“I do not know,” Maja said. “The bindings are so rare, I cannot say.”
“So it’s possible we’d still be in a horrible situation.”
Maja gave a weak laugh and nodded. “It seems there is no happiness for me with Aster, either path, but this one has brought me a friend. I will not let Baris turn this into a victory.”
I nodded silently, turned inward. Baris set us against each other. I knew Maja was there to undermine my confidence and create a wedge between myself and Aster. I had no idea how deep the relationship between Maja and Aster or how she suffered. In regards to my mate, his Royal Highness Aster, a man who claimed I was his world, he sure was good at keeping information from me. We’d have to have a little talk about that.
Jaimie’s voice punctuated the silence. “That is some damn fine drama. Better than a soap opera.”
My eyes rolled but a smile played on my face. “I’ll talk to you later, Jaimie,” and disconnected the call. I took a moment to gather my thoughts.
“The queen is very clever,” I said. I dared not voice the criticism that the queen was also arrogant and thought herself the cleverest person in the room. But I am determined not to be fooled by petty tricks and manipulations. “She thought to watch us each other apart but she has not given an enemy; she has given me a friend.”
The marks of humility and pride shone on Maja’s elegant neck and shoulders.
“Don’t get all emotional on me,” I said. “The lef isn’t going to chop itself.”
The haivaln plucked and butchered, I just finished the sauce just as the bread and the other dishes came out of the oven. The sun was nearly at midday. Staff came into to carry the dishes just as I plated the last course.
“Ready?” Maja asked, hair mussed and her apron bore the stains of her labors. Mine was in no better shape.
“Almost.” The apron fastened by two buckles on either shoulder. I undid the buckle and open the apron. The fabric overlapped at the front. I moved the soil layer to the back and brought the fresh, clean fabric to the front. Maja’s eyes were round with astonishment.
“I never knew aprons did that,” she said, copying me.
“Old chef’s trick. Terran chefs wear a jacket but it works the same way.”
Smoothing down my hair and checking my reflection in a pot, I asked, “Am I presentable?”
Maja nodded.
Servants carried the feast we had created to the Great Hall where King Emre waited. A table was set up for the King and Queen, much like the night before, but the rest of the crowd stood and observed. Prince Sindre stood to the right of his father. Aster was to the left. Dressed again in his military formals, he was more handsome than ever. Maybe I’m just a sucker for a good looking man in uniform. With all three men standing side by side, the family resemblance was obvious. Aster had his mother’s lighter complexion but both son had their father’s straight nose and strong jaw.
Carefully, course after course was placed in front of King Emre. He took measured bites, clearly savoring and making noises of pleasure. Queen Baris poked at the plates presented to her and made a sour face with every bite. The audience didn’t know what to make of it.
Folded hands at my back masked my nervousness. If my hands were in front of me, I would chew on my nails, which is exactly what I wanted to do. Thankfully the king was the only judge I needed to impress.
Aster’s posture was stiff and on edge. His gaze burned into mine. The longer the judging took, the more agitated he grew. He was a moment away from dashing forward, tossing me over his shoulder, and making a run for it.
My smile widen and I gave him a wink. Aster immediately burned with marks of pleasure. I did not fail to notice the murmur run through the crowd.
The final course was presented: bread, cheese and wine.
The king gave an appreciative sigh as he cracked the loaf of bread in two, handing the other half to his wife. He spread the cheese and ate the slice before the wine was poured.
At this moment, I was pretty confident and I wasn’t taking my eyes off Aster. He glowed with pride and I glowed right with him.
Finally, Emre finished his glass of wine. “This is the finest Enhette feast I have ever tasted. Thank you.”
I bowed slightly, dipping at the knees. “Thank you, Your Majesty. And the challenge?”
“A success. Do not fail me tomorrow.”
Chapter Nine
Aster
All the air escaped my lungs. I moved towards my mate and the guards surged forward. I paused, fingers curling into a fist. Did they mean to keep us separated?
“I will slaughter you all if you keep me from my kompli,” the words barely more than a growl under my breath.
My father gave a permissive wave and the guards fell back.
I hate that I must be given permission to touch my mate, to feel her soft skin under my fingers. She looks tired but radiant, curly locks escaping from the not on the top of her head. All turbulent thoughts vanish when she grabs my hands and tugs me forward, lifting her perfect face for a kiss. The heat of the kitchens still clung to her savory and sweet lips. The taste of her was enough to drive me wild. I wanted more.
All eyes in the palace were on us and I did not care. Let them see how desirable my mate is and let them choke on the inevitable jealousy.
“Are they always going to follow you?” she asked, pulling away.
“Until I decide that the best course of action is not to run away.” No time soon. If I could, I would toss the Terran woman over my shoulders and leave this place, much like how this began.
“Two more days,” Evie said, “and we can go back to the ship.”
“We can leave now.”
She shook her head. “I will see this to the end.”
A noncommittal grunt escaped my throat. A younger me would admire her dedication to honor and victory, but now I cannot stomach the possibility of losing my mate. Without her, I have nothing. All this to prove Evie’s worthiness of me. I am the one who is not worthy of her.
I would not allow her to release me from the bond, even if I had to fight every guard in the palace, on the planet's surface, until my mate and I were away safely. My mind is certain on this.
“Tomorrow,” I started.
She nodded briskly. “I have a plan.”
“You can trust Maja,” I said.
“I know that now.”
Sindre approached. Evie turned and gave a curtsey, smooth and without flaw. Sindre did not notice, he never noticed. His eyes were fixed appreciatively on the curve of Evie’s hips and the shape of her mouth. Even in the homespun garment, her innate beauty shown. I completely understood the Terran saying of looking good in a sack of potatoes; my mate was gorgeous no matter what vegetable she wore.
“You are a remarkable woman,” Sindre said.
Evie bowed her head slightly but said nothing.
“My brother is a fortunate man.” An open smile played on Sindre’s lips, white fangs against his skin and his markings were sincere. A hand brushed back his hair. With his dark eyes, straight now and strong jaw, I knew my brother was a handsome man. Sindre also knew he was handsome and he didn’t mind showing it off.
A growl rumbled in my chest. My brother flirted with my mate. I wanted to tear his throat out with my teeth.
Sindre did not fail to notice my discomfort. “Peace, brother. I am envious but not jealous.”
If there was a fine distinction between the two emotions, I failed to see it. “You already have a wife,” I said.
“Yes,” Sindre said in agreement, “but I do not have a kompli and I fear I never will. I envy you, Aster.”
I was not placated. “You could never stand up to the queen.”
He laughed. “No, your mother is a force of nature. I want you to know, both of you really, that I will support your union no matter the outcome of the challenge tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Evie said.
I scanned the room. My father was paying attention to our conve
rsation but the rest of the audience seemed to ignore us. Where was Chem? Sindre was not malicious but he rarely did a selfless deed. I needed another opinion on Sindre’s sudden amiability.
Maja appeared at Evie’s elbow. “We have been dismissed,” she said.
Reluctantly, I dropped Evie’s hand and took a step back. Already the world was colder and without color. My mind was made up, I would not allow her to release me from the bond.
Maja took away from kompli. In the crowd, I recognized the tall, bulky form of Chem. He followed the two women out, ever vigilant in his post.
Sindre’s hand pounded my shoulder. “She is remarkable.”
“What do you want, brother?”
“I will help you in whatever way necessary to protect your kompli.”
I held his gaze, his eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. Satisfied, I said, “Thank you but why would you defy the king?” Sindre was the heir but if he displeased our father, there were three other princes ready to take the job.
“I really am envious, little brother. What is it like?”
“I do not understand,” I said.
“Your kompli, is it like the stories? Is it greater than your other…?”
I cut him off with a wave. My kompli was more than any pleasure I had ever experienced with another woman. She completed my soul, made me whole. I did not know I was empty until our bodies joined but I was. She is light and air and without her there is nothing. It was impossible to boil all that into a simple statement for Sindre. I said, “She is everything. I was half a person before Evie; now I am complete.”
Sindre nodded, satisfied with my answer. “I will fight to preserve that, brother.”
Chapter Ten
Evie
Preparations went well into the night. I had a plan and Chem and Majra completed it perfectly. The dress for the next day had already been delivered. We made alterations as needed. Finally after midnight, I crawled into the empty bed. With one challenge done, it was easier to rest. I needed to stay alert.
A noise outside stored me. The tauter were bleating, more than their usual malcontent grumblings. I slipped on a robe and slippers and went outside.
The night air hit my skin, raising gooseflesh. I suddenly realized how alone and vulnerable I was at Bitterot by myself. Anything could happen, anyone could be out here, and I left the house in a robe.
A figure emerged from the dark. I took a step back, alarmed.
“Princess, you should be asleep.” Chem’s stern face was half illuminated from the light spilling from the doorway.
“I heard a noise,” I started.
“It is taken care of.”
“But the tauter were upset.”
Chem bowed his head. “It is taken care of, Princess. You should rest.” He stood there, large and immobile. He wasn’t going to go anywhere until I went back to bed.
“Fine,” I said, returning inside. Chem’s probably right. Whatever startled the tauter, I don’t want to know.
In the morning, Maja waited, bright eyed and with two mugs of hot tea.
“Don’t you sleep?” I asked, taking the tea.
She smiled but did not answer.
The dress was similar to the simple work clothes from yesterday, white and grey and very homespun. I suspect the queen dictated the garment’s humble quality. The fit was good; bless Jaren. My curly hair continued to baffle Maja and I pulled it back quickly into a knot. Make up was judiciously applied to hide the circles under my eyes.
Chem waited by the kitchen fire, adding the last modifications to the translator earpiece. While very lovely, ornate design clashed with the simple dress. Pulling a few tendrils of hair down round my ears helped to obscure the translator.
It hummed to life, crackling in my ear.
“Is this cheating?” Maja asked.
Chem answered immediately, “No. We are using all our resources as a clever warrior.”
There are no rules on the battlefield. Our plan was not strictly against the rules but certainly it violated the spirit. Still, I had to recite the Enhette unification story, all ten thousand words of it. A complete retelling took hours. I watched videos online. To stand and speak for hours would be physically taxing. Thankfully the rules did not state the recitation had to be from memory.
I arrived at the Great Hall at midmorning. The audience was the same as before with the royal family waiting at the end of the hall. The lights went dim and a single spotlight waited in the center of the hall.
In the spotlight, the audience vanished. I could not see beyond the harsh light. No doubt this was being filmed or broadcasted live. A small dais with a pitcher of water was just outside the light. I took a sip and cleared my throat, then turned to face the king and queen I could not see.
“Hwaet!” I started, voice clear and filling the hall. “Listen and learn the desperate tale of the darkest days of our beautiful Mother Fremm and the mindless bloodlust of men that kept us from our destiny.”
Maja’s patient voice sounded in my ear, reading slowly and pausing for dramatic effect. I mimicked her pronunciation and delivery, down to the theatrical sighs. Ten thousand words recreated Fremm of a millennium ago, when clans and petty warlords fought constantly for limited resources. The planet was gripped in stagnation. Finally, a wise leader emerged who united the clans and turned the Fremm aggression outward to colonization and expansion. After unification, a technological explosion propelled Fremm to the stars. It was a romantic story that oversimplified complicated history but everyone likes a good origin story. The Terran myth about colonization is very similar: after living in the shadow of war and annihilation, Earth united and culture and science boomed.
As I approached the final verse, light blossomed across my chest and back. Maja and I stayed up half the night sewing tiny lights into the dress. As I repeated the words about being greater together and a true Fremm warrior thought not of their ego or honor, but of the honor of all of Fremm, the patterns exploded across my torso.
The crowd gasped. A good Fremm story teller could summon the marks on their skin to add flavor to the story. If anything would make Baris accuse me of cheating, this is it.
Voice getting raw and hoarse, I finished the last lines. The light faded from the cloth and I was left in the spotlight. It gradually shrank, leaving me in darkness.
Applause exploded in the hall, reverberating off the stone walls and floor.
Chapter Eleven
Evie
Lights rose in the hall. In a confusing swirl of sound and motion, Emre clasped my hands firmly in his, and invited me to the family’s private rooms to dine. Voice raw, I accepted the invitation.
The family’s rooms were at the center of the palace, behind corridors and doors. Finally, we entered a two storied chamber with an open gallery run around the top level. Whitewashed stone walls and dark timber gave the room a cozy feel. Lights designed to look like ancient candles cast a warm golden glow. The embers of a fire smoldered in the hearth. The furniture was plush and red but looked much lived in. Carpets covered the polished stone floor. While the rest of the palace was designed to be cold and intimidating, this was clearly the spot the royal family felt comfortable.
A meal was waiting on the large table near the hearth. Luncheon was a type of fish served with an astringent sauce and various vegetables.
Aster set me down and insisted on feeding me bite size morsels between sips of a hot honey laced tea. The tea did wonders for my throat.
“Let me feed myself,” I said once my voice recovered.
“I would feed you, kompli, and provide for you in every way,” he said, perfectly serious. This need to display his fitness as a provider was new.
I searched the family’s faces for a clue. Baris glowered, Sindre looked like he was holding back a laugh and Emre smiled in a doting manner. They were no help at all.
Sindre’s wife, Faren, arrived with their daughter Fahlin. I recognized them from news programs. Tall and willowy, Faren looked more glamorous
in person. A sincere smile reached her eyes and she gave me a curtsey. “That was a very enjoyable rendition,” she said in flawless Terran. Elegant and thoughtful. If Faren was the standard for daughter-in-laws, no wonder I wasn’t up to snuff.
Satisfied I wasn’t going to immediately starve, Aster wiped his fingers and took a long drink of the wine.
Fahlin climbed into the empty chair next to me. Eyes wide and fixated on me, she grabbed a piece of the fish and chewed. Faren reached over and gently slapped her hand, indicating for the girl not to eat like a savage. Reluctantly, she used lowered the fish to the plate and picked up a fork. Fahlin appeared to be between the ages of seven or ten. It’s hard for me to judge. She was a tall girl, much like her mother.
“Are you going to have a baby?” she asked.
My head drew back in surprise. Holy we never talked about this, Batman. “Maybe. Probably. Someday.”
Baris stood up from the table like she was hit by a surge of electricity. “You will never corrupt this family with a filthy half-breed!”
Emre’s hand slammed on the table. “Sit down, woman.”
“I will not!” Baris shouted. Her hands balled into fists. “She cheated. I don’t know how, but this ugly Terran is a cheater.”
My heart stop, because I was. I violated the spirit of the challenge if not the letter of the rules.
“I will not make a second request,” Emre said, voice exasperated.
Baris leaned in towards me, her breath hot on my face. “I don’t know how you did it but you’ll never finish tomorrow. I won’t allow it.”
I drew my shoulders back. Aster continued to sit while his mother jabbed a sharp finger in the center of my chest. I batted her hand away, shocked that Baris would poke me. “I am your son’s mate. Gnash your teeth and pull your hair; nothing you do will change that.”
The queen’s nostrils flared and her bright blue eyes narrowed. Her hand drew back. I steeled myself for the slap but I did not look away or show subordination.
Bride of the Alien Prince: Alpha Alien Romance (Alpha Aliens of Fremm Book 2) Page 6