Bonus Chapter: In the Fringes of Nothingness

Taken from the diary of Queen Elizabeth XIV

I look out into the windows of the CS Argo to witness the beauty of being in the void between the spiral arms of the Galaxy. The emptiness of the void bodies, the massivity of the dust clouds that gave birth to stars on both sides. Sometimes we pass through the smallest of nebulae, through systems I would never be able to see as a child all those years ago.

But even as I say that, I know that being in the fringes of nothingness would be terrible, the fleet is steadily running low on supplies and we just got out of a hefty fight against Tiratian Pirates. I mean, perhaps it is by the bias of living in this fleet myself, but we are entirely justified in plundering that colony, they did not “call dibs” on it! But I digress.

A lot has happened today, again, I ran away from A1. Perhaps it is shame in still being called their leader, perhaps I’m still coping with Rosebud’s accident. It was my fault that such a thing happened to her after all. I couldn’t handle myself, my tears when I heard her frustration as her prosthetics failed her every flight simulation. It was my fault, all my fault. Perhaps if I had been there to save her from being shot down, perhaps if I was the wingman in the situation I would be able to bring her up.

Why was she so kind to me then? How does she find it in her heart to be so thoughtful over me? She’s the one that suffered over my mistake, so why is she the one to give the effort to bring me back to A1? We danced earlier tonight, I started it, yes, but I couldn’t really help myself. A1 was cheering for my return and it was all thanks to her.

Rosebud, you mean the world to me. I hope you know that. And if it weren’t for the circumstances, I would bring you, Michael, and Theresa back to Caspian so we could enjoy our lives there, but it would seem that the place is still an authoritarian mess, and my parents even more so. This is our runaway together, as you said. I just wish I could make you whole again.

I’ve always been thinking of going back. Despite the beautiful sights of the galaxy, the freedom I feel being here, it all still feels wrong to be here, a fugitive, on the run, along with an entire fleet of fugitives ready to be killed on sight. I’m always always conflicted.

I couldn’t bring it in my heart to tell you how much I love you. Even when you consoled and confronted me, even in our dance, I could never tell such things to you. Was it because of cowardice? Perhaps I am a coward, it is because of my cowardice, after all, that you lost most of your limbs. I often dream about you, holding your left arm. Kissing the ring that I gave you which had your name embedded upon it. It really looked beautiful then as it did now, even as I had mine of my own.

But nevertheless, I hope that our plight would be over soon. I hope that we could selfishly retire to distant realms in the galaxy peacefully, where we could live the rest of our days in silence. We could bring the whole of A1 in! Back in Caspian, I dreamt about reaching for the stars in the brief moments where I could see them through the harsh windstorms, that’s the reason I ran away after all. I want to run away again, Rosebud, this time, with you in tow. But my goal now is not to acquire the stars, I already have you. It’s to be with this star for the eternity of its existence.

Signed, E.M.

Bonus Notes:

When the Queen was first extracted from the escape pods of the SC Argo she was with three other people. Two of these would later be identified as Michael and Theresa von Kaiser. The last one, who died in the middle of the transit due to blood loss, was never identified by the Queen nor any of her subjects. She could only be identified by the ring in her finger, in which the name ‘Rosebud’ was embedded upon it. The only casualty, Rosebud, was given an extensive funeral and a grand burial by the Queen.

In her public will, she marks that in the event of her death, she would be buried beside Rosebud.