Chapter Twenty-One
“Alright boys, that’s enough.” Kim said as Wray and Tora continued to glare at each other. No one would ever doubt that they were manno and offspring. They stood the same way, frowned the same way, set their jaw the same stubborn way. They even crossed their arms over their chests the same way. The only difference between them was that Wray was larger, his chest more massive than Tora’s but she didn’t think it would be true for much longer. Especially when two sets of eyes turned to her with the same disbelief in them.
“Don’t give me that look." She told them. "The food is getting cold and I for one am hungry.” Turning her back on them Kim walked over to the table and sat down. This wasn't how she had wanted her first meeting with Tora to go, but what had gone the way she wanted since her parents’ deaths?
Looking at the overflowing platters, she realized that they were once again filled with foods she didn't recognize. Stopping the heavy sigh that wanted to escape, she reached out for what looked to be a meat filled pastry.
"You will not like that , my Kim." Wray said, stopping her hand as he sat down next to her. "The meat is heavily seasoned with an herb that most find extremely strong."
"Then why is it on the platter?" She asked, frowning.
"Because Lord Reeve's cook discovered I like d it." Tora replied slowly sitting down across from her.
"I see." Kim said looking at the other items on the platter. "So that would mean these are all your favorites." She said, circling her finger at all the items on the platter.
"Yes." Tora agreed .
" Then here you go, enjoy." Kim slid the platter towards him, then looked at the second platter, it was also filled with strange concoctions and she slid it towards Wray. "So these must be your favorites. And this," she reached for the third platter that held a simple array of fruits, vegetables and some meat. The same things that had been served to them the night before. "Must be for the Emperor's ‘strange’ new female."
Kim didn't know why she was suddenly so upset, but she was. She had known this wasn't going to be easy. She should have been more prepared for Tora not immediately accepting her. She wouldn't have, if the situation had been reversed, but she had hoped. She was tired of everyone looking at her as if she had two heads and had secretly hoped Tora would be more like Wray than like the other males she'd met. She was wrong.
"You are not strange, my Kim." Wray immediately denied and gently cupped her cheek so she had to look at him.
"In your world I am." She whispered , rapidly blinking back the tears that filled her eyes.
"Then it's my world that is at fault Kim, for you are absolutely perfect."
"No one is perfect, Wray." She argued gently.
"You are." He argued back defending her even against herself . "You are perfect for me."
"So we'll be strange together?" She asked , a small smile twitching at her lips.
"Yes, because that's what we are , Kim. Together. My most solemn vow. I will let nothing and no one separate us." Leaning over he captured her lips, sealing his words.
Tora stared at his manno in disbelief. What was he saying? What sort of power did this female have over him that he would give her his most solemn vow? That vow reserved for only the most dire or important occasions. It meant the Emperor would do whatever it took to keep it, even forfeit his own life if necessary. It was never given to a female. Especially not a non-Tornian female. And why was his manno pressing his mouth against the female's like that?
Kim sunk into Wray's kiss and let it ease the hurt Tora had unknowingly caused... Tora... Pulling back, her gaze flew to Wray's offspring and saw a very confused young man... male staring at them.
Wray didn't like Kim pulling away from him. He especially didn't like the way her gaze immediately went to Tora. He knew it wasn't because she was interested in his offspring, but Tora didn't.
"Tora..." He began, only to be cut off by a knocking on the door. "Enter!" he ordered impatiently.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, majesty, but King Grim is on the comm and is requesting to speak with you."
"Tell him I will contact him later." Wray told Veron.
"He says it is urgent , sire." Veron pressed.
"Manno... it is Gri m." Tora couldn't hide his disbelief that his manno didn’t immediately rise to see what Grim wanted. If Grim thought it were urgent then it must be.
"Wray." Kim puts a hand on Wray's arm. "It's your brother. It must be important for him to say it’s urgent.” She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. “Go. Find out what he needs. I'll be fine here with Tora." She turned her gaze to the younger male whose shock was evident. "Won't I, Tora." she challenged.
"I..." Tora stuttered , his eyes flying to his manno for guidance. He has never been allowed to be with a female alone. "Yes, of course, but..."
"You will protect her with your life , Tora." Wray ordered, rising from his chair. "She is your Empress!"
"Yes , manno." Tora immediately replied. Of course he would protect the female. All worthy males protected females.
With a stiff nod to Tora, Wray ran a last gentle finger along her cheek, then forced himself to follow Veron from the room.
Kim's eyes followed Wray as he left and knew it was something she was going to have to get used to. Wray's back. With a heavy sigh, she turned her attention back to the platter in front of her and found her appetite had left with Wray. She was actually feeling a little nauseous from all the strange smells. Pushing the platter away, she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair.
"My manno would want you to eat." Tora's hesitant voice had her eyes flying open.
"I'm suddenly not hungry. ” She said gesturing to his platter. “Go ahead and eat yours."
Tora grimaced slightly and pushed his platter away too. "While it is true, I enjoy seasoned meat, Lord Reeve's cook has not yet discovered the proper amounts to use."
"That bad , huh." Kim found her humor returning.
"Yes."
"And the other things?" She gestured to the other items on his platter.
"Again, nearly inedible."
"Yet you would have let me eat it.''
"Yes," Tora was forced to admit and then tried to justify it. "To you it may taste fine."
"Because I'm strange to you."
"Yes." Tora said, nodding.
"Maybe Wray is right and it ’s not me that's strange but you ."
"Doubtful." Tora said, crossing his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I am Tornian." H e said as if that explained everything.
"So?"
"So?" Tora's eyebrows dived down. "What do you mean... so ?"
"Just what I said. What makes you think, that being Tornian makes you so damn special? So special that it can’t mean that you aren't the ones that are strange ? On my world, you would definitely be strange. We don't have nearly seven-foot warriors who treat females as if they are things . On my world, females aren't hidden away. We are able to go where we want, when we want and talk to whomever we want. Our lives don't revolve around our ability to produce offspring either and all females are equally important." Kim found her voice rising as she did. "So maybe it is your society that is strange, Tora! Strange and wrong ."
Tora found himse lf shocked, not only by her words, but also by her utter belief in them. What she was saying wasn't possible. There wasn't a world like the one she described in all the known universes. True, not all species kept their females as secluded as Tornians did, but they all protected their females. They were never allowed to just go wherever they wanted. Whenever they wanted. They were too important to their survival.
"From what world do you claim to come from?" He demanded.
"I don't claim anything.” Kim replied angrily. “I come from a planet called Earth.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“ What? ” Kim asked sarcastically. “Someone as great and important as you . A Tornian, hasn’t heard of Earth?”
“I know every planet in the known universes.” Tora declared.
“ Really… so what does that tell you, Tora?” Kim asked.
Tora was silent for several seconds before his eyebrows shot up. “ That isn’t possible.”
“Don’t let it bother you.” Kim said realizing she was being unreasonable. “Wray had never heard of it before either. Apparently only the Ganglians ha ve.”
“The Ganglians…” Tora growled, his dislike for them easily heard.
“Yes , they kidnapped me from Earth. Wray found me on one of their ships after the Searcher intercepted them.” She watched Tora pale as he realized what that had meant for her and her attitude towards him began to soften.
“They…” Tora found he had to clear his throat.
“Yes." Kim’s voice caught, but she forced herself to continue. "They abused me to the point that I would have died if Wray hadn’t found me when he did."
“He killed them?” Tora asked.
“Yes.”
“Good! Ganglians are scum. They will abuse any female they find. The universe would be a better place without them.
“You won't get an argument on that from me, but they aren’t the only ones who abuse females.”
“What do you mean ?”
“Two Tornian males attacked me on Pontus." Kim told him and watched the disbelief cross his face. "They would have abused me if Wray hadn’t stopped them. All because I’m not Tornian.”
“That’s not possible! Only Warriors travel with the Emperor and he only chooses the fittest and most worthy to serve him. They would never abuse a female. My manno wouldn’t stand for it.”
“And he didn’t. That is why they are no longer members of his guard.”
“He dismissed them instead of ending them?” Tora couldn’t hide his shock.
“He couldn’t kill them because your law states they committed no crime.”
“Impossible! Our law clearly states that no male may harm or abuse a female. If he does his life is ended.”
“ Only if he abuses a Tornian female, Tora. That’s what your Law says. All other females are at risk of abuse. Females like me.”
“That was not the true intentions of the Law.”
“ That doesn’t matter. What matters is what it does say and because of that Wray couldn’t kill Fala or Gyula.”
“Warriors Fala and Gyula? It was them?”
“Yes."
“But they were trained here . On Vesta. By Lord Reeve.”
“Yes.”
Tora's eyes widened in shock. He had heard none of this. Fala and Gyula were held in the highest regard on Vesta. They were offered as examples to young males hoping to become Warriors as two of the finest ever produced on Vesta. For them to return in disgrace....
"You know them." Kim watched the emotions crossing Tora's face.
"Of them." Tora grudgingly admitted.
"I see."
"I find it hard to believe they would do such a thing."
"Believe it." Kim said and rose to look out the window wrapping her arms around her middle as she stared out into the night. It seemed to be storming in the mountains if those flashes of light meant lightening. "They even justified themselves by saying that since they could smell Ganglian on me that I must be willing to Join with any male. It didn't matter to them that I was forced. It didn’t matter that I'd been with Wray for nearly a week. All that mattered to them was that I wasn't Tornian and Wray wasn't near."
"My manno left you unprotected?" Wray couldn’t believe it.
"Wray had climbed a cliff so he could contact Veron. He was gone, maybe fifteen minutes when they arrived… searching for us." She turned back to look at him.
"They knew you were with the Emperor and they still attacked you?"
"Yes."
Tora pondered what she said. Every warrior knew that any female traveling with the Emperor is under his protection, Tornian or not. What Fala and Gyula had done was unforgivable.
"My manno should have killed them anyway."
"My thoughts exactly .” Kim agreed. “But as the Emperor, Wray, of all people, has to uphold the Law. Right or wrong. Whether he agrees with it or not and according to your law , they had committed no crime. It's the only reason they are alive."
"He still should have killed them for the dishonor they brought to all Tornian males."
"An Emperor can't think like that, Tora. He doesn’t have the luxury of doing whatever he wants. His decisions affect millions. You need to understand that because some day you will be Emperor and what you want to do isn’t always going to be what you have to do."
Tora rose from his chair to stare at her in disbelief. She, a female , was lecturing him on what would one day be his responsibilities. Treating him as if he were a young male? Females rarely even talked to a male. They never lectured one and she thought she wasn't strange.
"What now?" Kim asked, exasperated.
"You feel you are in the position to lecture me?"
"Well , apparently someone needs to. Everyone else just caters to you instead of telling you the hard, cold truth."
"I..." Tora was tired of this female surprising him, of her causing him to question things he had never questioned before. Like a Tornian Warrior abusing a female. "You are correct, but you are a female. Why are you even concerned with such things?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Kim tipped her head questioningly to the side. "I'm going to have to live in this world now . Why wouldn't I be concerned?"
"Females don't concern themselves..."
"Tornian females!" Kim interrupted him. " Never confuse me with one of them, Tora. I know I can be a bitch, but I've never been like them . I Join with a male because I love him. Not because of the things he gives me. There's a word for women like that on Earth and I'm not one of them."
"You will never be allowed to Join with an y other male, not even if you do love him.” Tora fired back, stressing the ancient word. “You are now the Empress. Your responsibility lies with the Emperor."
" Of course it does! That's who I was talking about. Wray. He is the only male I want to Join with. "
"Your offspring will never replace me." Tora informed her, his eyes boring into hers.
"Of course they won't." Kim frowned at h im. "Why would you think they would? You are Wray’s first male.”
" When a female Joins with the Emperor she expects her offspring to one day rule the Tornian Empire."
"Look , Tora,” Kim said running a tired hand through her hair. “I’m not even sure your manno and I can have offspring together and even if we can, that doesn't mean they would replace you ."
“If you can’t produce offspring why would my manno choose to Join with you?”
“Because I love her.” Wray answered , striding back into the room.