Order of Succession

Chapter Two-3

KAELYN STOOD BY THE wall of glass overlooking the garden below and the city beyond. Chelyana was a lush planet of tropical islands. Eighty-five percent of the planet’s surface was water. Their primary resource was tourism. The entire world was one big party scene except for the capital. Which is precisely where her parents had kept Kaelyn trapped her whole life.

She watched as the morning rain washed the dust from the city. A few minutes of the intense downpour was ushered away by the bright blue sun; transforming the mist-covered city into a sparkling expanse of silver towers and spires broken only by dense patches of forest that sprinkled the island.

Kaelyn wore her dark blue jodhpurs: tight-fitting trousers that reached down to her ankle, ending in a snug cuff. The material was waterproof, the snug fit was perfect for her needs. She planned to spend the day at the marina riding her water horse. Glancing down at the beautiful porcelain water horse she held in her hand, Kaelyn turned and set it on the crystalline table next to the window.

The palace’s formal living area was furnished with earth-toned sofas and a crystalline tables that sparkled from the sunlight streaming in through the windows. The far wall held a massive fireplace filled with colorful flowers. A large black screen filled the side wall, surrounded by more sofas and end tables. Several similar water horse figurines littered the top of the table beside her.

Rein had sent her a horse each day since their argument. The beasts looked more like a fish than a horse with its long narrow body and large tail fin. Their head was rectangular like a horse, but its mane appeared to be more of a living seaweed than hair, and its nose grew to a point. The creature’s legs were muscular and hooved, with a set of gills on its chest in front of a pair of delicate fins. Each figurine, just like the beasts, was a different array of shimmering color.

Rein knew she loved to race her water horse. He also enjoyed the sport. The race always began in the water, then required a rocky climb or an obstacle course that ended with a final dash for the finish line. Each day a figurine arrived after the mid-day meal, with no note or explanation, but Kaelyn knew it was Rein. Yet she hadn’t responded. She wasn’t sure she ever would.

He’d spurned her, cruelly. She’d poured out her heart to him, and he’d tossed it aside. She had nothing more to say to him. He’d got what he wanted though, she’d grown up and accepted they could never be together. Perhaps her future was already arranged. Rein was right; she was subject to the crown. She’d overheard her father talking on the comm screen earlier that morning. The galaxy was on the brink of war due to the Vulmax, an insect-like race with a large space force. They were claiming the land rights to the colonies on the frontier. If they were on the brink of war, then her people needed a strong alliance with the other systems. If an arranged marriage brought security to her planet, then it was her duty to agree to the match.

But she didn’t believe she was a naïve fool, blindly doing as she was told. She trusted her father. He loved her. If a match were to be made, her father would not do it carelessly. She would marry a prince or king from the house of one of the galaxy’s 30 royal families. She doubted Rein would ever find a wife. He was too proud, too stubborn, too duty-bound to ever fall in love.

She continued on to the marina that lined the south end of the city. Her clothing clung to her body in the high humidity. The light breeze coming off the water did little to relieve the heat. She walked past the line of bullet-shaped boats of various sizes, ranging from small personal transports to large cruisers that looked more like space transports than boats.

The far end of the pier held the steel mesh corrals housing the water horses. The large beasts’ smooth skin shimmered in a variety of colors in the bright sunlight. They whinnied and called to Kaelyn as she passed.

Kaelyn scooped up a small bucket filled with fish sitting by the first corral, and tossed one to each water horse that broke the surface of the water as she passed. She made her way toward the royal corrals that sat on the far left at the edge of the pier, stopping only once when she reached Rein’s family’s corral.

Rein’s water horse, Shol, burst to the surface, sending a shower of water over Kaelyn. Shol was a large muscular animal, bright red, shimmering to orange and gold as it moved in the sunlight. His narrow chest pulsed as the massive set of gills on each side worked in response to his deep breaths of air. Shol had two sets of fins: A small pair behind his gills and a larger pair on either side near the middle of his long body. She tossed him a fish and patted his pointed nose. “I’ll see you tomorrow for a quick swim, Shol,” she said with a smile as the attendant appeared beside her.

“I’ll have him ready, Princess,” the attendant said and rushed off to inform the manager of the royal corrals that the princess approached.

Kaelyn smiled at his urgency and tossed Shol another fish.

When she arrived at the corral, her water horse, Sal, was saddled and ready to ride. Sal was a sapphire-blue female, slightly smaller than Shol. She shimmered purple and green as she anxiously shifted her weight, waiting for Kaelyn. She climbed into the small saddle, took hold of Sal’s leafy mane, and urged her through the gate to the open water.

Sal bucked then leaped forward. When she cleared the gate, Sal dove under the surface. Kaelyn grabbed a handful of her leafy mane which had stiffened to serve as her dorsal fin, and pressed it against her mouth and nose. The leaves adhered to her skin. Kaelyn took a deep breath. The earthy scent of the moist air snaked up her nose as they soared toward the sandy bottom. The leafy mane allowed Kaelyn thirty minutes of air before Sal’s body would respond to the stress of the increased demand.

It took only fifteen minutes to reach the North Stream, a strong current of warm water headed toward the northern waters. It whisked her toward her family’s private island where she liked to train Sal. Once they reached the beach, Sal trotted out of the water and headed down the beach toward the tall black cliffs at the far end of the island. Sal’s tailfin softened in the fresh air and broke apart into the same leafy consistency as her mane. Her fins flattened at her sides. Her gills grew still as her lungs filled with air.

Kaelyn pulled the leaves from her face and urged Sal into a canter. When they reached the cliffs, Sal didn’t hesitate. Her hooves were large with a rubbery base that struck the slick surface of the rocks without sliding. Sal paused at the crest of the first rock to allow Kaelyn to grab one of the safety lines dangling down from above and secure it to her saddle, before continuing to the next tier of stones.

Kaelyn tightened the line as Sal scaled the rocks. When they reached the top, Sal stomped in triumph on the grass as Kaelyn released the line. She jumped off Sal’s back and led her to a rounded trough of clear water. Kaelyn and Sal both shook their heads of excess water. Kaelyn sank down on the grass beside the trough to catch her breath as Sal drank.

A transport lifted off from a rooftop in the distance on Capital Island and soared high into the sky. Was that another military transport headed for the Academy? Her mind wandered back to Rein’s departure. She’d make up with him before he left.

She touched her lips, still feeling the warmth of his kiss. Why did he kiss her? He’d made it clear they had no future. She sighed and decided it was the heat of the moment.

There were so many transports leaving Chelyana these days. How many of those were heading to the military academy? Were the rumors of impending war more than just a cautionary tale?

She left Sal to graze on the grass and headed to the pavilion. A small stone bar lined with wooden stools sat in the shadows of the circular stone building with a bamboo roof. She went to a small console at the end of the bar and punched several buttons. A section of the counter slid to one side, and a bowl of fruit with a glass of juice emerged from the darkness below. She glimpsed the security guard out of the corner of her eye.

They were always there, ever watchful. She punched in another order of fruit and went to hand it to the guard. He accepted it with a smile. Climbing onto the stool, Kaelyn snatched a piece of fruit and popped it into her mouth. She spun the stool to watch Sal and felt a wave of loneliness.

Miras or Rein usually rode with her. None of her female friends cared for the water horses; they were too busy with their hair and clothing. Kaelyn loved to ride Sal. It made her feel invincible. She’d conquered the sea and met the challenge of the rocks.

It was an amazing feeling to be in control of such a powerful animal. Was that what it felt like to be king? She shuddered at the thought. She suspected it was more like struggling to control the ire of a thousand, perhaps a million, powerful and upset animals with one hand tied behind your back. Thank goodness she’d been the second-born. The crown was not for her. Spending every moment of her life negotiating the quality of life or safety of millions of people was terrifying. She couldn’t even take care of herself, much less a planet full of people.

No, Miras was born to be king. He was the smartest man she knew next to her father, and Rein. Miras’ entire life was dedicated to grooming him for the throne. He’d spent half of his childhood at the military academy. Now Miras was at the University, studying international law. He would be an incredible king, and Rein would be his Head of Intelligence. She turned back to snatch up another piece of fruit and washed it down with the glass of juice, then turned to smile at Sal.

Riding and caring for the water horses were her passion. She stared at Sal, fascinated by her ability to shift from air-breather to water-breather. She wanted to research how the water horses evolved from deep-sea creatures to the amphibian-like stage of dwelling in both worlds. What if Sal held a gene that could be transplanted into other animals to allow them to venture out of the sea and onto land, or vice versa?

At that moment, Kaelyn understood what Rein was trying to tell her. He’d said she should make a choice. To choose her path. And that’s what she’d do.

She rose and called to Sal, “Let’s go home, girl. I have work to do.”

***