by Maia Starr
***
The crowd at the landing site cheered and threw ceremonial Hur’da in the air, coloring the sky with bright, glittering tassels. The human stared up at the sky as the colors rained down on us, her beautiful eyes shining as she took in the brilliant sight. It was a view I never grew tired of, and it happened rarely enough that it felt special every time it happened. As Supreme Leader, it was rare for me to leave my station on Jenal’k. But desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Welcome back, Supreme Leader Aloitus! I see your quest to retrieve the female was successful!”
Lera’k shoved his microphone at me, and I smiled graciously, though I was actually very anxious to get the whole event over with and disappear into the palace with the human.
“Yes, it was successful,” I said. “Now if you will excuse us, I would like to help the female get settled into the palace.”
“Of course! Are you free for an interview later?”
“Of course, Lera’k. Get in touch with my publicist as always.”
Lera’k nodded enthusiastically, and I turned my back to the deafening cheers and continued into the palace, the female at my side.
“Whoa,” she breathed when we walked through the arching doorway. I felt a surge of pride. Yes, the palace was magnificent. Much more beautiful than any of the buildings on Earth. Thressl’n architecture was sublime. It had to be to cope with the drastic climate on Jenal’k.
“Were you all right out there, female?” I asked. “We are in the Red Deserts of Armath. Most humans find the climate in the mountains to be more pleasurable.”
“Actually, I was fine,” Melinda said, refusing to look at me. I didn’t know whether to take her at her word or assume she was just trying to get out of having any sort of conversation with me.
“Is that right?” I persisted.
“Yes,” she said, turning her sharp green eyes on me. I felt frozen for a moment as her beautiful brow furrowed. “I vacationed in the deserts on Earth. My mother was a native.”
“I see,” I said, relieved that this female wasn’t just attempting to brush me off. “Then you should find the climate in the Red Desert suitable.”
“Nothing about this is suitable,” she said sharply. I thanked the gods that we were already inside the palace and away from the press. Knowing that the Supreme Leader had chosen to associate himself with a defiant, crude human would be tabloid fodder if there ever was any.
“Let me show you to your room,” I said, choosing to ignore her bitter remark. I could hardly blame her agitation. She was a highly coveted female in the universe, and she didn’t know her role in the grand scheme of things. And frankly, I was in no position to tell her anything about my plans. It was too soon. If she knew, they might backfire. There was no telling whether or not she had any allegiance to the King of Vellreq. We would have to keep her under careful surveillance until her true feelings were clear.
“Whatever,” Melinda sighed, striding beside me. She was so near that I could have reached out and touched her, but something deep inside of me prevented it. She had a cool air about her; a sophistication that made me want to keep my distance and admire her from afar. Perhaps learn more about her so I could slowly make my move to claim her.
The way Melinda carried herself was so unlike the other humans who had thrown themselves at me upon learning that I was the leader of this planet; she seemed to want little to do with me. It was strange; I was so used to being praised and coveted that the opposite was almost a thrill to me. I had to have her. There was no doubt.
“Here it is,” I said, clearing my throat and ducking into the biggest guest bedroom in the palace. It was, in my opinion, also the most beautiful room of all, outside of my own bedroom and the office in which I worked most of my days.
Melinda seemed unimpressed, however, and sat dully on the edge of the bed with a heavy sigh.
“I’d really like to be alone for a while,” she said, studying her hands. “This is all kind of overwhelming.”
“Of course,” I said, bowing courteously. “Peko will attend to you.”
I snapped my fingers and Peko appeared. She stood in the doorway, her eyes narrowed as she judged the human female in the room.
“Peko, this is Melinda. She is our special guest, and I expect you to take good care of her. This is for the good of our people, do you understand? I am entrusting you with a sacred task.”
Melinda looked up from her hands and gazed at me, confusion, or maybe curiosity, etched on her face. Still, she said nothing until Peko bowed at her.
“Greetings to you, my lady.”
“Don’t call me that,” Melinda said, though she didn’t say it unkindly. Peko straightened her back up and looked from Melinda to me, unsure of how to proceed.
“What would you like to be called then?” I asked her, easing Peko’s burden.
“Just call me by my name,” she said. “Melinda.”
“Of course, my…Melinda,” Peko said, bowing deeply. “My apologies.”
“All right then,” I said. “I will leave you two alone. I will be back soon to pick you up for the celebration.”
“Celebration?” Melinda asked, her face falling. “You kidnap me from my home, and now you’re going to celebrate it in front of me?”
I suddenly felt nervous, being on the receiving end of this beautiful female’s wrath. What was I to say to ease her temper? Was there anything?
“I…perhaps in time you will come to understand my reasons,” I managed to grumble. “Be ready when I come for you.”
I slammed the bedroom door shut and leaned against it. Never had a female ever left me feeling so tired.
But this was the only way. I would just have to do my best to stay on track and continue on with the plan. Whether the female liked me or not.
***
“Supreme Leader Aloitus!” Zerk’k Arkti exclaimed, rushing toward me and bowing deeply.
“Greetings to you, Second in Command,” I said.
“I’ve been in touch with the Commander of the Fleet,” Zerk’k said, bowing again. “I feel as if I owe you an apology. All this time, I thought…”
“Nonsense, Zerk’k,” I said, touching his shoulder and urging him to rise. “You are not to blame.”
“But sir—”
“I’m proud to have such men working under me. It only proves that Fate has not abandoned the Thressl’n yet. We shall rise stronger than before.”
“Yes, sir,” Zerk’k said, though his eyes were still downcast in shame.
“Come now,” I said with a frown. “Do not waste time on regret. How were you to know my plan to combat the Vellreq when you were forming your opinion of me? This is my burden alone. There is much to do. Make it up to me by working harder than you ever have before. It is crucial to the survival of our species.”
“Of course. Where would you like me to begin?”
“I need you to help me locate Laike Ostra’ki.”
“Repair and Maintenance?” Zerk’k asked, puzzled. “I thought he—”
“He left, and nobody informed me, probably to protect him. But I feel if we explain the whole of the situation to him, he will return. We need his expertise.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Zerk’k said dubiously. “But Chaz’z was always closer to Laike than anybody else. They could talk ships all day long.”
“Then tell the Commander of the Fleet to send out a search party and bring Laike back. We need him now more than ever. And send him my most humble apologies for allowing my engineers to take credit for his work. I understand why he left. I fully intend to make it up to him.”
“Of course, sir.”
“Can I expect to see you at the celebration?” I asked. I had always quite liked Zerk’k Arkti. He was an upright man, who always did what was right. Of course, my training as Supreme Leader had left me alienated from the other Thressl’n, and despite being bred to be quite insufferable to most because of my extreme focus on Jenal’k’s affairs, Zer
k’k had always done his best to be patient with me. If all went well, I would reward him with the highest of honors.
“Of course, sir,” Zerk’k said, bowing once again at me. I bowed to him as well by way of saying goodbye, and continued to my quarters to get ready for the celebration.
But the truth was that I did not feel very much like celebrating at all. Not when there was so much going wrong in the universe. And, even as we readied the lights and music and feasts, the Vellreq were probably plotting their revenge.
***
“Commander Arkti?” Peko’s voice squeaked from my communications device.
I sighed, shrugging on my best suit jacket.
“Yes?”
“We have something of a situation here.”
“What kind of a situation?” I demanded. Getting these cuff links on by myself was hard enough without having to try to carry on a pointless conversation.
“The female does not want to attend the festivities. She is feeling unwell.”
“Unwell?” I asked. “Or unreasonable?”
Peko was quiet for a moment before replying, “Perhaps both? Maybe you can speak to her. The Thressl’n are really counting on meeting her tonight. It would boost morale considering what’s to come.”
“Of course,” I sighed. “Just let me finish getting ready, will you?”
“Of course, sir,” Peko said.
“And try to get her dressed!”
“Yes, sir,” Peko said, clicking off from the communications device.
I growled in frustration. If the human wasn’t going to be cooperative, the night might very well blow up in all of our faces. I had been hoping to use her as a way to rally support from the Thressl’n. Get them in the mood to protect the humans at all costs. But I couldn’t tell her what I was planning yet. The reality would be too frightening.
I finally finished putting my suit on and gave myself a look in the mirror. The only thing I was missing was the robe and crown, and I held the delicate crown in my hands for a few moments. It might be that I would soon have to pass this crown on to Zerk’k. I didn’t know whether or not I would survive the impending attacks. I stroked the intricate designs, made with a beautiful precious metal called Grallos that shone white, copper, and blue when under the light of the three suns. It had been an honor to wear the crown up until now.
But this was no time to be sentimental. If my plan was going to be executed without a hitch, that would mean I would have to force the human female to submit to my authority much sooner than I had hoped. As much as it pained me to make her fear me, it seemed there was no other option. She would either obey or be damned. The choice was hers.
Chapter 3
Melinda Jefferson (Daughter of the Prime Minister)
I winced when I heard a fist pound on the doorway of the bedroom. It betrayed me by hissing open immediately and revealing the Supreme Leader.
My heart thudded at the sight of him. He was dressed elegantly; far more so than any of the costumes I had ever seen on Earth. The suit he was wearing clung to his powerfully muscular body in all the right places, and he was wearing a beautiful, elegant crown that accentuated the fine, chiseled features of his face.
“I hear there’s an issue, Earthling. Please, tell me what is troubling you so we are not late to the event.”
“I…don’t want to go,” I stammered. “I would just like to rest.”
Aloitus sighed deeply and looked down at the floor pensively before looking up at me, his face composed despite his obvious impatience.
“I understand. I would like nothing more than the same. Unfortunately, it is my duty to lead my people, the Thressl’n, and try to keep them happy. What they expect is an appearance by their leader and the female who is to be a fixture in the palace from this time onward.”
I cringed. I didn’t want to be a fixture. Beautiful or not, this palace was not my home. The Thressl’n were not my people. I had gone from being one alien’s prisoner to another, and now I was to be paraded in front of the people of this strange planet. At least the Vellreq were relatively private about their affairs. We attended formal dinners with leaders from all over Earth, but those were mostly organized by my father. The Vellreq preferred not to rub elbows with the humans. Probably because we were considered lower lifeforms.
“If I am to be a fixture then there will be plenty of time for gawkers to catch a glimpse of me,” I said, frowning defiantly. “What is the hurry?”
“Ceremony is the hurry,” Aloitus exclaimed. “It is important to my people to have a ceremony to look to in times of tension, and whether you like it or not, you have been claimed by the Supreme Leader of the Thressl’n and that means that you are to be part of my welcoming ceremony. Is that understood?”
“I’ve been claimed?” I asked, raising my eyebrow at this man. Whether he was attractive or not, the idea of anybody “claiming” me was infuriating. He shifted uncomfortably in the doorway, clearly attempting to figure out what to say next.
“If you do not come, there will be consequences,” he finally said, a stern gleam in his eyes.
I was shocked by how chilling it was; I hadn’t considered this man to be much of a threat, mostly because of how every time I looked at him, I seemed to be distracted by his ethereal beauty, but looks could be deceiving. Just because he was mesmerizing didn’t mean that he was a good person…or Thressl’n, as it were.
“What kind of consequences?” I asked, frowning. I couldn’t let him feel like he had the upper hand. If he thought that women were just commodities throughout the universe, there for his taking, then he had another thing coming.
“Are you sure you want to find out?” Aloitus replied, his eyes darkening. I was thoroughly afraid now, and finally shook my head. Maybe it would be better to stay out of trouble while I was stuck here in this unfamiliar world.
“That is what I figured,” Aloitus said. “Dress quickly now. Peko will help you. If you are not on my arm in a few moments, there will be actions taken against you, and you will have only yourself to blame for it. Now go.”
I shuddered as the door hissed closed between us, and Peko was suddenly at my side, tugging off my last remnants of Earth and replacing them with soft, luminous fabrics that probably suited the Thressl’n much more. I was surprised by how light the cloth was; it reminded me of the coverings we had worn in the desert when I was a child. The colors glinting in the soft white fabric were just as whimsical as my childhood memories, but I was far too angry to appreciate them.
“Go to the Supreme Leader now,” Peko said, urging me toward the door. “He does not like to be kept waiting.”
What a surprise. An impatient, powerful man who wanted everything whenever he demanded it. Were there any stereotypes that weren’t true beyond Earth? Why was it that women were always supposed to play the supporting roles to men who wanted to control them?
“Great,” Aloitus said, gripping my arm and lacing it through his own without even looking at me. “It is time to make our appearance. You do not have to smile, but do not speak or make any other inappropriate sounds. You may be asked questions, but it is all right to feign a language barrier to keep from having to answer.”
He spoke in a breathless stream as he walked briskly, leading me down a winding spiral staircase and into an elegant ballroom. Except the ballroom was deserted and a thin veil was placed between it and another large room. I could hear soft murmuring from the other side, but it was too dark to make out any figures that might have been responsible for the noise. It was kind of spooky.
We sat down at a single table in the back of the room, on a raised platform. It seemed odd to me, but being the daughter of the Prime Minister gave me some idea of how to conduct myself under the circumstances. Surely all would be revealed soon enough.
“Welcome!” Aloitus said loudly and suddenly, startling me so badly that goosebumps ran down my arms.
The veil parted and a light shone onto us. Deafening applause filled the room, and Aloitus sto
od, nudging me to stand with him, and bowed deeply. He shot me a warning look, and I followed his lead.
“Thank you all for coming to the ceremony! It has been a long time since I’ve traveled across the universe. But as always, the trip was worthwhile, and it will surely bring the Thressl’n good fortune in the days to come.”
Another round of roaring applause filled the room as lights began to turn on over the crowd. I saw a seemingly endless sea of Thressl’n faces, men and women alike. My heart thudded hard when in the front rows, sitting at large, octagonal banquet tables, I saw the pale flesh of other humans; more specifically, human women like myself.
Their faces were bright, however, and they, too, cheered for me. We stood, finally, from the low bow and Aloitus smiled charmingly out at the crowd, his teeth large and dazzlingly white against the soft teal color of his face.
“I would like to welcome you all to the palace. Please, eat, drink, and feast. I hope you have saved room for fifth meal today!”
Fifth meal?
Aloitus seemed to sense me looking at him in surprise, because he chuckled.
“The human, who goes by the name Melinda Jefferson, is new to Jenal’k and our customs. In fact, she has only been on the planet for a matter of a few rotations, so please, do what you can to make her feel welcome and show her the proper Thressl’n customs. She is very far from home.”
I felt a pang of pain course through me at the mention of home, and looked up at Aloitus, unsure of whether or not he understood just what that meant to me. I doubted if he would care, though. So many men simply wanted to conquest and pick the prettiest flowers only to let them wilt and die, just for the sake of saying they picked it. It appeared that Aloitus was just the same.
What was to become of me with a man like this? As much as I despised the Vellreq, at least I hadn’t been stolen away from my home. King Korta had taken over my father’s estate, but I had been allowed to remain living on the same planet I had grown up on, right in the same house I had grown up in. It seemed to be a better deal so far, whether the Thressl’n were a better-looking race than the Vellreq or not.
