A man's hand gently runs through my hair. I feel his warm breath against my ear. Is it reality or am I dreaming? In the first moment, I cannot say. "We have arrived," his voice whispers softly in my ear. Sleepily, I open my eyes, and the first thing I see is the handsome face of a man. A few strands of hair fall messily across his face, his gentle brown eyes examining me with curiosity.
"When can I see my mother?" is my first question to him, accompanied by a yawn escaping from my throat.
"You'll have to wait a while; first, I want to sleep too," he replies. Another yawn escapes me.
"I've instructed someone to take care of you," he says as I sit up in bed and stretch. "Please listen to what they say." I nod. As he prepares to go back downstairs to the cockpit, I jump up and follow him.
The small elevator taking us downstairs is just a simple platform slowly moving forward. What awaits me down here, I could not have predicted.
Once we've arrived downstairs, a blonde beauty, barely older than I am, jumps into his arms. Another of the same age leans against the outer wall of the transporter. The girl smiles at the two of them, but when her gaze falls on me, she seems surprised.
"Oh, I missed you both!" the first blonde whispers in his ear. Both of them are dressed in a thin, white fabric adorned with flowers, clinging tightly to their slender bodies. Their curly, long hair reaches far past their shoulders, and they wear it down. As one of them releases the warrior from the embrace, I realize they are twins.
"Oh, Larana, I missed both of you terribly!" The fighter gives her a friendly smile. Full of curiosity, I wonder what kind of relationship the three of them have.
The young girl disengages from the warrior. "Will you be staying a bit longer this time?" she inquires.
He kisses her forehead before shaking his head. "I'm just here to pick up something."
"Who is she?" the second girl now wants to know from him. Her sister, who has only just noticed me, looks surprised.
Instead of giving her an answer, the warrior walks toward her with his arms outstretched. "Marata, my love!" he calls out and hugs her. Larana curiously approaches me and scrutinizes me thoroughly, which makes me quite uncomfortable.
"Who is she?" she now asks the warrior.
My companion calls the girl over to him, and she immediately follows with a smile on her lips. "I'm supposed to look after her!" he replies to both of them. He puts an arm around Marata's shoulders and the other around Larana's. "Feel free to look around here," he calls out to me before leaving the spaceship.
At first, I watch the three of them with bewilderment for a while. I still wonder what kind of relationship the three of them have with each other. Whether they are just friends or if there is more. But I can surely ask him later.
Another question that comes to mind is where we have landed.
Curiously, I leave the transporter, but after taking a step outside, I stop in amazement.
The place where the ship is standing is surrounded by small trees. Two paths lead to the place. One to a huge gate, the other to a kind of castle. A huge building that seems to have been built by an ancient culture.
The color of the walls is a soft, sandy brown. Furthermore, there are ornaments and sculptures everywhere.
Simply a magnificent sight. Not only the estate itself.
Curiously, I walk along the transporter. The rear end is right in front of a fountain made of white stone. The sculpture on it resembles a water-spouting dragon. Even the edge is adorned with a pattern. Yellow flowers float on the water's surface, and beneath their protective leaves, I can see colorful fish, occasionally brushing along the edge with their dorsal fins.
"Do you like it here?" a voice sounds behind me.
As I turn around, I recognize a woman in her forties. She has tied her long blonde hair into a braid that reaches down to her waist. Her green eyes show interested scrutiny. A smile lies on her narrow lips.
"It's impressive," I call out. My enthusiasm is evident in my voice. Where are we? I wonder.
"My name is Malu! I've been tasked with taking care of you!"
"I'm Janine!" I introduce myself. My gaze wanders to the castle. "Where am I?"
"This is the palace of our ruler!"
I am surprised.
My mother has told me a little about the palace, but only that she once lived here. So far, however, I had imagined more of a futuristic colossus of metal, not such a beautiful building that looks as if it were built by an ancient culture. Nor did I imagine the palace to be so beautiful.
What does the warrior want here? He surely won't get the fruits from here. Or will he?
"Please follow me!" Malu calls for departure, pulling me out of my thoughts. I immediately follow her.
Malu leads me to the palace, and the closer we get to the building, the more I am amazed.
On the way she leads me, we have to pass under several wooden arches adorned with beautiful flowers. The flowers resemble passion flowers. They are as large as my hand, their petals are colorful, and their scent is so enchanting that I pause for a moment. Slowly, I approach one of the flowers and enjoy its scent.
"Please follow me!" Malu urges me.
I nod. Even though I find it a pity, I continue to follow her to the palace.
From the arches, it is not far, but we still have to cross a slightly larger square. In addition to the path we came from, there are two other paths lined with columns leading along the palace.
Why didn't the warrior land here instead of the small square? I wonder for a moment. This one is bigger. It's even likely that there's some kind of spaceship parking lot here.
There must be a reason why he landed there.
The entrance to the palace is covered. Beautifully decorated columns support a heavy stone roof. The large doors underneath are just as impressive, also made of stone.
As we approach, the two heavy door wings open automatically outward, revealing the inside of the palace.
A sound of wonder escapes my throat as I enter.
The interior is just as magnificent and beautiful as its exterior, yet almost exaggerated. There is a magnificent painting on the floor, reflecting on the ceiling. Beautiful tapestries and huge paintings hang on the walls. Sculptures lead to a staircase, the railing of which is beautifully decorated.
I could have imagined everything under this palace, but not something like this.
"Most of our rulers grew up in the palace and ruled from here," Malu tells me.
"My mother used to live here too," I tell her. "But I don't know much about this place." I stop and smile at her. Maybe I'll get some answers here, I think. It's worth a try. "I'm curious to know what your ruler looks like."
Malu turns to me. She laughs at my question. "I've been told you'll ask about it," she replies. "But unfortunately, I'm not allowed to tell you." She calms down and shakes her head. "It's no use asking the other servants of this palace this question. There are only a few who know what he looks like."
"I've heard that he rarely shows himself to others," I remark with a smile. I'm sure I'll find out eventually; I'm determined.
I have only one more question.
"The man who brought me here. Could you at least tell me his name?" I eagerly await her response.
"Please don't ask me any more questions!" Malu says, which surprises me. "I've been instructed not to answer any of your questions." She walks away slowly.
A sigh escapes my throat.
Why does he make it so difficult for me? Maybe because I'm right with my assumption.
I follow Malu as before.
She leads me to the back of the palace, on the first floor. Into a corridor with several doors, which you can immediately recognize as such. Just like downstairs, everything here is magnificent. Many paintings hang on the walls, mostly of beautiful women. Sculptures stand against the walls, as well as magnificent vases filled with colorful flowers. The doors are adorned with intricate carvings, and the ceiling is beautifully decorated. Even the carpet we walk on looks noble.
But all this doesn't even end when we enter the room Malu leads me to.
The room is beautifully furnished, as if it were the bedroom of a fairy tale princess.
Noble curtains hang in front of the window, through which the warm sunshine falls directly onto a canopy bed. Magnificent vases stand in the room, filled with freshly picked flowers.
A beguiling scent emanates from them, which attracts me. They are the same flowers the warrior gave to Akara.
"Would you please undress?" Malu interrupts my sightseeing tour for a moment. At first, I look at her confused until she continues speaking. "I've prepared a bath for you."
I follow Malu's instruction.
In the room, there is another door that leads to a bathroom.
As soon as I open the door, a rush of warm air greets me, carrying a sweet scent with it. The scent is carried to me by the bathtub, and it smells of flowers.
Wonderful, plus the warm water. A real relaxation, after the cold showers I've already enjoyed.
It's almost like a dream. So beautiful. Unfortunately, it's only a short, albeit beautiful moment, I realize.
After the bath, I return to Malu.
On the bed lies a yellow dress, which the old woman hands me as I step out of the bath.
It is made of a soft and noble fabric that feels nice on the skin. Something completely different from the clothes I had to wear in the station so far.
Next, Malu asks me to sit in front of a mirror. While she tells me something about the palace, she styles my hair.
At the end, I look at myself in the mirror with amazement. The yellow dress reaches the floor, but it fits me perfectly. My hair has been pinned up by Malu, and only a few curls fall onto my face. Golden clips that the old woman has inserted glitter in the sunlight.
In this setting, I look like a princess in a fairy tale and almost feel like one. Just like the way Malu treats me.
It's so beautiful, but I mustn't get used to it. Otherwise, I would accept one of the offers, and I don't want to. But I can imagine that it was arranged by the warrior. Just so I would accept the offer.
I would trust him anyway.
Malu steps behind me.
She puts a golden necklace around my neck and hands me earrings. It completes the picture in the mirror perfectly.
"You're a beautiful girl!" comes from Malu.
I feel flattered by her words.
"Would you mind if I explore the palace?" I inquire of Malu.
"Feel free to look around," she encourages me with a smile, and I don't need to be told twice.
Alone, I set out on an exploration.
From the outside, the palace already seemed huge, but the interior shows me how big it really is. I wander through countless corridors, climb stairs, and almost get lost.
Actually, I want to go back already when I come across a staircase to the ground floor that I hadn't noticed before. It leads to the back of the palace.
Curiously, I descend the steps and am amazed.
At the foot of the stairs lies a huge hall, bathed in light thanks to the glass roof and walls. In front of me are beds with plants, small colorful flowers, larger ones, and even trees. Some of the plants have beautiful flowers that emit a delightful scent. Ones like I've seen in the vases of the palace. But also others.
At first, I think it's some kind of greenhouse, but the chirping of birds tells me it must serve another purpose.
My steps wander through this jungle. The gravel beneath my feet crunches as I walk along the path laid out with it.
The next thing I hear isn't an animal sound, but the cheerful laughter of a girl.
When I step out of the plants, I also recognize what this hall is.
Before me lies a huge body of water. A kind of pool surrounded by the beds.
The edge along which I walk slopes gently into the water and drops steeply at one point. On the water float a few small islands. Most of them are planted, but they all have one thing in common. There are seating options on them.
One of these islands is occupied by a blonde girl. A berry bush reaches out its branches to her, from which she picks a few ripe, red fruits. A second girl swims around the island.
It's Marata and Larana, but I can't name which girl has which name. They look too similar.
I walk slowly along the water, my gaze observing the plants and the birds flying overhead.
"Hello!" comes a sudden greeting from the water. I turn around and see the pretty, smiling face of one of the two twins. Her white dress clings wet to her body, revealing a lot of it.
"Hi!" I reply after a short time, during which I scrutinize her with confusion.
The girl before me meets this scrutinizing gaze with curiosity.
"Do you like it in the palace?" she kindly inquires of me.
"It's beautiful here!" I reply, smiling at her.
Her sister gets up and jumps into the water from the island.
"Where is the man who brought me here, actually?" I inquire of her, while my gaze rests on the water.
"You mean Mak?" she wants to know from me.
Now she has my full attention. Does he have that name? I wonder. "I don't know his name yet."
"The man you came here with is named Mak!" she informs me.
I'm happy to finally learn his name, but also disappointed that it's not different. But as unlikely as my guess was, what answer did I expect?
"Where is he actually at the moment?" I inquire of the girl.
"Our master is sleeping right now!" she replies curtly, which makes me stare at her in surprise.
"Your master?" I ask, and for a moment, I don't even want to understand what she means.
"Mak is our master!" she replies to me. There's a smile on her lips that looks happy when she says the words. "We belong to him!"
This planet is a slave planet, I recall. I should be aware that it doesn't bear that designation without reason. Only the fact that Mak is also such a type shocks me. I haven't thought of him as such.
The attitude of the girl confuses me even more. That she seems happy about it.
"Larana!" comes a stern voice from the water. Her sister has come to us, her gaze fixed on the visibly flinching girl before me. "Didn't Malu tell you not to bother our guests!"
Although both are twins, Larana seems lively and full of energy, while Marata appears more serious.
The gaze of the girl before me wanders sullenly to the ground.
I, on the other hand, turn to Marata.
"She didn't bother me!" I clarify, as Larana doesn't seem to dare. "We just talked briefly."
Larana begins to laugh. She jumps towards her sister. "See! I'm nice to our guests!"
Smiling, I look at the two of them until my gaze falls on Larana's back.
The fabric of her dress clings wet to her body. Even before, this thin dress barely covered much, now many parts of it are transparent, revealing a terrible sight to me.
The young girl is marked with scars that not only run across her back. There are also scars on her shoulders, arms, and legs. It looks like she has been whipped.
Is that from the warrior? I wonder. Actually, he seems like a nice guy to me, but I haven't thought that he would own two girls.
Moreover, Larana seems happy about the fact.
When the girl sees my shocked expression, she looks surprised at first, then she understands.
"It's a memento from our former master!" A smile that looks more tortured crosses her lips. "That's why Mak bought us from him."
Apparently, he's nicer than I thought.
"Do you want to go somewhere?" Marata inquires of me. "The palace is very large, and a few of our guests have already gotten lost here. If you want, we can accompany you."
I shake my head. "No, I'm just exploring the palace," I reply with a smile. "But if I need help, I'll turn to you."
"The garden is very beautiful!" Larana chimes in. As I look at her curiously, she explains the way to me. As I head towards the garden, the twins disappear into the water again.