by Gabby Dark
I was nervous. So nervous that even Anik looked at me wearily as we walked through some halls and into an open room where King Crencik sat at a desk stacking stones and dipping what looked like some type of pen into a crystal vial of ink.
There were two guards behind us dressed in long tunics. Four warriors wearing loin cloths just like Anik’s were also in the room. They were all looking at us.
“Father,” Anik greeted, coming to a standing position about five feet in front of the desk.
“Son.”
King Crencik set his gaze upon me. Unsure of how to address a real live King, I looked down at my feet.
“Well…your time is up.”
“My time has been spent defending our people,” Anik replied.
King Crencik shut a book closed and straightened his back. “Surely, a mere thirteen lashes across the backside does not take a lifetime.”
“I’m glad you are still adept at mathematics, Father. By my calculations, it would take merely ten seconds.”
I stole a glance at Anik. He had a knack for keeping a straight face in the most unusual circumstances. He was most certainly defiant, talking back to his father that way.
King Crencik frowned. “Kiv'ad!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” That son-of-a-bitch brute who called me a bitch when I was assigned to Anik stepped forward.
“Did my son provide you evidence of punishment?” King Crencik asked.
“No, Sire,” Kiv’ad replied.
“Were you able to confirm evidence of punishment yourself?”
“No, Sire,” Kiv’ad repeated. “He did not let me get close to her.”
“Then what have you been doing all this time, son? You were not fighting the Barbs or training warriors all this time,” King Crencik demanded. “She has been in your possession all this time.”
“Sire, he did not punish her for Fulcid’s death,” Kiv’ad spoke out of turn, although he had not been addressed. “He only took her and seduced her. She does not reside in the dormitories. She was never checked in. She sleeps in his bed. Without moderation, your son sampled the nectar between her legs on more than one occasion.”
I almost died on the floor from embarrassment. That peeping tom son-of-a-bitch.
Anik made a full turn and stared at Kiv’ad with anger. I didn’t know what message Anik sent to Kiv’ad telepathically, but the warrior fell back—all the way back—and took his place against the wall with the others.
“This is true, son. She is an open book,” King Crencik said.
I looked up in shock, but then remembered that both Anik and his father had identical color ǔre. They were both telepathic.
“I warned you, Anik. I’m disappointed that it must come to this. You continue to defy me. If you wish to be King, then make it so. Announce your bid. As I’ve said many times, my son, the Crown is yours, but you must accept it.”
“It is not my time to be King, Father,” Anik replied.
“You still have duties as Crown Prince or do you forget? If you cannot perform your duties as the commander of our army, I shall assign her punishment to another warrior.”
“There should be no punishment. We went to her Earth and took her. She killed Fulcid in self-defense. She was fighting for her life,” Anik said.
“I believe you.”
“That is not acceptable, Sire!” another warrior boomed and came forward. “She murdered my brother in cold blood. And here she stands without remorse for it.”
“Taz'ul, you can see that she is remorseful,” King Crencik replied. “You, on the other hand, are vengeful.”
“She should pay with her life,” Taz’ul declared.
Anik and Taz’ul faced each other.
“Be careful, Taz’ul. Be careful what you say,” Anik warned.
“We cannot execute her for Warlord Fulcid’s death. My son says it was in self defense. I believe him, and she is much too valuable.”
“More valuable than my brother who fought for Zunator?” Taz’ul stood there, arms crossed. When he didn’t receive a direct answer from the king, he stormed out of the hall.
“It will take some time for him to accept his brother’s fate. He died in battle. The fact that this human female delivered the final blow is probably what ails him the most.” King Crencik leaned back in his chair. “In either case, you cannot keep this human, Anik. You relinquished your rights to the haul from the raid. She is fertile and strong. A warrior herself, I believe. She will be assigned to another pod. Another warrior.”
“No, Father…she will not,” Anik declared.
“What do you mean? She has a fertile womb. We need her for breeding.”
“Under the laws of Zuna, I’m exercising my right as the Crown Prince and your heir. I now declare Ryleigh Mayberry of Earth a free citizen of Zunator. She is free to decide her own fate.”
I gasped and looked at Anik. He was freeing me? What did that mean?
“My son. You cannot declare this woman a free citizen,” King Crencik huffed.
“I can. I’ve done it before with human advisors. A scientist. A teacher. A doctor. We’ve done it countless times. You remember.”
“I…I…no, you cannot. Free citizens must bring value to our colony. The fact that she has a womb for breeding does not count.”
“She brings much value to our colony.”
“How so? She is just a woman.”
I stepped forward. I was scared as hell, but I spoke out anyway. “With all due respect, Your Majesty. I bring more value than you know.”
King Crencik’s eyes widened than narrowed. “Speak.”
“On Earth, I was a rebel. A fighter. I’m skilled. I can defend the colony.”
King Crencik laughed. “I heard about how you tried to strangle that guard last night. You use stealth to outwit your opponents. But! We do not send our women to battle anymore. Our men go to battle. That is sufficient. After all, we are still here and thriving despite the odds.”
“And when the men go to battle, leaving the women in the colony…then what?”
“They wait. The last female warrior died half a decade ago. Of natural causes. We cannot afford to lose our breeding women on the battle field. Not now. We don’t need to. The Barbs are mindless. They are stupid. Predictable. The Aurraks are busy building ships. The Zannakians will not fight us for they will lose every time. The Akkoids have gone AWOL. That’s just a few. Our biggest dilemma is right here in our colony: healing our women.”
“I am not asking to go out onto the field. I am merely asking if the women here are prepared to defend themselves if the colony were ever breached when the men are absent.”
“I trust that our men will not allow a breach of this magnitude. My son is the commander. He does not fail,” King Crencik, looking proudly at his son. “But! There has not been interest in some time by our women to learn to fight. Not as adamant as you in any case. Do you realize that you are not strong enough yet?”
“How do you know that?”
“It takes humans years to grow a thicker skin once they come to Zunator. Most modified humans take decades, sometimes a century to change. There’s a possibility that you will never possess the powers of a true Zunatorian,” he exclaimed.
“You said change…Will my skin change? Will I have an ǔre? Is that what you’re saying?”
“As I said, most humans don’t change externally. The changes are usually internal, as in heightened sense and ability to heal from any injury or illness quicker, and that’s mainly because the body adapts to the Zuna environment. That part has nothing to do with what our doctors are able to do for you to make you stronger in the interim. You may not possess ǔre right away, but should you bear one of our warriors a child, they most certainly will.”
“I have not seen much of your planet, but what I have seen, I’m fascinated by it. I wonder where my will to return to my planet has gone,” I said.
King Crencik nodded. “I wouldn’t want to go back to such devastation either.”
“Well, things will get better once the humans realize that the single most important thing on the planet is life itself. Think of Earth as a living being and the things that inhabit it as her life source, her organs. Earth is sick. Nurture her. Tend to her wounds. Remove the contaminants. Preserve the beneficial resources. Reverse her ailments. She will get better. Better than ever before. The question is…when? Alas…the way I see it, your ruler is trampling over his own two feet. It won’t be long before he falls flat on his face.” He grunted. “No matter. While he’s preoccupied with ruining your Earth, I have no qualms about raiding there for humans who wish to live under a better ruler and in a better environment. Our rules are strict. I rule with my head, not my heart, so sometimes, I can be a bit…misunderstood. What I am not is archaic or stupid or greedy or wasteful. You will come to understand that.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Will you consider Anik’s request? I’d like to become free. I don’t want to be a slave. I want to have children one day and be a mother, not a breeder.”
“Ah, my child, but you were never a slave. Anik’s doing, no doubt. A captive, yes, but not a slave. There is a difference.” King Crencik smiled. “Nonetheless, I cannot override my son’s decision. It is already done. You are free. However, I can second his declaration and you would also have the King’s blessing. Under a condition…or two.”
“What is it…Your Majesty?”
“You cannot go to battle. That is final. You can, however, practice as a fighter if that is what you like. If that is what you wish to do as you did on your Earth. Who knows? Your skills may be put to test one day. Plus, it’s good exercise for you anyway.”
“Are you calling me fat?” I asked. After my question, I heard a few of the warriors break out into chuckles on the side.
“Noooo. Absolutely not. You are exquisite. Your hips are rounded this way for breeding.” King Crencik made an hourglass motion with his hands. “As it should be…”
All Anik’s father ever talked about was breeding, breeding, breeding…
Suddenly, King Crencik threw his head back and laughed loudly and heartily. He bent over to the side and clutched his side. “Oh, forgive me…”
I realized he must have intercepted my bloody thoughts. I sighed.
“Tell her, Anik. Tell her how much I love breeding. How much I love your mother. Tell her how many sons I have,” King Crencik said after taking a drink from his cup.
I turned to Anik. “You have brothers?”
Anik nodded. “Seven, including me. I’m the second oldest. We lost my big brother Tal’amik in battle. The youngest are twins. They’re ten. They’re boarded at the university in the Crenxiate colony studying shipbuilding. The others are running around here somewhere. They like to go hunting. They don’t stay still.”
“No, none of my sons are ever still. Anik will go to collect the twins for mid-session break soon. You’ll meet them all at once if you like. See how they try to give me a heart attack so young. Perhaps Anik will understand when he has sons, for he will have many sons. It is fated,” King Crencik said.
“I would like to meet your family,” I said.
“Trust that I understand your need to keep busy. You can practice combat if you like. Many of us do,” the King said.
“I’d like that. Fighting is like an art. Almost like painting a scene. On Earth, sometimes I was so involved in it that I almost never feared death.”
King Crencik looked at his son and scratched his chin. “Sounds like someone else I know. Someone I raised. Someone that almost gave me a heart attack for being such a rebellious little runt.”
Anik grinned and cleared his throat.
“And your other condition…?” I asked.
“My final condition. Of course. You were brought here to breed. We both know this.”
“I have accepted my fate.”
“And so, that is what you must do. As a woman, you must bear offspring. All Zunatorian males must breed. All females must mate. So, Ryleigh Mayberry, free citizen of Zunator, you must choose a mate. A warrior, indeed.”
King Crencik smiled and picked up his pen from the ink and opened the book he closed earlier.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said.
“Father.”
On Anik’s cue, I turned around and followed him out of the hall.
“Anik,” I said once we were outside. “You didn’t have to do that for me.”
“You are special, Ryleigh. As I said before, a gift.”
“So, I’m really free to do whatever.”
Anik laughed. “Yes, you are really free. I would however, find a translator very fast so that you may know and understand our laws before you break anymore of them.”
I chuckled. “Good advice.” I looked around outside. Everyone was oblivious to what had just happened, but soon they’d know. Soon, they’d know that there was another free human on their colony. I wondered what I’d do next. Would I have to use my survival skills to fend for myself on this unknown planet? Would I ever see Earth again?
“While you figure that out, you can stay in my pod house, use my cot, eat my food, and even borrow my money.” Anik grinned.
“Are you allowed to read the thoughts of free persons?”
“Am I allowed to breath? I am. Am I Crown Prince of Zunator? Mak, I most certainly am.”
I laughed and then reality set in. “You and I…um…what happens now?”
“You are a free woman. Free women choose their mate.” He held out his hand, palm up.
I slipped my hand in his and we walked back to his pod house, no different than we were before, yet, my freedom made all the difference in the world.
Chapter Thirteen
Ryleigh
* * *
One week later…
“Tʼux. I want to take you somewhere.”
Anik woke me up early. I was still tangled in his sheets, still a bit fatigued from staying up all night trying to read Zunatorian text.
I remembered how excited Anik was when he pulled me outside and showed me the vehicle that we’d ride in. It looked like a cross between a ski-jet and a motor car with no wheels. Whatever it was, I nearly got motion sickness on our way to this special place, but I didn’t tell Anik that. I didn’t want to ruin it.
“It’s so beautiful.” I walked inside the crystal cave and traced the uneven surfaces with my fingertips. “Is this where you mine from?”
“Not this particular cave. We come here for reflection, to restore energy, regain peace,” he said, walking up behind me.
“The sound of the waterfall is so peaceful. It’s almost like a spa. It’s very warm in here.”
“Mak. Like a spa.”
Although the waterfall created a curtain of privacy over the cave with Anik and I inside, I could still see the shadow of the guards who had followed us here.
“They are for your protection,” Anik said.
He was getting better at intercepting my thoughts. In a way, I was glad. Some of the things I’d wanted to tell him, I’d never be able to tell him outright. But I had soon discovered that discussing my hopes and fears with Anik was nothing but beneficial. He was like my personal tutor, someone to help me transition on this new planet. Yet, he was so much more than that.
“I know, but did you have to order three of them to follow me around?” I asked.
“They are not my guards. They are my father’s. He sent them.”
“Huh?”
“One thing you will learn about my father is that when he gives his word, he honors it. I’ll leave for this trip this evening. I told him I was concerned about leaving you here alone. Call it intuition. It seems he’s done something to ease both of our minds,” he said.
I sat down on a nearby rock. “But do you have to leave?”
Anik knelt down on one knee in front of me and lifted my chin. Our gazes met.
“I’ll come back.
I promise.”
I smiled. “How will you go? By spaceship?”
“No. Travel to Crenxiate does not require a spaceship. We will go by Zuna Fleet Magna Apʼay Baku, like the one I brought you here in. Crenxiate is the equivalent of four thousand Earth miles away.”
“Wow. So, you’ll be gone a long time.”
“No. Well, do you consider three days a long time?”
I pressed my palm against the side of his face, stroking. “It’s long enough. I know you’re eager to see your younger brothers.”
“I am. We have not seen them for many months. I’ll bring back a xili for you. Something you can only find on Crenx lands.”
I leaned down and took his lips in a kiss. It was a short one as I knew the guards were close by and probably eager to send a message back to King Crencik that I was trying to seduce his son.
“Is your father okay with me staying in your pod house while you are gone?” I asked.
“It is my house. I can invite whoever I like. Oh, and don’t burn the place down either trying to follow too many recipes.”
I giggled. “I won’t. I’ll have takeout everyday.”
He rose and then sat down on the rock beside me, leaned in, and kissed me deeply.
“The guards…” I whispered.
“The guards are no concern to me,” he replied, picked me up by the waist and sat me down on his lap with both of my thighs straddling his.
I felt my checks flush and my heart fluttered in my chest. His lips were firm, but gentle as he kissed me passionately in the crystal cave with the sound of the water curtain trickling over the entrance.
Every night, Anik came to me after he completed his duties. We’d spend the night in bed looking at the stars through the moon door, kissing and cuddling and bringing each other to orgasm. I looked forward to time with Anik every night. And now that he’d have to leave, I knew I’d miss him. His voice. His touch…
His kuvak grew and lengthened under my sex. His hands were on my hips, guiding me to the right place. There was no penetration. Instead, I rocked my hips back and forth across his shaft until we were both slick with arousal.
