Cosmic Trifecta

by Anna Lewis

  Raven wondered if she would ever find a companion like that. However, she didn’t want a servant. She wanted love. No human was good enough, and no alien managed to pique her interest. So, she resolved to being happy and single…and rich. Money wasn’t everything, and it wouldn’t hold her close late at night, but it would certainly buy her a blanket warm enough to do the job.

  Laughing to herself, she packed her things up from a long day and headed over to her parents’ house. Dinner was mandatory for her that night since she’d been working so hard lately and missed the last few that her mother hosted. But especially now with her new assignment, it would be the perfect time to tell them, she was headed out into the stars again.

  ***

  Raven imagined that sleep might be the only thing she could do in order to take her mind off of the failed family dinner as she sat on a shuttle, blasting its way through space to Xulara. But even as she dreamt, the voice of her mother rang loud and clear, “You just got back and you’re already off to save another one of them! What about us?! You just don’t care about your family when we’re the ones who got you through med school and that damn robotics academy! We’re the reason you’re so successful and you can’t even sit down for an hour to have dinner! Just go, Rae!”

  With her mother’s voice slicing through her mind like a thin razor blade, she woke up after days of traveling, to see she was in the atmosphere of another planet. The skies were similar to Earth, but it’s sun was an off white, fading into pink off in the distance. The clouds drifting by were a soft lilac. There were areas of dark rain, showering over plants and vegetation, plants and vegetation that seemed to be moving with life and not just with the breeze blowing by. The mountainous ranges were a magnificent black, with a twinge of sparkle as the sunlight bounced off its surface. She watched as the planet’s inhabitants skied down the illustrious slopes. Rivers flowed a beautiful cerulean blue with aquatic life she’d never seen before.

  The closer and closer they got to, what appeared to be, some sort of terminal, the more aliens she saw. They were all shades of purple and blue. Beautifully tall and moving majestically. She was enamored with the new world in front of her. Even with all of her travels, while she’d met a few Xularese, she’d never been to the planet before. It was breathtaking.

  The loudspeaker crackled as a voice came over loudly, “Thank you for flying with us. The royal family of Xulara hopes you find your stay to be quite welcoming. If you notice the bag that was given to you, please find the oxygen conversion node as you will need it to breathe and to speak with the inhabitants. As we land, the oxygen in the cabin will be turned off. Thank you again and welcome to Xulara.”

  Raven was familiar with oxygen nodes. They were small devices the size of apple seeds that she had to swallow like pills. Somewhere along her trachea, they’d attach themselves and catch whatever gasses were in the air to convert them to good old O2. She was happy to see they had the updated version with the built-in translator. The original nodes actually cut gills into the neck and interspecies communication wasn’t even an option. It was very unpleasant, to say the least.

  With a deep breath, she chucked the two devices in her mouth and chased them with a swig of water. While they went down fairly easy, the attaching process wasn’t the most pleasant. She clenched as the nodes gripped the inside of her throat. Lights flashed and the sound of air deflating from a tire surrounded her. The pressure was dropping and she pulled out a mask that was in the bag as well. She strapped it onto her face just in case the nodes took longer than usual to adjust, gripped her restraints, and braced herself for the landing.

  The shuttle docking wasn’t as rocky as Raven thought it was going to be and she breathed a sigh of relief when the doors opened and the same purple creature who called her, was there to greet her.

  Guarin wasn’t very tall at all. He stood a few inches under her 5’8 stature, but his presence felt like he should be bowed to. Raven curtsied as she greeted him. “Thank you for flying me out. The shuttle was amazing.”

  “Glad that you were able to come on such short notice. Please follow me, Dr. Glass,” he instructed and held out a massively thick tentacle. He had four of them, two on each side with two legs as wide as elephant feet. Every foot step could be heard with a heavy thud that echoed through the launch pad hallways. She continued to follow behind him until they reached a huge door. It was guarded by eight, tall, Xularese, warriors.

  All eight of them stood side by side with their three fingered hands clenched around a metal rod centered in front of them. Their skin glistened a dark, denim blue, with glints of silver that radiated all over their bodies. They wore silver kilts made of metal, that looked sharp enough to cut her hand, but Raven knew their skin was practically impenetrable. No hair covered their heads. Two rows of dull horns, equally spaced apart, trailed over the top of their foreheads, over the crown and down the back of the head until they met at the nape of the neck where the lanes of bonelike points forged into a solitary row down the spine. They were intimidating to say the least as Raven stared at them unintentionally.

  “By order of his royal highness, Prince Eoch, stand down and let us through!” Guarin barked to the guards.

  All but one stood absolutely still. He raised his hand to his ear and mumbled something before shouting to the others, “Give them entrance.”

  The guards moved to the side of the door as it opened slowly. A bright light shined brightly as she followed Guarin directly into the palace.

  “Wow,” was all she could mutter. “The shuttle doesn’t land in a terminal? It goes right to the palace? Isn’t that kind of dangerous?”

  “It’s the family’s private shuttle, Doctor,” Guarin told her.

  Of course it was, she thought to herself. With her medical bag hanging off her shoulder, Raven gripped it tightly as they moved through the seemingly dark hallways. It wasn’t at all what she expected given the bright light that nearly blinded her when they first stepped through the doors. But she kept her mouth shut as she followed Guarin through the halls. Every surface around her looked to be made of marble, only separated by thick plates of metal that ran a checkered outline around the coral colored stone.

  Raven’s eyes darted all over the place as she walked about a pace behind Guarin. There was so much to take in, so many similarities to Earth’s architecture, while there was much to see that was not. The further down the hall they walked, the closer they got to another large door. There weren’t any guards this time, only a solitary figure standing there.

  He was tall like the other guards, but he had greyish white hair that covered his pointed horns which trailed his head and down into his spine. The kilt he wore was a magnificent gold color and instead of a metal rod, he held a weapon with sharp blades at either end. The tips were jagged enough that Raven knew they’d have to rip through the flesh of anyone struck with it. It made her shiver and shrink away in fear.

  “Prince Eoch, this is Doctor Raven Glass. She has just arrived and wishes to see the queen immediately,” Guarin announced.

  “I know why she’s here,” he snarled to the servant.

  Raven studied him a bit more, tracing his muscular physique with her eyes. His navy blue skin didn’t have any illumination like the others, but his presence was powerful, demanding. She couldn’t help but wonder if there was a princess to complement his crown. Shaking the impure fantasy from her head, she curtsied as low as she could without falling over.

  “It will be an honor to serve you and your family,” Raven spoke intently but soft.

  “Rise and enter,” the prince commanded as he stepped aside to open the door.

  Raven did as she was told. While she wasn’t sure if it was intentional on his part, or if she was simply being clumsy from her travels, as she walked by the prince, her hand grazed his. The moment was so slight that no one in the room noticed it, but the mere touch of their skin to one another was electric. It sent a shock straight to her pussy that quivered like it never had be
fore. Turning around, she eyed him wildly, before regaining her composure. She wanted her face to be menacing and bold as if to tell him to never do that again, but her curiosity was piqued. She wanted to know exactly what that was and she wanted it to happen again. But her burgeoning lust for Prince Eoch would have to wait as she prepared herself to assist the ailing queen.

  ***

  Queen Ozhenia was far more beautiful than Raven ever imagined. Her illustrious lilac colored skin was splotched with hints of red and yellow. It was one of the symptoms she’d read about on her way to the planet. The queen’s violet eyes were only half open as her shimmering gold hair seemed to be dull and lackluster. Her body, from the neck down, was covered in layers of beige silk while she lay on some sort of mat that was radiating heat.

  “May I, Your Majesty?” she asked the queen as she moved closer to her. “I am Doctor Raven Glass, and I was brought here to serve you, and hopefully make you better.”

  The queen simply nodded. Her weakened state was evident as Raven went to work. After cleaning her hands thoroughly, she pulled out her gloves. The Xularese skin was as thick as strong leather, but Raven knew her way around a sick being. She started with a general exam, going back and forth between the queen and the notes she was given. By the time she was finished, she’d found something interesting.

  “Can we move you Your Majesty?” she asked the queen. “I believe this stone mat is reacting with your skin.”

  “But it’s used when any member of the Royal Palace falls ill,” Guarin stared at Raven in disbelief. “We must use the stone mat. It helps eradicate all illnesses!”

  Raven tried desperately to hide her irritation while disguising her feeling of superiority. She was never one to lord her talents over others, but something as simple as not using the communal sick mat seemed like common sense. So she urged the queen to side with her and move to her own bed, which she finally agreed to. It was only a few hours before she started feeling better.

  “I haven’t been able to move this much in days. Thank you, Doctor Glass,” Queen Ozhenia still winced in pain as an encouraging smile spread across her face. The slits in the middle of her face opened just a bit wider and her eyes appeared to be just a little brighter. “May I ask that you stay here with me until I am well. Guarin, tell the other physicians they won’t be needed. Doctor Glass will be in charge of my care for the foreseeable future. Please prepare the chief medical suite for her use.”

  “The suite is already prepared for the doctor. But I will take care of the rest of the physicians at once,” Guarin nodded. Turning to Raven, she couldn’t tell if he was smiling or not, but he simply motioned for her to follow him.

  Tranquility washed over her as Raven studied every inch of the suite Guarin brought her to. There was a room encased in glass with a variety of medical equipment for her to use, but something struck her as odd.

  “How did you get all of this stuff here? These look like the exact models and machines from my office,” she pressed her hands against the glass looking over the room.

  “We spoke with a Doctor Monroe while you were travelling here to get an idea of the equipment you used. She sent us the specs and we constructed this for you. If you need anything that isn’t inside, let me know and I’ll be sure to have it added to the suite. There’s still plenty of room. I suggest you get some rest.”

  Raven backed away from the glass encased room to explore the rest of her room. There was a bed, bigger than any she’d ever slept in. It even had a miniature staircase to help her get on top of it. The clothes she’d brought with her were all hanging on a clothing rack just outside of a large double door. Behind the large double doors was a huge walk-in closet. It was filled with clothes from all over the galaxy. There were elaborate gowns with bold and bright colors, along with plain old t-shirts and jeans. She liked the variety.

  The subtle noise of something vibrating from the bedroom brought her attention away from the massive wardrobe. Scanning the room, it took her a while to find what was buzzing. The sounds drew her to a remote control like tablet on the nightstand next to her massively tall bed. It looked simple enough to use as she hit a flashing marker on the screen. There were messages there waiting to be played.

  The first one was from her mother. “Hey, Rae. We got this weird message from one of your patients. We guessed it was about this new assignment you literally rushed off the planet to take. I wish we could talk in real time but the video messages will do for now. Let us know when you make there safely and when you get back. We love you, even though you continually choose other species over your own family. Be safe. Talk to you soon.”

  Raven groaned with every syllable her mother spoke. She never understood what her problem was or why she just couldn’t be happy for her success. Shaking the doubt from her mind, she played the other message waiting for her. It was from Tracy. “Hey just so you know, the creepy looking purple guy called back and I gave him all the specs for your equipment, but not the gloves since I know those are still under the patent. I hope that was okay. Don’t be mad at me if it’s not. I didn’t know. Okay love you, be safe, and come back soon.”

  At least her partner was happy for her. But, of course, she would be since she was bringing in millions of dollars for the practice. A deep breath escaped her lips along with the low grumbling from her stomach. Raven couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually eaten anything. So she decided to venture out of her room.

  The halls seemed different as she walked through them alone. The only thing guiding her was instinct and a scent that could be food. She wasn’t sure what it would be on Xulara, but it was worth the journey to find out.

  The palace itself didn’t seem as big on the inside as it did from the pictures she’d seen online. Raven couldn’t stop smiling as she roamed the halls. With every step she took, she found herself getting closer and closer to the alluring scent until she found it.

  It was indeed the kitchen and to her surprise there wasn’t a full staff of chefs inside. There wasn’t a servant in sight. The only being in the kitchen was the prince himself. Raven blushed as she halted in her steps. “My apologies, Prince Eoch. I’ll come back.”

  “It’s okay,” he told her waving her into the room. Raven approached him as if they’d known each other forever. There was such a familiarity between them, a closeness with an unknown origin. Or perhaps their hands touching was when it initiated. All Raven knew was that she was intrigued by the prince.

  “I’m guessing you’re here because you’re hungry?” he pulled the stool out next to him.

  Raven sat down, barely a foot away from him, taking in his scent. He was the alluring aroma she smelled. It was like cinnamon and home wrapped into the Prince of Xulara. There was a plate in front of him with an assortment of items on it. They were unknown to her, but her stomach growled loudly, making her forget how picky she could be. She’d eat anything in that moment.

  “Taste this,” he held up a morsel of food. It looked like a clean cut portion of green pulp. Raven opened her mouth and he fed it to her. It was delicious. It was a piece of fruit with hints of peppermint, strawberry, and mango all rolled into one. Biting into it, however, was like biting into an onion. The texture threw her off a bit as a bit of the juice trickled down her lip. The prince caught it with his finger. Sparks flew again.

  The charge was there. Staring at him, she asked, “Why does that keep happening?”

  “Perhaps we’re just drawn together magnetically,” he laughed. His voice was deep, charismatic, continuously sending vibes through her body that she couldn’t ignore.

  “I don’t know what you’re doing, but you need to stop it,” she scolded him in a mocking tone.

  “Why is that?” he turned to her.

  “Because I’m here on a job. I’m not here to become one of your concubines or playthings. I’m here as a doctor first. Besides, I have no idea who you are Prince Eoch. I know you as the Prince of Xulara, but that’s it. In order for those shockwaves to mean a
nything substantial, I need to know who you are behind that crown,” she winked and began to move off of the stool.

  His hand stopped her. Raven glared at him as if to reprimand a defiant child. His smile was contagious. “But I’m sure you came down here to eat. So at least take this with you.”

  Prince Eoch handed her the plate and then purposely pushed himself away from Raven. She swallowed hard as she watched him bow to her slightly, turn and leave the room. Her pussy throbbed with anticipation even though bedding the prince wasn’t on her agenda. Out of his royal garb, he was a specimen to be admired, fawned over, tasted, and pleasured. Raven, as hard as she tried to focus on the queen’s health, couldn’t keep the prince off her mind.

  ***

  Days turned into weeks for Raven as she stayed by the queen’s side nursing her back into good health. Her recovery was coming along smoothly, and that was mostly due to the palace garden. Most of the equipment they worked so hard to get into her suite was useless as Raven put her chemistry knowledge to the test. Botany and medical technology combining for a common goal was what she attributed to the queen’s successful treatments.

  Even as she strolled down the black, sandy paths, she continuously marveled at the plants around her. Some had tentacles, that moved whenever she passed, while others were covered in fuzzy thorns which were a lot sharper than they looked. It was a holistic doctor’s dream, but she knew better than to rely on plants alone. She wanted to be sure the royal family was getting their money’s worth, and that the queen would survive far longer than her own doctors originally predicted.

  Staring off into the off-white sun, it reminded her of the moon’s shadow on Earth. Thoughts of home began to race through her mind, but before she could get the slightest inkling of homesickness, Prince Eoch appeared on the path ahead of her.