Chapter Six
Renaya felt she had won her freedom. Starship Sorion had landed on Terrgius sometime back and Renaya was waiting with Ayana for further instructions. She wore a long, sleeveless figure-hugging dress with a V neckline in pewter gray, her hair tied in a chignon. With her fingertips, she felt the stone around her neck. It was a beautiful piece of jewelry, unlike any she had seen on Earth. She wondered why it was so important for Lord Aurzac that she never take it off.
Ayana checked her wrist and tapped on the device attached to it.
“We should leave now, My Lady,” she stated.
They left the chamber and stepped into the hallway. Renaya had not had a chance to explore the ship, except for visiting the Lord’s chambers. The Starship Sorion was huge. They walked down the long, curving passageway until they reached a wall. A door slid open and they found themselves in a large room where Lord Aurzac and Lady Shanra were waiting for them.
“Renaya, this is Lady Shanra, my second-in-command,” Lord Aurzac said. Lady Shanra was dressed in a sleek black dress cut off around her knees, with high black boots. Her straight red hair was tied up in a ponytail. She looked absolutely stunning, Renaya observed.
Renaya nodded toward Shanra and smiled. Shanra simply nodded without smiling back. Her shrewd amber eyes swept over Renaya, her thin eyebrows rising as she noticed the necklace.
They all left as the main ship’s gateway opened. Lord Aurzac walked beside Renaya, and Shanra and Ayana followed them.
Terrgius's terrain was similar to that of Earth's. The ground was red-brown, the trees had green leaves and the sky was blue with two suns. She saw no buildings. To her left, the crew of the ship had gathered. There were sleek cars that awaited them. A team of two warriors greeted Lord Aurzac. Renaya took a deep breath as she inhaled Terrgius's air.
He took her hand and led her toward their car. The others followed. The journey wasn’t too long. Renaya was intrigued by the landscape outside. The planet must once have been beautiful with lush grass and trees and flowing water, she thought.
The cars took them to the grand Durlan Palace. They entered the stone gate and onto the stone pathway that led up to the palace grounds. On either side of the road were graying empty grounds with rotten and dried tendrils stuck to stone walls. It seemed to be a forgotten land where there were once beautiful gardens and fields.
There was a weird feeling in her stomach as she stepped on the ground. It was the same kind of feeling when she first saw Lord Aurzac. She closed her eyes and then it happened.
The planet was burning. She was standing under a night sky as it was filled with drones that were attacking them. Then suddenly it was a day again and the Argarian warriors were fighting with the Zorg. Swords clashed as bodies fell and the ground filled with dark blue blood. Screams ripped through the air until suddenly she was standing in a field of green which withered and died. And then she was in a marketplace surrounded by people with gaunt faces, pulling at her clothes and saying something she didn't understand.
Renaya snapped open her eyes and staggered backward as she grabbed Lord Aurzac's arm to steady herself. The throbbing pain began to drum between her temples as she looked at him, a worried expression on her face.
“Renaya, are you okay?” Aurzac asked in a concerned voice.
“I... I had a vision,” she said hesitantly.
“What did you see?” he demanded.
“I saw the destruction of this world,” Renaya replied, fear showing in her eyes.
“The Terrgius’ spirit has connected with you. We must see the Elder tonight,” he said almost to himself.
The vehicle stopped in front of the palace's entrance, which consisted of heavy wooden doors. They went inside and the grandeur of the lobby took Renaya's breath away. The floor was white, made of exquisite marble similar to that on Earth. The lights were a beautiful warm white. The light here was a different kind of light, somewhat ethereal. The ceiling was domed with arches all around and had a mosaic made up of pieces cut out from a mirror. The walls had paintings of the Durlan Lords and Ladies. The lights were a beautiful warm white, reflected in the mirrors on the walls. The white columns which supported the arches had a pattern made up of gold leaves bunched together.
To their left, two giant carved doors revealed a hall where a banquet was waiting. Lord Aurzac, Renaya and Lady Shanra entered the hall which was filled with guests.
An elderly man with white hair and white eyes stood in the corner. Renaya felt she was being observed.
“Lord Aurzac, do you know who that man is?” she said, motioning toward the man standing.
“He’s the Elder. He is the one with the oracle. Come, let me introduce you to him,” Lord Aurzac explained as he led Renaya toward him.
“Elder,” he said, as he nodded in greeting.
“Lord Aurzac. Welcome back,” said the Elder in a sober voice. He then turned toward Renaya.
“Elder, this is Renaya,” Lord Aurzac beamed, introducing her.
“Renaya. A rare one you are,” the Elder replied, looking at her and the stone around her neck. “You have found your mate at last. I say you have chosen wisely.” He turned toward Lord Aurzac again and continued, “You must announce it.”
Mate? What did he mean by mate? She hoped her translator was working adequately. She looked at Aurzac but he ignored her and went toward the center of the hall.
“Ladies and gentlemen... your attention please,” he called to the crowd. “I would like to introduce to you Lady Renaya, my wife.”
“What?” Renaya gasped as everyone in the hall applauded and congratulated them.
“Lord Aurzac! What is going on?” Renaya asked furiously, demanding an explanation.
But he did not seem to hear her. The feast began as the guests settled around the huge table. Renaya was seething inside. The sheer intensity of the betrayal weighed down on her. She trembled with rage, her cheeks flushed and eyes bright. Lord Aurzac came over and pulled her aside in a corner.
“Calm down, Renaya. I’ll explain later,” he said coolly.
“Calm down? You want me to calm down? You lied to me!” Renaya’s voice grew hysterical, tears brimming in her eyes.
“You agreed to come. The Aramith you wear is the sign that you are my mate,” he said through clenched teeth.
“I...I...you...tricked me!” she choked, “I didn’t know what the amulet meant!” Tears streamed down her face. “I wanted freedom!”
Lord Aurzac looked at her for a long time. She wasn't going to be an easy one. He pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, “You are free. The only way I could have freed you was by taking you as my bride. This may not be the rule in your world, but here, this is the way it is,” Lord Aurzac said, gently.
She looked up and held him at arm’s length. “I am no better than a slave. You gave me no choice.”
“What choice did you have? Your world is almost destroyed. You don’t know if there are any survivors. You should be grateful that I got you out of that Zorg mess.”
“You arrogant bastard! You could have told me what I was getting myself into,” she said, disgusted. “You didn’t even bother to ask if I wanted to be your mate!” And with that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the hall. Ayana followed.
Lord Aurzac stood there, staring as if she had slapped him. No one dared abuse him, ever. Let alone a woman. He was the powerful Durlan Warrior and this woman was unbelievable. A sense of weariness overtook him. This woman wasn’t going to be easy. She was unusual and different.
She’s being difficult... you can teach her a lesson, the dark voice inside him whispered. Ignoring it, he grabbed a glass of wine from the table and gulped it down. What was she doing to him? It seemed as though he was losing his strength. Nobody had that effect on him. He didn’t want to succumb to his dark side and punish her. He couldn’t do it. The Spirit had connected with her and that was a sign. He must find another way.
The Elder came and stood beside him. He sensed Lord Aurzac’s agitation.
“She is different, My Lord. You must be patient with her.”
“I am trying to,” he said, “Elder, she had a vision when I brought her here. She connected with the Spirit.”
“You must believe. If the Spirit welcomed her, then she will be our savior,” the Elder said softly. “Be patient. Give her time. Maybe you need to approach her differently.”
The Elder’s words were true. She didn’t know their customs. She didn’t know why she was important to them. He would try and explain it to her in the morning.