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Deathworlders Should Not Be Allowed To Date! 47
🕑 Added 2024-08-10 02:44:23 +0000 UTCLuna VI query: Set the source to the translation logs of Princess Amara Auralyn.
Of course!
Luna VI query: Tell me about Amara and Nathan's meeting with Aldrinch.
***
The absence of a familiar touch, the guarded look in his eyes, and the unnatural stiffness of his body language indicated Nathan's unease whenever they ventured down a corridor flanked by watchful guards.
"Their loyalty may lie with Mother, but they would not dare touch you in my presence," Amara said, noticing how Nathan pulled away after their encounter with the palace guards. The two were deep in the bowels of the royal palace, making their way toward Aldrinch's chamber.
"I just don't think they'd be fond of the guy staying in the same room as the queen's daughter." He relaxed once they were alone, his gaze still lingering on the corridor as the guards disappeared behind them.
"They might not even be aware of that." She was surprised by Nathan's underestimation of her species' information control.
"That tall one in front seemed suspicious," he whispered, his steps unusually cautious compared to their trek through the valleys. Amara found it ironic. "The way she glared… it was like she wanted to take a bite out of me."
"Bite you?" She heard another group of guards approaching and an idea to teach Nathan some common sense occurred to her. "I am the only one allowed to do that."
She launched herself at Nathan, wrapping her arms around his neck in an embrace. Their lips met in a passionate kiss. At first, he responded with equal fervor, but when his eyes caught sight of the approaching guards, his lips parted in alarm. However, entwined behind his neck, her fingers made it impossible for him to pull away.
Panic surged through him as Nathan sprinted toward a nearby pillar. Pressing his back against the cold metal, he pulled Amara into a tight embrace, their bodies almost melding together. Desperate to hide her, he grasped her tail, tucking it close to his legs. As the guards approached, he held his breath, his expression betraying how much he hoped they wouldn’t be seen.
Amara felt nothing but amusement at his panic. She wasn't afraid of being caught by the guards since she intended to disclose their relationship soon. A few rumors now would be a good way to prepare everyone for the big news—something that would come after she introduced Nathan to Aldrinch and a few other select individuals.
"Crazy woman." Nathan’s head inched to the side to confirm that the guards were gone, relief washing over him once he saw they were alone. "Are you trying to get me killed?"
"Zandrid was too scared to kill you. Why would a guard want to hurt you?" she asked, puzzled. "If we had been caught, the worst-case scenario would be a report to the queen. And she already knows of our activities over the past days."
"Did you forget you’re taking me to meet Aldrinch? He sent Igmila to scare me off, remember? What if one of those guards works for him?" Nathan released Amara, who now let go of his neck.
"Aldrinch would not dare touch you." She knew Aldrinch well enough to understand his empty threats. He wouldn’t risk harming a human—not really. His objections to their relationship likely stemmed from his fear of seeing her heartbroken again, a painful echo of her past with Thozor.
"Let’s hope you’re right," Nathan replied with a hint of resignation in his voice. They resumed their journey down the corridor, Amara once again taking the lead. Tired of his hesitation, she wrapped her tail around his wrist, refusing to let go as they passed more guards. Nathan swallowed hard as their gazes fell upon them, his fear unmistakable to her.
Reaching the familiar, massive door in a secluded hallway, Amara was flooded with memories. She recalled the day she’d stolen the drops with the human translator, rushing to this place to volunteer for the mission—her desperate attempt to save Elysira from her mother’s cruel task.
Reflecting on how close she and Elysira had come to losing their friendship, and how they’d both inadvertently fulfilled the task of seducing a human—albeit for entirely different reasons—Amara couldn’t help but be struck by the absurdity of the situation.
Worse yet, her human companion stood at her side, ready to meet Aldrinch. She’d ignored his warnings against replacing Elysira in the mission, against getting too close to the humans, and had recklessly crossed the final line by taking Nathan as a lover.
"Second thoughts?" Nathan asked impatiently, unable to contain his growing curiosity as she hesitated before the door.
"Never," Amara replied firmly, her claws sliding into the door’s mechanism. With a twist, the massive door creaked open, revealing the room beyond.
A solitary holographic chamber occupied the center of the room. The control panel was dark, suggesting it was inactive. A lone stool stood nearby, unoccupied. The rest of the room was unchanged from Amara’s last visit.
"Aldrinch never turns off the holographic chamber," Amara murmured, a sense of unease growing within her.
"Huh? What?" Nathan stared at her with puzzled eyes.
He had no way of understanding her concern. Dread crept into Amara’s heart as she approached the stool. Aldrinch was old; each passing harvest was a precious gift. The stool where he should have been sitting was empty. A cold fear settled in her stomach as she realized she might have lost her chance to speak with him due to her last few days of indulgence with Nathan.
As despair began to consume her, Amara’s skin transitioned to gray. On the verge of fleeing to find answers, a cold and unfamiliar touch grazed her back. Instinctively, she reacted, leaping forward and landing on all fours, plus her tail.
When she looked back, Aldrinch stood there, the colors of his body slowly unbending from the wall, a strange rock clutched in his hand. "These old bones won’t disappear before a more capable queen stands before our people."
Amara understood instantly. Their last encounter had nearly resulted in injury to the elder. This could be retribution or, more likely, a punishment for her repeated disregard of his counsel.
"How do you know my arms have healed enough from the damage my brother caused?" Amara challenged, puzzled by Aldrinch’s apparent knowledge. Given the circumstances in the valleys, she doubted he would risk harming her. This implied he had obtained information about her improved condition through other means.
"Has his presence obscured your clarity of thought?" Aldrinch inquired, his gaze fixed on Nathan, whose expression was a mixture of confusion and amusement.
Unwilling to show weakness, Amara forced herself upright, brushing off her thin clothing. "You must have a spy among the guards protecting my private quarters."
"You have chosen your guards wisely, young one," Aldrinch remarked, his gaze settling on her. "Your mistake lies elsewhere."
"The doctors who stitched my wounds," Amara retorted, a flash of defiance in her eyes. She glanced at Nathan, eager to impress him with her quick thinking. "I would not be surprised if you bribed them for information."
Aldrinch didn’t respond immediately, his gaze lingering on Nathan. Then, with his typical slowness, he moved to stand before the human, his frail figure dwarfed by Nathan’s imposing stature. Once taller than Amara, age had not only dulled the vibrancy of his colors but also bowed his back, making him appear smaller and weaker.
"Your doctors are trustworthy, young one," Aldrinch said, his gaze fixed on Nathan. "Your information is safe with them."
Amara couldn’t help but notice Nathan’s growing discomfort. Aldrinch had abruptly returned to their usual dynamics, pretending Nathan wasn’t there and bypassing any introductions; it was clear he was assessing her chosen closely. Amara knew that Nathan’s behavior under pressure would significantly influence Aldrinch’s acceptance of him as her companion.
"Well then, I suppose you have outsmarted me this time, Aldrinch," Amara conceded. She wasn’t the one being tested after all.
With deliberate slowness, Aldrinch moved away from Nathan and toward the holographic chamber. As he approached, Amara realized the chamber had only been deactivated as a ruse. His claws found the concealed buttons beneath the control panel, and the ancient device sprang to life, projecting a detailed image at its center.
"This is how I discerned that your arms have fully healed." The holographic chamber displayed a recording of the hallway a few moments prior. The footage clearly captured Amara launching herself at Nathan, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck during their passionate kiss—undeniable proof of her recovery.
Being caught by the guards with Nathan would have been nothing, but Aldrinch was on a different level of scary altogether. Amara had come to understand that kissing was a common human expression of affection, not the secretive, niche act it was among her own people. After days spent with Nathan, it had become second nature. But explaining this to Aldrinch? The prospect was far more terrifying than death.
"I-" Amara stuttered, her mind racing but finding no words to defend herself.
"I wouldn't blame someone else for prioritizing the present over the future at your age," Aldrinch began, his gaze shifting between Amara and Nathan. "But your responsibilities far exceed those of most, my young friend. Have you considered the potential consequences of a forced separation, of broken hearts? What will become of you both when his time here ends? And what if this bond compromises humanity's willingness to aid our planet?"
Amara was ready to defend their relationship against the notion that their differences were an insurmountable obstacle. But how could she address potential future problems they hadn’t yet encountered? She knew better than to appeal to emotion with Aldrinch, but before she could stop herself, the words spilled out.
"Without Nathan, I would not be here to shoulder any responsibilities." She rushed to Nathan’s side, wrapping her tail around his wrist. "His government has no control over him after the mission. A single ship can bring him back to me."
"She’s right," Nathan interjected, addressing Aldrinch for the first time. "I understand your concern about crossing certain lines, ah, Aldrinch. But our relationship has no bearing on saving Irisa. Earth's government can be swayed by gains, losses, risks, and perhaps even a sense of galactic friendship, but our private lives won’t impact the planet’s fate."
"Different species, yet bound by the same narrow vision and innocence." Aldrinch sat on his stool, averting his gaze. "I won’t claim superior knowledge of humanity, human. Yet, I fear that, like us, you humans might oversimplify the world, seeking a single culprit in every crisis. Do you not see how vulnerable your relationship makes our planet once the blame game begins?"
Nathan’s expression was one of puzzlement, yet Amara grasped his point instantly. "It is in no one’s interest to blame us for being together."
"A grieving mother may let vengeance consume her, placing her own pain above the fate of Irisa," Aldrinch countered Amara’s claim with authority. "A human leader might withdraw their support, suspecting you of manipulating their ambassador. Others might whisper accusations of favoritism, born of your close relationship with him." He paused, allowing his words to sink in before delivering his final thought with emphasis: "To my eyes, this seems a most costly price to pay for a gain that eludes even the faintest sight."
Nathan’s grip tightened around her tail, his hand clammy with anxiety. After exchanging a look, she understood his concern and responded swiftly, "Mother can be avoided, manipulation disproven, and favoritism challenged." Mirroring Aldrinch’s earlier tactic, she concluded, "My brother is gone, Elysira lives, and Nathan brings me more joy than ever before. Is that not justification enough for us being together?"
"Joy?" Aldrinch queried, sadness overtaking his skin. "Your path leads only to suffering. What happens when the elders demand an heir? Adoption risks accusations of illegitimacy. Abdication will ignite a power struggle. Is the human aware of the sacrifices you both must make for love?"
Amara felt Nathan freeze beside her. She hadn’t considered the long-term implications; there were simply too many immediate challenges demanding her attention. The future, with its potential complications, seemed a distant concern. The same didn’t seem to be true for Nathan, however. Noticing that he stopped responding to her gaze and touch, Amara decided to end the discussion.
With a firm tone, she shifted the focus, "That is a problem for later. Mia is informing the humans about us. I need to know if you can bring this subject up with the more trustworthy elders."
Aldrinch, lacking a trace of joy in his skin, replied as he gazed at the frozen holographic chamber, "I stood by your side when you stole the translator and when you parted ways with Thozor. This time will be no different."
Amara’s grip tightened around Nathan’s hand as she practically dragged him from Aldrinch’s chamber, accidentally slamming the door shut behind them. Nathan was like a ghost, their journey back to Amara’s quarters was a silent procession through hushed hallways and tense elevator rides.
Amara broke the silence only when they were already in front of her door, a place she was sure there wasn’t any hidden surveillance. "Worried?"
"Aldrinch hates me, doesn’t he?" Nathan replied with another question.
"If he hated you, he would not have shown you his real self." Amara tried to hold Nathan’s hand again, only for him to toss her tail aside. "Did that talk about heirs and sacrifices bother you?"
"I don’t know, Amara," Nathan replied, his voice flat. "I need some time to process this. Hiding in your room for days in a row because of the loyalists seemed like a good idea. But now, I think I need some solitude. Maybe I’ll study some plants and clear my head before it gets dark."
Nathan reached for the door mechanism, then hesitated, a look of embarrassment crossing his face. Amara stepped forward, silently unlocking the door with her claws. As she held it open, he entered, and she caught a glimpse of him collecting his equipment.
As he changed into the clothes Mia had brought, a growing sense of dread washed over Amara. His methodical gathering of a knife, a gun, and a jacket fueled her unease. Without a word, he left, the path to the surface elevator a route she’d shown him days before.
The thought of going after him was hard to resist. But what would she say? That he was not allowed to go to the surface? The he lost the right to be alone?
Instead of following him, she entered her room. There, she found something that eased her worries significantly—the box with his drones was still there, and so was his new laser communicator. The nature of her worry changed immediately, and through her AR visors, she ordered some of her guards to follow Nathan to the surface.
A profound emptiness settled over the room, prompting Amara to leave. After a short walk and some climbing of stairs, she found a window offering a view of the building entrance. From there, she watched as Nathan emerged several floors below, heading toward the large elevator.
The elevator was a distance away, granting Amara a few extra moments to observe Nathan. Just as he reached the entrance, she saw him hesitate, his hand hovering uncertainly over the button panel. Then, finally, he turned to the passersby for help with the buttons.
Amara found strange amusement in the situation, but the moment was abruptly interrupted. Her vision blurred, and a wave of nausea washed over her. Before she could watch Nathan step into the elevator, she rushed back to her quarters, desperate to reach the restroom.
When she opened the door, however, her vision was clear, the nausea vanished without a trace. A wave of confusion washed over her as she questioned the reality of what she had just experienced.
***
This was an account based on Amara and Nathan's meeting with Aldrinch. The previous narrative is based on the events of the forty-fifth day of the exploratory mission of Irisa. According to your current settings, no queries will be suggested.
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IT BEGINS
