Alien Prince's Bride: Scifi Alien Romantic Triangle Romance Novel Page 7

  Areon grinned. The burden of fame was heavy. Still, in a way it was fun to sit and listen to them slowly take apart every aspect of him, rumor or otherwise.

  “Reim, then,” said Forial.

  “Well, yes,” the Overlord allowed. “That’s the common theory. The real man behind it all, appearing in clear view as his own second-in-command.”

  Areon murmured in agreement. A lot of people thought that. It was an endless source of humor for him and Reim to play off that misconception.

  “I don’t think so,” Forial said. “I was keeping a very close eye on him today. He’s capable, I’ll give him that. Great warrior, but not a leader. You could see it clearly. Grom is a leader. He took initiative at once, cutting the chain and then punching the sword into the wall. Someone used to thinking for himself. Reim was... waiting. I regret to say I couldn’t keep him in my sight all the time, so it’s difficult to say who he was looking for. Possibly he knew what I was doing and gave me false signals. Not him either.”

  Oh wow. Maybe Reim is worried about the wrong person. You’re not an idiot either… Wouldn’t have thought from the way you happily strangled me.

  Then there was a silence in the room for a while – so long that Areon shrugged and started to leave – before the Overlord spoke again.

  “Nonetheless, wherever he may be, I will not be mocked like that. The proxy he brought this time is an insult. And you know how I feel about mercenaries. Good enough to be guards. Not warriors.”

  I think you just hurt my feelings. Also, poor Sarto.

  “I’ll flush him out one way or another,” the Overlord continued. “Then you make sure he does not claim one of the calayas.”

  “As you wish,” Forial said.

  Areon left them to their scheming and kept on climbing upwards, a smile on his lips. The victory was getting sweeter and sweeter by the hour. And his hunger grew with it.

  Finally he found the floor where the calayas slept. He could hear excited voices behind several of the doors and kept going until he recognized Violet’s. The temptation to go in and finally hold her in his arms was great, but he didn’t give in. The moment to do that would come soon enough. So many people would be disappointed, of course. Forial would be furious. The Overlord even more so. What had he ever done to them?

  Areon left a letter behind Violet’s door and slipped away as quietly as he’d come. It was all up to her now. She would be his, that was certain. All he wanted to know now was which of his selves she wanted – whether she would pick correctly. Depending on that, he would either make Violet the happiest woman alive, or finally have his revenge. No one broke his heart and got away with it.

  For now, he needed to find a place to sleep. Big day ahead. Fun to be had. Many people trying to kill him. Not that they usually weren’t, but these ones were trying very hard.

  They were welcome to try. It made his life less boring, and he hated to be bored. Just for a moment, he stopped being Areon and allowed himself the fun of dropping the last three floors down to the ground. He landed with a silent thud, unseen and unheard, because he’d already decided he wouldn’t be. Then he sighed and forced himself to forget the real strength and skill in his body. Damn, it was a chore to appear so mediocre.

  Areon the Raider Prince smiled.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Irmela came to explain things to them.

  It was probably better, Violet thought. She was too mad at the Overlord to talk to him. She was only slightly less mad at her mother.

  The others were mostly just confused – with the possible exception of Maige, who was just relieved out of her mind. Ronay hadn’t dropped, which made him a considerable champion, but it had been close. If it had been a real fall, he would have died. No one was going to hear any complaints from Maige. She was just too grateful to give any consideration to the fact that it had all been fake.

  Irmela rejected that accusation right away.

  “Nothing but the chasm was fake,” she said. “It was a real trial. It showed a lot and proved a lot. Once the audience was told, even they understood. Quite a few have told the Overlord it was a very clever way to start it all off.”

  “It was cruel,” Violet said.

  “Perhaps,” Irmela allowed. “Not crueler than watching them hack each other to pieces, don’t you think?”

  “Cruel enough,” said Violet. “Do you have any idea how afraid we were? I wasn’t certain that the drop wasn’t real until the very end. For a moment I thought I was going to die!”

  “Yes,” Irmela said and Violet couldn’t remember her mother giving her such a kind smile. “I was so proud of you.”

  “Proud?” she repeated.

  “Of course,” her mother said. “You did exactly what we were hoping you would. All of you, really.”

  “You planned this,” Violet said, stunned. “You and father planned for us to do that.”

  “Not exactly that, but yes,” Irmela admitted.

  “Why!?”

  Irmela gave them all a very stern look that silenced them completely. Even those who weren’t her daughters waited to hear what she had to say.

  “It was your trial,” Irmela said. “Your tournament. And I believe praise is in order. I applaud all of you.”

  They sat, speechless. It was unheard of. The calayas weren’t the ones on trial, they were the ones the warriors fought for. They said as much, but Irmela’s stare was still hard and unrelenting.

  “Correct,” she said. “But don’t you think it’s unfair? It’s like the Overlord said – they bleed and fight and suffer and you just sit there, looking pretty. Time for you to do something too. Besides, you were never in any real danger.”

  “We didn’t know that,” Violet protested.

  “My point exactly,” said Irmela. “Do you still not get it?”

  Violet did, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t mad. The others looked puzzled, though.

  “Now the warriors get to truly fight for something,” Irmela said. “They saw you fight for them. It means you don’t think of them merely as your amusement or bodies to be discarded. Of course they were stunned to see you all, but imagine what they feel now.”

  They considered it. With that realm of ideas came another possibility.

  “What if we had done nothing?” Pearl asked.

  “Neither me nor the Overlord thought that was going to happen,” Irmela said.

  “Yes, but what if?” Lavie pressed on.

  Irmela shrugged. “Then they would have seen that too. That you were willing to just sit there and watch them all die, not trying to stop it.”

  “Do you think they would still have fought after that?” Marelle asked quietly.

  “Sure,” Irmela said. “Maybe not all of them, but most for sure. It’s just how valuable you are. Even if you’d failed the test we prepared for you, they would have taken the answer you gave.”

  “Some question!” Violet said, upset.

  “The only way to get real answers is to ask tough questions,” said Irmela.

  Violet thought about it a little more. “So the Overlord isn’t out to kill them all?” she asked.

  “No,” Irmela said. “Don’t get me wrong. This is a calaya tournament and warriors will die trying to win you, but he has no particular grudge against them.”

  Areon, Violet thought. The fool who is going to get himself killed. Could his demon luck really save him? Why couldn’t he just quit?

  With a painful tinge in her heart, Violet realized she no longer seriously wanted him to quit. On the other hand, her faith in his chances of survival hadn’t improved either.

  “Except for the Raider Prince, of course,” Irmela added.

  Oh. The Prince. But surely he could survive whatever father had in store for him, right? It’s just like Maige said, if he’s good enough to win me, he’s worth it.

  The others also looked up at the mention of that name. Whether or not they wanted to have him, he was interesting enough to warrant everyone’s attention.


  “Do they finally know who he is?” Pearl asked. “God, how long can that man hide his true face?”

  “Not yet,” Irmela said. “The Overlord and Forial have a plan to flush him out.”

  Violet’s heart was beating so hard she thought it might pop out of her chest. She’d finally know! She only hoped they wouldn’t hurt him. He had to be alright so he could win. Then Violet could be his and everything would be fine again, just like she’d planned – nice and easy and against all odds and every trick the Overlord had in store for them. If only she could convince herself she still wanted that.

  Because – where did that leave Areon?

  ***

  Later in her room, Violet finally allowed herself to think of the strange way her heart suddenly seemed fixated on the guard, instead of the Prince, like it was supposed to! She firmly put it down to the fact that she hadn’t really seen the Prince, while she’d seen more than enough of Areon. Violet had imagined what the Prince would look like, but she didn’t have to imagine Areon.

  Which was why it was so weird that she did, vividly so.

  She’d barely allowed herself to think of him in the three years that had passed. At first, Violet had been too upset to give him any consideration at all. He was gone, she’d saved his life and that was that. Seeing him in the tournament had been a surprise and his new look even more so. Supposedly that explained why Violet found herself dreaming back to the day.

  God he was just a magnet of misfortune, she thought.

  Everywhere Areon went, something precious and probably invaluable was broken in his wake. He wasn’t merely clumsy, he was incredibly accident-prone – a walking disaster. In a way, young Violet had liked it. He had amused her. Funnily enough, her inner voice hadn’t been wrong to point out it was a time in her life when she’d been the happiest. She hadn’t allowed herself to consider it before, but almost all of her favorite memories were somehow connected to him.

  And then came the day when she’d broken his fall and he’d ruined her first touch. No man had ever laid a hand on her before.

  Violet thought that the surprise explained the minute they’d laid there together, but now she was no longer so sure. Earlier that day she’d felt an emotion quite similar to the one she’d felt then. Only now she was older and better prepared to understand it.

  Desire. What she’d felt was desire. More than that, actually – horrible, gut-wrenching lust. A burning of her flesh that yearned to have more contact with him, even if she knew it was absurd to think so. He hadn’t won her, he wouldn’t win her. The Prince would, of course, but...

  Her lips still hungered for the kiss. Everywhere else Areon was just a walking accident waiting to happen. Like in the spider web, the way he’d just dangled on the wall. Violet sighed. So why, in that moment, it had felt like he was someone else? A man, a real man – powerful and strong and magnificent, ready to sweep her off her feet, with broad shoulders and thick arms and a playful smile on his lips.

  She whimpered despite herself. It was the feeling she’d hoped for, that she’d wanted, but not for Areon, god no. What was wrong with her?

  In truth, she knew what was wrong with her, Violet just didn’t want to admit it. Love hurt. It had hurt Irmela and it was so close to hurting her too. Areon’s return had brought everything back to the surface, though she’d been trying so hard to protect herself from heartbreak.

  Someone shuffled behind her door and there was a call. Violet checked the caller ID before opening – she was a calaya after all – but it was just Forial, standing behind her door, holding a letter. He gave it to her, careful to not even brush his fingers against hers.

  “You seem to have quite an admirer,” the man said with a crooked smile.

  Violet blushed angrily. “You read it?” she snapped. “You…”

  “Security protocol,” Forial said, but Violet saw he was clearly enjoying her fury.

  “How did it even get here then?” she shot back at him. The warrior’s face dropped at once. “If your security is so tight, how could a champion’s letter get here?”

  Forial’s lips drew together into a hard line. “I’m not sure, my lady,” he admitted dryly. “But he is known to get into places that are trying to keep him out.”

  He? Ohhhh.

  Violet let the doors slide shut before Forial could say another word. The hand that held the letter shook.

  Oh god please let this be true.

  With shaky hands, Violet tore open the laminated letter. It was from him. It was from the Prince!

  Quite a performance, it said. I’m impressed. You really are a prize, Violet. I hear you were concerned about my whereabouts. (Reim told me. Forgive him. He tells me everything.) Don’t worry, I’m right here. Tomorrow you’ll have the chance to give your favor. I hope you know where your heart lies. – The Raider Prince

  ***

  The next morning found Violet still awake. The letter lay discarded on the floor of her room, right where she’d dropped it last night. In the morning chill, Violet stood in the shadows over the practice area. It wasn’t even dawn yet, but warriors were already training for the next trial. Considering what had happened the day before, Violet couldn’t blame them.

  Grom was smashing the attacking robots to pieces, grim in his violence – it was obvious why he was considered a favorite. Violet shuddered when her eyes drifted over him, and it had nothing to do with the cool weather. He scared her to death. Further away, she could see Reim training with an obstacle course, swinging under and over whirling blades aiming to cut his head from his shoulders. His movements were quick and efficient, not wasting even a breath.

  There were quite a few others, but Violet hadn’t come to see any of them. She’d come to see Ronay. Of all of them, guards and warriors and leaders alike, he was the most determined. His focus was so sharp he didn’t seem to notice anything around him. So of course he missed Maige’s arrival, but they all did – calayas could go unseen if they wished.

  Another trick Irmela taught me, Violet thought grimly.

  Maige slipped into the shadow next to her, smiling to Violet in greeting. Then her eyes turned to the practice area and her smile changed completely. It hadn’t been cold, directed at Violet, it just seemed so compared to the warmth it projected when she was looking at Ronay. Her whole face softened and a loving smile tugged her lips upward. Violet let her be and long moments passed before Maige seemed to remember her presence again.

  “You wanted to see me?” she asked.

  “I did,” Violet said. She hesitated for a second. “What do you see in him?”

  Maige frowned and she hastened to add, “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m really asking. What is it that makes him so special for you?”

  The other calaya smiled, backing off.

  “Honestly?” she asked. “I don’t know. How do you go about explaining love?”

  Love, thought Violet. We are calayas.

  Stupid tough questions… Violet couldn’t bring herself to ask what Maige would do if Ronay couldn’t pick her. If he perished or someone else chose her.

  “And him?” she asked instead.

  “Yes,” was all Maige said.

  They were quiet after that – Violet was too busy holding her principles from crumbling. For years she’d built this personality and now it was being ripped from her grasp. Only when she’d finally been left alone and the world slowed down, had she been able to consider everything that had happened. And the Prince’s letter had been the last blow.

  All of them were hurting her – Irmela, the Overlord, Maige and Ronay, the Prince and Areon. Why couldn’t it all be simple? Her way was better. Her way, she wouldn’t get hurt. She wouldn’t end up like Irmela.

  Who had that man been? The one Irmela had really rooted for.

  She hadn’t thought much of Maige’s actions when they’d climbed over the ledge. It occurred to her much later that while she figured out what the Overlord was doing, Maige hadn’t. Everything she’d done had bee
n driven by her love. She’d dared to face certain death for him. Irmela had said she was proud of all of them. In Violet’s eyes, only Maige had really passed their test.

  Love. In the spider web, Maige had stared at Ronay alone. The one her heart belonged to. Maybe not the ultimate champion, maybe not the best – just hers. That’s when Violet realized that what she had done was look at Areon. She hadn’t been trying to figure out where the Prince was – she’d been thrust out of her comfort zone by the idea of Areon dying.

  Violet didn’t want to end up like Irmela. They were calayas. They lived a comfortable, pretty life with no concerns whatsoever. But love was something they didn’t dare to dabble in. It was too risky, too terrible to have it denied to them. Their life was their champion’s and that was all. Favoring someone was provoking fate to come and take it all away. Violet still couldn’t shake the image of Irmela’s sad eyes. That would not be her!

  “You’re so much braver than I am,” she told Maige.

  The other calaya looked at her, surprised. “I only jumped after you did.”

  Violet laughed bitterly. “I knew I would be safe when I made the choice. You didn’t. You just went where you wanted to.”

  The first rays of the morning sun shone light upon the shadows they’d just been in, but they were already gone. The second day of her tournament had dawned and Violet had no idea what she truly wanted.

  CHAPTER TEN

  I am so not a morning person.

  Areon rolled over on the notably uncomfortable bedding he’d chosen. It would leave him sore for the day, but that couldn’t be helped. The carefree reputation of the Raider Prince was just one in the long line of things that weren’t true.

  Possibly, he figured, I could have chosen a better place to rest than right on top of the arena. Sometimes even the most cunning mercenary must convince himself of the fact.

  Besides, it had been a very welcome exercise. Jumping from the complex had done nothing to alleviate his hunger to be himself again. So, Areon climbed one of the huge pillars proudly protruding from the ground to get a look at the whole area. It was vast, he had to give the Overlord that. The man wasn’t shy about showing off what he was capable of.