Aubrie Peng: The Ziben Crisis

Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE:

I stood before the Monarch’s Entresol, just like I had months ago; only a baby in the new underworld I now knew as home in such a short time. I had the cue cards in front of me, but I didn’t plan on orating much of what was written down. I didn’t know how my people were going to react to my declaration but, honestly, who would argue?

It would be unprecedented, and most likely illegal. But, of course, the legality of anything relied on me saying so. No one could stop what I was going to do.

“Aubrie, it is time. Good luck, my sweetness.” Bonnie smiled at me warmly as the ovation outside beckoned me. I wore a brilliant blue gown that was “Ahead of the times” – according to my new stylist, Cynthia Magdalen – which was supposed to encourage my citizens into the umpteenth revolution in Elven fashion. Opening the door with more sureness than my first time, the curtains billowed respectfully as I took my name as Empress of Faer. I raised my hand to my face; the blazing pseudo-sun was burning my retinas. Once my eyes adjusted, the crowd appeared below me and I was taken by a sudden worry of their reaction. The Elven crowd was known to be very judgemental and narrow-minded. But no, I had to do this. It was my duty; it was more than an earthly obligation.

I cleared my throat. “Welcome, loyal citizens. Today I am here to address a grave issue that has risen over the past few days. Some of those, well-informed Elves out there may know what I speak of, but most do not. I admit, I have known about this for some time.” The crowd was deathly silent. It was eerie. “Two days ago, in the human city of New York, a strange object fell. This object was from space, used to contain a living being.” Several gasps sprang from the horde. “This living being was alien. And unfortunately, this foreign being was hostile. I happened to be the one to come across this fallen pod, and I was attacked by the creature.” I gestured to my shoulder. I took notice of the projection beside the Monarch’s Entresol of me, speaking. I looked like someone else; someone confident and royal. This Elfess was not me at all.

With an arbitrary impulse, I – quite noticeably – threw my cue cards behind me. “Providentially, with the help of my good friends, Abel Jefferson and Griselda Kuhn, we were able to slay the creature.” Handclapping and whoops were the reactions to this information. “But, this is just the beginning, I’m afraid. Our experts from the Elven Astronomical Society, centred here in Ziben, have detected several more pods to crash-land into this planet: the major cities of the humanoid world have been targeted and considerable amounts more are heading for Beijing, directly above Ziben.

“Thusly, I am going to declare a new law, introduced by myself, and myself only.” I heard knocking on the window beside the door. I turned and saw Melvin. He was frantically waving his arms and yelling, “What are you doing?” I ignored him and continued, turning back to my people, who needed me. “From this moment onwards, until my death, I, the Empress of Faer, have opened a new branch of the Elven Militia: the Royal Armed Youth Services, or RAYS, is a section of our current military. It allows Elves of the ages between fourteen and twenty-four to join the Elven Militia. They will –” I was cut off by the uproar berating of the citizens below. They screamed insulting names at me, and began to throw things. A barrier appeared in front of me and the splat marks of mostly food slid down it.

I grabbed the microphone that was to the side of my podium. “Silence!” I bellowed. The boom cut the din instantly and the echo of my outburst reverberated around the limited space of Ziben. "The adolescents will have to pass a fitness test, and then proper military training and whether or not they join will be of their own accord. However, whoever does will gain impressive accolades of the greatest honour, serving them as a degree of some sort. Does this sound like a bad thing?” Mumbling spread through the horde of previously-infuriated Elves. I assumed this meant this was tolerable with them.