by Roxie Ray
“Perfect,” I said. “Get the Protectors on board and prepare the ship. Rosa and I will meet you in the space station bay shortly.
“Will do.”
I put my comms device away and turned back to the bed. Rosa was stirring slightly, and she looked like she was a few minutes from waking up naturally. I moved a little closer so that I could watch her. The sheets fell away from her body to reveal the milky smoothness of her thigh. I remembered the sound she had made last night when I had kissed the inside of that same thigh; it was perhaps the first time in my life that I felt like a real king.
She sighed in her sleep, and then her eyes fluttered open. She turned and her arm reached out across the bed like she was searching for something. She was searching for me, and my whole body erupted with joy. There was nothing comparable to this feeling. I felt like I was floating half the time. Everything was somehow prettier, easier and more tolerable because Rosa was in my life.
My thoughts flickered towards my father and the manner in which he had procured himself a queen, but I pushed away the unwelcome memories. I didn’t want to dwell on things I could not change. I wanted to immerse myself in Rosa and forget every shadowed memory that tried to claw its way out into the sunlight.
“Quatix?”
The way she said my name left me with an excited tingling in my gut. It made me feel like anything was possible. To think she had been in my life only a few short days… it felt like I had lived a lifetime in those hours.
“I’m here,” I said, moving forward and sitting on the edge of the bed. I reached out, took her hand, and kissed it tenderly. “Did you sleep well?”
“I slept amazing,” Rosa nodded. “Did you?”
“Better than I have in years,” I confirmed. “I dreamt of you.”
She sat up and smiled. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“Do Svantians dream the same as humans do?” Rosa asked.
I chuckled under my breath. “Who can say?”
“True,” Rosa nodded. “But it’s nice to think about.”
“Yes. The Destroyer is ready,” I told her. “The repairs have been completed.”
“That was fast.”
“I requested it to be expedited, if it was possible,” I said. “I’m eager to get back home. I want to show off my bride.”
Rosa’s eyes grew dreamy yet distant. “Bride,” she whispered, almost as though she were talking to herself.
“Rosa?”
“Sorry,” she said, shaking her head slowly. “I just, I never imagined myself as a bride. I never thought I’d get married.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“I guess I never thought of myself as the type to fall in love,” Rosa said. “I never felt strong enough about any man, and when I was younger I was so heavily involved in —”
She stopped short and looked at me with wide eyes. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter now.”
I could see the anxiousness written in the redness of her cheeks, but I didn’t want to have to coax information out of her. I wanted her to tell me the whole truth about her past when she felt ready to.
“So you’ve never been in love?” I asked.
Rosa blushed and looked down. “No,” she said decidedly.
I longed for her to tell me that she loved me, but I understood it was too soon for her. I reminded myself that humans did not make connections with their mates in the same way that Svantians did. I would need to be patient. The secret was in developing a bond with her over time. Out of that bond, love would grow, and perhaps one day she could say she knew what falling in love felt like.
“Neither have I,” I admitted.
“Never?” Rosa asked.
“Well, not until recently,” I said.
Her cheeks flushed scarlet again, but this time she raised her eyes to mine in tentative curiosity.
“But, you barely know me,” she said.
“It is different for my kind,” I told her. “It is more about an instant, primal connection — an instinct that cannot be ignored.”
“And you feel that for me?”
“I do,” I said, with cowing away from the truth.
She smiled. I thought she was going to say something, but instead, she reached out and cupped the side of my face with her hand.
“Last night was very special,” she said.
“For me as well.” I nodded. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Not at all,” Rosa assured me.
We were interrupted when my comms device beeped again. “We will be leaving shortly,” I told Rosa.
“Of course,” she said, getting to her feet and pulling the cover sheet with her. “I’ll get ready now.”
As she walked away, I grabbed the edge of the sheet and pulled hard. The sheet fell away to reveal her overwhelming nakedness. She was Venus incarnate, a perfect specimen of female beauty.
Rosa gasped. “Quatix!” she yelled.
I chuckled without remorse, taking in the beauty of her soft curves, the sharpness of her hip bones, and the gentle swell of her high breasts. I felt myself get hard once again, but before I could grab her, she had grabbed the sheet again and run into the washroom to get dressed.
I very much wanted to follow her in there and bathe with her. Watching her bathe would have satisfied me, too, but I knew that if I did that, I would be less than productive for the rest of the day. I had to keep reminding myself of my responsibilities as King of Svante. This was the first time in my reign however, that I had seen my duties as an inconvenience rather than an honor.
By the time I had finished dressing in my soft leathers and black tunic, Rosa had emerged from the washroom in her human clothes. She had neglected to brush her hair, but I liked the effect on her. She looked like a mermaid with legs.
I stepped out of the Xehrulian guest chambers and came face to face with one of the castle guards.
“Good day, King Quatix,” he greeted respectfully. “I have been asked to escort you to the landing pad.”
I nodded gratefully. “Thank you, lead the way.”
Rosa and I followed him through the castle, and I watched Rosa’s head oscillate from side to side as she took in the castle’s finer details. The architecture was grand and certainly opulent, while the interior was less showy but still beautiful. There were large suits of armor that paved certain corridors and the chandeliers that hung from the high ceilings were so large they looked like the open mouths of the dragons of antiquity.
“Is your castle like this?” Rosa asked.
I smiled. “You’ll see the castle soon enough,” I said. “And it will be your castle, too.”
Her eyebrows rose, and her expression grew tight with nervous energy. I reached out instinctively and took her hand.
“You will make a fine queen,” I told her.
Rather than comfort her, my words only seemed to make her tenser. She fell silent, and I decided to leave her to her thoughts. We exited the castle through large double doors that were manned by two guards in uniform. The sigil of Xehrul flamed on the crest that sat in the center of their breastplates.
The sun fell down upon us generously, and it seemed to revitalize Rosa slightly. She started craning her neck to see beyond the line of spindle shaped trees in the distance.
We walked down a multitude of steps and came to an open field that directly preceded the landing stations. I could see the wings of the Destroyer as we walked towards it. I glanced at Rosa and noticed that she was panting slightly. Immediately, I slowed my pace, cursing myself for not remembering that her legs were much shorter and her pace was likely to be much slower.
“Why don’t I carry you the rest of the way?” I suggested.
Her eyes flashed with indignation, as though the very offer offended her. “No!” she said. “I can manage just fine on my own.”
I suppressed the smile on my lips. Her stubborn strength was extremely attractive, and it was one of the reasons I was certain she would make a fine ruler alongside m
e. She was calm and tempered in her responses, but there was an invisible steel lying just beneath the surface.
We stepped onto the landing pad to find the doors of the Destroyer open and the entry ramp deployed. I could see most of my protectors inside the ship, but a few stood on the ground, beside the ramp, waiting for my appearance. Terrox was among them and so was Quarm.
“My friend,” Quarm said, walking towards me. “It is a shame you must leave us so soon.”
“There will be time for another visit at a later date,” I replied.
“Perhaps on that visit you will have a prince or princess to introduce to me,” Quarm said lightly.
I smiled as I glanced back at Rosa, wondering if she had heard that. “Perhaps,” I said evasively.
Quarm and I embraced as I thanked him for his continued support of my people and me. Rosa came forward just as I was moving towards the ramp.
“Thank you for welcoming me onto your planet,” she said, addressing Quarm directly. “Please convey my thanks to your king. Tell him I regret that we could not have stayed longer, and I hope to meet him in the near future. I have heard tales of his bravery and strength in battle.”
Quarm nodded with a soft smile on his lips, and I watched with pride as Rosa made her way towards me. As far as I knew, no one had told her anything about the Xehrulian king’s bravery in battle, and yet she had known that this was the one compliment that would mean the most among our people.
Once we were inside the ship, standing at the main observation deck with the doors closing on us, I turned to Rosa.
“Their king is great in battle?” I asked pointedly.
She smiled. “I figured if he was anything like you, he would be.”
“What makes you think I’m good in battle?” I asked.
“Look at you,” Rosa said, as though that were answer enough.
I couldn’t help but bask in her admiration. It mattered more to me than I could have possibly said.
“You are a natural,” I said.
Rosa smiled. “I’ve just had experience working with a lot of stubborn men most of my life. The one thing they all have in common is…”
She trailed off, and then looked at me with a slightly guilty expression.
“Is what?” I pressed.
“Never mind.”
“Tell me,” I said. “Please?”
She laughed low. “Egos,” Rosa replied. “They all have big egos.”
I stared at her for a moment, and then roared with laughter. “So I suppose you were simply stroking my ego a moment ago?”
“Perhaps,” Rosa nodded secretively. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not true.”
“Excuse me, my King?”
I turned to find Comadin standing just behind us. His expression told me that he was bringing sensitive information.
“What is it?” I asked.
“We have received word from Brags,” Comadin replied. “He claims he has sensitive information for you.”
“Did he say what?” I asked.
“No, my King,” Comadin replied. “Only that he wishes to have a private audience with you once we arrive on Svante.”
I nodded, lost in thought. “Did he say anything else?”
“He told me to inform you that he has increased protection around the castle,” Comadin said knowingly. “Brags felt it was in our planet’s best interests to protect the Gnosees first.”
“Of course,” I nodded, wondering if every unexplainable event that had occurred so far had all led back to the same place.
Comadin bowed and walked away; the moment we were alone, Rosa turned to me and placed her hand on my arm.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, with concern. “Why do you look so worried?”
“I’m not worried,” I answered a little too quickly.
Rosa cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips in disbelief.
I smiled. “There is something very important that you should know about my planet.”
She looked slightly taken aback by my ominous introduction, but her eyes never left my face.
“Svante is home to a species of animal called Gnosees.”
“Gnosees?” Rosa asked.
I nodded. “They are small creatures who are very rare among the wilderness of Svante. They may seem like insignificant creatures, but nothing could be further from the truth. Their existence is the reason Svante continues to be a target for so many creatures out there. They all covet the power the Gnosees will bring them.”
“I still don’t understand,” Rosa said. “Why are these creatures so powerful?”
“They are creatures of chaos… wherever they go, calamity often follows.”
Rosa looked both intrigued and terrified. “How do they do that?”
“How can I read minds?” I countered. “We each have our gifts.”
“But we’re talking about an animal here,” Rosa said.
“These are not normal animals,” I tried to explain. “These creatures can and will destroy you.”
“How?” Rosa asked.
“By calling forth chaos.”
“But then how come Svante isn’t overrun with chaos?” Rosa asked.
“That is because Svante can control the Gnosees’ magic. The planet has an innate power that suppresses the Gnosees’ magic,” I explained. “But the moment the creatures are removed from Svante…”
“Chaos follows.”
“Exactly,” I nodded. “It has been my duty these many years to make sure no outsider gets their hands on a Gnosee.”
“Do you think that’s what the Sives ship was after?” Rosa asked. “They wanted to get their hands on a Gnosee?”
“It is possible,” I admitted. “I don’t want to rule out any options… but the Sives know that we never move Gnosees off the planet. They stood to gain nothing from attacking us the way they did.”
“How do you protect them?” Rosa asked.
“I moved a colony of Gnosees into the castle’s underground catacombs,” I told her. “And I fortified its walls with strong magic. The creatures cannot get out… but oh, do they try.”
“They’re intelligent?” Rosa asked, with interest.
“As intelligent as they come.” I nodded. “They have been known to convince men to free them just by talking at them.”
“Talking?” Rosa said incredulously. “They talk?”
“Their vocabulary is quite limited, but they get their point across.”
“Do I get to see them?” Rosa asked, and I could sense the excitement in her tone.
“If you wish,” I agreed. “But no matter how sweet and cuddly they seem, those creatures cannot be trusted. Which is why they can never be freed.”
“Even within Svante?” Rosa asked.
“There are poachers everywhere — trafficking is a large business, and it has worked well for many through the years. We cannot run the risk of letting any of our enemies get their hands on the Gnosees. Our borders are strong, but illegals frequently get in. We cannot stop everyone.”
Rosa looked down at Xehrul’s fast changing atmosphere. We could still see snippets of color, but while Rosa was staring down at the sprawling landscape, I could tell that she wasn’t really seeing it. Her mind was far away, wrapped up in the thrill of discovery and all the dangers that came with it.
“There’s still so much I don’t know about your planet,” Rosa said, at last. “And your people.”
“Well… you have a lifetime to learn it all,” I told her comfortingly.
She smiled slowly, though I still detected that she was preoccupied with something. She reached out and placed her hand over mine. It was the simplest of gestures, and yet it spoke volumes.
9
Rosa
Svante.
This was my new home.
We had just entered Svante’s atmosphere. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination or not, but everything looked a little brighter. I was in the king’s chambers when the announcement was made that we w
ould be landing soon. Quatix had gone down to the control center about an hour ago to make sure things were in order on the ground.
The observation windows from the chambers were large, and I knew they would give me a good vantage point, but the grand observation deck was almost twenty times the size, and I didn’t want to miss out on a thing. So I got dressed hastily and left Quatix’s chambers.
I was reasonably familiar with the Destroyer now. I certainly knew my way down to the central body of the ship. From there it was a short walk to the grand observation deck. The ship was very quiet; there was no one else around when I reached the massive deck and stepped in front of mammoth glass.
“Wow,” I breathed, taking in the rays of light spinning around in spools of color.
We had descended quite a bit more since I had left the chambers. Svante looked like a tropical paradise; it kind of reminded me of certain parts of Earth before it had gone to hell. I had never seen those natural wonders personally, but there had been lots of pictures floating around the rehab center when I worked there. It was soothing for some of my patients to see them. It seemed to calm them.
I leaned in as close to the glass as it was possible to get. I could see a massive forest sprawled out below us. All I could see were lush canopies that dipped in places, creating small black holes. I gasped as a flock of what looked like birds emerge from one of them. All I could see was that they were large and they had wings, but I was too far away to see any other distinguishing characteristics.
At one point, the forest seemed to thin out a little. I noticed a large clearing that filtered into a lake. There were several rivulets and streams that led up to it, and I was willing to bet that those streams would lead to oceans further south of the land. The lakes and rivers that I could see looked like they had been covered by a blanket of crystals. The water shimmered under the bright sunlight, changing color every time I blinked. If I strained my eyes, I could see the thin outlines of mountains in the distance, but they looked small in comparison to the rich enormity of the jungle we had just passed.