After the morning's revelation, I decide to wander through the palace, exploring my birthright. I walk through the winding halls, with no particular destination in mind. Of course, I'm aware of the weighty decision that lays before me. If I stay longer than a few months past my past self's twenty-first birthday, everything will change. This version of myself will cease to exist. All memories of Talfar, my mother, and Amlican will disappear. Which when I think about it, sounds like an excellent idea. No more heartbreak, no more pain. I think I will like it here.

            I stop in front of a closed door; I turn the knob and find myself standing in the biggest library I have ever seen. Shelf after shelf covers the walls, from floor to ceiling, from wall to wall, a few bookcases also stand in the middle of the room, forming narrow aisles. Tables and chairs sit on one side, forming a place to read. I walk to the nearest shelf and run my hand across the spine of a few books. I pull a book out and read the title, Life and Times of Azoc. I walk to the next bookshelf and pull a book, Dumar the Conqueror. I pull another book, and see a colorful childlike drawing with the name Gilya Gets a Pet. The Copaie seem to be well read. I walk all around the library, taking note of a few titles that stick out. I'll come back later to read those.

          I leave the library and walk a direction I haven't been before. I come across a room with two guards outside of it. That's strange, none of the other rooms were guarded. What could possibly be in here? "Am I allowed to go in?" I ask the nearest guard.

          He studies my face a moment before answering, "Yes but make it fast."

          I look at him quizzically, for a moment, then reach for the knob and turn it. I push open the door, step inside and close it behind me. I am in a large room similar to my own. Yellow grass carpets the floor, trees grow randomly throughout the room, heavy vines are draped from the ceiling. My eyes search the room, trying to find who or what stays here. I give up my search and call out, "Hello?!"

           "What do you want?" a female voice calls out. A very familiar female voice.

           I'm silent for a moment, trying to think of something to say that will put this individual at ease. "I won't hurt you. I just want to talk." I walk in the direction the voice came from.

           "About what?"

           Am I mistaken or did the voice sound like it was above me? "About why there are guards outside of this room. Who are you?" Someone drops out of the tree, in front of me, and I realize why the voice sounds familiar.

             "I am Nova. Princess of Talfar." She says, straightening up.

            "Oh, it's you." I say, relieved. "I thought they were housing some kind of criminal."

             "Aren't I? You took me against my will. Forced me onto a ship, onto a planet full of people who hate me, marched me into some kind of palace, and locked me in this room. All for the purpose of negotiating for some crazy planets. Although, from my perspective, I am not the criminal, you are." She says, crossing her arms over her chest.

            "I understand you are angry. And technically it is my fault that you are here. But there is something you need to understand. I did it for your own good." I say, trying to explain.

            "My own good? You have got to be kidding me! How has any of this benefitted me? It seems as though you were the one to benefit. What did they offer you for capturing me? Fame? Wealth? Your very own planet?" she says, nearly spitting out every word.

            "No. No. You are misunderstanding the situation." I say, trying to calm the situation.

           "I am on a strange planet, locked in a room with guards outside of it. What part did I misunderstand?"

            "Ugh!" I shout annoyed. "Malum wants to marry you, have an heir by you, and then murder you!"

             "And you were trying to save me out of the goodness of your heart?" she asks sarcastically.

            I feel myself losing control and I punch the tree next to me. "No! I did it because Malum will not only murder you, but he will murder my entire race. The Copaie will cease to exsist!"

           "There you go. Right there. The real reason for your so-called rescue. To save your own butt and that of your own people!"

           "Look," I say, attempting to calm myself down. "Your people will be here for you, later today. Go home and marry Malum, if you want. As you lay dying, remember that I did warn you. I'll just think of another way to save my own people!" With that I turn around and storm out of the room, slamming the door behind me, and drawing a curious stare from both of the guards.

           "She better not have been harmed!" one of the guards shout to me.

            "She's perfectly stubborn and perfectly unharmed!" I shout back. I'm so angry that I don't even know where I am going. I walk around, and find myself standing back in the library, again. It's empty, so I vent my frustrations out loud, by screaming. This seems to calm me down, and I pull out a chair and sit down. Okay, I get her anger. She is being held hostage so that makes sense. But why can't she see that I am genuinely trying to help her? In her eyes, I'm technically the bad guy. In this timeline, she didn't raise me and isn't my mother. But still, she has to see how terrible he is. She has to understand that she needs to stay away from him. I mean, why would I make that up? Sure to save my own people, but I'm not lying. My head spins with the frustration of the fruitless conversation. I am pretty sure that she will ignore everything I said, but maybe, just maybe I've planted a seed of doubt about him.