by Zara Zenia
“Rabbina never—”
“Mother, have you gone blind or deaf in your old age?” he asked.
His mother turned bright red. “How dare you—”
“I'm not having this conversation anymore,” Draklan said and turned before his mother could even get another word out. He left the room, which he knew was going to get him in more trouble than he was before he walked in, but he didn't care.
He felt like the palace was a prison and his mother was constantly threatening him and trying to control him. He had his own kingdom, but it was starting to become clear that he might never gain access to it.
He couldn't imagine his mother’s reaction if she found out that his marriage to Margot was illegal. She would probably throw Margot out and then scream the palace down.
Technically, Draklan thought, it was her fault. She was the one who had hired a sketchy matchmaker and put them in this position to begin with. It was all her fault, but she wouldn't care if Margot had a hundred heirs. If he and Margot produced princes and princesses, then it wouldn't matter what their legal status was.
He was still storming around when he saw Bhatraz coming down the hallway. Draklan attempted to dive off into another room, but his brother saw him and made a beeline toward him.
“You,” Bhatraz said and snapped his finger into the room that Draklan had tried to go into to hide. “Now.”
“Why?” Draklan said. “Neither of us said a word to each other last night that was a problem. And if you want to apologize about this morning . . .”
“If you don't learn to control your wife—”
“If I don't learn to control my wife? Again with this?” Draklan looked at him in disbelief. “Was it my wife who was drunk and disorderly? Was it my wife who—”
“It's your wife who is a gold-digging alien whore,” Bhatraz replied.
Draklan struggled not to punch him. “So Rabbina's words were influenced by you?” he asked. “You share those opinions? I will wreck your face before you say another word.”
“You didn't know a single thing about this girl,” Bhatraz argued.
“You didn't know a single thing about Rabbina, and yet you married her, the woman who will rule all of Tamarax with you!”
“I knew she was from this planet!” Bhatraz roared at him. “Not some Earth mongrel in a desperate—”
“Stop!” Draklan growled at him and threw a punch.
When they were boys, they used to scrap all the time. It wasn't always harmless either. Their punches got harder as they grew, and after each fight, they never seemed to forgive each other all the way. They were getting worse as the years went on. Draklan couldn't even remember a time when they got along, and it hurt him. But it didn't hurt as much as his brother's cheek connecting to his knuckles.
Within seconds, they were rolling on the ground, bleeding and yelling.
The guards ran in then, pulling them apart. Bhatraz was bleeding from the face and Draklan was bleeding from the neck. Neither of them were serious wounds, but seeing the princes bleeding and yelling at each other was going to create rumors that went through the whole kingdom.
“Don't ever,” Draklan growled at his brother, “speak that way about my wife again, or I will do twice the damage that I have done to you.”
“When I’m king, Brother,” Bhatraz said, “you’ll not have a seat in this palace.”
“I don’t need a seat in this palace,” Draklan said and stormed out of the room.
He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think, and he certainly couldn't speak properly. He had other business to attend to, but he clearly had to clean up before he saw anyone else for the day.
Margot's sanctuary was the window in his bedroom, especially when it rained. She loved the landscape there and he understood why. However, his sanctuary was the map and images he had posted in his private changing room that displayed the islands that were meant to be his soon enough. He constantly asked for updates and requested more pictures as they built structures or changed the landscape. Margot loved land, but he loved water and the ecosystems within in.
He knew exactly where Pralmav was going to build his facilities, and he had a momentary fantasy of the four of them living in peace in the islands without Joronna, Bhatraz, or Rabbina. It seemed like a much better life.
He cleaned his wounds and changed his shirt so that the evidence of the brawl was not as obvious. He knew that everyone would have heard of it by the time he got out of the washroom.
Sure enough, as soon as he went back out into the hallway, Margot found him.
“Are you all right? Oh, my goodness, look at that wound! What happened? Why did it happen? Was it about last night? Was it my fault? I'm sorry, I never meant to—”
“Margot.” He held up his hands. “It's all right.”
“It's not all right,” she said and then finally took a breath. “How does Bhatraz look?”
“Worse,” Draklan said with a grin.
She finally managed to smile about it. “Well, good,” she said. “I also heard that the queen was quite upset.”
“She can be upset all she wants,” he said. “But it's her fault, and the sooner she realizes it, the less she is going to give herself a coronary yelling at all of us.”
“Well . . .” Margot said and took a deep breath. “At least no one is bored around here.”
Draklan chuckled at that. “No,” he said. “No one is bored.”
She met his eyes and gently touched his shoulder.
“Have you eaten?” she asked him.
“No,” he realized. “I haven't.”
“Neither have I,” she said. “Shall we go together?”
“Yes,” he said. “That would be nice.”
Invalid marriage or not, and surface connections or strong ones, he was starting to feel like perhaps they had a shot at a future.
One thing he was certain of, however, was that his future couldn't be in this palace. They had to find a way to solve this mess and get out of the situation before it caused irreparable damage.
The meal they shared was nice, but his mind flitted about the entire time. They could go to the islands. They could run away. They could decide that they wanted to work off-world or perhaps go on a royal tour.
All of these thoughts were swirling through his head when a strange noise brought him back to reality.
Margot had stopped talking and was looking down at her phone. Draklan knew exactly what was happening, but he asked anyway for verification.
“Is it David?” he asked.
Margot nodded wordlessly.
“Give it to me,” Draklan said, holding out his hand. Despite the fact that they had agreed early on, Margot seemed unsure. “I promise, I will make this go away for you.”
“All right,” Margot agreed, handing him the phone.
Draklan took it, looking at the picture that was showing up on the screen. This was the man who had caused Margot so much pain and so much uncertainty. He had ruined her life, but at the same time, he was the reason she was here. Draklan already knew exactly what he was going to say as he answered the phone.
Chapter 11
Margot
Margot knew that it was probably a bit nerve wracking for Draklan to have her sitting there while he answered the phone. However, she was dying to know what he was going to say. As far as she was concerned, there was no reasoning with David. There was no laying out the facts and hoping that he would just understand. She felt guilty that she hadn't been able to handle him herself and that she was wasting Draklan's time when he’d already had such a hard day. However, it was too late for any of those thoughts as he answered the phone.
“Hello,” Draklan said. “This is Draklan. I'm Margot's husband. I want to know exactly what business you have with my wife, given that she's left you?”
Margot could practically hear David screaming through the phone. She ducked her head in embarrassment, but she didn't move. Draklan seemed to sense that she wanted to listen, and he didn’t
walk away or pace, which were his usual phone habits. Margot indicated that she wanted to hear more, and he put the phone on the table, putting it on speakerphone.
“How dare you speak to me that way!” David screamed. “Do you know who I am?”
“I have no idea who you are,” Draklan said. “Aside from the fact that my wife has left you because you were a freeloader, she got a restraining order, and she even left the planet to get rid of you, and you are still calling?”
“How dare you speak to me like—”
“Maybe I haven't introduced myself,” Draklan said calmly. “My name is Draklan, and aside from being Margot's husband, I am also a prince of Tamarax.”
“Of what?”
“Tamarax, the largest, most luxurious planet in the solar system, which Margot loves to paint,” Draklan replied. “Which I thought you would know, given that you were with her for awhile. However, it's pretty clear that you never paid attention to her wants or needs.”
“I treated Margot like a princess,” David answered. “I made one little mistake, and now she is punishing me.”
Draklan looked up to Margot.
“He cheated on me,” she said quietly so that David couldn't hear her.
“You cheated on her,” Draklan said. “That's what you consider one little mistake?”
“She drove me to it!” David said. “She drove me to it, and then she blamed me after, like she didn't force me to it. She was being so cold and so illogical, ignoring me for her work. This is her fault, and I will make sure that she sees the light.”
“Oh, really?” Draklan asked. “How, exactly, are you going to make her do that?”
“I don't know what kind of second-rate prince you are—” David started.
Draklan cut him off. “You listen to me,” Draklan said. “As far as I can tell, you are some sort of second-rate being. You made Margot support you for years because you thought you were too good to get a job. You then made Margot support you for years because you thought that other beings were more important than she was, both financially and in the bedroom. When she finally left you, you stalked her, refused to take no for an answer, and didn't respect a single thing she told you.”
“You've got her all wrapped up with your exotic life,” David snarled. “But she will come back to me. She will—”
“Now, I haven't been with her very long,” Draklan said, “but even the simplest being can figure out that a relationship is about mutual respect and mutual work instead of one person's struggling to keep up with the other partner’s demands. Now, I see that may be too much for you to comprehend, being even less than a simple being. So—”
“You alien bastard!” David cried. “You think that you can just swoop in and make Margot love you because you have some sort of title on a third-rate world? I will find you and I will destroy you. You will regret every word that you have said to me.”
“You can try,” Draklan replied calmly. “But you're going to have a very difficult time at it. Tamarax is very expensive to come to, and I understand that you don't believe in working, so I have no idea how you would afford a ticket. And even if you could afford a ticket, then I have no idea how you'd get on the planet without a marriage visa. Business and marriage are the only two ways that foreigners are even allowed to come to our planet. And you could try to call around and ask for information, but that would also be hard because I will be blocking you from all broadband communications. So you’re pretty much stuck.”
“Don’t you—”
“The block will be pretty much immediate,” Draklan said. “Because I am a prince and what I say goes. And this is what Margot wants. And here, on Tamarax, Margot is a princess and she finally, after so many years of abuse from you, gets what she wants without struggle or heartache. So, David, have a nice life.”
And with that, he hung up the phone.
Margot and Draklan didn't say a word for a long moment, staring at the phone and then each other.
“I will put the ban into effect within five minutes,” he said. “If that is what you want.”
“Yes,” she said, and her eyes shone. “Never speaking to David again. What a beautiful future.”
“Then it will be done,” Draklan said.
“Thank you,” Margot said at last. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course,” he said. “It really isn't anything. I mean . . . considering the way my day has been, that has been the easiest thing I've done. It was also an honor, Margot, to be able to do something for you, given all that I have . . . not been able to do.”
“David is mentally unbalanced,” Margot replied. “There’s not a lot anyone could have done. But somehow, I think you've managed to get the upper hand. Please put the ban into effect. I look forward to not having to jump every time my phone rings.”
“It'll be an honor,” Draklan replied and got up. Although his day had started out terribly, he felt like this was one of his better moments.
Margot watched him go with a new kind of affection. And she realized, deep down, a new kind of hope. She hadn't realized truer words until he’d said them. A relationship took two people to make it work, and David had certainly not been contributing.
Here on Tamarax, though, both she and Draklan seemed to be putting in equal effort. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was valued. And if something were to happen to her, she felt like Draklan would take care of her.
Their marriage may not be legal, but it was far more legitimate at the moment than anything she had attempted with David.
She did wonder if David was going to attempt to call again and what would happen when he found that the ban was in effect. She had no idea how it was going to work. Would David be informed that he was banned, or would he just keep trying until he snuck onto Tamarax and tried to kidnap her?
Margot decided that she needed to take her mind off things and turned to the nearest palace guard.
“I'd like to go into the city,” she said. “Can you arrange it?”
The guard turned pale. “Your Grace. That is most complicated. When would you like—”
“This afternoon,” she said. “Please let me know when you are ready to go.”
“We may not be able to be ready that easily,” he said. “We have to secure the area, we have to . . .”
“The princesses go into the city all the time,” she said. “So I know it's possible with little planning. Even if there are only a few places we can go, that's all right. I'd just like to see something of this planet.”
“I'll . . .” He looked so nervous that Margot felt bad about asking. “I'll see if there are plans in place for other members of the royal family today that we can attach to. Would that be acceptable?”
“Yes,” Margot said. “That'd be fantastic. Thank you.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” he said.
Margot looked down at her choice of clothing that day, which was a bright yellow gown with jewels sewn into the skirt.
“Should I, um . . . change?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” he said. “You'll want to blend in, if we can manage to get you into the city. It's not an official visit.”
“Right, blend in,” she replied. “I'll, um . . . I'll figure it out.”
She hoped that he could find a way to get her in, and she knew that would probably involve informing Draklan. She just needed to see something other than the palace and the surrounding landscape. She had thought, when she originally came to Tamarax, that all she'd want to see is the landscapes. However, now she knew that if she was going to stay here, she needed to see the vibrant city life as well.
She convinced her maid to pick the plainest dress in her closet and dress her in it. Margot was amused to find out the plainest dress on Tamarax was one of the fanciest on Earth. She still felt like she was dressed for a fancy party rather than blending in with Tamarax society. Just as she was finished, a knock came at her door.
“Your Grace?” the footman had returned. “We have found that P
rince Pralmav and Princess Milinna are headed into the city today, to their downtown research facility. There is a private ship leaving from Hangar Bay Three within half an hour.”
“Wonderful,” Margot said. “Thank you.”
“Your husband, Prince Draklan, will be there as well.”
“Really?” she said. “Is he . . . coming with us?”
“Those are his intentions,” the footman said.
“Oh,” Margot replied. It wasn't that she didn't want Draklan to come. She was just surprised that he didn't have anything else to do. She hoped that he wasn't mad that she was going. “All right. Thank you.”
“It sounds lovely,” the maid said as they were left alone once more and she put the finishing touches on Margot's gown. “The four of you.”
“I didn't really . . . plan it that way,” she said. “But I suppose it could be nice.”
“Do you think you should invite the crown prince and princess?” the maid asked.
“Uh . . .” Margot paused. “Should I?”
“I think it might . . . make amends, perhaps?” the maid said. She didn't quite know all the details of the feud, but she had heard rumors.
“I . . . guess I could try,” Margot said, although she really didn't want to. Once she was completely dressed, she went down the hallway, inquiring as to her brother- and sister-in-laws’ location.
They were together, surprisingly, and Margot took a deep breath as she entered the library.
“Um . . .” she said, trying to be a bigger person. “All of us are going into the city. Perhaps you'd like to come?”
She was trying to extend an olive branch and make sure that things were on the mend. However, the death glares that she got from Rabbina told her that the invitation may not be the best idea
“Some of us,” Bhatraz said, “have a job to do.”
“We can't just flaunt around like some alien.”
“Whoa,” Margot said, glaring at her sister-in-law. “I get the point. You don't want to come.”
“You will do well to watch your tone,” Bhatraz snapped at her. “We will be your king and queen someday.”