Chapter 1
Maya
Maya woke slowly. She was aware of the subtle back and forth motion of a boat perhaps. Then it all hit her, the memories rushed through her head in glaring clarity. They also came with an intense migraine from having been hit over the head. Those Ve’drans had kidnapped her! She slowly opened her eyes and found that she was bound hand and foot. They were inside of a spacecraft. She’d never been in one before, not one that was actually in flight, that is. She’d walked through one in a tour of an air and space travel museum.
Maya was strapped into the seat and faced a large, oval-shaped porthole, beyond which was deep space. Behind her she knew there were several other seats. She could hear her kidnappers talking in low voices.
“We will simply reveal her to the King and Queen as direct proof of Kohl’s softening with the humans…” That gruff voice sent chills down Maya’s spine. It was the voice of the one who had accused her of purposefully seducing Kohl. She remembered his name. Beerus.
“Then what of the woman?” another voice asked. Maya hated that she couldn’t see any of them. She wanted to turn around and curse them all to hell about a thousand times. More than fear and adrenaline, fury was hot in her chest. Of all the situations she’s been in. She’d never even dreamt of being kidnapped and taken to another planet.
“Once the king has DNA proof of her relations with Kohl he will surely want to dispose of her. Even if he renounces Kohl as his heir it would do no good for King Omrin to have a bastard grandchild. Especially one that is half human.” Beerus said. All that fury and heat was replaced by ice in Maya’s veins. Whoever King Omrin was, if he was truly Kohl’s father, he wouldn’t have her killed. Surely. Her arm flinched with the instinct to cover her swollen belly. Maya wasn’t terrified for herself. It was the baby she worried about. It hadn’t even gotten the chance to be born! If anything, she had to come up with a way to spare the baby’s life. She closed her eyes and prayed for Kohl to swoop in and save she and the baby from being killed.
“The woman is conscious, Lord Beerus…” Maya’s eyes flew open when the attention was called to her. A new surge of adrenaline went through her and her chest heaved with her need for more air.
“Just in time. Your fate should be decided soon,” Beerus whispered the words in her ear and she flinched to the left, away from his warm breath. He chuckled and then sighed.
“Beerus, you need not speak to the prisoner in that manner. Let us be disciplined, and simply present an accurate report to King Omrin,” one of the other delegates said. Beerus snorted.
Maya watched as the stars through the window came into relief. The spacecraft had slowed down. Maya saw the big, mostly green, planet below them. The craft picked up speed again and soon the ride became a bit bumpy as they entered Ve’dras’s atmosphere. She closed her eyes tight and didn’t open them again until she felt the soft landing of the craft. They were on a huge spaceport and behind it was an impressive palace. It glinted with copper and maybe gold spires.
Then her view was blocked by a guard stepping right in front of her. It was the same one who had manhandled her and knocked her out as they kidnapped her from her house. She flinched as he reached down to unfasten her from the seat. He only took the ties off of her ankles. Another guard stepped up beside him and they pulled her up onto her feet. She swayed a little, dizziness and nausea washing over her. It was a bout of morning sickness.
The guards kept hold of her upper arms though, so she didn’t fall over. Maya flinched again when a black bag was pulled over her head from nowhere. She was forced to walk forward and prayed that she didn’t fall over as they made their way off the craft. Maya registered the smell of ocean breeze as soon as they were clear of the craft.
As they walked, more like be dragged along in Maya’s case, no one said anything. She was sure they must have been a procession of at least six. Yet no one spoke. It was as though she were being escorted to her death and the morbid job required absolute silence. She tripped and one of the guards yanked on her arm and she tripped again.
“You know if I could see where I was going, this would be a lot easier,” she said angrily. And unable to keep quiet anymore. Not when she wasn’t sure if she and her baby would live for much longer.
“Beerus, Caspin, what is this?” The deep voice sounded almost eerily like Kohl, making her heart leap with hope for a split second. But there was an aged gravel to that voice. Maya knew it was not him.
“King Omrin, Fourth of that Name, we have come to you with troubling news. It deals with your son…”
“My son? Know your place Beerus. Do you not mean Prince Kohl?” the king asked. If they were in any other situation Maya might have laughed. Finally, that horrible Beerus was being put in his place. Hopefully they wouldn’t talk about killing her.
“Of course King Omrin, my deepest apologies. We have broken assignment to come to you here with news regarding Prince Kohl. We truly believe him to be softening against the humans. We have brought this human woman as our proof…” as soon as Beerus stopped speaking. The black bag was pulled from over Maya’s head.
She blinked a few times to get used to the brightly lit room. It was a small library or study. She was still flanked by the guards, but faced a huge oak desk. Behind it was someone who looked a lot like Kohl. He had more weight on him though. That and he wore some seriously regal-looking velvet robes. Standing behind him on his right side was a woman. She had Kohl’s amethyst colored eyes and was gorgeous in a timeless sort of way. She had long black hair and feline features, her gaze was sharp on Maya’s.
“She’s with child…” she said softly. Maya’s eyes widened with shock. How could she know that with just one look?
“Who’s child?” Omrin ground out between his teeth. He looked over at Beerus and Caspin.
“It is Prince Kohl’s my king,” Beerus said. Maya heard the smugness in his voice, but the King and Queen were too shocked to fuss over it.
“Call him back. I do not care if he is poised to sign the alliance with those spineless humans. Call him back to Ve’dras now!” Omrin exploded.
Chapter 2
Kohl
Kohl strode through the grand halls of the palace and attempted to keep his temper and breathing even. His father had sent him urgent request to return to Ve’dras, so he’d gone to Maya’s home. He wished to inform her of his impending temporary absence, but found her house empty, along with signs of a sudden departure on her part. It made him uneasy. He sent Kelhan to track her whereabouts and was subsequently informed that she had been taken by none other than Beerus and Caspin.
After the flight back to Ve’dras, Kohl was tired but went immediately to see his father. He strode purposefully into his father’s private library, where he was relieved and pleased to find Maya in one piece. She was seated off to the side of Omrin’s desk. Kohl’s mother and father stood side by side near the fireplace. The two very traitors Kohl loathed were standing near the guards posted behind Maya.
“What is this? Some sort of coup?” Kohl asked gruffly. He very much wished to remove the ties around Maya’s wrists and free her to his arms. Why was she bound? What could she possibly do to them?
“Please Kohl, spare us of the dramatics and explain this,” Omrin barked. He gestured to Maya who flinched from the power of the king’s voice.
“What do you mean, father?” Kohl asked. Beerus snorted and Kohl sent him a sharp glare. The coward looked quickly away.
“She is with child and both Beerus and Caspin claimed that it is yours. What’s more, we of course had her analyzed. The seed is indeed yours Kohl,” his mother, Queen Avira, explained. Kohl felt as if his entire being were injected with the heaviest of alloys. He stared at Maya in utter shock.
“There! The truth of things is written all over his face!” Beerus exclaimed. Kohl acted without thinking. He dashed across the room and took the fool by the throat, raising him up off the floor. “You…would kill…a diplomat?” Beerus choked out.
“With gladness. Especially one as treasonous as you. What did you come to Ve’dras expecting? Hmm? That I’d be stripped of crown and title, you fool!?” Kohl threw Beerus to the ground, where he coughed and gagged for air.
“Kohl…” the Queen cautioned.
“What, mother? I am simply beyond frustrated with these two! Especially Beerus! They’ve caused me nothing but trouble on Earth while trying to strike the alliance with the humans…”
“They say you’ve softened with the humans, that you’ve put aside your Ve’dran ideals,” Omrin said gruffly.
“No father I have not softened against the humans. I have learned how to manipulate them. As far as the woman, can you fault me for taking a dalliance? My situation on Earth is stressful and she serves as relief,” Kohl said. He heard Maya’s sudden intake of air and knew that he’d hurt her. He only meant to save her life by lying to his mother and father. If not, they would surely kill her and revoke his position on Earth.
“Father, tell for yourself. What with this debacle, Beerus and Caspin running on conspiracy theories and attempting to cause havoc? In my negotiations on Earth, I’ve only just begun to recover from their last poorly-thought out suggestion. If anything I would request that they be relieved of their positions on Earth,” Kohl said. He leveled a hard glare on Beerus who began stuttering indignantly.
“I wouldn’t easily trust the word of politicians over that of my own son,” Omrin said thoughtfully. “But you do understand Kohl, that I had to call you here. She is pregnant after all, and you are the progenitor.”
“I understand father,” Kohl said and bowed to his father.
“Well what of the child then son?” Avira asked curiously. “Would you rather it live? The mother is quite pleasing to look upon, I admit…”
“Of course the child should live,” Kohl said, careful not to look at Maya. For fear it would belie his true feelings for her.
“Very well then. Escort her to one of the garden suites. She will be cared for until she gives birth to the child. We will then arrange a trade for it depending upon its intelligence and so forth…” the queen said. Already Kohl knew his mother was making several hundred plans for his child’s life. Hardly palm sized yet, and still within Maya’s womb.
The guards took the ties off of her wrists and pulled her onto her feet. They escorted her out to fulfill Avira’s orders.
“As far as you two treasonous fools—” Kohl turned his attention back onto Beerus and Caspin.
“Please son, not in here. The tapestries date back generations…” Omrin said in a bored tone. He was escorting Avira out of the room.
“My prince, please. I meant not to be treasonous. I only became concerned when Beerus brought his suspicions to me…” Caspin begged. Kohl looked into the man’s eyes and knew Beerus was the true culprit. Kohl waved a hand at Caspin, dismissing him. He scrambled quickly from the room while Kohl stalked Beerus across the room.
“P-please Prince Kohl. I meant no disrespect…” Beerus griped.
“I know your exact intentions Beerus. You cannot possibly hide from them now,” Kohl wanted to punish Beerus for not only acting against him and conspiring behind his back. But for putting Maya’s life as well as his child’s in danger. Kohl grabbed Beerus by the throat and dragged him out into the hall as he unsheathed his sword. He stabbed the man in his gut with one swift strike. Beerus’s eyes widened with the shock of pain and mortal fear. Kohl wrenched the ceremonial sword from Beerus’s traitorous gut and he flopped to the floor. With another clean swipe, Kohl sliced Beerus’s head clean from his body. He bent down to wipe the sword on Beerus’s clothing and called for the nearest guard.
“Have someone clean this up,” Kohl said dispassionately. “Then take this to the royal treasury for a clean.” He handed the guard his sword and stayed only briefly as the soldier bowed low with respect.
Kohl had to remember not to run to Maya, though he was anxious to speak with her. Instead he measured his stride as he made his way to the garden.
Chapter 3
Maya
Maya paced around the opulent living room of what was basically an apartment. She assumed it was used for guests. It definitely beat being thrown in a cell to die. She paced by the huge view of the colorful gardens below her. The apartment was situated above a patio, or gazebo of sorts and it was surrounded by what looked like rosebushes. But the flowers looked like a cross between roses and lilies. Beyond the garden Maya could see that there was a wide blue ocean. From all the green she saw of the planet on the way in, she bet ocean views were a high commodity. Of course the palace would be built on a beach.
“Enjoying the view?” at the sound of Kohl’s voice Maya jumped. She turned around and saw him standing near the front door.
“I have no words for you right now,” she said. Kohl had told his parents that she basically meant nothing to him. She was then at the mercy of Kohl’s mother and didn’t know what the future had in store for she and the baby.
“Maya…I cannot express how terribly sorry I am that this has happened,” Kohl said. He crossed the room and attempted to pull her into his arms. But she shoved at his chest. For all the good it did, he hardly moved. But he got the message and dropped his arms.
“You don’t care about me,” she said, stating the grudging fact. Her chest felt like a knife was being twisted into it. She couldn’t help but have feelings for Kohl. She knew she was a goner in that sense. She just refused to face the possibility that what they had was just as he said earlier. A dalliance, a stress relief.
“That couldn’t be further from the truth!” he said emphatically. Maya looked up at him in surprise. Kohl hardly showed any outward emotion around her. She knew him to be collected. Even the time that he killed those guards for her, he did it with a calm surety.
“Sure Kohl, yet when your parent asked about me you were so quick to say I meant little to nothing to you. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. I just want to go home,” her tone was resigned.
“Maya, I had to say those things to save you!”
“Kohl I want to go home,” said Maya, ignoring him. “I can’t stay here until I have the baby! What if they decide that it won’t be good for you to have an illegitimate child? What if I have the baby and then they have no more need for me?” she asked him.
“That won’t happen Maya, I would not let it,” he said sincerely. “Please listen to me…” he said softly. Then he took her hands and pulled her towards the nearest couch.
“Kohl I don’t want to listen to anything other than you telling me how I’m going to get back to Earth,” Maya said adamantly.
“You have my oath that I’ll take you back to Earth Maya. You should give birth a place where you are comfortable…” he said. “I need you to trust that my feelings for you are not as light as a dalliance. I see red when you are in danger, all I want to do is be next to you, and I value you very highly,” he said sincerely.
“Still…you were so quick to deny me in front of your parents. How deep can those feelings be?” Maya asked. Her hand went unconsciously to her belly and Kohl looked down.
“As I said, I did that to spare you from any punishment. You must believe this. I won’t see you nor our child harmed…” he said softly. “If all else you won’t believe, believe that. And trust me for it. I’ll get you back to Earth.”
Maya looked up into his eyes and saw that they were unflinching as he looked into her eyes. She’d been back and forth so many times with Kohl that she was afraid to trust him as he was asking her to.
“It’s hard Kohl,” was all she said. Maya turned her head to look out the window. She felt like she’d start crying if she looked at him any longer. He sighed and she heard him stand up.
“I will return here shortly,” he said. Maya didn’t turn her head until she heard Kohl leave and the door close behind him. She wasn’t going to be caught off guard again. Even though he said those things earlier, she still wasn’t sure she could believe any of it.
Maya sighed and went to wander around the apartment. The kitchen was empty, there was only water in the refrigerator.
“How’s a pregnant woman supposed to stay here with no food?” she mumbled to herself. Maya opted for a nap instead. She went into the bedroom and fell asleep on the soft four poster bed.
Chapter 4
Kohl
As he made his way to his parents’ private suite, Kohl found himself wondering whether he and Maya’s baby would be boy or girl. Avira had set up a family dinner that he was to attend. He planned to speak to his parents on many counts concerning the situation on Earth, and Maya. As he approached the royal family’s quarters Kohl steeled himself. He entered his parents’ suite.
“Kohl, we were beginning to think you wouldn’t come,” Avira said when she saw him step in.
“Mother, of course I’d come. I took a slow walk is all,” Kohl said as he went to greet her with a peck on the cheek. Omrin was nowhere to be seen as far as Kohl could tell. “Why are you hanging about in the receiving parlor?” he asked his mother.
“Your father is in a particular mood and I wished to speak to you about this woman that was brought here…” she said. Of course she did. Kohl knew his mother often saw more than any other common being did.
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