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The son dared to be better than the father.
I returned Kressel’s look and gave him a sweet smile, not dropping my gaze as he probably expected. If anything, maybe now was the time to show him my alliance to his son, the man he was forcing into marriage with a weak human.
He was getting much more with his little ploy of spite than he asked for. The loathsome, feared, deranged dictator of the Prexis Prime Empire would find himself staring at this human woman in a new way before long.
Kressel looked away first, and I felt like I had won. I smiled to myself. When I looked back to Braxl, his brow was furrowed, considering me.
It didn’t really matter what he thought of me. All that I needed was for him to let me have access to his ship, to trust me enough to not suspect me of anything untoward and to keep me safe from anyone who might suggest otherwise. My fiancé had to be useful to me for as long as I needed him.
If that meant showing backbone before these assholes who were trying to make him feel small, then that was what I could do best to help myself.
I smiled at Braxl, fluttering my eyelashes a little, and slipped my hand under the table. I brushed his knee gently with my fingertips.
His eyes lit up with surprise but not a lack of delight.
Hmm… That’s the real win…
“When we are done here, do you think I could have some time alone with you?” I purred, caressing his knee.
Braxl’s eyes narrowed, and he glanced sideways as if afraid any of the others might see him actually considering engaging with the weak human in a compromising fashion.
“We’ll see.”
I squeezed his leg and leaned back, fluttering my fingertips down the low neckline of the neon green dress that hugged my ample cleavage. “That’s what I mean. There’s a lot more of me to see…”
He tried to stop himself but still smiled.
The warlords around us paused momentarily in their guffaws, and the moment between us was broken. The frosted television screen behind the banquet table came alive with a Nova Dominion newscast alert. Pompous Commander pointed to it, thrusting with a slosh of his chalice.
“Look! The news has broken!”
The other warlords swung their heads, wild smiles lit by the liquor and the glory of their most recent triumph on a planet that I recognized as not too dissimilar from Earth. Its name was Radia, and the Resistance had heard that it was under attack by Prexis. It was where many battalions of humans were being deployed. The gravity was slightly less, so at least we weren’t being crushed beneath the alien armor that bore our blood down to the ground. It was just the harpooning lasers and jettisons of plasma bombs…
The scenes of the battlefield shivered into sharp perspective as a Nova Dominion newscaster related the latest updates from the battle. Radia had officially been declared the newest Prexis Prime territory. The leaders of Radia had surrendered or been killed, and Prexis would be installing an overseer.
The newsreel spun over lush green fields painted red with blood. Military personnel from both armies sprawled, broken and beaten, metal in twisted array, a dual sun glinting off the shattered splinters. Cheering Prexis Krafina leaders fired their weapons in the air to make an array of fireworks over armies that stood at attention. Shaking, sobbing civilians huddled over family members blown to smithereens in burning villages.
I swallowed and pushed my chalice away from my plate, leaning back in my chair. Hot bile burned in my stomach, and I could feel the flushing in my cheeks that wasn’t just from the blue liquor.
That could be Earth…
We were lucky to have a trade agreement with Prexis, rather than be actual citizens of their empire.
On the other hand, the Nova Dominion had decided that Prexis was granted Military Rights. So, we were not so lucky to avoid the fact that the trade agreement hinged on supplying them with an endless stream of drafted men and women for their military who were used as cannon fodder on planets that these young humans never got to see except through a Heads-Up-Display of their atmosphere-sealed helmets.
Braxl caught my eyes across the table. Did my disgust show so clearly on my face? I held his gaze evenly, then pushed back and stood up. My meal was half finished. The dessert hadn’t even arrived.
The Prexis elite looked at me with surprise as they congratulated each other on one more planet to fall in the wide solar systems beneath their determined boots.
“It was a pleasure to meet you all.” I smiled as sweetly as I could.You are a disgrace to the courage it takes to be soldiers.“It is an honor that you all are here for our wedding.”I can’t wait for you to see the fireworks I have planned.“I will leave you to celebrate your victory. I am still traveling a bit on Earth’s time. Good night.”
I hope you all sleep particularly poorly.
There were a few shots at my weak will behind me as I turned and left the banquet hall. I could feel Braxl’s eyes burrowing into my back, and I wondered if he would follow me. I hoped he wouldn’t.
It wasn’t until I was out in the hall that I realized I was still holding my steak knife, tight in my fist, dreaming of ramming it home into the throats of all those who would threaten my home planet.
That’s what I am here for. Not some wedding. Not some ruse. Not some farce.
