Off to see Dunkirk tomorrow ya'll, can I get a halle-flippin'-lujah? Gonna be fab ;)

GETTING TO LOUIS was going to be problematic enough without the majority of the Junite population having to wonder why two humans had mysteriously appeared on their planet. There was no denying that Jason and I were going to be the prime complication during our rescue mission and between the four of us, coming up with some sort of disguise was proving more difficult than we'd first anticipated. We were constantly hitting a dead end, and no idea with even the slightest of flaws could be carried out. We had to be extremely cautious, especially once we left the ship – if we ever did. Jason and I couldn't camouflage like the Junites and we sure as hell couldn't just walk in as we pleased and not expect to be stopped, perhaps even killed.

The countless times Louis had told me of the Junites' peaceful tendencies was one thing but it was another to observe them. The Councillors sure didn't live up to the expectations. Part of me wanted to believe that the guards wouldn't hurt us but if the roles were reversed and I were standing opposite a strange creature I'd never encountered before, I'd be rather terrified and ready to defend myself by any means necessary. Considering that the Junites were also completely unaware of our existence, it would make matters a whole lot worse and we'd probably scare any living creature on the planet.

And yet that hadn't been the case when I'd first met Louis.

I'd already decided that the best way to describe our first meeting was with the word extraordinary, not only for myself but for Louis. We had both discovered a new species that day and to be able to tell people, our own people, that we had befriended each other was incredible. Not many people could say that. It made me realise just how desperate I was to help him – no, save him. Planet Earth was where we had met and I didn't intend on Junito being the place we said our farewells.

"Nix is taking an awfully long time," I commented as I glanced over Jason's shoulder. "Do you think she ran into some trouble?"

"Not the captain," Bu replied with a shake of the head. She followed my line of sight to the empty corridor as if my words had struck her suddenly with paranoia. The only movement down the hallway was that of the swirling green steam. "Captain Nix is extremely careful with her actions. She would never be so careless as to let herself get caught, certainly not when it involves our prince."

"She loves Prince Loudrix, we all do," Alzik added.

"I don't," I heard Jason mutter under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear. When the aliens weren't looking, I pinched his arm hard enough to make him flinch.

"Behave," I whispered.

We waited for several more minutes in silent anticipation, keeping our chat to a minimum due to the echo that bounced around the room whenever we spoke. We couldn't risk getting caught, not now when we were almost out of the ship. But where was Nix? We couldn't leave without her.

"Are you she hasn't – I mean, are you sure she's alright?" Jason asked, his face creasing into a frown. "She said she'd only be a few minutes."

"She shall be along shortly," Bu promised, laying a reassuring hand on Jason's shoulder. I couldn't help but notice the way his features softened at her touch and I found myself smiling, sharing a look with Alzik that confirmed we were both thinking along the same lines; they liked each other. Jason had mentioned earlier that he'd suspected Bu had feelings for him and if the looks in both their eyes were anything to go on then he was right.

"What is she doing anyway?" I asked.

"She must remain in the control room until inspection has been cleared, then she mentioned something about having to retrieve certain items from around the ship." Alzik shrugged. "Perhaps some personal belongings or objects that require immediate reparation?"

My memory jogged at the mention of Nix collecting things from the ship. Some little part of me was positive she had mentioned something along those lines before, back when she had rescued me from Klaru's hospitalised interrogation. The more I tried to remember the further the memory seemed to stray.

Damn it, remember, I mentally urged myself, sighing in annoyance when nothing seemed to click into place. Stupid memory, how can you have forgotten so soon? It was only a few days ago!

"I could go look for her," Jason suggested, gesturing to the corridor with his finger as if he were unsure himself about going alone, "if you want?"

"No, I'm not letting you out of my sight again," I told him firmly, grabbing his hand tightly to prove my point. "Never again."

"I second that," Bu agreed, nodding in my direction.

"I guess I shall third it," Alzik commented, flashing a smile to Jason who looked awkward all of a sudden. It was like the attention was too much for him.

But my mind was primarily on Nix. What if she'd ended up in some sort of trouble? What would she do against the Councillors or guards if they managed to get their hands on her? How would she explain her purpose on the ship after inspection was cleared? There were so many little things that could go wrong and the anxiousness was driving me close to insanity.

"Well, if she-" I commenced, about to voice my worry when a pair of footsteps sounded in the distance, stopping me mid-sentence. The four of us turned to face the darkened corridor, all chit-chat dissipating as the stranger nearer. Whoever it was sounded like they were running straight for us and my heart began to race – as did the bothersome thoughts tormenting my mind: what if it was a Councillor or worse, Klaru on her way to fetch me? After all the shit I'd already gone through to get where I was, I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been her rounding that corner, scowling as per usual. Perhaps the only time I'd see her smile genuinely was right before my execution? But it wasn't Klaru that stepped into the light. Only when the petit figure appeared, radiating that brilliant gold, did I let out a relieved exhale. "It's Nix." I said it more to reassure myself.

Now there were three aliens in our little group.

Nix stood, looking as out of breath and tired as the previous two had. Why had they all taken it upon themselves to unnecessarily exert themselves to reach us? It wasn't like Jason and I could have gone anywhere by ourselves, not without an escort. Aside from her haggard appearance, the captain looked the same as the last time I'd seen her; all fluffy-haired and wide-eyed, a friendly (and exhausted) smile set on her face. She was dressed in a jumpsuit similar to mine and a brown satchel was resting across her right shoulder. I had to stop myself from saying hello, realising she wouldn't be able to understand me while in her true form so I settled for a small wave instead. A wave was the one form of greeting everybody could understand. She returned the gesture before beginning to transform, the swirls and intricate details of her Junite complexion slowly fading away until she stood plain and clear and boringly human. I'd never asked if the switch between disguises was painful in any way. Did it hurt – physically or emotionally – to completely change who you were to fit in somewhere else?

"Flora." Nix beamed, reaching out to wrap her arms around me.

"Hey," I replied, hugging her back. "What took you so long?"

"The inspection team thought it would be best to drag me around the entire ship to carry out a survey of sorts – inquired what was malfunctioning in what room and what needed extreme attention. You can imagine their faces when we entered the control room! What a mess those Councillors made of the controls panel! They should be ashamed of themselves."

"Especially for committing treason," Alzik huffed, shaking his head. "I still cannot believe they would do such a thing."

"Fools," Bu spat.

"Never mind them just now," Jason said. His intervention surprised me – usually he was the one to just stand back and listen, as if it were one of his beloved university lectures. But no, he was more vocal now, as if the whole adventure had knocked some mass of confidence into him. I was impressed. "We need to get the hell out of here before we get caught and the longer we stand around talking there's more of a chance of that happening."

"Jacob is right, we should begin our departure," Alzik said.

I snorted and Jason shot me a dirty look.

"I swear to God, that prince is going to get a slap from me next time I see him," he angrily muttered as Nix took command and began leading us away from the cells and into the main deck of the ship. "I'm going to call him Lou-dicks just to piss him off."

My paranoia levels intensified as we picked up speed, the sound of our footsteps hitting against the gridded floor of the cells loudening with every step – if there was anybody within earshot, they were bound to hear us stampeding towards the exit. I was thankful though because as soon as we were out of the cells, the floor was whole and smooth again and the dreaded rattling would cease. At least then we wouldn't be creating so much noise.

The winding corridors were empty as we flew through the ship but that didn't stop me from worrying that there could possibly have been a Councillor lurking at every turn. All it took was one touch from a Striking Blade for it to all be over.

"So, what's the plan?" Nix asked us suddenly, cutting a left.

"Um, we really just thought it would be best to try get to Louis," I replied. "If we can make it to Louis then we know what our next plan of action will be."

"We plan on trying to convince the prince to come forth and tell his parents about what happened during the expedition. With Prince Loudrix not yet on the throne, Klaru would have to face the wrath of his parents and that is one force she shall not be expecting to reckon with."

"It will be difficult though," Nix voiced. "Our prince is very independent and I do not think telling his parents is an idea he will be interested in."

"It's worth a try," Jason said.

"How are we going to convince them of Klaru's treachery if they don't believe Louis?" I asked.

"That is precisely why I returned for these," Nix said, tapping the satchel hanging from her shoulder. "Do you remember the first day we met, how I described deploying a small recording device in the lighting?"

That's it, that's what I couldn't remember. I nodded. "Yeah."

"I recovered that before the ship was inspected, so the cleaners would not disturb it. If the recordings go then we have little to no proof."

"We just have to hope then," I said. "Louis will have an idea, I know he will."

We skidded to a halt as we approached the main door, hiding behind the corner near Louis' room. Part of me was desperate to race back into the bathroom and look out the window. I was itching to see what it was like on the planet, what the kingdom looked like, what Louis' palace looked like, just everything. What colour was the sky? Was the ground covered in sand, grass, marble? I was so intrigued that my mind began to wander, pondering what an entire race of sparkling aliens looked like. It would be beautiful, like looking at the stars. But for me, there was only one star I was looking out for.

Someone tugged on my arm. "Psst, c'mon!" Jason piped as the five of us crept round the corner. It was still eerily quiet on board and I had to wonder why nobody was on board.

Everyone is probably attending the welcome back party, the voice jeered. Ship inspection was one thing but actually fixing all the problems could wait apparently, especially when an entire kingdom was rejoicing the return of their beloved princess and soon to be king.

"Wait," Nix instructed, holding out an arm. She took a tentative step forward and glanced out the oval window. That's when I heard it; the celebrating. Beyond the stilium walls, a crowd was cheering and whistling a musical number. It sounded more like a parade what with music blaring through the air and joyous singing hitting a gradual crescendo. How loud would it be outside, I wondered.

I grew agitated when realising that none of those innocent people out there knew about Klaru and the Councillors. There they were, cheering them on like they were some kind of heroes. When the truth was out there sure would be a change of tune.

"Can I look?" I asked Nix, pointing to the window.

"Be careful, Flora," she told me. "Do not let anyone see you."

I was slow to begin with but the burning desire to look at the scenery was too strong and soon I was standing upright without any care as to who could possibly see me or what the consequences would be. But it was worth it – the sky was burning a brilliant orange-yellow and the buildings were all like skyscrapers but significantly taller than any skyscraper I'd ever seen. These things were huge and shaped in the most peculiar of ways. For example, one building forked at the top into what could be mistaken as a trident, while another was built like a pear and completely made out of glass. My mouth had fallen open at the sight and that was before I had even caught a glimpse of the countless spaceships flying through the air.

"What's it like?" I barely heard Jason whisper beside me. He tugged at my wrist gently to get my attention. "Flora?"

"It's... My, God, it's beautiful, Jason," I breathed. "C'mere and look."

My friend took but a moment to brush up against my side, a protective arm wrapping around my shoulder as he observed the scenery with me. Speechless like myself, he simply stood and observed the view, a surprised chuckle escaping his throat.

"Holy shit," he murmured. "Flora, we made it. Jupiter! We're actually on another planet, an alien flipping planet!"

"I know," I returned, smiling widely.

"I must insist that you step away from there!" Nix hissed. "You could be seen!"

"It's alright," I told her. "We'll be careful."

But I'd spoken too soon; two guards, dressed in silver armour and holding Striking Blades had stepped into the light and paused at the door of the ship. I pushed Jason out of sight, holding my hand out to warn the others that we had company. Please don't come aboard. I found myself crossing my fingers in hopes that our hiding place would remain safe.

"Guards, two of them," I whispered to Nix, ducking away from the window. "They're standing right outside the door. What are we supposed to do now?"

Bu and Nix exchanged a worrisome glance. Were we trapped? The longer the three aliens remained silent, the sooner I realised the worst: we were going to be aboard the Mothership longer than we'd intended. If they couldn't think of a plan B escape off the top of their heads, we were screwed.

"Is there another exit?" Jason asked.

"The escape capsules are the only other way to leave the ship," Nix explained. "This ship was designed to make it extremely difficult for intruders to penetrate the inside unless let in through the main door. It's the perfect voyage ship; safe and secure from enemies and oncoming attacks."

"But there's no emergency exit or anything?" I urged. "Surely there must be another way out?" I was desperate; you could hear it in my voice. Jason certainly could for he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

For once Nix was the one lost for words. She just shook her head in defeat. "The escape capsules only. I'm sorry."

"Louis said he'd let me complain to the designer, you know? I think we're going to have to talk about how important emergency exits are."

Cheers rose again in the distance, a triumphant chorus of voices singing and rejoicing. Louis, I instantly thought. Was that the proposal? I hoped not. I knew deep down that the next time I saw Louis – if I saw him again – he would be engaged. As soon as that ring was on her bloody finger, Klaru would be off flaunting it to everyone and everything in her path and the worst part was that nobody would even know that it would be the beginning of the end. As long as she and Louis were together, the population of Junito would be under the influence of a corrupt leader.

Alzik suddenly jerked his head towards us. "I may have a plan."

WHAT ALZIK HAD in mind turned out to be both ingenious and disgusting. The thing that bothered me most was the part where Jason and I came in. But if it worked then brilliant, it wouldn't matter how dirty we were or how many times we were dropped unceremoniously to the ground – we'd be in the palace and one step closer to Louis.

"Now, when the cleaning staff arrives, they're going to lift the pods and haul them to the missionary shelter. Once there, we shall come and collect you. Here's the fantastic part - the missionary shelter is directly linked to the underground evacuation tunnels under the palace. If luck is with us today, then we may even find a safe way up to the prince's room." Nix crossed her arms over her chest. "But you must remain silent and still or the plan will fail. I'm afraid I cannot guarantee your safety if you are discovered beforehand."

"Good to know," I muttered as I glanced distastefully at the ETB. The thought of hiding inside the toilet left a bad taste in my mouth ... thankfully not in the literal sense. Yet, said the voice and I shuddered. I couldn't even recall if Louis and I had used the toilet while stuck in the cells. The idea of doing my business in the open had shocked me too much for me to even think about needing to urinate. "Can we use clean ones? Like, ones in other cells? I can't remember if Louis and I used these ones and I don't intend to enter the palace smelling like piss and shit."

"I second that," Jason chipped in. "How embarrassing."

Embarrassing indeed. Even more so if you can't fit your arse inside, I thought grimly as I let out a displeased exhale. I really didn't want to get in there but there was no other option; I'd already tried to convince the Junites to let us try using one of the capsules to escape, to which they all shook their heads and pointed out how doing so would only draw more attention our way. We had to be careful, stealthy and most importantly united. We couldn't do this without one another.

"Well," I grumbled, grimacing at the group, "here we go." I wished everyone good luck before Jason and I turned and began manoeuvring ourselves into the ETBs. Bu and Alzik helped Jason as he had no clue how to activate them, while Nix lent me a hand as I lay down on the bed and stared up at the grimy ceiling. At least we didn't have to hide in the toilet side.

"Good luck," Nix said. She nodded firmly and reached out to close the pod. As the lid began to fold over and envelop me in total darkness, I allowed my eyes to close.

This isn't so bad after all, I thought reassuringly. I had to think positively or I was going to go insane. What if someone dropped the pod while I was inside? I had to take another deep breath to stop myself mid-thought. I was stronger than that and I wouldn't give in to distressing thoughts because I knew we were all going to make it through this.

And if we didn't? Since the moment our adventure had begun I'd been ignoring that one possibility; that not only I but Jason or Louis could end up dead. There was a moment back when Klaru had first appeared when I thought I wouldn't make it and I'd never been more terrified in my life. It made me realise just how much I had to see this through to the end. We had to stop her from ruining more peoples' lives. If she won there was a good chance I'd never see Jason, Louis or my parents again - I'd never see home again. I was determined not to let that happen.

I squeezed my eyes tighter.

If I listened close enough, I could almost hear Klaru's evil cackle in the distance, over the voices of the crowd. What baffled me the most was how Klaru had managed to claim such superiority so efficiently. I wanted to know exactly how she'd managed to gain the trust and allegiance of the Council majority. If anything Norkar had said was true, my guess was blackmail and threats – or both. Norkar was risking his family to help us, so what was not to say she was holding something dear to the others in order to force their hand?

What crept into my curious mind then were authority figures – the police, the FBI. Did Junito have such things? If Louis was to explain everything to his family, would there be a police force to arrest the traitors, a place to lock them up for good? Part of me hoped the Junite traditions were different and punishments like stoning were still in operation. Calm now, Flora. I know you hate the bitch but there's no need to wish death on anyone. But there was no convincing my conscious that Klaru deserved anything other than death. If Louis' life meant so little to her then why would her life mean a damn thing to me? If the situation arose where nobody was going to raise a hand to foil her plan and I was the only thing standing between her and Louis, I worried myself when realising that I would protect him no matter what, even if that meant ending Klaru myself.

Within the cramped confines of the ETB I found myself shaking like a leaf. It wasn't particularly cold inside the pod but all of the nagging thoughts and self-doubt was eating me alive. I knew that if I could just see Louis, preferably away from Klaru, that it would all cease and my mind would run right back on track.

Thoughts were distractions and distractions were toxic.

Apparently the ETBs were also soundproof; I nearly let out a shriek as my pod was suddenly heaved upwards off of the ground. With a thud, I was dropped again but I couldn't care less because we were one step closer to getting inside the palace. With the cleaning staff beginning to clear out the ship, we couldn't arrive at our next destination sooner. But time seemed to drag.

With my mind still wandering, fidgeting soon became my only method of counting the seconds, tapping my fingers against my upper thigh as we were carried safely away from the ship. As I strained to listen, the less I could make out. Perhaps I'd imagined hearing the crowd earlier because I knew that it meant Louis was safe. It had only continued to echo in my ears because I'd wanted it to. So then, inside the pod with nothing to hear except my own shallow breathing, I felt more claustrophobic than ever before.

"Breathe," I whispered to myself. "Be calm. Keep calm."

For Louis, I kept quiet. For Jason, calm. For everyone else involved, I even held my damn breath. I wouldn't allow myself to fuck up, not when everything was falling into place perfectly. Almost too perfectly...

The rocking from side to side concluded we were in some sort of cart. Perhaps it was being pulled by hantodils, the odd creatures Louis had described to me once.

When the rocking finally stopped and my pod was dropped hastily to the ground again, I knew we were inside the missionary shelter, only moments away from being led to safety by Nix, Bu and Alzik. Nervous was an understatement, I was full on flustered.

There were three sharp raps on the lid and the pod slowly began to open. The first thing I noticed was the high and intricately detailed ceiling. Reminding me of the similar design in the canteen on board the Mothership, I had to wonder if a supply base really needed such grandeur. The second thing I saw was a stern-faced Nix leaning above me. Without a word, she grasped my hand tightly and hauled me to my feet, ushering me quickly from the ETB and behind a stack of metal boxes near the corner of the room. Peeking over the top of our hidden area I could see that the shelter was huge, full of all sorts of bits and bobs which I assumed were necessities for a long trip. There were rows of pods off to the left where Nix had collected me from and on the opposite side were shelves upon shelves of medical supplies, extra clothing and bottles of brightly coloured liquids. I recognised them thanks to Louis and I pondered whether or not those were the salves and potions he had concocted himself.

"Flora!" Jason's voice hissed from the right. I snapped my head in his direction to find him crouched down with Bu by his side, gesturing for us to group up. Looking beside me, I found Nix nodding. Cautiously, I made sure the coast was clear before I shuffled over to my friend, taking his hand and squeezing it tightly. Once we were all together I asked where Alzik was.

"He's scouted ahead to make sure the tunnels are clear. It would be most unfortunate if we were to bump into some guards at this point."

"Most definitely," Nix muttered, pointing a little down the wall. There was a door, half concealed behind a pile of what looked like broken electrical gear. "That's our emergency exit out."

We waited patiently as a guard strolled past, dressed in armour and holding a Striking Blade like the previous ones we encountered by the ship. Once positive it was safe to move, we crept over to the door and shuffled through the gap, Nix carefully closing it as quietly as possible behind us.

Inside was a dirty corridor. There were grimy looking steps leading down to the left and a dark hall to the right. The stairs looked less inviting than the hallway and in the minimal light there was, I turned to Nix and asked, "Which way?"

"We must await Alzik's return. He is making sure the tunnels are clear before we make our move. The last thing we need is to run into a guard at this precise moment. Anything could happen."

"I'd rather wait for him," Jason agreed, taking my elbow and tugging me towards him. He leaned down to whisper, "Louis' life is depending on this."

"So are ours," I replied. I'd been so caught up in everything happening with Louis that I'd not fully considered how Jason must have been feeling. Alone with Bu, a Junite he didn't know too well while I was with Louis. I'd had that comforting familiarity while he'd been missing out. I couldn't even begin to imagine how he must have felt during those days as we travelled to Junito. Had he been frightened, nervous? Hating my guts for leaving him like that? I'd never forgive myself for running from him that day especially when there had been so much trouble happening aboard. "Your life, Jase."

"I'd much rather use this time to keep you alive, Flora," he said, frowning ever so slightly as I reached up to straighten his glasses. "As long as you get to go home after all of this, I'll be a happy man."

"Don't speak like you're not going to make it off of this planet," I scolded. "Don't you dare. Not now. Not ever, in fact."

"Ha, look at you, Brannon – telling me off like some sort of child," he chuckled, wrapping his arm around me. His hug was warm and comforting; just the thing I craved right at that moment. Yet, the voice in my head was comparing him to Louis.

Fuck off.

"We'll make it through this, don't you worry," he promised. "Just like old times, yeah?"

I smiled up at him and nodded. "Yeah."

When Alzik finally arrived to deliver the all-clear, Nix turned and led us down the dark hallway. She mentioned how the tunnels were built hundreds of years ago when an air-strike was launched on the palace by another royal family jealous of sharing the throne.

"Tell me some of Junito's history," I suggested as we continued to pass through the cold stone walls. "Tell us about the royal history."

"Well, at the beginning of time there were two kingdoms – the Eastern Kingdom and the Western Kingdom. Direct opposite sides of Junito. The king of the West decided there could only be one true leader of Junito and sought out to take complete control with no regard to anyone or anything in his wake. He was a selfish gentleman according to the stories. However, many of the Westerners disagreed with his selfish beliefs and he was then kept under tight scrutiny by his acquaintances until one day he finally delivered the order – his armies were to strike upon the East."

"So, this king led an army to fight because being a king wasn't enough unless he was the only one?" I concluded. Nix nodded. "So what happened?"

"There was a great war between the kingdoms but in the end, we – the East – conquered and all privileges and power were seized from the West. The King lost his throne and was sentenced to death with his family for disrupting the peace." Nix sighed. "And then began the long years of putting together treaties of peace and harmony to keep inner battles defunct. Junito has since been a planet of peace and equality. However, our king could not do everything alone, not even with a queen by his side. The kingdom responsibilities were shared out within the smaller sectors of the planet; hence why we have smaller royal civilisations throughout our lands."

It only took a moment to realise what said civilisations were. "That is where all the eligible princesses come from," I realised. "Like Klaru. That's one of the smaller royal districts, where she's from, isn't it?"

"Yes. However, there is only one true king remaining to this day – our prince's father. That is why Klaru is so desperate for that throne in particular, because Louis is a true royal. After the Westerners lost the war and were exterminated that left only the royals in the Eastern Kingdom."

"So Klaru isn't a true royal?" Jason pondered, looking to me as if he'd figured out the greatest equation in the history of the universe. "That's why she was so mad when you called Louis her superior, because he's the real deal and she's just, well ... not."

"But what does that make her?" I asked.

Bu leaned forward and offered: "A parasite."

"Bu!" Nix gasped. "You cannot say such things! The families in the districts may not be true royals but they are our superiors nonetheless."

"But she is!" Bu huffed. "She feeds off of a false title! All of the families in the districts were hand-chosen by the king to serve in his absence – to rule the smaller parts of the kingdom after the Western King was destroyed. The weight of ruling the entire planet was too much of a burden for one man and so the job was shared out among the King's most trust-worthy companions."

"So the kings in the districts are more like lords? Knights, even?" I figured and Alzik nodded enthusiastically like a bobble-headed desk toy.

"Whatever name you wish to call them, it is and always has been courtesy to address them as either Your Majesty or Your Liege."

"Liege," Jason scoffed. "If Louis ever tries to make me call him that, I'll slap him."

The Junites suddenly set their undying loyalty free and stopped in their tracks to verbal abuse Jason for even thinking of such an act of treason.

"If you lay a hand to our prince, you shall be executed immediately," Bu snapped sternly, folding her arms over her bust. Jason paled at her words and nodded simply, apparently too embarrassed – or scared? – to speak again.

"Way to go," I chuckled as we followed Nix through the tunnels.

"Shut it."

Finally another door appeared. "This is the stairway up to the top floor of the palace. With a bit of luck, the prince shall be in his chambers." Nix paused and turned to face us. "However, if that is not the case, we shall have no choice but to wait. Flora, you shall be the one to speak to him first."

"Why me?" I asked. "Would he not rather see his crew first?"

I closed my mouth immediately because she gave me a look – a knowing look and it unnerved me. It was like she knew something I didn't. "He will want to see you first, trust me."

Jason cleared his throat.

We jogged up the narrow staircase one after the other, Nix continuing to lead the way forward. Our conversation had gradually ceased as we neared the top, my hand reaching back to grasp Jason's in anticipation. He was still right behind me and I exhaled in relief. I was paranoid I was going to lose him again.

"The tunnel let's out behind a tapestry in the west balcony. From there, the prince's room is directly down the hall to the left, the furthest room at the end of the corridor. I shall go first to ensure there are no guards roaming around. I wouldn't assume so this high into the castle, especially since the celebration is taking place in the gardens."

The gardens, I thought. They must be beautiful.

"On three," Nix whispered, holding up one finger ... two fingers ... three. She pushed open the small metal door at the top of the stairs and was gone in seconds. I caught a brief glimpse at the palace interior – the walls looked like they were made from marble, shiny and patterned bricks of all sizes building up the frame. The tapestry concealing the door was red with golden tassels at the bottom. To the left, a balcony over-looking the red hills that stretched out over the kingdom. The sky was still that brilliant orange hue and my fingers twitched of their own accord, the dangerous thought of, what would happen if I were to go out there? - coming to mind. If there were guards around, I'd be killed.

Nix came back to collect us seconds later, her hand desperately ushering me out of the tunnel and into the light. When I caught sight of her shaking her head at the others I had to question what her intentions were.

"I'm taking you alone," she announced. "As soon as Louis enters his chambers, you shall talk there, in private and come back to us with a plan. We cannot risk all being caught, I'm sorry to say."

"So I'm the bait?" I scoffed. "I'm the distraction, the guinea-pig?"

Nix shook her head and pouted like I'd upset her feelings. "I did not mean it in such a horrid way, Miss Flora. You know I didn't. All I meant was that because the prince is as close to you as he is, it would be better if he were to see your face first so as to not overwhelm him like it would if all five of us were to be seated waiting for him – like some sort of interrogation."

"Ah, alright. And what do I do if he has company?" I blurted as she laid a hand on my shoulder, about to begin guiding me down the hall to Louis' room. I shrugged her off and waited for an answer because I was not going in there without knowing what to do. "Nix," I urged. "What do I do if Klaru is with him?"

"Slap her," Jason suggested once again from behind the ajar door.

"You must remain calm," she told me, lifting a hand to push a stray hair from my face. "You use your wit and fool that untrustworthy creature until help arrives. If you need to convince Louis to expose her sooner than later, you do it – as long as it keeps your heart beating. We need you just as much as our prince needs you, Earthling. We are all counting on you."

I just nodded, still unsure as to what exactly I were to do if the situation came down to Klaru and I standing opposite each other in the same room. Two fiery red-heads fighting over a prince for two very different reasons.

We flattened ourselves against the walls to try conceal ourselves a little better. We were so out in the open that my palms had began to sweat in fear. I looked worriedly in both directions as Nix started whispering the plan to Bu and Alzik.

But my attention had been captured by something else: the gorgeous scenery of Junito, plain and in sight from the balcony. In seconds it had drawn me in like a moth to a flame.

"Wow," I breathed as I peeled myself from the wall and stepped over to the railing of the balcony. I let my hands rest on the barrier and slowly leaned over until I could see the ground beneath me – and then I ducked because it was full of Junites and I realised then that we were standing right above the welcome home party.

Louis is down there, I thought. If I were to yell, would he hear me?

Cautiously allowing myself to lean a little further over the edge, I squinted down at the festivities below, trying to determine which of the blue sparkling figures were Louis, not that there were too many to choose from. All I had to do was find a blue and yellow standing closely together and that would be the easiest way to deduct my options.

It didn't take long to find him.

From where I stood he was only a sparkling speck but even then I knew it was him. I could tell by the way he stood at the front of the crowd, holding himself confidently before his subjects. Beside him, Klaru. The crowd of multi-coloured Junites were still cheering and singing to their royals and I had to wonder when the party was going to end. What if I was stuck waiting for him for hours?

"Flora!" Nix gasped, rushing over and grasping my arm. "Get down! Do you know how dangerous it is to be standing out in the open?! You could have been seen!"

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered, glancing back at the land spread out before me. How could I not stand and drink in the view, if even for a second? "It's just so beautiful."

She smiled and nodded her head fondly. "It is. You do not appreciate home until you miss it. I missed Junito dearly while we were stranded on your planet, I truly did. When things were starting to look bleak, I was hit hard with grief because it was beginning to look like I'd never see my home again."

"I understand how you must have felt," I sympathised. "I'm beginning to feel a tad homesick."

"You are?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "Back home, I was never in as much trouble as this. The most danger I was in back in Hoveton was when the tide came in a little too far and the flood warnings had to go up... But never-mind that. Let's go."

We made it to Louis' room unharmed and unnoticed. The door was just as grand as the one to his chambers in the Mothership, tall and golden but it couldn't compare to the room itself – it was decorated floor to ceiling in ruby tapestries save the wall above the bed which was covered in posters and mind-maps, no doubt of Louis' own designs and formulas. Gadgets and boxes of knick-knacks were strewn across the desk behind the door, a hologramicator sitting to the far right. There was another door at the opposite end of the room – open and revealing the bathroom – and I couldn't believe how clean his room was in the palace compared to how it had been on the ship. There was a splendid fireplace facing the bed, the mantle cluttered with bits and bobs and directly where Nix was headed.

"Quick, come here."

I joined her by the fire, my mouth falling open when her fingers fumbled over the antique-looking mantle until she smiled widely and a faint click activated a secret doorway.

"I should have known," I laughed as the fire place swung forward, detaching itself from the wall. Behind were three small steps leading down into a small, square room. There was a small single bed inside – not an ETB, thank God – and a strange looking object which I assumed was a lamp. "What's this, like an air-raid shelter?"

"Precisely!" Nix answered, beaming. "You will have to hide in here until Louis arrives. Do not worry, you can hear just fine from inside here so you shall know when he enters the room."

"But... What if it's not Louis that comes in?"

Nix opened her mouth as if she were about to speak but quickly caught herself short. With a shake of her head she let out a loud sigh and said, "Just be optimistic, Flora. Honestly? I don't know what you're going to do if it's not the prince but I cannot think of who else would enter his chambers. Klaru most likely will continue to bathe in the glory until the early hours of the morning whether Louis wishes to be by her side or not. I assume the prince will retire early to bed. Today will have taken a toll on him. All I can say is this: just hope it's him that enters the room. For all our sakes, I hope it is."

I wasn't religious but it seemed like a good time to start praying for a miracle. If someone other than Louis found me hiding in his room, things would escalate scarily fast and I'd most likely lose my head. Literally.

I could only nod like her words had managed to ease my anxious mind. She was trying, she really was but no matter what words came from her mouth I was still having extreme difficulty trying to calm myself down.

Nix flashed me a final smile before wishing me luck. I needed it more than ever. Padding down the steps and plopping myself down on the bed, I watched in silence as she pushed the fire back into place against the wall, once again leaving me alone and shaking.

And so began the dreaded waiting. That was the worst part, the sitting and not being able to do anything or know what was going on outside the palace walls. I couldn't even hear the Junites celebrating now that I was inside the shelter.

Louis' name continued to race through my mind. Louis, Louis, Louis. Is he safe? Is he well? He's the prince, I had to keep reminding myself. It wasn't like he'd be without security so of course he was safe.

But what good is security when the threat is already on the inside?

I wanted to scream, cry too, yell at the top of my lungs about how unfair life was. Why did a curious, gentle soul like Louis end up stuck in such an unjustified situation? How was it fair? Nobody should ever feel betrayal as hard as Louis was at the moment.

As the minutes ticked by I thought about how grand it would be to watch Klaru be stripped of her royal status for high treason against the throne – the real throne. I knew everything now, that Klaru was basically a nobody, a false royal. A parasite, Bu had called her and how right she was. If the bitch thought she could leech all the power off of Louis then she was mistaken because there was one thing standing in her way – me.

The thought of seeing Louis again brought a smile to my face. Hours had seemed like days since we'd last spoke and his last words still rang in my mind like alarm bells. Be careful. For me, please be careful, my Earthling.

But long did I have to wait for my prince to arrive?

Thank you for reading! As always you overwhelm me with your kind words!

If anybody would like to make some fan art for Alien – banners, covers, trailers etc – then don't be afraid to do so! I feature all fan art with new updates and I love seeing how creative you guys are. Yay for creativity, whoop! Inbox me if you have a question!

Space joke: Why did Mickey Mouse go to space? He was looking for Pluto!

Cazza