by Luna Hunter
“Your Excellency the High Elder of the Scourge of Egos, please meet my future Xeer, Emma Fairheart of Earth…”
“Dreadlord of the Deadsea Sentinels, please make the acquaintance of…
“Grand Archon of the Yagna Coven, it is my honor…”
All the names and titles make my head spin, and all the elderly, blue aliens start to look alike to me. I don’t know what to do, so I just nod politely. This seems to please the males. Okay, so far I’ve managed to avoid embarrassing myself. Only two hundred more guests to go.
Akil Pay approaches Malak and cuts in line. “My grace, your presence is urgently needed.”
Oh thank the stars, we’re done here.
Malak nods. “I’ll be right back,” he tells me.
“What? Don’t leave me!” I say, desperately clinging to his arm.
“I’ll just be a moment.”
“But—”
And he’s gone. Leaving me completely alone.
I look around, and I’m greeted with unfriendly, openly hostile faces. The dark pit in my stomach grows and grows with each passing second. Malak’s my anchor in this world; without him, I am lost.
There are whispers everywhere. Snippets of conversations reach me. I try to drown them out but it’s impossible. The harder I try, the harder I hear all of their hurtful words.
“Can’t you believe it?”
“An outsider? Really?”
“I’m sure the late Xeer is rolling in his grave.”
“An outrage, frankly.”
“It will be short-lived. He’s just acting out in grief. I’m sure he’ll come to his senses.”
“It’s unbecoming, that’s what it is.”
“Uncouth.”
“And have you seen that dress? She’s way too short and round to pull it off.”
“It’s a fashion crime, that’s what it is.”
“Do you think all of her kind looks like punirs?”
“Oh, you’re so right! I can’t unsee it now! Those short, stubby limbs, I can’t unsee it now!”
The tears are coming hot and fast. This is every nightmare I’ve ever had come to life. This is why I didn’t go to my freshman dance, or prom, or just outside in general.
I try to stand up for myself, but the devastating, venomous look the Aegir woman throws my way just stops me dead in my tracks.
She’s right. I don’t belong here. This is not my world, and this is not my place. Who am I kidding? I’m not a princess.
I kick off my heels and run up the stairs, ugly crying the entire way. I need to get out of here as fast as I can. I want to go home.
But I can’t.
12
Malak
“Someone tried to enter your cruiser, your grace.”
“Did you catch him?”
“Unfortunately not.”
“It’s good that you came to me, Pay. Send extra troops over immediately. I want my ship guarded around the clock, understood?”
“Yes, your grace. What do you think they’re after?”
“My best guess would be Emma’s ship.”
“You think our enemies know?”
“The Yagna and Egos have spies everywhere, Pay. You of all people should know that, with your decades of experience.”
“They are our allies.”
“For now. If I show weakness, they’ll have troops marching across the border before deep winter comes.”
I cannot allow my enemies to get a hold of the human female’s ship. No doubt they’ll be able to deduce where the human homeworld is, and I know what they will do next.
I have seen how the Grand Archon of the Yagna Coven looked at my mate. With hunger, with hatred, with jealousy in his beady eyes. He has always wanted what he can’t have. His lands border us to the south, past the mountains that his kin has tried to claim as their own for thousands of years. I’ve led the last fight there myself, a bloody, savage protracted battle that decided the war in Nyrr’s favor. Yagna sued for peace soon after, a peace that’s lasted. Until now.
I rush back to the ball when no one other than the Grand Archon himself stops me in my tracks.
“Ah, if it isn’t the future Xeer of Nyrr!
“Zakra,” I growl. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Just here to see the new attraction, that is all.”
The true meaning of his words are not lost on me.
“Choose your words carefully, Archon. May I remind you that you are not in your own domain.”
“You ought to choose your partners carefully, ‘Xeer’, before you catch a disease and besmirch our stature as—”
I grab Zakra by the neck and slam him against the brick wall. His feet dangle helplessly in the air as he gasps for breath.
“Go on, finish your sentence. Give me a reason.”
“To do what?” Zakra wheezes. “To start a war? Like you need a reason. You’re a killer, Malak, a murderer. You know what we call you in Yagna, right? The Butcher of Gillig!”
“I gave your troops the option to surrender. They didn’t. By your command. Their blood is on your hands, not mine.”
“Yet it was your hand that wielded the blade that killed so many, wasn’t it, Malak?”
Even though I’ve got my thumb pressing down on his windpipe, Zakra shows no signs of shutting up. He really does want me to choke the life out of him. Madman.
“That’s how war works. You wouldn’t understand, you just send people to their deaths while you stay in that cushy capital of yours. You make me sick, Zakra.”
“Likewise, Malak. May your reign be short.”
I squeeze his throat a little harder.
“I can end yours right now, old man.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“Your grace?”
I drop Zakra to the ground. He collapses in a heap, gasping and wheezing, cursing me under his breath.
“What is it, Pay?”
“I got word from General Lynt; more troops are on their way to the royal shipyard, your grace.”
“Good. Was that all?”
“Yes, your grace.”
I leave Zakra behind and head back to the ongoing party. I have seen the horrors of war from up close. I will do everything I can to make sure that my people don’t have to go through that hell again, but I can only tolerate so much from the Grand Archon.
If he insults Emma again, I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself.
13
Emma
Ezra and Gada look up in surprise as I burst through the door and fling myself onto the bed.
“This was a mistake. I don’t belong here. This is all one big mistake!”
I violently tear the dress apart and toss the fabric across the room.
“That’s a priceless family heirloom… you know what, that’s not important right now, I can fix it later,” Gada says.
“What happened?” Ezra asks.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I say as I bury my face in a pillow. I’ve never been so humiliated in my life. “Can you leave me alone, please? I just want to be alone.”
There’s a loud knock on the door, and a second later Malak storms into the room. “What’s wrong?!”
I hide under the covers as best I can. I don’t want him to see me like this, so vulnerable, with tears streaming down my face. “Please leave,” I mumble.
“She needs a moment to collect herself, your grace,” Ezra says.
Silence. And then Malak sighs deeply. I’ve disappointed him. And that cuts even deeper than any mean comment I’ve heard.
The door closes. He’s gone. And I screwed everything up.
“Permission to speak freely, your grace?” Ezra asks.
“What is it?” I sniffle.
“You need to grow up. Your grace.”
Gada gasps loudly. I look up from my tearstained pillow case. “What now?”
Gada is looking at her colleague in horror, but Ezra remains steadfa
st, her hands resting on her hips in a power pose.
“I don’t know what happened down there, but I’m going to make some assumptions. Stop me if I’m wrong. The royals are snakes. They are vicious, they are conniving, they are cruel. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“Is that why you’re upset?”
“Yes.”
I want to look away and hide, but Ezra won’t let me. Her pointy, blue face is filled with determination.
“I say this with kindness, your grace. Who cares? They are jealous. Not just because Malak is obviously powerful and sexy, but because his feelings for you are so obviously genuine. You know how he looks at you, right? How he speaks of you? A girl can only dream of finding a man so obsessed and so devoted, and you have that. You don’t realize how lucky you are, and I can’t sit here and watch you throw the opportunity of a lifetime away.”
Gada clears her throat, obviously panicking. “Ezra, don’t you think you’re out of line?”
“No, let her finish,” I say.
“Thank you, your grace. Malak is smitten by you. He is a man who found his fated mate. That’s a feeling most of those royals will never know, for they only care for power. They only marry for alliances. And they see what Malak has, what you have, and they hate you for it. Out of jealousy.”
Ezra takes a deep breath — she’s really on a roll and working herself up. All I can do is grip the sheets and let the truth wash over me.
“You have found real love, your grace. I can see it in you, as well, but I also see you are struggling. And before you say ‘I didn’t ask for any of this’, I’ve got more bad news for you. We all get dealt hands in life we didn’t ask for! Do you think I want to a member of the Nyrr royal staff? Do you think I want to spend my days folding laundry and dusting rooms no one uses anyway? No. I’d rather be in your position. Or at home, with my family. But they need to eat, and that’s why I’m here, working. Your hand involved you stumbling your way into an Aegir royal house. Pardon me if I don’t mourn too long on your behalf, your grace. There are worse fates that could’ve befallen you than being royalty. You should see the real Nyrr. What life is like beyond these walls. You can see how most Aegir live, what life is truly like on this planet. See how many tears you have left to cry because someone said something mean to you then, your grace.”
Ezra takes a deep breath, her blue face tinged red. She really worked herself into a sweat as she delivered that thunderous speech. I am left with my mouth hanging open. No one’s ever put me in my place like that.
“Wow,” Gada says. She claps slowly. “There’s speaking your mind, and then there’s burning every bridge in the world. It was nice knowing you, Ezra.”
“I just said what our grace needed to hear,” Ezra says, but her confident demeanor fades with every passing second. Her hands start to shake. “Right? I didn’t say anything too bad, right?”
“That’s for our lady to decide. You’re lucky Lord Araval isn’t around anymore; he’d have strung you up for all to see as a warning.”
“I-I’ve got a family,” Ezra stammers. “Her Highness would never do that. Sh-she’s kind.”
I get up slowly and wipe my tears away.
“No one’s ever spoken to me like that,” I say. “Never before in my life. And I wish… I wish someone had. Because you’re right. You’re absolutely right. I mean, between us three, I’m still not too stoked to be abducted, but… I can’t let a bunch of mean-spirited gossip knock me off my feet. I’m Emma Fairheart. Of Earth!”
Ezra smiles tentatively.
Gada shakes her head in disbelief. “Only you can go off on a royal and get praise for it, Ezra.”
“I want to take you up on that offer, Ezra. I want to see the real Nyrr. I want to see what life is like outside of these walls. If I’m really going to be… a princess, or a queen, or Xeer, or whatever you want to call it… I should at least know my subjects.”
My subjects? That’ll take some getting used to.
“It’s a good idea, but Malak will never allow it,” Gada says.
“Well…” I say. “He doesn’t have to know, does he?”
14
Malak
I leave my mate alone for a moment — and those vipers have still found a way to hurt her. I am seething with rage, but I must calm myself. She has asked me for a moment’s peace, but every second spent apart feels like an eternity.
I knock on her door.
“Come in.”
I open the door to find Emma sitting on her bed, her eyes still slightly red and puffy. I just want to hold her, to stroke her hair, to kiss her tears away, but I restrain myself.
“Please excuse us,” I tell the two assistants. They nod and leave us two be — and I notice they can’t help but grin.
“Are you satisfied with those two?” I ask.
“Hm? Oh yes, Ezra and Gada — they’re really nice, and they make me feel welcome.”
“Do I make you feel welcome?”
I sit down on her bed, savoring the feeling of closeness. I do not want to be apart from her for even a moment.
“I… don’t know, Malak, this is all… a lot.”
I sense there’s more she wants to say, but something is holding her back. She is the one. Whatever happens in this life, I know I want to spend it with her by my side. I cannot force her to love me, she is not a hill to be conquered, a fortress to be stormed. I must be patient. I must give her time.
Time I don’t have. I remain unmated.
A Xeer cannot be unmated.
The longer I delay, the more ammunition I give our enemies — the Coven, the Deadsea — to pick Nyrr apart. To stir unrest. To claim these sacred mountains as their own.
I cannot let that happen.
Sometimes I wish I didn’t have this high station thrust upon me. I might be the most powerful man in Nyrr, and yet when I look at the Idristic Sea, I cannot help envy the sailors who are free to go as they please, needing only a handful of drahir to buy ale and procure a place for the night.
I’m sure those same sailors gaze upon my castle with the same envy.
“I apologize for leaving you alone. And I wish I could say it will never happen again. But the truth is the future of Nyrr rests on my shoulders. The vipers you had the displeasure of meeting want to usurp my throne.”
“I… I understand,” she says.
Fuck.
She’s so damn adorable, even now, when she’s both slightly wounded and slightly angry with me. My mind bursts with questions, but so far, I haven’t found a good time to grill her.
Now’s a good a time as any.
“Tell me more about yourself, Emma.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything,” I growl. “I want to know where you’re from, where you grew up, what your life has been like. I want to understand what it means to be human.”
“That’s a good question,” she chuckles. “I’m pretty sure humanity at large is still wondering about that one.”
“What do you think?”
“Pff, I don’t know. What does it mean to be Aegir?”
“Honor and loyalty. That’s what it means… to me. Across the mountains and the seas they have… different values.”
“So you Aegir don’t all see eye to eye, I take it?”
“No.”
“Those people down there, were they your friends?”
“Ancestors forbid, no. Far from it.”
“Okay. Good. Because I did not like them. At all.”
“That makes two of us, my human.”
“So why do you tolerate them?”
“I don’t,” I growl. “But there’s a certain sense of royal… etiquette to be adhered to. Unfortunately. I do not have an army big enough to conquer the continent, to simply take all that I need to give my people a good life by force alone. And even if I did, I wouldn’t want to. I’ve seen enough death in my life.”
“You have?”
There’s genuine concern in her voic
e, as she gently rests her hand on my knee. She has a kind spirit.
“I’m a better warrior than I am a royal. This was never to be my place, it was Moric. My older brother. He’s more charming. Was more charming. I keep forgetting he’s truly gone.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“It’s okay. Loss is inevitable.”
“Yeah, but still, if you lost your brother… then you must be hurting. I lost both my parents, actually. When I was young.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Emma. What happened?”
She tells me the story of her people, and I listen.
“So you have polluted your own world?” I ask incredulously.
“Yeah. I know. Not a smart move, right?”
“I think not.”
“Agreed,” she says with a wry smile. “And the black cough I was telling you about took my parents.”
“That saddens me, Emma. Perhaps some good news will lift your spirit.”
“What good news?”
“Our mating ceremony will take place in six weeks,” I say proudly.
“C-ceremony?!”
“Yes. We need to mate, so that we can be crowned Xeer and officially take our place as rulers of this Xeerdom. That is why I have set the quickest possible date for our mating ceremony. Together with Akil Pay I have selected the best tutors of this hemisphere to help prepare you for your royal duties. You will start your courses tomorrow.”
“What courses?!”
“Fencing, Aegir history, dancing, Unur riding. The usual.”
You belong to me, Emma. I will make a proper Xeer out of you. That’s a promise.
15
Emma
I thought my astronaut training was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do in my life. Boy, was I wrong.
Becoming a proper Aegir socialite? Now that’s a hundred times harder. I’m awoken at the crack of dawn by Ezra and Gada and from that point on a whole army of tutors occupies my every waking moment.
There’s fencing (fun), dancing (shudder), Aegir history (interesting), Unur riding (scary), etiquette (snore).