by Zara Zenia
Cardalph was a special planet, and I needed a wife with a grandiose type of personality, who would stand by my side through the thick and the thin. I had developed an island on Cardalph that was isolated from the rest of the planet. It was extraordinarily beautiful because it was surrounded by ocean, surf, and sand. The sunrises and sunsets on Cardalph were prizes I would always be proud of as a native here. The colors in the sky were different than that of any other planet in the galaxies I’ve explored. The radiant and vibrant hues of green, purple, and yellow took my breath away no matter how many times I stared at them. Being at the secret island made those colors even more pronounced.
I had planned to take my bride-to-be to the exclusive island, to get her acquainted with me and her new surroundings before I told her the truth about where she really was. I went back to surveying the prospective brides. There was certainly a variety and selection to choose from, on planets spanning across galaxies I’d never even heard of.
One by one I tossed the papers to the floor, ruling them out and moving on. Then suddenly, I was drawn to a beautiful brown-haired girl with soft green eyes. Her eye color reminded me of the sunsets we have on Cardalph, and that immediately sparked my interest.
The note on the inside said her name was Cindy Jameson, and that she was from Chicago, Illinois. I knew this meant she was a human, living on the earth. I was hesitant to get involved with or pick a human, but she was so intriguing. I couldn’t escape getting lost in her eyes in the photograph.
I saw that she had hand written a longer essay than most of the other women had bothered to put forth. I squinted to read her script, to see what she had to offer me. Even though she thought it was all about what I had to offer her, it was actually the exact opposite. I needed the bride I chose to have everything and more.
Her essay began normally at first, “Hi, my name is Cindy Jameson. I’m a 24-year-old, born and raised as a mid-western girl. I feel like the universe put this application in my mailbox for a reason. I have had my fair share of hardships over the past couple of years. I feel as if I’m an outsider to everyone, including my own family. I was in an unhealthy relationship for a long time. I finally obtained the strength to leave him, to grow into myself as a person.
Though my relationship was a failure, it wasn’t a complete and total loss. I learned how to treat people with kindness and respect because I felt so devoid of receiving such basic human compassions from my partner. I feel as if I can help mend someone else who feels broken because I felt that way too.
I’m still trying to overcome those challenges. Maybe a new spouse for me could help me find the missing puzzle piece that would make me whole. I’m sorry for the endless clichés, but I know I have the potential to be a good wife to whoever reads this. Thank you for your time. Respectfully, Cindy Jameson.”
I put the paper down and thought deeply about this Cindy girl. She seemed genuine, unique and strong. I needed someone like that, but I was still hesitant because she was a human. If I wasn’t so enthralled with her story and her beautiful eyes, she probably wouldn’t have been my first choice. I had overcome many obstacles in my life, and unless she was making it all up, she seemed to have overcome many of her own battles. But humans had a nature about them that was stemmed from hatred, competition, and wars of their own. I didn’t need any more negativity walking into my life.
Whoever I chose in the end to be my bride was going to get a royal wedding grander than they would ever expect. There was something charismatic about this Cindy girl that made me desire to know her. I got up from the chair and walked back inside my house, holding and staring at Cindy’s picture the whole time. I think I’ve found my perfect match.
Chapter 3
Cindy
When I woke up, I heard a strange sound; but I had not opened my eyes yet so I didn’t know what it was or where it was coming from. It was almost like the lull of ocean waves crashing in the faint distance. I opened my eyes expecting to see the bedroom of my apartment, but instead, I was somewhere completely different. I immediately sat up in bed and checked under the sheets. I was still clothed in the same pajamas I had worn to bed the night before. Still confused, I looked around.
I gazed in shock through a pair of wide-open French doors that had white drapes on them, blowing and dancing in the wind. I could see the beach all around me, only the sand was pink, not white. I thought I might be dreaming, so I shook my head and pinched my wrist. I opened my eyes again but I was still in this beautiful room, looking out at a magnificent stretch of beach.
I tore off the covers and stood up, covering my arms. The breeze was a bit chilly, and the air felt strange. It was fall in Chicago, but I couldn’t tell what season it was wherever I had woken up.
Then it dawned on me finally where I must be—the island in the advert! But an even more ominous thought surged through my brain. I was supposed to travel there by airplane first thing in the morning. Celestial Mates sent me my ticket confirmation. How was I already here? I had so many questions, but no answers. I needed to look around this place and see if I was alone.
I could smell something that resembled syrup coming from another room. I slowly crept out of the bedroom, my breath was frozen in my chest. I wasn’t sure what would happen once I exited through the door. Everything was decorated in white. The walls, furniture, and floors were white and almost too bright for my eyes to handle. I could hear a sizzle and clanging noise coming from a few feet away. I decided to follow it, mostly out of curiosity. If I was to let myself become overwhelmed by fear, I would have stayed in the bedroom with my feet still firmly planted on the floor.
When I turned the corner from the living room that also had panoramic ocean front views and open French doors, I gasped. There stood the most beautiful man I had ever seen or encountered in my entire life. Unable to form words with my tongue, I just stood there like an idiot with my mouth open. The beautiful man spoke first, thankfully. “Hello, Cindy. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Togtulir.” He flashed a smile with perfect white teeth.
“Togtulir?” I said, and then quickly felt embarrassed at my lack of manners at stating his unusual name. He only smiled and chuckled politely.
“Yes, you can write it down if you want to, in order to remember it.” His laughter was infectious and his body was gorgeous. I didn’t care what his name was, as long as I got to stare at him.
I turned my attention to the spread of delicious looking waffles and pancakes he had laid out on the kitchen bar in front of me. That explained the syrup smell. This guy is beautiful and can cook? Please tell me he’s the potential husband. I’ll say yes right now if he is.
He noticed me eyeing the food and said, “Are you hungry? I made you a breakfast I thought you would enjoy.”
“Yes, I am pretty hungry,” I admitted.
“Please, sit and we will talk and enjoy this breakfast together.” He gestured to a barstool and I sat as instructed. There was something unusual about him, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it could be. For one, he was much taller than any guy I had ever met. He appeared as if he might be seven feet tall or maybe even more than that. Even though he towered over me, I still felt a peaceful aura about him. I felt as if he wanted to protect me even though he didn’t even know me yet.
“Are you the guy who submitted for the mail-order bride through Celestial Mates?” I asked, as I cut right to the chase, and he nodded. “Hooray!” I thought in my brain but didn’t dare say it out loud.
After we enjoyed our breakfast and made small talk, I wanted to dig deeper for answers. For one, I had no idea how I got to this island. I had gone to sleep in my own apartment in Chicago, and then I woke up in a different bed on an island that I couldn’t tell yet if it was deserted.
“Would you like to walk on the beach?” Togtulir’s eyes gleamed when he looked at me. I had never had this kind of positive attention before, from anyone I’d ever known. I thought it was the perfect segue into asking him more questions about how I got here, and wh
at steps we were supposed to take now that I was here.
Although I was having a very pleasant time with him, I was still in the dark about a lot of things. I knew that making the choice to come here meant I had to give up certain freedoms, but I still deserved to know what was going on. It was a little unnerving to know I had been basically abducted in my sleep and brought here.
“You know, this island radiates a specific kind of peace in my heart that I’ve never felt before.” I looked up (way up) at Togtulir and smiled.
“I am glad to hear it. I want you to be happy with me.” He peered out toward the sea and I couldn’t help but wonder the journeys and trials he’s faced in his life. If he were still alone like me, I imagined it had probably not been an easy road for him either.
We stopped to rest by a cluster of rocks that were a sandy color. I found this entire beach to be strange, but also intriguing and beautiful. The sand was pink for one thing, and I had never seen sand this color in my life. The rocks were not dark, they were sandy colored, almost the same color as my skin. The ocean was clear, but I couldn’t tell if there were any sea creatures swimming around.
Togtulir looked at me with soul-searching eyes. I took this as an invitation to cut right down to business. “So, there is this one question that’s been nagging me since I woke up this morning. How exactly did I get to this island?”
He sighed and wouldn’t look at me directly anymore. I had a sneaking suspicion he was hiding something from me, and I was bound and determined to find out what that was.
“You were brought here by a boat.” Before he could explain any further, I interrupted him by gasping out loud.
“I remember now! I remember there were these two men dressed in black, with black gloves. They placed their hands over my mouth and injected me with something!” I felt hurt, but I vaguely remember being on a boat. I looked back at Togtulir who was looking at me remorsefully.
“Why did you drug me to get me here? I pledged to come here just by filling out the ad.”
“The memory you have is fake. Yes, you had a sedative implanted in you, but it was for your protection.” He looked so apologetic and embarrassed as he continued to explain before I decided to stand up and storm off. “You were actually teleported to the island for your safety. You wouldn’t have been able to handle the long trip.”
“Long trip? Where exactly are we?” I was getting impatient, but I didn’t want to press my luck because he was gigantic, and I had a bad history of being abused by men.
“Before you ask any more questions, I want to show you something. Come.” He reached out his large hand for me to take. Reluctantly I took it because I still felt like I was swooning in his glowing presence and wasn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet.
We walked in silence for a little while, until he brought me to a cave tucked under a sand dune. He gestured for me to follow him inside. I thought to myself, this is it. This is how I’m going to die. My miserable life will finally come to an end, I guess. It’s my own fault for agreeing to come here to be a mail-order bride in the first place.
But as soon as I walked into the cave, there were dozens of lighted candles everywhere, making the entire dark room glow and bringing an extreme sense of coziness. There were white wax candles, and the flames licked and tickled the air around them. “What is this place?” I spun around to ask Togtulir and couldn’t hide my complete awe.
“This is the place I like to come to in order to escape. I like to think and clear my head,” Togtulir stared ahead, with a cloudy gaze coming over his expression. I didn’t want to interrupt his thoughts, so I just nodded my head.
“It’s really sublimely beautiful here,” I admitted. I still felt a little uneasy that he hadn’t told me exactly which island we were on, but I was living in the moment for now.
“I didn’t bring you here to hurt you.” He took my hands in his, as we watched the ocean waves crash against the rocks from the opening inside the cave. “I sincerely want a wife who will support me and stand by my side. I think that girl could be you.” He turned to look at me with those shimmering eyes of his again and I was floored with lust that was hard to swallow.
After a few minutes, the sky began to turn green. “Why is the sky that color? I’ve never seen anything like it.” I was confused but drawn to looking at it all the same. Togtulir looked taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered from whatever it was.
“Is this the northern lights?” I asked, hoping it was because I had always wanted to add watching that to my bucket list.
Togtulir’s eyes lit up as if he’d had a revelation. “Yes, the northern lights. That’s exactly what this is.”
So that explained it. We must be somewhere up north where the northern lights would be visible. I would press him more, but for now, I wanted to witness them for myself. “Well let’s go watch them then!” I exclaimed and we exited the cave.
After a while, the sky only turned yellow and purple before the sun faded away. It looked more like a sunset than the northern lights. I began to suspect Togtulir was still holding something back, but I let it rest for now. I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt for a little while longer, besides he was so beautiful I couldn’t stop staring at him. He was dark, brooding and charismatic.
“So, why does a handsome guy like you need to advertise for a wife? Not to mention this island is so serene and lovely I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to stay here. I am glad no one was picked before me because I sure feel like I hit the lotto right now.” I smiled at him as we walked back to the beach house. He explained that night time got very cold here, and that we needed to be back inside before it got too dark outside.
He shut the door leading off the back deck and we walked inside. I sat down on the couch and he offered me a glass of wine. He was so charming and polite I couldn’t believe a guy like him actually existed. I immediately said yes; ready to unwind after an eventful day.
“I have had other prospects when it comes to women and finding a wife. I feel that none of them were engaging enough, or gave me enough of a challenge. I felt bored, but also got the sense they felt the same way toward me. There is not much to do on the island. They wanted to leave and go home because of how isolated it is.”
He seemed sad at the last statement and I felt sorry for him. He seemed to really love it here and I felt like it may have been rubbing off on me some as well. I decided to stay a while longer and leave the anticipation for now on where we were. I liked a good surprise after all. I had nothing to lose and he was so appealing to me. I went to bed that night thinking of a brighter future.
Chapter 4
Togtulir
I could see Cindy from the porch of the beach house. She was dipping her feet into the ocean water, kicking along at the waves lapping the shore. We had been here a few days now, and I felt that the flaws of my plan were starting to unravel. I had no idea how I was going to break the news to her that she was no longer on Earth, but I knew I had to do it soon. She seemed to enjoy being here, and had become acclimated and even settled to a certain degree.
I was not expecting her to just accept living life with a stranger, but I suppose the attraction she felt toward me was strong enough to uphold the connection. I couldn’t help but admit to myself that the feeling was mutual.
She was beautiful and delightful in her own right. She had been giggly and bubbly over the past couple of days and it really seemed like she wanted to start her life over and give this a shot. I needed a woman in my life who would actually finish what they committed to. Cindy staying here with me so far was living proof that she had that ability.
There had been a few times where she seemed skeptical, and even a little doubtful about where she was and what we were doing on this island. I had tried as hard as I could to answer her questions as in depth as possible without giving too much away, but I knew that time to keep it a secret was coming to an end.
She kept telling me how good-looking I was, and tha
t the beach was always a place she wanted to live but never got to visit very often. Only we wouldn’t be living here full time, but she did not know that yet.
All the same, she seemed so trusting of me that I knew I could tell her the truth and just hope for the best. I decided it was now or never, and I walked out into the pink sand to join her. She was starting to become suspicious about the sunsets here, always asking why the sky turned green. I had just kept telling her it was how far north we were. We were extremely out of her world north, and she was about to discover that truth.
“Hello,” she grinned fanatically at me as I walked up to her. She was wearing a light cream-colored dress that had tiny purple flowers on it. Her hair was blowing in the wind and she looked like a princess. If she agreed to return to Cardalph with me, she would have a royal wedding fit for a queen.
“Hello,” I responded. “Let’s take a walk.” I reached my hand out and she grasped it with so much affection, I felt it charge through my body as her skin made contact with mine. I could feel myself start to lose control of my emotions and sexual desires toward Cindy. I didn’t know if I could contain it anymore. Even though I was trying to stay from my old ways and habits as a bad playboy among my people, I still had needs. I wasn’t able to completely shut off the light switch of sexual freedom and exploration.
Cindy was gorgeous, slender and tall. She was sexy, not only for her looks but because she was kind and laughed at my jokes. Her smile was genuine, even though sometimes I could feel a slice of the pain of her past come through when she stared right through me.
“Do you feel the same connection as I do?” I couldn’t hold it in any longer; I felt the intensity of wanting to seduce her.