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“High king? There you go again, you’re contradicting yourself. You said the Gaian people had an Emperor.”

“Yes, and we have an elected body of representatives that advises the Emperor, and, should he become too greedy in his quest for power, we can remove the Emperor from his throne.”

“How democratic.”

“At least my people are free. The Gaians haven’t dealt in slave trading for a millennia. We have had a free society for far longer than your people can claim.”

She closed her eyes. Sighing, he watched her look back up at him. “Please, I’m going to ask you one more time to release me. You’re making me feel claustrophobic.”

He gently placed her on her feet. She wobbled a bit, but for the most part her color was returning to normal. He knew she would still be battling the raging desire inside of her … he couldn’t help her with that. It would only decrease once they’d mated.

Then, they would be bonded, and she would no longer be a slave to her passion.

She looked at the doorway behind him. He could see the battle raging inside of her. She wanted to escape. He had to give her more credit for still considering escape even when it seemed so futile. Her courage under fire was definitely to be commended.

“You can’t keep me here forever.”

She swayed to the side when the ship moved. “That would be my ship starting its takeoff procedures. Soon, we will be traveling through Willowbane’s atmosphere on our way to the Gaian System.”

“No. This isn’t happening. I will not be a captive!”

“Submit to what is calling inside of you … and you will no longer think of yourself as a captive. I do not intend to treat you like a captive. You are my equal … soon you will give into your passion and we will be joined for all time. You will start to care deeply for me, it is only natural.”

“
Natural?
Natural is meeting each other under serene circumstances, natural isn’t being taken in the middle of an off planet tour … in no way, shape or form is what you are doing natural. You are using your stupid pheromone that you emit to entrance me …

you are making me your captive and your slave!” She shouted the last word and backed up when she surprised herself with her ferocity.

“In time you will understand that what I did was in the best interest for you. We are suited perfectly, I took great pains to ensure that you had the same values as I hold dear.”

“Bullshit.” She started to pace around the room. “I feel like a caged tiger! Is it just me or is it getting hotter in here? I feel like I’m still on Willowbane.”

“It is the mating fever. It will pass once you give in to your desire.”

“Desire? I revile you.”

“You are lying … and you know what I speak is true.”

Doorway to the Stars by Marly Mathews 17

He heard her stomach growl loudly. She looked uncomfortable. “So, I’m hungry.

That shouldn’t embarrass me. I’ve had a long day, and I even though I went to the canteen, I didn’t eat lunch.”

“You should never skip a meal. I find it weakens the body. I will have someone bring you some food.”

“Yippee. I’m looking forward to foreign food today.”

“Cease your insults.” His voice boomed out, and the rage within startled her. “I’m sorry.”

“Go ahead. Why don’t you take your anger out on me … then I’d definitely have a reason to hate you.” She pulled at her blouse. Perspiration lined her brow and trickled down her neck to the valley between her breasts. He groaned. He had to keep the reign on his control or he would be showing her just how weak he was when it came to wanting her.

“I will leave you to freshen up. Even though you think we are primitives, we still have bathing facilities, and I have taken the liberty of filling that wardrobe over there with clothes that should fit you.”

“Clothes that are worn by Gaians no doubt.”

“Of course.” She looked to the ceiling of his rooms. They had been painted by one of the greatest Gaian artists.

“Fresco ceilings on a spaceship? You should have told Gold that you weren’t as barbaric as my government believes you to be … not only are you far more advanced than we believed your society to be, but you are also much more enlightened. Your art is breathtaking.”

“Thank you … for once you are giving my people a compliment rather than spitting in my face.”

“Spitting in your face? Oh, now you are drawing fanciful tales for me. I don’t recall ever spitting in your face, I think it’s rather a foul habit to spit … but now that I think of it, if you come closer to me, I should try it. The ship can’t be that high up in the atmosphere yet, I might be able to still escape.”

“
Escape?
” he laughed. “If you try to jump off this ship, you won’t be landing in an ocean … you will be landing on hard ground, and I’d warrant that your fragile body would not survive the fall.”

“Stop it. Just leave me. I’m hungry. You should go and get me some sustenance, and while you are at it, you can send someone else back here to give me the food. I don’t want to have anything to do with you.”

“I have commanded the other men on this ship to distance themselves from you while you are in the state you are in.”

“And what state is that?”

He sighed. “You still won’t admit you are in the midst of a great fever, a fever that commands you to strip your clothing off and join with my body … a fever that will continue to burn until you give in to the strong sensations.”

“I will never give in … I will fight it for as long as I have to.”

“You must see the logic in my words. You must admit that you need release. I am willing to give you that release. I will ensure that you enjoy it.”

“Here’s an idea … why don’t you enjoy it without me?” She let out a bitter laugh and moved to the far corner of the room. She looked ready to have a temper tantrum that Doorway to the Stars by Marly Mathews 18

would rival his nephew’s temper tantrums. “Get out. Now. Before I try to attack you, even though I know I’m ill equipped for a fight against you. I’d get nowhere. You said yourself there is no escape, and while I was asleep for those brief minutes, you relieved me of my laser pistol.”

“Ah, yes. Your weapons are so easy to break. You will not be seeing that pistol again. I instructed my men to destroy it. However, I’m pretty sure it will make it’s way back to my father … he’s fascinated with things from Earth.”

“Nice. You are eradicating everything that is Earth made. I suppose you’ll take my blouse and pants and burn those as well, huh? Well, in case you’d like to know, I happen to like my clothes.”

“In time you will become accustomed to the dress of the Gaians.”

“Let me guess, all of the women are supposed to wear dresses.”

“But of course. It is unseemly for a woman to wear leggings. It is most unattractive for women to be seen in public wearing nothing but their pants.”

“Did you ever think that maybe pants would be more comfortable for your women to wear?”

“There was a time in our history when our women were just like Earth women.

But those times have passed, we have seen the way.”

“The way? Oh, God. Now I do feel like I’m going to be sick. You can’t use me as your breeding machine, and you’ll never be able to remake me in the image of a Gaian woman. I’m an independent woman. I choose my own fate. I fought in the last war … I will not be your bloody puppet and let you pull my strings whenever you wish me to bow to your bidding. Go to hell. You want me to jump into bed with you, and you haven’t even told me your name.”

“I know your name … that is enough.” He turned toward the door. He heard her racing across the floor. He turned to her in time to catch her as she hurtled herself at him.

“On second thought … I’ll chance death.” Lifting her leg up, she kneed him in the groin. He grunted. Before he could react and pull her back, she’d managed to override the lock on the door. She was more intelligent than he had thought her to be. She would definitely be a great mother to their future children. He chased her out in the corridors of his ship. His guards turned toward her with their weapons drawn.

“Hurt her and I will have your lives!”

She didn’t even look back at him, neither did she pay any attention to the guards.

He couldn’t let her find out too much before she was prepared. He swore when he saw another door open.

“Lord Aries?” He shook his head at the man standing in front of him that had emerged from the chambers. His friend didn’t understand that he wanted him to remain silent. “Talia, my love, you must come at once. We have a runaway!”

“Mathias? What are you talking about?” The Earth human known as Talia emerged from their quarters. She looked in horror at Freya. “Captain Kirkland?”

Reverence bled into her voice.

Freya stopped short when she heard the voice. “Talia?” She turned back and looked at him in complete shock, shock that slowly transformed to a dawning calm. “You arranged this. All of the women you and your merry men have taken used to know me, didn’t they? How dare you! You are unbelievable.”

“You should treat our Prince with more respect.”

Doorway to the Stars by Marly Mathews 19

“Prince? Oh, that’s just perfect.”

Doorway to the Stars by Marly Mathews 20

Her heart was drumming so loud in her chest that she could hear it. She gasped for breath. Hunger gnawed at her again, she felt weak from her blood sugar being off keel.

“I can explain.”

“Save your explanations. Why would I care what sort of position you hold in your government? You mean nothing to me, and if I have it my own way, I’ll be back on Earth within a few days.”

“Captain Kirkland, that would be a grave miscalculation on your part. You are acting in the heat of the moment. When my Mathias first approached me, I shot him.”

“Shot him? How could you … weren’t you overcome by the fever?”

She laughed. “Perhaps, but I was so angry, I was able to shoot him anyway. You know that I always have been a bit trigger happy, at least that’s what I used to get lectured for back in the war.”

She sighed. She did recall reprimanding the young Lieutenant a few times when she’d jumped the gun. Literally.

“Talia, could I possibly speak to you without an audience, or is that strictly forbidden on this ship?”

“The ship has a name.”

She ignored Aries’s voice. She couldn’t fight the fact that she was attracted to him, strongly attracted to him--so much so that it nearly scared her stiff.

“Does it? I won’t be here long to learn it.”

“Well, in any case, I’ll tell you. The ship’s name is
The Avenger
.”

“How very quaint. I’m surprised that any of your people would be able to build such a sophisticated piece of technology.”

“My Lord! She insults the Royal name of D’Halen.”

“Royal name? Oh, come on. Are you seriously telling me that you are a major sort of prince and not just a little wee prince of some dinky principality off in the middle of nowhere?”

“Wee or dinky are not two words that I would use to describe His Royal Highness.”

“Royal Highness.” She laughed. This was too much. “Well, I know one thing.

This ain’t no damn fairytale.”

Aries’s eyes lost their animated luster. He turned dead cold sober. A shiver rippled up her spine.

“You go too far. You should not cast such blight on my people. I have not painted your people in such a light.”

“Oh, you haven’t exactly sung our praises, Aries.”

Mathias gasped. “She calls you by your first name … she does not show you the respect of your position.”

“Hey, he wants to have sex with me. And, I’m sorry, but I refuse to call him Lord Aries, when I’m supposed to be on even footing with him.”

Doorway to the Stars by Marly Mathews 21

She distantly heard Talia groan and shuffle her feet. “You’re digging yourself a deeper hole, why can’t you just try to be nice?”

“Talia, no chastisements from you. You used to come before me for review for losing your temper and picking fights with our own men and women! You were the one that was as stubborn as a bloody terrier!”

“My Lord, I request a private audience with Captain Kirkland. I’m sure I can talk some sense into her.”

“Talk some sense into me? You can all go to hell. Go and select yourself another breeding machine, I will not have any part of this!”

Talia walked toward her and grabbed her arm. Pulling her forward, she dragged her back to the room she shared with Mathias. “You need to learn how to pick your words.”

“Pick my words? I’ve been abducted. My full duty is to try to escape at any costs.

I will not sit back and mind my p’s and q’s and act like a bloody coward.”

“Not a coward. You just don’t know the full of it. The Gaians aren’t our enemy. If anything, they should have been our allies during the war. You don’t understand how alike we are in our mind frames.”

“We fought for the continuance of democracy for all … from what I’ve seen of the Gaians they live in a rigid society that doesn’t even allow their women to wear pants.”

“Who the hell told you that? They allow you to wear pants, the translator just didn’t translate properly. The word it translates pants to is equivalent to our underwear.

Of course they wouldn’t allow their women to walk in public wearing nothing but their underwear.”

“Underwear?”

“Yes. What sort of backward society did you think they were? The women have always been granted the same rights and freedoms as the men. In fact, they were the ones that the men consulted before going war. The women approved or denied military action.

The Emperor has since approved a new counsel that includes the women that didn’t capitulate with Earth and other elected officials to fill the slots that the betrayers once held. They are a lovely society, and the men are very civilized. You should be proud to have been selected by Prince Aries.”