by S. E. Smith
“I truly hope you have, Empress,” he replied with a sudden smile. “I really hope you have.”
Me too, Ricki thought as she stepped through the doors into the corridor leading to Ristéard’s office. Me too.
Neither one of them saw Cherissa standing at the end of the corridor watching them as they disappeared. Hatred burned in her eyes as she stared after the pale-skinned female. She hadn’t been lying when she said she had it good in the palace, but that time would soon come to an end.
This world was dying and she had already been promised a nice life on another planet in exchange for information. A smile curved her lips. She couldn’t remember all the information that was on the strange paper the female had, but she had recognized enough to know it was important. Tonight, she would pass it on… for a price. She wanted more than a nice life, she wanted to live like an Empress. Turning on her heel, she quickly returned to her living quarters to record what she could remember of the symbols.
*.*.*
Ristèard blinked several times as he came awake the next morning. Turning his head, he could see the faint light of the sun rising. For a moment, he was lost in the beauty of it. He loved his world, his people, with an intensity born from centuries of his ancestor’s rule.
A deep sigh escaped him before he turned his head to look at Ricki’s face. He jerked when he discovered the pillow next to his was vacant. Sitting up, he wildly looked around. The door between his room and hers was open. Throwing the covers aside, he swung his long legs over the side of it and rose.
“Ricki,” he muttered under his breath.
Fear coursed through him when he strode into the other room and discovered it empty. His eyes flashed to the yellow dress, sweater, and matching shoes carefully folded on the chair while the blue nightgown was lying once again at the end of the neatly made bed.
Returning to his room, he glanced around for the loose fitting trousers he had worn the night before. They were also neatly folded, and lay on the thick, polished wood dresser. He quickly pulled them on before turning back to the door to his bedroom. Opening it, he strode through his empty living quarters to the main door leading out to the rest of the palace.
Yanking the door open, he turned his dark gaze to the two guards standing outside of his rooms. “Where is the Empress?” He demanded.
“She and her parents have returned to your office, Grand Ruler,” one of the guards said.
“Were they alone?” Ristèard asked.
“No, Grand Ruler,” the other guard replied. “Andras met us as I was escorting the Empress, her parents, and the two Kor d’lurs to your office. He stated he would remain with them.”
Ristèard gave a sharp nod before he stepped back and shut the door. Turning on his heel, he ran his hands through his hair and released a deep, calming breath. He would have to speak with Ricki about not leaving his side. While he and Andras had killed most of the traitors yesterday, his gut was telling him that Texla and Roamlin were not the head of the serpent.
Walking back to his bedroom, he stepped into the bathroom. Pushing his trousers down, he kicked them off before stepping into the large shower. He touched the control before closing his eyes as the warm water cascaded down over his still humming body.
Ricki had been right. It had been him, not her, that had confessed his love again and again. Determination burned through him. He knew she loved him. While she had not said the words, her caressing touches had conveyed it. A reluctant smile curved his lips. His unwilling Empress was also very stubborn.
Opening his eyes, he poured a small amount of cleanser into the palm of his hands. Rubbing it into his skin, he thought of last night. They had come together over and over, each time more passionate than the last. She had explored his body with such an intensity, that just thinking about it made him hard again.
His hand fisted his wayward cock. He would have thought the damn thing would have been satisfied for at least a few hours! In his mind’s eye, he remembered Ricki sliding down his body at one point. Her hand had wrapped around his cock just as he was holding it now, only she hadn’t stopped with just stroking it with her hand.
A low curse escaped him when he felt his heavy sack tighten. Stroking his long length, he closed his eyes and imagined it was Ricki on her knees between his legs. Her hot, moist tongue stroking him, sucking him deep, before slowly withdrawing again.
Moaning, he braced his other hand against the wall of the shower and pumped his cock harder and faster. It didn’t take long, between the image of last night and his hand, to make him spill his seed. Breathing heavily, he opened his eyes and watched as his semen mixed with the water from the shower.
Ricki should have been here with me, he thought with a touch of self-exasperation. It would have been much more enjoyable.
That was yet another talk, they would have to have. She needed to learn to obey him if he was to keep her safe, and keep his sanity, he reluctantly admitted. Impatient to see her now, he turned the shower off and stepped out.
Within minutes, he had dressed and was striding back out of his room toward his office. Pushing his wayward thoughts aside, he focused on what needed to be done. Ricki had discovered information that could possibly save his world. Time was running out and he needed to make a decision whether to start the evacuation of the planet and order the residents to begin moving to the underground cities.
Even if he did both, he knew tens of thousands, if not more would die. There were many of his people who would refuse to go until it was too late. He also knew that even with Elipdios’ vast military and transport ships and the six large underground cities, they did not have the resources to evacuate everyone.
His eyes roamed the ancient palace that had been home to his family for centuries. Except for the brief years he and his parents had been held captive, a Roald had ruled from it. His grandfather, realizing the threat, had ordered all of its treasures be hidden in the vast catacomb systems deep inside the mountain.
For seven years, they and those that followed the Roald family, were sealed inside the only known underground city. There, they had fought to survive until they could escape and take back their rightful place. It had taken the citizens that lived above ground to finally rise up against the ruling council for them to break free.
Only when the devastation to the planet became too obvious to hide, did the citizens demand to know what was happening. Alcolsis, the cruel and greedy warlord, was no longer able to hide behind his lies. The people rose up, demanding to know what happened to his family. Massive infighting among the warlords threatened the very fabric of their existence. Alcolsis decided that he could regain control if he held the power behind the throne… The next Emperor of Elipdios, Ristèard Roald.
He would never forget the day that the traitorous councilmen came to the city with his warriors. He thought to take Ristéard as his prisoner, a young boy that he would place upon the throne and control like a master controls his pupil. Only, Ristéard already had a master that he looked up to, his father.
His father had trained with him daily, pushing him until his mind and body were prepared for the day they would seek justice. When Alcolsis had come, he and his father, along with the other men and women that had sworn loyalty to his family, struck hard and fast before the old warlord knew what had happened.
Ristéard had lost his younger brother that day, and shortly after that, his mother. But, during his time in the underground city, he had also gained others he considered his family. Andras, Emyr, Harald, and Sadao had been the same age as him when they, along with their parents and other members of their villages, were imprisoned for failing to pledge allegiance to Alcolsis.
Turning the last corner leading to his office, he paused when he saw Ricki kneeling in front of the massive doors. Two guards stood to the side, watching her with curious eyes. She was wearing a pair of dark, brown trousers and a white, long-sleeved blouse. She had her hair neatly twisted and pinned up again. At first, a sense of exasperation fill
ed him that she insisted on confining it, that was until he saw the look of appreciation in the men’s eyes.
He returned his gaze to Ricki’s figure. Now that he knew what she looked like with the golden waves spread out around her, he had to admit that he was just jealous enough to want to keep it for his own private enjoyment. He also had to admit that with its length, it was easier for her to maintain.
For a moment, he just watched her with a sense of appreciation. She had the familiar clipboard in her hands that he had seen back on Kassis and was focusing back and forth between it and the door. At one point, she paused and lightly traced a pattern on the massive black panels. The way she touched it reminded him of the way she touched him last night. A low curse escaped him when he felt his body react to the memory.
He moved forward when he saw her turn her head to him. A sense of unease washed through him when instead of looking pleased to see him, her lips pressed into a hard, straight line of disapproval. His eyes followed her as she gracefully rose to her feet.
If he thought she was upset, it only took a brief glance at the smooth mask of her face and the furious look in her eyes to know that she wasn’t happy to see him. Stepping closer, he nodded to the two guards who straightened and bowed their heads in acknowledgement.
“You shouldn’t have left my bed,” he stated bluntly, wincing when the cold fury deepened in her eyes. “I missed you,” he added in a low voice meant only for her ears.
Ricki’s slender shoulders shrugged. “I’m sure Cherissa would be happy to keep you warm tonight,” she retorted in a clipped voice. “I believe I understand what the carvings mean. If you’d like, I can explain the information to you before I leave.”
Surprise, then fury swept through Ristèard at Ricki’s words. Glancing at the guards, he reached out and gripped her elbow. The guards instantly stepped forward and pulled the heavy doors open for them. He grimaced when Ricki immediately tugged her elbow out of his hand and stepped inside.
He was thankful when a swift glance confirmed that they were alone in the room. His eyes followed Ricki as she strode across the thick carpet to the window, turning only when she had placed the room and several pieces of furniture between them. Her chin lifted and she stared back at him with a glacial expression.
“Ricki,” he started to say, stopping when she set the notepad in her hand down on the table next to her and raised a trembling hand to smooth a loose strand of hair back. “You have no need to be upset about Cherissa. She means nothing to me.”
“That is not the impression I received this morning when she asked if you were finished with me and wanted her to come and quote ‘Take care of your personal needs’. I believe that was the correct wording,” she added with distaste.
Frustration and worry burned through Ristèard at the expression on Ricki’s face as she repeated what Cherissa had told her. In truth, he had forgotten about not only Cherissa, but the other women he kept in the palace.
“None of them mean a thing to me, Ricki,” he growled in a low voice. “The Elipdios are a very aggressive species with a high sex drive as you discovered last night. It is natural for both the male and the female of my species to release this aggression through sex.”
He knew the moment he finished that he had made the situation worse, instead of better. Her eyes glistened before she rapidly blinked them. She drew in a shuddering breath and looked past him to the tapestry hanging behind his desk.
“I will go over what I believe is the key to finding the location of the hidden vault with you, before I leave this afternoon to return to Kassis with my parents,” Ricki said in a voice devoid of emotion. “If you would rather, I can leave the information for you to go over later with your men and the scientists here on your world. I suggest, though, that you not delay making a decision. I talked with Ajaska this morning. He told me that Jarmen wasn’t able to do much with the current shield system and confirmed what you already said, that the crystals were breaking down faster than either of you expected due to the radiation.”
Ristèard took a step closer to her, clenching his fists at his side to keep from grabbing and shaking her. There was no way he would ever let her leave, especially after what happened last night. She belonged to him.
“Hear me, my Empress,” he said in a low, steady voice. “You will remain by my side. Whether here on Elipdios or on a new world, you belong to me. I have claimed you as my Empress, the Empress of Elipdios. Your place is by my side now and in the future.”
She returned his look with an icy gaze of her own. “I am not an object that can be claimed,” Ricki replied coolly, picking up her notepad. “Now, if you have finished wasting my time, I have more important matters that require my attention. I promised my parents that I would join them for breakfast once I was finished.”
“Ricki,” Ristèard murmured, unable to keep the distance between them any longer. “Ricki, look at me… Please.”
It took several long seconds before she turned her face back to his. The glistening in her eyes was back, only this time, one fragile, liquid diamond had escaped to slide down from the corner of her eye. Raising his hand, he caught the tear on the tip of his finger. The light shining through the window caught on it, and for a moment, he could see his reflection in it. Lifting it to his lip, he captured the salty moisture on his tongue.
“I won’t be like that woman or the other ones you… you… have here,” Ricki whispered, turning her face away again so he couldn’t see the hurt in her eyes. “It was only for one night. It is best for me to go back to Kassis where I belong.”
Ristèard hated the way she stiffened and tried to withdraw from his touch. Sliding his hands up to cup her cheeks between them, he gently rubbed her soft skin with his thumbs. She had lowered her eyelids to prevent him from seeing her eyes. He patiently waited for her to look up at him. When she didn’t, he leaned down and touched his lips tenderly to hers.
“They mean nothing to me, Ricki Bailey,” he murmured huskily against her lips. “It is you that has captured my heart. I need you. I have never told another that, not my friends, not my father, and never another woman. I need you, Ricki, like I need the air to breathe. For me, there is only you, my Empress.”
He felt the shuddering breath that she slowly inhaled. It took several long seconds before her eyelids lifted and she stared up at him with wounded, untrusting eyes. Once again, he felt like he was falling into the clear, blue lakes found high in the mountains of his world.
“How can I believe you?” She asked. “You say you love me, but you don’t know me. How can you, when I don’t even know who I am? How do I know that you won’t use me like you do those other women? How… How do I know that you would be happy with just me?”
Ristèard released a low moan and captured her lips in a heated kiss filled with the churning emotions deep inside him. He poured every ounce of love and need into it. His arms slid down around her body to pull her up against him. When he finally released her lips, they were both breathing heavily.
“Feel my heart,” he said gruffly. “Feel it and know that it thunders for you, Ricki. You say that I do not know you, but I do. The first time I saw you, was in the huge tent back on Kassis. I saw a woman that cared about those around her. I saw a woman who respected the knowledge and skills of her people. The night of the performance, when you knew that the ones you loved would be in danger, you remained calm in the face of it. I watched you, Ricki, and knew that you were mine, even before I understood why. The prophecy told of your coming, yet I had no desire or belief that I would need a bride until I met you. Last night, I saw you in a way no man has ever seen you before and I fell more in love with you.”
Ricki released a delicate snort and a blush rose up her cheeks. She looked at him as if he had lost his mind. Maybe he had, but if he had to lose it, he couldn’t think of a better way. Bending forward, he pressed another tender kiss to her lips before pulling back reluctantly when the door behind him opened.
“What is it, And
ras?” He asked in a low, hard voice, not turning away from Ricki.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, Ristèard, I was just checking on Lady Ricki to make sure she was safe and to see if she was ready to join her parents,” Andras quietly replied.
Ristèard glanced over his shoulder. “I will escort her,” he responded. “I need for you to prepare for my departure. We will need a transport and several days rations.”
“Do you wish for me to recall Harald and Emyr to travel with us?” Andras asked with a raised eyebrow. “They are still overseeing the zones.”
Ristèard shook his head. “No, Sadao will travel with Ricki and I as we make our way to the hidden Temple of the Empress,” he decided. “I want you to remain here to monitor the shields and make sure there are no more attacks.”
“As you wish,” Andras said, bowing his head in acknowledgement.
“Andras,” Ristèard called when Andras started to turn. “While I am gone, I want you to review the video and data on Texla and the other council members that attacked us. Also, speak with Manderlin and see if he can shed any light on who is behind this. My gut is telling me that whoever has been behind the attacks, will strike again, especially now that there might be a way to save the planet."
Andras paused, his eyes briefly flickered to Ricki before they returned to Ristèard. "I will let you know as soon as I find anything."
“One last thing,” Ristéard said, staring intently into Andras’ eyes. “See that Cherissa is removed from the palace.”
A cold smile curved Andras’ lips. “I will see to that personally,” he replied, withdrawing from the room.
Chapter 17
"Suck it up, Blueboy, we're going," Walter stated, nodding to Marvin and Martin. "Make sure you have Nema's things, will you boys?"
Marvin grinned at his brother. "No problem, Walter. Nema has already asked us," he replied in a slightly accented voice. "She has your’s and Ricki's bags packed as well."
