2

King Sheward looked outside the castle from the throne room when Yed entered. His undercover guise gone, he was in his royal purple robe wearing his golden crown ornate in amethysts, citrines and garnets. He clutched his round golden scepter, lined with similar jewels, in his hand like he needed it for walking and not for show. Once the King detected Yed's presence, he loosened his grip. "Protector Yeducavich Smilliat." His hands folded together on top of the scepter.

Yed lowered himself on one leg and bowed his head toward King Sheward. "Majesty, how may I be of service?"

The King stared right through his brave facade. "I know your secret."

Yed got up off his knee. Don't over react; maybe it's something else. "Majesty?"

"I have classified information on your family history." The King leaned his scepter against the wall. "I know the truth about your tail."

Yed's tail frizzled like a terrified feline; it's hairs arched up. He glanced around the area, but knew no one was allowed into the King's throne room without authority. If the king is safe here, I shouldn't worry. He tried to convince himself, but sharing secrets never felt safe. "My tail is different."

"It's colored," King Sheward said as he grabbed his own black furry tail. "I'm betting it's ringed with turquoise and white. I'm right, aren't I?" The King nudged him, "You have pure lineage!"

Yeah, that statement didn't need shouted. Yed glanced around again.

"Don't worry," the King said beaming. "Your secret is safe, but I have a mission for you."

Yed's tail stopped frizzing as he heard that. "What is it you need of me, sire?"

The King smiled brightly, but something was amiss. He began to walk. "It's easy, come over-"

King Sheward stopped mid-conversation as his son Regwallis ran into the room and tripped him on accident.

"Sorry!" Regwallis apologized.

The King dusted himself off. "I am in the middle of something important, find somewhere else to play."

Regwallis waved his black tail around as he pointed at building blocks. "Mommy said I could play with blocks."

"I am busy," King Sheward said with a stern look. "Go play elsewhere, son."

"Mommy said I could play here." Regwallis cracked a smile as he looked between Yed and his father. "You don't want to make Mommy mad, do you?"

King Sheward rubbed his neck. "Go to the corner and play." He looked at Yed again. "Follow me."

Yed strolled over toward the left to his throne where his thrown. Right beside the King's throne was the golden book of lineage. Thought to be used only for census, it lay with its pages closed to the world.

"Our lineage has been recorded since the first King crowned. Our race is fading away, but there are others like you." The King opened the book, to the middle where a bronze bookmark had been placed. Yed scanned over pages with his mind, catching various amounts of mixed race beside names. "There are others who are pure lineage, but they are low in numbers." The King placed his finger below a name at the middle of a page. Yed couldn't believe what he saw: Another who had no waryes blood within their family line.

"Your mission is to talk to this one." The King pointed to the name beside the percentage. "Saga. Last of her lineage as well." He broke his serious face and hit Yed on the back. "How would you like a one year vacation, all expenses paid, yeah? Talk to her and make her agree to one thing."

Yed nodded. "Sire, what is it you need her to agree too?"

"Sheward!" an angry voice bellowed.

Yed watched the king flinch as the queen screamed his name.

"Sheward!" Queen Trivelle came marching in holding her royal red robes. Her speed was so great, her silver crown almost toppled over. "Sheward, I'm not dealing with that alien!"

"The Human, majesty?" Yed asked. What could the human have done to the queen to make her so angry?

"Oh no Protector, the human was cute, I liked him." The queen pointed behind herself. "Sheward, the Fala ambassador, march out and take care of her!"

King Sheward took a step back with an uncomfortable chuckle. "She arrived? Wonderful. Dear, if you could do me the honor of calling her here, I will take care of it." He nodded to Yed. "You may stay."

"I could, your majesty, but umm...I'm training a recruit." Yed refuses the invitation, but not in time as he felt something brush up his tail.

"Oh, hi! Don't you have a cute furry tail. Too bad it's not puffier, but it's soft." A light and airy voice said from behind him.

Yed moved his tail out of the Fala ambassador's hand. Grabbing someone's tail was not done in jest.

"Welcome," King Sheward held out his arms to the Fala. "I am glad you accepted our invitation."

Invitation? Yed gawked at the king, the planet of Fala had never been invited more than once into their kingdom. They were unusual aliens. They had powerful armies and they were technical geniuses but they lacked...civility.

The Fala couldn't not hug him, she was holding a cup of water. "Yes, let's begin! Now, this treaty you want to sign with our planet?" The Fala took a sip from her cup. "We don't mind making it, in fact, we are actually overjoyed." She shook the king's hand. "Trade of your livestock and your flowers and protecting you from invading planets and you know, that kind of stuff and stuff. So!" She rubbed her hands together, "When are you coming? We have tons of space for all you warno's! One or two for each house."

Each house? Yed looked at the king as he tapped his foot lightly. The Fala's wouldn't treat warno's like equals, or even less than equals. They'd be treated like pets.

"We're not coming." The king reasoned with her making small hand gestures. "You see, ambassador-"

"Fala lalaa lalafa please." The Fala ambassador insisted. "No reason to get too formal with my whole name."

"Yes." King Sheward tried to keep his face straight but it failed. "My citizens would only come to your planet in a state of emergency."

"Well..." The Fala blew hair out of her face. "...I guess. We'll send papers and stuff like that to you guys soon. Our leader is still doing his own thing, so he only wanted time...and what was I saying?" She shook her head. "Oh yeah, ummm...go ahead and fix a treaty and we'll sign it. But see, okay I can't. Our leader has to do it. You know, the signing thing? So we'll get back to you in a couple months because there is uhh...you know, that whole mineral dilemma thing? Inhibitor right? Without that you guys are like insane, and stupid, right?"

"We will work out details," King Sheward shook the ambassador's hand, "Thank you for your visit."

"Sure no problem." The Fala ambassador twirled hair around her finger. "You know, I'd love a second cup of this stuff. It was sweet, but metallic. Can I have some more? Oh that reminds me! Your grass too, can we have some more seeds of plumblu? Our planet sold out of them long ago. They are so beautiful with their shades of purple, green and blue! I wish our grass was like that, it's just straight out a dull dark pink." The ambassador looked around whistfully. "Such a gorgeous planet with blue, yellow and green trees too. Ours is pink, everything is pink. Oh." She sighed with a small giggle. "Your lucky no one has taken over you yet, my planet would gobble this up in seconds...if you weren't so darn cute."

"Well, thank you?" King Sheward gave a small nod. "I will have my guards drop off plumblu seeds along with products through the transporter later." He waved over to his guard. "Please fetch the ambassador more water."

The Fala ambassador took the colorful prism water with glee but sipped. "I love this, I love the swirly colors and I love the taste but it's making me tipsy. You know, you could get more marketing if you sold this in your trade product line."

"No," King Sheward shook his head, "It has a potential risk of killing weaker aliens with a single drop."

"Okay but I'm saying, natural alcohol could really pull some treaties to you." She finished her drink and dropped it, expecting someone to clean it up. "Bye then." The ambassador shook King Sheward's hand and bent down to look at Yed. "I can't get over it. He's got a full uniform on with a vest and pants, and he looks like he wants to be a fighter...awww. I wish I had a camera." She waved to Yed like he was an infant. "Bye bye!" She hummed as she left the king's throne room.

King Sheward cleared his throat. "Our situation is desperate. Earlier treaties have fallen through. We are susceptible to attack right now, and like it or not," he gestured toward the door where the Fala ambassador left, "we're down to unfavorable options." He scratched his neck. "With business out of the way though, let's concentrate on you. This female, Saga, yes? We want to convince her to settle down and have children." He put his hands out in front with his palms up. "She keeps refusing, but that's all we want. I have even offered to pay her, but she won't budge. Perhaps if she talked to you, she'd think differently about her duty to this kingdom."

Yed listened to details of his mission but felt skeptical. It was an easy mission and any Protector should have been able to do it. He bowed courteously to the king right before he left, still feeling something was wrong. King Sheward must have had a more important reason for what he was asking.

The mission was too simple.