Koriand'r had been working as Galfore's ambassador for six months when he summoned her to the throne room. She floated in quickly, making sure to land and bow to the Grand Ruler before she relaxed her position. Galfore had told her such formalities were unnecessary, but she felt she owed it to her K'Norfka to show him the same respect as she would any other Grand Ruler. As soon as she stood straight to face him, Galfore rose from his throne and came to stand in front of her. With every step he made the ground shake beneath his feet. Koriand'r supposed that many would find a man as Galfore menacing, but all she could see was her beloved caretaker.
"How may I be of assistance Grand Ruler?" Koriand'r asked, cocking her head to the side.
Galfore's mouth quirked into a strange smile. Koriand'r narrowed her eyes in playful suspicion. She knew that look. He was up to something.
"There is someone I would like you to meet, Princess Koriand'r," he responded.
Koriand'r frowned. Galfore almost never used her full name with her title. The only times he had were during council meetings or when he was trying to show his little bumgorf off. It was clearly the latter in this case.
Koriand'r turned her head at the sound of the throne room doors opening, and a moment later a tall, muscled man with clean-cut red hair stepped out. His clothing was similar to that of her own, and he wore a titanium face-framing crown on his head, albeit less impressive than Galfore's. It was all Koriand'r needed to see to know this was a prince.
She turned to Galfore, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. While her K'Norfka would never arrange a match without her consent, that did not mean he would not try and play matchmaker.
"Princess Koriand'r, this is Prince Karras. He has traveled very far to meet you," Galfore announced, doing everything he could to avoid eye contact with her while also trying to hide his smile.
Koriand'r sent her K'Norfka a final glare before turning to Karras, an uncertain smile plastered on her face. She bowed to him and he returned the gesture before taking a couple steps closer.
"To what do I owe this acquaintance, Prince Karras?" Koriand'r questioned, raising an eyebrow.
She would have expected him to be charming, seductive even, if this were a potential match as she suspected. Karras, however, seemed aloof, cold, and anything but welcoming.
"As the Grand Ruler has said, I have traveled from the other side of Tamaran to lay eyes on your beautiful face," Karras responded, his body tense and his voice rehearsed. "I have come to ask for your hand in betrothal."
Koriand'r turned to Galfore. "May I have a word with you, Grand Ruler?"
Galfore, despite his height, seemed to shrink back from her words. "Nonsense, Princess. Surely you do not wish to have our guest wait in the throne room alone?"
Koriand'r pursed her lips. "Prince Karras seems to be quite a strong warrior. I am sure he can entertain himself for a few moments." She turned to Karras who bowed his head again in that same stiff manner. Koriand'r turned back to Galfore expectantly.
The Grand Ruler heaved a sigh. "Very well."
When the two retired to the council meeting room, Koriand'r rounded on him.
"You have arranged a marriage without my knowledge?" she asked, hurt evident in her voice.
"Of course not, my little bumgorf. I would never do such a thing without your permission," he said truthfully. "You need only to reject his offer of betrothal."
She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "Perhaps I will, but perhaps not. What use is he to us?"
"Spoken like a true ambassador," Galfore said proudly, before becoming more serious. "Prince Karras controls a vast army of fierce warriors in the South, warriors who are seasoned in fighting Adaptoids."
"Why would such knowledge be valuable?"
Galfore hesitated. "Before you arrived, Tamaran was attacked by a swarm of Adaptoids. They travel from planet to planet, absorbing the life there until there is nothing left. We lost many lives when they invaded last."
Koriand'r stiffened. "Why was I not informed of such information? Surely as your ambassador I could have been of some use?"
"It was not your concern at the time, Little One," Galfore explained. "You have been through much since your arrival here."
Koriand'r shook her head. "The Gordanians are hardly-"
"I am not speaking of the Gordanians," he said, his eyes a mixture of sadness and concern.
Now she was even more confused. "Then what…?" She paused as Galfore pulled out a small, black and yellow, circular object. It was a device foreign to Tamaraneans, yet Koriand'r felt as if she had seen it before. She blinked as she realized it was an item she had brought with her.
"You have…gone through my things?" she inquired, not as offended as she thought she would be.
Galfore ignored the question. "Do you remember what this is, Princess?"
She stared hard at the object. She looked at the strange 'T' marking at the center. She glanced over all the buttons, at the little antennae sticking out of the top. It was so familiar, important even, yet she could not remember why.
She shook her head, finally giving up. At her response Galfore's expression saddened even more.
"I fear you have lost a part of you forever, my bumgorf. A part of you that meant more than the love of your K'Norfka, more than even Tamaran."
Koriand'r shook her head again, this time more fiercely. "My heart belongs to Tamaran. All of me is here." And then, as if to prove her point, she stuck out her chest. "I will accept the request of Prince Karras for a betrothal. Surely our technology matched with his knowledge of the enemy will be enough to demolish the Adaptoids once and for all."
Galfore looked even more uncertain than before. Koriand'r thought her acceptance would please him, but he seemed sad. Sad for her.
Not wanting to dote on such uncertain feelings, Koriand'r flew out of the room and met Prince Karras once more. She tried not to let his cold demeanor bother her as she bowed in acceptance. She may not love this man, may not even know him, but that was expected on Tamaran.
So why did it feel like something was wrong?
~0~0~0~
A few days later Koriand'r stood on her balcony, her forearms leaning against the stone railing. She thought about her impending betrothal. Really it was nothing more than a treaty of sorts-the way most betrothals went-yet she felt different than she thought she would feel.
She hoped Prince Karras would not be too difficult a husband. He seemed rather unfeeling, completely her opposite, so perhaps they would not get along? No matter, as long as they were allies, that was all she needed for her contribution to Tamaran.
Koriand'r dipped her mouth in dismay as she recalled her conversation with Galfore a few days prior. He seemed to imply she had other obligations, ones that went beyond Tamaran. How could that be possible? She had spent years trying to escape the Gordanians, so she could return home.
She did not bother to analyze that the trip to the Citadel would not have lasted years, for the uncertainty of her own mind was beginning to trouble her.
She jolted when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. Turning around and composing herself, she took a breath before calling, "You may enter."
One of her guards made an appearance, his face automatically apologetic for disturbing her. "My princess, Prince Karras has requested to speak with you."
Koriand'r raised her eyebrows. "In my bedchamber? That is certainly not customary before a betrothal."
"That is what I told him, Princess. Shall I turn him away?"
Koriand'r pursed her lips. While she really had no further interest speaking to Karras before they married, she was curious as to what his intentions might be. Her curiosity alone was enough to make her decision for her.
"You may send for the prince," she told the guard, and he nodded immediately, bowing before retreating into the hallway.
Koriand'r returned to her place by the railing as she waited. She waited several minutes and was starting to think she would not see him when he entered. She turned to face the doorway again, noting how his bow to her seemed less formal than it had previously.
"I hope I am not disrupting you, Princess," Prince Karras said, standing straight up once he had completed his bow.
"Not at all. What do you require of me Prince Karras?" Koriand'r responded, her tone slightly clipped.
To her surprise, Karras appeared almost embarrassed. His shoulders slumped and his face took on a defeated look, far different than the commanding and unapproachable figure she saw only a few days ago. She watched as he transformed before her eyes.
"I wish to apologize for my insulting demeanor upon when we first met," he spoke, his eyes wide and seemingly genuine.
Koriand'r blinked in surprise. "Nonsense, you-"
"I realize our betrothal will be greatly valued by the people of Tamaran, and although we may not know each other, it was wrong for me to treat you as less than my equal." He stopped to clear his throat. "I am aware you have accepted my proposal on behalf of our people. I made the request for a similar reason. Although I do not know your true feelings on the matter, I believe I owe you the decency to tell you mine." She watched as he came closer to her, his short hair shifting only slightly with the movement. "You see; I am in love with another. A woman lieutenant by the name Taryia."
His voice became lighter and his eyes took on a far away look when he said her name. Koriand'r watched him in fascination. Clearly he cared a great deal for this woman.
"If it were only my feelings at sake, I would give my heart to you willingly," he continued, "but I am afraid it is not that simple. You see, before I traveled to your palace from my own in the South, Taryia told me she was with child." His eyes met hers. "You see how this presents an issue."
Koriand'r observed how Karras regarded her with slight apprehension, as if she would become enraged at this new information. Koriand'r, however, just felt confused. She rarely heard of Tamaranean royalty, and a prince no less, fornicating before a betrothal. It was too risky, for this reason alone. Yes, Karras must love this woman a great deal. At least this explained his cold behavior toward her when they first met.
Prince Karras must have taken her silence for an unhappy one, for he tried to reason with her. "Have you ever been in love with another, Princess?"
Koriand'r thought about this. She had had feelings, sure. Why, it was only a few months ago where she had found herself attracted to General Phy'zzon, but love? She felt vague emotions churning in her chest, but they were too distant and too weak to come to fruition. So she responded honestly.
"No," she told him, and watched his face fall. Not wishing to have him think she did not understand or empathize with his situation, she added, "but I do not regard you with any malice for the choices you have made. If anything, I find it fascinating, admirable even." She gave him a hesitant smile as he looked up in surprise.
Prince Karras bowed his head again. "You honor me, Princess. We shall make worthy allies in marriage."
Koriand'r cocked her head to the side. "You still wish to continue the betrothal then?"
Prince Karras nodded. "Of course. My duty to Tamaran comes first. The Adaptoids are a formidable enemy." He hesitated. "Are you still willing to accept my proposal?"
Koriand'r nodded, smiling. She had never expected to be in love with her betrothed anyway, but perhaps she could find a companion in her future husband. "I do."
Over the next several days as the wedding was prepared, Koriand'r made sure to take the time to learn more about Prince Karras, after her duties as an ambassador were tended to, of course. Karras would often visit her in her bedchamber for private talks, or the two would be seen walking around the palace halls and marketplace.
She loved hearing him talk about his parents, his sister, even Taryia. Hearing someone speak about love was enough for Koriand'r to believe it existed in her world of duty and honor. They were married two weeks after they first met, joined together in matrimony by the Grand Ruler of Tamaran.
When the two returned to the palace wedding bedchamber, Koriand'r found she felt odd with their circumstance. Consummating the marriage was expected, but she had grown to view Karras as a brother, someone as similar to her as Ryand'r. It felt bizarre knowing she would have to become intimate with someone like that.
"The wedding procession was lovely," Prince Karras commented casually, as he began to remove the traditional jewelry of a Tamaranean groomsman. "Longer than I would have liked."
"Are you to say it caused you pain to wed me?" Koriand'r teased, as she too, began to take off her accessories.
Karras laughed. "Not at all. You are quite an attractive bride. There were surely many warriors who were disappointed it was not them beside you."
"I thank you for such praise," she responded, turning her back while removing her boots next. "I expect many back home wish the same concerning you." She winced as she remembered Taryia, and realized she was foolish for bringing such a topic up. She turned around to apologize and stiffened when she discovered Karras was standing in front of her, unabashedly naked.
"Perhaps we may not speak of such things on our wedding night," Karras suggested, and Koriand'r found herself nodding back.
He was really quite the specimen. Muscle covered almost every inch of his body, yet he had a lean look to him. Her eyes dipped down to his pelvis, and although she was positive she had never seen one before, she was not surprised by the look of the male body. Curious.
She glanced up as Karras approached her, reaching behind her neck and undoing the clasp on her wedding gown. The material fell away and billowed in white waves until it landed messily on the floor around her body. In that one motion she became as naked and glowing as him.
Eye contact was one of the most intimate things a Tamaranean could have while consummating a marriage, and while Koriand'r did not have romantic feelings for Karras, she realized she did care for him greatly. Strange emotions twisted in her chest, and she felt confused as flashes of images lit in her mind. They were too fleeting to make them out properly, yet they were distracting enough that she gave in to what they were telling her to do.
Slowly, and a little uncertainly, Koriand'r leaned toward Karras and pressed her lips against his. He stiffened in confusion and surprise. She tried moving her lips against his, but still he would not move. She drew back to see a look of perplexity in his eyes, and she immediately felt embarrassed.
"Princess?" Karras inquired. "Surely you already know our language, yes?" He asked the question in a half-teasing way, undoubtedly to lighten the awkward atmosphere she had created.
Koriand'r gave a small laugh, hoping that would be enough to hide the mortification she felt. First the strange gesture with General Phy'zzon, now this? Perhaps she should have another word with Galfore about this puzzlement she felt.
Karras must have realized her shame, for he did not linger on her strange gesture any longer. Instead he wrapped his hand around her forearm, his grip firm but caring, and led her to their marriage bed. He lay her down and hovered over her, using his flight to position himself properly.
As the two became one, Koriand'r found she could no longer maintain eye contact with her new husband. Instead her eyes drifted to a small table across the room. She moved with Karras, but her attention was fixed solely on a little object that rested on the stone surface of the table. It was the same device Galfore had shown her when she had first met Karras. The black and yellow colors stuck out tremendously next to the light oranges of the room.
What was this strange object? Why did she feel so uncertain? Closing her eyes, Koriand'r hoped this new step in her life would overshadow the things she felt were missing from it.
~0~0~0~
Author's Note:
Hmm…Kory seems to be confusing things she has learned from Earth. In the comics, Karras is her first husband, and they marry out of duty as they do here. He also has a lover, Taryia, back home who he impregnates, but I just messed with the timing of these events.
Next couple of chapters: Maybe its time for a return to Earth?