by Zara Zenia
She was already driving me immensely crazy, simpering and fawning all over me. Would she always be this clingy? I couldn’t breathe or stand it. The awkward leers from my palace staff caught the corner of my eye. It wasn’t lost on me that she was a tornado of havoc and she was barreling through my house and my life at one hundred miles an hour.
“It’s time to meet with the press,” I told her. “We are to meet them at the Intergalactic Headquarters in half an hour. If we are to make it there on time, we must go now.”
Tia looked like a disappointed, sex-crazed heathen. “Can’t it wait, baby?” She purred as she rubbed my chest with her fingertips. I grimaced every time she called me by the affectionate pet name when she hadn’t earned the right to address me by that title.
“Come on,” I grumbled, pressing forward to do the meeting with the press whether she was by my side or not.
Half an hour later, we walked up the steps to the Intergalactic Headquarters, shaped like a dome and filled from top to bottom with windows. As we entered the press room, Tia immediately began complaining that it was too cold for her, that she wanted to go back outside.
She seemed paranoid, skittish. This was an unsettled demeanor I hadn’t recognized in her yet but wanted to investigate and explore. She rubbed her hands against her bare arms in an effort to keep herself warm.
“Don’t you want to offer your jacket to your bride-to-be?” one reporter buzzed from a seat in front of the panel where I would soon be sitting alongside Tia.
“Uh . . .” I trailed off, glancing at the shivering Tia before relenting to stripping off my own jacket for her. “Here.” I causally tossed it to her. She fumbled to clutch it, nearly dropping it in the process.
I sat down and cleared my throat. “I am Prince Darbnix of Noor on the planet Trilynia,” I declared. “Allow this to serve as my formal invitation for the press meeting to begin.”
Taking a deep breath, I braced myself for impact against the sea of hungry media sharks swimming in the water in front of me, just waiting for me to shed a droplet of blood for them to pounce on.
“Prince Darbnix and I are in love!” Tia erupted, standing up and holding her hands over her head, pretending to swoon all over me. I was horrified and shocked, unable to do anything other than stare at the train wreck unfolding before me. “Isn’t it fabulous?” she cooed.
“Well, let’s just wait a minute—”
“He can’t wait to be my handsome husband,” she continued, interrupting me so that I couldn’t get a word in edgewise to undoubtedly protest.
A dark-haired gentleman with wire-rimmed glasses frowned from the front row of the press panel. “Prince Darbnix, can you advise us on how the scanner discovered Ms. Tia Teller to be your genetic match?”
I glanced over at Tia, who was continuing to dish outlandish lies about our fateful matchup and how she couldn’t wait to become the princess of Noor.
“My brothers and I held another party for the exclusive purpose of finding any woman our scanners would light up for, exhibiting a match.” I cleared my throat again and shifted my weight uncomfortably, keeping my eyes on Tia to make sure she wouldn’t do or say something idiotic.
“And I assume that when you turned the scanner on and pointed it at Ms. Teller here”—the reporter pointed at her—“the scanner lit up, thus proving her to be a genetic match?”
“That’s right!” Tia stood up again, bragging to the press about how lucky she was to have found her soulmate. “Isn’t it incredible? I have to pinch myself when I wake up everyday that I am going to be so rich!”
My blood was boiling. In a fury of desperation, I thundered the partial truth through the room. “It may be true that my scanner lit up in the presence of Ms. Teller here,” I addressed the media crowd, “but I have some questions about the reliability and accuracy of the scanner’s ability for displaying a real match.”
Tia gasped as if she couldn’t believe I could spout such a vile declaration. “He’s just shocked,” she tried to recover.
But the media blitz and chaos were already ensuing. Everyone in the press began talking at once, pointing their cameras and swinging their video recorders in our direction. The cat was out of the bag, but the relief I felt about the ordeal was lifting off my shoulders. It was time to shed some light on the truth out there. Tia Teller wasn’t going to get to become my bride that easily.
Chapter 14
Rose
I watched the frenzy of cameras rush toward Darbnix and Tia. It was an ambush and a spectacle. My body was frozen. I couldn’t move a single muscle. It was like watching a car wreck unfold, witnessing the fire, the flame, and the sheer horror, but being physically unable to move a finger to help. All I could do was watch in awe.
My mouth was gaping open. My dogs were whimpering by my side, curious yet slightly apprehensive to react. I was finally able to gain control of my neck muscles. I craned it down to look at them.
“I don’t know . . .” I trailed off in a confused whisper, not even able to pacify my own animals, let alone myself.
I had no idea what was going to happen next, not after Darbnix had publicly voiced his doubts about the genetic scanners. Not after he had made a claim that would lead not only himself but the rest of society to doubt the intelligence and reliability of the scanners.
Part of my mind wanted me to celebrate, to be elated by the news. I should be ready to jump over the moon at this point, but I wasn’t. I was still skeptical, too fearful of getting hurt again to let my guard down.
I knew that Darbnix was torn, wedged and stuck between two worlds where his heart led him one way and his responsibilities as a prince and a ruler of a continent took him in another direction.
I watched the screen, narrowing my eyes to get a better view. What was happening? I couldn’t even detect Darbnix anymore. It was like trying to find the famously adorable Waldo character in a book, only this time, it was a gorgeous alien prince who had stolen my heart, and apparently, the curiosity of the gossip-hungry reporters.
Then, as if a miraculous omen were casting a net to me, I saw Darbnix on the bottom right side of the screen. His fists were balled angrily and his jaw was clenched in fury. His eyes were blazing with frustration as he attempted to escape the flash mob of reporters.
Tia Teller was trailing on his heels, scurrying past the frenzy of the crowd in an effort to keep up with Darbnix.
She was swinging her purse around, trying to swat it at those who dared to get too close to her or those who looked like a threat. Even though she wasn’t my favorite person on the planet, my mind allowed a sliver of a smile to escape my lips. I had to hand it to the girl. The fact that she hadn’t already been trampled to death was a miracle in itself.
Her efforts were in vain. Darbnix was far taller than she was and was more difficult to catch. He was agile and athletic, breezing through the frenzy in a flash. Farther and farther he slipped away, using the crowd in his favor to deter her. He switched positions more than once, pushing his way through the warm bodies until he came out the other side.
From there, he was gone.
“Darbnix!” I involuntarily shouted as I plunged to the tv screen, placing my flattened palms against the surface. “Darbnix . . .” I trailed off again in a desperate croak.
Tears pooled in my eyes and ran in salty droplets down my cheeks. I didn’t even realize how absorbed I was in my relationship with him until I became aware that all my hopes and dreams might come crumbling down around me in a heap of pain, emotional wreckage, and sorrow for what would never be.
I let my shoulders sag. I wilted like a flower that hadn’t received enough sunlight or water. I shuffled back to my couch, plopping down. Where was he going? Would Tia be following? Surely, he wouldn’t be able to escape her demands and cries for attention that easily.
I couldn’t sit still. I jolted back up to a standing position as if a lightning bolt had just snapped me back to reality. I instinctively glanced out the window, slowly pulling the
curtains back to determine whether I would find anything or anyone waiting for me out there in the secluded darkness.
I held my breath and waited.
I waited for what seemed like an eternity, but something in my mind spoke to me, this tiny voice whispering. A force held me in position. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from my front porch or my driveway. Sooner or later, the answer would reveal itself right outside.
All I had to do was enact the deepest, purest patience I had within my body. Again, it was a challenge easier said than done.
After a while, my eyelids became heavy. My mouth drooped in fatigue and I cradled my head in my chin, propping my elbow up on my knee to prevent myself from falling into a heap of despair right onto the carpet.
My eyes were stinging. There was nothing to see outside other than the blanket of darkness. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to relax for a little while. I wouldn’t move from the door, at least not yet.
I was in a state of delirium. I didn’t know what time it was or how long I had succumbed to a fitful slumber right beside my front door. I was still sitting by the window. The curtains were still pulled partially open to reveal a view of my front lawn.
I observed that it was still night time, so I couldn’t have drifted off to sleep for more than an hour or two. I wiped the groggy feeling of sleep from my eyes, yawned, and stretched. I tugged at the back of my braid, trailing the tip of my fingers across the woven surface of my silky red hair.
I blinked, gazing out the window again. This time, I saw something out there. I had to squeeze my eyes shut and then open them again to make sure I wasn’t seeing things that might have been a figment of my imagination.
It was a figure, an enormous figure beelining to my front door. My heart pounded in my chest. My palms were clammy. The figure appeared to be alone. When it got closer, I knew it was a man. A powerful leader, a prince. My prince.
Darbnix had come back for me.
In what seemed like slow motion, I swung the door open and stood in the middle of the door way, panting hard with my arms out to my sides. Darbnix was alone, running toward my house as if his whole life depended on it.
As soon as he had barreled through the door with a crash, I slammed it shut and locked the deadbolt behind us.
“What on earth happened?” I exclaimed.
Darbnix spun around, quickly regaining his composure. His eyes were wild, blazing with some kind of resilient force.
“I had to come back for you.” He was breathing hard. “I told them I needed a pardon.”
“What?” I shook my head. The entire idea sounded outlandish.
Darbnix swatted his hands through the air dramatically as if he were trying to capture an invisible fly. “I asked the Intergalactic Treaty and Alliance Committee if I could have a brief reprieve to get my wits about me. I explained that I needed some time to collect my emotions and personally discover my future on my own.”
I was stunned. I stared at him, shaking my head in disbelief. “They allowed you to do that?”
Darbnix shrugged, calming down little by little. “I didn’t give them much choice. I ran away before they got a chance to answer or even tell me no.”
“Where is Tia?” I glanced suspiciously at the door as if I expected her to barge in and start demanding answers in the next minute or two.
“I don’t know.” Darbnix cackled, a manic sound escaping his throat. He approached me with a glimmer of hope, freedom, and love twinkling in his eye. “I do know that I don’t want to marry Tia. I want to be with you. It’s modest for now, but for now, it’s all I have.”
I didn’t need answers from Darbnix. I needed him to swallow me into his enormous, protective arms and vow to never let me go. I didn’t care if the laws or the regulations prevented us from being together. If we had time to escape, to get away, that’s what I wanted to do with him.
I snaked my arms around his neck, reeling him in. I needed to smell his masculine scent, to feel the galloping of his heartbeat pounding against my chest, in unison with my heartbeat. His embrace was blissful and peaceful. I wished that I could always stay in this moment with him. I wanted to stay in this safety zone where no one could try to tear us apart.
Darbnix leaned down and planted the most affectionate yet desperate kiss I had ever received on my lips. I sighed with contentment, fully prepared to sink into his arms while the world melted away.
I knew that it was a fanatical concoction that my imagination had just dreamed up. Reality was sinking in too quickly for me to stay absorbed in my daydreams. We had a crisis here to deal with, and I was prepared to stick by Darbnix’s side and be the solid rock and foundation for him to lean against in a stressful time of turmoil.
He pulled away, searching my eyes for meaning or answers that had yet to come.
“It’s okay,” I blurted out. “We will get through this, together.”
I cupped my hand over his massive one.
He gave me an earnest smile, drawing me in for a hug. We remained with our bodies pressed against each other for several seconds before either one of us had the bravery to pull apart. Releasing wasn’t an option now.
“I believe you,” I told him. “I believe you about the device. The scanner.” I swallowed hard, waiting for his reaction.
His face beamed with recognizable relief. A subtle smile even cracked his lips ever so slightly. He grazed his thumb across my cheek, giving me a tremble of pleasure and a flush of desire.
“You do? You believe me?” There was so much spirit in the sound of his voice.
“I do,” I affirmed with a resilient nod of determination swelling in my belly. “Very much,” I added.
Darbnix squeezed me so tightly that for a brief second, I couldn’t breathe. It was a hug that was laced with passion and mirrored the same resolve I harbored inside myself.
He stared at me with perseverance. His voice was somber and grave when he spoke again. “I have deep concerns over being forced to marry anyone who isn’t you, Rose.”
My heart pounded. My cheeks flushed with the heat of his compliment, and all the emotions of love came gushing out of me. “I don’t want to marry anyone besides you either,” I admitted.
I didn’t care about being pampered with luxuries or delicacies. I just wanted Darbnix, and I wanted to stand proudly by his side for all of eternity, even when we turned to ash and dust with the ground at the end of our physical journey, right at the edge, shifting to our spiritual one.
“I would rather give up my throne than wed Tia.” I knew that he was serious by the way his expression showed the pain of the realization.
“It won’t come to that,” I promised, even though I wasn’t entirely certain of what the future would bring. I still held appreciation that he was willing to give everything up for me, including his power. I didn’t want to think of that actually happening.
“We will do what we can to ensure that won’t be the outcome.” I delicately placed my hand on his cheek, reaching up to touch him. “For right now, so we both don’t go crazy, we will just think of that as being the worst possible scenario.”
Darbnix grinned, trying to put on a stoic and noble face for me. “Thank you for being so kind. I don’t know how I could get through this without you.”
I gave him a smile in response. “Luckily, you won’t have to.”
“I love you, Rose.” He was wearing his heart on his sleeve. He had put his emotions on the table. He had played the last card in the draw.
I couldn’t breathe. His profession of love for me was everything I had been dreaming of, but the reality of hearing it sent me into shock. I started grinning first, then laughing, then tears soaked my eyes and drained down my cheeks.
“I love you too,” I finally exclaimed, feeling the vibrations of the romance surrounding and swelling around us.
Our lips crashed into each other with dangerous, violent passion and hunger. I ran my hands through his hair, tracing his scalp with my fingertips. He clawed at my back wi
th desire, trying to pull my shirt over my head.
He was halfway there when a knock came at the door. It was a frantic knock, one that wouldn’t stand for being ignored. The sound crashed through my senses, jolting me back to reality.
Darbnix and I gave each other an apprehensive gaze.
“Are you expecting anyone?” he asked in a paranoid tone.
“No,” I whispered softly while shaking my head. “Not at this hour.”
Darbnix held up his palm, motioning for me to stay put.
“Wait here,” he directed in a gentle tone. “Don’t reveal yourself.”
Every muscle in my body tensed. I had no idea who would be on the other side of that door, but their knocking was becoming more urgent with each pound of fist against wood.
Darbnix walked to the door and peeked out the peephole. I watched his shoulders relax in relief.
“Who is it?” I asked as curiosity got the better of me.
Who would be coming to my house that he would have a favorable reaction to? It couldn’t have been Tia. Besides, she didn’t know me or where I lived. If anything, it was a long shot that anyone would have been able to find me or Darbnix while I was here at my house.
“It’s only Davon,” Darbnix explained as his tone began to ease up slightly.
He gripped the door handle as if he were preparing to pull it open.
“Wait!” I shouted, holding my hands up to prevent him from doing so. “Who is Davon?”
“He’s our intelligence officer,” Darbnix explained. “He runs security for our networks, cyber devices, and everything having to do with internal and external communications.”
“That sounds like a complicated job,” I admitted.
Darbnix shrugged. “Not for Davon. He’s a complete genius. My brothers and I joke that he’s more of a robot than a person.”
“Oh.” I chuckled, scratching my arm while I shifted my weight. I didn’t know why I suddenly felt uncomfortable.
