One Between the Stars

Chapter 1

Princess Ionia Tchaikuto of the planet kingdom Wynoa walked down one of the many corridors of her castle, a trail of servants behind her. Her dress flowed around her as she made her way quickly to the throne room, where her father, King Aglovale Tchaikuto, waited. She could not be late. She was never late, and today would be the worst day to break that streak.

Her father sat on his throne when she entered the room, his posture straightening when he saw her. Ionia strode forward, then gracefully dipped into a curtsy at the feet of the throne. She rose and said, "I received a summons."

"That you did," her father said. "Thank you for answering."

"What is it that you wished to speak with me?"

The king looked to his daughter with an expression she knew well; one that said that he was going to give bad news. He rose from his throne, and Ionia held her breath as he stepped down from the dais and started toward her.

"Walk with me, if you will," he said. Ionia began to follow her father across the throne room and through a door that lead to a long corridor that was lined with not windows but countless paintings of the royal family.

Ionia stayed silent, waiting for the king to speak first.

"Ionia," he said, his eyes gazing at the painting they passed. "Are you aware of our lineage?"

The Princess kept her eyes lowered respectfully, but raised enough for the king to know that she was paying attention. "Yes, my king. I have studied it and my tutors have also given me lessons."

"Good. And do you know of our relations with the other planets of our solar system?"

"Of course."

"And, more specifically, the outer rim that we live in?"

"Yes."

"Name all the planets in our solar system, if you will."

Ionia was puzzled by her fathers request, but did as asked, reaching in her mind to extract information from her Geography classes. "Well, my King, there is us, Wynoa, of course. Then there is Renn, and Yirdoth, and the Outer Colonies. And..." she faltered on the last one. "Um...Lia."

"Very good."

They walked on for a few moments in silence, and Ionia wondered why the king would summon her to test her knowledge in Geography, but she dared not ask. Doing so would be speaking out of turn.

"Tell me, Ionia," he said suddenly, "Do you do well with your History studies?"

"I suppose."

"What about Government?"

"I suppose I do well in that subject also."

"What can you tell me of our relation with Lia?"

"I know that we have had wars with them in the past," Ionia said. "And that eventually we were able to end it with a peace treaty that has lasted the last one hundred years. Though, from what I can gather, we still are not on rather good terms."

Her father looked at her in amazement. "That is something they teach you?"

"That we are not on good terms with Lia? No. I inferred it."

The king smiled, amused. "You are bold in that assumption."

Ionia's heart skittered. Had she made a mistake by voicing that theory?

The king chuckled, a sound she had never heard before. "Don't, child. You do no wrong. But you are as sharp-witted as your mother."

Ionia was surprised, but her heart swelled with pride.