Chapter 1: A Royal Dilemma
The sole child of King Veriga, Ayana, was sitting by the window of her opulently furnished room in the opulent Planet Umn palace. Even though her room was lavishly furnished with priceless jewels and shimmering silks, the turmoil that was building inside of her did not seem to be calmed. Her homeworld of Umn's crimson sky created a picturesque scene outside, but it stood in stark contrast to the tumultuous storm of emotions raging within her.
A covert romance that had been thriving in the royal court's shadow was the source of her anguish. Ayana was enamored with Lael Jones, a young man from a lowly background. Although Lael had arrived at the palace as a servant, his charm, wit, and unwavering devotion had won Ayana over.
The idea of a princess falling in love with a commoner was unimaginable to the subjects of the kingdom, so their forbidden love was kept a closely-guarded secret. However, Ayana's heart was limitless, and during the silent hours of the night, she had been having secret meetings with Lael.
Their world was going to fall apart tonight.
It all began when the royal guards found out about Ayana and Lael's stolen moments. That fateful night, Lael had ventured into the dimly lit chamber to steal a kiss from the royal prince, Ayana's younger brother, thinking him to be Ayana. The repercussions were disastrous.
King Veriga ordered Lael's execution the following morning for the offense of trespassing and showing disdain for the royal family. The kingdom was a flurry of gossip and whispers after the decision hit like a thunderbolt.
The idea of her dear Lael being executed was too much for Ayana to bear. She had an intense love for him that cut over all social bounds. She felt a surge of desperation and realized she needed to ask her father for forgiveness.
Her eyes were full of tears and her heart was racing as she stood in front of King Veriga. "Please, Father, don't take Lael's life. I can't bear to see him go, even though I know he made a terrible mistake. He is my love."
Torn between his love for Ayana and his obligation to enforce the law, King Veriga glanced at his daughter. His heart faltered when he saw the agony in her eyes and the sincerity of her request. “You are aware of my love for you, my dear Ayana, and I am sensitive to the depth of your emotions. However, it is my duty as king to uphold our kingdom's honor and law."
Ayana begged, "But, Father, if you spare him, I have an alternative solution." "I implore you to banish Lael into space so he can spend his remaining years alone, far from Umn. I will be happy that he is still alive and that he will never again cause trouble for our kingdom."
King Veriga took a moment to think about his daughter's proposal. Sending Lael away instead of killing him seemed like a fair middle ground. "Excellent, Ayana. I will comply with your request if it is this. We're going to get ready for Lael's cosmic banishment."
Ayana felt a wave of relief and gave her father a tearful hug. "I'm grateful, Father. You have my eternal gratitude for saving his life."
The arrangements for Lael's banishment moved along quickly. A sleek, silver pod was created and fitted with all the life-support systems required for extended space travel. It was supposed to take off into space and carry Lael away from Umn indefinitely.
However, Ayana was unable to allow her beloved to be abandoned in the unknown. She took a risk on the day of the pod's launch, determined but with a heavy heart. With shaking hands, she tiptoed into the control room and changed the pod's coordinates to a new, distant location.
Her father and everyone else were unaware that the pod was now scheduled to land on Earth, a planet ten million light years away from Planet Umn. It was the only way to save Lael's life and maintain their love, even though she knew he would have an uncertain future in this strange land.
King Veriga, not aware of the destination change, watched with a heavy heart as the pod was launched into the vast cosmos. Because Ayana gave up her happiness for the man she loved, their destiny had been irrevocably changed.
