by Zara Zenia
“Yeah, okay. Well what does that mean exactly and how does that tie into what you are doing right now?” I asked in confusion.
“You know how I have to prove to my planet that I’m worthy enough to fill my father’s footsteps and take over the ruling and protection of my people? Well, my first challenge is about to happen and I can’t screw this up.” He stood back up and moved over to the window, looking out the window nervously.
“What do you have to do?” I got up and slipped my nighty back on over my head.
“I have to leave Cardalph and go to Batorlurn. It’s a planet not far from here. The other species I told you about, the Daklins are there. Remember hearing about them? They are our enemies. Think of them as space bullies. They want to rule the entire galaxy and it’s my job to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“So, what do they want to do on Batorlurn?” I was still confused and needed a little clarification from him. I found it odd and a little suspicious that as soon as I came back to his planet, suddenly he had to run off and leave me here where I knew no one and had no idea where I was or what to do here.
“They want to invade Batorlurn. I have to stop that from happening.” He looked at me with stony eyes that made me recoil slightly.
“Okay,” I whispered and trailed off, not really sure what else to say. It’s not like I had a choice as to whether he stayed or left. I wasn’t even sure I had that same option if it came to wanting to go back home to Earth.
He softened and came back over to hold onto me. His grip was so tight I thought he might never let me go. He kissed the top of my head and told me he would be back as soon as he could. “I have to go now.”
Before I could respond he raced out of the room and down the stairs. It was so quiet in the house that I could hear him slam the door behind him. I had no choice but to sit here and wait for his return, not knowing whether that was ever going to happen.
Later that afternoon I was eating lunch alone that was prepared by one of his servants. I was outside on the palace lawn, overlooking his shimmering swimming pool. If I had any type of bathing suit to wear I might have been tempted to cannonball right into it.
I heard the back doors open and turned my head quickly to see if Togtulir had returned early, hoping for the best. To my chagrin, it was only Drozalia, and the vibe in the air quickly depleted around me. There was something about her that made me wary.
Today she was smiling, dressed in a long red dress that accented her large breasts. I couldn’t help but stare at them because she was flaunting them. “Hello, Cindy,” she drawled and came to sit next to me in a pool chair.
“Hello,” I said shyly, putting down the sandwich I was eating. Suddenly, I had lost my appetite.
“Togtulir has asked me to show you around Cardalph while he’s gone, to help you properly get acquainted with your new surroundings.” She pursued her lips together as if it was the last thing she wanted to do with her day.
“Okay, that sounds fun,” I admitted because I was curious about the city.
Drozalia stood up and beckoned me to follow her. We got into a very modern looking car that had windows covering nearly the entire vessel except for the frame where the wheels fit on. “Wow, this car is pretty cool.”
She smiled at me and told me that Cardalph was a little ahead when it came to technological advances. I had been afraid to touch all the gadgets in Togtulir’s palace in case I broke something.
“So, how do you know Togtulir?” I asked after we had set off down the road with a driver.
“Togtulir and I go way back, to when we were kids.” Drozalia stared out the window nostalgically. “I know him better than anyone. He trusts me with everything. We are extremely close.” She turned around to look at me, but I broke eye contact with her, feeling uncomfortable.
We arrived at a building that appeared shabby and rundown, almost like a prison. “Where are we?” I asked as we got out of the car.
“Follow me.” Drozalia had a devilish grin on her face and I wasn’t sure what to make of it.
We entered the building and it smelled musty and was very dark. I started to feel anxious; uncertain about why she would bring me to a place like this. I had been hoping we were going shopping or to explore the center of town.
“What is this place?” I whispered and looked over my shoulder suspiciously.
“We are at the cages.” She walked in front of me and then before I could ask what that meant, I saw it.
There were dozens of cages with actual people in them. They were different looking than Drozalia and Togtulir. Their skin tone was green and they were hairless. They looked more like aliens than Drozalia and Togtulir did. I walked directly in the center of the hallway because I was afraid what would happen if I got too close.
But upon further inspection, they appeared more frightened of us than we were of them. They cowered at the sight of Drozalia and ran to the corners of their cells, covering their bodies protectively. They were caked with dirt, and chains were attached to their wrists.
I looked over at Drozalia and she had a smug look of satisfaction spread across her face. I followed her through another hallway that led to a set of double doors, and then we were back outside. There was a low fog that had set in near the ground and the sky was gray and cloudy. I shivered not only from the temperature but from the way I felt inside too.
“Who were they? Why were they green?”
Drozalia smiled and walked slowly around the edge of the building, tossing her long braid around between her fingers. “Those are the Daklin prisoners. They are there to be tortured.
“Tortured? But why? They seemed harmless to me if anything they acted as if they feared us not the other way around.”
“Togtulir likes to keep people in check. He wants everyone to know he is the supreme ruler. He doesn’t want anyone to forget his reign of power.” She glared at me as if to warn me.
My head was spinning and I wasn’t sure what to think of what she’d just told me. If Togtulir had really put these people here to torture them just for fun, then he was dangerous and I needed to escape this planet as soon as I could. It didn’t seem to fit the personality I had witnessed from him, but then again, I didn’t know him very well yet.
“Maybe it was a mistake in coming here. I’m not sure what I’ve gotten myself into.” I looked at the ground, feeling defeated and used.
Drozalia came over to me and placed her hand on my shoulder, her demeanor changing completely. She was now a woman wanting to help another woman out in a sticky situation. It was human nature for women to empower each other to a certain extent and throw a lifeline to a sister in need. If she was acting I was none the wiser.
Normally I was good at getting a feel for new people and for reading their emotions and vibes. I was completely blocked when it came to Drozalia. I couldn’t figure her out, and that made me feel very unsettled.
“I can help you leave, darling. But you must promise to never tell Togtulir. If he finds out I helped you, he will kill us both. Don’t think you can hide from him because it’s not possible.” She was so close to my face I could smell her breath. Her eyes were sparkling as if she were plotting something risky and loved the adrenaline rush of not getting caught.
I had adrenaline pumping through my veins too, but for a different reason. I was almost frozen with fear. “Why would he kill us? Is he really that dangerous?” I felt terrified, and it felt like my windpipe was becoming narrower by the second. I struggled for air because I felt like I had just wasted all this time to come here to a different planet. I was feeling hopeless. I couldn’t even find true love on a different planet. How did I ever expect to find a man to love me on Earth if I’d traveled what I assumed were millions of miles and had struck out when it came to men in the middle of the galaxy as well?
My self-confidence was already bruised and battered from the years of emotional abuse I had endured from my parents and from Todd. I was getting beat into the ground now with the realizati
on that even the guys in outer space were no different from guys on Earth.
I felt hurt because Togtulir had been so kind and welcoming to me, going out of his way to make sure I felt comfortable with him and my surroundings. The intimate moments we had spent on the beach together were precious in my mind. I had trouble swallowing the fact that he could be such a soulless monster.
“Okay, how can I leave without him knowing?” I stepped back to bring some space between us.
“There is a way off the planet, but it will involve sedation, just like it did when you arrived. We will place you in a space aircraft that will lift you off Cardalph headed back toward Earth. It’s simple really. But we must do it before he returns from his mission.” Drozalia’s eyes were wild but I got the intuitive feeling that I should believe her. If for nothing more than what I had just witnessed; prisoners he kept chained up in dark cells seemingly just for the fun of a power trip he was riding on.
I nodded fervently. I needed to protect myself, and it wouldn’t be worth it to stay in harm’s way just to have a companion and a place to live. I had to believe Drozalia would help me.
“Okay, I’m in. Help me get off this planet.” As I looked back up at Drozalia, she was grinning wickedly.
Chapter 9
Togtulir
My mission to Batorlurn had been one of great victory. I was relieved that I was returning to Cardalph knowing that I could tell my people that I had released the grip the Daklins had over Batorlurn. This truth was substantial because it would show the people of my own planet that I’m capable of keeping them safe from the cruel Daklin species. They are dangerous, and I needed to always be on guard against their invasion.
I had to give credit where it was due, to a portion of my army who helped me win this newest battle with the Daklins. I couldn’t have fought them off without the brave souls who agreed to travel to the neighboring planet with me. I thanked our lucky stars that no one in our battalion had been injured.
After several days of being gone, I was eager to return to Cindy. I craved her delicious scent and soft skin. Word had spread around Cardalph by now that we had been successful in Batorlurn and I was ready to return home to people that respected me and had faith in my abilities to be their beloved leader.
I couldn’t help but think in the back of my mind that this vicious cycle was bound to continue until the threat of invasion was expelled from not only Cardalph but from all of the planets in the galaxy. I had a long road ahead of me and an enormous amount of pressure to make sure the foundation my father so intricately built did not collapse and crumble around us. My father lost his life on the Daklins’ watch and I wasn’t going to allow any further bloodshed to happen.
I had been in contact with Drozalia during my time away. She had told me that she and Cindy were getting along famously, and becoming friends. She told me that she had shown Cindy around the heart of the city as I had requested in order for her to better find her way around. I had asked Drozalia to keep Cindy away on the day of my return so that I could arrange a surprise for her when she got home that evening.
If I was going to change my image to fit that of a planet leader and not a bad boy, I needed to prove that to my new love flame as well. While the girls were gone, I worked elaborately to make a delicious steak dinner for Cindy complete with a white tablecloth and candles brightly lit on the table. I wanted Cindy to feel at home and enjoy some of the things familiar to her that she may have loved or considered lavish back on earth.
When she walked into the formal dining room a few hours later, I had expected her eyes to light up with delight. Instead, I was met with a woman with a cautious glare and a furrowed brow. “What’s all this?” she questioned me.
I approached her feeling a little confused about her reaction to my romantic meal. I wrapped my arms around her waist and couldn’t help but feel her tense up. I didn’t know what was going on, so I tried to kiss her.
She let me kiss her lips but didn’t let my tongue slide in to explore her mouth. I pulled away and gestured to the table. “I’ve made you a magnificent meal, darling. I wanted to make you feel special after having been away for a few days. I wanted to make it up to you.”
When I looked back at her, she was smiling, but to me, it appeared to be forced. “Is everything all right, Cindy?”
She hesitated a moment. “Yes, of course. Everything is fine.” She continued to smile and sat down at the place setting I had made for her, complete with her meal already served and a glass of red wine ready for her to savor.
Later that night I kissed Cindy as she went upstairs to freshen up. I purposely lagged behind so that I could call Drozalia for some clues or advice on what could possibly be going on with Cindy. If I went wrong somewhere, Drozalia would be able to detect it with her intuitive radar and help me out.
“Are you sure you didn’t say anything to scare her off?” I accused her into the phone receiver.
“No, you are just being crazy and paranoid. You have a weak spot when it comes to women you care about, Togtulir. You don’t notice it, but I know you too well. You don’t know how to handle love.”
“I do know how to handle love, Drozalia, and what would you know of it anyway?” I was being harsh with her but she was dodging every question I asked about where she had taken Cindy on the tour of Cardalph and what they had talked about during their travels around town. My frustration was crawling up my spine and making me jittery.
“Look, just relax, Togtulir. I didn’t tell her anything. I didn’t say anything bad or take her to any spots to scare her off. If she’s changed her mind about staying here with you then that’s on her, not me.” Drozalia then said she had to go and hung the phone up abruptly. I didn’t know what else to do, so I shuffled up the stairs to meet my future bride and hoped that she would talk to me about what was bothering her.
That night in bed, I tried to approach her with moves that before had previously led to pleasurable heights for Cindy already. I wanted to get a reaction that would bring the woman I was falling in love with, back to me from wherever she’d retreated to inside her mind. I had kept asking her if everything was fine at dinner, and her response was always the same. “Yes, of course, I’m okay. You are being paranoid. Thank you for the lovely meal.” Her voice had sounded rehearsed, but if she wasn’t going to talk to me, I couldn’t do anything but wait it out until she was ready.
I licked and kissed her nipples, teasing her before going down to her belly button and kissing her there. I wanted to send her over the edge. I crawled down and kissed her softly between her thighs. The way she was reacting to my touch was as if she was in pain. It was almost as if every time I touched her it brought her physical discomfort. She was wriggling around trying not to get too close to me.
I was worried, but I continued to try to satisfy her by thrusting in and out of her pussy gently at first, and then faster and faster until I released myself into her. After I had finished, I instantly noticed that she had not cum with me, which up until this point she had been doing. It had been a way in which we bonded during sex, and now that link was missing. She also had not been as wet and slippery as she had in nights’ past.
Cindy fell asleep quickly after we had made love. I stared at the ceiling trying to rack my brain on what I could have possibly done wrong. Perhaps she wasn’t as perfect a match for me as I thought. She could have emotional instability issues that she hadn’t unleashed until now.
When I left her, she had been a little confused, but she didn’t seem hurt or mad. I still couldn’t rule out that Drozalia hadn’t said something to her that would make her fear me. I had tried my best to touch her gently and with tender care during sex tonight, but she still seemed petrified. I had no idea where things began to turn sour, but I wanted to fix it.
After a couple of hours of tossing and turning about in the sheets, I felt as if I were going to explode with restlessness. I was antsy, and I needed to walk to clear my head. Plus, I didn’t want to wake Cindy. I w
anted her to be well rested so we could talk this out tomorrow.
I put on protective gear to be able to withstand the brutally cold temperatures that Cardalph had when the sun went down. When I stepped outside, I saw my breath fog up and release into the air, captured by the blanket of darkness. The moon that orbited our planet was not vibrant tonight, and I felt like I was not shining brightly either.
I walked past the palace and through the woods. I hoped there was no wildlife out here that would pose a threat to my safety, but I kept on. I was lashing at the twigs and limbs that scratched and whipped at me through my protective suit.
My mind went back to earlier this evening. I saw Cindy’s face flash in my memory. She was reserved and quiet tonight, not like she had been with me back on the beach. It didn’t make any sense for her to come out of her shell and then recoil so quickly. I blazed on, coming to a clearing in the woods. There was a small valley and I ran up to the top of the hill and looked up to the sky.
There was a trace of scattering of stars twinkling in the distance. They appeared so close, yet so far away. I felt the same way when it came to snagging Cindy as my bride. I hoped that she would come around from whatever was bothering her or at least choose to communicate with me about it. I lay in the middle of the valley with the grass cushioning me from the hard ground.
After a while, I got back up and wandered around until I got to the center of town. There were no people or cars on the streets. Everyone was tucked in warmly in their beds by now, bracing against the cold nights on Cardalph. I roamed on, wallowing in a sadness that was quickly claiming my mind. I tried to shake it off by running, but I couldn’t run fast enough to escape the dawn.
Chapter 10
Cindy