Page 61 of Bred by the Alien Prince

"He loves fighting more than fucking."

"You trust him, even after he killed your people?"

"My King condemned me to the life of a sex slave. It was a hard life. Eventually, the people had enough of our terrible royal family and rose against them. Not everything is as black and white as good guys vs bad. To some, like Prince Daruuk, Lorvian is a monster who stole his people and usurped him. Lorvian saved me and gave me a purpose other than pleasing a group of nobles. Surely, not every royal family was like mine, but still, he saved my soul. Was everything great back home among your people?"

"We have our conflicts. Even though we are the same, we come from different places and cultures. We judge each other based on where we come from. It works both ways; we judge people as good or bad based on it. Women have freedom in other parts of the world and none in others. People eat like gluttons while others starve and die. If Lorvian invaded my planet, the ones living free and eating hearty would hate it, but maybe those who feel trapped would love him."

I wondered how I would have felt about Lorvian if I had been stuck on Earth living my dead-end life.

CHAPTER 24

NowIfeltconfused,and this little talk made me understand how selfish I was—or maybe that wasn't the right word, perhaps naïve. I pictured an invasion like a movie where all s would band together to fight a common threat, but maybe it wouldn't be that way. Why would I think that?!

"Caspian, here is some honest advice." She touched my arm to draw my full attention. "Relax. Sometimes, you can't control what happens at all times. Sometimes, it's okay to ride the waves, too. I don't think you can solve your entire planet's problems."

"For a while, I felt that way, with this whole breeding thing."

"If impregnating you obsessed Lorvian, he would have passed you about, or he would be inside of you day and night to ensure a pregnancy."

"I'll let you rest." I stood up to leave. I still needed to rest and didn't want to take up too much of her time.

"Caspian." Lorvian waited for me outside the room. I hoped he didn't hear all of that, but it doesn't matter now. "We're going to Wallachia to speak to the human colonists."

"I hope not aggressively."

"No, but that depends on your people. Of course, I will need you to translate."

"And if that Daruuk person is there? I remember you telling that Daruuk was looking for the human colony. You wanted him to go to rile them up to fight."

"Ah." He smiled. "You remembered and were paying attention even back then. I knew I liked your Wolcan self."

I laughed. I had no idea what that even was or how it related to my behavior. "Okay, I give up. What is a Wolcan?"

"A crafty and cunning animal back home."

"Wait. Are you calling me a weasel?" I put my hands on my hips in mock anger.

He threw his head back in laughter. "So, you have your own animal equivalent."

I waved him off and walked by toward the elevator, and I was glad he followed. "I can't believe you think I'm a weasel."

"Is that an insult?"

"Back home, yeah."

"Sorry. But I don't think there is anything wrong with being either of those things. The man who snuck onboard a colony ship defied everyone as he did and did whatever it took to succeed. That is what I admire about you and why I've fallen for you. I would like for him to stay."

"He isn't going anywhere." I held on to his rough hands. "But that doesn't mean I want my people enslaved or a war."

"My father has been alive for a long time. He no longer wishes to be King and will need a proper heir. He wants to go to sleep knowing he created a balanced and peaceful galaxy. You see, I know that the peace he holds is shaky. When he closes his eyes, everyone will fight again. There are many more aliens like Feion who will profit from war, those like Daruuk who won't stop fighting for power, and those easily manipulated by both. Where do you think humans will fall if this happens? Every alien in this sector knows you exist now. They most likely have found your planet. What keeps them from raiding it? We do. Valisians. Or, more importantly, the fear of my military. And believe me when I say this: you would have more purpose and freedom under Valisian rule than you would under any of theirs."

"Then to have ultimate freedom is to get rid of you all." I couldn't help but sneer. I still didn't like the idea of mankind submitting like the others.

"Perhaps you could fight us all or fight the Valisians and rule in our place over all others. That would be a much more favorable outcome for humans. Try it if you think your people can win." He shrugged. "But be careful that isn't erosion of your species' self-deification speaking."

"Um…"

"It's a term we have for the narcissistic psychological thought processes of first-contact species. For centuries, you believed you were alone, that you were the beings who were conquering the stars, your own masters. Now you realize that millions of beings have already conquered it long before you, that there is a ruling government established here, and that we will expect your people to abide by our laws whether you like it or not. You're now just one million and one, or more accurately put, fifty-two."

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