She was the most beautiful female Kyron had ever seen but for a moment he was so surprised to see her standing there he just stared. His Touch sense, which made him more sensitive to those around him, had been tingling warningly, but he’d never expected his silent watcher to be a female.
She was a petite little thing, though not much smaller than the guards who had locked him up. Perhaps all the people on this planet were miniature. Though short, she was curvy. And tiny or not, she had a beauty which transfixed him from the first.
Instead of blue like the males, she had creamy brown skin which complimented large, dark, exotically tilted eyes. Eyes which looked at him with obvious curiosity and perhaps hostility as well. She had thick, black hair which fell around her shoulders and she was wearing a dress which was a bizarre mixture of the modest and the erotic.
It buttoned up to her throat and fell all the way to the toes of the small, sateen slippers he could see peeking out from beneath the hem. But though it covered her completely, it was made of a white fabric so sheer he could clearly see the full curves of her breasts and the dark shadow of her berry dark nipples. The triangle of neatly trimmed curls between her thighs was likewise on display.
Gods, she’s fucking gorgeous! Why is she dressed like that—to torture me?
Ky shifted uncomfortably on the stone bench, suddenly aware that he was staring and his shaft was more than half hard in his black flight leathers. Gods, he had to get hold of himself!
He made an effort to look away from her lush body and up into her lovely face instead.
“Who…” His voice came out in a hoarse growl. He had to clear his throat and try again. “Who are you?” he asked at last.
The girl frowned, an expression which drew down her delicate eyebrows and made her look stern and somehow even more beautiful.
“I could ask the same of you, Kindred. Who are you and why did you try to invade our planet?”
She had a low, feminine voice that sounded musical in the echoing confines of the stone cell.
“I wasn’t trying to fucking invade you,” Ky growled, feeling irritated all over again. “I didn’t even know your planet was here. I was pushed off-course by a meteor field in the Blind and came through it further over on the other side than I meant to.”
“Why should I believe you?” she demanded, hands on her hips.
Ky shrugged, as much as the magno-locks allowed him to.
“Why would I lie?”
She didn’t appear to have an answer for that.
Ky sighed. “I’m Commander Kyron of the Kindred of the Mother Ship. I come in peace and I don’t mean you any harm.” he said. “And you are…?”
He let the question hang, wondering if she would answer it. For a moment she seemed to debate, then she lifted her chin and looked him in the eyes.
“I am Dannella Tagenia Yorva of Goshahl Prime, princess of the Blood Royal and Everlasting, daughter to the Monarch, He who shall live forever.” Her tone was formal and tinged with pride.
“Princess? You’re a princess?” Ky could well believe it. She had a regal bearing about her that practically shouted royalty.
“I am.” She inclined her head. “And you are a prisoner. I should not even be talking to you.”
“Don’t go!” Ky exclaimed when she turned towards the small door in the corner of the stone wall. “You’re a princess—you could talk to the Monarch for me!”
“Why would I do that?” The girl—Dannella, he reminded himself—turned back to him, frowning again.
“Why wouldn’t you?” Ky smiled at her coaxingly. “Come on, princess I bet you’re your father’s favorite daughter—his little girl.”
Dannella’s spine stiffened and her hands curled into fists.
“Don’t condescend to me, Kindred. And don’t insinuate that I would manipulate my father on your behalf—I don’t even know you!”
“I’m sorry.” He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He wished his hands were free so he could rub his aching temples. “Sorry if that came across as fucking sexist, I just—”
“Sexist?” She raised an eyebrow inquiringly. “What’s that?”
“Treating someone in a demeaning or condescending way just because they’re a different gender,” Ky explained. “I didn’t mean to treat you as less because you’re female.”
She looked surprised at his words.
“You…apologize for treating me as males treat females?”
“Only males that are jerks,” Ky said, using an Earth term he’d heard from several of the Kindred brides aboard the Mother Ship. “Males who condescend to women,” he explained, seeing her uncertain frown.
For a moment, Dannella seemed at a loss. Then she drew herself up and crossed her arms over her full breasts.
“Anyway, your statement that I’m a “little girl” is inaccurate in more ways than one. I am not little. In fact, I am the exact opposite—I’m nearly as tall as a male.”
“One of your males, sure.” Ky shrugged, wishing again that his arms were free so he could put them down by his side—his shoulders were beginning to ache from having his hands over his head. “But compared to me you’re tiny…little girl,” he couldn’t resist adding.
She stiffened but ignored his gentle jibe.
“Because you’re some kind of giant.” She sounded half accusatory, half curious.
“I’m well over two meters tall—about six feet, eleven inches in Earth measurements,” Ky acknowledged. “But that’s not unusual for a Kindred male. Even the shortest of us is never less than six foot six.” He squinted at her, measuring her short, curvy figure with his eyes. “Whereas I’d say you’re around five foot four yourself.”
“I don’t know these measurements,” Dannella said stiffly. “And if you truly have no knowledge of my people or my planet, how can you speak my language?”
It was a good question, Ky had to admit—one none of the guards had bothered to ask. This curvy little girl was fucking smart.
“Kindred are genetic traders—we go from planet to planet looking for mates and people to trade with,” he explained. “So we learn new languages almost immediately. But in your case, your dialect is just a variation of Standard, which most of the galaxy speaks. So picking up your language wasn’t difficult at all.”
“Genetic traders? Mates?” Dannella frowned. “Is that why you came here—looking for a mate? Because I tell you, Kindred, most Goshan females won’t want anything to do with you. You’re too big—most of them would find you frightening.”
“You’re not afraid of me though, little girl,” Ky pointed out. He liked that—courage in a female was admirable and very fucking attractive.
“You’re locked up,” Dannella said stiffly. “If you weren’t, I would be very foolish not to fear you. You’re nearly twice my size and clearly very strong.” Her dark eyes flickered over his biceps and his large hands, held above his head. “You could hurt me badly if you decided to punish me. Not that you lawfully could, as you are not my male relation or my husband,” she added quickly.
It was Ky’s turn to frown.
“To answer your question, I’m not here to find a mate. I have other business on this side of the Blind. But even if I was your mate, I would never ‘punish’ you. We Kindred don’t believe in lifting a hand to a female in violence.”
Her large, dark eyes narrowed in obvious disbelief.
“The Kindred are a race where the males do not punish their females? What kind of people are you?”
“The kind who respects women,” Ky assured her. He frowned. “Only the lowest kind of male would hit or hurt a female.”
“I don’t—”
“Dani?” called a voice. It seemed to come from the open doorway but it sounded hollow, as though it was echoing down a long corridor. “Dani? Where are you?”
Dannella stiffened at once.
“I must go. I cannot be caught here,” she exclaimed in a low voice.
“Don’t go,” Ky said desperately. “Or if you have to, please promise you’ll talk to your father for me. I didn’t come here to invade—I’m trying to find information on the Hive.”
“The what?” Dannella frowned.
“Dani! If you’re snooping around in Papa’s rooms again I’m going to tell!” The high, chirping voice was clearly female.
Dannella—Dani—made a face.
“I have to go. I’ll try to come back later. But I can’t talk to my father. I’d have to admit I’d been in here with you and that’s not allowed.”
“But—” Before Ky could say more, she had fled. Running lightly across the rough stone floor, she slipped through the mysterious door in the corner, shutting it quickly and quietly behind her.
He was left to wonder if he would ever see her again and how he was going to get out of there.
* * * * *
Dani waited until her little sister was facing the other direction before slipping out from behind the tapestry and noiselessly closing the door which led to the interrogation cell. Only when she was several feet from the area where the hidden door was concealed did she speak.
“What do you want, Lavi?”
“Oh!” Her younger half-sister whirled around, a hand on her heart. “Dani, you scared me! Where were you anyway?” She frowned, her pretty face turning into a spoiled pout. “I’ve been searching everywhere ever since you didn’t show up for needlepoint lessons.”
Dani frowned. “I had better things to do.”
“Like going to the throne room? I thought you weren’t allowed in there anymore?” Lavi flashed her a naughty smile. “I heard they kicked you out last time you tried to get in.”
Dani bit back a nasty retort. There was no point in getting into a fight with her annoying little sister. Lavi would only run crying to their nurse, Yana and make trouble—something she excelled at.
“I was busy,” she repeated instead. “But I’ll go to needlework with you now if you’ll just be quiet.”
Lavi pouted again. “Needlework is over—it’s time for dancing lessons now. And you’ve already made me miss half of them! Instructor Porvath will be so angry with me—and I’m always his favorite. Not that that’s hard, considering you’re his only other pupil.” She made a face at Dani who only sighed.
“All right, well let’s go before you miss the other half.”
“No.” Lavi frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. She was wearing a pale pink, transparent silk dress with sleeves which showed a shocking amount of her wrists and forearms but then that was Lavi—she was an incurable flirt. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me exactly where you were and what you were doing!”
“Fine.” Dani shrugged. “Then you can stay here in Papa’s rooms all night for all I care.”
She stepped past her sister but Lavi’s little hand shot out and caught her by the arm. She had tiny, sharp fingers that pinched, making Dani wince.
“Where you spying on the prisoner?” she hissed. “Is that where you came from? Did you slip in from the side door in the back of Papa’s bathing room and peek into his cell when the guards left?”
Dani felt a simultaneous surge of fear and relief. Fear that her sister, who was prone to tattle-telling, had guessed accurately as to where she had been and what she’d been doing. Relief that Lavi had no idea of the secret door and passageway which led to the cell. She thought Dani had just been sneaking along behind the guards.
For a moment she wished she could talk to her sister about the strange Kindred male who was manacled in their father’s personal interrogation cell. But Lavi would only tell and get her in trouble. Dani’s policy with her little sister was the same as always—admit nothing.
“Of course not,” she said sharply. “What prisoner? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, don’t you know?” Lavi’s big eyes, as dark as Dani’s, widened even more. “There’s a foreign prisoner in Papa’s special cell—an alien who flew through the Blind and tried to attack us!”
“Really?” Dani made her own eyes wide, feigning surprise. “Tell me all about it.” She slipped her arm though her little sister’s and began walking naturally towards the entrance of the royal sleeping chamber. As she had hoped, Lavi came with her, babbling all the way.
“Well, he came in a big silver ship just bristling with weapons, or so Jontu says.”
Jontu was a highly-placed courtier in their father’s court—a handsome male with medium blue skin and melting brown eyes who was Lavi’s current obsession.
Dani frowned. She hadn’t seen any obvious weapons on the Kindred’s ship but maybe the guards had checked inside and seen something not visible from where she’d been hiding.
“What else?” she asked. Letting her little sister run on would mean getting all the latest gossip from the court. It might be good to know what the rest of the palace thought of the strange captive.
“Well, he’s huge—twenty hectares tall at least. A giant! And his skin isn’t blue—not even light blue!”
"What is it then?” Dani asked, remembering her own interest in the Kindred’s tan skin.
“It’s a tanish-pinkish color—so Jontu says. And so pale he looks like one of the spirits of the ancestors. If spirits could grow huge, at least.” She giggled.
“That’s amazing!” Dani exclaimed, still pretending ignorance. “But what kind of male is he? I mean, what people does he come from?”
She was hoping to hear more about the Kindred race and Lavi didn’t disappoint her.
“Oh—that’s the most shocking thing of all!” she whispered, as though someone in the mirrored glass corridor they were walking through might be listening. “He’s a Kindred.”
“A Kindred?” Dani frowned. “What’s that?”
“A race of barbarians who live on the other side of the Blind,” Lavi said. “Jontu says there used to be some in our part of the universe but they were almost all killed off. But get this…” She took Dani’s hand and squeezed it excitedly. “These barbarians—these Kindred—actually worship a female deity! And they treat their females as equals. There—what do you think of that?”
I think the Kindred was telling the truth, Dani thought. When he’d spoken of how the males of his race never lifted a hand in violence against a female she had thought he must be lying. Who ever heard of a people where the males refused to punish their females?
She herself had been lucky—her father was too busy governing the planet—most of it anyway—to punish or hit her. But she knew many girls and women who often wore the marks of their father’s and husband’s hands. It was simply the way of things on Goshan Prime—males demanded and commanded and females obeyed. If they didn’t, they were punished.
Of course, punishment wasn’t always physical. Maybe the Kindred had other ways of making their females behave.
I’ll have to ask him that, she thought and then realized she was making plans to go and see him again, which was incredibly risky. She would have gotten into a great deal of trouble if anyone had caught her in the cell alone with a strange male—even one who was manacled and helpless.
They’d think I was letting him change the color of my eyes, she thought and shivered suddenly, as though a cool wind had blown through the thin fabric of her dress.
“I said, what do you think of that?”
Lavi’s voice brought her back to the present and Dani realized she’d been lost in thought and hadn’t answered her little sister’s question.
“I think it’s…different,” she said slowly. “Males not punishing females if they do wrong. But after all,” she went on more strongly. “Why should they have the right to punish us? We are people too—we have intelligent minds, even if our bodies are not so strong as theirs.”
“Shhh! Lower your voice!” Lavi was clearly scandalized by Dani’s radical talk. “They can punish us because they are the superior sex—you know that. The best one can hope is to be married to a fine male like Jontu who will only punish you in the bedroom.” She giggled and twitched her hips meaningfully.
It was Dani’s turn to be scandalized.
“What do you know about such things?” she demanded.
“More than you, I’m sure,” Lavi teased. “Though Papa has always tried to keep us so sheltered, males talk. The things Jontu has told me…”
“Jontu, Jontu, Jontu,” Dani exclaimed. “If you’re not careful Jontu will change the color of your eyes and then where will you be?”
“I would never go that far.” Lavi sounded shocked. “He just…likes to talk, that’s all.” She blushed, her creamy brown cheeks getting rosy. “Do you know what else he told me?”
“Don’t tell me if it has to do with bedroom matters,” Dani said, frowning. She knew the basic facts of life—males had a scepter between their legs which fit into a female’s sacred channel. When a girl was married she must assume the Breeding Position and then the male who was her husband would then use his scepter to make her a woman and mark her as his own. He might also start a baby in her in this way.
Some girls liked to talk and giggle about the details of the act but Danny didn’t care to dwell on them. Mostly because trying to imagine it with any of the males she knew made her feel slightly ill. She didn’t want to be given to some stranger and be forced to assume the position for him. Better to just stay unmarried by her father's side. He was lenient and allowed her to lead her own life.
“There are different kinds of Kindred, you know,” Lavi said, catching her off guard. “That’s what else Jontu told me. There now—that has nothing to do with the bed chamber at least.”
“Different kinds?” Dani frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, they have some that turn into beasts and claim their females like animals!” Lavi’s eyes widened. “And that’s not even the worst! Some of them grow fangs…” She used her index fingers to mime long sharp fangs hanging down from her front teeth. “And bite their females at the moment of breeding! And some…” She leaned in close to whisper to Dani. “Some actually take a woman in pairs—as in, there are two males who stay together and take the same female as a wife.”
“Well, the prisoner is alone so he can’t be one of that last kind,” Dani said dryly but inside her heart was pounding. What kind of Kindred was this male chained in her father's interrogation cell? She hadn’t seen any fangs on him, although his teeth were certainly very white and even. Could it be that he was the beast kind of Kindred? Would he turn into some kind of a monster if she got too near him?
I’ll have to be sure I’m armed the next time I go to see him, she thought and then realized how reckless she was being.
What’s wrong with you, Dani? asked a shocked little voice in her head. How can you even think of going back, knowing how dangerous he might be—and knowing how much trouble you’d be in if anyone found you there?
She had no answers but still she felt a pull towards the huge prisoner in his cell with his strange pale green eyes and tan skin. No matter how dangerous he might be, she had to see him again, though she didn’t know why.
I will go back, she decided. But I’ll be careful…very, very careful.