Alien's Bride 1-3 (23 page)

I smiled as I followed him.
 
The fact that Elentinus told him we were keeping our first child together made me all warm and gooey inside.
 
We hadn’t had a proper conversation about it, but there was no need.
 
My husband and I were on the same page, despite being completely different species.

“How many children do you think you’ll be allowed to raise here?”

I entwined my fingers below my chin.
 
“Two.
 
A little boy and a little girl.”

He scoffed.
 

My smile didn’t fade.
 
Not even this asshole could ruin my good mood.
 
“Don’t you want to be an uncle, Hor-Denay?”

I think he actually considered this a moment.
 
After a few seconds he turned away from me.
 
“You think children will give you more power over Lord Elentinus.
 
In fact, it’s just the opposite.”

“You know that’s not my agenda.
 
You’re just looking for ways to tear me down, as usual.”

“And you’re looking for reasons to feel sorry for yourself.”

I shook my head.
 
I had another come back, but bit my tongue.
 
Whore had already proven he couldn’t take getting burned.
 
What if he punched my gut this time and made me lose the baby?
 
It was better to ignore the moron.

Well, no—actually it would have been better to figure out what his problem was and clear the air between us.
 
I hadn’t given up that hope yet.
 

Whore handed me off to a group of specialized robots called Medicals, who looked just as ugly as Domestics except they had more appendages.
 
They messed with my junk all day and I only got to sleep through part of it.
 
Apparently they had to clone my amniotic fluid for an artificial womb or whatever.
 
Half of me was glad I’d never have to give birth.
 
The other half worried that my test-tube baby would turn out sickly.
 
I wanted to ask about mortality rates but didn’t dare.
 
Why get worked up over things I couldn’t control?
 
The system allowed me to act like a spoiled celebrity when it came to breeding.
 
I embraced it.

That evening Elentinus came and stood in the doorway of the infirmary.
 
The Medicals were scanning me with a big machine on a table.
 
I reached out to him with a look of feigned desperation.

“Husbaaaand!”

He smiled at me.
 
I loved how his eyes crinkled up.
 

The instant the machine was done I hopped from the table and ran to him.
 
I expected a hug, but he almost yanked me off my feet.
 
I was crushed against him in a warm, powerful embrace.

“I love you,” Elentinus said.

My eyes widened.

“I’m so lucky to have you.
 
I can’t thank the gods enough.”

My heart started racing.
 
“Husband…”

He pulled back from me and stared into my eyes.
 
“You were just what we needed.
 
Just what
I
needed.”

I blinked a few times.
 
“Did I do something good?”

Elentinus made his soft laugh and kissed me.
 
I soaked in every ounce of bliss his mouth and strong arms gave me.
 

When he was done he wrapped an arm around me and walked me to a room connected to the infirmary.
 
I saw a big glass tube full of cloudy red water.
 
He pointed to a membrane string thing coming up from the bottom.
 
It was as faint as a few strands of hair.
 
The end that floated in the middle of the tube had a little blob on it.

My lips parted when I realized.
 
“Is that…?”

“You said you wanted to keep it.
 
I’m having it gestated here.”

I put my hand against the glass.
 
“Oh my God.”

“That is what you wanted, wasn’t it, Maritza?”

I launched myself at him for another hug.
 
“You know it was.”

Elentinus squeezed me hard.
 
“I always wanted to raise one of my own offspring, but I believe a home must be a loving place.
 
That would have been impossible with Sasha.
 
Now you’ve come into my life.
 
Of course we’ll raise children together.
 
I can’t think of anything more righteous.”

I took a deep contented breath.
 
“I’m glad you’re as happy as I am.”
 

Most of my happiness was from making him happy.
 
I always figured children were another five to ten years off for me.
 
That was just a matter of practicality, though.
 
If I didn’t have to work and had a rich husband supporting me, why not have kids early?
 
I was down with it.
 
I even got a genuine thrill at the sight of the baby blob.
 
It would be fun to check on it as it grew up in here.

Elentinus loosened his hold and stroked my hair.
 
“This is only part of why I’m pleased with you.”

“Oh?”

“Come.”

He took my hand and led me out of the infirmary.

“Pakpo proclaimed your letter coincided with his will.
 
He made it public to the entire Dak-Hiliah Empire.”

My heart rate sped up again.
 
“He…really?”
 

Elentinus stopped walking and took both my hands in his.
 
“It’s magnificent, my dear.
 
I’m so…so deeply proud of you.”

He lowered his head.
 
I thought he was tearing up.
 
Before I could peek up at him he turned and kept walking.

“The council was rapt with your ideas.
 
It’s not just the ethics of it all, but on a very practical level you may just solve our problem with the Aquars.
 
If we find peace in our own homes we can negate accusations of torture the Aquars may use to beseech their allies.
 
If the women are happy, and choose to stay with us of their own free will, the Aquars will no longer be able to ‘rescue’ them.
 
Can you imagine anything more perfect?”

“Wow.”
 
I felt giddy.

We exited the elevator leading down the corridor to his chamber.

“We were ready for this, Maritza.
 
This was the guidance the Dak-Hiliah needed to enter a new era.
 
We paid our penance to the dark god residing in Shindray.
 
We deserve our next golden age.
 
One of prosperity for both men and women.”

I hugged my body against his side.
 
“You don’t know how good that sounds.”

“I couldn’t have fathomed it…until I found you.”

My smile started to get teary.
 
I had to swallow down a big lump before I ended up sobbing.

Elentinus ordered a special four course meal for our dinner.
 
The drink we had was fizzy, and I think it might have been alcohol.
 
I felt like I was buzzing by the third course.
 

“There is a touch of bad news, I’m afraid.”’

I stopped eating to look at him.

“Lord Nayjoor, who holds the 5
^th
seat in the ruling council, will be coming to visit us tomorrow.”

I made the pout of a spoiled brat.
 
“Why?
 
I thought this was going to be our honeymoon time.”

“I don’t want our privacy invaded any more than you do.
 
I only agreed because he showed tears when he implored me.”

My annoyed expression evaporated and a serious one took its place.

“He’s bringing his wife, Inga.
 
They’re both miserable.
 
He envies what you and I have and wants us to help fix things between them.”
 

“Oh.”
 
I felt bad for my selfishness.
 
“Well, I’m up for the challenge, but that’s not the sort of thing you can fix over a short visit.”

Elentinus sipped his drink.
 
“I made him no promises.”

“I’m sure she’ll be happy to see another human.”
 
I thought things over.
 
“We might be able to help, you know.
 
At least get them on the right track.”

He felt my hand.
 
“I’ll entrust the matter to you.
 
You’ve a great intuition on such things, Maritza.”

I nodded with determination.
 

***

After dinner Elentinus went up to that platform with the exercise equipment and did some form of martial arts.
 
I sat below to watch and made Kang join me.
 
I asked about their space travel because I was curious how the other council member could get here so fast.
 
He said something about causeways and space ripples or something.
 
I lost interest.
 
Elentinus was sweating and his muscles had a sexy gleam.

Something caught my eye on the other side of the room.
 
I realized Whore was standing by our door watching Elentinus exercise.
 
He rested his elbow in his hand and touched his lower lip with his other hand.
 
There was a glimmer in his eyes.
 
His chest moved up and down like he was breathing hard.

“Do you think Hor-Denay is in love with Lord Elentinus, Kang?”

“Yes.
 
I believe Hor-Denay loves his master, mistress.”

I wished my mind had never gone to this place.
 
The thoughts it opened up made the hair prick up on the back of my neck.

“Tell me about them.
 
Hor-Denay and Lord Elentinus.
 
What’s their history?”

“Hor-Denay became Lord Elentinus’ servant when he was made viceroy of Dornovonia.
 
Hor-Denay was one of seventy candidates who vied for the position.”

“Why?
 
He had to be castrated, right?”

“That’s correct, mistress.
 
Members of the Etiken race, such as Hor-Denay, were traditionally considered too bestial to control themselves around Dak-Hiliah noblewomen.
 
Any Etiken who wished to ascend to the position of manservant for a nobleman had to be castrated.”

My jaw dropped.

“Although the practice was founded on archaic beliefs considered ignorant and unjust by modern standards, the willingness to accept castration became the ultimate symbol of devotion to a Dak-Hiliah nobleman.
 
The requirement has therefore never been abolished.
 
Manservant to a nobleman is the highest position a member of the Etiken race can ever attain.
 
It is also the only job in Dak-Hiliah society that requires so stringent a sacrifice.”

My mouth stayed wide.
 
This was what Whore had been talking about in that letter.
 
He’d mentioned the Etiken had to make a severe personal sacrifice to attain status in Dak-Hiliah society.
 
I covered my gaping mouth as the revelation started turning into an epiphany.