Chapter 3: Michyle

Michyle’s POV

Michyle stepped from his space ship and onto the flight deck of the under developed colony of Elle Star. After nearly a three-month journey from Mars, he was dismally disappointed at the lack of welcome. Merda and Kopha unloaded the ground transport vehicles and gave them a final check for possible damages sustained during the journey. When none were found, they loaded up the luggage and supplies meant to last the entire length of his three-month engagement, if all were to go well.

Michyle took the forward passenger seat and marveled at the near wilderness of the trail that led from the overgrown flight deck to the exterior wall of the village compound. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen so many trees in his entire life. He reflected on his early childhood as an orphan and child of the Universal on Earth. The Earth was barren and gray. Not a single tree or any other vegetation could grow after the nuclear holocaust, which had ruined the Earth forever.

When he’d mercifully been adopted at the age of ten, he’d made Mars his home and began a career in Nanophysical technology to the benefit of his adopted father, Sovereign Benhot. He had turned out over a thousand patents to the Sovereign in the following ten years and finally had a collection of more than a hundred of his own. As he looked around the untouched country of Evenous, he realized now why the current Sovereign was so interested in a marriage to him. His technology could bring this planet back to the attention of the central system.

The ground transport arrived at the exterior of the village compound and came to a halt. He looked at his driver, Merda, as they simultaneously realized the ground transport was not going to make it through the gate.

“I suppose it’s on foot.” Michyle smiled. “You and Kopha can manage the bags, right?”

Michyle was out of the vehicle before the thick man with a pink complexion set against red hair could respond. He walked up to the gate and was surprised as it opened unceremoniously for him. He stepped into the village compound square and was amazed at the intricate details in the inner landscaping and simple open architecture. He had to admit to admiring the splendid simplicity of the surroundings.

As he made a lap around the square, he took note of a beautiful tall woman with light brown skin and thick woolly hair hurrying towards him.

“Michyle Behnot?” she asked when she was within shouting distance.

He smiled and nodded. “Yes. You must be the Sovereign’s Aunt Caroline.”

“Yes.” She nodded and extended a hand as she reached him.

He took it and was surprised by the strength of her grip.

“Thank you so very much for coming all of this way. How was the journey?”

“Long,” was the most appropriate one word reply he felt would sum up the journey. “I have two of my guards with me. We would like to rest and have a meal before meeting the Sovereign.”

“Oh, Caressa?”

Michyle was taken aback by the lack of respect the elder woman showed when speaking of the colony’s Sovereign.

“No, I mean Sovereign Fanza,” he said with an air of authority that immediately put the woman on the defensive.

“Of course,” she quickly said. “My niece is looking forward to meeting you. I will show you to an apartment that has been renovated specifically for you.”

By that time, Kopha and Merda had managed to carry out the majority of their luggage. They followed the rapid pace of the woman through the nearly deserted compound walls and took turns looking around and then at each other in odd confusion. Aunt Caroline showed them to an apartment that was elegantly styled with four bedrooms, a kitchen, and living space.

Michyle immediately claimed the room furthest to the back with a balcony that overlooked the beautiful wilderness behind the village compound. He closed his door without another word and collapsed on the bed. He flipped the dial on the image projector he kept close to his heart, in the breast pocket of his jacket. For perhaps the millionth time, he projected her image in front of himself and smiled. Dressed in white, she leaned into a tree, seeming to look towards an unseen horizon. A sweet and unguarded smile played against her lips. He always wondered what it was she thought about. What made her smile like that?

When he had decided he wanted to get married, he’d gone to a matchmaker and Caressa’s name came up almost immediately. He had learned that she was the mostly blind daughter of a former Sovereign on a colony far outside of the central system; and young compared to his twenty-five years, but fierce. She’d claimed and held onto the title of acting Sovereign from the age of twelve and as her twentieth birthday was just shy of one year away, she was set to take on the full reigns of Sovereignty with her only perceived disadvantage being that her legal guardians had squandered a great deal of the inheritance her father had left behind.

He had never met her, and once he’d read a little of her file, he found it strange. Technology existed to completely correct blindness. As the daughter of a former Sovereign, she should not have gone past the age of six without seeing. He flipped through image after image of her, small and alone. Remembering his early youth as an orphan, he wasn’t sure if he felt more than pity for her.