Page 96 of Alien Prince's Fake Bride
“Then I guess I’ll be going, too.”
He looks around the apartment. “Is this how Earthlings like their homes? This filled up with various items and furniture?”
“Practically nobody lives like this,” I tell him. “This is only for rich people. But it’s very nice. When do we leave?” I’m not willing to let him change the subject. He’s clearly stalling, wanting to postpone something unpleasant.
He starts wandering around the space, touching the sculptures and furniture. “Iwill leave now. And you will not. You can stay here, in this apartment. It’s safe. This is an army building with no windows and no way to enter except for the way we came. Itwill be heavily guarded, day and night. Colonel Grast will check on you every day.”
I don’t like this idea. “I’m pretty sure there’s room for me on theGladiux.”
Mareliux strokes his hand along the massive kitchen island, made from a dark marble. “TheGladiuxis a warship going into battle. It has a full crew complement now. I will not bring you into a war. You’re not coming.”
Shit. This might be the end of the whole thing.
“Then I’ll go back to Earth. With a spaceship or two that you will give to us.”
He saunters over to the wall and looks at a painting of an Earth landscape, probably England somewhere. “When the war is won, and I am emperor, we will both go there. With more than two ships, as well as instructors and technicians and engineers who can train your people in how to fly and run them, and also how to build them. I want that done right. For now, the Empire can spare none of those things. And I can’t spareyou.”
“We had a deal,” I remind him, darkness encroaching on my mind. “I have done my part. You said so.”
“I have no complaints about your performance,” he says and comes closer. “You’ve done so well that people think we’re truly in love. That in itself makes us seem suspicious, of course. It’s not at all common for royals to marry from love.” He reaches out to me.
I pull back. “Are you telling me I did my job too well?”
His hand falls to his side. “That would be ridiculous. No, the problem is that itwasreal. You said so yourself. I was hopingthat at this stage, after the Emperor agreed that I was married, everything would have been resolved. But there are still doubts, it seems. The Emperor could withdraw his agreement at any time, if the wrong people persuade him. That would be infinitely easier for them if neither you nor I were on Khav. It would look like we fled because we were guilty of something. But with you still here, nobody can use that as an argument.”
My jaw tightens. “You may not have noticed, but I don’t care that much about the Imperial intrigue and politics.”
“You should. Because if for some reason this fails, and I don’t become emperor after all, I won’t be able to honor my side of the deal we made. At least not fully.”
Shit. It’s come to this. “I’m flattered, Mareliux. But I won’t stay here. Give me a spaceship, and I’ll take it back to Earth. No need for engineers or technicians. We will figure it out. You can send more help when it becomes possible.”
“That is a harebrained scheme that I won’t agree to,” he growls. “You want to reverse engineer a Khavgren ship? Bellatriz, tell her how insane that is.”
“’Insane’ is putting it strongly,”the AI chirps. “I have seen no sign of insanity in Umbra. But it would be extremely ill advised to start taking a spaceship apart without knowing how it works. The events in the gun turret alone show how incomprehensible this all is to even a bright and competent Earthling who is a professional in the field of space travel. Vera, can you explain the underlying physics of how a Khavgren spaceship works?”
“No, I can’t explain it,”my wrist AI says. “I’ve seen a good amount of theGladiux, but its main systems are based onphysics that Earth doesn’t have yet. The Syntrix may well be a part of it.”
“Problem solved,” I state. “You can give me one of your AIs that understands it, and then it can explain everything to our scientists. We’ll catch up in no time.”
“You won’t,”Bellatriz says. “Even with an AI that has all the information you need, it’ll be at least two centuries, judging from the state of Earth physics right now. Probably more like five. It’s not just a matter of understanding it theoretically. It must be seen, experimented on. New materials must be discovered and made. There must be understanding, Umbra. Real, in-depth understanding. And then the entire industrial base of your planet must fundamentally change. It’s not just about tinkering with things you already know. There’s a vast chasm between your planet and Khav when it comes to space travel.”
I frown. “How will it help if you send engineers, then?”
“It will still take a long time to bring Earth up to a Khavgren level. But a band of engineers will be able to do many more things than an AI could. They could train a whole generation of technicians like themselves. They could set up the required industry in your largely unexplored solar system. You could probably shave a century off the estimate.”
“The engineers are for the long term,” Mareliux says. “In the short term, Earth will be given the use of Khavgren spaceships. Say, ten of them. To learn from and to use. That will be of great help to Earth. The Empire will protect your planet for as long as it needs it. It will be a new age, a better age. Because ofyou, Umbra. And my empire needs you, too. You’re vital to both Earth and to me.”
“Mareliux,” I plead. “Take me with you. I won’t get in the way. I’ll pull my weight, as well as I can. There’s room for me. I’ll stay in the cabin the whole time, if you want. Just don’t leave me here!”
He sighs. “Umbra, you’ll be safe here. And comfortable. In theGladiux, you’ll be neither. I am going to war. Wars are dangerous. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. Darient will visit you here. Some of the other courtiers, too. Under guard, of course. And with me gone, you might be less of a target. Because if I die in the war, you’ll lose all significance. Whether we’re really married or not.”
“That’s not reassuring,” I state coldly as my plea falls on deaf ears. “You expect me to wait here, in this princess tower, like Carelia? Only to come out of hiding when you return? What if you don’t? What if you don’t survive that war?” Frustration is welling up in me. And sadness, too. But now, I want to feel anger. “I kept up my end of the deal. Now you can keep up yours! Give me one spaceship and instructions for how to fly it and build more. That’s less than I’ve earned, but right now, I can see I’ll have to take anything you’ll deign to give.”
“This discussion has no purpose,” Mareliux growls, eyes flashing. “You’re not going back to Earth until I return and until I become Emperor. That’s the deal, as you should remember. And anyway, space travel right now is far too dangerous with the Vyrpy this close. There’s no safer place than this in the whole Empire.”
“I’ll take my chances with that,” I tell him. “And that is my choice.”
“Yourchoice?” His eyes narrow. “When I found you, you were risking your life in a ridiculous contraption that collapsed the moment it came into normal gravity. You were living in aprimitive society, a society that felt it was completely fine to risk your life in that foil-and-sticks machine for no particular gain. Now you’re in the center of a galactic empire, with actual spaceships and all the luxuries you can dream of. With you at the top of it, the very pinnacle, beloved by the people! And still you want to go back? Yes, I understand that you want your old planet to join the civilized galaxy. Your loyalty does you credit. And you will help it. But that place doesn’t deserve your loyalty. There’s not even Syntrix! How can that be a serious choice? How is that even an option for you?”
