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After the Assembly of Nobles, I walked to Maralice’s office.
She was seated behind her desk, shuffling through several papers and computer
tablets. She appeared to be very frazzled. “Are you alright, Maralice?” I
asked, sliding inside of the office.
“Empress,” she squeaked, standing quickly. Her chair fell
behind her and she fumbled to pick it up. “I did not know that you were coming.
I’m sorry for the mess.”
“I don’t care,” I said, gesturing for her to sit. “You’ve
seen my suite when I was a teenager. I was not always as tidy as I am now.”
“That’s because Jerasse and L’aurien take excellent care of
you,” Maralice snickered, plopping down on her righted chair. She sighed,
continuing her search on her desk. “I can’t find it.”
“What?”
“A tablet with information about widowed Cygnarians,” she
said. “The pull I feel toward Commander Whitlock is becoming stronger. I feel
like I’m mated to him. I can hear his thoughts quite clearly now. I’m not sure
if he can hear me or if he’s choosing to ignore it.” She frowned, shaking her
head. “I don’t want to ask Marcusi to read our bond until I researched the
possibility fully. What if I am bonded to him? What would Jamel’s family think?
Would they hate me? I can’t fathom having another mate. I loved Jamel. He was
my forever.”
“Jamel adored you and he died knowing that,” I said, a sad
smile crossing over my features. “Would it be so bad that you were mated with
Jasper? He’s gruff and cranky, but seems like a good man. A loyal man.”
Maralice huffed, crossing her arms. She chose to ignore my
statement. “And what those Alphan dogs did to me …” she shuddered. “I have
shamed my family and the family of my mate. Now, on top of that, I’ve been
bonded to another. A human, no less!” She spat the last part, anger and disdain
coloring her tone.
“Do you think less of me because I’ve been bonded to a
human?” I hissed, my voice icy. My posture grew rigid and I glared at her. “That
my mate is someone who is not from Forx?”
“No, Empress,” Maralice stuttered. “Never. I never meant to
insult you.” She flushed a brilliant red, her spots glowing in embarrassment. “It’s
just that I’ve been mated. I had my one true love. How can I justify the fact
that I may be mated to Jasper? Is this my punishment for what happened to me on
Lapus?”
“Being mated is not a punishment,” I scoffed. “And you
should not be punished for what happened to you. They took away your choice,
Maralice. They had their way with you and you did not want it. If anything,
they should be punished. All of the Alphans who were in the palace should meet
the same fate. Death.”
“You won’t get any arguments from me,” Maralice snorted
indelicately. She gave me a sheepish look, apologetic and sincere. “Empress, I
am sorry. I don’t mean to insult you or your relationship with the emperor.
Edward is a good man. A strong man. He stepped in for you when you were caught
in the zi’tkm. He made decisions and
watched out for our best interests. I respect him a great deal and I can see
how much you love him. He truly completes you.”
“He’s everything,” I breathed, running my finger over the
ring he had given me at our mating ceremony. “He’s stronger than I ever thought
possible and so noble. All of this would seem so much more without him.”
“Not to mention, easy on the eyes,” Maralice quipped.
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