Page 45 of Alien in the Attic

He turned to her sisters. “We all owe you a debt of gratitude. Tomorrow, a ball will be thrown in celebration of your heroism, and we humbly ask that you attend.”

“This is so fucking cool!” Sofia exclaimed. “Of course, we’re coming.”

He bowed his head. “If I may borrow your sister for a bit, I’d like to have a chat.”

“Ooh, a chat,” Elena teased. “Well, don’t let us keep you.”

Carmen rolled her eyes and followed him out of the room. He led her to his private quarters. A spread of food had been laid out on the table in front of a piece of furniture that resembled a couch. It wasn’t until she smelled food that she realized just how ravenous she was.

They both ate in silence for a bit. The food revived her from the exhaustion and feeling of unreality. “So, who was the guy you gave the parantaa to?” she asked once she’d had her fill.

“Corrum. While most can use the destructive aspect of it, he’s one of the few who has studied the device extensively enough to use it to heal.” Arccoo set his plate in front of him and leaned back, looking exhausted. The worry that seemed permanently etched on his face, though, had been relaxed away.

“I’m glad it’s in the right hands now. And Rocco?”

“He’s in prison for now, awaiting judgment for his crimes.”

It was obvious from his tone that he didn’t want to talk more, but she needed to know. “Have you decided what you’re going to do with him?”

“My recommendation will be to keep him somewhere off planet. That way, he will have less access to any remaining loyalists and vice-versa.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Rocco himself would call this weakness, but he’s still my brother, and I cannot bear to have him executed.”

She picked up her head. “Well, your brother is wrong. It takes far more strength to show compassion and mercy in the face of betrayal than it does to inflict that pain on others.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Your wisdom will make you a great queen one day.”

She blinked. “What was that?”

A look of panic crossed his face. “I mean, if you want to, of course.”

Her heart fluttered, feeling as though it would explode into a miniature sun. “Arccoo, are you asking me to marry you?”

He smirked. “I had assumed that you traveling across the cosmos to find me was equivalent to an Earth marriage proposal. Was I wrong?”

She surged forward, catching his mouth with her own. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”

The next day, she and her sisters stood outside the doors to the ballroom. Her shimmering violet gown matched the shade of Arccoo’s eyes, and her hair had been intricately braided with precious gems woven into her dark locks. Elena wore a sky-blue gown that matched the blue of her eyes while Sofia wore a black gown with gold accents that shimmered when she moved.

Her sisters had never looked more beautiful, and Carmen never felt lovelier. Someone inside announced their names. She took their hands and wished her parents and grandparents were here to see this. The doors opened, and the three stepped into the ballroom.

The dancers stopped. Putting their hands over their hearts, they bowed and parted, allowing Arccoo to walk through. He wore intricately embroidered robes that seemed to shift with every movement as though the fabric itself was alive. Given the wonders of Thryal, she wouldn’t have been surprised if the embroidery truly was a living thing.

He took Carmen’s hands in his and kissed her knuckles. Then he turned to the crowd. “Please give a warm welcome to my fiancée, the wondrous Carmen Flores, and my future sisters-in-law, Sofia and Elena Flores, the women responsible for ending this plague and apprehending the traitor prince. We are all in their debt.”

“Back up,” Sofia whispered. “Did he just say fiancée?”

Carmen grinned. “He did.”

Her sisters squealed with delight and hugged her as the crowd erupted into cheers.

And then the music began again. Arccoo took her hand and led her out to the dance floor. The first song had a sort of waltz beat, something slow and rhythmic, so she showed him the simple Earth dance.

“I rather like the closeness of this one,” Arccoo whispered in her ear. He had gotten the hang of it quickly, and soon they were dancing their way across the floor.

She grinned. “Remind me to teach you the tango. It’s like a waltz but much sexier.”

“Is that so?” he purred. He twirled her out and brought her in again.

She hooked her leg around his, forcing them even closer in a move borrowed from the tango. “So much sexier.”

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