Page 105 of Bred by the Alien Prince

"It will need a regen booster, and right now, the blood and sac fluid are being analyzed to see if the meds will have to be tailored. It seems Doctor Pheasus did a good job fine-tuning this human's DNA. Though his experiments have always been unorthodox."

"It was why he applied to work on my capital ship." Lorvian chuckled. "He knew he couldn't do what he wanted here."

"It's true he felt held back in these labs. But his madness would have caused a diplomatic incident the King didn't want to deal with. How many bodies should we pile up to save our own?"

"Hm. I once thought as many as needed." Lorvian huffed. "But I don't know anymore. Killing everyone in a vain attempt to save yourself may only leave a galaxy full of ashes."

The doctor looked at him, her eyes wide. "Turning into a philosopher out there in the vast darkness of space, my prince?"

"I think I'll vomit if you call me that." Lorvian chuckled. "So the experiment was a complete success, I take it."

"More than that! If we can get a hold of more of these humans to test the success rate of his experiments, then we may have a winning species among us. Not even Travol's had this reaction to our DNA. This is fascinating stuff indeed!"

"Can we focus on my children right now?" I scoffed.

"I'm sorry. This could only be the greatest medical breakthrough of our dying species." She heaved a sigh as she tucked her tablet away. "Your children are going through the same hardships you are going through, and with one child almost losing its life... you are tense and stressed. We recommend you do not leave the planet for the duration of your pregnancy. No heavy traveling, even planetside. We'll prepare the booster."

"Lorvian," I looked to him like a life-saver, the thought of being stuck here. "I won't be at the mercy of these people!"

He looked at me, his dark eyes staring at me for a long moment. I couldn't tell if he was angry or not.

"I'll do what's best for my children," he said, leaning forward, keeping his eyes on me. "If having them here is what you need to do, then that's what will happen." He took my hand, kissing it. "I swear I will kill anyone who harms you or my children." He looked at the doctor. "Can we leave the hospital?"

"Yes. After the shot."

Once she released me from the hoops, I sat back and covered myself again. I felt almost like I was being scolded, not like I didn't deserve it. He was angry. I felt it, though he didn't show it. I pestered him, demanded that I come along, and then snuck onboard. The thought of being a father was new, but that was no excuse for my actions.

Wasn't some sort of super paternal protector instinct supposed to kick in? Or was I that much of a selfish asshole? "Are you thinking of leaving me here?" I asked—no argument from me. The thought of being left alone scared me, but if it was for the best...

"It was a mistake for you to leave the human colony, and because I couldn't say no to you, someone injured my child...ourchild. It's not just about you anymore but their well-being too." He settled down. "Of course, I would prefer not to leave you in the hospital alone. We will return to our ship if it's okay for you to leave."

The shots hurt and left my belly sore, but I was prepared to endure whatever pain I had to to make sure they recovered. No matter what happened, I was going to focus on resting as much as I could.

"Caspian…" Lorvian broke the silence as we prepared to leave. "I'm going to give up my place in line to the throne."

"Why?"

"I don't care about it as much as my siblings, most certainly not enough to fight a war over it. I thought about it after my little meeting with Feion, that if I had to resort to a false war then it meant I was truly obsolete. And if so, then I would need to find a new way to live. Seeing my babies…mine…it feels so real. I wasn't just scolding you when I said you can't just think of yourself. I was talking about myself as well. I don't want them growing up fearing an assassination or having to shun a part of themselves to survive. I'll inform my father about Regis and Erevan, relinquish my claim, and wash my hands of the matter. If they wish to do so, Swarti and my crew can be better served protecting the human colony. "

"You mean it?"

"I do."

I reached out and took his hand in mine and lifted myself on my toes to kiss him.

We returned to the ship once I was pumped full of meds for the baby, the hospital ordeal tired me out but I wasn't sleepy, and I was still mentally kicking myself for how everything turned out. Though Lorvian giving up the throne and the idea of fighting another war made me feel so relieved.

Zai slung a bag over his shoulder and met us as we entered. He was now cleaned up and looking more like a scientist and less like some mystic. "Are you well, Caspian?"

"Yes, I just need to take it easy."

"That's good news. I'm glad I get to see you again. I wanted to thank you for all you've done." He addressed me. "If it weren't for you I would be trapped on Rishi for another 300 years. And you, my prince, if it weren't for you I never would have gotten ahold of the plants I need to help our kind."

"My Damma is also slumbering." Lorvian sighed. "I would give anything to speak to him again…where are you going?"

"To report to the government that I'm not dead, and hopefully to whatever lab will take me."

"Hm, I'll give you one of my channels. Contact me and keep me updated on your progress."

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