Celestial Mates Complete Series Box Set (Books 1-5) (Alien SciFi Romance)

by C. J. Scarlett

  “As Japan prepares to lead our people into a new age and new opportunities for trade with foreign worlds, we have made arrangements for the imperial princess to visit the Krylon home world as part of an educational exchange to all our two empires to build trust and respect. We hope this will enable our two peoples to build mutual trust and respect.”

  Everyone turned to look at her and Maiko felt the blood rush to her face. Even the embarrassment of a hundred people staring at her couldn’t diminish her excitement. She tried to keep the big stupid grin off her face but nothing she did helped. She realized at some point that her father was still talking.

  “As a show of good faith, the Krylon emperor has sent his very own imperial daughter and her husband to see her safely to their planet. May I present to you Imperial Princess Shafra and her husband Commander Tref.”

  Her father held his arms out in a dramatic display and she watched the two beings materialize, one on each side of him. One was a huge scarred warrior but the other was a beautiful woman with long dark hair and dark eyes. They both had pewter skin and she knew from seeing Teric and his assistant that they were Krylon. Instead of diplomatic robes, they both wore some sort of protective armor. It shimmered and she strongly suspected it was what made them invisible.

  She watched the warrior back up against the wall. Much like her father’s guards, he stood watch over the room. As her father sat, the woman stepped forward to speak.

  “People of Earth, I carry a message from my father, His Imperial Majesty. We give our condolences on the recent loss of life on your world. Thanks be to the gods that your remaining population has been safely relocated into the underground cities. We value the trust your leaders have placed in us and will ensure the provisions of the treaty with your people is honored to the letter. I give you my personal assurances that Princess Maiko will come to no harm while in our care. Krylons above all the other species of the verse understand the importance of protecting the imperial line.”

  She took her seat to the right of the emperor. Maiko was almost too excited to eat. She picked at her food and tried to clear her plate. Food waste was frowned upon among humans, since most were going hungry daily.

  Shaking away such morbid thoughts, she thought of trying to raise Rose or Jen on the com. Adjusting her glasses, she quickly cleared her plate. Her mind raced. She’d need her usual entourage, of course. Regardless of whether her father pedaled this to the masses as an education exchange or not, she knew she’d represent the imperial family at formal functions there. One of her brothers would be assigned to accompany her. Not Noboru. He was heir apparent. They’d not risk him going off world. It would be her youngest brother Rokuro or perhaps Mamoru if her father was particular about making a good impression. Either way, she’d enjoy every minute of the action and adventure. She needed to load all the newest books and music from Earth Gov servers, because there was no telling what the others would be missing now that they lived so far from home. Maybe she’d load up on some of their favorite foods. No, it wouldn’t last the three-month journey. Maybe if she used a stasis tube. Even better, what if she conned her father out of a selection of heritage seeds? Then they could grow their own favorites. Before she knew it, dinner was over and everyone was whisked away.

  She followed her immediate family into their private lounge. It was the only place with enough seating for everyone to relax comfortably. It was her father’s only attempt at casual and she thought he did a nice job of it for an emperor. There were three huge sectionals, smartly designed and modern but sectionals nonetheless. They were wrapped around a gigantic fireplace that burned some type of alien gel. It gave a nice ambiance.

  Her father asked politely. “What was it like growing up in the imperial family on the Krylon home world?”

  The woman folded her hands primly in her lap. “Much like it is here. Adoring and devoted followers, court decorum is expected at all times, and I’m surrounded by attractive males.”

  Her father beamed at the compliment. Even Maiko had to admit her brothers were gorgeous. So much so that women stalked them.

  “I am glad our palaces have some similarity. I am assigning my most responsible, attractive son to ensure her safety.”

  “We welcome them both. I am an accomplished warrior and my commander had led the fleet on more than one occasion. His father is our strongest and most loyal general. You have no cause to worry for your daughter’s safety.”

  “With women being so rare, I am surprised they have permitted you to travel.”

  “No male permits or does not permit me to do anything. I do as I wish.”

  “Do you not worry for your safety?”

  Sighing she replied quietly. “I have been exiled by my mother, broken ties with my father and taken a male with an intact family line to mate. Though the choices I make are my own, I am quickly learning that I cannot outrun my birthright. Because imperial blood runs in my veins, my father will never forsake me, my brother’s armies will always protect me and if all else fails I trust in my commander’s ability to keep me safe. In answer to your question, I always feel safe.”

  A soft smile slid onto her father’s face. “You are a formidable woman. You may add my imperial house to your long line of protectors. I am both proud and grateful to have you guide my daughter to her destiny.

  Maiko swiveled her head to look at her mother. The note of warning in the older woman’s eye stilled her questions. Her father’s words worried her long after their guests were safely ensconced in their rooms and she was tucked away in bed, making notes for her trip. Mamoru slipped into her room without knocking again. She looked at him, compressing her lips.

  “I am not here to argue, Little Blossom.”

  “It’s hard to stay mad at you, protector.”

  Drawing up her legs, he climbed onto the foot of her bed. Sitting cross legged, he leaned his chin on his fist, staring at her.

  “You are all grown up. I saw how you reacted to the imperial father’s words about meeting your destiny.”

  Waving her hand through the air, she exclaimed. “I’m not signing up to get a predetermined destiny. To hear father tell it, he’s got a ready supply of them packaged, primed, and ready for consumption by yours truly. Well, I’m not buying into the all the imperial bullshit. I want out, not endless years of traipsing around the known verse waving at an endless assortment of aliens who want an opportunity to gawk at human royalty.”

  “Are you quite finished?”

  “Hardly, but go ahead and say what you want.”

  “I came to say that I have your back. If anyone tries to pressure you into anything, I’ll cut them with my katana.”

  “I doubt violence will be necessary, brother. I prefer diplomacy.”

  “No joke. Being off planet can be overwhelming and frightening at times. Cling to me, Little Blossom. I will get you through whatever is to come, safely.”

  Maiko began to tear up as she whispered. “You are more like a father to me than…”

  Reaching out to touch her cheek, he whispered. “Don’t say it. I already know what you are going to say. You must work on schooling your facial features. You cannot show every emotion where we are going. Do you understand?”

  “I will. I promise. How long until we leave?”

  “The next bride transport leaves in twelve days. We must be packed and have all our entourage ready for departure. You will pack everything you own for this voyage, little one. Leave nothing behind.”

  Shaking her head, she gasped. “That would take weeks and weeks. There is no way all that will fit onto a ship. You know the imperial daughter has entire wardrobes of clothing for every conceivable season and holy day. That alone would take me a full twelve days to pack. Then there are the furnishings, bed linens, and jewelry. I don’t want to drag that mess everywhere I go.”

  “You will.”

  “I won’t. I don’t need to. We’re coming back.”

  When he didn’t respond, she panicked.

&nbs
p; “Mamoru, we are coming back to Earth, aren’t we?”

  “The imperial house just lost a substantial amount of our priceless artifacts because of an extinction-level event. Father moved everything from the imperial palaces but we lost the contents of most of our museums and our landmarks. What if one of the cave cities collapses? We have no wish to lose everything and everyone all at once. The imperial father is casting us all to the four winds with all that we own. The imperial collections are all being divided. Our first and foremost consideration is survival of the royal line and preservation of our ancient artifacts.”

  “You are scaring me, Mamoru.”

  Waving her over, he opened his arms. His kimono sleeve flapped gently around his wrist as he moved. “I can’t believe I’m still coddling you. You are nearly twenty-five.”

  Twirling her finger around a long piece of his hair, she complained. “Twenty-five isn’t so old. Do you realize how close we all we came to perishing two years ago?”

  A swift nod of his head acknowledged his agreement. “We were damned lucky Father erred on the side of safety. England lost their entire stubborn royal line.”

  “Knowing so many died and we lived… it bothers me.”

  Stroking her hair in a fatherly manner, he sighed. “Little sister, you have a soft heart and a smart mind. It’s a bad combination.”

  “I know that I won’t sleep. Can we play one game of shogi? I promise I’ll try to sleep afterwards.”

  Smiling indulgently, he let her go and padded across the room to get the game board. “I’m holding you to your promise, Little Blossom. We have an early holo meeting with the Krylonian emperor. The imperial father expects us all to be there.”

  “I promise.” Maiko pushed her glasses back onto her face and quickly set up the game board. To her way of thinking, shogi was more difficult than chess because players only got one rook and one bishop.

  CHAPTER 15

  ~ Madison ~

  Meanwhile, elsewhere in the verse, human females geared up for their first Shardon wedding. Shardon from all over the galaxy wished to attend. Being the very first human female to take a clone for a mate was apparently a big deal for his people. It was a big deal for Madison as well. She loved her hot sexy doctor more with each passing day.

  Standing on the balcony of Prince Korban’s royal palace, she realized that come what may, her life had changed for the better. The Sylon home world was beautiful. Twin pale-pink suns cast a beautiful glow over the thick grass. The prince’s grounds were beautifully landscaped and she could almost smell the ocean in the gentle breeze. A pair of strong blue arms came up behind her, encircling her waist and she leaned back into his warm embrace.

  “Do you approve, my sweet?”

  “The planet is picture perfect. I prefer the more utilitarian structure of Shardon architecture to all the fancy scrollwork of the palace though. The palace seems a bit ostentatious and overdone.”

  “I am pleased that you like our more streamlined style. I am not certain I would be comfortable living in a place like this long term.”

  “This is the perfect place for a fancy wedding, but I’m raring to get started on the new medical center. When do we get to visit our continent?”

  “We marry today, enjoy our first night together as husband and wife, then we can fly there tomorrow. Shar Jalon has already landed our ship there. We will live aboard the vessel until we have our first city built. We have two additional ships full of clones already working on our prime building site.”

  “It’s an exciting time to be Shardon.”

  “You are human, my sweet.”

  “I’m also Shardon.”

  “Because you are mine?”

  Nodding, she turned, slipping her arms around his waist, and enjoyed a nice long kiss. A commotion from below the balcony interrupted their special moment. Looking down, they realized the uproar was cheering. Thousands of clones shouted best wishes and called her first mother. Shaking her head, she realized that Lar simply had been unable to resist spreading the word about their impending birth.

  His hand went protectively to her stomach and he whispered in her ear. “No matter how many brides come to us, you will always have a place of respect among our people for you were the first.”

  Something about that felt right. Madison waved wildly to the crowd with both hands and blew them kisses, delighting in their positive response. Yeah, life would be fine from here on out. She could feel it in her bones.

  Imperial Bride

  Celestial Mates Book 3

  C.J. Scarlett

  ***

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  CHAPTER 1

  ~ MAIKO ~

  MAIKO MUSIC MIX SONG ONE

  Standing in front of the huge viewing screen, Maiko tried to quell her excitement at the thought of seeing the Krylon home world. She left Earth behind almost three months ago to visit her friends. Though the Candorian freighter had been spacious and care had been taken to ensure her comfort, she was more than relieved that the long, tedious voyage was finally over! She could hardly believe her father had agreed to such a visit.

  Members of the Japanese imperial family had never been permitted to visit other worlds until now. Her father had relented on this long-held tradition when the Krylon imperial house extended a formal invitation. Knowing it was more of a ceremonial nod between imperial houses didn’t diminish her joy in the least. Looking over at her brother, she knew he was just as excited.

  Standing in a massive loading bay as images of their descent to the planet projected in real time on the huge holographic display, proved to be the perfect vantage point. Breaking through the planet’s atmosphere revealed a breathtakingly beautiful landscape. As the cloud cover dissipated, the planet’s true splendor was revealed. Twin suns cast a soft pink light over the hills and valleys below. The vegetation was slate blue in all the places she’d expected to see green. Vibrant trees and flowers, seemingly painted with child’s eye for color, covered the landscape. Huge clear pink oceans lapped gently against the shores. Compared to Earth’s now barren land masses, Krylon’s innocent beauty was nothing short of astonishing.

  Though the traditional formal dress of the Japanese court was rarely worn on Earth in the twenty-seventh century, the imperial father thought it best she be present, in all her splendor, for the alien emperor and his imperial court. So, here she stood wearing a full jūnihitoe. She’d long since learned to feel comfortable in the twelve-layer robe. Even though the Karaginu Mo trailed several feet behind her, her slight form moved with grace and dignity. Maiko resisted the urge to smirk at her ridiculous garb. Imagine a hundred-pound Japanese princess dragging around almost forty pounds of dress. Yep, it was just another absurd day in the neighborhood for Maiko.

  Glancing at her brother, she noticed he wore the formal Japanese ritual outfit for men. His sokutai was almost as cumbersome as her jūnihitoe, but had fewer layers and wasn’t a full kimono. In breaking with tradition, he wore a dark armored breastplate with a water dragon embossed upon it. With his katana strapped securely at his side, he appeared less ceremonial and more lethal than was probably appropriate for the occasion.

  She despised the weapon with all her heart. Seeing it hanging blamelessly at his side was enough to make her blood run cold. Though the blade was typically romanticized by outsiders, she’d seen it in action as a small child when their convoy had been attacked. The terrorist had slowly gone through their bodyguards, leaving Mamoru as her last line of defense. It was the day a small terrified nine-year-old girl watched her adolescent brother earn his name. He cut through four of them, before the rest turned tail and ran. She hadn’t spoken for almost a year after the horrific event. Now, here she was standing on an alien ship about to land on the Krylon home world. Who would have thought it possible?

  As the ship slowly descended to the ground, the team of Candorian women who had been tasked with their care over the three-month voyage maneuvered their entir
e entourage to a huge loading bay.

  They had nearly sixty courtesans in attendance. Twenty attended exclusively to Maiko. The others attended to her brother and acted as emissaries between their entourage and various alien races who insisted upon visiting them and sending messages of goodwill. She knew every courtesan by name, but not the hundred women her father intended as gifts to the Krylon emperor. They were all lovely in their traditional bright red kimonos. Each destined for an alien husband and eager to escape an Earth no longer capable of supporting their numbers.

  Mamoru turned his head to look at her and Maiko knew it was time. They both turned and slowly made their way to the huge gaping exit. There was a large fifty-foot ramp with a gently sloping incline for them to exit the craft. With no real fear of stumbling, they headed down it. If Maiko harbored any reservations about their whole entourage being dressed formally as to be considered absurd, those fears were put to rest upon seeing the Krylon imperial delegation waiting to greet them.

  As their own imperial guards fanned out in a semicircle, she saw alien warriors standing in neat little rows for as far as her eye could see. In the middle was a grouping of males, all adorned in long flowing robes she had come to associate with alien ambassadors. Only three of them were extremely complex in their dress. One was an older man and on each side of him stood a younger male. Having been briefed already, she knew they were the Krylon emperor, his son, and his stepson.

  One wore imperial black like his father. She immediately didn’t like the smirk stamped on his stupid face. He had pewter skin, bulging muscles, and long dark hair, the same as every other Krylon male. Move along, nothing to see here.

  Now, the other wore a midnight blue. He must be the stepson. He looked much the same, only he wore his hair pulled up in a knot and had a scar running down the side of his face. It gave his face character. Rather than a smirk, his expression was openly curious. She could work with curious.