The Royal Pursuit by Ruth Ann Nordin

opportunity
he had. They were totally reliant on him, and if he allowed them to
make any decision on their own, it might weaken their dependence on
him. He could use this to his advantage.
    “ That is an excellent
question,” the man said. “Whoever is skilled in combat, or at least
is most educated about the Razians and Palers, is your best
choice.”
    “ Xan, Optima, Tan, Mical,
and Lonlio will go,” Dour replied.
    Although the Nicals lived at the
Austere Complex, the man led them to it, as if the place belonged
to him. They didn’t object to his boldness. If anything, they
probably welcomed it. Most likely, they were overwhelmed by their
enemies’ presence.
    Once they reached the complex, Xan
rushed to his living quarters to gather the chains. The rest of the
Nicals went to the main room.
    The man left them to go to the library
in search for a book he needed. Now for his next plan.
     
    ***
     
    When Xan came into the meeting room
with the chains, Dour turned to Optima. “Will you go to the man
wearing white and tell him you and the others will depart
now?”
    “ Yes, Ruler,” she
replied.
    She left the main building and walked
over to the library, which was taller than the other buildings. The
library was the best kept building they had left. At one time, it
had been the center of their world. In some ways, it still was, but
when the virus swept through their world, their emphasis turned
from the pursuit of knowledge to the fact that they must do
everything possible to preserve their lives.
    The wasted hours studying the books
were a cold reminder Optima should have spent more time with her
family and friends while they lived. She was grateful her brother
was still alive, although he lost far more than she did. He lost
his wife and unborn child to the virus.
    Don’t think about it, she told
herself. They couldn’t change the past. The only thing they could
do was secure their future.
    The halls of the library were oddly
quiet. Her footsteps were quiet on the hard floor because of her
soft padded shoes. She was ready to call out to the man in white
among the rows and rows of books to find out exactly where he was
when she heard his voice. He was talking to someone. She frowned.
All of her companions were in the main building. Who could he
possibly be talking to?
    She silently followed the direction of
his voice. He wasn’t far from her. She crept down four rows of
books until she saw him. He had his back turned to her. She
couldn’t see what he was talking into, but that was of little
consequence. She hid behind another row so he wouldn’t notice
her.
    “ Everything is in place,”
he said.
    “ Good,” the other voice
replied. “You will bring the Queen of Raz with you?”
    “ Yes. She is traveling with
others, though. Do you want them, too?”
    “ No. I’m only interested in
her. I must make it so she cannot conceive the next
queen.”
    Optima held her breath at the threat.
She leaned closer so she could hear their conversation better. She
couldn’t tell if he was talking to a man or a woman.
    “ What if she is already
pregnant?” the man in white asked. “It is around this time period
that she is expected to conceive.”
    “ We will run the tests when
she arrives here. If she is pregnant, then we will eliminate her.
Otherwise, we can perform a simple sterilization procedure. That
child must never be born.”
    A shiver crawled up Optima’s
spine.
    “ Don’t let the Nicals know
our plans. It is better for their consciences if they think they
are defending themselves,” the person reminded him.
    “ I won’t. They are
expecting me. If I am gone too long, they may come searching for
me,” he said.
    That was Optima’s cue to leave. She
quickly and quietly hurried out of the library. By the time she
reached the main building, she was out of breath. Her companions
faced her when she ran into the room.
    Ruler Dour hurried over to her.
“What’s wrong?”
    Before she could respond, she heard
the