I sat on the edge of my bed, holding my head in my hands, trying to make sense of what had just happened. I was also trying to ignoring the pacing man in my room.

The Admiral had shown up as soon as the Zahnians had led me back to my room. He was full of questions, and all I could do was sit numbly on my bed. I wasn’t sure if he was more frustrated at the situation, or that I wasn’t responding the way he wanted me to. I felt him stop his pacing to stand over me like a judge waiting to sentence me. It wasn’t helping me feel any better.

“Highness, I must insist. Tell me what happened. Why were you even in that part of the ship?”

I wanted to yell at him to leave me alone, but I also knew that wasn’t going to happen until he got some answers, so I fumbled for something to say, anything to get this man to back off.

“He was giving me a tour of the ship. It was going along just fine, and then I asked him to show me were he worked. I was helping him fix one of the cleaning bots.”

A guttural sound came from the Admiral. “What would possess you to do such a thing?”

I looked up to the Admiral. “Oh, I don’t know, because I was bored and he was the only one willing to spend time with me. Not to mention the fact that’s what I do, I’m an engineer, and I’m very interested in the technology you have and how it all works.”

Vang shook his head. “You are a Prince…”

“Of the Empire.” I finished for him. “I know, but that’s not all I am, and I wish you would stop trying to put me in that one box only. I am capable of more than that.”

The Admiral pursed his lips, but he managed to refrain from saying anything else on the matter. Instead, he focused on the incident itself. “How did the gun get involved?”

I swallowed hard. This was the part I was having a hard time accepting, but it didn’t seem like it would hurt anyone to tell the truth. Chief Hon was now dead after all.

“The subject of Dome-ni came up. I asked him what his was. That’s when he started acting weird. He told me that not every Ethian has Dome-ni, and that those who don’t aren’t treated well. That the system is broken.

“Then he went on about something called the Fazha Rebellion, and how they asked him to take me out. He said something about not needing any more entitled rulers.”

I felt the energy in the room shift. Vang still stood over me like a statue, but the rolling anger coming from him was new. It felt deep and deadly. It caused me to lean back from him.

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“He said he worked with the Rebellion?” Vang asked in a low and dangerous voice.

“Yes. Who are they?”

“How did he end up with a blaster shot through his head?” Vang spoke over me, and the laser glare he was giving me made it clear that I was to answer his question as quickly as possible.

“He told me that he liked me. That he didn’t want to kill me, and he wished he hadn’t made a deal with the Fazha. So he sat down in that chair and pulled the gun on himself before I could say or do anything.”

The air between us felt heavy as Vang mulled over my words. “And did he say anything else? Are you leaving anything out?”

I thought for a moment going over the vivid few last minutes with the Chief, I then shook my head. “No, that’s all of it.”

The Admiral stood there for a long moment, and then he nodded as if agreeing with what I said. “Very well, first, I want to apologize to you, Highness. For what almost happened this evening. It is my job to protect the Empire and the Imperial Family from harm, and obviously, I failed this day.”

A solemn expression took hold of the Admiral’s face. It was a strange look on him. It made me feel uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure how to deal with this side of the man.

“It isn’t your fault Admiral. How many people are on this ship? Four thousand?”

“Five thousand two hundred and three,” the Admiral responded crisply.

I was taken back and impressed that he could tell me the exact number of people.

“That’s a lot, Admiral. How could you know that one was not who they said they were?”

“I was the one that approved further contact with you. I figured it might help you acclimate better, since you seem to insist on being so sociable. I should have seen him as a potential threat that he had started an unauthorized conversation with you in the first place. But you are, well… you, so I didn’t think much of it at the time. I should have never allowed further contact.”

I raised my eyebrow. I wasn’t sure what to take of Vang’s statement of me being me, though part of me felt some pride in that. It implied I was unique, different, or maybe even a bit of a trouble maker. I had to stifle a smile at that. Instead, I gave the Admiral as stoic of a look as I could muster under the circumstances.

“And it was my decision to spend time with him and go to his work place. The fault does not lie solely on you.”

“Never less, there certainly won’t be a repeat of what happened. I ask that you stay in your room the rest of the evening while we clean this mess up. I will place guards that I trust implicitly at your door. They will shadow you anywhere you go from now on as a precaution. I also would encourage you not to have any more conversations with the crew. Is that understood?”

My whole body sagged at his words. I didn’t think my life could get any more confined than it already was. I guess I was wrong.

“Highness?” I looked up to the fiery eyes of the Admiral.

I realized I must have gone back into my daze. “Yes, Admiral. I understand.”

“Good.” He turned on his heels and made for the exit. “I expect you for your daily lesson tomorrow. Don’t be late,” he called as he opened the door and left me alone.

“Nope,” I said to no one at all. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

I felt a wave of extreme exhaustion hit me like a truck. I felt dizzy and a little sick. I quickly laid down on my bed, closed my eyes, and took slow and deep breaths. Eventually, I was able to open my eyes without the room spinning.

I lay there staring up at the gray of the ceiling as a desolate feeling grew inside of me. I let that feeling expand until my whole self felt as lifeless and dull as the gray. It gave me something to hold onto as I fell into a restless sleep.