9. Isabella

Istroll through the abandoned city with Asterion by my side. He's brooding and moody, and doesn't speak. All around us birds sing their songs and the fountains keep on splashing water about, but it doesn't feel as romantic anymore.

It feels eerie.

This place… it's a ghost town.

"Tell me what happened to your people, Asterion," I say softly. "I think I deserve to know."

The proud and tall Minotaur King looks… anguished. He walks to the door of a nearby building and opens it.

"Look."

I take a step forward, and I see the bones instantly. There's dozens of them — bones and horns in an otherwise spotless room.

My blood runs cold. Emma was right.

I didn't doubt her, but I still hoped she was wrong. That she imagined all of it. That it had all been a trick of the light. But judging by the amount of bones here…

Asterion closes the door.

"What happened here?" I ask, my voice trembling. "What caused this?"

"I've told you," Asterion bellows. "I failed as a king."

He strides away, heavy hooves stomping on the floor. I follow him. The tall Minotaur sits down on a bench in front of the central fountain, and I take my place next to him.

"I came here a lot when I was a kid," he says eventually, breaking the silence. "I used to play hide and seek with my little brother, Taurus. Back then, life was good. The Minotaur Kingdom was thriving, and my biggest problem was making sure my little brother was having fun. In fact, that remained my biggest problem, throughout my entire life… Do you have siblings, Isabella?"

"I have a little sister," I admit.

I've kept that information from him before. When he asked me to tell him all about myself, I didn't quite lie, but I didn't exactly tell him the truth either.

I told him I studied archeology. That was true. But what I did after that…

"What's her name?" He asks.

"Eden. She's very smart. Brilliant."

"Do you worry for her?"

"Oh, constantly."

"Hm. Then perhaps you will understand," Asterion says.

"Understand what?"

The large Minotaur picks up a pebble and throws it into the fountain. "My little brother envied me growing up. I was the heir to the throne, and he was not. I always thought that he would grow out of it, that, in time, he would see the crown as a burden, not as a prize."

I nod. I can imagine that having a king for a brother isn't easy.

"When our father passed and I ascended to the throne, the Minotaur Kingdom was at the peak of its power. We were unchallenged by any species out there. Completely dominant in every single way. Under my leadership, we created many research centers all over the universe where we kept an eye on developing species, including your own."

"The ruins on Mars?" I ask.

Asterion nods. "It seems whoever was stationed there made unauthorized contact with your people, judging by the ancient history of your people."

"How do you know so much about human history?"

Asterion looks at me and raises an eyebrow. "I've been doing my research into humans. I need to know all I can to understand you, do I not? My city might be ancient, but so is the way you humans publicly broadcast all your information out into space."

My throat closes a bit. Did he intercept my call with Darius? Crap.

"To continue my story, my brother Taurus wanted to dominate and enslave these so-called ‘lesser' species. He wanted to wield our power like a club, brutally and inefficiently. I disagreed. I believed it was our duty to guide the young species of the universe into a bright future, to avoid the constant wars that had plagued our people in the past, that had turned our beautiful homeworld into a wasteland."

The Minotaur gestures at the world beyond the dome.

"Once, the entire planet was as beautiful as this city; lush and green and filled with life. Then our Minotaur rage got the best of us, and we reduced it all to rubble. It was my duty to stop that from happening again… and I failed."

He gazes off into the distance. A small bird comes down out of the trees to land on his shoulder.

"What do you mean?" I pry.

"Taurus… he wouldn't listen to me. He drummed up some warriors who agreed with him, and they tried to launch a coup against me."

"What? Your own brother tried to do that?"

"Yes. And they failed. His conspirators were swiftly dealt with, but I decided to forgive my brother. A fatal mistake."

Asterion is silent for a moment. I don't think he's never said any of this out loud. He seems the type to carry all his hurt inside of him.

"When I looked at him, I still saw that little boy. I saw Taurus hiding behind the fountain, his little feet sticking out. I didn't see the vile man he had become. I thought I was being wise by forgiving him, and offering him a second chance by my side. Instead, I was being a fool."

"I understand," I say gently. "I would probably forgive Eden anything… although treason is, well, that's a lot."

The Minotaur King nods gravely. The fountain keeps bubbling along, and two swallows fly overhead.

"Then what happened?"

He purses his lips. "I woke up one morning feeling groggy and sluggish. Taurus rushed into my room and said we had been hit by a biological weapon, and that it was paramount I was put into hibernation right away while they searched for a cure. I wasn't able to think straight, and so I trusted my brother."

He snorts. "I think he drugged me. He could've killed me, but he lacked the courage to do that, so instead he did something much, much worse. I allowed him to put me in hibernation; right where you found me. And that's where I stayed for over twenty thousand long, long years. Not quite alive, not quite dead, but aware enough to realize what was going on."

"And what's that?"

"War. War happened. The one I had tried my whole life to prevent, but that seems to be part of our Minotaur DNA. The following war for power was quick and brutal, and it completely decimated my people. In the end, there was no one left alive. We ended ourselves, our worst instincts getting the best of us. I was the only one left alive, but unable to do a single thing. All I could do was witness the destruction all around me… forever."

"That's… that's horrible, Asterion!" I say. "I'm so, so sorry. That's awful."

The king nods. "Yes. Now you know my story. Now you see why I didn't want you to know this. The fall of the Minotaur Kingdom — it was all my fault."

"What? No. That's not my takeaway. You didn't cause this war."

"But I could have prevented it, and I failed to do so. The blame is mine. Such is the burden of leadership."

He's so tough on himself, but then again, he is the king. I can't imagine witnessing all of that barbarity…

"Wait, but how is the city so clean? Why are all the skeletons cordoned off into the side rooms, if this place was the site of a major battle?"

"Ah, good question."

Asterion nods at one of the many drones whizzing by.

"Those little things are programmed to keep this place spotless. That's why you'll always find your bath hot and ready, the tables set, the rooms cleaned, and the food and drink prepared. They run on renewable energy, and so they've kept the city of Minos spotless for the past twenty-thousand years. The one thing they are not programmed to do is interfere with Minotaur remains. There were many rituals back in the way for helping a fallen Minotaur into the afterlife, and it wasn't considered proper for the drones to do that type of work. And that has led to the situation where the city has been swept clean, and all the damage from the war has been removed… save for the bones, which the drones have piled away in side-rooms, waiting for all eternity for someone to come clean them up."

"Wow. That's… that's a little creepy, Asterion."

He chuckles. "Yes, I suppose it is. But all of that will change. You have roused me from my slumber, Isabella. Together, we will rebuild this place. I am sorry for hiding this from you, but it is my greatest shame and deepest regret. I thought you would run."

"Why? Because you loved your brother? Of course not, Asterion. Come on, I know we haven't known each other for all that long, but please give me a little more credit."

There's a hint of a smile on his face. "Very well. I will trust you from now on, little one."

"Uhm…" I suddenly hesitate. "Perhaps that's not the best idea in the world, actually."

"Oh?"

I take a deep breath.

I have to tell him.

He deserves to know.