Chapter 44
Forty-Four
Autumn blushed as she walked hand-in-hand with Dante through the halls of the Zambarian ship. They passed by countless silver-skinned aliens. The women donned hideous dresses almost as ugly as her own. It seemed they saved the worst for royalty, with poofy skirts, tons of fur, and outlandish colors. The men wore simple bodysuits of indigo. Lucky them.
She cringed, then sighed. For the first time she couldn’t wait to go back to Surge. She wanted to be in the warmth and the sunlight of eternal summer and best of all, get ready for her dad’s arrival. She couldn’t wait to see him again. Her heart skipped a beat. This all felt like a dream.
As she grinned to herself like a fool, Dante glanced at her and flashed a spectacular smile. She melted at the sight of his handsomeness before snapping back to reality. Crap.
She wanted, no needed , to get this meeting over with. She recalled what Leyla told her about the emperor and his grossness. She couldn’t help but wonder what she meant.
If only she didn’t insist on knowing what Dante was up to earlier. But curiosity got the best of her. And because she was an empress, she had to start acting like one, and that meant dealing with the current issue at hand.
Whatever it was.
As she fidgeted with her hands, Dante took her fingers and brought them to his soft blue lips. He leaned down and whispered into her ear. His soft-spoken voice caressed her. She couldn’t stop thinking about what they’d shared earlier after so much time had passed. And how much she enjoyed being with him. She couldn’t wait to be alone with him again. The memory of their interactions made her face flush.
“I apologize in advance about what we’re about to walk into,” Dante scrunched his nose, disgust clear on his face. He sighed.
“Huh?” She looked up at him. What the heck was he talking about?
They turned a corner and entered a room lined on either side with rows of steel chairs topped with ink-blue velvet pillows. Long rectangular windows offered a spectacular view of outer space, glimmering with countless planets and stars.
As her eyes gravitated away from the beautiful view she covered her mouth in shock. The bile rose from her gut, singing her esophagus.
Holy Crap. Was this who she thought it was?
A silvery man stood before a glowing raw-crystal throne addressing a fellow Zambarian. He stood a foot above her head with a rounded belly, stark white hair, and eyes like two beady black magnets. But there was a softness about him, a gentleness. Not like the rumors she’d heard about him devouring his victims. And not like the other murderers she’d encountered in space, her husband included.
The interaction seemed normal enough at first, filled with laughter and talking in their strange alien language. However, upon further inspection, globs of spit rolled down his mouth and over his chin as he spoke. They soaked and sprayed the neckline of his uniform. Eww gross, she gagged .
She took two steps in retreat, but Dante urged her onward, placing his hand on the small of her back. She could see why he’d threatened Leyla with marriage to Emperor Brumha. Anyone would be on their best behavior after witnessing this horrific sight.
She inhaled a deep breath trying her best not to be rude. Dante made a brief face of disgust that he managed to conceal, pressing a hand over his mouth.
He straightened his spine as she held onto his arm, fingers digging into his bicep. He spoke in a weird language she didn’t understand, and the silver alien replied with clicks of his tongue and more spit than she’d ever seen in her life.
Dante fixated on the dribble hanging off the edge of Emperor Brumha’s lip in disbelief it’d come to this. He was positively revolting. His gut churned as he cleared his throat.
“Thank you for seeing us on such short notice,” the words ran smoothly off his tongue.
“The pleasure is all mine,” droplets of saliva sprayed from Emperor Brumha’s mouth, covering Dante’s extended hand. He stepped aside, wiping his black glove against his pants. Autumn moved closer to him, wide-eyed. He could only imagine what she thought of this slob. He had to get this meeting over with.
“First of all, I’d like to offer you my condolences about your father. It seems we have some sadness in common.”
“Thank you for your kind words,” the emperor said, then changed the subject, eyes flickering toward his wife. “This must be your beautiful bride, the delightful Autumn Martyne. I’ve heard so much about her.” He took her hand and brought it to his slobbery mouth. Autumn’s face paled and she gulped, but she managed to push out a polite smile handling the situation like a true empress. Once the interaction was through, she took her hand and subtly wiped it on Dante’s cape. “If you like we can speak in your native tongue so she can be included in our conversation.”
“I’d like to have a word with you in private first,” Dante crossed his arms. “I need to practice my Zambarian and she doesn’t need any more stress, she’s been through enough, but surely you know that. Don’t think I haven’t heard how she was welcomed by your sentries on planet First.”
Emperor Brumha twisted his wet silver lips. “There are no words to express how embarrassed I am about the way she was treated. If I had been present, it never would’ve happened.”
Dante cocked his head to the side. “I demand retribution for her suffering.”
“As you should, and that’s why I’ve taken the liberty of rounding up the guards who were involved in the incident and you may do whatever you like with them.”
He stroked the cleft of his chin. “Hmm…an interesting proposition and a good start, but I’m afraid it’s not satisfying enough. Not only did they put their hands on my empress under your jurisdiction, but you allowed a traitor to escape. What kind of shit show are you running here, Emperor?”
Emperor Brumha nodded in silence, not offering a defense. He remained calm on the outside, contemplating.
He cracked his knuckles, straightening his spine. “I propose a different solution. I’ll have a long hard word with the guards, and believe me it shall be a conversation they’ll never forget. The princess is coming home with me, and I want half of your fleet at my disposal.” He watched and waited for the emperor’s response. His mouth curved, self-satisfied.
The emperor sucked in a breath, spit spraying in globs. Dante took a step back. He’d had just about enough of his repulsiveness. Brumha opened his mouth to speak.
“Think carefully about how you answer,” Dante added. “It’s been a few years since I’ve conquered a world but I’m itching to expand my territories. It’s what I live for. Deny me and yours becomes next on my carefully curated list.”
Dante prepared himself for the backlash as a long awkward silence followed.
“You’re taking the princess too?” he finally asked. “I was hoping that if she didn’t take a liking to my brother that?—”
“I’m afraid you’re not her type,” Dante said matter-of-factly. “Your brother either.” Although for the life of him, he was surprised Leyla hadn’t fallen for the younger prince. He was one to watch. Dazzling, handsome, and full of life—kind of like himself. But what was done was done and there was no turning back.
Brumha crossed his arms. “We don’t want a war. We haven’t had one for the last four hundred years. We’re a peaceful nation and I intend to keep it that way. I don’t want bad blood between you and I or myself and the Grand Supreme. We both know how that ends.”
“Is that a yes? Is our deal done then?”
Emperor Brumha inhaled, spraying another round of spit. He inwardly cringed. “Half of my fleet will remain on call, if need be, for your purposes.”
“A wise decision on your part,” Dante switched back to Ivarkian so Autumn could understand. “Thank you very much for your hospitality. My lady and I shall make our leave back to Surge.”
Dante took Autumn by the hand and led her out of the room. Gusts of snow and ice followed them, sprinkling against their hair and backs in glittering swirls. Emperor Brumha must’ve been pissed from losing to him, but he didn’t care. He’d gotten everything he wanted like always. He only needed to summon the courage to make the first move.