by C. R Corbin
Mortok (Morelen Princes Book 1)
by C.R Corbin
Table of contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
More from the Author
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CHAPTER ONE
Julie
Some women my age are living it up on Earth, far away from the frontier, far away from the Morelens. Some women are stationed near the home solar system and never have to worry about getting attacked, ever. I dreamed of a day when I would simply get to wake up in paradise, sipping wine and trying on a variety of dresses that I never thought that I could afford. Other times I dream of being granted a small family of my own, itty bitty children that would stand as high as my knees and have me running in circles. There would be a man that would love me, tall, handsome, muscular, successful.
Oh, but they are wistful, wistful dreams that will probably never come true.
Instead, I get to be the middle child in a series of 5 sisters. At the ripe age of 24 too. Every day I wake up and feel as though I'm wasting some part of my youth and the feeling never really settles in my heart. There is always ambition involved, some kind of inclination towards the stars. When I was told old fairy tales and stories as I grew into the woman I am today I never really thought that my life would end up like this.
After all, this was not the dream that humanity had been selling all this time. Right? It couldn't be.
And today was the day of the prince's assessment for breeding stock as I liked to call it. They liked to call it a "mate" although I wouldn't give the term such a generous assessment. Ever since the Morelens won the war every frontier colony of humanity's that bordered the Morelens could be used for whatever purpose the Morelens saw fit. Unfortunately for most people, the Morelens chose to use humanity to fuel their breeding stock.
Or sorry, "Mates".
I knelt near the window, gazing out onto the sunkissed ground. There were various weeds and grasses growing out of my front lawn, all of them descended from the varieties on Earth that had been brought here by the earliest terraformers. The date of Islani's foundation was approximately 100 years back. It was meant to be a mere mining colony and nothing more, maybe a trading outpost or a residential area at some points but primarily a mining colony. As were all human colonies I suppose.
My knees slide against the simple concrete slab underneath me as my hands dust the windowsill, the thick glass glimmers as the light falls onto it at strange angles. My vision is filled with a variety of colors as I keep my sight on the front lawn which was only as big as my bedroom which was, needless to say, not large at all. It was approximately 10 ft by 7 ft, a tiny closet by most accounts.
But it was mine, as was the rest of this humble place. Well mine to share with my entire family that is.
Papa died about 7 years ago so there were only women living in this house. The Morelen prince, Mortok, decreed that if romantic relations were established then the couple would have to move elsewhere as this planet was made for him to select from. Most of the couple moved to the neighboring planetary systems that were more residential which left only the prime candidates for the prince. There weren't that many men here anyways, the Morelens were infamous for forcefully moving most men off of the planet towards colonies deeper in the human sphere of control. Still, there were some, none that paid any attention to me, however.
My two older sisters, Cindy and Lauren, were the epitome of beauty by human standards. I was surprised a man didn't make his move yet. Perhaps they did and were rejected as both of my sisters aimed to either get with the prince, or, once he was finished with this place, just leave to a nicer colony with much more handsome men. My two younger sisters had the same intentions although the two of them were only barely above 20 and were still fooling around with neighborhood boys. Neither of them thought that much about men or romance.
Me? I was the curvy, "homely" girl that couldn't get a man to glance at her much less get one to date her. Not that I minded though, I didn't know what Morelens liked in a woman but I was pretty sure I was going to be the last candidate that they would choose. With any luck, I could be free to go wherever I wished after this selection ceremony was initiated tomorrow.
"Julie! Julie get over here! Quickly!" shouted my older sister, Cindy. I could see the strands of her long blonde hair flicker over the concrete door frame as she poked her head in. Her pink lips pursed together and that slender, petite figure of her's twisted while she stepped inside. Her grin widens and her green eyes glimmer with the light of youth even though she was quickly approaching her 30's.
"What is it?" I asked her in a morose tone. My eyelids dripped over and my mouth was slightly agape in boredom. My soft brown curls brushed my cheeks and my tired brown eyes rested on that porcelain face of her's. She was everything that I wasn't and yet she was the sister I was the closest to. Ironic.
"Aren't you going to come into the living room? We're prepping for the prince's arrival tomorrow." she squealed.
"Uhhh...I think I'll pass."
"C'mon! With any luck, he'll pick you! Have a little faith!"
"And what makes you think I want to be picked? I would rather he just pick someone I don't know and let me be on my way off of this rock and on with my life. I don't want to live with some Morelen, especially not with practices like this." I muttered under my breath.
"You can't be serious. That's their culture and besides, I heard his mansion is absolutely massive. It's built into a mountain and is so much better than this concrete hut. Also, all Morelen's are built! Oh god, imagine the muscles, that handsome face, god I'm get-"
"Enough! I think I've heard enough!" I stammered with a flustered face.
"I was going to say I'm getting weak at the knees! Get your mind out of the gutter." she giggled.
It was true that being mated to the prince would result in a tremendous improvement to the quality of life that a girl would have. She would get the finest care, the finest foods, she would live in ample luxury for the rest of her life with a man that would do almost anything to please her. That is except, giving her back, of course.
The primary reason that Morelen's won the war was because of their exceptionally powerful physiology. Each of them were built like human athletes since they had to be adapted to their mountainous homeworld. That meant extremely strong muscles in order to cling onto the rocks, claws on both their hands and feet, small horns, a cardiovascular system that could function at high altitudes. Once they discovered that humans were sexually compatible they instituted the whole mating clause thing. Most women were in uproar but once they realized the benefits and realized that the average Morelen man, let alone a prince, was far more handsome than a cover model, some turned around to the idea but some didn't.
I was firmly in the latter.
I, for the most part, didn't really want to be selected on a matter of principle. I was my own woman and I would choose the man I loved, I would not be taken away like cattle. I didn't really care if I got picked or not in the end though, even if the chances of me getting picked were tremendously low.
"Hello? Julie?" called Cindy once more and I sighed. This time she brought Lauren along with her. Lauren pokes her head in and stares at me with her brilliant blue eyes and her blond hair blends with Cindy's, I swear some days they looked exactly like one another.
"So you com
ing?" Lauren asked.
"I think I'm content here." I stated in a deadpan.
"Alright then." Lauren sighed and walked away. Luckily she was far less persistent than Cindy was.
"What are you going to spend your life doing if you don't get picked Cindy?" I asked, resting my chin on the concrete windowsill. I could still hear her breathing scratching the concrete door frame.
"Oh uhh...I dunno. Might move to a colony closer to Earth. That's likely what I would do. I'm not entirely sure you know? I think I'd just get a job working as some sort of agent for a big company. Still have that intergalactic business degree you know?" she said with a wink and I allowed myself to smile.
"So you haven't really thought about it? You put that much effort into getting picked did you?" I asked and she hummed.
"Yep, yep."
"And if you don't get picked? Would you be disappointed?"
"Yeah, most likely. I'd probably get over it though. I'm not that pathetic. The thing is though is that I heard Mortok is exceptionally nice compared to most princes. I heard he's a bit cold and mean at first but all his servants said he's one of the nicest masters that they could have ever had. To be chosen by him would be like winning the lottery." she gushed and I could only roll my eyes with a small grin sneaking up on my face.
"I get it. I get it. You have the hots for this guy ...Alright. I'll go along with you just to help you out. I'm not letting you guys touch my hair though." I sighed and got off of my spot near the window sill. My feet slide along the cold concrete and I follow her as she slips into the living room and nearly hits one of our little sisters.
"There you are Julie. Was beginning to worry you wouldn't show. You know how important this is for your future right? you get chosen then it could mean a life of luxury." my mother reminded me, I only huffed.
"Yeah yeah, I heard enough of that from Cindy already. Not like I'm going to get picked." I muttered as I sat on the floor near where Cindy was getting her hair tied up
"Yeah who would pick you?" my little sister Beth, said to me. I could see those mischievous and bitter beads of brown shine behind a small curtain of brown hair. She wasn't the exceptional looker either.
"Beth. You be nice." said mother and I sighed.
I knew I made a mistake by coming out here.
#
Mortok
"Prince Mortok, we're set to arrive in approximately 40 deros." stated my assistant, Otono. I turned my head to the side slowly and bore into him with my golden gaze before nodding with a small smile. I really had a bad habit of making them feel uncomfortable when I didn't intend it.
"Right. Thanks, Otono." I Stated while resting my feet on the small, curved chair in front of me. It was made of furs and foaming from distant planets that I have never seen. The color was somewhat of a mismatch of both blue and purple. I raise a hand up to my chin and stroked it thoughtfully while I glanced over the map in front of me. An map of Islani.
"Is there anything you require of me?" Otono asked in a quiet voice.
"Uhh ...Why don't you sit here for a moment. I want to talk." I said and instantly his posture stiffened.
"It's nothing bad! I promise." I muttered and shook my head with a hint of amusement which kind of put him at ease.
I look into those tired black eyes of his, his blue-grey skin glimmers in the light of the projector I had against my wall and he takes a seat next to me. He is dressed in the traditional robes of a Morelen servant, wrapped up bundles of grey cloth that match the tone of his skin. I wore the same although my material was slightly nicer, bundles of purple cloth circle their way around my body while I rested my head on a soft pillow sent to me by foreign dignitaries of planets that I could never reach.
"Are you worried about something sir?" he asked and I shook my head.
"Worried? No, no, we're going to choose a mate. What would I be worried about? I was just looking at the map of the area. They have plenty of different settlements but this one...it's the largest isn't it?" I asked him.
Over the last couple of days, we've been taking a tour of the area, basically arriving at any spot that we wished and choosing from the women there. I haven't found one yet, for some reason none of them clicked with me. This was one of our last stops and I sincerely hope that I would find the one here or else I would have to go to one of the other moons and if I didn't find one there then I might have to write a letter to another prince to request that I venture onto his lands to find a woman there.
I sincerely hoped that wouldn't happen not only would that be a tremendous blow to my status but it would be a tremendous wound to my own pride to have to rely on someone. I already had my mind set on this future where I picked a girl that I wanted from my home and if it didn't turn out that way then I would be ...disappointed.
I've been dreaming of this day for ages, the day when I would be ready to pick a mate. I knew as soon as I hit the prime age of 24 in Morelen years that I would be able to pick the woman that I wanted. If it didn't happen this year then I would have approximately 6 years after to find one but it was said to be especially fortuitous if you found the one earlier than that. That's why I was here now.
Each prince was granted his own planet and its moons once the war was over with. I was assigned there near the frontier to pick the one I wanted. My planet, Geran, was a rather rugged and beautiful mountainous world that was akin to the Morelen homeworld of Morel. Tall mountainous peaks and chilly temperatures, just what I needed. I also got three moons A great deal considering the fact that some places only have one moon.
And thus I had an enormous pool to select from.
The attraction levels for a mate were always the same, the Morelen was supposed to go absolutely crazy for her and there was a very specific type of woman that a Morelen would select. Once she was chosen then a mating bond would form and both of the parties would be eternally bound. A Morelen man would never have eyes for any other woman and the woman herself would never have any eyes for any other man. A mating bond could only be fully formed with the consent of both parties but I was sure that with my charms I could woo any girl no matter how unwilling she was.
The idea of mating with humans only came into vogue recently. Before a Morelen prince would simply select from the domain of his own planet for a Morelen woman but if he couldn't find his mate there then he would search among the human colonies that he was granted. That's why I was so determined to find my mate here, on Islani. To not would be an embarrassment seeing as how I had nearly everything in my favor, three moons, a great planet. I had to put up a good front for I was granted these gifts, I wouldn't want to disappoint father or not live up to what I had been granted.
For I was meant to be the perfect prince as a result of these gifts, I would not falter.
"Are you worried you won't find the one, my lord? I'm sure that you will. I'm almost positive that she is on one of these moons. You assured me earlier but I'm not entirely sure you're sure." Otono suggested and I only quietly glared at him.
"Are you questioning my state of mind?" I asked and he nearly leapt out of his seat to bow in front of me but I only waved my hand with a sheepish laugh.
"It's fine Otono...i'm fine." I grunted.
"So what did you want to talk about?" He asked, his hands were still shaking from my display. Sometimes I play up the role of the perfect prince all too well.
"Did I say that? I just needed some company is all. Sorry if I misspoke." I muttered, clearly forgetting what I wanted to speak to him about.
And he was even more nervous than before, "No sire. It was my mistake for asking such silly questions. I should have known." he nervously assured me and looked back at the screen. I could only frown as I heard the fear in his voice, the strange intonation.
It wasn't something I liked to hear.
And as I gaze back at the flickering image of the small town, Yorui, in front of me. I can't help but feel that I'm on the brink of finding her but that all
will not be what it seems. Perhaps I would have my work cut out for me and my mate would not be so keen on the idea but how could she not? I had fortunes and powers that easily dwarfed the amalgamation of all the capabilities of every individual on this moon.
I was Mortok, the greatest prince in this quadrant, and I would have my mate.
CHAPTER TWO
Julie
"They're arriving!" called out Beth from our rooftop. I only sighed and shuffled my feet as I paced around my room. Let's get this over with so I could go back and take a nap and probably book a ticket out of this damn place.
I slipped on the dress that Cindy had given me. Apparently, she found it in a nearby thrift shop when looking for her own dress and she knew my size after she practically demanded it from me so she bought it. It was a black tube dress that showed off my midriff and "emphasized my figure" as Cindy put it. I wasn't so sure it did that as much as it made me look even more unappealing than I already was. My curves were unashamedly displayed in this outfit and I was already growing to hate the tightness. I just wanted to be back in my shirt and shorts thank you.
"Come on! Come on! Everyone to the center!" said my mother as she got us all in the small hovercraft that was then driven to the center of town. Lauren did the driving and that didn't help ease some of our nervousness, the way she swayed and turned was absolutely nauseating.
Once we got to the center....it was safe to say that things were rather chaotic
Every inch of the cobblestone square was taken up by a variety of people that were all gathered here to see the young women of Islani get handed towards the prince. There was a checkpoint at the entrance that we had to scan our identification cards with in order to "check-in" as it were. Mom shuffles us all out and has us all walk past the checkpoint and I can only sigh and roll my eyes as I heard the women excitedly squealing. I make my way forward into the large center of the square and stand there for a while. Each row of girls stood about 10 feet away from one another in order to give the prince enough room to walk by, in addition, each girl had their ID cards hanging from their belts in order for the prince to recall the name and number of the woman he would choose. If he chose this time around. Since this was a relatively big town by Islani's standards there would be multiple sessions in the entire day, from dawn to dusk. The selection process for each household was random and we got assigned for the midday session which was right now. Some said it was better to go at night, some said dawn, I don't know, this whole thing is just a tremendous bother.