Chapter 25

Ellax

T o her credit, my human wife was maintaining her composure. Perhaps I'd made a good choice after all in wedding her, despite the lyven making the choice for me. If she was nervous, I could not tell. She sat in the chair before the desk, her face turned towards the window, watching the planet grow closer as we descended into our capital city, Korith.

"It is very beautiful, is it not?" I asked, walking over to stand beside her, my hands clasped behind my back.

She nodded, her attention never leaving the window. "It is. I guess I wasn't expecting the mountains. The sunlight. It's all so…green."

Her planet, Earth, was a blasted, cold, withered place, the planet's cooling and warming systems nearly destroyed by human warfare. I hated it. How glad I was to be home.

"We have two suns," I informed her. "They are at sufficient distance to keep Asterion mild and warm. The weather here is most pleasant."

"It's certainly very different from Earth. Does it ever snow?" she inquired, glancing up at me.

"Rarely. In the mountains, yes, during our winter season. The highest peaks are covered with snow. When warmer temperatures come the snow melts, turning into rivers that feed the lakes."

She quirked a small smile. "I'm familiar with the process. They are no mountains where I live, and, of course, our natural seasonal cycles have been disrupted, but I've read plenty of books. It will be fascinating to see it play out in real life, though."

She turned back to the window. "This is definitely going to take some getting used to. It's all so different from anything I've ever known."

"It will be well," I assured her. The mountains were vanishing against the skyline of Korith's soaring towers, high-rise housing, and the skypads on which we would soon land.

"I hope so."

I heard the timidity in her tone.

"It will," I promised. Without thinking, I reached out to gently touch her back, placing the flat of my hand against her spine. "I will be with you. I will guide you."

I felt the jolt that passed through her body at my touch. Was she offended? Disgusted?

Her chin turned my way. "Gee, thanks," she replied, her tone a bit flat. "Glad I've got you to tell me what to do."

Was that human sarcasm? Why did humans say one thing and mean another entirely? Or did she mean the words as spoken?

"You are very fortunate to have me to tell you what to do," I agreed. "There is no scenario we could encounter that I've not had some experience with during my many years as an Elder."

"Well…" She shrugged and looked back to the window, absorbing the approaching planet. "That's a fair point. I'm sure it will be helpful to have your experience on our side."

***

I hadn't meant to lie to my new wife.

Stretching the truth or polite little lies were oftentimes a necessary part of my role. However, I'd not intended to lie to my new human wife. I'd simply not foreseen the difficulties that lay ahead, and had no way of knowing I would soon encounter problems I'd not encountered previously during my career.

Once the space ship landed gently on its skypad, I left her side to gather my personal effects, knowing the remainder of my belongings would be packed, collected, and brought to my house later by spaceport employees. When I advised her to do the same, Lorelai lifted her little bag.

"This is all I brought on board with me, remember? Unfortunately, I'm dependent on you to provide for my every need.

"Much as I wish that wasn't the case," she muttered in an aside to herself.

But I heard her and answered, "I will care for you. It is no burden."

She fixed me with an odd look I could not interpret.

Walking back over to her, I offered her my arm. "Come. Time to present a united front to Asterion. You are my wife now. We will make them know it."

She hesitated, staring at my arm and me, then slowly placed her hand in the crook of my elbow. With a sigh she stood, twitching her skirts to neaten then.

"Might as well face the music," she said quietly.

Another strange human expression. I shrugged it off. Doubtless, some of our expressions would be strange to her, too.

As we left my chambers and proceeded down the space ship's corridors—which were now teaming with busy crew members, hurrying this way and that, preparing for disembarking, as well as cleaning and inspecting the ship—I glanced down at the human female keeping pace with me. Despite having to resort to borrowed clothing, she appeared a proper Elder's wife. The gown I'd chosen was simple, with a blue that enhanced her skin and hair color, while emphasizing the roundness of her breasts and shape of her hips. It floated by her feet, swishing against my boots.

When I found my mind wandering towards the notion of removing the gown, seeing her breasts and hips for myself, I took my gaze from her and planted it firmly down the hallway ahead. That would not do. I was soon to face a circle of my peers. I could not have my thoughts adrift on bedding my wife. It must wait.

The ship's captain was waiting at the final entrance for us. As was customary, I halted to thank him for his efforts, congratulating him on another safe flight.

"Gratitude, Overlord," he replied, bowing from the waist. He then fixed his eyes on the human female by my side. "May I wish you both every happiness on your new venture?"

"Thank you," Lorelai responded crisply. "I think we'll need it."

She was clearly unhappy. At the same time, she did not seem angry. Rather, resigned.

"I do not doubt that." The captain's demeanor was consistently calm and even cheerful. "Overlord Pendorgrin, I received word as we touched down that a delegation from the Council awaits."

What?

I had received no such word. Nevertheless, I kept my irritation from my face. Someone should have informed me, but perhaps the notification had arrived too close to landing for the message to be passed on.

We continued down the footbridge, emerging from a world of sterile grey corridors and eternal hallways to a skypad in the clouds. The skypads were the tallest structures in the city, allowing space ships to land and depart with no hindrance from city buildings. It was different on Earth. They landed on bare, hard ground, not up in the sky, thousands of feet above the streets. From the skypad, we would walk down an uncovered footbridge into the spaceport itself—the spaceport being one of the massive hubs for all space travelers coming and going. There were several of them in this section of the city. During inclement weather, which happened rarely, awnings could be unfolded to cover the walkways, but they were not needed today. The weather was lovely. Mere guardrails stood between us and the city streets of Korith. Far below, the Asterions moving about the streets resembled ants crawling about their hill.

I'd not thought to warn my wife of any of this. Once we stepped onto the footbridge, and she was able to see where we actually were, she gasped and clutched at my arm.

"What th—where the hell are we?" she demanded. Her voice trembled and her face had gone stark white.

"We are on a skypad," I replied, puzzled by the sudden change in her demeanor. "In the Asterion city, Korith."

"I kn—know that," she said. When I tried to walk forward, to keep her moving, she simply clenched my arm and refused to budge. Her legs were stiff in defiance. "Why are we u—up so high?"

"So high?" I chuckled. I glanced into the sky overhead, a blue sky, like Earth's, but tinged with deep purple, unlike her home planet. "You just descended through the stars and the atmosphere and this is high? This is the lowest you've been since Drixus."

"Does—doesn't count," she stammered. "We were in—in a ship. This is too high. I can't…"

She squeezed her eyes tightly closed. Her fingers dug into my flesh through the fabric of my coat. By the stars, what was wrong with the woman? I could not present my new wife to the delegation in such a state.

"If I may…" From behind us, our ship's captain approached. His voice was calm and compassionate. "I believe, Lord Ellax, your wife is suffering from height fear."

"Height fear?"

"Fear of heights," Lorelai mumbled, still clinging to my arm. "I think the captain is right. I didn't even know I was afraid of heights. But when I open my eyes, I feel like I'm going to pass out. Or barf."

"Barf?" That word was not translating properly through the chip.

"Vomit," she supplied weakly. "I can't do this, Ellax. I can't walk off this skypad. I've got to get on solid ground. Or at least in a solid building with walls. Can't the ship take me down to the ground like we do on Earth?"

"There is no room," the captain chuckled behind us. "The city meets the thick forests and then the mountains. That is why we've built the skypads."

"Then put me back on the ship!" she demanded. Finally, she opened her eyes. They met mine. I saw raw fear and desperation in their deep blue depths. "Tell the delegation I'm sorry. Tell them they're going to have to release us from this marriage. If I can't get off the damn skypad…"

"You can." Before she could protest, I pried her fingers from my sleeve then scooped her up in my arms. She gasped again—this time in surprise, I think—as I hoisted her firmly against my chest.

"Close your eyes until we step onto the spaceport's platform," I instructed, walking briskly down the footbridge connecting our skypad to the spaceport platform directly across.

"You're not going to dr-drop me, are you?"

Her fingers dug into my shoulder, telling me of her fear. Strangely, I was not disgusted. Instead, I felt…sympathy. I found it odd that I wasn't repulsed by my human wife's terror as I carried her easily to the spaceport. It was unlike me. I was honest enough with myself to know that I looked down on the weaknesses of others. Rather than look down on Lorelai, I felt…protective. A strange emotion that I scarcely knew how to identify. It had been many years since I had felt it towards anyone. Not my former wife. Not my children.

Why this human female? Why now?

A strange, strange notion filtered into my brain. I shoved it ruthlessly away.

There was no time to delve into the matter, for we were now past the spaceport's balcony, or platform, and inside the building itself. Only then did I gently lower her to her feet. Her fingers gripped the front of my coat. As I sat her down, her face turned up to mine.

"I'm inside now, right? I'm safe?" she begged.

"You are safe." I almost added, My love, but quickly pressed my lips together to prevent the words. I did not love her. I barely knew her. She was human. Why, then, did the words spring so naturally to mind?

"I don't know what happened," she admitted. "One moment I was fine, then I looked around and felt this wave of dizziness and panic. I didn't know I had a fear of heights.

"Then again," she chuckled ruefully, "I guess I've never been anywhere high. Our tallest buildings back home are about three stories high, and they don't have balconies. I've never been tested on heights before, especially way up in the clouds above a city."

"Think nothing of it," I said, secretly pleased that she was not bolting from me or recoiling. Rather, I still held her against me with an arm about her hips. I think she had not noticed.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry for freaking out on you like that, in front of the captain and everyone else. I promise I'll get it together before we meet the delegation." She paused, then, in a quiet, small voice asked, "You're not mad, are you?"

Was she equating me with her former husband? I could not think why else she would apologize for something over which she lacked control, nor why she seemed truly fearful I was angry at her. Then again, I had not always been the kindest creature either. If my former wife had ever reacted with such fear, would I have been as kind to her as I'd been just now to Lorelai? Or would I have mocked her and been uncaring?

You are no hero, my conscience goaded. Perhaps she is right to be afraid of your displeasure.

Again, I recalled my son, Caide, whom I'd maliciously threatened on Earth. Deepest shame filled me for my actions, yet there was nothing I could do to make it right. Nothing except learn to follow his example. What would he have done when faced with such a situation?

I already knew.

"I am not angry," I assured her quietly. To reinforce the sentiment, I leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You are safe with me. I will take care of you."

The pledge was as foreign as the surges of sympathy and protectiveness. I had been required to care for my first wife, but never had I given any thought, really, to her happiness or security or wellbeing. I'd assumed, with a home filled with servants and mechas, that she could care for herself. I had been selfish and invested in my own wants and desires. Now…

"Well." Lorelai cleared her throat and eased back, gently extricating herself from my arms. "If you're only promising to take care of me so I'll take care of you , that's still going to have to wait until our pact is signed and witnessed."

It took me a moment to realize what she was indicating. Once my mind caught up to her insinuations, I felt a lance of anger and guilt. Did she truly think that's why I'd cared for her? Tried to be kind to her? Worse, was that the reason I was being kind to her? So I could bed her?

What other reason could you have?

"How do I look?"

I schooled my features to conceal my confusion as I watched her pat her hair into place and smooth her gown.

"Lovely," I replied. And if my voice was tight, it was not because of anger, but rather due to the deep confusion swirling in my bones.

My human wife glanced up sharply. "Are you sure? I'm not a hot mess right now, am I?"

"You are lovely." Once more, I took her hand, tucking it into the crook of my elbow.

Enough with foolishness and emotions. Enough with sentiments and being sentimental. We had a job to do. An important task lay before us.

"Come," I said. "The delegation awaits. We will delay no longer."