Blue Alien Prince's Obedient Mate

by Zara Zenia

  “Reservation?” she said. “I thought we were going to stay in a little cabin somewhere.”

  “It was supposed to be a surprise,” he said. “Bhatraz suggested it.”

  “So, do you really think it's the best idea to go there?”

  “That's true,” he said. “Maybe it's a blessing that we haven't found it.”

  “Draklan, I'm trying to be tough . . .” she said, “but I can't hike forever.”

  “I know,” he said. “And we can't spend our lives just outrunning these men. I just . . . I'm sorry, Margot, love. I'm used to always having a plan and always succeeding.”

  “I don't blame you,” she said. “I just . . . I can't go much farther.”

  “Well, we haven't seen signs of them in a while,” he said. “And there are tons of caves that we passed. We could stop for a little bit. I'm just hesitant to do that without a plan.”

  “Well . . .” she said. “If there is a resort around here, that means there might be other signs of civilization, right? I know resorts are fairly secluded, but they wouldn't be one hundred percent away from everything unless they were entirely self-sufficient. The workers have to live somewhere, and the tourists will want to leave the resort at some point.”

  “You're right,” he said. “And there would be a full infrastructure set up, in terms of communication.”

  “How much bigger is Tamarax than Earth?” she asked.

  “Oh, about six times the size,” he said casually.

  “What?” she asked in disbelief. “Really? That's crazy. That's why the island kingdom is needed. One person can't possibly deal with the whole planet. I mean, even on Earth, we don't have one ruler for the whole planet. There are many different countries and kingdoms. And . . . actually, most of those countries don't have kingdoms anymore.”

  “They don't?” he answered in surprise. “Why not? Did they amalgamate? Are they savage?”

  “They’re democratic,” she responded.

  “Oh,” he said in a way that showed that he had never considered that. “I guess that could work.”

  “It works pretty well,” she said. “People elect the best leader rather than just . . .”

  “Being stuck with one?”

  “No, that's not what I said,” she said.

  “It is what you meant, though,” he answered. “But your . . . elected rulers. What level of education and schooling do they go through?”

  “I don't think there is a specific requirement,” she answered. “It's good if they have a degree in something . . . but I suppose they don't have to.”

  “And when do they choose to run for election?”

  “Uh . . . at various times in their lives, but they have to be over thirty-five,” she said.

  “Right,” he replied. “My brothers and I, we were taught and trained from the moment we were born. All of our schooling was directed toward sitting on a throne. All of our conversations are about our future. All of our outings are about how to be a good ruler.”

  “Well, that seems a little too focused,” she said.

  He turned around and she sucked in a breath. She knew that she had started the fight again, and she instantly regretted it.

  “So, what?” he asked. “Those who just randomly decide to try and rule are better suited?”

  “I'm just saying . . . Bhatraz just tried to kill his own brother,” Margot said. “So . . .”

  “He watched our father be murdered!” Draklan raised his voice and then looked guilty. He should have controlled his temper, but he couldn't resist the anger he felt. He lowered his voice, knowing that he might have already given away their position. “Don't you think that gives him some leeway?”

  “I just don't understand,” Margot said. “If I lost one family member in such a brutal way, I would not want to push the others way.”

  “What do you know of real pain?” he asked her. “Hmm, Margot? A boyfriend who treats you badly? A half-successful career? Is that your real pain?”

  “I . . .” she said.

  He glared at her. “Exactly. You don't know anything,” he said.

  “My brother died,” she blurted out.

  “What?” he asked.

  “My brother. My twin brother,” she said. “He died when we were kids.”

  “I . . . I'm sorry,” he said. “I didn't know.”

  “So I know pain,” she shared, softly, her lips trembling. “Don't say that I don't.”

  “How did he die?”

  “I don't want to talk about it,” she said, locking her jaw. “I just want you to know that I know pain.”

  “I'm sorry, Margot, truly,” he said, but the topic was clearly closed.

  They continued to climb in silence. Both of them wrestled with thoughts until Draklan finally stopped walking.

  “Here,” he said. “This one is well-hidden and goes down rather than staying level. It's even better than last night’s.”

  “There's no food source,” she said.

  He looked around. “We'll figure something out,” he replied.

  Margot silently walked past him into the cave.

  Draklan took a deep breath and followed her in. The cave was darker and damper than the last one, and it certainly wasn't comfortable. However, it was safe for the time being. The exhausted travelers sank onto the floor, leaning against the cave wall. “Please don't look at me like all is lost.”

  “I wasn't.” Margot frowned, although she may have been giving him a doe-eyed look. “I just . . .”

  “Margot, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's tracking,” he said. “I can figure out how to hide our tracks, like in the back of these caves. That part, I've got covered.”

  “But . . . even if that's the case,” she said carefully, “we can't run forever.”

  “No,” he said. “But we can run for now.”

  Margot closed her eyes, leaning against the cave wall. She could feel Draklan's eyes on her, and she knew that he was going to need to talk about what happened. They had gotten along so far by communicating, and she knew that she shouldn't stop now. But there were so many negative things happening and so many negative feelings being brought up that they had to thread their next few moments carefully.

  “He was sick,” she said quietly.

  What?” Draklan asked, his mind clearly elsewhere for a few moments. “Sorry?”

  “My brother,” she said.

  Draklan's face changed. He immediately came to sit beside her, listening.

  “He was sick for a long time,” she said. “So . . . we knew it was coming. But it didn't make it any easier when it finally happened.”

  “I'm sorry,” he said. “They did everything they could, on Earth?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  Draklan met her eyes, obviously trying to find the right words. “Well, you’ll never suffer that again,” he said softly.

  “Why?” she demanded, her heart beating hard in her chest.

  “Because . . .” He seemed at a loss for a moment, and then he continued, “Because we have better medical facilities on Tamarax.”

  Margot looked at him with tears in her eyes. “Well, it's a pity I didn't get an arranged marriage sooner,” she replied, feeling hurt and unsure of him.

  Draklan obviously knew he had wounded her. “Margot,” he said. “I just meant—”

  “I know what you meant,” she snapped at him. “But you can't exactly change the past, can you?”

  “No,” he said. “I can't. But . . .”

  “Draklan.” She wiped her eyes, not wanting to fight with him anymore. “Let's make a deal. You don't talk about my brother and I won't talk about yours.”

  “That's not a deal I can accept,” he said with a frown.

  “Why not?” She glared at him.

  “Because family is everything,” he said. “You’re never rid of them, no matter how hard you try, and no matter how hard they try—”

  “To kill you,” she replied, and it was his turn to glare.

/>   “Has it occurred to you that I know the truth?” he answered. “And it's hard to speak about it?”

  “It didn't occur to you that you were being insensitive when you told me your superior race could have saved my brother? What poor, pathetic creatures we Earthlings must seem to you,” she said.

  “It's not like that—” he started.

  But she didn't want to hear it. “It's exactly like that,” she said. “Half of me wonders if you're just saving me so you can look like a hero back home. Brave Prince Draklan got them out of an impossible situation.”

  “Brave Princess Margot climbed a hill at an impossible incline and slept in a cave for long, cold nights,” he snapped back. “Do you not think that the bards will sing those tales, no matter what happens to us?” he asked. “We are royal, Margot. History is written for us, and we are just puppets.”

  That caught her by surprise. They had never used titles for each other, and it hit Margot the most hearing Draklan call her by her title. She had also never heard him talk about being a puppet.

  “Do you really believe that?”

  He scoffed. “Of course. Even when we take over the islands, there will be people who suggest and basically control us—our advisors—and we should defer to them, given that they have more experience than us.”

  She met his eyes.

  “What?” he asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Because . . . us,” she said. “You're angry with me and you're still talking about us.”

  He sputtered in confusion. “Well, of course I am,” he said. “Why would I not?”

  “I just . . .”

  He softened. “Did David act like he was going to leave you often?”

  “Every time we fought,” she said at last. “And I was never brave enough to let him, even though I should have. In order to end the fight, I had to go after him, tell him that he was great and selfless and . . . I should have just let him walk away.”

  “Can't change the past,” Draklan said.

  That made Margot manage a tiny smile.

  “You're not with him now.”

  “No,” she said. “I'm not.”

  They eventually settled, and neither said anything for a while. Their bodies were exhausted and Margot was sure that she was going to fall asleep. She didn't care that they hadn't eaten or drank anything all morning. She needed rest, desperately.

  But just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard an odd sound.

  “Draklan?” she asked.

  He groaned. He was leaning against the wall opposite from her, and from the sounds of his voice, he was also drifting off to sleep. “What?” he asked.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Nothing?” he answered.

  “Then what’s making that noise?” she asked, confused.

  “What noise? I don't think I heard anything.”

  “Listen,” she hissed, and they both fell into silence.

  He cocked his head and then shifted. “It's nothing, Margot.”

  “No, listen,” she insisted, but there was nothing. “I swear I heard something,” she said.

  “There's nothing,” he said. “It's just nature.”

  She felt frustrated that he didn't believe her. She closed her eyes again, hoping for a nap. She was so tired and her body ached from lack of sleep and lack of a soft bed.

  She heard the noise again and her eyes flew open.

  Standing directly across from her, between her and Draklan, was a giant reflective eye. Many of them, in fact. She couldn't see what they were attached to, but they were staring right at her.

  She shrieked and stood up. Draklan's eyes flew open, and he saw what she had been protesting about.

  “Don’t move!” he insisted. “They can’t see you if you don’t move.”

  Margot had no logical thoughts running through her head when she heard that. The only thing that crossed her mind was what else couldn't see her properly?

  “Like a T-Rex?” she answered.

  “What's a T-Rex?” Draklan asked, obviously confused. He shifted, and the bug turned toward him. “Never mind.”

  “What am I supposed to do?” Margot asked, her voice trembling. “I can't just stay here forever.”

  “It'll leave,” Draklan said, standing stock-still. “Just don't move, okay?”

  “But—”

  “Just don't move,” he said through gritted teeth.

  True to form, the bug eventually did lose interest and started to scuttle off. Margot could see it once it approached the sunlight, and she made a face of disgust.

  It was a large, black, shiny creature with many legs, many more than a spider. It had large spots, and its back had a lot of holes that seemed random.

  “What was that?” she asked Draklan when they were finally in the clear.

  “It's an Apex,” he answered. “You've never seen one of those?”

  “No,” she answered firmly. “I think I would have remembered if I had seen one of those before. We certainly don’t have them on Earth.”

  “Oh,” Draklan said. “There’s probably a nest somewhere.”

  “Well, it was terrifying,” Margot said.

  Draklan looked thoughtful for a moment. “We could use them as our weapons.”

  “How?” She looked at him in disbelief. “Grab one and swing it around?”

  “Not necessarily,” he said. “But if we can find the nest, then we can use the swarm to attack our stalkers.”

  “Um—” She paused, thinking that plan through. “It sounds dangerous, honestly.”

  “I mean, yes,” he said. “It’s dangerous. But I’m pretty sure that we can aim them at those men and get out of the way.”

  “How?” Margot asked.

  “Just . . . let’s figure out how we lure it first,” he said. “Is there anything that we can use as bait?”

  “Any leftover fish?” she asked.

  “Um . . . not unless you’re saving a piece,” he said. “Anything else?”

  “What do they like to eat?”

  “They’re meat eaters,” he said. “And they’ll eat other bugs as well.”

  “Oh,” Margot said. “So we have to kill a bug to get to a bigger bug.”

  “Do you want me to do it?” he asked.

  “No,” she said, standing up. “I should learn. You just show me what I can do. But what do we do if we find the nest?”

  “The nest isn’t going anywhere,” he said. “So once we find the nest, we should worry about the brothers. Unfortunately, we can’t just lure them with a bug. However, since we’re their target, we just have to make ourselves more obvious.”

  “Well . . . it’s the start of a plan,” she said. “All right, show me the other insects.”

  Margot never thought she would be saying those words to her husband, but she decided that nothing about this situation was typical.

  Draklan gave her a quick lesson on the insects on the planet, and then they went scouting about. Margot walked softly, making clicking noises with her mouth, and Draklan gave her a strange look.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “I’m calling the bugs,” she said. “That’s how you call puppies, so I figured . . .”

  Draklan smiled. “Do you have a dog?” he asked.

  “No,” she said. “I always wanted a pet, but I didn’t have the schedule for it once I moved out. And my apartment was the size of a shoebox, so . . .”

  “Well, you don’t live in a shoebox now,” he said. “So any animal that you had your eye on, you can have.”

  “Can I have an Apex?” she asked.

  He chuckled.

  Eventually, they found a small nest of creatures that Margot thought were actually quite cute. Draklan assured her that they were actually not self-aware and there would be no issue. Still, she grimaced while making sure one was dead.

  “Now what?” Margot asked, feeling sorry for the poor bug. She didn’t want to touch the carcass so she picked it up
with a stick, following Draklan’s lead. He helped her carry it back to the cave, where he made sure that the body was wide-open, with intestines hanging out.

  Margot’s nose wrinkled. “Why?” she asked. “That’s gross.”

  “It’s the only way that he’s going to smell it,” Draklan said. “Just a carcass isn’t enough.”

  “And then how are we going to follow it?” she asked. “If they attack whenever we move?”

  “We’re going to lead him,” Draklan said. “Just trust me.”

  “Sure,” Margot said, although she was in disbelief.

  It didn’t take long to attract an Apex. She couldn’t tell if it was the same one as before, but it didn’t really matter.

  True to his word, Draklan waved the carcass around and the Apex started to follow them. Margot realized what the strange motions her husband was doing were meant for, and she felt like she was going to gag. He was slowly dropping bits of the carcass on the ground so that the Apex would have a little piece to eat along the way.

  When they got out of the cave, Draklan threw the body forward and then held Margot back. The Apex completely lost any interest in them and ran for the body.

  With surprising strength, it picked up and began to drag it toward the forest, right at the cliff side.

  Margot thought for a second that the Apex was going to start flying, and they’d be lost. But luckily, it didn’t.

  “Shh,” Draklan said to her as they walked.

  Margot bit her nip nervously as they began to follow behind the creature.

  Finally, when she felt like she was going to drop, they came upon a nest. It wasn’t at all as she expected, in terms of nests. It was huge and looked more like a dam that she would expect to see beavers live in. It was crawling with hundreds of Apexes.

  The one that they had been following approached the nest with its prize. The others turned to see it, and let out something that sounded like a cheer.

  “What . . .”

  “They’re celebrating,” Draklan said.

  “Is food scarce?” she asked. “Because if they’re hungry . . .”

  He smiled at her. “You have a heart full of gold, Princess,” he said.

  She grimaced. “Do I, though? Or am I just hungry myself?”

  “Let’s talk about something else,” Draklan answered. “Otherwise, I think I might consider joining the Apexes for their meal.”