Page 91 of Aria's Ascension

He tried, and failed, to smother his amused smile and murmured, “I did. As did many others. Why do you think they are staring at you so warily?”

Glancing around with a frown, she saw that he was right. More than a few people were eyeing her discreetly, and more still were outright gawking with wide, watchful eyes like she was going to pounce on them at any moment like a hungry lioness.

“Well, that’s just great. Didn’t realize I was scaring people with my growling stomach,” she muttered, a bit embarrassed.

“May I sit with you while you dine,sarasha?”

“Sure.”

Smiling at how formal he sounded, she led the way to what passed as a couch and sank down with a sigh.

“You are tense, tired.”

Huffing a short laugh, she rubbed her forehead. “Yeah. I knew this was going to be hard, but I honestly thought the hardest part would be the fighting, not trying to take care of the people we save. There are so many different species here, and those don’t even include the aquatic people still on the ship. Hell, half the things people wanted to talk about were squabbles because of cultural misunderstandings. I’m worried that’s just going to keep happening until we have a real problem on our hands. We don’t need people fighting in here when there are so many to fight out there.”

“You are fierce, wise, and kind beyond measure, Aria, but you cannot hope to make every being happy at all times. And you cannot hope to do all this yourself. You need to select proxies to whom you can delegate some of these tasks.”

She sighed, “I know. But, who to pick? Most of these people are still shell-shocked, and I haven’t the first idea who’s trustworthy or even willing to be a proxy.”

“If you would allow it, your Kix and I could select people for you,” he offered quietly.

Turning, she gazed up at him speculatively for a moment. “Where do you come from, Rellik? What’s your world like?”

He blinked before a surprised smile tipped his lips. “I am of this world,Gaiaesh, from a Queendom far from here.”

“Really?” she marvelled. When he nodded, she raised her brows in surprise. “Huh. What are your people like?”

“We are… a complicated people.” Settling farther down into the couch, he laid his head against the backrest, but tilted it so his cheek was resting against the thin cushion, and watched her as he spoke. “The ancient texts tell of a time when we were peaceful and lived as one, but the arrival of what we call the slavers changed us. Our people split up, moved to different areas, all trying to go somewhere the slavers would not find us. Over time, that has led to disputes over territory, resources, and the like. This has always been a hard world, but being under constant threat of slavery, living in fear… it has done my people no favors.”

His people sounded a lot like humans from the not-too-distant past.

“What was your life like before you were taken?” she asked, curious about him.

“Ah.” He smiled, but it was wry and bitter. “I was not taken. I was betrayed.”

“What?” she gasped, taken completely off guard.

“I was one of the queens entertainers, selected to be so at the first brush of puberty,” he began, his smile turning proud. “I was her favorite and thought the most handsome of her circle.” A wicked glint sparkled in his eyes. “I was renowned for my skill to please and anticipate her needs.” He paused for a moment, his wicked look fading to one of old anger. “The queen’s first born had designs to have me for herself. I declined.” A muscle ticked in his jaw, and he shook his head against the cushion. “Looking back, perhaps that was a foolish choice. She was angry at my refusal and sold me in secret to the master of a pleasure lounge.”

“Wow. She sounds like ten pounds of vindictive crazy in a five pound bag. I’m so sorry, Rellik. Did you get the chance to kill her, at least, before you were hauled off?”

His eyes went wide, and a true smile curled his lips before he chuckled softly. “I did, though I admit I am surprised you asked.”

Aria cocked her brow at him. “You said she was the first born. If your society is anything like those in my people’s past, being first born means she becomes the leader when the current one dies, right?” At his nod, she continued, “If she’s cruel enough to sell one of her own into a lifetime of slavery and horror just for refusing to…entertainher, then what else might she do? No. I come from a place where we imprison bad people, but I was also taught to never leave an enemy at your back. She needed to be killed before she got the power to do whatever the hell she wanted, to whomever she wanted.”

He blinked rapidly and stuttered, “I—I… yes. I agree.”

“So how’d you end up here? At an arena?”

“Ah, my people have been working to guard ourselves against the Veiling technology for some time. I had a breakthrough just before she—Salesh—sold me, so my suppression did not take fully. I woke to find… a female.” He faltered, his mouth thinning to a line, and his eyes dropped to stare at a spot on the couch between them. “She… I killed her. The lounge master was predictably displeased. After punishment, I was sent to this arena. Zhrovni’s Veiling was stronger than the lounge master’s, but it, too, began to weaken, after a time. I tried to escape during a tournament. I expected him to kill me, but he locked me underground instead, which is where you found me.”

He still wouldn’t look at her, but she laid her hand over his and swallowed back the anger she felt at his story, not wanting him to think any of that anger was toward him. “I’m so sorry, Rellik. You shouldn’t have had to go through any of that, and I hate that you did.”

He jerked his head up to stare at her disbelievingly. “That… is all? Y—you do not find my actions contemptible? I killed two females,” he reiterated slowly, as if she hadn’t heard him the first time.

Aria frowned and cocked her head. “Yeah. You killed two sick, horrible females from what you told me. Should you have let them live so they could hurt someone else?” she challenged, then answered before he could. “No. As far as I can see, you did the right thing. I wouldn’t have done anything different.” She paused and smiled teasingly. “Except maybe try a little harder to not get caught.”

He barked a shocked laugh. “Ha! Yes, I will concede my escape attempt was not well thought out.” His smile slowly faded into something serious and sincere. Flipping his hand over under hers so they were palm to palm, he held her gaze and whispered, “I thank you, Aria. The guilt does not weigh so heavily after your words.”

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