Charged: An Otherwordly Reverse Harem (The Otherworlds Series Book 1)
Page 22
“Are all social events like this?” Bobbie hissed when they crossed the threshold.
“Ever since my father married that viper,” Roc said looking over his shoulder at the viper in question.
“Do they share a charge? How did that relationship happen?”
“No charge. My father was lucky enough to find his Charge Mate in my mother, but to maintain his status as Emperor he needs a female, and she’s the sister of the Emperor of Lividiania. It’s a smaller province to the north of us. The union solidified a silica trade agreement and made her a Consort to the most powerful Emperor in the world.”
“Why is she a Consort and not an Empress?”
“She has not given birth, and is not a Charge Mate. It’s this way in case an Emperor finds his Charge Mate or they can’t produce a child together.”
“Wait, what? That’s kind of barbaric. So she would just be out if he were to come across a Charge Mate?”
“Non-charge matches are only made for influence and possible children. They are in place this way so they can be easily broken if needed. I think it’s rather logical if you think about it. It’s not a love match, and I, for one, would not miss her if my father decided to revoke the agreement because she hasn’t become pregnant. But he has no need of an heir because of me, so he’s not worried. In fact, he’s probably not trying to produce because if she did get pregnant there could be a power struggle.”
“What do you mean a power struggle? You aren’t heir apparent because of your birth order?” Bobbie asked, thinking about her time when she was obsessed with the UK royals when they got married.
“Tormi makes it clear to anyone who will listen that she doesn’t care for me. If she were to produce a child, it would be one more reason to hate me, since I would be in the way of that child’s succession. It wouldn’t be the only time a royal tried to off another royal because of succession order.”
“But if she has a child, you’re still the heir, right? Unless, she what? Were to kill you off?” Bobbie asked, thinking how advanced this world was, but how behind it was on cultural ethics. She was never a fan of gentrified caste systems, a big proponent of democracy and individual freedoms. She might not have thought about it every day, taking her freedoms and position in the world for granted, and she definitely never appreciated her citizenship when she was still American, but this outdated system made her aware of how much freedoms as a female she had before, and why she might have thought royalty was romantic on the outside, when on the inside it was the opposite. This was savage.
“Yes, to all of that,” he nodded.
“And if you were to get the throne, I would be an Empress if I had a child?” Bobbie whispered.
“You are my Charge Mate, so no, you’ll be an Empress no matter what if something happens to my father, or he steps down, which he has voiced would be his favored option.”
“And what are the job requirements for that position? And do I have to?”
“Still thinking about catching the next transport off this planet?” Roc shot her a look that said he was sort of joking, but really worried about what she was going to say.
“Can you blame me?” Bobbie sighed. She motioned to the bored royals who had retired to their thrones to glare at their guests, neither one looked happy. The Consort leaned over and whispered something to the Emperor who didn’t respond, only looked away. This caused his Consort to cross her arms and give a pained look to the back of his head.
“I have failed to show you the beauty of my world.” He shook his head. “I’m going to have to rectify this.”
33
Beauty is only skin deep
Roc kept up a continuous diatribe about the wondrous things on his planet as he walked Bobbie back to his wing of the palace. He would one day show her all of these places, once she was introduced and he squashed the rumors running around about her. They would have time to see his world, and she would come to love his planet as much as he did. He looked over at his Charge Mate, and the defiant set to her chin. He worried he might not have time.
What would he do if she insisted on going back to Earth?
He had said he hadn’t taken her against her will, and if she truly wanted to return he would do so. But he knew he couldn’t lose her. He had known about Charge Mates his entire life, had heard about what it meant that two people were meant for each other, but he had never heard about love. He had assumed it would stroke an attraction, a sexual gratification that wouldn’t be able to be found in other partners, but he hadn’t expected to fall in love with his Charge Mate so quickly. Now thinking about her unhappiness, about the fact that his world was making her uneasy, and she may prefer her barbaric Earth over Polaridis, gave him pains in his chest.
He began to speak about the amazing sights to be seen here, about the thousand-foot trees of Uvanda, and the Pearl Falls deep in the mountains of the Virdan Sunset range. He had never talked so much, at least not since his school days when he was forced into a debate. He was trying to win her over, and he hoped it was working. He thought about her outbreak this morning, and her reaction to this last social gathering, her smile which wasn’t as quick to come as before. Roc’s chest tightened in anxiety again.
“I want you to be happy here, Bobbie,” he said, slipping his hand into hers.
“It’s just…” She looked away, and Roc frowned, not knowing how to interpret her reticence.
“What?” he asked, squeezing her hand.
“This is so different for me. This society stuff ended on my world centuries ago. I’m not used to this etiquette stuff and restrictions.”
“Centuries ago?” What did she mean by that? Her world didn’t have etiquette and rules? He had seen how different they were, how free they were with their social interactions, and it had thrown him off. To be able to speak to a female on the street without repercussions was so different for him, but there were so many females. They didn’t cherish them as his world did. It was exhilarating, but at the same time, it was heart-breaking. Women should be protected and revered, not forced to display themselves on the streets in hopes of attracting a mate. Was that what she wanted to go back to? A world where men treated her like a piece of flesh, instead of the amazing and beautiful female that she was?
“Yeah, there’s no polite society, or whatever your stepmother called it.” Bobbie’s words shook him out of his internal outrage.
“The royals were spoken about on the news on Earth. The ones who kept having children, or gambling, they wouldn’t have situations like this where they were expected to behave a certain way? The rulers of your world aren’t expected to hold themselves in a proper fashion at a social event?” Roc asked.
“Not as strict, I guess. I don’t know,” Bobbie muttered. “There has been a severe decline in social decorum in the last ten years,” she laughed.
“What do you mean?” Roc asked.
“I’m trying to answer your question the best I can. I honestly have no idea because I wasn’t born into money, or at least the old money that breeds your type of royals on my world. But I think maybe you’re right when it comes to the upper caste systems in my world. But it’s getting more laid back. People on Earth are getting tired of elitism behavior. Even those royals you mentioned—the younger prince married a mixed race American actress, which would have been unheard of even ten years ago, and I don’t think his older brother would have been able to marry someone like her.” Bobbie looked up at Roc and he wanted to kiss her, but held himself back. He wanted this discussion with her more; he wanted to understand what was going through her head.
“Politics aren’t my favorite pastime, but it’s the nature of the game, and it comes with our positions. I know you didn’t ask for this, but there can be wondrous things here in my world.” He stopped and turned her to face him. “I’ll show them all to you.”
“It’s hard, Roc, because I didn’t ask for this, and this isn’t normal for me.” She looked down at her hands, and he slipped his into hers.
“You haven’t told me about this. What does it say in this prophecy, how do you know it’s about me?”
“It is about you, I’m sure.”
“Can you show it to me?”
“I can recite it for you.” He slid his fingers over his band and called up a screen with those alien symbols on it, which made up his language.
"The youngling prince will take his throne of right,
on his date of birth ten spans past the moon’s last row.
Before he’s crowned he’ll know the time, the unrest begins
as the zeitgeist crumbles around the spires of a purple tomb.
The four will be free, by the hands of fate, found within
the land of milk and honey, hidden in a sea of metal and glass.
The charged mate of Earth will stand by the prince’s side,
to conquer the plague of tired ideas and find the sanctity within.
New will become old and old will become new. A new time arises,
at the feet of the youngling prince and his empress of red.”
“What does that even mean?” Bobbie shook her head in confusion. “I mean, I get the part about me, and Earth, but the other stuff? It sounds ominous.”
“The way I interpret it is that finding you ushers in a new era, and that when I’m crowned Emperor there will be some issues.”
“Issues, like a war? You speak of change, but this says unrest, that means war? Zeitgeist, that’s like common thought, right? That crumbling doesn’t sound good—it sounds kind of bad. People don’t like change.”
“It means that I will be Emperor and things might change, and it will be you who ushers in that change. Maybe it’s because you know a different way, or something else, I don’t know, Bobbie, but we’ll get through it together. We’ll change things.”
“Would that even be possible, to change things that have been in effect for centuries? Change them without a lot of pissed off people?”
“Anything is possible. If you want to change how things are done, we can do it together.”
“But it’s how you’ve done things for millennia. Wouldn’t it stir up trouble? This unrest the prophecy speaks of?”
“Governments are meant to change, to adapt. If not, they become stagnant, especially with a single all-powerful ruler,” Roc said, remembering the classes he took in his younger days. His father had made sure he was enrolled in an actual school, and not taught via tutors. One of his teachers had been quite progressive, stressing the issues with the oligarchy and the limited house that his realm employed.
“You would consider this?”
“I would do anything to make you happy.”
“Even upend your realm and the way you do things?”
“If I believe your ideas are illogical, we can discuss it beforehand,” he smiled.
He bent and kissed her on the lips. Nothing passionate like every other kiss he had laid on her, this one was sweet, gentle, and he hoped it conveyed his sincerity.
“Illogical,” she huffed.
“I don’t think that will happen often,” he smiled.
“And what will the rest of the guys think of this? What will be their roles?”
“Is that what you want, Bobbie?”
“All or none, right?”
“If that is what you want,” he said, swallowing hard, thinking about how complicated things could get.
“It’s the only thing that can work, no matter how confused you are with this situation—they are a part of you. They will be involved, in their own way.”
“I know, it’s just not—" He paused, trying to conjure up a word. “Blavidi.”
“What does that mean?” Bobbie asked.
“I can’t explain it well. It’s like your brain is muddled and things won’t settle down.” He ran a hand over his face, trying to imagine a world where he was Emperor and there were three other autonomous Rocs running around causing havoc. It wasn’t just the slight tinge of jealousy he felt when he saw the others invoke their own charge with his Charge Mate, it was also the fear he could possibly lose control.
“I know it’s different, but we’ll adapt,” she said.
“We’ll?” he asked, a smile spreading across his face at her acquiescence.
“Yeah, we. I think I’m pretty much stuck with the bunch of you.”
“Stuck. You say that a lot. I cannot accept stuck. Please tell me you want to stay. If it really is your wish, to go back home, Bobbie, I will take you back to Earth.”
“My life isn’t there anymore. No job, no friends—isn’t that what you said?”
“A few years have passed.” He looked away, not able to meet her eye over the slight exaggeration of the truth. “But I’m sure you can get things sorted out, pick back up where you left off. I’ll help you get back on your feet,” he said earnestly, thinking that if she did agree to go back to Earth, Roc would be right there with her. Maybe one of his manifestations would want to stay here and take the throne when it was time, allowing Roc to try out a normal life with Bobbie on Earth. Could he be happy living in a tiny apartment in that crowded city where the over-cooked meat of dead animals was eaten on the street?
Roc didn’t know if he would be happy in the city, but he knew for sure he wouldn’t be happy if Bobbie wasn’t at his side.
Bobbie thought about her life back on Earth. The tiny apartment she called her home, where the landlord upped the rent every year. Her job, which was the 7th level of hell. Her friends—she actually missed her friends—but they had been pulling away over the years. They both had fancy jobs, or fancy pet projects, both had semi-serious boyfriends, and she had been in the same place, stagnant, for a long time. Until a charity auction, and two aliens.
“No, I think it will only be a waste of time if you bring me back to Earth. It’s not like my life will be there anymore. I wouldn’t even know how to start over.” Bobbie sighed and Roc looked at her sadly. She had the urge to comfort him, even though she was the one who got the shit-end of this deal.
“I have a lot of regrets about how I got you here, Bobbie. I honestly thought I was saving you from a life of slavery,” he said sheepishly.
“You spent some time on my planet. Did slavery seem like it was a thing?” She rolled her eyes, not really believing he truly thought she was being sold at an auction.
“I didn’t think it was accepted, but it was discussed a lot. I read articles that called it sex trafficking, not slavery,” Roc said. Bobbie grimaced because that was a hot topic in the U.S. In fact, they had just busted an actress from one of her favorite television shows as a child, for being part of a sex trafficking ring disguised as a female empowerment group. Maybe it wasn’t so far-fetched for him to think that, especially since he wasn’t as sure about the nuances of her world.
“You really thought you had busted in on a sex trafficking auction?” Bobbie asked, but it was more a repetition of acknowledgment.
“Yes,” Roc nodded solemnly. Bobbie shook her head as she digested this, still torn about the entire situation. If he was to be taken at face value, he was only trying to save her, and with the awful way they had been communicating in the beginning, since he had only a year to learn English since people on Earth didn’t possess these handy translator implants, it was a wonder he didn’t mess up a few other things along the way.
She realized she believed him, believed he had nothing but good intentions, and if she was being honest with herself, her life before this was a mess. Roc had done her a favor by bringing her to this world. She wasn’t sure if she was okay with how they did things here, but maybe, just maybe, her progressive ideas might help make this place a little better. On Polaridis, she could possibly make a difference with how things were done, whereas on Earth she was only a waste of space.
The band around Roc’s wrist beeped and he looked down, then swiped
so a small screen appeared on his forearm. Bobbie wanted one of those if she was going to be staying on this planet permanently.
“What is it?” Bobbie asked.
“We know where Von went,” Roc said.
34
Causing a Ruckus
“He caught a commuter transport to Polari, registered under the name John Smith,” Tam was saying as Bobbie and Roc crossed the threshold into their wing. He used his comm band to call up a flight plan on the wall display and a name on the flight registry popped up, along with surveillance footage of Von wearing a hat and glasses boarding a public transport to Polari.
“John Smith?” Bobbie laughed and Roc looked at her in confusion. “I guess Earth rubbed off on him.”
“Earth was quite fascinating, especially after the in and out of the initial travel there,” Finn said, looking at Roc and giving him some kind of side-eye that he couldn’t translate. How was that possible, it was his own face? How could he not understand the implied look Finn was giving him? Roc felt the frustration of their separation again. How could they be so different?
“How did he get identification to travel under that name?” Roc asked.
“Unknown, but his ability to use the network surpasses all of us. I wouldn’t be surprised if he found a way to produce it himself,” Finn said.
“Why would he go to Polari? Is there something special there?” Bobbie asked. As always, she was charmingly intuitive.
“Yes,” all three said in unison. Roc felt a sense of relief at the cohesion of their response, but when he saw Bobbie’s face, and the slightly flushed cheeks as she looked back and forth between them, he wondered if they might have been a mistake. Her response was so unlike her usually laid-back take on things, it was kind of fascinating. Why did she look angry? When he realized it might be jealousy, his first reaction was to smile, which then made things worse as she glared at him. He couldn’t help it though, she was jealous of Nasha. It was so cute. He wanted to kiss her, but he didn’t think that would go over well in her current state of unease. He smiled bigger, she glared harder.