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“Just 17 of your earth years, when I was exiled; to the neighbouring moon of Orias. Seventh galaxy from the star constellation you call Orion. In the Qivese. It all happened so fast ,I barely knew reasons except for the death of my father, who as ruler always acted fairly and justly towards my people.
As to how he died? Despite trying to find out, I was told to stop asking questions and to do as I was told. My illness created problems for me. Attending state functions and living up to my father’s expectations of me were as Lelanora had told me, putting an enormous strain on one so young.
The offer of her taking control and running things for a few years, whilst I gained my strength and recovered from the loss of my father, was presented to me in such a manner that looking back on things I accept now, I was truly conned.
Next inline to the throne, the ‘Future Queen’ Of course, my succession was blocked and I had no way of stopping the actions, now taking place to remove me swiftly off the planet and to confine me on Orias.
My home planet Fendiq, though only 4 earth hours away from Orias, seemed so distant and my dreams of ever being its Queen seemed to fade as I grew towards my 21st year of age.
News I managed to acquire from passing merchants, trading with Orias, told me little and measures all the time to keep things from me, continued unabated. How things were faring on Fendiq remained a mystery. There were no guards, nor was I locked or held fast,
I had the freedom to go as I pleased within the citadel on Orias, which being a massive structure with beautiful gardens and what you would call on Earth fields adjacent to it. The main travel terminus however was out of bounds to me.
It gave me much pleasure to go for walks. I would take to sitting on a hilltop known as Hieste Point, overlooking the Citadel and watch, as the various craft flew into its main central terminus. The activities of the miners, mining Trexl, or Trexillium phosphates.
At first I was always tailed by two other females, appointed by whom I never knew, then they too dropped away leaving me to wander regularly without escort. Seems they knew I had no hope of ever leaving Orias. Perhaps they were right, I had come to accept the situation. I had food, drink, accommodation fit for a Princess and luxuries, even if I had no communication with the outside of Orias, nor allowed to receive comcalls, unless they had been judged to be acceptable.
I was existing, albeit better than some of the people on Orias, who were mainly miners and traders. Did I ever question ? Yes! Did I get answers, of sorts, but often drawn out, delayed or forgotten. Lost within procedures, that they constantly muttered, had to be followed. Tedious.
My third year started quietly and my walks continued. I would be gone for hours. It was at the time of the late snow fall when I ventured out to Hieste point some five miles from the Citadel. The snow we have is quite thick and compacted, with the right footwear, not too difficult to walk on.
We get a snow fall about every 15th cycle (13 of the moon cycles viewed from Fendiq) so I’m used to them! I like the soft white against the dark skies lit by our solar star (like your sun but fairly new so not as bright!)
THEY insisted I took a small discrete device, that acted as a locator. I didn’t mind taking the locator as I knew if I got into trouble or was trapped, from such dangers as the snow, especially an avalanche. I could be found easily and rescued. I hadn’t seen the red flash to indicate the locator required charging as I slipped it into my pouch and tucked it out of sight.
My suit also had a small BNe9 weapon. That I had taken during the warmer times to protect me should I need it from Crau, a creature resembling a wild boar on Earth.
It could come out of nowhere and taking you by surprise, it could react by charging at you ! Leaving you seriously injured !
You kept your eyes and ears open and watched for any suspicious movement in the dense undergrowth for them ! If you suspected one was near you fired the weapon and they would be frightened off, heading away from you at speed !
I was dressed in warm clothing. A suit, with an inbuilt, thermal warmth device. That kept me warm, however cold it got externally. The main core temperature throughout the suit remained the same. I could set it easily to the temperature I liked. Not too warm just enough to take the chill off me.
The ground was surprisingly hard going and I soon reached Hieste point, but it had taken me an extra hour than normal, of Earth time. Ahead of me, Fendits from Fendiq. They had in the past spent time mining for the Trexl ore, a mineral found within the rocks, used for energy / fuel converters. Four of them had emerged from one of the cave’s. I was surprised to see them. I believed the mining operation to have ceased.
The majority of miners had abandoned the caves some time ago. The main mineral extract had almost run out and was down to levels, where small amounts could be mined. Nothing substantial of any significance, that warranted miners there permanently, as had been the case ? Neither did the ‘Corporation’ want to spend valuable wages for a poor return, thus miners had been taken elsewhere.
In the beginning they would not talk to me, even now no sound came from them but they did wave, I waved back. To talk to me was deemed to be a desire for certain death! Over the time I was isolated on Orias their presence had however, on giving my escorts the slip, resulted in me talking to some of the miner’s partners.
Over a period ot time I had established a friendly rapport with some of them, which initially surprised them. I don’t think they had realised, that I had reasoned, talking to them, was better than having no one to talk to.Almost everyone in the Citadel was forbidden to talk to me, they used the excuse that as Royalty, protocol forbad on pain of death, anyone looking me in they eyes, or talking to me, without my consent or being of equal status.
Stepping into the cave they had come out of, I noticed some of the structure missing from my previous visit, it was old but I suspect still useable? What had remained. No doubt they had been on a salvage raid, leaving with items I suspected for the last time. I had the sense they would NOT be returning.
The original construction ? Nothing left now, but the husk of the internal structures, most of that inside the entrance.
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