Queen's Ransom: The Golden Bulls of Minos

by Isabel Wroth

  "A son," he whispered, and Jalia was pretty sure she couldn't have been more in love.

  She could see the hopes and fears the powerful king of Minos felt in that moment, everything he was, reflected in his gaze.

  His brows lowered intently, his expression turning fiercely protective as he rubbed soft circles on her skin with just the tips of his fingers.

  "I hadn't realized until you came into my life, how very alone I've been. I have only just begun to adjust to needing anything or anyone with such ferocity as I do you, and now you give me this."

  "Well, you have some time to adjust. I admit I'm nervous,"

  Jalia realized she'd made a rather large error when Dhega's skin paled ever so slightly, and his scowl became more pronounced.

  "There is nothing to fear. I will order Nivir to bring the very best healers in the universe to care for you.

  “You'll stop working so hard, rest more. Nothing will go wrong. You will be fine. I will not allow you to be otherwise."

  Wow. So maybe Dhega was a little bit like her father. The way he'd just ordered her to be fine? Kind of funny, unbelievably sweet, and oh so ridiculous, but very much one of those man-reactions she remembered her father having to anything he couldn't quantify.

  Command it to do his bidding. Therefore, it would have no choice but to obey or face court marshal.

  Only she didn't balk at Dhega's orders the way she would have done her father's, because Jalia could see the panic just behind the royal bluster.

  So that's what it was supposed to look like. A loving husband and soon-to-be father, worrying.

  "How did I get so lucky?" she murmured, rubbing her finger across his brow to smooth his scowl.

  "What?"

  Jalia shook her head a little, sure to the very depths of her soul, Dhega might have some dictator-like tendencies, but he would love their son and any who might come after, with everything he had. He wouldn't ever send them away or make them feel like they were less in his eyes.

  "I was nervous because I didn't exactly have a family who taught me how to be a good mother, but I'm not so nervous now."

  "You're not?"

  "Nope. You and I get to be our own family, and any kids we have will be loved beyond measure."

  She got up on her knees to straddle his lap, smiling as she hugged his shoulders and gave his stern lips a kiss,

  "I'll work even harder to make sure I have plenty of time to rest," kiss—

  "nothing will go wrong," kiss—

  "and I know I'll be perfectly fine with you looking after us," kiss—

  "and you can hold off on sending Nivir to find a healer, because I'm already doing that."

  Dhega didn't fight very hard when Jalia pushed him back into the pillows, his stern scowl having melted into a roguish grin in the wake of her kisses.

  They laughed and celebrated together in the quiet darkness, and quite sometime later when they lay tangled together, breathing hard and quivering from their joyful exertion, Dhega kissed her shoulder and cupped her belly with a possessive, protective hand, whispering a promise in her ear just as she drifted back to sleep,

  "You have all of me, Jalia. Everything I am belongs to you."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  J-Alpha 6

  JC6 headquarters

  Nivir had spent many days in the company of his new queen, and it hadn't taken her long to uncover his secret.

  His parents and been adamant Nivir become the next king of Minos, hounding him daily as soon as he'd come of age to run the labyrinths and claim his birthright as eldest son of the royal house.

  It had been merely by chance Nivir had learned he was not the eldest son, and instead of being angered or hurt by the news, Nivir had been overjoyed.

  He had selfishly used the information to force his father to allow him to train as a warrior under Lycoris's men.

  It gave Nivir the opportunity to travel into space, even if it was only so far beyond the boundaries of the nebula. He'd snuck out a few times with no one being the wiser, never guessing how those little excursions would change the course of his life forever.

  Nivir held little love for his parents, always scheming and manipulating behind the scenes.

  Portraying themselves as such kind, benevolent rulers, when in secret the truth had been so much more sinister.

  Prince Demos and his wife were both dead because Antehe had wished it. Accidents carefully crafted by a queen driven mad with jealousy by the actions of her indifferent king.

  Many such accidents had happened over the years, and no one ever suspected.

  It had been a blessing the day his father's eldest son had come to Letau and demanded the right of challenge, and Nivir had leaped at the chance to support his brother and come to know him better.

  Dhega had been such a wild, suspicious beast back then, and completely unaware it was his true father's head he carried through the Red Labyrinth.

  Many times over the course of his life, Nivir had considered telling both Dhega and Zavir the truth. Confessing the reasons for keeping his secrets, but after spending so much time with Dhega, Nivir realized he had no desire to lose the trust of either of his brothers or to give Dhega a chance to question everything that had given him purpose in life.

  He had seen the day Jalia realized the similarities between Nivir and his elder brother, the knowledge in her gaze, but she never said a word. Even when Nivir had thought to explain before they left Iros, she had smiled at him kindly and lay her small hand over his.

  "It's your secret to tell, Nivir, and I think you'll find—if you do tell him—he's thought of you as a brother for a long time and would welcome you and Zavir both."

  The morning after the solstice council meeting, Nivir had been summoned at Dhega's order, and Zavir told him the king was in a strange mood.

  One he hadn't ever seen before. Nivir thought Jalia had finally betrayed his secret. He recalled how he'd braced himself to face the Dhega's wrath, uncertain of the king's reaction when he found Dhega leaning on the stone rail of the terrace, looking out on the city with an oddly relaxed expression on his face.

  "Come up here, you're not part of the guard anymore," he'd said calmly, waving his arm to encourage Nivir closer.

  It was with great caution, Nivir came to lean beside his king. Besides his brother, wondering if this was one of those times where Dhega's calm exterior very carefully hid the monster beneath.

  Persis had given his sons many things, their height and coloring, the shape of their horns and an inclination toward violence. But having been raised in Antaeus had put a completely different shine to that violence.

  Dhega's mind was a labyrinth in and of itself, a puzzle so complex it would take a lifetime to truly know it's secrets, and as close as they had been over the years, Nivir felt no shame in admitting his older brother was still a mystery to him.

  So, he stood quietly, waiting for Dhega to speak, trying to gauge his mood and preparing to leap out of the way should his temper explode.

  "I have relied heavily on you for many years now, Nivir, and you've never once given me reason to regret it."

  Nivir knew better than to relax, or to offer up information Dhega didn't ask for.

  "I have been honored to serve you, my king, and hope never to give you cause for regrets."

  And it was the truth. As a king and as a man, Nivir genuinely respected Dhega. Loved him as he loved Zavir and was proud to claim him as family. Even still, Nivir was wary of the huge bull's temper.

  "I have not often rewarded you or expressed the depth of my gratitude. I don't know that it ever occurred to me, and I'm somewhat ashamed to realize I've taken you for granted."

  Zavir had been quite correct in his assessment that Dhega had indeed, been in a bizarre mood.

  "There were times when I confess I was not certain of how best to carry out your orders without displeasing you, your majesty, but I have not felt taken advantage of, and you rewarded me often."

  "Did I?" Dhega d
rawled with a disconcertingly playful grin.

  "Every time you sent me on a mission outside the nebula, I was ecstatic. I wanted to be an explorer when I was young, but my father insisted I was meant for the throne. I couldn't imagine a worse fate for myself."

  Dhega turned then to face him, tilting his head with curiosity. "Is that why you never ran the labyrinths?"

  "I had no desire ever to be king, and the prospect of running the Red truly terrified me. I had nightmares of it as a child."

  Nivir had been only seven summers old the first time he had been to the Red Labyrinth.

  Just a few weeks before Nivir remembered pitching a fit and declaring he would not be a king. He wanted to be an explorer.

  Persis had taken Nivir with him to Antaeus, declaring him old enough to witness what happened to those who betrayed their king or their herd-sire.

  Sitting beside his father beneath the crimson pavilion, Nivir understood his father was trying to punish and intimidate him, to caution him against disobeying by forcing him to watch the group of criminals being ripped apart in the labyrinth.

  Nivir wondered if Dhega remembered finding him hiding in the antechamber outside Daegana's study.

  It was the first time he'd ever met his brother. Nivir had been hiding behind one of the large planters set within an alcove, having thrown up in the planter itself as soon as his father had left him alone to discuss business with Daegana.

  Dhega had been a few years older, wearing the drab clothing of an attendant, but even then there had been something commanding about him. Nivir wasn't sure how Dhega had found him, or if he simply hadn't been hiding that well in the first place.

  "Here, rinse your mouth out. You'll feel better," young Dhega had told him, offering him a simple clay cup of water and some dry bread.

  Nothing else had been said, and for a long time, they just sat there in silence until Nivir explained what he'd seen in the labyrinth.

  "Eh, it's not so bad. Just don't piss off the king, and you won't end up inside it," the boy advised, slipping away as soon as he'd heard Daegana's voice.

  Nivir hadn't seen Dhega again until the day he'd come to Letau, but it was advice Nivir had never forgotten.

  "I did not love my father or respect him as a monarch. I don't think I have to explain why, but I confess, the first time you emerged, I had mixed feelings."

  "Most did," Dhega acknowledged with a casual shrug.

  "The second time you emerged unscathed, I was astounded. The third time, I could barely contain my amazement, or my happiness knowing that arrogant windbag, Ponto would not be king.

  “This fourth time? I worried your queen would find some drastic way to punish us all for allowing you for volunteering to enter the gates."

  Dhega grimaced as his gaze turned toward where Jalia slept. His entire demeanor softened, just looking in her direction, and after a moment Dhega heaved a hugely contented sigh.

  "Zavir already proves he has learned from the best, but it is strange without both of you at my back. Especially now,"

  For a moment, Nivir had feared Dhega would call him back to serve as his guard, and of course, Nivir would return to service, but he craved the ability to go out into the world. To feel such freedom,

  “Minos has needed this change for a long time, my king. We have relied too heavily on the technology of our creators,"

  "We have, but I find my concern in that regard is of little consequence. I have given the princes the opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions, but as of yesterday, they no longer have a choice.

  “Minos will have every defensive system available, and I don't care if we have to give up every grain of sand in Dymigona to do it. My son will never see his home invaded or lose his mother to injuries easily healed by medical technology."

  Nivir had been well on his way to complete agreement when the importance of what Dhega had said penetrated.

  "A son?"

  Dhega's hand gripping tight on his shoulder had kept Nivir from swaying in shock, "Jalia's machines onboard her ship confirmed it yesterday."

  "A son!" Nivir laughed, overwhelmed with happiness for his brother.

  Dhega laughed with him, nodding as he gave Nivir another squeeze, his gaze turning solemn as he gave a regal dip of his horns.

  "I gave you an impossible task, and you brought me a treasure, precious beyond my wildest expectations. Thank you, Nivir. I demanded a wife, and you gave me a family."

  Nivir later learned he had been the very first person Dhega had told of the impending birth, and in truth, Nivir was honored beyond reason.

  At that moment, he had felt like a beloved brother and had hopes in the future to someday be called uncle by a little prince.

  But now, he worried it would never happen.

  In their many meetings where Jalia had coached him on what to say, what to expect, how to deal with any problems or questions he might face as an ambassador, her one demand had been that he never spoke her name to anyone at JC6, or to any one of the Universal Coalition liaisons he might encounter. S

  he instructed him never to outright lie, but at the same time if faced with a direct question regarding her identity by someone in charge, give away as little information as possible.

  Nivir was curious as to why and had been stunned when she admitted her brothers were the founders of JC6, her father and eldest brother were extremely high-ranking officers within the UC, and she wanted nothing to do with them on any personal level.

  She explained her father and brothers would do their utmost to manipulate a meeting with the ruling monarchs of Minos, and once they learned she was queen, those manipulations were likely to become more vicious.

  She wanted to be sure Minos had some form of defenses in place before that happened—which she assured Nivir would happen eventually—and if they had nothing but the nebula to protect them? As she put it, they were screwed.

  She had even given him a list of non-negotiable requirements should anyone from the UC or JC6 visit Minos. From construction crew to official liaisons or ambassadors, and Angel Eyes also had such a list, of security protocols to be implemented.

  Her concern being that someone would use a device to map out a path through the nebula to later give them access before Minos was prepared to deal with uninvited guests.

  Thus far, no one had balked at the overly cautious protocols, until today.

  *****

  This morning, Nivir had been surprised to no longer be meeting with a representative of JC6, but with the founders themselves. Jeremy and Joseph Justus.

  Jalia's brothers had been coolly courteous, explaining their presence simply by saying Minos was to be their largest customer to date, and they wanted to personally ensure their company was providing the best possible service to ensure a long-standing business relationship.

  Having been prepared for this tactic, Nivir hadn't made any objections and continued on as though nothing were amiss, but the identical twins were not nearly as proficient at concealing their true feelings as their sister.

  Nivir was quick to admit, he was enjoying his new position immensely, mostly because he delighted in playing the unassuming fool who knew little of the universe and was therefore easily taken advantage of.

  The brothers had tried every which way they could to insist on coming to Minos themselves, claiming if the ruling pair truly wanted assistance in setting up their remote tracking systems and orbital satellites, several of the items on the list of Nivir's list of protocols were simply ridiculous.

  They needed this machine or this many number of personnel to build the satellites and they most certainly needed this survey drone to find the best location for the tracking system antennas.

  He had let them go on and on about all the things they required, and how without them, they couldn't possibly provide the very best service, his wrist unit recording every moment of the conversation, certain they were also recording, but as time wore on, Nivir was getting bored. And irritated.

  "G
entlemen, I feel as though you've wasted my time, and kept me here under false pretenses," Nivir told the brothers, interrupting them mid-word.

  "I've spent the last week here at your facility being assured by the appointed representatives, that your systems are fully automated.

  “The radar tracking antenna are to be spaced according to this schematic here—which I've sent ahead to my counterpart on Minos—and per these very detailed instructions, the locations chosen to house the antenna are optimal.

  "The tour of your satellite production facility was most interesting, as I saw several thousand satellites already assembled and ready to be launched via spaceship, at which point the pre-programmed trajectory engages, and the satellites arrange themselves around the planet.

  "I was given a list of numbers as to the necessary amount of personnel required to assist in overseeing the launch of these products, and nowhere on this list is a survey drone or geothermal mapping machines.

  “Now, if I've been misinformed by your colleagues and your technology does none of the promised functions, and I've therefore wasted seven days being subsequently lied to? I'll be taking our business and our emphrinite elsewhere."

  The twins shared a tight-lipped look and tried one more tactic to bring a sizable force of men with them to Minos.

  "We've received reports that you have purchased three fighting class battleships from the Martollan's.

  “They are known arms dealers who supply countries and planets with the means to invade other systems. The business and safety protocols of JC6 does not support such endeavors, and while we are very interested in whatever emphrinite you may have, you can understand why we are concerned and want to see for ourselves that your people aren't preparing to invade anyone."

  It was in this moment Nivir admitted, his queen was ferociously clever, and he couldn't help but wonder why anyone would ever consider making an enemy of her.

  She had anticipated every single avenue of questioning or backhanded dealings Nivir might encounter and given him the answers needed to navigate safely through it all while maintaining the upper hand.