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The flyer landed on a raised platform that was the size of a football field. A tall, hefty man wearing a silver uniform that was tight on him was standing by the marble steps, with a robot standing beside him. I exited the transport, my legs grateful to be touching the ground. It was humid, which was jarring, since it had been winter the last time I had stepped on soil. The guard that had been waiting by the platform waved me over and I followed, my knees shaking. What were these people going to do to me? The guard seemed surprised by my appearance, his eyes traveling up and down my body.
“So Lord Peirc sent Lord Rema one of his elite? What did you do to upset him?” the man asked, looking curious. I hated to deceive people. It wasn’t in my nature, since the Stephen family had prided themselves on raising an honest daughter.
“I made this gown myself,” I confessed in near perfect Nerth. Surprise flashed across his face.
“I thought that you didn’t have a translator implanted in you?” the guard asked, seeming uneasy about the whole thing.
“I taught myself Nerth. I’m really good with languages. It took about a week for me to become fluent,” I explained. The guard that had transported me shot the husky guard a concerned expression.
“Look, Jade, you are to be locked in your room until further notice,” he announced.
“Locked?” I asked, my chest tight.
“Lord Rema has seven females that belong to him. He also has a wife. They don’t bother with the lot of you unless they are hosting,” he reported. “Now, follow me. Jack, get her bags,” the heavyset guard said. My stomach tight in a ball, I descended the stairs, my legs aching from the exertion. The guard led me down a path that cut halfway through the estate. One side consisted of a towering castle that had four turrets and a drawbridge, and the other half held a series of cottages that were in neat rows of five. I was led to the cottage in the middle of the rows. The guard pressed his thumb to the cottage and the door flew open.
“You’re responsible for making your own meals,” the guard warned, as if most women would jump off a cliff to avoid the kitchen.
“Understood,” I said as I was forced to step into my new accommodations. The door slammed behind me and I jerked. I rushed back to the door and tested the knob, and my stomach sank when I realized that it was locked. Great, why did the aliens have to trap me in this place without company? I sighed and decided to explore my new abode, which was humble. There was a queen-size bed that took up most of the main room, a kitchen, a closet, and a bathroom with a glass shower. I’d miss taking a bath. By the time I returned from the bathroom, I was shocked to see that my trunk was standing by the bed. With a groan, I unpacked the clothes, and decided to change into the nightgown. It was midday, but I wasn’t going to receive any visitors.
After changing, I padded into the kitchen and opened the tiny frozen food storage area. I selected some meat and vegetables and made a roast. Then I decided to prepare a pie, since there was nothing better to do. I ate the meal in the kitchen, storing the rest in a temperature-controlled cooler that rested on the counter. Then I slipped into the bed, where I fell asleep.
***
“Jade, wake up,” an annoyed voice snapped. My eyes flew open and I sat up, a bit embarrassed that I was in a nightgown. There was a man in the cottage, his back to me. Moments later, Lord Larshak faced me, wearing a gold uniform, which confused me.
“What happened to the red uniform?” I wondered as he took a bite of my roast. His dark eyes lit up with pleasure.
“What?” Lord Larshak asked after swallowing his bite of food.
“You’re in a different uniform this time,” I noted.
“That’s beside the point. What are you doing here?” Lord Larshak demanded.
“You didn’t hear? Lord Peirc traded me to Lord Rema because he was in debt,” I explained, which made Lord Larshak scowl at me. “It isn’t my fault. He deemed me and my five other sisters expendable because our mothers died before he could add them to his harem. You do know he made the women that he impregnated infertile after they gave birth to his children, right?”
“Stay out of trouble,” he ordered. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Wait, why are you in a gold uniform?” I asked, frustrated that he seemed to hold me responsible for my fate.
“Does it matter?” the nobleman asked before continuing to eat.
“Not really. But it’s really boring here. I don’t have any books or company. What’s up with that?” I demanded.
He sighed.
“Jade, I’m not your source of entertainment. Let me eat my meal in peace. Lord Rema’s cook is terrible,” he complained.
“You’re the one that woke me up,” I countered. “If you didn’t want to converse with me, you could have let me sleep.” My argument agitated him even more.
“If you shut up, I’ll sneak a book into the cottage.” I went from annoyed to angry in 2.5 seconds. What was up with Nerethian men expecting women to shut up?
“So you believe in reinstating the tongueless-women act?” I snapped back, my posture straightening.
“What? First of all, it isn’t called the tongueless-women act. And number two, the law only pertained to prostitutes. But saloons of old do not exist anymore,” he explained, making my eyes roll.
“You Nerethians have no respect for women, which is stupid, because we are the ones that gave birth to you,” I said. Lord Larshak polished off his plate then went back to the kitchen. “You better wash that.” To my annoyance, the lord returned with a glass of milk and a plate of pie.
“I thought you said that I don’t respect women? Why should I listen to you?” he challenged.
“You know what,” I said as I got to my feet. “Call me when you’re about to leave.” I hustled into the bathroom and slammed the door behind me. There was something about that man that irritated me to no end. I didn’t like how I felt being close to him. Waves of nervous energy filled me, making me feel off balance. I quickly splashed my forehead with water. “Take a deep breath, Jade,” I told myself. “He’s just another hard-headed, entitled man who thinks that he can use women like chess pieces. You have dealt with your evil father. You can handle a hot, arrogant man in uniform.”
“You know I speak English, right?” Lord Larshak asked, and I let out a frightened scream, pressing my hands to my chest. I slowly turned to see the soldier smirking at me. Damn, I preferred his scowl, since it didn’t make my heart rate quicken.
“You came in without knocking? I could have been in the can, or taking a shower,” I blurted out in English. I was too flustered to revert back to Nerth.
“And yet you were having an interesting discussion. So, tell me, Jade, what makes me arrogant?” Lord Larshak inquired, his smirk vanishing.
“Well... Um... I... Well, it’s the way you carry yourself. And... Uh...” I shouldn’t have insulted him under my breath. Before I could even apologize for being so rude, the soldier cupped my face.
“Jade, you’re being stupid. But to be fair, you have no idea what you’re doing, so I won’t hold that against you,” he told me. I could barely concentrate on his words, since his touch was warm and made me tingle. “Stay invisible.” After making that insulting speech, he released me and left the bathroom. Seconds later, I heard the door to my cottage close.
I stood there for a moment, trying to examine my feelings. I thought that Lord Larshak was rude. He just strolled into my cottage and took leftovers without asking. Now I probably had to cook again the next day. I supposed that making a meal gave me something to do. But still, what about how he had touched me? That felt nice. But what did that mean? I wasn’t a romantic that longed for my other half. In my high school, I had been invisible to all but Sheena. Just thinking of her made my heart ache. It would have been nice if I was able to speak to her. How was Sheena doing? Had she gotten into Pen State or UConn? Did she decide on a major?
I shook the thoughts of Sheena from my head and stomped into my room. I frowned when I spotted a book on my bed. I picked it up and discovered that it was the biography of King Gagnon the Great. It was as thick as a phone book and would take me a few days to read. Who left it?