Princess Anyu Returns

By Laurel A. Rockefeller

With planet Beinan firmly under the control of the vicious Lord Yelu Princess Anyu flees Beinan for the distant and hostile planet D425E25 Tertius, a world known to its natives as “Earth.”

But more than just the toxic atmosphere and brutal New England winter awaits the young princess as she finds she is not the only Beinarian living among Earth humans.

What strange terrors await Princess Anyu on that hostile world and what sort of Beinan will she find when she finally returns home?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laurel A. Rockefeller
• Release date: Feb 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310926075

Laurel A. Rockefeller

Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska USA Laurel A. Rockefeller’s passion for animals comes through in everything she writes. First self-published in 2012 as social science fiction author (the Peers of Beinan series), Laurel has expanded her work into the animal care/guide, history, historical fiction, and biography genres.Find Laurel’s books in digital, paperback, and hardcover in your choice of up to ten languages, including Welsh, Chinese, and Dutch. Audio editions are published in all four available languages for audible: English, French, Spanish, and German.Besides advocating for animals and related environmental causes, Laurel A. Rockefeller is a passionate educator dedicated to improving history literacy worldwide, especially as it relates to women’s accomplishments. In her spare time, Laurel enjoys spending time with her cockatiels, travelling to historic places, and watching classic motion pictures and classic television series.

Book preview

PRINCESS ANYU RETURNS

By Laurel A. Rockefeller

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Copyright © 2015 Laurel A. Rockefeller

Princess Anyu Returns is a work of fiction by Laurel A. Rockefeller set on the planet Beinan. All characters are works of fiction without direct reference to any real person, living or dead. While inspired in part by the real-life challenges faced by historical persons, any names or characteristics similar to any person, past, present, or future, is purely coincidental.

The history of planet Beinan and evolution of Beinarian society is yours to explore in The Complete Data Files.

Listen to original music from the entire Peers of Beinan Series when you visit www.laurelarockefeller.co.uk.

Love this book? Share the love of this book and the Peers of Beinan Series by kindly reviewing this book on your blog, website, and on major retailer websites. Your review not only offers this author your feedback for improvement of this book series, but helps other people find this book so they can enjoy it as well. Only a few sentences and a few minutes of your time is all it takes to share the love with those who want to enjoy it too.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter One: Journey to Another World

Chapter Two: Enter Anyu Wen

Chapter Three: I Love New York

Chapter Four: Princess Anyu Returns to Beinan

Chapter Five: A Tale of Aisin and Rhisiart

Chapter Six: Journey Back to the Palace

Chapter Seven: Resistance is Not Futile

Chapter Eight: Tyranny’s End

Chapter Nine: A Revolutionary New Era

Epilogue

Data File One: Beinarians and Aliens of Princess Anyu Returns

Data File Two: Laws and Regulations Governing Beinarian Society

Data File Three: Comprehensive Glossary

Prologue:

Computer, begin recording and transmit to coordinates 23978 by 29458 by 5492, commanded Queen Anyu.

Confirmed, replied the computer.

"This is Anyu, Queen of Beinan, transmitting to my friends and allies across the known universe.  It has been two beinors since I sent my transmission concerning the fall of Beinan to Lord Yelu.  This is my final transmission to all of you, though I hope through some act of divine providence I may yet retain my friendships with you across the remaining yen-ars of our lives for I value your wisdom and insights greatly.  Many of you are part of the story I shall now tell, a story that begins with the first xiao-shirs of my escape from planet Beinan.

"On BE 6961, beinor 152 I celebrated my thirty-fourth natal beinor, my last on Beinan, B345A15 Quartus, in the Beinarian Era.  Only a few shir-ors later, my mother publically announced in court she was sending me on a mission of exploration.  She did not mention, of course, that the last time a woman named Anyu left our solar system she was never seen again, perishing on an alien world.

"This was a clever political move, of course by my mother who feigned ignorance of the growing power of Lord Yelu.  Mere xiao-shirs after it was believed I left the throne room to prepare for my mission I witnessed Lord Yelu’s first open declaration of defiance against us, a defiance that frightened me greatly, though in hindsight I have learned that my mother was well aware of Lord Yelu’s activities for no less than twenty yen-ars and probably longer.

"With Lord Yelu openly declared I headed for the star craft Liltaél and launched without ceremony.  Before I reached even the outskirts of Hejing, communications and short-range scans displayed by the Liltaél showed the massive armed forces across Beinan Lord Yelu somehow recruited and trained without alerting anyone who might have intercepted and engaged them.  Almost from the xiao-shir of my launch, the Liltaél streamed and recorded palace security camera feed, its computers programmed to monitor the whereabouts and welfare of each member of my family.  With horror I watched and heard Lord Yelu rape first my sister Leonora, and then my mother the queen, a humiliation both endured to give me my one chance at escape. 

Not until I was free of Beinarian tracking systems on beinor 157 did I lose my final remaining link to the palace and my mother.  Watching her endure Lord Yelu’s humiliations and lust from the safety of the Liltaél frightened and angered me.  How could any man be so evil towards a woman, let alone a queen?  Words cannot describe how I feel, even this xiao-shir, about my mother’s suffering.  With all that has come to pass since my feet first felt space beneath me, I weep at the thought, the images of Yelu’s atrocities against my mother burned forever in my mind.  Sadly, they would not be the only ones my family and I would suffer during the yen-ars called the ‘Great Revolution Era.’

Chapter One: Journey to Another World

Now within range of B345A15 Sextus, announced the computer aboard the star craft Liltaél.

Computer, scan planet Beinan B345A15 Quartus, for energy spikes, anything out of the ordinary, commanded Princess Anyu.

Energy surges located, replied the computer.

Location?

Three anomalies located. First anomaly at Temple of Abka Biya in Bira Hecen. Second anomaly at Ten-Arian monastery 100 li 里 west of Hejing. Third anomaly at west wing of palace in Hejing, declared the computer.

Computer, analyse readings. Triangulate with data from my laboratory at the palace.

Confirmed.

Display data, commanded Lady Engineer Anyu. In compliance, the computer lit up a projected display. Armies moved across every corner of Beinan – from small towns to major cities. Touching the display over the projected map readout for Hejing, Anyu’s eyes widened: three million soldiers and sailors displayed Lord Yelu’s personal heraldry: a schlager sword slightly overlapping the sacred book of house Shem on a field of blood green-yellow. Each concentration of troops flashed the heraldry repeatedly. From the global map view it looked like most of Beinan was flashing. How did Yelu manage to amass so many into his service without alerting anyone on the Great Council?

Or was that the point? What did it take for him to recruit and train this force of his, a force more than three times larger than the queen’s? In all her yen-ars growing up, it never occurred to the princess to make use of her mother’s access to security camera recordings and planetary intelligence. If she had been less busy and more attentive to the Great Council, could she have seen or prevented this?

Or was that too the point from her mother’s point of view? A princess might have security clearance on these matters – but not an engineer of Xing-li. Did her mother know and yet keep all of it secret?

Now leaving B345A15 system, reported the computer. Long range tracking system engaged. The flashing detailed map of Beinan disappeared in favour of a long distance navigational display.

Computer, alert pilot when pre-set coordinates are reached.

Confirmed.

Princess Anyu left the cockpit, confident in the autopilot, and headed for the passenger section. Folding out one of the chairs into a comfortable bed, she opened the door to a small wall compartment where bedding was stowed. Spreading the blankets and her pillows to a comfortable arrangement, she lied down and let sleep take her.

Now arrived at pre-set coordinates, alerted the Liltaél’s cockpit computer with a large flash of Beinarian characters over the main view screen. From her bed in the passenger section, Princess Anyu hesitated to stir from her deep sleep. In her dreams she saw what seemed to be a large gathering in an open-air temple. At the center of the massive plain filled with broken concentric rings of megaliths stood a flat topped altar carved out grey-white stone that twinkled in starlight. She felt herself standing at the altar, her eyes metallic blue and her hair – was it hair – of jet metallic black? A silver-like bowl of something like water set into a carved depression at one end of the altar. In her dream she gazed into the mirror-like bowl and saw her face – but was it her face? It looked like her and yet it was not her – but it felt like her somehow. Tossing and turning from the puzzling dream, she thought she screamed – yet no sound was detectable to the computer. Finally, after fifteen point three two xiao-shir-ors of persistent repetition by the klaxon, she was able to open her eyes and rise from her bed.

Feeling dizzy, Princess Anyu sat down at her seat in the cockpit, Computer specify current coordinates.

Current location in B345 galaxy. Nearest system is B345B60, reported the computer, displaying the Liltaél’s exact position on the far side of Beinan’s B345 galaxy relative to Beinan.

Satisfied it was now safe to set final destination coordinates, Anyu confidently commanded the computer, Computer, set course for coordinates 23978 by 29458 by 5492, designation D425E25 Tertius, and engage engines at 0.8 of maximum speed.

Confirmed

Suddenly a video projected out of a small camera projector on the right side of the cockpit controls, the image of a man she had never seen in person: the Liltaél’s designer and her father, Lord Engineer Kian of house Xing-li, "I am Kian, prince consort of Beinan and astro-engineer of house Xing-li. This is a pre-recorded message made on BE 6927, beinor 150. If you are seeing this, then I am dead now. By how many beinors or yen-ars, I will never know. I have programmed the systems aboard the Liltaél to show this message only to a child of my beloved wife, Queen Constance, a child who now must be piloting the Liltaél out of our B345A15 star system and to a system on the edge of known space called D425E25 Tertius. This destination has not been chosen by accident, but by careful design. It is a primitive world from which no Beinarian has ever returned, a reputation that should discourage pursuit by the forces of Lord Yelu.

"Yes, I know of this Lord Yelu. He will no doubt be fully or partially responsible for my death. This has been foreseen. Grieve me not. I went to my death with eyes wide open to the danger.

"The Liltaél has already become more than I ever dreamed of thanks to the help of two whose expertise in science and engineering is millions of yen-ars beyond us. They operate in secret, of course, for we have long ceased to be worthy of open dialogue with their race, an ancient race said to be one of the oldest in the universe still in existence. Like us, their world of origin died out long ago; their star went nova eons before the B345 galaxy evolved out of that singular moment when this cycle of time and space was born, probably in the LL region of space. They, like us, must migrate from star to star and galaxy to galaxy as their worlds are born, mature, then die. This is the life cycle of the universe; we must accept it.

"Through their aide, my star drive design has been re-calibrated to travel faster than our technology, at its height, ever could. Upon reaching the speed of 0.82 of maximum, a quantum gravity well is programmed to open into a controlled and very stable tunnel, moving the Liltaél through space-time at a rate far in excess of what we are capable of. The Liltaél is programmed to display relative data between our star drive capacities and specifications and what the Liltaél is and can do. Read this data and learn it; you may require a full understanding of the Liltaél’s star drive and specific technical capabilities should a star craft from Beinan pursue you.

"The purpose of this recording is not technical, but personal in nature. As I record this, my dear sweet wife is heavy with child; her labours expected to begin at any time. You may be that child; I do not and cannot know. If you are, then you have presumed across your life that I am your father, especially if you have followed in my footsteps and pursued engineering in accord with a younger-daughter’s prerogative. Legally you are my child. But biologically you are not.

"Though it is true that I have loved your mother deeply and actively pursued the pleasures and responsibilities that are part of service as prince-consort, I know without question that your mother has also pursued her royal prerogatives, taking an official lover as is her right as the queen of Beinan. Sixty beinors after confirmation that the queen was with child again, I looked at medical data supplied to me by Lady Healer Darah. Nowhere in your helices is my genetic material found. You are not my daughter, but his. This I have known and kept secret in my heart across your mother’s pregnancy, claiming you as my daughter before the court so vigorously, I doubt your father knows he sired you.

"This must remain a secret if you are to ever to win back your mother’s throne. Yet I suspect I know who your father is. Search in your heart and you will feel it too. For you are the daughter of Lord Knight Corann, son of Lord Knight Elendir of house Ten-Ar. This is important, my dear princess because I have seen the same security recordings as your father concerning the death of your grandfather, King Kendric. This Lord Yelu is your father’s older half-brother, conceived through drugs and deceit and born of the Lady Elita of the line of Janus, the same Janus who attempted to seize the throne by attempting to rape and impregnate Princess Anlei. This was prevented by your forefather, the man Anlei married soon after: Lord Knight Corann, son of Lord Knight Cariadoc and Lady Priestess Cordelia. Lord Yelu the Bastard is your uncle, a man who knows how to exploit the illegal continuation of the Gurun dynasty after the reign of Queen Isabelle. He is dangerous, ruthless, and violent, willing to use religion to trick honest Beinarians into serving him. Let us be clear on one matter, princess: the overwhelming majority of worshippers of The Shemai, both within and outside of house Shem are peaceful, charitable, honest, and humble Beinarian citizens. Only a few like Yelu use religion to excuse their malice and malcontent with life. Beware of those who merge politics and religion for personal gain – on Beinan or across the universe.

To that end, you must find a way to survive and thrive on D425E25 Tertius, to learn new skills and improve yourself in that alien and hostile environment. Do not treat your exile as permanent, princess, but as a time for preparation and study. Endeavour to return to Beinan. This will not be easy; you may readily be called upon to fight a battle no Beinarian has fought since finding our home on B345A15 Quartus. But if you can find the courage within, I have every confidence you shall triumph. Allies are likely to come to your aid. Expect them when you see them. Slowly, the projection of Lord Kian faded away, leaving Anyu shell shocked and hyperventilating with bewilderment, grief, and dismay.

Five xiao-shirs passed in which Anyu sat in silence; her mind racing at the shocking revelations made by the man she presumed all her life was her father. Lord Yelu was her uncle – by her father who was not Prince Consort Kian as she and the entire court supposed – but Lord Knight Corann? How could her mother keep this information from her and why? Did she really suppose that something terrible would have happened by being honest with her and if so, what? Tears flowed from Anyu’s eyes. Her world was in chaos – literally and figuratively now. As if in answer, a second message beamed out of the computer’s projectors, displaying the image of Lord Knight Corann, her biological father, "My dearest child. I must confess it feels strange beyond words to call you that, even to the Liltaél’s recording system. Yes, Anyu, I know that you are mine. This morning, beinor 152, your thirty-fourth natal beinor, your mother told me. I was in the dark, I swear, all these yen-ars. Your mother – oh how do I begin with this? I would tell you to your face, but the classified data your mother has shared with me shows a large force of militia closing in on the palace. As much as I want to sit down with you and talk with you as my child, I know that I dare not. It could put your life in danger and with it, all of Beinan. Forgive me for communicating with you this way. I am myself in shock. Truly, I never dreamed you were mine; I too always presumed the talented and brilliant Kian sired you as he did your half-brother and half-sister.

Now that we both know the truth, we must move forward. Shortly after your birth, Lord Morlong prophesied to your mother concerning the danger that has exiled you from our once beautiful world. For this reason were you and your siblings trained in self-defence. As a knight of Ten-Ar it pleases me beyond words to see you excel with a schlager sword, just like both of your grandfathers. You never met your grandfather, King Kendric, for Lord Yelu slayed him when your mother was still young, but he was a formidable man, strong and wise. My father, Lord Knight Elendir, was King Kendric’s best friend. He has spoken to me of how much you have inherited King Kendric’s talents, both intellectual and martial. Now you must pull all these gifts together towards your survival. You are the last hope for Beinan, Anyu; the best the rest of us can do for the next few yen-ars is survive and seek for ways to resist Lord Yelu’s ruthless tyranny. As you pass the next yen-ars on that primitive world that is your destination, seek always to not only survive, but cultivate whatever resources you may towards make your return. Do not forget Beinan, Anyu, but always hold your home close to your heart. Suddenly an alarm sounded behind Lord Knight Corann, lights flashing around him, Forgive me, Anyu! I must go. Your mother’s sensors have detected the first, secret wave of invasion. Yelu thinks he is taking Hejing by surprise. I am thankful he remains ignorant so far of just how well your mother has prepared for his coup. I must go then. Be safe; be strong; survive. I love you. The recording faded, leaving Princess Anyu alone with nothing more than the assorted computer sounds of the Liltaél to keep her company.

Computer, increase speed to 0.82 of maximum, commanded Anyu. As the star craft surged slightly faster, a quantum gravity well opened a scant 65 li 里 from the Liltaél. In a heartbeat the star craft fell into the brightly lit tunnel and into the