Gem laughed. “Oh, my! She must have put something in his drink!”
Cliff laughed too. “That’s my sister. She gets tongue-tied in front of her crushes, but always finds a way to get them in the end.”
“Haha, good for her!” Gem agreed, tossing her hair as she laughed.
“Well, good for us too so that guy can stay out of our way,” he said jokingly, though Gem felt that he really meant it.
They walked along the beach away from the village hand in hand. Soon they found themselves hidden in the dark crevices of the sand dunes near the woods.
They came upon a rocky area amid the dunes. Cliff stopped walking and instead leaned back on a flat rock in the shadows, swinging Gem toward him as he did. She was caught in surprise as her body flew toward his bulky chest and torso. His arms wrapped around her sensually, and she felt her body heating up like never before.
She ignored all the warnings she’d grown up with about succumbing to the weakness of the body and the heart. She could not even think anymore as their lips met in a hungry, passionate kiss.
Heat began to pool in between her legs, and she embraced the intensifying sensations within her. She let her body guide her actions as this was something very new to her. Her fingers caressed his neck as their kiss turned wild. She pressed harder onto him while he pulled her even closer. That was when she felt his hardening cock rubbing against her sensitive area. A moan escaped her lips.
His hands slid under the skirt of her dress and quickly pulled her underwear down. She was so wet and ready for him. When his fingers crept up her inner thigh and began rubbing her soaked slit up and down, she couldn’t help the buildup of desire. Her hand groped for his hardness and then wrapped around the length of it. She gently started fondling him, making him moan too.
Both of them groaned in unison as they felt the sensations climbing. He suddenly took her in his arms and turned her toward the rock so that her back was now on it while he faced her. Without any hesitation, he kissed her neck sensually as he continued to finger her. His lips traveled downward to her breasts. He used his free hand to pull down the top of her strapless dress, freeing her heaving breasts.
She arched her back to let him fully devour her breasts. His tongue continually teased her nipples until they were taut.
He shoved his fingers inside her repeatedly, making her almost scream. She bit her lip, trying to stifle the screams. But then he completely undressed her and laid her down on the sandy ground. He took off his pants hurriedly and entered her with great desire and passion.
Her eyes widened as she felt his rock hard cock slide inside, pushing against the walls of her opening. She watched the expression of erotic pleasure on his face as he thrust his penis into her over and over again. Her mouth opened as combined pain and pleasure filled her entire body.
They moved in unison, both of them climbing higher and higher into extreme sexual pleasure. She felt her body shudder hard just as oozing fluid came out of his penis. She felt the liquid shooting inside while some trickled down the inside of her leg. She trembled and quivered as her intensified temperature finally began to descend, the hotness slowly dissipating through her skin.
He kissed her once more on the lips- soft and gently- before rolling them onto their sides in exhaustion.
*****
Bright sunlight streamed into the bedroom, waking Gem up. She opened her eyes and smiled when she saw that she was actually in Cliff’s room. He was still asleep, with one arm around her waist. They were both naked under the sheets.
For a few seconds, she just looked at his face, studying every little part of it and somehow trying to memorize what he looked like. Her heart felt torn. It had been a month now since the night of the festival, and although she was very much happy with Cliff, she was greatly bothered by the memory of her mother who might not know where she’d gone.
During that week, she’d been dreaming of that last incident in the palace. And finally, she was able to recall the gift. It had been a special watch that was inside the package left by the strange woman. And when she’d tried it on and touched the screen, it had begun blinking with a green light. Numbers appeared on the face of the watch, perhaps indicating some programmed time and place. She didn’t really know for sure, but it seemed logical.
“A time travel watch,” she whispered as she remembered bits and pieces of news about the new invention. That woman must have wanted her out of the way so she could be the Warrior King’s bride instead.
She leaned forward to give Cliff a peck on the cheek. Whoever you are, thank you. I found the man for me because of you. I was able to witness love in many different ways. And now I’ve come to open my heart too, to this wonderful bond with another person.
Cliff opened his eyes sleepily. “It’s so early… go back to sleep, beautiful…” he whispered before closing his eyes again.
Gem smiled. She shifted her position so that they were hugging each other face to face. He was still groggy, but he smiled at her nevertheless and even kissed her on the lips.
Can we really go on like this, without him knowing the real me? Gem questioned in her mind. She’d always been bothered by the fact that she was not being honest with him. He still wasn’t asking any questions, perhaps because he was just too kind, patient, and understanding. He had told her once that he would wait for her to open up when she was ready and willing.
“Sleep some more, Cliff,” Gem murmured. “There are no guests today, anyway…”
He smiled again and then drifted back to sleep. In a jiffy, she was up and about. After showering hastily, she got dressed and headed to the beach. After more than a month after she’d washed up on the sand, she highly doubted that she would find that watch again.
But she had to at least try or she would be stuck there forever. Not that she would mind, if only she was not thinking of the only Martian she knew who knew how to love- her mom.
As she came to the spot where she had first arrived, a very strong wind made her cover her eyes. The wind blew grains of sand all around her, as if there was a minor hurricane. She could hear the wind howling and could feel the coarse particles on her skin, but she did not dare open her eyes.
Soon the weird hurricane-like occurrence stopped. She felt it quiet down, and that was when she opened her eyes again.
“Good day, Gemini!”
The color drained from Gem’s face when she saw who it was in front of her. “King Eman?” she whispered with shock and dread, not believing her own eyes.
“I finally found you,” he said, his big round eyes filled with pride and satisfaction. “Let’s go back and get married.”
Gem saw that he was actually wearing the same kind of watch. “Wait, I-”
“You do not make a king wait,” he said firmly in an irritated voice. With that, he quickly pressed on the watch’s surface before Gem could even stop him.
Suddenly, the water from the sea rose and swirled around them, along with the sand and the trees and then the mountains. The whole world seemed to be turning fast. Gem felt like she was being pushed in by surrounding walls. She screamed, closing her eyes and wishing to wake up back in Cliff’s arms.
When the spinning finally stopped, she found herself lying on red satin sheets. Her memory of the Earth had somehow been taken during the move across time and space..
“Ugh!” a deep grunt came from beside her.
Gem turned around and saw a slightly older man stretching beside her, as if he had just woken up too. She quickly sat up in shock and climbed out of bed. That was the only time she noticed that she was in that same luxurious bedroom inside the palace where she had been assigned after getting chosen to become the next queen.
Why the hell is the king sleeping beside me? she wondered with confusion and alarm. No, no, no… Did something happen between us? How did I let that happen?
Suddenly, the king stood up too and stared at her with an odd expression on his face. With his face blanketed in confusion, he looked around
the room. “What am I doing here?” he asked aloud.
Gem shrugged. She was just as confused.
“I feel like I’ve been asleep for a long time…” the king said.
“Me too,” Gem admitted. “What’s your last memory?”
The king was still wearing his classic robe in red and gold. He stood towering above her, shaking his head in disbelief. “After the announcement at the dome, I had you sent here in the palace. Then that same day, you had disappeared. Some were saying you had run away, but I did not believe it. Nobody would say no to such an honor to be my wife and to be the queen of this planet.”
Gem nodded profusely, suddenly feeling ashamed and even more puzzled. “I… I’m so, so, so sorry,” she whispered, casting her eyes downward and refusing to meet his gaze.
She felt his hand on her chin, lifting her face upward. Reluctantly, she followed and looked into his eyes.
“Don’t worry, Gemini,” he said. “What’s important is that you are here now. We must get ready for our wedding.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Gem whispered. “And I promise you I’ll be the best wife and queen you can ever have.”
***
TWO YEARS LATER
“Rise and shine, Queen Gemini!” somebody said in a jovial yet formal tone of voice.
Gem sat up in bed and saw a Martian lady who was apparently an assistant in the palace. “The Warrior King is waiting for you in the dining hall.”
Gem sat up, looking confused. She felt like she had been somewhere else for a long time, but could not quite remember it. All she knew at the moment was that she was living in the palace as the Warrior King’s 4th wife.
“Would you like a milk and honey bath, Your Highness?” the assistant asked, helping her up from the bed and leading her to the adjoining bathroom.
“Uh sure,” Gem answered uncertainly. As the special bathing supplies and procedure were being prepared, she closed her eyes and tried to picture what had happened over the past few days. Images of herself working with different Martians across the planet came to mind. She seemed to have been busy with several projects.
“What’s your name again, Miss?” she asked the assistant.
The young lady looked at her oddly, but answered politely. “My name is Mikana. I have been your personal assistant for two years now since you got married to the king. Are you okay, Queen Gemini?” She genuinely looked concerned as she paused from pouring the milk into the bath tub.
“I’m fine,” Gem told her, although she herself was not convinced. She felt like there was something that was out of place. She remembered the announcement at the dome clearly when she’d been picked as the bride. But from that time up to the present, everything seemed to be just a haze.
As she dipped into the milk and was scrubbed with a special skincare formula made with honey, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She was deeply disturbed but couldn’t quite understand. When she closed her eyes and tried to relax, she suddenly pictured a breathtaking stretch of sand beside a vast sea. The sky was painted with a lovely blend of colors as the sun was beginning to set.
Her eyes popped open. There was no such place in Mars! Where did that image come from? She looked at Mikana. “Tell me, what year is it now?”
Mikana again gave her a puzzled look. “It’s 1133, Your Highness.”
“Did I ever go near the sea or to some sort of beach during the past two years?”
“Not that I know of,” Mikana replied. “There are no beaches here on our planet that are safe enough to visit.” She opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it again.
“What is it?” Gem insisted. She could feel that the lady had something important to say, but was hesitating.
“Um… I might get in trouble for saying this,” she started with a seriously distressed expression on her face. “But last year, while you were out, there was a strange man who barged into the palace looking for you. He… he appeared to be crazy, talking about having lost you at sea or something like that.”
Suddenly, the vision of a handsome man with dark hair, a dimple, and gentle brown eyes came to her. “What happened?” she asked in alarm.
“The Warrior King got angry at him,” Mikana said hesitantly. “He, uh, ordered us all out of the room. But I heard him tell the crazy man to go back to Earth and never come back. The man said he would never leave without you.”
“And then what?” Gem asked, her eyes widening and her heart beating fast. Somehow she knew that this was someone who was important to her. She dreaded the answer.
“We really don’t know what happened afterward. The man just disappeared again.”
Silence followed. Gem tried to retrieve the memories in her head. There were some blurred images of herself with a human male on Earth. But she could not quite remember.
She went through that day like a zombie. While on auto pilot, she did all her rightful duties as the queen. However, her mind was drifting somewhere else. She felt as if there was a huge chunk of her that was missing.
There was only one way to find out what it was. She needed to go to Earth and find out if she’d actually been there some time before she had gotten married to the Warrior King.
*****
Gem knew the Warrior King would never allow her to go to Earth, especially if he knew something about a previous experience she’d had there that he wasn’t telling her. Thus, she timed her escape during his long trip to another galaxy. She bribed one of the palace’s pilots to take her.
She had done her research and only had three beach destinations in America that she was targeting. Based on the snippets of memory she’d been getting, she’d been able to check out which possible areas she ought to go to.
The first one was already destroyed, although there was still some semblance of what probably used to be a beautiful beach. It’s 2039 on Earth, after all. Some natural areas of the planet had supposedly deteriorated already.
She took her time exploring the ruins of a village, her heart constricting as she thought of the inhabitants there who’d probably suffered and even perished. But she felt it wasn’t the one she was searching for.
The second one looked very similar to what she was looking for. She walked down the shore and found sand dunes on one end of the beach, though they did not look as impressive anymore as those from her memory. She stood there, just feeling the cool breeze on her face. Somehow, in spite of the slight changes in appearance, the place seemed to make her feel at home. She decided to stay a while longer.
She thought that perhaps exploring the entire island could shake her memory and trigger something from the past. So she walked around the rocks and sand dunes, heading back to the main beach. But as she did, something caught her eye--- a little piece of wood lying near one of the big rocks. She picked it up and turned it around in her hand. It was a nicely crafted sculpture of a dog.
“You like art?” she could almost hear his voice asking her. It came from a man she cared for in the past.
An image of him filled her mind, this time clear and vivid. She was offering her diamond necklace in exchange for the wooden sculpture of the dog.
“Cliff,” she whispered in alarm as she recalled the only man she had ever learned to love. “How could I ever forget you, Cliff?” Tears began to fall down her cheeks as every little detail of the times they had spent together came flooding back. I must find him.
She ran to the other edge of the beach, toward the cottage she had learned to love and call as her own home. The art shop was still there, but it was almost empty. She went inside and found a much older-looking Chelsea staring off into space.
“Chelsea!” she exclaimed in panic. Something in her heart told her there was something gravely wrong. “Where’s Cliff?”
Chelsea looked up and immediately recognized her. An expression of anger combined with sadness flashed across her pretty face. “He went after you, Gem…” she said in a soft voice. “A few months after you had left, he went after you… and now he
’s gone…” Her shoulders began to shudder.
“W-What do y-you m-mean?” Gem stammered, afraid to hear her answer.
“He had this wild idea that you’re from another time and planet, because he said you used to talk about Mars and about your apprehensions in your sleep…” Chelsea said, her voice trembling. “Then… then… he had this weird-looking watch in his hand before he disappeared. And then the next day, I just found him in his room… he was… he wasn’t…”
Gem’s heart constricted and her eyes widened as she realized what Chelsea was trying to say.
“I kept waking him up, Gem…” Chelsea whispered. She shut her eyes, shaking her head. “So many years have already passed, but that vision of him is still fresh in my mind…”
“Noooo!” Gem screamed. “He’s not dead!” She crumpled to the ground, quivering in disbelief and shock and pain.
The following day, she was back in the palace even before the Warrior King could call and discover that she had gone. Apparently, he had just arrived at his destination. After answering his questions automatically and without any emotion, she went back to sulk and cry in the privacy of her bedroom.
But after a week of moping and weeping, she began to think more clearly. She realized that if she could go back in time again, maybe she could somehow undo the damage. She could still change the present and the future.
When her mother came to visit her in the palace, she cried in her arms. She revealed everything that she had discovered, and the older woman understood.
“You can still fight for your love, my dear daughter,” she said. “I’ve always believed in the power of love, even if it is not accepted here in our society. You were fortunate to have met a man who made your heart beat in a different way, someone who made you feel truly alive and happy… Go and do what you have to do…”
Gem nodded, her eyes red and puffy from having cried so much over the past weeks. She realized that what she’d shared with Cliff was too special not to attempt saving. It was indeed love that we had, perhaps in its early stages, she thought painfully.
Pregnant to an Alien King Box Set Page 12
