[Prologue]    [Chapter 1]   [Chapter 2]    [Chapter 3]    [Chapter 4]    [Chapter 5]    [Chapter 6]    [Chapter 7]    [Chapter 8]    [Chapter 9]    [Chapter 10]    [Chapter 12]    [Chapter 13]    [Chapter 14]    [Chapter 15]    [Chapter 16]    [Chapter 17]    [Chapter 18]    [Chapter 19]    [Chapter 20]    [Chapter 21]    [Chapter 22]    [Chapter 23]    [Chapter 24]    [Chapter 25]    [Chapter 26]    [Chapter 27]    [Chapter 28]    [Chapter 29]    [Chapter 30]    [Epilogue]
   

Chapter 11

Yatri was carefully bandaging Loria’s arm when her boss flew down.
    “What happened to her?” Jaron asked quietly.
    “She broke her arm in a fight,” Yatri answered. Loria looked very sad. “What happened in the big building?”
    “A huge fight broke out,” explained Jaron. “There were so many Catlan soldiers in there. We won somehow, but I noticed that when the fight ended, there were way more Tyrons than the number I came in with.”
    “It seemed that most of the Catlans were stationed in that building,” Yatri told him. She finished her bandaging and looked at the damp cloth in his hand. “What’s that?”
    “Zana’s blood,” Jaron answered simply. Then he walked past them and passed the other medics and injured.
    “I’m sorry Jaron,” Loria said to him sadly in his head.
    “It’s okay Loria, just get better,” he thought, which Loria picked up. Jaron then went up the ramp into the medic ship.
    He found a computer on the side and typed in 'Geneticist’. A list of names came up.

    “Kane, what’s wrong with you?” Pella asked him. The pair were in their private lounge.
    Kane helplessly stared at his wife. “I-
    “I know what it is, you’ve always seemed like a tough guy who protects his family. And now you have this disease it seems to bring you down, make you look weak.” Pella obviously knew Kane better than he thought.
    Kane looked down in shame. “I’m sorry Pella. I thought it was best this way.”   
    Pella lay a hand on Kane’s right shoulder. “Kane, this is what family’s for, we’re always ready to catch you when you need to lean back.”
    Another voice entered their minds. “Your Majesties-sorry to barge in-but the Clerk of Governmental Affairs is here to see you.”
    The Tellerian King and Queen glanced at each other, then looked at the door. “I understand that only authorized servants like myself are allowed to enter but he says it’s urgent-I’m having trouble controlling him,” the male voice said hastily.
    2 Tellen men then entered the private lounge, an older one (about 53 years old) and a younger one (probably about 30).
    “What do you want now Traiden?” Kane asked sternly.
    “This is a matter of urgency,” answered Traiden (the older one).
    “As you’ve already said,” said the annoyed servant standing behind him. Traiden turned around and looked at him, wanting him to go. Traiden turned back round to face the King and Queen.
    “Would you mind...?” asked the Clerk.
    “The servant stays,” said Kane through gritted teeth.
    Traiden scratched his tummy. “I will get to the point. With His Majesty’s illness and Her Majesty’s inexperience…it is by unanimous vote of the Crown Hierarchy that we take over until the Crown Princess is crowned queen.”
    Kane leaned forward, he looked very stern. “Get out, if you want to keep your job.”
    “This is unreasonable. Your Majesty, think this over, you will realise you are not fit to rule,” protested Traiden.
    Kane stood up. “I said GET OUT!”
    Traiden was getting scared. “Please, be civilized…”
    “OUT!” shouted Pella, making the annoying Clerk so scared he ran out of the room.

Jaron entered the lab. He saw the scientist. The scientist was plump, a little short and looked like 54. She was Bannon.
    “Are you Doctor Kiro?” Jaron asked.
    “Why yes I am,” Kiro answered and turned to him. “What can I do for you?”
    “I have this blood sample for you to analyse,” Jaron showed Kiro the piece of cloth with Zana’s blood on it.
    Kiro took the cloth and put it under a small scanner. On the small screen above it, 48 little bars showed up.
    “Chromosomes?” asked Jaron.
    “Why yes.” The scientist  pointed to 2 bars: one was short, the other was tall. “These two tell us that he’s male.”
    “Which he is,” said Jaron.
    Kiro pointed to another pair. “Now that’s odd, this person has 2 different chromosomes of different races.” She went away from the scanner and pressed some buttons  on the computer on the wall. 6 pairs appeared on the screen. She pointed to 2 pairs. “These 2 are Tyron and Catlan chromosomes.” The bars then mixed and matched, then there were only 2 pairs on the screen. Kiro pointed to the pair on the left. “This pair match the pair this person has.”
    “Which means what?” asked a worried Jaron. Kiro turned to him.
    “Well, this means that he’s half Catlan, half Tyron.”

Jaron walked along the corridor of a Hospital in Sherran. “To tell him...not to tell him. Why didn’t they detect his Catlan DNA until now? Were they ignoring it?” Jaron walked round a corner. “Wait, I get it. They were only focusing on finding Tyrons, so they must’ve ignored those chromosomes thinking it a default or something...nah, that’s stupid. Perhaps no one checked his DNA. That’s more weird.
    ...How can I tell him?”
    Jaron passed a screen that was tuned to a Tellen channel. It was the news. “Hospitals in Sherran, Karquartz and Meteor have all been re-established and are fully functional. They’re ready to receive patients...”
    Jaron stopped at the door and quietly stepped into the room where the older Princess of Telleria was sleeping. He stared at her for a few seconds, then quietly  walked to her bed. The pink and shiny sash that he was holding was slipped onto Loria’s wrist. He quietly walked out of the room.

The King of Tyrony and his older brother Rida were in the palace lounge, sitting on lovely, cosy couches. Rida had only just come in; he was polishing a dusty gold necklace with rubies on it. Jaron was sorting out how to get food and money quickly with his plan-pad. There was relaxing music in the background. Jaron had only now looked up.
    “Why are you polishing that necklace?” asked Jaron.
    “I thought it would be a good wedding present for Loria. You see, Dad gave this to Mum at their wedding.”
    “I can’t keep this secret in no longer!” thought Jaron. He leaned forward a bit. “Rida. Have you noticed anything cat-like about Zana?”
    His brother stopped polishing. “He walks like a cat so he doesn’t make any noise at all, like a cat. I tried picturing him with long hair but it makes him look ridiculous, like a Catlan. And he seems to see in the dark and hear things from far off distances.”
    “Can you keep a secret?” asked Jaron.
    Rida thought for about 2 seconds, then slowly nodded.
    “Zana’s half Catlan,” told Jaron.
    Rida was very surprised. It was at this moment that for the first time in his life, Rida seemed grown up. “You have to tell him,” he whispered.
    “How?” Jaron asked.
    “I don’t know! Why is it so hard?”
    “Because...he’ll be shocked.”
    Rida seemed confused. “This is hard. Does this happen often.”
    “No,” told Jaron confidently.
    “Okay, but you’re telling him.” He went back to polishing the necklace.

©Ruth Amy Louise Hüneke 2008