Page 36 of The Alien's Unwilling Bride

“It’s settled then,” King Brakus said, his deep voice tinged with amusement. “Once this council business is dealt with, Roqron will ensure our Earth guests are thoroughly... educated on Tharvisian culture.”

Queen Erida smiled softly, her eyes twinkling. “And perhaps our Earth guests might have a thing or two to teach us Tharvisians as well.”

The conversation flowed on, moving from teasing to shared stories and laughter. Mila found herself swept up in the warmth of it all, the stress of the day fading into the background. She learned that Vex was an unexpectedly talented mimic, reducing the table to tears with his spot-on impressions of stuffy council members. Zora regaled them with increasingly outlandish tales of her adventures in “plant diplomacy,” each story more ridiculous than the last but delivered with such earnest conviction that even Dravek was openly laughing by the end.

As the night wore on, Mila excused herself, needing a moment to clear her head. She stepped out onto a nearby balcony, the cool night air a welcome relief after the heated discussions and laughter inside.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Roq approaching. He joined her at the railing, their shoulders brushing.

“Quite a day,” he said, his voice low.

Mila nodded. “Yeah. But at least we have a new plan. Thanks to Zora’s... unique perspective.”

Roq chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down Mila’s spine. “She certainly has a way of seeing things differently. Though I think Dravek might disagree on whether that’s a good thing.”

Mila smiled, remembering Dravek’s pained expression every time Zora had launched into one of her flowery tangents. “They make an interesting pair. Who knows? Maybe Zora’s brand of chaos is exactly what Dravek needs to loosen up a bit.”

“Speaking of interesting pairs,” Roq said, turning to face her fully. “I’ve been thinking about us. About how well we work together, how much we’ve accomplished already.”

Mila’s heart raced. She met his gaze, seeing the mix of emotions there - hope, uncertainty, desire. “Roq…”

But before she could finish, the balcony doors burst open. Raelee rushed out, her face flushed with excitement.

“There you are! Come quick, Zora’s convinced the king to let her do a ‘flower reading’ to divine the council’s true intentions. This I’ve got to see.”

As quickly as she appeared, Raelee vanished back inside. Mila and Roq shared a look - equal parts amusement and frustration at the interruption.

“We should probably...” Mila gestured toward the door.

Roq nodded, but as they turned to go, he caught her hand. “This conversation isn’t over,” he said softly, his thumb tracing small circles on her palm.

Mila squeezed his hand in response, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken things growing between them.“I’m counting on it,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Together, they headed inside to witness whatever spectacle Zora had cooked up. As they entered the dining room, Mila was greeted by the sight of Zora standing on a chair, a vase of Tharvisian flowers held aloft like a sacred artifact. Dravek stood nearby, looking torn between stopping her and eagerly awaiting what she’d do next.

“Gather ‘round, dear friends and skeptical royals!” Zora proclaimed dramatically. “The flowers shall reveal all!”

As Zora launched into an elaborate and entirely made-up ritual, complete with interpretive dance moves that nearly sent the vase flying, Mila leaned into Roq’s side, unable to contain her laughter.

TWENTY-FOUR

The war room pulsed with an eerie blue glow, holographic displays casting dancing shadows across Roqron’s face as he stood, arms braced against the central console. The air hummed with the soft whir of advanced technology, a stark contrast to the deathly silence that had fallen over the room’s occupants.

Roqron’s eyes, black as night with that mesmerizing silver sheen, flicked between the faces of his brothers – Vex and Dravek along with Garek. Their expressions, usually a mix of mischief and determination, now bore the weight of the news they’d just delivered.

“Dr. Zyleth,” Roqron repeated, the name tasting bitter on his tongue. “Are you absolutely certain?”

Vex nodded grimly, his usual jovial demeanor nowhere to be seen. “I’m afraid so, brother. We have irrefutable evidence. She’s been feeding information to the rebel faction for months.”

The words hung in the air, each one a dagger to Roqron’s carefully constructed world. He closed his eyes, memories flashing unbidden through his mind - late nights in the lab with Dr. Zyleth, her excitement over new discoveries, the way she’dchallenged his ideas and pushed their research further. All of it tainted now, corrupted by betrayal.

“Show me,” Roqron said, his voice low and controlled despite the storm raging inside him.

Garek stepped forward, tapping a series of commands into the holotable. Immediately, the air above the console filled with flickering images - surveillance footage, intercepted communications, financial records. The evidence was damning, undeniable.

As Roqron absorbed the details, his jaw clenched tighter, the muscle twitching beneath his skin. How could he have been so blind? So trusting? The weight of his failure pressed on him, threatening to crush the air from his lungs.

“There’s more,” Dravek added, his deep voice tinged with reluctance. “We have reason to believe some council members may be involved as well. The network of dissent... it’s larger than we initially thought.”

---