“The others, though.” I fall on the sofa as all strength has left me.
“Casualties of war, my Queen,” she says.
“And Kerr is gone as well,” I say as tears pour from me.
“He is. You have taken my husband from me as well. It’s only you and I left in this royal family. Tell me, Your Highness, how will you ever tell your granddaughter, who I carry in my belly, that she will never know her father? Because once upon a time, your husband tried to have you killed, but failed and so you had no other choice than to start a horrific battle which cost her father’s life.”
“Kataline, what have I done?” I ask as I look at her through muddled vision. “All I wanted was his death. Why did the rest have to happen?”
“Can’t say. When one plays God, one pays the price. Suppose that was the price you had to pay for the death you so desired, Your Highness.” Kataline moves towards the door as the screen’s light grows dim and then goes dark.
Her hand moves near the wall where the hidden door is and it opens. Caleb stands there.
I blink and wipe my eyes. There is no blood on his clothing. He looks exactly the same as he did before.
Kataline turns to me with a smile. “Seems you have a decision to make, Your Highness. Because that little thing I just showed you is thirty minutes away from beginning. Once it starts, it cannot be stopped. And only you can stop it.”
“What?” I try to catch my breath. “You did what?”
“I gave you a look at the very near future.” Kataline comes to me and sits down as Emerald runs to hug Caleb.
“Kataline, are you telling me I can stop that from occurring?” I look at her with complete confusion. “Are you telling me that no one is dead? Not Caleb’s brother or father. No one is dead yet?”
She nods. “And no one has to die if you merely go outside and tell the rebels there is no war. There is no takeover. There is no reason to hang around here. All can go home. This is over and the royals will decide what is to happen to the King.”
I take her hand in mine and lead her out to the front entrance as Caleb and Emerald follow closely behind us.
“Gather them please, Caleb,” I say as we get outside the palace.
He shouts, “The Queen has something to say. Please gather around.”
Many men come in from their hiding places amongst the blue flower gardens my husband made me when he was a young man. My heart aches with so many odd feelings.
“There is no more uprising. I will deal with the King with the help of the other royals. No blood will be shed on this day and I ask you to please lay down your weapons and they will all be destroyed. There is no need for them.” I turn to Caleb and Emerald. “Caleb, Emerald, I would like to ask you to join our reign as the Duke and Duchess of the Earth colony.”
They smile and bow. Then Caleb answers, “It would be our privilege to accept those positions.”
I add, just to let the Earthlings know how things are about to change for them for the better, “Samuel Winters will no longer be who we communicate with to get you what you want. Things are going to change and this man and woman are the people you need to talk to when you want something from now on.”
Caleb looks at me. “My Queen, I should take Kataline back to the royals so she can tell them of the change.”
I nod and wave them off. “Go, hurry. I cannot have that happen. Go quickly.”
Caleb rushes off, followed by Kataline. Emerald looks at me and takes my hand. “I’m certainly glad that wasn’t real.”
“I’m glad to have a chance to stop it all.”
But now I must face the man who tried to have me killed and find a way to deal with that!
CHAPTER 5
King Hexultan
Caleb and Kataline have come back with smiles on their faces so the news must be good. She slides off the equine followed by Caleb as he says, “The news is good!”
Cheers ring out from all around me and all I can think of is who did this. “Kataline, who is it that has done this?”
She comes to me and takes my hands in hers as she looks deep into my eyes. “This will be a shock to you, Sire. So ready yourself for news you never expected.” She looks over at Kerr. “Kerr, can you come and join us. This new will shock you as well.”
She takes one of his hands as we form a circle. My heart is pounding even though she has told me to ready myself. I’m not sure how to accomplish that feat.
She speaks quietly so the others cannot hear. “Your wife is alive, Sire. And your brother as well.”
“What?” I ask. “No.”
Kerr’s eyes are as big as saucers. “My mother is alive?”
Kataline nods. “She is, and she was who staged the takeover.”
“My brother was on another planet, Kataline.”
“He was. The Queen sent Caleb and a small party to scout the nearest planet to see if it’s inhabitable and there they found Xavultan and brought him back to the palace.” Kataline looks at Kerr. “Are you okay, Kerr?”
“My mother is alive, Kataline. I am much better than okay,” he says then pulls her to him and she lets my hand go to hug him. “My mother is alive!”
His voice is loud and the others hear him. Nar shouts, “What?”
Kerr lets Kataline out of his arms and looks at them all. “The Queen in alive and at the palace!”
Nar breaks into a run. “My sister is alive!”
She starts the rest of the people running towards the palace. Kerr, Kataline, Caleb, and I stand still, letting them all go ahead of us. “No wonder she wanted me dead.”
Kataline touches my hand. “I showed her what would’ve happened if she didn’t call this off. It helped her to see things in a better light. Come, let’s go to the palace and begin this new journey, King.”
“I may not be King long,” I say as we begin to walk down the road to the capital city.
Kerr places his arm around my shoulders. “Father, no matter what, you will always have a place in my heart. I have no idea what to do about what you tried to have done. But I am thankful the people you tried to do wrong to have been saved.”
I nod. “Me too, Son. You have no idea of the weight that lifted off my shoulders when I heard the words.”
Caleb clears his throat. “I do have to say, I think it’s best if we take the King in some side entrance and straight to his chambers, which have been moved by the way. The Queen took your bedroom.”
“As it should be. I will step down on my own,” I say. “If allowed to live, I will leave the palace. It’s the right thing to do after all.”
“We will see, Father. Give us time to make good decisions about that,” Kerr says as he runs his arm around Kataline’s shoulders and kisses the side of her head.
That act would have incensed me just a few weeks ago, but now I find it endearing.
As we make our way up the street to the palace we find the mass of people standing in front. Just in front of the entrance is my wife and my heart stops beating.
“There she is.”
Kerr sighs. “Mother.”
Caleb looks back at me. “Just try to remain calm, Sire. I’ll stay between you two so she doesn’t pull anything.”
Kataline says, “I have a shield around him. She can’t hurt him.”
“Thank you, Kataline.”
My heart is thumping so hard in my chest I know all must hear it. Caleb eases us through the crowd and Nar runs up and hugs her sister.
I hang back as Glee lets Nar go with tearful eyes and looks at Kerr then takes him up in her long and elegant arms. “Son.”
Kerr manages to choke out, “Mother, I have missed you.”
She kisses his cheek and I try to stay behind Caleb regardless of the shield Kataline has around me. I cannot look my wife in her blue eyes.
Then her words fall upon my ears and I have to look at her. “Come to me, Hexultan.”
I do as she says and kneel before her without looking up. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
&nb
sp; “Rise and look your wife in her eyes,” she commands me.
I do as she says and find mine filling with tears. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
With one simple word, she hurts me far worse than the sharp tip of any sword, “Why?”
I shake my head and a sob comes from me. “I wish I knew. I wish I understood why I did such a horrible thing to the woman I love. For I still love you, Glee. With everything in me. I love you.”
“I wanted nothing more than to see you dead, Hexultan.” She turns away from me.
I fall to my knees again. “Take my life, Glee. I deserve it.”
I feel a hand on my shoulder and look back to see Kataline. “Will you please rise, Sire?”
Her hand moves to take mine into it then she takes Glee’s hand and looks at her. “Do you desire his death any longer, Your Majesty? For I can take his life now. If that is what you still wish for.”
I steady myself, preparing to take what I have coming to me. Glee’s voice is calm as she says, “Hexultan, I have seen your death. I thought it would fill me with something. Anything that would end the pain and void I’ve been filled with since the day the masked man took me at your request.”
“I understand, Glee. I accept my fate.”
“You don’t seem to understand, Hex. It did nothing to ease my pain. And furthermore, it added to it. Your death is not a thing I want any longer. For I have done a bit of soul searching and I know my treatment of you spurred what you did. None know of that. None know of how cold I treated you for many, many years after our son’s death.”
I look at her and ask, “If you don’t want my death, what is it you do want?”
“Step down as King. Move out of the palace and leave me alone.”
“I will do as you wish, My Queen,” I tell her and have to admit this hurts far worse than death.
Death would’ve ended my agony. Now it will last much longer. Kerr’s arm runs around my shoulders. “Come, Father. For tonight, you can stay here.”
I walk away with my son in this bittersweet moment in time and know it could’ve all ended right there, right that moment. But for some reason it didn’t and I make a vow to do more than I ever did as the king.
Today starts a new Chapter in my life!
CHAPTER 6
Kerr
Though things are nowhere near normal around here with all the changes we’ve made since we returned, they are better. It’s been a year since things changed.
My father lives in a nice home in the Earth settlement. After a test to find if he did have any other type of blood running through him it was found he does have the blood of an Earthling.
He decided with his new life he’d embrace the other half of him. It seems to be working out fine. He lives a much simpler life than he did at the Palace as the King. But he seems to enjoy it.
Mother is still the Queen though she’s stepped back, and it is I and Kataline who rule now. She’s told us her mind isn’t what it used to be, and she fears she’d make mistakes which would affect many people.
She spends most of her time playing with our baby, Rosemay.
As a matter of fact, she’s playing with her now and I’m about to surprise my wife in the shower. Steam fills the small cleansing room as I sneak in.
She’s singing away like she usually does when she thinks herself alone. I’ve already stripped and pull the door open and slip inside the small cubicle.
Her eyes are closed as she rinses her hair out and when my hands touch her waist she nearly hits me as her singing turns into screaming.
Her little hands pound my chest. “Kerr!”
I hold her close to me and kiss the tip of her nose. “Mother’s playing with the baby so I thought I’d come play with you.”
You did, did you?” Kataline runs her arms around my neck. “Perhaps I’m not in the mood to play, Kerr.”
“I can fix that.” My lips touch hers and they part and bid my tongue to enter.
Our tongues dance together as I rock her in my arms. Her legs wrap around me and I take her out of the shower and to the dryer. The warm air which shoots up from the floor dries us then I make my way to our bed.
Laying her back on the bed, I release her and look down at her. Trailing my fingers over her flat stomach I smile and say, “You know we found that beautiful planet with all the snow last month. That ice cave was really gorgeous.”
“And cold,” she says with a smile. “And the answer is no, Kerr. I want to wait a couple of years before we have another baby.”
“A couple of years?” I pout. “That long?”
She nods. “Now come here, Romeo. We can practice anyway.”
I climb on the bed, moving my body over hers as her hands run over my biceps. “You like the guns, huh?”
“I love them,” she says then grazes her lips over the left one.
My mouth finds one of her plump mounds and I take it all in. Licking the nipple and sucking at it. Making her groan and draw her legs up to bend her knees.
The way her hands run over my back sends waves of heat through me. Her body beneath mine arches up, inviting me inside.
I move up to watch her as I press my hard cock into her and the way her face goes into such a euphoric expression lets me know she still wants me.
“You fill me completely, Kerr.”
I kiss her long neck all the way up to her ear. “That’s how it’s supposed to be, Kataline.”
Making long, slow strokes, I nip at her earlobe and caress her arms as I move in and out of her. Her body moves with mine, arching and retreating at exactly the right times.
The way her breathing sounds has me getting more excited as it becomes deeper and faster. Her legs begin to shake as she makes this moaning screaming sound she makes sometimes.
I pound her as she climaxes and rakes her nails over my back. Then I pull out and flip her over to her knees and yank her back and fill her again.
This never fails to keep her orgasm going. She keeps up the moaning and drops her face to the bed to stifle the loud cries she’s making.
Her body is clenching and pulling at my dick and I can barely hold back. I watch as her hands fist the sheets and she’s writhing and groaning and making it impossible for me not to come.
With a loud groan, I join her in the ecstasy and find my release. I stay still until our bodies are done then I lie her down and take the place next to her.
Pulling her back to me so I can cuddle her, I whisper, “I love you, Baby.”
She turns in my arms and looks at me as she runs her hand over my cheek. “I love you, Kerr. I always will.”
A soft kiss I leave on her lips. And we fall asleep. Safe in the palace where all is finally well.
Caleb
Emerald’s long blonde locks fall around her face as she rocks our daughter to sleep. Stacy is three months old and the light of both her mother’s and father’s eyes.
“She’s sound asleep, Love. Let me put her in her crib,” I say and take the sleeping baby from her arms.
Then I go back and scoop my wife out of the chair and take her to our bed. “Now it’s time for me to rock you to sleep.”
She giggles and kisses me. We live in the palace now as the Duke and Duchess. It’s not quite the existence I pictured, but it’s a damn bit more comfortable than the simple home at the settlement.
I lay her on our soft bed and unbutton her dress. Her blue eyes roam over me as her hands run through my hair. “I am a lucky woman you found me, Caleb.”
“I am a lucky man for finding you, my love.” I push the dress from her shoulders and pull it off her.
Then I drop my pajama bottoms and climb onto the bed. Her soft body beckons me to run my hands all over it. She wiggles as my fingers flow over her ribs.
I look up at her to find her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. And then I can’t wait any longer and take her mouth in a kiss that tells her how much I need and want her.
Her moan as our tongues intertwine has me aching to be inside
her. But I hold myself back and move my mouth from hers. Trailing kisses down her neck and over her chest. I stop and take a breast into my mouth.
Her hands run through my hair and I leave her breast and kiss down her stomach and then her breath is taken in sharply as my lips touch her intimate area.
“Caleb,” she moans my name, and it sends a heat through me. Her body arches up for me to take her in deeper.
Alien Romance Box Set: Alien Former: Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Books 1-5) Page 102