Chapter 21: Grojan

The sun was just setting as Minara stood on the palace walls watching the last of the market stalls being packed away in the square below. Her back ached and she groaned; she wondered if she had walked too far today. One of the palace guards stepped away from his post. "Are you alright, my lady?"

"Yes!" Minara snapped, and the guard flinched at her tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."

"That's no problem, my lady, would you like a hand down the steps?"

"Yes please."

The child moved causing her to stifle a gasp. The impossibility of her condition never ceased to amaze her. The fertility of the Grojan and the Grojani for that matter had been declining for generations. One child for a mated couple had become the norm, two children an exception. For a female Grojan to fall pregnant so quickly was unheard of. The fact he was a human made her condition even more astonishing.

When the symptoms had first appeared she had thought she must have been suffering from an unknown illness but as time went on she could not deny what was happening to her. The Princess, by then Queen, had been excited for her, but Minara had a nagging doubt, what if she was carrying a monster, something neither Grojan or Human?

She sighed and had just turned away from the walls towards the battlement steps when a familiar sound from her past caused her to look up. A ship flew across the city and hovered above the market square. Minara recognized it instantly. The guard looked in wonder at the hovering ship while Minara clenched her fists. "No, not now!" Bile rose in her throat and she swallowed it down with a shudder. She shook the guard on the shoulder. "Snap out of it and help me to the King and Queen's reception rooms now!"

The guard blinked, bringing his attention back to Minara. "Yes my lady." He offered his arm and helped her down the steps and across the courtyard to the royal reception rooms. People were starting to gather now to gawp and wonder at the ship hovering in the sky. Minara puffed up the steps to be met by the King and Queen walking down to look at the strange new arrival.

Minara bowed her head. "Your Majesties, you must leave immediately you are in grave danger."

"Why Minara, whatever is the matter?" the Queen asked.

"I know that ship and who is on it. You and the King must take a few trusted guards and leave straight away for my country mansion and stay there out of sight."

The King frowned. "We can't do that, and how do you know of this wondrous machine, Lady Minara."

Minara sighed. "Because I once had a machine like that and I worked with the people in that one for a while. If you don't go now you will be killed. I will explain later, but you must tell the officials to pretend I'm in charge at the moment."

The King spluttered and started to protest but the Queen interrupted him and grabbed his arm. "Eradon, we know nothing of this machine and what it means. If Minara says it is a danger to us we must heed her now! If there is not a problem we can return and no harm done. But if Minara is worried then we should go."

The King looked at his wife. "All right, Avia, just until we know what is happening." The King and Queen turned back shouting orders as they went.

The chief minister turned to Minara. "My lady, what must we do?"

"Tell the guards not to obstruct anyone who comes from that ship and to show them through to the throne room. And remember you have to treat me as your Queen. The King and Queen's lives depend on it."

The chief minister bowed. "Yes my lady," and he hurried off to do as she asked.

Minara turned as the ship landed in the now deserted square, crushing many of the market stalls not yet packed up. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath, fighting back the anger rising in her chest. Why did they have to find this place now, how had they found it at all? The child moved again, making her feel uncomfortable, but at least it helped her anger to abate. She had to control her violent mood swings as all their lives depended on her maintaining a cool head. She had to rely on her protective instinct for her child and above all not get angry. She swallowed, the primitive part of her psyche wanted to tear them apart with her bare hands for even coming here.

Minara had just reached the throne room and sat down when she heard a commotion outside. Moments later the doors burst open and five Grojan females swaggered in, pushing the guards out of the way, their filed teeth making their smiles look evil. One guard started to draw his sword. Minara raised her hand and in a commanding voice that filled the room she told the guards to sheathe their weapons.

The women stopped, surprise etched on their faces. The lead one gasped. "Minara! What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Hello Varna, welcome to my little kingdom."

"We thought you were dead after you disappeared, Minara."

"Well as you see I'm quite well. But it was touch and go for a little while, that few human ships we were looking for turned out to be a full battle fleet."