Amanda's vision was white. The hoards of people in front of her materialized as her vision took a moment to focus. She only saw one person's disproving face when the lights assaulted her again. Bursts of light were filling Amanda's vision. Nervousness started to bubble in her chest. She started to feel warm, unsure if it was from the heat or her anxiety. Amanda felt the pain of her pupils constrict from the flashes of light spotting her image. The lights blinded her as she tried to look at all of the holo cameras taking photos of herself and the Vulcan man that stood silently beside her. The crowd of people in front of them seemed to never stop taking photos. They were asking her questions and she didn't understand what all of them were saying. The flashes continued to invade her line of sight and she started to have perspiration on her forehead. She briefly wiped the sweat that was starting to form. She started to quiver and her fake smile started to falter. Amanda took a breath and tried not dwell on the fact that she was being consumed by light. She wished more than anything to run away from it and to get off this blasted planet and leave the Terran Empire forever.

A voice broke through the flashes and Amanda saw a man approach them. She flinched fearful that someone was trying to hurt her. She controlled the urge and focused her eyes.

The man had dark hair with gray at the corner of his temples. He had a friendly smile and Amanda felt taken back. He was wearing clothes she had never seen before but the Terran Empire symbol was worn probably on his chest. When she finally looked into the man's eyes she noticed they were midnight black. Immediately, she felt a sense of calm wash over her and Amanda felt confused and looked at the older man. He gave a gentle smile and Amanda furrowed her brows slightly.

Amanda saw Sarek stiffen next to her and her eyes looked up at him. He seemed as stoic as ever. She wondered if she would ever be able to read him. She turned her head to the mystery dark eyed man as he approached them. Sarek gave the Terran salute.

"Governor Grax, I did not anticipate your attendance to the ceremony. You were recently on Betazed dealing with the Klingon insurgent group 1.2 days ago."

"I could not miss the wedding of a century, Governor Sarek. The Emperor would not have it any other way. Especially, since I was the one who suggested the union. I'm happy to see you have a new bride and a spot in the Governor's Circle."

"I am aware of my newly bonded status and position in the Terran Empire. I was not informed of your involvement in selecting my bondmate."

Governor Grax softly laughed, "You are very much like your father, Sarek. Always so matter-of-fact. Yes, I made the suggestion. I knew both of your fathers, but have never formally met this woman."

Grax looked at Sarek and he remained silent. Grax continued, "Aren't you going to introduce your bride?"

Sarek looked over at Amanda and made eye contact with her. Was he trying to tell her something? Amanda wanted to ask more about her father, but she knew it wasn't wise to do such a thing in a crowd full of holo cameras. The lull in the conversation became awkward and Amanda stepped forward and introduced herself.

"I'm Amanda Grayson, Governor."

Amanda held out her hand for a hand shake and Governor Grax gave her a firm shake and let go. Sarek stood up taller and put his hands behind his back. Grax looked up at Sarek for a moment and back at Amanda and smiled.

"Governor Andrus Grax of Betazed."

Amanda nodded, "Yes, I assumed since I have seen your face on the holonews. I've never met a betazoid before. This wedding must have been super weird for you. I heard Betazoids get married naked."

Grax chuckled, "Yes, it is true. It's not just the bride and the groom but everyone present."

Grax gave her a wink and Amanda laughed in return. Sarek's eyebrow rose slightly and he could feel his ears get slightly warm. He had no prior knowledge that Betazoids had such a foreign custom. Before Sarek could comment Grax turned to him,

"It was lovely chatting with you Amanda but I need to steal your husband for a moment. Sarek, we will only leave your beautiful wife for a second. Will you follow me?"

Sarek nodded, "Your second of time has already passed."

Graz laughed, "Just like your father. You understood what I meant. Let's go."

Sarek left Amanda's side and she didn't know if she should feel relieved of scared that he left her by herself to the devices of the holo cameras and people around her. She looked and she saw Sarek's mother standing next to an older Vulcan woman. She had a stone cold face but Amanda felt scared of her. Something about her was intimidating and made Amanda feel nervous. T'Pau made eye contact with her briefly and looked away. Amanda needed to find a way off this planet quickly. Her life could come to an end by the hands of any of these people who were staring at her vehemently.

Sarek and Grax stood in the Hall of Thought, Sarek's office. Grax looked at Sarek with a serious face.

"Governor Sarek, I have something important to give you. It's about your father."

Sarek raised his eyebrow, "What has my father left in your possession?"

"This."

Grax held up a small drive and threw it over to Sarek, and he caught it. He examined the drive. It was black and small. There was nothing significant about its design.

"What information is stored on this device?"

"Your father told me to give it to you. As for the content I have no idea. I only wanted to respect his wishes. He did mention that it was encrypted and you would figure out how to open the files given some time."

"That is peculiar. I will decrypt this at a later time," Sarek carefully put the drive into his pocket.

"Also, I was told that project you were on is now being led by someone on your team."

"Who?"

"Vorlik."

"Interesting. He will manage it well," Sarek was unsure of how he felt. A part of him illogically hoped the project would be closed. Since he was governor he could hinder the project at any given time if he felt they were getting closer to the solutions he had once found.

Grax spoke, "Oh and one more thing, the Klingon insurgents I have been dealing with have more allies, Vulcan ones. Looks like that little rebellion group is more of a problem than all of us anticipated. As a governor, I give you this advice only once, you rule with fear and respect. Snub those traitors out. Show the Vulcan people that you are someone to be feared and respected."

Governor Grax gave Sarek a big pat on the back and walked out of the room. Sarek tried to ignore the fact that Grax touched his shoulder. He felt for the drive that was in his pocket and also exited the room. He walked to find Amanda who was standing by herself by the exit of the building. Amanda looked over at Sarek and had a nervous smile on her face. Sarek could feel part of her anxiety. He approached her and noticed their height difference. She was 29.084 cm shorter than him. He took mental note of the calculation.

"Amanda, it is time to depart."

Sarek noticed that the pinkness of her skin turned into a pale white. Sarek was hit with a feeling of anxiety and he knew it was coming from her.

"Yes..Sarek."

There was a tremor in Amanda's voice and Sarek made a mental notation of it. Amanda quietly trailed behind him as they made their way to a hovercar. They both got into the hovercar and Amanda sat as far away as possible from Sarek. She tried to calm down her breathing and looked over at Sarek who sat rigidly in his seat not quite looking over at her. She practically knew nothing about this man. She was now the wife to one of the most powerful people in the Terran Empire. Amanda could barely pronounce his last name and Amanda realized that it was also her own. She quietly mourned the identity and pride that she had in the name Grayson. The man next to her had a mental connection to her but she didn't feel too different except for the mild throbbing in her head and the sweat that lightly formed on her brow. The gravity was feeling somewhat heavier and the heat was worse than anything she experienced.

Sarek looked at the frail human next to him. She was preoccupied with the landscape, but he could sense her mind was not focused on it. The emotions of nervousness were hitting him like waves. He could not discern her thoughts and he wanted to. Vulcans were emotional and in Sarek's previous bond he knew T'Rea had many emotions that were shielded within their complete bond. Within this betrothal bond, Amanda's emotions were tempestuous. He put up his mental walls to block from receiving the strong emotions she unknowingly was sending him.

Amanda started to notice the scenery outside of the hovercar. The swirl of reds and oranges in the desert landscape were awes inspiring. For a moment, she looked over at Sarek and he was staring at her with his phlegmatic face. She was married to this robot of a man. She was the daughter of a traitor and she didn't believe in the Terran Empire anymore. Yet here was one of it's prominent figures. One who she knew would kill her if necessary. She turned her head back to the view outside and let out a though she was in a hovercar she still felt warm. She wiped the sweat that was on her head. She looked up at the sky, it was filled with clouds and the scorching sun. On Terra clouds looked the same and so did this sun. Her eyes trailed down back to the red sands and saw a massive building in the distance. It was elegant yet daunting. It looked ancient and was build out of a beautiful stone Amanda could not name. There were newer sleeker parts to the building that were built in recent years. The architecture was a brilliant juxtaposition between the ancient and the modern and Amanda marveled at the sight.

Amanda jumped a little when Sarek spoke, "That is my home."

Amanda turned to look at him. He was staring at her. Was he starting at her this whole time? Fear started to creep in and Amanda felt a little dizzy. She could not read the man by his gaze. He gave nothing away with it. Amanda took a breath and replied to him.

"Did you grow up here?"

"Yes. It is the ancestral home of my forebears and clan."

"Clan? Vulcans have clans?"

"Yes."

"That sounds so...primitive for an intellectual species."

"Its function is taken from primitive practices but is far from the type of primitive behavior Terrans are capable of. "

Amanda frowned and Sarek was confused by the strange expression on her face. Amanda was being belittled for being a Terran and she did not like that.

She let out an exacerbated sigh, "Well, then explain it to me!"

"I will. There are no first accounts of when clans were formed, but Vulcan anthropologist have concluded that the first of our kind known as the Wanderer, developed the first words and speech patterns of modern day Vulcan. These primitive Vulcans were the first ones to witness a sun flare that created immense damage to the abundant vegetation that Vulcan once had. That is why 91.5% of our planet's surface is desert. It was during this time that these individuals formed groups to take refuge all throughout different parts of the planet. These groups persisted and became the clans that we have in present day Vulcan."

"I had no idea."

"You have no knowledge of this because Terrans are not concerned with educating themselves with the cultural history of other species."

It was another jab at being a Terran. Amanda wondered it Vulcans really thought so highly of themselves to literally put down every single person they were talking to? Were other people not smart enough for them? What was with their obsession over having the upper hand? Amanda's anxiety was dissipating and with it a small burning resentment formed in her chest. She was about to retort when the door opened and she felt the wave of heat hit her.

She looked at the person who opened the door and stepped out into the scorching heat. She felt warm in the car but she didn't realize it would be as hot as hell outside. She was practically in hell.

Amanda looked at the person who was holding the door and it was this tall Vulcan man who looked like he was in his early 30s according to human standards. He was extremely well built and very tall. Amanda was kind of shocked. The man looked like a body builder. She couldn't recall seeing a Vulcan during this whole day who looked like they drank protein and lifted weights all day. Everyone was lean, slender and fit, but not that fit.

Sarek walked out of the car and stood near Amanda and talked to the well-built man, "Tevak, your service honors the Terran Empire."

Tevak gave the Terran salute, "I only wish to serve the Empire."

Sarek nodded, "Amanda, this is Tevak. He is a member of...our clan. His specialty is in Suus Mahna. He attended VSA with me but made a leave of absence when he realized his potential in more physically grueling pursuits. He studied under the master of Suus Mahna in the city of Raal. His credentials make him fully qualified as a protector for our personal use."

Tevak face was phlegmatic and Amanda felt like it made him even more daunting.

Tevak spoke, "I will serve to protect you both for the greater good of our Empire. "

Amanda was listening to the conversation but the heat from the sun was beating on her and she felt like she already had third degree burns from standing under the scrutiny of the sun.

"Nice to meet you, Tevak." Amanda managed to say.

Sarek turned to Amanda, "There is another bodyguard that is assigned to us. Tevak, will you tell Saya to come and report to me."

Tevak pulled out his communicator, "Saya, report to the landing bay 3."

Within a few minutes a woman appeared. She was very tall almost Sarek's height. Her hair cut was jet black and was short and hovered above her shoulders. She had straight bangs like her male counter parts but her hair had a sleek asymmetrical look to it. Amanda thought she looked like a sophisticated spy. It was the only way she could describe it.

The Vulcan woman gave the Terran salute, "I am honored to serve the Terran Empire by providing protection to you both."

Sarek spoke, "Amanda, this is Saya. She graduated from Shi'khar University in anthropology. She made a transition in her career and focused on learning Klingon martial arts, Suus Mahna, and Terran judo. She may choose to tell you more of her credentials at a later date. "

Amanda spoke, "Thanks, Saya"

Saya spoke, "I will tell you stories of the information, Governor Sarek briefly stated. We will be seeing each other often, due to the nature of Tevak and I's position."

"Well, I look forward to the tales."

Saya nodded and Amanda could swear she saw a glint in her eye for the briefest of moments. Maybe she was seeing things. This sun was making her feel crazy.

Sarek looked over at Amanda and noticed the perspiration that was on her forehead. He remembered that humans were not biologically advantageous on Vulcan.

"Amanda, let us enter into the fortress. I will show you my ancestral home."

Sarek walked ahead through what Amanda called the main entrance to this crazy mansion. Nervousness seemed to fill Amanda as she walked through the doors. The whole day felt so surreal. The last few weeks feel unreal. How could she go from a school teacher to a blind prisoner and then to a wife in the space of a month?

Amanda caught up to Sarek and felt a little out of breath but followed him. The main courtyard was full of planets Amanda had not seen in her life. The strangest part was when she turned her attention to the courtyard she saw Vulcans staring at her. Some tilted their heads at her. Amanda felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Their was scrutiny in their eyes. She was the complete outsider. It's not like she chose to marry the man right next to her. She wanted to explain herself but she knew she never could. The desire to run from the situation was strong. She want to run away from the fortress and off this planet to freedom.

As they walked past the various Vulcans in the courtyard they gave the Terran salute. All of them looked the same with their straight hair and bangs. All the men had the same patch of facial hair. Amanda looked back at Sarek who gave a quick glance. She felt like she should just follow his lead.

They walked through some old corridors. Amanda was surprised to see strange art and other object on the walls. She thought Vulcans were so robotic that there was no possibility of art in their culture. They made their way into a newer part of the compound that opened up into another courtyard. At the other end of the courtyard was minimal and sleek building. It had to have been build in the last 10 years or so. Sarek stopped walking and Amanda bumped into his back and took a step back. Sarek became more rigid and it only perpetuated her nervousness.

"Amanda, this wing of the house was build 10.2 years ago when my father reached the completion of his 50 years of service as a Governor to the Terran Empire. This part of the fortress is for the governor and his immediate family. This is where we will live."

Amanda felt the blood drain from her face, "This is...the place."

"Yes."

"Are we going in right now?"

"The purpose of our tour was to eventually go to our own quarters."

"Quarters?"

"Yes"

The sun was beating on Amanda and she felt so heavy. Sarek started to walk to the home and didn't look back at her. She felt frozen in place and could not move, but spoke.

"I don't want to go in there."

Sarek stopped mid stride and turned to look at her. They stood in silence as the sun took Amanda's energy and as her pulse raced underneath her skin. Her head was throbbing. The feeling of anger at the Terran Empire washed over her. That Empire put her into this situation. Everything in her body did not want to go in that house and get assaulted.

Sarek looked at Amanda from afar he did not understand her expression but the negative emotions emitting from her were hard for him to ignore. Something was wrong, but he did not know how to breach the topic. He wished he could mind meld with her to understand what she was thinking. Sarek remembered that it would be unwise to do so because he would also be at risk of discovery of his own treacherous thoughts.

He spoke evenly, "You will go into our quarters. Your fragile Terran body cannot last in the Vulcan's summer heat for more than 3 hours and 30.87 minutes at a time. It is a biological fact that you will perish in these weather conditions."

How dare he insinuate that she was weak! Amanda clenched her fist and tried to remain calm, her nerves were making her on edge. She walked past Sarek without another word and stood in front of the door.

She heard Sarek speak behind her, "The door unlocked when you stood in front of it. It verified your DNA."

Amanda pushed the door open and stepped into the room. She had never seen an interior like this. It was very sleek and minimal. There were light woods and one wall was completely made of glass that overlooked the Vulcan desert. In the distance, she could see the Shi'kahr skyline. Even though the space was huge it felt like a home. Amanda heard the door close and remembered that Sarek was present.

What was going to happened now? The emotional rollercoaster of the day was weighing on her. She started to shake and feel anxiety pool in her. She was trapped. She had no where to go. She was on a planet that she had been on for less than 24 hours and was a prisoner when she woke up in the morning and now she was the wife of an influential governor to the Terran Empire. Every Vulcan she encountered expected her to know all the intricate details of their culture and they had no compassion or understanding for how jarring this experience was for her.

The whole time before the ceremony everyone kept talking about fires and if she would survive them. Was she strong enough to survive sexual assault? The lack of expression on Sarek's face had to mean he was beyond feeling and compassion. She wondered if she should bring up the fact about the fires? In that moment, Amanda wished more than anything for her coworker Jean to be here to save her or speak up for her. She had to fight this battle alone. She had to survive. She would find a way off this planet.

Amanda found her courage and her voice and turned around to the man that was now her husband.

"Sarek..."

Sarek looked straight into her eyes and approached her so he was standing close to her, "Yes, Amanda."

She noted she did not see emotion in his eyes. She swallowed, "Uh, everyone I talked to kept mentioning these fires, is that what is going to happen next?"

Sarek's eyebrows almost rose to his bangs and Amanda felt on edge by his reaction. The silence in the room felt heavy and awkward. The rush of her own blood were present in her ears and her breaths were uneven and choppy.

Sarek only managed to say, "The fires."

Could Sarek tell the most secretive fact about his culture? Could he trust her with the information? Was not it her right as his bondmate to know the intricate details of Vulcan mating practices? The idea of mating with a Terran seemed foreign. He was unsure of the situation, even if he found that their was an intriguing spark in their mental connection. The dichotomy of the situation perplexed him greatly. He turned to look at the landscape for a moment.

Amanda grew nervous as he didn't elaborate she needed to know what was going to happen to her so she pushed. He had some sort of power to read her mind, that is all she knew. How was she going to protect herself? All the emotions of the past weeks overwhelmed her. The questions continued on in her mind and she blurted out her greatest fear.

"Are you going to force yourself into my mind and then rape me?"

The words hung heavily in the air. Sarek snapped his head to stare at her. Her eyes were welling with water. He had heard of 'crying' but had never personally witnessed it. It was strange and Sarek didn't like the foreign feeling he had we he saw it. He was at loss for words.

Amanda was impatient with the silence, "Tell me!"

First, he was highly offended that she would think he was capable of that type of molestation. Vulcans were known for their fidelity and loyalty in relationships. Seldom did bondmates separate. Second, it was inappropriate to be held to the same standards as Terran males.

"Your comment is entirely illogical and inappropriate. We are now bondmates. I am not a Terran male and do not adhere to their practices."

Amanda spoke through the tears running down her face, ruining the make up that was perfect minutes ago, "How do you think I am supposed to know that? I can't read your mind. I have only seen your people kill my people from the holonews. To me you are barbaric, violent and out of control. It isn't beneath a Vulcan to sexually abuse me!"

His face still held no emotions to her. Instead, he became more rigid and stood up taller and put his arms behind his back, and took a step closer to Amanda. He slightly turned his head and squinted his eyes,

"The Official Imperial Holonews only depicted the worst of Vulcan society, the Ak'spar. I am Governor of Vulcan. I have to be the ultimate example of Vulcan behavior to my people. Vulcans will kill to progress in their careers, or protect their lives, but they are not ones to force others to have intercourse with them. If you had studied any Vulcan customs you would be aware of these things. Vulcan's live by a strict code written in the Teachings of Surak. You have insinuated that I do not have the capacity to respect my bondmate, regardless, if I am acquainted with them or not. You have said enough."

Amanda felt angry tears go down her cheeks. She hadn't felt this angry in a long time. She took a step forward so she could get a good look at Sarek's face. She could feel his breath as he silently stared at her.

"If you respect me so much why did you allow this marriage to happen between us? I mentioned before the wedding that we should end this! You immediately disregarded what I had to say. Did it not occur to you that in between the time of the Terran Empire Delegation and this wedding that I was stuck in a small prison cell with barely enough room to sleep while you were here on Vulcan living in this ridiculous mansion. While you were sleeping in a bed every night, I was getting strapped to a cold metal table and tortured for hours on end. While I was pleading for my life, you were given the position of Governor to Vulcan! With all that intellect in your Vulcan brain you can't find it that hard to realize that, maybe, because I had been abused and tortured that I would assume the worst in everyone. I lost everything the night I first met you and in turn you gained everything!"

Amanda was using her finger to point at his chest and she felt this anger that wasn't her own overwhelm her. She was ready to get into a fight which was so unlike her. Sarek felt anger and tried to snub it out. This emotional outburst was shocking. How was he going to live with a being who would cry and feel angry at the same time? This was irrational. He would have to control his logic and mental foritiudes so it would not ruin his emotional stability. He had enough of instability the past weeks. He would not let a human ruin that.

"Your anger is illogical. You cannot make a rational argument with emotions."

"My anger! Illogical? You are kidding me! After all these weeks it is entirely logical!"

"Those weeks were the consequence for being the daughter of a traitor. It was the will of the Empress to send you to prison. I will not question her logic in the choice to send you there or her choice in our union ."

Amanda spoke before she thought, "You have absolutely no compassion! I hate you!"

Sarek's face held no emotion but a strange pang filled his chest and he immediately buried the strange emotion. He looked at Amanda's hand which had balled up the fabric of his robes to bring her face closer to his. Amanda tightened her grip not willing to back down.

As Amanda looked in his eyes she almost saw a moment of anguish but it was gone faster than she could have anticipated and she was unsure if she saw it in the first place. The pang of guilt hit her with those three words.

Sarek became even more stoic and detached, "That is a fitting statement for a Terran. You will find your own private bedroom to the right of the stairs."

Amanda noticed that she was balling up his clothes in her fist and let go. Sarek made the Terran salute and walked away leaving Amanda in the middle of the foyer in their home. Amanda was trembling. She didn't realize she was holding her breath. The tears started to pour down her cheeks as she realized how lonely she was. She had no kindness or stability for weeks. This immense feeling of betrayal from her own people and anger towards the Empire filled her. Amanda found her frustrations of the last month were misdirected at the cold man who left her alone at the foot of the stairs.

She walked up the steps to her room. The dizzying feeling of her head persisted even more after depleting all her energy into that argument. The doors that she stood in front of were beautiful and had strange markings she did nor understand. Hesitantly, she put her hand to the door, part of her irrational brain feared Sarek would be in there, but when she opened the door there was a large room with a bed, a dresser, a balcony, an office nook, and a sonic. She let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't lying.

She walked to the window and caught the light from the sun and it made her eyes constrict painfully. She winched and closed her eyes and turned her head away from the bright source of light. She made her way to the sonic and saw herself in the mirror.

Her face was still sunken in and her makeup was completely ruined by her tears. Her eyes were red and puffy. Amanda steadied herself on the counter as her head reeled. She looked for a replicator to get water. There was one on the opposite side of the room and she started to walk towards it when her vision began to dot and her legs gave out from underneath her. Her head hit the ground hard, and the last thing she saw was the bright light of the Vulcan sun.

Author's Notes:

I have been writing this chapter on and off for the past 3 months. I want to thank everyone for the wonderful support I have received. Thanks to those that have stuck with this story since the beginning last year! I can't believe that this story is already a year old. Thank you for being patient with me as I try to work out this plot. My life is going wonderfully at the moment and I am fairly busy but I want to update more. I realized while I was writing this chapter how excited I am about this story and I desperately want to finish it no matter what. Please leave me a review. Cheers!