“Lady Keela just said that she could sort out the joint,” said Malaka, one of the guards.
Marruk’s eyes fell upon Keela, as he appraised the situation.
“Have you ever done this before?” he asked.
“Yes, twice. It shouldn’t be too difficult with such a little girl. If we put her into the glider like this she’s sure to faint. The pain is too much.”
Marruk looked at his daughter, anxious. It was not difficult to see how much pain she was in. She was as white as chalk and her forehead was drenched in sweat. Her eyes were glassy and Keela was afraid she could be in trauma. In the end Marruk nodded.
“OK, fine. Do what you can. Malaka, organise the glider. Hurry!”
Malaka nodded and ran off. Keela showed Marruk how he should hold his daughter, then she set about performing the difficult task. As she had hoped, it was simpler with a child than with grown men. She had sorted out her father’s shoulder when he had fallen out of a tree, and two years later for her older brother’s when he had fallen from a roof. That had been hard work and in comparison this was child’s play.
“You’ve done it,” said Marruk in amazement. “Th… thank you.”
“That’s OK,” Keela dismissed it, embarrassed. She stroked a damp strand of hair off Solima’s face. “How are you doing, little one?”
“Better,” replied Solima weakly. “It’s not hurting any more but I don’t feel well.”
“I know darling. We’re taking you to the palace now. Bear up, OK?”
Solima nodded bravely. Marruk took his daughter carefully in his arms. Over the top of Solima’s head he looked at Keela. Her heart began to pound. There it was again. This connection. Could he feel it, too?
The glider stopped near them and the magic moment was gone. They stood up in silence. The men put Solima down carefully onto the middle seat. Keela sat on the back row to keep an eye on the girl.
Keela felt that Marruk was flying even faster this time than he had the last time. They landed at the palace sooner than she expected. Marruk had already informed the palace of their impending arrival and four men, dressed in white, were already waiting with a stretcher, so that they could take Solima to the palace clinic as quickly as possible. Keela followed the procession with mixed emotions: she was concerned about the girl. She was not happy that she was still feeling so unwell despite the arm being sorted out. On the other hand she was pleased to be here again. She had missed Moreena and even though she loved Solima like a daughter, she was only a child. She missed the company of adults. Marruk did not count as he was avoiding her and because the tension between them was almost unbearable.
The royal couple was coming towards them from inside the palace. Both of them were concerned above all about Solima and were now walking alongside the stretcher until they all reached the clinic at last. Solima was put onto a bed in a small room that was so small that only the healer could go in with her.
“Keela, my love,” the queen now turned to Keela and embraced her briefly but warmly. “It’s a shame that we’re meeting in such unhappy circumstances.”
“Yes, I’m so worried. She fell from her pergamo and dislocated her shoulder. I was able to sort the shoulder out but she still seems to be in a bad way. I hope she has no internal injuries. I …”
Moreena took her hands and squeezed them.
“Don’t worry. The medical unit can work out exactly what’s wrong and heal her. Depending on how bad it is it can take a few hours or a few days but she will be well again. Trust me.”
After a while, that felt like ages to Keela, the healer came out of the medical unit and gave them all an encouraging smile.
“Your Highness, Princess Solima has severe concussion and slight internal injuries. Her condition is now stable but I think it’ll take two or three days for her to get on her feet again.”
“Can I go to her?” asked Marruk.
“Of course. Someone should be with her the whole time anyway. Perhaps you’d like to take the first shift, my Prince.”
Princess? My Prince?
Keela looked first at Marruk, then at the king and queen. There was indeed an undeniable similarity. Above all Marruk looked similar to the king, although neither the king nor the queen had Marruk’s extraordinary eye colour.
Of course, you donkey. That should have occurred to you sooner, her inner voice mocked her. For goodness’ sake, Keela, you really are slow. It’s unbelievable that you managed to finish your studies.
“Come on, love. How about one or two glasses of tajaka?”
“That … yes, please,” answered Keela absently whilst watching Marruk walk to his daughter’s bedside and sit down on a chair that the healer had put in the small space between the bed and the wall.
She had never been in the queen’s chambers before and she was surprised that it was neither bigger nor more luxurious than the chamber that she had occupied when she arrived.
“Take a seat over there, won’t you?” Moreena offered aimiably. “Ceyla? Please have a jug of tajaka and a little something to eat brought to us.”
“Already dealt with, Your Highness,” answered the gentle voice of the computer. “I’ve also seen to it that Lady Keela’s chamber is made up.”
“Thank you, Ceyla. Very considerate of you. Oh and Ceyla, a status report on Princess Solima’s condition, please?”
“Body temperature slightly raised, pulse slow but regular, breathing calm. She’s asleep and healing, Your Highness.”
The queen visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Ceyla.”
Moreena sat down on the couch next to Keela.
“I have good news for you,” she declared, beaming.
Keela looked at the queen expectantly, but did not say a word. She was too confused by all of the events of the last few hours. First Solima’s accident, and now finding out that Marruk was the son of the royal couple. She still needed to digest all of this.
“General Kordan and Captain Amano have found your two friends. They’re on their way here and are due to arrive in four days.”
Keela’s heart jumped with joy. With a slightly bad conscience she had to admit that she had hardly thought about the two of them during the last week and had only been occupied with her own problems.
“That’s great!” she burst out excitedly. “And they’re well?”
“As far as I know your friend Lory was injured and had to be treated for a few hours in the medical unit on board the Cordelia, but it appears that she’s now fully recovered.”
“Oh!” was all that Keela could say. She hoped that Lory really was better now.
The refreshments arrived and the two women chatted a little about this and that. It distracted Keela for a while from her emotional turmoil, but later, when she was alone in her chamber, she became agitated again. Simply too much had happened in the last few weeks: her abduction by monstrous aliens; the slave market; her rescue; Marruk’s confusing emotions; and now these most recent events and discoveries. All of this was a great deal to compute.
***
Keela could not sleep. She had been with Solima for two hours after dinner and felt somewhat relieved by the fact that the girl looked visibly better, but still there was so much going on in her head. She could not stop thinking about Marruk. She felt that he had gone behind her in not telling her who he really was. After all she was living under his roof so she ought to know who she is dealing with. It was not that his title made any difference to her but she felt hurt that she clearly meant so little to him that he did not consider that she should have this information. Perhaps he did not trust her or she was quite simply not important to him.
She swung out of bed and pulled a thin dressing gown on, over her naked body, then she went to the big window. She loved looking out into the night. It was a cloudless night. The stars were twinkling like diamonds in the sky and the crescent moon seemed to pulsate. She opened one of the windows and breathed in the fresh night air. It was still pleasantly wa
rm but not as close as a few days earlier.
A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. It was sure to be Moreena coming to wish her a good night. Keela closed the window and turned around.
“Come in,” she called and the door opened.
Her heartbeat sped up as not Moreena but Marruk entered the room and closed the door behind him. His eyes moving over her body felt like a caress to her. These eyes grew dark with desire. Keela suddenly felt naked in the thin, almost transarent dressing gown and she folded her arms protectively over her breasts.
Without taking his eyes off her he came closer. A tingling sensation spread over her skin and her breathing grew heavier. She suppressed the urge to scream and run away.
This is silly, Keela. He’s hardly going to force himself upon you. You just need to stay calm and not let him take any liberties with you!
But that was precisely the problem: she could not trust herself where this arousing alien was concerned. His hungry look alone made her nipples grow hard so that they showed clearly through the thin material. Her pussy was aching and felt empty and unfulfilled. She no longer recognised herself. Never before had she lost her head so much over a man.
Please pull yourself together! she scolded herself.
“Good evening, Marruk. What brings you here so late? Is Solima feeling better?” Keela said more calmly than she felt inside.
“Yes, she’s fine,” he said, stopping just in front of her.
He was much too close. His scent of warm skin, leather and masculinity teased her senses and she caught herself wondering what his skin would taste like if she were to run the tip of her tongue over it. With difficulty she suppressed a groan at the thought of getting to know every centimetre of his muscular body with her mouth. She remembered his kiss only too well and the blazing passion that he had ignited within her.
“I’ve come to thank you. You reacted very quickly and your help spared Solima a great deal of pain.”
“It was nothing. I happened to be there and could fortunately help her because of my previous experiences. There’s nothing heroic about it. I’m glad that she’s feeling better.”
“Your friends have been found,” Marruk changed the subject.
“I know, the queen … your mother - has already told me.”
And whilst we’re on that subject, my dear!
Keela was glad that he had raised this subject and had therefore reminded her of her anger. It was much easier to deal with anger than with these confusing emotions of desire and longing.
“Did she? Well …”
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were the queen’s son?” she interrupted him abruptly.
“Would it have made a difference?“ he snapped, suddenly grabbing her and pulling her against his body. “Would you have let me in between your soft thighs if you’d have known that royal blood runs through my veins?”
“No!” she hissed at him. “It makes no difference to me, I’m just disappointed that you think that I’m not worthy of knowing your true background. That … that’s as if you’ve betrayed me.”
“I’m the man who rescued you and who’s giving you a roof over your head. Everything else is unimportant!”
“I didn’t ask you to rescue me and bring me here. If you know a way of getting me back home, then out with it. I’ll be glad when I can finally get away from here.”
Keela tried to release herself from his embrace but he was holding her tightly. She had to put her head right back to look up at him. Her heart was beating wildly and she became aware that a tell-tale wetness was running from between her legs. She could feel his quick heart beat under her hand. His heat radiated through the material of his shirt and she could very clearly feel his erection on her belly.
A cynical grin came over his face. He pushed his lower body harder against her and his hand wandered to her bottom to stop her moving away from him.
“I wonder how I’d find you if I were to put my hand between your legs? - As dry as the skin of a desert koloch or wet and slippery like a shanika?”
Keela blushed. She hoped that he would not check because she was wetter and more ready than ever before in her life.
“What will your parents say when I tell them what outrageous liberties you’re taking?” she threatened with the last method of defence left to her.
He smiled.
“I think it’s the latter, isn’t it. Wet and slippery,” he murmured huskily.
Without warning he pressed his mouth against hers to stifle her cry as he moved his hand from her bottom, in between their bodies, and then pushed it under the material of her wrap. She squeezed her thighs together, but as his kiss became more passionate her resistance lessened and his hand found its way between her thighs and up to her pussy. A triumphant groan left his lips as he found her to be hot and wet, as he had expected. Keela turned her head away and tried one last time to resist the onslaught of his passion and her own emotions. She pushed her hands against his chest and turned in his arms. It was a ridiculous attempt.
“No,” she gasped, only to groan in the next moment as his thumb stroked her pearl whilst his finger slipped inside her.
Her fingers clutched the material of his shirt and she threw her head back as he began to kiss his way up her neck until he reached her ear and searched out her ear lobe with his tongue.
His hand was working at full speed between her legs. His thumb rubbed her clitoris in circular movements, faster and faster until she shatterd into a thousand pieces in his arms, trembling and groaning loudly. It was only his strong arms that prevented her from falling to the floor because her legs had been incapable of holding her upright for some time now. He took his finger out of her and put it to his mouth to taste her nectar. He seemed to like it as he groaned quietly. Keela had never seen nor heard anything so erotic.
“Ah, Keela,” he murmured. “You’re even sweeter than I dreamt you might be.”
He swung her up into his arms and carried her to the bed where he gently lay her down. Keela stared up at him. His dark eyes seemed to swallow her up. He was breathing just as heavily as she was. Her eyes moved down his muscular body, stopping half way down. It was very clear to see how aroused he was. And the thing that was pressing hard against his tightly fitting trousers was bigger than anything she had ever seen before. A mixture of desire and fear made her tremble.
“Sleep well, princess,” he murmured and bent down to kiss her on the forehead.
Confused, Keela watched him leave the room. She groaned unhappily. She could not believe that he had simply left her. How could he? The fact that he desired her as much as she desired him was clear. But why he was denying them both what they both yearned for was inexplicable. She had fled last time and he had then avoided her. And now, after her initial resistance, he had brought her so far that she had melted like wax at his touch, and he had simply left.
Chapter 8
Y-Quadrant, Karrx7
Royal Palace of the Arr’Carthian
2nd day of the month of Manao in the year 7067
Federation Time
After the incident in her bedroom she had hardly seen Marruk and when she had they were not alone. She avoided looking at him. After the inflamed passion had calmed again a little and she had realised what she had done, and how she had reacted to him, she began to feel ashamed. She had conducted herself like a lecherous tart, quite shamelessly. She simply could not look him directly in the eye any longer and she dreaded the day when she was to return to his castle. Perhaps she could ask Moreena to arrange alternative accommodation for her.
There was a knock at the door. Keela’s heart leapt excitedly.
“Who is it?” she asked tentatively. She had learnt from the last time. She was not going to make that same mistake again.
“Solima!” came the answer, and Keela breathed a sigh of relief.
“Come in!”
The door opened and Solima rushed into the room. The girl literally flew into Keela’s arms and they bot
h laughed, happy to see one another again. Keela had visited Solima regularly in the medical unit, but she had been put into a slight coma to speed up the recovery time.
“I thought you weren’t going to be discharged until this evening. How are you?”
“I’m fine. I feel as if I’ve been reborn,” answered Solima, wrapping her arms round Keela’s waist and putting her head on her chest.
“That’s good to hear. I was very worried about you.”
“I also wanted to thank you for making my shoulder better. I can’t remember it all very well now but I know that I was in a great deal of pain, but that after you did something with my shoulder it was suddenly better.”
“No need to thank me. I would have liked to have done more for you, but now let’s talk about something more positive than your accident. Have you heard that Lory and Charly have been found? They’re on their way here.”
Solima’s whole face lit up.
“Really? That’s wonderful. Are they OK?”
“Yes, they’re OK.”
“I’ll tell grandmother that we must have a party when they get here. But not such a big event as last time. Just a little party with a big white marquee in the garden and a big barbecue. We need lanterns and music and a dance floor … and acrobats to perform something or dancers. Perhaps both. And my father and you must dance together, then he must kiss you and claim you and then you’ll be my mother. That’s good! That’s what we’ll do!”
Keela was glad that the girl had her head on her chest and therefore could not see her blushing. She had really grown fond of Solima. She decided not to enter into a discussion about Marruk with her. What was she supposed to say to the girl? - ‘Your father only wants to go to bed with me?’ that would hardly be appropriate.
“Your idea for a party is great. A proper garden party,” she agreed, trying hard not to let her emotional turmoil show.
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