Nabvan

by Celeste Raye

  Alexis shook her head as he surprisingly led her right into the command center for the ship. Only a few guards and the ship’s crew were with them now. She was the only female, and she couldn’t help but notice it. She wondered where all the women had been taken. Probably to some holding cell on the ship for prisoners. It was going too far.

  “You are being horrible to these women, myself included,” she told him through gritted teeth. She made sure to whisper it in his ear so no one around would suspect a thing. He gave the directional orders and left Nabvan in charge, probably making his day, before pulling her out of the room as politely as possible. His hand was against her back to propel her forward in a deceptive show of affection. She knew she had stepped in it, but she was sick and tired of it all, especially with Nabvan’s wishy-washy behavior.

  King Shene pinned her up against the wall just outside of the command room. His mouth was so close she could smell his lunch still lingering on his hot breath. For a moment, she feared he would try and kiss her or worse, but he did nothing of the sort. Now that he had brought her out and showed her off, it was a whole new ball game. “I want you to know that while I was away from you, I thought about everything you said. I am angry that a woman can affect me so, but this is the reason we wanted humans. I am trying my best to impress you, to win you, to court you, but you have to start to cooperate.” It sounded both sensual and threatening coming from his lips. Alexis was a bit confused when it came to his change of heart, but it was all she could hope for in this world full of soldiers. It was better than she ever thought she would get.

  “I will try to start cooperating,” she told him as he backed off a bit. Alexis crossed her arms over her chest in a show of defiance. He still had not solved the problem of the women.

  “I know what that look is about. You are so damn determined, woman,” King Shene told her, sounding the most authentic he ever had. “I will make sure they are allowed to be clean and have nicer clothes, but beyond that, there is little I can do. It is up to each Milisarian how he treats his mate.” Alexis nodded stiffly, knowing he could make an order they couldn’t refuse but figured she better not press her luck. “Now, can we get on with this voyage? I would love to say I conquered another territory on Teleburgda.” Alexis scoffed at that and walked back into the command room as if she owned it. She knew they were headed for another conquest.

  Shaking her head, she felt Nabvan’s eyes on her for the first time in what felt like ages. She didn’t shrug off the king’s arm as it wrapped possessively around her waist. Maybe if Nabvan saw, he would admit to her what he felt and that neither of them were meant to be there.

  Chapter 11:

  ***Alexis***

  The ship took off, and it soared through the clusters of stars and passed other planets. Alexis was silent as she watched all of it go by from the expansive windows in the command room. She felt so lucky that she got to see what was happening outside of that ship again that she didn’t dare speak a word. She was too afraid the privilege would be taken away from her. She half expected to be put in chains herself and shipped off to whatever dark space the other women were sitting in right now, probably wondering where they were headed.

  Alexis felt the stroke of a hand up against the back of head, running through her silken, golden hair. For just a moment, she sat very still, imagining that the hand belonged to Nabvan, even though she knew it didn’t. Even if he were to ever touch her again after the fight they had, he wouldn’t dare do it in front of all the others: in front of the king. “I have never seen hair such as yours. It is one of the many reasons I chose you. I can only imagine what this would look like on a young Milisarian knight.” King Shene’s voice broke her out of her happy place, and she spun around to look at him. He might have been feigning it, but there was a look of tenderness on his face that she had not seen before. At least he was trying to do more of what she wanted, and it made her wonder what exactly happened in all that time since she had seen him last. Changes of heart did not happen so easily. He must have had an epiphany of some kind, or he was up to something that she needed to be suspicious of.

  “There are lots of humans with hair like this,” she commented, feeling foolish after she said it. It made her sound like some depressed nobody, when in reality, she was just trying to play down his obsession with her. She wanted to prove that there was no reason to covet such a thing so much.

  “Yes, but there is something different about you, though I cannot figure it out yet. I have seen humans before; I’ve had many dealings with them for political purposes. They just don’t look like you. Not even most of the other women on board are like you. It is why I decided to set you free.” Alexis wanted to choke on that word. She was not free. She was not free to choose whom she wanted to be with and where she wanted to go. She was only free in the sense that she did not visibly have any chains or shackles: just threats and limitations that felt the same.

  “I’m flattered,” she told him sarcastically, standing up and walking away from the window, though it tried its hardest to pull her back. The universe passing her by had a calming effect like nothing else, and she craved to feel that at peace again. Every moment with the Milisarians had her on edge, and it was exhausting her.

  She felt foolish, though, as she sort of walked around in a circle with nowhere to go. She was trapped in the command center until the king took her out of there or ordered someone else to do it. Things were all new to her now that she was out in the open, and she doubted she would need much of a keeper anymore, though she could have been wrong.

  “It would be nice to have some sort of support from you. I am going off to battle,” King Shene mentioned, coming up to where she was. He was going to follow her no matter where she moved and paced; she could see that.

  Alexis openly laughed at that, getting King Shene to look her over strangely. She could feel other eyes on her as well. The other men probably thought she was insane. Maybe she was, just a little. “You go off to battle all the time,” she reminded him with the first genuine smile on her face around the king. He was easy to joke about if he wasn’t good for much else. “It doesn’t seem to me that you’ve died yet. Why should this time be any different?” she asked, daring him to give an answer worth hearing.

  “It is good to know that my chosen mate has so much confidence in my ability to conquer a civilization. It makes me feel like I am a strong king that can be counted on.” Alexis could not believe it, but King Shene was actually making a joke. She didn’t think such a man would even be capable of those things. She had to laugh once, being stunned was over with. It was just so damn funny.

  “Did King Shene just make a joke?” Alexis held back a snort. “Where did that come from?”

  King Shene leaned down into her, a little closer than she was prepared for. It sent chills running up her spine, and she was not sure yet if she liked it or hated it. “Have you ever considered that I have been studying?” It came out in a snake-like whisper that some women would find sexually appealing. In the past, Alexis might have as well, if she had let herself have the time to be with a man. That didn’t happen very often. But it was strange to let herself surrender to that knowing the way he treated her before and knowing that the man she truly wanted to be with was in the same room. On the other hand, who was to say that she couldn’t find a way to enjoy the life she was stuck in? Anything she could do to make it better and livable, she should do.

  Before she could respond to him, the ship began to descend, and she looked out to see that they had arrived at their destination. It was not a planet she had studied much about before, mostly because it was mineral rich and often being taken over by other races. It had little of its own identity, but it was beautiful from what she could tell at that angle.

  Alexis ran to the window to sit and watch as they passed below the line of the faraway sun and moon and into the gap that separated it from another planet that was closer than she had ever seen one planet to another. The fact that they passed ac
ross each other but never crashed or knocked each other out of orbit was baffling. Human history had been so certain that planets could never survive being so close.

  The ship came down gently onto what looked like sand. There seemed to be sand as far as the eye could see, and she doubted she would get a chance to find out if there was any more to the planet. All the men lined up, ready for battle, and King Shene led them off the ship without saying much else to her. She did not know how long she would be alone this time, but she dreaded it. Nabvan was left to guard her again. All that time would be spent in painful silence.

  The sounds in the days that followed were the sounds of war, and Alexis had felt a pang of guilt in her gut for whoever was lost in the process. She was, after all, a Milisarian now. She was known as the mate of the king, though they had not actually mated. She doubted anyone beyond herself, the king, and Nabvan knew that, however. She was part of a culture that was happy to destroy and enslave other planets, other races, but when she thought about it, Earth was not much different.

  The sounds had stopped that day when the ship opened up its mouth to reveal the returning triumphant knights, including King Shene. Most of them did not even look worse for the wear besides a little sweat on their pale skin. If there was an argument at all for survival of the fittest, the Milisarian knights fit the bill.

  “You’re back,” she noted when the king came up to her, looking satisfied, following another one of his victories. He had turned the army into a well-oiled machine with the help of Nabvan’s training. This generation of Milisarian knights was unstoppable.

  “Disappointed?” he asked in a joking tone before letting it go. “Here, I have something to show you.” Alexis felt nervous as he took her arm and began to lead her out of the ship. She looked back to Nabvan for help or an explanation, but he had gotten lost in the celebratory crowd. For all she knew, he wouldn’t do anything to save her if the time came anyway. Until that moment, she had not accepted that it was all over with him, but there was some finality to the ship’s door closing behind them. The sorrow was so heavy, she almost didn’t notice the scene around her. Almost.

  Alexis stood still on the now quiet planet. She didn’t know if they had landed in an area that was not that populated or if many of the inhabitants had died in the fight to take over the planet, but serenity was the only way to view what was before her. Beyond the sand was more sand, but out from the sand jutted several tall rocks. Some resembled mountains on Earth while others looked more like towers and spires made of a dark mineral she had never seen before. She wanted to touch it, but she had no way of knowing if it was safe.

  King Shene took her arm again and led her through a crack between two towering rocks, and the view got even better. Her feet struck a body of water that was shining and glistening, its tides coinciding with another pool of water across a bridge of rock and sand. The water shined so much, she was sure it had to be cold like ice, but as it lapped over her feet, she could feel a supreme warmth coming over her, as if it was fed from a volcano. And perhaps it was.

  King Shene reached down to hold her hand as he led her on a walk along the warm, glistening shores, and she let him. He had let her have a taste of what she always wanted. She had to give her gratitude.

  "I thought you might enjoy this," King Shene said finally, dragging them back towards the ship far too soon. "I saw the way you watched out the windows like you longed to see what was out there. I can give that to you if you would just let me."

  Alexis felt that chill again, and she let the silence be her response. She was going to let fate decide for her what she was meant for.

  Chapter 12:

  ***Alexis***

  Alexis gazed at herself in the mirror and thought she had never looked so stunning. On Earth, she had rarely worn beautiful things or worried about her looks. She didn’t get too much crap about it either. She had always been told she had one of those naturally beautiful faces; blemish free and soft. She didn’t need makeup. Not that it mattered much to her. She was in a career field with ninety-nine percent men. She didn’t need to be pretty; she had needed to be taken seriously.

  Now that she was the king’s mate, practically a queen, the perks were that she got to wear lavish things and be taken to meetings and parties with leaders of other planets. Some were on Milisaria, some were in the ship, and others were on planets friendly with the Milisarians, though those were few and far between. It had not been that long since he had first taken her off the ship to show her one of the most spectacular planets she had ever seen, but it had all become a blur of a long string of time with everything they were doing.

  Alexis had no idea what they would be doing next other than sitting down to a conference with a few leaders about trade deals and that she was to wear the beautiful blue number she had been given. She was almost positive it was made from silk or something similar, and she wondered where it had come from. The Milisarians didn’t make any of their own stuff, after all.

  “Are you ready?” The voice almost startled her and made her jump. She wasn’t used to the king popping in and out at will: only Nabvan, who did it with silence nowadays.

  Alexis nodded in confirmation and walked past Nabvan, who was standing guard and pretending like nothing was happening. She offered her arm to King Shene, who took it formally and wrapped it up with his own, taking her out of the room. She dared to spare a sad glance in Nabvan’s direction. It was something she just could not help.

  “I have some joyful news to share,” the king said, pulling her back in with conversations. They walked towards the conference center where the meeting would be held. She hoped she would not be the only partner at this one, as she often was. It got rather lonely.

  “What news could that be?” she asked, feigning interest.

  “There will be a wedding to celebrate very soon between one of the women from your ship and one of my men. I am happy to report that for a few of the men, the matches are working out very well. Three women will be giving birth to a child soon, and this one very soon.” Alexis perked up at that, wondering if he could be talking about Destiney. That would be wonderful to get to see her and celebrate with her. Alexis was thrilled that her friend had gotten the right draw of cards finally.

  “That is good news,” Alexis expressed as he stopped to raise his eyebrows at her.

  “I am glad that makes you happy. I was afraid it might not.”

  “I do not wish unhappiness on any of those women, even if I disagree with the methods by which they were brought to this planet,” she told him honestly as the wind picked up and blew her hair into her face. King Shene swooped it back behind her ear like he had the first time she had seen him, but the gesture was much sweeter this time than it had been before. His effort was clear. It made her think about her future there and what she might be able to accomplish by his side if he would allow it. Maybe it was time to let go just a little bit.

  “Can I talk to you about something for just a moment before we go into that meeting?” Alexis asked, trying to hold him in place for a little while longer.

  “Of course, I have some time to talk with my mate. What is on your mind?” he asked in a serious manner.

  “I want to know if there is any chance you would consider letting me do some scientific research. I know you don’t do it now, but it is what I love. I think I can help Milisaria become less dependent on other planets.” King Shene looked contemplative at that, and she wondered if she had said the wrong thing.

  “I do not know much about science or technology myself. Most of us do not. I cannot say that everyone would be immediately accepting, but that was one of the reasons we wanted to breed with humans: to have more knowledge and possibilities. It is something we can discuss later down the road.” Alexis nodded her head, knowing it was the best answer she could ever hope for. It was not a no, and that was the hope she held within her as he took her into the meeting.

  Chapter 13:

  ***Dravik***

  Nabvan w
atched as the ceremony was set up outside the inner city. Destiney and Siefer had wanted an outdoor wedding, and he couldn’t blame them. Milisaria was beautiful, and there was no reason to waste that by being indoors all the time like they often were.

  There was a makeshift stage lifted in the middle of the courtyard where he could see King Shene and Alexis talking. He could actually only see Alexis’s back, but it filled him with so much sadness at how he had reacted to her. Things had been different ever since they had fought, and he hardly recognized her since King Shene had started spending all his time with her. He had a bad feeling about it too, the way the king was suddenly taking so much interest. He was desperate, watching some of the other women already carrying children. He wanted in on it too, and he must have realized he wasn’t going to get it the way he was acting. But somehow, Alexis seemed to be falling for it, and Nabvan couldn’t help but think he might have something to do with that.

  He had been ignoring her, and he thought it had been what was best. He had been wrong. It had driven her right into the arms of a king that was good at charming others. It was how he had become king in the first place.

  Nabvan watched with an indescribable pain as Alexis openly laughed with King Shene so close to her. It was the loveliest sound, but it had nothing to do with him. He had been so foolish to think that not mating with her would mean he could just get over her. It wasn’t that simple at all, and yet, here was a king who had a handful of more women in waiting for him, and it didn’t faze him at all. He could easily go back and forth and miss nothing about any of them other than their beauty or their willingness to submit. For Nabvan, it was more than that.

  Nabvan saw that Milisarians were beginning to file into the seats provided, ready to see the wedding between a human woman and a Milisarian knight. It was a very special time for those on the planet. The Milisarians saw this union as a sign of hope for the race and another kind of victory beyond what they were used to. He should have been happy as well: happy the experiment was working and happy that his friend was in love and having a child. He just couldn’t be, though, now that he had seen exactly what was going on with these women. Destiney was the exception to the rule. Until the day he and Alexis had seen them in chains, they had not been allowed to shower or eat three meals a day like they were used to, and he suspected that Alexis was the one who put her foot down. But what was King Shene expecting in return for giving in to her requests? Nabvan could not stand to even think about it.