Princess For Them

by Kelsey Blaine

  “It appears they are now discovering we didn’t actually harm any of their soldiers…” Kelhan gestured to the TV which was then muted. The screen was showing the aftermath of the battle in the monitor room.

  “Did any of you guys get injured? Other than Kohl?” Maya asked.

  “Yes, two of ours. But they were administered an antidote and sent to Ve’dras to be treated. They are in good hands for the trip,” Kohl assured her.

  “And what about you? Do you need any more medicine?”

  “No, it is up to my body’s natural processes now. Do not worry Maya,” he said. He took her hand and kissed her palm. A comforting gesture for both he and Maya.

  There were nine of them; Kohl, Maya, Kelhan, and remaining guards who elected to stay. They sat in the room watching the news reports and speculations of the night’s events.

  “I think that’s enough television…” Maya murmured after some time.

  “We will take leave of you now Prince Kohl?” Kelhan inquired.

  “Yes, but do keep yourselves well hidden. Do not draw any attention to yourselves. We still have important business on this planet. And you’ve all seen how sensitive the humans can be,” Kohl murmured.

  “Of course my prince,” Kelhan said, echoed by the other guards. They all stood to salute Kohl before they filed out of the house.

  “Come on Prince Kohl. Let’s get you into bed. You look tired,” Maya said while helping him onto his feet. Kohl glanced at his shoulder. The wound was no longer puckered or so red and angry looking. He no longer felt the sting of the poison being neutralized within him either. It was safe for him to rest and he was eager to do so with Maya by his side.

  “That sounds good…” he murmured. “You can play at being my war bride. Tend to my wounds and administer the medicine of your love,” he said in her ear, making her laugh.

  “War bride huh? I don’t think so…” she giggled. “I’m good being your regular bride. The one above all else.”

  “You’re the only one,” Kohl said and paused in their ascent up the staircase. He pressed a sound kiss to her lips then whispered against them, “I love only you.”

  Chapter 3

  Maya

  Maya was beyond relieved to have Kohl sleeping sound next to her. She was relieved that he was alive. All they had to look forward to was figuring out the delicate situation with the UAP and the Union of Earth Nations leaders. Then they could figure out how they’d go about their future. Of course she had every intention of marrying Kohl. But she still wasn’t sure she could let go of Earth. She knew that rationally she’d have to move to Ve’dras, so that their child could have Kohl in its life. Not only that, it could have its grandparents there too.

  Maya would have loved to have more family than her mom around while growing up. She knew how much Avira wanted to be a part of the baby’s life, and how good it would be for the baby to have a grandmother like her around. She also knew that when Kohl took the throne over Ve’dras his schedule would likely be hectic. She continued to study him as he slept. Even in his sleep his expression was serious. As if down to his subconscious he knew he had quite the road ahead of him. She traced her finger along the curve of his nose and the shape of his lips. After all the excitement of the day she couldn’t sleep. She likely still had adrenaline circling through her system.

  Sighing, Maya gingerly got out of bed. She wandered around the house until she came across a small nook on the first floor, near the front door. It had a key hook with one set of keys for one of those SUVs the Ve’drans often drove around in. Then below, in a bowl, Maya recognized the keys to her house, as well as her cell phone. It had been taken apart, the battery and SIM card pulled out of course. Immediately she thought of Tilly, who must be seven kinds of worried about her. Maya hesitated. But then acted on impulse. She grabbed the keys to the SUV and her cell phone along with its contents.

  She slipped out of the house quietly and went around to the garage, the SUV was parked inside. When she got into the driver’s seat she silently thanked the vehicle’s manufacturer for building a quiet engine into it. She made sure not to roar away from the house either. She didn’t really step on the gas until she was off the safe house’s land. Then she pulled over and reassembled her phone. When she turned it on she found she had half a battery left. But at the rate her phone was downloading messages and voicemails she wasn’t sure that battery would last. She quickly called Tilly.

  “Maya?” Tilly answered in disbelief. “Maya is that you? Are you there?” she asked in rapid fire.

  “Yeah, it’s me Tilly. Relax I’m okay. Are you home?” Maya asked quickly. She didn’t want to give time for any sort of tracking to happen on her phone.

  “Yes, I’m home! What happened, where are you?” Tilly asked, concern and upset all over her voice.

  “Tilly I’m on the way over. You don’t need to panic,” Maya sighed then ended the call. She dismantled her phone and made the long drive to the city and Tilly’s house.

  Maya was relieved not to find police cars or unmarked vehicles swarmed around Tilly’s townhouse as she drove up. She glanced around though, just to be sure no one was watching her or anything like that. Before hurrying up to the front stoop, before she could even knock on the door, Tilly swung it wide open and yanked Maya inside for a tight hug.

  “Maya! I thought you’d been killed or worse,” Tilly murmured. “They didn’t torture you, did they? They didn’t make you abort the baby?” she whispered the last word as they walked deeper into the house.

  “No the baby and I are fine, more than fine. We’re…” Maya held up her left hand and Tilly gasped when she saw the ring.

  “So you guys really are engaged to be married?” she asked.

  “Yeah Kohl loves me. He stood up to his parents about me. He introduced me as his wife, practically, to others on his planet. He’s not a monster Tilly. He’s not what everyone is making him out to be,” Maya said in a rush.

  “So what happened? I came back with food after you took the tests and then you were gone. Not only that but the pregnancy tests were gone and the front door open and you were gone…I didn’t know what to think. So I called the cops and of course the whole situation blew up in about three seconds. I didn’t know whether I should come clean about the pregnancy or not and figured I would just not say anything about it until I knew what was going on. Since everyone seemed to be concerned about getting you back anyway and—”

  “Till relax. It’s okay, you did everything you thought to do for me and I love you for that. I love you even more for not telling the public about my being pregnant. I can only imagine what the news and such would do with news like that…” Maya cringed at the thought.

  “So what happened?” she urged. Maya pulled her down onto the living room couch with her.

  “Well two of Kohl’s diplomats were suspicious of him and found out that Kohl was seeing me. They kidnapped me and of course had seen that I was pregnant. They showed me to the King of Ve’dras and accused Kohl and me of basically trying to wreck the Ve’dran Empire. Then Kohl shows up like Superman and just squashes everything…Tilly, Kohl’s killed for me,” Maya told her.

  Tilly’s features registered shock, then Maya could see the wheels turning as she digested everything. “Oh…well then I guess I just didn’t know how serious you guys were. I thought you were like his booty call or something,” she admitted sheepishly.

  “Now Till, when would I ever allow myself to be a booty call?” Maya asked with a chuckle.

  “Yeah, I was just concerned you know. He wasn’t a good guy…” she said. “You used to complain about him all the time, when he first came to the hotel.”

  “He’s changed, a lot. Trust me he isn’t out to bully everyone on Earth or take it over. He just wants the best for his people and he sees ways to find that peacefully and diplomatically now,” Maya said.

  “Well I trust you, and since you’re here alone on your own free will… Are you?” Tilly paused to study Maya’s r
eaction, she nodded reassuringly. “Then if you trust Kohl, I won’t hate the guy. After all I’ll be the baby’s godmother,” she said with a tentative smile.

  “Of course you’ll be godmother…” Maya hugged Tilly who returned the embrace tight.

  “So what’s going to happen after he fixes this mess here? Are you going to marry him on Ve’dras? Are you going to live there?”

  “Well…I haven’t thought about it much. I just don’t know yet, leaving Earth isn’t quite like taking a vacation overseas or even immigrating to another country. It’s big,” Maya said.

  “Yeah, but you being pregnant with Prince Kohl’s baby isn’t a small thing either. Not to mention you’re engaged to the guy,” Tilly pointed out. Maya sighed and sat back against the couch cushions.

  “I love him…maybe I can get used to life on Ve’dras for him?” she said, more to herself than Tilly.

  Chapter 4

  Kohl

  Kohl woke to an empty bed. Immediately, adrenaline surged through his system as he couldn’t sense Maya close. He quickly slid out of bed and searched the bedroom suite. She wasn’t in the bathroom, or in the closet. He hurried to search every room in the house for her. She was nowhere. Memories of the last time she went missing flashed rapid fire through his mind and upset him.

  “Kohl…?” the sweet sound of her voice washed through him as it floated through the house. He practically sprinted to the kitchen’s backdoor. “Hey…I figured you’d be awake by now. I’m sorry I didn’t leave a note or anything. But I had to go see Tilly. Then we—”

  “Don’t ever do that again Maya Lu,” Kohl said hoarsely. He wiped a hand over his face and took a heaving breath. Remorse flooded her features as she studied him. “I woke up to an empty bed. You were nowhere near. I cannot stand the thought of you being…” Kohl trailed off as she crossed the space between them and took him in a tight embrace.

  “I’m sorry Kohl. I didn’t think,” she murmured against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and took a deep breath, inhaling her scent. “I have good news though,” she said.

  “First, will you promise to always tell me of your whereabouts?” he asked seriously.

  “I’ll never leave you wondering again. I promise,” she said, smiling up at him reassuringly.

  “And will you promise to let one or two guards—”

  “Kohl, that’s excessive,” she chuckled.

  “I’d like to have you protected at all times. At least let me assign a guard to you. He would wear normal human fashion and simply shadow you from afar, as well as take you wherever you wish to go,” he said. Maya considered it and then slowly nodded.

  “Okay, that’s fine,” she conceded. “Now I have good news. Let’s sit down.” She led him to one of the kitchen stools behind the raised island. “I know you wanted to lay low for a couple of days, to let things die down…but I think it would help if I gave a statement to the public.”

  “I do not like the idea of owing people anything past what was already divulged about our relationship Maya,” Kohl said absently. He glanced down at his shoulder and found the wound completely healed. He needed to clean himself and change clothes.

  “Kohl pay attention, it’s sort of already been set up…” she said with a wide innocent smile.

  “How?”

  “Well like I said, last night I visited Tilly and we were talking. She said that it would help your cause if I made a statement letting everyone know I was okay. Then I could talk you up a little too,” she said.

  “Talk me up?”

  “Yeah, show everyone how you aren’t this monster they’re making you out to be,” she said eagerly.

  “I still do not like the idea of you being on display…or a propaganda device,” he murmured.

  “It won’t be propaganda, it’ll be truth. And the interview can be without cameras. Tilly called the officer that helped her file my missing person report to higher government officials. She told him that I was fine. Of course he wanted to come by her place right away with a gaggle of people to take ‘statements’ from me and whatnot. I refused, but mentioned that I wouldn’t be opposed to speaking to one person clarifying what happened. I also suggested it be a reporter…” she said.

  Kohl stared at Maya for a while and considered what she wanted to do. He knew she only wished to aid him and he appreciated her sentiment. But he was still wary of potentially making her a target.

  “If it is something you wish deeply to do. Then you may speak to one reporter without cameras…talking me up of course,” he said and smirked.

  “Great! I’ll tell Agent Russo…can I use my phone here?”

  “Yes, feel free. There are measures to mask and divert outgoing signals,” Kohl said. “But first come bathe with me?” Kohl held his hand out to her and she forgot all about making her call. She eagerly followed Kohl up to their bathroom where he quickly undressed himself and then took his time peeling her out of her clothes.

  “Did you just wake up?” Maya asked, after the fact.

  “Yes. Did you think I would have simply stayed here having woken up to you gone? I only just finished searching the house when you returned,” Kohl mumbled. He bent down to kiss her breasts and rolled her nipples in between his fingers. Maya gasped and swayed towards him. Her hands slid up along his stomach.

  “What would you have done if I didn’t come right away?” she asked breathlessly. Kohl bent down to run his tongue around her nipple before kissing her breast again.

  “I would have upended the very earth looking for you,” Kohl murmured. His gaze flicked to hers which widened when she saw just how serious he was. Maya took his face in her hands and sealed her lips with his. She slid her tongue against his and he pulled her warm body flush with his. As they tasted each other Kohl picked her up, her legs wrapped around his waist, to walk towards the shower stall.

  Kohl turned on the water as he closed them inside. Maya slid down onto her feet and took his arousal into one hand while she used the other to push him under the warm spray. Kohl let her wash him. Her hands were gentle and caressing as she lathered soap onto his skin. He even knelt down so that she could wash his hair. He rested his head against her belly as she massaged his scalp. Soon her stomach would be swollen with the grown of their child. Then soon after that they would be parents of what he was sure would be the most perfect being.

  “You’re all clean, now do me,” Maya said with a smile in her voice. She handed him the bottle of hair wash and he made to pour some into his hands for her. But she stopped him. “No, Kohl do me,” she giggled and took the bottle to place it behind him on the ledge.

  “Your colloquialisms are very strange,” Kohl chuckled. He slid his hands along Maya’s waist and turned her around. He slowly bent her over and trailed kisses along her spine while positioning his sex at her entrance. He slid into her and she moaned almost as if relieved. Pleasure rippled up his spine and through his limbs. Kohl had intended to be gentle with Maya. But she met his thrusts eagerly and soon they were carried away in each other.

  Chapter 5

  Maya

  Maya called Tilly after she had showered and eaten breakfast with Kohl. She gave the green light on the interview and got ready to head over to Tilly’s place.

  “Perhaps I should accompany you there,” Kohl said as he watched Maya pull on a pair of shoes. She had to remember to thank Kelhan for having brought her clothes to the house. The more time she spent there the more she saw other things that were hers. Like the cutlery in the kitchen. Pictures of her mom in the reading parlor.

  “Kohl, did you have me moved out of my house?” she asked once she finished fastening her sandals.

  “Perhaps…” he said coyly. Maya’s jaw dropped. “I did not like you living in such small quarters. Anyhow I figured I had this safe house, and since you would be staying here anyway…” Kohl shrugged, but didn’t look the least bit sorry about it. “Then, if you decide to truly live on Earth this house would be much more suitable for you and the
baby. Then I could have ample space to visit directly here in a one-seater spacecraft,” he added.

  “What about my car?” she asked pensively.

  “You have transportation. Jaye would take you wherever you wish to go,” he said as a matter of fact. Maya studied Kohl for a while and then took a deep breath. She wasn’t ready to get into the conversation of whether she would leave Earth or not to go live with Kohl on Ve’dras. She wasn’t ready to admit to it.

  “Stay here. Jaye will be with me, I’ll be fine,” she said instead. Kohl let out a small sigh and she went over to the bed to kiss him softly on the lips.

  “Must you look so beautiful and radiant?” he said.

  “Well I can’t help being radiant, that’s the pregnancy glow and technically caused by you,” she said, making him chuckle. Kohl hugged her around the waist and kissed her belly before letting her go.

  “If you feel the least bit uncomfortable—”

  “I’ll have Jaye kick everyone’s asses and bring me back home. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” Maya said. Kohl nodded and she finally left the room to head downstairs. Jaye was waiting by the SUV.

  “Ready my lady?” he asked.

  “As I’ll ever be,” she said as she got in the car.

  “I must say I am surprised you convinced Prince Kohl to remain while you go out. No one, not even his own mother has been able to influence Prince Kohl’s will,” Jaye said, his tone conversational.

  “Really? Not even Queen Avira?”

  “Not completely. It has been a running joke on Ve’dras. We have the saying, ‘as stubborn as Prince Kohl,’” Jaye chuckled. Maya smiled. She couldn’t help but feel special knowing she had tamed Kohl.

  When Jaye pulled up to Tilly’s house, Maya took a deep breath before getting out. Till’s front door opened as she walked up. Maya saw a tall, bald, dark-skinned man with a welcoming expression waiting for her at the door.

  “Maya Lu, I’m Federal Agent Jack Russo. I have to say it’s a relief to see you,” he said. She was almost taken off guard. She expected some hard assed, tight lipped, government official. Not a friendly guy in jeans and a button up.