In the far south of the planet, you'll find the mines where immigrants from the home world work. They're hard workers and they keep most of what they make. That changed with the Mastals, but there's a certain metal they never let anyone touch when they find it. It's worth too much. The Mastals use it for their armor.

~Calissa Nylanis

I wear a pair of earrings made of metallic and delicate chimes. They remind me wherever I go of my childhood. They're gray like my eyes and an heirloom from my mother.

I look at the two prisoners in front of me. Lenoa and her friend I never met. His name is Audris. I always planned to release them. I still have to find a valid reason, but that is a bureaucratic mess I will deal with later. I'll find one. I hope you didn't think I was going to punish them for thievery. As I let you know earlier, I have an image to protect. Justice must prevail.

“You two are coming with me. Don't worry no one is going to die.”

We kill most of our prisoners. We just don't have the time or place for them. Sometimes we offer a pledge, but only for those who we can trust. Killing the prisoners helps keep things secret. I wouldn't want the Mastals to know what goes on in the lowest levels of the Snowfell Palace. Even information on the outskirts can prove useful to them.

Seran wanted me to find these two. You might be wondering why I found her abandoned when I was shoveling snow. Sometimes the Shasi's abandon their young, but only if they have a reason. Seran's mother must have known how things would likely play out. Shasis do their fairy tales to each other too. Seran doesn't talk to me about it and I respect her privacy. I value my own and I'm glad we understand each other.

Audris and Lenoa are whispering behind me. I'm still a little frightened that Lenoa figured out my secret. It has to do with a verse that Seran showed me in my bedroom. Lenoa locked on with her communicator when Seran and I were talking. It was right after I told Lenoa I would send her to jail, but not to be afraid. Here is the verse. It was in the fairy tales my father would lull me to sleep with.

The mountains will burst aflame with life

And end the life of metal strife

The verses are very valuable to me. I don't usually share my future plans with others. Consider it as a favor and sign I care. The war with the Mastals is winnable. This can only happen if the home world fleets fight them with their entire fleets. Alone, the home world will lose, but with my added fleet joining the battle they can attain a decisive victory. Very few know the size of my fleet and what it's capable of. I've been building it in secret. I've hidden the ships as mountains covered in snow.

My father wasn't stupid. Before he betrayed us for the Mastals he circulated maps. There was no complete map of Elissa Moon when the Mastals first arrived. The first ones added several landmarks and beneath each one is a massive ship of war. The snow will be burned away and ships will take flight. I want the battle to take place in outer space so the debris doesn't crush those below. Everyone knows that control of the space stations and space means control of our planet and the home world. It means influence on trade, people, and the communication between us. The benefit is doubled if we fight the Mastals in space. It will give us time to track the debris before it enters our atmosphere. The debris will knock out many of their satellites.

The mountains will come to life. I pray the Mastals never figure it out. It's highly unbelievable that we could have such massive ships disguised as them – hidden in plain sight. We try to show our manufacturing capabilities as sub par. The worst factories are near the surface. The pollution makes it look like we are much less capable than we are. We have better technology than that.

My father helped me carry out his plan. He joined the Mastals to mislead them from within. Don't think he was a traitor or that he committed suicide from shame. I hope you don't believe in fairy tales. I prefer to stay open-minded. I believe them with a healthy doubt. I smile as my earrings chime. I've reached my destination and look behind me. I was taking my new friends to the lower levels. This one was closer to the top of my palace. Several soldiers move out of my way. Heavy doors grind open, cracking the temporary ice that had already begun to seal them.

“Welcome to the real Snowfell Palace.”

“Wow Calissa,” Lenoa gasps.

I watch as Audris and Lenoa walk out among a balcony made of crystal. Below is a massive hanger filled with ships, soldiers, and a solid core of machinery. Sprinkled throughout the massive room are detailed ice sculptures of nobles inscriptions beneath them with collections of gold coins ready to export next to several small spaceships. Beautiful murals that depict various stories line the ice walls bringing them to life. The sound of motors and sparks from welders add color to the foreground of the many neon signs. Advertising reliefs carved into in the ice walls attract workers on their break into various restaurants, gambling pits, and kick bars in the adjacent chamber. Crystalline snowflakes flourish on the walls. Each one was in remembrance of a fallen soldier and loved one.

“This is is just one chamber of many. You can't see it, but we build parts over there and assemble them in a separate location. This location is for new technology we import from the home world. Every once in a while we need to update what weaponry we have, wherever it may be.”

I could tell that Lenoa was impressed. Audris just nodded. He had a lot of things on his mind.

“So, why show us? Why the kindness?”

I turn to face Audris. “From this level and below will be your new home. You can work in the crop rooms where we grow our food. It's what we need so the choice isn't given.”

“You still didn't answer my question.”

I open my mouth, then bite my bottom lip. I look careful from my side into Audris's eyes. How was I supposed to tell him that Lenoa would save my life? Seran revealed it to me. They could put a price on what I believed, if I told them. If it was true like Seran said, they could hold it over my head. Maybe they would demand payment and favors. Lenoa was a con-artist it seemed. Let's consider. Let the poems say what they must. You still don't mess with free will. People could always take advantage of the fairy tales. I look at Audris again. I was glad I had him interrogated. I wanted to know what made him tick. He needed an answer and I was unsure of giving it.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“It's complicated,” I manage to say.

Audris wasn't happy with my answer. That was ok. Friendships are never easy in the beginning you always have to break the ice. I was off to a rough start and I could feel the air of mistrust that was between Audris and I. Lenoa didn't seem to care as much. It surprised me that she wasn't worried about her Shasi. Kaloas must have told her something.

I grab Audris's hand gently. “Let me explain everything later. I'll show you around first. You'll understand me soon enough. I promise. I'll show you one day.”

We make eye contact and I smile like his wife once did, like I was a local who grew up where he did. I knew all about where he grew up. I had even been there once, long ago.

This made Audris feel more secure. It also gave me time to gradually explain things without revealing what I wanted. He missed his dead wife, I could tell. Sometimes the most powerful words are on the edge of your fingers – like memories. Touch is a powerful thing and I know a broken man when I see one. My dad was the same. Not to be too personal, but I once broke a man's heart. I never talk about it, but you'll see. It's complicated. I promise. I'll show you one day.

The next few weeks were over before they began. Time was passing quickly. I check my calendar and mark off another day. There was something I wanted to show Audris, but I decided to wait until the right time. There's a right time for everything. I learned that from Seran. It's the reason why I am able to be patient when she reveals a portion of my poem to me.

Last week I gave Audris a job next door to Lenoa - one that repairs snow-mobiles. He likes it better. It doesn't pay as much, so Lenoa didn't bother. I like where she's at.

I touch the frosty surface of an ice sculpture. It's rough and stings my cold fingertips. It's one of a Shasi. Not everyone gets a companion, but it used to not always be that way. Very few know of how it used to be when the first colonists arrived.

I wait until Audris gets off work. I look over at a nearby soldier.

“My lady....,” he say. I wave my soldier away. He makes sure no one steals when leaving work.

Audris walks out. Right away, I grab his attention.

“Long day like me?” I say with tired eyes. Today had been tiring for me, but I still force a smile. Audris gets off work an hour after I finish my business. I don't mind the wait. I like to check my lists.

“What a day.....” Audris yawns. He looked grim.

I smile and rub my hands on the statue. I enjoy sealing the loyalty of the new ones. It settles me. I have to show that I care, but it's something I naturally want to do. We have to look out for each other and I love my planet – even with its flaws.

“I've heard the others talking about you. The things we learn as children. How they see us. How we feel about ourselves. They never go away.” I lock eyes with Audris. He knew what I was talking about. There was still a stigma of being lesser. He never had a Shasi of his own and that meant he would always appear to be an immigrant or defect. Not a true inhabitant. I look at Audris.

“They also complain you're bad at the repairs. I've seen your work. Seems true. My repairmen are right. Agree?”

Audris shrugs and smiles. It was funny seeing Lenoa wear off on him. I always rooted for the underdog. Sometimes the role switches. One day things work out and you no longer are the underdog. You have to keep perspective and constantly lift from the bottom up. It helps the over-arching morale to keep churning in the right direction. I look at Audris.

“Let's put an end to their jabs. I have an idea.”

I lead Audris back into the repair shop. Inside the repair room are several snow-mobiles. Many of them are armed with machine guns and shields. Some are improved with rigged jet pack engines for the added boost of speed. Those are the imported additions. We're still using Shasi sleds in some parts of planet, but we do have good energy sources coming in, mostly in the form of batteries. They're from the home world. I make my way over to the lockers. The speckled metal creaks as I yank it open. I tell Audris to sit and not worry. I would have him paid extra for this time.

“Is this your stuff?” I ask grabbing a few tools. His tools were clean.

Audris nods. “Yes”

“I know a few tricks. Watch.”

A brief moment later, I roll myself under one of the snow-mobiles on my back. The new ones have their own special power source. They vary and we take what we can get. I know their inner workings. I pull a glowing battery and let it fall by my side. The clank hurts my ears and I pause to remember how to do this. I motion for Audris to slide in next to me. I hear his coat scrape across the floor.

“You see this?” I point

“Yes.”

“You want make sure that these two parts don't connect so exactly. It seems counter-intuitive, but it saves time. The bumps and vibrations when this is moving will connect them enough. Don't worry, it won't under power. Vibrations are bad for most machinery, but you can't stop them like this, no matter how exactly you connect them. Don't fight them. Use them and save us the time.”

I'm not sure how long I spent teaching Audris, but he listened to everything. I wasn't surprised no one was helping him at work. No Shasi. You're starting to understand. Any local would. The bullying continues in condescending little ways. By the time Audris and I were finished, our hands were dirty. It was a night a day difference in his ability. You could feel the change. I think I even impressed myself. My father taught me well.

“You'll be as good as the others in a few weeks or a month.”

Audris manages to smile at me. I could tell he was grateful.

“Thanks. It'll make tomorrow bearable again,” he replies

“It's always more bearable when someone believes in you,” I smile back.

To anyone on the outside it might seem obvious why I took such an interest in Audris. Some would say I found him handsome, but that isn't exactly the case. I have my choices. There's more too it than that. I know something about him that you probably never guessed I would know. I'm still missing some needed information, but it's about his wife and this planet. Something the Shasis have been speaking of. Something deeper. I'm not sure how to say this to him. It's the beginning of my fairy tale. It connects us, but I don't think in a good way... You'll have to wait and see. Tomorrow is another day. I need to speak with Lenoa again. It's all a mess.

Lenoa had arrived and she had some food for both of them.

“Hey Calissa.”

“Hi Lenoa.”

Audris stares at the food on Kaloas's back. He was balancing it and I could tell it was some kind of game Lenoa was making him do. He was being patient, but trying not to amuse himself too much.

“Thanks for dinner. I thought you were never coming by the way, but good timing,” pokes Audris.

“I always take the long route, Just for you,” Lenoa grins. “The food gets nice and cold that way. I thought it would match your dead wife.”

“What are friends for....” Audris gives a grimace. He snatches his food. He looked annoyed, but you could tell he was used to it. Audris looks at Lenoa and then one last time back at me “Manners. This place is going to change me for the worse.”

I rub the back of my neck and take another look at my list. Seran needed a new leg. She was starting to become saddened with me. It was a long day. Her big day was coming soon and I was worried for all my friends. Was now the right time to tell everyone? Maybe it was best to be finished with this mess and surrender it to my past. I should probably tell Audris now. Speaking with Lenoa about it first could just make it harder.

I look up again, but the two were already on their way.

I stand in silence to think. The opportunity passed me and I felt a little sad to see it go. I head off to eat alone. I like the food here, but it doesn't feel like home. There's a place my dad once took me. It's called Shingles. He took me for my birthday when I was little. It was a heartwarming meal, back when there were other children among the nobility to celebrate with. Things became difficult when I reached adulthood. My parents are no longer with me. There's no one to take me there for my birthday. I have no close friends and it's no longer safe for me to eat there.