by M. K. Eidem
"Yes, Mommy," Miki told her.
"Alright. Ion and Nairn can take you."
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Looking over their shoulders to make sure Ion and Nairn weren't watching, Carly and Miki quickly scooted under the branches where the raptor rested.
"Hi, Prince. We're back," Miki said moving toward the bird that was snuggled down in the nest he had made out of her cape. "Are you feeling better?"
Unfazed that the raptor just continued to look at her, she continued. "We brought you something to eat."
That had Prince lifting his head, his purple eyes zeroing in on the strips of rashtar she was pulling from her pocket. She'd managed to slip them into her pocket at first meal while her mom and manno were talking. Sitting down in front of him, she broke off a piece and held it out to him.
"Be careful, Miki," Carly said, being the protective sister she always was.
"He won't hurt us, Carly," Miki told her with all the confidence of a three-year-old. "We're helping him."
As the girls talked, the raptor rose from his warm nest until he towered over them. Slowly, he lowered his deadly beak and carefully snatched the food from her hand.
"See," Miki said to her sister smugly. "I told you he wouldn't hurt us."
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Lisa made no comment when Grim stepped in front of her, pausing for a moment as he opened the doors to his Command Room. She knew why he was doing it. Even though Ull and General Rayner were considered worthy males, Grim would take no chances with her and their unborn daughter's safety. After several tense moments, he moved to the side and put a protective hand on the small of her back, guiding her into the room.
Beside Alger and Agee, there were three other people in the room. One was the warrior she knew as Ull. Standing a few steps away from him was a massive male with beads in his hair, and behind him was a small, cloaked figure.
"Warrior Ull," Lisa acknowledged, her cool gaze running over him. She still wasn't sure he was the right person for this task, but she would give him the benefit of the doubt since Grim and Wray seemed to think he was.
After a moment, that dragged out long enough for Grim to start growling his displeasure, Ull bowed slightly. "Majesty."
Grim gave Ull a hard look before he led Lisa toward the other male. "Lisa, this is General Treyvon Rayner, Supreme Commander of Kaliszian Defenses. General Rayner, my Queen, Lisa Vasteri."
"Majesty, it is a great honor to meet you." Treyvon crossed an arm over his chest and gave her a much deeper bow than Ull had. "May I present to you my True Mate, Jennifer Rayner."
The cloaked figure stepped forward, and when the cape's hood lowered, Lisa gasped. "You're from Earth!"
"I am," Jen affirmed.
"But... What? How? I just assumed you’d be Kaliszian.” She turned to face Grim. “You didn’t tell me she was from Earth.”
“I did not know,” Grim told her, frowning darkly at the General.
“It was felt that the fewer Tornians who know there were Earth females in the Kaliszian Empire, and that they could be our True Mates, the better.” Treyvon ran hard eyes to the guards in the room.
“That is truth,” Grim agreed, following where Rayner’s gaze had gone. “Alger and Agee can be trusted. They are the Captains of my Lisa’s and my Elite Guards.”
“You were found on the Ganglian ship?" Lisa ignored the conversation going on between Grim and Rayner, and moved toward Jennifer.
"No, I was taken by the Ganglians over a year and a half ago."
"A year and a half...” Lisa’s eyes widened. “Wait, your name is Jennifer?"
"Yes."
"As in Jennifer Teel?"
"Yes,” Jen was surprised this woman made the connection so fast. “Kim is my little sister."
"Oh, my God!" Lisa was immediately hugging Jennifer before any male could move. "Does Kim know? Of course, she knows. What am I saying? She sent you here. She must be ecstatic! But wait..." Lisa pulled back slightly, frowning. "Why are you here? Why aren't you with her and Destiny? She's missed you so much and has been so worried about you."
"And I've missed and been worried about her too.” Jen smiled at Lisa. She was just as Kimmy had described her. Beautiful, smart, and caring. “We spent nearly a week together before Warrior Ull arrived.” Her expression cooled as she glanced at Ull. “Kimmy wanted me to stay longer, but there are more lives involved here than just ours.”
“You’re talking about the Ganglian ship full of Earth females the Kaliszians intercepted,” Lisa said leading her to one of the couches in the room.
“Yes, Kimmy told me about what happened to you and the other females the Tornians took just like the Ganglians did us.”
Grim’s displeased growl had both women looking to him, and Rayner moving to step between the King and his True Mate.
“Don’t growl at me, King Grim,” Jen said glaring at him. “It is no different.”
“She’s right, Grim,” Lisa told him quietly. “I know you did your best, making sure that you only took unprotected females, and that none of us were abused like Kim and Jen were, but that still doesn’t make it right.”
“I wasn’t abused,” Jen informed Lisa, “and neither were the women found on the latest Ganglian ship." She ignored Lisa's shocked look and continued. "But the Ganglians aren't as 'selective' as the Tornians. They just swept up any female they found. Young, old, married, single. It didn’t matter to them.”
“Oh, my God.”
“That’s why we need to go to Pontus first," Jen glared at Ull. "To get them and return them to Earth, along with the men that were taken with Mac and me.”
“Mac?” Lisa asked.
“Mackenzie Wharton. Well, Kozar now,” Jen corrected. “She was the female guide that was with us when the Ganglians took us. She’s now the True Mate of Treyvon’s Second-in-Command, and the other reason we need to get back to Pontus.”
“Those females should not be returned,” Ull growled.
“That’s not your decision,” Jen told him, turning angry eyes on him. “They are under the protection of the Kaliszian Empire, and you have been ordered by your Emperor, my sister's husband, to return them safely. And by God, you better or you’d better hope Wray gets to you before I do!”
Grim found his lips twitching as Rayner's True Mate fearlessly challenged the first male of one of the Tornian Empire's most well-thought-of Lords.
“It seems your True Mate is as fearless when dealing with much larger males as my Lisa is,” Grim murmured to Rayner.
“She is,” Rayner agreed, easing his stance slightly. “She is strong and has survived more than any female should have to. And if you ever growl at her like that again, I will end you. Blood brother to the Emperor or not.”
Grim's eyes narrowed for a moment, ignoring the way Alger’s and Agee’s hands tensed on the hilts of their swords hearing Rayner's threat. “As you should," Grim agreed, and his Captains relaxed. "Just know I feel the same about my Queen.”
Looking at each other, the two dominant males realized they had more in common than they ever thought.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Later that day, Lisa found herself walking the halls of Luanda, absently running a hand over her stomach as she thought over all she had learned that day. Jennifer was truly an amazing woman. They had sat and talked while Grim, Treyvon, and Ull discussed whatever they deemed important, but what she and Jennifer had discussed was so much more.
Not only had the Kaliszians begun to find their True Mates again, some human, some not, they were also able to conceive offspring with humans. It was the other reason Jen wanted to return to Pontus. Her friend, Mackenzie, had conceived with her True Mate and while the two species were similar, the Kaliszians had no real knowledge of how to deal with a pregnant Earth female.
Lisa had immediately understood what Jen wanted. Rebecca to return to Pontus with them. She wanted Rebecca to check Mackenzie and share her knowledge of Earth females with the Kaliszian healer, Luol. So
mething Lisa knew Grim was going to fight her on. He would want Rebecca to remain on Luda so she could care for her until their daughter was presented. But Lisa knew that wasn't going to be possible. Oh, she wanted Rebecca here when she gave birth. But until then, there were others that needed Rebecca's skills. Jennifer had also confessed that she would like Rebecca to examine her because she believed she had also conceived.
Yes, it had been a busy but informative morning, and there was still more that needed to be decided. But first, she needed to check on the girls. Looking up, she saw Nairn approaching.
"You're back from the garden?"
"Yes, Majesty. Cook promised the princesses they could help him make cookies."
"Of course," Lisa smiled. Nothing kept her girls out of the kitchen when Warrior Tagma was making cookies. "Did Miki find her cape?"
"Yes, Majesty."
Lisa had gotten to know the males of Luanda well, especially those of the Elite Guard. She could tell there was something more Nairn wanted to say.
"What is it, Nairn? Did the girls disobey you?"
"No! Of course not, Majesty. The princesses are always well behaved."
"That is an untruth, Nairn," Lisa gently reprimanded. "You know they like to see if they can hide from you."
Nairn smiled slightly. "This is truth, Majesty. So we let them."
"What?!!"
The look on his Queen's face made Nairn realize she had misunderstood, and he quickly reassured her. "We know where they are, Majesty, we just let them think we don't."
"Oh, well that's good. Smart, too." Lisa should have realized they would never allow Carly or Miki to get away from them. "So what have they been doing, that they don't think you've noticed, that is bothering you?"
"They are spending a great deal of time beneath one of the trees."
"One of the trees?"
"Yes, it is like the one you had us move into Luanda. The one you called a 'Christmas' tree, except this one has heavy, lower branches that touch the ground."
"So they crawled under it, and you couldn't see them?"
"Yes, Majesty."
"We used to have a tree just like it in our yard back on Earth. They would play underneath it for hours."
"It seems they do here too, but..."
"But what, Nairn?"
"Miki went under it wearing her fur cape. She came back out wearing her purple one."
"She left her fur one there?"
"Yes, and they seemed to be talking, but not to each other."
Lisa frowned at that. "There wasn't anyone else there?"
"No, Majesty."
"There's nothing in the garden that can harm them is there, Nairn? No wild animals?"
"No, Majesty. We would never let them out of our sight if that were the case."
"Of course you wouldn't, Nairn. I know how much you and your brother Warriors care about the girls."
"And you, Majesty," Nairn quickly said, his cheeks darkening slightly.
"Thank you, Nairn," Lisa gave him a small smile. It still surprised her how easily flustered these big, strong Warriors could get when speaking with a female. "I will talk to Grim about this and see what he wants to do. Until you hear from either of us, allow the girls to continue to play under the tree."
"Yes, Majesty."
Chapter Four
"Beneath a tree?" Grim frowned as Lisa told him what she had learned, later that night after the girls were asleep.
"Yes," she said pulling her feet up under her as she cuddled into his side.
Grim reached over and dragged the afghan off the back of the couch, making sure her bare feet were covered, before responding. "There shouldn't be anything in the garden that will harm them, but I will go tomorrow and make sure."
"Thank you," she said gazing up at him.
"You do not need to thank me for seeing to our girls’ protection," he told her gruffly.
"I know, but I also know there are a great many other things you need to be seeing to tomorrow. You could just have Ion or Nairn check and report back to you with what they find."
"That is truth, but this is something I must see to," Grim reached up touching the glass thumbprints on the necklace he wore. "After all, I am their manno."
"You are," she agreed, smiling up at him sleepily.
"And I am your male." Rising, he scooped her up into his arms. "And now I must see to you."
"Oh you must, must you?" Lisa asked as she pressed a kiss on the thick scar running down his neck.
"Yes," he told her gruffly, "You are tired. You need to rest."
"I am," she agreed, "but I'm never too tired to love my male, and I do, Grim. Love you, that is."
"And I love you, my Lisa."
"Then show me."
"I will," he vowed, and carefully lowering her into their bed, his mouth covered hers.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
A fully rested and fully satisfied Lisa smiled at Grim across the table the next morning as the girls ate. Finally, knowing she needed to pull her thoughts away from what they had done in bed together the night before, she looked to their daughters. "So, girls, there is someone I would like you to meet this morning."
"Who, Mommy?" Carly asked.
"Her name is Jennifer. She is Empress Kim's older sister."
"Older sister? You mean like I am to Miki?"
"Yes, Carly."
"But, Mommy, isn't Kim part of Manno's family?" She looked to Grim. "Part of our family?"
"Yes, baby," Lisa told her.
"So then isn't Jennifer part of our family too?"
Lisa looked at Grim and realized it was something neither of them had considered, at least not the full extent of it. Yes, Jennifer was now related to them through Kim, but it was more than that. General Rayner was now family too because he was Jennifer's True Mate, and General Rayner was blood-related to Liron, the Emperor of the Kaliszian Empire. The two Empires were now forever connected.
"Yes, Carly, she is. So we need to welcome her into the family."
"But..."
"But what, Miki?" Lisa asked, frowning at her youngest.
"But... we want to go play in the garden."
"Again?" Lisa looked to Grim and saw he was frowning too. While it wasn't uncommon for the girls to play in the garden, they usually didn't play there every day.
"Yes. Pleassse, Mommy." Her amber eyes pleaded with her mother's as she drew out the please, then looked at her manno and did the same thing. "Pleassse, Manno?"
Grim was the most powerful and feared Warrior in the Tornian Empire, but looking into his Miki's eyes, he found himself as defenseless as a first-cycle trainee against an Elite Warrior.
"Why do you wish this so badly, Miki?" Grim questioned quietly.
"Well... uh... because..." Miki stuttered, her panicked gaze going to Carly beseeching her for help.
"We just really like to play out there," Carly said.
"You mean under your tree?" Lisa asked.
"How did you know?" Carly's eyes widened in amazement as she looked back to her mother.
"A little birdie told me," Lisa said teasingly, not wanting the girls to know it had been Nairn that had told her. She didn't want them to think they had no freedom.
"Prince told you?" Miki whispered, her little eyes going even wider. "He talks to you???"
"Prince?" Lisa asked giving them a confused look. "Who is Prince?"
"The Great Raptor's son," Miki told her as if it were obvious. "He hurt his wing, so we're helping him get better."
"And how are you doing that, Miki?" Grim questioned carefully, finding it took all his Warrior control to keep the alarm out of his voice. Raptors were solitary creatures that rarely attacked without cause. They killed only when it was a matter of survival. They were the symbol of House Luanda because of this. But this Raptor was injured, and even the noblest of creatures could strike out without thought when crazed by pain. The idea of his sweet, innocent daughters being exposed to such a creature made his blood run cold.
"Uh-huh," Carly agreed.
"You found him the day of the Festival?" Lisa looked at her daughters. "That is why you 'forgot' your cape?"
"Prince needed it more, Mommy. He was so cold and scared."
"I don't doubt that, Miki, but you should have come and told your manno or me."
"But we couldn't, Mommy," Miki told her.
"Why, baby?"
"Because... we needed to help him. I promised... vowed that we would, and if we don't keep our vows," Miki's little forehead scrunched up as she searched for the word, "then we aren't worthy. Isn't that right, Manno?" She looked to Grim. "It's what you tell your Warriors, isn't it? That 'if you don't keep your vow then you aren't worthy'; and 'you must always protect those that can't protect themselves.' Well, Prince can't defend himself right now, so we have to."
"This is truth," Grim slowly admitted looking from one daughter to the other. He hadn't realized they had been listening that closely to what he told his Warriors. "A vow is a very important thing. But in giving it, you can still ask for help in keeping it, and in this, you should have asked."
"I'm sorry, Manno." Miki's little lips trembled as she looked at him. "I just wanted to be worthy... like you are."
Grim was immediately out of his chair and on his knees between where his two girls sat.
"You are, Miki, you will always be worthy, much worthier than me. You also, Carly."
"Truth, Manno?" Carly asked.
"Truth." He hugged his girls for a moment then rose. "Now, finish your meal, and then we will all go and see your Prince."
"Yes, Manno," they chorused together, and quickly returned to eating.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
It was gray and overcast as the girls led Lisa and Grim to 'their' tree. Grim went down on one knee, then bent even lower still to see under the low bough he had lifted. Behind him, Lisa and the girls waited along with Nairn and Ion. He could understand why the Raptor had chosen this spot. It was well-concealed, and his Warriors wouldn't think a threat could exist in such a compact area. No Tornian male over the age of five would fit inside, but his daughters were much smaller than Tornian youth.
