13. En’Zal

My heart aches as I stride towards the war-room. What's going on with me?

Deep down, I know the truth. The signs are all there. Elevated heart rate. Dilated pupils. Throbbing erection.

I am bonding with Stella.

An Erullian soul-bond.

Those cannot be broken. Once connected, the two souls are forever entwined. It is the greatest joy one can find, but the timing is… unfortunate, to say the least.

At least that is what my brother would say.

As the unwedded king of the great and prosperous country of Zalleria, I am the most eligible Erullian bachelor in existence.

My country is wealthy and safe, and I am of prime mating age. The other kings on my planet are lining up their daughters for me. It's a good way to strengthen the bonds between our houses, and it's expected of me to take a royal bride.

It's also something I have zero interest in.

True soul-bonds are rare for men in my position. Kings cannot concern themselves with such matters of the heart. They must think about duty, honor, safety and wealth.

They must take a royal bride and produce royal offspring to continue the royal lineage.

Yeah. I've never been one to do things the ‘right' way. I follow my instincts, and they haven't misled me.

Not yet.

But can I really put a human woman on the throne?

My thoughts are interrupted by the sounds of my shouting generals. My entire staff has gathered in the war-room, and I can already hear Khi'Zal's booming voice down the hall.

"Men," I say when I enter.

The entire room falls silent. All eyes are on me.

"The peace negotiations have failed. I expect a direct all-out assault of Kalnian forces on our borders. King Ro'Kal will do whatever it takes to hurt us, and he's willing to destroy his own country in the process. So far, we have protected our borders and I have tried to de-escalate the conflict politically. Meeting King Ro'Kal has shown me the that has been the wrong strategy. He will not stop. He cannot stop. He must be defeated, for Zalleria, and for Kalnia. Our strategy changes today. We will bring the fight to him. We will defeat him. We will win this war. Generals, you know what this means. Plan for an invasion. Dismissed."

The men in the room nod grimly. I do not want war, but I cannot walk away when it is at my door. I will protect my people no matter what.

I will protect Stella. No matter what.

As the generals talk amongst themselves about this grand new strategy, Khi'Zal pulls me to the side.

"This is a big change, brother," he says softly. "Are you sure about this?"

I saw with my own eyes how eager King Ro'Kal was to hurt Stella. It was written all over his face. I knew in an instant that this was a madmen who needed to be put down.

Any man who dares to hurt Stella will face the same fate.

"Positive."

Khi'Zal nods. "Alright. Your word is law, brother. Let's kick some Kalnian ass."

I leave the generals to their planning and head to my office. I sit down behind my desk, and one look at my schedule makes my heart sink. The work on my plate is endless.

First things first.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Ilyara, there's a human female in my private bedchambers. Attend to all her needs. She'll need new clothes, tailored to her measurement. She needs to be fed, so take note of her dietary needs and preferences. Give her everything she wants. This is your top priority from this point on. All other work can wait. Oh, and Ilyara? She's had a rough day, so be gentle and kind with her."

Ilyara chuckles. "Aren't I always, Your Highness?"

"When you choose to be, maybe," I answer.

Ilyara is the person I trust most in the world next to my brother. She's an elderly Erullian female who has served my family for generations. Sometimes, I feel like she understands royal politics better than I do. She can be tough as nails if needed, or as sweet as pie.

Stella needs someone sweet right now.

Now, time to access the Erullian databases and learn all I can about this little blue dot called ‘Earth'…