Voices by M J Marlow (uplifting novels txt) 📕

to
a ring with similar design by three delicate gold chains.
“According to Hazri custom,” he said as he put them on my wrists
and slipped the ring in place on my left ring finger, “our union
must have an outward sign that all may see. These will replace the
ring that was tainted by our enemies”
“Take them off,” I snapped after I found I could not remove
them. They had tightened around my wrists and finger as soon as
they were in place.
“They will not come off,” Aden informed me with an
amused smile. He laughed at the look of horror on my face. “You
are mine.”
“I will not accept this!” I cried out in protest. I tried to pull
free but his grip did not relax. “You can’t force me…”
“We have been through this, my princess,” Aden smiled as
he cupped my cheek in his free hand. His eyes were warm with an
emotion that sent that strange electricity coursing through me.
“However it began, you became my wife here.”
“You can’t…”
“It will now be inscribed there for all to read, my princess,”
he said; ignoring my protest as he raised my right arm. I watched
in horror as Hazri and Jarusian script began to appear at his next
words along the edge of the right bracelet. “On this date did
Melaura of Jarusian become the betrothed wife of the lord prince
Aden Zed of the Hazri Empire.” He stated the date of two weeks
ago and then kissed my hand. When he released it, I slapped him
across the face and he laughed. “The contract is now signed and
sealed.” He saw me storming off and frowned as he caught up with
me. “Where do you think you can run, Melaura? No one is going
to get between a man and his wife.”
“I would like to take a walk along the river,” I said to Aden
coldly. “No,” I frowned as Tal and the guards started to follow. “It
is only twenty feet away. Aden and I are not going to disappear on
you.” I saw Tal debating in his mind and I knew I had to convince
him. “It would help me calm down if you would give us a brief
respite from security, my lord.”
Tal nodded and Aden and I went down to the river. I
looked over my shoulder and saw that we were being watched very
closely. I paused at the river and sat down on the bank to remove
my shoes. I put my feet in the cool water and sighed happily. Aden
joined me and we sat side by side watching a flock of birds as it
flew over the marshes on the other side of the river. He laced his
fingers through mine and I did not fight him. It was an innocent
enough gesture, and I needed comforting. This was the first time,
in a long time, that I had been this close to nature. I looked over
and Tal and the guards were still watching us. There was no way
we were going to be able to get away from them. I looked at the
offending bracelets and tried once more to make them come off.
“He is growing impatient, children,” a voice spoke up from
down below the riverbank on the ground below. I looked down to
see one of the Ferengi I had noticed the day before looking up at
me. “You want out of here,” he continued as he grabbed my ankles
and yanked me down to the beach where his men gagged me; “we
will help you.”
I kicked and struggled as they yanked Aden down before he
could get help. They held me tight as they rendered Aden
unconscious and then they put me in a bag and carried me off. The
gag muffled my screams and there was nothing I could do as they
dumped me onto something hard. I heard something slamming shut
above me and I was terrified. These strange creatures were
abducting me from my kidnappers. If I weren’t so frightened, I
would laugh. Who were these little aliens and why were they doing
this to me? I hit the side of the box I was in and whimpered in pain
as my shoulder hit the side hard enough to cause bruising. There
was the sound of engines firing and the abrupt acceleration and
ascension sent me flying. My head hit the box and I blacked out.
When I woke up, I was lying on the deck on the bridge of a strange
vessel. The Ferengi who had grabbed me smiled down at me as I
struggled to sit up; the action made all the harder because my
wrists were bound behind my back by the bracelets Aden had
given me. He had neglected to tell me that they could be used as
restraints.
“Men,” Kur boomed as he raised his eyes from watching
me. “That was a most excellent maneuver. I do believe we got
away with our prizes without the Romulans being any the wiser.”
He looked down at me, and his smile revealed sharply pointed
teeth. I backed away from him as he reached out to touch my hair.
“Do not be frightened of us, Princess,” the alien continued to smile
at me. “We have no reason to harm you or your young husband. It
would be counter-productive to our employer’s plans for you.” He
bowed his head. “I am Daimon Kur of the Ferengi.” He saw the
confusion in my eyes. “We understand if you have never heard of
our race, Your Highness. The world you were raised on has no
reason to know us.”
“Maybe if you removed the gag, Daimon?” one of the
others suggested as he ran his eyes over me in a manner I found
quite unnerving.
“How thoughtless of me,” Kur laughed. He removed the
gag and snapped his fingers. “Bring the princess something to
drink, slave.”
I let the woman who came to kneel at my side help me
drink some water and smiled my thanks. I looked around the vessel
and noted that the entire crew was made up of these strange
creatures that called themselves Ferengi. I had indeed never heard
about them until yesterday, and that made this situation precarious.
I knew nothing at all about their culture or traditions. Obviously
kidnapping women and holding them for ransom was something
they found quite acceptable.
“I don’t understand why you are doing this, Daimon Kur,” I
said to him once my voice was stronger. “I’m not anyone
important.”
“Not important, Princess?” Daimon Kur laughed. “You are
the single most important female in the galaxy at this moment.
Now that you are married to the Hazri prince, and declared hostage
to the Romulans, they will most assuredly pay the highest ransom
for you.” He crouched down to cup my chin in his hand and looked
me over. “She does not realize it, men,” he said as he looked at me
sadly; “but this declaration makes her husband and herself
Romulans now. They have claim to them.” I burst into tears,
overwhelmed by what was happening to me. “Don’t cry, little
Princess.”
“I don’t want to be kidnapped,” I sobbed as I looked up at
him. “I don’t want to be wife to Prince Aden. I just want to go
home and continue my studies.”
“Studies?” Zun queried, looking at me in confusion. “But
you’re a royal and a female; why would you need to study
anything?”
“I-I was going to become a doctor,” I told him, my sobs
turning to hiccupping. I saw another of the little men coming
towards me and I backed away from his questing fingers. “Please
don’t touch me.”
“It would appear our little princess hasn’t learned to behave
yet, men,” Daimon Kur smiled happily. “Her ransom must go up
accordingly.” He saw the dismay in my eyes and made a decision.
“Our talk disturbs our little guest.” He got to his feet. “Zun, you
have the com. I will see the female to her cabin.”
He snapped his fingers and the slaves fell in behind us as he
yanked me to my feet. I fell over as pain exploded in my head and
he had to carry me. Once he had released the restraint command on
the bracelets; he laid me down on a bed in a cabin off of his, and
he left the slaves to see to my needs. I came back to my senses as
one of them tended the bump on the back of my head and pain shot
through me.
“You’re hurting me,” I protested as she pressed a bit too
hard. I was disturbed to see that I had been unconscious long
enough to be stripped. Unlike the other women; however, I had a
robe to wear. I remembered what the Romulan guard had told me
about the Ferengi keeping their women naked; but the sight was
even more disturbing than his words had been. I got to my feet and
went to the windows to look out at the stars. “So this is what space
travel looks like,” I mused as I watched the lights go by in a
stream. “It’s not at all what I expected.”
“There are so many things you have yet to see, Melaura,”
Aden smiled as he came into the main room. He had taken a
shower and he was drying his hair. He sank down on the lounge
next to me. “I apologize for the rough handling, my love,” he said
as he laid his hand on my knee. “Kur is not known for being
gentle.”
“You’re his employer?” I looked at Aden in shock.
“We needed to get away from the Romulans,” Aden told
me. “We will be meeting the Commitment soon.” He leaned his
cheek against mine as the door opened. “You need to continue
pretending to be frightened, Melaura…”
“I’m not pretending, Aden,” I broke in. “Please promise me
that you will end this marriage when we are safe.”
“We’ve only been married three weeks, Melaura,” Aden
pretended to pout. “I was looking forward to getting to know you
without being forced.”
“Don’t,” I snapped at him and shoved his hand off of my
knee. “Isn’t it enough that we are in this situation?”
“I am not a bad person, Melaura…”
“That’s what my uncle said,” I said as I moved away from
him; “but I prefer to get to know you a bit better before I form my
own opinion.” He smiled and pressed me against the cushions.
“Not that way, Aden,” I shook my head as I pushed him away. He
smiled at me impishly and I had to laugh. “I want to know all
about your kind.”
“That’s what the data files were for, Melaura,” Aden said
as he started to undo the fastening on the front of my dress bodice.
His beautiful blue green eyes locked on mine and I saw his gentle
concern. He kissed me then and I stiffened in shock. He did not let
up until I was sighing. “You see, my darling wife;” he practically
purred as he ran his fingers along my lips and looked down into
my stunned expression; “we are not that incompatible after all.” He
picked me up in his arms and carried me to the bedchamber. He
laid me down on the bed and moved over me; his fingers on my
lips to keep me silent. Then he leaned down close. “The room is
bugged, Melaura,” he informed me in a whisper. “We are going to
have to go through the motions.”
“Get off of me!” I shrieked and shoved him off the bed. “I
am not letting this happen, Prince Aden. I don’t care if our parents
chose us for each other! They didn’t ask me!” He came towards me
and I slapped him. “Don’t you