Page 9 of Surrender
She kept repeating this phrase over and over in her mind, determined not to forget what Merokk really was.
Chapter 5
Merokk studiedBetsy from across the table in his private dining room aboard theWannok. Despite her silence and reluctance to make eye contact with him, he found he enjoyed her company. It wasn’t simply her beauty that drew him in, but something more significant he couldn’t immediately unravel.
After further thought, he realized he wanted to discover all her vulnerabilities and carefully wrap himself around each little fear she harbored. He wanted to be her protector, her shield. He thought of the happy marriage his parents had enjoyed and realized he desired the same. The stability, the certainty. And he very much wanted Betsy to not onlywanthim, but to accept him. To approve of him.
“I have a confession, little one.”
Her eyes lifted from the table. “Yes?”
“Perhaps I ought to have mentioned this sooner, but one of your father’s aides provided me with a detailed biography about you. Over a hundred pages long. I read the entire report several times, just to ensure I didn’t miss anything. I feel like I know everything about you, and yet I feel like I know nothing about you, Betsy. You’re a quiet little creature. Given your lifestyle, I expected you to be more… exuberant.” Yes, perhaps he should’ve mentioned this during their walk on the White House grounds, but he’d wanted to get her talking at the time, in hopes that she would feel more at ease in his company.
She paled and blinked rapidly, then swallowed hard as she fidgeted with her utensils. He found her reaction quite strange indeed, though perhaps she was simply surprised that he’d made an effort to learn more about her before their first meeting.
“You can read my tongue as well as speak it?” she asked after a long silence. Though her gaze remained cautious, a definite spark of curiosity gleamed in her eyes.
“Of course. It’s no more difficult than any other alien language I’ve had to learn.” It had taken him a mere moon cycle to master English, as well as several other Earth tongues.
She chuckled, and the sweet noise of laughter rumbling lightly in her throat filled the room for one brief moment. “I barely passed my Spanish classes in high school. I can’t imagine learning another Earth language, let alone an alien tongue.”
“Only Spanish? I thought you studied numerous Earth languages in school—according to your biography, anyway. And that you also learned several alien tongues from your private tutors, though Kall wasn’t one of them.”
Her eyes widened and she fumbled for words. “Oh, yes, I did study several Earth languages, as well as some alien tongues too, but I particularly struggled with Spanish at the time. And now, I’m very out of practice and wouldn’t say I’m fluent in any of the languages I studied and couldn’t imagine trying to learn another one right now.” She replied quickly, almost in a ramble, her eyes remaining wide as she spoke, then she reached for her tea and took a long sip with unsteady hands.
Shaking, again. Merokk suddenly ached to calm her fears. “You’re afraid of me.” It was a statement, not a question.
Betsy stiffened in her chair. “I’m not afraid of you,” she insisted, her tone a bit too haughty for his liking. “I’m just uncomfortable in this situation. It doesn’t seem fair. No Kall women have to marry a human man. It’s very one-sided.”
“A Kall female only marries the enemy if we lose the war and the enemy decrees it. It’s a sign of dishonor, but one that can be redeemed over proceeding years of peace and service.”
She smirked. “Dishonor? I wasn’t one of the illegal miners who killed your people. I had nothing to do with this war, yet I’m branded an enemy and forced to marry a Kall who no doubt killed thousands of my people.” She paused but appeared as though she wished to say more. After a brief silence, a bold look entered her eyes and she continued, “I suppose you’re right, it is a dishonor. The dishonor will be mine on our wedding night and on all the subsequent nights when I share your bed.”
An ominous silence descended, and Merokk, rooted to his chair, glared at Betsy.Fluxx. Was she trying to provoke him? She very much deserved a thrashing. He chose his next words carefully.
“You’re right. I have killed thousands of your people, and I have also trained thousands of Kall warriors who’ve killed thousands of your people. I should be returning home to glory and riches to take a seat on the High Council, but instead I’ll be marrying you and spending the rest of my days on Earth. Despite my dissatisfaction with the situation, I am determined to fulfill my duties to my people. Likewise, you have a duty to your people which you must fulfill—that duty being marriage to a Kall warrior. I recommend you try to make peace with your situation, Betsy, or your life will soon be miserable.”
The fire in her eyes didn’t dim. “It’s not my life anymore, is it?” She pushed back from the table. “I’m not hungry.”
The servants chose that moment to enter the dining room with trays of food, which they quickly placed in the center of the table. When Betsy made to follow them out into the corridor, Merokk shot to his feet.
“If you leave this room, you’ll regret it.” His threat had the desired effect, and she froze with her back to him as she stood in the doorway. “Come to me, Betsy. Now.”
She spun around and stormed over to him. Unshed tears brimmed in her eyes. “I won’t bend the knee and apologize to you, Merokk. I’m not sorry for speaking the truth, and any apology you tear from my lips will be a false one. Consider that before you strike me.”
He drew in a deep, calming breath before replying, “I’m not going to hurt you or demand an apology from you.” He moved closer and towered over her small form. “But I do expect you to dine with me.”
She paled visibly and took a step back. “Very well,” she said, turning to find her seat.
Merokk caught her arm and spun her around to face him. “No. Kneel on the floor beside my chair.” When she hesitated, he added, “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Betsy’s breath caught in her throat, but she finally obeyed, coming to rest on her knees in the location he pointed to, directly beside his chair. She bowed her head, refusing to acknowledge him entirely.
He filled his plate from the platters of authentic Kall cuisine, keeping one eye trained on her the whole time. Her wavy auburn hair obscured most of her face, and he longed to reach out and brush the silky tendrils away.
Pretending to ignore Betsy, he spooned about a dozen bites of meat, marinated vegetables, and jellied fruit into his mouth. Then he scooped up a small serving of the vegetables and pressed the utensil to her lips.
She kept her mouth in a firm line, refusing the food.
