Alexis hurried down the hallway, passing the quarters of many warriors. She had never been to Nabvan's quarters before, but he had mentioned its location during some of their conversations when he served as her keeper. She found it without too much difficulty. She pressed the buzzer and prayed he was still there. Before the door had fully opened, an arm swooped her inside and into Nabvan's embrace. He kissed her lips with the hunger and desperation of a man who had been unsure of his future. She answered his hunger with one of her own. The desperation slowly dissipated and the pair pulled apart.

Alexis examined her beloved. He was none the worse for wear. He had withstood the council's questions and his pride was intact. She ran her hands through his luxurious red hair and exclaimed, “I love the fact that your hair is so unique on this world. It sets you apart from all the others with their dark locks."

"It is considered an imperfection on this planet. I have always despised it."

Alexis kissed his powerful chest, right over the spot where she could see his heart beating through his translucent skin. “You are perfect in my eyes. You saved me from death after the king had me beaten, even though he had ordered you to let me be. You took me to your bed knowing that I would be forced to sleep with the king. You fought for me and the other women, against a king you had promised to serve. You are my fantasy of perfection that has come alive."

“If that is truly the case, I have a question for you." Nabvan slowly sank to one knee. "I believe this is the way it is done on your Earth. Will you marry me, Alexis? I want to declare you as mine before all of Milisaria."

Tears of happiness fell down Alexis's cheeks. She was deeply touched that her tough warrior would humble himself this way. Proposing as a human male could be seen as a weakness on this planet. She loved him more every minute. “I will gladly marry you, though I fear some will have an issue with the fact that the king displayed me as his on many occasions."

Nabvan stood and declared, "I care not what others say or think. You were mine: first, last and always. I will be proud to declare our love. Our child will be a true blessing of our combined love."

Alexis returned to a more serious subject. She explained, “I saw Seifer in his quarters visiting Destiney when he came back from the council meeting. He said you were exonerated. But, he didn't tell me what is to be done about needing a king."

Nabvan responded, “There is to be an election soon. Any who have enough qualifications may try to be king. The council thinks both Siefer and I should try."

Alexis frowned and asked, “Do you want to be king? Would it make it easier to do the things you want for Milisaria?"

Nabvan stared out the small window at the rolling hills and green marshes of his home and finally answered, “I am afraid it would be more of a hindrance than a help. I would be bound by ceremonies and rules. There would be guards at my side constantly. I need freedom to do as I choose. I much prefer to stay a ship's commander and a trainer of young warriors. Hopefully, the new king will allow us to help the colonies we already have and any that we take over in the future. Do you feel the need to be a king's wife?"

Alexis laughed at the notion. "I have never had aspirations to be a king's wife. I had that chance already, and I chose you. I just want to use my knowledge of science to help my new home and its people. I want to stand beside my wonderful husband and aid him in his dreams."

"Then the matter is settled. We will stay as we are. You can start planning our wedding. I think that you will have to make many changes in our science labs also. Right now, they are more of a storage unit for stolen technology than a research facility like the Arkani have."

Alexis grew excited. “Will you take me there now? I want to see it. Can I truly set it up as I see fit? I can't imagine such freedom. On Earth, I was treated like a silly child with impossible dreams. I worked for the space organization we called NASA, but they would only let me be a secretary. My knowledge was wasted."

Nabvan grinned at the glow of happiness on Alexis's face. “Your knowledge will not be wasted here. It will be treasured. You will be honored more than you would have been as a queen. Come, we can go before our meal."

Alexis ran for the door but suddenly halted mid-stride, causing Nabvan to fall against her. He grabbed her and spun around to keep from crushing her between himself and the wall. "Mercy, woman! Why did you do that? I could have broken your body into pieces."

Alexis knew he would never let such a thing happen. He would destroy himself first. She looked up coyly through her long lashes and replied, “Maybe I just wanted to be held so very tightly in all four of your arms." Nabvan glanced downward and realized he really was squeezing her too tightly. When he relaxed his grip, she continued, “In my excitement, I had forgotten to tell you that Siefer and Destiney have a son. He is perfect, and Destiney is doing well. You need to see him when you get some time."

Nabvan whooped with joy for his friend. "That's excellent news. A strong son to carry on his name is something Siefer has longed for. I owe him congratulations."

Alexis discovered that Nabvan was correct. The science lab was more of a storage facility. Each day, she opened more packages and found new technology and medicines that had yet to be used. She asked for help to organize the mess and was soon surrounded by the young people of Milisaria. The young men cleared away unnecessary equipment and put it in a real storage place. The young women helped Alexis organize the medicines and tools. Shelves were soon filled with microscopes, flasks, and vials of strange liquids. Cabinets contained the medicines found on other planets. Drawers were lined with syringes and glass slides. The science lab was becoming a reality. Some of the young people asked to stay and work as assistants. The females were granted their request, but the young males were sent back to train as warriors. Milisaria had its own version of sex discrimination.

Alexis enjoyed hearing the young ones chattering around her. Most of the time they remembered to speak English, but once in a while, they slipped into Milisarian. Alexis was learning the language quickly. She was as proud of herself for learning it as she was of the Milisarians for learning English. The children informed her that it was a requirement because so many other planets used it as a universal language. It made it easier to communicate between colonies.

Alexis was cleaning something that appeared to be some kind of primitive x-ray machine when she heard Nabvan's name mentioned by the young ones. She listened intently to the conversation, catching the meaning of as many Milisarian words as she could. It sounded as if the girl's parents and their acquaintances wanted Nabvan to be their king. They believed that as his second-in-command aboard ship, he should automatically be declared king. They were even prepared to put his name on the ballot themselves. Alexis realized she needed to let Nabvan know what his people were discussing.

Nabvan returned from sword training his oldest student warriors. He was covered in sweat and green moss from the marshes. When he tried to pull Alexis in for a kiss, she playfully shoved on his chest and sent him to shower. To his surprise and glee, she followed. But, instead of entering the shower with him, she sat on a small seat that folded out from the wall. She stated, “I heard some rumors today that I thought you should know about. It seems the people of Milisaria want you as their leader. They think it should be you since you held the office of second-in-command aboard ship. The children say the adults may put your name on the ballot for you. Have you heard any of this?"

Nabvan stood in front of the dryer displaying his muscular body for Alexis's admiring gaze. She ran her fingers over his six pack as he replied, “Some have asked me to serve, but I have not changed my mind. I can be of better use where I am. If they try to put my name on the ballot, I will refuse the nomination. We do need a strong and loyal king. He also needs to be kind, understanding, and fair. Unlike Shene, he must be monogamous and care about the people instead of just himself. Only one name comes to my mind."

Alexis said it for him, "Siefer. He would be a fair king. He is such a good man too."

Nabvan replied, "I see we are once again of one mind. Siefer is several years older than I and has more experience. Shall we go to Siefer's quarters and have a talk? Destiney should have a say in this as well."

Siefer was happy to see his friends. He wanted Nabvan to see his son. Destiney started to protest against waking the little one, but Siefer waved her away and picked up the boy. He offered the baby to Nabvan, who backed away as if in fear. Siefer's laughter rang out as he declared, “I have finally found something that the great Nabvan is afraid of. I never believed it could happen. I have always thought you fearless. Well, you better get over it quickly. I understand you will be having one of your own very soon."

Nabvan didn't find the conversation funny at all. He truly was afraid to hold the small child. What if he dropped it? What if it cried, or even worse, wet itself? He simply said, "I will learn to hold one when I must. It is not necessary yet."

Alexis took the gurgling baby and kissed his sweet cheek. The baby smiled and drooled. She was entranced. Nabvan loved the look in her eyes as she sang to the baby. Maybe he would give in and hold it later. He turned to Siefer and said, “We have come to talk to you about the election. Do you have some time?"

Siefer graciously replied, “I always have time for friends. Destiney can have our meals brought here so we may talk in private and enjoy a visit."

As they ate, Nabvan told Siefer about the rumors Alexis had heard and the questions that he had been asked. Siefer nodded as he spoke, "I have heard these rumors as well. It was as I expected. You will make an excellent king. I would be proud to serve as a warrior under your rule."

Nabvan shook his head. "You do not understand, my friend. I have no wish to be king. I want to stay a ship's commander and train our warriors. I want the freedom to do as I see fit. The king will be bound by ceremony and rules. You know me well enough to see that I couldn't stand it. I do, however, think it is a perfect position for you. You are fair in your dealings, kind to all, and aware of the changes that must be made in our authority over the colonies. You care about the people of this world and the ones we've conquered as well. I will stand by your side and endeavor to aid you in any way I can."

"Please, Siefer. We could trust you as king. We know of no one else better," Alexis pleaded.

Siefer was clearly shocked and looked to Destiney for help. She appeared as confused as he was. He would need some time to consider this new idea.