Nanny For The Alien General by Athena Storm
Keilon
Teread laughs. His play at being amused is almost believable. But there’s a note of desperate fear in that laugh, though, which gives me the courage to stand my ground and let my last statement linger in the room.
I resist the urge to glance at Serafina. I can only imagine her confusion at the announcement I just made. I would love to explain everything, to tell her that I’ve got a plan and everything will be OK. Unfortunately, comforting and explaining things to her will have to wait.
Besides, I’m not one hundred percent certain how she’s going to react to the final part of this plan…
Meanwhile, murmuring breaks out around us, quickly drowning out Teread’s laugh. Seeing his grip on his audience slip, Teread takes a step forward and addresses the assembled crowd.
“Surely none of you can take this ‘fated mates with a human’ nonsense seriously!” my dear cousin shouts. To his disappointment, the crowd does not entirely rally to his side.
“It has happened before,” someone in the middle of the pack mutters.
“I have heard of it happening recently in other kingdoms,” another person says, more forcefully. There are murmurs of confirmation to that.
“But it is not happening now!” Teread screams back at them, his voice cracking. His mouth is pulled tight, revealing his teeth and his eyes are wild. “It is not happening here! It is obvious to me that the King has lost his mind.”
It’s a dangerous accusation for Teread to make, but he’s getting desperate. I see the discomfort circulating through the crowd. He’s losing them. But I haven’t yet won them.
All right, I decide, time to bring this thing home.
I give another nod to Staja. He strides to the door to the hall and opens it, revealing a Divine Ones priestess. I recognize her as Tuzia, a head priestess at a local temple. Older than I, but still young for the position, her skin is a shining gold that seems to make her white robes glow.
Despite her relative youth, Tuzia has made a name for herself in our Kingdom and the hush that falls over the gathered crowd highlights the respect all have for her. Even the humans seem to sense her importance and stand a little straighter. I note Malori, the Tilleli elder, eying Tuzia appreciatively.
The Divine Ones Priestess walks slowly but with purpose toward Serafina, her white mitre balanced on her head. She stops before the human she is here to see and sizes Serafina up.
I see Teread make as if to question the priestess – then stop himself. Smart, cousin, I think.
Tuzia looks at me – really more of a half-glance, but her stillness makes even the smallest of her gestures have impact. I solemnly go to stand beside her. Serafina watches me the whole way across the room. Her eyes contain a dozen questions I wish I could answer, but I am accurately aware of Tuzia imperial impatience.
“Keys,” I snarl at Teread, glancing at Serafina’s cuffs.
Once again, Teread considers protesting. Once again, after a quick glance at Tuzia, he decides better.
I snatch the proffered key from his hand and uncuff her, tossing the chain loudly to the floor. Its clang echoes through the hall. Several people jump at the sudden sound. Good. I’m playing up the theatricality of this a little, because this moment might be the only one I have to save Serafina, the humans, and my throne.
Serafina’s wrists are cold and stiff as I take them in my hands. I rub them gently, getting blood flowing there again.
Then the Divine Ones Priestess’s hand falls upon ours. The sudden touch shocks both Serafina and I and we inhale sharply. Tuzia stares at Serafina, then eyes me meaningfully. Her face is stern, perhaps even disapproving. In her eyes, however, there is a glint. A small touch of happiness, perhaps.
Before I can fully decipher the look, she removes her hand from ours and faces the crowd. When she speaks, she does not raise her voice, yet somehow it carries with great authority.
“They are undoubtedly fated mates,” Tuzia pronounces.
“No! No!” Teread spits out, his voice high and unhinged.
He’s about to say more but Tuzia gives him a look that shuts him up. Then Tuzia glances back at me once more, that same hard-to-read look in her eyes. Then she makes another declaration to the crowd and I realize what’s behind that glint.
“Their auras,” Tuzia intones with a hint of judgment, “are already intertwined.”
That gets a response from humans and Kiphians alike. I try to judge the response that I’m hearing. If factions are breaking out, if there are any supporters. It’s difficult. Especially because, suddenly, my heart is beating incredibly fast, pounding in my ears, making it hard to really concentrate or do much of anything. My palms are sweating as I hold Serafina’s hand in mine.
I realize she’s said something. I lean my head closer to hers for her to repeat it.
“What’s going on? What is this fated mate thing?” she asks.
It’s a reasonable question, but now is not the time for answers. Teread has retreated to some Kiphians who must be the most loyal part of his faction. My cousin is arguing with them, clearly encouraging them to speak up on his behalf. Their reluctance to do so immediately gives me hope.
“I will explain soon, I promise,” I whisper to Serafina, turning my attention back on her. “But for now…” It’s time to enact the final phase of the plan, the part whose success or failure rests on Serafina. The part where I’m uncertain what her reaction will be.
Still clutching her hands in mine, I quickly drop to one knee. This time when I speak, I’m loud enough for the whole room to hear, even above the talking and gossiping.
“Serafina,” I declare, “will you marry me?”
No one, not even Teread, laughs at that.
