Chapter 15

Zerien

T he dreaded welcoming ceremony turned out much better than I had hoped. Anger still bubbled within me for the obnoxious behavior of certain people. I wanted to strangle Lucius and to ban Meriel from ever entering the palace again. But that would be giving them far too much an acknowledgement that they'd gotten under my skin.

All that mattered was that Siona had risen to the occasion, exceeding all my expectations for this first interaction with such a hostile crowd. She impressed my Council, which was a truly vital step in the right direction. Granted, she still had a long way to go, but the first seeds had been sown.

Standing atop the main terrace overlooking the private section of the garden, I observed my beloved performing her training routine. She had not exaggerated when boasting to Meriel about her combat prowess. It shamed me that over all the years I'd been courting her, not once had I actually witnessed her in action.

Siona would tell me about her training, both the one she received from Mercy and the Braxians, but also the one she gave the Guldan rebels. While I had listened with genuine interest, a part of me had assumed it remained mostly at a casual level, like when common folk took some self-defense classes, or took on some form of combat sport for fun.

It dawned on me then that I had failed my mate over the years. In my head, whenever I fantasized about her finally being by my side, I'd reduce her to being mostly a trophy wife and the mother of my children. Another wave of shame washed over me as she lunged and slashed at holographic enemies with a relentless savagery that sharply contrasted with the peaceful scenery around her. Her war cries and the sounds of swords clashing and blasters going off resonated over the gentle trickling song of the Nambra River, which wound around the various gardens of the palace.

Previously, I would stand here looking at the river, wistfully wishing that soon our offspring would be swimming in its cool water as it slowly matured. But now, I wanted the whole world to see what a fierce battle maiden their future Queen was.

I didn't turn upon hearing the discreet footsteps of Drade and Naax joining me on the balcony. My eyes remain glued to my female, dressed in the formfitting Tuurean armor the Veredians gifted her.

Although she had not grown her hair as long as the Veredians—whose Warrior breed usually grew theirs down to their ankles—my Siona nevertheless bound hers into a single armored braid. The clever suit spread over her braid, which ended in a vicious blade. The telescopic tip of the armor, right below the blade, would extend up to four meters in response to Siona's neural commands.

In a signature attack move of the Veredians, my mate whipped her head, sending her braid flying like a harpoon. The blade sank deep into the throat of one of her virtual opponents. He closed his hands around the braid even as she yanked her head back, roping him in. The enemy stumbled forward only to be decapitated by her celesium sword in one clean swipe. Without pausing, she spun around, blocking the attack of a second enemy with her sword, and simultaneously grabbing the tip of her braid right below the blade to use it as a dagger to eviscerate a third opponent.

Drade whistled between his teeth and Naax grunted in approval as she pursued the fight with a series of acrobatic jumps and flips, dodging attacks, blocking others, and knocking out one of her targets with a solid roundhouse kick to the left cheek, only to blow his head off with a perfectly aimed blast or shot to the face.

"Isn't she magnificent?" I whispered, my voice dripping with the pride I felt for my mate.

"She is indeed impressive," Drade admitted.

"Give her a chance, and you'll see what I see in her," I said, giving him a sideways glance.

My heart sank when his face closed off.

"We will serve," he replied in a noncommittal fashion.

"That's not what I asked," I replied in a slightly harsher tone.

He held my gaze unwaveringly, a mulish expression settling on his face. "Our personal feelings are our own. However they end up evolving doesn't change the fact that we will defend her with our lives."

As much as I hated that response, it was fair. That didn't make me any happier.

"If I doubted it, I would have dismissed you already," I snarled.

He snorted. "No, my Prince. If you didn't trust we would serve loyally, you would have killed us."

It was my turn to snort, my blossoming anger instantly fading as I nodded in concession.

"And that's why we follow you," Drade continued, all traces of amusement fading from his face. "You are the fiercest and most ruthless among us—the apex Alpha of Sarenia. No other can earn our loyalty like you can."

"And she's my soulmate!" I argued.

Both men nodded.

"Our eyes indeed confirm it," Naax said. "But our hearts have a mind of their own. Your mate doesn't know our ways. She undermined you at a critical time before your ascension, and constantly looks overwhelmed. That's not what I seek in a Queen."

"Wouldn't you feel overwhelmed at her age with everyone so openly hostile and hating you for no wrongdoing on your part but merely being different?" I countered.

He shrugged. "Undoubtedly, I would. But I would also rise to the occasion and show my strength. I would not allow myself to buckle under the pressure."

"And she hasn't!" I exclaimed, before waving a hand at her while she continued to battle with a fierceness that was turning me on beyond words. "Look at her fight! Does that look like someone who is crumbling under the pressure? She captured the fleet of Guldans who sought to abduct her. She not only shamed Lucius into silence but also sent Meriel running with a tongue lashing. How is she weak?"

Both men chuckled.

"She most certainly has. I don't think Meriel will show her face in the palace for a while to recover from the humiliation," Naax said with amusement.

"But speaking of the Guldans, the prisoners are ready for you to interrogate them," Drade said.

I gave him a stiff nod. "Very well, but this conversation isn't over."

Drade's face closed again, which pissed me off to no end. "You cannot force us to love her. What feelings we bear her, she must earn. You know this."

"She will," I said with conviction.

The oddest expression fleeted over his features. "Whatever you may think, my Prince, all of us truly hope so."

And I believed he meant it. Once again, I chastised myself for how I handled the past six years of courting her. It was my fault they didn't see what an amazingly strong female Siona was. I never acknowledged it publicly or gave her a chance to shine. I'd been too busy being in love and trying to savor what few moments we got to spend together instead of preparing her for a more successful entrance into our world.

A mistake I intended to make amends for.

We headed to the dungeon located in the lower levels at the other end of the palace. While my men had executed half of the Guldan crew on the two ships that attacked my mate, we kept the senior officers, and especially the son of a krillik who had dared insult and threaten Siona.

I nodded at the two guards at the entrance of the dungeon. One of them opened the reinforced doors and escorted us to the interrogation room where Rydel Corrak and Vargan Maluk were shackled. The spacious room had a single metallic table in the front half. The two Guldan males each sat on a metal stool on the opposite side of the table, their wrists shackled a top of it. On the back wall three sets of manacles dangled from chains hooked to the ceiling.

The sound of my sandals on the gridded metal plates covering the floor resonated ominously inside the otherwise quiet room. I deliberately stomped my feet louder than necessary to underline the fact that they were not an aesthetic choice, but a functional one. The gridded floor made it easier to wash the blood and gore that might result from more intense interrogations.

And I intended to make good use of that feature today...

The fear that lit up on the faces of the two males instantly sent my blood rushing to my groin. Our enemies' terror and pain truly acted as a potent aphrodisiac for us Sarenians. An evil grin stretched my lips as I went to take a seat in the single chair in front of the table. A couple more chairs lined the wall near the door for my guards if they wished. But as was their wont, they were content to lean against the left and right walls on each side of the table.

"Commander Rydel, I would welcome you to my homeworld. But the circumstances force me to receive you in quite a different manner," I said in a sickly-sweet voice.

"I invoke the protection of the Telran Agreement!" Rydel exclaimed.

I burst out laughing while my guards snorted in disbelief.

"First off, that agreement only applies to planets that are members of the Intergalactic Alliance. Last I heard, Guldar was kicked out from it for your continued practice of slavery and flesh trading. Second, Sarenia deliberately chose not to be a part of it because of the growing corruption within its leadership. So whatever protection they offered would not be extended to you. Not that they would apply anyway. The Telran Agreement is for prisoners of war, not criminals who attempted to kidnap an innocent woman."

"I am indeed a prisoner of war!'" Rydel countered. "I'm the Commander of my vessel, obeying the direct orders of my superiors. I did not attempt to kidnap an innocent woman either but merely return a runaway female to her rightful place on Guldar. Our females are not allowed off world unless accompanied by their husbands or legal guardians."

"Do not play silly mind games with me, Commander ," I hissed, putting all the contempt I could muster in his title. "Siona has been officially adopted by Councilor Krygor Aldriss. And even if you fools didn't recognize his union to her mother, her brother Tevek is now her legal guardian by Guldan law. He approved of her current living situation and gave his blessing to her union with me, not that it would have changed anything."

"Tevek Siddik is a traitor! He turned on his people and joined the rebellion. His own sire, who had reached the highest levels of the elite of Guldar, was forced to flee our homeworld or face the consequences of the dishonor his son brought unto his house. It is my duty as a Guldan male—and as an officer—to bring Siona Siddik back home."

"Even if some misplaced sense of duty pushed you to follow this course of action, whatever madness possessed you to threaten and insult my mate?"

He shifted uneasily, the chains shackling him to the table rattling in the process. "I may have slightly lost my temper. But she shouldn't have disrespected me like this. Clearly, her whore of a mother didn't teach her how to stay in her proper place in the presence of a male."

The back of my hand connected viciously against the side of his cheek before I even realized I had moved. The sound resonated like thunderclap in the room. He cried out and sputtered in shock and pain. His companion shrunk on himself and swallowed hard while shaking with fear. I almost felt sorry for him. Vargan Maluk was merely the head chef on their vessel. He didn't possess any training in the art of facing interrogation. But I fully intended to make extensive use of his other skills.

"Disrespect my mate, her mother, or any other female, and I will tear every single tooth out of your mouth one by one and make you swallow them," I said in a dangerously low voice while leaning menacingly over the table towards him.

"A… apologies," he stuttered, visibly shaken as his cheek already began to swell.

Judging by the strength of the blow, I wouldn't be surprised if I had fractured one of his bones. But no matter, far greater pain would come to him soon.

I settled back down in my chair, nonchalantly crossed my legs, and smiled at him in an almost friendly manner before resuming the interrogation as if it was an amicable conversation.

"So tell me, Rydel Corrak, who sent you?"

"I received that specific order from the Commander of the Royal Guard, Tanik Olak," he said in a shaky voice.

"So, it was a direct order from Regent Taegen Falar," I said pensively, though unsurprised.

A sliver of panic flashed through his dark brown eyes. "I never said that! I only stated that I received the order from Commander Olak. I know nothing of who is pulling the strings behind the scenes. I merely do what I'm told."

"And Tanik Olak answers directly to the Regent. He wouldn't dare launch such an attack without his blessing. Have no fear, Guldar will answer for that offense," I said coldly, reveling in the crestfallen expression of the Captain. "But how about you tell me now about Deimos Arrin?"

The Guldan male stiffened, and another flash of fear crossed his features, quickly hidden. "What about him? He's one of your rebels. If anything, you should be telling me about him," Rydel replied with a defiance that almost stirred my admiration.

"That he is," I conceded. "But he's also one of your spies."

Rydel immediately took on a mulish expression. "I know of no such things. All I've heard is that he wants an alliance with us."

"Do not lie to me, Guldan," I ground through my teeth, my voice taking on a threatening edge. "Your ship's logs indicate that you were near Haven when Deimos abducted Magnar Keran."

The Captain swallowed hard but maintained his stubborn expression. "A mere coincidence. We do patrol the Eastern Quadrant after all."

"I just warned you against lying to me, you fool. But insist and I'll take great pleasure in making you speak," I said in an overly calm voice.

He snorted and lifted his chin smugly. "Your little mind control tricks don't work on me. So you can vibrate that voice of yours and flash those pretty eyes, it will do nothing."

I smiled maliciously as I leaned back into my seat. "My dear Rydel, do you think I'm not aware of that chip in your brain? By the time I'm done with you, I will have my scientists pluck it right out of your head so that we can thoroughly study it. Thank you for delivering it directly into my lap."

This time, his cockiness faded as true fear started to swell within him. Except, he had no idea what little surprise I had in store for him.

"However, your little friend here doesn't enjoy the benefits of a similar chip," I said teasingly while gesturing with my head at his companion.

"Vargan is a cook!" Rydel exclaimed. "He knows nothing about anything. If you check our records, you will see he has the lowest clearance level required to board my vessel."

"Oh, I'm well aware of that. I do not need what little knowledge he might unconsciously possess. I need the one you're deliberately withholding. My dear Vargan here will help me convince you to speak," I replied in a sweet voice.

The cook paled, an air of panic descending over his features as he glanced in turn at his Captain and then at me. However, Drade pushing away from the wall against which he was leaning and approaching the two males had them instantly tugging in vain at the chains strapping them to the table.

"What… What are you doing?!" Rydel exclaimed in a trembling voice when my guard pulled a hypospray from the deep pocket of his shaal.

"He's just going to administer you a little something to make you a bit more cooperative during what's about to follow."

"No! Stay away from me!" Rydel shouted.

With little effort, Drade grabbed the Captain's right horn and yanked his head to the side, exposing his neck. The pathetic male squealed when Drade pressed the hypospray to the crook of his neck, near his artery, and injected its content into him.

"What is it?! What did you inject me with?" he demanded, even as his body began to stiffen.

Using his claws, Drade sliced through the fabric of Rydel's uniform shirt before tossing the ruined garment to the floor.

"It's Quinmar venom," I said in a conversational tone. "It's a delightful chemical that paralyzes most of your body without numbing your ability to feel or robbing you of the ability to speak. I want you to stay put as we have a pleasant little exchange while not missing out on any part of the experience."

I then turned to Vargan, who was all but shaking in his seat. Eyes wide, he stared at me with the panicked look of prey cornered by its impending death.

I shifted my voice, giving it the irresistible vibration that initiated mind control before I spoke my command.

"You will not attack or attempt to cause harm to anyone here but Rydel. And you will not try to run. I will ask him questions. If he disobeys or lies, you will carve one square inch off his skin."

As soon as I finished speaking those words, my eyes flashed, sealing in the command. Vargan blinked, the same horror he felt descending over his captain's face.

"You can't do this! That's illegal!" Rydel cried out.

"My homeworld, my rules," I said with an evil grin. "But you should thank me, Captain. As a chef, he knows how to skin meat cleanly instead of butchering you like a different crewmate might do. How pretty you still are by the time we're done is truly up to you. Answer me honestly, and you'll suffer minimal pain. But I hope you won't."

I ignored Rydel while he loudly protested and gestured with my head for Naax to proceed. He pulled a sharp blade from his weapons belt and placed it on the table in front of Vargan before removing his shackles. Despite the slightly glazed-over look in the cook's eyes, his urge to reach for the weapon and attack us burned deep within him. It always amused me to see people under our thrall pointlessly try to break free of the compulsion.

Once we mind-controlled them, they didn't lose themselves or their ability to think and feel freely. They simply could not disobey the command we had given them. In this instance, he would be helpless in stopping himself from skinning his superior, even though everything in him tried to resist it or was horrified by it.

"Let's begin, shall we?" I said with enthusiasm. "We'll start with an easy one. Did you help Deimos in his effort to control the Braxian hybrids on Haven?"

"I told you we had nothing to do with that. My goal was to capture Siona Siddik," Rydel said in a pleading tone.

"Wrong answer," I said in a factual manner before glancing at Vargan. "Start with the shoulder. One square inch."

"No!" Rydel shouted. "I'll talk. I'll tell you what little I know!"

"Too late," I said with false commiseration.

He sat paralyzed by the venom, helpless but to screech in pain when his chef started slicing through his epidermis in the fleshy part of his left shoulder. Despite looking on the verge of being sick, Vargan's hands were steady and efficient, making a clean, almost perfectly square cut.

The metallic scent of blood tickled my nose even as it trickled down from the wound in his shoulder. My own blood rushed some more between my thighs. My cock hardened, and I almost felt sorry when the cook finished his task too quickly. Seeing Drade discreetly adjust himself confirmed he, too, was getting turned on by Rydel's pain.

Although I'd made my peace with the fact that this had become an irreversible trait among Sarenian males, it still stirred the embers of the old hatred I harbored for the Korletheans who had turned our once peaceful species into bloodthirsty predators with their experiments.

No wonder so many of my people still challenged my decision to ally with the Korlethean Exiles who had turned their back on their homeworld. Like them, a part of me still burned with the urge to descend over Korlethea, raze their world to the ground, and wipe out their entire species from existence for turning us into deviant freaks.

"Let's try that again," I said, forcing myself to cast those somber thoughts out of my mind. "Did you help Deimos?"

"I was only ordered to give him the Siren technology to help them bring down the Braxian frigate and to teach them how to use it. That's all! I swear it. We weren't involved in whatever they were up to on Haven," Rydel said in a high-pitched voice rife with pain.

How pathetic that he should have achieved such a high-rank and have such little resistance to pain… not that it saddened me. I loved the sound of my enemies' screams, the smell of their fear, and the look of their terror.

Unfortunately, I didn't detect any lie in that response, and felt somewhat cheated to be deprived of an opportunity to have Vargan carve him up some more.

"Very well. And what about their plan once they returned to Braxia?" I asked.

"We had nothing to do with that. That plan was theirs alone," Rydel said a little too quickly.

I smiled. "That was a lie. Vargan, grab a piece off his chest. He doesn't need that pretty little tattoo over his shriveled little heart."

"Noooo!" Rydel yelled.

A sinful wave of pleasure coursed through me as the delightful sounds of his screeches filled my ears. As Vargan placed the second piece of skin on the table next to the first one, his gag reflex kicked in.

"Puke, and I will make you lick it all up. And then I'll make you feed him his own skin," I said menacingly to the chef.

He grew even paler while Rydel whimpered next to him.

"Now, I will ask you the question again. What do you know about their plans once they would have returned to Braxia?"

"I swear to you, we were not involved," Rydel said, almost crying. "It was entirely their plan. Our small fleet was supposed to be on standby to provide whatever assistance they requested. We had no say in the planning. All we knew was that they intended to execute the Prince and put Gavin on the throne. Once the boy was under their control, they would invite a Guldan Ambassador to settle on Braxia. But their plans failed. Once the Braxian Prince prevailed, we were ordered to leave so that we wouldn't go down with the Sarenian rebels. I swear, that's how far as our involvement went!"

He started weeping halfway through the last sentence. I stared at him with the same disgust visible on my guards' faces.

"Very well. Then tell me everything you know about the rebels here on Sarenia," I said.

"I don't know anything! Deimos was my only interaction with the rebels. I never set foot on your planet until today!" Rydel said pleadingly.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You were doing so well," I said, sounding like a disappointed parent. "Vargan, the left cheek."

As the cook went to work on his captain, I settled more comfortably in my chair. We would be here a while, and I intended to savor every minute of it.