LOGINShare
Chapter 50: Ruining the Empire
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56“No!” Logan called, taking her arms to pull her back. She held up a hand to stop him. The crowd fell silent when they saw her. Some knelt.
“Everyone, I implore you to step back from the wagon. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Somehow, they heard her words and obeyed. They moved back slowly, not stomping over one another. Peacefully.
“Whore!” a man shouted. “She’s feeding us lies and ruining our empire!” He shoved through the crowd, his eyes filled with hatred. There were cries of protest from the shock and the man was pushed down to kneel.
Ellis didn’t pause to think. These people looked up to her and with the divisive violence in the em
Related chapters
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 51: Universal Symbols are a Myth
Ellis was freezing her ass off.She stared at the little electronic panel that Logan had said controlled the temperature in the room. Each of the buttons had some symbols on them that Ellis couldn’t comprehend for the life of her. She had read manuals and laws of this galaxy, but she still couldn’t figure out what these symbols were. She was sure Logan had told her what each meant, but for the life of her… she couldn’t remember. On Earth, symbols were so simple that even illiterate and idiots like her could navigate and use devices. The pads didn’t even have universal colors like blue and red for temperature rise and lower. Just two buttons: one yellow and one grey side-by-side.No sooner had the wagon stopped then Logan swooped her into her arms a
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 52: Kindness Will be Her Salvation
Ellis suddenly realized something. They were colorblind. The grey and yellow buttons… that was why. “You can’t tell them apart?” she asked politely, trying not to offend.“No, Empress. Please accept my apology.” Ellis smiled. “There is no need for that. This is green,” she said, touching a green ribbon tied to a lamp. “The one you are holding is blue. Can you tell the difference now?”The Koln looked uncomfortable. “I am sorry, Empress.” He squinted. “Side by side, one is brighter than the other,” the Koln offered hopefully.
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 53: A Great Responsibility
To Ellis’s delight, Micheal and Isabella had joined them for dinner in the abnormally large dining room in the palace. Isabella was excited to have ‘her children’ living nearby so that she could visit whenever she wanted and Ellis couldn’t help but feel the same. Also, she couldn’t turn down the cookies that Isabella had brought as a housewarming gift.She nearly shrieked in excitement. What a bad example of a mother she was. She munched on them quickly without regard for the shocked eyes. Sue her, she liked cookies.She wanted in her head: “Must leave one for Logan. Logan should eat my favorite treat. Half a cookie, then.”The compromise went on and on.Logan didn’t trust anyone else to prepare the food for the babies, so he cooked the food himself. When he came back bearing a tray of food for all of them, he set it down at the center of the table. Ellis had little dinner, instead, she shoved the cookies do
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 54: Emancipate the Kolns
“Emancipate the Kolns,” Ellis said in short.Micheal pulled a piece of paper and pen out and scribbled it down. After that, he read it out loud. “All Kolns in the Empire are henceforth and forevermore, free. Any Kolns that take up arms in defense of the Empire shall be granted full rights of a citizen.”There was long silence. Leo was the first to speak up. “We can’t make them full citizens! That would mean they have the right to get mates, right? In the database too?”“No, only fertile men of age are entered into the database. We have never included those that are infertile or too old to reproduce.” But then, he was silent again. Something grated on his mind.Leo fell silent. “But it just… doesn’t seem right.”“What about voting rights?” Isabella interjected.“Strong believer in universal voting rights,” Ellis said softly. “But it al
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 55: Hallucinations and Visions of the Goddess
First, as to the protection of Kolns, we can't offer any on the Capital, not until we retake control of the planet. Secondly, the Kolns should be automatically included under things like the minimum wage laws, right? A lot of the abuses that oppressed communities suffered were things that were already illegal, but no one enforced the law for them. We have to make it clear that we will enforce the law."Isabella shook her head. “People are going to be angry that their Kolns ran off to help fight the rebellion. You have to think of a way to reimburse the owners so as to encourage them to let their ‘property’ leave.”Ellis noticed another bright moment about Isabella. She was a good orator. She understood people and she would have been a better advocate than many other people in the government.“You fear Koln owners to join the rebels, don’t you?” Ellis thought out loud. “It is possible. They might say that the monarc
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 56: The Empress' Personal Treasury
In the morning they met the minister of finance, the first nerd she had seen in Zothea. He was thin to the point of emaciation and his poor tail was nearly bald from the way he nervously plucked at its hair. She wondered if he suffered from the same color-blindness as the drones because the brown tunic he wore with blue pants clashed terribly.When Logan told him Ellis's plan, the minister sighed and tossed down his pen. He rubbed his eyes as he spoke. "Emperor, I simply do not have the funds. Any reduction in revenue at this point would be catastrophic when we still haven't recovered from losing a planet. We're already struggling to pay for our obligations, let alone the things we need to fight this war. We need ships, but building them would take too long, and the merchants aren't willing to sell us theirs at a decent rate. I keep telling them that they won't have any business left anyway if the Federation crumbles but they either don't believe me or they don't care. We nee
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 57: No More Excuses
“A few women from the planet have mated with Zotheans in the past but not many. I don’t know if she will bear any children either. There are stories of princesses being forced into marriages and mating, but I don’t know if they resulted in pregnancies.” Logan brought his daughter to rest on his best and put his arm around her. Isabella purred and yawned, getting ready to nap. “He offered to support us against the revels. His planet is rich and used to war, so they have ships, weapons, and soldiers that he could give us if we agree to the match.”Ellis closed her eyes. She understood the strain in his voice now. If they united with the planet, the war could be over quickly. Thousands of lives could be saved.“If it were my happiness and life that needed to be sacrificed for the people, I would do it without thinking,” Logan said softly. “It would kill me, but I would do it. But I can’t put that on my children.
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 58: The Declaration
Laurel spent the night on the bed beside Ellis. Ellis knew for a fact that she didn’t get any sleep because Ellis woke up several times to check on the babies and Logan and found Laurel sniffling each time. She laid back down in the bed and stayed away from Laurel, giving her friend the privacy to cry, be angry, and grieve.She knew how Laurel felt, especially having run away from her mate herself. It would be hell and everyone would judge her. Not Ellis, though. Not Ellis.“Laurel,” she shook her awake. “Let’s go take a bath,” she hissed. How the roles had reversed.“Oh, go away!” Laurel groaned. She had gone to sleep in the early morning, so she was beyond tired.“Get up! I’m taking revenge for all the times you dragged me out of bed. Moreover, don’t you want to see the royal bath?” She tried her hand at enticing.“When you put it like that…” she grumbled.
Latest chapter
The King's Brightest Star Short Scene: Solace
Technology had advanced, but Ellis and Cristine still waited for the day when they could travel to their timelines and see their parents for one last time. To ensure them that they weren’t in a hopeless state, dead or have run away from home.But the technology never allowed it. There were basic rules of the planet that couldn’t be breached.So, they plotted.Cristine had used all her free time to learn how to operate Zothean ships. She was adept at aeronautics and engineering and negotiation, so Ellis and Logan had leaned heavily on her in their negotiations. It could be said that the Empire was in a time of peace under their rule.One day, Cristine came up with the idea.“These jumpers travel to the universes all the time without breaking the fragment of the universe. The only rule is to not meet yourself or members of your own family after you have been pronounced dead, right?” she asked.Ellis nodded. “Yes,
The King's Brightest Star The Lesson Logan Must Learn [Part 4]
He hadn't seen her again until it was over until the city was in ruins and the palace itself was leveled to the ground. The underground city had been hit; Mitch must have known that Logan would try to send his family there. As he made his way to the ruins of the temple, he hoped and prayed that Ellis had disregarded his directions.So many had perished. So much had been lost.The Goddess lay back and propped her head on her hands as she looked up at the stars. "Perhaps someday, I'll show you Ellis's memories of it. She never told you the entire story of what she went through that day. I'll just say that she made me proud again for being so brave and resourceful."His mind was drawn back to the moment he had found Ellis in the rubble of the temple, his relief at finding her safe so deep and intense that he couldn't even form a proper prayer of gratitude.He had wanted to give her a shake when she told him of sending Laurel and the babies away in the escape
The King's Brightest Star The Lesson Logan Must Learn [Part 3]
Isabella drove out the Council members and the cameras, her manner so brisk and officious that no one dared question her, and shut the door firmly. She sat down beside Logan and drew him into her arms, just as she had done when he was a little boy and hurting from his parents' neglect. He was too large now to snuggle into her as he once had done, so he laid his head on top of hers and wrapped his tail around her arm."It can't have been him," he said. "It can't."She pulled back to look up into his face. Her eyes were soft with compassion. She said nothing. She didn't have to.Logan buried his hands in his hair and tugged. The pain was the only thing that felt real. But Isabella gently reached up and tugged his hands away. He wanted to scream, to attack something with his claws and shred it to bits. The pain was swelling within him to the point where he thought he might burst if he couldn't let it out in some way.Isabella pulled him back into her arms an
The King's Brightest Star The Lesson Logan Must Learn [Part 2]
He was twelve and Isabella had taken him to the market with her to buy herbs. Logan wandered over to the next stall, which sold jewelry. There was a set of jewels that his eyes kept being drawn back to as he examined the merchant's wares. It was a headband of red-black stones with a matching bracelet and ring.He imagined giving that set to his mate. Would she squeal in delight the way his mother did when his father presented her with jewels? Would she throw her arms around him and press her mouth to his? (The latter Logan thought was a bit disgusting, but Micheal had said humans liked "kissing.")Last night, he'd asked Micheal, his voice low and shy, for this question meant much to him: "Micheal, what will my mate be like?" He knew she'd likely be human. Though Earth had been one of the later additions to the database, the majority of their matches now came from its people."She will be the most beautiful creature you've ever seen," Micheal said, and his eyes t
The King's Brightest Star The Lessons Logan Must Learn [Part 1]
Despite Laurel's reassurances, Ellis didn’t leave Logan’s side until the doctor arrived. Laurel held her, gently stroking Ellis's back, murmuring soft, soothing nonsense."He has it, doesn't he?" Ellis asked the doctor after he'd run his reader over Logan's prone body. Logan's tail twitched at the sound of her voice, but he didn't react otherwise. He mumbled unintelligible words."Yes, Empress, he does," the doctor said. He looked exhausted, but his eyes were kind."Oh, my God," Ellis whispered. Hopelessness set in."There's no reason to panic," the doctor said firmly. "As long as we can keep his fever under control and keep him hydrated, he will be fine. Zotheans rarely die from this."It was all reassurance.Ellis nodded. She knew that. Logan had explained it to her when the outbreak first began, and the talk videos said the same. Just like the human common cold, there was no cure for it, and it simply had to run its course. Bu
The King's Brightest Star Izzy's Mating [Part 5]
The king brought Izzy breakfast in bed the next morning. She sat up groggily and accepted a cup of tea. She had to admit being impressed by his courtesy and thoughtfulness. She really needed the tea. She had stayed up late into the night and was no closer to an answer than she had been when she first lay down.She spent the day with the king, taking him to see some of Zothea's museums and cultural institutions. She was pretty sure that it was Drake who was following them all day. Once, she saw him duck behind a tree, and a tail with light hair poked out to the side. The bodyguard knew that Drake wasn't a threat and the king's bodyguard seemed to have decided to ignore him. The king, for his part, seemed to agree with them and didn't question the very large man trying to hide behind fence posts, but it made Izzy's heart ache. If the king was the one she chose, this would be Drake's life, lurking on the periphery of hers.The king was as he described himself: easy to get
The King's Brightest Star Izzy's Mating [Part 4]
Drake was already gone when Izzy and Ellis came back to the dining room and her heart ached that she wouldn't be able to say goodbye to him, but maybe Micheal and Isabella had decided that Izzy would only get more upset. She gnawed on her tail as they passed through the room to where the king was waiting for her in the hallway outside. He had been seated on a bench and he stood politely when she joined him. Another of his kind stood behind him, his skin as green as the forest leaves."This is my bodyguard," he offered. The bodyguard in question ignored Izzy, but sized up her female bodyguard and apparently wasn't impressed with what he saw."Follow me," Izzy directed. The king walked down the hall beside her and Izzy noticed that she was at least a foot taller than he was.She arrived at her nest room to find that all of Drake's things had been cleaned out already and she felt a piercing ache in her heart. She sat down on a cushion beside her table, despondent.
The King's Brightest Star Izzy's Mating [Part 3]
Logan put out an announcement that tonight would be a state dinner and so the temple dining room was packed with people, all of them speculating as to the cause. He and the empress rarely had them and when they did it was usually for a special announcement. The last had been to announce the empress was expecting Prince Edward and the one before that, to announce that Nessie was being appointed to the emperor's Council.Izzy ate mechanically. She wasn't hungry, but Aunt Cristine was right: she had to make sure the baby got what it needed. Drake was alight with excitement and impatient for the meal to end. The entire extended family was seated around the table, all of them wearing their finery. Her mother wore the glow stone tunic she'd worn to her own mating ceremony and Aunt Laurel was dressed in a purple tunic so bright that it hurt the eyes to look at it. Leo kept flirtatiously tickling Cristine's neck with his tail and then looking away innocently whenever she looked up fr
The King's Brightest Star Izzy's Mating [Part 2]
"I saw a doctor less than an hour ago." Izzy unwound her tail from her leg with effort and gnawed on the end of it anxiously.Her father stood and without a word, headed for the door."Daddy, wait, please!" Nessie pleaded. "I'm so sorry! Talk to me.""I can't." Logan's eyes were on the door and his tail lashed in either agitation or anger; she couldn't tell which."Please," Izzy pleaded. "I need to know what you're thinking. Do—do you still love me?""Of course, I do," Logan said tightly. He twisted the doorknob."Don't leave," Izzy begged."Sweetheart, your father just needs a little time," Ellis interjected. "Let him go, and we'll all talk over this later."Goddess, didn't her mother understand that her anxiety was increasing exponentially every moment? She wouldn't survive a wait of a few hours. "Daddy… please.""You want to know what I'm thinking?" Logan turned from the door and marched back to stand in
