Assistant for the Alien Prince by Tammy Walsh

Jessica

A long hot bath,a fresh set of clothes, and a delicious home-cooked meal—even if it wasn’t traditional Earth food—worked like magic.

The event from the afternoon faded like it’d been nothing more than a bad dream.

And yet, even within that darkness, there had been a shimmering light:

My palace guard hero.

I should thank him, I thought. He didn’t have to go to all that trouble to help me.

Well, I suppose he did considering it was his job.

Still, I’d thank him somehow for his actions.

It was only then that I realized I didn’t even know his name.

I was sure I could find him if push came to shove.

His appearance was pleasing enough but it was his commanding, sparkling eyes that sealed the deal.

In them, I saw mirth and merriment at total odds with his strict and harsh demeanor as he took care of the gang members with such guile and confidence.

And his body…

Boy, his body…

It was enough to make a girl weep.

Maybe these Ev’vat were every bit the barbarians they were purported to be but there was also kindness in them.

The way he’d taken care of me in the shuttlecraft weren’t the actions of a mindless barbarian.

I sat on the bed and almost sank into it.

It was so soft, so yummy.

I was tired to my bones and I could sleep for a week.

I got comfortable and prepared to do just that when, of course, my communicator rang.

I groaned and slapped the bedside table until I located it.

I glanced at the caller holo-ID.

It was my sister.

I rolled back into bed before thinking better of it.

No doubt she would be worried, checking up to make sure I arrived safely.

I’d meant to call her when I arrived but had been… distracted.

“Yeah?” I said.

“What the hell is going on? I’ve been calling and calling!”

“Sorry. I was in the bath and must have missed it.”

It was half true.

As comfortable as the bed was, the bath was even more welcoming, and I wasn’t about to climb from heaven and speak to my stress-addled sister!

“Where are you?” Tina said, leaning from one side to the other. “Looks like you’re in a bedroom somewhere… Enjoying the traditional Ev’vat culture already, are you?”

If I couldn’t guess her meaning from her subtle-as-a-sledge remark, her arched eyebrow and dirty smirk were enough of a clue.

“I was actually just about to take a nap,” I growled.

“A nap after enjoying some traditional Ev’vat night activities, no doubt!”

“Eugh!” I said, seriously considering hanging up.

“So, how was the flight? Any interesting stories?”

I shrugged.

“The royal shuttle turned up, I got on board… What else is there?”

“How about rubbing shoulders with the elite? How about zipping across space in the blink of an eye when the rest of us would have taken three weeks in a coma-induced slumber?”

How about almost being gang-raped by a gang of Ev’vat?

That sure would get Tina’s attention!

But I decided not to scare her.

“Nothing to report,” I said.

“How about Prince Zai? Is he as hot as his pictures?”

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t met him yet.”

Tina deflated.

“You’re a total amateur at this.”

“I’m here to do a job,” I said resolutely. “I’m here to earn enough money so I can keep Aunt Mary’s house, remember?”

Tina nodded somberly.

“I remember. It’s just… Why not have a little fun while you’re working for the royal family? Work hard, play hard, right?”

That was a joke.

I was the one to always work hard while my sister was the one to always play hard.

It’d always been that way and I didn’t expect it to change any time soon.

“What about you?” I said. “Have you been staying out of trouble?”

Tina grinned at me.

“You know me.”

Yes, I certainly do.

Although the royals’ private shuttlecraft had reduced a journey to hours that ordinarily ought to have taken weeks, it was more than enough time for Tina to get up to no good.

“You haven’t been getting into any trouble, have you?” I said.

Tina’s expression was so transparent even a blind person could read it.

It said: Guilty as sin.

“You’d better keep yourself out of trouble,” I said, putting as much sternness into my tone as possible while being a million lightyears away. “At least until I get back. Understand?”

Tina waved her hand dismissively.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I mean it. I’m here doing this for the both of us.”

“You’re there doing that for Aunt Mary’s house. She gave it to you, not me.”

She wasn’t sore about that, it was merely a statement of fact.

“She gave it to both of us,” I said.

“That’s not what her will said. It’s okay. She chose you because she knew you wouldn’t sell it. She also knew you would live in it and look after it—and turn into an old spinster the same way she did.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

She knows me so well.

“What’s mine is yours. But yes, I’ll live there as soon as I save enough to do it up a little.”

The following week might be tough but it had the potential to earn a lot of money.

“I just called to make sure you got there all right,” Tina said. “I can see you’re in one piece—just about. And it’s late here and some of us need our beauty sleep. Oh by the way, if you want to snag some of that hot Ev’vat ass while you’re there, you might want to try dressing less like you’re not a spinster already. Just a thought. Bye.”

I opened my mouth to bite a retort but she snapped off her communicator and it went dead.

As promised, my muscles felt stiff and achy with stress.

Trust Tina to make me feel even tenser than I had when confronted with the gang!

I tossed the communicator on the side table and lay back down on the bed.

At least now I could relax and get some sleep!

I got comfortable once more and sank into the soft mattress.

The sweet abyss of sleep was there to greet me instantly.

That of course, was when a knock came at the door.

I growled despite myself and rolled over.

No! I won’t answer it!

Maybe if I ignored them, they’ll go away.

I laid there, staring at the wall, and waited for them to leave.

Instead, another knock came.

“Miss Jessica? May I come in?”

I sighed and sat up.

“Sure. Why not?”

The door opened and a servant nodded politely and said:

“The Queen and Crown Prince are waiting for you in the study. They wish to discuss the upcoming Royal Pairing Ceremony with you.”

Of course, they were.

It wasn’t like I needed rest or anything.

I slipped my feet into my shoes, stretched, and got to my feet.

“Fine. Lead the way.”

I dressedand followed the servant down the endless maze of hallways, taking stairs down one moment before backing up another.

I swore I would never get the hang of this place.

Every time I noticed a repeating architecture feature, we turned down an opposite hallway which completely dislodged my sense of direction.

If the servant was thinking he was doing me a favor by showing me the scenic route, he was very much mistaken.

I was dizzy and confused by the time he drew up to a large pair of doors.

“Wait a moment, please,” he said.

He knocked on the door and waited until a voice answered with: “Come.”

He cracked the door open, bowed much lower than he had to me, and spoke softly.

“Miss Jessica Williams to see you, Your Majesty.”

“Excellent. Show her in.”

The servant backed away from the door and held it open for me.

The room was stark, nothing like the warm and cozy interior I’d expected.

None of the walls were covered with ancient and beautiful dusty tomes, there was no intricately carved desk or plush green leather sofas.

Instead, there was a single plain table with strange notches across its surface.

I wasn’t sure of the proper etiquette, so I performed my best—and to my memory, my first—curtsy.

I wasn’t about to prostrate myself in front of these people the way their servants did.

If they were expecting that, I might as well leave right now!

“Ah. There you are.”

The Queen rose from one of the two plain chairs before the desk and floated toward me—I say floated because her movements were so graceful it gave the impression she was gliding.

“Welcome to the royal palace.”

She extended her hand like it was an alien object.

They didn’t traditionally shake hands in their culture but must have picked up somewhere how humans usually interacted.

I took it and shook it gently.

The Queen’s eyes glanced between our hands before raising them to me and allowing a smile to curl her lips.

She took my gentle shake and replaced it with her own overly vigorous one.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you!” she said, the pumping of my arm seeming to require her to shout at the top of her voice.

I braced her hand with my free one and slowed her shaking down.

My shoulder ached but I did my best to smile.

“Nice to meet you too,” I said before hastily adding: “Your Highness.”

“Your flight was uneventful, I trust?”

The flight was,I thought. Not so much on the tarmac outside…

I was glad she didn’t know about that.

There was no need to start the relationship off with a dark mark.

“We’re glad you accepted our offer,” the Queen said.

I wish I could say the same.

“I am too,” I said. “You have a very beautiful home.”

The Queen waved a hand.

“It’s dark, cold, and drafty. We have much better palaces but unfortunately none that command the same level of respect as this one. If you ever visit here again, I would be happy to show you the summer residence.”

I smiled politely and nodded, knowing that day would never come.

“That would be great, thank you,” I said.

The Queen turned and motioned toward the desk.

“Let me introduce you to the groom-to-be, my son, Prince Zai.”

The Prince rose from his side of the table, rounded it, and approached slowly with the same effortless grace as his mother, though he lacked her patience and moved much faster.

My heart sank when he extended his hand toward me.

He was much larger than his mother and there was no doubt in my mind he would have the accompanying strength too.

I’m going to lose my arm…

I could deny him… but the guy was a king!

At least, he soon would be!

Would he have me flayed if I insulted him?

By the intensity of his gaze, I put nothing past him.

I shut my eyes, turned my head to one side so he couldn’t seem my impending expression of agony, and let him take my hand.

He took it and…

There was no pain.

Maybe he was working up to it, I thought. Lulling me into a false sense of security before wrenching my arm from its socket.

I tensed my arm in anticipation…

But that too never came.

He shook my hand gently, carefully, as if I were something fragile and extremely valuable.

Relieved beyond belief, I shook his hand in return and moved to peer up into his eyes.

I hesitated.

Was I even supposed to make eye contact with royalty?

It suddenly occurred to me how little I knew about Ev’vat culture.

They were known far and wide as barbarians but did cavemen make the effort to learn about my culture by shaking my hand?

I didn’t think so.

But maybe the king of such a species was more educated than people thought.

More than I thought.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jessica,” he said.

“And you,” I said.

His voice was deep and sexy, and I imagined what it must feel to wake up to it in the mornings.

Curiosity finally got the better of me and I peered up at him through my eyelashes.

And peer up was the correct term.

He towered over me, looming like a giant in a forgotten land.

His shoulders were broad, his narrow waist pinched, much like the guard who’d rescued me this morning.

His horns formed twin arms curled atop his head, tall and majestic, in the prime of his years.

His jaw was square and angular like it’d been carved from granite, and his nose was hooked like a bird’s beak but complimented his other features.

His cheekbones were strong and bold, chiseled as if to make a deliberate statement.

He wore a plain shirt, unbuttoned to the navel, revealing the tight square muscles of his chest beneath.

This was what a king was supposed to look like.

Large, powerful, someone who dominated whichever room he entered.

But above all his other (many!) attractive qualities, it was his eyes that enthralled my attention.

They were sharp and keen, glinting purple even here in this dim room.

They sparkled like distant stars and had a playfulness to them I wouldn’t have expected with his stern demeanor.

Looking at him, it was easy to believe he was destined to sit on the throne.

But that was to ignore his exploits splashed across the news and gossip pages, of his endless string of holo-movie stars and singers and celebrities, to ignore his debauched and unrestricted lifestyle, the naughty side dish to every serious newspaper throughout the galaxy.

He was all charm and no substance.

I’d known people like him my entire life.

My father had been the most charming man anyone had ever met.

He could seduce a siren, and was absolutely, totally incapable of living within his means.

To everyone, he was a friend.

Except himself.

He was the head of a rich and powerful family that had grown wealthy over a period of generations, but it had only taken one bad egg to destroy the legacy forever.

I had been trained from a young age to step into my father’s shoes and take the helm of the family company.

That had been my destiny, but it had not turned out that way.

By the age of fourteen, the company collapsed and never recovered again.

The family assets were sold off and everything was lost.

My only surviving heirloom from my happier early years was my aunt’s house where I would spend most of my free hours during the long hot summers.

It was the place I was most happy.

The place that, unless I could negotiate a little more money from these people, would be taken from me.

“Shall we sit and discuss the position?” Zai said.

I took a seat on the other side of the desk, beside the Queen.

It felt strange to be doing this with royalty, almost as if I were an equal!

“As you know, you’re here to arrange the Royal Pairing Ceremony,” the Queen said. “It’s something you probably have little experience of.”

“No,” I said. “But I have arranged large events before. From what I understand, the event is a kind of ball—”

The Queen shared a look with her son before she flicked her eyes back to me.

“Yes, in a way. A ceremony whereby the Crown Prince dances with his potential mates and when he finds the right one, will select her as his queen. They will immediately marry in a second ceremony. They perform a dance known as the—”

“Soul Dance,” I interrupted.

The Queen seemed taken aback—I doubted many people interrupted her!

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have interrupted—”

“No, you shouldn’t,” the Queen said icily but it quickly melted beneath her warm smile. “You’ve heard of the Soul Dance?”

I nodded, a little unsure how much I should say.

As they waited for me to say more, I pressed on.

“My sister loves anything to do with celebrities and parties. She used to read a lot of gossip magazines… Actually, she still does. I read them from time to time. The Pairing Ceremony is one of the most important events in an Ev’vat’s life, right?”

“That’s right,” Prince Zai said. “Which is why it’s very important the event goes off without a hitch. The fate of the kingdom depends on it.”

Gulp.

The fate of the kingdom?

I thought he might be joking but a quick look at their faces convinced me otherwise.

“Why don’t you hire an Ev’vat?” I said. “They’ll know a lot more about the ceremony than I will.”

Shut up, you fool!

Do you want to lose this job and Aunt Mary’s house?

No, but I didn’t want the fate of a kingdom on my hands either!

This was turning out to be a lot heavier than I expected.

“Certain… events have transpired that make hiring from within our own culture an impossibility,” the Queen said.

“What else do you know about the ceremony?” the prince said, quickly changing topic.

These guys were good, I thought.

They bounced off each other whenever one fell into a trap and needed digging out.

But the Queen had made a mistake, one I fully intended on exploiting to my advantage.

“It’s when two souls join and they know they want to spend the rest of their lives together,” I said. “But what I don’t understand is how I’m supposed to know who the right person is for the prince.”

“You won’t,” the Queen said. “The Prince will. He’ll dance until he finds the right partner. It’s your job to orchestrate the event so that magical joining does happen.”

“I can do that,” I said. “But I’ll need help.”

“What sort of help?” the Prince said.

“Access to the facilities we’ll be using. A big budget. I can’t believe it will be cheap. And all the ideas and recommendations you might have for the event.”

The Queen nodded.

“We can do that.”

She reached across the table, and at first I thought she was going to hold her son’s hand but instead, she swiped a sensor I couldn’t see and a narrow hole opened up in the tabletop.

A manuscript rose and the table became perfectly flat again.

The document was at least three hundred pages.

“Is that the, uh—” I said, the words sticking in my throat.

“The contract,” the Queen said. “Yes.”

She handed it to me and I almost collapsed beneath its weight.

I braced it on my knees, turned to the first page, and my heart shrank at the complicated legalese inside.

“Once you sign, we will prepare everything you’ll require to organize the ceremony,” the Queen said, getting to her feet.

My unease at the heavy tome might have escaped her notice but it certainly hadn’t escaped the Prince’s.

He peered at me intently across the table, his fingers perched under his chin.

It was impossible not to feel inadequate beneath those piercing purple orbs.

“I can’t sign this,” I said.

“What?” the Queen said.

“This,” I said, barely able to lift the contract with my weedy arms and dump it on the desktop. “I can’t sign it without knowing what’s inside it.”

The Queen’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s a standard Ev’vat contract. I can assure you, there’s nothing untoward happening on our side of the deal.”

“I know that, but I still can’t sign it. You hired me to do a job. Who’s to say you haven’t got some clause in here that will turn me into a slave for the rest of my life?”

The Queen’s jaw muscles tightened and she stepped toward me.

It looked like playing at happy culture exchange had well and truly ended.

Now I saw what Ev’vat were really like.

“Mother,” the Prince said.

The Queen froze in her rampage toward me, her nostrils flaring.

But she got hold of herself, turned, and marched back to where she’d begun her bull run.

“How long would it take for your lawyers to go through the contract?” the Prince asked calmly.

“Something this size?” I said. “I don’t know. Probably weeks. Months, maybe.”

“We don’t have months!” the Queen snapped.

Yes, I know, I thought. Which gives me the upper hand.

The Prince pursed his lips.

“I don’t suppose my word that we’d never take advantage of you would sway your opinion much?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t know you. And you don’t know me.”

“Then what do you suggest?” the Prince said.

Finally, we came to the negotiation.

“You give me half the agreed payment now and half after I finish the job,” I said.

“We can’t do that!” the Queen snapped, losing all her cool reserve. “She might turn and run at the first opportunity!”

“Then put a tracker in me,” I said. “If I run, you’ll find me easily enough.”

The Queen folded her arms under her breasts and glared at me.

“There are devices that will disable any tracker we put inside you.”

“Are there?” I said innocently. “That’s news to me.”

Actually, I’d used devices like those before to scan guests for a secret party to ensure no freeloaders joined, but I hadn’t thought to bring one with me.

Damn it!

“Your idea is acceptable,” the Prince said.

The Queen hissed through her teeth at him like an angry snake.

He didn’t take any notice of her and kept his eyes focused firmly on me.

He got up from his chair and rounded the desk, coming to a stop less than a yard from me.

His presence was dominating, overpowering, almost making me curl away, but I didn’t.

Instead, I stood my ground and held firm, meeting his intensity with my own.

“In exchange, I want your word you won’t run or leave us in the lurch,” he said. “You’ll organize the ceremony and be there to ensure it runs properly.”

“Fair enough,” I said. “Now, there’s just one more topic I want to discuss—”

The Queen threw up her hands.

“She wants a title! I bet you anything! Or a palace!”

She turned her back on us and stared out the window.

I hadn’t thought of a palace or a title…

Nah.

I didn’t need either of those things.

But there might be an opportunity here to get everything I wanted all at once…

I said, “I want to discuss—”

“Payment,” the Prince finished.

He smiled a superior smile and I couldn’t help but feel weak at the knees.

“I’ll give you a bonus if the ceremony is a success and you help me find my fated mate,” he said.

“How much?”

“One hundred thousand credits.”

I almost lost my feet.

It was the exact amount I was going to ask for.

If he was willing to throw that much at me as an opening offer, perhaps he would go further…

“Two hundred,” I said. “Half up front.”

I felt my insides shaking.

Not only could I earn enough to pay back the loan shark but it would be enough—if I was careful—to finish rebuilding the house’s rooms too.

I licked my lips and tried not to appear too excited.

“That would be… satisfactory.”

“It ought to be!” the Queen snapped. “We’ll have to sell off half the kingdom at this rate!”

The future king extended his hard hand toward me.

“Do we have a deal?”

He was offering me everything I wanted—and more!

And yet, I hesitated when I reached for his outstretched hand.

It wasn’t the deal that made butterflies flutter in my stomach, but something else, something deeper.

Even though I realized what it was right then, it would take me several days before I accepted it.

It was my dark desire for the bad boy prince.

And by the time I acknowledged it, I was trapped in the spiderweb of his charm and too hopelessly devoured to care.

“Deal.”