The Space Spoon novel Chapter 71

Tejeda wore for the first time the marks of a colonel on his chest when he visited King Astin's palace in Sidhara, the capital of Southern Beridian. He landed without an escort, opting to send C1313 with Cato to the planet's other hemisphere. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

Tejeda strode through the large hall, passing the guards and servants with their heads bowed. He glanced around, admiring the exquisite artwork that adorned the walls, the opulent furniture, and the beautifully polished floors.

Crystal chandeliers hung in the large room, casting golden light on the marbled floor. The walls at the sides were blazing red, with statues of armored knights and serpentine basilisks. A gilt-framed picture displayed King Astin and a meadow full of soldiers behind him. Another painting depicted a panorama of rolling wheat fields beneath an olive sky on the other wall. Twin, curving stairs covered in luxurious crimson carpets paved Tejeda's path to the long table.

A guy sat in an upholstered chair on the opposite side, staring at his silver plate. His crown was dangling from the side of his chestnut hair. Shayla's spouse was a handsome young man. Tejeda crossed off the old spouse explanation from his list of reasons to explain Shayla's departure from her homeworld.

A servant in a white robe stood beside the table, holding a tray with another silver platter. "Colonel Tejeda Hajar?"

“Yes.”

“Please, have a seat.”

Tejeda nudged a golden curl behind his ear. He couldn’t understand how Jackeye could withstand this bush of hair. He should have cut it before leaving the ship.

Tejeda sat down next to the king and took a moment to look him over. Astin wore a light, gold-plated chainmail shirt and a shiny, black leather jerkin over it. His boots were made of the same material. Tejeda then moved his gaze around.

The rich, red walls encased high vaulted ceilings and polished black marble floors. Light refracted from chandeliers and dim sconces, casting a warm glow on the entire area. It seemed like Beridian was the place where the medieval era met a futuristic setting. Quite the view.

"Nice to meet you, King Astin." Tejeda broke the silence. "My apologies for the short notice, but I have urgent matters to discuss with you."

"I'm sorry too for my disposition. I didn't expect visitors over today."

“I understand.” Tejeda nodded but continued unaffected. “I took on the mission regarding your missing wife. Maybe you can give me more details about her.”

"I regret entrusting that task to the Interplanetary Police." King Astin shook his head in displeasure while sipping a steaming liquid from a small cup. "Thousands of teams have participated in the mission so far, but there has been no news. I would be swamped with blue uniforms if they all asked me for details and came to see me."

“Though you welcomed me.” Tejeda chuckled, analyzing his empty plate. Yeah, right. People didn’t eat around here. Though this king sure as hell liked seating at a table as if he would actually have a meal.

“She’s what legends call a Resilient Spirit, one whose soul can’t be consumed by a cursed blade. She had used Beridium daggers all her life, and no aging occurred. Can you grasp my interest now? A queen like her would make me stronger.” Astin pressed his face inside his palms, his crown almost falling off his head. “I shouldn’t have listened to that man who came to give me info about her whereabouts.”

“What man?” Tejeda asked, becoming more and more interested.

"His name was Rahul, I think. He said Shayla is with an Interplanetary Police officer, but he didn’t say more than that. So I thought of placing a high-stake operation on their mission board." He sighed heavily. "But Shayla is no normal woman. She killed hundreds, if not thousands, of men during the wars between our kingdoms. She has more blood on her hands than all those who seek her now combined."

Tejeda refrained from scowling at hearing the name of Rahul. That one was all over the place. Soon, he had to deal with him. As for the king, Tejeda could see where this was going.

As a result, he tried his hand at fishing for additional information. "So you're scared of her? Perhaps it would be easier to deliver her dead."

"No! I don't want to murder her. She must be returned to Beridian alive. I'm looking for a successor with a Resilient Spirit. That's why I'm ready to pay the exorbitant price. I will kill her after she gives me an heir. She deserves nothing more."

Tejeda had thought Shayla could be the light able to pierce the drudge of reality and soothe his chaos and disorder. He chuckled. Maybe she was just as messed up as him. What a pair!