Page 42 of Mated to the Alien Warlord

Alarmed, I stared at her. "What is it?"

"Warlord Grobhan and his second-in-command are nearby. We better wait until they leave."

So we stood by the door and waited. After a while I thanked her again. "Thank you for helping me."

"My sister is in Warlord Vandor's employ. We correspond via bird, and she was full of your praise. I don't think she would ever forgive me if something happened to you, and I had it within my power to help you."

"I won't forget this," I promised. On impulse, I pushed the ring Vandor had given me into her hand. "If you ever need anything, even if I don't make it, Warlord Vandor will recognize this and do whatever he can for you."

"I will pray for your safe deliverance, Lady Damaris."

"Thank you."

We hugged, and I felt as if I were leaving an old friend behind when, the next time she opened the door, she declared that the coast was clear.

Theairwasfilledwith excitement when I entered the courtyard. Servants and soldiers were busy loading wagons with goods to sustain the army. Horses whinnied and people talked among each other as if they were going to a great feast instead of war.

The baby kicked, and I wondered how in the name of the galaxy we were going to make it, walking for miles and days on end, but I was determined we would.

To my left stood a group of women, a mix of Thyres and humans, talking animatedly among each other, and I gathered my courage to join them, hoping I would be less conspicuous with them than standing alone.

"This will be a long night," one woman remarked.

"And coinless at that," another snickered, and I gathered these women were part of the pleasure kallinies accompanying a war party in hopes of making more coin than at a pleasure house.

"You weren't careful, were you?" the first woman laughed, pointing at my stomach.

I felt heat rise into my cheeks.

"Leave her alone, Vetty, can't you see she's not one of us?" the second said, jerking her chin at my widow scarf.

"Lost your way, Lady?" A third chimed in. Her tone was cutting, and the way she pronounced lady indicated she meant it as an affront, not a title.

"I…I…" I stammered.

"Leave her alone." The one who had come to my aid before did so again. "Look, she's in mourning and with child, Vetty."

"Your bleeding heart will one day be your downfall, Lynette," Vetty said, but turned her attention from me.

"You're just here for protection, aren't you?" Lynette asked.

I nodded. "Yes, my husband was killed during the last battle, and I want to… go home to Steppenfort," I lied, hoping the gods would forgive me, and I hadn't jinxed Vandor.

"Well, I don't know if we're gonna be anywhere near Steppenfort," Lynette shook her head. "But you're welcome in our group if you don't mind our… occupation, the gods know many ladies of your standing would."

For a moment, I worried she had seen through my deception, but then I realized that for women like her, any woman married to a Thyre warrior would be a lady. It was a title reserved for any woman of higher standing than the other.

Thyres didn't have any hierarchical titles for women other than calling them a lady, a custom that had been picked up by the humans, as Lynette proved, being a human like me. Birds of a feather, I supposed, as my mother had always told me. As nice as she had been, she would not have been pleased about me marrying a Thyre. Not that it mattered. I had other worries right then.

"I'm Lynette," Lynette introduced herself even though I had already gathered her name.

"I'm Da—" I cut myself off and pretended to stretch my back, which had in fact been hurting more lately, to ward off Lynette's suspicion as I had almost given her my name. I wasn't the only woman named Damaris on Thyre, but there weren't many of us either. "Dani," I said instead.

"I hope you're not having contractions already. This is going to be a long march," Lynette warned. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here?"

"No," I blurted out and caught myself again. "I mean, there are too many sad memories here."

Lynette gave me a sideways glance, indicating she already suspected there was more to my story than I was admitting, but for some reason, she seemed to decide to take me under her wing.

---