Authors: Michelle M. Pillow
“What do you have?” Tori asked, standing. A sheet covered the cart.
Ulyssa grinned and pulled the sheet back with flourish, announcing, “Lithorian chocolate! I stole every last piece from the cargo ship. Now, we just have to hide it in your laboratory before Kirill finds out its gone. If we’re lucky, everyone will just assume it never came.”
“Again,” the petite blonde added, grinning. Suddenly, her violet eyes found Jasmine on the couch. “What do we have here? Are you her?”
Jasmine looked helplessly at Tori as Ulyssa turned to look at her as well. Tori nodded her head, saying, “Yep, this is her. Jasmine St. Claire.”
Ulyssa shook her head. She gave her a serious once over. “So, you’re the infamous Jasmine St. Claire.”
Jasmine stood, eyeing the pregnant woman. She was no longer smiling. In fact, she looked a little upset.
“And you are?” Jasmine asked, for anything better to say.
“Jasmine,” Tori said, not looking as concerned by Ulyssa’s apparent displeasure. She crossed over to the cart and picked off a piece of the giant pile of chocolate. Popping it in her mouth, she moaned and said, “This is Queen Ulyssa of the Var, wife to King Kirill and this,” she pointed at the pixie blonde, “is Princess Samantha of the Var….”
“Sam,” Samantha interrupted, as she too reached for some chocolate on the cart.
Sam, the old captain to Jarek’s crew. Jasmine looked at the woman. She didn’t look like a captain.
“…wife to Prince Falke, Commander of the Guard,” Tori finished as if she hadn’t been interrupted. Then, picking
up another piece of chocolate, she said, “And this is Lithorian chocolate, the best pregnancy food in the world. We hoard it like gold and our husbands have to forgive us because we’re pregnant.”
“And because they let us have whatever we want,” Sam added. “You’d figure big, bad warriors would be you know …
tougher
. But, alas, no. All we have to do is sigh and pout our bottom lip and they melt until they’re putty in our hands.”
“Quite right.” Tori nodded in approval. “Though, don’t get us wrong. They are tough.”
“And not everything exactly melts.” Sam winked. Jasmine didn’t understand the jest, but said nothing.
Tori sighed, a look of longing and pleasure on her face.
“Mm, yeah.” Sam nodded in agreement. “Very strong. Very firm and muscular and--”
“Nice to meet--” Jasmine began.
“Sam. Tori,” Ulyssa snapped. She looked at the two princesses. “Um, we’re mad at this one, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.” Sam nodded. She pushed the smile from her face. “Mad. Sorry, forgot. You know, chocolate on the brain.”
“Right.” Tori nodded in agreement. “Mad.”
Jasmine backed away. What was the Queen talking about? What did she do?
Ulyssa turned back to Jasmine. “I want to know what you’ve been doing to our Reid. Mind you, the poor man could stand to be taken down a peg or two, but certainly enough is enough. I mean, either you’re in love with him or you’re not, but to toy with the man’s emotions like this….”
Ulyssa’s voice trailed off as she shook her head.
“Especially a Var man’s emotions,” Sam added over a mouthful.
Jasmine didn’t move. What were they talking about?
“He used to smile and tell stories,” Tori added, nodding.
“Now he just sits around and looks all depressed,” Sam said. “You guys have been here for a week and he hasn’t laughed once.”
“A week?” Jasmine asked.
“You’ve been asleep,” Tori offered. She started to smile, but quickly caught the look with a guilty glance at Ulyssa. Mumbling, she said, “Still no excuse.”
“Jarek tells us you’ve been with Reid for several days on his ship and have been tormenting the poor man beyond belief--flirting with him and then denying him, sleeping with him and then not sleeping with him. Reid won’t eat, doesn’t sleep. We don’t like it,” Ulyssa said.
“It’s not like him,” Sam added.
“So, what did you do to him?” Tori asked, her voice the most pleasant of the three. “Or what did he do to deserve the punishment?”
Jasmine pressed her hand over her heart. “Nothing. I swear. Prince Jarek is mistaken. I haven’t slept with him or flirted with him or any--”
“I knew it!” Ulyssa said, suddenly smiling. She turned to the princesses. “I knew Jarek was just trying to make us feel sorry for Reid.”
Jasmine really contemplated running. She’d heard of mood swings during pregnancy, but these women had to be borderline psychopathic.
“Well, good for you!” Sam said. “It is about time someone said no to that man. I swear, he gets more--”
“Ah, Sam,” Tori broke in. She shook her head and glanced at Jasmine. “Not helping.”
Sam guiltily blushed and didn’t finish the sentence. Jasmine didn’t need her to. She already had heard about Reid’s great prowess from Jarek’s crew.
“Your highnesses, please--” Jasmine began.
“Ugh, no, don’t,” Ulyssa held up her hand. “Ulyssa, please, and don’t you dare curtsey or I’ll behead you.”
“She tells everyone the same, ignore her,” Sam said, shaking her head. “She’s just bitchy.”
“Language,” Tori scolded. Sam rolled her eyes. “Sorry, Jasmine, Reid mentioned that you were … ah … delicate….”
“And proper,” Sam added, nodding helpfully.
“We don’t mean to offend you,” Tori explained.
“I’m not,” Jasmine said, smiling tentatively. She forgot all about her heart condition. The women might be a little strange, but she found herself liking them. “You haven’t offended me.”
“Blessed Stars! That’s a relief!” Sam exclaimed. “I was all worried you were going to be stuck up. It’s hard enough for me to keep my mouth shut, but to stop swearing altogether?”
“Sorry to yell at you like that,” Ulyssa said. She grabbed a hunk of chocolate and broke it in half as she moved toward Jasmine. “Here, take this. It’s heavenly and it will make you forgive me.”
Jasmine reached for the half and nodded. She bit into the corner. The women were right. It was delicious. The smooth chocolate practically turned to cream in her mouth.
“It’s just, well, we’re very protective of our families and when one of the brothers is upset, our husbands get edgy. Reid’s been….” Ulyssa looked for help from the other two, before shrugging. “He hasn’t been Reid since he got back. He’s not once visited the harem since he’s been here.”
Ulyssa sat on the couch. Tori and Sam were right behind her. Tori sat on the chair and Sam lay on the floor. When Jasmine offered to let her have the couch, she refused.
“And believe me, Reid used to live at the harem,” Sam added. “That man has the sex drive of a true animal.”
“Sam!” Tori scolded, only to add under her breath, “Not helping.”
“Or so I’m told,” Sam said as a weak cover up. Tori rolled her eyes.
“It’s all right,” Jasmine assured them. She wondered why just hearing that Reid hadn’t had sex with anyone would make her so fluttery inside. It’s not like she should care.
“I’m really glad to hear you’re making Reid wait for you,” Ulyssa said. “These Var men are hardheaded. I swear you have to be tough just to put up with them.”
“But, don’t get her wrong,” Tori assured Jasmine. “They’re really quite sweet, even if their intentions do get messed up in the act.”
“What do you mean?” Jasmine asked.
“Show her the Yorkin,” Sam said, giggling.
“What is a Yorkin?” Jasmine watched the private look they shared.
Tori stood, motioning for Jasmine to follow her. She went to the dining room. In a corner, which couldn’t be seen from the front room, stood a horrific stuffed beast. It was twice as tall as Reid and had the coarse spine of an Earth porcupine along its thick back, looking as sharp as razor blades. His face was just as vicious with long deadly fangs and eyes that looked eerie even in its taxidermy state.
“That,” Tori said, shivering, “is a Yorkin. The thing of nightmares, isn’t it?”
“What does that have to do with your husband meaning well?” Jasmine asked.
“There was this big misunderstanding about Earth dating customs. He read up on them, but kind of messed them up. So, instead of a fierce teddy bear, he gave me a Yorkin. The brothers assumed a teddy bear was a hunted offering used to prove Earth men’s prowess and ability to protect their women.” Tori giggled. “You should’ve seen their faces when they brought it to me. It was a gift for the baby. They were so proud of themselves--Reid, Falke, Kirill and my Quinn. According to them, they took it down, just the four of them.”
Jasmine smiled. “It’s actually very sweet when you put it like that.”
“See what I mean? Sweet men, a messed up way of showing they care,” Tori said, tearing slightly. She fanned her face. “Ah, look at me. All emotional.”
“We still haven’t convinced them that a teddy bear isn’t a dangerous, poisonous, spry little shifter,” Ulyssa said from her place on the couch. She laughed. “When they found out I was pregnant, they actually gave me weapons--sharpened swords and knives.”
“Anyway, our point is that they’re really stubborn and really hard to put up with at first, but if you stay strong, I’m sure you and Reid will work things out,” Sam said.
“Oh, no, I think you have the wrong idea. Reid and I have nothing to work out. There’s nothing between us.” Jasmine tried to smile, but it was hard. The women’s faces fell. They actually looked sad by her admission.
“You don’t want him, then?” Ulyssa asked. “Is that what’s going on? I mean, we’d never ask you to be with someone you didn’t want or care about.”
“No, it’s not that, it … well … I can’t,” Jasmine answered. She couldn’t want anyone. “I’m … I’m still married.”
“Jarek told us,” Ulyssa said. “To an abusive doctor. He also said you divorced him.”
“No, I left him.” Jasmine saw the kindness in their eyes and almost started crying. It had been so long since she had other women to talk to. Chad didn’t like her having friends. “He wouldn’t ever give me a divorce.”
“Oh, sweetie, come sit down,” Tori soothed. “Tell us everything. Maybe we can help. We are royalty after all and royalty does have its privileges.”
“Why would you want me for Reid if you know I’m married?” Jasmine asked, helplessly following Tori’s urgings back to the couch.
“Nothing is ever as it seems. We’ve learned to trust in fate,” Tori said. “Besides, human law doesn’t actually apply here. Technically, it could be argued that you’re not married here unless you claim to be and want to be.”
“So spill it,” Sam demanded.
“Yes, tell us everything,” Ulyssa added.
Jasmine found herself surrounded by three emotional, comforting women who started crying along with her as she told them her story. Ulyssa brought over a hunk of chocolate as they talked. Jasmine had no idea what made her tell them what had happened, but just seeing their faces--with nothing to lose or gain but her friendship--she just kept talking. She told them of the beatings, of the abuse, how she discovered on her wedding night that she was frigid, of her medical condition.
Finally when she was done, Tori said, “But, you’re not allergic to medical booths. Reid and Evan had to use one on you after you drank too much on the ship. They were terrified that they’d hurt you, but you actually got better.”
“They did?” Jasmine gasped. The women nodded.
“That’s what we heard,” Tori nodded. “Maybe your heart isn’t bad, maybe Chad lied to you about that as well.”
“No,” Jasmine said, shaking her head in denial. “When I was younger, I was sickly. I couldn’t go to school and my father hired tutors for me. Aside from a few older servants, Chad really was the first man I’d ever seen. He’s a good doctor, even if he sucks as a husband. He was able to diagnose me. It’s actually how we met. My father hired him to come check me out. I thought I loved him, you know, he was the smart, traveled doctor who saved my life. It was all so glamorous and romantic.”
The women continued to talk for hours, sharing stories, getting to know each other. Jasmine listened to how they’d met their husbands, of the hard time they gave them before they agreed to marry them. Ulyssa had been investigating the new king when she came to the planet. Jasmine already had been told of Sam’s kidnapping Falke, but it was funny to hear the story straight from the source. Tori had done her best to keep Quinn at bay, but he’d been persistent.
She also learned of the dreaded King Attor. Reid’s father was not a very pleasant man and Jasmine was secretly glad she’d never meet him. King Kirill seemed like he’d be a much better ruler. Though, truth be told, she didn’t want to meet him either. If Reid was grumpy and the royal brothers blamed her for it, then they might not like having her around.
The women also swore their husbands would never marry anyone else, like Attor’s harem of over a hundred women. Jasmine believed them. She could see the love on the women’s faces and was jealous of it. She wondered which route Reid would take and concluded that he’d probably follow in his father’s footsteps.
Jasmine had never been included in such a group before and wasn’t sure what to think. The women were friendly and open, answering her questions about the Var culture. After several hours had passed, she felt as if she really knew them.
“So what happens if you don’t take your pills?” Sam asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over them.
“I get weak and fluttery. It’s been getting worse. I think my condition is becoming more severe.” Jasmine gave a weak shrug.
“How so?” Tori asked, looking very much like the scientist she was.
“It’s embarrassing,” Jasmine said.
“No, what’s embarrassing is the size of my butt in this dress,” Ulyssa said, snacking on the chocolate even as she spoke.
The women laughed. Jasmine wiped her eyes. Ulyssa had looked so sincere as she said it.
“I hate being pregnant,” Ulyssa grumped, still chuckling.
“I love it,” Tori said. She tossed a piece of chocolate in her mouth. “We can eat whatever we want and get fat and no one cares.”
“I care,” Ulyssa grumbled. “Kirill’s baby keeps kicking me.”
“You haven’t thrown up,” Sam said, rubbing her stomach.
“It can’t be any worse than my problem,” Ulyssa said. “Now, spill it, Jas. Tori’s as good as a doctor and maybe she can help you.”