Ginny

GINNY

I stretch my arms out above my head and slowly stretch out. Baby, who has been getting more and more active of late, does a gently spin, followed by a sharp kick which has me opening my eyes and yelling. I'm just pleased Thannie reassured me Xnosson young don't develop hard hooves until they are three weeks old. Baby is not going to kick his or her way out.

Only being kicked is not my main concern right now.

It's the fact I am no longer at Daeldan's emporium. I am somewhere completely different. Somewhere where the walls are made of wood and metal. Where there is no window. Somewhere which looks suspiciously like a cell.

I remember the restaurant, and I remember my guard being concerned, taking me out the back door. Then nothing.

Nothing at all.

Bollocks.

I'm pretty damned pregnant and surely not the easiest to move. And I say that as I attempt to roll off the weird bed I'm on. The thing seems to be a massive sack stuffed with…straw? This whole thing is getting weirder and weirder, creepier and creepier. The skin crawling feeling of violation is sending my stomach turning.

I make it onto my feet and to the door. Predictably, it is locked. I hammer on it for a bit until my hand hurts. Then I take off my shoe and use that, all while hollering at the top of my voice.

Eventually the lock chimes, and I take several big steps back, holding my shoe up high as the cell door slides into the wall and I'm faced with Kevin, my ex-boss.

"What the fuck, Kevin?" I shout at him. "What the actual fuck?"

For a brief second, something akin to an emotion flickers across his face, then his eyes rest on my pregnancy.

"Oh come on, Queen Mudlark," he sneers, having moved back into ordinary Kevin mode aka an arsehole. "You got something out of our little bargain."

"Fuck you very much, Kevin." I flick two fingers up at him, an ancient action which still has the same effect on an English man as it did centuries ago.

He recoils and then sneers. "You shouldn't have stirred things up, Gina. You'd have been fine, popping out alien babies for your alien overlord and never had to bother about anything other than nappies and feeding, but you couldn't leave it alone, could you?"

I decide ignorance is the best option. Twats like Kevin can't help themselves if they think a good mansplaining is in the offing.

"I don't know what you mean?" I say, putting my hand over my bump protectively, but also to draw his attention back to it again. "I haven't done anything."

"Your stupid king has been interfering with the Habosu," Kevin spits, "and they wanted to know why. When they found a human had been matched with him through the Starlight Brides lottery, they came to me."

And of course, you told them everything, you coward.

"King Asteron got rid of the Habosu when he ascended to the throne, not after I was married off to him."

"Yeah?" Kevin is turning a shade of purple. "But why would he be petitioning the galactic council for an injunction on Habosu trading with the Britannia ?"

Yes! Well done, Asteron and Phinade!

"I don't know, do I? I'm just a vessel to him, aren't I?" I reply with a pat on my stomach.

"We're hoping you are so much more, female." A voice booms from behind Kevin as a big, ugly Habosu shoves him aside and enters my cell.

He looks me up and down with an expression of disgust. It's one I return in equal measure.

"We're hoping the king will pay handsomely to get you back and drop his petition at the same time," he growls.

"Then you'll be sorely disappointed. I'm one of many in his herd. He cares as much about me as he might any other instrument at his disposal," I say, hating myself for casting my noble king in such a terrible light.

Saying such things about my noble king cuts me to the very quick. But any reaction on my part could get him, or me, or the baby hurt in ways I don't want to imagine.

I need the Habosu to believe me.

"We'll see," the Habosu says, but I can see in his face he's having doubts. "But our intelligence suggests otherwise."

I sit back down on the bed, feeling thoroughly drained, any defiance I have slipping away. "Then your intelligence is wrong. Asteron won't pay to get me back."

But I hope he comes for me anyway .