Page 2 of Her Alien Prince
"Of course not. I am merely stating facts. I aim to prove the krelins are compatible mates with your females and promise you peace should you grant me the opportunity to prove the same to my species. To all of Krelis. Give me time with a strong leader of your clan. Should she reject me, I will respect her decision to do so." He bent down on a knee and bowed his head to Almder. It was very unlike a krelin to posture themselves in such a manner. To bow to someone other than their own queen was unheard of. It was almost like begging for them; their pride would never allow it, but there he was, kneeling at my Almder's feet.
"Very well," Almder conceded. "You've proven yourself to be reasonable for your species, and I agree with your queen that a union between our clans would solidify peace for many generations. I will allow you to join the ceremony, since you've passed all of our examinations. However, as you said, the final decision is not yours. It belongs to any female that is compatible with you. I will even grant you a single offering to spend some time with our strongest female this mating cycle, on the condition that you discuss other ways our clans may seek peace together once a union is formed."
"Agreed." The krelin male stood, and his back muscles flexed and bulged before straightening. He clicked his tongue, making noises that bounced within the stone carved dome. "You have company," he said without turning to see me there.
"One of my advisors," Almder explained my presence, and I flushed with embarrassment at not removing myself as soon as I saw she was already with someone. Something about the krelin made my feet plant where they were, and all I could do was stare. All I saw was the back of his head, but he was very handsome. I shouldn't have thought like that at all, considering what he was, but my skin heated as I watched his shoulder blades move, and I gasped as I noticed something reflective that shifted along the leather strap across his back. He wore armor coverings all over—except for keeping his back exposed—but as the moon's light moved across him, it was almost like there were iridescent bones twitching as he moved. How could no one else see this?
He had wings!
Only the most powerful of the krelin warriors had wings, the ones that led the armies of their fleets. Not a single delegate had ever come to Estreldez with wings before. He was escorted out of the alcove by one of Loric's best trained guards, Gaven. Whenever Loric went off-world, he always took Gaven with him. It was a relief to see they wouldn't give the krelin free range around the palace.
Golden eyes captured me as the krelin passed, and like one of the glilor reptiles near the waterholes they blinked with a second lid that watched me with curiosity. I sidestepped and plowed towards the Almder with purpose, not wanting to embarrass the Almder further, should the krelin think I didn't belong amongst dignitaries. Of course, he'd have been right. I shouldn't have been here while she was discussing diplomacy with Krelis, but Iwasan advisor, and I wouldn't shame the Almder by letting the krelin know I wasn't summoned.
It wouldn’t be the first time I’d gone somewhere I wasn’t supposed to. The trading post on the farthest moon, a favorite of my excursions, was where I acquired nectar from a krelin called the Chief. The thought was almost enough to distract me from what I was doing here to begin with.
"Almder," I addressed, bowing my head. Her crystal, silver eyes dulled as she shook her head at me. As soon as the doors closed behind Gaven and the krelin with a thud, I cringed.
"I understand why you are here." She sounded sad. "You've always been like a seventh daughter to me," she explained, and my heart sank even farther into my gut. Luan was her only living daughter. Five others did not survive gestation. To be her seventh daughter was a great honor, and the sadness in her tone broke me. All I've ever wanted was family. Luan and my Almder were all I had left.
"I didn't mean to interrupt—"
She stopped me from continuing with a lift of her hand, I bowed my head once more to accept whatever punishment she saw fit for my intrusion. I took liberties with my role as advisor because of her affections. Being around her daughter since we were offspring, made me feel like I was family. A point that was often dismissed by others, but it was times like this one where the Almder looked at me with those caring silver eyes that I believed it to be true.
"Mabel, I received your exam report this morning.” I flinched at the quick shift in the conversation. “This was going to be your first official ceremony as a participant, and not merely as a researcher for the M.R. team, and I recall how excited I once was as a fledgling into mating age. This must be extremely tough news to take, but I've already discussed things with Elder Ezra. Your life is priority, not that of life yet to form." Almder stood from her black, polished throne of tarnpul, carved with intricate murals of our history at her back.
Wearing flowing, black robes of the sheerest threads so as not to hinder her absorption of the moon's rays, Almder’s every jewel shone and gave her an ethereal glow no other estreld but Luan, her own daughter, could match. She was mesmerizing to watch. So much so, I could forget why I was there, and why so much sadness tainted the brilliance of her eyes for me.
She bent her knees to be eye level with me, her delicate, long fingers leaned on her thighs. I was shorter than most females—a runt. It was unusual for the Almder to stoop for anyone, let alone someone like me, yet she still did it so gracefully and maintained a regality about her.
Almder continued, "It is the strongest of us that must bear the heartiest of burdens. It was not long after Luan that I was told the very same thing. I did not listen to my elders, and I suffered such great loss of sons and daughters I will not meet again until the end of my days. Their lives cut short before they even began.
"The souls of your offspring are out there in the stars. You need not suffer their loss, but embrace their new futures in their next life, as we all return to the moon's dust, and are born anew. Mabel, I will not make you relive this feeling with every mate you interview. Hearing of the futures you will now not be able to obtain yourself; it is a burden I will not add to one I care for so deeply. I will devise a suitable position after you've had time to process this new phase of your life."
Her arms wrapped around my shoulders, and she kissed the top of my head as she would her own daughter. A warmth from her radiation flooded from her loh and through my body, giving me all of her love and a great sense of comfort, though I knew it was temporary relief from the weight building in the carved out cavity that once held my heart.
My Almder, my second mother, was removing me from my position as advisor of the mating research team. I feared this would be a possibility, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon. After the ceremony perhaps, as all of our resources were stretched to the limit with the largest off-worlder invite to date.
I was not only told I could not participate in the mating ceremony I had been eagerly anticipating this cycle, but I lost the very position I had worked so hard for, despite not having many loh and being deemed weak and small.
Where would I go? What would I do?
Would I be sent outside of the palace?
Would the only family I had left send me outside of the city in some misguided attempt to keep me from harm? I was stronger than that. I was good at my job.
No, I thought with anger brewing deep in my gut, I was more than good. I was her best research advisor when it came to finding correlations in the efficacy of successful matings. Since I joined the team, our spawn rates have been steadily increasing. Marginally, but my research was bringing more offspring into the world. I knew it was.
But what proof did I have? Many could simply dismiss the small increases to other changes in the program. What proof was there that it was because of my efforts directly?
"My Almder… I can still do my job," I insisted, and she pulled away.
"I wouldn't hear of it," she dismissed as if she were doing me a favor, and perhaps she thought she was doing me a kindness.
"Please..." I choked, feeling the pressure build up behind my eyes. Fresh tears threatened to shed themselves at her feet.
She smiled warmly, pity in her silver eyes. "Take some time to consider your options. We can discuss after the ceremony."
That was the best I was going to get for now. I bowed and backed away. A sob struggled free from my throat, and I didn't want her to hear me cry. She would only use it as more evidence she was doing what was right. I was processing more than one kind of loss, and I'd already pressed more than any other estreld would dare with the Almder once she'd made a decision. My short legs walked briskly back the way I’d come. By the time I reached the doors, I felt close to running. The guards slid the doors aside for me, and water sloshed from my unruly eyes. I wiped away at them vigorously before colliding with Luan.
