Page 82 of Alien Warrior Chef… With Benefits
The Tribunal rep clears his throat. “Yes. Under Section 41b of Intergalactic Beta Code. From the Vortaxian side, the respondent is obligated to partake or face invalidation of her existing bond with Rekkgar Vakutan.” His eyes flick to Rekkgar. “Especially if she refuses.”
My breath hiccups. The room blacks out for a moment. Then light snaps back. I grip the counter.
“Zandari Gauntlet?” I repeat, stunned.
He nods. “A series of trials: physical, mental, social, symbolic. Designed centuries ago to determine a spouse’s worthiness when contested.”
I feel heat rising all along my skin—anger, fear, disbelief. “This is insane.”
He inclines his head, expression impassive. “Legally enforceable.”
I spin, pacing. My stomach churns. “So this is real? Aelphus forced this? Even though he’s detained?”
The rep clears his voice. “Through proxy.”
I turn and face him. “This is bullshit.” My voice trembles. “It’s medieval and misogynistic—forcing me into a trial to prove I’m worthy?” My cheeks burn. “To prove I belong to Rekkgar?”
The man’s expression is firm. “It’s the code.”
The panic inside me curdles my stomach. I close my eyes. My voice cracks inside me, but only I hear it:Could they actually take me? Force me to marry someone else?
The rep places the rod on the table. “Today at sundown, the Gauntlet begins—here. You are expected. Mr. Vakutan may act as your sponsor.”
I turn to Rekkgar. His jaw is taut; shadowed pride cloaks him. He steps forward—dominant, resolute. “I will stand by her. These trials don’t define her. Theyproveour bond.”
I swallow hard—love and fear coiling together. My breath trembles. But then clarity rises like dawn.
I nod slowly. “I will go through it,” I say. “Not because they expect it—but because Irefuseto let a law define me. I will walk into that trial on my terms, chosen—byhimand by me.”
I turn to the rep. “I accept. But we will need accommodations. I’m not a warrior.” My voice is calm, low, but it burns. “I’m a baker. And I bake resistance into every dessert.”
A ripple of whispers moves through the staff, the town… but I don’t waver.
Later,after everyone’s gone, I practice in a quiet corner of the bakery—flour-dusted countertops shining under morning light. Rekkgar stands behind me, folding a thin sheet of sugar paste. The scent of cornstarch, vanilla, and rising courage fills the air.
He watches me with that ever-watchful intensity. “These trials—they’ll test everything,” he murmurs. “Strength. Wit. Honor.”
I weigh the sugar leaf between my fingertips. “Let them choke on chocolate,” I joke, voice half smile, half snarl. A flare of determination curls in my gut. “I’ll bring this Gauntlet down with buttercream and braid it with resolve.”
He closes the distance, fingertips brushing the sugar leaf, tracing my arm. “You are stronger than any test or law.” Touch liquesces to heat. “I will be by your side.”
I spin in his arms, whispering, “Together.” The sugar leaf falls to the counter, golden and delicate like a promise.
That night,I lie awake, mind racing. I craft mental recipes for each trial:
Trial One: Physical – strength test. I’ll surprise them with core stamina—long after my fields of cupcakes.
Trial Two: Mental – logic puzzles, maybe trivia on culinary techniques—they’ll not know I’ve been reading Vortaxian philosophy and human astronomical history.
Trial Three: Social – a speech? A test of composure. I will speak of love, freedom, our shared bond.
Trial Four: Symbolic – proving spiritual bond. We’ll forge that with intent, not ceremony.
I find Rekkgar asleep against me, arm warm around my waist. I brush my lips against his scar, breath anchoring through fear.We will do this. He is my armor. My home.
I think of my bakery, Earth Bites—where love, memory, and rebellion rest in every crumb. If they want spectacle, they’ll get something far greater: two people who forged a bond born in war, sweetened in pastry, and sealed in defiance.
Because this time, Ruby isn’t just standing for survival. She’s choosing her own value. And that, I know in my bones, is unbreakable.
