Ruled

by J. J. Lore

  “Our centurions are loyal to you, Your Majesty, never fear that,” Mal said even as he straightened his shoulders. “But they are also loyal to their new human bondmates. They would never object to the origin of their Prince’s new consort.”

  “As I said, it is not the military I must consider in this matter. The royal council looks to weaken me by forcing this exile. It will take time for me to muster the support I need to resolve it, to bring my heir back into the good graces of Alpha. Your hasty actions have yet again caused much trouble for those around you, Edem.”

  The sting of his father’s rebuke hurt him far less than he would have guessed possible. A fresh wave of cold rain pattered around them, and Edem felt Corrine shiver. His love and concern for her rose up to nearly smother the confusion and pain he’d been experiencing ever since his father had rejected them. Edem tightened his hold around her shoulders and tore his gaze from his king to find Mal. His bondmate was frowning and glaring at the king with narrowed eyes. He seemed almost ready to come to blows with his sovereign. Edem suddenly wanted to fight as well, fight for his throne, fight for the privileges and life he’d wanted to bestow upon Corrine as soon as he’d met her, but they had no support. There was no secret cadre of Alphans ready to rise up and help him to the throne because he’d never cultivated such a thing. He’d assumed it would be there waiting for him and had seen it as a burden to be avoided for as long as possible. Now everything had been snatched away—home, family, security, the future he had taken for granted. He was as disoriented and frightened as if he’d been pushed off a cliff.

  “So am I disowned as well as removed from the succession?” He could barely force the words out past the lump in his throat. Corrine’s hand squeezed his even tighter, and he felt Mal’s palm pressing on his shoulder. They steadied him.

  “No, my son, of course not.” His father’s expression softened slightly. “You will retain the rank of duke, of what province is yet to be decided. You are still part of our family, just not to inherit the title.”

  “Edem’s cousin will have the prize he’s always wanted, all without having to do a thing.” Mal’s voice was bitter.

  His father gave a nod of acknowledgement. “For the time being. Nothing is set in stone.”

  “What happens to us now?” Edem was desperate for some sort of direction for his bondmates. They needed a home, shelter of some sort.

  “You cannot remain on the planet. The dukes were insistent there be no influence or chance of an opposition movement forming.” The king shifted on his feet as beads of moisture rolled down his cheeks. They had to be from the rain. There was no possibility his father was crying. “There hasn’t been time for formal arrangements, but you will need to leave immediately. There is a shuttle waiting to take you to Tarquin.”

  Tarquin. One of the furthest flung planets under Alpha’s control. An unsettled wilderness with only a few outposts. Moderate weather and good resources, but very isolated. Edem’s heart sank even further.

  “What supplies will you provide?” Mal’s practical approach wiped away some of Edem’s fog of shock.

  “The shuttle is stocked with all you need to make a home, survive several seasons there. I hope we will come to a better resolution within the next few months.” His father drew himself up. “Your mother will be able to visit you once you are established, as well as others from the household who wish it.”

  Edem didn’t fail to note his father had excluded himself from any upcoming familial reunion.

  “What about our cohort? We will need security to ensure Edem’s safety.” Mal narrowed his eyes as he apparently began to make plans.

  “If they volunteer, they are welcome to accompany you.” With that, his father seemed to have reached the end of his speech. “You may take your leave of me now.”

  Automatically, Edem lowered his head, an entire lifetime’s worth of acknowledging his king ensuring his obeisance. Mal followed suit, but Corrine remained with her head held high. Edem glanced up and tried to signal her to follow them. He noticed his father staring at her with displeasure.

  “It is the custom for you to bow when you are dismissed from your king’s presence, human. In the midst of bonding with my son and his kisero, they perhaps forgot to instruct you on that point.”

  “No man who banishes his son for political gain will ever be a king to me. Where is this ship?” Corrine’s voice rang out loudly, strong enough for the ring of men waiting around them to hear her defiance clearly. Perhaps a few of them lacked the Earth language, but he knew many could understand her. One of the officers stepped aside and gestured for her to follow and she strode away without a backward look, effectively insulting the king by turning her back on him. With a low growl of dissatisfaction, Mal followed her while activating his comm link, undoubtedly to call upon their detained officers for any who would come along on another adventure. This left Edem facing his father alone. The weight of what had just happened fell on him, as cold as the rain pelting down on his face and shoulders.

  “Son, I wish this had transpired differently. That you had come home unencumbered and ready to take on your role properly.” His father’s voice was low, and in another man Edem would have judged it unsteady.

  With a shake of his head, Edem denied it. What Alpha seemed to think his proper role was would have him abandon his bondmate, deny the possibility of the children they might share, all to take on the cold and demanding duties of ruling a planet that had decided he wasn’t wanted. There was no choice to make. Certainty filled him with strength. “Father, I’m leaving with all I need. I have my bondmates, and with them I can accomplish anything. You return to the palace a poor man.”

  With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving behind his past and hurrying through the mist to rejoin the two people who’d become his destiny.

  Epilogue

  Corrine packed the basket to the top with sealed containers of meat pies and stuffed napkins in every available crevice. The men and women working on the settlement’s first water treatment installation would be expecting a meal soon, and she needed to hurry. The bulge of her belly did nothing to hamper her work in the kitchen, now that she’d passed the nausea and fatigue of the first few months of pregnancy. The three Alphan doctors and assorted medics on Tarquin had all taken to visiting her regularly, and she wasn’t sure if it was to sample whatever she’d baked that day or to check on the progress of the royal babe.

  Opening the door to leave their home, she glanced back, appreciating yet again the snug, prefabricated dwelling she shared with Edem and Mal. Would soon share with their baby. Just the thought of it made her tingle with nervous anticipation. She stepped onto the porch and looked over the sparse, purplish vegetation dotting the soft ground in front of the house. This planet had a wealth of mineral deposits, some suitability for agriculture, and a temperate climate, but she’d have been happy on a freezing gas giant as long as her bondmates were with her.

  “Sweet, you shouldn’t be carrying this.” Edem swept up the basket and tried to frown at her, but his happiness was clearly irrepressible as he bent to greet her with a kiss. Both she and Mal had worried he would become downcast after his banishment, but instead he’d flourished, adapting perfectly to the unpretentious nature of the new settlement. After a few awkward encounters with his fellow Alphans who weren’t sure if they should bow or ignore his heritage, Edem had made a great effort to put his neighbors at ease all while subtly using his influence to help them get the supplies and support they needed from the home planet. If there was a vote, Corrine was sure he’d be elected as leader of the small community.

  “I certainly should be carrying it. All the doctors agree staying active will keep me and our baby healthy and strong. I’m going to need all the reserves I can muster if this child grows as big as I’m worrying it will.” Her mates were large men, and she’d been gaining weight at a prodigious rate.

  “I’m hoping for a petite girl who resembles her mother.” Edem leaned
in for a deeper kiss, his hand cupping around the bump of her belly. She splayed her fingers over his, remembering with a warm shiver how many climaxes he’d given her that morning before leaving their bed.

  They bickered amiably about needing an addition to their house as they walked to town and approached the newly constructed waterworks. Lines of excavated soil radiated out from the small brick building indicating where pipes had been newly laid. She swelled with pride as she took in how far they’d been extended, well beyond any current buildings. Their town was growing. Durant rushed out of the building and greeted them with grave courtesy, his training in both security and protocol never flagging even as they’d all struggled to make a new life. All of Mal and Edem’s escort had elected to join them on Tarquin, along with one human woman from the cultural exchange who’d somehow managed to form a bond with two officers on that short, hectic journey from Earth to Alpha. There was even a renegade Xyran among them, brought along by his young Alphan bondmate, but he tended to avoid socializing.

  Edem handed off the basket to Durant, and they made their way inside the structure. It smelled of fresh paint and solvents. She hoped the powerful scents wouldn’t trigger any nausea. Windows filled the upper reaches of the large central room and allowed natural light to illuminate a large, metallic cylinder firmly bolted to the floor in the middle of the space. No longer would they have to rely on independent distillation. Several people milled around, obviously doing last minute tasks. Corrine held back, not wanting to interfere, but a few approached with words of greeting, which she returned as best she could in the Alphan tongue.

  Mal appeared at one side of the equipment, a line of concentration between his brows as he surveyed information on one of the monitors attached to the sides. He spotted them and immediately joined them, bestowing a kiss upon Edem and then her before turning his attention to her belly.

  “Young one, how are you this morning?” he addressed the swell with great seriousness. Mal had taken the doctor’s advice to heart and included their baby in every conversation. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to greet you this morning, but work here demanded my early attention.”

  He stood and regarded Edem. “There’s been word from your father.”

  Corrine reached out and grabbed Edem’s hand, and he squeezed it tight. At his nod to continue, Mal spoke.

  “He requests the pleasure of your company at court, for the formal bestowal of your new title and properties.”

  Edem’s eyes narrowed even as her stomach knotted. She wasn’t sure what to feel at the invitation. Perhaps Edem would want to return, want to regain some of his lost stature and contact with his family. She knew he missed them terribly. He drew in a deep breath.

  “No. I don’t wish to see him, not yet. Besides, I will not have Corrine travel at this time. Inform him we will come half a year hence, when he can meet his grandchild.”

  She glanced at Mal, wondering how he would take this defiant refusal. Edem could be provoking a great deal of royal displeasure by disobeying and proclaiming his own timetable. But Mal merely grinned and gave a supportive nod.

  “I will draft an appropriate response for your approval before sending it.”

  They stood silently together, in accord with Edem’s decision until there was a signal from one of the gathered Alphans. Mal returned to the machinery and pressed a few buttons resulting in a whirring sound from the cylinder. A few burping gurgles later, a stream of clear water rushed from a spigot into a large steel tub, and all those assembled clapped with happiness. Edem and Mal bent over a display for a long moment, conferring about some reading, and she relaxed, enjoying watching them interact as much now as she had when first getting to know them.

  With a decisive nod, Mal turned back to her, drawing Edem along with him. “We will have unlimited water now. It’s a good day.”

  She nodded agreement, suddenly unable to speak for the contentment and love filling her heart.

  “Unlimited water means one thing to me,” Edem said with a glint in his golden eyes.

  “What’s that?” Corrine asked, laying her hands on their chests as she had those many months ago, in that tumultuous time of joining her life to theirs.

  “Tonight, we finally get to take a bath.” Mal finished, anticipation lightening his tone.

  The End

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  Other Books by J.J. Lore:

  www.evernightpublishing.com/j-j-lore

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