Chapter 27

TWENTY-SEVEN

T he war room hummed with a tense energy, the air thick with disappointment and frustration. Mila leaned against the holographic table, her fingers drumming an impatient rhythm on its smooth surface. The council’s rejection of their field trip proposal hung over them like a storm cloud, dark and foreboding.

Roqron stood beside her, his usually composed features marred by a frown. Across the room, Garek, Vex, and Dravek huddled together, their expressions a mix of concern and determination. The king sat at the head of the table, his silver eyes surveying the room with quiet authority.

Mila’s gaze met Roqron’s, and she saw her own frustration mirrored in his eyes. She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “We’ll have to do this on our own,” she said, her voice steady but firm.

A ripple of surprise went through the room. Vex raised an eyebrow. “You mean, go behind the council’s back? My, my, Earth girl. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

Mila rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto her face. “Please. I once snuck into a restricted biodome in the Amazon just to study a rare species of orchid. This is nothing.”

Roqron chuckled, the sound low and warm. “Why am I not surprised?” He turned to address the room, his deep voice carrying a note of resolve. “We’ll act with the king’s approval. The council may be hesitant, but we don’t have the luxury of time.”

The king nodded slowly, his gaze moving between Mila and Roqron. “You have my support,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of his authority. “Do what you must to save our planet.”

As they left the war room, Mila felt the weight of their mission settle on her shoulders. But there was something else too – a flutter of excitement in her chest at the thought of being alone with Roqron again. She pushed the feeling aside, focusing on the task at hand. There would be time for... whatever this was between them later.

The journey to the secluded part of Tharvis was quiet, filled with tension that was part anticipation, part anxiety. As their transport touched down, Mila gasped at the alien beauty that surrounded them.

Towering rock formations stretched toward the sky, their surfaces glittering with embedded crystals that caught the light of Tharvis’s twin suns. Bioluminescent plants dotted the landscape, their soft glow creating pools of ethereal light.

“It’s beautiful,” Mila breathed, her scientific mind already categorizing and analyzing the unique ecosystem around them.

Roqron nodded, his eyes scanning the horizon. “And largely untouched by the environmental crisis,” he added. “The perfect place for our research.”

They set up their equipment with practiced efficiency, falling into the rhythm they’d established during their previous expeditions. Mila’s portable environmental scanners complemented Roqron’s high-tech analysis tools, creating a seamless blend of Earth and Tharvisian technology.

As the hours passed, Mila marveled not just at the alien world around them, but at how in sync she and Roqron had become. They moved around each other with an easy familiarity, anticipating each other’s needs and building on each other’s ideas. It was a far cry from their initial clashes, and Mila couldn’t help but feel a warmth in her chest at how far they’d come.

“Hand me that sensor array, would you?” Roqron asked, not looking up from his calculations.

Mila reached for the device, their fingers brushing as she passed it to him. The brief contact sent a jolt of electricity through her, and she quickly pulled her hand back, hoping Roqron hadn’t noticed the slight tremor in her fingers.

“Thanks,” he said, finally glancing up. His eyes met hers, and for a moment, the air between them seemed to crackle with unspoken tension. Mila felt her cheeks warm, and she quickly turned back to her own work, her heart racing.

The breakthrough, when it came, was almost anticlimactic. Mila was bent over her scanner, frowning at a series of readings, when Roqron’s excited voice cut through her concentration.

“Mila! Look at this!”

She hurried over, peering at the holographic display hovering above Roqron’s wrist device. A complex series of equations and 3D models rotated slowly, and as Mila’s eyes darted over the data, she felt her breath catch in her throat.

“Is that...”

Roqron nodded, his eyes bright with excitement. “The key to stabilizing Tharvis’s core. It’s a delicate balance between the mineral resources and the natural energy flow of the planet.”

Mila’s mind raced, connecting the dots between Roqron’s findings and her own environmental data. “And if we can maintain that balance...”

“We can stop the degradation,” Roqron finished. “Maybe even reverse some of the damage.”

For a moment, they just stared at each other, the magnitude of their discovery sinking in. Then, without thinking, Mila threw her arms around Roqron, hugging him tightly. “We did it,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Roqron stiffened for a moment, surprised by the sudden display of affection. Then his arms came around her, holding her close. “We did,” he agreed softly. “Together.”

As they pulled apart, Mila found herself caught in Roqron’s gaze. The intensity she saw there made her heart race. She cleared her throat, taking a small step back. “We should, um, start compiling all our data. The council will need a comprehensive report.”

Roqron nodded, though Mila thought she saw a flicker of disappointment cross his face. “Of course. Let’s get to work.”

They spent the next few hours organizing their findings, cross-referencing data, and preparing a detailed proposal for stabilizing Tharvis’s core. As they worked, Mila found her mind wandering, replaying moments from their journey together. The tension of their first meeting, the growing respect during their expeditions, the heart-stopping moment in the cave...

She stole glances at Roqron as he worked, his brow furrowed in concentration. When had this brilliant, stubborn alien prince become so important to her? The thought both thrilled and terrified her.

As the last of Tharvis’s suns dipped below the horizon, bathing the landscape in a deep blue twilight, Mila stretched, working out the kinks in her back from hours of hunching over their equipment. “I think that’s as much as we can do for now,” she said, stifling a yawn.

Roqron nodded, running a hand through his hair. The gesture was so uncharacteristically casual that Mila couldn’t help but smile. “Agreed. We should rest before heading back to the palace.”

They settled on a smooth, flat rock formation, their shoulders brushing as they sat side by side. The bioluminescent plants around them cast a soft, otherworldly glow, and in the distance, strange bird-like creatures called to each other in haunting tones.

For a while, they sat in comfortable silence, the weight of their discovery and the beauty of their surroundings settling over them like a warm blanket. Mila leaned against Roqron, drawn to his solid presence beside her.

“You know,” Roqron said suddenly, breaking the silence. “When I first met you, I thought you were the most infuriating human I’d ever encountered.”

Mila snorted, nudging him with her elbow. “Gee, thanks. You really know how to charm a girl, don’t you?”

Roqron chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest. “Let me finish,” he said, his voice softening. “You were infuriating, yes. But also brilliant, passionate, and utterly captivating. I’ve never met anyone like you, Mila Arison.”

Mila felt her heart skip a beat at his words. She turned to look at him, finding his intense gaze already on her. “Roqron,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Wait,” he said, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Before you say anything, I need you to know something. This... whatever this is between us... it’s not just duty or political alliance for me. Not anymore.”

Mila’s breath caught in her throat. She could see the vulnerability in Roq’s eyes, the same fear and hope that she’d been grappling with for weeks. “It’s not for me either,” she admitted, her voice shaky. “I’ve been trying to fight it, to keep things professional but...”

“But?” Roq prompted, his hand still lingering on her cheek.

Mila took a deep breath, steeling herself. It was now or never. “But I’ve fallen in love with you, Roqron Tharvis. And it terrifies me.”

For a moment, Roq just stared at her, his eyes wide with surprise. Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face – not his usual controlled, princely smile, but a genuine, radiant grin that transformed his entire face.

“You terrify me too,” he said, his voice filled with warmth and amusement. “You challenge everything I thought I knew, turn my world upside down, and yet... I’ve never felt more alive than when I’m with you.”

Mila felt a bubble of laughter rise in her chest, giddy with relief and joy. “So, what do we do now?” she asked, leaning into his touch.

Roq’s other hand came to rest on her waist, pulling her closer. “Well,” he said, his voice low and husky. “I was thinking we could start with this.”

He leaned in, giving her every chance to pull away. But Mila was done running from her feelings. She met him halfway, their lips coming together in a kiss that was everything their first kiss should have been – soft and sweet yet filled with passion and promise.

When they finally parted, Mila couldn’t help but laugh. “You know,” she said, a teasing note in her voice, “when I agreed to this arranged marriage, I never thought I’d actually fall in love with my alien prince.”

Roq grinned, pressing his forehead against hers. “And I never thought a stubborn, brilliant Earth scientist would capture my heart,” he replied. “I guess we’re both full of surprises.”

As they sat together under the alien sky, wrapped in each other’s arms, Mila felt a sense of peace settle over her.

The bioluminescent plants glowed softly around them, a silent witness to the turning point in their relationship. And as Tharvis’s moons rose in the sky, casting a silvery light over the landscape, Mila and Roq began to plan not just for the future of the planet, but for their future together.

“So,” Mila said, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on Roqron’s arm. “Does this mean I get to call you ‘honey’ in front of the council?”

Roq groaned, but she could feel him smiling against her hair. “Only if you want to give half of them a heart attack.”

Mila grinned mischievously. “Tempting. Very tempting.”

As they laughed together, their joy echoed across the alien landscape. And, really, what more could an Earth girl-turned-alien princess ask for?