�Yes. I�m your oldest daughter, Vilondra.� Lonnie sat beside him on his bed. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She was filled with regret for erasing their memories. If only he could remember, he could hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right. But he couldn�t. She�d taken that away from him. �Oh father, I�m so sorry. I took your memory away from you before we sent you to Earth. That�s why you can�t remember me. Oh I wish I hadn�t done that.� Lonnie cried. Max saw her anguish and her longing to have her father back. He took her in his arms and held her close. Even though he didn�t know her, he felt the urge to comfort her. Like he had to protect her from everything. Like she was his��daughter. When he held her tight, something in him awoke. Like a part of him that he�d never known before came to life. He felt stronger, more powerful.

�Hey. It�s going to be all right. Nothing�s going to happen to you.� Max comforted his daughter.

�Where�s mother?� Vilondra asked in sniffs.

�You want to see your mom?� Max asked. Lonnie nodded. �Come on. I�ll bring you over there right now.� Max got up and led Lonnie out the door. Isabel stayed behind. On the way, Max explained some things to Lonnie. �Your mom is sick right now. She got pregnant three weeks ago and two weeks ago, she got really sick. The baby is suffocating and we�re not sure how long the baby will live.�

�Well your human bodies weren�t designed to reproduce. We�re not capable of that kind of technology. It�s actually a miracle that mom was able to even get pregnant. Wow. I�m going to have a little brother. That�s so weird. I guess I won�t be Queen after all.� Lonnie spoke half to Max, half to herself.

�What? Why?� Max asked.

�Antar works like a monarchy. The oldest boy in the Royal family becomes the King. Then, if he dies, then the next oldest son becomes kind and so on. Once the boys are all dead, the girls start. I thought that since it was just me and Ava, I�d become Queen after you died. But now that won�t happen.� Lonnie explained. She tensed up once they reached the door of the Valenti�s.

�Tess�your mom lives with a human man, Jim. He�s kind of like her father. He has a son, Kyle. He�s more like her brother. So you can kind of think of them as your grandpa and uncle.� Max told her as he knocked on the door. Kyle answered the door.

�Oh hey Max. You�re back soon.� Kyle welcomed them into the house. �Who�s this?�

�This is Vilondra. Vilondra, meet Kyle.� Max introduced them.

�Hi.� Lonnie said.

�Hi. Uh, Tess just got out of the bath tub, so she�s awake.� Kyle told them.

�Good. Come on, let�s go.� Max took Lonnie�s hand and they walked into Tess� room. Sitting beside Tess� bed was Jim. �Hey Jim.�

�Oh hi Max. I didn�t expect you back so soon.� Jim said.

�Well I have something very important to tell Tess. Do you think you could leave us alone for a few minutes?� Max politely asked. Jim nodded and walked out the room, closing the door behind him. Max walked over to Tess and knelt down beside her. �Hey Tess.� He kissed her lightly on the lips, showing his affection for her. �I have someone for you to meet. This is Vilondra. She�s our daughter.� Lonnie walked over to Tess and sat down on the bed.

�Mother?� Lonnie�s eyes swelled up with tears and she started sniffing. �I�m missed you so much. It�s been so long.� She cried. Tess looked Vilondra in the eyes, deep inside.

�Vilondra? My little princess? I remember.� Tess took Vilondra in her arms and held her tight, just as Max had. �Oh my darling little princess. I never knew if those were dreams or if they were real.� She cried.

�I�m real, mother. Just as real as you and father. And Ava�s real too.� Vilondra cried onto Tess� shoulders.

�Ava. I remember her too. You two were my angels.� Tess said. They parted and Lonnie placed her hand on Tess� belly, which was swollen only just barely noticeably. An orange hand glowed when Lonnie touched the skin. They both giggled with happiness. But soon stopped when the glowing stopped and Tess cringed in pain. �He�s in pain.� She moaned.

�The only way to save him is to bring you back to Antar. Otherwise, he�ll just suffocate until he dies. Mom, you�ve got to leave this place. Come back to Antar. Back to your home. We need you so bad.� Lonnie begged. �You don�t know what it�s like to live with Kivar.�

�What do you mean, live with Kivar?� Max asked.

�Kivar took Ava and me when he killed you. He raised us as his own. I was lucky that I was old enough to remember you. But Ava was still so young that all she ever knew was this corrupted world we live in now. She was too young to remember the good life. I used to tell her what it was like before Kivar took over. I�m afraid that Kivar will turn her against you four. She already holds grudges against you all. It�s because Kivar talks about you all as if you are so evil. That�s all she hears, so that�s all she knows. Except for when I tell her different. But when Kivar hears me telling her about you, he punishes me.� Vilondra explained.

�How did he punish you?� Max was getting so angry with Kivar; he was ready to kill him right at that moment.

�He�d take a hot iron rod and burn it on my arm. The pain was almost unbearable at first, but after a while I was able to take in the pain silently. But before we would go out in public, he�d always heal the wound. But that never took away the pain.�

�Is that how you grew up? In fear of Kivar? Oh Vilondra, I�m so sorry. I wish we had been more careful on Antar. What every must have happened, we must have been so foolish to have ended up getting killed. I promise you that you will never feel that pain again. I�m going to find Kivar and kill him. Then we�re going to get Ava and we�ll live in our palace.� Max promised his daughter.

�You promise?� Vilondra wasn�t sure.

�Yes, I promise.� Max assured her.
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