Page 27 of Alien on the Moon

“No need to interrogate him,” Arccoo interrupted, earning a glare from both older sisters.

Elena just buried her face in her hands.

Carmen took his hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze. “Arccoo, I love you, but you need to butt out. This is a sacred Earth ritual known as ‘making sure the youngest has good taste in men.’ It’s our right as older sisters to interrogate him.”

“Still, don’t you think this is excessive?”

Rylan held up a hand. “It’s all right, Your Highness. Elena has already warned me about this Earth ritual.”

He turned to Carmen and Sofia. “To your questions: teal, slimy, read or draw, drinks ginger ale and rests while watching stream shows, and Milkas, a delicacy she’s kindly shared with me.”

Sofia raised her eyebrows. “Elena shared some of her homesick snack stash? You really must be special.”

“Yeah, she barely even shares it with us,” Carmen said, hiding her smile behind a sip of her drink.

“So, did I pass?” Rylan asked. “Do I have your stamp of approval?”

Sofia and Carmen exchanged glances, holding a conversation with just their gazes. Almost in unison, they nodded.

“You passed,” Sofia said.

Carmen held up a finger. “Probationally.”

He sagged with relief while Elena, face still in her hands, groaned. Why did her sisters insist on being so embarrassing?

“For what it’s worth, you and Elena seem to be a good match.” Arccoo winked. “Your intellect is very close to matching hers.”

Rylan straightened up at that. The prince had given him his blessing to date his sister-in-law. Elena knew he had some insecurity about not being nobility, so this was a boost to his confidence.

“You do understand that I’m a commoner. Right, Your Highness?” Rylan asked and then immediately backtracked. “Not to imply that I don’t trust your judgment, but—”

Zaraq laughed. “Rylan, I’m a commoner, too. And with my history, if Arccoo was to be displeased with anyone, it would be me, not the genius scientist.”

Rylan shot Elena a confused glance. She hadn’t told him about Zaraq and his past, mainly because it wasn’t her story to tell. “Later,” she whispered, and he nodded.

“To be honest, I don’t think I can forbid this even if I wanted to,” Arccoo said. “These women are far too strong to be dissuaded by anyone, including the orders of a prince. Did you know that they repaired a spaceship on their own in order to get here?”

Rylan chucked. “I heard something to that effect.”

“It was mostly Elena,” Carmen said. “She figured out how to repair Arccoo’s ship almost entirely on her own.”

Rylan took Elena’s hand. “I’m beginning to suspect your previous telling of this story was a bit modest. “

She shrugged. “It wasn’t relevant.”

Laughing, he shook his head. “You never cease to amaze me.”

Chapter 10

Rylan

After lunch, Rylan oversaw the clearing of the cafeteria for the welcome celebration. Kyn and Stiya hung up streamers while his cooks prepared their best holiday dishes. They set up a dance floor in the center of the room and covered the surrounding walls with portable holo-screens.

Some of the scientists on the base played instruments while others could sing, so they formed something of a band. He had initially suggested that they just stream music, but the musically inclined had shot that down. When else would they get the opportunity to play for royalty?

Elena sidled up to him as he watched them all work. “Carmen and Arccoo want me to tell you that you didn’t have to go to all this effort for them.”

He shook his head. “Of course I did. This place isn’t much, but a royal visitation from the crown prince deserves a royal celebration.” He glanced around. “Where are they?”

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