72. The Prince

72

THE PRINCE

E ll-rom wasn't surprised that Annani did not wait for the drinks to be delivered to continue her story.

She seemed eager to share it with him.

"Our father, Ahn, was the Eternal King's only legitimate heir and a rebel. He led a group of young gods who dared to challenge the status quo and fight for the rights of the Kra-ell. Your mother, who was the crown princess at the time, worked closely with the resistance, which was how they met and either fell in love or lust."

Annani laughed, the sound so beautiful that it sent tingles down his arms. "Who knows? Maybe it was just another act of rebellion for them. They are not here to tell us one way or another, and neither left a diary behind. Whatever the nature of their relationship was, you and your sister are the testament that they were together for a brief moment in time."

"It's so romantic," Jasmine murmured, probably unaware that everyone could hear her.

"Indeed." Annani smiled at her. "I bet it would have made a great love story."

Jasmine shook her head. "Love stories need to have happy endings, and theirs didn't."

Annani's face fell. "No, it did not. What Ahn and your mother did was forbidden. Perhaps they dreamt of a future where they could be together openly, and their love would be celebrated rather than condemned, but the resistance was crushed. The rebellion's leaders were exiled to Earth, and others were probably exiled to even less hospitable planets. Your mother became the queen, and Ahn left, not knowing that he had fathered her twin children."

Ell-rom felt a chill run down his spine. "I am glad that the rebels were exiled and not executed. I guess the king did not have the heart to kill his own son."

Annani's lips twisted in a bitter smile, a flash of anger sparking in her eyes. "Trust me, Ell-rom. The king did not do that because he loved his son. The Eternal King loves only one thing, and that is his throne. He had a public image to uphold, and appearing merciful and forgiving toward his rebellious children was a political move. The exile was only the first step in his plan, though. I think that he planned on eliminating them from day one."

"Why?" Ell-rom asked. "Why would he want to kill his heir?"

"Because Ahn was a threat," she said flatly. "As his name implies, the Eternal King does not need an heir because he is eternal. A legitimate heir to the throne, who happened to be popular among the young gods, could challenge the king's rule, and so he had to be removed, first by being cut off from his power base and his supporters, and then killed." She shook her head, a hint of disgust creeping into her tone. "It was a masterstroke. The king trumped up charges of war crimes against Ahn and then severed all communications with Earth to prevent Ahn from contesting them and blamed the communications blackout on Ahn. He claimed that our father had destroyed the satellites because he did not want to face the questions and accusations coming his way."

Ell-rom felt a surge of anger, a pulsing fury that burned hot in his chest. "That's absurd," he sputtered. "How could anyone believe such nonsense?"

Annani shrugged. "Most people believe what they are told by their leaders, and the Eternal King is a master manipulator. He is a skilled propagandist who uses mass compulsion to drive his message home, so to speak."

Ell-rom frowned. "Compulsion? What is that?"

Kian leaned forward and looked at him with suspicion in his eyes. "What does it sound like to you?"

"Compelling people is using some kind of leverage to make them do things they would not normally do."

"Give me an example," Kian demanded.

It took Ell-rom a long moment to think of something that would fit the word. "If I know something that you do not, and I know that you will be upset when you hear it, I would rather not tell you, but if it is important to prevent something bad from happening, I will feel compelled to warn you."

Beaming, Annani patted his hand. "That was an excellent example, but that is not the type of compulsion the king uses. He has an innate ability to enter people's minds and force them to accept what he tells them as truth and to follow his instructions. It is a very rare gift, or curse, depending on how you look at it, and those who wield it are very dangerous because most people cannot defend themselves against it. The Eternal King is probably the most powerful compeller in existence, so much so that he can compel people while broadcasting his speeches on the Anumatian media." She looked at him with a slight tilt of her head that made her seem contemplative. "The Kra-ell queens are usually strong compellers as well.

"You and your sister should have inherited the trait."

He shook his head. "I wouldn't know the first thing about it. Perhaps when more of my memories return, I will."

"Interesting." Annani pursed her lips. "It is possible that you were not taught how to use it. I inherited the talent from my father, but I did not like forcing people to do things they do not want to do, so I did not practice it." She turned to smile at her son. "Later in life, I was convinced to use my ability for good."

Ell-rom was about to ask in what way she had used compulsion for good when a knock sounded on the door. The tall guard opened it, and someone handed him two trays filled with cups.

"Coffee and tea are here," he announced.

"Wonderful." Annani accepted one of the cups from him and motioned for him to continue to the others. "Let us take a short break."