by Maxi MacNair
A bit like the botanical gardens back home, Larisa thought.
“I was wondering how you’d like this place.”
Larisa jumped, stumbling backwards and into a tree.
“Sorry—I didn’t mean to startle you,” Kallos said, coming into Larisa’s periphery from where the path split into two.
Larisa held a hand to her chest, as if to settle her racing heart.
“I didn’t see you there,” she said.
“Yes, I believe that is evident. Come, let me show you around.”
He held out his hand. She stared at it, then looked up into his eyes. She blushed, and he waited. Finally, she pulled her eyes away and took his hand. His touch was gentle, as if he was purposely relaxing his grip. Her heart began to beat hard in her chest.
“You shine brighter than the stars, Larisa,” he said after a slight silence. He looked away as he said it, and Larisa wondered if he, too, was nervous. “I must admit that I was worried you would refuse to meet me…”
Larisa stared at the stone ground as they continued walking.
“I do hope you are feeling better now, about being here,” he continued. “I thought for a long while what would be the best place for our first date. These gardens are among my favorite places in the palace.” He stroked a fern with a single, long finger as he passed it. “I had reservations at first, afraid that they are too close to me to share so soon… But we don’t have the luxury of time right now. So, I’ve decided to gamble bearing part of my core to you.”
“I appreciate the honesty,” Larisa said, feeling obligated to respond. But the words felt flimsy and she regretted them immediately.
Kallos lead her into the heart of the gardens. There was a trellis covered in pink-flowering vines, a curved bench, and a pond off to one side, fed by a small waterfall that leapt over a series of green-scaled rocks. Beneath the arching trellis, Kallos stopped and turned to her.
“I have something for you,” he said, his voice just above a whisper. He pulled a wooden box out from a pocket within his robes.
“A gift? But I didn’t get you—”
“Of course not,” he said with shake of his head. He presented the box to her and she ran her fingers over the delicate engravings. “I had it specially crafted for you. I do hope it suits your taste.”
Larisa gazed up at him. She was stricken by how much he looked like a painting, she would find on the cover of some fantasy novel, with his shimmery skin, vibrant eyes, silver hair that teased likeliness to silk, and those pointed, curious ears: all framed by dangling pops of pink flowers eavesdropping from above.
“Open it,” he said.
His words broke the spell and Larisa returned her attention to the box. As she flipped the latch and lifted the lid, she wondered if such archaic designs—utilizing wood and metal hinges—was common here, of if it was simply one of Kallos’ personal preferences. Inside was a metal band, its surface decorated with elegant engravings not unlike those on the box. It was primarily silver, but the lower portion held a tinge of metallic turquoise that seemed to dance in tight circles. It reminded her of the colors found in bubbles or sneaking out from oil slicks.
“It’s gorgeous…” Larisa said. She ran her thumb back and forth over it. “What is it? Jewelry?”
“It’s a symbol of our engagement,” Kallos said. “A collar. Let me put it on you.”
“A collar?” Larisa looked at him in disgust. “You’re out of your mind.”
“Out of my mind?”
She took a step back, pushing the box towards him. “There’s no way I’m wearing some slave’s collar.”
His eyes flashed at her. “A slave’s collar?”
“What else is it, then?” She spat.
“A symbol of eternal love. Of the promise to share a lifetime.” He glared at her. “I’ve never heard such an insult. Perhaps on Earth you enslave your women, but we don’t. We have long, long since transcended slavery.”
“Call it by another name if you have to,” Larisa said with vehemence in her voice. “But I’m not wearing a collar. This is degrading.”
“Degrading?” His face twisted, anger resonating in his voice. “Don’t you wear rings in your culture? What is so different?”
“A finger is quite different from the neck,” she said. “People only put things around another’s neck to control them—to hurt or dominate them.”
Kallos frowned and sighed. “Then your culture is much more twisted than I expected.”
Larisa bit at her lip.
“We consider our relationships sacred,” Kallos said, running a hand through his hair. “The collar symbolizes the willingness to be bound to your partner, to take each step in stride with them, to link each breath you take with theirs. Perhaps we are a little romantic, but that is the truth behind our custom.”
Larisa swallowed, suddenly feeling a bit guilty over her outburst. But the concept of wearing such a thing still unnerved her.
“Oh, I suppose you didn’t realize,” Kallos said, brightening. He lifted the collar and the fabric bed it rested on, revealing a second one underneath. “They are a pair. It is not just the female who wears one. Larisa, look at them. See? They match.”
“I… I’m sorry you went through all this trouble, but I don’t want to marry you.”
Larisa hadn’t intended the words to come across harsh, but the look of hurt that washed over Kallos’ face suggested otherwise.
He replaced the collar atop the other and closed the box. “Why not? Have I done something wrong?”
“Abducting me from my home, for one,” Larisa said, forcing the words out. “And it’s too fast. I can’t marry someone I don’t love.”
“But I lo—” He sighed. “You will learn to love me. Our love will blossom if we only give it time.”
He brushed her face with his hand, but she averted her gaze. His touch sent a shiver through her.
“I understand your concerns,” he said, plucking one of the pink flowers and twirling it between his fingers. “I would also prefer more time before marriage, but unfortunately we do not have it. My father is dying, Larisa. I cannot take his place without a queen, and if the throne is left empty for any length of time, we risk political uproar. Be it from within Halpa, or from elsewhere, an empty throne invites violence. I will not let my people suffer through war again.
“I will do everything in my power to nurture your love,” he continued, handing her the flower. “I vow to you that I will be a better lover than any human counterpart. The bonds we forge with our lovers are infallible. I will treat you with respect and value your challenges. Together, as king and queen, we will see Halpa continue this period of prosperity.”
Larisa watched the flower teeter in his grip, but didn’t reach for it.
“Larisa, I need you. Our planet needs you.”
Her head started to spin. His words were sweet and endearing, but her mind still searched for excuses to relinquish this strange and new life. It was difficult when she didn’t have a loving family or even a boyfriend to wonder where she had gone. She kept a fish, but guessed it didn’t genuinely miss her. She still had friends, but probably not her job anymore. She wasn’t even sure how long she had been gone already and how much time had passed back on Earth.
Larisa rubbed at her temple. “Please, can I just be taken home?”
“I’m sorry,” Kallos said, remorse in his eyes and voice. “It is impossible. Not with what you know about us. You wouldn’t be able to reclaim your normal life. We don’t even know if that biological implant will allow you to become re-acclimated to your planet’s atmosphere. Besides, I do not exaggerate when I say we need you. I do not want the others who would gladly take your place, and there is no time to search anymore. And, well… I have already taken a liking to you. I want this to work.”
He took her to the bench, where he set down the wooden box and pulled out the collar.
“Turn around,” he said.
Larisa shook her head. “I—”
/>
“You will wear this collar,” Kallos said, his voice suddenly ice. “Just as I will wear mine. Turn around.”
Larisa swallowed. He waited, eyes fixated on her. Finally, she turned for him.
“You are indeed brighter than the stars,” he said, brushing her shoulders. His voice was suddenly soft again.
His touch sent chills over Larisa’s arms and back. It disturbed her when she couldn’t decide whether she liked them or not.
“You will be mine, and I will be yours.” He brushed her long hair over one shoulder and brought the collar up to her neck. “It’s supposed to be snug. The metal will react to your body signatures and flex to fit you and only you.”
The cold metal against her skin made Larisa flinch and it closed around her neck with a sharp click. It was tight, as if she was being grabbed by a robotic hand. Kallos’ fingers lingered on her skin above the collar. Larisa’s eyes were clenched, but a single tear escaped to stream down her cheek.
~
Kallos sat in the reading nook of his chambers, red cushions propped up beneath his back and under his arms. He looked out the window into the dark night, his thumb idly stroking the collar around his neck. He replayed Larisa’s defiance in his head. And he hated himself for not researching enough to anticipate her reaction to the engagement collars. He also wondered if there had been a better way to bridge the conversation at all. Perhaps, he thought, with all that they had thrown her way in the past few days—a new species, a new planet, a new home, and a new husband—the outcome wasn’t so horrible.
He sighed and took a sip of the Sirin Wine that rested on the window sill. Its rich, bountiful flavor helped sooth his head.
A light went off above his chamber door. Kallos took another sip of the wine and accessed a function on his bracelet. The door slid open and Nillana walked in.
“It’s late, Nillana,” Kallos said, swirling the wine in his glass and returning his gaze outside. “What do you want? And why can’t you call instead of simply showing up?”
“If I were to call, I’d be giving you the opportunity to ignore me,” Nillana said, helping herself to a glass of the wine.
“I’m tired. Couldn’t this wait until morning?”
“We’re all tired.” She took a seat across from him. “Tired of waiting on your decision for the date of the ceremony.”
Kallos turned to her. “I already told Dren I want no hand in the planning—not right now at least. This whole circumstance is taxing enough.”
“We need to know when she—and you—will be ready,” she said. “We need time to plan. Invitations to dignitaries must be sent immediately.”
“I understand that. As soon as Larisa’s medical examination declares her adequately adjusted to our atmosphere, we’ll make the trip to Geranum. I already have my ship and crew on standby. Once we return with the syimondium gems, it’ll take five days for them to be processed and embedded in the collars.”
“Good.” Nillana drained her glass of wine. “Then on the sixth day, you two shall be wed?”
Kallos scoffed. “Fine. On the sixth day.”
“When do you anticipate leaving for Geranum?”
“A half cycle from now, if all goes well.”
“I sure hope that by that you also mean to have forged a bond with her,” she said with a sly smile.
“Nilla!” Kallos narrowly avoided choking on his drink. “You don’t have to remind me about that.”
She shrugged. “I’m only looking out for you. The sooner you set the seeds, the better.”
“I’m aware of that. I’m doing my best…”
“But..?”
Kallos sighed. “She’s being difficult. I hope it’ll pass shortly, but—Nilla, the look of disgust she gave me when I showed her the collar—”
“You worry too much, too soon,” Nillana said. “Her feelings will change. Give it time and you will see.”
Kallos put his glass to his lips. He sighed into the rim, then nodded and drained what little was left in the glass.
~
For the next few days, Kallos tried to give Larisa space, keeping their interactions short and sparse. It seemed to have been doing her good, since he caught her smiling once when he passed her in the palace. The smile though went away as soon as she saw he was in the room. She was admiring a pair of holo-sculpture busts of his father and mother, one that in his opinion, failed to catch his late mother’s best side. Kallos still didn’t approach Larisa then, and instead opted to walk back out of the room to take the longer route to his destination. But after another pestering interview from Nillana and a positive update from Larisa’s doctor, he decided it was time to make their meetings more productive. Larisa was going to learn to love him no matter what. He had no doubt in his mind that he wanted to marry her.
He waited in the palace gardens for her, crouching next to the small pond and watching the colorful manes of the swimming eels wisp and curl in the water like fibres of delicate fabric. He always liked the eels and the way they would weave amongst each other as if they were part of an elaborate and choreographed dance.
“Kallos?”
The sound of his name made him jump, and he nearly fell headfirst into the pond.
“Are you… looking at fish?”
Larisa crouched a few feet away from him. Her long black hair fell in cascades over her shoulder as she leaned to look, revealing the collar around her neck.
“Not fish, but a species of eel,” he said, glad that she was preoccupied with them and not the embarrassment tainting his face.
“They’re very… interesting,” she said after a while.
“They’re a common subject of art,” he said, standing.
She watched them for a short while longer, then said, “You wanted to see me? It’s a little late. I was about to get ready for bed.”
“My apologies for keeping you from sleep,” Kallos said. “Are you feeling well? Do you need rest? It could wait until morning.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. What did you call me for?”
She didn’t look tired, but she didn’t look so excited to see him, either. It bothered him, but Kallos only smiled.
“I received word of your medical check-up results,” he said. “Your body and mind seem to be in pristine shape—well, aside from continual adjustment to culture shock. Our psychist says that your mood has shown marked improvement.”
“Wallowing in despair for the sake of it doesn’t really appeal to me,” she said.
“I’m glad. That sounds incredibly unproductive. Not to mention stressful.”
Larisa shrugged. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. It’s more beneficial to adapt.”
Kallos’ smile spread wide. “You have no idea how pleased I am to hear that. I was worried about you, truly.”
“Worried?”
“Well, of course. I mean…” Kallos returned his gaze to the eels. “Perhaps it feels fast to you, but I do feel something for you. I don’t want you unhappy.” He paused, waiting for a response.
“Sorry—I’ve gone off track,” he said, shaking his head. “The real reason I called you here was to inform you that—upon the positive results of your adjustment assessments—we will be leaving on a short trip in a couple of days.”
“A trip?”
“To Geranum,” he said, stepping towards her. “It’s a stunning mountain range on the southern continent of J’ghari—I can show you on a map later.”
“Is this trip just for fun? Vacation?” Her dark eyes looked him over suspiciously.
“Yes, and no. Allow me to explain. Come, let’s sit.” Kallos gestured her to follow him over to the crescent-shaped bench.
He sat and patted the space next to him. She joined him, but with enough space between them for another person.
“Geranum is home to syimondium gems, which are used to modify engagement collars to symbolize marriage,” he said after a moment of gathering his thoughts. “Most people order these gems from dealers wh
o make special trips to the caverns, or from mining companies located in the eastern region of the mountains. It is royal tradition, however, that the couple make a trip to the caverns and select the gems themselves.”
Kallos gave Larisa time to digest his words, then added, “The caverns are stunning—I would show you holos of them later, but I feel that would dampen your experience. I think surprise would be best.”
“Just because I’m allowing myself to be okay with having this as my home for now doesn’t mean that I’m ready to marry you.” Larisa said this fingering her collar.
“But you put on the collar, you have no idea what will happen if we are not married.”
“But I just ca-”
“No you must listen to me. You have no choice right now. There are people out there who do not like that I have chosen to marry someone not from this planet. You are safe because you are protected by me.”
“I’m in danger?”
“If I do not marry you then I must marry someone else as soon as possible. I want to marry you, but will choose a lesser bride if I must for the good of my people.”
“Well I don’t care, just do that then. It’s not my problem.”
“It is your problem Larisa. If you are not my bride then why are you here? I feel a draw to you and cannot have that around threatening my link with my bride.
“Your link?”
“There will be time soon to discuss that. What you need to know though is that what can I do with you if I can’t have you for my wife. I will need to send you away, but I have no where to send you where you will be safe. Not everyone likes having a primitive culture like yours meshing with our planet. Halpa is a paradise, but if you are not careful it can be dangerous.”
Larisa saw the hopelessness in all of this. What else could she do? Larisa stared at the water and felt as trapped as the eels swimming around in it. “So, is this trip like a honeymoon?” Larisa said.
