Part 7
Ch'ali took a deep breath, incensed at how gullible she had been. Of course, King Lexan was lying. She could not believe she allowed herself to be lulled by the silken words. Had she not grown up encased in web of intrigue that was Zan's court? Even Zan's choice of her as his bride had not gone smoothly in the kingdom. Whispers about her abound-of her using Zan or her father needing a hold on the young king. Forget that she and Zan had been tighter than siblings since they were toddlers, or that her father had been the primary adviser of the kingdom, serving even the old king, Zan's father. She had to have known that Lexan would be as two-faced as any royal.
But his beautiful eyes seemed pure and clear. Lexan's voice was strong and powerful, without a waver of uncertainty or malice. Perhaps that was why he was such an effective leader.
Yet Ch'ali's greatest gift was her heart. And it told her surely that Lexan was telling the truth.
"Was the convention boring to you?"
Ch'ali turned slowly at the sound of the familiar voice. Indeed, she stood facing Lexan. "When men insist on nonsense, any speech becomes tedious."
Lexan leaned against the large doors of the garden. "I would think that no one would disagree of my stand. No wars."
"The issue is more than just the war. It can be of one stronger planet when it is not separated by kingdoms."
His lips curved into a smirk. "Antarian then. I've heard of your king's idea. Some minor alterations and it may still become workable."
"And who would you put in the empire's throne?" she inquired. "I'm tired of listening to grandiose dreams of megalomaniacs."
"Why are you so acerbic? It's your king who wants an empire."
He was so close to her, and she did not merely imagine the burning and throbbing of her skin. She had never felt it before. A kiss with Zan was pleasant. The sparks that often flew between her and Rath, often intriguing. But this feeling that overcame her when she was with the enemy king was disturbing, irrational, and delicious.
Ch'ali closed her eyes. His scent assailed her senses. "King, step back."
And then his warm breath on her ear told her how close he was. "I have not moved an inch, Antarian," he replied, referring to her by her race. "You're the one who has been steadily moving closer."
She opened her eyes and confirmed his words. He was still on the same spot that he stood before. She was so close that she could hear his heart beat. "You would agree to a unifying kingdom," she said instead, not moving away. "I'm sure you believe you are the strongest ruler."
"No," he answered in a whisper. He did not need to speak up, not when if he moved his lips an inch, he would be running it against the shell of her ear. "I propose a vote."
She looked up at him, green eyes dissolving his blues. "I'd like to see you try this," she said, intending sarcasm, but managing none.
"How in Hades did this happen," he said wonderingly, his eyes puzzled as he bent to catch her lips.
Ch'ali received the sensations, forgetting completely that this was king Lexan and that before the week was over, she was going to be King Zan's wife.
~~
Ch'ali saw the dark shadow from behind the translucent windows of her assigned room. It was the last day of the convention and nothing had been settled. As with other political summits, there was no concrete agreement other than that all kingdoms opposed senseless death and economic sabotage. Ch'ali could have told them that without the expense of lodging dozens of political figures.
Her mind told her that she should press the small button on the black compact on the bedside table. The alarm would trigger a sound in Rath's and Zan's rooms. Within seconds, the general and the king could be at her doorstep to ward off intruders.
Her mind told her that it was stupid. It was so stupid that she rose from the bed and three back the sheets. Ch'ali walked over to the windows in only her nightgown and pulled them open. It was no longer funny to see Lexan standing outside, close to the silver pool that reflected the green moons, staring at her intently, silent and still.
Ch'ali stepped out of the room through the window and walked towards him. Gingerly, she touched his sculpted face. "No politics," she bargained.
"Never," he agreed.
She pulled him down to kiss him.
Their bare bodies danced under the moons, sinking under the viscous fluid that glimmered. The two of them shone as they moved against each other until no one could know where one race ended and the other began.
Afterwards, he pulled them out of the pool and onto the grass. Carefully, Lexan maneuvered them to expose her to the lazy light of the night. "While your skin breathes moonbeams, Antarian, I'll breathe you." He licked away the dampness on her cheeks.
"Lexan, I think you can now call me Ch'ali." She buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm more than just another Antarian to you now."
Lexan waited until her breathing evened out and he was sure that she was asleep. An hour, maybe less, and she would wake up and return to her quarters. A few hours more and dawn would break, requiring her to leave him and head back to a land where he knew he would be unwelcome. He reached for her hand to lift her fingers to his lips.
It was then that he saw the blinding pale blue stone that graced her ring finger. He recognized it immediately for what it was. The woman in his arms was Zan's intended bride.
Ch'ali took a deep breath, incensed at how gullible she had been. Of course, King Lexan was lying. She could not believe she allowed herself to be lulled by the silken words. Had she not grown up encased in web of intrigue that was Zan's court? Even Zan's choice of her as his bride had not gone smoothly in the kingdom. Whispers about her abound-of her using Zan or her father needing a hold on the young king. Forget that she and Zan had been tighter than siblings since they were toddlers, or that her father had been the primary adviser of the kingdom, serving even the old king, Zan's father. She had to have known that Lexan would be as two-faced as any royal.
But his beautiful eyes seemed pure and clear. Lexan's voice was strong and powerful, without a waver of uncertainty or malice. Perhaps that was why he was such an effective leader.
Yet Ch'ali's greatest gift was her heart. And it told her surely that Lexan was telling the truth.
"Was the convention boring to you?"
Ch'ali turned slowly at the sound of the familiar voice. Indeed, she stood facing Lexan. "When men insist on nonsense, any speech becomes tedious."
Lexan leaned against the large doors of the garden. "I would think that no one would disagree of my stand. No wars."
"The issue is more than just the war. It can be of one stronger planet when it is not separated by kingdoms."
His lips curved into a smirk. "Antarian then. I've heard of your king's idea. Some minor alterations and it may still become workable."
"And who would you put in the empire's throne?" she inquired. "I'm tired of listening to grandiose dreams of megalomaniacs."
"Why are you so acerbic? It's your king who wants an empire."
He was so close to her, and she did not merely imagine the burning and throbbing of her skin. She had never felt it before. A kiss with Zan was pleasant. The sparks that often flew between her and Rath, often intriguing. But this feeling that overcame her when she was with the enemy king was disturbing, irrational, and delicious.
Ch'ali closed her eyes. His scent assailed her senses. "King, step back."
And then his warm breath on her ear told her how close he was. "I have not moved an inch, Antarian," he replied, referring to her by her race. "You're the one who has been steadily moving closer."
She opened her eyes and confirmed his words. He was still on the same spot that he stood before. She was so close that she could hear his heart beat. "You would agree to a unifying kingdom," she said instead, not moving away. "I'm sure you believe you are the strongest ruler."
"No," he answered in a whisper. He did not need to speak up, not when if he moved his lips an inch, he would be running it against the shell of her ear. "I propose a vote."
She looked up at him, green eyes dissolving his blues. "I'd like to see you try this," she said, intending sarcasm, but managing none.
"How in Hades did this happen," he said wonderingly, his eyes puzzled as he bent to catch her lips.
Ch'ali received the sensations, forgetting completely that this was king Lexan and that before the week was over, she was going to be King Zan's wife.
~~
Ch'ali saw the dark shadow from behind the translucent windows of her assigned room. It was the last day of the convention and nothing had been settled. As with other political summits, there was no concrete agreement other than that all kingdoms opposed senseless death and economic sabotage. Ch'ali could have told them that without the expense of lodging dozens of political figures.
Her mind told her that she should press the small button on the black compact on the bedside table. The alarm would trigger a sound in Rath's and Zan's rooms. Within seconds, the general and the king could be at her doorstep to ward off intruders.
Her mind told her that it was stupid. It was so stupid that she rose from the bed and three back the sheets. Ch'ali walked over to the windows in only her nightgown and pulled them open. It was no longer funny to see Lexan standing outside, close to the silver pool that reflected the green moons, staring at her intently, silent and still.
Ch'ali stepped out of the room through the window and walked towards him. Gingerly, she touched his sculpted face. "No politics," she bargained.
"Never," he agreed.
She pulled him down to kiss him.
Their bare bodies danced under the moons, sinking under the viscous fluid that glimmered. The two of them shone as they moved against each other until no one could know where one race ended and the other began.
Afterwards, he pulled them out of the pool and onto the grass. Carefully, Lexan maneuvered them to expose her to the lazy light of the night. "While your skin breathes moonbeams, Antarian, I'll breathe you." He licked away the dampness on her cheeks.
"Lexan, I think you can now call me Ch'ali." She buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm more than just another Antarian to you now."
Lexan waited until her breathing evened out and he was sure that she was asleep. An hour, maybe less, and she would wake up and return to her quarters. A few hours more and dawn would break, requiring her to leave him and head back to a land where he knew he would be unwelcome. He reached for her hand to lift her fingers to his lips.
It was then that he saw the blinding pale blue stone that graced her ring finger. He recognized it immediately for what it was. The woman in his arms was Zan's intended bride.