The Alien King's Mate

II - Who Knows Where

My mother tries to distract me while Ryder is who knows where. However, the entrance of Florence was enough to keep me from thinking too much about it, "You know, he's like a tree."

"What the fuck did you just say?" I try to stay somewhat understanding at her random outburst of knowledge but even my mother is giving her a type of look.

"A tree. Strong, well grown roots, many connections like branches."

"That's it?"

"Oh, and climbable." She retorts. My mother spits the water she's drinking across the room. Always the dramatic one of the family.

"Florence! Stars! You have a mate. Where is he to sate your endless horniness?" My mother tries to seem calm and collected. I know the woman means no harm, but damn does she have to speak everything that comes to mind.

"The Star Whispers are going to send us back to the dark ages anyways might as well say what we are thinking in the now. Have you seen how much land they have torn through?"

"Florence."

"What you talking about Florence?" I turn to the woman. Her usual catty demeanor falling for just a moment.

"Crystal Lyson have you been lying to this girl on the severity?" She chastises my mother finally turning to answer me, "Honey, the Whispers have taken over Klataz, many of the others on Mehjia are starting to side as well. Elites are pairing with them because it means ensuring an heir to their embassy's. Yunkin is fighting against them but loosing slowly. The planet itself is having trouble keeping its economy afloat. If the Elites pull out because they won't support, then Yunkin will be forced to fall."

"And What about Hedium? And the moon planet Gunda?" My mother sighs pinching the bridge of her nose. She decides to take this instead of Florence who is heavily glaring at my mother.

"Mehija is mostly sided. We lose fighters every day. Most men in the world want that power that was gifted to them for many millennia. Your father is worried this will lead to another civil war between the planets. Last this happened the whole empire almost fell. We all need resources from each other, each planets requires the others to live these days."

"And we don't know who the damn leader is?" My body is off the chair, hot anger flashing through me.

"No. We have no idea. He keeps under the radar and does well to hide his identity."

"We're fucked then?"

"Lillian! You cannot say such things. We must keep face in the presence of our people. They haven't won yet. There are still many that side with us."

"And what are we doing to stop this? Standing around?" In anger, my abilities lose control. I feel my hair touch my ass, my eyes shifting between my normal color and my split. Florence rolls her eyes.

"Control yourself, child. You are to be queen soon enough. If you really want to do something about this your mate is the best chance. He has connections to people we can't touch." Florence reminds me nicely trying to give me a smile. I recognized the forced look any day, but some part of me appreciates her weird effort.

"This is it then? We wait for him to come back and hopefully have good news?"

"It's all we have right now. Our troops are waiting on the call, but if we don't have basic details, we would be sending them to their deaths. The Whispers have raided armories and stripped our warriors bare."

~

"Where is he?" A few hours later I bombard my father's office where he scans over paperwork.

"Busy, you know that."

"Florence told me the truth, forced mother to cough up the rest. Are you ever going to trust me enough?" I slam my hands on his desk. The anger from before has returned with vengeance.

My father meets my level, his anger bubbling to the surface. Two blades from the same metal, "Speak to me like that again and see where it gets you."

"Go ahead, do something. Maybe then you'll see we're the same. If you can't trust me with information, how will you ever trust me with that crown."

"It was a need to know, and you didn't need to know." He spits.

I walk around the desk my finger pressing into his chest. This is so far from how I'd treat my father normally, but something within me tells me to push forward. This is my birth right to be treated with respect, "Watch it. You sent my mate out on a death mission today. Let me try that with mom and see how you handle it. I expect to be told such things. There are no excuses on why I was left out of this circle."

"Walking on thin ice, child."

"And I'll take the fucking hammer to it if you don't listen." He starts to shift, primal veins popping from his skin. I wait for him to catch his breath, calm himself but he doesn't bother.

"Listen. No listen. You listen."

"As least control yourself!" I shift my own form into a matching version of him, he runs his eyes over me seeing how fucking ridiculous he looks. Taking a deep breath, he calms himself down to his more human like form, "If my mate comes back with a single piece of hair out of place, I'll rip this office to shreds before your very eyes." I return to myself. I catch from the corner of my eye my mother standing in the doorway. Tears fill her eyes, something that we don't see often. Both her hands lay on her baby bump, my father reaching his hand out towards her. She gives us her back, walking away silently.

"If you expect me to respect you, at least act like you deserve it!"

"How can I do that if you lie or don't even bother to tell me. I can't earn anything when you hold me in a little bubble telling me everythings alright all the time."

My father growls walking away from me. I go to follow him, books from the desk getting tossed across the room, "I can't protect you forever. At least understand what I was trying to do."

"We've lost Klataz, Mehija is soon to be gone to. Hedium will only stand so long against them with Yunkin at our side. Do you have a plan to save them? Save our people? Or do you plan to let us fall back where women can't speak and are ruled."

"Sometimes, the world would be easier if the women were silent." He spits. Instant regret comes over him, his hand going to cover his mouth. The glimmer of his wedding band reflects over the desk, a reminder of everything he's gone through with his own mate.

"Go fuck yourself."

I take my leave; he stands in silence in the corner. No footsteps are heard behind me as I walk myself from the castle into the green area.