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used to such changes in mood.  He followed her in and
sat once again across from her, this time with a puzzled look on his face.
    “You are feeling better?”
    “Very much, thank you.  Sometimes I just need a little fresh
air.”
    “I expected you to try and run.”
    “I know.  I appreciate that you stopped anyway.  You didn’t
have to.”
    “I admit I was curious to see what would happen if you
became overly, shall we say, emotional. But out of respect for you, I thought I
should wait until we were alone.”
    She could feel her smile turning brittle and fought back the
anger that he would deliberately try to call forth what she was so obviously
trying to hold back.
    “You are too kind.”  This time it was clear that the smile
was not genuine.  “So, now what?”  She sat back in the seat, forcing herself to
relax despite her uncertain future.  “You have me, what are you intending to do
with me?  I mean I did kick the shit out of your malicious little queen to be,
clearly you have to go through all this trouble just to punish me.  So what’s
it to be?  I can pretty much take anything you have to dish out, as long as I
know how long the punishment will last.  Why you want to marry that vicious
little harpy is beyond me, but whatever floats your boat.”
    He smiled.  “You certainly have a ready tongue on you.  But
you are correct,  I have no desire to wed the “vicious little harpy” as you
called her.  However, there was very little room to maneuver where queens are
concerned.  Strength is held above all other assets to be key in the queen.”
    “Apparently above honor and common decency.”
    “Indeed.  One would wish to have a queen with all those
qualities as well as intelligence and cunning, but we take what we can, and
above all else she must be strong of mind and body to birth strong sons.”
    “I think I’m going to throw up.”
    “Should we stop again?”
    “No.  I meant metaphorically.”
    “I see.”  But it was clear he didn’t.
    “You choose your queen for her breeding capabilities.  In my
mind I’m vomiting.”
    “That does not sound pleasant.  What do your own leaders
look for in a wife?”
    “Our leaders look for many things in a spouse.  None of
which has anything do with their hand to hand fighting techniques or their
capacity for violence.”
    “This does explain how you are still free to roam the
universe.  I was wondering if your own leaders had some sort of intelligence
problem not to have claimed one such as you long past.”
    “What makes you think I’m any different than anyone else
where I come from?”
    “Your friend is not like you.”
    “Lara?”  Nori smiled again, and then briefly frowned.  “No,
but she’s not like anyone else either.  She has no evil in her at all.  So she
can’t see it in others.”
    “You fear for her.”
    “She is still in prison back there with the tech and I don’t
know that they will allow her to leave, or if she won’t do something foolish to
try to rescue me when she should just go home and tell Tryne.”
    His eyes flashed a clear warning sign, but she was unsure
what had set off his temper.  She assumed it was the mention of rescue until he
spoke.
    “This Tryne, he has a claim on you?”
    “Tryne?  I suppose you could say that.  He will certainly
move heaven and earth to get me back, and he will have the League of Planets to
back him up.  So you see this kidnapping will only land you and your people in
trouble you don’t need.”
    “To get you back, which he will not do, he must come and
challenge for your hand.  Then will we fight and he will die.  Thus all will be
handled according to our laws.”
    “Die?”  Her eyes flashed lavender as she lost her tight hold
on her temper.  “You can’t fight Tryne. Even if he was foolish enough to
challenge you, which he won’t be, he has done nothing to warrant a death
sentence but try to see to the welfare of a daughter.  You would kill him