by Lucia Ashta
I melted while still sitting. I’d never dreamed a man would say something like this to me. Love had long been something that was for others, not me. I’d convinced myself I did better without the complication.
“I wasn’t laughing at you, love, I was just laughing, I guess. The truth is that your concern surprised me. The Princess never overly concerned herself with what I thought about her interactions with other men—or women.”
Now I arched an eyebrow at him. “Women too, huh?”
When Tanus’ smile fell, I instantly wanted it back. “Oh yes.” He looked to the wall and the framed watercolor landscape that hung on it. An idyllic place far from here. “You did whatever the King asked of you—ordered you to do—and with whomever.”
How could I forget the fact that my father on Origins was both my sovereign liege and my pimp?
Tanus said, “I grew accustomed to seeing you with others, even though I mostly tried to stay away. It’s not as if absenting myself from the Court was difficult for me. I’ve never enjoyed the Vikas vipers with their painted faces and false words. After I loved you, I stayed as far away from the Court to spare myself from watching you lead men or women off to obey the King’s bidding. It was hard enough to know I had to share you with others without seeing it.”
And here I’d been worried about how he’d react to my pressing my boobs against some stranger he understood I had no interest in. “I didn’t realize that’s how it was.” My voice was soft now too, but I was sad. Even if I didn’t remember doing these things, I didn’t imagine it felt good to share myself on command. “So I had, uh, sex with others while we were together on Origins?”
He nodded, sad as well.
“And did you also do that?” I understood I had no right to be jealous over a past I didn’t even remember, with a man I’d only just fallen in love with, when I’d apparently been spreading myself around—but I still had to know.
“No. Once we made love, I was never with another woman, not even after you left.” He smiled a small one, but it looked as if he were far away in that moment, perhaps in the past, the one I didn’t really share with him. “You ruined me for all other women. There never could be another one like you.”
“Yeah, unless there’s another one right here on Earth.” I didn’t bother keeping the sarcasm from my voice. I was either a glorified prostitute, who stepped out on the man she loved, or I was a woman in love with a man from the wrong end of the universe. Either way, it stunk.
“Ilara, I love you. I don’t care at all which Ilara you are as long as your mine.”
I stared into those brilliant green eyes until all I could see was them and their earnest entreaty. He meant every word he said. This soldier that everyone on O feared was offering himself to me. In truth, he’d given himself to me already.
He said, “I didn’t scour the universe looking for you to be overly concerned with details now. I’ve found you, that’s all that matters. I want to share the next centuries with you, however long we have, the King and his laws be damned. I want you to join with me, will you?”
I looked at him, unable to respond, but not for the reason he assumed.
“I realize that the King’s laws forbid that any princess of the Andaron Dynasty should join her life force with anyone who isn’t of the appropriate bloodlines, and even though I’m of the appropriate station now that Brachius has bought it—oh wait, I guess I’m not. I’m not Brachius’ son.” He paused, stunned by the ramifications of his suspect heritage.
I understood a bit of what he might be feeling, since I’d only recently learned that my kind, caring father on Earth might not be my father. Instead, I might be the daughter of a domineering king of a foreign planet. But I was too busy stuck on one thing to move on to sympathy. “Centuries?” I whispered.
“What?”
“You said you wanted to join with me for the centuries we have left.”
“I did, and I realize you deserve a far better proposal for joining than the one I’m giving you now. Just as soon as I’m better and there are no emergencies to deal with, I’ll do better, I promise. I want to join with you. You’d do me a great honor by agreeing.” His smile was boyish, shy even. “I think you want to. I hope you do.”
“Of course I want to. But you didn’t understand me. You live centuries. On Earth, people are lucky to live a century. It won’t work.”
“Of course it will. You’re no ordinary person, Ilara, no matter what version of the woman I love you are. You’ve never been ordinary, you never could be ordinary, your eyes alone guarantee it. I miss seeing your eyes, by the way. I don’t like those contact lens things you say you put over them.”
“Just because you say I’m not ordinary doesn’t mean I’ll magically start living centuries beyond my life expectancy.”
“That’s exactly what it means. It means that you’re only bound by what you believe. If you think you can’t, then you can’t. But if you believe you can do whatever you imagine, then oh, my Ilara, you’re only limited by your imagination. And from what I remember of it, you have quite a vivid one.”
“What’s that glint in your eyes? How did you thoughts turn to sex from that?”
“Because I was remembering how imaginative you are, in all ways, especially the important ones.” He winked.
I laughed. “Hurry up and get better so I can get you out of that bed and into a bigger one.”
“Is that an order, Your Majesty?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then that is one I’ll be most happy to obey. I can’t wait to pin you to a bed and fill you.” His eyes smoldered and I squirmed on the bed. Damn. I was resisting the urge to have at him right then and there.
If we did indeed join, which I assumed meant marrying, we’d never leave the bedroom. Planet Origins would lose its princess to a fine man and his finer lovemaking abilities.
An excellent prospect.
Tanus tried to sit up, but I caught him wincing and guided him back down onto the pillows.
“So, will you join with me or what?”
“I’ll think about it,” I said with my own mischievous smile. I’d never once considered marrying, but this man? Hmmm... this man was unlike any other man. I’d have to make exceptions for someone like him.
“Well don’t think too long. It’s always good to give an ailing man something to look forward to, haven’t you heard that before?”
“Actually, I have. I’ll think about it.” And I would.
“Now, on to other ways you can help me feel better until then...”
I was leaning forward to kiss him when Dolpheus appeared at the door. I looked to Dolpheus, Tanus didn’t, until he said, “You’ve got to be wobbly right now, man.”
“I’m not,” Dolpheus said, sounding extraordinarily sober.
“What? Did he mind speak with you?”
Tanus’ eyes made it clear that he had.
“What is it? What’d he say?”
“That we have a visitor.”
Chapter 4
“Who is it?” I asked warily while I watched Tanus sit up in bed and start to bring his feet to the floor.
“My boots, Olph, pass them to me,” he said.
“Who is it? Tell me.”
“The kind of person you don’t ignore,” Dolpheus said.
“Or receive lying down,” Tanus added.
“Unless you’re on top of her. Sorry, inappropriate, my bad.”
“My bad?”
“A term I picked up from Narcisse. I think it’s one I’ll get lots of use out of.” Dolpheus had the decency to look sheepish, but not to explain who the hell had arrived.
I heard our visitor before I saw her. I sank like lead against the bed while Tanus jumped up from it, surprisingly agile for a man in his condition.
“How is it possible?” I asked, mostly to myself.
Tanus answered anyway. “Because there’s no such thing as the impossible. The real divide is between the possibilities we allow ourselves to b
elieve, and those we don’t.”
By the time the owner of the voice arrived at the door, I was on my feet too. Because even if I was more flummoxed than I’d ever been in my life—and that was saying a lot considering what I’d been through during the last several days—I agreed with Tanus. This was a visitor I wouldn’t greet in any way but pulled up to my full height.
One I knew already would be precisely matched. Just as the voice was the same, even though hers had an authoritative power to it that I only used occasionally.
In the next moment, she was there. The true princess of Planet Origins, in all her glory.
Now I understood Lila’s original disappointment in my jeans, hiking boots, and rain slicker. If I’d ever thought I could rock the sultry look, I’d been wrong.
This woman oozed sexuality from every one of her gorgeous pores. She also oozed control, and I had no doubt she could’ve had those armed men from earlier groveling for her attention, kneeling on the packed dirt of the desert, in less than five seconds flat. She wouldn’t even have had to say anything, just stand there, looking like she did now.
Even I was in awe, and I looked exactly like her.
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Thank you
Thank you for reading and allowing me to take you on this adventure. Creating magical, exciting stories is one of my great passions, but it wouldn’t be nearly as rewarding if I didn’t have anyone to share them with. That you give your time and attention to the worlds I’ve created means so much to me, and I appreciate every single one of you.
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Again, thank you! I wish you blessings on your journey, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a magical day.
Lucía
Titles by Lucía Ashta
THE WITCHING WORLD
(Young adult fantasy)
Magic Awakens
The Five-Petal Knot
The Merqueen
The Witching World Omnibus, Books 1-3
The Ginger Cat
The Scarlet Dragon
Mermagic
Spirit of the Spell
PLANET ORIGINS
(Space fantasy)
Planet Origins
Original Elements
Holographic Princess
Planet Origins Omnibus, Books 1-3
Purple Worlds
Planet Sand
Holographic Convergence *
Mowab Rider
THE LIGHT WARRIORS
(Visionary fantasy)
Beyond Sedona *
Beyond Prophecy *
Beyond Amber *
Beyond Arnaka *
The Prophecy of Arnaka
The Secret of Namana
A Betrayal of Time
Whispers of Pachamama
“Daughter of the Wind”
“Immortalium” *
The Unkillable Killer *
(* coming soon)
About the Author
Lucía Ashta, a former attorney and architect, is an Argentinian-American author who lives in Sedona with her beloved and three daughters. She published her first story (about an unusual Cockatoo) at the age of eight, and she’s been at it ever since.
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Lucía on the web:
LuciaAshta.com
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