Her training is to heal, but her blood wants to rule. An approaching armada will have to decide for her.

Neffa was raised to forage, heal, and embrace her local community. Her skills are stellar, earning her a place in the royal palace when healing is necessary.

Born of a local and a member of an alien race, she is hated by the occupants of the palace. While treating the king, she is injured in a skirmish with the crown prince. The resulting laceration isn’t serious, but the guard commander realizes what he’s seeing. Her blood is the blood of the royal house. There can be no mistake.

Duke Morro is sent to guard her on the way to the compound where her kind is contained. He learns a few things when he meets her parents, and after the shock wears off, he understands a bit of what is going on in the village.

The world they stand on doesn’t belong to his people; it belongs to hers.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Blood Confirmed

Copyright © 2024 Viola Grace

ISBN: 978-1-4874-ARC

Cover art by Angela Waters

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Blood Confirmed

Written by Fate, Book Two

By

Viola Grace

Roll for Short Story

This is book two of a series in which all major plot points have been decided with DnD dice. Each book will contain a list of elements to be included. Setting, female lead, and male lead are the primary elements. They must all make an appearance in the story.

Setting

Science fiction

Rural

Castle

Work

Workplace romance

Female Lead

White/grey hair

Short

Thin

Non-human powerless

Human-range skin

Subsistence

Shy

Male Lead

Wild-colour hair

Above-average physique

Non-human enhanced

Upper class

Hostile attitude

Chapter One

Neffa walked through the palace, close to the wall. She kept her head down and focused on what she was carrying. The thudding of hard heels warned her, and she stopped and pressed herself to the wall before she would be run over. The son of the house strode past on his way to the king’s quarters.

Damn it. She hoped that he was quick. His father didn’t need to be getting upset right now.

When he passed, she checked the hall and remained in place as the king’s mistress flounced past. She liked to move silently and catch the servants unaware. Her temper was legendary, as was her bitch status.

Neffa waited until the woman in the elaborate robes had slithered around the corner and began her calm steps to the king’s recovery chamber.

Six weeks. She had been six weeks away from being a doctor with offers to travel the stars. Six weeks before her classes ended, her scholarship from the palace had been cancelled, and the university had kicked her out on her ass, sending her home. She was a registered Keedon. There was no way for her to pay her fees without help from the palace, and the palace had cancelled her funding. No businesses would hire one of her kind, so she had to make her way home. That had been a whole other issue.

Neffa nodded to the guards that she passed and the other servants that went by in the hallways. The thing about an indentured population was that labour was cheap and trapped.

The Keedon were a species who had the bad taste to be travelling in the vicinity over thirty years ago, and when the Orumel destroyed their engines, they made this world their home and were put to work.

Neffa was a halfbreed. Part Orumel, part Keedon, but her alien blood made her ineligible for any position other than manual labour. Her mother’s position as an herbalist in the township had given Neffa a leg up, but her job opportunities ended at the palace as an attendant to the recovery chamber.

She walked to the king’s chamber and opened the door. The prince and mistress looked at her with scowls, but the king gave her a wide smile. “Neffa. I was wondering what was keeping you.”

“Traffic in the halls, Your Majesty. Are you ready for your treatment?”

The king was sitting up in bed, a bed robe over his shoulders and his legs covered by the bedclothes.

She walked to the side of his bed that was open and asked him, “May I proceed?”

He flipped the bedding back, and his mistress gasped. “Really? Can’t this wait until later?”

“Pree-ath, I need this to continue to heal. You are not here for your conversation anyway. Remain quiet.”

Neffa’s eyes widened, but she kept her face straight as she tucked a long towel under the wound she was there to treat.

The mistress huffed and remained silent.

Neffa worked as the prince asked, “Why is that creature here?”

The king snorted. “She’s the best healer in the area. She’s going to be her family’s first official doctor.”

Neffa tensed and looked at him in confusion. “No, Your Majesty, I am not.”

King Arewen looked at her. “Did you flunk out?”

“No, Your Majesty. My funding was cancelled before I could complete the courses. I was ejected.”

Prince Orvalik cleared his throat. “I assessed her class history and determined that the scholarship was a waste of resources.”

Well, that explained it. Orvalik had been in the same classes as she had, and she had been moved up two years. He had always come first until she was taking the same tests with him. That had been a rock into his ego.

She kept working on the king while he shouted at his son.

The stitches were holding, and his trip down the cliff face hadn’t done him any harm aside from the ten-inch gash on his thigh.

She applied the poultice that would heal his skin in another day or so. She wiped her hands and packed up her bottles and cloths. “Your Majesty, keep your voice down. You are recovering and have other courtiers to shout at.”

The king drew in a deep breath and looked at her with a sad smile. “I will be in touch, Neffa. We will get you back in that course.”

“Your Majesty, there isn’t any way. The course is over. All I can do is challenge the exams, but I am not allowed to travel.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. I have been locked in the city since I returned.” She shrugged.

The prince hissed, “Why don’t you shut up, you stupid cunt!”

The king looked like he was going to start shouting.

Neffa got to her feet and looked at the mistress and prince. “He needs to rest now. Shoo.”

They gasped, and the mistress said, “How dare you?”

“Oh, shut it, Pree-ath. Do you want him to keep screaming at you and possibly send you out on your ass?”

Pree-ath straightened.

Orvalik walked over to Neffa and struck her across the face. Neffa flew to the side and hit a dresser with the side of her head.

The king lunged up, pulled him down, and beat his face until the prince was bloody. Neffa touched her head, and her fingers came away with blood.

“Your Majesty? I need to seek my own medical assistance. You didn’t blow your stitches. I will send guards in.”

Pree-ath was sobbing over the prince and that explained a bit. She was angling to become the next queen.

The king said, “Neffa, stay where you are. I want you going home under guard.”

Guards burst in and looked at the room. Pree-ath screamed, “She did it! Arrest her!”

Neffa looked up, dazed. Duke Morro. Of course. He grabbed her by the arm and hauled her to her feet.

The king rapped out, “Put her down carefully. Set her on that chair. My son struck her down, and I know it wasn’t the first time.”

The duke moved her firmly to the chair. “She’s an uppity halfling, Your Majesty. I am sure it was warranted.”

“You are an arrogant twat, but we don’t see me hitting you in the skull. When did you get back in town?” She took a cloth from her pack and pressed it to her head.

The duke was staring at her. “Your blood...”

“Oh, yeah. It’s always been that colour. Freaked my mother out. I don’t normally get punched by assholes, so it doesn’t come up much,” she mumbled.

A guard came and grabbed the prince, and another grabbed Pree-ath.

The king frowned. “Neffa, are you all right?”

“Yes. I am glad the others didn’t see what Morro did. He can keep his mouth shut.”

The king was rinsing his knuckles with water. “How do you know that?”

“Well, he didn’t spread the rumour that I had tried to seduce every noble in the palace. So, that is something.”

“Oh, that rumour. I need to beat the hell out of my son for that one again.” The king grunted. “I am so sorry, Neffa.”

“It’s fine, Your Majesty.” She checked the cloth, and the red-gold stain of her blood was smaller. She folded it again and pressed down.

“It’s not fine. When you return home, send your father to me. I need to speak to him.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Duke Morro looked at them. “You two are friends.”

The king smirked. “Of course. She’s been running between the town and the palace since she was six.”

Neffa snorted. “Usually carrying a hangover cure.”

The king reached out and ruffled her silver and white hair. “You were pleasantly quick.”

She chuckled. “Watch the bruises, Your Majesty.”

The duke blinked. “I will see you home, Neffa.”

She settled her feet under her and flexed her toes. “Okay, all systems are a go.”

Morro asked, “May I take her home, Your Majesty?”

“As long as there are still guards outside my room, you can take Neffa home. Her father will be worried.”

Neffa snorted. “Sure, he will.”

The king nodded. “I am going to call him and tell him that you were injured.”

“I will be fine. I didn’t crack my skull; just got a goose egg. You may want to deal with Pree-ath. It’s creepy to screw both father and son.”

The king ran a hand over his features. “Right. I will have the chancellor look into your scholarship as well.”

“Don’t bother. I missed the exams, and admission for next year is full. I get to stay an herbalist like Mom. I will do okay.”

“I can’t believe that little shit had the nerve to cut your funding.”

“He didn’t like me in school, and he doesn’t like me now.”

“You kicked his ass in school. Top of the class and two years younger. He didn’t stand a chance.”

Neffa snorted. “Stop bragging.” She got to her feet and swayed. “I will be back in two days to remove your stitches.”

“Sure, sure.” The king smirked. “Will you play chess with me?”

“Sure, sure.” She copied his inflection. “Go wash your hands.”

He chuckled. “Yes, Neffa.”

She double-checked that she had all her items. Neffa slowly made her way to the door. “Rest and relax. I will be back in two days. Behave.”

“Yes, Neffa.”

She walked toward the door, and the duke moved to her side. She opened the door and walked into the hall, moving to the side of the hallway while Duke Morro spoke to the guards on duty.

She was almost to the corner when she heard the footfalls behind her. She pressed herself to the wall and sagged a little. Her head was pounding, and her face was sore. Orvalik had always been a bit of a whiner, but sleeping with his father’s official mistress was icky. Hitting a woman was right up his alley. Hitting Neffa was something he had done a few times since she had been put into his classes. It usually involved slamming her into the walls in the hall. Her shoulders still remembered the feeling of being shoved into stone.

She remained perfectly still and waited for the footfalls to pass her. They stopped right next to her.

“Why are you huddling against the wall?”

“Protocol. Keep walking.”

He snorted and picked her up.

“Whoa! Oh, shit. This is a breach of four different palace protocols.” She frowned. “And arrest without cause.”

He sighed and walked at a solid clip. “You aren’t under arrest. We will never get out of here if you keep stopping and hugging the wall.”

She sighed. “Fine. Get me out of here as fast as you can.”

He chuckled. “If you say so.”

Her eyes widened as his body tensed, and she said, “Oh, shit.”

She curled against him as he lifted up and flew above the courtiers and servants before cruising out the great doors and soaring above the palace grounds, aiming toward the village.

Neffa had forgotten that Morro could fly. He had done his training while a few grades above her and Orvalik. The palace had been proud that one of its nobles managed to gain enhanced skills. Normally, those with enhancements were on the other side of the world.

She huddled up tight, and when asked where she wanted to be set down, she pointed to the house with the blue roof.

He descended to the ground, and Keedon locals gave them plenty of room.

She muttered, “Put me down, please, Duke Morro.”

He smiled and carefully set her on the ground. “I have some questions.”

Neffa walked to her family’s house and opened the door. She turned her head slightly. “Come inside. I think I know what you want to ask.”

She walked inside, and he followed her, out of the view of the confused people of the village. “Hey, Mom. Are you home?”

“Sure, baby. What do you need?” Her mother, Isar, came into the main hall and gasped. “Oh, honey. Come, come.”

Her mom grabbed her hand and hauled her into her personal office, urging her onto the exam table and making a compress with a few dozen herbs.

Morro stepped into the room. “Hello, healer.”

“Can you tell me what happened to my daughter, Security Master Morro?”

“Orvalik slapped her and threw her into a cabinet,” Morro murmured.

Isar pressed the compress to Neffa’s cheek and examined her head. “You bled?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Who saw?”

“The king, Orvalik, and Pree-ath. Oh, and Morro. I don’t think the other guards noticed. The king punched the hell out of his son immediately after he hit me, so there was a lot of matching blood in the room.”

Morro murmured, “Yours is brighter. How is that possible?”

There was a thud in the house and rapid footfalls. Her father burst in. “Arewen called and said that you had been hurt.”

Holding the compress as her mother got sutures ready, Neffa watched Morro fall to one knee. “Your Imperial Highness.”

Neffa looked at him. “Hey, Dad. You got here fast.”

“We were doing lumber assessments in North Jilhara when I was alerted that you needed help. What happened, baby?”

Morro’s eyes bugged as he watched her dad walk to her and check the mark on her face. “Who did this?”

She held still as he traced the handprint. “Orvalik.”

“That little shit is going to find himself in a mine when I am done with him.”

She shrugged. “Pree-ath is trying to get pregnant by him, so I think his hormones were leading the way.”

Her father kissed her cheek. Cold swept through her skin, and she felt the swelling go down.

Isar snorted. “Way to waste the herbs, Kesen. Oh, they saw her blood.”

The skin of her cut sealed up as she sat there, and her father focused. He may have resigned his throne for her mother, but he was a helluva healer.

“You didn’t need to fly back, Dad. I am fine.”

He sighed and leaned back. “If they saw your blood, you will not be fine for much longer. So, you know where you will be going.”

“I do but not until the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow is a gathering day, and the day after, I need to remove stitches from the king.” She smiled. “Then, I can do the thing.”

“You had better. If you are injured again, I am going to get cranky.” Her father lifted his head and smiled. “Are you here for dinner?”

“I am.”

Morro cleared his throat. “Where else would she be?”

Isar chuckled. “She lives in the unmarried women’s quarters.”

Her dad smiled. “One of my sibling’s stupider ideas. Keedons breed when they are twenty-seven and not before. There is no sense in keeping the sexes apart.”

Isar snorted. “And he has firsthand experience. Poor soul. He was woefully unprepared.”

Neffa snorted. “Duke Morro doesn’t need to know about your sex life, Mom. Plus, he’s a noble. He doesn’t want to think about filthy Keedons and their barbaric habits.”

Morro stared at her. “You remember that?”

“Oh, yeah.” She smiled. “A girl doesn’t forget her graduation dance.”

Chapter Two

Neffa’s mother stared at him. “You made that little speech?”

Morro looked embarrassed. “I was under the impression that Orvalik had been cheated out of his rightful place as head of the class.”

“Yeah, so he took down a sixteen-year-old girl with wit and skill. Bravo.” Neffa couldn’t resist getting her digs in. This time, she had backup. “Too bad Orvalik couldn’t make it through his university studies and had to come home under the guise of helping his father. He might have proved you right. Of course, that was why he had to pull on my leash. I couldn’t succeed where he failed.”

Morro looked confused. “I don’t understand.”

Neffa watched her father sigh and state, “I abdicated to raise my daughter with her mother. As our lines are matriarchal, she is the first female in our line. She’s the rightful heir if she chooses to pursue it. Of course, my mother tried to lock the Keedons out of every possible place in the royal house. That’s why I am here, and my brother is injuring himself hunting.”

Neffa hopped off the exam table. “Sorry Dad wasted the herbs, Mom. Morro, forget what you have seen and just fly your ass back to the palace.”

The duke stared at her. “You are joking, right? People have been wondering where his imperial highness was for the last twenty-eight years.”

Isar looked at her daughter. “Twenty-seven years and nine months.”

Neffa snorted and headed for the kitchen. “Thanks for reminding me. I have some of the twoey vine. That should get me past the mating moon.”

Isar walked after her. “It is dangerous to keep suppressing it, Nef.”

“I know, but for me, it is more dangerous to go into heat while working in the palace or the village.”

Isar sighed. “It doesn’t work that way. You are just fighting the warm-up ahead of the big event.”

“I don’t want the big event.”

“Aw, come on. Your father and I are having our anniversary.” She smiled. “After the baby is born, I reset, so this year, you could have a little brother or sister.”

“Ew.”

Her mother laughed. “Stay for dinner?”

“Um, sure. I am not on the roster at the women’s centre. I need to be in by curfew, so nothing with twelve courses.”

“I am always very happy when you come for dinner, as is your father. I will tell him to curb his enthusiasm.” Her mother grinned and returned to the exam room.

* * * *

“Kesen, she is going to stay for dinner. She says don’t go stupid with the courses. She has to get back to the centre before curfew.”

Morro stared at the woman with white and silver hair who was casually ordering the most powerful man on the planet around.

The ex-ruler turned to him and said, “Would you care to join us? I want to hear about how much you despise the Keedon.”

Morro swallowed at the frank assessment in the other man’s gaze. “Uh, sir. I was...”

Kesen smirked. “Explain it during meal prep. It will be nice to have help in the kitchen. Isar turns everything into a tonic. Come on.”

Morro nodded. “I would be happy to.”

Isar smiled. “Excellent. I will give Neffa a list of plants I need. She’s out foraging tomorrow.”

Kesen frowned. “Again? That’s dangerous.”

“She can manage it, pet. I have a specific list, and she can find them. Our baby has skills, Kesen.” Isar smirked. “And as her mother, I am entitled to ask her to use them.”

He hugged her, and Morro watched their interaction. There was genuine affection. The contact seemed to make them relax and smile.

When he had first seen Neffa, she had been shy, standing aside after winning every scholastic award the school had to give. His parents were on the board, so he had been asked to attend as a security officer. Soothing Orvalik’s ego had been second nature. The heir was always temperamental and an insult to someone of lesser status had been an easy fix. It had not occurred to him that the girl standing alone was there because her parents were not allowed at the ceremony and that she was younger than everyone around her. She still stood with one hand clutching her elbow, her chin up, and her records clutched in her other fist. She had remained through the ceremony and the reception afterward. The king had come over and chatted with her, which led him to give credence to the rumours that she was angling for a position as his mistress. Now, he understood how wrong that rumour was.

The king had simply been proud of his niece.

Isar looked at him. “Do I know you?”

“I was assigned to the village for curfew security the year after I graduated, ma’am.”

“Oh, yes. You were the one who lectured Neffa about safety.” The healer smirked. “How thoughtful.”

Morro blinked. “Um, yes. That was me. I didn’t want her caught out before the curfew bells struck.”

Isar sighed. “The sun was still out. She was embarrassed.”

“I will apologize.”

The ex-emperor smiled. “Don’t do it on my account. My girl can take care of herself.” He chortled. “Come on, Morro, we get to make dinner.”

Morro blinked. “I don’t know how to cook.”

“We can fix that, come on.” Kesen beckoned and left the room.

Isar smirked and waved him along. “Better get going. Neffa needs to be at the women’s quarters before curfew.”

Morro nodded and followed the man most of the planet thought was dead. Maybe he could gain understanding during meal prep.

* * * *

Neffa paused while making the list. “Morro is staying for dinner?”

“Yes, my dearest one. I think your father is trying to nudge you into a match. It is the way of his people.”

“His people are idiots. They don’t even know where they are.”

Isar smiled. “I know, Neffa. Now, back to the list.”

“How do you think they are going to take it?”

“Like bullies always do, they are going to cry and say that things are not fair. We will explain things using small words, and things will change.”

Neffa chuckled and asked, “What are you in urgent need of, and what can wait? I will have to run most of this through the processors.”

Isar went through her shelves and found a few missing herbs that she didn’t know were low.

“Great. I will be in Nycar Meadows.”

Isar snorted. “Of course you will.”

“It is safest. The security passes rarely make the effort.” She smiled. “They don’t like getting out to walk.”

Her mother smiled, and they sat in the storeroom for an hour until smells wafted to them, and her father called, “Time to eat, ladies.”

They got to their feet and headed toward the kitchen, where the table was set for four and covered with dishes. The men were spattered with sauces and the shine of oil, which was hilarious on Morro’s formal guard commander uniform.

They sat around and chatted before Morro asked, “Isn’t the forager group a little rough?”

They all looked at him. Isar smiled. “It is, but Neffa is up to it. The only time she’s ever had an issue is in the palace. Your people are brutal.”

Kesen nodded. “Predation and parasitic behaviour are what our people excel at. Finding the Keedon floating forty years ago was a blessing to us. It let us grow fat, lazy, and cruel.”

“Is that why you abdicated?”

Kesen laughed. “No. I abdicated because I met a woman, fell in love, joined her family, and then had a daughter of my own. I switched matriarchs.”

Neffa smiled and kept eating. She checked the time and swallowed. “This was lovely, but I have to get going. I have to get to the other side of the village and only have ten minutes to do it.”

Her mother nodded. “Don’t forget to hang up your palace uniform and get some of the blood out of your tunic before you have to go back.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Morro got to his feet. “I can escort you.”

“You didn’t finish—oh, you did. Well, sure. You walk fast.” She got to her feet. “Hugs.”

Her parents got up and hugged her in turn. She was kissed on her cheeks, and then she looked at Morro. “If you are coming, now is the time.”

She headed for the door, and the light was red and darkening. Morro caught up with her and said, “Your parents are really in love.”

“Yes, they are. They weren’t kidding about the next child, either. Mom is looking forward to it.”

He snorted. “Isn’t your mother too old for that?”

“You don’t know anything about Keedon women, do you? It shows.”

“What does that mean?”

“One heat every twenty-seven years until we are within twenty years of our average life span. That is when we stop. There can be children outside of the heat cycle, but that is a case-by-case basis.”

“There are not many children in the village,” he muttered as he was stared at by some of the folks getting to their homes.

“Nope. We aren’t in the mood to provide an enslaved population for your folks to take advantage of.”

Morro didn’t say anything until he muttered, “So, the Keedon will simply die out?”

She hedged and said, “If things continue as they are, yes.”

“Your line as well?”

“Yup.”

“You don’t have a mate in mind?”

“Nope.”

“So, what will you do when your heat comes?”

“Grab the first guy near me that smells like a breeding partner, then get up the next morning and go back to work.”

Morro let out a strangled “What?”

“You heard me. A heat isn’t affection. A heat is a base urge. Once the urge is satisfied, there is no reason for further association. The child will have records for their male parent and get to know their family, but mine is the line they will live with.”

Morro seemed stuck. “So, there is no courtship?”

“There could be, but I don’t have time for that, and I am also not looking for a long relationship. There is no future for us here.”

“Us?”

“Keedons. We arrived in a damaged ship, were promised help, and as soon as we landed, we were herded into the villages. My mom has shown me records of that time. The restrictions put on us, the requirements for taking on the most dangerous and life-threatening jobs. Three decades here, and we have not been able to live on this world as we wished, as we had planned. It has been a huge disappointment.”

“You weren’t alive when your people landed.”

“I know, but I know that there are so many things that I want to do and that I can’t because of my bloodlines. That isn’t right. I deserve more. I am worth more.” She glanced at him.

“You do. What is a Keedon courtship like?”

“I have no idea. I haven’t participated in one before. Well, here we are. Thank you for the escort.”

He paused and nodded, then said, “Hug?”

She froze and then looked at him. She shrugged and walked over, stepping into his arms. “It has been an interesting day.”

“You have no idea,” he murmured against her temple.

She chuckled and leaned away. “I know it has been interesting for you. Have a nice night.”

He let her loose but looked reluctant. The first curfew chime rang, and Neffa turned and walked into the building that would keep her from plotting against the government, as far as they knew.

She scanned into the women’s centre set aside for the unmarried females, took care of her uniform, and then went to bed in her small apartment.

Foragers were the first to leave the village, which meant early starts. As she braided up her hair, she caught Morro’s scent. It was a pity that he was Orumel. If she could find a breeding partner with a similar scent, she would be happy with the outcome.

Chapter Three

Neffa got up before dawn. She showered, ate in the common area, and dressed in foraging gear with a foraging pass on her belt. She grabbed the equipment and eased out of the women’s quarters, walking toward the edge of the enclosed village before dawn.

She scanned out of the village and registered a flier. She got on board and took off with her list tucked in her tunic.

She flew directly. The occasional flash of her tracker let her know they were monitoring her flier. She shook her head.

The Keedon had superior technology, but their ship had taken asteroid damage. The fifteen hundred survivors had been happy to settle in, but when they were denied access to their ship, they began to realize that they were now prisoners on what was supposed to be paradise.

The ship itself was under containment, and the Orumel would use the technology that they found inside. For thirty years, the Keedon waited, and now their wait was almost over. They just had to play meek for a little while longer. Thirty years was not the end of them; it was only the beginning.

Neffa clocked the three beacons as she passed them, but she was up for the fourth. As dawn burst over the horizon, she settled down and headed into the forest. Her mom had given her the go code in the herb list, so when Neffa got to the stand of rock she was looking for, she pushed the stone aside and exposed the flat plate beneath. Her hand slapped to the panel, and the needle drove into her palm. The keypad surged upward, and she typed with her right hand while leaving her left in contact with the sensor. There was a hum and a display. Signal sent. ETA two days sixteen hours.

She closed the keypad and withdrew her hand from the needle and sensor. Piling the stones back onto the cover, she got to her feet and plucked some of the buds from her left. Then some from the right. She put them in her forage bag and got on with the day’s tasks. A fly-over was going to check on her position, so she needed to have quite a bit of her assigned tasks completed. Five hours later, she was sitting on a rock at the edge of the plain and having food. The overseer landed, and he strode over to her.

“Keedon, what are you doing?”

“Eating, Overseer. Collecting herbs for the king’s injury.” She smiled tightly. Namedropping worked with them.

It wasn’t working with this guy.

“You were responsible for Orvalik’s injuries.” He growled at her and lunged forward.

“No. The king was. Orvalik backhanded me, and the king beat the shit out of him. Is Pree-ath pregnant with Orvalik’s baby? I know they are really trying, and so does the king.”

The man froze in place and went chalky a foot from her.

“I just want to collect the herbs I need for the town and village. You can contain your rage for the prince, and I will continue my activities today. I am here to serve the kingdom and empire, correct?”

He looked at the pile of herbs next to her perch, and as she sat there, he pissed on it.

She looked at him with a blank expression. When he closed his trousers and walked away with a sneer, he muttered, “Better replace all that.”

She looked at the pile of discarded leaves and twigs he had mistaken for her harvest. She stood up, grabbed the bags that she had carefully hidden, and put them on, walking for some of the rarer grasses that her mother needed for the baker’s chronic conditions.

The pile of pissed-on garbage was left behind. The overseers were the bane of the foragers, and training to deal with them was one of the first things that foragers were taught when they were apprentices. Dealing with what the jerks could come up with was a vital skill. The key was to look dismayed at their actions, just as it was while you were dealing with any bully.

Neffa checked the time and kept drinking water as she continued her collection. When she had spent ten hours out, she headed back to her flier and stowed her harvest and the multitude of packets in her mother’s pack.

The flight back to the village was relaxing and warming. The sun heated her aching and sweaty body as she flew home. If she took too long, the flier would be summoned home, and overseers would be dispatched to arrest her. That was also something that all little foragers learned. Start early, come back early. It saved a lot of harassment.

She wasn’t the first forager back, but she wasn’t the last. She scanned in, checked in, stowed her flier for charging, and walked to the processing building with her herbs and grasses. She took out the fresh herbs that her mother wanted, scanned them out, and headed to the clinic.

Neffa smiled and nodded at familiar faces as she walked through the village and stopped to get some pastries before heading back to her parents’ home.

She knocked, stepped inside, and saw that her mother’s exam room was closed. Neffa washed her hands and face, set out a platter that was used as a base for the pastries and then went to the storeroom and arranged the herbs and grasses on the hooks and trays that were waiting.

Neffa finished and washed her hands again. She snagged a pastry and headed over to the women’s centre for a well-earned shower.

Just over two days and the Keedon would be able to resume their designed purposes. This was their world. They had made it, and they would reclaim it. It was simply a matter of numbers, and the numbers were coming.

She lay in her tiny room, read a book, and headed to bed. In the morning, the Keedon would be just over a day away, and then the villagers could actually spread across the globe and do what they had signed up to do—wake all the tech buried in the world under their feet and get the full potential of this world into action.

She just had to keep her mouth shut for one more day. As it was, there was nothing for the king to do. Their people were coming. The world was about to change.

A soft knock on her door woke her. “Neffa? There is someone here to speak with you. He’s waiting outside.”

Neffa put her book aside, put on some flats, and walked down to the main entrance, staying on the edge of the sill, and looked at Duke Morro. “Uh, hello.”

“Hello, Neffa. The king has requested that you and your family be brought to the castle as his guests for the next few days.”

She snorted. “Hostages?”

Duke Morro shook his head. “He said he has questions.”

“Oh, Isar will love that. She tried to answer the questions nearly thirty years ago, but the queen wasn’t having it.”

She looked at him. “How are we travelling?”

“Your parents have left; I will carry you.”

“Like this?”

“No time for court garb.”

He held out his arms, and she sighed and walked toward him. “If they bust me for curfew, I am taking it out of your hide.”

He nodded. “Yes, miss.”

“Oh. Formal transport. Right. Hands where I can see them at all times.” She stepped into his range, and he bent to lift her.

He settled her and took off, his dark blue hair blending with the night sky. She remained quiet. Formal requests were always awkward, or so she had witnessed at court.

The flight was silent, and he finally landed in the courtyard and set her on her feet. He offered his forearm, and she set her hand on it.

“Please come this way, my lady.”

She raised her brows at that but walked the halls of the palace as if she owned the place. When they ended up facing a noblewoman who was prancing along, Morro told her, “Move.”

The woman blinked and plastered herself against the wall in surprise.

They walked up the stairs to the king’s audience chamber, where chairs had been brought out for the king to greet his visitors.

There was no one else in the room aside from the king and her parents.

She muttered to the duke, “I think you might want to make yourself scarce.”

The king lifted his head. “No, he is head of defense. He needs to be here.”

“Defense? I am not that dangerous... usually.” She smirked, “Your Majesty.”

He snorted. “Niece, come in here so that I may greet you formally. I am getting the feeling that you have indulged me because you have known something that I did not.”

She removed her hand from Morro and walked over for him to take her hands and kiss the back of her hands. “Welcome to the palace, Princess Neffa.”

Isar laughed. “She’s going to get a swelled head.”

Kesen shrugged. “She has always been my princess.”

His brother nodded. “And rightly so. Now, we need to have a discussion about something that our radar has detected.”

Isar looked at him calmly. “What would that be?”

“There appears to be a battle cruiser and several large transports on the way. They are identifying themselves as Keedon.”

Neffa settled on her chair. “You don’t say. How odd. I think we are Keedon.”

Isar nodded. “I believe you are right. Thanks for the pastries, by the way.”

“Welcome. I got home early, and the bakery smelled amazing.”

The king looked them. “Did you hear when I said that there was a hostile force coming toward our world?”

Kesen smiled. “Their world. They tried to explain it to Mother. They tried to explain it to the population, but we wanted to contain and use their highly educated and talented population. We benefited from their scholars, botanists, engineers, and healers.”

Neffa smirked. “You benefited from one in particular.”

The king slammed his hand down. “Enough!”

Isar tutted. “What are they saying?”

“They are going to take the planet.”

“Is that what they are really saying?” Isar raised her brows.

King Arewen blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I think the word you are looking for is reclaim. They are looking to reclaim this planet. I mean, it’s only fair. We made it, after all.”

Arewen stared. “What?”

“I explained it all to your mother. We tried to tell her that this world was purchased as an empty hulk, and over seven hundred years, we built it into our ideal paradise. Then, we sent out a small group of artisans to wake the cities and facilities, but our ship was damaged, and we found that an alien race had taken over our world and our landing sites. Your race. You had moved into the palace and taken over our university.”

Neffa smiled. “Fortunately, we just had to delay the waking. We can still get the rest of the facilities ready for the landing ships. You just have to tuck in and stay out of our way.”

Arewen blinked. “You aren’t kidding.”

Isar shook her head. “We are not. Your mother was warned that we were coming. She must have thought it was a bluff.”

Kesen shook his head. “I knew it and knew it wasn’t a bluff.”

The king asked, “What happens if we don’t allow you in?”

Neffa sighed. “It isn’t a question of allow. You have a population of one million, and one percent of those have exceptions, like Duke Morro or my father. The Keedon have a seventy-five percent occurrence of additional power, and the military is landing first and last. They are all exceptional.”

Isar chuckled. “Their timing is excellent as well. Neffa’s time is nearly here, so she can pick a likely candidate and have an heir to our family.”

Morro spoke, “Doesn’t she need a husband for a legal heir?”

Kesen shook his head. “Not for the Keedon. They just do genetic scans and extensive testing. If Neffa passes, she will be the next queen, and her children will be tested in turn. At any point in their testing, they can abdicate, or the citizens can put a different family line through the same gauntlet.” He smiled. “She can have children by as many fathers as she wishes. Her heir will be selected and tested.”

Neffa choked. “Wow, Dad. That’s an interesting visual.”

“You can choose your partner or your mate or your husband. But you have your mom’s biology. You will have to choose, and pretty soon at that.”

Neffa wrinkled her nose. “Don’t remind me.”

Morro spoke cautiously. “You don’t want a Keedon?”

“Well, all of the locals register to me like family would, and most of your people are fucking annoying.” She grimaced.

Morro blinked.

Isar chuckled. “She did say most, Duke Morro. Not all.”

Morro’s skin darkened.

Neffa blinked. “Seriously? I thought he was just being polite.”

Arewen looked at them and grinned. “Really? That’s a surprise.”

Kesen chuckled.

Neffa suddenly realized that no one from the court had ever volunteered to enter the village, let alone help her dad with dinner and stay through all the courses. He had stayed for her, and the hug was not just a hug.

She blinked. “That’s... something to consider. I thought you hated me.”

“What?”

“First impressions. The graduation. Your initial response when the prince got his face rearranged. That kind of thing.”

“I was misinformed.”

She wrinkled her nose. “That sounds likely.”

He cleared his throat. “I would like to apologize. I was acting under misinformation.”

She nodded. “When it is offered, I will accept your apology.”

Kesen murmured to his younger brother. “Oh, she’s good.”

Morro smiled slowly. He slid to his knees and bent his head. “Miss Neffa, would you please accept my apology for actions past?”

She blinked at the top of his midnight blue hair. “Does that include calling me my uncle’s whore?”

“I was unaware of that relationship when the prince’s comment was reinforced. Yes, I apologize for all crude or indelicate comments I made regarding your person.”

She laughed and stroked her fingers across the silky expanse of his hair. “Apology accepted.”

He lifted his head and smiled. He caught her hand and pressed it to his cheek. The gesture was strangely natural.

Her mother was grinning at her, and Neffa reluctantly pulled her hand away. Her father looked at the back of Morro’s head with narrowed eyes.

The king looked relieved.

Kesen barked out, “Morro, are you doing this because of her current status as heir to this entire planet?”

The duke got to his feet. “No, I am doing this because something about her makes my soul sing.”

Isar grinned and slapped her husband’s arm. “Told you. Pay up.”

Kesen leaned over and kissed his wife. “Fine. I will help you sort your herb storage.”

Neffa covered her ears. “Not listening.”

Her parents laughed.

Morro cocked his head and smiled. “Is it code?”

“Yeah. It is. You don’t want to know for what, but when I was a kid, I was sent off on sleepovers when they sorted herb storage. Lots of sleepovers.” She sighed.

Morro chuckled. “Yes, they seem the type.”

The king stared in surprise but gradually smiled. “That explains why he gave up his throne for her.”

Neffa looked at her uncle. “He didn’t give it up for her; he gave it up for me. Not being a citizen would restrict my social standing. It was better for me to be raised with my own kind, which meant the village. So, he joined us in the village. Mom is nobility, but she is not one of your kind.”

“So, what do I tell them? They are awaiting an answer as to whether they raze the cities as they land.” He was tense.

Isar looked at Neffa. “You are welcome to give them authorization to keep everyone alive, but you will also have to open the planet for their arrival. Can you do that?”

“Well, I don’t think the court will be in favour of that, but yes, I can do that. Would you like me to do that?” She looked to the king.

He swallowed. “I would. Please.”

“You know you are going to have to surrender rank. All of your people will lose their ranks. That is the least price you will pay for stealing a planet.”

He stared. “Stealing?”

“Your people have been here for less than a century and have been unable to work with the natural resources and the existing cities that your folk took for new ruins. They ignored the beacons that declared this an evolving world owned by the Keedon and supported by the seven systems council. You are going to have to make an announcement as to what the previous generations got up to.”

He sighed and nodded. “I will.”

“Good, because the moment the vessels begin landing, every Keedon is going armed. We will not be used as hostages or living shields.”

Kesen grinned. “That’s my girl.”

Isar chuckled. “Neffa is a wild spirit. She dreams of going out to the great plains and staring up at the stars.”

The king asked, “Why didn’t you?”

Morro answered before Neffa could. “Curfew. They are locked in the village or hunted like animals. It cuts down on stargazing.”

The monarch blushed. “Oh. Right. I hadn’t thought how it would affect daily life.”

Neffa looked at him. “As a woman who has been raised in a cage, I can tell you, it blows. It also makes for an angry population, but we knew the ships were coming, so we waited, and here they are.”

Isar nodded. “Go and talk to the ship, sweetie.”

Neffa looked to Morro. “Can you escort me to the throne room? That is where the long-range com is located.”

“Of course, Princess.” He held up his hand again, and she put her hand on his wrist. They headed to the throne room, and he dismissed the guards before escorting her inside.

She walked to the throne, detached one of the orbs from the arm of the seat, and twisted it to send the most important message of her life. After three minutes, there was a response.

“Thank you, Your Highness. It is good to hear a friendly voice. How is our population doing?”

“Increase by sixty. We are hoping that you have some more likely candidates. We have been confined for the last three decades in the artisan village. Close quarters have stalled heats.”

“Confined? Are you in danger?”

“No, we are safe, and all souls are accounted for, but we are really looking forward to a shift in numbers.”

The male voice chuckled. “Oh, we can do that. Will the landing sites be prepared?”

“Yes. I am opening the world next. We await your arrival.”

The captain signed off, and Neffa reattached the orb. She sat on the throne, picked the second orb off the other arm, twisted it, and felt the needles enter her skin.

“Time to make this world what she was supposed to be.” Neffa looked at Morro and smiled.

Chapter Four

The orb scanned her brain for the codes, and around the world, the ground shuddered. Towns and cities rose from under the surface. Landing zones cleared and unfolded from under the soil. The mechanisms that made this place look like a green growing expanse of the world sprang to life and turned it into the high-tech sphere their people had been waiting for.

Neffa heard the sounds of fighting as she focused on giving every activation code she had memorized since she was a toddler. Her eyes were closed as she rippled through the hundreds of codes to get the world ready. Some of the rising facilities would take days to get into their final position, but everything had started, and the machines could not be stopped. They had a cycle to complete.

Neffa slowly opened her eyes and saw a shocking sight. Bodies surrounded the base of the throne, and Morro was facing the doorway, his tunic shredded and blood dripping from his hands. She returned the orb to the arm of the chair and stood up.

There were over two dozen unconscious guards and nobles on the floor.

“Morro? It’s done. The facilities are rising, and landing zones are coming out.”

He turned slowly, and she saw that he had been clawed up by someone and had taken a lot of hits. She hissed and went to him, pressing her punctured hand to his face. Neffa watched as the cut under her palm began to seal. “Oh, dear. I forgot I could do that.”

His eyes changed, and his expression softened. “Did you just call me dear?”

She snorted. “If it helps your deluded little brain. Yes.”

The claw marks on his face healed, and she cleared her throat. “Where is the worst injury on the rest of you?”

He shrugged. “I scuffed my knuckles.”

Neffa took his hands and focused on his wound. She couldn’t heal herself but heal others if she didn’t mind showing her mixed heritage. Her father had been known for his healing skills until he disappeared into the village.

She had inherited skills from both parents. Physical skills from her father and her mother’s amazing mind. He flexed his hands when she released them, and he smiled. “That’s a nice trick.”

“Thanks. My dad taught me.” She smiled. “He prefers to kiss it better, but at this point, I don’t believe that would be appropriate. Are they dead?”

He looked around. “No, but they won’t be able to eat much more than soup for a while. The healers will also be busy.”

She stared and blinked. “Oh, dear. Orvalik?”

“He led the charge. Someone intercepted the communication and spread the news about an hour into whatever you were doing.”

“I was waking the mechanisms below the surface of the planet. My mother could have done it as well.” She smiled and looked toward the window. “The other cities are rising around the globe, as are the greenhouses, research facilities, and spaceports.”

He blinked. “Really?”

“This is how the Keedon seed themselves into the stars. We find empty and desolate worlds. We remake them to our purposes with all the flora and fauna that we find familiar, and then we plant the cities and let the worlds heal. It takes about seven hundred years.” She smiled and rubbed the puncture mark on her hand.

“You know a lot about a people you have never met.”

She snorted. “There are fifteen hundred of us in that village, and the monarchy here kept us all together. I learned all the myths and legends of my people, as well as the way we work.”

“You don’t consider yourself one of your father’s people?”

Neffa looked at him seriously. “Did they consider me one of them?”

He blinked. “Right. Fair enough.”

“The Keedon raised me, trained me, and birthed me, not necessarily in that order. I am Keedon with Orumel guardianship. My dad is fine with it.”

“Why?”

“We are matriarchal as well. The female line is the one that matters. Despite my father holding the position of imperial highness, he knew my mother’s role trumped his, mostly due to the fact that this is our world. He understood that. I did wonder why he had an imperial title and the king didn’t.”

“Different fathers. Kesen was the first child. Arewen was the child of the second husband.”

“Oh. Right. Did Kesen’s father die?”

Morro nodded. “The queen had him killed. He was too popular.”

“Shit. No wonder Dad doesn’t talk about it.”

“From all accounts, she was not a pleasant monarch.” Morro grimaced. “My father was scared to death of her. Well, not really; he died ten years ago.”

“I am sorry for your loss.”

“My mother died a year later, and she is the one who I mourn.”

“You inherited the title?”

“And the house in town, though I guess they are all yours now.”

“I don’t want all the houses; I just want the Orumel to be prepared to be second-class citizens when the Keedons arrive. Until my people are settled, the Orumel will be confined to the city and university.” She smiled. “Their skills will be assessed by age and household structure, and they will be sent to the different cities that are rising around the world. Those who wish to return to school can.” She chuckled. “Keedon settlements only have time for the useful.”

“What happens if they are not useful?”

“They will be settled into menial positions and given the chance to learn. If they choose not to learn and become part of a proper society, they will be put in an enclosure, fed, cared for, and they can live their lives out. You know, like the village. It was built to hold twenty thousand retirees who no longer wanted to live and push hard for an active life. Here, they can garden, go on short journeys, and live until they pass.”

“So, that is why the village is so close to the city?”

“Yes. It is a place for artisans to continue their skills until they pass, to teach others, and the memorial centre will be rising up against the city wall by now.”

“Oh, you keep your dead?”

“Yes and no. We live long, so we preserve our dead, and those who can anticipate their end can link to a database to preserve their knowledge for the future. If any of the Orumel have compatible minds, they might be able to gain a skill that way.”

Morro exhaled. “That is a lot of information.”

“Sorry. The orbs dumped it into my head. The ships will be here in a day and a half, so all of the prep information is recent.”

He smiled. “Well, it was informative.”

“I know six hundred women who will be delighted when the ships arrive. With the restrictions that your people have against muddled blood, there was no way that the majority of the ladies were going to let a heat happen. So, they have been doping for a few decades. Only sixty Keedon kids have been born since the ship landed. I am one of them.”

“Wait. Only sixty?”

“Only. We have a female-heavy population, and the men who came on the first ship were artisans with partners. Some of them were already in later years. Not many, but the population levels were skewed in the favour of females. We did get fifteen Orumel males, including Dad, but not every guy matches every woman. If the match isn’t right... no next generation.”

The doors thumped, and the bodies on the ground began to move.

Morro said, “Would you like to get to safety?”

“Yes, please. I wish to update my mother.”

He said, “May I carry you?”

“Uh, yes?”

He smiled, picked her up, and took off, lifting off and then moving into a channel in the ceiling that she hadn’t seen. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying not to look like she was sniffing him. She was absolutely sniffing him. Damn.

He smelled nice. Very nice. Her mother was not going to let her live this down. When she was a teen, she had asked her mom how she could have fallen for an Orumel. Now, it was becoming clear. The right guy smelled like the right guy, no matter the species.

Morro tapped a wristband, and a door opened for him. They soared into the king’s study and settled. He put her on her feet.

Neffa nodded. “The world is in motion, and the Orumel are safe for now, as long as they don’t try and pull weapons on the incoming troops. The mechanisms are moving well, and by the time they start landing, everything should be in place.”

Her mother smiled, and she delivered a tremendous hug. “Good girl. Are you ready for what happens next?”

Neffa smiled. “I hope that my instructor covered everything, or this is going to get overwhelming.”

Isar stroked her cheek. “She did. Take all the elders foraging in their areas. It will confirm your competence, and you can share knowledge of the last three decades.”

“What will you and Dad be doing?”

Isar smiled. “We are going to see our world properly. And improperly. How many details do you want?”

“Oh, wow. Thanks for that.”

Her father chuckled. “We have waited a long time to just be together without stresses. We intend to take a trip round the world.”

“Oh. Nice. Sounds pleasant.”

He patted her cheek. “When things are settled, you will have a chance to run away screaming as well.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Thanks for that.”

Isar grinned. “You know we are not going to abandon you. We both will be excellent advisers after we have some time off. You are made of everything to be an excellent monarch to this new world.”

“Yes, I know. It is still going to be a lot of work. The Orumel are bullies, and the Keedon have a plan.”

Her father ruffled her hair. “I know, but you don’t have to do it alone.”

“Really?”

Morro cleared his throat. “I would be delighted to assist.”

Neffa looked at him and contemplated the benefit of having him fly her. She remembered the feel of his arms, and it wasn’t a bad memory.

Chapter Five

The king removed the guards and cancelled the curfew at the artisan village. Neffa spoke to the other foragers and got some vehicles together to bring them to their areas of interest. It was time to use what the world had to offer properly, and for the first time, the Keedon foragers could be themselves in all of their spectacular glory.

Hazar was grinning as she outfitted a skimmer. “Oh, this is going to be fun. There are dozens of beasts I want to make friends with.”

Neffa snorted at the woman who was only six months younger than she was. “Of course, that is where your brain goes.”

“Where should it be?”

“We have ships full of highly trained men that we can have our pick of. I would think that it was a temptation for part of you.”

Hazar paused in her prep and said, “I dunno. It’s hard to want something that is rather amorphous in your mind. Plus, the animals have been here for ages, so I want to meet them first.”

“Fine. Head for the Dremari Observatory. The mechanism is faster than we thought and might block some of the incoming ships.”

Hazar pulled her hair back into a ponytail. “Right. Giving orders already, Your Majesty?”

“Aw, shut it. I want to go by Imperial Commander.”

“Fine, Icy it is.” Hazar winked. “The scowl on the good duke’s face definitely covers it. Definitely icy.”

Neffa turned to Morro and he was, indeed, scowling. She frowned. “What is the problem?”

“You are so casually taking your pick from and discarding men.”

Neffa looked and nodded. “Right. You want me to pick you?”

“Yes.”

She crossed her arms and glared at him. “Fine. I will. You had better make it worth my while. My dad proves that he was worth keeping every single day.”

Neffa saw the shock that crossed his face before determination spread.

“Shall we head out with the foragers? I had better start earning my keep.” Morro smiled.

Hazar chuckled. “I think he cracked it. We don’t just choose the one that smells right; we choose the one that acts right. Right. I am heading to Dremari. Enjoy your courtship. May it be brief.”

Hazar got in the skimmer, and it hummed to life. She steered it out of the charging area, got some altitude, and headed for Dremari.

Morro titled his head. “She wants to meet animals?”

“She’s beast-minded. It has been a worry for her family. Her kind makes the prey and predators move in predictable patterns and stop rampages or stampedes over inhabited areas.”

Morro blinked. “What? That doesn’t happen.”

“Of course not. We have all been ushered in every evening and kept under lock and key. We haven’t been able to do anything like that yet. She’s excited. Today is her first day out overnight.”

“They are staying out?”

“Sure. Curfew is lifted and samples need to be obtained. There is a huge population to support about to land in drop ships and shuttles. We know where things are and what is safe for Keedon to eat. We have to teach the new arrivals.”

Morro frowned, and understanding dawned. “The university.”

“Correct. We are the new instructors. The transition from arrival to citizen usually takes less than ten years.”

“They aren’t citizens automatically?”

“No. If they don’t suit, they are returned to their parent colony or sent to another that matches their inclinations.”

Morro nodded.

The gathering of foragers with excited grins and extra equipment made her heart soar. This moment was what she had trained for in silence and privacy.

Morro looked over the supplies. “Is there enough for me?”

Neffa nodded. “Yeah, and whatever we don’t have, I can find.”

She stepped into the troop skimmer and settled in the pilot’s seat. “Are you coming?”

He nodded and stepped onto the platform, taking a seat.

The foragers were tense with excitement as Neffa took off. They flew over the treetops and down into a lush valley. Neffa set down, verified that the team had a working com, and then they were off again.

Her heart was happy as she stopped at the other three stops to let the foragers look into the nightlife of plants and wild things.

Morro moved to sit next to her. “Why are they all so happy to be outside all night?”

“Because we trained for this, and the other foragers today trained on another world. They trained for this and were hobbled at every turn. In the last thirty years, this is their first night doing their job.”

He nodded. “I am guessing it was a frustrating existence.”

“That is putting it mildly.”

“Why are the other foragers in pairs?”

“Bonded pairs. They are only able to mate in the wild.”

Morro let out a strangled “What?”

“Keedons need to be out and about actually to get pregnant. There is a certain energy exchange that takes place, and you really don’t want to be next to a couple when they go off. In the village, we have a tradition of moving away from couples who need that kind of space.” She chuckled. “It’s amazing my parents managed to create me. There wasn’t a lot of privacy back then.”

He smiled slightly and asked, “Where are we going?”

“We are going to watch a city rise.” She smiled and accelerated. The protective screen generated around the skimmer, and they moved at a blurring pace over the world she was going to rule. Despite being trained for it, it was daunting, and she wasn’t sure what her future was going to look like. She glanced at Morro. Maybe she needed a consort.

She smiled and ignored the secondary pulse in her body. This was a familiar feeling, and she wondered if Morro was willing to assist her with it. She geared up and headed for the rising city. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Neffa settled the skimmer and hopped out with her tent and her pack. Morro was staring at the enormous city that was rising and the machines that pulled the sod and soil from the surface and cleaned the new streets.

She got camp ready and started a fire, settling down to watch. Morro moved toward her and sat next to her. “The Keedon do this on all their worlds?”

Neffa chuckled. “According to my mother, yes. Over a thousand years ago, the Keedon knew their world was dying, and they sent emissaries to forty systems looking for battered but environmentally suitable worlds. The gravity had to be right, and the building blocks of the environment and atmosphere had to be right. They bid on those empty worlds, and when they won fifteen of them in the auctions, they sent teams to get the process of development started and planted the cities five hundred years later. The original Keedon homeworld is still dying as we speak. The settlers are coming out in waves, with the first one being the ones who will settle in with more of our livestock and familiar predators.”

“Why bring predators?” Morro was staring at the city as if he was memorizing the moment. He probably was.

“Because they keep the prey species in check. You can’t have a balance if life and death aren’t equally represented.”

There was silence as the rumbles, groans, and whines came to their ears across the kilometre that separated them from the robots and stone.

Neffa got up and put a small cauldron over the fire, adding the ingredients for a thick stew. When it was ready, she settled it on a pile of embers and returned to the watch party with Morro.

Her mother had told her many things but not how to approach a man the first time.

Neffa sat close to Morro, and her hand was next to his. She could taste him with every breath. His fingers shifted, and he gripped her hand. “This is a spectacular day.”

She turned to look at him, and he smiled. “There is no one around. Is this enough space?”

She looked at the empty landscape with the rising city. She swallowed. “It is. Are you interested?”

“I have been since school, but it wasn’t until the king unveiled Orvalik as the aggressor that things settled. It had been awkward wanting you and being responsible for keeping you in line at the same time.”

Neffa blinked as she stared up at him. “Oh. Well, this place is suitably vacant.”

He smiled and leaned in for a kiss. One led to a dozen, and she let her heat take over. He followed her lead.

* * * *

Isar put on a robe and walked out to look toward the city where Neffa was. Kesen followed her and said, “What are you looking for?”

He had no sooner spoken than a heavy wave of energy moved across the sky and through them.

Isar smiled. “It seems Morro is the right one for Neffa.”

“So, that was...”

“It was. Give it time, and we will be grandparents, but for now, this world has its ruler, and the ruler has a consort. Just in time to beat out a ship full of horny males.”

Kesen shuddered. “I don’t even want to think about... wait. Are you interested in your own kind?”

“You are my own kind, beloved. I could have chosen from the settlers, but I chose you. You made my heart sing, and you still do.”

He chuckled and kissed her neck. “You took my heart and shame my words. I am always at your side.”

Isar nodded. “Yes, Your Imperial Highness.”

“Absolutely, Your Majesty. So, now, what are the odds we made another prince or princess?”

Isar chuckled. “About the same as this one having an aunt or uncle on the way.”

Kesen paused. “So, our little girl...”

“Is going to start a new phase of life when the ships arrive. We have trained her, educated her, and loved her. Now Morro has to take that over, but I think he is going to do well. Once they settle into a relationship, the future of this world is going to be very bright.”

Kesen hugged her. “I am too young to be a grandfather.”

Isar patted his arm. “No, you aren’t. I am looking forward to being a mother again and a grandparent. Morro will be a good consort. He’s a bit easily influenced, but Neffa can stop that from progressing. If he is hers, she will take care of him.”

A second burst of energy ran across the landscape. Kesen groaned. “He’s definitely hers.”

Isar wrapped her arms around his. “The women in our family know what we want, and we don’t rest until we find it. We also get lucky quite frequently.”

He chuckled. “Would you like to get lucky now?”

“Well, no harm in ensuring the next generation now, is there?” Isar laughed, and they retreated to their home and the heavily shielded bedroom that caught the energy they produced. The shielding had been built into the rooms at the capitol and would keep all that energy focused inward on the couple.

The reason that the Keedon and their partners lived so long was that the energy they produced was focused in on the couple themselves. When you found the mate you resonated with, you kept him.

Author’s Note

Life sucks. This book would have been done two months ago, but life sucks and hug your loved ones. You don’t know how much time you have.

I have no idea what book three will be, but I made a dozen of these, and only the first ten are done. Yay.

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

About the Author

Viola Grace is a Canadian author who immerses herself in Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and graphic novels (that’s new). Writing for a few decades, she has spanned short stories, novellas, novels, and the occasional collaboration with the result being an astonishingly large backlist.

Focusing her work on humour, lightness of spirit, and now and then a heat level to scorch the pages, she leaves the dark and depressing to others. Happily ever afters are guaranteed.

The crafts she has accrued over her lifetime regularly work their way into her books with a variety of results for the characters.

When she’s at home, she is usually hiding indoors with felines of various sizes. The bees come in one size, and their speed is usually fast. When she is outdoors, she takes pictures of the stunning skies above her home and the wildness of nature that surrounds her, imagining fantastical worlds hiding in everything around her.