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The days passed by quickly. Freya busied herself in the kitchen, baking all sorts of goodies while experimenting with various ingredients that were not found or grown on Earth. She came to know the cooks and was fast becoming friends with them. She felt a bit more at home.
"This is really good, Your Highness!" one of the cooks exclaimed, after tasting her cupcakes made with mixed fruits she had gathered in the palace's orchard. "You should let the king taste them!"
"Oh. No," Freya said, with a wave of her hand.
"Were you not aware of the king’s sweet tooth?" the cook asked. "These cupcakes would surely cheer him up and possibly alleviate some of the stress of ruling an entire kingdom!"
Freya thought for a moment, debating silently inside her head if she should share the treats. "Well, I guess it couldn’t hurt, could it?” she eventually said.
"Most excellent!” the cook replied.
To Freya's shock, the cook began gathering the cupcakes and placing them inside a white pastry box. She tied it with a red ribbon and promptly left the kitchen before Freya could say a word.
Oh, well. I hope he likes them. Then realizing what she had just said, she slapped her forehead and told herself she shouldn't care at all if he liked the cupcakes or not.
After cleaning up and refusing help from the kitchen staff, she went returned to their enormous suite that she was beginning to embrace as her private space and sanctuary inside the palace. After all, she had it to herself most of the time and hardly saw the king in there.
Exhausted, she took off her flat shoes once inside and let herself fall onto the soft covering of the lavish bed, savoring the luxury of the velvety, silky feel of the navy blue duvet. She closed her eyes and was almost drifting off to sleep when she heard a door open.
Freya sat up immediately, her eyes widening as she saw King Zaino walking into the room. He was dressed in a swanky suit, his sandy blonde hair styled casually. She could have swooned.
He was almost looking down his nose at her. Ah, the arrogant king was back, “We have an official dinner engagement off the planet in ninety minutes. Do you think you could be ready that soon?”
Freya was momentarily stunned because it felt like he was being almost cordial with her. She nodded her head. “Yes, Your Highness, I will be ready.” He nodded at her and turned away.
As he opened the door, he paused and without turning around, said, “The cupcake was delicious, My Queen.” And pulled the door closed tightly after he passed through it.
Freya stared at the door and smiled.
Feeling more cheerful and hopeful, she quickly called on Grailey for assistance. In no time at all, she was bathed. She sat at her vanity and let her staff primp and prepare her until she was fit for a king. She emerged from the room, with time to spare, in a pink goddess-like dress with light sheer ruffles embellished with real diamonds and pearls, her chocolate brown hair done in soft curls that flowed around her neck and shoulders. Her makeup was a little more dramatic than usual, bringing out the beauty of her cheekbones, nicely chiseled nose, and pretty lips. She was adorned in diamonds and felt absolutely beautiful.
She walked briskly to the hangar where the luxurious pod was waiting. In front of it stood the king, looking ever so regal and handsome. His eyes seemed to light up when he saw her. He nodded at her. Her little heart pounded a little faster at his favorable acknowledgement. She felt almost presentable with his small nod. He held his arm up for her and she wrapped her hand around his bicep. He placed his hand over top and led her into the pod.
The ride was short but awkward. The king was busy talking to someone about business on a weird-looking gadget. Freya stayed quiet the whole time, gazing out and not really seeing the lovely atmosphere of the planet as they flew through the evening sky.
When they finally landed at their destination, she was truly relieved. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to act like a real queen, like the actual wife of King Zaino.
It was an intimate dinner party in a lovely mansion on top of a hill, owned by one of the richest aliens in Tryptin. Everybody who was anybody on the planet was present. She didn’t really have any problem mingling with the rich and famous, whether alien or human.
What was truly problematic was to pretend that she was in love and happy with King Zaino. Apparently, it was a very big deal for the king to marry a queen for love and not just for convenience. This was the very reason that made her current position a challenging one. Freya managed to smile and say "uh-huh" at all the right times. She was able to put into practice the lessons she'd had with Miss Finn, using the dining utensils properly and being very gracious and ladylike with her speech and actions.
So far, so good. Freya was beginning to relax. The dinner table was brimming with conversation that did not put her and Zaino on the spot. She didn't need to exert a lot of acting effort.
After dinner, everybody shifted out to the garden to watch the fireworks display the host had arranged in their honor. King Zaino put an arm around her as they looked up at the sky. It would have been a romantic moment, if it had been real.
“Thank you,” he whispered to her, rubbing her shoulders.
The simple gesture was too good to be true, and yet Freya felt that he meant it. She met his eyes and smiled. She turned toward the sky again, trying to concentrate on the wonderful display of fireworks. Inside, she was smoldering, in a good way.
Towards the end of the fireworks display, Zaino’s other arm slid around her waist and he slightly twisted her to face him. Her body instantly reacted. Her heart thudded din her chest. Before she could react, he was leaning towards her face and his soft, warm lips were grazing hers. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and savored the sweet kiss.
When she opened her eyes again, there was a tall, muscular alien staring at them. Freya felt her heart drop to her stomach. He had not been carried away by the moment. He had not suddenly developed an attraction for her. It was all part of an act. She felt disappointed, her pounding heart slowing down and being replaced by sheer discontent. She knew it came with the job though. She let it get to her head. She thought the king was getting sweet on her.
Throughout the rest of the evening, every sweet gesture and smile from King Zaino made Freya want to cringe. What bothered her even more, was being so affected by his attention.
When it was finally time to go, the alien that had been observing them during the fireworks display approached them to say goodbye. He stretched out his hand to her and said, “You are really lucky to have such a beautiful and gracious Queen, King Zaino. How did you happen to meet such a lovely creature?”
Freya hesitated, her heart back to racing wildly under this alien’s intense scrutiny. It didn’t feel like he was just asking out of curiosity. Freya didn’t get a good feeling from this alien.
King Zaino began to answer with his royal composure, at the same time Freya gave a curt reply. “Planet Earth,” was his answer and Freya blurted, “Here.”
The alien looked fascinated.
“We met first when I visited Earth a few years ago,” King Zaino said smoothly. “But that wasn’t when we started our actual relationship. It was when she worked here in Tryptin.”
“Ahhh, interesting.” The nosy alien sneered.
“You know, Jecksel, we would love to stay and talk more but unfortunately, we have a busy schedule that begins early tomorrow. We appreciate the hospitality everyone has shown us tonight,” the king told him. “Good night.”
“Of course,” the alien called Jecksel said, slightly bowing.
Freya let out a sigh of relief once they were out of earshot. But could still feel eyes on them.
A ritzy transport pod was waiting for them again at the landing dock. Zaino paused for a moment, and then took Freya in his strong arms. He kissed her passionately and she found herself responding eagerly. As their lips locked, Freya’s heart hammered. She felt the heat growing deep within her. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Zaino pulled her in closer to his body. Freya felt like this was kiss was the real deal, and not staged for anyone.
He was the first one to pull away, giving her a small smile, then led her into the pod. They were silent on the way back. In the compact space of the pod, close to the king, Freya could not shake off the confusion. She wanted to be kissed and touched by this man more.
In the confines of their bedroom, her longing increased even more. He hadn’t said a single word to her since the passionate kiss. Freya had absolutely no idea how he was feeling.
She sat tensely on the edge of their enormous luxurious bed as he vanished into the adjoining bathroom. “Stop it, Freya,” she said just under her breath as she tried to calm her nerves.
But when he came out in just a pair of cotton shorts, she couldn’t help gawking at his broad shoulders, the little hairs on his bulky chest, and his set of fine, solid abs. “You’re going to sleep like that?” she asked in astonishment. “Beside me?”
Zaino broke into a grin and strolled over to where she was sitting. “What’s wrong with this?”
“Nothing,” Freya muttered, turning her head away. Her heart was pounding in her chest.
“I’d better get dressed for bed.” She stood up and found herself standing so close to him she could feel his breath on her face. Before she could move, he placed his hands on either side of her face and kissed her on the lips.
The sexual tension between them that they had been trying to ignore, grew as their kiss intensified. He slowly slid his tongue into her mouth, which she let in willingly and met with her own tongue. Their tongues swirled and their bodies pressed against one another.
A loud beep caused them to jump apart. Zaino looked irritated but walked over to answer the call coming from the wall-mounted screen phone. He took the handset and walked through the french doors out onto the deck leading off their bedroom.
Freya groaned. Maybe she responded so intensely because she had not been kissed like that in so long. And of course it may have had something to do with the unique situation they were in, which added to the thrill.
After changing clothes and freshening up, Freya slid under the covers. She snuggled under the exquisite sheets, yawned and tried to listen for the king’s return. Eventually she fell asleep. She didn’t even notice when Zaino climb in beside her. However, she did wake up in the middle of the night and felt him pressed up against her back. She smiled and fell back to sleep in peace.
*****
