I didn't do it

Malena Milly

“Malena Milly?” King Gene says from just outside the closet door. “Where the hell are you?”

'I'm in your closet, King Gene!' I'm using the mental link, but he's talking out loud like he thinks I'm here, even though there's no way he can know I'm that close to him.

"That? No, you're not. You helped that horrible Breeder out of my castle, and now you're out there somewhere with ET1 Kane!”

'No, that's not true at all!' I mean, although some of it is actually true. 'Open the closet door!'

With a heavy sigh, he opens the closet door. She sees me sitting on the floor and screams, then slams it again. “There's someone in there!” she shouts. “Guards!”

'No! King Gene, it's me!' I tell him. I'm about to rip this tie out of my mouth and yell at him with my voice. 'Do not you recognize me? Don't call the guards. They think I killed one of them, but I didn't. He was your father.'

"My father?" King Gene opens the door again and looks at me. Once he realizes it's me, he opens the door fully. “Why would my father kill a guard in the deep dungeon? He's never done anything like this before. I mean, uh, he's not down there. He's not even alive. “He died a long time ago.”

'Untie me, and I'll explain what I know,' I say.

King Gene grunts and climbs down, taking the tie from my hands. "What do you know?" he ask me.

I roll my eyes at him, noticing that he hasn't even bothered to untie my mouth. I remove the tie from between my lips and stand up from the floor. “Listen, I know your parents are alive, King Gene,” I tell him.

“I don't know what you're about–”

I have to interrupt it. “I know because your father told me how you locked him there at the beginning of your reign, and then, I was there when they brought your mother. The two of them were cooing and calling to each other like a pair of lovesick pigeons. But later…." I decide to change tactics, “a horrible guard approached your mother and tried to… as...ault her. Sexually."

Gene's eyes widen. “Did someone touch mom in a bad place?”

Really, how did this man manage to be the ET1 King for so many years? I think ET2 Adam doesn't get enough credit for ruling this place. “No, he didn't touch your mom, er, the queen, in a bad place because your dad managed to get out of the cell with a hair clip. He killed the guard. But when he realized I was a witness, he decided he needed to kill me too.”

"Oh no!" Gene says, covering his mouth with both hands. “Did he do it?”

I look at him for a long moment, thinking how to respond to that. "I kill myself?" I ask, seeking clarification.

"That's how it is! Did?"

I clear my throat, thinking maybe he thinks I'm a ghost. He seems to be the kind of person who would believe in ghosts. "I do not tell him. “No, she didn't kill me. But I managed to escape from him, and that's when I ran into some guards. They tied me up and put me here. “They said they wanted everyone to think I killed the other guard and kidnapped the Breeder because they are plotting against you.”

"No!" she screams again. “Did they say that?”

Seat. "Yeah. They expected me to die in your closet, but you're too smart to let that happen, and you found me in time!” I give him a grateful look. “You are my hero, King Gene! But you can't let them blame me for all these horrible things. They will lie to you and try to trick you, but you are too smart for that.”

“I'm too smart for that!” she agrees. “I won't let them blame you for this, Luna Malena Milly!”

I want to breathe a sigh of relief, but I know how he is—a fool. “You'll probably have to do a lot of convincing.”

—I don't have to convince anyone! I am the ET1 King! I make all the decrees. And I am decreeing that you are not to blame here, and no one can harm you! Now, I'll take you back to your room. That stupid Tristan should never have taken you prisoner in the first place. Also, do you know the names of the guards who were trying to overthrow me?

I have to think for a moment. Only one name comes to mind. “Well… I was… Seymour,” I say.

"Seymour!" That bastard! I should have known! He was too loyal to be loyal. Who else?

I'm not even sure what he just said, but I have to think fast. —Ehm... Bill?— He nods. "Jason?" He nods again. "Adam...?"

"Adam?" The ET2?

—No, no, not that Adam.— Damn. Now I've screwed up. —Adam!... Adamina!

"Adamina?" he repeats, with a bewildered expression on his face. —I don't think she knows him.

I open my mouth and close it. -He?

-If he. Really, Malena Milly, you should check your hearing.— He shakes his head. —All my guards are men. He wouldn't trust a woman to do something as important as guarding prisoners or fighting battles.

I'm not sure if I should yell at him for being so sexist or correct him because I've seen many female guards and warriors in their ranks when I fought against them.

He's as crazy as his father.

“Uh, yeah, I guess so then.” I'm not sure what else to say, so I decide to stick with that.

"Well, then I'll make sure they pay!" Seymour, Bill, and this... Adamina! And you are safe! I'll keep you right here in my room with me until we're sure this hunt is over.

I look around and only see his bed. “Um, okay,” I say.

-Don't worry. You can sleep on the futon.” He points to a small piece of furniture at the end of his bed that probably isn't even big enough for a Pomeranian.

“Great,” I say.

Maybe I've gotten myself into an even worse situation than when I was in the dungeon...