The Girl of Many Worlds | (Story formerly known as "Multiworldcial")

Chapter 24

I recognized him from the paintings and that one simulation I'd experienced not too long ago. Only this time, his face had developed a few wrinkles, and his hair and considerably lightened, close to being white.

"Zander, a pleasure to see you," Arden's father said as Zander bowed.

"Always an honor," he replied.

Arden's dad returned his gaze to Arden. "The multibreed is with you?"

"Yes, father."

"Summon her."

With a sigh, Arden said, "Jade, please come up here."

My mouth went dry, and my hands were clenched at my sides as I made my way up the ramp. The door swung open, and three pairs of eyes landed on me.

"So," he began, not wasting time to circle and examine me, "you are the woman who's worth all this trouble, hm?"

I swallowed and found my gaze lingering on the stone floor beneath me. Arden's father swiped my hair behind my shoulders and gently raised my chin. Our eyes held each other's as panic flooded into my stomach.

"Purple eyes," he muttered. "She had this color back on Lacteus Circulus?" What was that supposed to be? Earth?

"No, father. She has experienced her Awakening."

He abruptly released my chin and angrily glared at his son. "You took her there?"

"No, we went through the simulation room."

"Does he know she's here with us?"

Arden hesitated before he said, "Yes."

"Did it never occur to you, my boy," his father started, taking menacing steps towards him, "that you are putting the lives of everyone we've sought to protect in jeopardy over her?"

"Father..."

"Everything I've fought to establish in this kingdom is going to go down the drain over a pretty face?" his dad spewed.

"Father, that's not—"

"When I made you King, I thought you would be a fit ruler."

"And so I am trying to be."

"Then explain to me why we're about to go to war with her uncle over your stupid choices. What, do you love her? Is this a way to gain her favor?"

Arden's face reddened as he hissed, "It is not love that compelled me to start this war. It was to get the justice that Mom deserves."

His dad's eyes narrowed.

"Some things are worth letting go."

Blue energy sprung forth out of Arden's body. His eyes glowed blue, his skin grew a muted beige color, and bolts of light caused his hair to stand up due to the static. "You dare stand here and tell me I should let mother's death go?!"

"Do not lose your temper with me," his dad said with his voice surprisingly calm. "Your mother made a sacrifice to keep us alive. It's wasteful to end so many lives for your vengeful conquest. They have a saying back where that mulitbreed is from. 'A rich man's war is a poor man's battle.' Our people deserve to live to see another day."

"I'm the King here. I make the decisions now. Go home, father."

"You need to send the multibreed home. It will fare better that way."

"She, father. Not It. I won't tolerate you disrespecting my guests. She is a Princess. I will not ask you again to leave."

Seeing Arden so fired up and his father so calm was a disturbing dynamic, not including the fact that they were so different. Despite me being an anomaly in Euphoria and the realm of Antika, Arden never treated me like a subhuman. But to be called It by someone was a sting I had never felt before.

"You, my son, are a disappointment."

Arden's eyes were cold as he retorted, "Not as much as the man who couldn't save his wife, the Queen of Euphoria. And now, as your King, you should tread very carefully in how you speak to me." His father stiffened, but whatever comment he wanted to make, he held his tongue.

"May you bask in the Blue Light." His dad left the room, leaving us in a stony silence.

Arden regarded me coolly. "Are you okay, Princess?"

"Yes," I said.

"Let's start again," Arden said. "I will join you this time."

We stalked into the simulation; the scene had already returned to where we were with another Quilroper.

"Now, what I saw was okay," Arden started, "but very spontaneous and even sloppy. You should be able to harness how energy in your body is used. This is not something that has a formula or is particularly teachable. You have to get a feel for it yourself. Now watch..."

The Quilroper sent its quills spiraling toward Arden. In a flash, the bolts of Blue Light zipped out of him, sizzled the quills to a crisp, and fell to the floor. I barely processed what happened.

"I knew how to deflect its move because I'm completely comfortable with the power within me and know how much or little I need to defend myself and even attack." Arden turned to me as the Quilroper slowly pushed out more quills from underneath the surface of its skin. "Try to focus and think about a concentrated source from which you'd like to surge your power out of you."

The easiest place I could think of was my core. The stomach is a very vulnerable zone and also powerful. If I shot something out from there, wouldn't it be a powerful burst of... well, power?

As the Quilroper shot out more quills, I clenched and imagined the Blue Light coming out of me, but nothing happened. Instead, the bracelet deflected the blow.

"So far, all your energy is going to an alternate source. While helpful, I need you to try defending yourself through the Blue Light."

Another round of quills was fired at me. Another purple energy blast instead of the Blue Light. Each time I tried to shoot it from my core, I helplessly had to allow the bracelet to do the work for me.

"Okay, let's take a break from this for now," Arden said and signaled to Zander to end the simulation.

We walked to Zander, and Arden explained, "The reason you may not be able to tap into your powers as of right now is quite obviously due to your human side. I'm going to give you some of the Olden Scrolls to review. They talk about the science behind the Blue Light and how to harness it."

"I think also some of the Modern Scrolls will help," Zander suggested.

"Agreed. I want her to get the history first."

"Understood, sire," Zander conceded.