The Complete Alien's Bride

by Yamila Abraham

  Romantic.

  Meredith paused to take it all in. "This is your private ship?"

  Jaximor plopped onto the couch with his legs splayed wide. "My yacht. I conduct all my missions for the empire from it."

  Pret-Dorno passed through the room to the door on the far side. Meredith was still contemplating the décor.

  "You must be quite the ladies' man."

  Jaximor grinned. "What ladies?"

  She tipped her head up in realization. "Oh right."

  Jaximor patted the empty spot on the couch next to him. Meredith screwed her lips. Her betrothed's intense gaze was telling.

  She walked to him slowly. "Look, Jaximor, I know I'm going to be your bride and stuff, but you still need to turn it down a notch. I barely know you."

  "Let's get to know one another."

  Meredith hesitated. It was likely fruitless to play hard to get under these circumstances. She was still determined to hold her ground.

  She planted herself one cushion away from him. Before Jaximor could protest, Pret-Dorno came in with a small silver box. He bumped his heel on the floor in front of them causing, a small hidden table to rise up.

  Jaximor glowered at him. "What are you doing?"

  "A round of memory cards will assist you two in becoming acquainted." He set the box on the table.

  Jaximor tried to bat him away. "Get out of here."

  Pret-Dorno met his master's eyes. "No."

  Meredith covered her mouth to hide a smile.

  Pret-Dorno looked at her. "Mistress--"

  "She's not your Mistress yet," Jaximor said. "We haven't performed the marriage ritual."

  "Meredith. Our druid in the highest seat proclaimed that new brides shall be granted ten degrees of intimacy with their intended husbands. This allows you time to get to know your mate prior to the marriage ritual. This game of Memory shall be your first degree."

  Jaximor gaped at him. "Would you shut your mouth? Those degrees aren't followed. They were just a suggestion."

  Sounds like a great suggestion. Meredith was impressed with how smoothly her forced marriage was going. First she found an advocate in a manservant who had 'compassion surgery' and now she learned that one of their leaders, this druid or whomever, was watching out for her. She'd expected brutality--the scope of which had caused her panic attacks the night after she helped launch their distress beacon. Now it was looking like she'd worried herself sick for nothing.

  Pret-Dorno opened the box. "It's disgraceful not to follow the suggestions of our highest druid."

  Jaximor slapped the box close. "Get out of here, Pret. Now. You're severely trying my patience. Don't make me whip you."

  "Don't you dare whip him," Meredith said.

  "Master...you told me not to let you foul this up." Pret-Dorno's dull eyes stayed focused on him. "You made me swear an oath."

  Jaximor tilted back his head and groaned.

  Meredith slid over so their legs touched. He eyed her. She opened the box.

  "I want to play this game. It sounds interesting."

  Jaximor wrapped an arm around her. "Fine."

  She ignored his arm, and how he drew her closer to his formidable body warmth. The box was full of cards with golden designs on the backs. She plucked one up and turned it over. The face had a photograph of a Dak-Hiliah machine.

  "This is a simple exercise," Pret-Dorno said. "You turn a card face up and then tell your partner about the memory it triggers."

  "Huh," Meredith said.

  Pret-Dorno stepped to the miasma churning lava lamp thing and sat in a chair next to it.

  "Are you truly going to chaperone me?" Jaximor said.

  "Yes."

  Meredith drew a deep breath. "Okay--I have no idea what this machine is. It doesn't trigger any memories for me."

  Jaximor took the card and placed it beside the box on the table. "It's a tailoring machine. It makes clothes. There's one in the supply area of this ship that will make your dresses for you."

  "Okay." The Dak-Hiliah reminded her of how people predicted Earth's future to be, and usually got it wrong. Machines that could whip up an outfit for someone had never come to pass. She blinked in realization. This crazy futuristic world was her reality now.

  Jaximor rubbed his nose. "When I see this...I remember the first time I got to wear a soldier's uniform. I beamed with pride and couldn't stop looking at myself in the mirror. I was nine."

  Meredith's eyes widened. "Nine? How much is that in Earth years?"

  "It's nearly the same. Our home worlds are almost the same size and the same distance from our suns. A few scientists have theorized that's why humans and the Dak-Hiliah evolved into roughly compatible species."

  "You were made a soldier at nine years old?"

  Jaximor curled his hand against her nape. He caressed a delicate spot while gazing in her eyes. Wow...he doesn't let up, does he?

  "I was a soldier in training. At nine I was merely able to start my war training in earnest at the academy."

  Meredith avoided his eyes. His gentle fingers were lighting a few warm sparks inside her. She didn't feel he deserved to know it.

  "I didn't see a battle until I was an adult."

  "So the Dak-Hiliah send all their kids to military school?"

  "No. I was raised on one of the military planets--planet Den. I'm part of the soldier's caste. All children in this caste are given to the military. To live on those worlds and be raised in our armies."

  Meredith felt a pang of sympathy. "Wow." But then, what did she expect? They were warlords. That's how they'd always been described to her.

  "I'm very lucky, Meredith. I had a fine upbringing, and the thirty men in my pod, whom I grew up with, I consider my brothers. They were my family--the finest you could ask for."

  She tilted her head in consideration. "I guess that doesn't sound too bad." Now she looked at him. "You don't seem the career military type."

  "What does that mean?"

  "My dad was an army man--that's why we lost him so early on. He was strict, kind of emotionless. Stern."

  Jaximor gave a monosyllabic laugh. "Yes, there's some like that. I was the baby of our pod. The others spoiled me. And I stayed cute longer than the rest so all the staff doted on me. I learned to charm my elders for extra rations and a softer bunk. None of my brothers ever minded because I was so infuriatingly precious."

  Meredith smiled. "You're still cute."

  "I know."

  She scoffed and drew another card. It was two Dak-Hiliah men dancing. Meredith blinked a few times.

  The mighty warlords are gay? Well, yes, why wouldn't they be? She chided herself for being too narrow minded to consider it before.

  "I guess this is what happens when there are no women around." She peeked at him. "Are you like that?"

  "Like what?"

  She wanted to say 'gay' but there was no Dak-Hiliah word for the concept. Her shock at this had to be filed away for consideration later.

  "Do you have sex with men?"

  "You ask that as though it's something strange."

  She pursed her lips. Really? For a moment she felt she had to reassess him, but then--of course the men hooked up. Even if it wasn't their natural inclination, that's just what happened when women were in short supply. Get over it, Meredith.

  "I've always been popular," Jaximor said. "Unfortunately, the solitary life of a Dak-Hiliah soldier does not allow for serious long-term connections. I haven't had a committed lover since I graduated the academy. There's just...Princess."

  "Princess?"

  His mischievous grin lit up. "My android. You'll meet her later."

  "Oh geez. I can't wait."

  She reached for another card. Jaximor clutched her wrist.

  "You haven't told me about your lovers."

  Meredith considered. It wasn't an unreasonable question considering they were getting married.

  "All right." She paused to think it over. "I've had maybe one serious boyfriend, but plenty of
experience besides him. When the war was getting scary people were getting it on like there was no tomorrow, because, for all we knew, there wasn't. I was sixteen then, and yeah, I messed around quite a bit. After that we went underground into my dad's old bunker. That was a Hell of a dry spell for me. Then I was at Europa Colony. All the guys there were going on about repopulating the human race and stuff. I didn't think we were secure enough to be starting families. I guess you could say I just kept messing around. I never wanted to get serious with anyone."

  He squeezed her against him and shined a broad smile. "Excellent."

  "Why excellent?"

  "Because you had sex for fun--not simply for breeding."

  Meredith's left brow rose. "That's...normally how it goes."

  "So you must like it."

  She drew her lips into her mouth to wet them.

  "Why are you demurring?" Jaximor said. "Are you ashamed?"

  She clucked her tongue. "I'm not ashamed. To Hell with shame."

  "Indeed."

  He leaned toward her for a kiss. Meredith parried by bending forward to pluck another card.

  "Why did you do that?"

  She eyed him.

  "I want you. You enjoy it. You'll enjoy it with me. I'm aching know a true flesh and blood female. Why can't we?"

  "Because this isn't just messing around." She fixed a severe gaze on him. "This is marriage. This is you and I together for the rest of our lives. Rushing into things frivolously isn't good for something that's supposed to last."

  "You're not my first lover--as I told you. I've never had such frustrating limitations."

  "It's different with women. You're just going to have to deal with that."

  Jaximor glared at her. "I demand a kiss tonight."

  She flipped over the card. "Then you'll have to earn it. What's this?"

  He looked. "A cooking machine."

  She reexamined the image. It was similar to the tailor machine--another futuristic marvel that was now a reality in her life. "That's what prepares all your food? You don't have chefs?"

  "There aren't enough Dak-Hiliah left."

  She nestled against him with renewed interest. "Why is that, anyway? You guys were the mightiest empire in the universe--how is it you're almost extinct?"

  "We still are the mightiest empire in the universe."

  His conviction gave her a chill.

  "Anyway, that's a boring history lesson. I'd rather keep our conversation lively."

  "Do you want that kiss or not?"

  "This is going excellently, Master," Pret-Dorno said from across the room.

  "Shut up."

  He scooped up the back of Meredith's legs and pulled her onto his lap. She braced an arm around his large shoulders, avoiding the horns. Their faces were brought mere inches apart. Jaximor locked sultry eyes on her.

  "What are you doing?" she said, keeping her tone soft so she would not denote objection.

  "Reciting a boring history lesson will only be tolerable for me if we cuddle. Is that a problem?"

  Meredith lowered her eyelashes. "I guess not." One side of her bosom was against his defined chest and his strong arm cradled her around the ribs. She felt encompassed by the aura of warmth he gave off. Her stomach began to have a rapturous melty feeling.

  Why does he have to be so damn sexy?

  She was sure he noticed her flushed face. She forced herself to give him a reprimanding glare.

  "No butt-grabbing."

  His gentle smile made her stomach flutters go riot. "I promise."

  Jaximor leaned forward to bridge the small gap of space between their mouths. Meredith caught his sexy lips with her finger.

  "History lesson first. Then the kiss."

  He kissed her finger before retreating. Then his eyes searched the room for inspiration.

  "Alright. Most of this happened before I was born, you realize, but here's the situation as I understand it. We'd been fulfilling the prophesy of our gods without fail for many centuries."

  "What prophesy?"

  "That the Dak-Hiliah are the rightful governors of the universe."

  She blinked at him.

  "What I mean by fulfilling the prophesy was that we were conquering vast tracts of space, dozens of worlds, and still more were surrendering to us without conflict. We'd just had a golden age."

  "How many worlds do you rule?"

  He tickled her ribs with his cradling fingers. Meredith yelped with an involuntary laugh.

  "Stop interrupting."

  She battled against her smile.

  "Anyway, there was a period of stagnancy after this. We weren't expanding the boundaries of our empire. Resources were instead focused on strengthening our holds. I believe we went forty years without any new conquests of note."

  "Well, you got too big too fast and needed a break. No big deal."

  "Yes. That's how my party sees it. We have two realms of political thought in the Dak-Hiliah Empire. Well, more than two, but the other parties have very few supporters. My party, the Party of Compassion, believes in growing our empire in a compassionate and measured way, that will inspire more worlds to surrender to us rather than suffering war. The other party, the Party of Conquest, believes we should bring about the prophesy of our Empire in the most efficient way possible, regardless of the consequences on those worlds we devastate. Both parties are under the helm of one unifying principle: We must be noble conquerors. That is, we must avoid those actions that will so damn our name that no world will ever surrender. The two parties vary a great deal in how that principle is interpreted."

  "This isn’t boring at all, Jaximor," Meredith said. She reached up to move a tress of hair off his forehead. "I'm glad you're one of the compassionate ones."

  His smile was sweet now. Meredith was beginning to feel the sensual weakness of one seduced.

  "Anyway, talk of our political situation is digression. What you should know is that there are two ruling bodies in the Dak-Hiliah Empire. Our high council, which is composed of seven leaders who must vote unanimously on all decisions, and the druid in the highest seat. The High Council controls all public matters pertaining to the empire. The druid rules on all private matters. The druid is the Dak-Hiliah embodiment of one of our gods. A different god or goddess from our pantheon will come to inhabit our highest druid for their lifetime. We worship that druid. We obey his proclamations without fail. These are the true and only gods of the universe. There is no doubt of that, and all Dak-Hiliah must worship them with the whole of their beings. Even if we disagree with their proclamations. No Dak-Hiliah will commit blasphemy against them. If their proclamations cause us to have a dark age, we accept this. It's the will of the gods, and they will reward us for suffering without complaint when one of the darker gods takes the highest seat."

  Meredith had a half-cocked smile. "How do you know your gods are the real thing?"

  He shrugged. "They've proven it a thousand times over. They show their magic without subterfuge. They gave us the ability to time travel most recently. Only the druid's magic allowed that to happen."

  "Hmph." She put aside her doubts so he could continue.

  "We've had a good druid for four years now. He's inhabited by the goddess Tian-za, one of our most compassionate goddesses. It looks as though we will be back on our way to another golden age with this druid, Pakpo, in the highest seat. However, before him we had the worst druid in our history. The druid Shindray is the one who caused our population to plummet to near extinction. He blamed the stagnation of the empire on our women and sought to suppress them."

  "Wow."

  "Pret, get a tablet and read her the history encapsulation about Shindray. I don't even know where to begin with him."

  Pret-Dorno popped up from his seat. "Right away, Master." He retrieved a rectangular tablet from a compartment in the wall. After tapping the screen for a bit he resumed his seat.

  "Shindray decreed that by subjugating their wives men would eradicate the compassion, indecision
, and hesitance that had made the empire weak. Men were to see women as enemies who sought to destroy their character. Women were to be mothers, housekeepers, and caregivers who would remain confined to the home. Men were prohibited from having idle conversations with their wives. All discussions had to be limited to matters pertaining to the children or household. Husbands and wives were to sleep separately, eat separately, and limit intimacy to sexual intercourse. Husbands were to beat their wives severely for many possible infractions such as leaving the house or initiating prohibited communications."

  "Oh my God, what a douche-stick."

  "Prior to Shindray women were nearly on an equal footing with men," Jaximor said. "They lamented losing their rights, but would not blaspheme the druid--nor would their husbands. They still rebelled by only having male babies. You see, Dak-Hiliah women can control the gender of their offspring by regulating their body heat during conception. A prior druid said that women have the right to choose their children's gender, so Shindray could not contradict this. Shindray was in power 140 years. Over that time scarcely any females were born. This is what made us desperate to find more women. Earth was the only world with females that could be made compatible for breeding. We had no choice but to conquer you."

  "Yeah. I understand. I wish it could have been done more compassionately, though."

  "We all regret how it happened. That's why we put in the Surrender Agreement that we'd only take brides from Earth's past--well, except for those on rogue moon colonies. The slaves in the colony on Earth are being allowed to repopulate your race before we begin taking brides from there."

  "What else do the slaves do for you?" Meredith concentrated. "What are they slaving at?"

  Jaximor met her eyes. "Nothing. The slave colony is autonomous, governed by three human slaves and loosely overseen by our Lord Elentinus. There's no labor being done there to benefit the Dak-Hiliah. Their only order is to repopulate. Other than that, they're granted supplies and left alone."

  Meredith's eyes narrowed. "Are you lying?"

  He tsked. "No I'm not lying. You can call one of your friends there after they get settled and hear it from them." He turned away from her. "The slave colony is not a torture camp. The slaves there are reasonably happy. Families stay together. All their physical needs are met. There's plenty of recreational activities, a sports league, a theater group. I understand that your Earth holidays are still celebrated."