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"Not directly," Aru said. "I communicate with someone who works for someone she trusts."
Next to her, Kian groaned. "I understand your need to protect your sister, but it is obvious that she is the one you are communicating with telepathically. Your secret is safe with us, and it will save us a lot of roundabout talking if you just call your contacts by name."
Aru looked as if Kian had punched him, and it took a long moment for him to finally nod. "I guess you are right. It's just difficult to find the balance between safety and moving forward. Perhaps that's the resistance's biggest problem. We don't want to repeat the mistakes of the past and lose so much again, so we progress at a glacial pace."
Kian nodded in agreement. "Luckily for us, we live among humans, and their short lifespans add urgency to our lives that we might not otherwise feel."
"Makes sense." Aru lifted his teacup to his lips, gulped down the liquid, and put the empty cup back on the coffee table. "My sister works for the Supreme Oracle of Anumati, who is Queen Ani's oldest and dearest friend. For thousands of years, the queen and the Oracle met once a month in private in the Supreme's temple. The reception hall in the temple is probably the only place on Anumati that is entirely devoid of technology and, therefore, free from spyware. It has no windows, the walls are at least a meter thick and made from Anumati's equivalent of granite, and the illumination comes from torches and the fire pit. The Supreme learned about my sister and me in a vision, searched for us, and brought us to the temple. At the time, my sister was studying to be a healer, and I was training to become a trooper. She recruited us both."
"To do what?" Kian asked.
"At first, nothing unusual. Aria became the Oracle's scribe, and I was introduced to the captain of the galactic patrol ship that was leaving for this sector. At the time, we didn't know what our mission would be or that we would actually be working for the queen. The Oracle and the queen have been searching for telepaths like Aria and me for many years. It's an extremely rare ability and one that the Eternal King considers a threat and tries to eliminate. People like us are demonized in Anumati's society. Aria and I were lucky not to manifest our ability until we were old enough to understand that we needed to keep it a secret. Not even our parents know. But we couldn't hide from the Oracle."
Annani lifted her hand to stop him. "You call the queen's friend the Supreme Oracle. Does it mean that there are many others less powerful than her?"
He nodded. "There are many oracles. Along with the Fates, they constitute Anumati's religion. The oracles are said to transcend space and time and connect to the energy source of all the known universes. The Supreme can even get glimpses from the other universes that co-exist alongside ours but resonate at different frequencies."
The concepts Aru was talking about were too esoteric for Annani to wrap her mind around, but she felt no need to understand them fully at this time. What she wanted to know was how Aru and his sister were hidden from all the other oracles.
"If the Supreme saw you and Aria in a vision, what would prevent other oracles from seeing you too?"
Wincing, Aru rubbed the back of his neck. "I do not know, but the Supreme assured us that no one else could find us. I don't know whether she did something to hide us from the other oracles or if searching for individuals with special talents is beyond the scope of the other oracles' abilities, but I trust her word."
"Did my grandmother relay a message to me?" Annani asked.
"Her Majesty wants to talk to Your Highness directly, or as directly as possible, with Aria and me acting as your mouthpieces. The queen will talk to Aria as if she is talking directly to you. Aria will repeat it through my telepathic connection, and I will repeat it. It's not ideal, but since it will be happening in real time, there is less chance of things getting lost in the retelling; the same thing will be done in reverse. Your Highness will talk to me. I will repeat it for Aria through our channel, and she will relay it to the queen."
Aru
"Thank you." Tears shining in her eyes, the princess did the last thing Aru had expected.
Pushing to her feet, she walked up to him and embraced him. "I am grateful for the incredible gift you are giving me at such great risk to you and your sister. I will forever be in your debt."
Frozen in place, Aru could not string two words together in response even after the heir let go of him, smiled, and returned to her spot on the couch.
The heir to the throne of Anumati had touched him, embraced him, and told him that she was grateful for the service he was providing her. None of the nobles back home would have done so, let alone any of the royals.
It was unheard of.
Kian chuckled. "I think you stunned Aru, Mother."
She laughed, the sound sending goosebumps up Aru's arms. All goddesses had beautiful voices, and the sound of their laughter was melodic and beguiling, but it was obvious that Annani was not like other goddesses. Even if she weren't the spitting image of the queen, he would have suspected that she was a high-ranking royal, most likely one of the Eternal King's many children.
They were all-powerful, but they did not have that something extra that the queen brought to the mix. Ani was extremely powerful in her own right, and it was not due to any hidden supernatural talent. She was smart, calculating, and a seasoned politician. There were very few Anumatians, if any, who did not like the queen, and what was more important, the king knew how popular she was and that getting rid of her was not an option.
"I apologize for stunning you into silence," the princess said with amusement lacing her voice. "But I need you to snap out of it and tell me when my first conversation with my grandmother will take place. Since I will be presiding over weddings every evening until the end of the cruise, I do not want this all-important conversation to happen during the celebrations."
He shook his head to dispel the shock and comply with her very pragmatic demand. "Of course, Clan Mother. The queen will need to be in the temple to conduct those conversations in private, and those visits are usually arranged ahead of time, so I can ask for a schedule."
Kian leaned forward and refilled his teacup. "I'm sure that Anumati's days do not align with Earth's. Scheduling will be problematic."
"What is Anumati's orbital speed?" Annani asked.
"It's actually not that different from Earth's even though it is a much larger planet. I think there is only a few minutes' difference. We also measure it in twenty-four intervals, but those are not precisely the same length as Earth's. On the other hand, it takes Anumati thirty times longer to complete one orbit around our sun."
"So essentially, we can schedule a specific time," Annani said. "How often does the queen intend to speak with me?"
"Once a day."
