“We may have to use some harsh tactics to get her to talk, Kerr,” my father says as we sit in the courtroom.

My heart drops to my feet, and I stand up. “Father, I think we can believe her.”

His eyes go wide, and he laughs. “Where she’s concerned, you don’t seem to be using your head, Kerr. She has to know more than she’s saying. The use of the clamps might work to get her talking.”

My body grows hot with anger, but I have to control myself. “I can’t allow that.”

“You!” my father says with a laugh. “You cannot allow? Have you forgotten who is the King?”

I shake my head. “I have not. But I am your son, and I am asking you to allow me to deal with my wife. I am more than capable of handling her. The lack of faith you have in my capabilities is not easy for me to take.”

The arch of his eyebrows aggravates me. “You’re proving to be soft where she’s concerned.”

Turning from him, I wring my hands as I think of what I can do to stop him from torturing my wife. I turn back. “Father, wait until you can talk to Auntie Nar. She can talk to Kataline, and you trust her judgment. I know you do. So do I. So, if she thinks my wife is hiding something then I’ll go along with you without a fight.”

“We stop in twenty-three hours to recharge. I suppose I can do that. But if she thinks the girl is a part of the uprising then we will make her talk. No matter what it takes.” My father’s hand touches my shoulder, and I turn back to look at him. “Don’t fall too much for this woman. If she has the slightest thing to do with this, she will be beheaded.”

Heartbeats stop, and so does my breathing. “Father, there are other ways to deal with this. She may well be a pawn, but it’s not her fault if she is. I will not allow her to be killed if it’s no fault of her own.”

“You will have to allow it. Or you can join her on the gallows. The Earthlings will see we mean business. Pawn or not, her death will serve as a precedent of what we will and will not put up with.” His eyes are shining with threat.

“You do not mean that.” I set my jaw and stare back into his eyes.

My blood is noble. The other royals would never allow me to be put to death. My father’s mind is not clear. It may be time to see about stripping him of his crown.

“I do.” He turns from me. “Do not test me, Son. Others have and others met their end.”

My mind is spinning out of control. “Others?”

I have no idea what he’s talking about. There have been no others killed. Not to my knowledge anyway. And I am quite knowledgeable about such things.

My father looks away, changing the subject. “This is not a pleasant subject. Tell me what you think is happening at home. There’s been no more contact since the initial confirmation of the uprising.”

“I really have no idea what’s happening there. But I think we can easily regain control once we’re there. They have no real weapons, and we do.” I pace back and forth across the large room. “Even if we have to destroy the palace to get them out, we can do that, if necessary.”

“That’s a bit too much, don’t you think?” he asks as he takes his place on the large cushioned chair he was sitting before. “Our general is looking into what action can be taken.”

“When we get to Ulta Minor we should have a meeting with him and discuss all the options. Perhaps we could land somewhere else instead of the port in the capital? Then we could send in the guards, using the element of surprise.” I go and sit down in the chair across from him.

“That sounds like a good idea. We can stay in the safety of the ships while they go take care of business. Our guards outnumber the Earthlings. It should be an easy battle.” His head drops for a moment, and then he quickly picks it back up and looks at me.

“What happened to you?” I ask as his eyes are large and his skin has become very pale.

With a shake of his head, he says, “Nothing! It’s nothing! Do you hear me? I’ll not have you questioning my health. Your mother did that, and it was her who went before me. I’m fine!”

“Mother was killed by wild animals. She wasn’t ill. Are you feeling alright?” I stand and go to place my hand on his shoulder.

His face is hot as I run my hand through it. “Stop! Go sit! I’m fine. It’s just the time on Earth, that’s all it is. And the stress of the woman. We, Euthenians do not get sick.”

“No,” I say in agreement. “But, there is the little fact you have no idea if you’re one hundred percent Euthenian.”

In an instant, his face goes red. “How dare you! How fucking dare, you!” He gets up and storms out of the room.

Seems he is not ready to deal with the truth.

With him super pissed I know he’s going to take his medication and go to sleep. Or stay the hell away from me for a while anyway.

Time to make a visit to my wife.

Making my way to her room, I stop just outside the door as I hear her talking to someone. Then I hear Bet’s voice, and I listen in on their conversation.

“She was mourned by everyone. Most of all, the King. It took much out of him. And with her death went the idea of any change. I kept silent about it since there was nothing I could do anyway. What was the use?”

I open the door, and Bet’s eyes get huge, and she jumps up off the bed where she’s been sitting and talking to my wife. “What does that mean, Bet? What have you kept silent about?”

Her face goes pale, and she begins to stammer, “How, oh my… How long… Oh, Kerr.”

Standing near her, I look down at her. “Tell me what you’ve been silent about.”

Kataline is at my side. “Kerr, you’re frightening her. It’s nothing really.”

Without looking at my wife I ask one more time, “What have you been keeping to yourself?”

She finally looks up at me. “I overheard your father and mother arguing a couple of days before she disappeared. She was about to change the laws about women and their place in our world. She was about to make them equals, and your father was mad, then she disappeared and later was found dead.”

My legs go weak, and I have to sit on the little chair next to the small table. “What if he had something to do with my mother’s death?”

Bet comes and places her hand on my shoulder. “No! I didn’t say a thing about that, Prince! I just told her about how your mother was on the edge of changing things for the better when she met her early demise. I wasn’t ever implying the King may have done something to her.”

I stay quiet as I cannot even utter such remarks about my father without it being considered treason. But it’s there now. In my head. The fact they argued over something, and when Mother stood her ground, she disappeared.

“I must know every word said between them, Bet. Leave nothing out.” Kataline’s hand touches my cheek, and I look at her. “I must know, my love.”

* * *

Hours later I am numb from everything my mother’s personal maiden has told me. I’ve known Bet my entire life, and I trust her implicitly. She hasn’t put two and two together in her head. But I have.

Lying on the bed in the room my wife is being held in, I hold Kataline in my arms. Bet left us alone after she told me all she knew.

“My father may have killed my mother, and earlier he threatened me with the gallows if I try to stop him from executing you. He plans on killing you to show the people from Earth we mean business. I fear he’s going insane.” My arm tightens around her.

She shudders. “I have no chance, do I?”

Her face is pale as she looks at me. My fingers trace the cupid’s bow of her top lip. “I will never allow him to harm a hair on your gorgeous head, my love. You are safe with me.”

“He is the King, Kerr. And I don’t wish you dead for standing up for me. Perhaps it is my fate.” Her blue eyes go dark like storm clouds.

“I’ll hear none of that nonsense. I will handle my father. With the help of the other royals, I can take over the rule of Euthenia before we even land back on the planet’s surface.” I take her sweet lips with mine.

Her body turns to liquid and melts into my side. Her hand on my chest begins to move over the solid muscles. My hands run over her back, and I lift her to move over me.

I don’t know exactly how I came to love and need her so quickly, but I have. My heart is completely hers, and I think she feels the same way about me. Her body’s response tells me so anyway.

Moving my mouth away from hers, she groans in protest, but when I move my mouth to nibble at her ear, it changes into a moan, and she says, “How do you know what will turn me into a puddle, Kerr?”

“I just do,” I say as I bite her earlobe, stirring another moan from her.

The way her hands move through my hair feels better than I think such a simple act should feel. Her silky nightgown rubs against my naked chest as she lays on top me. The sensation of the soft fabric covering her ample breasts sets my body on fire, and I grow with the anticipation of feeling her wet depths.

“I love you, Kerr. More than you can imagine. If anything ever happened…”

“Shh. Nothing is going to happen.” Her brain needs to stop thinking about such things, so I move my mouth to hers and silence her.

She tastes like the sweet drink she has been sipping on, and it sends a thrill through me. Kataline pulls away from my kiss. “Kerr, I want to taste you the way you tasted me. Can I?”

My eyes go wide. All I can do is nod. That’s never happened to me before, and the idea is making my heart pound.

She smiles and kisses her way down my body. She pushes down the loose, dark bottoms I have on, releasing my erection, and she wastes no time.

Her hot mouth is on it, moving down the length, sending me into a light sweat with the magnificent sensation. “Kataline! That’s beyond anything I’ve ever felt before!”

Her moan as she moves her mouth back up my hard cock vibrates it and sends a wave of pure pleasure straight through me. My hands go to tangle with her long, dark hair.

The silky strands move between my fingers as her mouth moves up and down my cock. Her tongue runs along the underside, sending chills down my spine with every stroke.

“You are very good at this,” I groan as she moves back and forth.

One hand takes my balls in it, and she massages them. I have to fight the urge to let it go. Then she slips a pinky into my ass, and I blow.

She gulps it all down as I jerk into her mouth. My moan is loud, and my body is jerking as my dick pulses out an enormous amount of fluid.

Finally, she stops and pulls her head up. Her eyes sparkle as she looks at me. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “So you liked it?”

I shake my head, and her smile turns into a frown. Hooking my hands under her arms, I pull her up my body. “I fucking loved it.”

Just as our lips meet again, I hear the swishing sound of her door gliding open.

“Treason!” my father shouts. “How could you, Son?”

Two guards stand on either side of my father. I quickly roll Kataline to the side and pull my pants up to cover myself. “Father! Please! This is not treason. Stop jumping into conclusions! She is my wife!”

“Remember that you’ve forced me to do this, Kerr,” he says as the guards begin to move into the room.

In a flash, Kataline is off the bed and in front of me. “Stop! This is insane!”

Her little body is shaking as she stands between them and me. “Kataline!” I shout.

She doesn’t look back at me as she says in the firmest tone I think I’ve ever heard. “Leave us!”

The guards look at each other. My father laughs. “Who do you think you are, little woman?”

“I am the Princess of The Euthenia Nebula. The man behind me is your Prince. Guards, if you take him from this room, that is treason. And I will personally see your heads roll.” Her hands go to her narrow hips, and I find my heart racing.

They could pick her up and take her away if they wanted. I’d have to fight them like a mad man. I gulp as my father’s face goes pale.

“You have given me no more choices,” he says. “She must die. There is no doubt in my mind. We cannot take the risk any longer. She has poisoned the Prince’s mind.”

I have no idea what Kataline is doing, but as the guards begin to move forward again, they stop, and confusion fills their expressions.

“Take her!” my father roars.

One of the guards cuts his eyes at my father. “I can’t move, Sire.”

“What?” my father shouts. “How is that?”

Another guard answers, “I have no idea, Sire.”

Kataline looks over her shoulder at me. Her blue eyes have golden sparks flashing through them. “Do you want him taken into your custody, Kerr?”

I look at my father and see how pale he is. It’s hard for me to completely turn against him and the act of jailing him may well be punishable by death if the other royals deem its treason.

“You will meet your end soon, Earthling. Be it at my guards’ hands or mine. You have stolen my son, and for that, you will pay with your life. I have no idea how you’re stopping my guards, but I can still move.” He takes a step inside the room and then another.

Drawing a short, white stick from the pocket inside his cloak, he clicks a button on the end. Instead of the blue glow of the paralyzing charge, it glows red with the charge which will take her life in an instant.

“Father! No!” I get off the bed and stand next to her.

“Kerr, do not make me use this on you, Son. Stay back. Once she’s dead, you will most likely come back to your senses. She has some type of mind controlling power. Her unique DNA must have some hidden powers we were never told of.” He takes another step closer.

Kataline glances at me. “Kerr, you have not answered me. Would you like him taken into custody? If not, he will take my life. The choice is yours, husband.”

“Father, please stop.” I find myself begging him.

“This is for the good of our planet, Kerr. I cannot stop.” With one more step closer to my wife, he holds the stick out, and with his next step, he will be able to press it to her body or mine if I get between them.

“Take him into custody,” I say.

Kataline looks at the guard closest to my father. “You heard your Prince. Do as he said.”

The guard looks worried. “He can use that on me if I do what you’re telling me to.”

Her eyes focus on the stick, and the red light goes out. Then my father drops the stick to the floor.

“How?” my father asks in shock. His light brown eyes travel to mine. “Son, don’t let her do this. She will destroy our planet!”

“Take him to his quarters and lock him in,” I tell the guards.

With a blink from Kataline, they can move again. Though thoroughly confused, the two on either side of my father each takes an arm and turn him to leave the room.

My heart is aching like it never has before. I’m filled with contradiction. He is my father. My King. Yet, there is something wrong with him.

He was about to kill my wife, and he may well have killed my mother. Kataline’s face is glowing as she turns to me.

“How did you do that?” I ask and then take a step back from her.

She shakes her head and reaches out for me. “I truly do not know, Kerr. It was just a thought that ran through my mind and with concentration I made them stop. Then I took the power from the stick your father held. It was amazing!”

I nod, but I am not as excited as she is. “You had no idea you were capable of doing that then?”

She shakes her head and steps towards me again. I take another step back. Her brows furrow. “Kerr, what are you doing?”

My breath hitches in my chest. “What else are you capable of, Kataline?”

“I have no idea. But, Husband, you have no need to fear me.” She reaches out to me, and I shake my head.

“I need to go. I have to think. What we’ve done is treason. You have to understand that.” I pick up my shirt and put it on.

“Kerr!” Her eyes fill with tears. “You’re afraid of me.”

“No, not afraid. Just confused and maybe wondering if you have taken some control over my mind. I’ve never experienced the feelings I have before you came along. I have to think about things. Be rational about the fact you do have some type of powers.” Stepping back, the door opens automatically.

“I love you, Kerr. Don’t leave me like this. I had no idea I could even do that. But I did it for you. Please!” Her plead is making my heart ache, and I have to wonder if it’s genuine or if she’s making it feel that way.

“I’m sorry,” I say and then walk out of the room. What is going on? Have I been bewitched by my bride?