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“He has tried to enter Xoyosan airspace,” Targol said, his eyes glinting with barely concealed glee. “And was deferred.”
Scarlett stared at him, trying to hide her joy. She knew this was supposed to be bad news, but she was just happy Grux was alive.
“If he attempts to come to the surface at all, he will be immediately killed.” Meshka smiled. “So, you can forget about being rescued by your prince.”
Scarlett turned her eyes down to look at the floor. They did not expect or require a response. In fact, if she tried to give them one, she would probably be punished.
“Off to the kitchens with her.” Targol waved a hand. “I think cleaning the ovens will be a decent job for her return. She needs to learn the consequences of her bad behavior. You can work a more pleasant position when you have learned to behave.”
Scarlett felt cold and desperate inside. The kitchens were a terrible, hot place, literally covered in grease and charcoal. The smell was awful, and it looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in years.
The Flemlars chuckled as she was taken away, and Scarlett wondered, not for the first time, what could be wrong with people who were so cruel. She simply didn’t understand making others suffer for any reason. If the situation were reversed, she knew she could never truly hurt anyone, even those who had caused her pain.
Scarlett spent the day in the kitchens, scraping grease and scrubbing charcoal marks. Sweat poured from her brow constantly, and she felt faint, but she didn’t dare stop. She was allowed a few short breaks to eat and rest, but they did little to restore her.
By the end of the day, she collapsed into her bed, too tired to even bathe or change. Scarlett had never wanted to give up as badly as she did at that moment, but she knew if she didn’t do as she was told, the baby would suffer.
The Flemlars didn’t care that much about keeping her healthy, and Scarlett knew her only chance at survival for both her and her baby was to obey and hope they showed her some mercy. She needed to escape before she gave birth, or they’d hold her child for ransom.
Over the next few weeks, Scarlett kept this thought forefront in her mind. She clung on to the hope that her child represented, letting that one sliver of light guide her through the darkness that filled her soul.
Every day, she prayed that she would see Grux charging into the palace to rescue her. He came into her imagination, again and again, slaying her captors and whisking her away to a private location where they could be together without anyone else in the way.
Scarlett clung to this dream until a day several weeks after she had arrived when all her hopes were shattered. She was cleaning vases and lamps in Meshka’s sitting room and paused to stare off into space while she daydreamed.
“Get back to work,” Meshka snapped from behind her. “You have a lot to do today, and you’ll be at work all night if it doesn’t get done. Is that what you want?”
“No, ma’am,” Scarlett whispered, going back to her cleaning.
Meshka approached her, narrowing her eyes and glaring at her. “I get the feeling you’re thinking about your prince,” Meshka muttered. Scarlett tensed but didn’t respond. “He’s given up, you know.” Meshka’s voice was cold and cruel, tinged with amusement. “Just vanished with his fleet, never to return. He doesn’t care about you or your half-breed baby.”
Scarlett held herself together while Meshka walked away, laughing. Once her mistress was out of sight, Scarlett let hot tears run down her cheeks.
It’s a lie. I know it!
As much as she tried to convince herself that Grux loved her and was coming for her, the evidence didn’t lie. It had been weeks with no sign of him.
Scarlett couldn’t help but be swallowed by despair.
Maybe, Grux really didn’t care—about her or their child.
For days, Grux tried to enter Xoyosan space. No matter what reason he gave, he was denied. He thought if he refused to leave, they would understand that he was serious and let him through.
Even under the threat of diplomatic reprisal, the Xoyosans still refused to let him in. After a week, Grux was beside himself with anxiety. He couldn’t bear the thought of his mate and child locked up and forced into slavery.
He knew he would have to attempt a different approach, but it was difficult to leave the planet. At least while he was looking at the surface, he could imagine Scarlett there, almost close enough to touch.
Turning the ship around to return to Lorr was the hardest thing he had ever done.
When he arrived home, he went to meet with his father immediately. Even though it had been weeks since he’d slept or eaten properly, he didn’t spare a thought for himself. The king was waiting for him, his expression grim because he knew what they were facing. Grux had sent plenty of updates while he was stationed in Xoyosan space.
“What are we going to do, Father?” Grux demanded. He hated that he’d tried so hard to get away from the man, and now he was begging for his help.
“There is nothing we can do, son,” his father said with regret. “I’ve already tried entreating diplomatically.”
“What does that even mean?” Grux cried, his voice low and rough with anger.
“They say they do not have to give her back to us because she is their rightful property. Even pregnant with an heir of Lorr, they hold claim to her, especially since they now have possession of her.” His father gritted his teeth. “They will sell us ‘our property’ back, for double what they had to pay for her.”
