Grim (Tornians #1)

Chapter Fourteen

There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the following days. Grim is gone before the dawn and while he makes sure to take last meal with them, he immediately leaves, returning after Lisa’s asleep.

Tucking a loose hair behind her ear, Lisa watches the girls laugh, as they play with Dagan. She’d been able to talk Gossamer into allowing the special young male to come to Luanda with his mother, knowing he and the girls would become great friends despite their differences.

“They are good together.” Padma comments as she watches the three.

“Many would not allow their offspring near one such as him.”

“Not only are they wrong, they are missing one of the Goddess’ greatest blessings.” Lisa looks at her friend.

“Dagan is a special person Padma. Different? Yes. A Warrior? Never. He has a pure soul that sees the beauty others miss. The Goddess has gifted him with the ability to share it with us, with his sun catchers.”

“It’s been suggested, more than once, that he should not be allowed to continue.” Padma whispers tears filling her eyes.

“They only see what he is not.”

“Not for long, soon they will see him as we do, as a gift from the Goddess.” Lisa hugs her friend.

“Thank you Lisa, for so long I’ve worried about him.”

“It’s a mother’s greatest joy and greatest burden, having children to worry about. You can’t have one without the other.”

“You are so different than other Tornian females.” Padma smiles shaking her head.

“That’s because I’m not one.”

“Of course you are.” Padma gives her a confused look.

“The Emperor declared you so before you were taken. It is why he can demand you go to Tornian.”

“What are you talking about Padma?” Lisa looks at her frowning.

“You don’t know?” Her eyes widen.

“Apparently not.”

“Only Tornian females are allowed to choose their males through the Joining Ceremony. All others, like me, are at risk.”

“What do you mean at risk?” Lisa feels her stomach tighten.

“Males…” Padma looks to make sure the children aren’t listening.

“Can join with any non-Tornian female but have no responsibility to her.”

“This happened to you.” Lisa sees the pain in her friend’s eyes.

“Many times…until I meet Gossamer. He is not a warrior but still he protected me, he made me his female, even after so many other males….” She can’t go on.

“He loves you.” Lisa places a comforting hand on her arm.

“Yes.”

“So the Joining Ceremony, it also provides protection.”

“Yes, it allows a female to pick the male she feels is most fit for her.”

“Wait! What? I thought the female had no choice but to choose one of the males presented to her?”

“Well...that is what’s expected, since all the males there are chosen by the female or her manno.”

“She and her manno chose the males?”

“Yes. He contacts the males that are being considered and she chooses one of them at the Joining Ceremony.”

“And this is how it always is? Is common knowledge?”

“Of course.” Padma gives her a considering look.

“You didn’t know this.”

“No, it wasn’t in the education program we received, only that we must join with one of the males presented to us.”

“But...you know nothing of them...know not what they can provide.”

“No and someone wants it that way.” Lisa’s mind is racing.

“But why? What can be gained?” Padma asks.

“Power.” Lisa paces across the patio, looking past the children and into the trees, the trees where Luuken had captured her. Captured her to use against Grim, to gain Luda. Turning away, she moves back to Padma.

“Tell me everything you know about the Joining Ceremony, about all the rules.”

It’s late when Grim returns to the Royal Chamber, his head filled with the thousands of things that still need done before they leave for Tornian, but right now, all he wants is to hold his Lisa close. His shirt is halfway off before he realizes the bed is empty, panicked he spins, eyes quickly scanning the room, calming only when he finds her in the window seat, gazing out into the darkness.

“Why aren’t you resting my Lisa? He sits lifting her bare feet into his lap, caressing her calves.

“What is bothering you?”

“I talked with Padma today.” Grim remains silent, knowing she’ll tell him when she’s ready.

“Did you ever review what was put into the educators?”

“The educators?” Grim frowns, wondering what she’s talking about.

“Yes. What was programmed in them?”

“I programmed the girls, you know this.” He tells her.

“Yes I do.” Leaning forward, she gently touches his cheek.

“Thank you for that but I’m talking about the original program, the one I and the others received. Who decided what information we were to be given?”

“What you were…” She’s lost him.

“You were given all the information my Lisa, nothing was held back.”

“Then how is it that I didn’t know until today that I’d been declared Tornian? That a non-Tornian female can be abused by males with no consequences.” She demands angry at the thought.

“That the Joining Ceremony is as much about protection as it is joining.”

“You did not know this?” Lisa sees true confusion in his eyes.

“No. I also didn’t know that in a traditional Joining Ceremony the female selects the males invited before finally deciding on one.” Grim remains silent.

“You knew this.”

“Of course.”

“So how can those twelve males have been chosen? Males we have never met, who we know nothing about?” Grim releases a heavy sigh.

“It was decided it would take too long for you to choose from the available males, so each House selected their worthiest male to be presented.”

“Who did you select?” Lisa asks softly her heart hurting for him.

“Callen was my selection.” He informs her.

“He’s a good male Grim.” Lisa agrees.

“If not for him I never would have been heard. You never would have heard me.”

“He is a good male. He deserves a female.”

“He does, all your males do, but not this way. If you start down this path, where does it end? You proclaim us Tornians but withhold from us our most basic right. The right to choose the male we want to join with and what’s even worse is that the others don’t even know they have that right. You’re making them into nothing more than breeders Grim.” She moves closer to him.

“I know that can’t be what you want.”

Grim carefully removes her feet from his lap, surging to his feet. Pacing he runs a frustrated hand through his hair, trying to understand everything his love has told him. She is right, this isn’t what he wants…isn’t what Wray wants. Wray hadn’t wanted to send the Searcher but once it was discovered Kim had conceived, many of the Lords become insistent that their males be given the same chance as the Emperor, all led by Bertos.

“Talk to me Grim.” Lisa says quietly, watching him pace.

“That is not what should have been Lisa. You were to be given all the information any Tornian female would have.”

“How can you be sure?” She questions.

“Because it was argued in the Assembly, Wray ordered the educators be programmed with all the necessary information.”

“Ordered who Grim?” She whispers.

“Bertos...” He trails off.

“Bertos was in charge of programming the educators?”

“Yes, they are created in his region.”

“And no one thought to double check him.”

“There would have been no reason too. The Emperor's orders are always followed.”

“So Bertos decided what was necessary information.”

“So it would seem.”

“The women need to be informed Grim.”

“No male is allowed near the females until the Joining Ceremony. They are guarded in Torino by the Emperor’s Guard, awaiting our arrival.”

“Then Kim needs to talk to them.”

“Wray informs me they refuse to speak to her. They blame her.”

“Can you blame them Grim? They were taken because she gave them the location of Earth and now they aren’t even being told the truth.”

“The Empress wasn’t able to give the exact location of Earth Lisa." Grim looks at her with guilty eyes. "She didn’t know it, any more than you would. We were able to get only so much from the Ganglian the ship, the rest was what little she knew about your system. Nine planets, one blue, one sun. It was so vague I never expected to find it.”

“So how did you?” Lisa demands.

“I continually studied the scans of the areas we were searching, surprisingly it didn’t take long. Earth is in a very desolate part of the universe. We would have had no reason to believe a compatible race lived there.” Lisa pales, as she suddenly realizes what Grim is saying.

“You…” She whispers.

“You found Earth.” Grim sees the shock and pain in Lisa’s eyes.

“Yes.” He admits, knowing she is going to be upset. It was something he’d hoped he’d never have to reveal.

“If not for you…” Now it’s Lisa’s turn to pace, Grim is responsible for them being taken, if it wasn’t for him…

“I was doing what my Emperor ordered Lisa, for the good of our people.” Grim defends what he has done even while he hadn’t agreed.

“Your people! What about mine?” Lisa rounds on him angrily only to have him grip her arms, stopping her from walking away.

“I would change nothing my Lisa. Do you understand that?” He gives her a little shake.

“For if I did I wouldn’t have you.” Grim refuses to release her, he understands why she’s upset, but he won’t let this come between them, not now.

“Damn it Grim!” Lisa swears at him but the heat in her words is lost, when she rests her forehead on his chest.

“Why did it have to be you?” She whispers.

“I want to be angry at someone. Blame someone. And now…” She trails off.

“And now?” He tips her chin up, seeing her tears but also her love.

“And now I can’t because I wouldn’t change it either Grim, at least not for me. I won’t give you up.”

“Lisa…” He whispers.

“But that still doesn’t make it right. So Kim and I have found happiness. That doesn’t mean the others will.”

“It doesn’t mean they won’t either.” Grim argues back gently.

“There are two Earth females that have joined with Tornian males and they are happy, that is truth, it is a good sign that the others will too.”

“Could be its only because they are Vasteri males.” Lisa gives him a teasing look, letting go of her anger.

“And if that’s the case I’m not sharing. We’ll just return them to Earth.”

Grim laughs at Lisa’s teasing and knows he is forgiven.

“No other female will ever attract me my Lisa. You are all I will ever want. Let me show you.” Sweeping her into his arms, he carries her to their bed.

“You haven’t told the King yet.” Hadar accuses the next morning.

“No. There have been too many other things going on.” Lisa looks at Hadar, hoping she’s making the right decision. She asked for this meeting because she needs his help.

“What do you know about the Emperor’s Healer?”

“What?” Hadar asks surprised.

“What…do…you…know…” Lisa speaks very slowly.

“I heard what you said!” Hadar responses angrily.

“Then answer the question.” Lisa demands.

“Healer Yakar has a strong reputation as being an excellent healer.”

“Reputation…you’ve never met him?” She's surprised.

“No, there was no reason too. We have communicated recently but…”

“You have? Why?” Lisa demands. The fierceness of her question surprising Hadar.

“Because of you…” He tells her.

“I have no knowledge on the treatment of Earth females and was looking for any he had acquired in his treatment of the Empress.”

“He treats the Empress?”

“I…well I assume he does, who else would?” Hadar is now totally confused.

“What ‘knowledge’ did he give you?” She asks.

“In truth, not much, only that your nutritional needs and reproductive systems are very similar to our females.”

“Really…” Lisa turns, walking away from him, thinking aloud.

“Don’t you think that’s odd? He should be able to supply you with a great deal of information…if he's treating Kim. On Earth, females see their doctor…healer regularly during a pregnancy. Kim is what, seven months along by now?”

“Yes, that is what is believed but as I told you, Tornian females are very secretive about the process.”

“You believe she has a Tornian female assisting her?” Lisa doesn’t hide her shock.

“I…well of course she does.” Hadar frowns at her.

“I’ll tell you what I think Hadar. I think Kim hasn’t let Yakar anywhere near her. She hasn’t let a Tornian female near her either. Earth females…we’re different than yours…

“Tell me about it.” Hadar mutters before he can stop himself, and then pales.

“Very nice Hadar, sarcasm, I like it.” Lisa gives him a smile before continuing.

“But as I was saying, we’re different, we are protective of our children and that starts when they are in the womb. This is Kim’s first pregnancy. She’s on an alien planet with no one to talk too. She’s not going to trust anyone but Wray or one of her own.”

“You are sure of this.” Hadar gives her a considering look.

“I wouldn’t. So we’re going to have to do something about that.” She looks at him waiting.

“We…we…as in you and me?” Hadar can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“Yes, you and me. By now you’ve heard that in three days an Imperial escort will arrive, taking us to Tornian for the official Joining Ceremony.”

“Yes, that’s why you need to tell the King…”

“No. There will be a time and place for that, it isn’t now.” She gives him a hard look.

“So as I was trying to say, we will be leaving and I want you to go with us.”

“Excuse me?” Lisa shakes her head at him.

“You need to come with us…if there is some one here that can take over your duties, I won’t leave the warriors without a healer.”

“There is another who can assume my duties but why do you want me to go? Are you concerned about your offspring? I’ve never treated them.” He reminds her.

“I know, but Grim has assured me you are a very talented healer, that if you hadn’t been here to treat him he would have died." Tears fill Lisa's eyes. "Thank you Hadar, from the bottom of my heart, for I couldn’t imagine my life without Grim.” Hadar feels himself start to flush at the Queen’s heartfelt gratitude. He never expected it.

“The King survived because he was meant too.” Hadar mumbles.

“As you were meant to be there to assist him." Lisa brings herself back under control. "Now Kim needs your assistance.”

“I don’t understand.” He looks at her confused.

“Kim is going to need of a Healer she can trust Hadar. Grim trusts you and you’ve shown that I can, I believe Kim will therefore trust you.”

“But you said yourself I know little about what happens to a female before she presents.”

“I don’t think that's going to be a problem, I think Kim is closer to presenting than anyone knows.”

“Why would you think this?” He looks at her, intrigued at the thought.

“Woman’s intuition, that and the fact that on Earth females usually don’t announce they’ve conceived until they are at least three months along. How long has it been since the announcement?”

“Five months maybe a little longer.”

“And how long is the normal pregnancy for a Tornian? On Earth it’s forty weeks.”

“Thirty-eight.”

“So a little shorter, so she’s going to be very big and very scared. She’s going to need all the support she can get, from both of us.”

“Why would you do this?” Hadar can’t keep from asking, no Tornian would, not without being compensated, otherwise they’d just let the female suffer, if one is lost it makes the others more valuable.

“She’s Grim’s brother’s wife. She’s also a fellow female, caught up in something that she has no control over, we tend to band together in those times.”

“You…” Hadar finds he’s speechless, this female talks like a warrior, banding together.

“You don’t know Earth females Hadar, none of you really do, except Grim and Wray and you are all in for a surprise.” Turning, she sits and gestures for him to.

“So in three days you will leave with us, the reasoning being that I am a very ‘fragile’ female that needs constant tending.” Hadar snorts his disbelief before he can stop himself then looks aghast.

“Don’t worry about it Hadar.” Lisa smiles at him.

“I’m a big believer in a friends always being able to tell one another the truth. That includes when one is full of shit.” Hadar’s mouth drops open. She thinks they can be friends…

After several moments, when Hadar says nothing Lisa shifts uncomfortably, maybe she’s made a mistake.

“If I’ve misspoken Hadar I apologize. I realize it isn’t normal for Tornian males and females to be just friends but I thought since you saved Grim’s life and will one day be presenting his offspring that we should try.”

“You would trust me too…”

“Grim trusts you. That’s a big endorsement for me.” At his confused look, she sighs.

“Means a great deal.” He nods.

“And I will also need someone. While I’ve had two offspring, I’ve never done it alone, there was always a healer there along with a support staff if anything should go wrong.”

“Go wrong?”

“Yes Hadar wrong. Don’t get me started. Thousands of things could go wrong that’s why every baby is a miracle. I want you…” Lisa takes a deep breath and starts again.

“I would like you to scan me again, completely, so you can get a base reading…is that the right word?” He nods and she continues.

“Base reading to compare future readings too.”

“You feel something is wrong?” He looks at her concerned.

“No, but as you said, there has only been one other Tornian/Earth pregnancy and we still don’t know how that is going to turn out.”

“A complete scan in the medical unit would be best to obtain the knowledge we would need.”

“Will it hurt the baby?" She asks quietly, fear easily heard in her voice. Hadar finds he doesn’t like it. "We have ultrasounds on Earth. It is a way for a healer to see how a baby is doing without harming it. It’s some sort of sound wave but I don’t know what.”

“Our medical unit has such a device. It shows what is going on inside the body, without causing harm.”

Lisa looks at him, looking for advice.

“Do you think it will harm the baby?” Lisa sees he’s seriously thinking about her question.

“It has been used for years on our males and caused no reproductive problems. I see no reason why it should with a female.” He thinks a little more.

“No, it will cause no harm, the wave isn’t high enough.” His eyes widen.

“But it might tell us what the offspring is going to be.”

“You mean male or female.”

“Yes.”

“So soon?” She is shocked.

“We can tell that on Earth too, sometimes, if the baby cooperates.”

“Cooperates? What do you mean?” Lisa smiles at him.

“Well you have to see if there a little.” She makes a motion with her little finger that seems to be universally understood by males causing Hadar to blush. She will never get over how easy it is to fluster these big males with sex talk.

“And if the baby’s legs are crossed…”

“I see…” Hadar coughs.

“Can you tell me…” He hesitates.

“What Hadar? What do you want to know?” Lisa looks at him curiously.

“They say…they say on Earth there are many females.” He looks at her hopefully.

“What is the ratio? For Tornians it is now one female for every two hundred males.”

“One to two hundred?” Lisa feels herself pale. She knew the males greatly outnumbered females but two hundred to one!

“Yes. What is it on Earth?”

“As far as I know it’s pretty much equal. If there are more males born it’s not that many.”

“A female for every male?” Hadar can’t keep the shock or envy out of his voice.

“Yes, not so much in one family but over all its pretty even.”

“Males and females interact.”

“Of course, there were several men…males, back on Earth that I considered good friends and there was never anything sexual about it. We just liked each other, had things in common, talked.”

“Truth?”

“Truth Hadar and if you’ve ever studied your history you’d know it used to be that way here too.”

“That was in ancient times.” Hadar says dismissively.

“Perhaps, but it could happen again, history has a way of repeating itself.” She lets him think about that for a minute.

“So what do you think? Should we go get this scan done or what?”

Grim watches Lisa closely throughout last meal. She looks fine but she requested to see Hadar today, had gone into the medical unit. What is wrong? He looks to the girls, knowing he can’t say anything in front of them, it will frighten them.

“Alright girls, showers and then bed.” Lisa announces.

“Awww…but we’ve hardly seen Grim mommy!” Miki complains.

“You do what your mother says Miki Renee and I’ll tell you another story about the Great Raptor once you’re in bed.”

“Truth?” Miki asks her eyes full of excitement.

“Truth little one, now scoot.” Grim enjoying the new Earth word he has learned. Together both girls hurry out of the room.

“Do you really have another story to tell them?” Lisa gives him a loving look as she picks up the dishes.

“Thousands.” He tells her, hooking an arm around her waist, he pulls her into his lap.

“Grim!” She laughs, trying not to spill the plates in his lap.

“Why were you with Hadar today?” Grim asks with worried eyes.

“What is wrong?” Turning, Lisa carefully puts the dishes down before facing him.

“There is nothing wrong Grim.” She lets him see the truth in her eyes.

“I wanted to talk to him about coming with us to Tornian.”

“Come with us? Why?” He demands. Why does she think she’ll need a healer?

“After you and I talked about how you actually found Earth I realized Kim is as much a victim in all this as the rest of us.”

“Victim?”

“Victim, it’s like what Korin is because of Bertos, someone who has no control over what’s happening to them.”

“Is that how you see yourself my Lisa?” Grim’s heart hurts at the thought.

“I would, if I didn’t have you. I’m sure Kim feels the same, but the other women, Grim, they are victims because there is no one looking out for them, protecting them, not really…” She puts gently fingers across his lips.

“Not the way you look out for me and the girls and that has to be so terrifying. If all I had to rely on was what Bertos programmed into that educator I’d be scared out of my mind right now.”

“Why do you see Empress Kim this way?” He asks.

“Because of what you’ve told me, she was taken from Earth but not by Tornians.”

“No she was taken by Ganglians to be sold as a sex slave.”

“Exactly my point, she was taken to be a slave, only to be rescued by Wray. They fell in love and he made her his Empress but that still doesn’t get her home Grim. It just puts her in another alien place where she knows no one…and now she's pregnant. It can be a scary time for a female, even back on Earth surrounded by people who love and care about you. Kim doesn’t have that.”

“You were scared when you conceived?” He finds he doesn’t like the thought.

“Of course, every mother is, well every Earth mother, you worry about what you eat, what you do. You worry that something could happen to harm the baby. Thousands of things could go wrong Grim, that’s why each one is a miracle.”

“You worried with both girls? Even with your Mark at your side?”

“Of course.” She reassures him.

“And your think Wray’s Kim is feeling the same way.”

“I know she is. That’s why I want to bring Hadar. He told me he’s consulted with Healer Yakar when I arrived, hoping he’d be able to help him in dealing with an Earth female but he was only able to tell him that our nutritional and reproductive system were very similar. Does that sound like a Healer who has examined a female that’s conceived?”

Grim frowns, realizing it doesn’t. The Imperial healer should have shared all the information he’d been able to gather in assisting another in dealing with a female, especially between brothers.

“I don’t think Kim trusts him, that’s important for Earth females, we need to be able to trust our doctor…healer. He is going to be there when we are most vulnerable.”

“And you think she will trust Hadar?” Grim looks at her questioningly. “Why?”

“Because between the two of us I think we can convince her. He helped save your life Grim. He’s not part of Bertos plans.”

“And you trust him?” Grim questions.

“I’m learning too. That’s why I let him give me a full scan in the medical unit. There is no base, no information on Earth females available for a healer and if there are suddenly twelve going to twelve different houses, that information needs to be shared to make sure they are cared for.”

"Eleven." Grim growls, his Lisa isn't going anywhere.

"Eleven." She agrees.

“Then there is also the fact that if anything should happen, I would trust Hadar with you and the girls and no one else.”

“Nothing will happen to us my Lisa.” He reassures her.

“I know but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

"Mommy...we’re done...” Two little voices echo into the chamber, giving Grim a quick kiss she goes to the girls.

Grim eyes follow Lisa until she's out of sight, Goddess he loves this female. She is his everything and she's worried about him, with all she's been through, all she's survived. Walking over to a cabinet, he opens it, then the secret panel in the back. Reaching inside he removes two wooden boxes, each darkened with age. He's opened them only once before, when he first became King, just to verify they existed then returned them to their dark home. He never believed he would use them, now he thinks it's time they are seen again.

"Grim...the girls are in bed." Lisa calls from their room, setting the boxes aside he goes to his family.