Stellar

Chapter Three

Anastasia and Eris ate in a comfortable silence. They were seated at a small table with vine-resembling flowers in the center, lacking the grandiosity of the rest of the palace. It was settling, grounding, to know that the queen chose to sit at a humbly displayed table. The meal matched the table—simple and satisfying.

Both women received a saucer filled with decadent fruits and strips of meat that almost resembled nigiri. The pieces were buttery, filled with delicious flavors, and the fruit oozed with sweet nectar. If Ana knew it wouldn't be seen as ungrateful, she would have asked for a second helping of the fruits—she was simply addicted. It couldn't compare to pizza, but it came close.

After the meal, red-skinned men and women cleared the table and brought a capped bottle filled with a grey, sparkling liquid. The man who had led the human to the queen, carried two glasses resembling flutes, poured the grey liquid, and set them in front of each woman. The extravagant queen nodded at him, a soft smile on the corner of her lips until she flippantly waved her hand in the air. He dropped to his knees and moved backwards until he reached the doorway, finally standing and leaving.

Ana watched as the pale-purple woman grabbed her glass and brought it to violet lips. Gold eyes were trained on her as she sipped, and the chestnut-haired woman shivered. The look oozed with sexuality and curiosity, and she wasn't sure if it was intentional or not.

"Drink," the queen commanded, yet her voice was softer than cotton.

Nimble fingers picked up her glass. Ana swirled the liquid under her nose, trying to distinguish what it was by the smell, but not able to. Pink lips parted, and she took a small drink, letting it coat her tongue before swallowing. It was almost like champagne, minus the taste—it tasted of grapefruit and spearmint. Truly, it was delicious, but the brunette wondered what made it grey.

"Does it please you?"

Ana smiled, "Yes, thank you, your majesty."

The queen frowned, "Do not call me that. I am Eris, not your queen."

Okay, wonderful, I'm an idiot, Ana thought, running her fingers through her short hair sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I wasn't sure what to call you."

She dismissed the apology and stood, extending a purple hand, "Come, we talk."

Obedient, the commander left her drink and accepted the invitation. The queen's hand was cool and soft, like silk. Long fingers tangled themselves in her own as they walked through the palace. Ana's cheeks burned pink. She hadn't held hands with anyone since she was starting her career with NASA—the last time she had time for a romantic relationship.

Her partner at the time had revealed he was transgender. He bared his soul to her, confiding the secret and asking for her help as he chose to transition to a woman. Of course she helped—she loved him. It took a couple years for her to be happy with her progress—finally a biological woman—and just as they were getting comfortable in the relationship, she ended it. Ana wasn't sure what she had done, or why they had done it, but she accepted it nonetheless, burying herself in ambition and career success, and staying in touch with her when she could.

She hadn't pursued a relationship with anyone since.

They stopped when they reached a garden. Luscious, forest-green trees towered over them. A fountain sat in the middle, made of black stone. There was what looked like a cherub in the middle, water the deepest shade of green flowing from it. Flowers lined the various paths in colors ranging from blues to pinks, and the violets in between. They resembled a mixed breed of lilies and tulips, and Ana was fascinated by the unique characteristics of this planet. She almost wished she lived here—or was an alien herself.

Eris sat on the edge of the fountain, lavender legs crossing and glancing up the the human. Becoming familiar with the queen's silent demands, Ana sat beside her, her feet subtly dangling over the ground. If she were to be honest with herself, she would have already admitted that she didn't want to leave this planet—it was better, in a way, than living in the space station, or even on earth. There was one reason in particular, but she wasn't ready to reveal such. It was far too early for the mental admission.

"Have you any memory?"

Dark hair shook. "Not much. I remember my crew talking about a promising planet—we were looking for Kaspium—"

"That is what?"

"An element," Ana explained, "We can convert it to fuel for our ships." When the queen offered no response, the woman continued. "So I picked two of my crew members to help, and I headed out. I was coasting and the levels just plummeted—it all happened so fast. I know called in to the station for help and followed protocol, but then I woke up here."

"How far were you?"

"About .79AU. Our station orbits Eunia...so like... 10 billion light years away from home."

The brunette spoke as of it were all casual—being that far from Earth and civilization. She could hardly remember what living on earth was like—the feeling of the planet's gravity, the sky's polluted with fumes and lights, dewy grass beneath her feet—it was all a very distant memory. Her memories of home was similar to that of a dream—remembering bits and pieces of important information and the blurred scenes between it. Of course, she remembered her parents, at least before they passed, a handful of past lovers and pets, and few moments of childhood friends, but the main points she remembered all involved her training to become the woman she was now. She was a confident, seemingly fearless captain, a competent astronaut, an independent, caring woman with two degrees—both of which were provided by NASA.

Despite her accomplishments, she was convinced she would die with her ship and crew—surrounded by people yet lonely and yearning for more. She was forever desperate to maintain a safe distance from any and all romance.

The irony of her situation was her perpetual habit of "crushing" on unavailable or indecent people.

Exhibit A—a three month relationship with a convicted felon with a warrant for his arrest.

Exhibit B—Josh, currently known as Catrina, her transgender and former lover.

Exhibit C—Eris, Ana's most recent crush on an unavailable and unlikely alien queen.

There were more, but these three were stuck in her brain, an endless reminder on why romantic relationships were not in her best interest.

The queen scanned the grounds, and Ana couldn't help but follow her gaze. "It is beautiful day."

The human agreed.

"Tell me of your home."

And they spent the next hours simply talking. Ana shared what she could recall about her life on earth and in the space station. Eris explained her family lineage, some of the customs of her people, and her aspirations as queen. By the time they were summoned by two red women, the sun—or whatever star heated the planet—was low and the sky was turning pink. They knew more about each other than most of those around them, and with every passing word and moment, they were becoming more connected.

Ana was almost certain it'd be at least three times harder to leave now.