My heart stopped beating as I looked into the same blue eyes I’d seen in the painting of the Queen. It was her.

“Where have you been, Your Highness?” I asked as I bowed before the Queen.

“In hiding. And your name is?” the Queen asked.

“I am Emerald, and this is…”

The Queen held up her hand, stopping me. “I know who this young man is. Caleb is his name, and he is a great warrior from Earth. I’ve haunted this palace since my husband ordered an assassin to take my life because he didn’t want me to change the way things are done.”

Caleb’s jaw dropped. “The King ordered your death?”

She gave him a nod. The Queen had long blond hair and light blue eyes that housed years of disappointment and distrust in them. Her body was tall and lean, and she seemed to have a frailty from her time in hiding.

“He did. Lucky for me the man he sent to kill me found he couldn’t take my life and hid me away in an underground city not many know that exists.” She moved to leave the dark room full of monitors. “Let us retire to the parlor and sit in a more comfortable place.”

We followed the Queen, clad in a long, flowing, white gown. Caleb took me by the hand and gave me a look that let me know he was quite disturbed by what the Queen had said thus far.

In a room not far from where we’d been, were overstuffed sofas covered in purple silk. The Queen took a seat and then Caleb and I sat down. Jared took another seat as did Zan and Zin.

Caleb gestured to his brother. “Your Majesty, this is one of my older brothers, Jared.”

She gave him a nod and Jared took her hand and kissed the top of it. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you, Jared. It is nice to make your acquaintance as well.”

Jared took the place on the other side of Caleb who looked confused and said to the Queen, “But there was a body, Your Majesty.”

She nodded. “A woman had died of natural causes in the underground city. The assassin used her body to fool the King into thinking I was dead. It worked. Unfortunately for the man who was sent to kill me, he disappeared not long after that.”

Jared frowned. “Why do you think that happened?”

“The King most likely wanted no one who could ever tell on him. I never saw the man’s face. He wore a mask. I have no idea who he even was. But I owe my life to him, and it was just another thing that devastated me at that time.” She jingled a little bell, and a man came in with a tray of drinks and some food.

He placed it on the table between the two sofas, and she gestured for everyone to help themselves. Caleb poured a glass of the purple liquid and placed it in front of the Queen who gave him a nod and a smile.

Then he poured me one and handed it to me. He asked, “So how have you been in the palace with no one ever realizing it?”

“There are secret passages to get inside the palace only Kings and Queens know about. My husband was not born royal, and I never showed them to him. There are secret passages inside the palace as well. The spaces between the walls are wide, and I was able to see through many of the paintings.” The Queen sipped her drink.

“So you’ve watched and known everything that’s been going on while never finding it a good idea to let everyone know you were alive and that the King was a murderer?” I asked with a frown.

The Queen nodded. “My mental state has been in question since his betrayal. You see, I thought the man loved me more than life, but he did not. He loathed me. He had me killed when I told him I was the one with regal blood in my veins and I would make the decision about where women stood on our planet.”

Caleb shook his head, making his auburn curls bounce across his wide shoulders. “He always talked about his love for you. It’s insane to think he had that done and yet still spoke of you with only love on his tongue.”

“That is why I waited. I wanted the right moment to pay him back for what he tried to do to me. I bided my time, and it was I who sent a message to Earth and asked about one of their genetically modified females to be awarded to Kerr. Of course, I did so anonymously. And then I made sure that Kerr gave the girl my mother’s wedding ring.”

I looked at the Queen confused. “Why is that, Your Highness?”

“Because I had a simple yet very effective device placed in the metal on the underside of the ring. It works off another device I had placed in their ship. It has several messages I wanted her to hear over and over. It uses her own inner personalities to hear them and even brings out whatever powers lie within her.” The Queen stood and began to pace.

“The woman must think she’s going mad,” I said as I took a drink and felt sad.

Caleb patted my hand and said, “But she’s not hurt, Emerald.”

I nodded but looked at him with sorrow in me. “Yes, but still.” I looked up to find the Queen frowning at me. “You have your reasons. I am not judging you.”

“As you shouldn’t. You have no idea how it feels to think you are loved and then that person tries to kill you. It’s something that takes your mind. Hers may be under duress right now, but will soon be fine. Mine will never be fine again.” The Queen sat back down and looked at her glass of purple liquor.

Caleb asked, “So, now your plan is?”

The Queen frowned, and a despondent look crossed her beautiful face. “Kerr’s new bride will kill my husband, and as long as Kerr doesn’t try to protect his father, he will still hold his position in the hierarchy. If not, then he is no better than the man who sired him, and he can join his beloved father wherever he goes. Hell most likely.”

Caleb’s face went ashen. “Do you think his new wife would kill Kerr as well?”

The Queen gave a nod. “One of the messages is that anyone who tries to protect the King must be killed. She will kill him if he doesn’t let her do what she’s being programmed to do. I hope he has gained some love for her and doesn’t intervene.”

Caleb took my hand and clutched it. I knew he was not happy with what the Queen was doing. At least, where Kerr was concerned, anyway.

The Queen looked at me. “I can see you think of me as cruel.”

“No, Your Majesty,” I said quickly.

“Do not lie, child.” The Queen pointed a long finger at me. “I can now smell a lie. It taints one’s breath with a nasty tinge of an acidic aroma. And I can smell your lie from here.”

I went pale but regained my strength and said, “I am sorry. I know it’s none of my business. But there are other ways to handle things. Kerr is your son after all.”

“Nar is my sister, but if she defends my husband, she too will die. I have nothing in my heart for the people who love this man, and they would put their lives at risk for him.” The Queen ran her finger along the rim of the short glass.

Jared cleared his throat. “If I may ask, what is to happen with the hierarchy?”

“I will remain head of it and if there is no one left to follow me I am preparing to hand the position over to another.” Her eyes leveled on Caleb.

He shook his head. “Not a thing I want, Your Highness.”

I gave his hand a squeeze. “She’s not said a word, Husband.”

“He’s right,” the Queen said. “I have watched and listened to all the conversations you’ve had with my son and husband. You would make an excellent ruler.”

“I’m an Earthling, and it wouldn’t be right,” Caleb said as he poured himself a drink, looking quite confused.

“You can no longer go back to Earth. You are as much a Euthenian as any of us are. To be born on a planet means nothing. Who cares where you’re born? It’s where you live that makes you who you are. I’m so tired of the distinction between who lives where.”

I smiled. “I can agree with that. It is one of the things my husband and I discussed.”

Caleb shook his head. “My plan was to rule with Kerr.”

“So you planned on ruling?” the Queen asked with one arched brow.

Caleb looked at her and smiled. “Caught that?” He gave her a sheepish look. “Well, I didn’t know you were alive back when I thought that.”

My curiosity had me asking, “What were you going to do that had the King wanting you dead if I may ask?”

“I was going to put an end to the hook and the strap. End the one step behind practice and end the sterilization of people with imperfect genetics. Essentially, I was going to make women equals, and my husband was having none of that.” The Queen sighed heavily and looked down at the floor with eyes full of sadness.

“So you only meant to make things better, and he wanted none of it. So much so he had you killed, or so he thought anyway.” I shook my head. “So sad.”

The Queen nodded. “And that is why the man must die.”

Caleb and Jared nodded but I thought there had to be a better way, but I kept quiet. The woman who sat across from me had the capability to have me killed as well.

Caleb asked, “What is it you want us to do. We are at your service, Your Majesty. Kerr would want me to stand behind you. If he tries to contact us, I’ll let him know you’re alive….”

“No!” the Queen shouted. “I will have no one told I am alive. All must do what it is they’re going to do for my husband without the knowledge of me being alive.”

Caleb stood and looked down at the Queen. “Your son believed you loved your husband with everything in you. You have to know he will defend his father if only for you, Your Majesty. It’s unfair, and I love Kerr as if he were my own brother. I will tell you now I will not stand by and watch him be killed because of your hurt.”

Her eyes went wide, and she placed a hand on her heart. “You do love my son. I have to tell you that is exactly what makes you so perfect for the role as ruler of Euthenia. You have courage.”

“Thank you,” Caleb took his place, sitting next to me again.

“That said.” The Queen narrowed her eyes at Caleb. “You will never talk to me that way again, or it will be your head. And if that is not incentive enough for you then add that of your wife’s as well.”

I gasped and looked at Caleb who had gone pale. He looked back at the Queen. “I will keep my thoughts to myself.”

“Excellent. It is I who rule as of now. It is I who’s orders will be followed.” She placed her hands in her lap and smiled. “So I have an offer for you and by the word offer I mean I have a position you will accept.”

Caleb gave her a nod. “Of course, my Queen.”

“Very good.” She smiled. “I want you to be my top advisor. I also want you to take a small expedition to the planet nearest us. It’s primitive, and I want us to start expanding where it is we can all live. Our planet is small, and that has us limited to procreation.”

“Is the other planet inhabited?” Jared asked.

“I’m not exactly positive. We know a little about it, but not much. Our people are not explorers. We have no idea of how to live off the land. That’s why I need you, Earthlings, to help us. You have little fear and such a pioneering spirit. And if there are people living there, you aren’t discouraged by it.” The Queen shifted in her seat and looked out a window.

The first full moon hung there in the pane, and she looked a little sad.

“How far away are they, Your Highness?” I asked.

“A week,” she answered. “You will have three days to make the expedition and get back here with some ideas about what we need to do to make an expansion happen quickly. I want to get things going as soon as we can.”

Caleb stood. “We can take one of the export-import ships and a small group to check out the planet. Then we will get back here to be able to protect you when the Armada arrives. If that is suitable for you, Your Majesty.”

With a nod, she said, “That is the leadership I’m talking about. Thank you for stepping up, Caleb. You will be my right hand. Apart from my top advisor, I also want you to command my new guard force. You have much to work on, and I will leave you in complete charge of getting it all accomplished. Use whoever you want and do what you think is best. I have complete faith in your abilities.”

I thought to myself that I knew why the Queen had complete faith. She was holding both our heads over his and that was incentive enough to be sure Caleb would do all the right things.

The pressure on my husband would be immense, and I planned on being there for him for all things. No matter the cost.

We excused ourselves and left the room. We went up to Caleb’s suite of rooms where I fell upon the soft bed. “Wow! What a change in our lives, Caleb!”

“I hate this.” Caleb pulled off his boots and lay next to me on the bed.

We looked up at the ceiling as our heads spun. I laughed. “This life, husband. We’ll make the best of things. At least because of your excellent skills, we are at the tippy top of this new reign.”

“It’s Kerr I’m most worried about. He is devoted to his father, and I want to give him an idea of what he needs to do to stay alive.” Caleb turned to his side and placed his head on his hand and looked down at his me.

His fingers ran over my collarbone and down to the valley between my breasts. I caught his hand up and kissed his palm. “You have it within you to handle all, Caleb. I have faith in you, and maybe a way will present itself for you to tell Kerr a bit without giving it away and having our heads roll.”

“You are so sexy when you talk about your faith in me.” His lips pressed against my neck and a moan escaped my mouth.

“You are so sexy when you take charge and make things happen,” I said as my hand ran over his large bicep and I gave it a squeeze.

Caleb’s hand crept into the opening of my shirt and found my plump breast. He gave it a squeeze making me squeal with delight.

His lips met mine, and I ran my hands around his neck. Then I caught handfuls of his thick curls. As he moved closer to me, he hitched one leg over me, and I felt his bulge begin to pulse against my hip as it grew beneath his pants.

My heart beat harder, and my body began to heat with a need for him. I moved my hands to push his shirt off, and I let our lips part only long enough to allow me to remove his shirt and take mine away as well.

Naked chest to naked chest, we kissed and ran our hands over the other. Our desire for one another heightened with our kiss and Caleb pulled his mouth from mine again to rid me and himself off the rest of the clothing that separated us from the pleasure we sought.

I murmured his name over and over as his lips kissed my flesh all over. His kisses heated my core, and I ached for him. Caleb was taking his time with me. Touching every part of me with deft fingers that left heated trails behind them.

I wrapped one leg around him and arched up to get him to understand I was ready for him. I felt his smile against my breast where he was suckling and nipping me into a frenzy of need.

Then he moved his body over mine as I arched up, but he kept himself just out of my reach. My groan made him chuckle, and he gave me what I wanted, plunging into me with a hard thrust.

I moaned as he filled my body and I inhaled his unique scent into my lungs. I whispered his name as if adding it to the smell, it would reside in my memory forever.

Caleb’s cock was long, hard and pounding into me, making my body quiver as he showed me exactly who it was I belonged to. No one could ever make me feel the way he did.

Special, sexy, and needed. Caleb knew how to make me feel as if there was no other woman in the Universe for him except me.

Warm lips moved from my breast up to my neck where he bit and sucked at the tender flesh just behind my ear. The sound of his heavy breathing made my insides melt.

He moved into me harder and harder, and I felt the quivering begin. My body shook as I tried to hold the sweet release. Then his mouth left my neck, and I felt him looking at me.

“Let it go, Baby. I want to look at you as your body takes mine.”

I looked into his eyes, and I let it happen. His eyes held mine, and he moved faster in an attempt to join me. I watched him, and before I felt his cock jerk inside me with his climax, I saw his face nearly glow.

I caught it between my hands and placed kisses all over it, whispering words of love as our bodies worked together, pulsing and squeezing until nothing was left.

I was happier than I’d ever been.

But how long would this last?