Page 18 of Alien on the Moon (Thryal Mates #3)

Rylan

“Right this way,” said one of the royal courtiers as they led Rylan and Elena toward the throne room.

The two of them were shown through a grand hallway in the palace, with ceilings higher than Rylan had ever seen. Stained-glass windows decorated the walls, telling the story of Thryal’s past.

Rylan didn’t need to look at them. Every Thryal was told the stories time and time again, starting from the moment they were born. But Rylan still gawked at the craftsmanship of the royal palace. Even as a man of science, he was blown away by the artistry.

He’d only been back on the home world for less than an hour, and Rylan had already been subject to more luxury than he had in his whole lifetime prior.

The palace, of course, had a private landing bay for their ship. They were greeted with a finely prepared meal on the flight, and when they arrived, a servant promptly took their bags. A speeder was brought out to them at the ship so they wouldn’t have to walk to the palace, and Rylan was informed that a royal spa treatment was waiting for them after their meeting.

He knew that most of this was only happening because they arrived with Prince Arccoo. But that didn’t stop Rylan from enjoying it all. He had to. There was no telling when he would ever experience anything like it again.

And now they were approaching the throne room of the king and queen. It was an honor Rylan never imagined he’d have. He was almost too shocked to move when he heard they requested an in-person meeting with him and Elena to get an update on their work on the moon.

“You ready?” Elena asked him as they reached the end of the hallway. A huge set of doors stood before them.

“No… I don’t think so…”

“Don’t worry,” Elena said, placing a reassuring hand on the small of his back. “They’re perfectly nice people. Just be polite.”

“They will see you now,” the royal courier said. On cue, the huge doors slowly began to swing open.

Rylan’s jaw fell open as they stepped inside. The throne room was even larger than the highway, big enough to hold large balls and dinners. However, it was empty at the moment, just the king and queen’s thrones at the far end.

Rylan kept his eyes on them. The Thryal royalty. He couldn’t believe he was there.

Rylan had been a scientist for a long time. He put in the work, the time, and the effort to achieve that. He spent late nights studying in school. He had worked overtime on his projects. Yet this was the first time he was actually given the honor of meeting the king and queen.

Rylan had never even been in the same room as them. Maybe he’d seen them from afar at a parade once but never this close. And certainly, he never addressed or was addressed by them directly.

That was reserved for more important royal scientists—the smartest of the smart. Rylan had spent most of his career shipped off to work on remote moons like the one Elena found him on. Though, for that, he was grateful.

Rylan’s mind was racing. He suddenly couldn’t remember what he was supposed to do while meeting them. Arccoo had kept it all so casual.

Should he bow? Get on one knee? Avoid eye contact? Call them “Your Highness” or “Your Majesty”?

“Your Majesties,” Elena said as they got closer. She then grabbed Rylan and pulled him down onto one knee with her. “We are honored by your invitation.”

“Of course,” the king said. “Nothing less is deserving of our hero scientists.”

“Again,” Elena said, rising to her feet. “You honor us.”

“Very much honor us,” Rylan chimed in as he rose to his feet with her.

“Well,” the queen said, “we didn’t bring you both here just to be thanked for bringing you here. Word of your work, and its benefit to our kingdom, has reached us. But we’d like to hear from you directly.”

“Certainly. Rylan?” Elena looked at him.

“Oh, well… um…” Nerves started to take over. He was talking to royalty after all.

Rylan was too stunned to speak. The two of them, upon their thrones, exuded pure power. It was the most intimidated Rylan had ever felt in his entire life.

Then he realized he was being asked to do the thing he excelled at the most, talk about science. A calm swept over him.

“We successfully terraformed the moon. And we—before I move forward, how much do you know about terraforming?”

“Pretend we know nothing,” the king suggested.

“But that we also have somewhere else to be in an hour,” the queen added.

“Right… so… essentially, the moon was uninhabitable before. No plant life would grow. Our project changed the landscape of the entire moon to not only grow plants but grow copious amounts of crops. Enough to feed countless people across the kingdom. And more is being produced by the day.”

“Fantastic!” the king called out. “The potential famine is avoided then?”

“Not only avoided,” Elena chimed in. “But if we’re smart, we’re well on our way to having an abundance.”

“And what’s next?” asked the queen. “You figured out how to terraform that moon. What’s next? What’s the plan of action?”

“We let the machines do their work,” Rylan said plainly. “A lot of the process is automated. Currently, twelve people are stationed there. A station leader. A few mechanics and engineers in case something breaks. A couple of biologists to ensure the crops are healthy and safe to eat. And, of course, a chef.”

“We have them all on six-month contracts,” Elena added.

“And after six months?” asked the king.

“Well, then we evaluate everything,” Rylan said. “How have the machines been working? Have the crops stayed healthy? Is the output consistent? And if everything is successful, as I suspect it will be, we take the next steps. Find other moons and deserted planets to terraform. Figure out what other crops we can grow this way, both for food and medicine. I’d say within months, a lot of our problems in the kingdom regarding crop growth will lessen. And within two years, they’ll be all but forgotten.”

“That’s very good to hear,” the king said, unable to conceal a smile. “And you two are the geniuses behind it all. Right?”

“Yes, I suppose Elena and I are.”

“Then shouldn’t you be there?” the queen asked. “Why hire others to run the station for these crucial six months? Shouldn’t your brains be there to ensure it runs smoothly?”

“Well,” Elena said, “your invitation is why we’re here, Your Majesties. But it’s not why we’re staying. Both of us were invited back to Thryal by the royal scientists here. They have some projects they want us to work on.”

“Hmm,” the king said. “I can’t think of a better place for two minds like yours to be. Now, go enjoy whatever amenities of the palace you please. I can’t wait to hear of the success of your next project.”

“Thank you, Your Majesties,” Elena said as she knelt down again.

“Thank you, Your Majesties,” Rylan echoed.

“No, Thryal thanks you. Dismissed.”

The royal courier appeared out of nowhere to usher them back out of the throne room.

Rylan still couldn’t believe where he was and who he just talked to. The king and queen had personally thanked him. It was unbelievable.

And, as far as Rylan was concerned, Elena was to thank for all of it. He never would’ve solved the problem in time without her help. Her genius was just as invaluable as his own. She was like no one else he’d ever met.

And she was so smart while also caring so much for him, too. He knew what she did for him and how she helped both their careers.

She easily could’ve left him behind, taken all the glory for herself and accepted the new position from the royal scientists. She’d have her pick of the litter of attractive scientists to choose from to help her forget all about him.

But instead, she insisted on something else. She demanded that to have her, the royal scientist on Thryal would have to accept him, too. And they did.

Now his life was only going to get better. He’d always be eternally grateful for Elena. And he planned to spend the rest of his life showing her that.

Though at the moment, he was still in complete awe of the whole palace. He tried his best to not gawk as they walked out of the throne room. He still wanted to seem professional, even if only the staff could see him now.

He could feel their eyes on him as he moved. They seemed nice enough, but he was still worried about embarrassing himself and, by extension, Elena. He couldn’t let himself appear anything but collected.

The giant doors slammed shut behind them, and Rylan was finally able to breathe.

“How’d I do?”

“Fantastic,” Elena said as she wrapped her arms around him for a hug. “Maybe a bit too wordy, but you did great. Most people aren’t able to say a single word when first meeting them. It’s so intimidating.”

“Oh, that was almost the case,” he said, looking at her. “But I found my strength.”

“Yes, you did,” she responded with a smile. “And as long as you didn’t shit your pants, you did better than average.”

“No, we’re all good there…”

“So, what do you want to do now? Those spa treatments aren’t for another hour or so.”

“Well, what are two people to do when left all alone to their own devices in the royal palace?” Rylan raised an eyebrow at Elena. His hands landed on her hips, slowly moving toward her ass. “I haven’t even seen our suite yet. Legends talk about how comfortable the royal beds are.”

Elena couldn’t help but giggle, though she smacked his hands away. A stern look grew on her face.

“Not here, you bad boy, you. Not out in the open. Especially not so close to the throne room.” Elena paused for a moment. “But certainly, our suite will be the last stop on a little tour.”

“A tour?”

“It seems only fair,” she responded slyly. “You gave me a tour of the station. I’ll give you one of the palace. After all, you will be staying here for a while. Won’t you?”

“Oh, I plan to.” Rylan planned to stay as long as Elena did. The palace was nice but being by her side was better. Much better.

“Good, then let’s begin.”

Elena took Rylan by the hand and began the tour, showing him all around the palace and bringing him to her favorite places.

“This, I swear, is the only quiet place in the whole palace,” Elena claimed as she dragged him out to a little courtyard.

It was nothing special, just a patch of grass surrounded by shrubbery. A bench sat in the middle, but Rylan could sense the happiness in her as she stepped out in the open.

“Whenever I get tired of my quarters, I like to come here to read.” Elena patted the bench next to her, indicating for Rylan to sit. “In a busy place like the royal palace, this is where I can always expect to find some calm.”

“Well, maybe we can read here together sometime.” Rylan sat next to her, and Elena leaned against him. The two simply took in the peace, enjoying each other’s company.

But after a moment, the tour resumed. Elena took him all over. She showed him the royal library and then followed it with a visit to one of six kitchens. This one, Elena claimed, was the best for a late-night snack. Next, they went to look at the indoor pool, which was followed by a trip to the outdoor pool.

And she even took him to a few of her least favorite spots in the palace.

“These are the places to avoid,” Elena said. “Worst parts of the whole palace.”

She took him to the armory, where they were immediately yelled at by guards. Next was the docking bay, where they could hardly hear anything over the sound of ships taking off and landing. Last was another one of the six kitchens, which Elena claimed housed the meanest chef in the galaxy.

After all the highlights, it was time for their spa treatment. And once again, Rylan was shocked by what was in store for him. Massages, mud baths, calming music, creams, and lotions were spread all over his body.

He felt incredible afterward but couldn’t imagine doing it all the time.

After all the treatments, Elena and Rylan were led to a steam room. Both her sisters and their mates were already there.

“I didn’t really know how much I missed it while we were away,” Elena said, settling in. “I feel so good now. Don’t you, Rylan?”

“Yeah, never felt anything like it.” But his voice wasn’t very confident.

“You’ll get used to it,” Zaraq chimed in. “All this spa stuff, it doesn’t feel like the toughest thing in the world. But fuck, I never sleep quite as well as after a deep tissue massage.”

“And I’ve grown up doing stuff like this,” Arccoo added. “No one would dare tell me it makes me anything less.”

“Oh, that’s not it,” Rylan said softly.

Elena took his hand and squeezed it with reassurance.

“What’s your favorite part of the palace so far, Rylan?” asked Carmen.

“Oh, I’m not sure yet. I’m still taking it all in. Elena showed me a courtyard that was nice.”

“Really?” Sofia said. “Elena, make sure to show him the theater.”

“And the gym,” Zaraq added.

“Has he been to the wine cellar?” Carmen asked.

“Or one of the game rooms?” Arccoo suggested. “Any of them. But the one on the third floor is my favorite.”

Surrounded by so much luxury and decadence, Rylan couldn’t help but feel out of place. Being in a place like this was all too new to him. Never in his life had he ever felt hungry and had to choose which personal chef to go to. It was all so new to him.

It was also a bit scary to him. Could he ever get used to it all? Did he want to get used to it? He’d never imagined this lifestyle, let alone thought he could partake in it.

Those thoughts just kept flooding his head. They seemed to get louder with each new location of the tour. In fact, he’d been thinking a lot of that since arriving at the palace.

There was a chance that would have been all he could think about if it wasn’t for the second thought fighting for space in his head—the thought of Elena.

As long as he was with her, Rylan knew he’d belong. With her, he’d enjoy it all. It’d be nice together.

He was sure they’d both be happy here for years to come.

“Is there anything else I should be sure to check out, seeing as it’s my first day here?” Rylan asked the room.

“Oh,” Elena said with a smirk, “don’t you remember? The tour has a grand finale.” She gave him a suggestive wink for him alone.