Pausing in the act of opening the link for two way communication she studied him, he looked as he always had, loving, stern, compassionate, his expression marred with a new sadness she had not seen before. Her heart softened, she wanted to run to him, to hug him as she had in happier days. Fernum as she had last seen him flashed into her mind, judgment had been passed from the great Sapphire throne and Fernum was fleeing into exile, noble, poignant, defeated but still respectful. She had been standing in the doorway, her ears ringing with the accusations he had made. Solemn, Bhree positioned behind the throne, had obviously cast his vote with the Emperor. Fernum threw her a look of pleading as he came level with her, silently asking her to accompany him into exile. She had turned away.
A few days later unable to forget or answer the doubts he has raised she had left also, retiring to an isolated system in the Epsilon Sector. What had surprised her was the number of beings who had joined her, within six months she had somehow ended up as Leader of the Neutral Zone.
Resolve restored she punched the button.
“Sire” head bowed,
“Carelle” his voice was stern, business like, eyes caressing her but she didn’t notice. “I have a mission for you,” he leaned forward “as always you may choose to accept or decline, you will need to come to the Palace to hear the details, if you choose to accept you will be staying for two cycles.”
“Why me Sire?” eyes meeting, “No-one from the Neutral Zone has been seconded for a mission since Fracture.”
“You are the best person for the job… and you need this mission...” He paused as if considering his words, “…You must make a decision, one way or another you cannot continue to sit on the fence, isolating yourself, it’s tearing you apart…” his voice was direct, factual, his eyes conveyed concern.
Fear, nausea, rejection of his words, to choose one was to lose the other, NO! Chin up, head flung back, “I shouldn’t have to choose, why couldn’t you just give him what he wanted?” Fingernails cutting into palms, she bit back the accusations she wanted to fling at him, to hurt him as he was hurting her.
Quietly her Father answered, “Where would the wanting have ended?”
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