Page 43 of The Alien's Captive Bride

“Please, let me finish. I love you, Venus Arison. Not because of any agreement or political necessity, but because you’re you. Brilliant, stubborn, impossibly brave you.” He took a deep breath, and to Venus’s amazement, she saw a hint of nervousness in his usually confident demeanor. “I know we’re already technically engaged, but I want to do this right.”

With a fluid motion that still managed to look a bit shaky, Azlun dropped to one knee. Venus’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide.

“Venus Arison,” Azlun said, producing a small box from seemingly nowhere, “will you marry me? Not for Earth, not for Tharvis, but for us?”

He opened the box, revealing a ring unlike anything Venus had ever seen. The band seemed to be made of living light, pulsing with the same intricate patterns as Azlun’s royal tattoos. Set in the center was a stone that shifted from deep green to vibrant blue as it caught the light of the Celestial Dance above them.

“It’s made from a shard of Tharvisian crystal,” Azlun explained, a hint of pride in his voice. “Infused with the same energy that powers our tattoos. It will always be a part of me just as you are.”

Venus felt tears stinging her eyes, but this time she was unable to blink them away. “You know,” she said, her voice thick with emotion, “on Earth, it’s considered bad luck to propose in a vehicle. Something about it going nowhere.”

Azlun’s face fell for a moment before he caught the twinkle in her eye. “Is that a yes, then?” he asked, hope evident in his voice.

Venus pretended to consider for a moment. “Well, I suppose since we’re technically not ‘in’ a vehicle, but ‘on’ one, and we’re definitely going somewhere amazing together...” She grinned, pulling him to his feet. “Yes, Azlun Tharvis. A thousand times yes.”

As Azlun slipped the ring onto her finger, Venus marveled at how right it felt. The stone seemed to pulse in time with her heartbeat, a tangible symbol of their connection.

“I love you,” she said softly, reaching up to cup his face. “And I’m so incredibly happy that we’re building this partnership together. Not just on paper, but in our hearts.”

Azlun’s response was to pull her into a kiss that made Venus’s toes curl. As they embraced, the Celestial Dance continued overhead, bathing them in ever-shifting light. Venus couldn’t help but laugh as they parted, both slightly breathless.

“What’s so funny?” Azlun asked, his eyes dancing with joy.

Venus held up her hand, watching the play of light on her new ring. “I was just thinking... I came to Tharvis expecting a political marriage to an alien prince. Instead, I’m getting a fairy tale romance complete with magical rings and light shows in the sky.” She grinned up at him. “If I wake up and this has all been a dream, I’m going to be seriously annoyed.”

Azlun laughed, pulling her close again. “Trust me, my love. This is very, very real.”

As they stood together, watching the celestial display above and below them, Venus felt a sense of peace and rightness settle over her.

And if their love story happened to put every Earth rom-com to shame? Well, that was just a bonus.

TWENTY-THREE

Venus stood before the full-length mirror, a vision in shimmering white and silver. Her wedding gown, a masterpiece of Tharvisian design, seemed to capture and reflect every nuance of light in the room. Intricate patterns reminiscent of Azlun’s royal tattoos swirled across the fabric, pulsing softly with an inner light. She took a deep breath, her heart fluttering with a mixture of excitement and nerves.

“I still can’t believe this is happening,” she murmured, smoothing down the front of her dress for the hundredth time. “Me, Venus Arison, about to become a real alien princess. If only my teenage self could see me now.”

Mila snorted, carefully adjusting Venus’s intricate headpiece - a delicate crown of what looked like living starlight. “I can believe it. Azlun’s been practically bouncing off the walls trying to get this wedding to happen. I swear, the other day I saw him pestering the event planners so much, they looked ready to launch him into space.”

Zora giggled, carefully applying the finishing touches to Venus’s makeup - a subtle shimmer that made her skin glow as if lit from within. “Can you blame him? Have you seen the wayhe looks at Venus? It’s like she hung the moons herself and then rearranged the stars for good measure.”

Venus felt a blush creeping up her cheeks, warming her face. “Oh, stop it, you two. You’re going to make me cry and ruin all of Zora’s hard work. And I refuse to walk down the aisle looking like a raccoon, even if it is an alien raccoon.”

“Speaking of rushing,” Mila said with a mischievous glint in her eye, “I can’t believe Azlun couldn’t wait for Raelee and Vex to get back from their honeymoon. Rae is gonna be so pissed she couldn’t be here for your big day. Someone’s eager for that honeymoon, huh? Planning to explore some uncharted territory, Venus?”

Venus swatted at her sister playfully, careful not to disturb her perfectly coiffed hair. “Mila! It’s not like that... well, not entirely.” She couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face, her mind wandering to thoughts of the upcoming honeymoon. “Okay, maybe a little. But can you blame me? Have you seen my future husband?”

The three sisters dissolved into laughter, the sound bright and carefree in the opulent dressing room. For a moment, Venus was transported back to their childhood, giggling together during sleepovers and dreaming of their futures.

“Do you remember,” Zora said, wiping tears from her eyes, careful not to smudge her own makeup, “how Venus used to always say she’d never get married unless it was to a prince?”

Mila nodded, her eyes dancing with amusement. “Oh yes, ‘Only a prince is good enough for me!’ she’d declare usually while wearing a tiara made of tinfoil and brandishing a ‘scepter’ that was suspiciously similar to Mom’s rolling pin.”

Venus rolled her eyes, but couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Hey, I had high standards, okay? And look where it got me. Married to an actual alien prince. Take that, Disney princesses!”

“Who knew the universe would take you so literally, sis?” Mila teased. “Though I’m pretty sure when you said ‘prince,’ you weren’t thinking ‘tall, dark, and silver-skinned from another planet.’”

Venus shrugged, a dreamy look coming over her face. “What can I say? I’ve always been an overachiever. Why settle for Earth royalty when you can have intergalactic royalty?”

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