Conduit - M J Marlow (best short books to read txt) 📗

to eat and sleep, “tell me about the conflict between the Sylenni and the Vyrashtu.” * The Vyrashtu cruisers approached the home world and I was on the main deck with Ashad. He had a collar on me and he had me on a very short leash. I could feel his pleasure at causing me pain as he yanked me back every time I tried to get further from him. I finally gave up out of boredom. It was a childish game and I was no longer a child. I felt his confusion at my thoughts. He hadn’t considered that option. It was a beautiful world, I noted. Not unlike Earth in some regards, although I saw it had fewer large land masses. Ashad informed me that each island was home to one of the houses of a noble family. The entire world belonged to one royal family; and that would be his now. “Sylenni home world,” Ashad said as a channel opened. “I am Ashad, proclaimed king of your race as bonded mate to your Queen Dulcinea. We come to lay claim as ordained by tradition.” He yanked me close. “One word, pretty queen,” he warned me, “and the Vyrashtu will open fire on this world.” “You would destroy your own people to have your way?” “Yes,” Ashad nodded. “The kingship has been denied my bloodline for far too long. I will have it now or I will see them all in Vyrashtu slave pens.” “You’re insane!” “And you, my lovely one,” Ashad smiled coldly as he lifted a familiar wire device and pressed the end to my throat, “are now silent.” He removed the collar from around my throat and yanked me out of the main cabin. We boarded a launch and headed down to the surface with his men. The launch landed on the central island and I looked around at the beautiful buildings. It was a wonderful world, and I had no desire to see it destroyed. I felt Everd’s mind touch mine briefly and Ashad snarled. We walked into the Council Hall and stopped in front of the Elders. “Ashad, prince of the Sylenni line Apser,” the lord Chert spoke from the central chair. “You come claiming kingship and bond to our lawful queen.” “I do.” “You are aware that another makes such a claim,” Chert asked coldly. He saw me and noted the collar at my throat. He hissed. “Bringing a queen bound, Ashad, in any manner is a violation of our tradition. You will remove the device at once.” “As you will, Elder Chert,” Ashad bowed his head. He removed the collar and had me sit on a throne on one side of the hall. “Bring forth this false claimant.” “My claim is not false, Ashad,” Evred hissed as he flew down and knelt before me. “My queen.” He winked at me and turned. “I have witnesses to my mating. What have you that does not result from force?” “A Vyrashtu battle fleet,” Ashad said boldly, “that is poised to fire on this world if you do not proclaim me king.” “You allied with the Vyrashtu?” “It is time for the old enmities to end,” Ashad spoke up through the roar. His voice was commanding and it cut them to silence almost instantly. “The wars have only led to bloodshed and loss on both sides. They are as eager to end the hostilities as we are.” “At what price, Ashad?” Everd hissed. “A puppet king with our Queen as their slave?” He appealed to the assembly. “Is this a price we are willing to pay?” “If it means peace… “NO! Our Queen must be free…” The arguments ended as I rose to my feet. I met Ashad’s cold eyes and faced the assembly. I could feel their respect and their pride in me. It felt wonderful to be treasured, but I was not a possession. The silence became even deeper, and their respect mounted. “I was not born to your world,” I said simply, “but I am your Queen. And as I am your Queen, it is my duty to protect my people.” I looked at Ashad. “You chose the one bloodline to mutate, Ashad.” He looked at me in confusion. “You purposely flew our ship to a world you knew was not Everd’s colony and lied to him about it being so in order to force him to break his bond with me.” I stuck my finger in his chest as I saw him pale as he realized what I was doing. “You forced a bond with me,” I held up my wrists so all could see I had both cuffs, “in order to make this false claim and then forced your foul self on me against my wishes. You family has been in alliance with the Vyrashtu from the very beginning with the clear intent to place your house on the throne!” I watched him collapsed to his knees, shrieking in pain. “Voice?” “Yes, my queen?” the Voice resounded in the hall. “You are here?” “Yes, my queen,” the Voice replied. “It was the one order you did not circumvent with your override parameters.” “It was one order I was counting on them making,” I smiled and could almost hear the twins’ shrieks. “There are how many Vyrashtu vessels in orbit?” “The five that attacked your Sanctuary,” the Voice replied. “A scan of the system shows no others approaching.” “Connect me to the lead vessel, Voice,” I said as I looked at Ashad, curling up in a ball from the punishment his own mind was inflicting on him. “Commander of the Vyrashtu. We warned you what would happen if you attacked us. You have five minutes to leave orbit or we will fire.” “We will begin fire in five minutes,” Jason’s voice sounded over the hall. “No fair,” Jonas’ voice sounded a minute later. “They’re retreating.” “Voice,” I asked my base. “If possible, please make planet fall near the main island.” “It shall be so, my queen.” “As for the matter of who is or is not my bonded mate,” I said to the assembly. “That is my choice. As much as I might wish for the bond to stand with Everd, it was not my choice.” I saw his regret and then his nod of understanding. “There is no king until the next mating cycle.” I looked at Chert. “I do not know your traditions, lord Chert. I am assuming that as your Queen I am allowed to make conditions.” “You, my Queen,” the lord Chert said as he landed and went to his knees before me, “may consider all of our traditions null and void if you wish it.” “I will consider them on a tradition by tradition basis,” I smiled at him. “Those that are not biological imperatives may change.” I raised my head. “Yes, Jason?” “We have landed, Dulcie,” my brother’s voice sounded in the hall. “May we come over?” I looked at Chert and he nodded. I sent the answer. “Cool.” “My brothers are very young,” I smiled as I sat down on the throne. “Please excuse them if they seem a bit immature.” I looked at Ashad who had passed out cold. “I assume you know how best to punish him?” Chert nodded. “Is there a worthy noble who could take over his house?” “There are seven in line for elevation, my queen.” Chert called them forth and they all knelt before me. “Is it your wish to examine them?” I nodded and scanned their minds. They all seemed quite willing to flirt but only one of them was willing to open his mind to me and allow a true examination. What I saw there was very promising. I pointed to the tall, redhaired Sylenni noble and he bowed his head to me in gratitude. “Zahari is elevated to princeship of the line Apser,” Chert announced. The hall burst into cheers and applause and I knew that the Sylenni respected this noble. He would make an excellent replacement for Ashad. I had seen no future where he or his offspring would try to subvert the ways of the Sylenni. What I had seen was a people who would finally have a lord who cared more for their needs than his own elevation. Jason and Jonas walked into the hall with Quisha and the other females and the hall silenced. They came up to me and I rose to my feet. “I present to you my protectors and my friends,” I said to the assembly. “Jason and Jonas are my brothers and shall be respected as such. Quisha and her littermates have lost a home world because of the last line of Apser; but they have elected to remain with me, as my protectors. Mary,” I drew my friend forward, “and these other women were forcibly mutated and it is my will that the mutation be reversed, if at all possible.” I looked at Bindri and could see his eyes lighting up at the chance to undo some damage. “I would ask prince Bindri to look into this matter. Until the results are known, these women are my companions; they will be treated with respect. If they must remain, they will be allowed to decide their own fates.” “The commands of our Queen have been stated,” the lord Chert nodded. “Let all within the sound of her voice, heed her will.” “If I am no longer needed in Council, lord Chert,” I said to the Elder, “I would retire with my companions...” I passed out as the hall erupted in cries of concern. Everd picked me up in his arms and searched my mind. He looked up at lord Chert in anguish. Chert searched and his eyes widened in horror. It was not possible! Ashad began to laugh from where he stood in manacles. Jonas clamped his hands on the man’s neck. “What did you do to her?” Jonas demanded. “Take it back, you bastard!” Jason added as he saw me growing paler by the moment. “It wasn’t me,” Ashad replied calmly. “Our Queen has come to the interest of another being now. He has taken her for judgment.” “You didn’t!” Everd hissed and held me closer. “You have sentenced her to limbo, Ashad!” “Not necessarily,” Ashad laughed. “It all depends on how willing she is to do what they require.” “What is he talking about,” Jason demanded of Everd. “What happened to Dulcie?” * I was asking myself that same question about the same time. I was floating in light and I could not feel my body. I sent my mind searching and I met amusement and curiosity. What was I? Why should I be? These and more questions bounced in and out of my mind as I floated free. They took all my memories and examined them in excruciating detail. They showed me my body in a healing chamber back on Sylenni Prime. I was disembodied then. I wondered why I wasn’t more frightened. There was a sense of loss for a moment and then it was gone. “Your actions have saved countless millions, little one,” a voice spoke into my mind. “You surely have done enough in your young life. You should rest now.” “Rest.” “Rest.” “I have more to do,” I told them. “Promises made and not yet fulfilled. Family I have just met and need to learn of.” “Are those not tasks that others can pursue?” “Others.” “Others.” “My promises,” I insisted. “My tasks.” “Fair answer, child of power,” the voice spoke. I felt understanding and respect. “You must learn to share your tasks and your promises, or your time will be shortened before it should be.” “You sound like Gramps,” I smiled without smiling. “Many people have been drawn to your circle, little queen,” the voice replied. “You must let them take lead or they will never be the beings they were meant to be. Do you understand?” “Understand?” “Understand?”