The stars are endless in the black sky as I stare out the small, round window of the room I’ve been locked in. I have no idea how long I’ve been in here, locked away for something I had no idea was going to happen.

My surroundings are nice. An all-white interior. Right down to the blanket covering the large bed. The only touch of color is the purple pillows on the bed.

A mirror runs the length of one wall, and there is an attached area to bathe and use the facilities. Most wouldn’t complain about this make-shift prison. But I miss my husband.

My stomach is growling like a hungry lion’s. Food, or what they consider to be food, has been brought to me by a woman who appears to be a maid of some kind.

She’s an older woman, with no personality. Or perhaps she’s just was afraid to talk to me.

The silver covered tray she brought still sets on the small table. I opened it when she brought it in some time ago and put the lid right back on it.

What looked like snails covered in green slime were moving around on the tray and I would rather die of starvation than put that in my mouth.

Kerr was supposed to be feeding me to help me ingest something to sustain my body. That’s not going to happen it seems.

The King is a man I am beginning to truly despise. With no chance to prove my innocence, he sent me away to this room, alone and wondering if my husband is okay.

They injected Kerr with some drug that made him unable to move. That was a long time ago, and I still have no idea how he’s doing.

I asked the woman who brought the tray, but she wouldn’t speak to me at all. I suppose they think I’m capable of more than I am. A person to be feared.

It’s ludicrous. There is nothing in me to hurt my new husband. Although his actions in front of others make me furious, his actions when we’re alone make up for them.

My body aches to be held in his strong arms. My heart aches at the thought that my marriage might be over before it even began if the King has anything to do with it.

The bed is soft as I sit on it, still in the white robe Kerr placed on me after he administered the punishment for leaving the room without his permission.

My bottom still hurts a bit as the strap left a few thin whelps across it. My cheeks burn with the anger building in me for the unjust punishment. I had no idea leaving a room without permission was against the rules.

Just as I get up, the door glides open. I quickly drop my eyes and head as I see it’s the King.

The tall though slumped man with long, white hair and light brown eyes has graced me with his presence. Now, perhaps I can talk some sense into the tyrant.

“Sit,” he commands with a harsh tone.

I do as he says and still look down. I am not about to give this man any reason to see fit to use the hook and strap which hang on the wall in this room as well as in all the bedrooms on the ship from what I’ve seen.

He stands over me. His presence is threatening, and I find it hard not to stand up to the beast. I hold onto my temper, though.

“Tell me what you know,” he says.

He takes one of the chairs at the small dining table. I notice him looking at the tray, and he lifts the lid. He makes a huffing sound as he sees I haven’t touched the nasty stuff.

“Not going to eat what we give you, Princess?”

“May I look at you, Sire?”

“You may.”

I raise my head and try hard not to glare at the man. “I am having an issue taking the live things into my mouth. My husband had told me he would help me until I got used to eating the food on my own. How is your son, sir?”

“My son is fine. He’s come to his senses.” His eyes lock on mine.

The fear in my eyes must be what he’s looking for. I’m positive it’s there as I have no idea what he means by Kerr coming to his senses.

Does it mean he’s annulling our marriage?

“May I ask exactly what that means, Sire?”

“No, you may not. I want you to tell me what you know about the uprising on Euthenia.” He crosses his arms over his chest and waits for an answer I do not have.

“I swear to you I know nothing about it, sir.” My eyes do not waver. There is only honesty behind my words, and any person would know I’m hiding nothing.

He rises and turns away from me. “I will be back to check on you in approximately one hour. Your food will need to be completely eaten by that time, or it will be the hook and the strap for you.”

“Will Kerr be coming?” I ask with hope.

Spinning on his heel, he turns back and gives me an evil smile. “No. It will be me who administers the punishment if you do not eat every bit of what’s on that platter, girl. We do not waste things where you are going. Remember that, please.”

The door glides back open, and he leaves me.

And now it seems I must shove those awful snails down my throat or be tied up naked, and beaten.

It’s hard to say which is worse. My heart pounds as I find I want my husband more than I ever have.

But does he still want me?

What could the King have meant by telling me Kerr has come to his senses? Could Kerr be acting as if he thinks I’m capable of being involved in such a thing as an uprising on his planet?

Did my father know of the impending uprising and awarded me to Kerr to get the royals and their guards away from the capital so this could happen?

My father always acted as if he loved me. Is it possible he would do this to me on purpose?

My head hurts as it spins nearly out of control. The door glides open, and I nearly fall off the bed to get to him.

“Kerr!” I run to him, and he catches me in his arms and picks me up.

His mouth covers mine, and I melt as his tongue touches mine, stroking it, taking me to a much better place.

I can hear my heart pounding as he releases me. “We don’t have much time. My father told me he would be coming back in here soon to see if you have eaten.”

He pulls me with him to the table and sits down, pulling me to sit on his lap. “I have to eat this all, or he will beat me.”

“I know. That’s why I snuck and changed the monitor to your room and then came in to help you with this.” He pulls the lid off the tray and takes a large portion of the snails and eats them.

I wince as the things wiggle in the spoon just before he places them in his mouth. “Kerr, your father said you have come to your senses. What does that mean?”

“It means I told him what he wanted to hear. He was going to keep me locked up if he thought I was going to fight him on this.” He grazes my cheek with the back of his hand. “You’ll need to eat a little of this. I don’t want you starving to death.”

I give him a nod and close my eyes. “Just put it in, Kerr.”

The metal of the spoon rests on my tongue, leaving a metallic taste in my mouth. He tips my head back, and the slimy stuff runs down my throat without touching my tongue.

I swallow and open my eyes. “Thank you.”

His lips touch mine and his arms run around me, pulling me to him. Ending his sweet kiss, he holds his forehead against mine. “Kataline, I will get you freed. Somehow I will get him to see you had nothing to do with what’s happening at home. I will have to act like I’m on his side, though. So if he brings me in here, please don’t take anything I say or do seriously. It will all be an act to get him to trust me.”

I nod. “So, you still want me as your wife?”

“I do. Look me in the eye and tell me the truth, please.”

Looking straight into his eyes, I say, “Kerr, I had nothing to do with what’s happening on your planet. I had no knowledge of anything, I swear on my life.”

“I believe you, Kataline. Now one more bite of this for you and I’ll finish the rest.”

With one more bite and him taking the rest, the platter is clean, and I am no longer in danger of getting punished by the King.

Kerr makes a low growl as he picks me up and turns me around on his lap to face him. He moves my legs on either side of him and pushes down his loose-fitting pants, exposing his desire for me.

My eyes light up as he pushes the robe open and slides me down his long length. I sigh as he fills me. “I’ve missed you,” I say as I relish how he fills me completely.

His lips brush against my hair as he pulls me close to him and lifts me up to stroke him. “I’ve missed you too, baby.”

Softly we both moan as he lifts me up over and over to stroke his hard cock. My naked breasts rub the soft fabric of his shirt, making the nipples hard and erect.

The silkiness of his long, blond hair has my hands moving through it and loving the scent released by the motion. It’s citrusy in nature with a musky undertone. I inhale deeply to take in as much of it as I can to keep with me when he has to leave me.

The way his large hands bite into my waist as he picks me up to move my body over his sends sensations through me of being light as a feather in his strong hands.

His warm lips touch my neck, sending chills through me. He bites it hard, igniting a moan from me.

Moving my hands from his luxurious hair, I trail my fingertips over his muscled back and then down his arms. His giant biceps move every time he lifts me up.

I leave my hands on them, enjoying the feeling of the bulky muscles as they move beneath my hands. Trailing kisses along my neck, Kerr’s mouth finds mine, and he kisses me hard. His tongue twirls with mine.

The feel of his muscles moving, his tongue stroking, and his long, hard cock filling me over and over again is taking my body to its edge. I blow apart inside with a quiet moan as I know we have to be quiet, lest we’re overheard and caught.

Kerr pulls his mouth from mine and speaks through clenched teeth, “Come all over my hard cock, baby. Give it all to me.”

His words spark something in me, and I ride him harder as my walls squeeze him, provoking him to join me in this ecstasy.

With a moan, his body stiffens, and heat fills me. It’s the best feeling in the universe. It’s all I want. To be with him like this forever is all I want out of life. And yet, for now, at least, this has to be short-lived.

I will not be able to lie in his arms and fall asleep. I will not get to lie my head on his chest and hear his heart beating inside it.

“I love you, Kataline,” his words come in a whisper near my ear.

My heart pounds even harder. It has only been a few days since we’ve been together and truth be told, I never expected to hear the words come from him.

He looks at me, and I take his gorgeous face between my hands. “I love you, too, Kerr.” I place a gentle kiss on his plump lips to seal our confession of love.

As I pull back from the kiss, I can see a new light in his blue-green eyes. It must be the love he claimed to have for me.

I hope mine are showing him I really meant what I said too.

“I have to leave,” he says with a frown.

I nod and climb off his lap. He gets up and gives me a hug. “Please try to get him to believe me, Kerr. I want to be near you. This is torture.”

“For me as well. I will do my best, and I’ll come to you as often as I can manage. Don’t forget what I said about not taking what I say in his presence seriously. But act like you are. You know?”

“I do. Thank you, Kerr.” I give him one last squeeze as he kisses the top of my head. “Come back as soon as you can. I miss you already.”

“I will.” He lets me out of his hold and places his thumb on my chin.

“I love you.”

I look up at him and smile. “And I love you, my sweet husband.”

Kerr pulls my robe back around me tight and ties the belt to hold it closed. He leaves one kiss on the tip of my nose, and then he turns away from me.

As he leaves my room, my heart hurts from his absence.

I have to make the King believe me! But how?

Crawling on the large, soft bed, I climb under the blanket and snuggle down. My body feels more relaxed and satisfied after the love we made.

I haven’t slept in a long time, and now I feel as if I could fall asleep. Thanks to my husband’s visit. Though brief, it brought me much happiness.

Just as my eyes close the door opens, and the King walks in. “I hope you’ve done as I’ve said so.” I sit up as he pulls the lid off the tray to find it emptied of the nasty contents it held before.

Keeping my head down and eyes averted I wait for him to leave. Instead, he sits down on the chair. “Tell me all you know, Kataline.”

“I really don’t know a thing about the uprising. I swear it to you.” My eyes dart up to his for a moment, and I find him frowning.

“I really didn’t want it to come to this. There are other ways to make you talk, girl. Surely you know that.”

“Sir, I am begging you not to do anything rash. I was awarded to your son. That is all I was ever told. I was given to him as a peace offering from what my father told me. I am not saying no one on Earth was helping the Earthlings on Euthenia, but I have no knowledge of that. I’d like to add if I may, that if you allow me to, I will do all I can to speak to the Earthlings who are a part of the rebellion to get them to call it off. I want to help you. My new father.”

I add the term to try to get him to look at me in a different light. Instead of softening him though it seems to be upsetting him as he says, “I am not your father. I will let you sleep on things tonight. Perhaps tomorrow you will decide you want to tell me the truth about things.”

“I am telling you the truth, sir.” I lower my eyes to look at the bed in front of me.

The man has me even more tired than I was before he came in. He’s a bully in my opinion. One who doesn’t listen to anyone but himself and looks for something to take issue with.

He leaves with no more words, thank goodness and I lie back and close my eyes.

The man is going to prove hard to win over. If it’s even possible.