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superior. Let them throw her in prison
for insubordination. She didn’t care anymore.

    Maybe she’d take the
Nephis-Lyra and run away. She could leave it all behind her and
travel into deep space, thousands of leagues from Lyra and
Acer.

    “ Do you love
Acer?”

    Balt’s question floored
her. She stared at the ship, heart hammering and mind racing with
answers. Did she tell him the truth or lie to protect herself? It
seemed that Balt could see straight through her. Could he see
through his brother too? He’d been watching them both closely ever
since he’d rescued them.

    She hesitated and then
nodded.

    Balt smiled.

    “ Don’t give up
so easily then. Take it from a captain who’s seen more battles than
you’ve imagined. If anything is worth fighting for, it’s
love.”

    ***

    Acer stood lost in his
thoughts, miles away. He didn’t hear the music as it swept around
him, or the excited chatter of the thousand guests gathered to
watch the extravagance of a royal wedding. He didn’t see the beauty
of the decoration or notice that every noble and honoured family
was present. He didn’t feel the sun against his skin and didn’t see
the blue open skies above him. He was miles away in the docks where
he’d left Stella to repair the ship. By now she was probably
off-world and on her way to Lyra Six. Right this moment another
man’s hands could be pleasuring her. The thought sickened him. He
closed his eyes and heaved a sigh.

    He missed her.

    It had been three days
since their moment on the ship, and two days since he’d told her to
fix the ship and get on her way to her shore leave. It had broken
his heart to leave her at the docks, but he’d had to do it. He was
bound by duty and there was no escaping it without sacrificing
everything. He wasn’t strong enough to go against his family. He
was a coward.

    She’d never speak to him
again.

    Would she even look at
him?

    She’d left him with more
pain than pleasure. Every time he saw her he would remember how
things had been and what he could have had if he’d had more
courage. Every day he spent on his ship would be a day where his
thoughts were always with her. He deserved to be tortured for what
he’d done. It was his own fault that she wasn’t his.

    Now he had to pay the
price.

    He opened his eyes and
looked at the guests. So many distinguished families had travelled
across the galaxy for this event. It was all politics at play. They
were only here to maintain or build good relations with his family.
None of them cared about him, about the fact that he was facing a
sentence worse than death as he stood waiting at the top of the
aisle.

    The fanfare began,
signalling the arrival of his miserable future.

    He looked at his family,
singling out his older brother, Balt. His brother looked as
disappointed as he felt. His gaze slid to his eldest brother,
Sebastian. Now he knew how he’d felt all those years ago, standing
here waiting to meet his future bride and not knowing who she was.
Now he understood why he’d looked so pained.

    His thoughts returned to
Stella and he replayed the moment he’d said goodbye to her at the
docks. There’d been so much he’d wanted to say to her, but he
hadn’t been able to with his family all there to greet him. He’d
told her that he’d see her soon. He sighed again. He’d be a married
man then.

    His bride reached him,
resplendent in sky blue and white, the traditional colours of a
Lyran wedding. He looked at his future and didn’t like what he saw.
He longed for it to be Stella in that dress, not this trophy
bride.

    He held his hand out to
her and turned to face the priest when she placed hers into it. He
wished it were Stella’s hand in his. He’d give anything to feel her
touch again.

    He was barely aware of the
ceremony as he recited the words the priest said to him, his voice
void of any emotion. A breeze stirred his jacket. He thought
nothing of it. A stronger gust blew, pushing him forwards, and