The Palace on Aether was empty and Rowena knew not wherefore. Where was everyone? Where was her mother-in-law? Where were her brother-in-law and sister-in-law? Where was Aedan, the golden tiger of her late father-in-law? Where were Alboin and Scholastica? Where was Buri? Where was evil-hearted Publius, ambassador of from the Commodian Republic?
Where was her beloved Falco?
Through that empty palace, the seventeen-year-old queen strode, wondering where everyone was. When she arrived at the throne room, a large room with thirty-five steps that led to the alabaster throne, a glorified stool more than anything else that was located before a statue of the Earth Bull, Rowena froze in horror. The statues of a past Divine Deucalion that were on the sides of the steps did not look as she remembered they should have. They were still in a sitting position with their hands upon their knees, their bodies still looked young and athletic, their flesh was still gold, but the heads were not that of a human's. In the place of the heads were those of bulls with fur of lapis lazuli and horns of silver.
Looking up to where the statue of the Earth Bull, a great bull with fur of lapis lazuli and horns of silver, Rowena began to tremble and she knew not wherefore. Falling to her knees, Rowena grew more frightened. What was going on? Was her courage and strength leaving her? She was a Queen of Aether! Did women such as she fear empty rooms?
The moment the statue of the Earth Bull began to charge down the steps at her, Rowena saw the reason for fear. Struggling to get up, Rowena found that could not! It was as if she were bound and yet no ropes were about her limbs! Closer and closer the statue of the Earth Bull got, its hooves getting ever closer, until finally...
Rowena jolted awake and found herself... Where was she? Looking around, she felt the pain from where she had been struck across the head and quickly remembered where she was. She was below deck on Acinonyx's ship... But where was Falco? Did he still live? Was he coming to rescue her and her fellow captives?
Or was he...
Such thoughts were interrupted by an unfortunate presence. It was the presence of Acinonyx standing over and amorously leering at her while his cheetah Paris lay nearby, while Rowena's fellow captives were nowhere to be seen. Had they all been rescued? Or were they simply on deck? Rowena hoped the former, she was glad that Scholastica and Xe-tian had been rescued, it would only make her happier to know that the others had been rescued as well.
"Good to see you are awake, Queen Rowena." Uttered Acinonyx, his voice ever pleasant, but sounding less than virtuous.
"Where are the others?" Rowena demanded, not liking how the Crown Prince of Hyperion was standing over her. Standing from her bed, she glared at him with her reddish-brown eyes, before she quickly looked around. There had to be something she could use to defend herself.
"On deck..." answered the Mainland Prince.
"And Falco?" Rowena asked, noticing a dagger upon Acinonyx's person. It would have to do.
"He lives, unfortunately." Sneered Acinonyx. "But thankfully, he is nowhere near here and that—"
"Acinonyx!" That was the prince's cousin!
Sighing in relief, Rowena watched as an annoyed Acinonyx asked: "What?"
"The Aetherean ship, cousin! It is in sight and catching up to us!"