"Enter Alyriene"

[Zenaide_Alyriene 0]

Slowly, certainly, the stream of water flowed down the slight, rocky incline. Every droplet in perfect succession, it meandered along the rough surface of the slate, searching for the easiest path to its destination.

 

Falling a few inches onto yet another rock, the water scattered from the rest of itself for a moment before collecting onto the smooth pebbles of the basin below. Draping the polished semiprecious gems with a film of color-enhancing liquid, it rested, tranquil, before beginning its journey to the top once more.

 

A delicate young woman reached out, taking one of the amethysts into her hand. Watching the light play on it, she smiled, its sparkling brilliance bewitching her. Letting it fall from her hand back into the fountain's base, she turned to the woman beside her.

 

"It seems so sad sometimes. The natural beauty of something like that stone is reduced by knowing its scientific secrets. It is almost as if something is lost when the mystery of its creation can be explained around with knowledge of crystallization."

 

"Or perhaps learning of its creation's intricacies can only enhance the enigma behind the stone?" her companion offered. "To be able to take the complexities you learn of in a book and apply it to a pebble in the fountain .. that is the true meaning of science."

 

The raven-haired Ardanan smiled. "You could almost make me stop feeling sorry for myself. Not that I really have anything to feel sorry about." And she didn't. Being accepted into Starfleet Academy was an achievement, not a curse, even for someone slated to rule her world from birth. Even from someone shirking those responsibilities.

 

She walked towards the edge of the balcony with infinite grace, shining folds of mint-toned satin trailing behind her on the smooth marble floors. An old style, but one that complemented her, the dress ended at the waist, with a second, detached piece of identical fabric serving as a bodice and flowing cape behind her.

 

"He wasn't particularly pleased," the woman admitted, gazing down from the floating city Stratos to the mining operations below.

 

"Did you expect anything better, Zenaïde? The Alyrienes have been overseeing our world since before our first meeting with the Federation. And for your father to have that end with you..."

 

Zenaïde turned to her friend and servant, a chiding tone in her voice as she gently reprimanded. "If anyone knows that, it would be me. Zenaïde Ionë, the next Alyriene to take the throne. Or, the one supposed to."

 

"Surely to have a well-rounded ruler would be better than one who's only been on Stratos for her entire life. After all, one cannot rule effectively if she's been confined solely to the clouds..."