I fear them returning me.”

“To your husband, right?” I nodded at Alonso's question.

“Were you married to some type of marriage of a rich man or something?” He asked.

“More or less”

“How dangerous are these men?” Claire asked.

“I am not sure. I never did anything like this.”

“Then how is your husband?” Alonso asked. I froze at the question.

As much as I would like to say horrible things about him, it is like my lips are sealed shut.

That is, unless it is something good.

“My husband is a good man.”

“Then you are just running away because you are not interested in being married to him?” Claire asked.

“Yes”

No

“Oh, then there is nothing to be worried about? Alonso asked.

“I do not know.”

“But your husband is a good man,” Claire said.

“He is.”

He is not.

What type of control did those people put me under?

I cannot say anything I want about Kade.

Alonso parked on another planet, making my eyes widen. “What is going on?” I asked.

“You are still hiding something, right?” He asked.

“I-”

“Kari, it is obvious,” Claire said. “Listen, you said this trip will take two years. It is best to get to know each other.”

This is cruel. If I tell them anymore, I will have no choice but to bring up Nylah.

I remained silent. “Maybe it is best to take you back. I mean, your husband seems like a good person. Maybe if you two talk it out, he will understand. I can return to you the rest of your stellar, too. It is not right to keep it.” Claire said.

“I agree,” Alonso said, starting the ship up.

No

“Which planet are you from?” He asked.

“Maybe a cooler planet, considering the blue hair,” Claire said.

No, please do not send me back

“Are you sure? We may be wrong.” Alonso said.

There is so much I want to say.

“Wait, there is a guard right there with the crest from earlier,” Claire said, looking at the store ahead of us.

They are the worst.

To force someone to tell them the truth.

They are the absolute worst.

“Kari”

That voice. I looked down at my wrist to see the small hologram of Nylah. I must have grazed the daisy by accident.

“I know you are going to hear something about me, but it is not true. "

"Believe me. What I want you to know is that the king, that council, everyone, they are not who you think they are."

"Nor are you. You are connected to this planet, and they know that marrying you to the king is what gives them control over it."

"I am still trying to figure out everything else, but please escape.”

The two looked at me with sorrow. I glared at them before leaving for the private room. The moment I reached the room, my heart began to ache. They saw something I did not want them to see. Nylah, the one person I treasured the most besides my mother. I held her bracelet near me.

“Kari, I love you, please stay safe for me.”

Claire’s P.O.V.

Alonso and I stared at each other in shock. What we just witnessed was a death bracelet. Something was usually seen in the older days. When a death bracelet is made, it is made to play something a passed loved one wanted to say to the person they cared the most for. Sort of like a final message stolen from the brain. Yet now that we have seen it, I feel nothing but guilt. I am horrible for trying to force information out of her. Especially when I was unsure of how dark it would be.

“That was a-” Alonso nodded.

“A death bracelet,” Alonso said before pinching the bridge of his nose.

“And Kari had it all this time. The woman on the bracelet must have known her.” I said.

“Without a doubt. She also had blue hair. It was likely that they were from the same planet.”

“She must have left after her death.” He nodded.

“Her death must have been a horrible one.”

“I completely get that, too, but did you also get what the woman said? Kari said she had a husband. In the hologram, the woman said that marrying the king was important to Kari’s kingdom. Putting those two together, it can be guessed Kari married the king. Making her a queen of her home planet.” I said.

“A queen running away from her home,” I sighed.

“Alonso, this is almost like the situation with that rich woman, but worse.”

“Yeah, but answer me this, after meeting Kari and seeing her face when that hologram popped up, do you want to return her?” I shook my head.

“Like hell I do. Take her back and what? Let her be miserable in a kingdom that is using her?”

“Me neither,” Alonso said, starting the ship up.

“She may ignore us for a while, though, because of what we did.” He shook his head.

“We can talk to her once we are on a planet far enough from here. Can you look in Kari’s planet book and tell me what’s the best one to stop at?”