by Marie Dry
She scowled at him. “How did he get my measurements?” Her face wanted to combust with heat. Then icy fingers crawled over her skin. What if he’d done it while she was in stasis?
“He scanned you when he ensured you had no side effects from the stasis.”
Sarah relaxed slightly but crossed her arms over her chest. “I am not ready to be intimate with you yet.”
He growled deep in his chest. “My expert deceived me,” he said and was gone.
“Someone’s head is about to roll,” she muttered. She got out of the bed and went back to her corner where she’d made a comfortable pallet with the linen she’d brought from Earth and the pelts he’d given her. She couldn’t articulate why, but she just couldn’t sleep in that opulent bed.
She sat with her back wedged between the two walls. Who was this expert? Did this person also tell him to buy her soap? He’d gone out and gotten her the best soap in his empire. She bit her lip. Maybe she shouldn’t have thrown it at him. She’d found it in the bathroom the next day and she had to admit she loved the scent and texture of the liquid soap. This was the first time he’d asked her for intimacy. A small voice whispered, What if you agreed?
She settled back down, but couldn’t fall asleep. She missed having windows—seeing the sun come up. Or rather the suns, plural, on this planet. What a strange evening this was. A half-hysterical giggle cut through the dead silence. The most powerful man in the universe had told her a bedtime story. She drifted off to sleep smiling.
A soft knock made Sarah jerk up. The Zyrgin would never knock that tentatively. The door opened and a tall woman shuffled into the room.
Sarah got up, glad she’d slept in her jeans. The woman looked terrified. At first, Sarah thought there was another human woman on this planet. Then she turned to face Sarah and the scarf slipped to reveal her bald head—unlike the Zyrgins, she had no ridge. Her skin tone was almost human. Almost. It was a rich, dark brown, but with a bright orange undertone, her eyes the same color. Like the Zyrgins, she had no brows or lashes. She was beautiful in an exotic way. The woman stood frozen.
Sarah said, “Hello, do you speak Standard Galactic?”
The woman jumped and bowed low. “Yes, Breeder of—”
Sarah held up her hand. “Please, not that again. I can’t be called that by a fellow…female.” She’d almost said fellow breeder and she absolutely refused to use such language about herself.
The woman bowed again. “I have come to assist you with dressing, bre—” She stopped talking, looking as terrified as the women who’d been caught stealing food by the raiders.
Sarah forced that thought back and smiled, hoping a smile was universal and not interpreted as something else by this woman. “Sarah. Please call me Sarah.”
Another bow.
“May I have your name?”
“Srinisisa.” Another bow.
“Nice to meet you, Srinisisa. Please don’t bow to me.”
“You are the breeder of our glorious leader.” She sounded outraged.
It hit Sarah again. She was sort of married to the most powerful man in several universes. Every now and then the realization stopped her in her tracks. She motioned to the chair. “Please have a seat while I take a quick shower. It’s a real luxury to be able to take long, hot showers. On my planet, water shortage is a big problem. And half the time the pipes burst and there’s no water,” she babbled.
Srinisisa bowed only her head this time. “I await your pleasure, bree… my lad—”
Sarah held up a hand. “Just Sarah. Please have a seat. Does this planet have large water resources?” she asked to put Srinisisa at ease.
The alien woman sat down gingerly. “Zyrgin is a desert planet, but they’ve managed to terraform a lot of it. Though they prefer to keep most of the planet as desolate as it always was. They harvest the resources of other planets.” Srinisisa sighed. “I have told my warrior many times that they will have trouble eventually.”
Sarah nodded agreement though she didn’t know enough about her new home to agree or disagree. She’d have to do something about that. “I’ll be quick.”
Sarah showered fast and emerged from the bathroom, and tightened her robe around herself. Was Zaar softening his stance on her having to prove her loyalty and not seeing anyone?
“I don’t think they’re the kind of people who listen to advice.” Srinisisa’s lips pulled down in a very human gesture of disgust. “They never listen.” She smoothed out her features. “I laid out your dress on the bed.”
“What dress?” Sarah walked over to the bed where silk glittered. “This is beautiful. It looks like silk, but different from what we had on Earth.” It was finer, the sheen more lavish. She stroked the beautiful material. She could make such wonderful clothes with material like this.
“You will be the most beautiful br—” She stopped at Sarah’s pointed look. “You will be the most beautiful female at the tribute ceremony?”
“Tribute Ceremony?”
Srinisisa started to bow and instead clasped her hands in front of her. “Every year all the planets send tribute to Zyrgin. This year’s ceremony will be held next month. The Zyrgin tasked me, through my warrior, to find you the best dress in the empire.” She touched the dress she’d laid out on the bed. “It is Aurelian silk. They have the best weavers in the galaxy.” Sarah could understand Srinisisa’s obvious admiration for the Aurelians. The dress was a masterpiece.
Sarah touched the intricate embroidery that covered the narrow waist. Small jewels of every imaginable color accentuated the high neckline. “These jewels are amazing. Each one is shaped like a flower. The craftsmanship.” Ideas for using this kind of elaborate embroidery in her own work buzzed around in her mind.
“Everything from planet Aurelia is of the finest craftsmanship,” Srinisisa said. There was something, something Sarah couldn’t put her finger on when Srinisisa talked about Aurelia. An almost unhealthy reverence?
“What do they produce on Zyrgin?”
“Weapons.” A slight bitterness in Srinisisa’s voice. “Weapons and war.” She got up. “I will help you try on the dress if you will allow me. It will take some time if alterations need to be made.”
Like the dress she had to wear on the day she arrived, this dress had several layers. But this one had at least six of the finest silk dresses overlaying each other. By the time she was dressed, Sarah was grateful to have Srinisisa’s help. The other women touched Sarah’s hair. “It is like real silk.” She produced a box and opened it to reveal deep blue shoes, shiny, encrusted with tiny blue jewels, with heels that curved in and out in a graceful arc.
Srinisisa touched the heels. “This is Aurelian fashion. I have several pairs.” Her lip did that small curl again. “I mentioned how much I liked it and a few days later, several pairs were in my wardrobe.”
“Your warrior sounds like a good man.” Sarah made a mental note not to wax lyrical about shoes. She didn’t need several pairs of shoes, especially not heels.
“Yes, he is.” Srinisisa looked over her shoulder and sidled closer to Sarah as if she was afraid that she could somehow be heard. “Do you know The Space Ranger?”
“What?” Of all the things she’d expected the woman to say, she’d never have guessed that. “Did you say the Space Ranger?”
“Shhh.” Another furtive look over her shoulder and she said even softer, “Is he as handsome and brave in real life?”
For the first time in a really long time, Sarah wanted to throw back her head and laugh out loud. She bit her lip and said as seriously as she could manage, “I haven’t personally met him.”
“Do you have any new episodes? We only have three.” Srinisisa clasped her hands together, holding them in front of her chest.
“Where did you get it?” This was surreal. The Space Ranger was a hit on planet Zyrgin? She couldn’t wait to tell Natalie and Julia. The thought of her friends stole some of her joy. Her heart physically ached. Why was he so inflexible about her talking
to them?
“Chamonte got some copies from her warrior; he went to Earth on a supply ship. She gave it to her best friend, who gave it to another friend, who gave it to me.”
Sarah went to the corner and picked up her TC. “I brought my TC. If we can find a way to download it into your system, I can give it to you.” It was a relief to hear that the women visited with each other, at least. She’d been worried they were kept locked up, as well.
Srinisisa looked around again, as if afraid someone might be listening. “Do not let The Zyrgin know you have it. The warriors hate the Space Ranger because he’s so handsome with all that black silk on his head.” Her eyes rounded. “It even curls. Chamonte’s warrior refused to give her more episodes after she told him how brave the Space Ranger was.”
“I see.” Sarah bit her lip, hard.
Srinisisa held up a slim, silver device. “This will interface with your computer. Can you give me the episodes now?”
Feeling as if she’d fallen down a rabbit hole, Sarah called up the Space Ranger episodes, and Srinisisa placed her device on top of the TC and then smiled, her eyes sparkling. “I will give it to the others.” The slim, silver device made a soft bleep and she put the silver sliver in her pocket.
“Do they have similar shows here on Zyrgin?” Sarah asked.
Srinisisa’s shoulders dropped. “No, no plays or shows or art or anything that requires imagination.”
A cold, bony finger stroked down her spine. What kind of society wouldn’t have any kind of art form? Would only produce weapons and war? A society that didn’t produce women? That expected the women they brought here to stay in their homes all the time? Some of them were expected to stay inside. At least Srinisisa and her friends got to go out, Sarah thought.
A wistful look crossed Srinisisa’s face. “On my planet we had beautiful theatricals before the Zyrgins came.”
Sarah didn’t know what to say and she was afraid to ask questions in case Srinisisa’s whole planet had been destroyed. She belonged to a being who destroyed planets.
Another furtive look at the door. “What was that thing you wore before?” she whispered.
Sarah went to scratch her head, but remembered the jewelled combs Srinisisa had put in for her and lowered her hand. “What thing?”
“The blue thing that looked like warriors’ pants.”
Warrior pants? Her jeans? “I―”
Three loud knocks sounded on the door. Sarah nearly jumped out of her skin and saw Srinisisa jerk and spin around with wide eyes.
The door opened and Zaar walked in. “I knocked,” he said. He stood staring at Sarah and she could read admiration in his gaze that lingered on her hair and travelled down her body, and paused on her breasts and hips on the way down. It had been a long time since she’d felt beautiful. For once, the way he looked at her made her feel beautiful without the fear or the ugliness of her past intruding.
He ignored Srinisisa, who quickly left, and walked around Sarah. She glared at him. “I’m not a horse.”
“No, you are a female.”
“I meant I don’t like you walking around me, looking me up and down as if you are evaluating if I’m looking good enough for your ceremony.” Truth be told, she was flattered, but that red gaze, the flaring nostrils, his visible arousal tenting his pants made her nervous.
He came to stand in front of her. “I admired all sides of you. You are the most beautiful female in my empire.”
“Thank you.” He’d called her beautiful before. Maybe to him she was beautiful. When she looked in the mirror and saw her scars, she saw the camps stamped on her body. What would he see when he looked at her naked body? “Srinisisa said you had her buy me this dress for next month’s Tribute Ceremony.”
“I did not speak to her—I instructed her warrior,” he said pointedly.
They really took not speaking to other women serious. “She told me that. Will the other women be present at the Tribute Ceremony?”
“No, it is warrior business.”
Her heart sank. “Women are treated like second class citizens here,” she said quietly. “Never even allowed to walk outside on their own.”
“Only until you’ve proved your loyalty,” he said as if he was telling her something good.
Her lips pulled down. “How am I supposed to prove that?”
“By having small warriors,” he said. Again in that perfectly reasonable tone that set her teeth on edge.
“Women really are nothing more than slaves on this planet.” So much for her plans to have a new beginning here.
He seemed to grow. “No Zyrgin with honor would treat a breeder like a slave.”
10
Sarah stared at him, strangely reassured by his outrage. “Do you keep slaves on Zyrgin?” If his answer was yes, she’d find a way to escape him. No, she’d fight him until her last breath, but she would find a way to change conditions for women on this planet.
“No.”
Sarah relaxed.
A clicking sound came from the door. He grated something and the door slid open. One of the guards stood in the doorway and they growled at each other. It had to be urgent for him to come even that far into a room with her present.
Natalie and Julia’s objection to knowing Standard Galactic and not the Zyrgin language made sense now. She had no idea what they grunted to each other. The guard walked out and another Zyrgin came to stand in the entrance. He didn’t step fully inside either.
Unlike the bulky muscled warriors, he was slender, but still tall with the dense musculature of the Zyrgins. Bigger than the doctor, a calm, a sense of peace, that seemed to emanate from deep within him, surrounded him.
Sarah took an instinctive step back. If Zaar’s machine didn’t dull her memories, by now, blind panic would’ve stolen her reason. One glance told her what he was.
Zaar stepped between her and the other Zyrgin. No one had to tell her he was some kind of religious leader. He was a priest, minister, holy type, or whatever they called themselves here and she despised him on sight. She tried to calm down. Just because he reminded her of the Reverend with his holier-than-though attitude and fake-kind eyes, didn’t mean he was evil. Maybe the kindness in his eyes were real. Still she had the irrational urge to grab a sword from the wall and slice him into small pieces.
The Zyrgin made a motion with his hand and with another slight bow, the priest left.
“You do not trust religious males?” He sounded approving and that she didn’t expect.
“I don’t trust any religious type, male or female.” She’d seen what people did in the name of their faith. Never again. He could put on as much of a holy attitude as he wanted, but she’d never again lower her guard and become a victim of their viciousness. “Who is he?”
“He is the Wise One of all the fire temples.” He cocked his head. “Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
He motioned to where she stood behind the chair. “Always hide behind objects. I can get to you before you can blink your silk-lined lids.”
Silk-lined lids? She shrugged and tried to look unconcerned. “I’m just being comfortable—not hiding.” She clenched her fingers into the fabric of the decorative chair. He was right—if he ever decided to overpower her, she stood no chance.
“What did that priest say to you?” she asked, to get him off the subject of her ingrained habit of her hiding behind the furniture.
His eyes flashed red and was that purple swirling in there? His hands clenched. For a long moment he said nothing. So help her—if he said it was warrior business, she’d kick his shins, consequences be darned.
Then he said, “There is a fire temple on planet Aurelia. A Zyrgin fire temple. Two priests and six warriors are stationed there. The fire that has burned for two centuries was put out. A rumor has spread that it is the coming of the end of the Zyrgin Empire.”
“You think someone on the planet did it?” It had to be someone very clever to get past the Zyrgin guard.
“But what will they gain by putting out the fire? Apart from retaliation from you.” She had to give credit to whoever did it. They had guts.
“Trouble always come from that planet; I have been too lenient with them. I believe the Aurelians want another war with me.” The way he said it, this war was personal. “I will accommodate them.” It was obvious he relished the opportunity.
It was strange, this drive for war and destruction that the Zyrgins had. All she’d ever wanted was a home where she was safe, a husband to love and who loved her, and their children. Children she’d love and protect. That and her sewing business would’ve been enough for her.
“I thought all the planets were too oppressed to revolt against Zyrgin tyranny.” She bit her lip, but her choice of words didn’t garner more than a piercing glance from him.
“The Aurelians have pretended compliance for more than a century now.” Again, that flash of teeth, as if daring them to take him on. “I will deal with them.”
“Why are they defying you if you are lenient with them?” From everything she’d heard and seen, she thought the conquered planets too cowed to rebel.
“They believe I killed their princess,” he said matter-of-factly.
She felt a chill, a bad omen, like the one Zaar’s enemies had tried to spread. She shivered, as if a cloak of ice crystals settled over her. “Why would they think that?” Did he kill their princess?
“My first breeder was from Aurelia—she ended herself,” he confirmed.
Ended herself? Wait, this princess was his breeder? Her head spun—she didn’t know what to think or feel. Sarah stumbled back from him. “She committed suicide. Why?” It hit her like a bucket of cold water starting to ice over, when it forms that first thin glass-like layer on the top. It felt as if the coldest bits crackled down her spine. Sarah held up a hand. “Wait, your first breeder?” At that moment it was as if the planet stopped rotating around the sun. As if the universe held its breath. Her ears buzzed unpleasantly. Sarah staggered and sank down into a chair.