Chapter 31: Rescue
The royal family of Craiine asked for privacy so Alsuva gave them a sitting room where they can gather together. The rest of the guests were invited into a much bigger room where the Gaulani prepared a feast wherein the Fliskans and their allies had the opportunity to meet the people from different Gaulans.
Harrion saw a lady sitting by herself. He had just gotten some dessert and offered them to the stranger. "Would you like some of this?" He tries to remember what it was called.
The lady explains. "It is called Cotnodo. It's a soft cake made of crushed nuts, fruits, and vegetables." She points to the food as she explained. "Thank you. I'm good but please do try it."
"Only if you let me join you." Harrion tries to be smooth.
The lady gazes at him with an approving look. "Please." Her hand motions to the chair nearby. Harrion sits while taking a bite of the delicacy.
"Hmmm, it's good. This is the best dessert ever."
"I told you so. Carandessa offers the best desserts on the planet." The lady says.
"Well, I intend to sample them all. By the way, I am Harrion from Planet Fliska."
"Nice to meet you Harrion of Fliska. I'm Shendina, daughter of Penaya from Carandessa."
"Oh, I see." Harrion was surprised. "By the way, I am curious about your names. You are often referred to as a daughter of or son of. Why is that?"
"Here in Seravdi, we do not have surnames. Instead, we are referred to as the head of the family. For example, my mother is Penaya. She is the head of my family. Being the head of the family, she is given two references; Penaya, the daughter of Milokos and wife of Jendan. All the other members have one referential name."
"That's interesting," Harrion says right after swallowing a serving of cake. "In your custom, the woman is head of the family?" He takes another scoop.
"The head of the family is chosen by the state. There are laws regarding the matter."
"Oh, all right. I guess it's complicated. I'm curious. What if you have a namesake?"
"We do have the referential name. I don't think there is another Shendina whose mother is Penaya. Then, we also have a National Code as part of our full names. It is in our legal documents but we seldom use it in conversations. It would be awkward to be introduced as Shendina, daughter of Penaya. National Code 546-908-768-012."
Not for long, Alednos comes over looking confident. He had two ladies with him holding onto each arm. "Hello there. Do you mind if we join?"
Harrion was stunned. In his head, he was wondering how Alednos so suddenly became so attractive to women. Without uttering a word, he just glances at Shendina seeking her permission.
"Not at all." The lady responds after understanding Harrion's non-verbal gesture. She begins to move making room for their new companions. Alednos starts introducing his companions. As they were all engaged in good conversation, Harrion notices Kanunia near the bar.
It looked like the princess was in trouble for she seemed annoyed with the guy she was talking to. Harrion excused himself for a brief moment to help Kanunia.
At the bar, Kanunia was having a delightful yet somewhat awkward conversation with Pendar, son of Talis and husband of Alsa.
"My sister is the head of her family and has three husbands." The native said.
Kanunia covered her gasps with her hand but then speaks. "Oh, I'm sorry. I did not mean to be rude."
"No worries. We used to be as shocked when we hear people practicing monogamy. Through the years, we have come to be more open to other cultures. Because of this, some of us already accept having one spouse.
For the majority who still adhere to tradition, we are encouraged to take an alien wife to learn more about different customs. That is why I prefer to wed a foreign woman." He takes a sip from his tall glass. "Would you be interested?"
Kanunia was once again shocked. Before she could answer, a familiar voice answered. "There you are, my love." Harrion holds her by the waist and kisses her temples.
A strange passerby saw them and blushed. She seemed to be embarrassed and moved as fast as she could after Harrion's gestures.
"Forgive me," Pendar says.
"No worries. We should be going now. It was nice to meet you Pendar." Kanunia says as she hurriedly leaves grabbing Harrion's arm and pulling him away.
"Hey, are you okay love?" Harrion asks
"You can drop the act now." Kanunia loosens her grip on him. "By the way, thank you."
"You're welcome, my fiancée." Harrion chuckles. "You know I could ask the future queen for your hand in marriage so we don't have to pretend."
Kanunia slaps his shoulder blades. Another passerby with a child saw them. They look shocked and the child covered his eyes as they avoided the Fliskans like the plague.
"The people here are weird," Kanunia utters monotonously.
"I know." Harrion answers in the same tone. He then persuades Kanunia to join him and Alednos together with their new acquaintances.
Dazifae took her time at the long table of the main course. Ranued was helping her carry plates. When they settled on a table, he saw a man at the far end of the room. Ranued could only see the stranger's profile initially but when the man turned his head, the healer was shocked.
The stranger looked like Lady Korene holding on to a pendant around her neck. Immediately, he blinked his eyes repeatedly and the doppelganger disappeared.
Dazifae noticed he was distracted. "Are you all right, Ranued?"
"Yes." He answered hesitantly and then shook his head. "I just thought I saw someone I knew."
"Oh, you must be famished your hallucinating already. Here, let me get you more of this big squid in vinaigrette." Dazifae struggles as she holds up the food trying to transfer it to his plate.
"No thanks, I'm not into Handane sea slugs and those who are fond of them say it is best served fried with liver sauce than being drenched in that snail slime vinegar." Ranued waves his pointed finger at the delicacy as he explains to the lady. Seemingly disgusted, Dazifae then puts down the food and pushes the plate away.
Meanwhile, Lyna-Kyre enters the hall and finds Elzilaura at the edge of the fruit bar.
"Hello there, cousin." She grasps the princess' arm.
"Lyna!" Elzilaura was surprised. "I need a little help here. Which of these would you recommend?" They both look at the numerous choices of overly-filled fruit bowls.
"Oh, try those, the Carandessan roseberries." Lyna-Kyre pointed to pink bite-size fruit whose stem and leaves resembled lavender cotton candy. "They are divine."
The crystal princess took some. "Wow. I feel like I'm in love." Elzilaura felt she was on cloud nine.
Lyna-Kyre smiles. "Yes, it's that good. It is also believed to be an aphrodisiac."
"Oh really? No wonder the men are starting to look handsome." Elzilaura scans the room. Lyna-Kyre chuckles while following her cousin's ocular assessment. They both saw Zyric and Zedon leave the room. It seems the brothers sneaked into the dining hall to get a bottle of wine.
"Those guys are surely handsome sans the roseberries." Lyna-Kyre points to one of them. "And that one is a catch."
"Yes, they are. But I'm not sure. Zedon is off the market. He's no longer the most eligible bachelor since his marriage to Soradina." Elzilaura claims.
"No, I meant the other one." Lyna-Kyre smiles.
"The younger one." Elzilaura was surprised at her cousin. She takes a sip from a wine glass she got from a tray before replying. "I didn't know you are interested in Zyric. You know he seems to be fascinated with you too."
The cousin giggles and takes a wine glass as well. "No, I'm not into him but he has always been the most eligible bachelor in all of Fliska. Women adore that simple confident demeanor of his."
"It's not like I can have him." Elzilaura blurts out and Lyna-Kyre's eyes widen. The former covers her mouth. The two cousins stare at each.
"Oh, Ella!" Lyna-Kyre exclaimed.
"Please" Elzilaura holds her cousin's forearm. The princess shrinks in embarrassment. "This conversation never happened." Lyna-Kyre was once again shocked but respected her cousin. Lyna-Kyre then comments. "I think you had too much roseberries and wine. It's a very deadly combination."
Elzilaura nods in gratitude. Not for long, Lyna-Kyre notices a gentleman who just entered the room. She waves at him and the gentleman followed by two ladies approaches the Fliskans.
"Your highness, this is Varunis, son of Bunara and husband of Thetia. He is the Prime Minister of Carnadessa." Lyna-Kyre says as they move closer to him. He greets Elzilaura. "Pleased to meet you, your highness. These are my wives, Thetia and Liasa."
"The pleasure is mine, your excellency. I am delighted to meet you all." Elzilaura responds.
"Ladies, would you excuse us for a moment." The prime minister says. The wives bow their heads before taking leave walking gleefully arm in arm towards the buffet.
Gaulan culture permits polygamous marriages by customs and tradition. The origin of this tradition dates back to old times when the Gaulans were established.
There was a need to increase the population so the government allowed men to have many wives. Since the equal rights movement succeeded, women can also be declared head of the family.
Each head has the responsibility to meet the requirements of the government and the privileged of having many spouses. Only the declared head of the family will be allowed to have multiple partners unless the government issues special permits to certain individuals.
"Election season is coming up. Best of luck to you. I hope you get re-elected." Lyna-Kyre praises the gentleman. He is indeed delighted.
"Thank you, Madam Ambassador. I hope so too and I am hoping that the Gaulani will reconsider a second term." The gentleman says.
All of a sudden, Alsuva enters the room and certain guests flock to him.
"Excuse me, Ladies. I must speak to our Gaulani. It was a pleasure meeting you, princess." He takes a bow before leaving.
Lyna-Kyre then explains to Elzilaura. "Alsuva's term as a Gaulani is coming to an end. Carandessa is not a monarchy, unlike other Gaulans. They hold a democratic form of government and will elect a new leader soon. Varunis is trying to persuade Alsuva to run again but the Gaulani has other plans."
"Like what? Is he planning to retire?" Elzilaura asks.
"Alsuva is a workaholic. It's his coping mechanism after losing his wife. Instead of remarrying, he focused on public service. He did well as a leader and people are clamoring for his continued leadership. As much as he enjoys being a Gaulani, he wants to have another job instead. He wants to unite the people of Seravdi by building an organization where each Gaulan has representation. I've been working with him on this project of his."
"I hope you both succeed and if there is a way I can help, please let me know," Elzilaura says.
Lyna-Kyre was elated. "Thank you so much, cousin. It truly means a lot to me."
Elzilaura says. "Oh, it is nothing. I just want to support my cousin whom I've always looked up to."
Lyna-Kyre was flattered. "Oh, that is so sweet. But truly, it is I who have always been so proud of you. You are so strong and brave whilst carrying such a great responsibility on your shoulders. I would be crushed if I were in your place."
All she could say was "Thank you." Elzilaura was shocked by Lyna-Kyre's confession but it felt good to be admired by the one she looked up to for so long.
Out of nowhere, Kanunia comes over with Harrion.
"I'm so glad to find the two of you," Kanunia says as she seemed to have shortness of breath. The two Fliskan women looked confused so Kanunia elaborates.
"The people here are so weird. There was this guy who approached me and is offering to marry me!" Kanunia sounds vexed.
The two other girls laughed. Lyna-Kyre then explains. "You will get used to them. That's just how straightforward they are. The customs here are very different from ours. In the gaulans on the deeper and distant side of the planet, the practices are very odd.
For example, they consider slapping as a sign of affection between husband and wife which is usually done in private whilst kissing is a very degrading insult."
"I see." Kanunia and Harrion speak almost simultaneously. They begin to narrate what happen previously. Lyna-Kyre and Elzilaura laugh at them.
The next day, the monarchs prepare to leave for Desdan. While getting ready, a commotion outside the Gaulani's residence disturbed them. A servant then informs that there are foreigners seeking refuge. Alsuva then says let these foreigners come to him.
The group then comes into the Gaulani's presence while he was surrounded by his guests.
"Your excellency, I am Sabaria, daughter of Luwein, the Gaulani of Vimat. My home has been occupied by the Mudrogos Vel. We were their allies but when we failed to give what the empire wanted, they attacked us. Luckily, I managed to escape with my colleague here, Lizena, daughter of Gurru. We managed to get hold of weapons and blasted the men boarding the only jet nearby. When we took off, we noticed there was a man on board in the backseat. He is Vice Chancellor Mohori Horo."
There were mixed reactions. Alsuva then spoke. "Are you the Vice Chancellor of Patara?"
"Yes, I am the true Vice-Chancellor. My twin brother, Pardim Horo, stole my identity. I didn't know that he was undermining me, secretly working with my enemies.
He had me and my daughter, Haxialle, kidnapped. We were passed on from one place to another until we were brought here to Seravdi.
During the siege, they loaded me on a jet. When I woke up, I saw these two women and we were flying away from Vimat.
Please help us. My daughter is still there. She is in a coma but with their advanced technologies, she can wake up from it soon. I hope you get to rescue her and the others who are dying."
"If you are the true Vice Chancellor and your brother is in league with the enemy, then why would they attempt to kill him? He was found unconscious in his office. Someone also tried to copy his form. Why is that?" Alednos asks bluntly.
"I don't know but my brother has a lot of enemies. He is a greedy man. Perhaps, he went too far, and allying yourself to the Mudrogos Vel is not good at all. We all know how treacherous they are. Only the desperate with evil intentions would do such a thing."
Sabaria's energy lowers in grief. The Vice-Chancellor noticed her reaction. "I did not mean to offend you, my dear."
"I know. Most of us knew how vicious the Mudrogos Vel Empire is. I just wish my countrymen did not trust the empire. But desperation led us to this."
"I will appeal before the Gaulanis in our grand summit meeting today. I will bring you there as witnesses that the Mudrogos Vel has worn out their welcome on this planet. We must stand united and get rid of these oppressors once and for all." Alsuva says.
"I wish to help you by sending my men to rescue your daughter and also save whomever we can. Meanwhile, I will go with the Gaulani Alsuva to meet with the other Gaulans to plead our case and ask for their support." Elzilaura says.
Harrion then asks. "What of our journey to Desdan?"
"The journey can wait a little bit. Some people need us. Besides, we can gain the trust and support of more people if I go with Gaulani Alsuva and Lyna-Kyre." The princess responds
Harrion nods in agreement.
Elzilaura looks at her Marshal. "I need you Zyric to assist in this rescue operation."
"Of course, your highness," Zyric responds while Elzilaura leaves.
Not long after, Ranued approached Zyric. "Lord Marshal, I wish to join as well, your highness. Haxialle was one of my benefactors until she disappeared. Besides, we used to visit relatives in Vimat so I have some knowledge of the place."
"Agreed then. You're coming with me." Zyric says and then looks at Harrion. "Look after the ladies until I get back. Coordinate with our allies for the time being."
"Shouldn't I go instead?" Harrion asks. He also felt there was something off with Zyric.
"Haxialle was my friend and confidant so I have to do this." Zyric painfully admits. Harrion was stunned but then replies.
"As you wish, Sir." He salutes the Lord Marshal.
Zyric takes Ranued and joins the Carandessan team Alsuva appointed. General Asquem, a Carandessan officer, leads the mission.
They sneak into Vimat using the secret passageway which Sabaria used to escape which Ranued traces.
Zyric eventually finds the cell where Haxialle Horo is being detained. The Vice Chancellor's daughter had been sick since they arrived in this facility. A Pataran officer managed to open her cell and whisk her away. The others took one or two injured people along the way.
As they were in the air, Zyric feels something is not right. The rescue seemed too easy. Soon a blinding light flashed before Zyric and everything becomes pitch black.
Meanwhile, Alsuva with Lyna-Kyre, Elzilaura, Sabaria, and Vice-Chancellor Horo traveled to Matilandini Akailu Agaulan. It was a small uninhabited Gaulan where meetings between Gaulanis take place.
Alsuva speaks in front of an assembly of Gaulanis asking for their help urging them to form a council of unified Gaulans to drive out the enemy. After his speech, the crowd of mostly Gaulanis had mixed reactions.
Alsuva feels defeated. He was about to end the meeting when Elzilaura steps in and speaks before them. She empowers them and persuades them that when they stand united, they are stronger than ever. As a unified world, they can help create a better universe for all.
Elzilaura then turns the floor over to Sabaria and Vice-Chancellor Horo. She introduces them as witnesses to the treachery of the empire. Slowly, the other rulers have a change of heart.
A few hours later, they have not come to a decision. Some Gaulans refused to cooperate and left. Since it was getting late, they adjourned for the night.
The next day, their discourses continued until they settled on an agreement. The greater Majority chose to form the Seravdi Gaulan Alliance. The Gaulanis elected Alsuva to be head of the council and will be referred to as Diai Gaulani or "chairman" until his term ends.
Alsuva accepts his new post and also informs everyone that he shall be stepping down from his current position as a Gaulani to concentrate on his new role as Diai Gaulani.
Just after the meeting was adjourned, Lyna-Kyre congratulates Alsuva. She mentions that he already has everything and that he must be truly happy. Alsuva humbly says he doesn't have everything yet and stares into Lyna-Kyre's eyes.
Before the lady could say anything, Elzilaura then joins them and suggests a celebration but a member of the assembly approaches them. He informs them that they need to return to Carandessa. It was reported that Zyric of Craiine has been in an accident that somehow affected the mission's outcome.