king of my heart ( chronicles of kush)

The blaring alarm, though familiar, jolted me awake. Again, it came as I swiftly got up and repositioned on my bed, sitting as raw fear griped me, knowing fully well that the alarm signifies the opening of our planet's protective barrier that can only be neutralized by a member of the royal family. So its opening signifies that they are back, and my mom is alive but whether she is still a queen or a slave is yet to be seen, it sounded the third time. As I quickly picked my boots from where I threw them when I entered my quarters and donned them on, thankfully I was still in my combat uniform as I had been too exhausted to take them off, knowing I'll return to base soonest but definitely not this quickly. I wasn't expecting them this quickly, all the more reason I was afraid. I mean nobody, nobody, can capture the great planet of Kovka that quickly. But then again, the main plan had been to recapture One of the planets called Lumina that they have oppressively captured two centuries ago. Unlike them, who did it for fun, a show of power, or to strike fears into the hearts of other planets, we wanted to recapture Lumina because our very ultimate survival depends on it. Why, you may ask? Well, it is because they are the only planets that can grow Lit a crystal that can only survive in their soil, which we need to, drink, or even inhale to survive, whichever you prefer, in order to keep living. For generations, our forefathers have tried to grow it on our soil, but they failed. It wasn’t meant for the kind of soil Kush has. That was our planet, Kush,one flaw, and believe me when I say the only flaw was its inability to grow Lit . Although we were not the original breed on planet Kush, we have dominated and found a way to coexist together with the originals, which were mainly animal species and the Selbeon people who were already on their way to extinction because as time went on, according to our history, they stopped producing females of their species. Although they tried everything, they failed and became extinct, leaving us as the sole owners, along with their animals. Of course, my forefathers discovered something unique about Kush that made it stand out, apart from the abundance of food, water, and vegetation. It has the ability to be hidden and never be found by outsiders or intruders, unless an insider—specifically an immediate ruler or an heir holding the key—uses it to open the protective barriers surrounding it. This was the greatest form of protection from invaders, and the main reason we decided to settle here at Kush. Even though kush couldn't grow, our life force, the world was at peace, and Lit could be bought in great quantities from Lumina to sustain us and that we did . Until two centuries passed when it all began .kovka the mere thought of them still struck fears down my spine. They were a warrior race dominated by the male species throughout the generations; their female species has never been seen. It's like they never existed, No one knows their secrets or how they survived and existed for so long without females. Until when the war first broke out, then after capturing their first planet, it was later discovered that they did it all to look for females to breed with their males. rumor has it that the very last set of their females had gone into extinction. Then from there, their king became so drunk on power and the excessive wealth that comes with capturing another planet and controlling their overall wealth that they started capturing other planets. They destroyed it all but one, Kush.Because it couldn’t be found for two centuries, they have tried to capture us and know where we are located, but they couldn’t. To them, we became the ultimate challenge. but thanks to our forefathers who acted swiftly on our behalf when it all began, after kovka captured their first planet they quickly bought enough Lit they could lay their hands on and went into lockdown. Inside Kush, surviving till until a few years ago when the city in charge of dispersing Lit to the whole of Kush informed the council that our ultimate life source, Lit was running out fast. Our fear is what should be done to prevent the disaster of no Lit...,.. in Kush, which is literally a death sentence for all its citizens. The answer: we need to fight and recapture Lumina. But after two centuries of it being under the control of the Kovka, we didn’t know what to expect. However, doing nothing was out of the option. Meetings were called by the council, and we prepared for war. Our only hope were that Lumina Would already have been abandoned by the time we got there because deep in our bones we knew we were no match for the kovka. My mother, the queen of Kush, with the general of the Kush army, General Green, oversaw the operation. After a hundred days of preparation, they flew out of Kush with a force of three thousand men. That was fifty days ago. Seeing them back so quickly brought a mixture of fear and anticipation to my bones; fear that they had failed and were bringing enemies into Kush, and with that disaster, or anticipation that they might have done the impossible and recaptured Lumina and saved us. : I hurried down the corridor of my quarters with walls covered in mirrors that call to me to check my appearance. My appearance, though the least of my worries right now, years of scolding from my mother the queen to pay attention to how I appear at all times in public, given the fact that I would be queen one day made me pause and look at my face Tired green eyes stared back at me. I blinked. I wasn’t much of a beauty by Kush standards; my white hair, which was not a rarity in Kush, was wrapped in a bun behind my back. It was what I always went for when on duty, for comfort, or the other option would be white hair flowing, touching my waist, which of course was my mum’s favorite but not mine. My face filled with freckles, which of course was the least favorite of my features but Green seems to love it. I brought my hand out of habit to rearrange my purple combat uniform that was meant for only royalty or members of the council, and inhaled. We have been working around the clock for weeks now to reestablish communication with our forces, but to no avail; as soon as they left Kush two days later, we couldn’t reach them... until the alarms of the barrier sounded . I resumed my journey as I reached the end of my quarters. I paused again, my hands on the door handle, knowing that as soon as I stepped outside, no sign of weakness or fear was allowed to reflect on my face. They would all be looking at my face to understand why the flying spaceship was back so soon. My reflection should be unreadable. I pulled the door and stepped outside. Fresh air assaulted my face as my expression remained unreadable. " your Highness, the council eagerly awaits your address in the situation room. Thank you, Salam. Please lead the way, " I replied. I walked gingerly behind Salam, who was second in command to me. As we entered the situation room, the council was already seated, adorned in purple flowing gowns, all three of them signifying their importance to Kush. They can easily override any decisions we take if all three agree together,However, our decisions mostly stand due to the fact that they are never in unison with each other. Zanderis and Drakon Alwrix, I said in acknowledgment of their presence, accompanied by a nod of my head. Sirona Drakon says we await your address.' A few hours ago, I began the alarm sounded. The protective barriers of our planet alerted us to the fact that one of the two keys had been used to lift the barrier and enter the premises of our planet. We are gathered here to establish a connection with the intruder to determine if they are friends or foe, even though we all know that it might be the queen and our armies. Protocol must be followed for all our safety. I turned and said, 'Salam.' He hurried over and handed the other twin key into my hand. If the connection is established and it’s the queen, then I am to use the key to open the last barrier. I went directly to the monitors with determination in my heart and initiated the connection process. The screen flickered to life, anticipation hanging heavy in the air mingled with a sense of urgency and resolve. The image slowly resolved into a scene of the vast expanse of space. To our relief and surprise, the figures of General Green and the queen appeared on the monitor, their faces solemn but determined. Without hesitation, I addressed the queen through the communication system, 'Your Majesty, this is Princess Sirona. We are relieved to see you and General Green. Please advise on the situation.' The Queen’s voice resonated with authority and determination as she replied, 'Princess Sirona, thank you for your concern. 'I am pleased to inform you that Lumina has been recaptured. Our forces have secured the planet, and several members of the Kovka invaders have been taken prisoner. A wave of relief washed over the room as the queen’s words sank in. It was a moment of triumph amidst the uncertainty and danger that had loomed over us. With Lumina back under our control, the life-giving resource of Lit would once again flow freely, ensuring the survival of our people. We will need to proceed with caution and thoroughness in our next steps,” the queen continued, her voice steady yet filled with determination. “Prepare to welcome our brave soldiers home and ensure that the prisoners are treated fairly according to our principles.” As the weight of the news settled in, I nodded in acknowledgement of the queen’s directives. This victory was a testament to our resilience and unity in the face of adversity. With Lumina reclaimed and our enemies subdued, a new chapter of hope and determination dawned for the people of Kush I inserted the key on the barrier keyhole and watched it as the last resistance fades away I turned to Salam and said Salam you heard the queen prepare