by Devi Mara
“Do you enjoy working here?”
She paused mid step. His voice was as engaging as she remembered. From so close, it seemed to vibrate in her chest. It took her a moment to realize he had asked her a question.
“I guess so.” She could hear the uncertainty in her tone and from the slight turn of his head in her direction, she knew he heard it too.
“I see.” He paused next to a cluster of white roses. “Do you like roses?”
She blinked at the change in topic. “They aren’t my favorite, but yes.”
He turned to face her, the full brunt of his appearance hitting her at once. She swallowed hard and tried to ignore the way his lips moved when he spoke.
“What do you favor?”
She licked her lips. “Uh.”
He took a step toward her. “What do you find beautiful?”
His voice had taken on a warm tone and she found herself unable to keep her eyes off him. When he met her eyes for several heartbeats, it took all her willpower not to say ‘you’.
“Lilies,” she blurted.
“Yes,” he said. “They are very beautiful.” He broke eye contact and continued walking.
She hurried to catch up, her heels sinking into the ground as they reached the recently watered grass.
“Uh, sir? Your Highness?”
He immediately stopped and turned to her. “Yes.”
She watched him take in her awkward steps and attempt to keep her balance. He took a step toward her and she noticed his hands clenched into tight fists. His expression was one she had never seen before; he appeared almost pained.
“Do you mind if I hold on to you until we get back on solid ground?” She tried to make it a joke, but the flood of relief in his eyes made the smile fall from her face.
He immediately moved to her side, gently taking her hand and placing it on his muscled forearm. As they began to walk together, her mind spun. He was not allowed to touch a woman without permission. No, that could not be right. She had seen him pat Konani on the shoulder. Still puzzling over the behavior, she tried to strike up a conversation.
“What is Ghadrik like?” She looked up at him to see a faint smile on his lips.
“Much like Earth. Ghadrik is comprised of one large continent, much like Earth 200 million years ago.”
“And the capital city?”
If he was surprised by her knowledge, he did not show it. “Anshargal is in the south. The Shadrakin Mountains are to the west and the Guskin Coast to the south. The Great Plains are to the north and east.”
She tried to picture it. A thriving city on the coast, surrounded by miles of green grass and towering mountains. She smiled. It was a screen saver.
“And you?”
She looked up to find him watching her. “Me? I’m from Missouri.” She gestured vaguely. “It’s nothing like this,” she said looking past the garden to the White House. “It’s much slower.”
He cocked his head to the side, clearly interested.
“Well, I grew up in a small town near an air force base. Lots of pickup trucks, zero traffic jams, and the waitress at the diner knows everyone by name.”
He smiled at her description. “And your family is still there?”
She nodded. “My dad and brothers. My mom died two years ago.” She looked down when her hand was enveloped by warmth.
His large hand covered hers. “I am sorry for your loss.” He was staring down at their hands, a thoughtful frown on his face.
“Thank you, but I’m fine. She was sick for a long time.”
He nodded at her words, but did not comment.
“What’s your mother like?”
He raised his head and smiled faintly. “She is queen,” he said, as if that was answer it itself.
She raised her eyebrows. “Okay?”
His smile widened, clearly thinking of his mother. “She is resolute, strong, and intelligent. All that a queen should be.”
Abby found herself smiling with him. “Is she nice?”
Amusement filled his eyes. “To loved ones? Most assuredly. To enemies? Definitely not.”
In her mind, she pictured the queen in her armor and nodded. Her stomach suddenly let out a vicious growl.
“Do you think lunch is ready, yet?” she asked, placing her free hand over her stomach.
The prince looked toward the lunch gazebo. “Possibly.” He dropped his gaze to her. “Shall we go see?”
At her nod, he led her back the way they had come. It was slow going with her heels sinking into the wet ground on every step. Almost to dry ground, her shoe caught and stayed in the mud sending her hopping forward on one foot. She made a mad grab for anything to keep her vertical.
Her hands unerringly snatched the front of the prince’s suit jacket, simultaneously pulling him toward her and down to the ground. They fell in a tangle of limbs, him turning to hit the ground first and her head smacking into his chest hard enough to make her see stars. When they stopped moving, mortification, like she had never felt before, spread through her like wildfire.
His Royal Highness, the Prince of Ghadrik, lay flat on his back on the White House lawn with her sprawled across him. She was so getting fired. Breathing hard and feeling the heat of his body beneath her palms, she slowly raised her eyes to look at his face.
“I’m so sorry!” she said, trying to untangle her legs from his. “I’m not usually this clumsy.”
His chest vibrated beneath her palms and she paused her frantic movements to give him a confused look. He let out a low chuckle. At her open-mouthed stare, he laughed harder. His eyes crinkled in amusement and he threw his head back to let out a deep belly laugh. She sat up straighter, no longer concerned about her position on top of him, and blatantly stared.
She thought he was handsome before, but it was nothing compared to how he looked when he was happy. Her own smile widened and finally bloomed into a giggle to join his laughter. She was not sure how long they laughed together, but when the amusement tapered off she became aware of his hands on her hips. She told herself it was not completely wonderful.
She gave him a polite smile and stood, careful not to brush against him any more than she had to. Her hips felt colder without the heat of his hands. She ignored it. After standing and adjusting her clothes, she asked the prince if he needed help standing. He shook his head and climbed to his feet smoothly.
She had to be professional. She could not let her feelings compromise her job. She continued to tell herself that as the prince followed her back to the gazebo.
…
Nothing in the world felt as good as having her in his arms. The sunlight caught the reds and browns in her dark hair, giving her a halo as she leaned over him. Her weight settled across his hips and he wanted to groan at how right it felt. Her soft hands were on his chest, long fingers splayed across the expensive fabric of his suit.
After a moment, she raised her head to look at him. He took in her shocked face and messy hair and wanted to kiss her so bad it was almost painful.
“I’m so sorry! I’m not usually this clumsy.”
The more she moved the more amusing the situation became. He had finally gotten her into his arms and it was an accident. Laughter bubbled up from his chest at the ridiculousness of it all. She moved her hands across his chest and looked up at him with a perplexed expression. He laughed harder.
When she began to laugh with him, it was single most perfect moment in his life. Her eyes sparkled when she was happy, the grey lightening to a bright silver. All too soon, she stopped. Emotions crossed her face too quick to process, and then she was climbing off him. He did not realize his hands were on her hips until she moved away.
He watched her retreat behind a wall of propriety. It seemed he had all of her for a moment. The moment did not last nearly long enough. He sighed to himself and stood. She started walking toward the gazebo without looking at him, again.
The human leader smiled when they returned to the table. Abigail nodded to h
is questioning, telling the man she had showed him the gardens. The president turned his gaze to him.
“Did you enjoy your tour?”
To an outside observer, he had no doubt the question sounded polite. He was the only one who could see the calculating gleam in the other man’s eyes.
“Yes.” He hoped the human would leave him alone. He did not.
“What did you think?”
Edric retook his chair across from Abigail and turned his head to pin the president with a dark look. The man had no idea who he was toying with. Yes, he had agreed to trade technology in return for time to court Abigail, but that did not mean the man could make a nuisance of himself. The president clearly did not see it that way. Edric scowled.
“Beautiful,” he answered.
He watched the man’s gaze slide to Abigail. “I’m glad you think so.”
Before the man could say anything else, the kitchen staff served lunch. He was familiar with every dish, as part of the agreement was exposing Abigail to Ghadrikan culture. Konani agreed it was best to start with the cuisine. He watched Abigail’s face carefully, as she sampled a forkful of essuru, a large flightless bird.
She chewed slowly and licked her lips after she swallowed the bite. She immediately went back for more. He looked down at his own plate and wondered what she would like best. Apsu, a deep water fish, shared the plate with the essuru, salmu, and sisu. The sisu, a four-legged grazing animal, was on the gamey side. He had killed it mere hours ago to insure it was fresh for her.
The salmu, a black, flying reptile, had taken a bite out of him while he was hunting it. He hoped the wound would form an impressive scar to show Abigail later. Her voice drew his attention from his plate.
“Your Majesty? What is this?” She scooped up some of the sisu and dipped it in the spicy sauce that accompanied it. “It’s really good.”
He smiled slightly. “It’s called sisu. The sauce is called isatum.”
“See-su?”
He nodded. It was close enough. He watched her take another fork full to her mouth and chew thoughtfully.
“It’s good on its own, but I like the isa-toom,” she said.
He smiled. They could work on her pronunciation later.
“The prince is a hunter, Miss Ashley.”
He looked up at the president’s words. The man was watching Abigail closely, as if waiting for a reaction. She continued to eat sedately. After a moment, she seemed to notice the gazes fastened on her.
“That’s nice,” she said.
“I understood you to be an animal welfare advocate,” the president said with a small frown.
Edric scowled. He could see where this was going.
“That is commendable,” he said to Abigail, ignoring the president.
“I have no problem with hunting for food,” Abigail said slowly, as if considering her words. “It’s hunting for sport, I dislike.”
“I see,” the president said.
She looked over at him, obviously noticing the irritation in his tone. “Sir?”
He waved her off. “I was concerned it may upset you.”
Edric narrowed his eyes. Lies.
“Oh. Thank you for your concern.” She finished the last of her food and sat back in her seat.
Sotia and Kriskanos immediately approached the table, Sotia asking Abigail if she would like anything else. Abigail smiled and shook her head.
“No, thank you. I’m fine, Sophie.”
It was strange to hear the human name applied to one of his own. He had almost forgotten Konani had insisted upon it. Watching Abigail smile at the two cooks, he was pleased he had agreed.
“Water is fine.”
After Kriskanos refilled her water glass, the two of them left with her empty plate. She raised her eyes to look across the table at him. He lowered his gaze to his plate.
“You’re not hungry?”
He glanced up. She was frowning at his nearly full plate.
“I find I have no appetite,” he said simply.
“No appetite for food, maybe,” the president muttered under his breath, just loud enough for him to hear.
He sent the man a dark look and noticed Desta’s hand move to the blade she kept hidden under her forearm guard. Her hazel eyes moved to him, waiting for the order to cut the man down. He shook his head. She visibly sighed and sent her mate, Roshan, a set upon look. The blonde inched closer to her and the dark-skinned woman relaxed slightly.
His guards were not used to being so forgiving. In truth, neither was he. He watched Abigail sip at her water, her gaze moving over his guards. For her, he was willing to tolerate snide remarks and mild disrespect. Until she was at his side. Then, the disrespectful human leader would die along with the insolent Agent Jackson.
“I used to be a hunter, myself,” she said, breaking the silence that had fallen.
“What is your weapon of choice?” He noticed the agent watching them from the corner of his eye.
“Both rifle and bow, but I had been learning black powder rifle before—” she broke off.
“Before your mother’s illness?” the president asked.
Edric did not like his tone. He was intentionally pressing on an emotional bruise. He was proven correct with the man’s next words.
“She was your adoptive mother, correct?”
Abigail’s eyes snapped up to look at the president and, though she did not speak, he saw a flash of fire in her eyes.
“Yes. My parents adopted me when I was four weeks old.” She seemed to be daring the man to insult them.
He possessed enough wisdom to simply nod.
The lunch ended soon after, Abigail giving him a polite smile before she followed the president into the White House. He felt her absence immediately, but he was careful to keep his face free of emotion. He led his guards to a cluster of trees on the South Lawn. The White House guards watched them closely, but none of them interfered when the portal opened and they stepped through.
The world was a starburst of lights and sounds for three breathless seconds. Then, like being reborn, the gateway opened in Anshargal’s city center. Air rushed in to fill his empty lungs and the dizzying array of stars formed into one large one overhead. Damkianna, the star of Ghadrik bathed the land in light stronger than the Earth’s Sun. As always, he felt the tug toward Earth and Abigail, but he set it aside.
“Your Highness, the queen wishes to see you.”
He looked over his shoulder to see Konani standing near one of his mother’s guards. The other woman bowed to him in respect, before muttering something under her breath to Konani. Konani nodded and the woman turned away. He raised an eyebrow at Konani and she smiled.
“Gol is more active than usual.”
He tensed at the mention of his father, but nodded. He gestured for Desta to approach him. After giving her mate a saucy wink, she strode over to stand in front of him.
“Your Highness,” she said, all business.
“Hunting implements for Abigail,” he said simply.
Her lips curved. “Already planning, Your Highness.”
He nodded. “I will come to your workshop after I meet with the queen.”
Konani was at his side before he turned away. She nodded in the direction of the palace and fell into step with him. The central courtyard of the city spanned over 20 square miles. An avenue bisected the space. The majority of the square was the business district of the city. The center pyramid held the center of trade, office of interdimensional travel, and central court system.
The smaller pyramids along the edge of the avenue, while still twice the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza on Earth, held shops, restaurants, and the living space for those who chose to live away from the beach and valley. Under the bright light of Damkianna, the pyramids shown a brilliant, marble white.
Edric had always found the city to be beautiful, far more attractive than the buildings of earth. He looked around fondly. The people of the Anshargal bowed to him in respect as they
passed, clothed in robes of every color of the rainbow. The women often with accessories in contrasting colors to draw attention to their flashy weaponry. Edric paused next to Konani to wait for the enlil.
It appeared as a small dot on the horizon, approaching quickly. The craft slowed and finally stopped just overhead. In one smooth maneuver, it sank to the ground and the silver side panel slide aside to reveal the plush interior. Konani entered the craft and settled on the soft bench. Edric started to follow her when a flash of metal caught his eye.
He glanced to his left to see small group of women walking down the stone promenade just beside the enlil loading dock. The glint came from the hilt of a dagger worn on the hip of one of the women. He started toward them and the group paused to look at him.
“Who is your armorer, ninti?” he asked politely.
The woman pulled the dagger from its sheath, examining it. “Just there, Your Highness.” She gestured to the nearest pyramid on the left.
“Thank you.” He started to turn away, when she called out to him. He turned to see her holding the dagger out to him.
“You want it for your courting gift?”
He nodded.
She exchanged smiles with the other women. “Then, take it. I wish you luck in your future bonding.”
“You are far too generous, ninti. I thank you for such a gift,” he said formally, taking the gift with both hands to show his gratitude.
The dagger was far more extravagant in close proximity. The hilt was covered in dozens of flawless rainbow diamonds, reflecting the colors of nature every time the light hit it. The blade itself was precision cut and he could see it had been lovingly honed to razor sharpness. The gift was priceless. He raised his eyes to tell the woman he could not accept it only to find the group had moved on in his distraction.
“Your Highness,” Konani called. “The queen awaits you.”
Gripping the dagger, his lips turned up into a small smile. He crossed to the enlil and climbed in next to his head advisor, the panel sliding closed silently. The craft rose steadily and moved toward the center of the square. The large front window showed the ground flowing below them at an impossible speed, the stone avenue giving way to the city park surrounding the royal palace.