Page 13 of Seeded By Two

FEON

“Huh?”

I tapped the translator in my arm and asked it to repeat the meaning of the word Beth had just used.

It came back by answering with the same choked grunt Beth had uttered:

“Huh?”

There was, according to the translation device, no similar meaning in the Krev language and so I was unsure how I was supposed to continue.

I just waited to see how she would respond next — hopefully with real words instead of meaningless grunts.

But she appeared to be struggling to express whatever thoughts were running through her mind at that moment.

I tried to gauge just what she had been meaning to say by the emotions playing across her face.

It was a fascinating study of emotions.

First, she just stared at me, her mouth hanging open.

She looked at her hands and remained that way for a long time before she looked up at me.

Her eyes focused on my cheeks or my forehead or my horns — never my eyes.

“You’re being serious?” she finally said.

I was grateful she hadn’t chosen to turn and run and never come back.

It was how some females had reacted in the past — believing me to be crazy or some kind of scam artist.

“Yes,” I said. “I am being very serious.”

She slowly — very slowly — raised her eyes to mine and scanned them as if ascertaining if I was really being serious.

“By being Seeded by a member of the Royal Family, you will be given certain privileges,” I went on. “You will be given a stipend to live out your life. And a home — simply choose which one you desire and it shall be acquired for you — within reasonable limits, of course. Everything you or your child ever wants for the rest of your lives will be taken care of. If you wish to live in peace, every effort will be made to ensure it. If you wish to have more of a role in the running of the Empire, that too shall be catered for. And when your child comes of age, he — or she — will be given the same choice.”

Beth just sat there, stunned, absorbing the information. “Why would you do this?” she asked in a tiny voice.

“Because you will be the mother of a Prince of the Krev. Your child will be in line to the throne.”

“Hold up!” Beth said, raising her hands above her head and getting to her feet. “You’re telling me my child will be the heir to the throne?”

“One of them,” I said, nodding. “But they will be one in a long line of potential heirs. The chances of your child ascending to the throne is extremely remote.”

Beth shook her head and muttered under her breath:

“And my Principal always said I would never do anything of any value in my life…”

“What was that?” I asked.

Beth shook her head and waved her hands as if to communicate it didn’t matter.

She slowly sat back down. “I came here to get Seeded. I didn’t think it would have anything to do with royalty!”

“Very few are chosen,” I said. “We have to be careful about who we select. It won’t just be Royal Seed in the child but yours too.”

Beth shook her head, stood up, and clenched her tiny fists by her sides. “Look, I came here to sleep with an alien male. And yes, saying it out loud like that does sound nuts… but it’s the fact of the matter and just the way it is. I don’t need these complications. If we’re done playing these games, I will leave now and go find a male to Seed me.”

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