She stopped chatting and faced the guests wide-eyed. Her grip on Max's side loosened as she slipped to the floor and ran to her mother. Tess lifted her up onto her lap. She had never seen anybody except Max, Tess, Isabel, Michael, her brother Matthew, and her "Nana." No one else was allowed to see her yet. She had not been properly presented in front of the rest of the kingdom. She hadn't even seen her cousins yet. Her grip on Tess tightened and Tess whispered something in her ear. She smiled.

" Liz, Maria, and Alex, my daughter, High Princess of Antar, Terina. But we call her Tabitha for her ear- other name" Liz smiled at her as did Maria. Alex just looked from Tess to Max seeing the resemblance that showed so clearly through both children. "Guess we know whose kids they are" Alex said.

"Who's this little cutie?" Liz asked as Matthew took his seat next to his mother.

Max told him to introduce himself

"I'm Meron, High Prince of Antar, Son of Zan and Avaria, brother to Terina, and heir to the throne." He said without taking a breath. Liz stared at him then at Max. " But the king insists on calling me Matthew." Max translated everything he said into English.

" Very good," Max complemented his son in Antarian." but you don't have to be so formal we are among friends." Max smiled. Matthew took a deep breath like he was relieved. Then looked at Maria and Liz with amazement.

"Who are they" he asked.

"Well I'm sorry I don't have such a title but I am Elizabeth, but you can call me Liz, this is Maria, and Alex." Liz introduced herself with a look of amusement on her face.

"Nice to meet you." He replied it was one of the few phrases of English that he had learned.

" How old is he and Tabitha?" Maria asked.

"Well," said Tess unexpectedly, "She will be two next week. Matthew is four." Everyone looked at her in surprise. " Good Evening your highness," Alex said stiffly.

" Please, don't be so formal. Only good friends of Max can have a private session with him so you must be very good friends. You can just call me Tess. You can call the kids by their other names. They have their Antarian names so that the people can easily recognize them." She told them. Max smiled at her. Liz caught this and wondered why she didn't recognize them.

" So how has it been going…Tess?" Liz finally choked out.

"Good actually. We've been living in peace for the past four years. There hasn't been any real trouble. But the kids keep you busy. Abby isn't allowed out of the one side of the palace except when tended by either Max or myself. She's not allowed to be seen by anyone yet. We made an exception for you three." Tess said.

"Well that is good news that we are trusted enough to be let in on seeing such a young beauty." Alex said. " She looks just like you. She's beautiful."

"Thank You" Tess said as started to blush.

Max said something in Antarian that made her blush even more.

Liz hated not being able to understand their secret language. Michael looked at Isabel with an annoyed look.

"Don't forget that we can understand you as well and the children, my dear, dear, brother" Said Isabel in their language.

" I know," he said in English.

"When dinner is finished can I go play in the nursery with Nana?" Abby asked obviously very bored.

"Sure honey you can go now. And you too Matthew." They slid out of their chairs and ran out the door.

" That door leads straight to their nursery." Tess explained to the perplexed looking Maria.

" So," Maria said. " Where are your children?"

" They are in the back. We couldn't get an exception because the oldest is only two."

"Really," said Alex " will we ever get to see them?"

" We can make arrangements." Michael said with a sly smile on his face. " How can they stop you?" Alex questioned " You're the commander of the army. Your best friend is the king of the planet."

"We have to follow the rules." Explained Isabel " The countrymen might get mad that strangers have been able to get to see their next generation and they haven't we, have to keep the peace."

"We understand," said Alex with a disappointed look on his face.

"Well it's late and we should probably be getting to bed," announced Max " We have a long day tomorrow if you want to see our kingdom."

" I think that is a great idea" stated Tess. " I will be up all hours of the night with Abby so if you will excuse me I'll go put them to bed." She rose, as did everybody else until she was out of the room.

" Why doesn't she recognize us?" Liz asked.

" She hasn't been able to remember anything from earth. No matter what we try." Max said.

" She thinks she grew up here. She has her memory of her childhood here, as do we. That's how we know Antarian. But we never have forgotten earth." Said Isabel.

" Well she pretty much has me much in check now." Max said standing up. " I have to go to bed."

"We'll escort you to your rooms." said Isabel " this way."

"Cool." Said Alex, as he was lead through the corridors. "No wonder they aren't allowed out of their rooms they'll get lost!" Maria reached over and smacked him lightly on the arm.

" I know it took a little getting used to." Said Michael.

When they finally reached their rooms they turned to say goodnight. Everyone embraced in one last hug before they turned and entered their rooms.

Time to go back to my room thought Max as he turned to go his room.

**** He still had a lot to discuss with Tess about the peace treaties that are being drawn up between the planets. He wanted to get her opinion on it before he signed anything. He walked in and sat down at their desk indicating that she needed to be seated.

"Max can't this wait until tomorrow, I'm exhausted and you still have to explain who those people are." Tess said exhaustion that she had hid so well during dinner starting to come forward in her voice.

"No I have to either sign tomorrow, or all of our efforts will have gone out the window." Max said. He was obviously very tired but what could he do?

"Well" Max began, "We have decided that each of the our planets will be allowed a small military."

"How will everyone make sure that it is only a small military on each planet?" Tess asked.

"Well somebody asked that question and twice a year we would each send an ambassador to check out the progress of each planet. There will be a full inspection. So we will have no choice but to keep a small military." Max responded.

"That sounds good." She said. "But how will we know that they are not just making it look small when we arrive?"

"Well you see that was the same thing that was wandering through my mind. But I really couldn't think up a logical reason to how we could solve that problem. Any suggestions?" He asked.

"Yes. Why don't we make it that we can arrive anytime we fill is necessary. We could give them maybe a days notice but we will keep track of when they have important events, like presentations, so we wouldn't be barging in on anything important." Tess said as if she'd been planning it for quite some time.

"That sounds reasonable but I don't know if they will accept it. I'll run it by them though." Max said.

With that settled Max went over and began to get ready for bed.

"Max please an explanation" said Tess as they were getting ready for bed.

"About what" He would play it dumb for a while.

"You know full well." She switched to Antarian. She was tired of using that other language. She hated it.

" Ok" he said switching to Antarian with an evil grin on his face. It annoyed her when he would switch when she would. She could care less what language he used. He obviously liked English better.

He began slowly from the beginning trying to explain everything as best he could. Tears formed in her eyes as she took in what he was saying. She tried to slap them away but it was too late he saw them. He pulled her down onto their bed and held her close. He kissed her forehead. That was enough for her to see everything that had happened between them on planet earth. Tears began to poor from her eyes now.

"Is that why you were so distant from me?" She asked. "Is that why you go on those walks in the middle of the night? Why you don't hold me like you used to? Why you acted like you were dying when we were told we needed to have another child?" She asked pulling away from him. "I saw it in your eyes the moment you saw her. You used to look at me that way." She choked out and switched to English so the servants couldn't listen into their problems. "I don't blame you, I'm so sorry Max." She sat against the wall and let the tears fall freely.

" Tess did you really not know that you did all that?" Max asked trying to hold back his own tears. He had hurt her. " I didn't know. I swear. I don't blame you for hating me. I didn't know." He tried to go to her but she kicked him away. "Go away just leave me alone for a while." He stood up and left the room. For some reason he went but didn't go to Abby's room or Matthew's he went to Liz's.

He knocked on the door. A sleepy eyed Liz opened and was surprised to see Max. Slowly she stood out of his way so he could enter. He flipped on the light to see Maria was gone. He smiled. Liz went sat down on her bed. Liz could tell something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" she asked cautiously.

"I had an argument with Tess" he said, " she said that she had no clue about what had happened on earth. She went into this kind of hysterics that she's never done here. She usually is calm and quiet. This was totally different." Max said sitting down on Maria's bed.

" Max it's ok. She is just shocked. I noticed that she is a totally different per..um…being here. She is really nice and sweet." Said Liz trying to comfort him.

" I know." Said Max.

"You can rest here for a few so that you both can cool off. You can take Maria's bed she won't be back for a while." Said Liz blushing and looking down.

"Liz I'm sorry." Max stated quietly. He just didn't feel the same way he used to feel for her. He saw her more as a…….friend now. What is up last night he was thinking about how much he missed her, now he didn't even feel anything towards her? He thought.

" Its fine." She said turning off the light and getting into her own bed.