Page 84 of Alien Prince’s Fake Bride (The Tentacle Throne #1)

“I’ll try,” Emma says and smoothens down her dress.

“It would be better to have diplomatic immunity. I mean, you can’t expect me to go to an alien planet and actually behave .

I should probably get started on that. See you later!

” She walks over to the elevator, watching her step because she’s not used to walking on something that looks like the night sky.

Mareliux frowns. “Do you think she’ll behave in scandalous ways?”

“Yes,” I tell him as I reach up to take hold of one of his tendrils. “Your empire needs some scandals. I mean, except for Nerox’s antics.”

“It would make for a nice change, anyway,” Mareliux growls. “Reports state that he’s lost all inhibitions with us two out of the way. Going wild, they say. But we’ll see when we get back. Six days from Earth to Khav, traveling fast.”

“Let’s take our time,” I suggest, twirling two tendrils together. “There’s no rush now. Let Nerox have some fun. Without his message, there might be no empire now. And we wouldn’t be married. We would never have met.”

He embraces me and sniffs my hair. “It would be the greatest misfortune of my life if I’d never met you. And I wouldn’t even have known it.”

“Of my life too,” I tell him. “But yeah, let’s not talk about something that didn’t happen. Space Force made me a colonel, did I tell you?”

“You did not. Colonel only? I would expect your actions would be worth a general’s rank, at least.”

“Everyone’s unsure about me,” I explain.

“They’re afraid of giving me great honors and then later have me turn against them, one way or the other.

All this is too much for Earth to deal with rationally.

And that’s fine. I’m not going to spend much time here anyway.

The promotion is only symbolic, like an honorary rank.

I’m not supposed to do anything for Space Force, except maybe help out when the engineers arrive. If Earth wants them. We’ll see.”

Mareliux takes my hand. “You've done a lot for your world. They can never repay you properly anyway. And while they're not sure about you, I am.”

“I can't hide anything from my Soulbound. And you can't, either.” I reach up and twirl two of his tendrils together. “I miss the Syntrix. It's so boring having to do this with my hands like a cavewoman.”

Mareliux laughs. “Cavewoman? That's what we thought you were before you came aboard that first time. Mostly Bellatriz, though.”

“ What?” the sword splutters. “ That was all you!”

“I don't remember who it was. But you are clearly not a cavewoman, Umbra.” He strokes my hair with the back of his hand.

“ Is she as docile as you wanted?” the sword AI inquires. “ That was a big requirement for you.”

“Perhaps not quite as docile as I expected,” Mareliux says.

“But I have to say I prefer you like this, Umbra.

Though, now I think about it, some added docility might be good once in a while- no, no.

Don't look at me like that. I take it back.” He laughs and kisses me. “You're perfect the way you are.”

“I’m happy you say that,” I tell him. “Because-” I stop myself. This is something I’d love to experience in a place with Syntrix. On the other hand, that wave of emotion might well knock me out.

He fixes me with his red eyes. “Because what?”

“Because,” I begin, suddenly not trusting my voice, “there will soon be two of me. Well, not of me . But of us. No, that doesn’t make sense.”

Mareliux stares at me emptily, trying to understand. “Umm…”

“What I mean is,” I start again, “that when Quaestor Preniat was worried about whether or not you and I could conceive, he had no reason to be. The doctor says so, anyway.”

There’s a glimmer of understanding in his face. “You mean…” He puts a hand on my lower stomach, so lightly I can barely feel it. “You mean that…” He doesn’t dare believe it, I think.

“I mean that,” I confirm. “I’m pregnant. The doctor says it looks fine so far. But it’s a hybrid pregnancy, so she can’t guarantee anything.”

It’s the first time I see his eyes go shiny. He embraces me carefully, as if he’s scared of breaking me. “My love. This is the most wonderful news I’ve ever had.”

I sniffle as I hug him back. “I thought you’d like it. It’s wonderful.”

“We’ll stay here,” Mareliux decides. “At Earth. Where they know about Earth women and their pregnancies. Just for safety’s sake.”

“Oh no, let’s not,” I protest. “All we need is a medical AI and a scanning device. When the birth gets closer, maybe we can come back here. Just in case. But I’d love to experience the pregnancy with Syntrix, on a real planet with trees and grass and clouds. You know?”

“Anything you say, my love.” He disengages and just grins blissfully. Then his tendrils unfold in an explosion of power and his deep victory yell echoes from the dome.

“I was right,” I mutter. “If there was Syntrix here, that would have killed me.”

We celebrate with a nice meal, then go to the control room of the Gladiux .

Mareliux breaks the news, and they all congratulate us warmly.

“Wonderful news,” Careta’x says, standing by a console.

We don’t want him always being right next to us, and he accepts that the Gladius is mostly safe.

Even so, he searches through all of the ship twice a day, just looking for Vyrpy he can throw out into space.

“And that makes Princess Umbra’s safety even more important. When do we break orbit, sir?”

“In an hour or so. We promised to stay in this solar system for another few hours, so we won’t go far. I want to visit the gunship guards here, the ones that are keeping Earth safe from the mysterious, saucer-shaped spaceships.”

“They are the Plood, sir,” Caret’ax says darkly. “Mark my words. I’ve seen them myself.”

“Where?” I ask, interested. “Where did you see them?”

The caveman sends me a look that could set fire to a piece of glass. “In some places I’ve been, Your Highness.” His voice is flat.

I get what he means: don’t ask more about that .

But I will. This is too important to let go.

I put my hand on Mareliux’s forearm. “My love, will we be going outside the Syntrical Barrier?”

“Yes,” Mareliux says tightly. “But in your state, you can’t use our original plan and soften the shock with a few drinks beforehand.”

“Emma can still do that,” I tell him. “But me… well, we already have a way that we know will work. Right, Bellatriz?”

“It worked once,” the sword says cheerfully. “It will work again. This time without the gas, though.”

“Obviously without the gas,” Mareliux says. “We will take no risks with Umbra in this fragile state.”

“My love, I’m not that fragile. But I agree. No gas. I’ll go and tell Emma that she has to party on her own- actually, Caret’ax?”

“Highness?”

“Our guest Emma has to have a few drinks. Could you please keep her company? And Dester, too?”

“I never drink on the job,” the caveman bodyguard growls.

“Then you are hereby relieved,” Mareliux orders. “You need a break, my friend. Go and have a party with the alien. And you, Centurion Espi. Your watch is practically over, anyway.”

“Yes, sir,” Dester says. “I will just relay this to the station. They like to know the movements we’re planning to make with the ship. They’re still very nervous, Your Highness.”

“Which is a good sign,” my husband comments. “They’re vigilant.”

I stroke a finger up along the back of his thigh, out of sight of everyone. “Just make sure you come to our cabin soon,” I whisper into his ear. “We must make absolutely sure I can handle the terrible shock when the Syntrix suddenly comes back.”

He swallows, and the bulge in his pants twitches. “Of course, my love.”

“I’ll just go and tell her,” I say out loud and slide my hand off my husband. “Caret’ax, can you come with me, please?”

He looks at Mareliux, who nods. “Keep the Crown Princess safe, Caret’ax. She’s the future of the Empire now.”

Caret’ax and I leave the control room. Instead of going to Emma’s cabin, we go to the stateroom that Mareliux and I share.

I sit down on a chair that’s made for my size. “Caret’ax, it just occurred to me that I never told you this: the reason I ask about those flying saucers is that my sister was abducted by one. It was years ago, and she was taken along with many others.”

The huge caveman stiffens and his face goes pale. “Your… sister, Your Highness?”

“Her name is Ashlynn and she’s older than me.

I want to find her. It’s the reason I joined Space Force in the first place, and part of the reason why I agreed to fake marry Mareliux.

So anything you can tell me about those ships would be helpful.

I know Mareliux doesn’t believe in those Plood, but I want to hear it. ”

Caret’ax leans his shoulder to the wall, looking dumbfounded. “That was why you asked about them? Because it was your sister? Holy Ancestors… I never knew. I’m terribly sorry!”

I reach out to take his massive hand. I didn’t expect him to react this strongly.

But to a kind and honorable man like him, of course it must seem horrific to lose a loved one.

“It’s all right, Caret’ax. It was a long time ago, and now that I’m in space, I have a chance to find her. But you said you saw the Plood aliens?”

He collects himself. Then he tells me.

- - -

“ S he’s on her third glass,” Mareliux reports when he comes into our cabin.

“Khavgren size, so she’s more than ready to cross outside the barrier.

She’s teaching the others to sing a song of some kind.

Centurion Espi is bent over with laughter, and Caret’ax is just as serious as ever, even after seven glasses.

I think we’re ready to cross the barrier. ”

“Speak for yourself,” I say as I stretch luxuriously on the mass of cushions that we had some underused robots bring up to the giant dome with a view of the space in every direction and the huge Earth straight above. “I need more than this to be really ready.”