DR. ADRIANA ADAMS
I stood there in chains in front of King Jarith Rykor and Queen Marissa. I did not protest my guilt, but I hoped for mercy and understanding.
"What do you have to say for yourself Dr. Adams?" The king said.
"I apologize. I was wrong. The circumstances are not what you think. I wish to plead my case in private to Queen Marissa, if she will hear it."
Everyone was silent and shocked by what I said. It was an unusual request but I knew it was the only way.
"Your request is granted," Queen Marissa said. She stood up and motioned for me to follow her into a private chamber.
"Tell me what happened," she said.
So I began to tell her how it all started. I told her about the dig in Montana and about Richard and Xander Black, who was now in custody of the Drackon. I told her about how the mission to search for the flagion was one I thought meant everything to my career. But when I met Terik, I truly fell in love with him. But by that time it was too late, because I had already given the information about the location of the flagion to Richard since I thought I was being sent back to Earth. I told her every single detail. She listened. At the end of it she finally said, "You remind me of myself from many years ago."
"I do?" I said surprised by her response.
"Yes, I was in a similar situation. I did it for my career as well. But I was fortunate enough to have the heart of the King, who forgave me. He trusted me and believed me. Of course, he didn't until after he cooled off. The Drackon temper is a notorious one and it takes time. I believe you, Adriana. I shall plead to my husband to pardon you. But I cannot force Sentinel Vuna to forgive you. That is altogether a personal matter and it is possible that you will be banished back to Earth." Queen Marissa said.
I broke into tears, "I do love him, Queen Marissa. I love him with all my heart. I never thought I could love someone so greatly. But there is more to it. You see we did not wait to be wed before coupling, and I am… I am…"
"You are pregnant with his offspring?" She said to me lifting her eyebrow.
"Yes, I am. He does not know it. I do not know what to do. He will not want the offspring anyway. He hates me.”
"I do not think he hates you. You must tell him about the babe. Whatever happens after that, at least you know that he knows the truth. You would not want him to find out later and for him to think you are withholding information from him when he already does not trust you," Queen Marissa said to me. It was a wise statement and something I did not think of before.
"You must tell him now," she said as she walked towards the door. "I will summon him in here."
She left the room and I began to panic. Terik had not spoken a word to me since the day that he saw me as a traitor when the ravine was almost plundered. I was nervous. What if I said the wrong thing again?
"The Queen is forcing me to be in here with you but I do not have to speak with you,” He said as he walked in. There was fire and anger in his eyes.
"I am pregnant," I said to him quickly. It was like ripping off a Band-Aid, you just had to do it very fast.
He was shocked. I thought I saw a smile come across his face but then it quickly vanished as he said, "How do I know it is not Mordikye’s? You are a deceitful human female. How do I know you did not couple with Mordikye and that it is his offspring you carry?"
"I know you do not trust me. On Earth there are tests to prove paternity. I assume there is the same here. A test to prove that the offspring is yours."
He was silent for a long time and then said, "Yes, there is a test. But that does not change what you did. I do not understand why you did it."
"I don’t expect you to understand because you haven’t let me explain. If you would just listen… I spoke to Queen Marissa and gave her the entire story, and she believes me, and is going to ask the king to pardon me. If your queen believes me, maybe you can too."
He looked at me and took a deep breath and then sat down and said, "I'm listening."
So I began to tell him the same story I told Queen Marissa, starting with the Montana dig. I told him everything. He listened to the entire thing. After I was done I looked at him. He seemed very sad and confused. I walked over to him, and dropped to my knees in front of the chair. I grabbed his hands in mine and said, "Please, Terik ,give me another chance--if not for me, than for our offspring. Do not let him suffer for my mistakes. It is unfair. He will need you. He cannot be raised on Earth without his own Drackon, without his father. Can you not forgive me? Do you not love me?"
"I do love you. That is why you hurt me so much. Your betrayal is beyond anything I have ever experienced."
"I know. I will try to make it up to you and regain your trust with everything that I can do, but what about now? What is to be done with me?"
"I guess if the queen forgives you and believes you, so can I. You are my everything Adriana, from the moment I saw your photo. I knew. I do believe you. Perhaps if I were sent to another planet, I too would become obsessed with a land resource of that planet and be blinded by its beauty and power as well. I do share that obsession of elements with you. I may have done the same thing."
"So you forgive me?"
"I forgive you, if you will forgive me for being so cold and for arresting you? It was not what I should've done. Will you still consider being my human female wife?"
"Yes, without a doubt. I will be your wife and give birth to our son."
He pulled me onto his lap and curled his body around mine. I felt sheltered. I felt safe. He moved his lips over mine and kissed me deeply. I felt sweet relief wash over me. I did not deserve his forgiveness for what I had done, but this love we shared was greater than both of us. We could not be parted.
Months later I was the wife of the Drackon Land Sentinel Terik Vuna. I had been given a full pardon by the King and Queen and accepted back into their company. The Queen had finally told me her story, and I understood why she was so helpful to me. But the greatest joy of all was the birth of our Drackon high-bred son, Vikka Vuna. He was a tricolored Drackon weredragon and he brought Terik and I closer together. I never thought that my geologist life would lead me to being a geologist on another alien planet, with an alien weredragon for a husband, and a son that I adored. It was an overwhelming adventure that felt like it had only just begun. There was much more to come in this new chapter of my alien life. I was ready for it.
THE END