Chapter 26
The next few days were a flurry of activity. Naya met with various council members and answered questions. She kept her responses brief and to the point without elaborating, but the behavior of the council members had changed. They were on edge and pickier about what information they wanted. Naya wasn”t sure whether this was because of what had developed between her and Akoro or if there was an external pressure or deadline they were trying to meet that was soon approaching. Either way, there was a slight edge of urgency within the meetings.
One morning, Meiro dressed Naya in similar warrior leathers to Prillu and Akoro. The top half was closely fitted with padding sleeves and flexible metal spaulders over her shoulders that curved upward. Soft leather gathered to cup each breast, and multiple colored bands of patterned material wrapped around her torso.
At her waist, the same fabrics draped like a skirt, but they weren’t as long or thick as the usual outfit she’d been wearing. Instead, she wore loose pants with generous give that were tucked into calf-high boots.
The entire outfit was a mix of creams, orange, red, and blue, punctuated with metal armor and brown leather. Naya examined her outfit with interest, noticing all the small pockets, belts, and areas where daggers or small weapons could fit.
When she was escorted to the rooftop grounds, Akoro was already there. Naya made her way over to the weapon stand, but Akoro threw a wooden training stick at her and charged. Grabbing the stick out of the air, Naya ran toward him, and their wooden weapons clattered. He drove her back, their sticks clacking, both defended and attacked as the advantage took them.
Akoro seemed intent on trying to deliver a fatal blow, but Naya kept sliding, spinning, darting out of the way just at the nick of time.
His style had changed. He fought more wildly and took more risks, and even shifted his weight quicker. The difference was stark. It was like fighting a completely different person, and Naya couldn’t rely on the fighting techniques she’d become familiar with. She tried to stay out of reach of his wooden weapon, relearning his new fighting style as they parried across the roof.
Finally, he slammed her hand, forcing the stick to fly out of it, and although she dodged him again repeatedly for a few long moments, he knocked her down and pinned her to the ground with his knee.
She panted staring up at him, his dark, wild eyes boring into her, and his aggressive scent that had been building in intensity surrounded her. There was something wild about the way he fought her, but she wasn’t sure if it was to do with wanting to fuck her or the impending invasion. She waited for him to speak, to say something that explained what that sudden attack was about, but he simply maintained eye contact with her, his eyes narrowing, until his breathing calmed.
Finally he got up, freeing her.
Walking back to the weapons stand, he picked up her stick and returned both of them. He came back to her with actual weapons this time, four large axes with curved handles adorned with patterned carvings.
”I want to see you fight with these.” He threw two axes to her one by one.
She weighed them in her hands, flipping the handles and rotating them with her wrists. These were heavier, slightly thicker, and longer than what she was used to, but they felt like quality axes. The patterned handles helped her grip, and the head only had one blade, but it was beautifully crafted, patterned just like the handle.
She glanced up at the Alpha. ”I’m not used to this kind of axe, but I’ll do my best.” She hesitated. “If I cut you?—“
“You won’t.”
“If I do, will I be punished?”
Akoro held her gaze. “There will be consequences.”
“So, you don’t want me to fight how I normally fight?”
“If you don’t, I may kill you.”
Naya exhaled in annoyance. “Then how do I?—“
“Start.”
Akoro prowled to the right, his eyes on her.
Naya instantly recognized yet another fighting style from a moment ago. All other thoughts went out of her head so she could focus on his every action. Each time Akoro fought her, he approached the challenge in a different way, almost as if he were trying to find the approach that would beat her repeatedly, and therefore beat her father. The change made him interesting, but also extremely dangerous.
Akoro still returned to her nest every night to fill her with cock. It was like he was two different people; one savage barbarian on the battlefield needing to conquer the empire, and another savage barbarian in the bedroom, needing to desperately claim his mate in every way he knew how. However, as time went on she began to wonder how they were going to coalesce. When he launched his invasion, what was he expecting her to do, and how was she going to navigate it? He would be stupid to bring her along with him, and she would be stupid not to use it as an opportunity.
In a meeting with Akoro’s policy maker and administrator, they asked questions about Lox lifestyle and society, including an incredible amount of questions about Omegas and how they lived and behaved.
”If you have Omegas here, then you should know what Omegas are like,” Naya said, confused. “They are the same in every continent.”
Both of the council members glanced at Akoro, but his intense stare was on Naya. She stared back at him, trying to grasp what was escaping her. “You said I would be treated in accordance with my dynamic.”
Akoro held her eyes but said nothing.
“But… there are no Omegas here,” she finished.
“They do not live in the city,” he said.
A flash of concern shot over her. What did he mean by that? Had she been taken to a society that was as cruel and archaic as the history of hers? One that enslaved Omegas by their instincts and took horrific advantage of them?
She firmed herself. “What have you done with them?”
“I do not interfere with Omega affairs.”
Naya blinked. “Does that… what does that mean? Do Omegas have a community here?”
“We don’t know,” Nanaek said. “They are just separate.”
“Why?”
Akoro spoke first. “Nanaek shi Ranin, ppi hhe rits.”
Both council members got up to leave, bowing to Akoro before heading to the door, and Naya realized something.
”You let me ask questions,” Naya said. ”Why?”
”I want you to understand. You are the only Omega in this region. They are not part of society.”
”Why?”
”They are dangerous to keep in society.”
Naya frowned. ”Omegas? How are they more dangerous than Alphas or Betas?”
”I am not telling you how,” Akoro said firmly. ”There are some things you cannot know as my prisoner. Even if even if you are my true mate.”
Naya glared at him. ”I cannot be your true mate and your prisoner.”
”That is exactly what you are,” Akoro said sharply.
”No,” Naya said. ”You can call it that if you want, but one cancels out the other. Your true mate should choose to be with you not forced because she is your prisoner.”
Akoro scowled. “Our situation is unique, yes, but it will not always be this way.”
Naya bristled. ”What do you mean? What exactly do you have planned after you invade my empire? Do you expect me to stay there with you and be your true mate? You expect me to rule my empire, after it has been invaded and conquered, with a new leader?”
“Whatever happens after I invade, whether you rule or not, you are still mine.”
“I am the princess and heir, Akoro. This was supposed to be my empire to protect. I’m not going to side with you while you kill my people.”
Akoro rounded the table and yanked her body against him, his eyes burning. “It doesn’t matter how many titles you have or what you think you owe any other. You are mine. My mate. And you owe me your body and your devotion over anything else.”
Anger flared in Naya’s stomach. She knew he was keeping their intimacy separate from his invasion, but it was infuriating hearing it from his own mouth. “And what do you owe me?” she asked.
“While you are my prisoner? Everything I’ve given you and nothing more.” Amusement threaded through his gaze as he looked down on her. “After we invade, we will talk again.”
Naya’s stomach tightened. “And when is that?”
Akoro didn’t answer.
Naya sighed in frustration. ”How much more information do you need from me?”
”You have yet to meet with Tshel and Oppo. After that, you won’t be needed.”
Naya tried not to flinch at his words. Not needed after he’d finished using her? She couldn’t see how he didn’t mean it that way.
The meeting with Tshel and Oppo happened the next day. Tsel wore a bold red outfit—the same one she wore every time Naya had seen her in previous meetings—a long, sleek dress with a robe attached to it, which covered all of her skin while accentuating her form.
As Naya approached the table, she noticed the material of the dress was textured with swirling patterns throughout the dress and cloak. Subtle, but a beautiful design. The collar of the robe was harshly cut at shape angles, similar to the way Akoro’s more regal clothes had been designed. Naya suspected she had some kind of importance in his kingdom, but since she hadn”t spoken in any of the previous meetings, Naya couldn’t guess what her status was.
The woman had striking features, with somber, deep-set warm brown eyes, and full lips. Her dark brown locks fell just past her shoulders, beautifully complementing her warm reddish-brown skin.
Naya noticed movement at the corner of her eye and the stout healer stood in the far left corner of the room, watching her with a closed expression. Naya observed him for a moment. Akoro’s brother. Now that she’d been told who he was, she could see the resemblance in their skin, hair, and features, but Akoro stood proudly and firm, while the healer had a softer more erratic energy to him. In this room he looked nervous, as though he didn’t want to come too close to the table. Regardless, he was the reason she was alive.
She nodded at him and smiled. “Thank you.”
“Sit,” growled Akoro from his usual corner.
”Greetings, Princess Nayara, first daughter of Drocco and Cailyn Andaus, heir to the Lox Empire, Guardian of Omegas. Keeper of Peace,” said Tshel. “I am pleased to meet you.”
Naya searched the woman”s eyes, trying to see if she was mocking her, but there was only a soft amusement in them.
”I am Tshel Nekku,” she said, bowing her head a little. ”I am a Hearer for the Sy Dynasty.”
”A Hearer?” Naya glanced at Akoro but he said nothing.
”Yes,” Tshel said. She turned to the healer who was still in the corner watching them. ”This is Oppo Sy. He didn’t learn your language the same time that we all started, so he is very much behind and cannot introduce himself. He is a specialist in healing and medicine for the Sy Dynasty, the best of his profession. I hope you will excuse me if I pause to translate for him while we talk.”
Tshel gestured to the seat on the opposite side of the table.
Naya glanced at Akoro again, slightly unnerved. So far this was the friendliest interaction she’d had since she’d arrived, and she wasn”t sure of the motive.
Tshel sat down on her side of the table and looked at Oppo again. He scowled at her and then came and sat at the very far corner of the table.
”I”m sure you have many questions about my role, and I also have questions for you,” Tshel said. “But we don’t have time to indulge them all, unfortunately. What I wanted to ask you about was magic in your world. It works differently there.”
”I noticed.”
”Explain it to me.”
Naya ordered her thoughts for a moment and explained how magic worked. Tshel questioned her about her first experience with magic, exactly how she felt and experienced it, and how she manipulated it.
”So no one in your land experiences magic the way you do?”
”I didn”t say that,” Naya said. ”I have a unique connection that is stronger than most people from what we can tell, but all Omegas experience magic in a similar way, provided they are trained.”
”What training do you get?”
”It’s training that an Omega mother is supposed to pass on to her Omega daughter. It focuses on instincts and paying attention to the natural energies in the world. Magic is one of those energies. Most Omegas in the Lox Empire had training from elder Omegas who deemed it important for us to protect ourselves and then that was filtered down in some way to the younger generations.”
”So that Omega village is a potential source of attack?” Akoro asked, stepping toward the table.
Naya thought for a moment, pursing her lips. ”I suppose it is,” she said. ”But I don”t think of those Omegas as warriors, and I don’t think they do either. Many of them have not wielded magic for decades, and they are older now. They teach their Omega children to wield magic if they can, not enough to fight in battle. Not all of those Omegas were taught to fight using magic.” She thought for a moment, her eyes drifting up to the patterned ceiling. ”But I suppose they could defend themselves if they had to.”
”How many?” Akoro asked.
”Who can fight? I don”t know,” Naya said, shaking her head. ”They’ve never been considered warriors. They were put there for the safety of their families. A war would be such a shock to them, I don’t know if they’d even try to fight.”
He nodded and stepped back.
”So what was your first experience with magic?”
”I started wielding magic before birth,” Naya said, shifting on her seat, uncomfortable saying it out loud. It was a story known across her entire land—she’d never needed to explain it.
”Oh, I heard.”.
”And yet you still asked me.”
Tshel’s mouth quirked up. ”There is much to ascertain from asking someone a question you already know the answer to.” Her eyes drifting over Naya’s body.
Naya exhaled, and forced herself to relax.
”You are hailed as one of the most magically talented people in your empire.”
Naya nodded.
“Does it follow you?”
“Uh. What do you mean?”
“Does magic follow you around?”
Naya shook her head, confused. “Why would it do that?”
”Can it be harnessed?”
”I’m not sure what you mean.”
”Can magic be harnessed in your world?” Tshel asked simply. ”Can it be coded and infused into equipment or materials?”
”I don”t know,” Naya said. ”We haven”t tried that. Magic hasn”t been explored the way that you have here. Those who aren’t Omegas use a certain language to affect magic, but doing that too often destroys their minds. Only Omegas can use it without harm, and Omegas haven’t had true freedom until recently.”
”So no one has done any experimentation with magic in your land?”
”Not that I know of,” Naya said. ”Omegas are having children, increasing the population of Omegas and Alphas. But I”m sure eventually once things are stable, many will turn to examining the way magic works. You have found a way to harness it safely without needing Omegas or going mad. I don”t know if it will work the same in my Land. I assume you would have tried.”
The healer, Oppo, suddenly spoke, words tumbling out of him directed at Tshel.
Tshel nodded at him. ”Oppo asked if magic can be healed in your land.”
”What do you mean? If magic can be used to heal?”
”No. Yes.” Tshel thought for a moment. ”If someone was damaged by magic, can you heal that injury?”
”Usually, yes. But it depends on the injury.”
Tsol translated for Oppo, who asked another question.
“Is magic used to heal magical injuries or non-magical injuries?”
“Yes.”
”Can you heal bad magic?”
”Bad magic?” Naya frowned. “I don’t know what that means. The qualities of magic that we have aren’t ‘bad’ just different.”
Tshel translated for Oppo.
”Has magic ever been dangerous in your land?” he asked through Tshel.
”Only in the hands of people, mostly Alphas. But it’s not generally dangerous as a force or entity. It can certainly cause damage, but it depends on what is done with it.”
Tshel nodded. ”That is how it seems.”
Oppo continued to ask questions about potions and medicines, until finally, he nodded at Akoro.
The meetings were over. The invasion was about to begin.