Chapter Thirty-Eight: How Calmagian Women Are Treated
A balcony over looking the Shi River of Magan, later that night
Most of the young men were still awake. Arlon, Lukan, Bendros,
Rojal, Dedron, Kekron, and even Riccan (who had snuck out of bed without his
parents' knowledge), were talking quietly on a balcony overlooking the
magnificent Shi River, the main river flowing through the Calmagian royal city
of Magan. Riccan was always trying to be with the older boys when he wasn't
with Tayla.
Dedron sneered at his young cousin, "Shouldn't you be in bed, runt?
Isn't your mamma wondering where you are? We don't want babies around here."
Riccan put up his fists at his sixteen-year-old cousin. "I am not a baby! I am
a man!"
Dedron laughed harshly. "You're no man! You're just a stupid,
whiny little baby boy! Go wake up Tayla if you want someone to play with!"
"Leave him alone, Dedron," Bendros said firmly. "There is no harm
in him joining us. And he is your cousin."
Dedron glared nastily at Bendros. He was in a particularly bad mood
tonight because he was angry with his father, Cletos. He was tired of his
father ignoring him and barely noticing him. Dedron often acted out and caused
trouble to get his father's attention, but it never seemed to work. The only
attention he received for his bad behavior was discipline from his
great-grandmother, Shalila. Raakon and Dirkan had tried to talk to Dedron in
the past about his actions and coping with his father's indifference, but Dedron
had turned deaf ears to all those that tried to counsel him.
His glare at Bendros was almost fatal. Bendros wasn't even Clan of
Chloe, and he dared to order him, Prince Dedron Chloe, of Chloe, Astoria? Who
did he think he was?
"I rank above you, Bendros," Dedron pointed out to Bendros angrily,
"so you are in no position to be telling me what to do!"
"He is older than you, Dedron," Kekron pointed out, "and wiser than
you, so you should listen to him anyway. Don't forget that he is also the
future Granden of Sahara." Kekron was unusually mature for his age.
Dedron snorted contemptuously at this. Dedron looked down his nose
at anyone with Saiyan blood, whether there was Astorian blood mixed in it or
not, and that included Bendros and their Aunt Alora Sahara-Chloe.
Bendros kept his temper in check. He was normally mild-mannered,
but the antics of Dedron--and sometimes Rojal--grated on his nerves, especially
when they picked on the younger children, like Tayla and Riccan. Tayla and
Riccan seemed to be Rojal and Dedron's favorite targets. Rojal could have kept
Dedron in check, for Rojal was one of the few people that Dedron actually
listened to, but most of the time Rojal seemed to encourage Dedron's atrocious
behavior.
Dedron, who had never been well-behaved to begin with, had become
five times as worse after his mother had deserted him, his sister, and his
father. He would play nasty pranks on the servants of the Palace, and three of
his personal servants had gone straight to Shalila and demanded that they be
released from their oaths to him. Dedron enjoyed bullying the younger children,
often beating them up mercilessly during sparring and training matches. He was
especially mean to Riccan, Nikon and the little girl cousins, tripping them up,
pulling their hair or throwing them off of cliffs before they could fly well.
Three years ago, he had tossed a frightened Tayka off the top of a
bathhouse roof, teasing her because she couldn't fly very well at the time.
Tayka had crashed into a tree and wound up with a broken arm. Lektron, losing
his temper, had beaten Dedron to a pulp for harming his daughter. It had taken
Dirkan, Raakon and Bajal to pull them apart, and finally Dirkan had to knock
Lektron unconscious, so that he wouldn't kill Dedron. Shalila had confined
Dedron to his room for an entire month, not allowing contact with his peers, and
forbidding him access to the training grounds or the gravity rooms. She and
Dirkan warned Dedron that if he ever did such a thing again, he would be sent
away to the moon of Eustachia for a year. This was a harsh punishment for
anyone because Eustachia was mostly wilderness, with very few modern comforts of
home. Shalila also threatened to revoke his right to fight as a warrior for
Astoria.
A year after that, Tayla had returned from Kami Orchida's, stronger
and wiser than ever. Two days after she had come home to stay, she noticed
Dedron assaulting an already badly wounded Riccan, who was vainly trying to
fight him back. Dedron and Riccan had been sparring, but Dedron had been
entirely too rough on Riccan, hurting him more than he could handle.
Riccan had finally told Dedron that he didn't want to play anymore, but Dedron
laughed, called him a weakling, and continued beating on Riccan anyway, even
though Riccan had told him to stop. A furious Tayla had jumped in between
Riccan and Dedron, and she told Dedron to leave Riccan alone.
Dedron had been furious because Tayla had intervened, so he took his
full anger out on her instead. He flew at her, and Tayla was forced to defend
herself. Aunt and nephew had jumped into a nasty battle royale with fists and
feet flying. Dedron called Tayla every nasty name that a male could call a
female, which ignited Tayla's ire further. But it was when Dedron pulled out a
huge chunk of Tayla's hair that Tayla was set off further.
Riccan had tried desperately to help his young aunt, but Dedron punched him hard
in his face, knocking him out. As the old cliché goes, that had been the straw
to break the camel's back. Tayla's next round with Dedron was merciless, and by
this time, ki blasts were flying, drawing everyone's attention.
Gracina and Raakon were the first to arrive and were shocked to
notice a still pint-sized Tayla facing off against Dedron, who was twice her
height and twice her size. Gracina and Raakon pulled the fighting pair apart
and by the time things settled down, Tayla had two broken fingers and a bloody
nose, but Dedron had wound up with a broken jaw, two cracked ribs and two black
eyes, all inflicted by Tayla. It had taken all of Gracina's strength to
restrain her young, furious sister and calm her down. Riccan woke up and
shakily told his mother and uncle how the fight had started, and both Gracina
and Raakon were amazed at how much damage that their tiny sister, who had been
ten-years-old at the time, had been able to cause. Then they remembered how
well their sister had done in the battle against Prince Vegeta and his cohorts.
Raakon had lectured both Tayla and Dedron, insisting they apologize to each
other, and that Dedron apologize to Riccan. Tayla's tremendous power had
shocked Riccan, who had never seen Tayla fight so hard and so angrily before.
Tayla had been appalled at how much pain and damage she had caused Dedron; she
had been similarly horrified after she had recalled the full details of what she
had done to Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz. Tayla's astonishing strength frightened
even herself.
Dedron had been as frightened by Tayla's power, but he never
admitted it. To this day, he still snubbed her, but he never dared to attack
her again; he wouldn't even bully the other children when she was around. He
did swear by the Seven Moons of Astoria to take his revenge out on her one day,
and he trained harder than ever, so that he could one day become stronger than
Tayla. Both he and Rojal, his best friend, did not like the idea of Tayla being
stronger than them, and their new goal now was to become stronger and more
powerful than her. They both considered themselves to be more important than
their youngest aunt, and they wanted the power to prove it.
Rojal and Dedron also feared Tayla's growing influence among their
peers, for Tayla was seen as a leader among them. They both knew that Tayla was
more popular and more prominent than they were, even though they were higher
than her in rank. What if Tayla's friends and the rest of the Astorians decided
that they wanted Tayla to become Astoria's next ruler instead?
Riccan, then remembering that moment when Tayla had taken Dedron down, snapped
at Dedron, "If you don't leave me alone, I'll go to Tayla, and we'll both get
you!"
Bendros tousled Riccan's hair. "Hey easy, little fellow. Dedron's
not going to bother you." Riccan didn't believe Bendros, and he scowled
furiously at Dedron, who snorted and ignored his young, pesky cousin.
Arlon and Lukan decided to have a friendly sparring match, and they
were in the middle of it, laughing and grinning, when Prince Ridikar joined the
group of Astorian young men. "Greetings, fellows! How are you enjoying your
stay so far?"
Rojal grinned. "Very well, thank you. Hey, are there any lovely
young ladies that you know are available?" Arlon and Lukan now wondered the
same thing.
Ridikar laughed. "Of course there are! I am having a party
tomorrow night, but I'll have to leave early; I have a private dinner date with
your young aunt."
Rojal raised a reddish eyebrow. "Are you talking about Tayla?"
Ridikar grinned. "She's your only unmarried aunt here, isn't she?"
Arlon's joyous grin melted into an anxious frown. He narrowed his eyes at
Ridikar. "My sister, Tayla, is only twelve. Isn't she just a bit young for
you?" Arlon had his father's hair color and skin coloring, but his eyes were
like his mother, Tika's, except that they were two shades darker. His navy-blue
eyes were almost black now.
Lukan's frown matched Arlon's. Lukan's looks were a masculine
version of Tayla's, with the same round, saucer-like brown eyes and heart-shaped
face. He was a close friend of Bendros', and both he, Arlon, and Bendros
mutually agreed to watch Ridikar whenever he was around Tayla. He, like Arlon,
knew that four years was nothing (at least according to Astorian standards), but
he had already decided that Prince Ridikar would not be a good match for his
baby sister. It didn't matter that Ridikar was to become King of Calmag
someday. In Lukan's eyes, Ridikar was too slick and devious to be trusted with
little Tayla.
"Actually," Ridikar replied seriously, "Tayla is of marriageable
age, according to Calmagian standards. Why, my little sister, Caline, is just a
year younger than Tayla, and she just got married recently. It was a good
match, and her new husband is an important nobleman with two thousand acres of
land and his own city. He is very rich; my father was pleased with the decision
he had made."
Kekron asked, "Didn't your sister have any say in this?"
Ridikar shook his head, as if Kekron had asked a ridiculous question. "Of
course not. She is a female, my father's ward until her marriage, and the
marriage contract was an excellent one. If she had refused, my father would
have disowned her. She wasn't too thrilled about marrying a man twenty-five
years older than her, but she'll adjust to him, and she'll bear strong sons."
Kekron inquired further, "Women have no say on this planet in whom
they wish to marry?"
Ridikar looked at Kekron strangely. "The men do the choosing here,
and the parents arrange the marriages. Men may choose their mates, and the
women, if single, must agree to wed them, if they parents consent to the match.
All women are subject to the men in their family. When a male is ready for
marriage, he picks his bride and arranges a contract with her parents, and if
the parents are satisfied, he may marry her."
"But what if the girl doesn't want to marry him?" Riccan asked,
chewing on a hangnail.
"She has no say in that," Ridikar explained with a sigh. "It is up
to her parents, and if she refuses a good marriage contract, her parents usually
threaten to disown her."
Kekron was uncomfortable with this. On Astoria, women and men had
near-equal rights, and women could do almost everything that the men could.
Women were still more protected then the men were, however, and they were under
their guardians or parents' care longer than men were, but other than that, they
had the same rights as the men did.
"Are women allowed to become warriors or have other occupations?"
Kekron asked, as he watched the beauty of Calmag's three moons. A picture of
the three moons of Calmag was part of the Calmagian royal family crest.
"Only men may fight," Ridikar told him. "The only occupations that
most women have are as wives and mothers. Some are nurses, maids, or
governesses before they marry, but after that, they no longer work at anything
except running the household and raising their children. Most Calmagian women
aren't strong enough to be good warriors anyway, and they don't need to. The
men can more than take care of things here."
Ridikar straightened his back, until it was straight as a ramrod.
"And I, myself, am hoping to marry soon. I will need a future queen who can
bear me strong sons to rule in my stead after I pass on to the next dimension.
A young bride, in the full bloom of womanhood, or close to it, is just what I
need. Tayla may be a good possibility; my grandfather is thinking of discussing
it with the Superior Gran and Granden. Farewell and good-night." And with a
casual wave and flutter of his strong, thick hand, Ridikar was gone from the
balcony and down the hall leading to his bedchamber.
The young men glared darkly at him, except for Rojal and Dedron, who
were seeing Ridikar's interest in Tayla as a good opportunity to be rid of the
girl once and for all.
"Ridikar should make her a good husband," Rojal said hopefully. "He
is to become the King of Calmag. Tayla would follow in Great-Aunt Kildara's
stead as the next Queen of Calmag; it would be a good position for her."
The other young men, except for Dedron, stared at Rojal in
disbelief. "How can you say that, Rojal?" Arlon asked angrily. "Tayla is only
twelve years old, and she would not be happy living here on Calmag. Besides, I
doubt that Nama would ever allow it, even if Tayla were of age. And I wouldn't
blame her for not allowing such a marriage! I don't like the young cretin
myself, and I don't think that Nama and Dirkan do either."
"Great-Nama would be foolish not to allow such a good opportunity!"
Rojal snapped at his uncle, who was only three years older than he was. "Think
about it: we want Calmag to ally with Astoria anyway, and a marriage between
Tayla and Ridikar would solidify such an alliance. Tayla would surely produce
strong children, even if only the males would be allowed to become warriors.
The Calmagians are strong people who could benefit us, and it would be best for
both races to intermarry with each other, if possible."
"You just want to get rid of Tayla!" Riccan shrieked loudly, so
loudly that two Calmagian guards from two castle turrets away could hear him.
"You've never liked Tayla, Rojal, so you're just trying to get rid of her! You
don't care whether Tayla is happy or not! I don't like Ridikar, and I don't
want Tayla to marry him!" The normally self-assured Rojal flinched at Riccan's
angry accusation. He was trying to find a way to deny this allegation before
the others started to suspect the truth.
"What is it that you don't like about Ridikar?" Bendros asked Riccan
quietly. He agreed with Riccan, but he was hoping that someone would be able to
put a name on the niggling suspicions about the Calmagian heir.
"I just don't like him that's all," Riccan replied uncertainly. "I
don't think he'd be nice to Tayla too much. He just gives me a bad feeling. I
don't think that he'd be good to Tayla." Riccan, being only nine years old,
couldn't quite a name to his worries about Ridikar, but the others could
sympathize with him.
"I don't like him either," Lukan agreed. "I can't exactly say why,
but I don't trust him, especially with our little sister."
"There's just something not right about him," Kekron added. "Maybe
it's the way he views women. He seems to consider them to be inferior to men.
I don't think he'd treat Tayla as his equal, like an Astorian male would. Maybe
that's what's bothering us: he seems to view Tayla as an object, someone to be
acquired, someone to be-conquered, perhaps, like a prize to be won."
"That's the best way I've heard it so far," Bendros said
affirmatively. He turned to the other young men, while noticing Rojal and
Dedron leaving the group.
"Goodnight, everyone," Rojal spoke for both him and Dedron, as they
left the balcony and their peers altogether. When they were gone, Bendros
continued, "We've all agreed that we don't care for this Ridikar. What I
suggest we do is that all of us take turns keeping an eye on him-"
"And beat him up, if he does anything to Tayla?" Riccan suggested
brightly.
"Riccan, don't interrupt," Arlon told him. "Let him finish." Even
though Bendros was not Clan of Chloe, he was the future Granden of Sahara, and
Arlon and many of the other young men of their age group looked up to him.
"Sorry," Riccan apologized.
Bendros began again. "Arlon and I can mention our concerns to the
Superior Gran, and we all must make sure that Tayla is not left alone with him."
The others agreed, and Riccan, forgetting himself again, interrupted, "He's
having dinner tomorrow night with her; Tayla told me. She likes him a lot, even
if we don't."
Bendros sighed. That was exactly what he had been worried about.
Tayla was too young and inexperienced to be able to handle a boy like Ridikar,
who seemed unlikely to treat her with respect.
Bendros was almost tempted to break Ridikar's neck in advance, but
since Ridikar had not done anything yet, there was nothing that he and the
others could do, but keep an eye on him.
Bendros swore not to allow Ridikar to bother Tayla or make her feel
uncomfortable. He, personally, planned to have a nice chat with Ridikar about
treating a Princess of Chloe properly.
The next morning in the courtyard of the Calmagian Palace. 7AM (Frieza Stellar
Time), 9AM (Astorian Galactic Time), 11AM (Calmagian Royal Northern Time)
Tayla was excited. She was to join Ridikar for dinner at five
o'clock later that evening. She planned to wear her favorite lavender caftan,
with was cut in the new shoulder-bearing, sleeveless Astorian style. A silky
pale green sash imprinted with violets would complete this ensemble, along with
crystal emerald-tinted shoes. For now, she was wearing a pale pink caftan with
a soft blue sash, imprinted with daisy-like flowers.
She was now sitting in the courtyard on one of the castle's famous
electric-blue marble benches. There was a large fountain in the middle of the
courtyard with a statue of King Kitchator in the middle of it. The King's
statue was pouring water out of an ornately carved vase into the fountain. The
courtyard was lined with flowers similar to Earth's roses, only most of these
roses were electric-blue and bright neon green.
Tayla watched the fountain for a long time, fascinated with it,
until a small girl joined her. The little girl sat down besides Tayla. Tayla
then turned to notice the tiny child, who had whitish-blond hair and eyes a
brighter blue that some of the Calmagian roses. The girl's skin was as white as
the snowy clouds of Calmag (pale skin was normally a desirable trait among
Calmagian women). The small lady had an ethereal appearance that made Tayla
stare in astonishment. The girl was wearing a pale blue sheer dress that was
low-cut and sleeveless, revealing the cleavage of a childish bosom.
Tayla finally managed to regain her composure and smiled warmly at
the otherworldly creature. "Hello," she told the other girl graciously, "I am
Princess Tayla Chloe."
The girl smiled shyly, revealing perfect pearly teeth. "I am
Princess Caline, Prince Ridikar's sister," she said in a whispery voice so low
that Tayla had to strain to hear her.
Tayla stretched both hands out to her in a proper Astorian handshake, and
Princess Caline hesitantly took them and shook them gently, for she knew the
Astorian greeting. "Welcome to Calmag," Caline told her softly.
"Thank you," Tayla told her, and for some strange reason, her voice
was now the same decibel as Caline's. Tayla felt that she should talk in the
same tone as the wraithlike creature. Caline didn't seem to be a real person;
she seemed to be more like a good spirit than a living being.
"I can only talk for a few minutes, Princess Tayla," Caline told her
in her normally whispery voice. "My husband is expecting me."
"Husband?" Tayla asked, puzzled, her voice now raised back to her
normal tone. "How can you have a husband? You don't look much older than I am.
In fact, you don't look like you're any more than ten or eleven years old."
"I'm eleven," Caline explained. "And I married Alberm a month ago.
He is twenty-five years older than I am. I am still not overly fond of him; in
fact, he frightens me at times, but he is a good provider and strong warrior, so
I cannot complain."
Tayla was shocked that a little girl younger than her could have a
husband, but she kept her composure and continued, "If you weren't fond of him,
why did you marry him?"
"Alberm wanted to marry me, and Father agreed to the marriage
contract. I tried to tell Father that I did not like him, but Father insisted
that I marry him anyway. I had no choice in the matter; it is the men of the
family who determine whom their women may marry."
"That's awful," Tayla told her indignantly, "to be forced into a
marriage when you are only a little girl and don't like who you have to marry!"
Caline's wide blue eyes grew even wider, as she shrank back from Tayla's
powerful, dulcet-toned voice.
The frightened young bride looked around anxiously, and then she
whispered to Tayla, "Do not worry; I am taken care of, as long as I do what
Alberm tells me to do." Caline rubbed her white arm ruefully, and it was then
that Tayla noticed a large purple and yellow bruise on the ghostly arm. The
sight of it dismayed Tayla.
"How did you get that bruise?" Tayla asked her softly, her voice
lower than even Caline's.
A tear glistened in one of Caline's blue eyes. "I behaved badly,
and I caused Alberm to lose his temper. I am thankful that he only squeezed my
arm, instead of giving me a full beating. I refused to mate with him one night
because I had a bad headache, and he did this. I should not have refused him,
for he is my husband and may have me whenever he wishes. He hurts me badly when
we mate, but at least he does not beat me when I comply."
"Does your father know about this?" Tayla asked her, horrified.
Caline nodded shamefacedly. "It does not matter to him much as long
as Alberm does not beat me too badly. To Father, a few bruises for bad behavior
is nothing; as long as Alberm does not hurt me too much, he won't say a word.
He only sees Alberm's money and powerful army and equipment. Alberm is an
excellent businessman, as well as a fine warrior and one of Father' strongest
allies on Calmag."
"That doesn't make what he's doing to you right," Tayla told her
furiously, "No man has a right to treat his wife the way that this Alberm treats
you."
"My father treated my mother no differently," Caline stated, "except
that he, at least, did not beat or hit her. He just shouted at her so harshly,
that was all. She died when I was five years old."
Tayla shook her head at this. Such behavior would not have been
tolerated on Astoria; abusing your spouse guaranteed a long prison sentence,
whether you were male or female. She took Caline's hand and patted it gently.
"I will go to my grandmother, and perhaps she can help. She could talk to Uncle Kitchator-"
Caline became alarmed, and her whispery voice grew into a shriek. "No!" she cried loudly, "my grandfather does not like it when others interfere in his family matters. He would say that I was making too much out of nothing. And then Alberm would definitely beat me then, and no one would stop him. My grandfather is very fond of Alberm, and our marriage pleased him. He considers Alberm as a son, for Alberm has done so much in increasing Calmag's prosperity. And Alberm is a great diplomat; he was one of the ones that your grandmother talked to, one of the ones who arranged your people's visit to our planet. Alberm is a Kai in my grandfather's eyes. I beseech you, Princess Tayla, not to try to interfere, please!"
"I'll agree for now," Tayla said reluctantly, "but you should not to tolerate Alberm's abuse. What he is doing to you is not right under any circumstances. You can talk to me anytime that you wish while you are here. I am Queen Kildara's niece, you know."
"I know," Caline whispered, with a small smile. "I have heard the stories from Grandmother last night about how strong you are, and how you managed to defeat Prince Vegeta of the Saiyans almost single-handedly. I wish I was as strong as you, Princess Tayla, but I was not trained as a warrior like you were. I can paralyze people, like all Calmagians know how to do, but the men's powers are stronger than the women's."
"You may just call me Tayla," the young Princess of Chloe told her, "And if you like, I can teach you how to defend yourself."
Caline's electric-blue eyes widened, and she was about to reply when a large, burly man approached the two small girls. "There you are, Caline! Where in the world have you been, girl?"
Tayla disliked the man on sight. The large man was six-feet, seven-inches tall, and he was corpulent, the size of six people her size put together, weighing over three hundred pounds. He was red-haired and red-faced, with a big, bulbous nose and bulging olive green eyes that were pale and watery. He seemed to have a permanent sneer on his fat face, and the angry, contemptuous way he looked at Caline made Tayla instantly edgy. Tayla guessed correctly that this was Alberm.
"Alberm, I am sorry, truly," Caline stammered fearfully. "I was just welcoming Princess Tayla Chloe to Calmag. She is a year older than I am, if I am correct."
"You are," Tayla said tightly, keeping her chocolate eyes fixed on Alberm. Alberm was so fat that Tayla could not, for the life of her, understand how he was a warrior. If Alberm was a warrior, then he surely had to be a poor one.
Alberm's expression instantly changed to a more benevolent expression, and he laughed heartily. "Well, well, so you are Superior Gran Shalila Chloe's granddaughter, Tayla Chloe. You were on the guest list. Well, hello, little girl, I am Alberm of Rendor, my own private city, and I am sorry if my wife troubled you. She always seems to be running her mouth."
"She hasn't troubled me," Tayla told him as politely as possible. "I have enjoyed her company. She has told me much of your success here on Calmag."
Alberm smirked. "Good, she's bragging about me, and I like that! It shows that she's well behaved. She may be a child, like you, but she's my woman and my wife. You yourself are old enough to get married; better keep an eye for all the young, single Calmagian boys, particularly Ridikar, for he seems fond of you. Just think, Princess Tayla, of being the next Queen of Calmag!"
"I am too young to get married," Tayla told him quietly, in that same steely polite tone that she usually reserved for someone that she disliked, but couldn't afford at that moment to offend. "By Astorian law, I cannot marry until I am seventeen, and my husband would be of my own choosing, if my grandmother consents to the man that I wish to marry."
"Caline, it's time to go," Alberm told his child bride sternly. "I must meet with some of the important Astorian people, and I want you at home where I know that you won't get into trouble or bother our guests."
Tayla spoke up quickly. "Actually, I was just about to ask her, if she'd like to join me for the day, Alberm. It is not every day that I get to meet a Calmagian princess, and I would like to make some friends here before my people and I go home to Astoria."
Alberm chuckled. "Well, I suppose that would be fine; at least my little wifey can't get into much trouble in the company of a Princess of Chloe from planet Astoria." He reached towards Caline, who was now standing up, and squeezed her buttock hard with his large hand.
"That hurts!" Caline cried out. "Please don't do that, Alberm, at least not in front of others!"
Alberm's face darkened. "You are my wife, my mate, and I may touch you where I please! You are my property, Caline, and that's something that you need to learn to understand." And with that, he seized his small child bride and kissed her roughly on her mouth before pushing her away. "Farewell, girl, and enjoy the day with the Astorian princess! And tonight, I will expect your presence in my bed, no more excuses!" Alberm proudly trotted off, like an Earth peacock.
Tayla had a hard time concealing her anger. "That b-bastard," she whispered, using a forbidden word. "Who does he think he is, treating you like that? I ought to-"
"No, Tayla," Caline said anxiously, "I know that you wanted to hurt him, but you mustn't do so. I also know that you can kill him, but you would only make trouble for your people, if you did. My grandfather would not understand, nor would he be pleased. Please don't strike out against him, Tayla."
Tayla emitted a deep guttural growl that did not suit her at all, but she backed down reluctantly. "Very well, I will for now, but he still has no right to treat you like he does." She beckoned Caline to follow her to her bedchamber, and Caline slowly did so, leaving the courtyard behind. Since Caline, like all Calmagians, could not fly, Tayla had to walk the entire way with her until they reached the elevator inside the castle on the first floor.
A balcony over looking the Shi River of Magan, later that night
Most of the young men were still awake. Arlon, Lukan, Bendros,
Rojal, Dedron, Kekron, and even Riccan (who had snuck out of bed without his
parents' knowledge), were talking quietly on a balcony overlooking the
magnificent Shi River, the main river flowing through the Calmagian royal city
of Magan. Riccan was always trying to be with the older boys when he wasn't
with Tayla.
Dedron sneered at his young cousin, "Shouldn't you be in bed, runt?
Isn't your mamma wondering where you are? We don't want babies around here."
Riccan put up his fists at his sixteen-year-old cousin. "I am not a baby! I am
a man!"
Dedron laughed harshly. "You're no man! You're just a stupid,
whiny little baby boy! Go wake up Tayla if you want someone to play with!"
"Leave him alone, Dedron," Bendros said firmly. "There is no harm
in him joining us. And he is your cousin."
Dedron glared nastily at Bendros. He was in a particularly bad mood
tonight because he was angry with his father, Cletos. He was tired of his
father ignoring him and barely noticing him. Dedron often acted out and caused
trouble to get his father's attention, but it never seemed to work. The only
attention he received for his bad behavior was discipline from his
great-grandmother, Shalila. Raakon and Dirkan had tried to talk to Dedron in
the past about his actions and coping with his father's indifference, but Dedron
had turned deaf ears to all those that tried to counsel him.
His glare at Bendros was almost fatal. Bendros wasn't even Clan of
Chloe, and he dared to order him, Prince Dedron Chloe, of Chloe, Astoria? Who
did he think he was?
"I rank above you, Bendros," Dedron pointed out to Bendros angrily,
"so you are in no position to be telling me what to do!"
"He is older than you, Dedron," Kekron pointed out, "and wiser than
you, so you should listen to him anyway. Don't forget that he is also the
future Granden of Sahara." Kekron was unusually mature for his age.
Dedron snorted contemptuously at this. Dedron looked down his nose
at anyone with Saiyan blood, whether there was Astorian blood mixed in it or
not, and that included Bendros and their Aunt Alora Sahara-Chloe.
Bendros kept his temper in check. He was normally mild-mannered,
but the antics of Dedron--and sometimes Rojal--grated on his nerves, especially
when they picked on the younger children, like Tayla and Riccan. Tayla and
Riccan seemed to be Rojal and Dedron's favorite targets. Rojal could have kept
Dedron in check, for Rojal was one of the few people that Dedron actually
listened to, but most of the time Rojal seemed to encourage Dedron's atrocious
behavior.
Dedron, who had never been well-behaved to begin with, had become
five times as worse after his mother had deserted him, his sister, and his
father. He would play nasty pranks on the servants of the Palace, and three of
his personal servants had gone straight to Shalila and demanded that they be
released from their oaths to him. Dedron enjoyed bullying the younger children,
often beating them up mercilessly during sparring and training matches. He was
especially mean to Riccan, Nikon and the little girl cousins, tripping them up,
pulling their hair or throwing them off of cliffs before they could fly well.
Three years ago, he had tossed a frightened Tayka off the top of a
bathhouse roof, teasing her because she couldn't fly very well at the time.
Tayka had crashed into a tree and wound up with a broken arm. Lektron, losing
his temper, had beaten Dedron to a pulp for harming his daughter. It had taken
Dirkan, Raakon and Bajal to pull them apart, and finally Dirkan had to knock
Lektron unconscious, so that he wouldn't kill Dedron. Shalila had confined
Dedron to his room for an entire month, not allowing contact with his peers, and
forbidding him access to the training grounds or the gravity rooms. She and
Dirkan warned Dedron that if he ever did such a thing again, he would be sent
away to the moon of Eustachia for a year. This was a harsh punishment for
anyone because Eustachia was mostly wilderness, with very few modern comforts of
home. Shalila also threatened to revoke his right to fight as a warrior for
Astoria.
A year after that, Tayla had returned from Kami Orchida's, stronger
and wiser than ever. Two days after she had come home to stay, she noticed
Dedron assaulting an already badly wounded Riccan, who was vainly trying to
fight him back. Dedron and Riccan had been sparring, but Dedron had been
entirely too rough on Riccan, hurting him more than he could handle.
Riccan had finally told Dedron that he didn't want to play anymore, but Dedron
laughed, called him a weakling, and continued beating on Riccan anyway, even
though Riccan had told him to stop. A furious Tayla had jumped in between
Riccan and Dedron, and she told Dedron to leave Riccan alone.
Dedron had been furious because Tayla had intervened, so he took his
full anger out on her instead. He flew at her, and Tayla was forced to defend
herself. Aunt and nephew had jumped into a nasty battle royale with fists and
feet flying. Dedron called Tayla every nasty name that a male could call a
female, which ignited Tayla's ire further. But it was when Dedron pulled out a
huge chunk of Tayla's hair that Tayla was set off further.
Riccan had tried desperately to help his young aunt, but Dedron punched him hard
in his face, knocking him out. As the old cliché goes, that had been the straw
to break the camel's back. Tayla's next round with Dedron was merciless, and by
this time, ki blasts were flying, drawing everyone's attention.
Gracina and Raakon were the first to arrive and were shocked to
notice a still pint-sized Tayla facing off against Dedron, who was twice her
height and twice her size. Gracina and Raakon pulled the fighting pair apart
and by the time things settled down, Tayla had two broken fingers and a bloody
nose, but Dedron had wound up with a broken jaw, two cracked ribs and two black
eyes, all inflicted by Tayla. It had taken all of Gracina's strength to
restrain her young, furious sister and calm her down. Riccan woke up and
shakily told his mother and uncle how the fight had started, and both Gracina
and Raakon were amazed at how much damage that their tiny sister, who had been
ten-years-old at the time, had been able to cause. Then they remembered how
well their sister had done in the battle against Prince Vegeta and his cohorts.
Raakon had lectured both Tayla and Dedron, insisting they apologize to each
other, and that Dedron apologize to Riccan. Tayla's tremendous power had
shocked Riccan, who had never seen Tayla fight so hard and so angrily before.
Tayla had been appalled at how much pain and damage she had caused Dedron; she
had been similarly horrified after she had recalled the full details of what she
had done to Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz. Tayla's astonishing strength frightened
even herself.
Dedron had been as frightened by Tayla's power, but he never
admitted it. To this day, he still snubbed her, but he never dared to attack
her again; he wouldn't even bully the other children when she was around. He
did swear by the Seven Moons of Astoria to take his revenge out on her one day,
and he trained harder than ever, so that he could one day become stronger than
Tayla. Both he and Rojal, his best friend, did not like the idea of Tayla being
stronger than them, and their new goal now was to become stronger and more
powerful than her. They both considered themselves to be more important than
their youngest aunt, and they wanted the power to prove it.
Rojal and Dedron also feared Tayla's growing influence among their
peers, for Tayla was seen as a leader among them. They both knew that Tayla was
more popular and more prominent than they were, even though they were higher
than her in rank. What if Tayla's friends and the rest of the Astorians decided
that they wanted Tayla to become Astoria's next ruler instead?
Riccan, then remembering that moment when Tayla had taken Dedron down, snapped
at Dedron, "If you don't leave me alone, I'll go to Tayla, and we'll both get
you!"
Bendros tousled Riccan's hair. "Hey easy, little fellow. Dedron's
not going to bother you." Riccan didn't believe Bendros, and he scowled
furiously at Dedron, who snorted and ignored his young, pesky cousin.
Arlon and Lukan decided to have a friendly sparring match, and they
were in the middle of it, laughing and grinning, when Prince Ridikar joined the
group of Astorian young men. "Greetings, fellows! How are you enjoying your
stay so far?"
Rojal grinned. "Very well, thank you. Hey, are there any lovely
young ladies that you know are available?" Arlon and Lukan now wondered the
same thing.
Ridikar laughed. "Of course there are! I am having a party
tomorrow night, but I'll have to leave early; I have a private dinner date with
your young aunt."
Rojal raised a reddish eyebrow. "Are you talking about Tayla?"
Ridikar grinned. "She's your only unmarried aunt here, isn't she?"
Arlon's joyous grin melted into an anxious frown. He narrowed his eyes at
Ridikar. "My sister, Tayla, is only twelve. Isn't she just a bit young for
you?" Arlon had his father's hair color and skin coloring, but his eyes were
like his mother, Tika's, except that they were two shades darker. His navy-blue
eyes were almost black now.
Lukan's frown matched Arlon's. Lukan's looks were a masculine
version of Tayla's, with the same round, saucer-like brown eyes and heart-shaped
face. He was a close friend of Bendros', and both he, Arlon, and Bendros
mutually agreed to watch Ridikar whenever he was around Tayla. He, like Arlon,
knew that four years was nothing (at least according to Astorian standards), but
he had already decided that Prince Ridikar would not be a good match for his
baby sister. It didn't matter that Ridikar was to become King of Calmag
someday. In Lukan's eyes, Ridikar was too slick and devious to be trusted with
little Tayla.
"Actually," Ridikar replied seriously, "Tayla is of marriageable
age, according to Calmagian standards. Why, my little sister, Caline, is just a
year younger than Tayla, and she just got married recently. It was a good
match, and her new husband is an important nobleman with two thousand acres of
land and his own city. He is very rich; my father was pleased with the decision
he had made."
Kekron asked, "Didn't your sister have any say in this?"
Ridikar shook his head, as if Kekron had asked a ridiculous question. "Of
course not. She is a female, my father's ward until her marriage, and the
marriage contract was an excellent one. If she had refused, my father would
have disowned her. She wasn't too thrilled about marrying a man twenty-five
years older than her, but she'll adjust to him, and she'll bear strong sons."
Kekron inquired further, "Women have no say on this planet in whom
they wish to marry?"
Ridikar looked at Kekron strangely. "The men do the choosing here,
and the parents arrange the marriages. Men may choose their mates, and the
women, if single, must agree to wed them, if they parents consent to the match.
All women are subject to the men in their family. When a male is ready for
marriage, he picks his bride and arranges a contract with her parents, and if
the parents are satisfied, he may marry her."
"But what if the girl doesn't want to marry him?" Riccan asked,
chewing on a hangnail.
"She has no say in that," Ridikar explained with a sigh. "It is up
to her parents, and if she refuses a good marriage contract, her parents usually
threaten to disown her."
Kekron was uncomfortable with this. On Astoria, women and men had
near-equal rights, and women could do almost everything that the men could.
Women were still more protected then the men were, however, and they were under
their guardians or parents' care longer than men were, but other than that, they
had the same rights as the men did.
"Are women allowed to become warriors or have other occupations?"
Kekron asked, as he watched the beauty of Calmag's three moons. A picture of
the three moons of Calmag was part of the Calmagian royal family crest.
"Only men may fight," Ridikar told him. "The only occupations that
most women have are as wives and mothers. Some are nurses, maids, or
governesses before they marry, but after that, they no longer work at anything
except running the household and raising their children. Most Calmagian women
aren't strong enough to be good warriors anyway, and they don't need to. The
men can more than take care of things here."
Ridikar straightened his back, until it was straight as a ramrod.
"And I, myself, am hoping to marry soon. I will need a future queen who can
bear me strong sons to rule in my stead after I pass on to the next dimension.
A young bride, in the full bloom of womanhood, or close to it, is just what I
need. Tayla may be a good possibility; my grandfather is thinking of discussing
it with the Superior Gran and Granden. Farewell and good-night." And with a
casual wave and flutter of his strong, thick hand, Ridikar was gone from the
balcony and down the hall leading to his bedchamber.
The young men glared darkly at him, except for Rojal and Dedron, who
were seeing Ridikar's interest in Tayla as a good opportunity to be rid of the
girl once and for all.
"Ridikar should make her a good husband," Rojal said hopefully. "He
is to become the King of Calmag. Tayla would follow in Great-Aunt Kildara's
stead as the next Queen of Calmag; it would be a good position for her."
The other young men, except for Dedron, stared at Rojal in
disbelief. "How can you say that, Rojal?" Arlon asked angrily. "Tayla is only
twelve years old, and she would not be happy living here on Calmag. Besides, I
doubt that Nama would ever allow it, even if Tayla were of age. And I wouldn't
blame her for not allowing such a marriage! I don't like the young cretin
myself, and I don't think that Nama and Dirkan do either."
"Great-Nama would be foolish not to allow such a good opportunity!"
Rojal snapped at his uncle, who was only three years older than he was. "Think
about it: we want Calmag to ally with Astoria anyway, and a marriage between
Tayla and Ridikar would solidify such an alliance. Tayla would surely produce
strong children, even if only the males would be allowed to become warriors.
The Calmagians are strong people who could benefit us, and it would be best for
both races to intermarry with each other, if possible."
"You just want to get rid of Tayla!" Riccan shrieked loudly, so
loudly that two Calmagian guards from two castle turrets away could hear him.
"You've never liked Tayla, Rojal, so you're just trying to get rid of her! You
don't care whether Tayla is happy or not! I don't like Ridikar, and I don't
want Tayla to marry him!" The normally self-assured Rojal flinched at Riccan's
angry accusation. He was trying to find a way to deny this allegation before
the others started to suspect the truth.
"What is it that you don't like about Ridikar?" Bendros asked Riccan
quietly. He agreed with Riccan, but he was hoping that someone would be able to
put a name on the niggling suspicions about the Calmagian heir.
"I just don't like him that's all," Riccan replied uncertainly. "I
don't think he'd be nice to Tayla too much. He just gives me a bad feeling. I
don't think that he'd be good to Tayla." Riccan, being only nine years old,
couldn't quite a name to his worries about Ridikar, but the others could
sympathize with him.
"I don't like him either," Lukan agreed. "I can't exactly say why,
but I don't trust him, especially with our little sister."
"There's just something not right about him," Kekron added. "Maybe
it's the way he views women. He seems to consider them to be inferior to men.
I don't think he'd treat Tayla as his equal, like an Astorian male would. Maybe
that's what's bothering us: he seems to view Tayla as an object, someone to be
acquired, someone to be-conquered, perhaps, like a prize to be won."
"That's the best way I've heard it so far," Bendros said
affirmatively. He turned to the other young men, while noticing Rojal and
Dedron leaving the group.
"Goodnight, everyone," Rojal spoke for both him and Dedron, as they
left the balcony and their peers altogether. When they were gone, Bendros
continued, "We've all agreed that we don't care for this Ridikar. What I
suggest we do is that all of us take turns keeping an eye on him-"
"And beat him up, if he does anything to Tayla?" Riccan suggested
brightly.
"Riccan, don't interrupt," Arlon told him. "Let him finish." Even
though Bendros was not Clan of Chloe, he was the future Granden of Sahara, and
Arlon and many of the other young men of their age group looked up to him.
"Sorry," Riccan apologized.
Bendros began again. "Arlon and I can mention our concerns to the
Superior Gran, and we all must make sure that Tayla is not left alone with him."
The others agreed, and Riccan, forgetting himself again, interrupted, "He's
having dinner tomorrow night with her; Tayla told me. She likes him a lot, even
if we don't."
Bendros sighed. That was exactly what he had been worried about.
Tayla was too young and inexperienced to be able to handle a boy like Ridikar,
who seemed unlikely to treat her with respect.
Bendros was almost tempted to break Ridikar's neck in advance, but
since Ridikar had not done anything yet, there was nothing that he and the
others could do, but keep an eye on him.
Bendros swore not to allow Ridikar to bother Tayla or make her feel
uncomfortable. He, personally, planned to have a nice chat with Ridikar about
treating a Princess of Chloe properly.
The next morning in the courtyard of the Calmagian Palace. 7AM (Frieza Stellar
Time), 9AM (Astorian Galactic Time), 11AM (Calmagian Royal Northern Time)
Tayla was excited. She was to join Ridikar for dinner at five
o'clock later that evening. She planned to wear her favorite lavender caftan,
with was cut in the new shoulder-bearing, sleeveless Astorian style. A silky
pale green sash imprinted with violets would complete this ensemble, along with
crystal emerald-tinted shoes. For now, she was wearing a pale pink caftan with
a soft blue sash, imprinted with daisy-like flowers.
She was now sitting in the courtyard on one of the castle's famous
electric-blue marble benches. There was a large fountain in the middle of the
courtyard with a statue of King Kitchator in the middle of it. The King's
statue was pouring water out of an ornately carved vase into the fountain. The
courtyard was lined with flowers similar to Earth's roses, only most of these
roses were electric-blue and bright neon green.
Tayla watched the fountain for a long time, fascinated with it,
until a small girl joined her. The little girl sat down besides Tayla. Tayla
then turned to notice the tiny child, who had whitish-blond hair and eyes a
brighter blue that some of the Calmagian roses. The girl's skin was as white as
the snowy clouds of Calmag (pale skin was normally a desirable trait among
Calmagian women). The small lady had an ethereal appearance that made Tayla
stare in astonishment. The girl was wearing a pale blue sheer dress that was
low-cut and sleeveless, revealing the cleavage of a childish bosom.
Tayla finally managed to regain her composure and smiled warmly at
the otherworldly creature. "Hello," she told the other girl graciously, "I am
Princess Tayla Chloe."
The girl smiled shyly, revealing perfect pearly teeth. "I am
Princess Caline, Prince Ridikar's sister," she said in a whispery voice so low
that Tayla had to strain to hear her.
Tayla stretched both hands out to her in a proper Astorian handshake, and
Princess Caline hesitantly took them and shook them gently, for she knew the
Astorian greeting. "Welcome to Calmag," Caline told her softly.
"Thank you," Tayla told her, and for some strange reason, her voice
was now the same decibel as Caline's. Tayla felt that she should talk in the
same tone as the wraithlike creature. Caline didn't seem to be a real person;
she seemed to be more like a good spirit than a living being.
"I can only talk for a few minutes, Princess Tayla," Caline told her
in her normally whispery voice. "My husband is expecting me."
"Husband?" Tayla asked, puzzled, her voice now raised back to her
normal tone. "How can you have a husband? You don't look much older than I am.
In fact, you don't look like you're any more than ten or eleven years old."
"I'm eleven," Caline explained. "And I married Alberm a month ago.
He is twenty-five years older than I am. I am still not overly fond of him; in
fact, he frightens me at times, but he is a good provider and strong warrior, so
I cannot complain."
Tayla was shocked that a little girl younger than her could have a
husband, but she kept her composure and continued, "If you weren't fond of him,
why did you marry him?"
"Alberm wanted to marry me, and Father agreed to the marriage
contract. I tried to tell Father that I did not like him, but Father insisted
that I marry him anyway. I had no choice in the matter; it is the men of the
family who determine whom their women may marry."
"That's awful," Tayla told her indignantly, "to be forced into a
marriage when you are only a little girl and don't like who you have to marry!"
Caline's wide blue eyes grew even wider, as she shrank back from Tayla's
powerful, dulcet-toned voice.
The frightened young bride looked around anxiously, and then she
whispered to Tayla, "Do not worry; I am taken care of, as long as I do what
Alberm tells me to do." Caline rubbed her white arm ruefully, and it was then
that Tayla noticed a large purple and yellow bruise on the ghostly arm. The
sight of it dismayed Tayla.
"How did you get that bruise?" Tayla asked her softly, her voice
lower than even Caline's.
A tear glistened in one of Caline's blue eyes. "I behaved badly,
and I caused Alberm to lose his temper. I am thankful that he only squeezed my
arm, instead of giving me a full beating. I refused to mate with him one night
because I had a bad headache, and he did this. I should not have refused him,
for he is my husband and may have me whenever he wishes. He hurts me badly when
we mate, but at least he does not beat me when I comply."
"Does your father know about this?" Tayla asked her, horrified.
Caline nodded shamefacedly. "It does not matter to him much as long
as Alberm does not beat me too badly. To Father, a few bruises for bad behavior
is nothing; as long as Alberm does not hurt me too much, he won't say a word.
He only sees Alberm's money and powerful army and equipment. Alberm is an
excellent businessman, as well as a fine warrior and one of Father' strongest
allies on Calmag."
"That doesn't make what he's doing to you right," Tayla told her
furiously, "No man has a right to treat his wife the way that this Alberm treats
you."
"My father treated my mother no differently," Caline stated, "except
that he, at least, did not beat or hit her. He just shouted at her so harshly,
that was all. She died when I was five years old."
Tayla shook her head at this. Such behavior would not have been
tolerated on Astoria; abusing your spouse guaranteed a long prison sentence,
whether you were male or female. She took Caline's hand and patted it gently.
"I will go to my grandmother, and perhaps she can help. She could talk to Uncle Kitchator-"
Caline became alarmed, and her whispery voice grew into a shriek. "No!" she cried loudly, "my grandfather does not like it when others interfere in his family matters. He would say that I was making too much out of nothing. And then Alberm would definitely beat me then, and no one would stop him. My grandfather is very fond of Alberm, and our marriage pleased him. He considers Alberm as a son, for Alberm has done so much in increasing Calmag's prosperity. And Alberm is a great diplomat; he was one of the ones that your grandmother talked to, one of the ones who arranged your people's visit to our planet. Alberm is a Kai in my grandfather's eyes. I beseech you, Princess Tayla, not to try to interfere, please!"
"I'll agree for now," Tayla said reluctantly, "but you should not to tolerate Alberm's abuse. What he is doing to you is not right under any circumstances. You can talk to me anytime that you wish while you are here. I am Queen Kildara's niece, you know."
"I know," Caline whispered, with a small smile. "I have heard the stories from Grandmother last night about how strong you are, and how you managed to defeat Prince Vegeta of the Saiyans almost single-handedly. I wish I was as strong as you, Princess Tayla, but I was not trained as a warrior like you were. I can paralyze people, like all Calmagians know how to do, but the men's powers are stronger than the women's."
"You may just call me Tayla," the young Princess of Chloe told her, "And if you like, I can teach you how to defend yourself."
Caline's electric-blue eyes widened, and she was about to reply when a large, burly man approached the two small girls. "There you are, Caline! Where in the world have you been, girl?"
Tayla disliked the man on sight. The large man was six-feet, seven-inches tall, and he was corpulent, the size of six people her size put together, weighing over three hundred pounds. He was red-haired and red-faced, with a big, bulbous nose and bulging olive green eyes that were pale and watery. He seemed to have a permanent sneer on his fat face, and the angry, contemptuous way he looked at Caline made Tayla instantly edgy. Tayla guessed correctly that this was Alberm.
"Alberm, I am sorry, truly," Caline stammered fearfully. "I was just welcoming Princess Tayla Chloe to Calmag. She is a year older than I am, if I am correct."
"You are," Tayla said tightly, keeping her chocolate eyes fixed on Alberm. Alberm was so fat that Tayla could not, for the life of her, understand how he was a warrior. If Alberm was a warrior, then he surely had to be a poor one.
Alberm's expression instantly changed to a more benevolent expression, and he laughed heartily. "Well, well, so you are Superior Gran Shalila Chloe's granddaughter, Tayla Chloe. You were on the guest list. Well, hello, little girl, I am Alberm of Rendor, my own private city, and I am sorry if my wife troubled you. She always seems to be running her mouth."
"She hasn't troubled me," Tayla told him as politely as possible. "I have enjoyed her company. She has told me much of your success here on Calmag."
Alberm smirked. "Good, she's bragging about me, and I like that! It shows that she's well behaved. She may be a child, like you, but she's my woman and my wife. You yourself are old enough to get married; better keep an eye for all the young, single Calmagian boys, particularly Ridikar, for he seems fond of you. Just think, Princess Tayla, of being the next Queen of Calmag!"
"I am too young to get married," Tayla told him quietly, in that same steely polite tone that she usually reserved for someone that she disliked, but couldn't afford at that moment to offend. "By Astorian law, I cannot marry until I am seventeen, and my husband would be of my own choosing, if my grandmother consents to the man that I wish to marry."
"Caline, it's time to go," Alberm told his child bride sternly. "I must meet with some of the important Astorian people, and I want you at home where I know that you won't get into trouble or bother our guests."
Tayla spoke up quickly. "Actually, I was just about to ask her, if she'd like to join me for the day, Alberm. It is not every day that I get to meet a Calmagian princess, and I would like to make some friends here before my people and I go home to Astoria."
Alberm chuckled. "Well, I suppose that would be fine; at least my little wifey can't get into much trouble in the company of a Princess of Chloe from planet Astoria." He reached towards Caline, who was now standing up, and squeezed her buttock hard with his large hand.
"That hurts!" Caline cried out. "Please don't do that, Alberm, at least not in front of others!"
Alberm's face darkened. "You are my wife, my mate, and I may touch you where I please! You are my property, Caline, and that's something that you need to learn to understand." And with that, he seized his small child bride and kissed her roughly on her mouth before pushing her away. "Farewell, girl, and enjoy the day with the Astorian princess! And tonight, I will expect your presence in my bed, no more excuses!" Alberm proudly trotted off, like an Earth peacock.
Tayla had a hard time concealing her anger. "That b-bastard," she whispered, using a forbidden word. "Who does he think he is, treating you like that? I ought to-"
"No, Tayla," Caline said anxiously, "I know that you wanted to hurt him, but you mustn't do so. I also know that you can kill him, but you would only make trouble for your people, if you did. My grandfather would not understand, nor would he be pleased. Please don't strike out against him, Tayla."
Tayla emitted a deep guttural growl that did not suit her at all, but she backed down reluctantly. "Very well, I will for now, but he still has no right to treat you like he does." She beckoned Caline to follow her to her bedchamber, and Caline slowly did so, leaving the courtyard behind. Since Caline, like all Calmagians, could not fly, Tayla had to walk the entire way with her until they reached the elevator inside the castle on the first floor.
