The Talamute Prince
Chapter 6

We enter an outer wall that is guarded heavily. There are motion censored guns every so many feet apart and an armed guard in between each gun. Beside the bottom of the large gates are two stands with a large gun and a guard as well.

"You seem very well protected." I mutter.

"At this point we need to be. We must worry your mother will strike again. Also, the Talamute now as well. I'm afraid the reputation my grandfather left with at least a hundred other races has left us with an overwhelming number of enemies." Patrick says. We enter a small gap between the outer and inner walls. I peek over to see several dirty looking men.

"Who are they?" I watch one seamlessly climb up through the metal bars and frame.

"The engineers. They pretty much live in the walls of our city keeping everything working." Patrick is oblivious to the amazing way the manipulate the small spaces between the walls.

"They don't have homes?" This question provokes a laugh. I turn toward him with all seriousness resting in my eyes.

"Yes, I assure you they have homes. Most are on platform four toward the outer rim. They work in three shifts and pass their knowledge down through the generations. That's how most things work here." I turn silently around as I do amazement fills my core at the tower bursting straight up into the sky. It's like a giant metal spike with smooth sides all the way up to the very top where I see spikes pointed out in each direction of the outer islands. From underneath the city when we landed it appeared as though the entirety of the city was a smooth white flower, but from up here that illusion was broken. The architecture intrudes the sky with jagged roof tops of the buildings the raspites lived in.

"It's huge. Only you and your family live here?" I glance back at him. He is grinning at me again. There's a slight gurgle of laughter stuffed back down into his throat.

"No, we aren't alone in there. We have maids and other staff that also dwell with in the walls. And now you as well." The bowls swing around stopping around a beautiful metallic woman shooting water from her mouth. It cascades down onto her shining dress, then flows over the side into a round pound. There aren't any plants or animals around it though. The ones back home were stone, but they were surrounded by flowers and filled with fish, amphibians, and water plants. The strong pull of longing hit me all the sudden. I clear a drop of moisture from the corner of my eye and turn as Patrick stands to get out of the bowl first.

"Are you okay?" He runs his hand down the side of my cheek where the tear was trying to escape from.

"Just tired. Too much excitement for me." It's the wrong answer for the right reason, but it still makes me uncomfortable to lie. Unlike him, I was raised to be honest. He has stepped out of the transport now holding his hand out for the taking. I grip it lightly as I step out onto the ground. I wonder how long it will take me to get use to the vibrating floors of the floating city. I'm sure it must deal with whatever keeps it floating but for me it's annoying.

"So, this is to be my new home." It doesn't look like a home. Even the castle on Booravia was nicer and more welcoming then this building. There was no color, no life, just cold unforgiving steel.

"Wait till we get inside it's not as bleak as it looks." He smiles as he can read the skepticism in my voice.

"I'm not sure I believe you. I've yet to see a single flower, plant, or even insect in the city thus far." I slid my hand into his flooded arm.

"Insects are pests. Our plants don't line the city. Most are in platform two just behind the castle. You'll be able to see it from different floors of the castle. We do keep butterflies and bees inside the dome shaped greenhouse, but no animals other than that. It's where our fruits and vegetables for the city are produced. We also just like the ship have several we use in medicine and other uses."

"I would like to visit."

"Of course, my queen. First let's get you settled in." We enter the castle through two strange doors that seem to appear out of nowhere like the ones on the transports. The exterior seems perfectly smooth then. alight traces the doorway and magically we can see inside. I'm positive its overly complicated to explain and frankly I don't want him to laugh at me more. We walk into the enormous structure. There is a hall around a large open room with a throne all the way to one side lifted a good five feet from the rest of the floor. The room is grey and dull. I take in the area further I recognize the odd art hanging on the walls. This is the room his father had died in. I look at the floor where the bed should have been but there's no trace of it. The floors themselves don't appear to be scuffed from even the everyday passing through traffic of all the busy people. Only a few glances in our direction but most keep doing their work.

"My daughters and I will take our leave to allow you and my son to further explore your new home." The queen bows slightly as her and his sisters go over to the wall on the far side. Each step on a platform and take off whizzing through the ceiling. How can everyone keeps calling this place a home? There are no family pictures, no curtains, no warmth of any kind, I'm one hundred percent right about this being a prison.

"Alone at last."

"We're not exactly alone." I nod to the others scurrying about.

"Servants don't really count."

"I beg to differ. My closest friends where the people who cleaned, sewed, cooked, and served. They most certainly do count."

"You're so cute when you're angry."

"You're not taking me seriously, are you?" He kisses my hand.

"Of course, I am. I'm just not use to noticing all the same things that you pick up on." He walks into the middle of the space and turns toward me.

"So, what shall we do first?" I ask as he studies me.

"Are you hungry perhaps? We could check out the kitchen. The chefs are amazing." Patrick asks. I look at him then around as I watches servants bustling around pulling out chairs and rolling out a carpet from the entry to the room all the way to the throne.

"What are they doing?" I ask watching them work.

"Just preparing for my carination ball. It's the last official step into accepting the roll as king." He moves back toward me.

"I think I shall like to see where I will be sleeping." In truth I'm hoping for a moment alone to catch my breath.

"You did say you were tired and there is the matter of my surprise, perhaps we kill two birds with one stone."

"Why would you want to kill birds with stones?" His burst of laughter echoed through the room. Everyone now turned their attention to us. I could feel my cheeks heat with embarrassment.

"It's a figure of speech. It just means we can do two things at once."

"I'm tired now." I hold my head high despite his display.

"Of course. I'll show you to your room." He gestures his hand to guide me over to a smaller platform to the side where his mother and sisters disappeared at. I walk toward it not taking his arm.

"My room am I to assume that you will have separate sleeping arrangements?" he looks at me as he pushes a button on the side of the wall close to the platform. It takes a second then it zooms upward.

"Hold on." I almost jump into his arms. These things were not much fun at all. He simply wraps his arms around my waist and holds me against him.

"I don't like these things at all." I watch as we slide up a tube. It's all visible and feels more than a bit unsafe.

"You might never like them. I have maids that have been born into this life and they fear them as well. Some go to the extent of using the engineer paths to move about the castle to avoid them."

"Can we do that?"

"Don't be silly. You wouldn't be able to fit through some of the places in such beautiful dresses. Besides its unbecoming of our queen to travel as peasants do." I glare at his arrogance; it seeps from every poorly chosen word.

"Back to the fact you said my room."

"I have made arrangements for now to sleep elsewhere. I thought maybe we needed a bit of space to get reacquainted rather than forcing you to accept me in your bed. Besides your flames sting a bit when you're angry with me." I smile at him sincerely for the first time in a while.

"I think perhaps you're right." He pulls me into him as he leans down the platform stops causing me to jerk a bit making it seem as though I'm leaning into him and our lips meet. I pull away quickly and look down the curving hallway.

"You're going to absolutely love your room. I'm sure of it." He says as we walk down to a door at the very end of the hall and into the inside wall. He opens the door and I step in.

"This is all for me?" The room is triple the size of the one in my own castle. There's a canopy bed in the center of the room sitting on a step up from the rest of the floor. To one side there are all the necessary toiletries including a sink, shower, toilet, and vanity with brushes and more. The shower and toilet are the only two things separated by a privacy wall. To the other side is a large open closet with all the dresses I had hand made on our journey here. Then at the foot of the bed stood three women.

"Do you like it?" Patrick asks.

"Who are they?" I ask looking at the women who haven't budged since we walked in. The stand with their eyes to the ground which is a bit disturbing. My own servants simply bowed but never abstained from eye contact.

"They're your hand maids. They'll do everything you need done for you, your hair, making your bed, anything you ask of them." I look at him as I was accustomed to people making my bed, but I brushed my own hair and took care of any other personal needs myself.

"I don't need so many. I can care for myself." They stand completely still.

"So, you'd take their jobs from them. How would they earn their rations?"

"Rations?"

"Everyone works to earn their portion of food, water, and other needs. If everyone works and does their job no one goes hungry, no one goes without medicine, or shelter. Our society thrives on everyone knowing their place and working hard." He stops at the youngest girl and looks her up and down. It wasn't the same way he had looked at other women. It was strange and seems to burn through her causing her to shake.

"I'm sure I can replace something for them to do." I watch him step slowly in front of them. A tear ran down the girl's face. So many questions run through my mind. The one and most dominant was what kind of man was Patrick when he wasn't in front of me? Everyone here seems so terrified of him.

"See that you do, some are on their last chance before banishment." His words are cold and hard.

"I think perhaps they should help me ready for a nap." He reaches for my hands and I pull away turning to see two large white curtains flowing in the breeze. I see him smile out of the corner of my eye. What could he be up to?