Page 83 of Alien Prince’s Fake Bride (The Tentacle Throne #1)

“Hi.” I wipe sudden tears from my eyes. I want to embrace her, but we agreed that there should be no close physical contact.

They’re worried about diseases spreading.

“I’m glad you’re home. Sorry, it’s not your swimsuit.

Just this girl that got lost in space. She may not look like much, but she says she came from here. Is she yours?”

- - -

T he four-person Space Force team stays aboard the Gladiux for a couple of days.

Mareliux presents his offer of protection and technological exchange, and it’s all carefully recorded and sent down to Earth.

Bellatriz checks if it’s all being suppressed down there, but it’s not.

If anything, we’re given too much attention.

Mareliux and I are the biggest news story ever in every country.

Me being married to Mareliux goes down unexpectedly well, and when I talk to the president she gives me both her congratulations and praises me for my coming back.

That’s all she can do at this early stage.

Everyone is bewildered and surprised about the whole thing, which is fair enough. It’s a lot to process.

One of the team is a doctor, and she gives me a thorough physical before three of them go back to the station, leaving only Emma.

I spend a lot of time with her, just catching up with her bodycams turned off.

But I’m always aware that every word I say to her probably will be given on to others, which puts a damper on things.

But I understand her. There’s no room for private things when there’s this much at stake.

We’re no longer buddies of the same rank on a small base.

Now I’m the weirdo semi-alien who’s incredibly well connected to the only alien empire Earth knows about, and she’s Space Force’s closest contact with me. Things are bound to get weird.

“I don’t know, Emma,” I tell her the evening before we’re scheduled to leave Earth space. “I thought this would feel like coming home. But it’s too different. And it always will be different. There’s no way around it.”

We’re in the dome room, with the Earth slowly spinning above us and the starry sky below us while we sit on comfortable chairs in the middle.

“Things have changed,” Emma says. “And we can’t change them back. Even Space Force will be something completely different now. With new ships and weapons and everything. Say, did you ever find a clue about your sister?”

“Not yet,” I sigh, and the old, familiar ache returns. “She could be anywhere. I’ve asked basically everyone about those flying saucers. All I have are old myths and rumors about aliens that may or may not have ever existed. But I have more resources now. I’ll find her. I’ll find them all.”

“I know you will. I’m curious about that Syntrix of yours,” Emma ponders. “I’d love to experience it. Can you destroy that veil around Earth? The barrier?”

“Apparently it’s just as hard to take down as it is to put there in the first place,” I tell her.

“You’d have to find the exact spot in the Solar system it’s being generated from.

That could take decades of searching. And there’s the issue about the Syntrix suddenly flowing in.

It can give everyone a real shock that can be deadly.

Especially since people on Earth may be more sensitive to it than others. But we’ll see.”

We pass over Asia, going into the night side. We’ve been in a low orbit around Earth, but tomorrow we’ll leave. My fingers twitch with a phantom hum. I can’t wait to feel the Syntrix again.

“Will you be coming back?” Emma asks. “You’re one of the greatest heroes Earth has ever had.

You’re all over the news, in the best way.

Nobody’s saying anything bad about you, except the news media are miffed that you’re not giving them interviews.

Space Force kind of wants you to, as well.

It’s great PR, they say. Sure you won’t give it a go? You’ll decide on the interviewer.”

I shudder. “Oh, I’ll give an interview. When hell freezes over. No thanks, Emma.”

She fidgets with her dress, which is real Khavgren manufacture and fashion and made to her measurements, or as close to them as I could get it from memory.

“I’ve been wanting to say something. But…

” she nods to her wrist, where her AI is being silent but certainly listening.

I get what she needs. There’s always cameras, and I think Space Force have told her to not turn her AI off while aboard here.

“Change of topic,” I tell her. “Emma, please go to your cabin and leave your AI there. I will do the same with Vera.”

Emma looks at me with wide eyes. “I’m under orders not to do that.”

I get to my feet, straighten my back and stare at her, face hard. “Are you under orders to ignore a request from a future Empress of the Khavgren Empire, on a spaceship that is Khavgren territory?” My voice is icy.

“N-no,” Emma stutters, looking pale. “Of course not. I didn’t mean-”

“I don’t like you always having that AI on you,” I tell her sternly. “It makes private conversations too awkward. We will both go and discard them, then meet back here for a conversation that’s actually private .” I’m almost glad there’s no Syntrix, or my eyes might have shot real lightning.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Emma squeals and bounces up. “Right away.” She sends me an uncertain smile, probably suspecting why I’m acting all cold and demanding but not being sure.

When we meet up again four minutes later, none of us are wearing anything that can record us.

I give Emma a firm embrace. “Sorry about the theatrics. But I know Space Force. Now they know you had a good reason to drop that AI. They can’t blame you.”

“Damn, girl,” she mutters. “You can be scary. ”

“I’ve had some scary things happen to me,” I agree. “Anyway. What did you want to say?”

She gives me a shy glance. “Can I come? When you leave tomorrow? To Khav?”

“Yes,” I reply immediately. I thought she might ask about that, and Mareliux and I think it’s all right.

“But you can’t bring any AIs. Bring a regular camera and recording equipment, but nothing with a mind of its own.

Space Force will order you to spy for them.

I expect that. But don’t come loaded with spy devices.

And you must understand that you may not be able to return to Earth.

I mean, we won’t hold you back. But you might experience what I’m going through right now.

Earth will stop being your home, and you will feel it all through you. ”

“I can deal with that,” she says slowly. “I’ve seen you come to terms with it. Are you sure it will be all right?”

I nod. “We were talking about bringing humans to Khav. We think that Earth needs time to think about things before we’ll bring more than one or two.

But you’ll be very welcome, Emma. I was hoping you’d want to, but I couldn’t ask, because then you might not be free to decide on your own.

I don’t know which orders Space Force gave you about this. ”

“They gave me the orders you’d expect. Find out as much as possible, especially whether Mareliux is actually as nice as he seems and whether or not this is the start of an alien invasion.”

I glance at my Syntrix ring. The way it shines, he’s not far away. “You’ve known him now for a couple of days. What do you think?”

Emma taps her lips. “About the invasion? I suppose it could be one, although it would be a weird way to invade someone, just being nice and promising all kinds of fancy tech to make us a real space-faring planet. To me, it looks like Earth’s dream scenario.

I’m sure you would know, and you seem to be the same old Umbra.

If a little less gloomy and more… I don’t know.

Happy? Content? I’ve seen you laugh , even.

Like a happy, spontaneous laugh, not a forced one.

Never saw that before. I think that tentacle guy has been good for you. ”

I grin. “I guess I was a little intense before. Sorry about that. But yeah. I’m more myself these days.”

“And for what it’s worth, I think it’s beyond crazy that you brought all this to Earth, after all you went through. You’re amazing. Everyone is a little stunned, I think.”

“That’s worth a lot,” I tell her, moved. “Come here.” I give her a bear hug. “I’m really happy you want to come along. It’ll be a lot of fun to have a friend from Earth along with me. I kept wishing you were there.”

“All right,” she sniffs. “You persuaded me. How do we deal with that Syntrix Barrier Veil thing? Going through it?”

“There are several ways,” I tell her carefully. “Some of them are… controversial. The one we’ll try this time is to get drunk. We probably won’t notice crossing that barrier then. We’ll be too busy singing Shape of You out of tune.”

“Good, because that’s the only way I can sing it. Oh, are we on the night side now?” She looks up, where the Earth is a thin sliver of blue and a big, dark oval with clusters of city lights here and there, as well as furious lightning from thunderstorms.

“Looks like it. And it looks like we’re moving away. If only the Space Force station had windows this big.”

“Our tiny little portholes are nothing like this panorama,” Emma agrees. “Probably to stop us having meaningful conversations under the stars. But this is almost too much. Like floating freely in space. Oh, there comes the boss.”

Mareliux comes out of the elevator and walks over, tentacles a happy blue, going pink at the tips. He’s taken to wearing a thin shirt, because he knows I enjoy putting my hand under the fabric to stroke his massive chest. “Thought I’d find you two here. You’re becoming inseparable.”

“And that will only continue,” I tell him primly. “Emma wants to come with us.”

He smiles. “Ah. As an actual ambassador, I assume? Or an Earth envoy of some kind. You’ll need some kind of official standing, Emma. Can you arrange one?”