The Alien King’s Mate part 12

LILIAN (changed her name)

I cross the portal, feeling bleak and gloomy. But my greyness is flooded with adrenaline as I enter a new world. I reel back, reaching out to the darkness as I fall. It only lasts a second before my feet find solid ground.

Foreign ground.

I observe my new world, shaking my head in disbelief. It's impossible. A city floats in the sky, and glowing blue crystals protrude from the bottom. There's another city below it, on the ground, though the buildings are made of wood and seem abandoned.

"Welcome to our kingdom," comes Vulcan's grumbling voice.

"Your kingdom," I corrected him again, unable to look away from the city in the sky.

"Come," he says, extending his hands until a large square of gold lifts from the ground. I hadn't even noticed it.

The king steps onto the golden platform, and his silent guards follow. I step onto it, trying to understand its purpose.

Vulcan lifts his hands, and the platform shifts below us. My natural instinct sends me flying into Vulcan's arms. The platform elevates, and I cling to Vulcan like a cat trying to avoid water. My hands grip his biceps, unwilling to let me fall and join his grandmother in death.

When the golden plate levels with the city, I step away from Vulcan, who stares unabashedly. My eyes quickly scan our surroundings. There is nothing on the docking bay except for the entrance to a tunnel. A tall wall stands twenty feet from the tunnel. I can see stone buildings from the entrance but no people.

"This is a private tunnel that leads to the palace. Only royals and those with clearance can enter," says Vulcan as he steps inside.

The tunnel is wide, lit by the same glowing blue crystals under the city.

"That's ore," Vulcan adds when he finds me staring. "An important part of our society. It has powered the city for thousands of years. Comes from holy mountains."

We pass a guard post. Two guards bow their heads for their king, but their shocked, confused eyes remain on me. Vulcan doesn't say a word. We pass four more guard posts– a total of ten guards. They all show disbelief. I'm an alien in this world.

We reach the end of the tunnel after a twenty-minute walk. I appreciate the privacy of the tunnel. I'm not ready to face his citizens.

The gentle glow of the mystifying crystals follows us down the tunnel until we reach the end. The palace now stands in all its glory. Towers reach for the clouds, hundreds of windows contain the palace's secrets, and gold adorns arches, corners, and gates—a timeless trace of the kingdom.

"Open the gates!" yells the king.

The tall gates swing inwards, and Vulcan steps in front of me, sheltering me as he leads the way. I don't mind. I want to be invisible.

I don't have a chance to admire the interior as I keep my eyes trained on Vulcan's strong legs. His stroll is confident. It leaves no doubt of who the king is.

The floor tiles have a consistent white pattern. We cross some carpet that silences everyone's footsteps except for Vulcan's. Then we go up a long spiral staircase and enter a dark room. Finally, I can glance up.

I become familiar with my prison. A beautiful, vast room with ceilings so high they remind me how far away Earth is. A bed big enough to get lost in. Windows tall and clear, giving the illusion that I'm free.

It's nothing like my shared bedroom with Harper. There's no need to fight over closet space, lighting, or the empty cups I left around. She would have loved this place; she would have taped posters of boy bands and family photos over the sophisticated walls.

"You may rest here for the first few days."

For the first few days? What happens after?

I swallow and step deeper into the cold space. Why does it feel like I'm back in the tunnel?

"Thanks."

I look at him when he lingers. His eyes are narrowed on me, mysterious. "I'm truly sorry, Lilian. If there is anything I could do–"

"Just space, please. I want to have my meals in here. No disrespect to you. I just have thoughts to settle."

"I will see you tomorrow, then. If you wish to visit my bedroom–"

“Won't be necessary," I blurt. Sharing a bed on Earth was different because I was in familiar territory. But sleeping beside him in his palace is another ordeal. He is in full control here. He can control the very golden walls that surround us. Tighten them until I find myself in his embrace like on the platform.

No. I'll stay here where it's safe.

"See you tomorrow evening, then. Your things will be brought shortly," he says.

I nod, and then he closes the wooden door. I study the golden doorknob, staring at it in disbelief. I'm in a palace with a king made of diamonds. Vulcan is carbon when unprovoked, but remarkable things happen when he's put under pressure. He reacts with a spark every time.

Sunlight streams through the window. I circle the bed, refusing to touch the smooth blue silk. I don't want to disrupt it. I open an adjoining door and find a bathroom. Strangely, there is no shower or bathtub—only a toilet.

The other door is a walk-in closet. Luxurious clothes already hang off the rack.

I walk to the bed and retrieve the pillow. Then I walk into the closet and set it on the clean, cold tiles. This feels more like home: cozy, intimate, and safe.

With the door shut, I'm submerged in darkness. Tears stream down my face, ruining the  pillow below me.

– • –

A knock wakes me. I stand up and exit the closet. The sun is gone, and the room is dark. I feel the wall as I approach the door. I open it and find a young woman wearing a pale pink dress. Her hair is bound tight in braids, but she has no horns. Do the women of this race lack them?

She doesn't meet my gaze. I don't know if this is done out of respect or if Vulcan commanded it. She speaks in her language, and I manage an unsure "hello."

She rolls her cart inside. It has three covered plates. At the bottom is a bag with my belongings.

The girl walks into my room and lights the candlesticks on the walls. Then she bows and makes her exit.

I look at the plates and then longingly stare at my closet apartment. The cart won't fit inside. I'll have to eat quickly to return to my safe haven.

– • –

I slept in the closet. In the morning, the same girl brings me breakfast. Her eyes still refuse to leave the floor.

I spent the afternoon dusting the room with a handkerchief. There's not much dust here, but trying to paint the handkerchief another color gives me something to do. Whenever I'm anxious or sad, I go into cleaning overdrive. I would have scrubbed the gold off the doorknob if I had more supplies.

I don't hear any footsteps outside. It looks like Vulcan and the maid are the only people that stray this way.

Once I'm done dusting the room, I look around for something else to do. Not a single thing. There aren't even any books–not that I could read them.

I creak the door open and glance outside. There's no one here, although I see the shadows of guards at the end of the hall.

I leave the door ajar and study the wall outside. There are no portraits hanging. Only smooth tile. I step outside and kneel before the wall, tracing the patterns with a new handkerchief. There’s something calming about feeling the coldness of the tile through the cloth. The little dips in the tile, like a map to a city. How long have these walls been standing? Centuries?

I swipe the cloth and look at it, grinning when I find a small dust spot.

“Lilian?”

Vulcan stands across the hall. His long legs quickly carry him to my side, his frown darkening his face. “What is this? Why are you cleaning?”

I shrug a shoulder and remain on my knees. “I was bored. Don’t mind me.”

“Queens do not clean their palaces,” he grits, looking over his shoulder as if embarrassed to be seen.

I return my gaze to the wall, wanting my peace to return. Wanting to escape the king who is disappointed in me. Who looks at me like so many in the past have.

“You claim we are soul-mates. A match made by gods. And yet you wish to change me. Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?” I ask, swiping at the floor.

He spits a word I don’t understand. A curse in his home language. Then something falls beside me—a small pouch. Vulcan stomps on it, crushing its contents. Small balls that look like candy fly out. He stomps them angrily. My lips part although I’m speechless by his cruelty.

He’s humiliating me.

Once the balls are crushed—practically powder around me, he lowers himself to a knee.

I look into his eyes, expecting to find a cruel scowl. But he pulls his shirt over his head and swipes it across the mess on the floor.

“W—what are you doing?” I ask him.

“Cleaning.”

“But why did you crush them?” I try to keep my eyes on his face and off his bare chest. It’s a taxing job.

He sighs. “To give myself something to clean. We can’t swipe at pristine, clear walls and floors, Lilian. We’re not crazy.”

I chuckle and continue to swipe at the wall.

Yeah, we’re not crazy. Nothing about our “mateship” is crazy. There’s nothing strange about having a horned, shirtless king cleaning candy off the floor with me. Nothing odd about hoping dust appears on his chest so I can wipe his abs, too.

We work silently, methodically. And my peace returns.

Slowly, Vulcan will steal your hearts 😈

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