The Lost Heir

III - Kenna McElroy

III

KENNA McELROY

So, this is Troy and Andrew Mackintosh. I was not disappointed with the young Earthen princes. As described in news ports—the daily, computerized and holographic news providers—they were both very handsome. Andrew was a Senior Officer who always took his job too seriously, and Troy was the heir to the Earthen throne. Regal, determined, serious, and took his role as heir head-on completely unscathed.

Troy Mackintosh was the most frightening man I had ever seen next to his father. He was at least a good half of a foot taller than I was, or maybe even taller. He had beautiful blond-brunette hair that any girl would have probably died for, that paired well with his turquoise eyes. Troy appeared more frighteningly official than I anticipated; however, the news port provided a very accurate description of the prince, almost exact. Troy's regality extended to his everyday clothing as well, compared to Andrew's. According to the news port, Andrew was always spotted wearing his military work uniform, midnight black hair slicked over to the side, and the typical frown that most military men wore while on duty. Whereas, Troy never left the palace walls typically sporting either a business-like suit with the Earthen sash, or wearing the military uniform which consisted of an all-black material from head to toe, embroidered with gold colored stitching.

As we walked down the corridor toward a large set of double-doors at the end of it, I surveyed the brothers closely. I noted the obvious which were their outer appearance: the color of their hair; their doll-like, porcelain skin; and the differences in their demeanor. But what caught me off guard was the mark on Troy's cheek and neck: a scar, and a nasty one too. Even if it were legal for the Earthen princes to be photographed and published, I am almost sure Troy would have stayed out of every photo due to the scar. I looked to Troy in specific and wondered why I had made him so angry earlier in the research lab. He screamed at me for knocking Luke straight off his feet, even though I had not meant to. But I could not deny what that video on the computer monitor had shown me, I had manipulated that Earth. It had protruded out of the ground because of me. It had been about an hour since I had been brought to the royal palace and I was still in shock from the events that happened in The Firebend. I could not process the assumption that Veda had made about me: I have been led to believe that you, Kenna Jane McElroy, are one of the Gifted Five.

Me? One of the Gifted Five? This all had to be a mistake. The missing Gifted Five were expected to help rule the solar system, and it was clear that I was unfit to rule a house, let alone a planet in its entirety. Even though they were called the missing Gifted Five, there are technically six planets which lack their rightful emperor or empress: Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, and Earth. The Earthen nation may have a king and or queen but the supreme ruler of each planet is supposed to be an emperor or an empress. However, the three remaining leaders of the solar system consider the Earthen royal family powerful enough to lead and run the planet efficiently. Therefore, all the legends about the missing Gifted individuals always equals out to be five.

We reached a towering set of double doors which were carved in such elaborate vegetative designs. Andrew placed his hands on either sides of the doors and pushed them open as if they weighed no more than a feather. Awaiting us at the end of an enormous throne room was the King of the Earthen people. I stopped dead in my tracks as I took in the King. He was a lot younger than I assumed, he did not appear to be a day older than thirty-five. His youth was terrifying but what terrified me the most was the way he resembled his sons. If Andrew, Troy, and the King had all been placed in a room I do not think I would be able to tell them apart except for their hair. It was as if Andrew and Troy were the King's carbon copy.