Patriots and Renegades

VII. Secrecy

THE ELITE

Before Nether departed to join with Admiral vuie Rydoze's fleet. Timothy walked alone to the archives. Once he went inside, the person he saw was King Octic holding a glass of red wine. "Your Majesty.." Timothy knelt on one knee as soon as King Octic looked at him.

"Stand up, it's just me and you here." King Octic sighed.

He stood up, "You are the King of this planet. I wouldn't want to get into trouble for not kneeling on one knee."

King Octic sighed again.

Timothy walked to a nearby shelf and picked one random record. "You summoned me here. What is it that you want to discuss?"

"I helped her."

"Who?"

"Cali vuie Vaccll."

He stopped scanning the record and closed it loudly. He placed the record back on the shelf, and put his hands in his pockets as he avoided eye contact.

"I helped her escape." King Octic said it again.

"Why?" He tried to not burst his anger right away.

"We made a childish agreement I guess. I didn't think she would go inside a trading ship." He looked at Timothy who was avoiding his gaze. "We agreed that if I helped her, she will give me her box of chocolates which wrappers can turn into money once I turn those over to the Green Department. It was to save the people whom were affected by the typhoon."

"So what happened?"

"She helped me, so I helped her in return. She told me that she wanted to see what those spaceships looked like, so I agreed. But she never mentioned that she would escape. Until..."

Finally, Timothy looked at him.

"I read this." King Octic gave him a brown envelope with a broken wax seal.

Timothy took it and pulled out the papers that were inside it. He skipped some pages till he read a letter that was for the vuie Vacclls, it came from—— The Gaian Monarchy. His eyes widen while he was reading the letter. Once done, he exhaled realizing that he didn't breathe while he was reading it. He placed the papers back inside the envelope. "Why say this to me?"

He sighed, "Because I figured that that could be the reason why she ran away."

"She doesn't want it."

"Yes! Because she knew that one day she will marry Gaian's successor. Which she never wants to happen. But she is the key to Elite's future!"

"Are you saying that she is the key to everyone's protection?"

"Yes!"

"It has been 12 years.. Why has not the Gaian Monarchy came here then?"

"I have been wondering about that as well. However, I want us to focus in the present time first. I know that you and Nether are trying to find Cali——"

"If she doesn't want to, then we don't——"

"—— If she doesn't want to, then we die!" Silence surrounded them with a lot of tension. "Please, Timothy.. We have our differences, but this isn't the time to fight. I have a lot of burden to carry, and you are the only one who I can trust. You want her to come back home? This is the only way for her. Remember, To Protect."