Voices by M J Marlow (uplifting novels txt) 📕

is agreeable to it,” he
smiled coldly as Tal’s eyes widened in shock. “Once she has
recovered, she will be questioned.”
Alarms began to go off and the Captain ran to the bridge.
The Romulan vessels had moved ahead and were turning to come
into firing position. The original four had been joined by eight
more and had surrounded the convoy. The channel was opened and
Commander Terrh Jo’rek, prince Tal’s uncle, was seated on his
bridge looking at them all coldly.
“Your Highness,” he bowed his head to Tal. “The Emperor
asked us to make certain all was well.”
“There is a question as to the bride’s agreement,” Tal
informed his uncle. “I believe that it might be wise to bring all the
interested parties together.”
“What the…” Elaine was on her feet as her passengers
vanished. She began to bark out orders even as the Romulan
vessels cloaked. They were gone before she could respond. She
turned to David. “Report?”
“The passengers are gone, ma’am,” David reported; “along
with all their belongings. If there was evidence in the Romulans
quarters it has gone with them.” He saw the report from the
Infirmary. “They have the Admiral, the princess’ guardians,
Counselor Aitli, Prince Aden, and Melaura.” The alarms went off
as a Romulan vessel uncloaked long enough to send the Admiral
and the Counselor back.
“Since the Federation has stepped back from the matter,”
Tal smiled at them coldly from the bridge of the vessel; with me
held firmly at Aden’s side, “your representatives are not needed.”
The vessel cloaked immediately and there was only empty space.
“Damn!”
“This can not go unanswered,” Wainwright hissed. He
looked at Elaine. “May I use your Ready Room?”
“Go for it, Admiral.”
“Melaura?
I shook my head as the voice entered my head and brought
my hands up to my ears to blot it out. But my arms were not
moving. I could not get my hands over my ears. I frowned and
opened my eyes and moaned as the light made pain explode in my
mind. I felt someone touch my chin and I shook my head in
protest.
“No,” I protested. “Leave me alone!”
“Melaura, child,” Natan’s voice sounded again. “You have
to wake up now!”
“No,” I shook my head. “I don’t ‘have’ to do anything. Let
me sleep.” Someone slapped me and my eyes shot open. “You hurt
me!”
“I’m sorry, child,” Leonid told me. “It was necessary.
You’re the only one who can help us now.” I saw his frown
wavering and his voice grew more urgent. “Please child. You have
to stay awake.”
I opened my eyes again and saw that I was lying on a bench
in a cell. I got up and the world tilted around me. I fought the
dizziness as I made my way to the sink and splashed water in my
face. That cleared some of the fog and I looked out to see my
grandfathers and my great-uncle in other cells. I stepped forward
and realized that there was no shield on my cell. Obviously our
captors did not think I was a threat. I stumbled towards the control
console and found the ones that locked and unlocked the shields.
“Oh no, Princess,” Tal laughed as he stepped in and saw
what I was doing. He yanked me back, and held me firmly as his
men put the shields back up. He turned me to face him, my wrists
pinned together. “You are such a disobedient female, my pretty.
What am I going to do with you?”
“What haven’t you done?” I snapped at him. I looked at my
family. “Isn’t it enough that you have Aden and me? Why must
you hold them as well?”
“They can go home,” Tal told me, “as soon as they witness
your union.” He ran his hand along my cheek. “Since Jarusian is
dear to your heart, my princess, we shall hold your joining
ceremony there. Our agents have already been called to join us
there.” He shoved me to the guards. “See the princess to her
husband.” Once I was gone, he turned to his prisoners. His cold
demeanor faded and there was worry. “We have been joined by a
Hazri cruiser, lord Emperor,” he informed Leonid. “I can hide you,
but the children will have to be handed over to them.”
“It’s Iago, isn’t it?”
“He is asking to be allowed to escort your heir and his bride
the rest of the way to Hazri,” Tal nodded. “There is no way I can
refuse his request.”
“No,” Leonid agreed. “He must be allowed a little more
rope.” His fists clenched. “If he hurts them…”
“He will not, brother,” Tirzad spoke up. “Ystban sees your
son as an ally; exactly as we had planned. And he will overlook
Melaura as a mere child.” He smiled. “His arrogance will be his
undoing.”
I turned as Aden joined me in the cabin and knew from his
expression that he was going to tell me something he had been
keeping hidden. He showed me what was going on and I was
stunned. He had only gone along with this marriage to set a trap for
the rebels who wanted to take his grandfather off his throne? We
continued a conversation silently and I began to see his point. Tal
came to join us and he sat back with a cup of Romulan ale and sent
the women out. I sank down on the arm of the chair Aden was
sitting on and he put his arm around my waist. I leaned my head on
top of his; and Tal smiled and nodded.
“I knew you would fall to her soon, Aden,” he raised his
goblet to us. “Congratulations on finally realizing the truth.” The
door opened and Terrh stepped in. He had a device in his hand. He
swept the cabin and nodded. “Now that we are alone and there is
no one listening; we will tell you what this has really been about.”
“I didn’t think matchmaking was a Romulan tradition,” I
said stiffly. I heard Tal and Terrh laugh at my comment. “Am I
mistaken?”
“Greatly,” Tal quieted. “My uncle Terrh has arranged many
marriages in his long and illustrious career. He has an eye and a
feel for who belongs with whom.” His eyes sparkled with
amusement. “He knew you two would wind up together the
moment he saw you.” He took a sip of his wine. “But that is not
what we are here to speak of.”
“The Hazri vessel has sent over a shuttle,” Terrh informed
them. “We have very few moments before we are interrupted.”
“Then we must hurry,” Tal frowned. He turned to me. “My
friend, Aden,” he nodded towards my husband; “knows the truth,
Melaura; and he is ready to do his part. We need your agreement
before we can continue.”
I was intrigued now. Whatever these men were about to
share with me was so secret that they had engaged in this elaborate
ruse to hide the truth from me. But not just me, I realized as they
explained. They were keeping it from their Emperor. I did not
blame them after they explained why. The Emperor, I saw, would
treat this decision as a betrayal.
“It seemed the best decision, Melaura,” Tal said once he
had finished. “Not only would our house be free of the Empire, but
we would be able to help Aden.”
“The men who helped the Romulans are part of a faction in
Hazri,” Aden told me when I looked at him in confusion; “that
mean to remove my Grandfather from the throne.”
“So you and I are bait in a trap?” I looked at the three men
in anger as they nodded. “You could have trusted me. I would still
have been just as angry at being forced to marry Aden; had I
known the reasons you agreed to help these rebels.” He held my
hands in his and I wondered when that had happened. I did not pull
free; this felt right. He reached up to dry my tears of frustration.
“Did they need to go so far, Aden?”
“They wanted to make certain our union was validated, my
love,” Aden said as he looked down at me gently. “A nonconsummated
marriage can be broken.”
“What are you talking about?” Tal looked worried then. We
told him about the drugs and he was incensed. “That was never
made known to me!” He looked at his uncle and Terrh shook his
head. He was on his feet. “Those damned Hazri! They used us as
well!”
He headed for the door just as it opened. Two very large
men in black and gold uniform pushed him back and were
followed by a tall, cold-eyed man in the same uniform. His eyes
swept the room and I moved closer to Aden. This was the man who
had ordered the deaths of my parents! I would recognize those
eyes; even had I not see his face. I felt Aden stiffen as he got to his
feet to face the man; his grandfather’s cousin, I remembered.
Ystban bowed his head slightly to the younger man.
“Your Highness,” Ystban smiled at Aden and I was stunned
at the genuine respect I felt from the man. “We are here to take you
the rest of the way home.”
“A Hazri vessel would be preferable to this scow,” Aden
said coldly. He swept out of the cabin with me in tow. There was
no further speech until we were on the shuttle headed away.
“Your grandfather is growing quite impatient to meet his
new granddaughter, Your Highness,” Ystban said as he locked
eyes with me. “You have grown into a very lovely young woman,
Melaura Zed.” He took a step towards me and I backed away from
him. Ystban’s eyes narrowed. “I see.”
The shuttle landed in the bay and we stepped out onto the
deck of the Hazri cruiser. Ystban nodded to his men and they
yanked me away from Aden’s side and Aden had to fight not to
glare at the man. I was looking at a complete stranger now;
completely detached and disinterested. His mind, however, was
filled with concern for me and I knew that I was not on my own
now. I tried to pull my arms free and the men did not let go.
“She will be treated kindly, young prince,” Ystban
informed my husband; “but it is obvious that she has no concept of
the proper behavior for a Hazri wife. My wives shall see to it that
she does.”
“Aden!” I cried as I tried to get free of the guards’ hold.
“You can’t let him do this! Please…”
“I’m sorry, Melaura,” Aden broke in coldly. I could see the
anger he was hiding from Ystban glowing in his mind. “The Lord
Councilor is correct. You are an imperial princess now and your
behavior must be above reproach. There are more important
concerns here than your feelings.”
“I always knew you were an intelligent young man, my
prince,” Ystban bowed his head to Aden.
“This alliance with the Romulans is important,” Aden
agreed. He looked at me then as if I were no matter. If I had not
known the truth, I would have been crushed. “The princess will
learn how to put the good of our people first.”
“You bastard!” I hissed and tried to get at him. “Let me
go!” I protested as the men took me out. “I’m not going anywhere
with you!”
“Your young bride is very unhappy with you, my prince,”
Ystban smiled as he watched me being taken away.
“I leave it to your wives, Lord Councilor,” Aden said as if
it meant no difference to him one way or the other, “to teach her
how to behave. I will not be embarrassed by a willful child in
court.”
“A mere ornament to