Page 4 of Her Alien Prince
I was anything but a sycophant, stroking the glands as the queen's tendrils of influence wormed through their minds. There were plenty of other ways to relieve myself; listening to her 'check in on me’ wasn't it. Since the last potential queen of our hive died of the Molt Fever without gifting the hive with spawn, my queen has become increasingly desperate to appease the hive's needs. No matter the cost.
The one I needed was Luan, the Jewel of Estreldez and future Almder of the clan. With her at my side, I could sway the hive, and she could lead both of our planets to victory against the coming war. There wasn't much time; Necias Delta Fal had already sensed the impending change in this sector of the universe, and many of their warships were approaching Estreldez, even as I knelt at the Almder's feet.
King Sylve had the same idea as our Queen Kai. Conquer Estreldez, gain control of the exports, and leverage against the trill. My queen had no intention of me finding a mate while here. Participation in the mating ritual was all a guise for me to acquire intel on how best to invade, but I had different plans.
My back bristled and I clucked my tongue to confirm the occupants of the room. I was a commander of the Krelis war fleet, first and foremost, and that feeling had never failed me in any battle I'd fought. The vibrations made it back to my horns’ receptors, as I suspected, another had joined my meeting with the Almder.
I informed the leader of Estreldez, "You have company." It was preferable to distract her from our conversation as I had already received her permission to court her daughter, though not in so many words.
Whoever this newcomer was, they were not unwelcome. A softness filled the graying eyes of the Almder. My wings flexed as I rose to my feet from prostrating before the Almder in hopes she would trust that I wasn't as prideful as my queen. It was merely good politics to show my respect. Kneeling before her did not diminish my strength, nor my reputation among my warriors.
My second in command, Gho-ran, would agree, though he may not find it as easy to bear with a smile on his face. At no point in our time together had Gho-ran ever knelt at my feet, nor would I ever ask it of him. He was prideful, and popular with my warriors. Often, he was more dismissive of circumstances than I would like of a second, but he had never let me down either.
A hum lingered in my horns that I couldn't shake since I’d scanned the room. It wasn't all that unpleasant like a warmth that spread from my horns to my toes. It reminded me of when my mother was less concerned with the hive's wellbeing and still proud of her first born. It had been a while since I'd had the touch of a female and being in a room full of them had me susceptible to a kind of nostalgia I'd rather forget. It was as good a timing as any to be in need of that touch when courting Luan to be my mate. Perhaps, finding an estreld attractive would be easier than I had once thought.
I’d made the decision to seek Luan as my mate the moment I’d caught my Chief of Trade smuggling home-brewed nectar at the trading station on Estreldez’s farthest moon, Bina. They had chatted like old friends, and I felt like I knew her. Having never seen her directly, it was an odd feeling to have. I was worried over the disruptions of trade and I didn’t need to be. Smiling at that thought, of course the future Almder of Estreldez would already be crafty in her efforts to keep peace between our planets. Then and there, I knew she’d make a wonderful queen.
Turning to take my leave, I spotted the guest. She too stirred an excitement within me I hadn't known was possible outside of the hive. Stunning. Her eyes were as green as the mountain tops of Krelis, and so bright. A roguish tie couldn’t keep her black tresses secured, strands fell across her face obscuring those green gems as she commanded the space to stride past me without another glance my direction. Were all the females of Estreldez so fierce? I smiled to myself, looking forward to meeting Luan at the mating ceremony tomorrow.
I caught the movement of my escort, a warrior called Gaven, as he glanced over his shoulder back at the female who’d passed. It could simply be part of his training to assess all surroundings—estrelds didn't have horns to sense this themselves—but I felt myself tense at the extra attention he was giving to this advisor. Who was she?
The doors closed behind us, and whatever I saw on his features was expertly masked with a stoney expression.
"We will introduce all eligible mates during tomorrow’s ceremony. Until then, you may rest in your assigned quarters, or be escorted around the palace gardens," he said, clearly indicating that he would be with me at all times during my stay, aside from when I was guarded within my quarters. At least the estrelds weren't completely ignorant to my potential betrayal. I'd have been disappointed if they weren't a bit cautious with my proposed peace agreement.
"Wonderful, and will you be joining the ceremony as well?" I knew he wouldn't be. He would always be within striking distance of me, or someone he trusted to do so. Seeing how he reacted to conversation was important to help me know who I was dealing with. I needed to know whether there were things I could take advantage of, or if he would be a hindrance to my successful mating with their future leader. My mission wouldn't be well received by all of Estreldez, just as it wouldn't be easy to sway the mind of the hive without a powerful mate.
He said nothing. We kept walking as he guided me to what I assumed would be my living quarters for the time being.
So, he was that type. That could be a good thing, if he was more focused on his job and less on intervention. It also meant it was unlikely he would leave any openings in his duty to keep me observed during my stay.
Passing the gardens, I noticed that the windows throughout the hall gave an ample view of the collection of foliage and rock. The palace was a fascinating structure that appeared carved from tarnpul and a strange dusky white stone that must have been one of the few tough minerals they didn't eat on this planet. A moon stone of some kind the estrelds held in high regard, called pan. Such a strange term; there wasn't really a translation in Krelis.
The whole palace was a large, open air dome with the center garden connecting it all. Weather on this planet was humid, making my wings feel sticky and creating the urge to unfurl them to feel even the slightest wind. It would provide relief from the heat that reminded me of the hatcheries for our spawn... suffocating. Though that was to be expected by keeping on my armor while all the estreld, even the warrior at my side, wore a sheer fabric barely covering much at all.
Estrelds were like walking radiation packs. The windows were everywhere to not only let in the moon's rays but amplify them. Their bodies were capable of storing the radiation and utilizing it in blasts that could char the skin or even morph those pretty jewels into vicious weapons. I grinned. Yes, they were beautifully deceptive in their lack of clothing. It meant nothing of their defenselessness. Krelins were merely lucky that their radiation was harmless unless harnessed with a focused precision. Even their moons were armed with nanonets that could refocus the radiation at will and, with great accuracy, melt an invading warship. It wasn't flawless, though.
"While I'm here, I thought it prudent to take care of other matters before the ceremony. Would you care to escort me to the import station? There is supposed to be a final exchange planned before the rest of the off-worlders are granted access tomorrow. I'd like to overlook the process and make sure there are no incidents."
"We'll have to have it cleared with the head of transportation. The meet is on our farthest moon, Bina, as you already knew."
"Yes, it should keep us busy for the evening."
Gaven quirked a brow in curiosity. "You have no desire to snoop around the palace or sneak off to the quarries?" There was disbelief in his tone. He had expected some kind of subterfuge, which was what my queen wanted of me, but I fully intended to make sure the final trade exchange between our planets didn't screw up my plans to secure the future leader of Estreldez as my mate. I had suspicions of my own that my queen would have backup plans in place that didn't involve waiting to see what kind of intel would come her way.
"Should make your job easier," I said with humor.
He grunted, unconvinced. The warrior was right to be skeptical; I had no idea what we might be getting ourselves into by checking on this shipment. It could be nothing, or it could be an ambush that would take advantage of the stretched resources due to the mating ceremony and the influx of off-worlder ships surrounding the largest moon.
It was possible my future mate would be checking on the exchange, since my Chief of Trade had informed me of her increased visits to secure more nectar, and the last time she was absent… Ong decided that everything was solved with his crew and didn’t oversee the trade directly. Mistakes were made that could jeopardize the peace we were both working towards.
I could say that my desire to make sure this exchange went smoothly was solely for peace, but a part of me knew that I hoped the future Queen of Krelis, my mate, would be there, and I could finally see her in person, instead of through Ong.
CHAPTER THREE
Mabel
HAZEL SENT OVERthe list of mate candidates to my implant, and I connected my tablet, downloading it so I could work through the mate’s files without my access being revoked. As long as I didn't reconnect the tablet for any updates, I was safe to read the files without Elder Ezra getting in the way. This was more Luan's area of expertise, knowing about different planets and researching what kind of technology was available there. Each mate brought an offering from their planet when they signed up for the ceremony.
