Page 35 of Twins for the Barbarians

“Our royal palace,” Sarin replies.

“So, it is still standing?” Helios says.

“I was only a child when they bombed the city,” she replies, her gaze fixed on the tunnel ahead. “But I do remember the destruction most vividly. They targeted the hospitals, the Fire Tribe temples, the schools, and the slums on the eastern side of the city.”

“The buildings and places people presumed to be the safest and with the densest population,” I mutter, “the places people were most likely to seek shelter.”

“You presume correctly,” Sarin replies. “Now, my turn to ask a question. What are you, Alicia?”

“I’m a human from planet Earth. I was brought here against my will almost five years to the date,” I reply.

Leela gives me a curious look. “We have read the books in our libraries, and I do remember there being theories regarding life on other planets,” she says. “I didn’t think we’d come in contact with any of it, though.”

Helios sighs. “We didn’t think we’d come in contact with people from other planets, either. But the Sky Tribe was determined to find a way to save our species. Their way, however, is unethical, unreasonable, and, frankly, disgusting since it involves abducting innocent human women from Earth.”

“Who lives in the royal palace now?” Kharo asks the women.

“We do along with our lord and husband,” Sarin says. “Our savior.”

“He has three wives, then?” Kharo exclaims, clearly surprised.

Neya giggles, one finger playing with a loose curl on the back of her head. In this light, I can see the gold threads adorning their swirling horns. Clear markers of royal status, I presume.

“We’ve abandoned Sunna’s ancient traditions. They made no sense before, and they certainly didn’t make sense after we picked ourselves up and survived the rogue government’s attack on our city. We rid ourselves of the old beliefs and established our own.”

“You keep calling it ‘the rogue government,’ and I must admit, I’m curious as to why,” Kharo says.

“Only a rogue government would’ve authorized our genocide,” Sarin retorts, irritation dripping from her every word.

She was young when it happened, but apparently, the memories have lingered well into adulthood. That kind of trauma never fades. I can tell that Neya and Leela don’t share her memories as they grew up in the world after the onslaught.

“Our king would’ve never allowed us to be slaughtered like that,” Sarin adds. “Many of us died that day, but enough of us survived, and we managed to move forward.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Helios replies. “But if the king approved the attack, he must have done it with a heavy heart.”

“Then he was as rogue and as spineless as the fools in his cabinet who convinced him to do it,” Sarin hisses furiously. “I hope he’s long dead.”

“That he is,” Helios says, nodding slowly. “He was killed in a rebel attack when our society collapsed. We don’t yet know who killed him, but shortly after his passing, along with the deaths of a few other key figures, the civil war erupted.”

“Sunna made you pay for what you did to us,” Neya sighs.

“We didn’t do anything,” Kharo kindly reminds her. “We were children ourselves. Hell, I wasn’t even born when it happened. Helios here was a babe. Most of those who started it are already dead and buried. We’re the second generation warring over territories and resources that would be better off shared. But there’s hardly anyone left for us to reason with, which is why we’re here.” He glances my way as we turn another corner and make our way up a set of stairs.

At the top of the stairs, a sculpted blackwood door awaits. Sarin fishes a key from a hidden pocket in her dress and uses it to open the door and escort us into a salon. I need a few moments to readjust my eyes to the near-blinding daylight that floods the room through its massive, floor-to-ceiling windows.

When I can finally see clearly, I’m amazed at the beauty I behold.

The floor is a perfectly polished lacquered wood, while the walls are stark white and adorned with paintings depicting various historical scenes from Sunna’s history. I recognize a few of the key moments immortalized here—the taking of Rona Kingdom, the crowning of King Jeso, and the first starship’s Inauguration. These are glorious moments I’ve read about in history books, though I’ve never seen them so beautifully depicted until now. The elegant chairs and decorative tables are also made of blackwood.

“This is a waiting room,” Sarin says as she notices my curious gaze. In the olden days, the king would receive special guests through the tunnels, the kinds of guests he didn’t want the public to see walking through the front doors of the palace. He’d have them wait here until his servants came to fetch them and take them to his private chambers.”

“She means ladies of the night,” Kharo chuckles dryly.

“Yes,” Sarin replies. “Follow us. You’ll be meeting our new king next.”

“And who is your king?” Helios asks.

Neya opens the salon doors, letting us into a wide hallway. It bears little evidence of the passage of time. These people have managed to keep the palace in pristine condition, which tells me there are enough of them still living in the city to help with upkeep, and as we pass by one of the windows overlooking Opal City’s central square, it becomes clear that my theories are correct.

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