“A recent string of disappearances leaves police investigators looking to the sky. Chemical trails found leaving Earth’s atmosphere—”
I clicked the television set off with a sigh. My father had done a lot of stupid things in his time, but buddying up with the Vellreq when they came to our planet was the worst of them.
“My lady, you’ve been summoned.”
I cringed at the grating sound of the voice of the Vellreq servant that King Korta had assigned me.
“All right,” I sighed, standing and following her to Korta’s quarters.
“Your father hasn’t gotten back to me yet,” Korta said darkly, without greeting me.
“About what?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter. I want you to get in touch with him.”
“If you can’t get in touch, what makes you think that I can?” I asked, glowering.
My father had always treated his political career as the most important thing in either of our lives, and now that he had forced me into marrying the King of the Vellreq to gain his favor, it felt like my life was a constant tug of war between the two of them.
Korta turned his black eyes to me, and I shivered as a cold chill went down my spine.
“Just get him in here, or you will regret it.”
I bowed rigidly at him, forcing myself to bite back my angered words. They would get me nowhere. I had crossed Korta once before, and it hadn’t ended in my favor. There was not a good enough reason to willingly cross the King of the Vellreq.
I left Korta’s quarters, my heart hammering angrily in my chest as I grabbed my jacket from the hooks. It was a Vellreq design; one I frankly found hideously ugly. But Korta had insisted I stay up to date on all of the latest fashion trends for Vellreq nobility, and I was forced to do everything wearing uncomfortable clothes that always felt a little bit too starchy.
“Where to, my lady?”
I rolled my eyes. “I told you not to call me that, Kirk. The Vellreq aren’t in the car. It’s not like they can hear you.”
“Still,” Kirk said nervously, rolling our windows up and putting the car in drive. “I don’t want them to overhear and think that I’m disrespecting their new queen.”
“I’m not the queen yet,” I said. And thank the stars for small miracles. “The ceremony won’t take place until Korta and my father finally agree on the terms.”
Kirk sighed, driving me to the end of the long, winding property where we had to await permission at the gate. “They’re back to treating women like cattle huh?”
“Are you surprised? The Vellreq look like something that walked straight out of the dark ages. I’d be more surprised if they actually respected me.”
Kirk shrugged mildly and asked, again, “So, where to?”
“Korta wants me to talk to my father. Again. He’s hemming and hawing about the latest change to the contract. Before Korta announces me queen, they have to agree on all terms and my father is making it very difficult.”
“With all due respect,” Kirk said, “your father has always struck me as a little bit hungry for power. I know you shouldn’t say that about your own Prime Minister, but…”
“It’s all right, Kirk. I could never be offended by you.”
Kirk and I had grown up together on the estate before the Vellreq had come to Earth and claimed it for their own. They had somehow concluded that my father was the most powerful man on the planet, probably due to the immense media coverage he received worldwide (and not for being a generous, caring leader either, mind you). In fact, they were so convinced of his superior status that I was immediately listed as a marriage prospect, offering much in the way of glittering goods to my father, who wanted to be seen as being responsible for heralding in a new age of evolution for humanity and our technology.
The only small catch was that his daughter was to be put in the hands of the ugliest, most cold-hearted man in all the galaxy; at least he was as far as I was concerned. King Korta Kl’ortus.
Kirk grinned, and I warmed at the familiar sight. He had always been one of my closest friends. I couldn’t imagine life without him.
“How does your father like the island, anyway?” he asked, changing the subject. Kirk had always been sensitive to my opinion and didn’t tread very long in controversial opinions near me. It was somewhat maddening at times, but I understood his desire to look good in front of me. I had long suspected him of a crush, but I hoped that wasn’t the case. It would be far too strange to date him. He was more like a friend and a brother than a boyfriend.
“He loves it. Apparently it’s like his own private getaway,” I said, glowering out the window.
“I thought he might enjoy it,” Kirk chuckled. “The Vellreq have him living in one of their ships. I don’t think he realizes he’s under constant surveillance in there.”
“Oh, I’m sure he doesn’t mind. He’s in love with the technology. He thinks being diplomatic with them is going to put him in the history books. As if it’s his skill and knowledge that put him in this position and not blind luck.”
Kirk grinned again, and we turned down the road leading to the docks where we would take a ship together to the island where my father was being held. In my mind, he was more like a prisoner to the Vellreq than an indispensable tool in the creation of a great new world. If he crossed the line, all they had to do was get rid of him. Nobody would be any the wiser.
Except for Kirk and me. But nobody would listen to us anyway. The Vellreq had the ball in their court, and they had been playing the game much, much longer than we had. It would take nothing to conquer a race of willfully ignorant people, and it would just put me in danger to try to say anything about it.
I was torn about what to do, but if even my father believed in the Vellreq, as far as I was concerned, all hope was lost.
***
“Melinda, what are you doing here?” my father asked, surprised when I walked through the doorway. King Korta had a tendency to change the code to the doors of the ship where my father was living so that we could get in but he couldn’t get out unless instructed. Still, somehow he felt he had a special relationship with the Vellreq and that being their prisoner was some kind of honor.
“Korta is demanding an answer,” I said with a sigh. My father raised his eyebrow at me.
“Is that the way I taught you to treat nobility?” he scolded.
“Sorry. King Korta. Why have you been ignoring him?”
“Can’t a man have some time to think?” my father exclaimed, throwing his hands dramatically in the air. “There is so much to consider. You are my only daughter after all…”
I was almost touched by the sentiment, but of course, my father had to continue speaking.
“…you would think that he would consider that aspect of it when negotiating terms. I feel like he’s trying to get the better end of the deal when it should clearly be mutually beneficial. I should profit as much as King Korta would from the union!”
I didn’t know why I let myself try to believe my father would ever say a nice or selfless thing and genuinely mean it without putting himself first. He was clearly incapable. But I always tried to hope for the best. Who didn’t want to hear their dad say something caring?
“I am doing humanity a favor here! Being on speaking terms with the Vellreq is an honor that is not for the faint of heart. They are going to change the world we live in!”
“And line your pockets and those of the other officials who are willing to help them while they’re at it, right?” I said, staring at him dully. He continued to speak as if I weren’t in the room.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is…no. No, I will not be having any daughters in the future. The Vellreq are just going to have to look to another fantastic gene pool for their mates. You can tell that to your husband.”
My father waved his hand dismissively at me and turned his back, bowing his head as if lost in thought.
I gaped at my father as he continued to pace about the bunker, mumbling incoherently as he did so. Not only was I shocked by the thought of the Vellreq demanding to know whether or not my father was planning on reproducing any other human offspring they could have their way with, but I was disgusted and hurt by my father’s seeming lack of consideration for the implications of that.
“He is not my husband yet,” I said darkly. “I will not be queen until the ceremony. And even then, I will not call him my husband. He will always just be Korta, King of the Vellreq to me.”
I stared hard at my father, but he was still in his own little world. I sighed and left the bunker, where Kirk was waiting for me outside.
“Did everything go okay?” Kirk asked, his eyes filled with concern.
“Let’s just get the hell out of here,” I sighed. “You were right. All he cares about is himself.”
Kirk laid a kind hand on my shoulder and we walked to the docks together. I sat in the boat staring out over the water. Was there any way to get out of this horrible situation? I didn’t know what Korta had planned for me on our wedding night, but I would have rather died right then and there than found out.
***
“This isn’t the palace,” I said, opening my eyes and blinking hard. I had fallen asleep on the ride home, and now that I had woken up, I was puzzled. Kirk had driven me far out of the way of the estate where Korta was still awaiting my father’s answer. “Where are we?”
Kirk smiled at me from the driver’s seat.
“Look out the window.”
I did, and my heart pounded in excitement and pain.
“Funworld?!”
Kirk grinned and got out of the car, opening my door and bowing melodramatically. “My lady.”
“Stop it,” I said, shoving him away with a laugh. “What are we doing here? We could get in trouble!”
“Well, it wasn’t too far from the island,” Kirk said. “I figure Korta won’t miss you for a little while. Besides, you looked like you could use some fun after what happened back there.”
My heart panged in sadness, and I smiled at Kirk, trying not to let my emotions show through my actions. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, just get in here before the security guards make their rounds.”
“You really think they would arrest King Korta’s bride-to-be?” I asked with a laugh.
“No, but they would definitely lock her lowly driver in the dungeon and throw away the key,” Kirk said. “So come on.”
I shook my head and followed Kirk through the rusted gates of the abandoned amusement park where we had spent countless hours of fun as children. Although it had been shut down years ago, it had remained a special place in our hearts. Every once in a while, Kirk and I would escape to the comfortable inner walls of our childhood together. I hadn’t even thought of Funland since the Vellreq had come to Earth. In fact, it had been impossible to bring my thoughts to anything positive at all.
“I can’t believe I’m here,” I whispered, following Kirk through the deserted sidewalks.
“I thought you could use a break,” he said, climbing onto an empty carousel. The paint on the horses was chipping, but I could still remember fondly the days when they were in pristine condition, and Kirk and I could ride them for hours.
“I think I needed it,” I said, climbing up with him.
We sat in pleasant silence for a few moments as I looked around the old place, remembering all of the happiness Kirk and I had shared. When I turned my gaze onto Kirk, I was surprised by how serious his expression had grown.
“I don’t want you to marry the Vellreq king,” Kirk said, his eyes fixed on the rusting metal bolt in between us.
“Well trust me, if I had any choice in the matter, I wouldn’t do it.”
“Run away with me,” Kirk said, looking up, his eyes pleading. “We can get out of here. You don’t have to—”
Kirk’s words were cut off by a sudden gust of wind that blew the sand around the carousel up and into our eyes. We coughed as a dark cloud hovered over us.
“It’s not supposed to rain,” I whispered.
I looked over at my friend, squinting through the pain of the sand. Kirk’s eyes were wide, and he was looking up into the sky. At first, I had no idea what he was looking at, but soon, I saw it.
A beautiful being, no, more like a man than a creature, was hovering down majestically from beneath a dark shadow that was unmoving in the sky. I was mesmerized; his fluttering capes were glittering with beautiful colors I had never before seen, and his teal skin shone almost iridescently in the sunlight.
“Run!” Kirk urged me. He nudged my shoulder before getting to his feet and disappearing around the other side of the carousel.
But I was entranced. A peace filled me as I watched the man descend, my heart pounding hard as he drew nearer and nearer to me. Even through the thin fabric of his clothing, I could tell he was well-muscled – an abdomen that men on Earth would work a lifetime to get. A confusing surge of desire electrified me. Who was he?
When he finally landed, he turned his startling purple eyes onto me. I was frozen, locked in this man’s gaze, unable to do anything but stare in wonder at the flecks of gold and blue in his metallic eyes. I had never seen a being so lovely in all my life, and when he reached his hand out to me, I did the only thing that I could. I took it.
***
“Welcome.”
I was shocked by the contrast in this man’s voice compared to the growling, gravelly sound of the cruel Vellreq king. It was pleasant and lyrical as opposed to dark and menacing.
“Where am I?” I asked, my voice shaking.
“Please sit,” the man said, pointing to a large, throne-like seat.
I had been dazed as we boarded the ship, the only thoughts in my head being just how attractive this other-worldly being was. I had hardly registered the fact that I was being very easily abducted.
I sat down heavily, my thoughts beginning to crash down on me. I had left Kirk at the carousel in Funland. He looked as if he had been about to tell me something serious. Something personal.
And now, here I was, in front of this entrancing man, whose long black hair was partly tied behind his head and partly left to fall over his broad shoulders as he looked at me with those overwhelming purple eyes.
“Supreme Leader Aloitus, secure your female. We will be initiating launch soon,” a smaller, but capable-looking man of similar features said.
“Of course,” Aloitus said, crossing the distance between us quickly and strapping me into the large chair. “This should keep you safe, Earthling. We are about to embark upon a long journey. One my people have made several times now. I have learned from their mistakes and hope to keep you as comfortable as possible.”
Aloitus nodded, and suddenly the smaller man walked toward me and plunged a needle deep into my neck. I tried to cry out, but my voice came out strangled. I struggled against the confines of the chair, but I couldn’t move.
Aloitus’ handsome face broke into a bright smile, and despite myself, I was captivated by him. Never had I seen anybody quite so intoxicating in my life. But if I was understanding the situation correctly, then that meant that I was being abducted from Earth, forcibly, like the other women who had disappeared recently.
“The injection should work quickly now, Jerd,” Aloitus said to the smaller man standing beside him. They were both watching me carefully, their metallic eyes curious and thoughtful. “It is much more efficient than the gas. The gas was just more practical for large-scale harvesting. A single female requires fewer resources.”
“I see,” the smaller man, apparently named Jerd, said. “Very good, Supreme Leader Aloitus. Now secure yourself for launch. The turbulence experienced leaving Earth is much more difficult on the ships than entering is.”
“We should have Laike Ostra’ki have a look at the designs then,” Aloitus said irritably. “Since our engineers are as good as useless.”
Jerd shifted uncomfortably. “Sir, Laike fled the planet Jenal’k. It is believed that he had a female in tow.”
“What?” Aloitus exclaimed, anger flashing in his eyes. He was quiet for a moment and then laughed. Despite my fear, it was a wonderful sound. “Well good for him. There was nothing left for him on Jenal’k anyway. But we need to find him. The future of the universe is at stake. You must locate him at once.”
“Of course, sir.”
The smaller man left the room, leaving me alone with Supreme Leader Aloitus, who stared quietly at me, as if looking for flaws in my exterior. His scrutiny was unbearable. Of course I would never impress a being so physically masterful as this. I was just a human.
“You are going to come back with us, female,” Aloitus said, looking into my eyes. His gaze was thrilling, but at the same time, I was beginning to despise the man. I had nothing but contempt for someone who could hold someone hostage without thinking twice. “You will live on the Planet Jenal’k among the Thressl’n race. That is to be your new home.”
I tried to cry out, to break away from the chair and run back down the ramp Aloitus had led me up. I would have given anything to return to Earth. To see Kirk’s face again. Even to hear the ugly voice of the Vellreq King who had chosen to claim me. But all of that was about to be ripped from my life forever. A tear managed to fall from my eyes, and I furrowed my brow at Aloitus, feeling somehow betrayed by the cruelty I found beneath his unbelievable beauty.
Aloitus bowed deeply at me, surprising me out of my struggles. It seemed such a respectful thing to do to somebody you cared so little for.
“Don’t worry, female. No harm shall come to you. You are more important than you could ever know.”
And with that, he left.