STELLARIUM(BOOK ONE)

Chapter 22: Court Affairs

Solstice summons the court lords and the council. He sat in the middle, the council had twenty court council members and the five court lords. 

       Nebula held a document in his hands, it had blood written on it. "Now let us conceal the affairs of the premium courts of the realms. Court one and Court five arise."

        Solstice and Vexis arose, Solstice walked straight to the front. Vexis did the same. Vexis committed a crime, a treason. Nebula continues to read. "Vexis you have been out of exile till completion of one month, for your act of treason towards the courts and the fellowship of secrecy."

      A strange silence hit the court, Solstice took off his gold stamp and his gold stripes from his apparel. He took the necklace of the courts and he stepped away from him. Vexis turned to his left and he saw two guards walking towards him, he remained calm. 

      He said, "if you just judge me and persecute my words. Why not disown the traitors in our midst?"

     Apex yelled, "remain silent! You are arrested and positioned for exile. Respect your title and give no more flimsy excuses."

      The twenty court lords mumble amongst themselves. They start passing papers as Vexis is escorted from their midst, they never knew he had some powers under his sleeve.    

       He smiled and sat on the prison bed as they entered his room. He sat on the bed with a collar placed around his neck, another placed on his ankle and one more place on his wrist. He was a powerful lord, they didn't want to take any risks with his cunny side. He turned to the walls and found not even a single escape route out of the room. 

      He tried to crack the ankle, he noticed it had a red light, a green light and a blue light. He didn't understand what the blue light was for. 

       He had some gifts but the one that stood out was the gift of telepathy. He could communicate to another from his mind in any part of the galaxy, he searched for Void and found him. 

       "Void, I'm in the cell. They've turned their backs on me and the majority of my powers are locked down. Help! Send the serpent to my rescue now!"

      Void heard his voice in his head and dropped his cup of tea he had in his hand that morning, he turned to the door and saw no one, his eyes glanced through the room. He asked, "Vexis? Where are you? Show yourself."

        "I can't show myself, I'm stuck. Send the celestial serpent to my rescue. If I stay here, the other prisoners I exiled may come after me. I don't want to meet them. Send the serpent and break through the walls."

        "If I do that, the others may escape. Why not use the astral chimera or stay there till you are let out. The serpent is deadly and out of control. If it starts, it's too fast to stop."  Void replied. 

       Vexia got frustrated and logged out of his head. 

        Xander watched his exile and stayed in his courtroom, "Apex? A word."

      "What is it? Speak."

    "What happened to Vexis? Why the expulsion?"

      "As a court lord, it is proper to have your lips sealed. You don't blab, he broke it and that attracted the penalty. You'll read about the laws when you get to Nebula next month. For now focus on your sword fight and other physical combats."

       He took his robe saying, "I have a meeting with Solstice. Remain here, I'll be back."

XANDER'S POV

        They talk to me like I'm a kid, I don't even want to be here. Yet I'm stuck, I don't know. Between my position and that of Vexis, which is better. 

      My arms hurt, my eyes hurt too. The chest power interrupted my vision. I can assure anybody anything, the training is not for the weak. 

     I miss Earth X, I miss my normal life in the city. "Xander! Come to the throne room!"

        Apex again. 

     I see Apex and Solstice at the table, of course they expect me to sit and I do. 

      He's staring at me and I know he expected me to have some questions for him. Still I remain quiet, "Xander? What do you think?  How did you access the court sessions?"

      I stare at him for a while, when speaking here I noticed the need for a brief silence before the speech and to my purest thoughts Solstice loves praise. He's proud and ancient. "I don't know, it was fair."

       His eyes went back to Apex, Apex stared at me. I can tell he's slightly disappointed in my words and my approach to even make a conversation work, he can tell I'm literally frustrated already. 

        He's speechless. Solstice asked, "Xander do you feel disdained here? At your level to mine?"

      Disdain is an understatement for how I truly feel, "I don't know how I feel. How do you see me? What do you think I feel?"

      He smiled slightly, he said, "Well, to be very candid. You don't like this place and your first year isn't complete yet, you should try and come out more. You may learn, instead of sticking to your room."

        "I've tried to come out more by even letting myself come here. My life belongs to the science lab not the royal house, I don't think you noticed it yet."

       He replied, "There's a whole lot you really don't know. I'd prefer we take a calm walk to the library, maybe it'll be better to explain the reasons for your transfer to the courts. Xander, as much as I am Solstice, as much I look and sound imperial I'll need to step down one day. If there's no successor then the villains take over. I won't let that happen."

AUTHOR'S POV  

         Solstice stretched his hand towards Xander, he removed his black glove for a handshake. Xander stared at him for a while before accepting the handshake, he felt the power protruding through his palm. It felt like a mild wave, his eyes went back to Solstice. His lens already turned gold in color, Xander removed his eyes from the sight. "This is what I wield from day till night, I didn't get to this position by thinking I'm not meant for it. I got here by fighting through the worst of the worst and standing for the best. You need to change your mindset to ascend."

      Solstice removed his palm from Xander's and wore his black glove. He walked out without a single word.