“Good morning!”

I turned around and observed Kylin as he strutted with an authority of confidence and sociability. I was outside on the back lawns, watching the morning birds flutter and fly around, playfully enjoying the early day as much as I was.

It was clear that Kylin was in good spirits and a delighted mood. I was relieved that perhaps this day would start out on a positive note.

“Hi.” I smiled at him and tucked a strand of my long red hair behind my ear. It was golden in the sun, just like Kylin’s. It was amazing how similar our hair colors were.

He plopped down beside me and sighed with noble serenity. He grinned at me. He was beaming as he patted my thigh with tender adoration.

“Do you always wear your hair in that braid?” I asked. I wasn’t trying to offend him. I was genuinely curious.

It was an innocent enough question, but Kylin roared with laughter as he slapped my knee and gave me a fond gaze as if I was adorable for even wondering.

“Why do you ask?” He chuckled with lightheartedness.

I shrugged. “No real reason. I was just wondering.”

Kylin nodded and his eyes wandered out to the horizon past his vast palace lands. “Usually. It’s just easier that way.”

“Yeah, a crown prince has no time to spend on high-maintenance hair,” I joked and began to laugh.

Kylin gave me a sincere smile that filled my body with an intense heat. “You are cute. I really like you.”

“You aren’t too shabby either.” I couldn’t help it. He made me grin from ear to ear. There was undeniable chemistry between us.

“Thank you.” He continued to chuckle, apparently delighted in our exchange of pleasantries.

If only every day could be like this and I could forget about the problems that still lingered and afflicted me.

“It’s nice to wake up to such profound beauty all around me,” I confessed and glanced around as I absorbed the perfect and serene landscape.

Kylin nodded in agreement. “Ah, yes. The real splendor of Mixis is not known to many other planets around the galaxy, but I take true and real pride in being a natural-born resident here.”

“You should.” I smiled at him and took a sip of my French roast coffee that Kylin took the liberty of importing from Earth just for me.

He was trying to make this transition as smooth as possible for me, and I appreciated his sincerity.

“I have some fun places and things I’d like to show you, if that’s okay with you.” Kylin flicked his eyes toward me as if he was afraid I’d say no and lacked confidence.

I stared at him for a brief moment. “Are you kidding me?” I chuckled.

“What?” His anxiety to have me approve of him shined through his eyes. He was adorable and kind.

“Yes, absolutely, I’d love for you to show me around your world.” I had been wanting to get out and explore ever since I got here.

“Great!” His eyes immediately flooded with relief and he beamed at the success of his suggestion.

“No offense, but I feel like I’ve had just about all I can take of the palace walls and grounds.” I laughed. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. It’s absolutely beautiful here. I am just getting a little stir-crazy, that’s all. Cabin fever has my mood a little sour.”

I was rambling, sure, but I was excited to see beyond his gates for a change. For the first time since landing on the planet almost a week ago, I finally had something to look forward to.

“I will be happy to be your tour guide for the day.” Kylin smiled with approval as if he was truly honored.

He continued to grin at me with subtle curiosity. I stared at him through the reflection of the sunlight. I began to realize how handsome he was, not only on the outside, but his kindness really surged him into a massive attraction zone for me.

He was more unique than any other guy I had ever met. He seemed to really want to make me happy, which I’d never experienced before with another individual.

“So, where to first?” I leaned up eagerly in my seat, bordering a flirtatious tone with him. I was excited to see where the day would lead us.

He sighed and crossed his hands together. “Well, I have the perfect place to start.” He gave me a smirk as if he was proud to keep me in suspense.

“Okay, great!” I stood up. “I think I just need to freshen up. Can I meet you back down here in half an hour?” I decided it would be worth it to just be surprised.

“That sounds perfect to me.” He cast me a warm and appealing smile that made my insides quiver with delight.

When I galloped down the stairs at our scheduled time to meet up, I couldn’t hide my smile or my excitement to wander the new and wondrous planet.

It wasn’t going to do me any good to sit around and wallow in misery about Chad. I had to have confidence in Kylin and his army to find him. I had to have patience to wait out the tough period in between. If I distracted myself with something fun, then the torment wouldn’t be able to rob me of my general happiness.

“You know, I really have to count my blessings,” I said as we walked out the front door together and approached the waiting car with a driver who would show us around.

“Really?” Kylin studied me as if he wanted to know exactly what I meant.

“Yeah,” I said and prepared to elaborate. “You are really nice and patient. You are letting me adjust to being on Mixis and giving me an opportunity to distract myself with some fun out and about today.”

Kylin’s face beamed with pride at my compliment. “It’s true. Although we don’t know each other very well yet, I still want to make sure you are happy and comfortable. I am enjoying getting to know you better.”

“Same for me. I can’t wait to see what adventures you have for us today.” I smiled over at him after I climbed in the car and scooted all the way across to allow Kylin room.

“You’ll love every minute of it.” His golden set eyes sparkled with promise.

One thing I had observed on my own accord about Mixis was the fact that there weren’t metropolitan cities.

I mean, I had yet to discover the land in person. However, I had studied up on the planet and its qualities before I thought I had landed the teaching job. I was an adventurer at heart, and I needed to get out there and live life to the fullest.

I wanted to be prepared, of course, and be able to adapt better to the land around me. There was still a learning curve that went along with developing an understanding of a new culture, but I was up for the challenge.

This, in turn, worked out perfectly for Kylin because nothing besides the fact that I had been tricked into marrying him had come as a shock to me thus far.

We rode along, and just as I expected, much of the terrain was hot, dry, and red. The area resembled one of the deserts on Earth.

There were vast chains of volcanically active mountains and islands, although we lived closer to the center of the planets and there were no islands near where Kylin lived, or at least not to my knowledge. I wondered how far it would take to get to water or oceans.

For the most part, Mixis was acutely similar to Earth in that the days mainly lasted roughly the same length, although Mixis day and night were slightly longer than on Earth. It wasn’t anything that had been substantially noticeable to me, though.

Unlike Earth, Mixis had very little soil, which meant there was not an abundance of trees or plant life here on the planet. It was certainly an interesting environment to witness in person.

Kylin had explained to me that because of this, the land was prone to earthquakes and eruptions from the volcanos. I didn’t feel threatened by either due to the fact that the Earth often had similar natural issues, and he told me that most of the time, the volcanos lay dormant.

The driver pulled up to a valley with rugged mountain chains that spread across the island as far as the eye could see. It was remarkably beautiful and awe inspiring.

“What are we doing here?” I asked Kylin as I glanced with curiosity out the window of the car. I craned my neck to see the adventure beyond the horizon.

Kylin stepped out and walked around to my side, where he opened the door and held out a hand to offer me assistance. He was so chivalric.

“Thank you very much. You are quite the gentleman.” I gratefully took his hand as he led me down a little path. The air was a little hot and humid, but it was livable.

It was quiet, peaceful, and remote throughout the area as I observed it. “We are all alone out here,” I remarked with a whisper.

“The way I like it.” Kylin glanced over at me with a pleasant smile.

I stared at Kylin, who was gazing with admiration out to the rolling hills and mountain peaks encircling us. He was truly proud to call this place home. I could see it the way he lovingly glanced around at his homeland.

“Do you think that the other Mixis natives will like me once you introduce me to some of them?” It was a question that had been plaguing me since my arrival on the distant planet. I wasn’t exactly anxious, but I needed to feel reassured.

Kylin chuckled. “Yes, you are very gentle and kind, and I’m sure they will see that in your nature and aura.” His eyes reflected truth.

“I hope so,” I said and followed him as we walked toward the edge of a cliff, overlooking the gigantic and astonishing mountain chains. I felt safe with him, even though we were alone.

I already knew the personalities of Mixian people tended to be tender yet protective, humorless yet filled with honor and pride. I had done my research before agreeing to come here.

Some of them were known for flares of bad temper, but from what I’d noticed so far about Kylin, he probably didn’t fit that category. He seemed to have more patience than I did, too.

I hadn’t seen him seek revenge on my brother yet, so I still couldn’t form an accurate opinion on that side until the wild fury was unleashed. I had some temper to exhaust on my brother as well.

“What are those?” I squinted to get a better look at some settlements I saw on slopes in the far distance.

“Those are some of the Mixian compounds,” Kylin answered.

“Oh, that’s interesting,” I said with interest. I was curious to learn what went on beyond there.

“Do you know the reason I inquired after a bride on Earth?” Kylin turned to face me with a reflective expression.

“No.” I shook my head and gave him a sheepish smile. “Why?”

Kylin sighed as if he was melancholy and stared off into the distance toward the compounds. “It’s because people here have started taking brides from other planets to avoid inbreeding.”

“Oh, no,” I said with rising concern. “Is your species in danger of becoming extinct?”

“Not really . . . yet.” He chuckled. “We are just taking precautions. There are definitely far fewer of us than there are of other species on the different planets in the galaxy. People are starting to worry about what the future will be for us here.”

I stared at the billowing steam coming from some of the volcano peaks around us, knowing it was the result of geothermal energy coming from the planet because I remembered when Kylin explained that to me when I first arrived.

“It’s so quiet and lazy out here. You would never know how high-tech your race is based on the terrain I’m staring at now,’ I admitted.

I giggled at the irony, knowing that Mixians were one of the top species with access to interstellar travel and trade. They were ahead of the game from so many other planets in the galaxy.

“It’s great to come out here and gather your thoughts,” Kylin admitted with a pacifying demeanor.

“It’s romantic.” I sighed.

The words rolled off my tongue before I could halt them. Heat flushed my cheeks with both stimulation and discomfiture for disclosing something so private in the deepest depths of my thoughts.

I was afraid to glance over at Kylin. I knew he’d be elated by my confession, but that didn’t stop me from feeling embarrassed. I wasn’t used to being so forthcoming with my emotions.

Kylin’s rejoinder was to grin keenly at me. “Yes, it is,” he whispered in a sultry tone.

I met his gaze and my stomach tickled with something that resembled desire, although I wasn’t sure how to process these new feelings just yet. We still needed to get to know each other. The window of opportunity was opened.

“Come on.” He reached for my hand again and pulled me toward the car.

“We are leaving already?” I asked, feeling slightly disappointed. “I thought we were going exploring.” I glanced back at the terrain behind my shoulder.

“We can come back another day.” He smiled over his shoulder as he opened the car door for me once again.

“Do you promise?” I asked. I had no idea why he was cutting our trip short. I wanted to see the compounds.

“Yes, I promise.” Kylin cast a warm smile in my direction as he moved out of the way to let me inside the car.

“Oh, okay.” I climbed inside and stared out the window at the foreign land I wanted desperately to appreciate and call my new home. There was still so much to see and do.

We left the area, but Kylin and I remained intertwined with his hand cradling over mine. He was warm, and I needed his strength to overcome the raging anxiety in my mind. There were too many variables floating around out there. I had a fear of the unknown.

I must have drifted off to sleep from the lull of the mostly silent ride home because when I opened my eyes again, we were back at the palace. I was surprised because the trip had only seemed to take a few minutes.

“We are back home?” I stretched my sore muscles and blinked my sleepy, tired eyes. It would take me a few minutes to overcome my groggy state of mind.

“Yes, I wanted to show you the Briin.” Kylin helped me get out of the car, and we began walking toward the side of his palace grounds, near the fences in the back of the property.

“What is the Briin?” I asked. This was a term I wasn’t familiar with or had studied before leaving Earth for Mixis. I was just happy that there was more he wanted to show me today.

“The Briin serves many purposes to the Mixian race,” Kylin stated vaguely as we wandered across the path leading to what appeared to be some type of hive or brown hut.

“We are going in there?” I pointed at the object, feeling slightly alarmed and extremely uneasy. I hated insects and they made my skin crawl.

“Don’t worry.” Kylin took my hand again. “I control the hive. They obey me and will not harm anyone in my presence.”

So, my observations were correct. It was a hive, only triple, quadruple the size of one you’d see back home on Earth, so I was filled with fright and fear of what kind of insect could be skulking inside its walls.

I had no choice but to just try and believe him, even though I fully expected to be swarmed within seconds of his opening the damned thing.

As soon as he stepped inside, I shrieked with terror and jumped back a few steps. I was so shaky that I actually fell to the ground.

A plume of dirt and dust fell around me, and I coughed, sputtering as I stood up and wiped off my jeans. I tried to quickly recover from my overdramatic reaction.

“It’s okay, really,” Kylin said in a reassuring tone as he helped me to my feet again. He smiled at me, concerned for my health. I had to tell him I was okay so that he would let go of his grip on me.

After I regained my balance, I stared at him. “What . . . what are they?” I sputtered and craned my neck to peer in shock at the giant insects swarming around. I was curious, but not enough to get too close.

“These are the Briin.” He pointed and grinned proudly.

Upon further inspection, I noticed that the Briin resembled beetles and wasps. They had irridescent double wings that made a humming sound as they flew over our heads. I stood frozen in place, afraid to make any sudden or jerky movements. I didn’t want to anger them.

They had armored, two-foot-long bodies with claws, sharp jaws, and stingers that looked deadly and poisonous. I was quivering inside with pure fright at just the sight of them.

“What are they doing here? On your property?” I asked with revulsion as I grimaced and wrapped my arms around my chest.

“They act as messengers, personal guards, servants, and watch-animals. They can also be used as gatherers. They can summon warriors from afar in the event of an emergency,” Kylin explained.

“So . . . they belong to you?” I shook my head, trying to understand, but my skin crawled.

“Exactly.” Kylin nodded his head with a smile to boot. I wasn’t sold.

“See that female over there?” He pointed to the center of the hive.

“Yeah . . .?” I responded, although I had no clue how to decipher their genders. I also wasn’t entirely sure about what exactly I was looking at.

“She is called Nixie,” Kylin explained. “She’s the queen, and I control her and this hive. Normally, she’s locked in a chamber in my office quarters, but I let her out once a week in order to allow her to interact with her hive.” His expression was serious as he inspected the hive.

“Oh, wow,” I said with amazement. I was not feeling as timid as I was when we first came out here.

“I like to keep her with me when she’s not laying eggs so that I can control the hive.”

“Is she laying now?” I stared at her after my eyes finally found her.

“Yes.” He nodded.

I glanced up at him while trying not to seem too disgusted. I felt horrible, because he was obviously fond of them as if they were his pets. Insects just weren’t my style.

“Can we leave now?” I asked and chuckled nervously. I felt like my skin was crawling although I didn’t want to offend him or these insects. I wondered in horror if they could understand what I was saying.

We trudged our way back up to the castle where there were some Dolarians waiting for Kylin. They were cute and funny, with more charm than the average Mixian. I was surprised to learn that they could coexist here with the Mixians as two different species.

They could be annoying, and I could tell by the tense tone Kylin used when greeting them that he didn’t like them on his grounds. He was able to tolerate them, but only slightly.

They were there to discuss water prices and the negotiations. They seemed heated in conversation with Kylin, or at least from what I could decipher as I stood awkwardly off to the side and eavesdropped.

Once the Dolarians left, I asked Kylin if everything was okay. I was slightly rattled, especially because the insects were still nearby.

“Everything is fine.” He grinned back at me with a forced smile, and I could tell that most certainly, everything was not fine.

I didn’t know much about the Dolarians other than the fact that they were another species on a neighboring planet, but they often ventured this way because of their proximity to Mixis. Apparently, they had some kind of trading system with the Mixians.

When we went inside the palace, I needed to lie down. That was enough adventuring for me for one day. I just rejoiced in the fact that I was far enough away from the Briin indoors. I would have to make sure all the windows and doors were locked tightly to keep them at bay. I didn’t care if Kylin told me that they wouldn’t harm me. Those things gave me the creeps.