by Zara Zenia
“Floretta and Pertvia are like the Pinche. They are also beautiful creatures on our planet, but their bite is poison and will kill with each beat of the heart until the heart fails completely. It is a terrible death that awaits their victims."
Blancon rapped his knuckles on the desk thinking about his next move. “All people are selfish to some degree, your majesty," Blancon said.
Larzukan felt as though something had pierced his heart when he heard his friend say those words. "Really? Are you, Blancon? Are you as selfish as Floretta and Pertvia?"
Blancon did not answer immediately as he sensed that this was some kind of test. Instead, he waited for Larzukan to continue.
“Blancon, I had you followed, you know. When you left me last, I needed to know where your loyalties lie. I needed to know if you would betray me.”
Blancon swallowed hard at how close he had come to doing just that. Larzukan took a long drink of the glass with the two wines, one bitter and the other sickeningly sweet. The blend was perfect.
"Thankfully, you did not betray me, my friend. Selfish you may still turn out to be, but for now, I will trust you.”
Larzukan poured a glass of the sweet wine and handed it over to Blancon, who took it graciously. After a long pause, Larzukan finally continued.
“I can feel her, Blancon. Somewhere out there beyond the great expanse lies the woman who is meant to be my mate.”
Blancon nodded. "Then why not simply follow that yearning? Why not just go out and get her, your majesty?" Blancon asked.
Larzukan turned away. "I don't believe she's born of this planet, my friend," he said sadly.
Blancon lifted an eyebrow. "In that case, my King, you will be pleased to know that I have not spent the last three days idly. I have found a solution to your problem. Other planets have fantastic women, many of whom are already leaders.
“Take the planet Earth, for instance. They have mail-order brides on that planet. You can interview women online via the Celestial Mates agency and pick one to suit your purposes. I looked very keenly at the regulations involving the mating to the king.
“The only true regulation is that the woman must be chosen as first at the tournament and be capable of producing an heir. If you could find a woman and have her trained, the people would have no choice but to accept her as your queen. Perhaps you can find the woman you seek in this way?"
Larzukan sat back in his chair, looking at the stack of papers Blancon had thrown on his desk. Blancon smiled as he spread out his hand.
“I took the liberty of gathering some prospective brides and their resumes from Celestial Mates. As your advisor, I would suggest looking to Earth. Many other planets would come with political disadvantages. Earth does not know anything outside of their own world and so would pose no threat to us, or to you, my King.”
Larzukan slowly picked up the first page on the stack as he contemplated this plan. “It is not easy for a woman to be chosen as first, and she will not have had the training necessary. The women here can be vicious and will not take kindly to an outsider, especially one who would become queen over them. What would my mother say?” Larzukan laid the paper back down on his desk and folded his hands under his chin.
Blancon had planted the seed, and now it was time to let it grow. He lifted himself from the couch and bowed low. “There is still time to make your decision, my King. I will be ready to serve no matter your decision.” Blancon excused himself from the office and headed down the hallway, a smile dancing across his face.
That night, Larzukan lay awake in his bed, thinking about Blancon’s suggestion. He envisioned a beautiful brunette girl with piercing green eyes, reaching out for him. When he finally drifted into sleep, he dreamed of a harem of women. Yet sadly, somehow, all of the women looked exactly like Floretta and Pertvia.
“Come and please me, Master, so that I can teach you how to rule,” Floretta said, tossing her blonde hair over one shoulder.
“I will have you, and you’ll make my father’s lands rich. Be mine,” Pertvia added.
Larzukan sank into a sea of bodies, all of which were reaching out for him. There were hands upon his shoulders, his back, his legs, his manhood . . . and all of them were saying, “I want. I want. I want.”
A few hours later, he woke in a cold sweat and immediately pressed the button to the side of his bed. By the time he pulled himself into a sitting position in his bed, the door opened and Blancon entered. He slid to a stop in front of Larzukan. “What’s wrong, my King? Has something happened? Should I call for the Healer?”
Larzukan shook his head as he wiped sweat from his brow. “No, Blancon, a healer cannot help me now. Bring me a fresh pair of clothes and the list of eligible women from Earth. We will begin the search together, tonight.”
Blancon left Larzukan’s room, throwing instructions to the staff for fresh linens, clothes, and food to be brought immediately. Servants ran in every direction at Blancon’s orders. As Blancon picked up the files, he smiled to himself. The seed had taken root. He made one brief stop before heading back to Larzukan’s room, checking closely to make sure he was not being followed.
Chapter 2
Felicity
Felicity Brown stood looking out at the stars from her modest house. She loved the evenings more than any other time of day. Being the daughter of a pastor had perks, to be sure, but for the most part, Felicity would be just as happy without those perks. The price of servitude was just a little too high sometimes. One of those prices was coming due very soon, and so far, Felicity could find no way out.
Her father had arranged her marriage over a year ago, and the ceremony was now fewer than six weeks away. When your family had the kind of power and connections that Felicity’s had, you were not allowed to marry for such things as love.
Felicity would be married for the viewers of her town to look upon. An upstanding Pastor’s daughter with all the privileges and expectations that went with it, Felicity was set to marry Lance Ethridge, son to Howard Ethridge, the world’s leading communications expert with ties to every government on the planet—and a known conservative.
What little Felicity knew of Lance and his family came from the internet, television, and the gossiping talk of her father's church. She had met lance only twice in the year that they had been ‘engaged’. The two of them had both attended a bible ball six months earlier, although not together.
They had shared one dance under heavy scrutiny, and then Lance was pulled away for other duties. There had not only been a complete lack of chemistry, but Felicity had gotten chills that ran to her very soul. Instinctively, she knew that this man was not a good man.
The second meeting had occurred earlier that day, which was why Felicity now felt the need for the solitude of the stars. At her own insistence, her father, Pastor Frank, arranged the date, as well as an escort. As much as Felicity loved her father, they did not understand one another, and this was a subject they argued extensively. Felicity recalled the encounter vividly as she tightly squeezed the railing in front of her.
“Felicity, I don’t understand why you cannot just do as expected. Why must you always fight what is in your best interest?” Her father stood over her, as he often did when expressing his distaste with her. Felicity stood and began pacing in front of him, knowing it frustrated him.
“What you really mean, Father, is why can't I do what is in your best interest?" Felicity continued to pace as she ran her fingers through her long hair.
"Why must I do what is expected, Father? Why should I not marry for love, or at least for interest? You don’t even know Lance. All you know is that he has money and a deep-rooted faith in God.”
Frank shrugged as he pointed to the chair. Felicity sat at his command. “Felicity, what else is there to know? He comes from a good family line and he understands the need for a strong union. Your mother and I did not know each other before our wedding, nor did our parents before us.
“This is the way it has always been amo
ng people in our position. You will come to appreciate Lance as time goes by. You will see. God does not make mistakes, and he has spoken to me that you are to marry Lance.”
Felicity swallowed hard as she thought about what little she actually knew of Lance. “I won’t marry him blindly, Father. Let us at least go on a date. Let me have one evening to judge for myself whether I can live with this.”
Frank laid his large hand on Felicity's shoulder. "I will set up this date on my conditions and terms. It will be supervised and will begin and end when I say."
Felicity nodded, grateful that she would not have to be alone with Lance, at least not yet. She looked into her father's eyes as he continued.
“Felicity. You must understand that regardless of what you feel after this date, you and Lance will be married. Nothing can change that. That is God’s will.” Felicity shuddered under her father’s penetrating glare until finally nodding her head.
The location was set at a local high-end restaurant where the staff and the patrons knew how to keep a secret. The establishment was paid handsomely to make sure that nothing escaped the walls. Heavy security around the building kept away any reporters or nosy hopefuls.
This was often a place where men with power and money went to meet their mistresses or escorts. Tonight, it was where Felicity would be meeting her future husband in the name of God.
The limo pulled up outside, and Stanly, her bodyguard for the evening, led her inside. The Maitre’d took her without question to a private table in the back. Felicity checked her phone to look at the time. Lance was late.
She waited another ten minutes, growing more frustrated with each minute. She was just about to leave when Lance sauntered into the back room, looking for all the world like he owned the place. For all Felicity knew, he very well could.
Felicity smoothed the front of her dress as Lance took his seat across from her. He smiled broadly but offered no apology for his tardiness. Felicity reluctantly admitted that at least by social standards, Lance was undeniably handsome.
He had a square jaw, deep blue eyes, and shoulder-length blond hair. His tan was just enough to bring his features out without being overly done, and his tailored suit could not hide the outline of his muscles beneath.
Everything about Lance screamed perfection. To Felicity, she felt as if nothing should be that perfect and she wondered where the flaw was.
“Hello, Felicity. I was not expecting the chance to meet you like this before the wedding.” Felicity noted that although his deep voice was smooth and alluring, Lance’s first statement was not to ask her how she was doing but held an underlying threat that put Felicity on edge. She forced herself to smile.
"I thought it would be appropriate for us to get to know each other a little. After all, we don't know anything about each other."
Lance snapped his fingers in the air and immediately, the server was standing at attention beside their table.
“The woman would like the finest bottle of Chateau Lafite, an order of escargot to begin, and later, the duck tartare. That will be all for now. Bring the wine immediately.”
The server gave an acknowledging nod of his head and rushed off to do Lance’s bidding. Felicity could feel her face flushing with anger. “Lance, I am perfectly capable of ordering my own food. I don’t even like escargot."
She happened to be looking directly at him and saw the intensity of his eyes as they flashed to anger.
“Felicity, you are to be my wife, so I will forgive your insolence this one time. You will eat and drink what I have ordered for you, and you will do so with appreciation and gratitude.”
She was about to respond when the server came back with the wine. She waited patiently as he poured them both a glass and then waited for Lance to dismiss him.
“Lance, I do not know what your expectations of a wife are, but I am not property.” As she reached for her wine, Lance grabbed her wrist and gripped so hard she thought it would break. A small sound escaped her lips at the unexpected pain.
When he spoke, it was like the sound of a coffin being closed around her. “Then let me explain to you what my expectations are. You are to be my wife, and as such, you are exactly my property as ordained by God. Whatever you believe your life to be will cease on the day of our union.
“You will go where I command when I command. You will be at my beck and call for any and all desires that I have. You will bear me a son to continue my line. You will keep up your looks, as they are the reason I agreed to this union. You have a great deal to be desired about you."
He said this as he eyed her up and down with pure lust in his blue eyes. "I do not take kindly to being questioned or talked down to. You will learn your place or I will teach you. Believe me, you do not want me to teach you."
Lance released her wrist and took a sip of his wine, smiling as he set the glass back down. “Now that we understand each other clearly, please enjoy your wine. It is of the highest quality, I assure you.”
Felicity began to shake slightly at the implications of the future being laid out before her. What hope she had of being able to be happy with Lance just went down in flames. She understood now just what the rest of her life would be.
She would be a slave and nothing more. All the faith and money in the world could not erase what she would become—a shell of the woman she was.
For the remainder of the dinner, she held her tongue and did as she was told. Lance dictated everything with an unflinching gaze. He told her when to pick up her fork and how much she was to eat. He told her when she was to sip her wine and when she was to set it down.
When he wasn’t telling her what to do, he was staring longingly at her cleavage. Felicity had no desire to see what this man would do to her in bed. When dinner was over, he stood and held out his hand.
She reluctantly took his outstretched hand and let him walk her outside to her waiting limo. Before she knew what was happening, Lance pressed her against the car and pressed his lips to hers forcefully. His hand thrust up inside her dress, and Felicity wanted nothing more than to scream.
Lance’s lips were pressed so tightly against hers that she couldn’t get a sound out as he groped her. She could taste blood in her mouth as his teeth cut into her lip. She could feel the huge bulge in his pants as he pressed against her.
Finally, Felicity’s bodyguard, Stanly, came and laid a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “Not before the wedding. That is the arrangement.” Lance squeezed her one last time for good measure and then finally let her go.
“I look forward to our wedding night then, Felicity. I look forward to teaching you your place.” Without another word, Lance walked away and Stanly opened the car door.
Felicity wrapped her arms around her waist feeling like she was going to vomit. She shook and cried the whole way home, feeling as though she had been violated in every way possible. She wanted nothing more than to get home and wash the stench of the evening off her in the shower.
There was no way she was going to marry this abusive man. When she opened the front door, her father stood waiting in the living room. Before Felicity could get a word out, her father came and stood in front of her.
“I told you before, Felicity—no matter what happened, you are to marry Lance. There are no other options for you. Lance’s money and position are necessary to our survival. You will learn to be happy in your role with him. Money can forgive a multitude of deeds. You will see. Give him a son, use his money, and find your happiness in that.”
Felicity suddenly felt more violated than when she had been with Lance. She could not believe the things her father was saying to her. Tears ran unwittingly down her face as she listened to her father sealing the fate on her future.
“Why? Why are you forcing this? Don’t I deserve to be happy? Why would you force me to marry someone who will force himself the way he does?”
Frank's eyes betrayed a moment of sadness as he looked at his daughter. "I will do this because I must. The market crash this
last year hurt us very badly, Felicity. To keep what we have and secure our future lines, you must do this. Lance's family has paid very handsomely for you, handsomely enough for me to buy a mega church and really spread God’s word.”
Felicity shook her head, barely able to believe the things she was hearing. Her anger flared as her body trembled. “You sold me!” she screamed. “You are selling your own daughter for money. Do you know the kind of man he is? I will not be auctioned off like a side of mutton. I have a say in what happens to my own life.”
Frank came forward and roughly grabbed Felicity’s arm. “No, my daughter, you do not. You will marry Lance if I have to drag you in chains down that aisle. I will not give up the fortune I have acquired for anything. Not even for you. This is God’s will.
“Sometimes, loving someone means sacrificing for the greater good, and right now is your time to sacrifice. Now go get yourself cleaned up. I will be leaving Stanly with you for the next six weeks to make sure you do not do anything foolish. In time, I hope you will come to see that this is all for the best.”
Felicity watched her father leave and then ran upstairs and stripped naked, jumping into the shower to wash away the filth of the evening. She had never felt so alone in all her life. As the water ran over her naked body, she could taste the saltiness of her tears as they washed down her face. When she finally stepped out, she pulled on her robe and stepped out onto the balcony to look at the stars.
Now here she stood, and with no better options than she had an hour earlier when she had first stepped outside. Felicity’s cellphone rang and she reluctantly went back inside to answer. She looked at the number and smiled in spite of herself.
“Hi, Kate. How do you always know when I need someone to talk to?” Kate had been Felicity’s best friend since primary school, and despite their differences in life, they had remained the closest of friends. Kate was the one person that Frank’s influence didn’t seem to effect. Kate didn’t let anyone bully her, including Frank. Felicity cried over the phone as she unfolded the evening's events to her best friend.
