THE FIRST THOUGHT that came to mind when I saw Louis step out from the shadows was how good he looked. He was dressed head to toe in similar clothing he'd worn when I'd seen him last: fine, silky looking fabrics that were draped and pinned modestly across his body, with a blood-red sash strung from shoulder to hip. His hair was shorter and had been tamed in to a styled up-do, dissimilar to the unruly mess I'd grown accustomed to seeing him wear on Earth.

The people who had styled him had done a brilliant job at making him look presentable for his big day.

His big day that he certainly didn't look thrilled about. His smile was false, plastered there on his face almost painfully. I wondered if it was hurting him to smile at all the excited guests, all the friends and family who had travelled hours, miles, perhaps days to be there to see him get married. But none of them knew how miserable he truly was.

I just wanted to hug him and make everything better.

He was glowing but only literally. The brightness of his aqua skin seemed to illuminate the room, like a fiery beacon in the darkness. He was the main attraction, the golden boy finally becoming a man. If it weren't for that gloomy smile, he would have looked absolutely perfect for everybody.

Only that didn't matter because he was perfect to me no matter what.

He followed miserably behind his parents, his eyes fixed on their backs. If I looked closely enough, he appeared to be glaring at them, not that I blamed him. If I were in his place I wouldn't look to fondly at my parents for making me go through with an arranged marriage.

The king and queen looked almost as magnificent as Louis. They too were dressed in finery that glinted and sparkled as brightly as their skin and atop their heads sat the most incredible looking crowns I had ever seen. Equal in size and colour but different when it came to the jewels embedded within the metal. If I squinted I could just make out the bloody stones surrounded by emerald drops.

Louis' mother was a striking woman who looked to be in her early forties with dark hair styled and pinned back to accentuate her sharp bone-structure. I knew from a single glance that Louis had inherited his beauty from her. The queen was dressed in a silver gown that trailed out behind her, almost touching the toes of Louis' polished boots. She looked breath-taking, like a queen straight out of a children's fairy tale.

Louis' father, despite everything ugly I had heard about him, turned out to be quite the handsome man. He stood tall, with a greying beard that reached his chest and short hair that had been pushed back to accommodate his crown. His scarlet cloak swept back like his queen's gown and the two of them walked hand-in-hand to the front of the room.

Louis, however, slowed his pace and fell motionless in the centre of the aisle. Initially, I thought he had stopped to consider turning around and making a run for it but he simply stood and crossed one hand over the other, observing his parents as they moved closer to the end of the room, where there were two red thrones situated just beyond the podium.

"The entirety of room respects the King and Queen – quite rightly so – and therefore, it is mandatory that they wait patiently for them to get comfortable before continuing on with the celebration."

"I thought it was Louis' celebration though?" Jason muttered. I could hear the confusion in his voice and when I looked to him I found a small frown upon his brow.

"It is," Bu said. "But he is not the king just yet. Therefore, our current royals are to be treated just as always. Until their crowns are bestowed upon their successors, it is very much their night as well as their son's. After all, they will be delighted to see Prince Loudrix finally take a wife considering how long he hesitated."

I said nothing.

My focus remained on Louis as he finally strode towards the front of the room, where an older gentleman of a brilliantly neon orange smiled warmly at him and opened an old and rather fragile looking tome displayed before him.

"Do you guys have the Bible?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Do you have a God or God-like personalities that you worship?"

Bu chuckled and offered a nod. "Everyone believes in something," was all she said.

The orange man – the equivalent of a pastor I assumed, as he raised a hand and motioned for the guests to stand – began to address the crowd but what he was saying, I had no clue.

"What's he saying?" I asked Bu once she had changed back from her Junite form.

"It's too much hassle for me to continue changing back and forth so I shall fill you in on the basics of a Junite wedding," she informed us. She gestured to the orange man. "Lord Jasver is going to be reading ancient script that verbally binds the two souls together. All the things I'm sure you can imagine shall be mentioned – accepting each other no matter the circumstances and loving each other until death doth come between them. That, alone, is a lengthy part of the speech so when the rest begins, I'll let you know then. Like I said before, it is rare to witness a Royal wedding so things may go a little differently to a traditional wedding."

"Alright," I said, "thank you."

All I could do was listen as Bu continued to switch, letting us know if anything important was being passed through the guard channel on her radio device. I didn't dare say anything to her or Jason as she speedily jumped to and fro.

The music from earlier picked up suddenly and my head snapped to the back of the room where Louis and his parents had first emerged. The crescendo must have been to announce Klaru's arrival.

My eyes darted back and forth from Louis and the door. I didn't want to take my eyes off of him. I was scared for him, devastated for him. I didn't want that witch to make eye contact with him or go anywhere near him.

And then all of a sudden, I was picturing myself in Klaru's place, walking down the aisle towards Louis. Not in anything special, just my usual Sunday attire of tracksuit bottoms and a T-shirt. Louis was in the plain clothes that I'd bought for him on Earth and in his hand, he clutched that infernal blanket he loved to cover himself with every night. And that was it; us two and nobody else at the wedding. Hell, I didn't even know if it was a wedding anymore. It was simple, it was sweet and it was us two against the universe.

"Are you alright?" Jason whispered down to me.

I flinched slightly, ripped from my fantasy and back to the horror of the now.

The music swelled and the air seemed heavy but I just nodded and said 'yes.'

Jason could tell. His hand slid into mine and squeezed comfortingly.

And then as the orchestra hit that high, Klaru emerged from the double doors at the far end of the great hall. Like a villain stepping out to do battle with the hero, the pair glared at each other steadily.

Even from our position I could make out that gleam in her eye as she looked Louis up and down - right before plastering a sugary sweet grin onto her face. Then, as everyone ogled at their soon-to-be queen, she began to make her way down the aisle, towards where Louis remained silent and unimpressed. Each step she took was like a slap in the face, each one of her breaths stealing one of my own.

Louis turned to face her fully as she manoeuvred to his side, her gown – gorgeous, unfortunately – sweeping against the petals and confetti that littered the golden carpet. I could never see myself wearing something like what Klaru had squeezed into. Dress was putting it lightly – it resembled a ballgown of sorts, with a pouffe of skirts and tassels that swayed as she walked, the turquoise and gauzy silver frills atop gathered at the front and draping down and out to form a train longer than the Queen's. It was stunning but perhaps a little too much. But who could tell a bride that her dress was over the top on her wedding day?

Perhaps Louis; I swear I saw him roll his eyes.

Klaru took no notice and slipped her hand into his as they finally stood side by side at the front of the room, before the King and Queen.

They bowed, as did all of the guests.

Bu was turning to face me, human disguise appearing once again but my patience was wavering. Just the sight of them standing there, hand in hand, made me want to vomit. In a projectile sort of way. Bu said: "Now the speeches and vows begin. Then the exchanging of blood and-"

"I'm gonna just sit down over here," I cut her off, offering a small apologetic smile as I moved to the rear of the ship.

"Alright," she told me with a smile. It was almost as false as Louis'.

But I couldn't see it, didn't want to see it. The thought of bearing witness to the bond between them being officialised made my stomach churn and maybe I was being silly, pathetic even, but I just ... couldn't.

Jason remained beside Bu, watching intently as Louis and Klaru's wedding took place, the guests waiting eagerly and the King and Queen no doubt beaming at the front of the room. Oh, how proud they must have been.

I wondered what was going on through Louis' mind as it all happened. Was he thinking about me? Was he worried about making his speech and exposing Klaru to everybody? Was he perhaps reconsidering it all? God forbid.

Don't think like that, I told myself. Louis is the one who was done wrong – he's angry and hurt and just as scared as you are. Don't lose faith, he'll be fine.

"Tell me when it's over," I said as Jason looked over his shoulder at me.

His mouth was already partly open, as if he were about to speak. He closed it and nodded. "OK."

"Are you sure you do not wish to see the ceremony?" Bu asked me quietly. "I understand why it may be hard for you but a Junite wedding is rather beautiful and special. That, plus it is extremely rare that a Royal wedding occurs and especially one as large as this."

I looked to her wide, almost pleading eyes. I didn't blame her for being excited. It was a wedding after all, and everyone and everything below looked gorgeous – Klaru included. It certainly was a sight for sore eyes but I couldn't let myself be in awe because of everything I'd endured, everything I'd seen and heard all because of Klaru and her selfishness.

The bottom line was this: Louis couldn't stand her, I hated her, Jason hated her and the entirety of Louis' crew did also. She had to pay for what she'd done. So, no, I would not stand and watch her perfect day play out, even with the knowledge that we would be ruining it for her in the span of a few hours.

"You can tell me what's going on?" I suggested and Bu just smiled and nodded once again, understanding.

"They have just completed their vows and soon the blood exchange shall be made to seal the marriage."

"Alright," I choked out.

I began to wonder what Louis would say in his vows. When had he found the time to come up with vows, anyway? Was there even anything decent enough to share about Klaru? They barely knew each other, now and before everything had happened. So, I was intrigued to know what he had to say about her.

And then I was suddenly back in that happy place; I was in Klaru's shoes beside Louis and we were alone in our own little world. We were facing the front of the throne room but there was no king or queen sitting there, just like the rest of the room.

Louis turned to me and he was smiling. A real smile, one that reached his eyes. Happiness was radiating from him and it was infectious – I beamed back at him, entirely enthralled in his everything.

"Flora," he said.

"Louis," I returned.

And then he shared his vows with me. Not necessarily to me but with me and they were beautiful and I could relate to everything he said because I felt those feelings for him too. He spoke of our first meeting and how it had been terrifying yet magical all in one and that he knew from that very first moment we locked eyes that great things would happen for us – between us.

I expressed to him that I agreed and that was it. We didn't kiss, we didn't get married, we just remained smiling at each other.

That was happiness. That was magical. And that, unfortunately, would never happen.

"They've done the blood ritual thingy," Jason announced quietly as Bu transformed into her Junite skin to listen to her orders from the guard.

Jason and Bu continued to inform me of what was happening down below an I offered the occasional nod of my head to show I'd heard them.

Time seemed to drag on but ten minutes later, after Lord Jasver had officially wed them and completed reading from the sturdy book he was apparently clutching tightly to his chest, the guests were on their feet again, cheering merrily and whistling at the happy couple. Bu didn't have to translate anything for me – the ecstatic crowd below were proof enough.

The new, happy couple.

The new rulers of Junito.

King Loudrix and Queen Klaru.

The wedding was finally over but it seemed to go by so quickly. It was like it had passed in the blink of an eye and all the dismay and panic had been short lived. I'd expected it to take much, much longer and destroy us piece by piece as it dragged.

For a split second, I was thankful.

"Flora, they're about to crown Prince Loudrix," Bu announced. There was no disguising the glee in her voice.

"Crown them?" I questioned, my voice flat.

"Yes. The wedding ceremony is officially over but the coronation is only just beginning."

"But I thought as soon as they were married that Louis would become king?"

Bu chuckled quietly. "Not quite. The wedding is simply to bring together and bond two souls for life but in order to become King, the sole heir must first be wed. And now that he is finally married, he shall be crowed the King of Junito."

The title took me momentarily by surprised. I was so accustomed to Louis being the Prince – the missing prince with a genius mind and enthusiasm for adventure and science. And now he was about to become king – the king.

I was by Jason's side just as the king and queen stood from their thrones and made their way down the three little steps that led up to their thrones. The pastor – Jasver – bowed at the waist and began uttering more words to the room. The king and queen were smiling widely at their son but I couldn't see Louis' face anymore. He was facing away from us but I saw him nod in the direction of his mother. Then his father.

"What will happen now, is the queen shall take Klaru's hand and say her vows as queen one last time before Klaru must repeat them back. Then she is crowed queen. Likewise, for the king and Prince Loudrix."

"I don't want to see Klaru crowned as queen," I said truthfully. "The thought makes me want to rip my hair out."

"More so than the thought of her being married to Louis?" Jason pitched in.

I just glared at him. "I hate her, Jase. She's a bitch."

"I know, I know," he answered, wrapping an arm around my shoulder to pull me into his side.

We watched intently as the coronation began, Louis' mother reaching out a hand towards Klaru. She took it a little too enthusiastically, practically grabbing the queen's hand in her greedy paws. I saw Louis turn his head towards her.

The queen's mouth began to move, reciting the vows Bu had mentioned.

"What exactly is said in the vows when becoming king or queen?" I asked.

"Basically, you vow to protect the people of Junito and prevent them from any harm. You promise to carry out your royal duties accordingly and to the best of your ability work towards a better, safer future for your people."

"And is it the same for the king's vows?" Jason asked.

"Yes. However, there is a little extra part about maintaining the law and providing more opportunities for the people throughout the land. After all, the king of Junito is the true ruler."

I frowned. "So Klaru and Louis won't be completely equal as king and queen? The king is always the prominent ruler?"

Bu nodded. "Yes. However, that is not always the case. Because Loudrix is of age and the sole heir of the current king and queen, he is the almighty ruler. If it had been a princess, the same would apply. We believe in equality for everyone on Junito."

"I wish it was like that on Earth," I muttered. "Our people are very divided unfortunately."

Bu's brow furrowed. "Truly? Your people are still unaccepting of others' choices?"

Jason cut in this time. "Yeah. Life can be very unfair down on Earth." He paused and blinked several times. "I never thought I would refer to Earth as another place."

I squeezed his hand that laid upon my shoulder.

The queen was in the process of lifting her crown from her head when Klaru turned to Louis and placed a kiss upon his cheek. I saw some of the guests clutching their chests and squealing at the gesture and it made me want to barf.

She was so fake it was disgusting.

Louis almost flinched as her mouth touched his face and his father just chuckled as he held out his hand towards his son. The queen's crown was already on top of Klaru's head by the time he had begun to recite his vows for the last time.

"Louis told me he wasn't ready to be king," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "It's weird to see him being forced into it."

Bu agreed. "Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do at the moment but endure. If we were to jump into action at this moment everything would fall apart and lives would be lost." She looked to me and Jason – mostly Jason – and said, "You would both be the first ones."

Louis had completed his father's vows and was in the process of waiting to officially be crowned as king.

The entire kingdom seemed to hold their breath and I found myself leaning closer.

My heart beat seemed to increase with every second it took for his father to lift that heavy looking crown from his head. It had barely touched Louis' hair before the room erupted into applause and the music started up once again. Guests threw their head pieces into the air and streamers were bursting across the room in sparkling colours.

"Shit!" I gasped as fireworks suddenly exploded in the sky above the palace. They were gorgeous – bigger and brighter than anything on Earth and they remained sparkling in the sky minutes after bursting, the specs of shimmering light floating in the sky like diamonds.

"They're amazing," Jason muttered in awe as the fireworks continued to boom above us. "Amazing."

"Aren't they?" Bu said. "It's a shame that so much effort was put into such a sudden event. I must admit that I am a little worried about the Prince's spee – I'm sorry, the King's speech. I hope I manage to deliver you safely to the platform."

"I'm sure your driving skills are wonderful," I told her, smiling down at her worried face. "You'll be brilliant."

Within the great hall was a mass of moving bodies of all colours of the spectrum. They crowd parted as Louis and Klaru made their way through the room to the glass doors that led to the ledge above the falls. They were arm in arm, Klaru waving to the people of Junito like the perfect princess.

Queen now.

Louis' face was yet again stuck with a small, sad smile. He shook hands with people with his free hand as they made their way to the head of the Royal table. Louis' father took a seat on Louis' right side while his mother sat on Klaru's left. And then the guests filed out quickly and efficiently into their designated seats. I assumed that the couple beside Louis' parents were Klaru's, wide and tearful smiles on their golden faces. For a moment I felt grief – did they even know what Klaru had been up to? Their daughter's perfect day would soon be ruined and she'd be exposed as a liar and traitor. What would they do then?

My stomach flipped.

Once the guests were all seated, Jasver (sitting by Klaru's father) stood once again and raised a golden goblet to the sky. He began yet another speech with a wide grin on his face.

"The speeches shall go on for a considerable amount of time. The last people to make a speech will be Klaru and her parents and King Loudrix and his. Would you like me to translate anything for you?"

I considered asking her to translate every single word that was being said about Louis and Klaru, perhaps all the funny stories would humour me during such a miserable time. But all I really wanted to hear was Louis, Klaru and the parents' speeches.

"Not all of them," I said. "Thank you. Just the royals'."

"Of course," she said. "Just let me know when."

I watched as guest after guest stood to share accounts of Louis and Klaru's lives. I saw some young girls sitting at a table near the royals' with vibrant red locks that reminded me of Klaru. They looked like her also and it would take an idiot not to recognise the three of them as her sisters. They giggled and smiled towards Louis and Klaru who were sitting stiffly beside one another.

Well, Louis was.

His eyes were wandering, I noticed. He was looking up at the ships stationed around the palace and my heart skipped a beat because I realised he was looking for us. He didn't know which ship we were in so when his eyes paused momentarily on where we were, my breath caught in my throat.

Then his attention was taken by a young man sitting at a table to the left. As soon as he stood up I had to do a double-take because he looked extremely similar to Louis.

Finally, a real smile broke onto Louis' face.

"Who's that?" I asked pointing to the man.

"Gark," Bu informed me and it all clicked into place. Gark was the friend Louis had told me about when we'd been locked away on the journey to Junito. The friend who often got confused as him because of how similar they looked. I could see it, the resemblance. They both had the same high cheekbones, dark hair and were roughly the same height. It must have been great fun when they were kids trying to confuse the palace staff.

Louis was laughing at something Gark had said, as were many of the guests. His smile was contagious, my own lips curving.

I hadn't even noticed Bu change into her Junite form until she told me, "He was recalling a story when they were younger and used to confuse the kitchen staff. They would see King Loudrix and Gark in the kitchens but could never tell which one was stealing the desserts and were too scared to report it in case it was the prince. They knew his parents would disapprove."

I chuckled. I'd never really heard any of Louis' childhood stories, at least none of which that were awfully pleasant. He'd told me about his struggle to discover what it was he wanted to do and then how worried he had been as his father disapproved everything that didn't somehow connect to his royal duties.

Finally, Louis' parents stood to make their speech. They looked to their son lovingly as they spoke, glancing at Klaru briefly every so often. I could see her getting a little flustered about it and I wanted to laugh. Louis' parents were probably more excited about the fact that Louis had just accepted his destiny and taken the throne at last.

Bu was already shifting into her Junite form and listening to the station on her radio. As more Junite speech floated through the speakers, I couldn't take my eyes off of Louis' parents as they lifted their glasses and announced to the room, no doubt how proud they were of Louis.

"They are congratulating him on his continued success at both his duties as the prince and as a scientist," Bu told me. "I'm surprised the King included his scientific studies."

"Really?" I asked. "Why do you think he did if he disapproves so much?"

Bu shrugged, lost for words. "I – I guess he's perhaps realised that his son's work has both been productive and helpful to the community. Did King Loudrix ever tell you that he managed to concoct vials of healing solution that works within seconds of being applied to the skin?"

I nodded. "Yes, it's brilliant." I looked at Louis. "He's brilliant."

"His mother shares her love and happiness to the young couple and told them both countless times how proud she is of them both and that she couldn't ask for a lovelier lady to marry her son."

I scoffed.

"I know," Bu said. "But she will soon change her mind about that however."

As soon as Louis' parents had sat down, Klaru jumped to her feet and raised her glass, twirling her hair with her free hand. Her dress sparkled in the daylight and her smile was so bright it made me hate her even more.

She opened her mouth and began to talk to the crowd before her, gesticulating in an over the top manner. Her parents and sisters were beaming at her as she continued on, pausing for a moment to turn to Louis and directly talk to him.

Then she leaned down and kissed him.

"She said thank you to everyone for making it to her special day on such short notice. Apparently, the Prince couldn't wait any longer to be married to her." Bu paused when she saw my face. "She then told everyone that the first time she met Louis it was obvious how lovely a person he was and now she can't wait to spend her life with someone as wonderful as him. Then she said to him that she loves him and will do whatever it takes to keep him out of harm's way."

"Mushy," Jason commented. "Is nobody else noticing how fake she's coming across? She's overly happy and-"

"Would you not be happy on your wedding day?" Bu interrupted.

"Your wedding day and being crowed king or queen," I amended.

"Point taken," Jason said. "But c'mon. This is such a shit show."

As I watched the crowd 'ooh' and 'ah' at the pair of newlyweds, I curled my hands into fists when I caught Louis take Klaru's hand firmly in his. Maybe he was trying to break her fingers?

And then, all too suddenly it was Louis' turn to talk. He stood from his seat and my stomach dropped. It dropped because the signal would soon come. Once Louis was finished with his speech, we would be shooting towards that ledge and jumping onto the scene.

Everyone watched Louis curiously as he shuffled around the Royal table and to the middle of the platform, where a space had been purposely left clear (no doubt for dancing and performers later in the evening). Louis stood for a moment, nodding to himself before turning to face everyone, who had started leaning forward in their seats in anticipation.

I could practically hear them thinking, what will the first words of our new king be?

What would he say? What would he do?

"He's about to start. Prepare yourselves," Bu said. "It won't be long now."

"Oh God," Jason gasped, a hand flying to his stomach. "My guts are churning."

"Try to keep calm," Bu told him. "Keep calm and don't panic and we will all be fine."

Hopefully.

"Can you translate?" I quietly asked Bu.

"Certainly."

Louis spoke for about five minutes straight, using his hands to stress points and exaggerate his stories. What was he talking about? How could Bu possibly remember everything he was saying? Her memory must have be exceptional.

Finally, she changed back and told us, "I think he's stalling. Giving us time to prepare, perhaps?"

"Wait, why? What's happening?" I demanded, leaning forward against her seat.

"He just finished rambling on about how thankful he is that everyone is here and how amazing the ceremony was. He didn't mention anything sickening like how he loves Klaru and is happy to be with her though, so that's why some of the guests looked a little confused. They were probably expecting something along the lines of that.

He then stuttered through a rant about how important his discoveries have been in shaping him as a person and that he wishes he could share all of his research with Junito one day."

I swallowed. I was that research, that part of his work he would show off soon enough.

"He rambled on about that for five minutes straight?" Jason said. "Really? I mean, I know he can speak but Jesus."

I just nudged his ribs and scowled. "What's he saying now?"

A moment later Bu said: "He just thanked his father for taking notice of his studies outside of the palace. It means a great deal to him, especially on such a momentous day.

Now he's talking directly to Klaru. He's ... he's not being subtle at all. He's just gone straight for it! He's saying that Klaru lied earlier because they don't always get on so well and they're very argument-prone. The first time they were introduced was lovely he said but lately he says he's noticed a difference in her. Not a good one and it troubles him."

I looked at the expressions of the guests. Some looked uncomfortable, some intrigued. Many, like Klaru and Louis' parents looked to be in disbelief. After all, how could he be saying such things to his new bride?

"He's telling everyone that Klaru may be a lovely princess to many but she's also a liar when it comes to many things. She keeps deadly secrets and betrays those closest behind their backs."

"Oh my God," I couldn't help but mutter. "He's actually doing it."

"Yeeeesssss," Jason cackled. "Rip into that bitch!"

Bu just stared at him for a moment before turning back to me. "He's telling everyone about how his dream to discover humans led him to put together his crew for an expedition. He's talking about when he first laid eyes upon Erikom – Earth. He's finally telling them everything..." She smiled up at me. "It's actually happening."

The guests were chattering in a disgruntled manner, some even standing up and bickering among themselves as if the debate on human life were truly a sore subject.

Bu transformed once again. "He's just finished telling them about the trip to your planet and how it turned out that Klaru was the one who cast him from the ship in order to stop him from sharing his discoveries."

What caught my attention then was that Louis' father had raised from his seat. He was a mask of calm, his face blank but his attention was fixed on Klaru. His fists clenched. My eyes were wide as I observed him, hoping he would take her by the throat and throttle her into unconsciousness.

"What's going on?" I asked, my eyes darting back and forth between father and son.

Bu was once again stuttering on her words. "I have no ... no idea.

"Do you think he believes Louis?"

"He has to," Jason said. "It's his son and don't you think he'll be wondering why he was away on an expedition that lasted longer than a brief visit to the Earth's atmosphere?"

"That's very true," Bu said.

Louis continued on for another couple minutes, all the Junites absolutely enthralled in his retelling of his time on Earth and how the Council were also in on Klaru's plan. I wondered how it would go down, revealing that the king's own Council had been manipulating his son.

The universe was huge; it surprised me that anybody – whether it be human or Junite or Martian – frowned upon the possibility of there being something else out there.

Louis' father was scowling now – but not at Klaru.

Louis stopped talking as soon as his father's voice bellowed across the stretch of ground between them.

The entire room fell silent. Quests returned to their seats and focused all their attention on their previous king as he spoke.

"What is he saying?" I practically begged as Louis seemed to shrink in on himself.

"He's telling him to stop saying such preposterous things about his new bride. He should think before he opens his mouth to say such nonsense because he's only embarrassing himself. And them." Bu shook her head with a huff. "He thinks he's lying! He's accusing him of trying to cause a scene and rebel while an audience is present."

Louis took the scolding like an obedient child, his jaw clenched and brow furrowed. He looked about ready to burst but I never in a million years would have expected him to do so.

But not verbally, oh no.

Physically.

He took a step back as his father continued to rage on and before he could even finish his sentence, there was a blinding flash of blue. And suddenly, Louis was shedding his Junite skin in front of everyone.

Before his parents, Klaru and her parents, his friends and family. He was showing it to them - his human disguise; the truth.

If manipulating his appearance – something that was only possible if having set foot upon the planet of which the disguise was applicable – and his father still didn't believe him then there was something seriously wrong with him. It made me question if the previous king had been as wise and knowledgeable as many had claimed.

Louis' mother had a hand on her chest, her eyes wide. She looked over to her husband as if he could answer all her questions about what was happening before her. But Louis' father remained where he was, eyes narrowed at Louis, unmoving, unfazed by the unveiling.

Louis looked round the room at all of the guests with his human eyes before allowing his true form to branch back across his human skin. Once again, he was stood in his stunning Junite body, awaiting the response of his father and the crowd.

Klaru looked nervous.

Bitch.

Louis spoke before his father could and not a moment later, there were bodies marching through from the great hall – members of the guard, some of the Councillors and the entirety of Louis' crew that were not required to be on duty. I noticed Alzik and Nix among them as well as a few familiar faces I'd had the brief pleasure to chat with on board the Mothership.

They made their way to their new King and stood in formation at his sides.

If the guests weren't entertained before they certainly were now.

Klaru was on her feet just like Louis' father, her eyes blazing as she saw the likes of Nettie and Norkar standing amongst Louis' crew. The traitors were in plain sight for her to see now and she finally realised that she had been played.

Louis was speaking once again, refusing to give up until everyone knew the truth, until they were one-hundred percent aware of everything that was going on behind closed doors. As he spoke, he continuously gestured to the rows of his faithful friends and crewmates. When he threw his hand to the sky, where we were, my heart skipped a beat.

"He's says: if he hasn't managed to convince everyone that he's telling the truth by showing them the human disguise he's obtained while on his travels, then they can ask one of his many witnesses."

"Why did he point to where we are?" Jason asked.

"Because he knows many of the Junites on his side are on duty this afternoon. That, plus he knows that you'll see him."

A small smile managed to flicker on my face.

He knew I was watching him, hoping and praying that everything would go well, or as well as could be. The worst that could happen would be for Louis' father to completely turn the situation up side down and take Klaru's side.

Unfortunately, that seemed to be happening, for Louis' father laid a hand on the back of Klaru's chair and started talking to her like she was the victim.

"He's apologising to Klaru for his son's behaviour. He's saying that it's unfortunate that her important day has been ruined by her very own husband."

"This is bullshit!" I hissed, glaring down at Klaru and hoping she could feel it. If looks could kill, she'd be dead. "How can he be so ignorant? The truth is right there in front of him and there are witnesses for Christ sake!"

"Unfortunately, his Majesty is a non-believer." She chuckled humourlessly. "Goodness, so was I until we landed on your planet. Perhaps one look at you is all it will take for him to come to terms with it all. There is a distinct different between saying something and seeing it. The proof he requires is, I believe, living proof."

I groaned. "Hell, on Earth all it takes to make someone go hollering about aliens is a strange light in the sky. Or a shooting star. It isn't so difficult to make a human believe in such things."

"Perhaps that's why Junites are superior beings?" Jason said. "Seriously, Flora. Who would believe you if it had been the opposite way around?"

"Probably more than this."

"Really? You appear after being gone for months and go around saying that you were on an alien planet and just happened to befriended the prince of said planet and that the aliens out there are harmless and not abductors who experiment on us. Who would believe you? When someone has their mind made up, there's not a lot that you can do to change it."

He sadly had a point.

And suddenly, it became obvious what had to be done. No matter what Louis said, his father wouldn't believe him because he couldn't. There was literally no solid evidence (apparently) that Louis had been sent to Earth and lived there under the protection of a human. Not even the many witnesses or the recordings Nix held tightly to her chest or the fact that Klaru looked unbelievably on edge would be enough.

I had to be seen.

I had to make myself known to the entirety of the Junite race.

I had to prove that Louis wasn't lying.

And it had to be now, before everything blew out of proportion and Louis missed his chance to rest his case.

"Bu?"

"Yes, Flora?"

"Take us down."

Both Bu and Jason looked to me in unison with matching expressions: confusion. And worry. And fright.

It was too early, they were thinking. Louis was to offer his onlookers one more chance to believe him and in order to bring me onto the scene, he would gesture to the hovercrafts and then Bu would drive us down to him.

But it was already too late. Louis' father was adamant that his son was lying and after everything that Louis had told me about his father, about his opinions and lack of understanding about what Louis was passionate about, it wasn't difficult to deduct that he would be a difficult one to make believe in the supposedly 'impossible' idea of human beings.

"But King Loudrix said-"

"I know what he said," I said impatiently. "But it's not going well, is it?"

Bu's face fell as if the severity of the situation suddenly hit her. Surely, I wasn't alone in realising how much it would take to convince his father. Jason knew; his face said it all.

In that moment fear took me over. I shook, I began to sweat and I suddenly wanted to cry.

My friends, my dear close friends and Louis – it was all for them. It had to be done.

Jason pulled me into his arms. He'd never hugged me so fiercely before and I was terrified that it would be our last. A goodbye hug, in case something went horribly wrong, I concluded.

I let myself cry at the thought and threw my arms around him. I kissed his cheek.

"I love you," I told him. "If anything bad happens, know that I love you Jason and I'm sorry you got dragged into this whole mess."

He chuckled into the crook of my neck, his glasses knocking against my collarbone. "At least I can die happy knowing that aliens do in fact exist and that my best friend finally got the adventure she's craved for so long."

We embraced each other tighter if that was humanly possibly as Bu asked, "Are you sure you're ready?"

I nodded over Jason's shoulder.

And then Bu's hovercraft was being manoeuvred swiftly from our position in the guard formation.

Jason and I braced ourselves as Bu sloped downwards until we were level with the edge of the platform. In one smooth movement, the ship began to rotate one-eighty until the rear of the ship was stationed before Louis and the guests.

As we turned, I noticed the confusion on Louis' face – as well as the shock.

His panic made me panic but I knew I had to hold it together in order to pick up the pieces of the battle that we had already come so close to losing.

"I'm going to open up the back door," Bu called over the roar of her ship. She was unbuckling her seat belt as she spoke, battering keys and buttons across the dashboard hurriedly. "I'll be with you in a second."

"Is there an auto-pilot?" Jason asked.

"Yes," she answered as her vehicle began to maintain a steady hum. We remained stationary in the air as she moved out of her chair and asked, "Ready?"

I nodded.

Bu pressed a large green button and the door opened.

It was in slow motion, all of it. The door opening, the light momentarily blinding me as we became visible to the Junites for the first time and the gasps and screams from the crowd as they realised that, a) their King was not a liar and, b) human beings did exist. They were most definitely not alone.

Fear coursed through me when I couldn't find his familiar eyes at first. But there he was, in the middle of the protective circle his crew and guards had formed around him, frowning at me like I was a rebellious child.

Behind him, guests were on their feet, mouths open, eyes wide, some even going to the extreme of fleeing the event. Guards were running towards us with weapons both tall and short, sharp and blunt, poised and ready to attack if necessary.

Klaru looked like she was trying to shoot lasers from her eyes.

As for Louis' father, he looked bewildered, his blue eyes – Louis' eyes – wide. But not scared, I realised. More intrigued than anything.

The guards continued their advance upon us.

I looked to Louis worriedly and he bellowed out an order that had them all freezing in their tracks. Their king had spoken.

Bu was by my side, holding out her hand for me to take. I took it and then took Jason's in my other. I instantly felt a thousand times safer with their hands in mine.

Bu guided us down from the ship and onto the platform, closer to the bewildered Junites, brooding guards and baffled King. I kept my eyes on Louis' father as we made our way down, through the defences of Louis' crew and faithful guards. I held that gaze like my life depended on it (it did) and kept my head high. I would not show any kind of weakness.

I was a fighter.

Right then, I was a fox in a field of sheep. They were all terrified and I was going for the kill. Klaru was a lamb just waiting to be taken down and as I moved my gaze over to her livid yet painfully beautiful face, I knew that there was nothing that felt quite as magnificent as revenge.

She was screwed.

Cornered.

Defeated.

I managed a small smirk of satisfaction her way.

We finally made it to Louis' side. His acquaintances moved to circle us all, protecting us from the oncoming guards, some of which I noticed were in fact Councillors and in their grasps were those dreaded Striking Blades.

My eyes found Nix as she moved for me, her hand outstretched. I allowed her to place a gentle hand on my shoulder. She nodded to Bu, who changed back to her Junite form as Nix became human.

"Are you alright? Coping OK?" she asked, her chocolate eyes darting over Jason and I as if to check for injuries.

I just nodded. "What now?" I whispered, my mouth dry. "What do we do now?"

"I'll translate for you. They can't touch you. Loudrix is king now, they have to obey him. I'm not sure if Bu told you but Klaru has nowhere near as much power as he does. What he says goes – no questions asked."

"Right," I managed. "That makes me feel a little better."

The guests were still staring at Jason and I like we were rabid animals. Perhaps some of them thought we were? Who knows what Junites had heard about the 'mythical' beings that were humans. One of Klaru's little sisters were glancing back and forth between us with tears in her eyes.

Louis, human disguise exposed once again, turned to face me. By my side in an instant, he took my face between his hands, much to the surprise of, well ... everyone.

More gasps, more wide eyes and even a glare or two.

Jason even had to do a double-take as the King of Junito kissed me softly.

Louis' father was shouting once again, as was Klaru but I couldn't understand a word they were saying – which I was grateful for. They were no doubt insulting me and Louis too and I didn't care to hear their opinions, not when I was in his arms once again. Not when I thought that the last time I'd seen him had been our final embrace.

"I'm going to tell them about you a little, how you helped me – how you both helped me," he added, looking to Jason with a smile. "I'm going to fix everything, Flora, I swear. I'm sorry things got into such a mess so quickly, it's been-"

I kissed him again.

I didn't care that it had gotten messy so quickly. All I cared about was the fact that the Junites knew, they knew about us, that we were real and that we were not as much of a threat as they thought. But most importantly – their King was telling the truth and their new queen was a traitorous, conniving little psychopath.

Louis returned to his previous state and began addressing the crowd for the final time.

Nix translated for me.

"He's telling them how you were the first to find him and show him kindness."

Louis.

"You clothed him, looked after him and helped him find his way back to his ship."

Louis.

"You put your differences aside and worked together."

Louis.

"The real threat is Klaru and she's the reason he was on Earth in the first place."

Louis.

"If it hadn't been for Flora and her friend, Jason, he would be dead."

He looked to me fondly and took my hand. He squeezed it.

And that was it. All of it was out. The truth was, quite literally, out.

All of the proof for his Majesty and his people had been laid bare on the table and it was up to him to act upon it. I'd be extremely concerned if his father remained doubtful.

Klaru was looking back and forth between Louis' father and myself as if she were trying to depict what his reaction would be.

Would she go free and continue to live her life in luxury? I hardly thought so. Not after everything she'd done.

Would she have to flee before the rest of her life was sentenced to forever rot in the dungeons? Hopefully.

I braced myself as the remaining guests settled into an uncomfortable silence. The air was prickly; so many emotions were running rampant, so many unanswered questions and mixed feelings within the vicinity.

What would the verdict be?

The outcome would either be good or bad. There was no in between.

In the next five minutes I would either be dead or alive.

Hopefully the latter.

Louis' father moved his gaze from Louis, to his wife, to me and finally to Klaru, weighing the information he had been given, analysing everything from the over-smugness of Klaru throughout the day to the simple act of Louis and I holding hands. His gaze remained on our hands the longest.

And then something remarkable happened.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, Klaru called out to the people before her.

"She said, 'My good people, I'm sorry for this unexpected turn of events.'"

"She's scared," I said and Nix laughed.

"Oh, yes. She's positively frightened. And quite rightly so. She's trying to stall, to prove her faux innocence."

Klaru's words seemed to drone on as she slowly made her way around the Royal table. As she meandered around the smaller tables of guests and over to where the guards formed a line between her and Louis' crew, her voice rose.

"She's telling them that parts of his story are true – the part about her trying to prevent an unrest among the people - like what is happening right now. She said that she knew how the discovery of humans would result in a mixed reaction that could potentially ruin the peace-"

"Bullshit!" I shrieked, pointing a finger at Klaru as she clamped her mouth shut at my out-burst. "Tell the truth, you fucking bitch! I know you can understand this!" I showed her the middle finger for good measure. Klaru may have been many things but there was no denying that she was intelligent.

Her eyes narrowed. I knew that she couldn't' resist a good argument, especially not one where she could potentially come out on top.

Oh, boy would she lose this one.

My heart lurched as she marched towards me. Maybe she would try and slap me? I'd return one a hundred times harder and she knew it. My first curled so hard my nails bit into my skin.

However, if the crowd had endured enough surprises for the day, they had to survive one more: Klaru allowed her Junite skin to shed.

Even the palace guards seemed shocked at the sudden transformation. Because after all, how could the sweet, precious princess be able to transform into human skin unless she had been to Earth herself?

I couldn't hide the smile that appeared on my face because her shedding her serpent skin would give us the upper hand.

She had outed herself.

Louis transformed at the same time that Norkar, Alzik and Nettie did. They moved closer to where Louis and I stood together.

Louis' crew huddled closer to one another as Klaru came to a halt before their barrier.

"You're making a huge mistake," Klaru said, her eyes narrowed. Her words were as lethal as her actions. She crept closer until the crew had to physically hold her away from us. "You have no idea what you've just done, Loudrix."

Louis scoffed. "Oh, I think I know perfectly, Klaru. You're the one who has made a huge mistake. You messed with the wrong people and now you'll pay for what you've done not only to me but to my crew, my family and my friends."

I nodded with each word he said.

"You've just revealed yourself to the entire population, Klaru. There is no way you can recover from this."

She snapped – a shriek tore from her throat as Louis' crewmates gripped her forearms tightly and tugged her back, one of them with his hand hovering above the small dagger hanging from his belt. I wanted him to use it on her. The sounds she was making sounded like a wounded animal and I suppose in a way, she was.

Perhaps I would use the weapon Nettie had bestowed upon me the day before? I wasn't a violent person but the thought of driving the dagger into Klaru's flesh didn't disgust me as much as I thought it would.

"You truly think I care about what happens now?" she gasped out. "You're the one who has just caused mass worry and panic for all these people. They will forever wonder about humans now and that curiosity will get them killed! Why couldn't you just leave them to their imaginations? Why did you have to go and push your stupid beliefs upon your people, your kingdom? You will forever be remembered as the King who divided the nation!"

Louis whistled. The guards holding Klaru turned to him, awaiting an order. Louis flicked his wrist nonchalantly and they released her.

I frowned. Why had he ordered for her to be released? She was dangerous, a viper ready to strike.

But she remained where she was and simply straightened her dress as if to try and restore some dignity.

Louis stormed over to her and gripped her chin tightly between his thumb and forefinger. His face was so close to hers that I thought she would try to sneak a kiss like she had done once before. But that was the last thing she would attempt unless she wanted to be beheaded on the spot.

His voice was low, menacing even, "At least I will be remembered as a royal who made a difference. The same can't be said for you, witch."

He released her face with a push.

"You think this is for the best?" she taunted, raising a hand to gesture to the curious onlookers. "You think they will ever fully understand why you dropped the bomb on them all of a sudden?"

"I wasn't doing it for personal reasons. I don't give a damn about my work in the lab right now, Klaru. I unveiled the truth like this to stop a corrupted individual becoming queen." He looked her over slowly – probably like she had wished for him to do the moment he saw her in that gorgeous wedding gown – and said, "One last thing, before I have you imprisoned for the rest of your miserable life."

She stuck her chin out.

Have her killed, I wanted to say. She deserved a fate worse than death to be honest but removing her from the picture completely seemed to be just as good a punishment. I tried to ignore her younger sisters sobbing at their table and the grief flooding her parents' faces as they beheld their disgrace of a daughter.

"That," Louis said, pointing to the crown that sat upon Klaru's head, "is my mother's."

Klaru said nothing, only glared as he released my hand and moved to de-throne her himself. I knew it would give him great pleasure to do it and I could only watch with a small smile as he stopped before her and reached up to grip that magnificent piece of head-wear. It looked better on his mother anyway and it deserved to be worn by someone who could love and care for others.

That person was not Klaru and that had been her downfall.

"I don't know who fed you all those accusations about me, dear husband," Klaru spoke slowly, seemingly having gathered herself finally. Her eyes darted from me, to Nix, to Bu, to Alzik, to Norkar, to Nettie, then to the circle of crew mates, Councillors and guards alike – some of which she had believed to have been on her side the entire time. I hoped it hurt badly, to be betrayed. She deserved everything that was coming to her.

Her gaze found me one last time. I hoped it was the last time I'd ever have to see her face.

But there was something wrong.

She was smiling. Why was she smiling?

Without moving her eyes from my face, she said, "But they were correct."

And then she moved so fast that none of us could have anticipated what would come next.

Klaru whirled on the closest guard and jerked the dagger from his belt before plunging it into Louis' chest.

Hey, everyone! Thank you so much for sticking around through my atrocious updating history but I'm feeling a little more motivated than usual (probably because we're so close to the end now) so I'll hopefully be updating more regularly now.

Space joke: God liked Saturn so much that he put a ring on it!

Cazza