Feeling a pain deep within her, Saturna was very afraid. She was trapped in the Vaulted Room with a childlike creature and everything she had ever known was gone. “What can I do Gondee? How can I free my inhabitants and regain my kingdom alone? I can’t allow Detis to rule, the inhabitants would suffer as she cares for no one but herself,” communicated Saturna sadly.
“Saturna, my little one, have faith. You have everything you need in the Vaulted Room to retake the castle. I will guide you, and you have Hete and Peep to assist. The situation is not good, but just as the Veectoreze caught us unaware, we shall surprise them and retake the kingdom. Now listen carefully as I tell you about the secrets of the Vaulted Room and the royal ring.”
Saturna plopped on the floor and leaned her back against the door feeling disheartened. She tried to focus on what Gondee was telling her, but her auri was weak. It was then that she noticed Hete staring at her with a puzzled look upon his face, still holding the large metal bar in his hand.
“Would you like to go to the kitchen and get some food with me after you finish talking with whomever you’re talking to?” he asked. “I’m feeling quite famished.”
“Hete, you could hear me?”
“You were saying a few words here and there, but they didn’t make sense. Are you alright? I think you need some food also. Shall I break down the door or are you going to open it?”
Silent for a few seconds, Saturna contemplated what she should tell Hete. I guess I need to tell him everything as we’ll have to work together to overpower the Veectoreze.
“I‘m very sorry to tell you this Hete, but we can’t go and get food right now. Please sit down as I have something important to tell you.”
Hete sat beside Saturna and looked up at her, wondering why she was never hungry.
“You must be aware Urites can communicate through thought. Do you know they do this?” Hete nodded his head in affirmation. “Well, I can communicate that way with Gondee and I’ve been talking with him.”
“Can you ask him to bring us some food?” whimpered Hete, rubbing his stomach.
“I know you’re hungry, but you’ll have to wait,” replied Saturna, trying to be patient. “We have a big problem! Gondee just told me the castle is under siege. Do you understand what siege means?”
This time Hete shook his head. Saturna was beginning to think the whole situation was totally hopeless. The two of them against Detis and the large Veectoreze army, it was almost laughable. Saturna looked at Hete’s intense facial expression of concern and she smiled. He really was a cute, helpless, little creature, and just one of the many inhabitants she had to protect. And so she continued to talk, in very simple terms, and watched as Hete’s eyes became bigger and bigger.
“Then, Detis didn’t tell me the truth! When I see her, I’m going to tell her I won’t work for her again. I never meant to hurt you, Saturna, because you are my friend,” gasped Hete.
“Thank you. I consider you my friend also and friends have to stick together. But we need to figure out a plan to get the castle back. I know we can do it, Hete, I’m just not sure how. Let me talk to Gondee again and see if he has some suggestions.”
Returning to her auri, Saturna conversed with Gondee. She sensed something was wrong because their link seemed exceedingly weak, but she couldn’t identify the problem. When she asked Gondee why she was having trouble hearing him through her auri, he didn’t answer. He appeared rushed and told her they had important issues to discuss and little time. He wanted to talk about the hidden tunnels, one on either side of the Vaulted Room. One tunnel went to the outside of the castle, the other to the castle’s kitchen. Saturna grinned when she learned about the kitchen tunnel, thinking about Hete’s growling stomach.
Gondee also referred to the royal ring and informed her it did bring her home. “For the protection of the royal wearing it, the royal ring has a transporter microchip which utilizes universal wormholes. These wormholes crisscross the Solar System and are linked to the Vaulted Room. But it is a secret the royal must uncover themselves. The legend is the ring will save no one who is unworthy to wear it. So the fact you stand there proves your father’s choice in making you Queen was the right one,” he explained passionately.
She also learned the royal ring was capable of opening any lock in the Solar System. It was done by placing the ring over the lock to disengage it. She now realized she could have used the ring to unlock the cage on the space pod. Slowly through her conversation with Gondee, Saturna began to develop a sketchy plan of how the kingdom could be recaptured and was totally unprepared when he suddenly said he needed to rest. Refusing to give an explanation, he quietly said he would contact her later in the day.
“Please Gondee tell me what is wrong! Are you ill?”
“Your only concern at this time is your kingdom, pour all your energy into that and do not waste any on me. I believe in you, My Queen.”
Her auri closed and she didn’t try to contact him again although she was tempted. He had never abandoned her before and she knew something was very wrong. I must get to him quickly, she told herself. Think Saturna, you have to develop a plan that won’t fail!