Chapter Two #3
Our union had always been controversial from the first time I met Davos as a captive during the war.
I always found that people were curious about it—about how we came to be in love and why Davos had been so protective of me.
Human love slaves had enjoyed great notoriety during the war, both because humans were Tygeria’s most hated enemies, and they enjoyed our humiliation, and because secretly, they found us unbearably attractive, particularly the younger Tygerians.
The interest in humans was almost obsessive, and they often wanted us for their love slaves, as they called them.
It was just like it sounded—the young, attractive humans were kept as sexual objects and playthings, and we had no choice at all in the matter.
However, some Tygerians fell in love with their captives, and some of them made us captives their nobyos, a term to denote something between a lover and a spouse.
And, whether it was due to some form of psychological dependency or because the Tygerian men were really attractive—assholes, but attractive ones—some love slaves returned the favor and fell in love right back. I was a classic example.
“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty,” Vyskupas Evoq said. “I was unaware, and I didn’t mean to offend. And excuse me, Blake. I may call you that, I hope?”
“My name is Lieutenant Blake Cameron. But call me whatever you like.”
It was then that I saw one of them smirking a bit and turned to fully look at him.
He was perhaps the youngest of the group, and still in his late teens.
I knew that hateful smirk—I had seen it here in the palace months ago, although he had been wearing a Tygerian cadet uniform then.
His name was Vakarr or Valkarr or something like that.
I remembered the exact occasion when I’d first encountered him.
It had been the night I first realized I’d fallen in love with Davos.
The then-king had thought I was exerting strong influence on Davos, and he didn’t like it.
We’d come to the palace to disprove that notion so the king wouldn’t try to send me away.
Davos had been deep in conversation with his friend Werros at the time, in fact. That’s when I became separated from him by the crowd. Tygerians were known to be rowdy and push and shove a lot as they waited for an event to begin.
One of the younger Tygerians—this Valkarr person—pushed me against a wall and loomed over me, trying to intimidate me and saying vulgar, nasty things.
I didn’t recognize the words, but I knew the tone.
I kept my eyes cast down at the floor, so he wouldn’t see the hate shining out of them and do something rash to address the offense he intended.
If I had reacted strongly, it, would have made Davos do something even more rash.
I was there to reassure the king about my feelings for Davos, not antagonize him even further.
Several of the young officer’s friends were gathered around, looking on and offering advice and rude comments.
All of it was being done in Tygerian, so I had no real idea of what they were saying, though as I said, the tone was clear enough in any language.
The words were probably deliberately disgusting and definitely meant to be insulting.
Suddenly, Davos noticed despite my non-reaction and came stalking toward us. The one leering over me never saw him coming at all and continued speaking, pouring his filth over my head.
Davos’s roar filled the hallway and sent the remaining onlookers scattering like leaves.
He caught two of the young officers by their robes, pulled them back and knocked their heads together with such force they fell unconscious to the floor.
Then he grabbed the one harassing me by the front of his robes as the man tried to cower away, picked him up and shook him until his teeth rattled and then threw him bodily halfway down the corridor.
People in the crowded hallway scattered and scrambled to get clear of the fight and out of the way.
Pointing a finger at the young cadet who’d been harassing me, Davos began shouting.
I didn’t know what he was saying, but I recognized the fury in his tone, and I saw his face.
He pulled out his disruptor, brandishing it wildly as the crowd screamed in terror.
He aimed it directly at the man on the floor, who held his hands over his head, as Werros ran over and grabbed Davos’s arm, speaking urgently to him.
Davos hesitated, breathing hard and bending slightly to listen.
Meanwhile, friends of the man reappeared and got him quickly to his feet, but when they tried to take him away, Davos roared again, and they froze in place.
Other officers came running and surrounded Davos, not in a restraining way—he was the Dyson after all, and he answered only to the king.
He could do whatever he wanted—but they were still trying to calm his temper.
Still, no one had any real control over him, except the king.
Davos was shaking all over but was attempting to regain control.
He was perilously close to a shift, and that was the last thing he needed to do in this crowded hallway.
I went directly to him and put my hands on his chest to make him look at me. Finally, I put my hands on Davos’s cheeks and brought our foreheads together. Davos was so shocked by the move he hissed in a sharp breath.
“Calm down,” I said. “You’re blowing this thing. Big time.”
“I-I…what?”
“You’re blowing this. Your king is supposed to see you being all calm and cool about me. News flash—this is not calm, cool and collected.”
“No. No, I…”
“Take a deep breath for me. Again. There—are you feeling a little better?”
Davos nodded.
“Good. Now tell me what the slime-ball was saying to me.”
“The… slime-ball?”
“Yeah, the sleaze you threw down the hallway. Nice move, by the way. But what was he saying?”
“I don’t want to tell you. It’s insulting.”
“I gathered. Tell me anyway.”
“He-he said he knew all about you humans. He said you pretended not to like other men, but most of you loved a stiff cock up your asses. He said he thought you liked it and said you looked like a little pussy-boy. He wanted to know if you were a-a cocksucker.” Davos looked down at Blake with a worried expression.
“Do you know all these words? They come from human slang my people have picked up from the slaves and captives. They would be considered very vulgar words to us, and he knew that. He was being the most insulting that he could be. I should shoot him, shouldn’t I? Yes, I will kill him for you.”
“Whoa! Slow down. Kill him? For being an asshole? You can’t do that, or you’d wipe out most of the population of this planet.”
The memory came back so strongly that for a moment I got a little weak in the knees and a sharp pain pierced my heart.
I clung more tightly to Werros’s arm. The same young man who had been so rude to me in the hallway that night was here in this very room, wearing one of those ugly black robes and hats, standing among the priests who had come to “observe” me.
I walked forward and looked right in his face. “I think I know you. Vakarr, isn’t it?” I asked, deliberately, and I hoped, insultingly, mispronouncing his name. “I saw you at the king’s palace in the hallway not too long ago. Do you remember that occasion?”
He bowed slightly, though I think it cost him. “Yes, I remember you.”
“And what’s your name?”
“I am Novitiate Valkarr. You were nearly correct in your pronunciation of my name.”
I gave him a mean, little smile that wiped the smirk right off his face. “Well, Valkarr then. Now you’re a priest and not a soldier anymore? It didn’t suit you, huh?”
His face got red; Tygerian complexion could be very fair over those faint black markings. “I’m a novitiate now. Do you know what that means?”
“Yes. Believe it or not, we have religions on Earth just like you do here.”
I turned and went back to stand beside the king.
The priest, Evoq, looked at both of us curiously but came closer and held out his hand. “I take it that you were a soldier of the Alliance Forces?”
“Yes, I was.”
“I see,” he said, looking into my eyes. “The past year must have been hard on you.”
I wondered how he knew I’d been on Tygeria for a year, and while I was wondering, I thought it was strange that he used an Earthan measurement, but perhaps he was trying to “relate” to me.
“Yes, in many ways. But mostly because of the death of my beloved husband.”
His eyes narrowed slightly and I thought he looked a little surprised. “I see. Well, I’d like to try a healing for you, Lieutenant Blake Cameron, after your bereavement. If you’ll allow it?”
Most Tygerians had no real concept of the first and last names we had on Earth. And apparently felt it was beneath them to learn, so I got a lot of the full Blake Cameron treatment.
“How will you go about that? What exactly does this healing consist of, if you don’t mind me asking? For example, why are there so many of you?”
“These other men are only here to observe and learn. I promise you that the treatment won’t harm you in any way.”
“Okay. You’ve told me what it won’t do for me. Now please explain to me how it would help me.”
His amber colored eyes swept over me and for just a moment I saw some disapproval peeking out. He quickly covered it, though, and smiled at me.
“It will make the loss less sharp—less painful. I can assure you it won’t injure you in any way.”
“Well, it’s very kind of you, sir, but I don’t think I’m interested. Thank you anyway. Perhaps some other time.”
That’s when Werros broke in and said, “Blake, may I speak to you for a moment?”
He pulled me aside to a quiet corner. “I’m afraid I must insist on a healing.”
“But why?” I had practically whined the words, and I stared down at my feet, feeling embarrassed with so many watching me.
“Because all this terrible grief is not good for you. Your health is suffering, and I remind you of the promise I made to Davos. I’d like you to do this for me. With no more arguments.”
I knew enough to know that when a king says he wants you to “do something for him,” it’s the same thing as a direct order. I looked up at him right into his eyes and gave him the sweetest smile I could muster, and I saw him blink.
“If that’s your wish, then, of course, sire. I’m sure you know best. Whatever you say.” I almost choked on the words, and I wondered what Davos would think if he could have heard me, but Davos was gone. I was on my own here among enemies and I had to protect myself and the baby. I needed an ally.
He squeezed my hand and gave me a warm smile. Suddenly Evoq was beside us and he must have sensed victory because he extended his hand to me. I put mine in his. He led me over to a chaise-like lounge—if you could “lounge” on bare wood, that is—and I sat down.
“You never told me what exactly this healing entails.”
“I have some medicines to give you—nothing that would harm either you or the child you’re carrying, I assure you.”
“Have you cleared them with my doctor?”
“The king has, yes.”
“And how do you know about ‘the child I carry?’”
“His Majesty told me.”
“Okay. And you’re sure this has been checked with my doctors?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Go ahead then.”
He came even closer, smiling a little at my grudging tone. “I need to touch you. Just stay as still as you can and don’t fight this.”
“I’m not making any such promise. Why is it necessary for you to touch me?”
“It’s simply normal procedure. But it’s not absolutely necessary.”
“Good. Then don’t do it.”
He smiled. “As you wish, Lieutenant. Again, please don’t fight the healing.”
“How would I?”
“It’s possible for a short time for those who are truly strong willed. I suspect you might be one of those people.”
He was right, I guess. “Okay,” I said. “I agreed to do this, so I will. Go ahead.”
He nodded, and the room suddenly fell quiet.
He handed me two tablets and a glass of water.
I swallowed them down and tried to let my mind just drift, but it was racing as it usually did.
I was worried he would steal my memories of Davos.
It was superstitious and silly, I guess.
He wasn’t really any kind of witch after all, no matter how much he looked the part.
But I was jealous of every moment I’d spent with Davos.
I didn’t want a single second of my time with him erased or taken away.
After a while I began to feel sleepy, and I started to doze. What felt like seconds later, I jumped and woke up, but I thought I still heard his voice speaking very softly to me. As I came fully awake, he got silent and I sat up, rubbing my eyes.
“Sorry, I think I fell asleep.”
“You did fine for your first time.” As he stood back up, he stared down at me and smiled.
“You’re an interesting person, Lt. Blake Cameron.
Different in every way from a Tygerian, with one exception.
You’re very courageous for a human, and you have one of the strongest wills I’ve ever encountered.
A fine quality for the consort of the man who was supposed to be the king.
Or anyone who aspires to be our king in the future.
” I blinked at him, unsure of what he meant.
He turned to look at Werros speculatively and then smiled. “The grief is strong and will be hard to reach, however. I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Davos must have strongly bonded with him.”
“Yes, I believe he did,” I said, butting in. “I think I may have done some bonding too.”
“Interesting. That shouldn’t have been possible.
” He sighed heavily. “Not with a human. I’m afraid only time will help your pain then, if that’s the case.
But I’ll try again, shall I? Perhaps in a few days.
” He and the others bowed to the king, and they all left the room, leaving me alone with Werros.
The king offered me his arm, and I took it so we could go back to my room.