Page 7 of The Alien I Fell in Love with on Walpurgis Night

He hesitates for a second. “Imperial Fleet Reserve Commander Axl of Imperial House Zu, Capital City, Capital Planet, Alliance Empire.” He motions to his silver necklaces. It says exactly that on them. This is odd. I could’ve sworn by the firelight they looked like the writing from the Voynich Manuscript.

“More world-building. It can’t be too much. I have a fairly good memory, but when I get nervous, I can’t think.”

“Titles are especially important in the Empire. You must remember to use them and at the very least, you must remember my title.”

“I’ll do my best. I can’t make any promises.” At least he’s not calling himself a wizard.

“What’s your name?”

“Georgiana Smith. My friends call me ‘Georgie.’” When he gives me a strange look I further explain, “My mother was a huge Jane Austen fan.”

5

Axl

“I’m not your friend. I’m your husband, Georgiana. And I will call you Georgiana.” I let the long name slip through my mouth like a well guided whip. It’s not a bad name, but I’m trying to imagine if I would be able to call that name out during the ecstasy of sex. I look into her brown eyes and try to envision it. Yes, it suits her well actually. I reckon she’d be feisty during sex given her demeanor now. Not that I would ever be intimate with a human, but given the situation I can’t not consider it in my mind’s eye.

“What’s your surname?”

“I don’t have one. In the Empire we are only associated with Houses.”

“Since we married in secret, am I part of your House or did you keep me locked away in the dungeon with my human name?”

“I would have kept you in my House and bribed people not to say anything. It would have been in their best interest too as it would have reflected badly on our entire House if I had married a human.”

“Oh, a little bit of racism sprinkled in with the world-building?” She says with too much sarcasm for my liking. But before I can explain, she backtracks, “Never mind, I guess it makes it more believable.”

I feel slightly guilty that she doesn’t think this is real, but for the moment it suits my purposes and maybe it’s better if she thinks this whole thing is a game made up by rich humans. She might even be more convincing to the Alliance Force that way.

“What else should I know?” she says just as much to herself as to me. “What’s your favorite food?”

“I don’t have one. And I don’t think the Alliance Force is going to ask those kinds of questions.”

“Why not? How else are we going to prove we’re married if not by how well we know each other?”

“What’s your favorite sexual position? That is something they are more likely to ask.”

Her brown eyes widen and her mouth opens.

“You’ve had sex before, right?”

“Of course I have,” she says defensively and crosses her arms. “But now I’m worried this is a weird pornography thing? I’m not into that. I don’t care how much money you’re offering me.”

“Absolutely not. We don’t have such barbaric practices as pornography in the Empire.” I had come across human pornography, it was impossible to miss. I found it cruel. “I would never treat a woman, especially my wife, in such a way. But if we are married…” I trail off and then make my tone softer, “Do you have a favorite sexual position?”

She doesn’t answer for a few seconds. “They aren’t going to ask that if they are decent.”

I decide to leave this question for later. Hopefully, the Alliance Force won’t ask her anything about our fictional sexual relationship because I’m concerned this young woman is not sexually experienced. Twenty-six years old is incredibly young. “Do you want children?”

“You mean do we want children. Of course, why not have seven?”

I’m momentarily stunned. “Why did you choose seven?”

“Why not? It seems like a respectable number for a fictional family.”

“Seven is the sacred number.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

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