Page 6 of Gifted to the Alien Prince

“Prince Thadron.” Yet another dignitary approached him at the table. “So good of you to visit this little corner of the galaxy.”

I found myself wondering, as I watched Thadron tighten his mask, what kept him so distant from other people. This event seemed to be going pretty well. Granted, I was no master of diplomacy at all. Yet there was something about the way he avoided genuine attempts to get him in deeper conversation. Something beyond being annoyed. It almost seemed a bit sad.

I chuckled when someone made a joke about the Kajal traffic. Thadron gave me a flat stare when I sent a smile his way. I had no idea why he showed up in a sour mood, but I knew I had my orders from the Wanderstar Fleet to make a good impression. Determined not to let his mood dampen mine, I engaged the other guests in conversation, smiling and nodding along to anecdotes of interstellar trade and cosmic festivities.

As the evening wore on, I floated from one group to another. I chatted about my bookstore, about Earth. When it was time to eat, I took my seat next to Thadron. He ate silently while the murmur of conversation wove bands of sound around us.

"Tell us, Prince Thadron," an alien with short shimmery purple hair began, "the defenses of Glaciara have been praised throughout the galaxy. What's your secret?"

Thadron straightened, his silverware laid down with precision. "Vigilance. We maintain our traditions and focus on our people's safety."

"Ah, yes, your tenure as master at arms has been most impressive," chimed in the ambassador from Helikios. "The peace you've secured for your planet is envied by many."

In that moment, a flicker of something unguarded crossed Thadron's face. He cleared his throat, shifting in his chair as if the heavy fabric of his cloak suddenly felt too constrictive.

"Let's not dwell on past achievements," he replied hastily, his voice regaining its frosty edge. "There are always new challenges to face."

I could almost hear the door to his inner world slamming shut, leaving me to wonder what lay behind it. "Challenges that I'm sure you will overcome," I offered, hoping to bridge the gap between us, even as his guarded eyes told me there were parts of him he was not going to budge on anytime soon.

The evening stretched on. The chatter of the dignitaries melded into a hum, buzzing through the hall.

“Thank you for your company. If you all will excuse me.” Thadron got up from the table and gave a nod so slight it was barely noticeable.

Was that it? He was just going to up and leave the dinner table like that, and leave me to figure it all out? I gave a smile to the puzzled guests, trying not to let my own confusion show.“Dinner was lovely, and so was the conversation. Excuse me.” I set my napkin down and rose from my chair.

Curiosity tugged at me, guiding my gaze as Thadron slipped away from the conversation and into a dim corridor of the opera house.

Where was he going? I trailed him at a distance. The further we moved away from the dining area, the quieter the opera house became, until all that remained was the sound of our footsteps.

Thadron came to stand in an alcove. Framed by windows, he stood, his ice-armored silhouette a frozen contrast against the night sky. I stayed just outside of the alcove, shadows curling around me. There, I listened as a low, haunting melody drifted from him.

His song reached at something inside me. Night seemed to enter from the window and fill the alcove, making the walls and floor disappear, leaving only the span and backdrop of a starry universe. The more I listened to the foreign words of Thadron’s songs, words I didn’t understand, I forgot myself, forgot the reason for my pursuit. The music continued to wrap around me, as though it were a cloak woven from the threads of distant stars. And then, I saw a vision: a glacial field of ice, cold and calm at once. Snowflakes drifted in a gentle fall before they danced upon the ice. The field seemed to expand into forever, this new world serene and untouched.

Was this Glaciara? Somehow, a piece of Thadron's home carried in his song. The sight was heartbreakingly beautiful, a canvas of peace painted with the brush of isolation.

As abruptly as it began, the song ceased, the final note hanging in the air like a crystal ready to shatter. The vision faded. I blink and found myself back in the reality of the opera house corridor.

"Isa?" Thadon’s voice, stripped of its melody, was still rich with the echoes of that other place. "What are you doing here?"

Chapter Three

THADRON

Ihad just allowed the last note to slip from my lips when I caught Isa's gaze locked onto me. We had just met this afternoon, but already I was becoming familiar with her brown-eyed open stare that spoke of surprise and something else. It was something warmer, a curiosity and tenderness that I hadn't felt directed at me in a long time.

"Sorry," she said quickly, her apology slicing through the moment like a blade on Glaciara's icy plains. "I saw you left the dinner and I thought we should stick together since, you know, we came in that way."

She fully stepped into the alcove with me. As a Glaciarian, my internal thermasense nodes picked up on the heat that flowed from her body. I didn’t want to be here, but she was intent on doing things properly at this diplomatic dinner. And it seemed she wasn’t about to let me off the hook. I came up with an excuse. “It was too hot in there. It’s cooler here.”

I sounded like a child complaining. She rewarded me with a simple nod. “It was a bit stuffy.”

I found myself noticing how the moonlight got lost in her crown of dark hair. The curls at her ears and nape of her neck moved from the draft of a nearby window. When I sat next to her at the dinner table, there was a delicious scent coming from her hair and skin, an aromatic spice that was nothing like anything I smelled before. My chest expanded as I took a deep breath to catch a trace of it now.

Her shoulders fell, and her eyes flitted from making contact with mine. "I didn't mean to bother you.”

I realized she might have mistaken my inhale for an irritable sigh. “All is well.” I stumbled to reassure her.

I failed, as she continued to draw back. “No, you said you wanted some air. I’ll just wait near the dining area."

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