It was finally happening!


The top three finalists for the once-in-a-millennia title of Queen of The Universe were to be announced.


Out of the remaining thirteen Queens from all regions of the Universe, only three would be moving forward.


This wasn't something that just anyone could sign up for; every competitor had been groomed for this consideration for her entire life.


And lifespans in the deep cosmos were several thousand "years" long; so this had been quite the lengthy process.


Queen Byzantynæ of Estrella was a given.


She was from a bloodline of celestial royalty that had held many noble titles over the eons.


She was also the least interested candidate.


Byzantynæ was a seasoned traveler, who enjoyed visiting all reaches of the galaxy. She had her favorite cities on her favorite planets, to which she happily bounced around with all her favorite friends and of course her loyal staff of servants.


Byzantynæ's Father, King Bennjamin had been a respected leader who kept his entire galaxy in line. The same could not be said for his daughter who did as she pleased.


Byzzy, as she was affectionately called by her family and closest friends, didn't exactly cause trouble, but she could not be tamed.


In short, Byzzy was a bit of a party girl.


"I don't care about being the Queen of The Universe!" The adolescent Byzantynæ protested when her mother, Queen Alicenia informed her that she was to be a candidate.


"It doesn't matter what you want, Darling. This is in your blood. It is your destiny." Her mother sipped her fancy cocktail as her personal esthetician gave her a pedicure.


"If it's so important to you, why don't you do it?" Byzzy defiantly asked her mother.


"It's not my legacy, darling, it's yours. You are the heiress to the throne here, therefore you will be in the running." Alicenia was smiling. She had always made it clear that she would not want such a responsibility.


The years passed and when the King officially retired, Byzantynæ was crowned Queen of Estrella.


But not much changed for Queen Byzzy.


Her trusted cabinet of advisors and staff all but carried out the many royal tasks on her behalf. She would return to her home world in time for celebrations and important meetings but continued to do as she pleased.


Needless to say, vying for this title was not high on her list of things to do.


If Byzzy was the least interested in the title, Queen Lyranna of Orpheus was by far, the most.


Ranna, as she was called by her loved ones, had spent her entire life waiting for this moment. She had attended all of the prestigious academies and spent her youth volunteering in the less prosperous areas of her galaxy.


The only real character flaw possessed by Queen Ranna was how focused she was on the possibility of being Queen of The Universe. She thought of few other things throughout her life, which sadly resulted in her having very little "fun," in her youth.


Queen Ranna was a skilled leader, even from her early coronation. But she ruled like a military general who planned to win a war at all costs.


In other words, Ranna was known as being far too uptight for her own good.


Queen Anjelica of Æraistrele was perhaps the most temperate of all the candidates.


Æraistrelens were the most advanced of all the galactic civilizations and had therefore evolved past many of the emotions that other beings might experience when faced with taking on a responsibility like Queen of The Universe.


If Anjelica (Æraistrelens weren't big on pet names) had any deep-seated feelings about the position though, it would have been akin to annoyance. The rest of the Universe was bound to be full of unkempt, unrefined, and uncouth beings. While these beings were certainly worthy of love and guidance, Æraistrele held the thought that everyone needed to learn their own lessons and make their own way.


Anjelica would have to be not only a leader, should she win the title, she'd have to be a teacher of sorts - something she was not used to as Æraistrelens, as a rule, required very little guidance.


There were multiple other candidates from various other worlds, but the final three choices were obvious to anyone who had been paying attention over the last few centuries.


Queen Byzantynæ of Estrella.


Queen Lyranna of Orpheus.


Queen Anjelica of Æraistrele.


"I'm missing a festival in the Pleiades for this!" Were Byzzy's first thoughts upon hearing the announcement.


"I'm going to clean this Universe up once and for all!" Was Ranna's reaction.


"Very well," was Anjelica's first thought because Æraistrelens never really got too worked up over anything.


But the fun was just beginning...


Soon the three Queens would be told of their final task, and no one in the Universe could have prepared them for what was ahead of them.