“They wanted you to force me to leave.” She told him and saw his surprise that she knew. “Females do talk Oryon. Not to me but loud enough to make sure I heard.”
“And it never happened. You are mine. My Isis, my one comfort, just the thought of another male touching you that way…” His voice became a deep growl as he spoke. “I’d never allow it. I would kill him first. You are mine.”
“I am,” Isis agreed, stretching up to kiss him.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
It was sometime later that Isis angrily eyed the door someone had the nerve to be knocking at. Oryon had left for his meeting and she had been working on bringing things down from ‘her’ chamber to ‘their’ chamber. It had started with a rug that she had rolled up and dragged down the curved stairway. It now lay proudly in front of the fire Oryon had made sure was burning brightly before he left.
Next had come a small table, the only one she could carry, that went next to the chair she knew Oryon spent a lot of time in as it had the impression of his body embedded into it. She’d placed an afghan over its back so it would be there when he needed it.
She was just getting ready to tackle their luggage, to hang her coverings up next to Oryon’s, something she found she really wanted to see, when the knocking had interrupted her.
“What?” she demanded jerking the door open only to find two startled young males from the kitchen staff standing on the other side.
“Lord… Lord Oryon ordered that last meal be… be brought to you, my Lady.” One of them stuttered flushing before he looked away.
Looking at them, Isis suddenly realized they must be new trainees since they looked years younger than her Zev. It was a common practice to start new trainees in the kitchen to see how they responded to the early mornings pressure and long hours.
Stepping back, she tried to put a serene expression on her face, after all she was their Lady and allowed them to enter the chamber. “Put it over there.” She gestured to the low table between the couch and fire.
“Yes my… my Lady.” The male stuttered again and they quickly carried the trays in. “What are your names?” Isis asked.
“My Lady?” the second young male asked looking at her in shock.
“Your names,” she said slowly.
“Umm, I am called Nabil.”
“I am Galal.” The stutterer said blushing.
“How long have you been on Betelgeuse?” she asked.
“Two… two weeks,” Galal told her.
“I see, well welcome to House Rigel.”
“Thank you, my Lady!” they said together.
“Has last meal been delivered to Lord Oryon yet?” she asked.
“No, my Lady,” Nabil responded. “Cook said he was not to be disturbed.”
“That’s ridiculous it’s been hours since midday meal. Give me your comm,” she said holding out her hand.
“I… what my Lady?” Nabil asked.
“Your comm, I know you have one, all kitchen help does.”
“Yes, my Lady.” Reaching into his pocket Nabil pulled out his Comm and carefully handed it to her, making sure not to touch her.
Isis took the comm and pressed the only button on it. New trainees were expected to carry it at all times for they were at the disposal of Warrior Lajos, otherwise known as Cook.
“What’s taking you little cachus so long?” Lajos angry voice burst out of the comm. “I told you to deliver that food and come straight back!”
“They have delivered my meal, thank you Warrior Lajos,” Isis said her calm voice glaringly opposite of Lajos.
“Lady Isis…” Lajos’ tone and volume immediately changed.
“I’ve been told that last meal has not yet to be taken to Lord Oryon and his Leads.” Isis got straight to the point.
“No, my Lady,” Lajos told her.
“I want it sent now,” she ordered.
“I’m sorry but…” Lajos started.
“There are no ‘buts’ here Warrior Lajos.” Isis’ voice became as hard and inflexible as any Lords could be. “Lord Oryon has not eaten since the midday meal on the Hunter. It is now late into the evening. You will send thick sandwiches filled with twrci, rashtar and the queixo made in the Mriga region.”
“My Lady.” Lajos tried to interrupt.
“I’m not finished. You will also send along an assortment of fruits and drinks. Enough for all the Warriors is that understood Lajos?”
“My Lady, you do not understand. Lord Oryon does not like to be interrupted during his meetings with his Leads.”
“You are the one who does not understand Warrior Lajos. I will not have my Lord do without, not anymore. Now you either do as I have ordered or I will come down to the kitchens myself and take care of it.”
“I… yes my Lady,” Lajos said suitable chastised.
“And Lajos.”
“Yes my Lady.”
“When you deliver the meal make sure you let your Lord know it was because his Lady ordered you to do so.”
“Yes my Lady.”
Ending the call Isis handed the comm back to Nabil. “Thank you, Nabil, now you both best hustle back to the kitchen for I believe Cook will need you.”
“Yes my Lady,” they chorused and immediately left.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
“Then there have been no more problems with the training in the Mriga Region,” Oryon asked reading a report.
“No my Lord, once the problem with the equipment was discovered and corrected the injuries stopped.” One of his Leads told him.
“And the investigation has been started to find out how the defective equipment got there in the first place?” Oryon asked his voice deceptively soft as he looked to Lead Phong, his Lead in charge of tactics and tracking.
“Yes my Lord,” Lead Phong told him.
Nodding, Oryon relaxed and leaned back in his chair looking at his Captain and Leads. They were good males; every one of them, most had been with him for years. He wondered which ones would want to go to Luda to see if they could attract an Earth female.
“Now, questions about what occurred on Tornian,” he said because he knew they all had them.
There was silence for several moments before Warrior Eike, Lead for weapons training spoke. “Is it true that Lord Bertos was attempting to over throw House Vasteri? That Lord Reeve was assisting him?”
“Yes. Apparently, he and his female had been plotting for years to become Emperor and Empress. Together they were responsible for the attack on King Grim and the deaths of King Rask, Empress Adana and Prince Van. Risa also attacked Empress Kim and tried to kill Princess Destiny. She severely injured the Earth female that was protecting the Princess. The female has made a full recovery,” he quickly reassured them knowing they would be concerned, “but Risa was killed during the confrontation by Queen Lisa.”
Silence greeted his statement as the Warriors considered what he had said. The loss of a female, any female, meant some male had lost the chance to receive offspring from her. Oryon truly believed that the madness that had affected Risa and her ancestor Emperor Berto would continue to affect any future offspring she produced.
“Then I hope Daco takes them all for the Goddess would never welcome ones so unworthy.” Eike spit out.
Oryon nodded his agreement. “Because of these acts the Emperor stripped House Reeve and House Bertos of all their power and named two new Lords. Lord Callen of Vesta and Lord Ynyr of Etruria. He also assigned each of us with the task of supporting them while they fix the harm caused and to build honorable Houses. It is why I left half the warriors with us on Tornian to be split between Lord Callen and Lord Ynyr.” Oryon saw his Leads look at each other. “Speak,” he ordered.
“Why were none of us allowed to assist Ynyr… Lord Ynyr or Lord Callen.” Huntley his youngest Lead asked. It would be a great honor for any warrior to be part of establishing a new house.
“I made that decision and not because I thought any less of those of you here,” Oryon’s ey
es traveled over all his Leads, “but because time was of the essence. Lord Callen left for Vesta three days ago with warriors from the Emperor and every House.” Oryon looked at the time unit on his wrist. “They are only now arriving on Vesta. The Emperor charged Prince Tora, who is training on Vesta with controlling the House until Lord Callen arrived. If I were to have sent warriors from Betelgeuse instead of those with me, you would still be two days out because I had our fastest ship on Tornian. It is also why I sent none of you to assist one of our own. After the attack, the Emperor immediately dispatched his own specially trained warriors to Etruria to control Bertos remaining warriors until he named its new Lord. Ynyr and his Lady arrived in Etruria two days ago.”
“Lady!” Every male in the room sat straight up and leaned a little closer wanting to hear every word.
“Yes, an Earth female named Abby chose Ynyr as her male.” Oryon didn’t try to keep the pride out of his voice.
“Truly?”
“You did not know this?” Oryon asked looking at his warriors in surprise. “It happened days ago.”
“There were rumors that an Earth female had Joined with a male my Lord, but we didn’t know to who or if it was even true. We knew the Emperor had dissolved the Joining Ceremony so how could a female Join with a male?” They all looked at Oryon waiting for an explanation.
“That is true. The Emperor has done away with the Joining Ceremony. So when Queen Lisa became aware that one of the females under the King’s protection wished to Join with a male, they created a new ceremony. One that blended traditions from both worlds. King Grim’s ‘family’ and my family met on the Assembly floor where Abby presented herself to Ynyr.”
“Ynyr knew this?”
“No he did not.” Oryon looked at his males and knew he needed to explain further, to see if they would react as Ull had. “It seems that Ynyr had… contact with Abby before the Joining Ceremony.”
“What?!!” Every male in the room stood knowing this broke the Law.
“Sit!” Oryon ordered and slowly his Leads obeyed. “It is not as you think. Ynyr was walking by the walled garden of the female’s chamber when he heard a female crying.” Oryon saw several of his Leads frown. “He knew it was against the Law for him to approach any of the females before the Ceremony, but he found he couldn’t just walk by and as there was a wall between them….”
“He… spoke to her?” Qays, Oryon’s Lead in hand to hand training and the quietest of his Leads, asked quietly.
“Yes. He was able to calm her. He never told her his name and she never told him hers. They never saw each other, but they spoke through the wall almost daily, telling the other about themselves, about their worlds. It was during this time that Abby developed feelings for him.”
“Even though she didn’t know who he was? What he could offer?”
“Even though. It seems that Earth females must have feelings for a male before they are willing to Join with him… they must have love…” Oryon’s use of the ancient word shocked many. “If they do, they will remain with that male.”
Stunned silence greeted Oryon as he finished.
“She would stay with a male… as Lady Isis has always stayed with you?” Eike asked the slightest sliver of hope in his voice. “Be his?”
Oryon gave Eike a surprised look at what he heard in his voice. He had never considered that one of his Leads, that any other Tornian male might want what he and Isis had. They had always been thought of as the oddity of the universe.
“There is more,” Oryon told them. “No longer will a female be forced to choose only from those males that have reached a high status and accumulated enough to support her. From now on she may select any that she deems fit and worthy.”
“But my Lord, how can a male support her if he has no wealth, no status?” Huntley demanded.
“It is now the male’s, the female’s manno, and Lord of the male’s House responsibility to make sure she is adequately cared for.”
“Their Lord… you would be willing to help us my Lord?” Huntley asked shocked.
“Of course!” Oryon looked from Huntley to his other males not understanding why they were so surprised. “You are some of the finest males I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Why would I not be willing to assist you in obtaining a female?”
“But Lady Isis…”
“Is looking forward to having more females on Betelgeuse.”
“But… it will take away from what you give her.”
Before Oryon could respond, there was a knock on the door. Giving the door an irritated look Oryon ordered. “Enter!”
Lajos entered, followed by several males carrying platters laden with food.
“What’s the meaning of this Lajos?” Oryon demanded.
“Apologies my Lord,” Lajos said then gestured to the males where to put the platters. “I know you prefer not to be disturbed when you are with your Leads, but I was ordered to bring you last meal.”
“Ordered?!! By whom?” Oryon demanded, surging from his chair. Only he could give that order.
“Lady Isis, my Lord,” Lajos told him quietly, his skin darkening in embarrassment as he admitted he had followed a female’s order.
“Lady Isis ordered you to bring us a meal?” Oryon asked slowly sitting back down.
“Yes my Lord. She…” Lajos found he couldn’t keep eye contact with his Lord.
“She what Lajos?” Oryon asked quietly.
“She threatened to come to the kitchen herself and make the meal if her orders weren’t followed,” Lajos told him, looking sheepish. “I know I shouldn’t have….”
“When your Lady gives you an order you will obey it Warrior Lajos,” Oryon told him in a hard voice, “as long as it doesn’t endanger her safety.”
“Y… yes my Lord.” Lajos stuttered, his eyes flying to the other males and saw that they were just as shocked as he was. Oryon saw it too.
“Go fill your plates,” Oryon ordered his Leads. “Once we have eaten, as my Lady has demanded, I will finish explaining to you more about how our universe has changed.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Oryon watched as his Leads devoured the food Lajos had brought. Why had he ever insisted they not eat until they were finished? He now realized it might cause his males to rush through the meeting because their hunger distracted them from telling him all they should. How had Isis known this?
“Warriors, our universe has changed drastically since I left for the Joining Ceremony.” Oryon watched several Warriors put their plates aside as he spoke. “Continue to eat, if my Isis discovers you left this meeting hungry she will have my head.” He didn’t miss the astonished looks on his Warrior’s faces
“You find it strange that I would speak this way to you when before I left for Tornian I wouldn’t have.” Oryon paused trying to organize his thoughts. “Those of you in this room are among my most trusted Warriors and I consider you as close as brothers.” Every male chest puffed up at their Lord’s statement. “Many of you, such as Captain Shen, have been at my side since my manno met the Goddess and I know there have been many trying times. Less worthy males have left House Rigel choosing to serve elsewhere because they believed my… situation reflected badly on them.”
“My Lord.” Shen tried to interrupt him, but Oryon refused to let him, this needed to be said.
“It is truth Shen and all of you know it. My Isis refused to leave me, even after she presented me with two fit males. Many found fault with me for not forcing her to leave,” Oryon let his eyes run over the males in the room. “So she could give her ‘gift’ to other males, males that could have been you.” Oryon’s chest tightened at the thought of one of these males the he trusted, touching Isis as he did.
“I tell you truth that I would have found myself hard pressed not to kill any male that tried to take my Isis from me before going to Tornian. Now, I will kill any male that even thinks to take her from me. She is mine!” No male doubted the truth in their Lord’s words.
Oryon sighed heavily and tried to calm. “What I need to explain to you is why my attitude has changed and I hope it will explain to you how your universe has changed and that the chance for you to have a female has also changed.”
“When Empress Kim was first presented to the Assembly we all dismissed her as not being a worthy female. Even though she was very similar to our females, she wasn’t really Tornian even though the Emperor declared her so. She was just this small insignificant being to us…” Oryon saw his Leads nod in agreement. “Until she conceived… then we all took notice. We tried to force her to telling us where her planet was so we could acquire more like her and she refused. She even refused to tell the Emperor. What Tornian female do you know brave enough to refuse her male?” Oryon asked as his eyes traveled over the males in the room.
“My brothers, our females fear us and it is our fault for we have not given them what they really need and I’m not talking of ‘things.’ The Empress doesn’t fear the Emperor because she knows he loves and cares for her as much as she does for him.”
“But my Lord,” Phong spoke. “They are female.”
“Yes, with thoughts, feelings and a mind all their own, that is what we have forgotten with our fear of extinction. Our females aren’t breeders, as Queen Lisa has accused us of treating them. We aren’t like the Ganglians, who just take and use females for their own release. I wish you all could have been there to witness the Queen at the Joining Ceremony, to see not only how she stood up to the entire Assembly but how she responded to anything she perceived as an insult to King Grim. She defended Grim even though she was attacked while under his protection. She does not view his scars as a sign of weakness but instead as a badge of courage, believing that if he was strong enough to survive that, then he will always be able to protect her and her offspring. It is something we should have realized.”
Oryon looked to the visual of his manno that still hung on the wall across from his desk. He kept it there to remind him of all his manno had taught him about being a fit and worthy male. Never had Oryon doubted his manno’s teachings… now he did.