It has been very helpful to have these meeting so that we can learn how to improve everyone's condition. I do not want tensions brewing beneath the surface only to explode later. Better to address any issues as they arise so they do not grow into bigger problems.
If we are allies, we need to work together to ensure we are all receiving what we need from this alliance. Or it is simply not sustainable.
And that would be a shame.
We are much stronger together than we are apart.
"We are also having issues with people from Major Houses coming and offering insulting trades for my people's wares. The things they are offering do not even cover the cost of the materials used let alone the labor involved. And some of them act insulted when the trade is refused!" Elorshin shakes his head, looking around at the assembled Princes. "If this type of behavior continues from people visiting from Major Houses, I am going to have to severely limit when I open my doors to them. If I do not close the doors completely."
The Major House Princes are somewhat taken aback by this revelation, but it’s apparent they are taking the criticism seriously.
When Elorshin was first added to the group, there was an adjustment period for the others. They were simply not accustomed to giving a Prince of a Minor House the same kind of respect that they would give to Princes of other Major Houses. But they are learning that Elorshin is just as much a force to be reckoned with as any.
"I hope none of these people are coming from House Ti'ana. They should know better now," Drevakin says wryly.
Drevakin inherited quite the House when he overthrew Rathorin. The changes in the people of House Ti'ana have been remarkable enough that everyone has noticed. The fact that he has managed to reform a House notorious for their bigotry against the Minor Houses is quite an impressive feat.
"No, House Ti'ana's visitors are usually very respectful," Elorshin reassures him.
It is time to add my own thoughts to this matter.
"I see why that would concern you," I speak up. "Perhaps the others could have a talk with their own people. If we are going to have trade between Major and Minor Houses, it has to be beneficial to all involved. The change is already against traditional lines, we need the economic factors to be enticing enough that most will decide the changes are for the good. Especially if we want to attract more Houses."
The others murmur their agreement.
"Good. It is time to discuss something else I have been considering." I look around the table at the assembled males. "I had another visit from Malathin and his group."
"Again?"
"Why can they not understand we do not care what they think?"
"What did they say exactly?"
"What did they want?" Elorshin asks, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
I smile thinly. "They want us to undo the changes we've already made. And stop any further ones."
The room erupts as everyone starts talking at once.
I wait until it dies down somewhat. "Which brings me to my next suggestion." I look around at the angry faces. "We need to consider not just a trade alliance, but a martial alliance. It would be good for us to show we are united not just economically, but also in terms of protecting our own. That an act of aggression against any one of us will result in a show of force by all of us."
A thoughtful silence descends on the table.
"We do not have to decide in this instant," I add. "But putting a messenger system in place is a good idea. The House that needs aid should send out a messenger to the ally closest to it, which in turn sends out a messenger to the House closest to it, and so on."
The discussion about how such a system would work starts. By the end of it, I am quite certain that we will have what I suggested.
Good.
Fighting detractors from a place of power is much simpler than fighting them from a place of weakness. And any crack in our unity is a way for our enemies to start breaking us apart.
The rest of the meeting does not last much longer. We put the messaging system into place and everyone leaves to go to their own respective Houses. I walk them out of the House Mansion and they take their carriages through the marketplace and out of the gates in the border wall. They have full access to come and go as they please at House Viir, just as I do at their respective Houses.
As the last of the visiting Princes leave, two of my people approach, giving me respectful bows.
"We had an appointment with you, my Prince?" the shorter one broaches.
"Yes, of course. Please, come in." I wave them inside and direct them to the sitting room. As they walk ahead, I gesture to one of the maids nearby. "Could you please bring some refreshments to the sitting room?"
"Yes, of course, my Prince," she says, curtsying quickly and hurrying away.
I walk into the room and look between the two unhappy faces. They are both young, younger than I am. When did I start seeing fully grown men as not yet grown? I shake my head at myself. The truth is, they are not much younger than I. But leading a House ages one faster, mentally and emotionally.
"So, what is the issue?" I ask as I take a seat across from them.
They have chosen to sit on opposite ends of a long couch, their positioning and body language showing me they are not happy with each other.
"My juntta bred with Rovat's and the eggs hatched recently. I believe I am entitled to half of litter. I charge a very high rate to breed my juntta because he is one of the swiftest!"
"I see," I say, attempting to keep a straight face.
The taller male shakes his head, leaning forward as if he cannot wait to voice his side so I gesture for him to make his case.
"What Jaffen has failed to mention is that he was negligent in properly stabling his juntta. I did not pay him for the breeding because I did not agree to it! And I have not been able to use my juntta because first she needed to stay with the eggs and now she is caring for the nymphs! And the extra food!" He turns to glare at Jaffen. "He does not deserve half of the litter—he deserves to pay for all of the extra expenses I incurred because of his negligence!"
They start bickering back and forth between themselves and I let them. The maid comes in with refreshments but neither guest even turns to look, too caught up in their own squabble.
I nod at the maid in thanks as she hurries away again.
Clearing my throat when I have come up with a possible solution, they halt their argument and turn expectantly.
"What is done is done," I start. "Jaffen, your juntta should have been properly stabled. He should not have been able to get out to breed with Rovat's. I am going to be lenient this time because I assume it was an accident, but you will have to pay more if it happens again. Understand?"
Jaffen frowns, but nods reluctantly.
"Thank you, my Prince," Rovat says, looking over at Jaffen with a smug look.
"I am not finished," I say, giving him a quelling stare. "Here is what I believe is fair. Since the initial breeding was your fault Jaffen, you need to compensate Rovat for the costs of a pregnant juntta and the initial housing and feeding of the offspring. This includes compensating him for not being able to use the beast." Jaffen opens his mouth to argue, but quiets when I hold up a hand. "However, that said, I do not think it unreasonable that you be given half of the litter, Jaffen. Contingent on you offering the aforementioned compensation. Does this solution suit you both?"
The two look at each other, neither completely happy but neither are as angry anymore either. A compromise is meant to be fair, so their reaction means I've found a good middle ground.
"Yes. I believe that is fair," Jaffen finally admits.
Rovat nods. "It is fair," he agrees grudgingly.
"Good." I stand and they do the same. "If that is all, feel free to have some refreshments before you leave," I say, gesturing to the table.
They both look over in surprise, obviously just now realizing the maid has come and gone.
"Yes, thank you."
&
nbsp; "Thank you, my Prince."
I nod as they bow. Leaving the sitting room, I go to the kitchen where the cook and the household staff are gathered. They worked quite hard getting everything ready for the meeting earlier.
"Thank you for your service today. You may take the rest of the day off."
"Oh, thank you my Prince!"
"Thank you!"
I am happy to be able to reward them for their excellent service.
Leaving the House Mansion, I walk out of the courtyard and to the marketplace, greeting the people I pass with a smile and a nod.
"Hello, my Prince!"
"It is good to see you, my Prince!"
I slowly make my way over to the stalls so I can speak to those selling their wares.
"How is business?" I ask the first stall owner, a plump middle aged female dressed in the more somber, heavier clothes of a Minor House. I believe she is from House Do'ana.
"Good, very good! The new agreement has increased my customers by two fold!" she says, her smile clearly happy.
"Wonderful," I say smiling back. "Please, let me know if you have any issues."
"Oh, thank you! Yes, of course!"
She gives me a curtsy as I move down the line. A few voice some concerns, but overall, everyone seems to be very content. Good. I have seen what happens to Princes who do not keep their people happy. I will not make that same mistake.
In truth, I do not know how one could. It takes a selfish and cold heart indeed to ignore the welfare of your own people. And no matter what criticism is leveled at me, I know my people are well cared for.
And that is what matters most.
5
Ling
I can't believe I'm doing this.
"Step onto this platform here, please," the Celestial Mates representative says, gesturing to a low, circular surface.
"Okay," I say, doing as she said.
I've second guessed myself a million times in the short time between agreeing to my match and stepping into this room.
But what are my other options?
I'm all for fighting for what I believe in, but my death will have no positive impact. They will make it look like an unfortunate accident or health issue and the powers that be will get their way as they always do. I’m angry and frustrated that this is what it has come to. That in the end, I lose even though I'm in the right.
But it isn't like I've ever had rose colored glasses on. When you're the daughter of a single mother, you learn real quick that the world isn't a nice place. And when she passed away much too young because of the pollutants that are killing the planet, cancer eating away her life...I never had the chance for even a pair of pink corrective lenses.
"This may feel strange for a moment," the representative warns. "You will be making two stops before you reach Alva. One in our ship orbiting Earth and one in our ship orbiting Alva. Also, I must warn you, I am told the teleportation does leave one somewhat disoriented. But we have only ever lost one person, so I assure you it is quite safe!"
Huh?
"Wait—what? You've lost-"
I blink and there’s an odd, pulling sensation in the pit of my stomach and then I'm definitely not on Earth anymore. Actually, Earth is in one of the windows ahead of me.
Wow.
I glance over there are ‘people’. Shaking my head, I wonder if this is what she meant by disorientation. But when I squint and focus they remain the same. My eyes really aren't deceiving me. They aren't human. One has four arms, another has scales, and one literally has eyes in the back of his—her?—head.
I'm only there for a split second. That odd, disorienting feeling flows through me again and everything goes dark for a moment before I'm on another platform.
On another ship.
With another set of non-humans.
Again, I don't have much time to orient myself before I'm on another platform. This time, I'm in another room similar to the one I started off in on Earth. I'm guessing it's another Celestial Mates office and I have no burning desire to repeat that trip.
When I glance over this time, there’s a tall man in a pastel green robe and long white hair. Well, I think it's a man anyway. His smooth, symmetrical face is pretty in an androgynous way, just as the woman's was. And the dress or robe doesn't really help differentiate any.
When he speaks, his voice might be a twinge deeper, though it is just as musical. Almost like wind chimes.
"Welcome," he says, helping me down from the platform.
He smiles, but it looks like it's a little strained, his eyes not quite meeting mine. Maybe the representative I met before wasn't representative of her whole race.
I mentally smack myself. If I'm starting to use puns, even just to myself, I must be out of it. The disorientation of traveling across space in molecule form might be getting to me.
As I step down, I realize there are two other men in the room. They have to be Alvan, seven feet tall with bluish skin and pointed ears.
One of them steps forward, smiling at me.
Fangs.
He has fangs.
That wasn't something I'd known. I mean, Naefaren wasn't smiling in his hologram. And I also know right away this definitely isn't Naefaren Viir. He has medium blue skin and light blue hair and his face is different. Thinner and a less handsome.
"Welcome, Ling," he says, bowing to me. "I am Prince Malathin Saren. Unfortunately, Naefaren Viir could not come to greet you himself, so he sent me in his stead to bring you back to House Viir."
The translation device in my ear keeps up with what he is saying quite well, finishing only a second or two after he stops speaking.
I'm not thrilled with what he's saying.
My answering smile falters.
Naefaren couldn't even be bothered to come meet me after I took the giant step to leave Earth and come to Alva for him?
I glance over at the representative questioningly.
He gives me what’s meant to be a reassuring smile, but he looks pinched. Maybe he hasn't had a lot of dealings with humans.
"It is usual for the match to come but Naefaren Viir is indeed a very busy person on Alva. I am certain Prince Malathin will escort you to him safely."
I don't like the vibe of this whole thing. It seems off and I've learned to trust my gut. I hesitate, but there’s nothing I can do but go with Malathin and hope for the best.
I'm on an alien planet. Where else am I going to go?
Wonderful.
Just what I wanted, putting my safety into a complete stranger's hands. Though I suppose I would be doing the same thing if Naefaren had shown up to take me home. With that reassuring thought, I follow Malathin out of the small office structure.
We come out into a large, dim cavern. I have to stop for a moment, just to take it all in. The walls and ceiling of the massive cave are covered in something fluorescent, a flat plant that covers almost every inch of space. Its soft, green glow provides much of the ambient light.
In the center of the cavern is some kind of walled off compound. The wall facing us is made of tan stone and there are large floodlights set in it, pointed in our direction. The light is very bright, forming a large semicircle of illumination around the compound.
"Ling? Come, we must be off."
I turn to look at Malathin. "What the hell?" I breathe.
The translation device spits some words out in my ear in the unusual sound and cadence of the Alvan language. Ignoring it, though I'm happy the device is working, I take a couple of steps back. There are two carriages waiting. I was warned that the Alva are not a technologically advanced society, so the carriages aren't that much of a shock.
But what they're attached to is.
Large beetle like creatures with dark carapaces and multiple spindly legs wait patiently, hitched to the carriages.
Malathin frowns and then follows my line of sight. His face clears, and he chuckles a little. "Ah, do not worry. The juntta will not harm you." He walks over to the creature and pat
s its back, the giant insect placidly waiting. He steps away just as one of the legs comes out to kick him, though the creature's demeanor remains outwardly calm. "See?"
I take a deep breath. I'm going to try real hard to get over my fear of bugs. And maybe stay away from the legs.
Keeping my eyes deliberately away from the thing, I focus on the carriage instead as I carry my bag over. I try to ignore the low clicking sound the juntta makes as I reach it.
"Let me help you."
Malathin takes my bag and sets it in the carriage before helping me up.
"Thank you," I offer, the words sounding strange in my mouth. I'm sure my accent and pronunciation are both wildly off.
"Of course," he says politely.
The light gleams off the back of the juntta as Malathin clicks and flicks the reins. It moves forward in a slightly jerking motion, but then the ride smooths out as its thin legs move quickly across the rock floor.
I suppress a shiver and look up, trying to avoid focusing on it.
There’s a tunnel ahead, emitting light the same intensity and color as the lights set in the wall behind us. It’s decorated in colorful mosaics, the circular lights set in the design strategically. It's really pretty.
It doesn't take long for us to reach the other end of the tunnel, coming out into a slightly larger one made of the same gray rock as the ground beneath us. I repeat what I want to say to myself a couple of times and listen to the translation before saying it out loud.
"How far are we going?" I ask, uneasy with the utter emptiness around and in front of us.
"Not far," Malathin offers obliquely.
Very reassuring.
The winding tunnel system we go through is quite dim, some of the offshoots narrower than others. This would be a terrible time to find out I'm claustrophobic. The terrain is also just more and more of the same.
Gray rock.
And more gray rock.
Malathin doesn't say anything else during the half hour or so our trip takes, his face set in stern forbidding lines, the smile gone. Maybe he's just not the chatty type. When another brightly lit tunnel in the distance comes into view, I’m relieved. Definite cold vibes are coming from Malathin now and I don't know why. I will be happy to exit his company.
Rescued by the Alien Prince: Celestial Mates (The Alva) Page 3
