The Royal Pursuit Read online

  Enchanted Galaxy Series:

  Book 3

  The

  Royal

  Pursuit

  Ruth Ann Nordin

  The Royal Pursuit - Smashwords Edition

  Published by Ruth Ann Nordin at Smashwords

  Copyright © 2015 by Ruth Ann Nordin

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. If you would like to share this book with another person, please do. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Cover Photo © Copyright Dreamstime (www.dreamstime.com). All rights reserved – Used with permission.

  Wedded Bliss Romances, LLC

  http://www.ruthannnordin.com

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Quick Afterward

  Enchanted Galaxy Series

  Across the Stars Series

  Romances by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Where to Find Ruth

  Join Ruth’s Email List

  To Paula Freda who has always been a tender and kind soul. May God richly bless you.

  Chapter One

  Location: Outside the Royal Palace

  Planet: Raz

  Galaxy: Enchanted

  Ann, the Queen of Raz, sat on a chair, enjoying the warm sunny afternoon. It was another perfect day. It seemed that every day on this planet was perfect. Even the rainy days inspired her. She glanced at the beautiful flowers in the gardens next to the lawn where she and her children were playing.

  “Mommy, what is this?” Katherine asked, breaking Ann out of her thoughts.

  Ann turned her attention back to her daughter, who was holding a fuzzy black caterpillar. She grimaced at the bug. As pretty as Raz was, she still didn’t like the bugs. She wasn’t much of an outdoors person, although she did enjoy taking walks through the palace grounds. She knew her children loved playing outside in their sandbox and swing set, so she took them out whenever her busy schedule permitted.

  “That’s a caterpillar,” Ann finally told her three-year-old daughter.

  “I like it. It’s soft.” Katherine grinned as she petted it. “Can I keep it?”

  “I think it will be happier if you let it stay out here with its friends.”

  “It has friends?”

  “Sure. All creatures have friends.”

  Matthew, Ann’s fourteen-month-old son, waddled up to Katherine to see what she was holding.

  His steps were still uncertain, for he was still learning to walk on his own, but he managed to get to his destination without falling down. He reached out to touch the caterpillar, but Katherine quickly pulled back her hands and shrieked that it was hers.

  “Let him see it, Katherine,” Ann said. She picked him up and put him on her lap. “There. Now he won’t touch it.”

  Katherine hesitated for a moment but finally brought the caterpillar near him so he could see it.

  Ann still couldn’t believe how much they resembled Hathor. They had his blond hair and light blue eyes. They did have her curls. Her long brown hair was currently pulled back in a ponytail. She usually wore her silk dresses, but today she was relaxing in her cotton shorts and sleeveless t-shirt. It wasn’t often she got a day off from her duties to sit around in her Earth clothes, so she definitely enjoyed it whenever she got the chance.

  Matthew giggled as the caterpillar crawled up Katherine’s arm.

  “Daddy!” Katherine cried. She dropped the caterpillar and ran to Hathor, who had just walked onto the lawn.

  Ann screamed as the caterpillar fell on her leg and shoved it away.

  Matthew giggled again.

  “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me,” Hathor said as he picked up Katherine. He walked over to Ann and Matthew. “Nobody will know the same person who killed Omin was defeated by a harmless caterpillar.”

  She smiled at his humor. “Yeah well, no one’s perfect.”

  He bent over and kissed her. “How are things going?”

  “Great. We’re just enjoying the nice day.”

  “I can’t wait for next month,” he said.

  “It’ll be five years since we got married.” Where did the time go? It seemed like it was yesterday when he brought her to Raz to become queen.

  “Five wonderful years,” he said.

  She agreed with him. It hadn’t always been easy to adjust to her life on Raz or being married, but she was glad that she was here and wouldn’t change it for anything.

  Matthew wiggled out of Ann’s arms and ran to the sandbox where he picked up the ball sitting in it and quietly studied it.

  “Can I pick some flowers?” Katherine asked as Hathor put her down.

  “Alright but stay where I can see you,” Ann replied.

  She hurried for the garden next to them.

  Hathor sat beside Ann and held her hand. “They sure are cute at this age. Next year, I will start teaching Katherine about Raz.”

  “Will you have time to teach her when you’re studying other life forms on neighboring planets?” Ann asked.

  Currently, it was part of his job to brief her on any alien creatures who had any interaction with Raz since there was a lot she still had to learn, especially considering the fact that she was born and raised on Earth.

  “Athen will take over that aspect of my job when I begin my role as teacher. Usually, the job would go to my brother, but since I don’t have siblings, it goes to Athen because he’s my cousin.”

  Athen was two years older than Hathor and the son of Hathor’s uncle. Athen’s current role in the palace was to supervise the servants and keep the palace in proper order.

  “I think you do an excellent job as the king,” she said as she squeezed his hand.

  His eyes lit up at her compliment. “I wish I could say I’m only out here to spend time with you and the kids, but I came out here because the Augurs have requested to speak with you.”

  “The Augurs?” In her five years as queen, she hadn’t heard of them.

  “I’m not fully aware of who they are. They are from planet Aug in the Mythical Galaxy. They are known best for their trustworthiness because they cannot lie. They are deeply loyal to their allies.”

  So far she liked the way they sounded, but noting the hesitation in his voice, she urged him to continue.

  “They insist on having things done their way,” he said. “They refuse to compromise with anyone.”

  She blinked, not expecting a species to be so rigid. “What do they want with us?”

/>   He shrugged. “I don’t know. They didn’t say. They just insisted on coming here in three days to discuss a possible alliance.”

  “That doesn’t make sense. Did Raz ever have anything to do with them in the past?”

  “No. I’m just as confused by this as you are. Out of nowhere, they decide they want to be our allies. There is no reason to suspect their motives are negative because they wouldn’t express their desire to be our friends unless they meant it.”

  “Because they never lie.”

  “Right.”

  She sighed. “Did they say anything else?”

  “No.”

  “Apparently, they can be vague, too.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “Do you have any idea why they are suddenly interested in Raz?”

  “No. I’m sorry, but I can’t be of much help. You’re going to have to do what you think is best for Raz.” He leaned over and kissed her. “You will make the right choice.”

  She appreciated his confidence in her, but sometimes, like now, she doubted her own abilities. She didn’t understand why a species that had never had any involvement with Raz in the past would suddenly be interested in meeting her.

  She briefly noted that Matthew hopped out of the sandbox and walked over to the garden where Katherine was happily picking some daisies.

  “What is on my schedule three days from now?” she asked, turning her attention back to Hathor.

  “Nothing but the usual combat lesson, which can easily be rescheduled to accommodate the Augurs’ arrival.”

  She took a deep breath. She wasn’t too thrilled with the Augurs insisting on meeting her three days from now without even asking her if it would be convenient, but Hathor had warned her they were unyielding. If they were known to be trustworthy, then they couldn’t be that bad. Besides, if after meeting them, she decided that it wasn’t in Raz’s best interest to be allies with them, she would say no.

  “Alright. I’ll meet them in three days,” she finally agreed.

  “Great. I’ll let them know. They wanted an answer as soon as possible so they could make the necessary arrangements for space travel,” he said.

  “Will you be back here when you’re done giving them the message?”

  “As long as you don’t have anything else for me to do, I will.”

  “I like spending time with you. You know, time that isn’t related to ruling this planet.”

  “I’ll be back then.”

  She watched him go back inside the palace. Even after all these years, she still liked to look at him. He was very attractive. Matthew’s crying interrupted her thoughts. She shook her head when she saw that Katherine had pushed him because he had been trying to take one of her flowers. She stood up and walked over to them.

  “There are enough flowers here for both of you,” she said. “Matthew, pick your own flowers, okay?” She helped him stand up and picked a flower for him. She handed it to him. “Remember, do not eat it. It is not food.”

  “These are for you, Mommy.” Katherine presented several daisies to Ann.

  Smiling, she took them. “Thank you, Katherine. That was very sweet of you.”

  Katherine beamed with pleasure.

  As soon as Hathor returned, Ann led them back to the sandbox where they continued to enjoy the afternoon.

  ***

  Location: Austere Complex

  Planet: Lone

  Galaxy: Mythical

  The Nicals were humanlike in their appearance. The main difference between them and humans was that their straight hair changed color depending on their mood. The males preferred short hair while the females let their hair grow to their shoulders. Occasionally, a Nical would shave his hair to mask his feelings, as was the case of the leader who could not afford to give his true intentions away to an enemy. This particular leader, Ruler Dour, was especially careful not to reveal his emotions.

  At the current moment, he sat at the head of a long rectangular wooden table. The Nicals were simple in nature. They weren’t into extravagant things. They were content to surround themselves with the basic necessities.

  Though he and his companions sat in his office, the room displayed nothing that would give his esteemed status away. The table and wooden chairs were the only furnishings he had. The black curtains were drawn to block out the sun’s powerful rays. Other rooms were similar in decoration.

  The Austere Complex housed his companions, the total of which were thirty-six. Other buildings on Lone had long since been vacated due to the deaths of their fellow Nicals. At one time, Lone had been a thriving planet. Now it was desolate, and the thirty-seven Nicals were the only survivors of the species.

  Ruler Dour stood up from his chair, his expression grim. His brown clothes had patches sewn into them from where holes had found their way into the wool fabric. He glanced at his companions who looked as scared as he secretly felt. Their yellow hair almost glowed in the dark room, which was lit by one candle.

  “We’re getting weaker every day,” Dour said. “Soon we won’t even be able to go out in the daylight. It’s only a matter of time before we die like the others did.”

  “Permission to speak, Ruler Dour,” Optima requested, her voice so soft he barely heard it.

  His green eyes met hers. “Granted. What do you wish to say?”

  She stood up. “I have done some research from the stacks of books we have in the library, and I think I have the answer we’ve been waiting for.”

  Dour’s eyes lit up with interest. “Please, share your thoughts with us.”

  She cleared her throat before she continued. “There is a planet in the Enchanted Galaxy called Olympia. The humans there never die and they do not reproduce.”

  Around her, he could feel the excitement brewing in their hearts.

  “That is the galaxy next to this one,” Dour said. “The beings on Olympia never die?”

  “That’s correct. They have a special stone. It’s called the Stone of Immortality, and it keeps them alive forever.”

  “A stone can keep them alive?”

  She nodded. “The chronicles of Navier’s travels through the galaxies tell of their departure from a planet called Earth. When they arrived on Olympia, they put this stone in their Ivory Palace on top of Mount Olympus. He even drew a map to the mountain and gave a detailed account on where the gods and goddesses there keep the stone. It is in Zeus’s bedroom. Zeus is the head god, so he is the protector of the stone. If we can get that stone and bring it here, we will inherit their immortality.”

  “What will happen to them if they don’t have the stone in their possession?” Xan asked.

  She glanced at the man across the table from her. “I don’t know. Perhaps they will die.”

  They looked at each other uneasily.

  “Can we make a copy of the stone?” Dour asked.

  Encouraged by the idea, she recalled a part of Navier’s text. “Navier did theorize that the properties in the stone could be duplicated if we used the right type of stone. We need to find a sandstone with a diamond inside of it.”

  “Where would we find such a stone?” Xan asked.

  “Navier did not know where that type of stone could be found. The Olympians had taken theirs from Earth.”

  “Perhaps we can make a stone like that,” Dour suggested. “We have lots of sandstones and diamonds on this planet. All we have to do is find a way to put the diamond inside the sandstone.”

  The companions started talking among themselves, greatly cheered by this new turn of events.

  “This may be our only chance to live,” Dour continued. “Grab your hats, sunglasses and long coats. We must collect what we need to make this stone.”

  Without hesitation, they rushed to obey him. Finally, after two years of slowly wasting away and watching their loved ones die, they found something to live for.

  ***

  Location: Ann and Hathor’s Bedroom in the Royal Palace

  Planet: Raz

&n
bsp; Galaxy: Enchanted

  That night after Katherine and Matthew were sound asleep in their bedrooms, Ann sat on the bed and took off her shoes. It was a treat for her to wear her sneakers.

  “Did you enjoy your day off?” Hathor asked as he closed the bedroom door.

  She broke out of her thoughts and looked at him. “What did you say?”

  “Thinking about the Augurs?” he guessed.

  She nodded. “I guess I just don’t get it. What could they possibly want with Raz?”

  “I don’t know. I will have to do some research tomorrow and see if I can find anything of interest.”

  “It’s just as well. We’ll find out what they want in a couple of days.” She smiled at him. “Why don’t you come over here?” She patted the spot next to her on the bed.

  He eagerly sat next to her and grinned. “Do you have something in mind?”

  She snuggled up against him. “I think it would be nice to end this day on a perfect note.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

  She found that she enjoyed their lovemaking more now than she did when they were first married. Afterwards, they held each other under the bed sheets.

  “Hathor,” she asked after a couple minutes of silence, “do you ever think your job is too demanding?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Well, the other day I couldn’t help but notice you spent most of your time running all over the palace trying to get things done around here. With serving me and keeping up alliances with other planets, it seems like a lot of work. I was thinking that if I got someone to help you, then you would have some time to rest. You know, you could take up a hobby or something. Do something for yourself for a change.”

  “Don’t do that.”

  She blinked, startled at the worried tone in his voice.

  “You don’t understand what you are saying.” He shifted so he was looking at her. “It’s a disgrace for the king to receive any assistance. Total fulfillment for the king is to dedicate himself entirely to every aspect of his job. If you get someone to do a part of my job, then I’ll be a joke on Raz.”