Everything shook and she heard a thunderous explosion, “Boom!” Would she make it out in time? It was just then, she felt the force as her escape pod was launched into space.
Marissa felt a flood of relief as she realized she was still alive. It didn’t last long, as fear started welling up in her. She couldn’t prevent the thoughts coming into her mind. She asked herself, “Will the rescue team find me in time?”, “Who tried to kill me?”, and “Why does someone want me to die?”
She knew her spaceship had been sabotaged, as she had stumbled upon the bomb herself. When she found it, there was no time to send a message or disarm it. Running had been her only choice. Yes, luckily she had made it out safely, but just barely.
Not long ago her life was a fairytale and now it should have been even more so. A few weeks ago she had been selected as the Earth’s representative to marry the Chief Prince Cauldera of the planet Vermilla. This was to forge an alliance between the two planets so there would be continued peace and mutual communication. She had so been looking forward to it.
She remembered the first time she had met the prince, when he came for a visit on Earth. Prince Cauldera was handsome and intriguing. He was tall as are all Vermilites. He had shoulder length wavy black hair and glowing blue eyes the color of the sky. He could read minds with merely a glance, but he had resisted his temptation to use his power on her. He had said, “I want to discover your inner secrets myself and will only read your mind if you freely ask it of me.”
Her spaceship had been on the way to the planet Vermilla. She had been traveling alone, since the journey was going to be short, as vermillion spaceships traveled at the speed of light. It would have arrived a few days before her wedding, so final preparations could be made. Now, she did not even know if she would ever see her prince again.
Her thoughts slowed and she listened to the repetitive beeping of the rescue signal. Her heart was still beating fast, but restlessly she drifted off to sleep. The escape pod slowly drifting aimlessly in space.
“I must and will go!”, shouted Prince Cauldera. He would not be halted by his father, the king, or by the head of the royal flight squadron. This was a mission of far too much importance. He strode quickly to the rescue ship.
As he sat waiting for launch, he thought of his missing bride. Marissa had lustrously golden hair, which fell about her face in spiraling curls, just as the tendrils of the delicate vermillion moon flower. He had loved the delightful way she laughed and the sparkle in her emerald green eyes. The first time they had met, he had been struck by her lack of fear and her forthright honesty. He had been reserved and kept his emotions under control, but he made himself a promise to tell her of his true feelings if he ever saw her again.
The launching hatch opened and the rescue ship launched up into space. It headed directly toward the rescue signal. The rescue commander said, “My prince we are picking up signs of another ship in the area.” There should have been no other ships as the area of space between the Earth and planet Vermilla was being closely watched due to the upcoming wedding ceremony.
Prince Cauldera said, “Show me the ship on the holographic viewer.” He stood in shock as he looked at the ship. He quickly recognized it. There was no mistaking that it was the spaceship of his brother Prince Meringa. He touched the communication screen and asked, “Dear brother, what are you doing off planet?”
There was no answer. Maybe there was a problem with communications on his brother’s ship. Suddenly, he felt a terrible sense of dread enter his mind and quickly he shouted, “Beam the escape pod to the docking port now!”
He had been too far away to completely read his brother’s thoughts, but had managed to detect the danger due to their close bond. Just as the beam began to shoot from the ship he saw a laser shoot from his brother’s ship. Before he could attempt to return fire, the ship rapidly shot away into deep space.
He thought, “How could it be?”, his brother the one responsible for the sabotage of his bride’s spaceship. After that attempt had failed, then he came back to finish her off. His brother had always been slightly jealous he would be king, as he was eldest, but they both had been very close growing up. He had never suspected his brother was capable of such horrible actions.
No time for those thoughts now, he must act. He ordered the rescue commander to send a message to the king, his father, about his brother’s betrayal. No matter their relationship, there had to be repercussions for what he had done. There would be answers when he returned home.
As soon as he had finished, he hurried to the docking port. There he found his alive, but dazed bride, lying on the floating medical bed. The ship’s doctor was tending to her. The doctor had given her a sedative, but she still managed to sense his presence and sleepily opened her eyes. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. He told her how much he loved her. Her eyelids once again closed and she fell back into a deep sleep.
It was not long before the ship reached the planet Vermilla. The prince had stayed by her side the whole time. When they arrived, he had requested her taken to her quarters and not left unattended, while he took care of what he must. The queen herself, his mother, had decided she would stay to look after his bride.
After meeting with the planet’s chief counselors and the king, it was decided his brother was to be exiled to the dismal caverns on the rocky frigid side of the planet Vermilla. Temporarily he would remain under guard in his quarters. Prince Meringa would be transported to exile after the wedding ceremony.
A couple of days later, there was a grand wedding and wedding celebration, whose equal had never been seen on either planet. Once the two of them were alone, Prince Cauldera looked lovingly upon his bride and saw her smile. Marissa told him, “Now, I freely give myself to you and want you to read my thoughts.” He asked, “Are you certain?” She said, “Yes, I want there always to be no secrets between us.”