by S. J. West
When I enter the room, I discover it’s simply a windowless bathroom.
“Great.” I sigh, resigned to the fact that I’m going to have to wait for the rescue party Ethan is sure to bring. All I need to do is stay alive until they come. I can do that. At least I hope I can.
Uwe said I was to be a part of the king’s collection. I hope it’s a live collection and not one where he intends to hunt me for sport and mount my head on his wall. I also remember Uwe telling the creatures to take me to the consort chambers. I’m not sure if “consort” means the same thing on this world as it does mine, but I hope it doesn’t. Hopefully, this Lady Maya who is supposed to come to my room will fill me in on the details of my captivity.
I look around the bedroom to see if there’s anything here that can be used as a weapon. I don’t see much except a large bed with black covers and two chairs directly across from it. The positioning of the chairs seems odd to me. It’s almost as if they’re there for the people who sit in them to view what happens on the bed. The thought sends a chill down my spine, causing me to shiver involuntarily, and I continue to look for anything I can use to defend myself with. My search is cut short, however, when a tall, statuesque dark skinned, black haired woman opens the door and walks into the room. She’s physically beautiful, but the arrogant expression on her face makes her ugly to me. She’s wearing a long sleeved black dress that clings to her body, showing its perfect proportions.
“Hello,” she says, looking me up and down. From the disappointed look on her face, I can tell I’m not meeting a certain physical standard she was expecting me to. “I am Lady Maya. I’m here to prepare you to meet King Manas.”
“What if I refuse to meet the king?” I ask, folding my arms across my chest in open defiance.
Lady Maya smiles, but it’s not the sort of smile you give when you’re being friendly. It’s more of an indulgent one—the kind you bestow when you feel as though you’re being forced to discuss something important with an idiot.
“Refusing to meet with the king would not be in your best interest, I’m afraid. He may prize your yellow hair and pale skin, but being rebuffed by someone as low as you can only lead to one action from him: death. Now, if you want to survive tonight, I suggest you listen to me very carefully and do exactly what I tell you to do.”
“What’s happening tonight?” I ask. “And what’s so dangerous about it?”
“It’s dangerous, because if you don’t do what the king wants, he will kill you.”
“What’s happening tonight?” I ask again, since she didn’t answer the question the first time.
“Do you want to live or not?” she questions me tersely, obviously losing her patience with me. “If the answer is yes, then stop asking me so many questions and just do as I tell you.”
I do want to live. I want to live long enough for Ethan to find me and take me back home.
I lower my arms back to my sides and ask, “What is it that you want me to do?”
Lady Maya’s instructions are simple at first. She asks me to go into the bathroom and bathe, then return to the bedroom so I can be properly groomed to meet the king.
I quickly take a shower, and while I’m towel drying myself, Lady Maya walks into the bathroom without giving me the common courtesy of knocking on the door first.
I quickly cover my nakedness up with my towel and yell, “You’re supposed to knock before you come into a room where someone is most likely naked!”
“Trust me,” she replies, holding out the thick white robe she has in her hands, “there is nothing about your body that interests me in the slightest. For your sake, I hope the king finds you more appealing than I do.”
“Don’t ever try to become a motivational speaker,” I advise her as I step out of the shower and slip into the robe she’s holding out for me. “You’re terrible at it.”
“I’m not here to motivate you,” she says snidely. “I’m only here to do my king’s bidding and prepare you for tonight.”
Lady Maya turns on her heels and exits the room with me trailing behind her like a lost puppy dog. I hate relying on someone as patronizing as her, but considering Uwe’s behavior, I start to believe everyone on this planet—with the exception of Zane’s wife—is full of themselves. Or perhaps it’s only those who deal with the king on a daily basis, but I don’t plan to stick around long enough to find out.
I may not like Lady Maya, but she is extremely proficient when it comes to personal grooming. She styles my hair in an intricate up-do and even incorporates a gold mesh fabric throughout the braid, leaving enough on top to fan out for dramatic effect. The makeup she uses is silky smooth and weightless. She tells me that no matter how much I rub my face with my hands, the makeup won’t smudge or come off. The only way to remove it is to use water and soap.
“Considering how you look without it on, I would advise you to never wash your face again,” she says haughtily.
I let her remark slide because I could probably look like Anna Devereaux and Lady Maya would find fault with my looks. When she orders me to disrobe in front of her, that’s where I draw the line.
“If you just show me what I need to put on,” I tell her, “I can dress myself.”
“Dressing you was not my primary reason for asking you to take the robe off,” she says in a huff. “I need to make sure you are properly groomed … in all areas of your body.”
I begin to laugh harshly. “Oh, hell no. That’s not happening. And I swear to the good Lord above that if you even attempt to ‘groom’ me anymore, I will break both of your arms, and possibly a leg, if you push me too far.”
Lady Maya lets out an irritated sigh. “Very well, but if the king is disappointed in your appearance, you will be the one who suffers the consequences, not me.”
“I can pretty much guarantee you that your king won’t be seeing me naked tonight.”
She doesn’t look convinced, but neither does she try to argue with me anymore. Lady Maya walks over to a closet and pulls out a dress that’s a lot tamer than I expected to be given. Considering everything, I thought she would make me wear something that showed a lot more flesh. The crop top is made out of a sheer fabric, but most of it is covered with crystal beads stitched in a lace pattern that covers all my important parts adequately. The plain white skirt is long and has the same crystals as the top stitched onto the waistband to give the appearance of a decorative belt. There is a long slit in the front, but the material is free-flowing, and the slit probably isn’t noticeable unless I’m walking. Lady Maya hands me some matching shoes and then leaves my room without even saying a good-bye.
“Good riddance,” I mutter after she’s gone.
Considering how rude the people on this planet have been so far, I don’t see why Ethan stationed Zane and Xander here to save it. Though, I’m not sure Xander is all that interested in protecting it. If he was, it seems like he wouldn’t be spending his time wagering money he doesn’t have on card games and booze.
I have no idea what else is expected of me next or when someone will be coming to escort me to the king. I decide to take the extra time I have to fashion a holster for my tracking device. I don’t dare leave it in the room, so I rip out the elastic in my bra and use it to strap the tracker to my right thigh. As long as the king doesn’t get frisky, I should be able to hide it there safely. However, I am a bit worried now that the king believes he owns me. From what Uwe and Lady Maya have said to me so far, I am supposedly the king’s property. I hate to inform King Manas, but no one owns me, especially not a piece of scum like him who is pillaging his own planet for personal gain.
About an hour after Lady Maya left, the door to my room opens and the two faceless guards from before stand in the doorway. They don’t move or say anything, just stare at me as if I should know I need to follow them. I rise from my seat on the bed and walk out of my room. One guard walks in front of me and one walks behind me, presumably to make sure I don’t try to run away. I would be a fool to say
that I’m not scared about what’s going to happen next.
My only consolation is that I know I have a guardian angel watching over me, and that angel’s name is Ethan Knight.
CHAPTER 15
My irritatingly silent escorts walk me through the halls of the palace. We only pass a few people on the way to wherever it is we’re going, but those few stare at me like I’m a freak of nature. I see them whisper to each other and shake their heads in dismay. I’m really starting to get a complex now. I don’t think I am ugly, but from the looks these people are giving me, I must look hideous to them. Is it my pale skin? Blonde hair? Both? I’m not really sure, which makes me question why the king willingly accepted me in Helena’s barter.
Once we reach a set of shiny gold doors, I can only assume King Manas is in the room that lays behind them. Only an obnoxious person would make doors out of pure gold, and from what I’ve been told so far, the king is quite full of himself.
My escorts each push one of the doors inward, allowing me entry into the room. The first thing I notice is that the walls of the room are white with gold trim and numerous gold pillars placed randomly inside. There are possibly two hundred people within the interior standing on either side of the entrance dressed in colorful clothing. A plush red carpet runs from the entrance to the center of the room where a man and a woman sit on a golden platform that is built about a foot off the floor. They’re sitting on red pillows around a short square black marble table. The only things present on top of the table are two golden goblets and what looks like a gold tea kettle encrusted with rubies and emeralds.
The man is obviously King Manas because he’s wearing a gold bejeweled crown on his head. I hate to admit that his physical appearance is handsome, but it doesn’t make him in the least bit appealing to me since I know his insides are filled with hatred and selfishness. He has shoulder-length curly dark hair, and the lower half of his face is covered with a mustache and a well-trimmed goatee. His eyes are dark brown, and his skin is just as tan as those gathered in the room. He’s dressed in silky looking gold and maroon robes, which accentuate his broad shoulders and trim physique. There is a pleased smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he watches me stand in the entrance.
“Come!” he beckons with a wave of his hand in my direction. “Come sit with us, Julia Grace.”
Interesting that he knows my name, but not exactly unexpected. I’m sure Helena gave him as much information as she could about me when she bartered my freedom to him.
As I walk closer to the platform the king is sitting on, I can feel the curious and disapproving stares of all those around me. I’ve never enjoyed being the center of attention, but in this case, it’s not like I have anywhere to hide. I don’t even have an ally in this room to lean on for support to face what’s to come next. If I knew what to expect, I don’t believe I would feel so uncomfortable, but no one has told me what the king intends to do now that he owns me. Lady Maya seemed to imply that the king might want to have sex with me, but even that wasn’t confirmed.
When I reach the table, the king pats a red pillow next to him, indicating that I should sit down beside him. I carefully do what he wants, making sure the tracking device strapped to my thigh stays well-hidden as I sit. I allow myself a moment to consider the woman sitting on the other side of the king. She’s dressed in an outfit similar to mine, but hers is black. I find it strange that we’re dressed in identical dresses with only the color being the primary difference.
The woman looks despondent, but the small crown on her head seems to indicate that she’s probably Manas’ queen. I can only imagine how horrible it must be to live as his wife. She’s young though, maybe close to twenty, so they probably haven’t been married for very long.
“Tell me, Julia Grace,” the king says as he studies every aspect of my face, “how do you like my palace?”
“It’s stark,” I reply, seeing no need to lie. “Black really isn’t my favorite color.”
The king smiles, but his eyes never light up to match the false expression.
“Black can hide many things,” he tells me, reaching over and taking hold of the handle on the tea kettle. He cautiously pours the steaming liquid from the pot into the golden goblet sitting in front of me. He then fills his own goblet to near the rim before setting the kettle back in its original spot.
“Please,” he says to me, “let us toast your arrival to my home and into the hearts of those present here today to share in our first joining.”
Manas raises his goblet and holds out his arm to me as if he expects me to twine my arm around his as we make whatever absurd toast this is supposed to be. I pick up my goblet, but hesitate. When you’re in the midst of the enemy, it’s never a good idea to drink something that they have given you. Yet I have a feeling that if I don’t do what he wants, this pretense he has going on that he’s a benevolent host might end, and without knowing when or if Ethan and the others will be coming for me anytime soon, I need to come up with a plan that will delay Manas’ wrath.
I twine my arm around the king’s and bring the goblet up to my lips, but I don’t take a mouthful of the hot liquid. Instead, I pretend to take a sip and then quickly place the goblet back down on the table, hoping he doesn’t expect me to drink any more of the tea.
As soon as the king slams his own goblet back onto the table, the crowd erupts in a show of jubilation. The king stands from his pillow, raising his arms high into the air as he announces, “I am the first king of Laed-i to ever take a yellow haired woman to be his wife!”
“You’re what?” I say in surprise and perhaps a little too loudly.
The king looks down at me, and before I know it, he backhands me across the right cheek, causing me to lose my balance and fall backwards off my pillow and onto the platform.
“Never,” Manas says as he continues to look down at me, “raise your voice above a whisper in my presence, wife. You should feel lucky to have me as your husband. Our children will become the rulers of this land, and with your yellow hair, they will be unique among our people.”
I get the feeling that now isn’t the time to tell the king that I’m not physically equipped to bear his or, for that matter, anyone else’s children. I’m sure he would simply kill me where I lie and move on to the next woman who would be his queen.
As I sit back upright, I notice the woman in the black dress take the small crown off her head and place it onto the table in front of her. She then leans to her left slightly to pick something up that is laying on the platform beside her. In the time it takes me to blink, the old queen stabs herself in the gut and twists the knife to make sure the job is done right. I hear myself scream the word “no” while those at the gathering all cheer the untimely death of the woman. Her body slumps to the floor in a lifeless heap, and my two faceless guards walk onto the platform and haul her body away like it’s a piece of trash that needs to be discarded.
I sit where I am and watch the guards drag her corpse from the room. I’m left feeling completely bereft of hope about my situation and confused over why the people of this world are so heartless and bloodthirsty. How will I ever find anyone among them to help me?
And then, my prayer is answered.
Quite nosily, the gold double doors of the room are pushed open hard enough to make them bang against the walls on either side. Everyone present, including me, looks toward the entrance and sees a sight that would make most mere mortals drop to their knees. Empress Anna Devereaux stands tall and proud on the threshold of the room as she stares straight at King Manas. She’s wearing a white gown befitting someone of her station, adorned with diamonds from top to bottom. The gold and blue sapphire crown on her head glistens in the light of the room, and I hear most of the people present gasp in awe of the empress. I’m sure none of them have ever seen anyone like her. It’s not only Anna’s physical beauty that’s intimidating, but the expression of fierce determination on her face would make anyone quake in their shoes if it was directed at
them. I notice King Manas shuffle his feet slightly as he watches Anna stride confidently into the room. While everyone else is mesmerized by the empress, my eyes are drawn to Ethan, Xander, and Zane who are following closely behind their earthly commander, dressed in their black leather War Angel uniforms.
Ethan’s gaze remains steadily on me, as if he’s checking to make sure I’m physically unharmed. I see his eyes narrow slightly in anger and can only assume the king’s slap has left a mark on my face. Unconsciously, I lift a hand to cradle my wounded cheek, which only seems to inflame Ethan’s anger even more.
Once Anna is standing in front of the platform, her War Angels remain behind her in a defensive line to guard her back.
“Empress Anna Deveraux from Earth, I presume,” Manas says disdainfully.
“King Manas of Laed-i,” Anna begins in a commanding voice, “you are holding a dear friend of mine captive. I demand that you release her into my custody at once!”
The king folds his arms over his chest and spreads his feet slightly apart to take a more defensive stance.
“I’m not quite sure how things work in your world, but once a bargain is made on this planet, it cannot be broken by either party. We rely on honor here, Empress Anna. Besides, Julia is my wife now and not even you have the authority to dissolve a marriage.”
“He tricked me into marrying him,” I quickly inform my rescuers before they get the wrong impression. “I just thought we were having tea, not a wedding ceremony.”
“I’m not sure how it works in this world,” Anna says to the king, using his own phrase against him, “but a real man doesn’t have to trick a woman into marrying him.”
“Are you questioning my virility?” Manas roars. “I can show you just how virile I am if you desire a personal demonstration, Empress.”
