Nabvan

by Celeste Raye

  “Why?” Alexis squeaked out, a shadow of her former self. Why had King Shene chosen to be so cruel?

  “I have some medicines here to help you, but it’s going to hurt. It won’t help if you move.” She nodded, biting her lip. He hated that he had to hurt her, but it was the only way. Nabvan got up to check on the bandages and found that they were now soaked in the liquid that the nurse had poured into the tray. He picked up each one, bringing them over to her and placing them on her back. A new sound came from her mouth as each one was laid down on her infected, broken skin, but she did not move. That was what was important.

  He was finally able to sit by her side and wait for them to draw out the infection. “The nurse said you need to leave those on for about an hour,” he announced to her, keeping her informed. “Then, you can have an injection for pain, and we can get you cleaned up.”

  “You think it’s strong enough to let me stand up in a shower?” she asked, sounding like she didn’t believe it was possible. She sounded ill, and he could see now that she had a green color to her skin. He had acted just in time.

  “It should be,” he answered. He looked over and could see she was dozing, but he knew it was important to keep her awake. He had to find a way to keep her engaged. It meant he would have to talk to her, and he did not know how he felt about relating to a human that technically belonged to the king, but he was finding that he cared for her much more than he expected to care for any human woman. “Tell me something about your life before, like why you were on a ship headed to marry the Arkani,” he said, hoping it wasn’t too personal to start out with. It was something he had wondered about, what had caused these women to leave Earth and head to the Arkani instead of marrying a human man. Were they that bad? He knew they were not scarce.

  “Most of the women needed a second chance. They were in trouble and didn’t have many opportunities on Earth, or their family was keeping them from being happy and living to their potential,” she said hoarsely. Nabvan noted that she mentioned nothing personal about herself.

  “I did not ask about the other women,” he told her, not letting her get away with that. “I asked about you.”

  She sighed, and Nabvan could tell that it must be a sore subject for her. He doubted her story was the same as the rest of the women. She had been different from the moment she stepped foot on the ship, which ended up serving her poorly, getting her chosen to be the mate of the king instead of somebody else. Not that most of the other women were happy, but they were not in such distress. “I love science,” she said, not being at all what Nabvan would expect to hear. He knew what science was and the importance of it. The ship they were in was all made possible by science, but Milisarians did not partake in any such endeavors themselves. They often stole technology from other civilizations and leaned on them for such matters. They knew little about their own illnesses and anatomy and even got their cures for diseases from elsewhere. It was one of the reasons they needed humans so badly. Humans had a great capacity for scientific knowledge. The Milisarians believed that if they bred with humans, they too would gain those abilities.

  “So, you were going to the Arkani to assist in their research,” Nabvan guessed. “You must be a very intelligent woman. We could use someone like you on our planet, if only the king would appreciate what skills you might have to offer.”

  “That’s the story of my life,” she retorted. “Men have never appreciated what I might have to offer. That is why I left Earth. No one would take me seriously because I was a woman.”

  Nabvan thought about that for a moment. In general, the Milisarian women were lesser beings as in they did not hold power positions or go to war, but they were not doubted in the talents they did have. All nurses were female, and every warrior needed a mother to birth and raise him. He doubted the Milisarian Knights would be opposed to allowing women to have other jobs on the planet as well. “That is very sad that you could not live your potential on Earth. I can see why you would think the Arkani would be a good race to help you with that. I do hope that you are allowed to share your knowledge with us now that you are here.”

  “I don’t think the king will let me share anything other than my body,” she commented sourly, and he felt a pang of guilt at that. The king’s desperation for a hybrid child was so much so that he was on the verge of committing a crime. The problem was that none of the women had stepped foot on the surface of their planet yet, so they did not have protections under the law. He could only hope she could survive until they made it home. That sort of treatment would be frowned upon, even if it were coming from the king.

  “Things will be better on the surface,” he assured her. “Just hang on until then.”

  “You’re being awfully nice to me,” she noted.

  “Well, I do not necessarily agree with what my king is doing right now,” he admitted.

  When the hour was up, he checked the bandages to see that they were the color of blood and puss. They had done a great job of sucking out infection. The wounds looked smaller and older, less angry as he looked them over. He was sure they still hurt, though. He went for the needle and filled it with medication before injecting it straight into her back. There was a slight groan from her but then a relieved sigh. “What’s in that?” she asked, sitting up with the blanket covering her womanly form. “It’s strong.”

  “I have no idea,” Nabvan answered with a shrug of his shoulders as he went to the washroom to prepare the shower for her. “We have one of our colonies produce it. We make almost nothing ourselves. Are you ready to get clean?” he asked after he had started the water.

  Alexis looked hesitant, but he needed to reassure her. “You need to keep it clean. It’s what’s best. I will not take advantage of you. I am only here to help.” She stood up slowly, reaching out her hand to him. She allowed Nabvan to lead her into the washroom where he helped her into the shower. She gritted her teeth as the water fell against her pained skin, but he noted how brave she was not to scream or jump out immediately.

  “Just let the water run over it for a bit,” he told her. She looked up at him, still hanging onto his hands, and Nabvan noticed her blue eyes for the first time as they looked upon him. He tried to focus there and not look to her body, which despite being broken was still a beautiful shape. He realized for the first time the appeal of a human woman, and he felt his own body respond to her. By the way she was looking at him, Nabvan wondered if she felt something similar.

  The sad part was that it did not matter what either of them felt about the other. She was the chosen mate of the king, even if he did not agree. He could not act on any feelings because it would put more than him in danger. He needed to get a grip on himself.

  Chapter 8:

  ***Alexis***

  Alexis spent a few days in a haze of sorts, with Nabvan treating her wounds and helping her wash up. They talked a lot and got some rest. She remembered that after the second shot of pain meds that the ship began to move again, and it made her afraid that King Shene would show back up for another round of punishments. But he never came. Nabvan suspected he was into commanding the ship since Nabvan himself was not there to see it through. Apparently, that was part of Nabvan’s old job: commanding the ship. Why had fate been so cruel as to place the king on the ship at that time instead of just Nabvan? Nabvan might have chosen her then, and she wouldn’t be going through this. She would be free to tell him that he was making her new and pitiful life livable again. She would be free to tell him that she blushed sometimes when his eyes landed on her body or when hers grazed over his six pack.

  The day the ship stopped moving again, she knew that she was doing better. She could move with little to no soreness, and she could stand to have heavy clothes against her body. She did not know where they could be or what would be happening next, but she somehow felt she could face it as long as Nabvan was not taken away from her. Though, in the back of her mind, she feared that it was exactly what was going to happen once they got to their home
planet.

  Some instructions came through the intercom, but it was in the Milisarian language. Alexis looked to Nabvan for an explanation, and he nodded somberly. She doubted it was any news she wanted to hear, but it was better to be prepared.

  “We are home,” he told her, and she raised her eyebrow at him. She wasn’t sure how she felt about calling Milisaria home yet, but it was going to be the case regardless of whether it felt that way or not.

  “What will happen to me once we are there?” she asked, hoping there was already an answer. The unknown at this point would be so much worse. There had been too many surprises since she left Earth, and she was done with them.

  “I am to wait with you until everyone else is off the ship and gone before I take you into the inner city. You’ll be given your own room at the palace, which extends out into the knights’ quarters as well. I do not think the king is ready to see you just yet. I am not sure if it is because he is giving up on you or because he is coming up with a new plan. I just know that you get your own room and you get to eat again.” Alexis was not sure if she could dare to have hope about the news. Her mind ran a hundred miles an hour as she thought about the possibilities. Maybe she could find her freedom. Maybe she could find a ship to escape on. But it was too soon to say.

  Nabvan did exactly as he said, waiting until the ship was clear until he took her out, wrapped up like a woman from the Middle East so that if they did run into anyone, they would have no idea it was the king’s mate or a beautiful human. Those were the words Nabvan had used with her. She was beyond flattered by it, and she wondered what he was feeling for her.

  He ushered her off the ship and tried to get her to move quickly down a long shooting hall, but she had to stop and look out the long, large windows. The view was stunning. Two of the moons were so close she swore she could reach out and touch them, and large marshes spread out in front of them. Milisaria was full of water: green seas and expansive marshes, and a few rolling hills for miles and miles. It was too bad she was barely above being a prisoner. She wanted to be out there exploring all the landscapes and new creatures and bacteria that lived on the planet. Instead, she would be locked in a room again, even if it was entirely her own.

  Finally, they came into a white building with plenty of hallways. It looked a bit like a massive version of the ship, except there was noise coming from everywhere. Apparently, the living quarters for the Milisarian knights were pretty rowdy. It reminded her of college dorms a bit as they kept walking towards the center of the structure.

  They reached a room that was on what Nabvan explained to be the second tier. That meant it was the second tier of the spiraling center of the city, away from where the king lived. Why she was being kept so far away, she didn’t know, but maybe he wanted her to have nothing to do with the decisions he made or what was going on in the government on the planet.

  The room was smaller than the one on the ship; cozier, but it was nice. It felt more homey to her.

  Alexis went to take off all the wraps, but Nabvan reached over to stop her. “Maybe not just yet,” he whispered with a cheeky grin on his face. “You look like you could use some good food.” Alexis cocked her head to the side, wondering what he was up to when he took her hand and led her further into tier two. Soon, they came upon a large kitchen with tons of female Milisarians working on delicious smelling food. “Pick what you want,” he told her. “And we’ll take it back to your room.” She nodded happily and began to smell around for what she thought was the best of the food, picking what she wanted to try. It was the best time she’d had since getting captured.

  She was practically skipping by the time they left with a tray full of food for them both, but there was one thing she felt brave enough to ask for. “Nabvan,” she asked, pausing before they reached the door to her new room. “I had a really good friend on the ship with me. Her name was Destiney. Is there any way you would be able to find her so I know that she is alright?”

  Nabvan looked down at her like he was thinking it over and found it to be the worst idea in history. It probably was, but she needed to know. She had to know for her own sanity. “This could get us in a lot of trouble depending on who she is with, Alexis. But I will at least try and see where she is. Is that good enough?” Nabvan asked with a sigh. He seemed to be giving into her a lot lately, and she wondered why that was. Did he know their time together was getting shorter now that they had landed on Milisaria?

  She watched as he used a holographic watch to send a call out, one she did not understand. The Milisarians knew English very well, but their language was more beautiful. It sounded dark, like their planet, which lacked much light beyond the four moons; two of them were close enough to make the planet look more like Earth at dusk or twilight.

  After speaking with someone, Nabvan pointed her in the direction of the further end of the second tier. “She is that way and is prepared to see you. She is with a friend of mine named Siefer. He will not give you any trouble.” Alexis could not believe it as Nabvan led her to one of the final doors down the second there, and they knocked on it. She was about to see Destiney, something she never thought she would have the pleasure of again.

  Alexis hoped for the best as the door swung open to reveal a familiar-looking Milisarian knight. He was tall, but a little shorter than Nabvan, and he had dark eyes and hair like the rest of them. He seemed a little older though. It must have been Siefer, and Alexis was surprised to see the two men embrace before letting her in the door. Sure enough, there was a glowing and happy Destiney sitting on the bed leisurely. Alexis ran over to her, not caring about the wounds she still had. Her skin still had some angry cuts that she knew could open up, but she was just so happy to see Destiney alive and well.

  “Destiney!” she squealed with excitement as she tackled her in a hug.

  “Oh, don’t squeeze too tight. My body is a little more delicate than usual,” Destiney warned. Alexis slid back to look at her friend. That glow was the glow of pregnancy.

  “You’re having a baby?” Alexis was horrified at first until Destiney smiled with reassurance.

  “Yes, but it was my choice. Siefer and I are a real match.” Destiney winked at Siefer, and Alexis could see the pride and love on his face. He was treating her exceptionally well. “I can’t say much else for the rest of the women, though. I have only met two others that are alright with who they are with. Neither of them are pregnant yet but are trying. I don’t think it was as easy as the king thought it would be.” The mention of the king made her flinch. “You were chosen by him, weren’t you?”

  Alexis did not know how to answer. Destiney was happy like she deserved. She did not want Destiney to worry about her, but she also could not lie. She just nodded and hoped it would not be pushed any further. “Yes. This is just Nabvan. He has been assigned as my keeper while the king is busy.” Alexis nodded towards her constant companion, and he waved awkwardly.

  “I thought I would have been able to see you already since you are with the king. What’s been going on?” It was the question she was dreading. Alexis looked to Nabvan like he might save her from the answer, but it was actually Siefer who spoke up first.

  “King Shene has many women. None of them are allowed much freedom, and this human one even more so. He wants to have a half human child very badly, so badly that he does not care who he hurts to get one.”

  Destiney looked at Alexis, and Alexis could see the sadness in her eyes. “You’re hurt then, like some of the others?” she asked. Alexis did not like to hear that other women were being harmed.

  “I don’t know anything about the others. This is the first time I have been outside of the king’s suite on the ship. But, yes, he has hurt me for refusing to mate with him just like that. I cannot just give myself up like that. But I am glad you have found the right man here,” Alexis told her, placing her hand over Destiney’s.

  “You stay safe out there, okay? Don’t let him run over you, even if he is the king. I’ll do what I can
,” Destiney said with a whimper. Alexis could tell that Destiney was holding back tears.

  Alexis nodded and hugged her friend one more time. She knew she could not stay. “I’ll come see you again if I can.” She stood up and walked to the door with Nabvan, not looking back for fear she would not be able to leave. She followed him back to her new room and removed all the wraps, leaving on just the black body suit she had on underneath. Her hair fell over her still-healing wounds, and she did not know what to do with herself.

  “What now?” she asked Nabvan, unsure of how she was going to just sit there again and wait for the next attack from King Shene.

  “Now, we wait.” She nodded, figuring that would be the answer before sitting down to the much-needed meal. They ate in silence, and all Alexis could think about was that she was going to live and die here sooner or later.

  Chapter 9:

  ***Dravik***

  Nabvan was trying to make sure Alexis had a good time. Both of their lives had taken a sad turn of events since they met each other, but he could not blame her for that. In fact, the more he got to know her, the angrier he found himself with his king. He was still too afraid to voice such a thing, and that was for the sake of himself but also for her. She had already suffered so much, and he was not about to be the reason she suffered even more. Because as much as the king would threaten to kill her, he needed her too much. No, he would not kill her. He would only make her wish she were dead.

  Nabvan had been keeping in touch with everyone he could as he allowed her to roam the halls and tour the inner city as much as he was able to get away with. King Shene had not been interested in seeing her. He had said so the day after they arrived on the planet. He had been entertaining himself with a couple of his other women and thinking of what to do to get Alexis to mate with him. Nabvan did not know if she ever would, but he had mentioned that maybe the king should do what she asked and woo her. It was an unpopular suggestion, but the king would be desperate enough the more she refused. He hated that he was giving the king advice behind her back, but the king’s pursuit would not end. The best thing Nabvan could do for Alexis was to find a way to keep her safe and content.