[Dedicated to achhuu for the awesome fanart!]

Unedited

NORKAR ARRIVED IN the cells about an hour later with two small, silver trays in hand. He glanced at us a moment longer than I think he intended to, most likely pondering why we were sitting so closely together, before pushing a tray under each set of bars and turning to leave without another word.

Louis wouldn't allow it. "Oi! You!"

The Councillor came to a halt. I saw him exhale deeply, taking a moment before spinning on his heel to look at his prince. "Yes, sir?" I couldn't tell if he were being sarcastic or not but besides that, I was surprised - was he even allowed to talk with Louis? Would Klaru allow it if she were there? Part of me knew the answer was no.

Louis seemed surprised too, for he said, "Hell, some formal acknowledgement. Finally."

Norkar scowled at him before glancing over his shoulder like he were checking to see if the coast was clear. But why on earth would he be doing that? It wasn't like anybody on board would be about to throw themselves at him in a rebellious like fashion. 

But then the most unexpected thing happened; the Councillor dropped to his knees and started begging Louis for forgiveness. His words were one jumble running into the next, an array of apologies and desperate pleadings spilling out his mouth like he'd been holding in all his feelings for years. The closer I looked, I found his eyes were glassy.

"Please, my prince. I never wanted anything to do with this. The princess, she showed up one day aware that several of us on the Council were very strongly against your possible discoveries, particularly that of stumbling upon a new species in hope of one day communicating." His eyes darted over to me for a brief moment as if trying to exaggerate his tale. "I've been a faithful ally to your parents for years, not once have I questioned their rule and I am in no way about to begin. Before I could accept what was happening, the entire Council was on board with what the princess had in mind - to vanquish any possibility of discovering human beings. I was given no option but to obligate my service to her, she - my family were threatened, Sir."

Louis remained silent, though I did notice him sit up straighter. I wondered if he sat up as straight on a throne.

My eyes returned to the Councillor on his knees, tears in his eyes. Usually I was good at reading people but it was extremely difficult to tell whether or not the man before us was telling the truth. If he were, then why had it taken him so long to come forth with his surrender? Thoughts, good and bad were racing though my mind, trying to piece everything together that had happened whenever I'd laid eyes on him before. He was the one who I'd originally thought to be the leader of the rebellion against Louis, the one who was most authorative when first landing on Earth. He  had once referred to Louis as 'the boy' if I remembered correctly. 

"Why are you telling him this now?" I asked, copying Louis' actions and sitting up as if I were too, royalty.

Norkar looked shocked to have been addressed by someone other than the crowned Prince of Junito and it took him a few tries to verbalise his words. He still looked at Louis however. "I could not find a suitable time to express the truth, Prince Loudrix. Whenever we have interacted there have always been others present. As far as I am aware, there are two others who disagree with lady Klaru's intentions. All of us have been threatened to join her."

"You can surely understand why I am conflicted about believing your story," Louis began, talking very matter-of-factly. Right then, it was easy for me to picture him sitting in a throne room, dressed in royal attire with a golden crown placed upon his head. "As your prince, you are aware that treason is punishable by death?"

A choked sob escaped Norkar's throat. He nodded and looked to me with blood-shot eyes. It looked like he hadn't slept a wink in weeks. Perhaps because of the guilt sitting on his shoulders? The worry that his family's lives were on the line if he didn't disobey the law to help a selfish woman achieve her own deluded fantasies. That was if what he'd said was the truth.

"I understand perfectly, my prince. But I figured it would be better to be executed knowing I'd done the right thing in the end. All I can do now is hope you can understand my situation. I cannot even begin to comprehend how you are feeling at the moment."

"You really wanna know?" Louis asked. "Pretty rubbish."

Norkar nodded. "I can imagine, my prince. I would help if I could but if I draw too much attention to myself, I will be putting my family at risk. I could not live with myself knowing I'd been the cause of their deaths. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. It does not have to be anytime soon, but I would leave here feeling extremely better if I had your acceptance of my apology."

For a second Louis looked stumped, his mouth opening and closing again as he tried to say something coherent. With Norkar and I both watching him I was surprised that he was finding it difficult to think of a reply. It it had been me in his place, I'd have been just as skeptical. Though it was tricky to figure out, something inside me ached for the Councillor - part of me deep down knew that nobody would dare challenge Klaru or defy her unless there was something serious at risk, like family. But they were crafty, cunning and Louis knew it too.

"I cannot give you a direct blessing," Louis said. I could hear the sadness in his voice. "However, if you can somehow prove that your allegiance is not to Klaru I would be willing to pardon your little mishap."

Norkar was on his feet all of a sudden, bent as the waist in a bow. "Ask anything."

"Anything that won't get your in trouble," I added for him, and Norkar flashed me an unexpected smile. In thanks?

Louis looked to me momentarily and then to the ETB. Scratching his chin, he said, "I want you to convince Klaru to have us moved to more suitable accommodation. This," he stated, gesturing to the pathetic emptiness of our cells, "simply won't do."

"My prince, it will be difficult to change the lady's mind-"

"You want to prove your loyalty to me, then you will at least try," Louis cut in, practically pleading. I knew how against sleeping on a metal slab he was and I wasn't exactly the craziest about it either. I could only imagine the conflicted thoughts in his mind after being betrayed over and over again; of course he was going to find it difficult to believe anything Norkar said. "Besides," Louis proceeded, "I only want a more comfortable place for us to be sleeping in. After all, Junito is several days away, am I correct? Where exactly are we at the moment?"

"We have two days to go until we reach Mornuk, Sir."

Louis groaned. "Why is this journey going to take so long."

I scoffed. "Long?! Hell, if humans could make it to Mars in two days it would be a world record." Both of the men looked to me like I were insane and I had to ask what I'd done wrong.

"How do you know that's Mars?" Louis asked but it only took a moment and a dead-pan expression from me for him to realise. "Oh, yeah. I told you, didn't I?"

I nodded. "Yeah. But only two days? That's incredible! I wish I could see it..." I trailed off, unaware that I'd said the last part aloud until Louis laid a hand on my shoulder.

"However," Norkar picked up, "I will try my hardest to make sure you are-"

"We," Louis corrected. "I said we."

"Y-yes, Sir. I will look into having the both of you moved to more suitable rooms," Norkar finished, straightening up and dusting off his clothes - fitting black gear with what looked like padded shoulders, knees and chest, topped with a red tunic embroidered with gold. I wasn't able to tell what the design in the middle resembled but at a quick glance I would have guessed some sort of tree. It was the same clothing I'd first seen him wearing, like all of the other Councillors. In uniform. 

"You do that," Louis chided, jutting his chin outward as if to say 'be gone.' He probably did mean that, for Norkar bowed one last time before darting around the corner without another word. As his footsteps receded down the corridor, I turned to Louis and raised a brow.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" I asked. Louis' eyes were still on the place where Norkar had left, his brow furrowed like he were deep in thought. If so, what was he thinking?

"I-I'm not sure," he muttered, turning to look at me. "Do you?"

Did I? I was stuck at a fifty-fifty decision, unable to make up my mind without something changing it. I told him honestly, "If he was telling the truth then it seems you have an unexpected ally. But it was difficult to tell..."

"It was, wasn't it?" he agreed, narrowing his eyes. "But if he was telling the truth, then expect to be moved to more comfortable accommodation very soon, being."

"Yay," I  cheered, waving my hands in the air as enthusiastically as I could. "But until then, would you like to tell me what the hell that is?" I pointed down at the tray Norkar had slid under the bars. One side of the tray had an oval-shaped container with a small hole at the top, it's smooth, white surface giving it the appearance of a stone you'd find by a river bank. The hole was just large enough to slide in a drinking straw. On the other side was grey coloured mash that could have passed as potatoes if the colour had been anything but that which resembled gravel. There were bits of green splattered across the top which made my stomach do an involuntary flip. It looked like the gooey substance you'd play with as a kid at a fun fair. "It looks awful."

"It is awful," Louis assured me, pointing as he told me what was what. "This is okol water; an okol is a fruit on Junito and its juices are very refreshing and nurturing. You'll like that. However, this you may not approve of. The lumpy stuff is a - to put it in a way you'd understand, a stew of sorts. Meat of a hantodil with eh, vegetables I guess I'd say. Our vegetables."

"What the hell is a hantodil?" I wondered, giving him an incredulous look. It had never occurred to me that the nature and wildlife on Junito would be completely different to on Earth. What other kinds of creatures and insects and foliage would live there? Suddenly I was excited again to be travelling to another planet despite the circumstances. 

"It's a large beast with pointy antlers and razor sharp wings. Extremely difficult to capture but when it happens, it's a mighty fine delicacy. Though to you, it may taste very poignant. It's an acquired taste and the ulk sap on top is extremely sour."

"Ulk sap?"

"The green stuff," he stated. "From a tree."

I glanced at the dish a second longer before wrinkling my nose up at the odd combination. We had hantodil stew - an acquired tasting meat with alien vegetables and tree sap instead of gravy. Then the only good thing, the okol juice. Just when I thought the trip wouldn't be so bad, it slapped me in the face once more. 

"I think I'll leave it until a little later," I said. "No offence but your food is weird. It may taste alright but appearance wise, not the best."

Louis scoffed. "Of course at the moment it doesn't look so appetising but wait until you're sitting in the castle enjoying a royal banquet with me. Oh, it doesn't get better than that. The Junito delicacies are just to die for. So delicious! But because we're being held captive, clearly Klaru expects us to be eating like so. And so I present to you, prison food."

Something in my stomach churned and I blurted, "Oh, God the day has finally come where I've ended up in jail. And for no felony or crime or anything to do with me, funnily enough. What are the odds of that?" I laughed. "At least this won't go on any of my files."

"Lucky you," he laughed along, spooning a little of the grey stew. His nose wrinkled as he forced down a couple bites, chuckling as he saw my distasteful reaction. It looked foul and to hell if he thought I was going to be eating it any time soon.

"I never realised just how much I appreciated pizza until about now," I told him. "It's amazing really, when you find yourself in a situation like that."

"Pizza was horrible anyway, at least when you allowed me to try it," Louis said, grinning when finding my outraged reaction.

"I can understand how you felt about our food now," I told him. "The roles have all reversed."

"They literally have," he commented, swivelling round to face me, lifting his tray on to his lap. Through another mouthful, he said, "You're the one being taken from your home now, about to experience so many new and terrifying things; but with terrifying comes incredible too."

I lifted my okol water and said, "Cheers to that," before pressing the container to my lips and taking a small sip. Despite Louis' positive words about the drink, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that it would in fact taste rather unpleasant. But he was right, it was delicious and ridiculously refreshing with every sip, more so. I had to stop gulping it down when I realised we'd most likely not be given more any time soon. I told Louis, "I don't think I've ever had something this refreshing in a long time. You know, except when an alien landed in my back garden and I was thrown into a crazy adventure, but that's a completely different thing."

"It is," he agreed, pushing some of the Junite vegetables across his plate. "I do miss those royal buffets now that I think of it."

I laughed and gestured to the grey mush. "I bet you do, especially if this is what you call prison food."

"It's not necessarily prison food per se, but more like the most non-luxurious end of the edibles menu. It's enough to keep you going but not quite a roast silbuck dinner with steamed crats, dilkies and dollops of atroes."

I must have given him the single most bizarre look in the world for he just grinned at me as I tried to comprehend what the hell he'd just said. If I'd had to translate, I'd have guessed he was referring to the alien version of a roast chicken dinner or something along those lines. His stomach rumbled at the mention and he just sighed longingly at his tray.

"It sounds ... delicious?" I more so asked and he just nodded.

"You'd love it. I'm sure you would and maybe after trying some of our other-worldly treats, you'd understand why I frowned upon what you eat on Earth. Minus the pancakes, those were to die for."

"You should become a chef instead of a scientist then," I teased. "That way you could be the first to make pancakes on Junito."

His eyes lit up as if he were actually considering my silly suggestion. I wasn't serious about it but Louis seemed to think it was the best idea in the world and I could only smile, his enthusiasm over the smallest of things endearing to say the least.

During our stay in the cells, I'd flipped from curious conversation with Louis where I bombarded him with questions about what to expect when we made it to Junito, all his answers being rather hush-hush as I apparently had to wait and see for myself - to worrying like mad about Jason. I grew more agitated when realising the perfect opportunity would have been to ask Norkar but then again, he could have lied. Jason wasn't the Councillor's problem after all. 

"Jason's gonna hate me after all this," I mumbled. Louis overheard and rubbed my shoulder gently.

"Probably." He poked my cheek. "But look on the bright side, he can say he helped an alien get home."

"I suppose. Being a science teacher, it would really boost his confidence."

It was beginning to get cold and I had to go wrap the scruffy blanket from the ETB around my shoulders to salvage the tiniest bit of warmth. We were still waiting for Norkar to persuade Klaru to move us somewhere more acceptable but I highly doubted that wish would come true. We were her prisoners and prisoners belonged in cells.

But not a prince.

I shivered as I sat down before Louis again, both of us facing each other with glum expressions. I was desperate for a shower, he was desperate for a proper bed and we were both desperate for the whole shenanigans to blow over. I was dreading when the time came to use the loo.

"Your personal life," I began, "if you weren't a prince, and you didn't have access to everyone and everything, would you still want to be a scientist?"

He slowly nodded, mentally debating. "Probably," he decided. "I think it's just the idea of discovering new things and helping people that I've always been interested in. Then again, if I weren't royalty and I knew it would be difficult to maintain such a role then I may have had no choice but to think towards more commoner jobs."

"Commoner jobs," I repeated, sniggering at the pompous term. "Very arrogant."

"Well, I'm sor-ry," he huffed. "I don't know how else to refer to more inferior jobs."

"Inferior jobs," I laughed, slapping my knee as he glared. "Oh, you crack me up, space boy."

"Clearly."

"Alright, so what else would you want to be if not a scientist?" I finally managed to ask after calming myself down. "How about a doctor? They help people."

"True, but it's the helping people by concocting vaccines and serums that I enjoy, not so much the idea of examining someone for the slightest of coughs. I think I'm helping people the most by doing what I'm doing."

"I get what you mean. I suppose it's good to have a clear mind about what you want to do in life. Did you always know it was going to be science?"

He nodded. "Since I was a kid. What about you? If you weren't serving the public, what would you be doing?"

Oh, many wild and wonderful things, I wanted to say but everything I'd ever wanted to do seemed so far fetched. "Well, when I was a kid I wanted to be an explorer, a writer, an artist, a singer. A bit of everything but as I got older I wanted to be a story teller or travel journalist, probably the latter; going places and writing about them then potentially selling my work to keen readers or travel magazines. Something along those lies. I kind of still have that urge to just leave home and begin but it's not a steady job and I don't know if my plan would work. I guess it's just too big of a world and I'm too small of a person."

Louis leaned forward and said, "Why not start with this journey? Write about how your life has changed since you met me. Like you said earlier, not everyone gets to meet an alien; a royal alien, at that."

I  recalled the time I'd lied to Jason about writing a science fiction story to extort some help from him, way back before he even knew Louis existed. I'd thought about it then, even jotted down a few ideas for a story I never thought I'd write. But Louis' words stirred something in the creative part of my mind and I could suddenly see it, a story unfolding before my eyes; our story. I had all the source material, crazy names of extra-terrestrial food and animals and planets, and how could I forget the star of the story, the prince himself.

"You know, that isn't a bad idea," I mused. "I could call it something like The Tales of Prince Loudrix."

"Ha, or how about The Adventures of Your Basic Human Girl."

"I'm basic, am I?" I scoffed. "I have a better one. It's now going to be Prince Loudrix, the Arse."

His mouth fell open in protest. "How dare you? I think it should be Prince Loudrix, the Valiant.

"The Vain," I corrected and he just laughed at me before sighing loudly. "You're bored, aren't you?"

He nodded. "I was busy on Earth, learning and socialising and now I'm stuck behind bars with nothing to do. Talk to you, of course but I feel as though you may be exhausted listening to me ramble on."

I shook my head, no. "Nah, I like listening to your ramblings. They're far more interesting than the ramblings of someone back on Earth. They would probably talk about work, babies or sports, none of which interest me. That's why I like you, Loudrix - you have good conversations with me."

"That's good to hear," he said with a smile. "Usually when I begin to talk about my interest and work in the lab people tune out about half way through. I do talk an awful lot, I know that."

"But you have good talk," I interjected. "If you were the kind of guy to talk about video games or girls then you'd be boring."

"Wow, thank you. Lucky for you that I didn't then."

"Oh yes." I promised. "I'll make sure to keep your cocky personality in the book if I write it."

"Promise you'll write it? It may become a best seller and when I return to Earth one day, I can shock the nation with the fact I exist."

"There's that cockiness I was referring to!" I pointed out. "You actually have me rather excited to try write this stupid book. If I do that is."

"Why wouldn't you?" he pressed.

"Like I said earlier, I have no patience. You'd be lucky if I managed to write a paragraph before losing motivation."

"Well, with that attitude, yes. Perhaps our first meeting could be where you start, that was exciting and should keep you motivated. Or the first time we went outside? Well, I went outside."

"Yes, I could do that," I laughed. "But I think I'd have to start with when we first met because that's how this whole shit storm began."

"You're right about it being a shit storm anyway," he approved. "You may have to leave this part out though. Our time in jail is proving to be most ... uneventful."

"Well how else would it be in jail?" I scoffed. "Hardly all fun and games."

"Well, think of something exciting to add in. Keep your audience entertained. That's what I heard on your television one night when I was watching a game show. Keeping your audience is the key."

"Well, what would you suggest I throw in?" I wondered, trying to think myself. What would make a trip to jail more exciting (not that it was every exciting in the first place)? Louis just shrugged and gave me a vacant expression, as if he were looking right through me. What was he thinking?

"How am I suppose to know?" he finally said. "What do two people usually do when bored, captured and most likely veering towards certain death?"

The last part made my heart drop for a second but then the strangest thing escaped my throat. "A couple would kiss and express their undying love for each other."

Louis froze, his nose scrunched up almost distastefully. "Really?" he asked. "How cliché. Good thing we're not a couple then, huh?"

For whatever reason, something in me sunk, almost like he had rejected me in some way. It wasn't like I'd asked him anything though, but right then all I knew was that I wanted to lay one on him. I'd never kissed an alien before and I knew he'd never kissed a human.

"True, but it would entertain readers," I protested. "Unless you don't think I'm pretty?"

"Of course I think you're pretty ... for an Earthling," he added.

I exaggerated someone dealing with severe heart-break, clutching at my chest where the broken organ would be while holding onto the bars with my free hand. "Why must you hurt me this way, Loudrix?" I giggled. "You nasty alien. No wonder the Councillors wanted rid of you."

"Oh, harsh. You arrogant Earthling," he retaliated, laying his hand over mine. 

Suddenly we seemed very close and I didn't even try to hide the fact I was looking at his lips. They looked scarily inviting and the more I looked at him the more anxious I became. Why did I suddenly want to kiss him? Did that okol water have something in it? Hell, the lack of oxygen was probably just beginning to reach my head.

"Hey, seriously though, can I kiss you?" I asked. "I've never kissed ET before."

"You wish to kiss me? You're certainly not the first lady to want that," he murmured, leaning closer. Now his eyes were on my lips. "However, there's an awfully long line of fair maidens and it's first come, first serve."

"Yeah? Well I've just jumped the queue," I announced before pressing my lips to his. 

I don't know what I'd been expecting; fireworks, alarm bells, my heart to beat out my chest? Instead I found myself wondering if the poor lad had ever kissed anyone before. It was a simple peck on the lips, a prolonged one with our hands intertwined and faces squished unattractively against the bars. No tongue, no strings attached, nothing to ruin our platonic relationship and certainly nothing like I'd been. 

I pulled away first, sighing in disappointment. "Jesus, Louis."

His eyes lit up. "Was it good?"

"Hopeless," I corrected. "Have you kissed anyone before?"

"Eh, not really," he admitted. "There was never anyone before Klaru and even then with an arranged marriage, we only ever interacted to get to know each other. We never kissed or touched in inappropriate manners."

That made more sense but I was still underwhelmed. "Hell, I thought kissing a prince - an alien prince at that - would have a little more, I don't know ... oomf to it."

Louis seemed genuinely upset and I squeezed his hand tightly to reassure him it was alright. "Hey," I muttered, feeling slightly guilty about my harsh opinion, "look on the bright side; it was a better kiss than David."

He laughed, grinning at me like he was planning something evil. Was he? He leaned forward again and said, "He was a jerk though."

I nodded. "And you are anything but, my friend. Plus, I've kissed both girls and boys, so you have a lot of competition."

A comfortable silence fell between us where we just sat and smiled at each other, trying our best to keep the positive atmosphere there in our little untouchable bubble. I couldn't imagine being sat in a cell on my own with nobody to talk to and laugh with. Louis probably felt the same and if the look on his face when I'd first found him being beaten by that Councillor wasn't confirmation enough, I don't know what else would be.

But evil little me had to tease him one last time. "At least Klaru isn't missing anything."

Thank you for reading, as always! I know I'm usually terrible at replying to comments but I read every one, I appreciate every single one and I love all of you who take the time to tell me your thoughts, it honestly means the world to me. And even if you don't comment (bribing you to do it this time cos it's my birthday so comment damn it) I still love you the same. Thank you everyone!
Alien joke: Are you an alien? Because you just abducted my heart!
Cazza x