The Beast King (Royal Aliens 3)

“Defeat is temporary. Unless you let it be.”

Konan rounded on her with a growl. “What do you know of defeat, human? And why are you speaking about it to me? Is it your way of suggesting that my conquest of you might not be entirely complete? Do you still harbor thoughts of escape, perhaps even freedom? If so, let me assure you, there will never be a day between this one and your last in which you are free.”

So much for trying to be nice. He didn’t even recognize her attempt at encouragement. He didn’t know that she knew he’d been defeated. She could have thrown it in his face, but she sensed now was not the time. There would probably never be a good time for that.

She changed the subject. That seemed safer. She also put a little more distance between herself and the king, going to the nearest porthole to see the planet they were going to land on.

“What’s this planet called? Are there sentient aliens down there? A civilization?”

“Nothing, no, and no. Most of the universe is empty most of the time. Precious few life forms ever develop past the single-celled organism stage. Hardly any of them survive the wheel, and even fewer manage to get past fire. Most creatures die out at that point. They set themselves on fire, and that’s the end of that. Life is hard.”

“Life is hard," she agreed.

The planet below looked nice. Much nicer than the previous alien planet she’d ended up on, all lava and burning rocks. This one had a blue sea and green landscapes and it made her feel homesick for Earth even at a distance.

If she squinted her eyes and didn’t acknowledge that none of the landmasses looked anything like the ones on Earth, then she could almost imagine that she was going home.

Tears began to well in her eyes. She kept her face averted from Konan, not wanting him to see her weakness. She knew he would take advantage of it, and probably think less of her as well. Konan worshipped strength. He presented a brutally strong exterior at all times. If he saw her cry just because she saw a blue and green planet, he’d probably hurl her out the very porthole she was looking through.

Her tears slid down her cheeks and landed on the floor between her feet. The ship absorbed them silently and subtly, doing her a solid.

“When we land, we will be camped outside,” Konan continued from behind her. “The ship needs to replenish itself. It’s a process which cannot be successfully completed if anybody is inside it. To put it in words you might understand: it’s like being inside a stomach while it is trying to digest.”

“Okay.”

“So, again. Don’t try to escape. Don’t even think about running away. I will hunt you down, and so will every predatory creature on the planet. If you run, you will wish that one of them found you first. Understand?”

General threats, blah, blah. She understood. He was keeping her under control with an iron fist because absolutely nothing in his world was under control. She was the only thing he had any hope of keeping in line, and he was not going to tolerate even the slightest deviation from his authority. Elizabeth could already feel the pain he’d inflict if she gave him a reason to.

“I understand, sire,” she said. “I won’t run away. I promise.”

“Your promises mean very little, spy.”

So they were back to calling her spy, apparently. So much for intimacy. So much for forging a relationship out of fate, circumstance, and really hot sex. The king didn’t care about her. And she would not allow herself to care for him.

Chapter 8

“This was worth it.”

“Worth what?”

“Everything. Anything.”

She couldn’t stop staring. Every part of the landscape before her was compelling in a way which reached out, grabbed her by the biology, and locked her eyes on the terrain.

They had landed on a rich plateau bordering an extensive lake, but those words did not even begin to encapsulate the majesty of what she beheld. Every time she inhaled, it was the freshest air she had ever breathed. It was like clear crystal energy flowing into her lungs.

The water was the bluest she had ever seen, sparkling and dancing with little wavelets whipped by a happy wind. The green plains were dotted with flowers, pink and blue and yellow, all three colors at once. When the wind blew, they would disappear from view momentarily, creating the illusion of bright sparks of color skipping over a sea of grass.

A heavy metal chain closed around her neck, jarring her out of her appreciation of the wild beauty of the place. She turned to King Konan in surprise, knowing only his big blue hands could have put it there. Only he dared touch her. Only he had the need to weigh her down with heavy iron right at the very moment her spirit was beginning to fly.