Isabel ran back and forth making sure everything would go according to plan. The tournament was a time of celebration. The working class rode along side of the social class...many workers being above the various figure heads. It was the first time Isabel had been acting commander. It was a game, but one that would show her people that she would be able to lead if the need arose.

She doled out the team that Alex would lead. It was unheard of that the opposing team would be commanded by an outsider. The people rallied to Isabel's side. The excited rush that besting a foreigner could only bring. It was the largest crowd the city had seen in over a hundred years. Most people traveling half way around their world to attend. The counsel had estimated that over 45 percent of the planet's scattered population would be in attendance.

In an attempt to calm Isabel's nerves, the family had gathered in the setting room...exchanging stories of their past. The lighthearted stories managed to keep her from jumping out of her skin. She nestled close to Alex next to the fireplace. I was sitting on a plush rug, leaning back on Max as Michael and Maria were seated next to each other on the couch behind us. The fact that Max's mother was among us, allowed more freedom. She acted as a chaperon.

She had pulled a chair between us all, telling one story after another. It was customary on their planet for the eldest member of the family to learn all the stories and pass them down to the next generation. Max would be carry them on to our children, I thought as a smile crossed my face. Soon my life would change and I couldn't wait to embrace it.

Tess entered the room late. No one seemed to notice that she had arrived but myself. I watched her settle in a chair towards the back of the room. She was a quiet girl, who never uttered an opinion or made a joke. Max had explained her father had been his father's second in command. When her father and mother passed away from a disease that had plagued their people a decade ago, his parents had taken Tess in and raised her as one of their own. Despite their efforts to integrate her into their family, Tess had remained aloof. She did what she was told and seldom contributed to the conversation. When she did I found her to be a pleasant girl. I had been working on getting her out of her shell. She had confined in me small details of her life. I felt that Tess just needed a little one on one attention. It was too sad for me to image that anyone would close themselves off when they were among such loving people.

One of the things I managed to get Tess to confide was that she was desperately in love. It was a secret romance among one of the young counsel members. It was after I admitted to her that Max and I were engaged. I knew I had to offer a piece of myself before she opened up. Later that evening she had pointed out her friend. He was handsome and was extremely interesting to talk to. I thought the match between Tess and Kyle was a solid one. When I asked her why Kyle had not approached Max's mother with a proposal, she turned away...hiding tears that were slowly welling up in her eyes. She explained that she was still six months shy of betrothal age. He would not be able to ask for her until then and it was becoming increasingly difficult for them both. She worried that a match would be made for her before he could approach Max's mother. I vowed that I would talk to Max about it and that I was sure he wouldn't allow that to happen.

I turned my attention back to Max's mother. She was a lively woman with a good sense of humor. She loved her children, first and foremost, and everything else came second in her life. I knew that she had more knowledge of the goings on around the house than any one of us believed. It wouldn't take spies to see what was happening though. She had eyes and had to know of the three romances that were in motion in this very room. I strongly suspected that Tess' was not a secret from her either. I had came to believe that if she disapproved of our relationships then they would not be allowed to go on. It still didn't explain the worry that clouded her face when she turned her attention back to Max and I.

"And Max fell from the tree trying to rescue the baby bird." She concluded. Everyone laughed. I loved hearing about Max's childhood. It gave me a reassuring sense of his compassion as most stories centered on his misadventures trying to save one thing or another. It was second nature for him to protect things he loved.

"Tell the one about when Michael was missing and Max wondered around all night in the woods looking for him and it turned out that Michael was hiding in the cellar, eating all of Max's birthday cake." Isabel piped up. Her face fell when she realized she had told the whole story.

Maria snickered. "Did you really do that?" she asked Michael.

He nodded his head. "And no one's ever going to let me forget it."

"He was sick for two days." Max added.

"Well deserved. I spent hours on that cake." Max's mother laughed. She yawned and stood up. "I think we've had enough stories for tonight."

"Yeah, we should get some sleep." Alex told Isabel. Her face grew tight but when Alex held out his hand to help her up, smiling like she was the only person in the room, she relaxed.

"You know I'm going to beat you tomorrow, right?" She teasingly asked.

"Aren't we the overconfident one? What makes you so sure of yourself?" Alex questioned.

"I had a great teacher." She whispered, causing Alex to turn red.

As everyone left the room, I lingered to help Max's mother pick up discarded glasses. When she had noticed that everyone was gone, she laid her hand on my back. "I approve, Liz." She simply said and gave me the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

"But I thought..."

"That I was concerned?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Mothers are like that. You'll find out one day for yourself. We don't like to admit our babies are grown up," She paused, taking the glasses from my hands, "As soon as the tournament is over, we'll discuss the plans."

I floated up the stairs and reflected on what had transpired for hours into the night. I was going to be Max's wife. No one would object. It seemed almost to good to be true.

***

Max, Michael, Max's mother, Tess, Maria and I sat high on a platform that overlooked the countryside. We could see both teams from our location. Isabel was winning as she predicted...Alex's men were being captured in groups. I couldn't help but wonder if Alex wasn't putting forth his best effort. Isabel was an excellent commander, but Alex was at least her equal.

The crowds were loving it though. We could hear their cheers from the mountainside where they were gathered. It was a perfect day. A day that would be branded into my mind for the year to come.

It happened so suddenly. A black cloud descended over the field. At first it appeared to be a weather change but as I looked up I saw something familiar. Dozens of large ships were gathered above. Ships from my planet. Explosions in the woods set off multiple fires. My people were firing on the teams!

I heard Max's mother scream Isabel's name and collapse into tears. I turned my startled gaze on the mountainside as people started to flee in terror. The ships opened fire again. When the dust cleared, the mountain was reduced to a large crater. My stomach was turning inside out.

I felt Max grab me and drag me and his mother into the house. We ran to an underground shelter and only then did I realize Michael, Maria and Tess were behind us. In confusion, I heard Michael yelling if I had set them up...if I had known they were going to be attacked. I stared blankly at him. Everything had changed, my mind told me, I had unknowingly murdered their people.

"Look at her!" Max yelled back at Michael. "Does she look like she knew?! Would she have let Alex on to the field if she knew?!"

Michael gathered Maria to him. The combined sobs were echoing in the small room. Max's mother chanting Isabel's name over and over again.

Max pulled me into his arms as tears slid down his face. I had killed his sister. I had killed his people. I put my hands over my face and cried as the sounds of bombs shook the shelter. Why? Why would they do this? My own people...

A deathly silence surrounded us. Only minutes had passed but everything was calm. We looked at each other in fear. They were looking for the shelter. A series of loud knocks came from the door above.

"It's us! Momma open the door!" Isabel cried from the other side.

Michael scrambled up and unlatched it. Alex and Isabel as well as a few counsel members hurried in. Max's mother held her daughter in her arms, rocking her back and forth as if she couldn't believe she was actually there.

"Where's Kyle?" Tess asked in a small, frightened voice. Kyle had been on the field with Alex. I turned to see Alex's answer, praying that Kyle had made it out. When he shook his head, Tess let out a wild scream and fell face down on the ground.

God only knows how long we spent underground. Hours...maybe even days. I was in shock and had long since abandoned the idea of time. It was decided Michael would venture to the upper floor to see if it was safe to get food and if anyone had survived. Maria clung to him, begging him not to go, but he pushed her away and headed up. What seemed like longer than forever held us until he returned, telling us there were survivors and that they said the ships had retreated to the other side of the planet.

We went above ground to find the house flooded with the wounded. Tess wandered along the rows of people, searching for Kyle. I watched as she finally knelt before a man, blackened from fire. She stroked him and kissed him softly on the forehead, whispering a steady stream of things I could not hear. I walked closer, realizing Kyle lay there hanging onto life only long enough to see Tess again. By the time she had went silent, his eyes were peering upwards-blankly. I gathered her in my arms and moved her away from him as they took his body away.

"I told him that I loved him." She announced, dazed. I settled her into her bed and she fell into a deep sleep.

I returned downstairs to a crowd of angry people. They looked up at me and screamed for my death as well Maria's and Alex's. "Max!!" I screamed as they took me by the arms and carried me outside.

If I was going to die then I wanted to die like Kyle...with my love's eyes as the last thing I saw before I closed mine. If only it had happened that way I would've died content...not here relating my story for the history of his people with my last breath.