The Space Speculation: Book 2 ~Painful Past~

Chapter 6: She's Dead?

Was it my business? Should I say anything? Should I ignore it all? Maybe it wasn't such a big deal. Should I tell Colin? I hated questions I didn't have answers to!

I was considering telling Colin. I went to look for him. By now I had become pretty familiar with the winding hallways and countless rooms. 

Finally, I found Colin. He was in one of the dining rooms, with Chad. 

I stopped in my tracks and tried to subtly walk away, but Colin caught me.

 "Paith! Chad has an idea."

 I put on a smile and sat down. 

"What's your idea?" I said, looking at Chad. 

A few moments ago he was in the worst state of rage I had ever seen. But now he seemed calm and collected. 

"Well, Paithenia," he started, 

"Violet and I are wondering if you three are getting a little bored with Neptune. We've heard that Jupiter is lovely this time of year." 

He gave us a couple smiles, but behind his happy façade I saw a tiny glint of tears.

 Colin excused us for a moment and we ducked out into the hallway. 

"What's wrong with him? He's never wanted to get rid of us before." Colin paced up and down a hall. 

"Colin." I reached out five hands to stop him. 

"I have an idea why." 

I recounted what I had heard through Chad and Violet's door earlier. 

Colin nodded. 

"That may be," he said, as he put his hands on his chins thoughtfully.

 "We'll think about it. Let's see if William wants to go." We headed back into the dining room. 

"Daddy, can we go to Jupiter?" Will yelled as soon as we closed the door.

Colin grinned at me.

 "Well, I guess that settles that." 

Chad clapped his hands. "Wonderful! I'll arrange for a ship to arrive soon and the servants will get you all packed up." 

"Come on, Willie!" I called into our room. "And no, you may NOT pring your carylin." Will poked his head out of the bathroom as I heard a squeal and something broke.

"Please, Mom? Jupe will behave, I promise!" He looked disappointed, but I would not let that animal get in the spaceship. I shook my head, and William sighed.

"Bye-bye, Jupie." He shut the door to the bathroom and followed me outside with the bags. 

Chad and Colin were outside, talking. As soon as Chad saw us, he beckoned to a couple of servants to help us with our luggage. As Will and I neared the brothers I caught a snippet of their conversation.

 "...So sorry, Vi just..." 

"No problem...we..." Colin turned towards me. 

"Ah, there you are!" he swung little Willie onto his shoulders.

"C'mon, Paith!"

 Will laughed as Colin sprinted up the boarding ramp. I shook my head, smiling, and walked up, careful not to lose my footing. 

When we were all seated and buckled up, the pilot turned on the engine. It sputtered, then stopped.

 He tried again, but it did the same thing. 

We all filed out of the ship as the mechanics checked it over.

 One of them went to talk to Chad. "It'll take a few days to fix. This is the best ship on Neptune, which makes it the heaviest. That makes it harder to fix the engine. Sorry, boss." 

Chad's face became angry for a moment, then melted back into a cold smile.

 "That's okay. I'm sure my family can wait to go on their vacation." 

I was positive the mechanic was aware of Chad's change in attitude, but he didn't flinch. 

"Sorry, sir, there's nothing we can do about it. I'll go tell the men to begin at once." He hurried off to fix the ship as fast as he and his workers could. 

Chad turned to us, his smile more pleasant. 

"I'm sorry. I know the servants will work quickly. Of course you could take a smaller, plainer ship, but I want nothing but the best for my amazing brother and his family." 

Colin and I looked at each other, not knowing what to say. William hugged Chad, wrapping his arms around his uncle's towering legs.

"It's okay, Uncle Chaddy. We can wait." 

Five days later, the ship still wasn't done. It was no surprise; the spaceship was almost as big as the entire castle, and heavier, too. 

The mechanics estimated no more than four days until it would be done. Colin assured Chad that we were patient and we didn't need to leave right then, but Chad was upset about something. 

He was getting angrier and easier to annoy. William was the only one who could stay on his good side, and even he was sometimes the reason for Chad's anger. 

Chad grew angrier as the days went by. One day, when Will and I were outside, I caught a glimpse of Chad and two women. 

Violet? My eyes bulged. She looked weak and tired, her face droopy, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

The other woman was—I gasped. Was that—Princess Eliana? Eliana had her arm around Violet, half-carrying her toward a small escape pod from a spaceship. I could tell Violet was holding something, but Eliana blocked my view so I didn't know what it was. 

Chad led the way. Both women were crying and Chad's face displayed great unimaginable pain. I told Bill to go play with the other kids while I watched the scenario play out.

As the three neared the metal pod, Violet carressed the thing in her arms before leaning down and gently placing it in the escape pod.

Chad pressed a button and the small door closed. Violet blew a kiss at the escape pod as it flew off into space, then she buried her face in Chad's shoulder. 

Eliana, after trying to comfort them but clearly getting in the way and making things awkward, went inside the castle, leaving the sad couple to mourn whatever they had put in the pod. 

My heart broke as I watched Chad comfort Violet, tears filling his eyes.

 The next morning, a servant came to our room. Her head was bowed, her face downcast. She quietly informed us that during the night, Violet had died in her sleep. 

Colin and I looked at each other. Violet was dead?

This section was written by Melina