The Talamute Prince
Chapter 5

Not sure of what I'm supposed to be doing I sway back and forth trying to ignore the fact that I can hear every word they are saying. I'm not sure if it's intentional but It's not going to stop me from trying to not hear everything, she says to him, Unless it's scolding.

"I have said what I need to say to Laoonica, now you will listen and listen well."

"Yes mother." He responds so respectfully to her it amazes me.

"It takes a very strong woman to be hurt so much and still hold her head high. She is beautiful and wise beyond what she lets show, kind and merciful in her ability to still stand at your side and you would be a fool not to see this. I would highly recommend you do whatever it takes to win back her affections as I sense there may still be hope between the two of you if you behave properly from this point on." I lower my head with a smile on my face at her lecture.

"I have already made the vow to win her heart back by any means necessary mother. I love her more then she will ever know. I wish we hadn't tricked her then perhaps things would be different. However, what is done is done and I will spend all of eternity gaining her love." I look away as I see him glance back at me. I can see a smile out of the corner of my eye as I have a feeling, he knows I'm listening in. We stop just short of the transports. His three sisters are loaded into theirs. Patrick and I will be riding together this time. I should probably be happy that I'm not going to be drilled again, but her honesty was a relief to his deceitfulness. I could read her feelings even when I could tell she hadn't intended me to.

"Her powers would make you an indestructible enemy if you fail to see her true potential." This made me turn away. I simply turn to face my transport. I don't want to hear anything else she has to say now. I had no doubt left that she knew my powers weren't under his control.

"I have no intentions of letting that happen. I will earn her love back or die trying." His voice has changed from its playful tone.

"Yes, well see that you do. I'm afraid there are others who would gladly step into your shoes if given the chance. As I said she is beautiful, and anyone would be more then eager to push you out of the picture. If they won, her heart you would lose your crown and your people would fall." I turn only slightly back to see the queen looking worried as she glances around. I start to wonder if she had seen the purple men as well.

"Why would I be crazy enough to allow anyone to get close enough to come between us." He muttered something else too low for me to hear to which his mother responded at the same volume.

"I'm not talking about our people. There are those you can't control." The main words that caught my ear were 'people you can't control.' This had my undivided attention now. He knew I was listening, or he wouldn't have lowered his voice. If they intended for me to hear what they were saying, then I wasn't going to miss another word.

"You're hiding something. What is it mother? What has you so rattled?" it seems I am right in my assessment of her expression. I walk to my transport and stand by it still listening in to their conversation. What is it that could have such a strong woman rattled? Whatever it is it must be highly threatening to the Raspite people, and their way of life.

"I have left some troubling news out of our contacts knowing that from that distance there was nothing you could do to stop what has occurred. There was no need to worry you until you were present."

"I'm very much present now. Please mother just come out with it."

"It seems since your father's death the Talamute people have become restless." She glances at me.

"Who are they?" I ask. They both turn toward me.

"You have nothing to worry about Laoonica. Our city is perfectly safe." Patrick reassures me.

"Perhaps we shouldn't speak here." The queen says.

"What do you mean mother?" he asks looking her over.

"If I'm to be his queen shouldn't I also be aware of any threats to the people. It might serve me to be aware of the dangerous I face so that it is easier for me to handle them." She nods and Turns back to Patrick.

"A strong woman indeed." Patrick reaches for me and I join their conversation. "The Talamute have been spotted here in our city more than once. No one can tell me how they are getting up here or back to the surface so easily." My mind carries me to the image of them. Could they be from Talamute? Why did it seem as though I was drawn to the one? Did they purposely intend to catch my attention and only mine?

"Hey are you okay?" Patrick tilts his head noticing the expression on my face.

"Yes. I'm fine." I look at him for a moment in silence.

"I'm sure they are eager to know if you will follow in your father's footsteps. They haven't attacked anyone. The fact that they seem to come and go with only a few people seeing them is troublesome." His mother continues.

"What do they look like?" Now I'm receiving a strange look from them.

"What does who look like?" I admit my question was a bit random. I just had to know if I had been imagining the two men from earlier.

"The Talamutes. What do they look like?" I repeat my question.

"Right, you haven't seen one before. Why do you ask?" he looks at me suspiciously.

"Please tell me." I say looking directly into his eyes.

"Very well. They are a savage people that live in the jungles below. Their physical appearance isn't much different from ours, but their skin is a range of purple with red lips. Some warriors sharpen their teeth as a sign of fierceness. In most cases they tower above the Raspite race by a foot. Why exactly did you need to know?" I hadn't imagined them.

"There were two of them in the audience. Maybe more."

"Why did you not say something sooner?" his tone is harsh and tempered.

"You really should watch your temper Patrick. You forget I was not raised here." I snip right back at him. His mother attempts to smile but she doesn't allow it to show all the way.

"How was she to know who they were?" His mother's tone seems to calm him.

"Tell me exactly what you saw." I glance off into the distance recalling the trip from the elevator to the podium.

"There was the one at first and he disappeared from sight as we made our way around. I thought it might have been the same one at first but then how could he go from one group of the crowd to another so quickly. There was one with the second crowd of people as well."

"So, there is more than one." He nods to a guard who starts listening in. "Where else did you see them?"

"They were there as your mother spoke. The one I noticed had his teeth sharpened like you said. He pointed out the other one but the other one had normal teeth. The first one disappeared after I noticed the second one. He stayed through your speech. He vanished when I got up to do mine." He gets a look of worry in his eyes.

"So, a possibility of four intruders. Set teams along the route to the parade as well as the platforms in front of the podium..."

"I don't think you're going to replace them." Patrick turned to me.

"Why not?" He asked.

"At the end of my speech the two doves off the side of the platform. I thought it was odd enough, but I was the only one who seemed to notice their presence. I thought perhaps the stress of everything had fried my brain. Had I been informed prior to our landing I would have known that they were dangerous, and I would have said something the moment I noticed the first one." My voice holds a hint of malcontent at his scornful one.

"I'm sorry." The skeptical expression on my face must have thrown him off.

"For?" I know what for, but I really want to hear him beg my forgiveness a thousand times over.

"You're right. You had no reason to suspect any danger without warning. I should have been forth coming with what dangers awaited you here. It seems that my mother's sense of not wanting to cause unnecessary panic has been instilled into my brain." He turns to the guard beside him whispering into his ear. This time I could not hear him. I'm pretty sure he was telling them to search anyway. Whatever he said to the guard causes the guard to rush away to a slightly large group of guards. They all climbed aboard what appeared to be hovering motorized bicycles. They made a slight roar sound as flames came from the back-exhaust pipe. Within seconds they whizzed away faster than the platform had moved.

"What are those things?" I ask distracted by the bikes. I hear a slight laugh from him.

"They're rocket bikes, very fast but efficient in patrolling our cities. They as well work with magnet forces to keep them hovering which means they only work on the metal platforms of the city. The rocket engines allow for speed, the agile frame allows for quick turns and direction change. No humanoid race can outrun them on foot. Well none that exist here anyways. I must admit not even I have seen every race that exists in the stars." He responds.

"Are you always going to replace my curiosity so amusing?" the transports begins to move again towards the center building in the center island.

"You're absolutely adorable even when you're angry so chances are, I will."

"I don't replace it so amusing to be constantly laughed at." I turn and walk to the last transport that is supposed to be ours. one of the guards offers their hands to help me up so I take it.

"You will never be bored son." I hear his mother say as I load into the bowl.

"Of that I'm positive." He helps his mother into her bowl then walks back to ours. So, my queen is you ready to see your new home?" I look around as we move through the city towards the center and I become sadly aware of the lack of vegetation that surrounds us.

"I don't guess I have much say in it do I?" I mutter.

"I'm sorry I didn't catch that." I turn toward him.

"I'm as ready as I ever will be." He still frowns at this phrasing but I'm not sure his temper wouldn't have peaked at the first version. I feel trapped in so many ways and it doesn't seem to be looking up at this point. My mind wanders to the Talamute's face. There was such a strange connection to him. Maybe it was that he seemed fearless, or the way he smiled at her at the end. Was it possible I was not the only one who had felt the pull between us?

"You're going to love it. It's not like anything you've seen so far." He reaches over touching my hand. I glance at him as he had startled me a bit. He glances in the direction I was looking.

"Is there another one?" He asks.

"No. I'm just taking in everything. It's so metallic." He grins

"I have a surprise for you in the castle. I promise you'll love it." I smile and hold it as I am distracted by the sound ahead of us. I watch the large gates slide open as we approach. I take a deep breath not knowing what to expect.