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“I get headaches sometimes,” I said. “When I’m very stressed. It helps me relax.”
“It’s awesome, whatever it is,” she said. “You’re going to have to teach me how to do it. I feel so refreshed!”
“That’s good,” I said with a laugh, “because you’re about to meet my family.”
Her smile faltered for a moment.
“Family?” she said.
The shuttlecraft set down smoothly and the thrum of the engines powered down.
“We’ve arrived, my lord,” the pilot said. “Lowering ramp now.”
“You will not!” Zes said, leaping up from his chair, his hair sticking up on end. “You know the security protocol!”
The pilot bristled.
He said, “The protocol stipulates that if there is no one present—”
“That doesn’t matter!” Zes said, jamming a finger in the pilot’s face. “These are difficult times. We have to follow the emergency protocols to the letter!”
The pilot opened his mouth to argue, but he knew better than that. No one ever won an argument with Zes—whether he was right or wrong.
“Yes, sir,” he said wisely.
“Damn right!”
Zes marched to the back of the craft. Within four strides, he was there. It was a small craft meant only for short distances and not intergalactic travel.
Sirena arched an eyebrow at me. What is going on? it asked.
“Just humor him,” I said. “I’ve found life is much easier that way.”
Sirena chuckled.
“Chief security officer in place!” Zes bellowed.
The pilot sighed and flicked a switch.
“Hatch lowering now,” he said.
The hatch whined as it lowered and touched down, forming a ramp for us to walk down. Zes hustled out first, hands perched above his blade and blaster in case he needed to draw at a moment’s notice.
“Okay,” he said, waving a hand for us to descend the ramp. “It’s clear.”
I rolled my eyes at Sirena and the pilot, who grinned. We followed Zes as he led us across the flat lawn and crested the hill.
The castle rose behind it. I positioned myself so I could see the expression on Sirena’s face as she laid eyes on it. It was the same expression most people wore when they saw it for the first time.
“It’s like a fairytale castle!” she said.
Titans had fairytales but few featured castles. Most were centered around honor and battle. But I understood what she meant. The main body was a solid square block. Tall towers protruded from each corner. It sat perched on a hill overlooking the town below, nestled in the valley. It was a perfect spring day with butterflies fluttering from one flower to another, chasing each other in an endless playful dance.
“I’ve only ever seen a castle like this in movies,” Sirena said.
‘Movies’ roughly translated to forms of entertainment we used to watch. Since then, we’d moved onto full emotion manipulation systems. But most of the storytelling techniques were the same.
I extended an elbow to Sirena. She smiled as she wove her arm through mine. I grinned like an idiot with this gorgeous woman striding alongside me. I felt like I was the emperor himself.
