by Zara Zenia
I leaned back in the chair. I wasn’t bluffing. The thought of returning home in one month gave me great pleasure. I wanted to be home, not in this place where I was hated by the humans, or at least most of them. I knew that I would not find such a female in one month, as I had been searching for years. But it was enough time to get my resources together and prepare the palace ship for departure.
I stood up from the communication chair and walked into the hall in order to start giving orders to put the list of actions needed to be taken before departure in order.
“Prince Manzar, sir.” Lieutenant Danja was at my side as we walked and talked.
“What is it, Lieutenant?” I gave him an exasperated look.
“We have just received a request from the guard,” he said handing me a message button.
This was a hologram message. When the button was pressed, the message would appear in Trilyn language, even if it were given in human language, it would translate automatically.
“I have no time for reading messages, tell me what the guard wants?” I said annoyed that this human police force would ask anything of me, there were rumors that the guard was also infiltrated with haters of the Trilyn race.
“They have two humans who are requesting asylum from you specifically. They request to come on the palace ship for they are in danger,” Lieutenant Danja said.
“Of course, these humans seek us out for our brute force and nothing else. Who would do such a thing?” I snorted.
“Dr. James LaBelle, and his daughter Andromeda LaBelle,” Lieutenant Danja replied.
I stopped walking and looked at him. “And how old is this human female daughter?”
Lieutenant Danja stopped and looked up the information on these two seeking asylum. “She is four-and-twenty years of age,” he said.
“Have them brought here to plead their case. I’m not saying yes, but I will hear what they have to say and decide then. Have them brought as soon as possible,” I ordered.
“Yes, Prince, right away.” He turned to walk away.
“And, Lieutenant…” I called out.
He stopped and turned back to me.
“Have the female scanned to see if she is my match, but do it discreetly when she arrives.”
“Yes, Prince.”
“Tell no one of the results aside from myself, is that clear?”
“Yes, sir, of course.”
“Get on with it then, and see me when you’re done. I have a long list of obligations, for we might be changing course in thirty Earth days’ time.”
“Yes, sir, right away,” Lieutenant Danja commented. He turned and walked away.
I moved in the other direction with a bit of a smile on my face. Having a human female come to the ship that I could scan would save time. That was one less than I had to meet at a ball or an event to have scanned. Even if she was not my match, she sought asylum with her father on my ship. I, at least, could have some fun and fill the void of loneliness that had boiled up inside of me. Have some companionship before I left for my own home planet.
The next day came very quickly, and the asylum seekers were in transport from the guard to the palace ship.
“Prince, the asylum seekers will be arriving in forty minutes,” my guard informed me.
“Take them to my throne room when they arrive. Make sure that Lieutenant Danja is there to receive them, then inform me and I will hear their plea.”
“Yes, sir.” He turned and walked away to fulfill my orders.
Forty minutes went by swiftly, and I was soon alerted that the pair of humans were waiting for me in the throne room. I stood outside the door, preparing to go in. But I wanted to wait for the very crucial information I knew Lieutenant Danja had for me.
The door opened and Lieutenant Danja walked through, closing the door behind him. He looked around to be sure we were alone and then leaned in close and whispered, “The human female is a genetic match, sir, according to the scan.”
I turned to look at him, completely in shock. I didn’t think that it would indeed be a match. I had only done it out of hope, but now hope had turned into reality.
“You are quite certain, Lieutenant Danja?”
“I ran the scan three times, I thought there might be a malfunction, but it is an accurate reading, as far as the scan is concerned.”
“That will be all, stand at my side as I hear their plea for asylum,” I said as we entered the throne room.
Lieutenant Danja followed me.
I had to wonder if this human female would be up to my standards, which were admittedly quite low. I only required that she allow me to be her partner. The one rule of the Earth humans in this entire transaction was that we were not allowed to take human females by force. We were only able to take those who were willing to be our sexual intercourse partners, so she would have to want me. She needed to. I had never found a match before.
As I walked in, the two humans stood in the middle of my throne room, and I was shocked as I laid eyes upon her.
The human female was beautiful, one of the most beautiful I had ever seen yet. Her hair was down to her shoulders, in a light auburn color with a red tint to it. She turned to me with large green eyes that complemented her olive tan skin which was brightly contrasted against a yellow shirt that only had string straps on her shoulders. It snugly fit her body, as it was tucked into pants that were then tucked into boots. I didn’t know what these articles of clothing were called, but they looked exceedingly well on her.
My breath caught in my throat and I immediately felt a stir of my rod, a throbbing was coming over it as I stared. Not only was she a genetic match, but she was giving my body a reaction that was a heated primal instinct. One that Trilyns felt very strongly, possibly stronger than humans did. For we were significantly prone to mating. It was our main purpose on our own planet. One that had unfortunately led to our demise.
I took my seat on my throne and Lieutenant Danja stood beside me as I looked down at the humans. I studied them before I spoke, “I’ve been told you wish to make your plea for asylum in front of me. And why should I bother to give you the time of day? What do you have to offer me in return? Or do you come empty-handed as most humans are inclined to do?”
A plan formed in my head as I spoke. I was making it very clear that I expected something, but I kept what I anticipated to myself. I wished for the companionship of the human female for all eternity. She did not need to know that quite yet, but she would find out soon enough.
Chapter 3
Andi
I stood in the throne chamber of Prince Manzar, the Trilyn elite prince. I had met many Trilyns in the years since they had arrived on our planet, but none of them had been a prince. The princes were always extensively guarded unless you were a human female who was seeking to be their mate. Then you would be put on the list and invited to one of the many events where you would be allowed to socialize with one of the princes and then scanned as a potential match. I, of course, had never subjected myself to such nonsense. I had no interest in being an alien’s mate. Nothing more than a broodmare, married just to give them offspring. I didn’t want to be some sort of prized mare to a stallion. However, I did find it all very interesting and had performed exhaustive research on the process. It was part of my work as a cultural journalist.
I was still barely speaking to my father since he was the one who decided to seek asylum with the prince without asking me first. This was a very big deal because if it were truly granted, then we would be stuck on their ship. It wasn’t what I wanted. I would rather take my chances out in the world with the Humanity First Terrorist movement. But I couldn’t think only of myself, I had to also think of my father, and I owed this to him. It was my fault that a bomb had been planted in our home because I had brought Jake into our lives and gave him access to us.
“All stand for the great and powerful Prince Manzar,” a Trilyn announced as he stood at the base of a large gilded throne. Suddenly a door to our left side beca
me a liquid shimmer and then it disappeared. This was standard Trilyn technology, but it still was uncommon and beautiful to me.
I was nervous as I stood there. I had seen photographs of Prince Manzar, of course, but I had never seen him in person. A great brute of a Trilyn walked in, almost eight feet tall. His copper-colored hair flowed in long braids just a little past his shoulders and made his deep purple colored skin glow. He walked with a stomp to his step, and I thought I could almost feel the ground trembling beneath me because of his muscular weight. His orange eyes narrowed and I could see the black slit in the pupils, just like a cat. His eyes scanned and up and down at my father and me as he walked across the room then climbed the stairs to the dais which held the gilded, shiny silver throne. He took the chair.
Lieutenant Danja, who had first greeted us, stood next to him.
I swallowed hard. Prince Manzar was much more intimidating in person. By the way my father grabbed my hand and squeezed it, something told me he was also daunted by this alien. He seemed more like a beast than a Trilyn and there was something intriguing to that if not dangerous.
It seemed like minutes went by before he finally broke the silence and spoke, “I’ve been told you wish to make your plea for asylum in front of me. And why should I bother to give you the time of day? What do you have to offer me in return? Or do you come empty-handed as most humans are inclined to do?” Prince Manzar narrowed his eyes at us. His voice was monstrously deep. It reverberated and echoed through the chamber.
Father and I stood in front of him… I knew Father was nervous to speak to him. My eyes strayed over to Father, to see his reaction, to see if he had a plan, as he’d led me to believe, or if he was attempting to think of something to negotiate with.
“You may speak humans,” Lieutenant Danja ordered.
Father cleared his throat and looked up to meet Prince Manzar’s gaze. “Prince Manzar, your most excellent. My name is Dr. James LaBelle and this is my daughter Andromeda LaBelle, and we have come to you to ask… no… to beg, for asylum. My work in activism and defending the rights of the Trilyns has made me a target of the Humanity First Terrorist movement. Yesterday, a bomb was found planted in the home I share with my daughter. Because of that, we cannot return there. We are not safe with the guard either because it is my belief that the Humanity First organization has infiltrated the police force. We have nowhere else to go. I am not thinking of myself. I know that I brought this on my own head with my line of work. I do this to guarantee the safety of my daughter. I would do anything for her to be safe from that terrible organization,” my father explained.”
The prince was silent and waved his long uniformly colored fingers at Lieutenant Danja, who leaned down in order for the prince to whisper something in his ear. The lean Trilyn I knew to be his second in command, pulled out a gadget.
I had seen these before, it was a vankor. A holographic gadget which gave them access to any information they sought. I knew it came in very handy as I had played with one once before, and since I read and spoke the Trilyn language, I understood how it worked. I could only assume now that they were looking up information and files on my father. It would not be hard to find them.
“Yes, Dr. James LaBelle, your reputation precedes you. For you have become known as a disgraced xenoanthropologist someone infamous for “going native” on Trilynia during your youth. Is this not correct?” the lieutenant asked.
The prince looked at my father, he seemed somewhat amused, but was not going to show it. He did not exactly seem like the type who would be joyful or enjoy a good laugh, if he ever laughed at all.
“I have made some mistakes in my past, as all humans do. We are not a perfect race, or as advanced as you are. We often give in to our needs, desires, and passions. Right now, my need is safety for my daughter,” my father replied sticking his chest out proudly.
Watching him hold his own against the prince made me feel quite proud of him. He was a profound speaker, something that had served him well in his career, but it had also put him in great danger. He was quite the man when he didn’t indulge in drink.
“And why do you feel now that you cannot turn to your state government? You are a human, will they not defend you against such an organization like Humanity first?” the prince asked.
“If I thought the state government would help, I would ask them. But I am quite attuned to our politics. One moment someone in office wants to help those who are activists for the Trilyns, and then a few months later, they are replaced by someone who wants the Trilyns to leave Earth. We would never be truly safe with our government. My daughter would never be genuinely safe,” my father answered.
The prince let out a beastly growl, low and deep. “This Backwater place does not know what is good for its own people. The people are sheep, following those that want the worst for them. I have never met such low born and unintelligent life-forms,” he growled.
My temper rose, no one talked about my home like that, and before I knew it, I was letting it be known, “That might be the case in politics, Prince Manzar, but not in the people. Do you honestly think the people have any control over what happens? This is a republic, not a democracy, it is not up to the people, it is up to those with money, and power as it has always been.”
A wide grin came across his face, as his lips curled sideways. His eyes narrowed, and the orange almost seemed to glow in them.
It was only then that I realized I had stepped forward and my breathing was ragged, my chest heaving up and down in my rage. Now I felt like a fool. I knew better than to talk back to someone I was asking a favor of, but sometimes my hot-headed nature overtook me. A wave of embarrassment came over me, but what could I do now?
“You show great fire and strength in defending your home and your people. No one has ever spoken to me like that, human,” he said.
I probably hurt your Trilyn pride and masculinity, didn't I? I thought as I sought to right the wrong I had made. Swallowing hard, I replied, “I apologize, Prince Manzar, I spoke out of turn.”
“No, do not apologize. I enjoy the fire. A feisty nature is always a welcome treat to see in a human, especially a woman,” he acknowledged.
My hands went to my hips. “What is that supposed to mean? A woman?”
“Just that in my experience of conversation and companionship with human females, they tend to be docile, and not have a mind of their own. They always want something of me, just as you do now, but they usually keep their mouth shut in order to get it. But you, Andromeda, are a contradiction. You asked me for a favor, yet you speak to me as if you are trying to put me in my place. I have never seen anything like it, not from a human female anyway.” Prince Manzar smirked.
“I assure you, Prince Manzar, there are many human females like me with spirit and strength, but you have not come across them because they would never put themselves in a position to attend one of your silly events just to be your mate in order to have riches and luxury. My kind wouldn't do that,” I snarled at him. I wanted to regret my words because I couldn’t believe what was leaving my mouth, but the man just made me so angry with his assumptions.
“Andi…” my father warned, stepping forward and putting his hand on my shoulder, as though to coil my anger.
It was too late, though. I had already said too many offensive things. I bit my lower lip, realizing that I had just ruined our chances for asylum. I would be the reason that my father would be put into danger again because we would be kicked off the ship immediately, or perhaps put into prison for offending the prince in such a manner. No matter what it was, the damage was already done.
Prince Manzar stood up abruptly. His masculine physique was quite impressive as he posed in front of his throne. The Trilyn uniform he wore consisted of a vest, exposing his muscular biceps and forearms, a large belt strapped around his waist with three different kinds of weapons hanging off of it, and pants made of a latex-like material, which I knew to be stronger than any material on Earth. His boots were heav
y and daunting looking.
I thought at any moment this brute, who was probably full of rage over my words, intended to go for his laser gun and blast me to pieces. My heart was beating out of my chest. I’m about to die, aren't I?
He jumped from the dais, landing on the ground with such a tremendous vibration as he took three long strides toward me. His strides were so long that it didn’t take much for him to cover ground. He stood about five inches in front of me and now that he was so close, I noticed just how tall he was as I tilted my head up to look at him—he towered over me. His breathing was heavy and ragged and his shoulders heaved up and down.
Is he going to slap me? Strangle me?
Suddenly, my father put himself between us. “Do not hurt her, I have raised a spirited daughter, it is no fault of hers,” he pleaded.
A low growl escaped the prince’s mouth and his orange eyes moved from my face to my father's. Then he turned and began to pace back and forth in front of us.
He reminded me of a bull, huffing with smoke coming out of its nostrils about to charge and kill. Then he stopped. “I offer you a proposal, Dr. James LaBelle. I will allow you the asylum that you seek. You will stay here under the protection of my army, the best there is on Earth with the greatest technology this planet has ever seen. You will never be in harm's way here, neither will your daughter. I can assure you of that safety. But you must give me something in return.” His gaze returned to mine, and his smile turned feral. “I will allow you to live here for as long as you seek. Only if you give your daughter to me as my mate. Forever.”
“What!” I shouted. Complete shock overtook me and my mouth fell open. I had just insulted him, over and again and yet, he wanted me to be his mate? This didn’t make sense to me, and no way in hell would I agree to it. I would rather die than be with this beast!