She stood in front of Shannen. “Your Highness,” Faerlah said.
“Grandmother,” Shannen replied with a smile, and Faerlah smiled more broadly. Shannen lowered her head, and when Faerlah set the crown on her head, she once again felt the weight of responsibility, the desire to do good for those who depended on her.
Of course, their world, their kingdom was different. Already, there was a Citizens Council, who would work with Shannen and Daarik. The system ensured that no king would ever take advantage of their people again, that the people would not be ignored. Monarchs who failed to work for their people could be removed. There would be no more Edwells, and there would never, ever be a Jarvik.
When Faerlah had finished crowning them, Shannen and Daarik raised their joined hands, a symbolic gesture of the official coming-together of their two peoples.
When the ceremony was over, there was a huge celebration in the city square. Horses and travelers on foot continued to stream in from the western gate. One of the first things Shannen and Daarik had done was hire workers to improve the road between Darathar and Ashwall. While many humans had chosen to follow Shannen to Darathar, they had also been surprised by how many Maarlai had found themselves quite comfortable at Ashwall. The improved, smoother road made travel and trade between the two cities easier.
And their people prospered. With a bonded king and queen in residence at Darathar once again, the land around it flourished. The harvests were bigger, the hunt more bountiful.
And for the first time in years, two Maarlai females had found themselves with child.
Even without the new births, households in Darathar swelled. Childless Maarlai couples had adopted many of the orphans from Tanris, and those were the children, along with many of the human adults, who attended the school that had just been completed. Janara and a few other Maarlai were teaching there, and the school had already become the center of the community.
A small band started playing a fast-paced song, and Daarik swept Shannen into a dance. She let him lead, happy to watch the people around them. To their left, Janara and Laird, Renn’s man from Ashwall, stood close, their attention solely on one another. Shannen smiled to herself. Her home with Daarik would only be the first of many Maarlai/human households, it seemed.
Daarik bent, speaking into her ear. “Have I told you how badly I want to tear that dress off?”
“Only about seventeen times,” she answered with a laugh.
He nuzzled the side of her neck, then pressed a warm, open-mouthed kiss to the sensitive flesh there. She hummed happily, reveling in the sensation, and closed her eyes. Daarik, though he was still settling into his new role, was making it his own. Knowing that he had the heart of a soldier, he focused on military and defense, while Shannen happily handled the other aspects of their kingdom. She felt more fulfilled than she had ever even deemed possible, and she knew she would never be able to repay her Maidens or the others who had fought at her side.
For their part, the Maidens continued as they had been: as Shannen’s honor guard and the most protective bodyguards anywhere in the galaxy.
Shannen pressed a kiss to Daarik’s throat, and he lowered his lips to hers, kissing her in a way that promised a world of pleasure, just as soon as they could get away from the celebration. Since healing from his injuries, he had ben nearly insatiable. Shannen pressed her thighs together and blushed. She was still tender from the way he had used her before the ceremony, and she was more than ready to go again.
She had never claimed to be easily satisfied.
She was nearly ready to pull him off to the side when a glint overhead caught her eye. Not silver, but white. The crowd began to panic and she calmed them, walking toward where the ship was descending. Renn was there, watching it land with a dejected look on his face. He had given up his assumed human form, and stood there now in all his blue-skinned, bulky glory.
“Are you ready to leave yet?” Shannen asked.
“Fuck, no,” he growled.
“Language, Kinari,” she said, and he shook his head. “Let me handle this.”
“Shan,” he began, and she waved him off. The door of the Kinarian ship slid open, and Shannen mounted the steps.
“Oh, lovely. You again,” the same Kinarian she had spoken to before said when he recognized her.
“Yes. Me again. He cannot go yet. Terribly sorry,” she said, giving him a shrug.
“You won’t be speaking to me today,” the Kinarian said. He straightened. “I present King Barad of Kinari-5,” he said in a loud voice. The celebrations stopped as her people watched the scene play out.
A tall, stately Kinarian with bright blue skin and snow-white hair seemed to float out of the ship.
“Queen Shannen,” he said in greeting.
“King Barad.”
“A deal was struck. It is time for my grandson to leave this place. He has already involved himself too much.”
Shannen opened her mouth, and Barad shook his head. “And before you use my own society’s rules against us once again, I will tell you that your need of him does not supersede the customs of our people.”
“He is not only Kinarian. He is Maarlai as well,” she said softly. “This is the only place in the world he can learn about his father’s people.”
“He has a duty to our kingdom.”
‘Then let him continue as Watcher,” Shannen said. “You have no other Watchers here, right?”
He shook his head. “We deemed it pointless the first time the Sarlene attacked. I never bothered putting another Watcher on duty after the last one died.”
“Well, then. Simple.”
“Queen Shannen, I understand that you are… fond… of my grandson, but that has nothing to do with us.”
Shannen studied him. “I understand that your daughter had an interest in this planet as well.”
King Barad stiffened. “She did.”
“And now your grandson calls it home. It is clear that Earth is generally beneath your interest, but have you ever wondered what about this place captured the heart of your daughter? And why your grandson was willing to give nearly everything to save it?”
Barad did not answer.
“Your society values knowledge. History. Understanding. This is worth understanding as well.”
Barad glanced away, his gaze landing on Renn.
“I should tell you that your actions, your utter destruction of the Sarlene, have made the rest of the universe take notice of Earth. You are no longer considered prehistoric.”
“Oh. Thank you?” Shannen said. “What does that mean?”
“It means some may see you as a threat. And it means that others think you should be protected, allowed to evolve and grow.”
“I much prefer the second option.”
“I am sure you do,” he said with a sigh. “I have already lost a daughter. I would rather not lose my grandson. If he stays, I have good reason to change our policy of not getting involved and offer to sponsor Earth.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means Earth will be under Kinarian protection as you grow. It means none can attack you without also declaring war on my planet.”
“You would do that?” Shannen asked, shocked.
“As you said, my society values learning. And I have learned a thing or two.” He looked back at Renn. “Grandson. Farewell.”
With that, he turned around. Shannen quickly descended the stairway, and, in an instant, the Kinarian ship was gone. She looked at Renn in confusion.
“Again, you are goddamn insane. You can’t just go around telling kings what to do,” Renn said.
Daarik came up behind Shannen and settled his hands on her hips, squeezing her in a way that let her know he was ready to get her alone again.
“Really, Shannen. You need to be more careful. You can’t just thumb your nose at everyone who doesn’t agree with you,” Renn continued.
Daarik let out a low laugh, and Shannen grinned. “Oh, Renn. It has worked
out well so far. Why stop now?”
And with that, she let her king lead her back to their rooms. With any luck, she would not be leaving them for a day or two at the soonest.
As it turns out, it is good to be the Queen.
THE END
* * *
Never Miss an Update!
Sign Up for Colleen’s Newsletter.
http://bit.ly/colleensnewsletter
For backstory material, news, and upcoming events be sure to check out http://www.colleenvanderlinden.com
Note from Colleen
Thank you so much for taking Shannen and Daarik’s journey with me! This strange little mishmash of space opera, science fiction, fantasy romance, and dystopia has stolen a little piece of my heart as I’ve worked on it, and I’m grateful for everyone who has taken a chance on it as well.
Thank you, as always, to my wonderful husband and kids for their support and patience. I love you guys.
As I write this, the world has been forced to say goodbye to Carrie Fisher. I know many of us will be feeling this loss for a while. It seems appropriate, in this book about an often-unlikable princess, that I talk a little bit about what Carrie Fisher’s Leia means to me. She is wholly responsible for making me love badass, coarse, get-shit-done heroines. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 1983, Fisher said, “ There are a lot of people who don't like my character in these movies; they think I'm some kind of space bitch. She has no friends, no family; her planet was blown up in seconds ... so all she has is a cause.”
And that moment, that moment when the princess on screen helped rescue herself… that moment when the pretty princess in her white gown picked up that blaster… that was the moment I fell in love with unlikable heroines. She doesn’t try to spare her rescuer’s feelings, and she doesn’t defer to their “expertise.” She takes control, and she changes the world in that action.
So every sharp-tongued, independent, confident, cocky heroine I have ever written (and there may have been a few…) is at least partially inspired by Carrie Fisher via Princess Leia. At the end of this book about a rather unlikable princess, I would be remiss if I didn’t honor she who inspired me. If you see even a trace of Leia in Shannen, then I have done my job. May the Force be with her, always.
As a little extra gift for you, I’ve included the short story Silent Witness at the end of this book. If you’re at all curious about Renn Kinari, and, more specifically, his parents and how they saved Earth from the Sarlene the first time around, you might want to check it out. I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you, as always, for reading. If you enjoyed this book, I hope you’ll take a moment to write a review — I read and appreciate every single one of them.
XO,
Colleen
December 28, 2016
* * *
Never Miss an Update!
Sign Up for Colleen’s Newsletter.
http://bit.ly/colleensnewsletter
For backstory material, news, and upcoming events be sure to check out http://www.colleenvanderlinden.com
Silent Witness
Aria stalked through the crowded corridors, forcing herself to be placid and polite to the many people who called greetings and inquired after her health. Her two bodyguards floated steadily behind, their stealth and the uniforms they wore providing them an easy passage through the crowd.
Determined to keep her cool, she recited the phrase she’d had ingrained in her since birth. “Temper has no place in a civilized society. Calm and intelligent reasoning are virtues we must cultivate.”
It was a virtue that hadn’t quite stuck with Aria, well into adulthood, she still fought against the strong feelings that arose in her, it seemed, on an almost daily basis.
And she only felt more angry, more tense, the nearer she got to her father’s chambers. When she reached the doors, her two guards stepped forward and each pulled a door open. She gave them a nod and walked through as they held the doors open.
Her father, as always was at his desk. The room was exactly what you’d expect from one of their people: filled with books and other information media, artwork, a few experiments set up on different tables throughout. A bird, one of theirs that had been bred with those from another place, sat in a gilt cage near her father’s large stone desk.
Upon seeing her, her father rose and immediately held his hands up in a placating manner. “Aria,” he began.
“Muldoon? You’re sending Muldoon to Earth, of all people?” she asked, trying, and failing, to keep her voice steady and calm.
“Aria, he is—”
“And if you say he’s perfectly suited to replace Dyson there, I will scream.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I suggest you remember yourself.”
Aria took a breath. “I apologize, father. You know I have spent my entire life in the study of Earth. Of all of the Witnesses, I’m the most suited to take up the mantle on Earth. Dyson’s knowledge of the customs and psychology of the Earthers is laughable.”
“He is a competent enough Witness,” her father said, waving her concerns away. “And you have other matters to attend to.”
Aria closed her eyes, forced her temper down. She would not win this battle if she let her passion loose. That was a sign of weakness that would not be tolerated. “And that is?”
Her father walked around the desk, took her hands in his. “You are the next queen of the people of this realm. Your concerns lie here, not in some backwater planet full of barbarians.”
She started to speak, and a short shake of her father’s head had her biting her words back.
“The Earthers are of no concern to us.”
“Yet you send your most trusted advisor there, when we both know you have use of him here.” Aria looked up at her father. Like most of their people he aged very slowly. In his ninetieth decade, he looked not much older than Aria herself. She had inherited his dark brown hair, even as she had her mother’s indigo eyes.
“I sent my most trusted advisor because he needs some time away to recollect himself. I can manage well without Muldoon. That is the end of it,” he said. He sat back down, and motioned for Aria to take a seat on the other side of the large desk, which she did, arranging the soft, flowing robes she wore around herself. “You are of age to take your place as queen, and, truth be told, I am more than ready for you to do so. I long to return to my studies, and there is little time for that now.”
“I would rather study as well,” she said.
“As has been the case since the day you first opened your eyes,” her father said. “You have ever been like myself in that way, despite your odd choice of subject matter.”
“I am not ready to rule. We both know this. My temper—”
“Is something you should be long past being able to control. And you can, when the mood strikes you. You are also stubborn, which is another trait your mother and I were never able to eradicate in you,” he said, shaking his head.
“Earth—”
“Is in its final days, Aria,” her father said, and Aria stared at him in surprise. He nodded. “That is why Muldoon goes. He is ready to bid life good bye, and will Witness the last days of Earth as his final service to our people.”
“How?”
“The Sarlene have finally figured out how to launch enough of an attack to eradicate them.”
Aria tried to focus on her breath. The Sarlene were a race who considered those on Earth an abomination, not because they were so different, but rather because they were too similar in appearance and biology to the Sarlene themselves. The Sarlene empire, deeply religious as it was, believed that Earth, with its people who were “inferior copies” of the Sarlene, was an evil sent specifically to test their faith. They had decided upon first contact that the only remedy for it was to destroy the planet and its inhabitants entirely. Distance and inferior technology on the part of the Sarlene had been the only thing keeping Earth safe.
The people of Earth, of cours
e, had no idea that they’d been in the crosshairs the entire time. Each second since the moment the Sarlene had discovered them had been one second closer to Earth’s demise. Two hundred years, nine months, one week, three days, nineteen hours, fifty three minutes and twelve seconds, to be exact.
Aria watched her father. “The Earthers have done nothing to deserve this,” she said. “They exist. Just as any of us do.”
“And as a trained Witness and scholar, you well know that that is very often the case,” her father said. “Muldoon will Witness its final days. And your studies should turn to more important matters. Such as leadership and diplomacy.”
Aria kept her face expressionless, despite the urge to bare her teeth.
“Very well, father,” Aria said. “If I may return to my studies?”
Her father nodded, and Aria gave a low bow and made her way out of his study.
Aria stalked through the crowded corridors, the stark white walls and gleaming white floors almost blinding after the dark severity of her father’s study.
Earth.
Her stomach twisted. A planet most of the galaxy considered to be nothing more than a rock full of backward beings. A planet none of them would miss, but one that, for whatever reason, she’d been fascinated with from the first time her tutors had mentioned it during her studies. It had consumed every second of her research from the moment she’d been allowed to choose her own course of study, much to the chagrin of both her father and her tutor, Narin.
And it was facing its last days. And she was expected to sit here and study diplomacy theory and protocols.
Aria glanced back. Her two guards shadowed her as always, faces impassive, eyes studying the crowd as always, ready for a threat that never came. Their people never sunk so low as to use violence. Raising a voice was a sign of weakness. Showing emotion, frowned upon as uncultured and undisciplined.
Riven (Exile Book 2) Page 18