One: Maira
The blood was everywhere. I could barely see from the dust storm that had been kicked up by the latest round of bombs to detonate overhead. I could hear myself screaming but I didn’t know what I was saying. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I frantically looked for my parents. My throat felt like it was on fire. The dust cut into my body as I looked through the rubble for the remains of my parents.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of something under the settling dust. I turned to look at it, recognizing the gelonite stone my father had given my mother on their anniversary a few years before. All I could see was the ring and her hand. Unmoving and pale. My stomach started to churn as I moved closer. With a racing heart, I reached for the first chunk of rock that was my mother’s tomb.
***
I gasped, bolting up in my small bed and covering my mouth to muffle the sobs as I started to cry. It had only been a dream. It wasn’t happening all over again. I was safe. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. My body felt clammy, too hot for me to touch. In a fevered rush, I leaned forward and put my feet on the cold cement floor. Orion had offered to put a rug in my room, to make things feel like more like my home of Vaxvian. I politely declined.
I was trying to get away from my home. Away from the death and destruction and any memories that would send me reeling into another nightmare. Glancing at my alarm, I saw that it was only a few hours before I needed to be up anyway. With a sigh, I pulled on my pants and tugged a shirt over my head. I could get away without wearing a bra for a few hours. My petite breasts never seemed to distract the other servants, so where was the harm?
As I quietly snuck from the small bedroom and down the hall, I took care not to wake the others. The kitchen staff would be waking up soon, Aara and Galbon. The other three servants would sleep until the sun was about to rise over the crest of the mountains in the distance. It was still strange for me to be on a planet that only had one sun. As I crept across the floor, I took care to watch the boards in the ancient house that might creak as I tiptoed upstairs.
Making my way into the library, I kneeled down to the cabinet space where we kept the cleaning supplies for the room. It was my favorite part of the house. On the third day of the sun’s cycle, I got to spend my entire day cleaning the library. I didn’t have a single complaint on those days. I loved the old leather bindings, the smell of books as balls of dust dissipated in the air, and most of all, the silence that greeted me for an entire afternoon.
Working in Orion’s house wasn’t bad. I’d heard of servants finding work on Dragselis only to arrive and find a cruel overlord who wanted to work them to death. My passport had been sponsored by Orion. Even though my debt to him had been paid off within a year of arriving, I stayed on and earned a small wage on top of room and board. Someday, I would have a little place of my own on Dragselis. Then I would be able to gain full citizenship.
Even though I’d been there for a little over a year, I still hadn’t made many friends. Humans on Dragselis were either scared of the Dragselians or they were rebelling against them after the Dragselis/Human War. I didn’t look down upon the Dragselians or revere them. They were just trying to get by like the rest of us. Nor did I hate them for my parents’ untimely death. I understood that war was cruel. I was just happy to be away from Vaxvia.
The door opened, making me jump. I didn’t think that anyone would be awake so early in the morning. When I turned and saw my boss, I quickly bowed and blushed. I didn’t think I would be near anyone, otherwise I would have put up my unruly silver-blue hair into something a little neater, not just leave it flowing down my back.
“Good morning, Maira,” The rotund Dragselian said to me as he slipped past.
“Good morning, sir. Would you like me to wake the kitchen for you? Or perhaps I can make you some coffee?”
He chuckled softly, his plush belly jiggling as he sat down behind the large, ornate desk. “No thank you, Maira. You are up awfully early. Is everything okay?”
I nodded. I didn’t like to keep secrets from my employer if he asked me. For that reason, he knew about my past and what had happened to my parents. Turning my back to him, I continued my work. He liked for the library to stay clean. I didn’t blame him for it. I loved it in there.
“Maira?” He pressed. “Did you have another nightmare?”
I sighed and turned back to him, nodding my head. “Yes, I was back with my parents. I wish they would stop.”
“You know, you can’t escape your past, no matter how far away from home you move.”
“I know,” I whispered. It was nothing I hadn’t been told before. Still, it did little to ease my mind. “Have you heard about the riots?”
“Yes,” he replied softly. “But I also know our house is far from the city. Isn’t that one of the reasons you took this post?”
“It is,” I admitted. “It still worries me though. Human extremists want nothing more than to destroy what those of us who care about our lives have worked so hard to rebuild.”
“You know how I feel about the situation. I know you are worried, but you have no need to be. I will not let any harm come to you as long as you work for me.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said with a blush. Orion really was a fantastic employer. I had no complaints for the rest of the household either. Everyone seemed to get along flawlessly.
“I have some news that might brighten your morning, Maira,” Orion said with a sly grin. “The crown prince is coming by tomorrow morning to view my collection of antique books himself. He does love his mythology.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. The crown prince Vaxam was like no other Dragselian I’d ever seen before, not that I’d ever met him. He was tanned, and his lanky yet muscular build drove me wild each time I saw him on the holographic news channel. His golden-green eyes always seemed so kind. I fought the urge to shudder as I thought of him in his dragon form. As the crowned prince, he often did military shows with the forces. I should have been afraid of his dragon form, foreboding with dark green scales and opal, almost iridescent wings. Instead, I wanted to touch him.
“Maira?” Orion asked.
My heart raced as my eyes darted back to him. “I’m sorry sir. Guess I needed my morning coffee after all. I will make sure that everything is perfect for his arrival. Did you need anything else?”
He chucked and shook his head. “No. But if you are getting yourself a cup of coffee, I wouldn’t mind one either.”
“Absolutely,” I stammered.
I quickly put down my rag and headed back through the house and down to the kitchen on the main floor. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about the prince. I knew the chances of seeing him were slim. I would no doubt be helping the kitchen prepare a lunch for them both. Still, I might be able to catch a glimpse of him as he came and went.
***
I spent the next day helping the rest of the house prepare for the royal visit. When Orion asked about the library, the most important part, I gave him my word that it would be prepared. With the prince’s arrival just moments away, I was cracking open the final window to let in a subtle breeze. The room smelled both fresh and eclectic, the old leather and foreign bindings standing out against the dusting cleaner I’d used. Standing up, I brushed off my fitted black dress I wore as a uniform and straightened the braid of my hair before heading for the door.
Before I could reach for the doorknob, it opened suddenly, and Orion burst through, his booming laughter accompanied by that of another. I skidded to a stop before quickly stepping out of the way. It wasn’t until they were inside the room and I was trying to sneak out that they noticed me.
“Maira? My dear, I didn’t realize you were in here,” Orion said suddenly.
I winced, turning around and locking eyes with the crown prince. He was even more stunning in person. I could hardly breathe as he looked into my eyes. There was a draw between us, something you could almost touch with your hands. I tried to step out of the room, but I could barely move. He took a step closer to me, his hand stretched out. As he parted his lips into a seductive grin, I felt my heart skip a beat.
“Please,” he said in a smooth tone. “Don’t leave on my account.”
“Your majesty, this is Maira. She’s worked for me for about a year now. One of the good ones,” Orion said.
“I’m sure,” he said, his gaze never leaving mine. “Maira, what a beautiful name. Tell me, do you like your work here with my old friend?”
“Oh, yes,” I said a little more breathlessly than intended. “Orion is a fantastic employer. I know how lucky I am to be here.”
“Don’t be silly,” Orion said, unable to break the spell between the prince and me. “It is I who is lucky. Maira is a hard-working young woman. She plans on buying her citizenship with her earnings.”
“You owe no debt to Orion?” asked the prince, his brows raising.
I shook my head. “No, not anymore. Now I hold my passport. Why would I leave such a good employer though?”
“Perhaps your husband should be searching for work.”
I felt the heat rush to my cheeks as I shook my head, unable to stop the grin from appearing. “There is no husband, your majesty. No boyfriend or partner to speak of. Just me. So, Orion’s house suits me well. I like working.”
“Ah,” The prince said, as if he finally understood what was going on. “You are right, Orion. She is a very strong young woman.”
He slowly reached out his hand. At first, I just looked at it like it was going to bite me. I swallowed and extended my hand, half frightened that touching his hand would send a shock of desire so deep inside me that I would topple over on the floor. His warm hand seared against mine. As his chest heaved, I realized that he was feeling the same powerful desire that I was. Orion cleared his throat, snapping me out of the spell. Quickly pulling my hand away from the prince, I gave my employer all of my attention, feeling like a child about to be scolded.
“I’m sorry, sir. Can I bring you some tea? Perhaps lotus? I know the kitchen received a particularly wonderful batch this time from the market.”
“That would be wonderful, Maira,” Orion said with a grin. “Please be sure to bring it back yourself though.”
“Of course, sir,” I said, the flush climbing back up my cheeks.
I spun around and quickly walked out of the room. I didn’t trust myself to stay there any longer with the prince. He was dangerously enticing.
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