Ransom

“Not many,” I admit. “You are more fragile than most.”

I almost said precious.

Her eyes glint with some unexpressed emotion. I have spent some time around humans before, and I usually find their feelings fairly simple to interpret. Most of them are incapable of hiding anything. Even if they keep their mouths shut, they cannot help but give their thoughts away with glances, blushes, twitches, and grimaces. Astaria is better bred than most and has no such tells.

“What do you intend to do with me?”

“I intend to hold you for ransom. When I am paid, you will be returned. I do not intend to harm you.”

“How charming,” she says, still with the air of someone who is about to burst out laughing. It may simply be nervousness. Humans have significant trouble regulating their emotions in times of stress. They can display many inappropriate reactions. I know this because humans are my enemies, and I take great pains to know my enemy.

We retreat to the Dawnhammer, my vessel. This ship contains a fleet of fighters in the thousands, and a crew of more than ten thousand. It is a space-faring city in its own right, and when we cast a shadow over a planet, everything trapped in the dark shade trembles.

It is said that there are more riches stored aboard my vessel than exist anywhere else in the Pleiades. If this is not true now, it will be soon enough. I intend to strip all creation of her jewels, dominate every corner of the universe I can reach. I intend to leave a mark so deep that for generations to come my influence may be felt.

I have not been entirely forthright with my pretty prisoner. I told her I would not harm her, and that much is true. That does not mean she will go untouched. Before her father pays the ransom, I intend to put a baby in her belly. She will surrender to my seduction as so many have before her. My seed will travel with her back to her world, and my genetic legacy will emerge between those milky thighs to rule again. By my reckoning, my genetic code sits in the houses of more than a thousand ruling classes. I am everywhere. I am become everyone.

The princess has been quiet since I told her to be. This pleases me. Usually I have to gag them to stop the whining and put them in the hold. She has sat with us, poised and perfect without need for restraints of any kind. I see her pretty eyes taking everything in but dashing away from my gaze whenever they have the misfortune to meet. She will blush so prettily for me when I plough her.

She is an innocent, and innocents always secretly want to be ravaged. I imagine her seduction will be swift. There is something inside that pretty package just begging to be released, a wild animal who will howl betwixt my sheets as I plunder the territory between her legs.

“Take her to the chamber prepared for her,” I order the guards as we disembark into the welcoming embrace of the warship.

“You're not coming with me?” She fakes a little pout. “What a pity.”

I cannot tell if this is bravado or flirtation. What I do know is that I will soon be turning those skirts up and laying a lash to her cheeks to teach her a measure of respect. I want her soft and demure and for some reason, contrite. Strange that I already feel she has much to atone for, when in truth she has done nothing to warrant it. She has the vibe of a female in need of taming, though I cannot fault her behavior as she flounces off in the company of guards without any means of external control. No chains. No cuffs. No ropes. She does as she is told. Perhaps this will be easier than I imagined.

I will go to her in time, but I have matters to attend to and she will be a better prospect when she has had time to come to terms with her situation. I find a day or so to rest and relax puts my captives in better, more receptive frames of mind.

I return to the helm. By now her father will know she has been taken. I can only imagine the panicked and aggressive messages that will be waiting for me.

“Are we on full alert?” I ask the question though I do not need to. Of course we are on alert. We just broke into the most highly defended construction in perhaps the entire galaxy. We took one ship, the smallest we could, because of the many vicious security measures designed to keep Astaria out of the clutches of creatures like me. This incursion has been planned for several months, every detail and angle worked out to perfection. We made it look easy in the end, but there was nothing easy about what I just did. When this story gets out, every bard and tale-teller will repeat it for the rest of their lives.