Steps approach us. Immediately, I look to see who's coming. My mother, on the other hand, doesn't even try.
Mak has come to us. With a gesture, he indicates for me to follow him.
"I have to go now!" I say. With the back of my hand, I wipe away my tears. I would have liked to take her with me. I would have done anything to make her feel better. Maybe I should talk to Mak.
"But I'll try to come back." With lowered eyes, I approach Mak, who looks at us only with pity.
"He's right!" Suddenly, my mother calls out. A smile forms on her lips. "Damn, he's so right about what he said. You really take after your father." My steps stop, and I eagerly listen to her words.
The smile on my mother's lips disappears as quickly as it came. "We were so stupid not to listen to your words for a minute."
"Please!" I call out to my mother, tears rolling down my cheeks again. "If I can see you again, please tell me something about my father and my brother."
She tries to nod, but even that doesn't work.
Mak urges us to leave, and I follow him with lowered eyes. Only when the door closes behind us does Mak begin to speak.
"If you want to hear praises about your father, it doesn't matter who you ask," he says. I raise my gaze and see his encouraging smile. "As soon as you mention the name Malgard, you'll hear about a great warrior whose son is supposed to eventually defeat the terrible Emperor Torsos." The last part sounds amusing to me. "But if you want to know about your father and brother, then you have to accept a certain offer."
A slight smile appears on my lips. What else could I have expected?
"Or..." I look at him curiously. "...you talk to Kaia and Gasard. They both got to know them as well."
That surprises me. I didn't expect something nice from him, but I can't admit that it pleases me.
He walks off smiling.
"Mak!" I hold him back. He stops and smiles at me, but his smile turns into confusion when he sees my pleading expression. "Please! Is there no way to get my mother out of here?"
He just shakes his head.
"Please, I would even accept one of the offers, any of them, as long as my mother gets out of here!" I beg him. Tears fill my eyes.
"Not at the moment!" he says.
I slump back against the door weakly. How can he deny me the one wish I have?
"Little one, we'll talk about it in the shuttle, not here!" Mak says, then he leaves.
I push myself off the wall and follow him.
It's only when we're in the shuttle, on our way back to the palace, that he speaks to me again.
I sit on the bench, my gaze fixed on the projection he left on this time. In my mind are only images of my mother.
Mak sits opposite me again, watching me the whole time since we left the prison.
"I can't get her out of there, no matter what you offer me, but I promise you something," he says. My gaze remains on the projection, but I listen interestedly to his words. "I promise to make sure she's treated better there."
"How will you do that?" I ask. My voice sounds indifferent. "Your ruler - Torsos - would surely be pleased if she suffered. After all, my mum killed his mother."
A sigh comes from Mak. "You're probably right." He should be cheering me up, I think. "But..." I look up curiously, into his handsome face, which looks even more beautiful with the gentle smile on his lips. "I've also heard that he once loved her more than anything." The next thing he says sounds hurried, and he scratches his head looking somewhat embarrassed. "Gasard mentioned it recently. Anyway..." He smiles at me again. One that at least gives me some hope. "If he really loved her, then it probably doesn't matter what she did! He won't want her to suffer like this! I'm sure of it!"
"I wish your words were true," I say, my gaze returning to the projection.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him getting up and slowly approaching me.
"But you're right!" I say. He stops and looks at me bewildered. "I should have stayed in the station. Then I would have been spared the sight."
Everything inside me tightens at the thought of my mother. It hurts so much, what I saw in that prison. A few small tears roll down my cheek, which I quickly wipe away with my hand.
Mak shakes his head. "It's good that it turned out this way! If you hadn't insisted on seeing your mother again, who knows. It might have been too late if someone had inquired about her condition."
His words hit me like a punch. I wrap my arms around myself and start to cry.
"Believe me, I'll report what's going on there, and no one will touch your mother anymore!" Mak promises me. His hand slowly approaches my head. "There's something our ruler can't stand, and that's when someone harms a woman."
He's about to touch me when the shuttle suddenly shakes.
Even Mak struggles to keep his balance now. I startle. Projections are set up on all the walls, as well as the floor and ceiling, showing the exterior environment.
Two spacecraft are visible on the projection, which have trapped our shuttle.
"Damn it!" Mak yells. I look at him confused. What do these ships want from us? I wonder. "These damn shuttles are unarmed."
He rushes to the control panel and presses a few buttons. A small screen appears on the foremost projection. It shows the face of a brunette man, who is younger than Mak but by no means as attractive.
"Did we interrupt something?" he asks, winking.
Mak's gaze, fixed on the screen, looks angry. "What do you idiots want?" he shouts at the man.
"The girl! We were promised a nice sum if we bring her to someone." The man looks at me curiously with his brown eyes.
I am frozen and shocked, looking only at the projection, unable to understand what's going on.
What does this guy want from me?
Mak, on the other hand, sighs and seems more annoyed than confused. "Gasard is going to get it when I'm back at the station!" he growls. "I take you along just once, and you cause trouble!" He looks at the screen. "How about a deal?"
I follow everything curiously, even though I don't know why I should be responsible for this. I haven't done anything! Besides, it's my first time on this planet.
"You hand the girl over to us voluntarily?" comes the man's reply with a loud laugh.
"I won't make it that easy for you." Mak shakes his head. "I like fights!" The brunette seems interested. "A fair fight, and whoever wins gets the girl."
"Deal!" the brunette calls out.