“Yes.” He nods.
“Why do you say she is more deadly than Bertos?” Grim demands.
“I believe I have said enough.” Korin straightens to his full height. “When will I be executed?”
“If that is what you wish.” Grim looks to Alger.
“Is it Korin? Is it what you wish?” Lisa asks the warrior. “To be remembered as a warrior who not only disgraced his Lord but his King? A male that would chose to rape, instead of protect. Do you think that will keep your brother safe?”
“You know nothing of Mabon!” All three males move when Korin steps towards her. She waves them off.
“I know you love him. I know you are trying to protect him. You jeopardized him to protect me. You can't protect him if you're dead Korin.”
"It is already too late..."
"Why do you say that?" She asks.
"Because when the retrieval ship isn't allowed through the defense system it will contact Bertos, he will then know we have failed."
"He won't know it was because of you."
"It won't matter, he'll make an example of Mabon, and the brother of every other warrior ordered here, assuring others won’t fail."
"When is the ship to arrive?” Grim demands.
"Later today." Korin informs him.
"It will use the same procedures as when you arrived? Land in the same location?" Grim questions.
"Yes, Bertos was assured you would never detect our entry."
"He was wrong, give me the specifics you know Korin, Alger contact Junius, I want to set a trap."
“Yes my King.”
Lisa steps into the hallway, letting Grim and his warriors plan without worrying about offending her. She’s never been in this section of Luanda, hadn’t known it existed, until Grim led her here, she understands why. It is a dungeon of sorts, although better lit then what she imagined they were on Earth, but still a place where those that needed punished were taken. It would not be a place Grim would want her to see, something she never wanted the girls to see but she knows it is necessary. Moving down the corridor, she finds she’s standing in front of another cell, this one has a clear door, allowing her to see the male inside. Luuken…
Hard, cold, eyes bore into her, as he sits on his cot, his back against the wall. He is filthy, still in the coverings he’d attacked her in, at least from the waist down. From the waist up, he’s naked revealing his injured chest is still untreated.
“Hello Luuken, I see you’re finally where you belong, in a cage.”
“You bitch.” He spits out.
“That’s Queen Bitch to you, Minor Luuken. Does that hurt?” She gestures to the gaping wound left by Grim’s sword. “I hope it does.”
“You don’t know who you’re dealing with!” Grimacing, he rises. “I am Minor Luuken, first male of Lord Bertos! He will not tolerate me being treated like this!” He moves towards the door. “He will destroy you!” He threatens.
“The way you have?” Lisa taunts. “This is your third failure Luuken, defeated by two little girls and a female. On Earth three strikes means you’re out…done…you and your manno both are.”
“Get me a Healer!” Luuken screams at her, enraged that she would speak to him so.
“No.” Lisa faces him tall and regal. “You will pay for your crimes and Grim will be your judge. You will receive no mercy from me. You are the definition of what an unfit male is. Now all can see it.”
“Lisa…” Turning at Grim’s concerned voice, she sees him approaching.
“Look Luuken.” She gestures to Grim. “See what a true male is, a fit and honorable male but you already knew that, didn’t you.” Her eyes bore into his and she can tell he knows she’s right. “It’s why you’ve repeatedly tried to bring him down because you know he’s what you will never be, could never be.” Turning her back on him, she leaves him to his fate and walks to hers, Grim.
Chapter Fourteen
There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the following days. Grim is gone before the dawn and while he makes sure to take last meal with them, he immediately leaves, returning after Lisa’s asleep.
Tucking a loose hair behind her ear, Lisa watches the girls laugh, as they play with Dagan. She’d been able to talk Gossamer into allowing the special young male to come to Luanda with his mother, knowing he and the girls would become great friends despite their differences.
“They are good together.” Padma comments as she watches the three. “Many would not allow their offspring near one such as him.”
“Not only are they wrong, they are missing one of the Goddess’ greatest blessings.” Lisa looks at her friend. “Dagan is a special person Padma. Different? Yes. A Warrior? Never. He has a pure soul that sees the beauty others miss. The Goddess has gifted him with the ability to share it with us, with his sun catchers.”
“It’s been suggested, more than once, that he should not be allowed to continue.” Padma whispers tears filling her eyes. “They only see what he is not.”
“Not for long, soon they will see him as we do, as a gift from the Goddess.” Lisa hugs her friend.
“Thank you Lisa, for so long I’ve worried about him.”
“It’s a mother’s greatest joy and greatest burden, having children to worry about. You can’t have one without the other.”
“You are so different than other Tornian females.” Padma smiles shaking her head.
“That’s because I’m not one.”
“Of course you are.” Padma gives her a confused look. “The Emperor declared you so before you were taken. It is why he can demand you go to Tornian.”
“What are you talking about Padma?” Lisa looks at her frowning.
“You don’t know?” Her eyes widen.
“Apparently not.”
“Only Tornian females are allowed to choose their males through the Joining Ceremony. All others, like me, are at risk.”
“What do you mean at risk?” Lisa feels her stomach tighten.
“Males…” Padma looks to make sure the children aren’t listening. “Can join with any non-Tornian female but have no responsibility to her.”
“This happened to you.” Lisa sees the pain in her friend’s eyes.
“Many times…until I meet Gossamer. He is not a warrior but still he protected me, he made me his female, even after so many other males….” She can’t go on.
“He loves you.” Lisa places a comforting hand on her arm.
“Yes.”
“So the Joining Ceremony, it also provides protection.”
“Yes, it allows a female to pick the male she feels is most fit for her.”
“Wait! What? I thought the female had no choice but to choose one of the males presented to her?”
“Well...that is what’s expected, since all the males there are chosen by the female or her manno.”
“She and her manno chose the males?”
“Yes. He contacts the males that are being considered and she chooses one of them at the Joining Ceremony.”
“And this is how it always is? Is common knowledge?”
“Of course.” Padma gives her a considering look. “You didn’t know this.”
“No, it wasn’t in the education program we received, only that we must join with one of the males presented to us.”
“But...you know nothing of them...know not what they can provide.”
“No and someone wants it that way.” Lisa’s mind is racing.
“But why? What can be gained?” Padma asks.
“Power.” Lisa paces across the patio, looking past the children and into the trees, the trees where Luuken had captured her. Captured her to use against Grim, to gain Luda. Turning away, she moves back to Padma. “Tell me everything you know about the Joining Ceremony, about all the rules.”
It’s late when Grim returns to the Royal Chamber, his head filled with the thousands of things that still need done before they leave for Tornian, but right now, all he wants is to hold his Lisa close. His sh
irt is halfway off before he realizes the bed is empty, panicked he spins, eyes quickly scanning the room, calming only when he finds her in the window seat, gazing out into the darkness.
“Why aren’t you resting my Lisa? He sits lifting her bare feet into his lap, caressing her calves. “What is bothering you?”
“I talked with Padma today.” Grim remains silent, knowing she’ll tell him when she’s ready. “Did you ever review what was put into the educators?”
“The educators?” Grim frowns, wondering what she’s talking about.
“Yes. What was programmed in them?”
“I programmed the girls, you know this.” He tells her.
“Yes I do.” Leaning forward, she gently touches his cheek. “Thank you for that but I’m talking about the original program, the one I and the others received. Who decided what information we were to be given?”
“What you were…” She’s lost him. “You were given all the information my Lisa, nothing was held back.”
“Then how is it that I didn’t know until today that I’d been declared Tornian? That a non-Tornian female can be abused by males with no consequences.” She demands angry at the thought. “That the Joining Ceremony is as much about protection as it is joining.”
“You did not know this?” Lisa sees true confusion in his eyes.
“No. I also didn’t know that in a traditional Joining Ceremony the female selects the males invited before finally deciding on one.” Grim remains silent. “You knew this.”
“Of course.”
“So how can those twelve males have been chosen? Males we have never met, who we know nothing about?” Grim releases a heavy sigh.
“It was decided it would take too long for you to choose from the available males, so each House selected their worthiest male to be presented.”
“Who did you select?” Lisa asks softly her heart hurting for him.
“Callen was my selection.” He informs her.
“He’s a good male Grim.” Lisa agrees. “If not for him I never would have been heard. You never would have heard me.”
“He is a good male. He deserves a female.”
“He does, all your males do, but not this way. If you start down this path, where does it end? You proclaim us Tornians but withhold from us our most basic right. The right to choose the male we want to join with and what’s even worse is that the others don’t even know they have that right. You’re making them into nothing more than breeders Grim.” She moves closer to him. “I know that can’t be what you want.”
Grim carefully removes her feet from his lap, surging to his feet. Pacing he runs a frustrated hand through his hair, trying to understand everything his love has told him. She is right, this isn’t what he wants…isn’t what Wray wants. Wray hadn’t wanted to send the Searcher but once it was discovered Kim had conceived, many of the Lords become insistent that their males be given the same chance as the Emperor, all led by Bertos.
“Talk to me Grim.” Lisa says quietly, watching him pace.
“That is not what should have been Lisa. You were to be given all the information any Tornian female would have.”
“How can you be sure?” She questions.
“Because it was argued in the Assembly, Wray ordered the educators be programmed with all the necessary information.”
“Ordered who Grim?” She whispers.
“Bertos...” He trails off.
“Bertos was in charge of programming the educators?”
“Yes, they are created in his region.”
“And no one thought to double check him.”
“There would have been no reason too. The Emperor's orders are always followed.”
“So Bertos decided what was necessary information.”
“So it would seem.”
“The women need to be informed Grim.”
“No male is allowed near the females until the Joining Ceremony. They are guarded in Torino by the Emperor’s Guard, awaiting our arrival.”
“Then Kim needs to talk to them.”
“Wray informs me they refuse to speak to her. They blame her.”
“Can you blame them Grim? They were taken because she gave them the location of Earth and now they aren’t even being told the truth.”
“The Empress wasn’t able to give the exact location of Earth Lisa." Grim looks at her with guilty eyes. "She didn’t know it, any more than you would. We were able to get only so much from the Ganglian the ship, the rest was what little she knew about your system. Nine planets, one blue, one sun. It was so vague I never expected to find it.”
“So how did you?” Lisa demands.
“I continually studied the scans of the areas we were searching, surprisingly it didn’t take long. Earth is in a very desolate part of the universe. We would have had no reason to believe a compatible race lived there.” Lisa pales, as she suddenly realizes what Grim is saying.
“You…” She whispers. “You found Earth.” Grim sees the shock and pain in Lisa’s eyes.
“Yes.” He admits, knowing she is going to be upset. It was something he’d hoped he’d never have to reveal.
“If not for you…” Now it’s Lisa’s turn to pace, Grim is responsible for them being taken, if it wasn’t for him…
“I was doing what my Emperor ordered Lisa, for the good of our people.” Grim defends what he has done even while he hadn’t agreed.
“Your people! What about mine?” Lisa rounds on him angrily only to have him grip her arms, stopping her from walking away.
“I would change nothing my Lisa. Do you understand that?” He gives her a little shake. “For if I did I wouldn’t have you.” Grim refuses to release her, he understands why she’s upset, but he won’t let this come between them, not now.
“Damn it Grim!” Lisa swears at him but the heat in her words is lost, when she rests her forehead on his chest. “Why did it have to be you?” She whispers. “I want to be angry at someone. Blame someone. And now…” She trails off.
“And now?” He tips her chin up, seeing her tears but also her love.
“And now I can’t because I wouldn’t change it either Grim, at least not for me. I won’t give you up.”
“Lisa…” He whispers.
“But that still doesn’t make it right. So Kim and I have found happiness. That doesn’t mean the others will.”
“It doesn’t mean they won’t either.” Grim argues back gently. “There are two Earth females that have joined with Tornian males and they are happy, that is truth, it is a good sign that the others will too.”
“Could be its only because they are Vasteri males.” Lisa gives him a teasing look, letting go of her anger. “And if that’s the case I’m not sharing. We’ll just return them to Earth.”
Grim laughs at Lisa’s teasing and knows he is forgiven. “No other female will ever attract me my Lisa. You are all I will ever want. Let me show you.” Sweeping her into his arms, he carries her to their bed.
“You haven’t told the King yet.” Hadar accuses the next morning.
“No. There have been too many other things going on.” Lisa looks at Hadar, hoping she’s making the right decision. She asked for this meeting because she needs his help. “What do you know about the Emperor’s Healer?”
“What?” Hadar asks surprised.
“What…do…you…know…” Lisa speaks very slowly.
“I heard what you said!” Hadar responses angrily.
“Then answer the question.” Lisa demands.
“Healer Yakar has a strong reputation as being an excellent healer.”
“Reputation…you’ve never met him?” She's surprised.
“No, there was no reason too. We have communicated recently but…”
“You have? Why?” Lisa demands. The fierceness of her question surprising Hadar.
“Because of you…” He tells her. “I have no knowledge on the treatment of Earth females and was looking for any he had acquired in his treatment of the Empre
ss.”
“He treats the Empress?”
“I…well I assume he does, who else would?” Hadar is now totally confused.
“What ‘knowledge’ did he give you?” She asks.
“In truth, not much, only that your nutritional needs and reproductive systems are very similar to our females.”
“Really…” Lisa turns, walking away from him, thinking aloud. “Don’t you think that’s odd? He should be able to supply you with a great deal of information…if he's treating Kim. On Earth, females see their doctor…healer regularly during a pregnancy. Kim is what, seven months along by now?”
“Yes, that is what is believed but as I told you, Tornian females are very secretive about the process.”
“You believe she has a Tornian female assisting her?” Lisa doesn’t hide her shock.
“I…well of course she does.” Hadar frowns at her.
“I’ll tell you what I think Hadar. I think Kim hasn’t let Yakar anywhere near her. She hasn’t let a Tornian female near her either. Earth females…we’re different than yours…
“Tell me about it.” Hadar mutters before he can stop himself, and then pales.
“Very nice Hadar, sarcasm, I like it.” Lisa gives him a smile before continuing. “But as I was saying, we’re different, we are protective of our children and that starts when they are in the womb. This is Kim’s first pregnancy. She’s on an alien planet with no one to talk too. She’s not going to trust anyone but Wray or one of her own.”
“You are sure of this.” Hadar gives her a considering look.
“I wouldn’t. So we’re going to have to do something about that.” She looks at him waiting.
“We…we…as in you and me?” Hadar can’t believe what he’s hearing.
“Yes, you and me. By now you’ve heard that in three days an Imperial escort will arrive, taking us to Tornian for the official Joining Ceremony.”
“Yes, that’s why you need to tell the King…”
“No. There will be a time and place for that, it isn’t now.” She gives him a hard look. “So as I was trying to say, we will be leaving and I want you to go with us.”
“Excuse me?” Lisa shakes her head at him.