Riley nodded. “Optorio and Unduth have been allies for a very long time,” she said. “And Jendrish is unwilling to do anything that would jeopardize that longstanding friendship.”
I nodded, finally understanding. Jendrish couldn't take a public position, so he'd sent in a covert force to help us claim victory. The relief I felt was as thick as the smoke in the air outside. I couldn't believe it and felt weak in the knees because of it. Byr put his arm around my waist, helping me keep my balance.
“I just – I can't believe this,” I said. “I don't even know how to begin to repay you for – ”
Riley shook her head. “There is nothing to repay. Remember? We were never here.”
“Right,” I nodded. “Of course.”
“You're free now,” Riley said, “to build your world. To build it in the best way you can.”
I stepped forward and threw my arms around Riley, our armor making it an awkward, clumsy hug, but I hugged her tight nonetheless. When I finally released her, I turned and did the same with Vink – which was made even more awkward given the fact that he wasn't the hugging type. But we managed.
We stayed and talked with them a little while longer – it was genuinely nice to see Riley again. She was somebody I respected and admired a tremendous amount. And I couldn't have been more thankful to her than I was in that moment.
Eventually though, they had to go. Riley and her troops couldn't risk being seen or recognized by anybody.
Hand-in-hand, Byr and I stood there, watching the last of the Optorion ships ascending through the clouds and into the atmosphere.
We were left alone with each other – and a new world to build.
Chapter Eleven
It had been a year since the day the Ministry fell. And in that time, we'd taken some great strides toward building a new, better Unduth. One of our first acts was to establish a truly representative government – one that would work for all the people. All of the old customs and traditions that had governed Unduthian life for so long, had been abolished.
Of course, there was plenty of resistance to our reforms. That had been expected. But we handled them as best we could.
Manyr had survived the fight at the Ministry and had risen to a prominent position within Unduth's new government. Having done plenty of research on other world governments, we had adopted a parliamentary style system, which meant that Manyr was our Prime Minister. She was accountable to our two co-equal houses of government, but she was in effect, our leader. All final decisions rested with her.
It was a good first step, but hardly the only one. True change and progress was going to take time. Although the people on the fringes embraced these reforms and yearned for genuine equality, the former upper-class remained largely resistant.
Knowing that we could wind up with another coup on our hands, we'd formed a military to protect the interests of the people and our government. Our military would do our very best to maintain peace and order, but we also made it clear that we would quell any uprisings aimed at taking us back to Unduth's old ways.
There were plenty of mechanisms in place for the people to air their grievances with the government – and I truly hoped that people would use them. That was the only way to have an effective system of governance – participation by the people and government accountability to the people.
Byr and I did our best to stay out of the formation of the new government. All we wanted was to live a quiet life and enjoy this new world of ours. But try as we might, Manyr and her people wouldn't let us go. Not entirely. She named us special ambassadors to Optorio. It was an honor and one we could not refuse.
Plus, it wasn't too taxing and allowed us to see Riley and Jendrish again quite often, so the position had its perks. The King and Queen of Optorio were good people and had become true friends to us and I counted my blessings for it.
Byr and I stood on the balcony of our new home overlooking the bright lights of Kinray. As I watched the streets below bustling with activity, knowing that these people lived beneath a blanket of freedom and equality, I couldn't help but smile.
Byr's family lived in a nice house within the city and we saw them often. I'd grown close to his mother and actually felt like she was more of a mother to me than my own had ever been. Though her diagnosis was still terminal, the doctors were doing a fantastic job of extending her life as long as possible. My hope was that they would one day soon, find a cure for the disease that ravaged her body.
Even a year later, the reality that we'd done it, that we'd destroyed the Ministry and had won our fight, was overwhelming and at times, still unbelievable to me. But we had. And I was happy. And as I looked over at Byr, I realized that I was happier than I ever thought I could be.
I raised my glass to him. Riley had sent along a few cases of that amazing Optorion wine I'd grown so fond of – and I was eternally thankful for the gift. But this was to be my last glass of it for a while. As I looked at the liquid by the lights of the city, I lamented that fact – but also rejoiced in it.
“To my dear husband,” I said.
He touched his glass to mine, sounding a soft clinking noise. “And to my dear wife.”
We each took a sip, looking deeply into one another's eyes. “We did it,” I said. “I still can't believe it, but we did it. Unduth is becoming the world we've always wanted it to be.”
He nodded. “It is. And I couldn't possibly be any happier than I am right now.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “No? Don't think so?”
He looked out over the city, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. “I don't think so. This is everything we've always wanted.”
I took another drink of the wine, savoring it. “Well, it's sad that you don't think you can be any happier,” I said, feigning a pout. “Because I have news I thought would make you the happiest man in the galaxy.”
“Oh?” he asked and took a sip of his wine.
A slow, broad smile spread across my face. “I'm pregnant.”
The sound of his wine glass shattering against the tile beneath our feet punctuated the look of complete shock on his face – and both made me laugh.
“A – are you kidding?”
I shook my head. “No.”
He scooped me up, wrapping me in a tight embrace, tears flowing down his cheeks – just as they were flowing down mine. He set me down and looked at me, his expression stunned but happy. Byr opened his mouth to speak but found he didn't have words, so he closed it again, instead, pulling me into another embrace.
And we stood there for a long while, embracing beneath the lights of Unduth's moons and the lights of Kinray, happy, in love, and best of all – free.
THE END
Optorio Chronicles Box Set IV – The Alien Badass
Book 1 – The Alien Mates
Chapter One
Hatare
“You must be so excited,” my sister practically squealed.
“Excited about what?” I asked.
“Just a few more days until your eighteenth birth year, of course,” she said. “And after that, you're off to the Academy.”
I rolled my eyes. Excited was about the last thing I was at the moment. The Academy was simply a euphemism for a brainwashing center for young women. It was where Unduthian girls, on their eighteenth birth year, were sent to be trained in the ways of being a proper wife and mate to a wealthy, successful Unduthian man.
In other words, it's where they sent us to be programmed to be faithful servants – in and out of the bedroom – to whatever disgusting pig of a man they decided would be a good, beneficial match for us. It was a barbaric custom and one I vowed I would never be a part of.
But with my eighteenth birth year quickly approaching, my time was running short – and I had yet to convince my mother and father that sending me to the Academy would be the death of me. Like anything else, they called me too headstrong, too stubborn, and of course, my personal favorite, too dramatic.
To them – and to
my younger sister, Pysh – it was romantic. An honor. A rite of passage. To me, it was the end of free thought and free will. It was the beginning enslavement of my body, mind, and spirit.
But Pysh was young – she was still just twelve – and had romantic notions about what life really was like. She didn't know any better. And she was still too young for me to open her eyes to it. I feared though, that she would grow so indoctrinated by Unduthian customs and traditions, that her eyes would never truly be open, and that she would willingly accept a life of vile servitude.
“Well?” Pysh demanded. “Aren't you excited? How can you not be screaming and jumping around? I know I will be when I get this close to my eighteenth birth year!”
“Oh, it's tough,” I deadpanned. “Believe me. I'm having a really hard time controlling myself.”
Pysh looked at me and cocked her head. “You don't seem all that excited, Hatare. Why not? Is it not what every Unduthian girl dreams of?”
I sighed. “I suppose so, yes.”
“Then why don't you seem all that happy or excited?”
I looked at her and gave her a small smile. I couldn't draw her into my own issues. She was too young to comprehend what I was thinking and feeling. And my path wasn't necessarily her path. Maybe she was perfectly happy with going to the Academy and living out her life in the service of whoever they thought would be the most beneficial match for her.
But if I had it my way, the Academy would not exist and we would all be free to live our own lives as we saw fit. We would be free to fall in love with whomever we wished. And most of all, we would be free to just be ourselves and be happy.
Was that really too much to desire?
“I'm sorry, Pysh,” I said. “I guess I'm just tired.”
Her smile grew wider. “Have you been having trouble sleeping because you're so excited?”
My smile was weak and forced. “Yeah, probably something like that.”
The bell on my bedchamber door sounded, and my mother stepping inside a moment later. “Good morning, daughters,” she said. “Hatare, it's time for your fitting.”
It was a struggle to not roll my eyes, but I somehow managed. My mother was excited enough about this event for the both of us. My mother and father were hosting a party to honor my eighteenth birth year. They called it a celebration of me, but I knew better. This party was nothing more than an elaborate way for them to parade me around in front of all potential suitors. The elite of Kinray would all be in attendance, and would get a chance to examine me closely – without actually appearing to do so.
After the party, my father would get down to the business of auctioning me off to the highest bidder. He would speak with all of the men who were interested in making a pairing and see who made the most lucrative, beneficial offer.
It was an entirely degrading affair. And it showed me that my worth to my family was determined solely by how much wealth or prestige I would garner.
“I'm really not feeling all that well, mother,” I said. “And I'm tired.”
“Hatare has not been sleeping well,” Pysh chimed in. “She's too excited for her birth year celebration.”
My mother gave me a smile. “Come, Hatare,” she said. “You can take some rest after your fitting.”
I sighed. “I'm not really feeling up to it, mother.”
Her expression grew stern. “Hatare, your birth year celebration is in days,” she said. “And because you have not made the time to get fitted for your gown on your own, I've had to make the arrangements for you. Now, stand up and come with me.”
I sighed again. I knew that if I refused, she'd have my father's personal guard come in and drag me to my fitting. Not wanting to cause a scene in front of Pysh, I got to my feet. I remained silent as I stepped out of my bedchamber and followed my mother down the hall.
“Really, Hatare,” she said. “I don't know why you're so resistant to this whole affair. You'd think we were sending you to be executed or something.”
That was essentially what they were doing, in fact. Forcing me to marry somebody I didn't know, let alone love, was akin to death. Surely, a little piece of my soul would die every day until there was nothing left inside of me. I could see that in my mother's eyes sometimes.
Oh, she played the role of the perfect Unduthian wife and mother to perfection. But there were times – not often, but once in a while – where I could see behind that carefully constructed mask. And what I saw was heartbreaking. There was no passion in her eyes. No fire. No spark of life. Sometimes she just looked dead inside.
And there was no way I would let myself suffer a similar fate. I just wouldn't. I would take my own life first.
We arrived at the room where my fitting was to take place. My mother stood beside the open door, an impatient expression on her face. Not meeting her eyes, I walked into the room. The door slid closed behind us with a whoosh and with the push of a button – courtesy of my mother, of course – it clicked into place with the solid sound of finality. I obviously wasn't getting out of that place until this was all over.
With another sigh, I walked over to where the seamstress and her assistants were buzzing about.
Chapter Two
“Such a pretty girl,” my seamstress Tayna beamed.
She held up several swatches of fabric, oohing and aahing with each one. I looked at myself in the mirror as she tried to match a fabric to me. Personally, I didn't care. I just wanted this over with.
“What do you think about this?” Tayna asked.
It was a light red color and the fabric itself sparkled beneath the lights. If I were invested in this process, I would have said no. My skin tone was a light blue, my hair, a darker blue – I thought the color of the fabric contrasted too much and looked gaudy. But then, if I wore something like that – and looked that horrible – perhaps no eligible men invited to this farce would look at me twice.
“I like it,” I said.
Tayna looked over at my mother, who was sitting in a chair near the window, silently observing.
“No,” she said. “The fabric clashes with her skin and looks gaudy. Next.”
I rolled my eyes. “If you're going to pick it out for me anyway, why do I even need to be here? You seem to be doing just fine without me.”
“Mind your manners, Hatare,” my mother said. “Goodness. I'll be glad when you go off to the Academy. Hopefully, they can teach you some manners.”
“If by manners, you mean sucking all of the life and passion out of me, you will probably get your wish.”
“Hatare!” my mother stood and stamped her foot on the floor. “What has gotten into you? Why are you so – so – rebellious all of the sudden?”
“It's not so all of the sudden, mother,” I said. “And I'm not thrilled about the idea of being auctioned off this way.”
In the mirror, I caught Tayna's eyes and saw her stifling a smile of her own and I got the feeling she felt the way I did. She gave me a quick wink before holding up the next bolt of fabric. It was a deep, rich purple – and I had to say, that I quite liked it. I thought it accented my skin and hair tones very nicely. In fact, I thought with a dress made of that color and cloth, I might even look – pretty.
“That one,” my mother said, still clearly annoyed. “That's the color. Now, I want you to put together your five bestselling designs, alter them enough to make them unique, and then send me the image file. I'll make the decision myself. I'm just ready for this to be over, already.”
“Yes, ma'am,” Tayna said.
My mother stormed out of the room muttering to herself, leaving me with Tayna.
“Less than half an hour,” she said. “Quite impressive. Most girls can't get their mothers to rush out for at least forty-five minutes.”
I looked at her. “S – so there are others?” I asked. “Who feel the way I do?”
She nodded. “Quite a few. Far more than you'd think.”
I looked at Tayna and smiled, but didn't say anything. It was comfortin
g to know though, that I was not alone in my thoughts or feelings. The question was – what to do about it.
Chapter Three
Byr
“Hey, it's time to knock off,” Tryn said as he shut down his machine.
I looked over at him and nodded, flipping off my machine as well. We worked in the factory, assembling – well, whatever the government tells us to assemble. We've been known to manufacture and assemble appliances, vehicles, even weapons from time to time. The government placed orders and it was our job to fill them.
They paid us the meagerest of wages and expected the highest quality work. And if we failed to deliver, they would threaten to revoke our contracts and place them with another factory. None of the men in the factory could afford to lose the contracts, and so we worked hard for our slave wages.
It was a hard existence, but it was the only existence we knew. It wasn't like we'd been fortunate enough to have been born into the wealthy elite who inhabited Kinray. We were the dregs of Unduthian society, living on the edges of the capital, getting nothing more than scraps – and never noticed until something went wrong.
The machines powered down and a relative quiet descended over the factory. At least, until the next shift arrived. I dropped my gloves and helmet on my machine before walking out of the factory with Tryn. The sun had already set and the first of our three moons was already rising.
“You want to go over and get some food?” Tryn asked.
I shook my head. “Can't. My mother needs my help tonight.”
Tryn gave me a tight smile and nodded. He understood my situation and why I had become such a recluse over the last few months. My father had died unexpectedly, leaving my mother – who was already in poor health – to care for me and my two younger siblings. My little sister Gynta and my little brother Hopa were a handful and I – as the new head of our household – had no choice but to help care for them. It wasn't like my mother could bring in much in her condition.
“How is she doing?” he asked.
I shrugged. “About as well as can be expected, I suppose,” I replied. “The disease is going into her heart. Honestly, I don't know how long she has left.”
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