Page 35 of The Alien I Fell in Love with on Walpurgis Night

“Yes,” she says reluctantly. “But this is a mistake.”

“You’ve stated that a few times. None of us are hard of hearing.”

I head directly to the infirmary. Georgiana and I, for all intents and purposes, officially courting by my mother’s word, so I am allowed to check on her. However at the infirmary’s entrance, I’m met with resistance from a nurse.

“Commander Axl, you know you’re not allowed to be here.”

“The Head of House Zu has granted me seven days of courting with that human woman.”

The nurse pushes her lips together and then tells me to wait while she verifies this. Then she comes back over and reluctantly lets me enter. She guides me to Georgiana’s room. I can see her through the window. but the door is locked.

“May I go in?”

“She’s resting as you can see. She’s exhausted. She needs sleep. Lying to her for your own benefit altered her perception of reality.”

“Have you managed to straighten it all out in her mind?”

“The doctor did, but it took her longer than usual. The poor woman had a tough time accepting that aliens existed and that this could have happened to her. She must be more intelligent than most humans as there was also a lot of guilt that she let this happen to her. We all tried to comfort her. I know I’d feel the same if I’d been fooled like this.”

“I was not dishonest,” I tell the nurse. “The doctor must have seen that in Madame Georgiana’s memories as well. I told her from the very beginning it wasn’t a game.”

“Maybe you didn’t stress it enough because it didn’t suit your purposes?”

“No. I said clearly and many times.”

“Was that while you were taking advantage of her body? The doctor saw that too.”

I remain quiet. Of course female doctors would see it this way. I give up trying to convince the nurse of my honesty. “May the goddesses be blessed you were able to heal her. Please notify me when she wakes. I want to be here.”

The nurse nods. Despite whatever she personally feels, she must do it for me. This is a registered request between two maximum class people.

I stand at Georgiana’s window a little bit longer going over the last week in my mind. Could I have emphasized that it was not a game to her anymore? I know that there were times that I just let it go because it did benefit me, but wasn’t she benefiting as well? She will get the money if she returns to Earth.

I must review the facts. I inserted a translation device that may or may not have caused some brain injuries. But I don’t think so as no one has mentioned it and they would have definitely checked now. They would have also checked to see if I had had sex with her, which I did not. And they would have checked her memories and found that yes, I did probably let her believe it was a game more than I should have and she did get food poisoning in my care. But the latter, I could not have known. Otherwise, I have treated her as I would any Alliance woman who was my wife. I have clothed her, fed her, and kept her physically satisfied.

But now I want more from Georgiana. I want her to stay with me. I want her to be my real wife. And I’m frightened she’s going to be so angry with me for allowing her to believe this was all a game she will never want to see me again.

16

Georgiana

I open my eyes. The ceiling is smooth and grey with dim light coming from the corners is a soothing way. The sheets are black. I sit up. I’m naked. I pull the silky sheets around me for modesty.

Before I can call out for help or get out of the bed a grey skinned woman wearing a long navy blue dress enters the room. I recognize her, she’s the doctor.

“Thank the gods. You look healthier. How are you feeling?”

“Better.”

She puts a hand over my hand and looks into my eyes. “I’m just checking everything is in order. You got yourself into quite a state.”

I begin to explain, but she cuts me off.

“I understand everything and it makes sense. Commander Axl should have explained it to you adequately. But men are like that. They don’t think these things through all the time.”

“He did try and tell me. I just couldn’t believe it.”

“He should have tried harder. None of this is your fault.”

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