Chapter 13
Sirah couldn’t remember a time when her nerves had been so raw. She stood in a huge assembly room with the Earth council at her back, the upper echelon of the Tyrian military lined up similarly across the room, and several of the soldiers from each side of the dispute lined up to her left and right, in case something should get out of hand.
The last week had really tried her patience and her optimism. First, when she’d approached the council with the victory—having captured the alpha leader of the Tyrian outfit—they’d wanted to threaten instant execution in exchange for a full surrender. But that wasn’t in the cards, as far as she was concerned, and yet, she couldn’t explain that the man she held captive wasn’t exactly a prisoner, at least not in the sense of war. Maybe a prisoner of his own heart, but if that was true, she was just as much a captive.
It had taken a lot of effort to explain what she felt was fair, as well as what her prisoner, as one of the most respected leaders among the Tyrian army, believed might be acceptable terms to his people. Reluctantly, they had agreed and sent word to the Tyrian parliament. Of course, there had been panic and outrage, but after that calmed down, they offered a partial surrender under a white flag, at least until the matter of Ronan’s release could be addressed properly.
And still, she’d had to wait. While she and Ronan could meet on the drop of a hat, apparently there was a lot of planning involved to get the two sides into one room for negotiations. That didn’t make a lot of sense, considering that both the council and the Tyrian congress, as it were, had been fully occupied by the fighting and strategizing for war. With those things put to rest for this encounter, there was no reason they shouldn’t have been able to get together immediately.
But maybe the hardest part was keeping up appearances, especially with Bishop and those who had followed him willingly. Beaver was her inside man and informed her daily of their hushed talks and promises of prestige and recognition, of how everything would change based on their actions, and how the universe would revere them like gods for their determination and boldness of action. It was thoroughly disgusting.
Meanwhile, she’d hardly seen Ronan for two weeks, and in preparation for this meeting, he’d been taken into custody by the council, so she hadn’t seen him at all. She hadn’t had any communication with him at all, actually, and while she’d theoretically been prepared for that as protocol for these proceedings, it didn’t mean she wasn’t getting desperate to see him again.
And the moment was finally at hand. Everyone was coming to order and quieting down, waiting to hear her presentation of the terms. How she’d ended up voicing the terms of the negotiation that she’d put together with Ronan rather than one of the elders on the council, she didn’t know. She took a deep breath and focused on the fact that, should all go as planned, Ronan would be released immediately afterward and she would be free to see him as she wished, at least briefly.
The light overhead flashed twice, signaling that it was time to begin, and utter silence fell deafeningly around her. Sirah gathered herself, her shoulders square and her chin high, and she began her address. She would make the entire speech without interruption, and questions would be held until the end.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the human and Tyrian councils, we have several issues to address today, and the goal is to end the war between our species once and for all on a peaceful, amicable agreement. The first matter of interest is the capture of one of your prominent leaders. Our council is prepared to release Ronan immediately upon acceptance of our terms of peace.”
She paused to take a breath, trying to note the reactions on the alien faces in front of her. Most of them seemed stoic at first glance, but their eyes gave them away—some angry, some fearful, others anxious to get through this and return to a simpler life. She went on, “Our terms are as follows. The Tyrian people will try their own man, Dellus, as a traitor, having gone against a ceasefire to which he agreed, in order to destroy an entire camp, as well as conspiracy to frame a respected alpha leader. You will also fully release any charges against Ronan, who saved my life once and sought out Dell and his followers to stop them from destroying my entire troop.
“In addition, any hostile members of your faction, or any who become hostile in the future, are to return to your home planet, leaving Earth within the thirty days following this agreement, and until their departure, will remain in the oversight of a team of humans, as well as some Tyrians who swear loyalty to our planet and its council. Those who wish to remain here and colonize will receive accommodations and be welcome as other races upon renouncement of warmongering and an oath to abide by the regulations overseeing the entire planet.”
There had been some stirring at these ideas, but no uprising, and that infused her with a sense of success. That had been the hardest part of the entire speech she was to deliver, the part she feared would send things spiraling out of control with defiance on the part of the Tyrians. But since no one shouted, murmured, or otherwise showed overly much negativity toward the terms, she felt that the rest of what she had to present would be easily swallowed and digested.
“In a show of good faith to the Tyrian people and other races who have made Earth their home per the regulatory process, in exchange for full cooperation in all matters just addressed, we wish to show good faith. Rather than retaining an entire council of humans, we would like to offer a revision to the council setup. We would like to add four additional council seats, specifically to be held by non-human members. While this doesn’t guarantee that a Tyrian will sit on the council immediately, it does allow for reform and a greater presence among the various species that have come to cooperate in this home we share. I would invite you and your people to take advantage of the opportunity to acclimate into our society, becoming respected members of it, and strive for those leadership roles that are open.
“If there are any questions or objections, now is the time to voice them so we can clear up anything not readily understood.” There. She’d made it through without a hitch on her part or anyone else’s. She waited, scanning the faces in front of her once more. Again, there seemed to be no discord. Instead, several of them spoke under their breath to each other, while some passed notes back and forth. Sirah fought for patience. She knew this could turn into an all-day debacle and even stretch through the week if there were demands to change the terms or requests to adjust some of the particulars. She couldn’t let the time it took to make a decision and hopefully approve of the truce get to her so badly.
Assuming this was successful, she would have the entire rest of her life free of war and constant migration, living in tents and wondering who was going to die next under her command. Best of all, she could spend that time with Ronan and never have to worry about the consequences.
One of the Tyrians stood, and they were surrounded by that heavy silence again. When he spoke, his voice was rough, aged, and grating. “Assuming that everything has been presented with honestly and careful thought, the Tyrian people vote to accept your offer, with one request of our own. Those who are not in agreement and wish to return home face no consequences and are given forty-five days to vacate, simply because they must first reach out to family and friends to make arrangements for their return, which was not expected.”
Sirah’s heart thudded against her ribs, feeling like they were almost there. If only she could make that decision! Instead, she turned to face her own council, who were deep in hushed conversations. It seemed to drag on forever, though in reality, it was probably no more than a minute or two. When the senior elder stood, she held her breath, awaiting the council’s decision. “We see no issue with extending the period in which non-conformists are forced to leave. We also have no intention of prosecuting anyone who stays behind and conforms to the global regulations that have proven effective in bettering several aspects of our lives over the last sixty years.”
Whirling around to see the Tyrians’ reactions, she was delighted to see the nod of confor
mation from the spokesman of the group. She wanted to jump for joy, to throw her arms around each and every one of the parliament members for their cooperation as they digitized their signatures to the agreement with thumbprints. But she also contained that excitement, wanting to remain the professional military representative.
But minutes later, as the leadership was mingling and she caught sight of Ronan entering the chamber through a break in the crowd, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She didn’t care who saw or what they thought. She pushed through the throngs of individuals and threw her arms around him, letting him swirl her around as they laughed in delight. “Congratulations,” he told her, looking around in awe. “I can’t believe it was that quick and easy.”
“Me, either,” she admitted, feeling giddy. “I was sure someone would put up a fight.” But it didn’t matter because at the moment, she had everything she wanted in her arms. “So, you have to find a place to stay.”
He shrugged. “I’ll work something out. I’ve already taken my vow of allegiance to the council and the planet at large, so I’m staying. I just don’t know where yet.” He brushed a lock of hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear in a tender, loving caress. “I can sleep in the woods for a while, though, if it means I get to stick around and be with you.”
“I have a better idea,” she told him. It was something she’d been thinking about a lot over the past weeks. “You’ll have to get a job, acclimate to civilian life, or at least join our military and learn how we operate. I’m sure you’d be a respected leader among us.” She hesitated and said, “But in order to do that, you should have a reliable, comfortable home. And I happen to own a house on the coast, about a thousand miles from here and this war zone. Last I heard, there were no battle lines being drawn there. How would you like to be roommates?”
His face lit up, and he teased, “That depends. As roommates, do we share a room? A bed? Are there contracts to sign regarding the frequency of sex that’s acceptable or how often I need to pamper you with massages or cook dinner?”
Sirah laughed giddily. She hadn’t realized he had such a strong sense of humor, and it was just one more thing she loved about him. “Well, I don’t know about that. I think I’d be okay with sharing a bed, as long as we actually make use of that bed from time to time for more than sleeping.”
“I’d say we’re going to give that bed enough of a workout that we’ll need a new one within a year,” he agreed with a wink.
A year. The seriousness of that statement hit her. Ronan intended to remain with her, to stay together, for a year or longer. She thought back to when she’d entered this war just over a year ago, and it seemed like eons since she’d slept in her bed and known true peace. She didn’t feel that time would move so slowly for them. In fact, she feared that year would be over in the blink of an eye. What if time moved too fast and they didn’t have enough of it together?
“I see the wheels spinning,” he taunted. “Are you scared? Do you want to retract the invitation?”
“No!” she objected, leaving no room for argument. She rolled the idea of commitment like this over and over in her brain until she understood how amazing it could be. She could count on having someone around who cared about her at all times. Ronan would never stray, his species too loyal for such games. And more than anything, she could look forward to always learning something new about the love of her life.
“No,” she said, softer this time. “I want to do this. I’m crazy about you, and I’m just nervous. I’ve never felt like this before, and it’s all coming together at once so the emotions are heightened.” She waved a hand in front of her face in a very feminine attempt to keep the tears from spilling. “There is nothing more I want than for us to live together and buy furniture together and just have a life with each other where we can grow and learn together. I hope that sounds acceptable to you.”
“I couldn’t imagine another adventure I’d rather embark upon or anyone I’d rather share it with.” He kissed her, right there in the middle of a new and volatile peace, and she knew heads turned and thoughts churned, trying to put it all together. And she knew some of them did. But as his tongue fed her the love and gratitude he felt toward her, she tried to infuse the connection with the incredible joy and hope she had for the future and the adoration she had for him. It would be a long road to recover from war, and a lot of work to integrate the Tyrian people into the human world. But she was up to the task, especially with a man like Ronan at her side, professionally and personally.
THE END
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Her Strict Captor Page 9
