LOGINShare
Chapter 92: Who is the Empress?
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56"My mother and I came from a land of slave-owners, and I grew up in this galaxy where Koln slavery was an accepted part of life, so it never occurred to me to question the order of the world. I admit I was one of those shallow people who don't care about issues unless it personally affects them.”
“The moment I laid eyes on my mate, I was certain I was in love, blinded by the stars in my eyes. He was handsome and sophisticated and an important man. I fancied myself fortunate.” She fell silent for a moment and reached forward to stir the stew before she continued with her tale. She tapped the spoon on the side of the pot and laid it atop the lid. “The infatuation died swiftly. I don’t think he ever loved me, either. We were too different but I really thought he was at least fond of me.”
“It took a while for me to get pregnant but I had fun with all the attention I received. Those sycophants treated me well for who my husband was.
Related chapters
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 93: Remembrance of Bravery
“Logan?”It was a while before Dorian's voice penetrated the thick haze of agony. He raked his claws through the ashes. Have to find her. Four days he had searched this site. Four endless days without sleep or sustenance. Four days without a reprieve from the pain that ate through him like acid."Logan?"Logan reluctantly dragged his eyes from the ash and looked at Dorian without much interest. But Dorian's eyes were shining, his tail dancing with joy behind his head. He turned his communicator around and showed Logan the image playing on the screen, a video of Ellis, speaking to a woman he did not recognize. A blazing sword of pain plunged through his chest and he looked at Dorian uncomprehendingly.Why would Dorian show him Ellis's image when he was—He froze. His eyes widened. He checked the date stamp. Checked it again. Looked up at Dorian without being able to breathe, to blink."She's alive," Dorian said. The two most
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 94: The Right to Challenge
“Laurel and the children are perfectly safe,” Logan told her. He had told her the same thing last night, but Ellis needed to hear it again. She needed to slowly believe that all of this was real and they were alive and well. “Leo was wounded but not severely.”"I think I'll wound him myself when I see him," Logan said with a little growl."Why, what did he do?" Ellis asked. Knowing that he was safe, whatever outrageous thing he had done didn’t have any adverse consequences."He apparently thought we meant it literally when we told him to lead the troops. He was in front of every charge and it's only by the mercy of the Goddess that the damn fool wasn't killed." Logan shook his head in disbelief.“Hah!” Ellis snorted. "This from the man who rushed out to fight on the day that Zothea was attacked?" Ellis said to Logan. He gave her a wry glance and popped another piece of meat into her mouth."That's different
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 95: The Fight to Death
"I will," Mitch said, "but not for the reasons that you would. If you fall, I want to watch her suffer, and watch your children grow up without a father, just like I did."Logan’s eyes flashed. “Micheal was always there for you,” he retorted.“No, Logan. He wasn’t.” Mitch stared off into the distance. “You took him from me. You're not even of his flesh, but he always preferred you as his son. I cannot begin to count the number of times he told me to try to be more like you, to follow your example. And Isabella! She gave my hugs and kisses to you."Logan was silent for a second. “Micheal wasn’t as harsh on me as he was on you because you were his son. He wanted the best for you. I was someone else’s. He was an excellent father-figure, but he was not my father. He was yours. He treated me that way because I would someday be the Emperor, but you were the one he placed all his hopes on. You were his little
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 96: Buried at Water
Surn was mostly covered by water, a blue planet wrapped in a garland of pearly-white clouds. What little land there was dotted the water’s surface, small, irregularly-shaped islands. Ellis watched through the tiny porthole as the planet got closer, seeming to swell until it blocked the sight of everything else.Beside her, Logan was asleep, his head pillowed on her lap, his tail firmly wrapped around her leg. She tried to remain as still as possible because every time she moved, his eyes would fly open.His wounds were healed courtesy of a doctor they had met in the city before heading to the spaceport. Mary had wrapped his wounds in cloth bandages after applying a layer of sticky tree sap that stopped the bleeding and would prevent infection.She had refused to come with them, though they promised her protection from her mate and a home of her own on Zothea. "This is my home," she said. "And here I'll stay." She had also refused the gifts of money that th
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 97: The Unnamed Sacrifice
Ellis found Nin in the children's room, bending over their nest, singing softly to the sleeping babies. Ellis stood there for a moment, gaping, before she was able to blurt, "Nin! What are you doing here? You're… dead!"She had a hard time saying that out loud.“Am I?” Nin responded with a raise of her brow. “In some ways, probably,” she said, “But I needed to see you one last time before I moved on.”"Are you really here, or is this a dream?" It had to be a dream, she concluded. They were in the palace, and she knew that was gone. Even the rubble had been removed for the construction of the memorial government buildings.“Can’t it be both?” Nin asked, tilting her head with a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth."Cryptic as always," Ellis laughed. "I miss you so much.""And I miss you, little queen, more than you can know.""I'm so sorry," Ellis said. "I distr
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 98: Building a New House
“Ellis…” Logan patted her cheeks. “Please, Ellis. Please wake up!”"I am, I am," she said woozily, trying to pry her lids open. The sight of his face jolted her into instant wakefulness. "What is it? What's wrong?""I couldn't wake you," he rasped. He stroked the tears from her cheeks. The poor man ... she must have been crying and babbling like a lunatic."I'm sorry," said Ellis. "I'm sorry I scared you. I'm sorry for many things."“You have no reason to be sorry,” he swore.“I do. I've neglected you and I've neglected the Empire.""Your heart aches," he said loyally, defending her even against herself.“As does yours,” Ellis replied. “And I have been so wrapped up in my own grief that I didn’t pay attention to you or yours.”He buried his face in her neck. “The doctor came by today… I don’t think you noticed. He said that he coul
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 99: Able to Laugh Again
Leo and Dorian paced the room where they were waiting for Laurel and the babies.Their trip to the space port to pick up the rest of the family turned into a parade because the people had somehow discovered that they were arriving home and had lined up on the streets they would be taking, to cheer as the royal family passed.They especially cheered for Leo, the hero of the Empire.Leo was overwhelmed by the attention, blinking and waving at the crowd with a dazed expression on his face. A woman ran up and jumped on the wagon.Leo, who was on the side, jumped in surprise.“First Prince Leo, are you single?” the woman asked. Leo’s eyes widened.“Why do you ask?”The female smiled. “Are you only able to have sex with your mate, or…” Leo fell into stunned silence until the wagon started up again.“What did she say?” Ellis asked. Leo had told the woman no and she had stepp
The King's Brightest Star Side Story: Leo's Mate [Part 1]
"Captain, you have a call from the Admiral," said the communications officer. "He says it's urgent and delicate, ma’am."“Send it to my room,” Christine responded curtly. “I will speak with him there.”“Understood,” the communications officer nodded.She got up from her chair on the bridge of the star ship. She nodded to her first officer to tell him she was leaving. He barely acknowledged her, but then again, he never did.She knew he was bitter about being passed over for the command of his own ship and under her leadership. Striding across the bridge, she used her thumb to open the door of her room, the office just off the bridge.Walking a little slower, she sat down at her desk and turned on the terminal. The waiting communiqué was blinking on the screen. Pressing the screen, she saw the face of her father appear. "Admiral?" she asked."I just received your report on the last mission we s
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
