by Anna Lewis
“Can you promise me one thing?” she asked.
“What’s that?” the prince asked.
“We’ll be in this together,” she replied.
The prince smiled.
“Of course, darling. You will not be alone. I will be right at your side,” he assured her. “Here—I have something for you.”
As Melody relaxed into the pillows, Prince Tezod reached over to grab something from the pocket of his pants. He procured a magnificent ruby necklace that shimmered in the light of dusk, the chain braided with gold and silver. She smiled.
“Is that for me?” she asked.
“It’s been waiting for you for nearly a century since it surfaced,” he replied. “I found it while rummaging in the fields and it spoke of your name.”
“Sounds like a fantasy story,” she said.
“May I?” he asked.
She nodded and sat up, turning so that he could fasten it around her neck. She marveled at the shining space ruby, tracing it with a red nail. It was perfect. For a moment, it seemed to glimmer, white sparkles filling her eyes. She watched as it heated up between her fingers and gasped when it glowed even brighter.
“What is this?” she asked while turning.
The prince smiled and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, rubbing his cheek against hers.
“It means it’s true,” he replied. “You are the lost princess.”
“I don’t understand,” she whispered.
“I’ve been waiting to hand it to you. It was rumored to glow when it was given to the true princess and this proves it to be correct,” he explained.
“This is such a dream,” she commented.
“I assure you it is not,” he said.
“I would be so disappointed if it was,” she said.
“Why is that, my darling?” he asked.
“Because it would mean losing you,” she replied.
Lips instantly pressed to hers, the overwhelming passion filling him to the brim. She moaned as an eager hand cupped her breast, massaging the delicate skin in circles while stimulating the nipple. The ruby continued to glow between them, nearly illuminating the room with its red hue. It lit up as their bodies pressed together and hummed when he kissed her neck.
The prince pulled her on top of his lap, pulling down her night dress to taste her supple skin. She traced the back of his neck with her nails and nibbled on his neck, causing him to moan. Lips met again and he pulled up her gown to press his growing erection against her wet vulva. Her soaked crevice took to him immediately and she threw her head back to gasp. Blue hands held her up as she began to bounce, rolling her hips forward while cradling his head in her bosom.
Elated, the prince licked her erect nipple and pulled it into his mouth, sucking gently on it until she pulled his hair. She giggled and pressed her lips to his. Their tongues dueled while her thighs bucked against him, her hips excitedly rolling over and over. He hooked his hands under her arms and grabbed her shoulders to hold her in place as he took over.
Every thrust upward made her squeak, pushing against the soft spot within that brought her pleasure. He was beside himself with joy at the sight of her satisfied grin and continued to pump harder as her breasts bounced. The heat between them grew, the ruby glowing even brighter. She buried her face into her neck and groaned as he pushed deeper and deeper. He wanted to be completely intertwined with his princess, her skin glimmering with desire that he covered with kisses.
His hands moved to the small of her back and propped her up as he leaned into his thrusts. Eager for more, he licked her breasts and then nibbled at the skin just above her nipple, causing her to moan even louder. She bounced hard against him. He smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck for better leverage, using his shoulders to guide herself up and down.
The brutal strength of his passion burned away any barrier of resistance. He was buried deep in her sweet heat, watching breathlessly as her face contorted into one of pleasure. He grinned. His hands trailed around to her hips to pump harder, coaxing her abandon with each thrust. As her eyes rolled back, she buried her face into his neck, groaning long and loud.
Her cry of release signaled a deep, primitive tug to continue pounding, their bodies bouncing on the bed as she convulsed against him. It blew apart every sense of control he held and he gripped her hips hard to contain his explosion. Fevered skin twitched and shuddered, his cock throbbing as it released his come deep into her womb. He cried out and bucked until he had nothing left, still leaking even after everything had left his still erect cock.
Spent from such a passionate encounter, the two collapsed back upon the bed and chuckled between gasps for air. It pleased him to see her so satisfied. Looking down, he found their bodies tangled together. Her fingers found his and she lifted herself up to kiss his cheek, appearing to be high.
“You are such a generous lover,” she said.
“I aim to please,” he said with a grin.
Smiling, she kissed his lips and then snuggled into the crook of his arm where she traced circles around his chest.
“This has been the best day of my life,” she said. “I don’t ever want this to end, Tezod. It would be the end of me if it did.”
Chapter 11
Taking a shaky breath, Prince Tezod stepped forward in front of his soldiers. He raised his arms in the air to silence them, eyeing Melody who seemed to be shaking in her mechanical armor. It was time to face the heat.
“My comrades, today is a day of reckoning. We will face these horrid Gluons for one final time with our beautiful leader and princess who has acquired her power,” he announced. “It is my honor to fight alongside you. I have been hiding in my castle for far too long, leaving the real battle for my people who have done no wrong to those wretched fools.”
The crowd cheered. The prince raised his arms higher.
“Today, we fight for our planet and our species. It is ours and we shall protect what is ours! On my mark, comrades, we shall step upon the platform that will transport us to the battlefield,” he continued. “And we will show them that the Eflorians will not go down without a fight!”
As the crowd roared with excitement, Prince Tezod took his place next to Melody and took her hand in his.
“This is it,” she whispered.
“It won’t be the end. I promise you that,” he said proudly.
“I believe you, darling,” she said. “I really do.”
She squeezed his hand and averted her eyes forward. Prince Tezod could see them watering. He was confident her speedy training would be enough. They were able to download an entire year’s worth of it into her brain which surprisingly was receptive to the false memories. It was enough to get her through the battle. Her power would carry her the rest of the way.
As the prince stepped forward with his princess, the soldiers followed suit and stepped up on the metal platform. Their instructor, Herroz, was standing on the other end, waiting patiently for the signal to press the button. The prince took a deep breath and then nodded.
A collection of electrical lines zipped through the air and around the soldiers, causing some of them to gasp in awe. The transport was remarkably painless, but the prince still found himself gripping his lover’s hand. She had her eyes squeezed shut. It wasn’t long until they were standing out in the middle of a large field.
Before them stood a long line of gargantuan Gluons. Their gnarled faces caused Melody to gasp. Pictures couldn’t capture the true nightmare that it was to look at a Gluon. They were made up partially of alien skin and mechanical scraps that they patched on during battles to retain their threatening appearance.
Each one of them wore a different set of armor, scraps of metal poking from their necks and chests. Chains were wrapped around some of them while others sported chest plates that had been drilled into their shoulders. It was a frightening sight. They gurgled and growled at the Eflorians who stood tall and proud.
Prince Tezod admired the strength of his men. E
ven Melody seemed to be glowing with courage, her demeanor glowing under the golden suns. She smiled at the prince who couldn’t help but return the gesture.
“Are you ready, darling?” he asked.
She nodded timidly, her eyes switching between him and the Gluons who were already beating at the ground with their hooves. The sound roared above them and came barreling down like a heavy rain, imitating the thunderous roar of the heavens during a storm. It was intimidating.
“Soldiers!” cried the prince. “Prepare your lasers!”
Behind them, a chorus of whirls filled the air as each soldier turned on their laser weapons. Melody fixed her quiver of arrows over her shoulder, pulling three of them to place between her fingers. She raised her bow, fixed it up towards the sky, and then waited for further instruction.
“Steady!” called the prince. “Western wall, front!”
Melody pulled back the arrows, putting stress on the string. She gave the prince a glance and he nodded.
“Attack!”
A roar came from behind the prince as he sprinted forward with his electric sword, wielding it against the first Gluon who jumped at him. The sword easily sliced the alien in half, the two pieces of Gluon falling to the ground with a loud thump. The prince pressed on and assaulted the next alien, his sword flying left and right as he cried out in his native language.
He turned to find his princess releasing her arrows and commanding them with ease, diving between large bodies of Gluons who attempted to grab her nimble body. She twisted and turned, jumped into the air, and bounced off a bulbous head that exploded when an arrow flew threw it. She was a vision.
Up in the air she flew, flipping a few times before landing humbly on her feet. She raised her arms above her head to catch the two arrows speeding past her and then started sprinting towards a collection of Gluons. They roared. She didn’t flinch. Not even a bit. It made him happy to see her in action, her true power coming to fruition just in time for those horrible aliens to be defeated.
Something sharp poked him in the shoulder and broke him away from admiring his lover. The prince turned to find a particularly wide Gluon standing in front of him with a razor-sharp spear. It was glued together poorly, the end of it stained with varying colors and smelled rank. The Gluon pointed it at his face.
“You are the dreaded prince we have come for,” it announced.
“You dare threaten me in my own home?” the prince asked with a grin. “Then maybe you will dare to fight!”
The two quickly jumped into heated battle, the Gluon raising his makeshift spear and bringing it down over the prince’s head. He quickly avoided the blow and stuck out his sword that missed the Gluon completely. It gave a gurgled giggle that struck a nerve with the prince. His nostrils flared as he wielded his sword again, aiming towards the belly of the beast.
The sword barely brushed the surface of the Gluon’s skin, causing it to split open. Green oozed from the small wound and the Gluon laughed, its belly jigging with every giggle.
“Such a fool,” it bellowed.
“The only fool here is you, beast,” the prince retorted. “For thinking my people are so vulnerable that you could swoop in and take them.”
As the spear was raised again, the prince ducked down low and sliced at the alien’s legs. The sword sliced through the knees with ease and melted the metal that was guarding them. It fell with a great cry, raising its deformed fist up at the prince who beamed with victory.
The prince raised his sword above his head and brought the hot laser down against the throat of his enemy, savoring the sweet relief that came with destroying another one. But his joyful victory didn’t last long. Behind him, the cries of his princess could be heard over the roar of battle.
When he turned, he found a Gluon raising her above his head and pressing something against his wrist. He sprinted towards the two while waving his sword, making a path through which he could run.
“No!” he cried as they dissolved in the middle of the field. “Fenneck!”
Startled, the prince stopped in his tracks and looked around, helpless. His princess was taken. There was no way he could go on with the battle without her. It was almost hopeless to continue. He slammed at his watch and brought up the display.
“Fenneck!” he cried.
“Yes, Sire?” he replied.
“She’s been taken! We must retreat!” he yelled.
“Right away, Sire!” Fenneck replied.
A loud horn blared above them, cutting through the sounds of war. The Eflorians stopped fighting and immediately turned on their heels, following their prince back to the transportation platform. Before he could press the button, he looked up into the sky and noticed the ship lingering outside their atmosphere. It must be the main transport ship. If he could get to it, he could save his princess.
The prince looked around at his soldiers and then stepped off the platform. When one of them protested, he slammed his hand against the button and the lot of them disappeared. He turned to face the line of Gluons approaching, their deformed faces curled into what appeared to be smiles. He bowed his head.
“I am humbly giving myself over in return for your retreat,” he stated.
One of the Gluons stepped forward, placing a hand on his chin.
“Prince, that is a valiant offer. We must bring you to our leader for terms,” he said.
“I demand you leave my planet at once and take me as tribute instead. Release my princess. My people need her,” the prince said proudly.
“We will discuss terms,” said the Gluon while raising its fist.
And with a painful blow, the world suddenly went dark.
Chapter 12
Melody groaned.
She felt dizzy and sick, her head lolling forward as she finally came to. While she struggled to open her eyes, she noticed the strange language greeting her ears. She focused first on the laser bars surrounding her and then on the gargantuan creatures on the other side. They gestured to her.
“Where am I?” she asked.
They stopped talking and turned to her, their round eyes studying her form.
“You have been captured by the great Orwellgo Artnoak, the guardian of the Gluon planet,” said one.
“And we have your prince,” said another.
“Where is he?” she asked, leaning forward.
She could feel the heat from the lasers on her face and recoiled immediately, hugging her knees to her chest.
“He is in another cell on the other side of the ship. It’s useless to fight. We have you now and we will end your royal bloodline,” said one.
“Like you could defeat a great prince like him,” she scoffed.
“Silence, Eflorian!” it growled.
Melody shuddered at the command, but didn’t show it, retaining her sense of composure even in the heat of his ugly breath coming through the cage.
“You’ll have to do better than that to scare me,” she challenged.
The Gluon raised an eyebrow—or what appeared to be one for he was decorated heavily in scrap metal—and then turned to a screen next to him.
“We shall see to that,” he retorted. “The king would like to speak with you.”
On the screen appeared the ugly mug of Orwellgo who seemed less than amused to see her. She waved.
“Greetings, princess. I see you’ve been caught with little effort,” he said.
“More than a little,” she said.
“Your movement on the battlefield is admirable. I see they have trained you well,” he went on.
“It wasn’t anything I didn’t already know,” she said, studying her red nails.
She noticed a chipped piece and frowned.
“With powers like yours, we could take over entire galaxies,” Orwellgo said. “And maybe even produce ample children that would wipe out that weak blood of yours.”
Melody grimaced.
“That’s a horrible thought,” she said. “Why would I want to hurt others when I can
live in a thriving place like Efloe?”
“Because you are weak!” cried the king while slamming his fist. “You are vulnerable to the outside world! You have no place occupying the planet next to ours!”
“I doubt the hatred would run that deep if it were so simple,” she said.
“Your grandfathers have caused us enough pain by taking over the very commerce we created,” he continued. “And we want our trade back in our hands.”
“So, this is about greed?” she asked.
“It is more than that, Princess. It’s about being in charge. We are the mightier species and our plans to rule are far-reaching,” he replied.
“I don’t see a mighty king in front of me. All I see is a bully,” Melody spat.
“Ah, Princess. The things you don’t understand,” he said. “We’ll have to teach you a lesson about insubordination.”
When Melody stuck out her tongue, the screen switched over and she saw Prince Tezod strapped down on a table. A Gluon stood nearby with a long spear that crackled with electricity. She gasped.
“Now we have her attention, I see,” Orwellgo said. “Maybe she will listen to reason if we give her a little push.”
The screen buzzed with light and the prince cried out, his body seizing against the restraints that held him.
“No!” Melody cried while tearing up. “Leave him alone!”
“I don’t think that’s enough. Hit him again,” Orwellgo instructed.
The Gluon zapped him a few times more and Melody fell against the filthy ground, tears streaming from her eyes as she mouthed for them to stop. She begged and groveled while gripping the steel floor. Everything was blurry. Her head was still spinning and a sharp pain had appeared in her stomach. It felt like she was about to vomit.
“Please, stop. I’ll yield,” she blubbered.
As the screen dimmed, Orwellgo appeared again with a grin on his face.
“That’s it, Princess. We have you now. You’ll never see your sweet prince again as long as you are with us,” he said.
“It can’t be the end. It just can’t.” she whispered.
