Cost of a Crown (Book 1)

Two Brothers

Chapter Eight: Bit of Culture Shock

Logically, any alien planet would be an adjustment. Eternia might be populated by humans, among other peoples, but it was still an alien planet.

Still, it was just close enough to her own, that when Marlena was confronted with something that was different, she got a very abrupt culture shock.

Like when the tailors were fitting her for new, Eternian, clothing. Since they cut her off in order to heal her wounds, new clothes had to be made for her. The first fitting seemed straightforward enough. Height, arm span, bust, waist, hips, etc. No different than when she was fitted for her space suit. Then the tailor laid their measuring tape flat against one cheek of her ass, measuring on a slight diagonal, down from her hip and so the juncture between her thighs.

"Whoah!" Marlena literally jumped away from them. "What'cha doing down there, buddy!?"

The tailor just looked impatient. As if Marlena were acting like a fidgety child. "The Prince has ordered me to make new cloths for you. I must take your measurements."

"Since when does taking measurements include feeling me up?" She demanded.

The tailor looked confused. "If you do not wish your leotard or loincloth to be form fitting I can make something with a drape instead."

Once she actually got the clothing was another little culture shock. Not as invasive and dramatic as having her butt and crotch felt up. But still enough to throw her one and remind her that this was an alien planet with alien views on what was appropriate clothing, or how much of one's body it was appropriate to expose. On Eternia, almost all of it seemed to just fine.

They made two outfits for Marlena. One, a sleeveless leotard with a tall flared collar like something from the 70s and a very, very, very tiny skirt. Ballerinas and figure skaters wore skirts longer than it. It was so short! The second outfit was a two-piece ensemble that left most of her body exposed. A leather bra that was lined in white fur, with a matching loincloth that was basically a belt with fur trim and just two tiny rectangles of fabric dangling from it, one in the front to cover her crotch, the other in the back, just barely wide enough to cover her butt.

She was about to be insulted and suspicious. If the Prince ordered these clothes made for her, then did he harbor any kind of lecherous feelings towards her? Did he plan to make her a concubine in his harem? (Did he even have a harem? Was that a thing on this planet?)

But then she noted that everyone kinda dressed slutty on this planet.

The Prince himself walked around in a fur loincloth with his legs bare. His bodyguard, Duncan, did wear full coverage clothing, but it was skintight so that she could see every contour of every muscle in his body and didn't leave much to the imagination. His uniform was basically just painted on. Dude might as well have been naked. That sorcerer who cast the spell that allowed her to understand their language -and did she have questions about that!- Count Marzo, just walked around without a shirt. All the time. He was nobility and just strutted around the palace in pants and a cape, tits out.

Remembering that, Marlena made a conscious effort not to be insulted and selected the 70s-collar mini-dress because, of the two of them, that one covered more.

The skirt did not completely cover her butt. Checking in the mirror, Marlena could very clearly see the bottoms of her butt-cheeks peeking out from under the hem of the skirt.

But it was better than nothing, and it was what was acceptable apparel for this planet. (She assumed.) So, Marlena tried not to let it show how uncomfortable it made her, and exited her room.

She was given free reign of the palace, and that was something she didn't think was very smart of them. What if she were an enemy scout? What if she carried some alien virus that was previously unknown on the planet and they had no natural immunity to? If the situations were reversed and an Eternian had landed on Earth, they would keep said alien visitor locked up! Probably indefinitely. And that was another bit of culture shock for her. Eternian's were much more trusting than Earthlings.

Marlena walked through the halls and corridors of the palace without being stopped once. No one asked her where she was going, or if she was allowed out of her room. No one gave her suspicious looks as she passed. In fact, most of the people she passed smiled at her. Friendly, welcoming smiles, as if she belonged, as if she'd always been there before and nothing was out of place.

And when she finally stopped someone to ask them for directions, they didn't bat an eyelash or ask why.

"The Prince had your ship brought to the hanger where we keep our own vehicles." They informed her. They were a servant, carrying a basket of freshly washed linens and wearing a uniform that had long sleeves and a high collar, but no fabric covering their chest, around their waist they wore a skirt instead of a loincloth. They shifted the basted in their arms, resting it on one hip, their uniform shirt riding up a bit to show a little thigh. With their now free hand, they pointed in the dictation Marlena wanted to go. "Follow this corridor down to the T-intersection, then make a left. You'll see a lift. The hanger is on the second above ground level."

Marlena followed the corridor and took the correct turn, she found the elevator and stepped inside.

Then quickly learned that while that while the spell she was under allowed her to understand spoken language, it did not magically give her the ability to read the language or understand it's numerals. Marlena stared at the elevator buttons, not knowing which was the correct one to press. The bare-chested servant specified 'above ground' level two. Which implied that there were basement floors. Which meant that just pushing the first button on the bottom of the panel might not get her to where she wanted to go.

She stood there, in the elevator, staring at the buttons.

Marlena didn't know how long she was standing there. Long enough for another person who needed to use the lift to show up.

They paused, startled to see her just standing there in an unmoving elevator, then smiled a friendly -if a little confused- smile. "May I help you with something?"

"Yes." Marlena admitted. "I'm trying to get to the hanger. I've been told my shuttle is there."

They pressed the correct button for her, and when the lift opened up on her floor, they also gave Marlena directions on how to find the hanger.

Finally, after what felt like an entire morning wandering the palace, Marlena finally looked up at her shuttle.

Much of it had been stripped down. It looked like the Eternians were taking it apart, trying to study how it worked. The exterior shielding was pulled up, showing the framework underneath. What of the outer hull was still there was very badly burned, scratched, and strained with dirt. She definitely crashed.

"Amazing tech."

Marlena turned around to see that there was someone else in the hanger with her.

One of the few Eternians she'd seen so far that wore clothing that provided full coverage. An all blue unitard. Long pants and long sleeved, all of it so tight it might as well have been painted on. Marlena could see every contour of every muscle in his legs and arms. And a fur loincloth on top of it, thankfully preventing Marlena from having to see every angle and shape of that part of him. Some things were better left to the imagination. He wore a pair of goggles over his eyes, to protect them from anything hazardous that might come off the alien ship.

"I'm Orius." He introduced himself, offering a hand.

It was such a familiar earthling gesture, that Marlena put her hand out in return without even thinking.

When Orius shook her arm, wrist to wrist instead of palm to palm, she was reminded that this was not her culture she was trying to navigate.

"I've been studying this craft of yours." Orius informed her. "Amazing technology. We haven't even explored our planet's moons yet, but this has traversed between stars. It's incredible!"

"That you." Marlena didn't really know what to say to that. "I didn't build it, I'm just the pilot."

"Still, I'm sure you must be very knowledgeable about it to be able to pilot." Orius insisted.

Well, she was. It was all part of her training. Still, she didn't feel like divulging NASA secrets to these alien natives. Even if they were really nice to her and didn't appear to have any malicious intent. Marlena still felt a level of cautious that was just so earthling in nature that she couldn't let go of it.

"I'd really just like to get back to my own people." She told him. "How soon can you put my ship back together so I can leave?"

"Oh, of course! You want to go home." Orius nodded, as if this were something that hadn't occurred to him before. "I can put it back together after I'm done studying it. The Prince wants to make sure we learn everything that can be learned from this vessel before we put it back together and send you away."

That same earthling suspiciousness reared up in her and Marlena. Why did these aliens have to study her ship? They already said they had no space program of their own. Not even to their own moons. What purpose would they have in needing to examine an interstellar vessel?

"What if I wanted to leave tomorrow?" She asked.

"Well, I don't think that would be possible." Orius informed her sadly. "I wouldn't be able to put everything back together by then. Besides, I would need Prince Randor's permission anyway."

"Then I'll speak to Prince Randor." Marlena concluded. She turned to leave; and got as far as the lift again before she turned back around and marched right back up to Orius. "I have no idea where he is, can you take me to him?"

…

The worst part about audiences was that, now that Keldor was gone, he couldn't fall asleep during them anymore. No, that wasn't true. The worst part about audiences was that he actually had to make decisions that affected other people's lives and there was an almost suffocating pressure to make 'the right' decision. That was the worst part about audiences. The not being able to fall asleep was more a minor annoyance.

But Randor had to keep doing them. It was one of the responsibilities of being King, and since he was acting in the place of the King, that made them one of his responsibilities too.

He didn't know how Keldor managed to sit through these. Randor's lower back was aching, and he'd been suppressing the urge to yawn for at least the last two petitioners.

Then the alien walked in and Randor's discomforts were immediately forgotten.

She looked worlds better than the last time he saw her. Her short red hair brushed to a shine, wearing Eternian clothing and boots. She looked right at home weaving her way through those gathered in the throne room. Moving with purpose, like she was accustomed to authority. Randor didn't know how high a rank 'Lieutenant' was among her people, but she clearly had some kind of command before crashing on his world.

And when Randor finished with the petitioner he was listening to before she walked in, she didn't even wait for him to ask if there was anyone else who had a matter they wish to bring before the throne.

Lieutenant Glenn just marched out into the middle of the room, pulling the back of her skirt down as she moved, and glared up at Randor.

"You ordered my shuttle be taken apart." She accused.

"I did." Randor confirmed. "I wanted the technology studied. We have hovercraft, but we've never left our planet's atmosphere. I was hoping my scientists could understand your craft before you left."

In the back of his head, he knew he should have found her aggressive hostility offensive. He was a Prince, acting in place of the King, petitioners were expected to show him the same level of respect they would show the true King. But for some reason, Marlena's boldness tickled something in him. He liked it. He liked her.

"Well, I want to leave as soon as possible. I want my shuttle put back together." Marlena informed him. "And your mechanic says he won't do that unless you tell him to. So, I want you to tell him to."

Randor was irrationally disappointed that she wanted to leave his world so soon. He liked her. She was an alien on their world, but there was just something so very Eternian about her. Maybe it was the way she knocked Duncan's feet out from under him and overpowered him in hand-to-hand grappling. Maybe it was how she did not seem intimidated by his status and the power it afforded him. Orius said her vessel was for exploration, so she was an explorer. But she was also a warrior.

"I had hoped you would give us more time-" he was going to say 'together', but Randor had only had one conversation with her and neither of them had really said much to each other, "-with your technology. But if you want to go home, I cannot stop you. Orius, how soon can you make Lieutenant Glenn's craft ready for her departure?"

Orius stepped up next to Marlena. "I can put what I took apart back together quickly enough." He assured the Prince. "No more than two days. But the damage from the crash will have to be repaired before the craft would be able to leave the planet, and that will take considerably more time. The vehicle's armor will have to be completely remade."

Randor nodded. He liked that answer. It meant Marlena would have to stay on Eternia longer. "Then we'll make new armor for the craft. Lieutenant Glenn, can you provide Orius with schematics of what needs to be built?"

Marlena blinked. She wasn't expecting the Prince to give her what she wanted with so little fuss. She thought she was going to have to argue her case and haggle for time. Instead, he just said, 'go ahead and put the ship back together for her'. No earthling leader would ever be so accommodating or even trusting.

An Earth leader would imprison the pilot and take the craft for themselves to study and weaponize. The pilot would be interrogated endlessly, and the craft pulled apart. But Randor didn't even imply that he wanted to do those things. He just said, 'boo I'm sad you're not letting me play with your toy longer'. Were people on this planet just that… nice was the wrong word- naïve! Were people on Eternia just that naïve? Marlena could present a danger to them! (She didn't. But they didn't know that for sure!)

It was another big culture shock.

That was too many culture shocks in one day. Marlena needed to retreat to her room and process the events of her short walk. Eternia was such a strange planet, she needed to think.

To the Prince, she nodded. "Yes, there are hardcopy blueprints in the shuttle's strong box, and if those are damaged the computer has digital copies." A pause. "Assuming the computer was undamaged in the crash. I can show your scientist how to read them."

"Good." Randor smiled at her as if they old friends arguing over where to get dinner. "And you'll provide me with a list of the materials you'll need so I can send out for whatever ores or minerals you might need."

"Uh… just aluminum, of you have it on this world." Marlena informed him. Most NASA shuttles were primarily made of aluminum because it was light weight but also very study. "And titanium, if you have that too. Oh! And copper, for the wiring. Ya know what, I will write a list."

Marlena turned to leave.

"It is customary to wait until the Prince dismisses you!" Someone shouted at her retreating back.

Marlena turned around to see the same bare-chested sorcerer who cast the language spell on her. Count Marzo, if she was remembering the name right.

Marlena looked back up at Randor.

"It's fine, Marzo." The Prince waved dismissively. "She doesn't know our ways and could not have meant any disrespect. Lieutenant Glenn, you are dismissed if that is your wish." Then he addressed the whole room, "Does anyone else have something they wish to bring before the throne?"

…

When the Prince said 'you will provide me with a list', she was expecting him to send a servant to pick up the document from her.

She was not expecting Prince Randor to come to her room himself.

When she opened the door after a tentative knock, she was momentarily startled. "Oh! It's you. I mean… Your Majesty."

"Highness." He corrected her. "Majesty is for the King and I'm not King."

Marlena didn't know what she was supposed to say to that. So, she said nothing.

Instead, she opened the door wider for him. "Did you want to come in, Your Highness?"

Briefly, her own learned instincts being a single woman in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people told her not to let him in. He was a strange man and Marlena did not know him. But her training reminded her that she was proficient in hand-to-hand combat, she was in the air force before she entered the space program, she was a soldier. He was royalty. A pampered Prince who probably grew up sheltered and insulated from anything bad. If he did try anything with her, Marlena was sure she could take him. (She certainly took down his bodyguard easily enough.)

Still, just in case, Marlena made a point of not closing the door behind him.

He would not have privacy if he planned to do anything she did not want him to do.

Randor, for his part, seemed not to notice the subtle action on her part. He stood just inside the room, fidgeted a little on his feet, before folding his hands behind his back awkwardly. If Marlena didn't already know that he was the Prince of a whole planet, she would have thought he looked like a doe-eyed schoolboy. A doe-eyed schoolboy with the body of a Scandinavian supermodel and the facial hair of an Old Spice commercial.

"I assume you came for the list you asked for." Marlena announced, since he seemed confused about his intensions in coming to her room.

"Yes." Randor nodded.

Marlena passed the paper to him, coming only close enough to be within her own arm's reach.

Randor took the paper without even looking at it. Opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, then closed it again. He cleared his throat. "I'll have someone from the office staff work on this right away."

He left through the open door.

Marlena was left feeling like that was rather anti-climactic.

Then again, he might look human, but he was from an entirely different planet from her. Randor was essentially an alien. Maybe that was just how people acted on this planet.

Randor didn't even look at the paper she handed him until he was already in the lift. It was completely incomprehensible. Written in a language they did not have here on Eternia. Probably the 'English' Marlena mentioned. Her own language. Marzo's spell might work on her ears and throat so that she spoke Standard Common, and heard English. But the spell did not extend to written language.

As soon as the lift opened up again, Randor had to ride it back down to her floor and return to her room.

Marlena looked even more confused to see him there a second time.

By way of explanation, Randor held up the list she just gave him. "I can't read this." He announced. "Would you dictate it to me?"

For half a second, it looked like suspicion flashed behind her eyes. Randor could not imagine anything that might make her suspicious. But the expression was there and gone so fast that he wasn't even sure he saw it right. But Marlena nodded and let him back in.

"Is this really a task someone as high ranked as a Prince should be doing?" She asked.

"Probably not." He admitted. "But I needed to get out of the office. I just can't stand sitting all day. I donno how my brother does it!"

"Oh, you have a brother?" Marlena didn't know why she was asking. She would be leaving as soon as her ship was repaired. He didn't need to know this guy's extended family tree and life story.

"Yeah." Randor nodded. "He's actually supposed to be the one ruling while father is sick. But instead, he's gone on this quest to find a magical item to heal father, and he's stuck me with the responsibility to ruling while he's gone. Don't tell anyone else this, but I am barely holding things together and it's only been a week."

That did explain a little of his awkwardness. Prince Randor didn't actually know what he was doing. His brother was the real world-leader. Randor was just the weekend fill-in.

It also explained why he was so willing to let her and her technology go. Less work for him to do. Marlena was lucky Randor was the one in charge when she crashed. The brother might not be so accommodating.

"So, uh, the list." She reminded him. "I can dictate if you write."

"Right!" That was the whole reason he came back to her room. Not to complain about Keldor's leaving. Randor flipped over the page he already held and wrote on the back on Marlena's list. "Ready whenever you are."

…