Zahin's Intended (Sukaraian Warriors Book 1) (10 page)

Zahin

Chapter 23

     I was worried.  We had landed on Sukara, and I had never informed my family that I had found my
Ardhangini.
  I didn’t know how they would react once I introduced them.  She was so beautiful, but so different form the other females.  I held Eliana’s hand as we exited.  Dar was on her other side, and Justyn and the rest of my Guard was on my other side.  My father and mother met me while the rest of the family stood back.

     Eliana was looking around in amazement.  The planet was beautiful.  The grass and plants were blue, there was a rainbow color of flowers.  The sky was a pale yellow.  She was looking around when she heard someone talking.

“Zahin, it’s good to have you back home.  You were gone longer than was expected.”  King Yayin said as we grasped forearms.  His eyes darted down to Eliana.

“Who is this?  What is she?”  King Yayin asked, but his voice was unreadable.

“This is Eliana, and she is from a Planet called Earth.  She has agreed to be my
Ardhangini.
  Eliana, I would like you to meet my mother Queen Saia, and my father King Yayin.”  I was smiling at her, but as she looked at my parents she could see the anger in their eyes.

“No, she can’t possibly be your
Ardhangini
.  She is pale and small.  Besides, we were planning on you asking Raaka.  We are already preparing for your joining ceremony.”  Queen Saia said in a matter of fact tone.

“I agree, Raaka will make a fine
Ardhangini
.”  King Yayin said. 

     My eyes had gone deadly.  Why would they be planning my joining ceremony without my consent?  I would not stand here and let them insult Eliana any longer.  I took Eliana’s arm and raised it to show them that it was done.  I raised mine beside of hers to show that I was marked as well.  We may not have had the joining ceremony, but our intentions were clear.

“Queen Saia, King Yayin.”  I never addressed my mother as queen so she knew right away that she had wounded me greatly.  “Our intentions are clear.  Find someone else to join with Raaka if you like her so much.”  They gasped when they saw her arm marked with the royal colors, and his arm marked with her colors.

“He’s marked!”  The Queen shouted!  King Yayin looked at her with so much anger she had to look away.

“Son, follow me.  We have much to discuss.”  I waited then took Eliana’s hand and started to follow my father.  King Yayin turned, and when he saw that I was bringing Eliana, he stopped.

“No.  Just you.  Dar can show the Earth girl to a room.”  I was furious!

“No” Looking at both my mother and father I said; “You have both insulted Eliana and myself repeatedly.  I will gladly step down.  Tolan is very capable of being King.  Eliana is my family, and right now I’m not sure what you are.”  His mother gasped but I didn’t care.  Eliana had been through too much for me to let my parents make her feel inferior.  I took her hand and we headed to my rooms as Dar and my Guard went with me.

Eliana

     I was shaking on the inside.  Maybe on the outside as well.  How could I possibly live here where I was so unwelcome?  Why did I think I could have a life with Zahin?  Maybe if he hadn’t been a prince, but I couldn’t help that I fell in love with him.  He pulled me to him and hugged me tight.  I vaguely remember hearing a knock at the door.  Zahin was still holding me tight when Tolan walked in.  I didn’t realize that Tolan was watching the intimate scene between me and Zahin.  He was hugging me and whispering encouraging words in my ear.  I wasn’t hearing much as I was thinking about the disapproval I had seen.  What did that mean for my baby?  Would it be an outcast as well?  Zahin stepped back and looked into my eyes.  He was introducing me to someone.  Finally, I shook myself out of my own thoughts when tears started streaming down my face.

“I’m sorry, what did you say Zahin?”  I asked.  The sadness was clear in my voice.

“I was introducing you to my brother Tolan.”

“It’s very nice to meet you Tolan.”  I said even though tears were still running down my face.  He looked horrified.  Maybe he didn’t approve either.

“What is wrong with her Zahin?  Do I need to call a healer?”  Tolan asked.

“No.  She is crying because she’s sad.  Please don’t cry Eliana, it will be Ok.”  He gathered me into his arms once again.

“Why can’t I understand her?  She has a very pleasing voice, but I don’t know what she is saying.”  Tolan asked.  Zahin closed his eyes.  He had forgot to do so many things that he has made it more difficult on Eliana.

“Dar, call Frith and have him update the translators so anyone that she comes in contact with can understand her.”

“Yes Commander.”  Dar left to talk to Firth.  Zahin gathered me up in his arms and sat down.  Tolan got them both a glass of Barla and sat down in front of us.

“Want to tell me what all happened while you were gone brother?”  Tolan asked.

“It’s a long story.”

“We have time before the feast tonight.  Mother prepared it for you return.”

“We will not be attending Tolan.”

“I don’t blame you.  Mother invited many females and she expected you to announce Raaka as your intended tonight.”  Tolan said with a solemn   face.

“Why would she do that?  Why is she so set of Raaka?”

“For as long as you have been gone, Raaka and Mishra has told mother that you agreed to this before you left.  Mother was ecstatic thinking that you might be ready to start a family.  She has been preparing for your joining ceremony with Raaka.”  I thought I might be sick again.  I ran for another room hoping it was the cleansing room.  I threw up everything I had ate that day.  Zahin and Tolan had rushed in after me.  When I came out I looked pale.  Zahin helped me to the bed where I laid down.  My body was exhausted, but my mind was racing.  Zahin had someone here when he met me.  Did that make me like my friend Stacey?  Oh God!  I was going to be sick again.  I ran back to the cleansing room and dry heaved for there was nothing left in my stomach.  Zahin carried me back to bed and then called for Cadas.

     Cadas came in to check me over.  Zahin didn’t like how pale I was or that I was sick so much. He was standing in the doorway while Cadas checked me over.  I knew the instant Cadas knew my secret.  His eyes got wide as he looked up at me.  I made my eyes bigger trying to let him know not to say anything.  I barely shook my head no.  His solid black eyes seemed to understand.  It’s bizarre that I can read so much in their eyes since they have no pupil to help with that.

“Zahin, can you step out for a moment?  I need to talk to Eliana.”  Cadas asked.

“You can ask her anything with me in the room”

“Zahin, can you please give us some privacy?  It want be long love.”  I asked so sweetly that he couldn’t refuse.  Zahin quietly left the room and shut the door.  I knew he was a little hurt, but I wasn’t ready to talk about it with him yet.

“Eliana, you’re with young!  How is that possible?”  He asked excitedly.

“I know Cadas.” 

“You knew!”  He gasped.  “Why haven’t you said anything?  I need to do a full workup on you.  We’ve never had a human/Sukaraian young before.  There is so much to do!”  He kept rambling on excitedly.  I wasn’t sure if he even expected me to answer.  So I waited.  “Well?”  He finally said.

“I found out not long ago while I was on the Chandra.  I never thought it was possible because I had a device in my arm that prevented me from getting pregnant.”  I looked at him sternly and he looked a bit guilty because he had been the one to remove it.  “I think I am around two months pregnant.”  He looked at me questioningly.  I had to think of how to phrase it because I wasn’t use to their measurements of time.  “There of 30 moon cycles in 1 month Cadas, so two months is around 60 moon cycles.”  Cadas gasped.

“How long do human pregnancies last?”

“Nine months.”  I could tell he was doing some calculating in his head.  “How long are Sukaraian pregnancies?”

“Roughly six of your months.  If you are at two of your months now, and you follow the Sukaraian timeline for having young, then you will begin to grow at a fast rate.  In Sukaraian females, the young develops, and then grows at a rapid pace.  I believe you are at that point.  But how did you get pregnant in the first place?”  I looked at him like he had lost his mind.

“Duh, sex Cadas.”  He looked exasperated.

“I know that!  I mean, how often do you have your fertile time?”

“Once a month humans shed the lining of their uterus.  We can get pregnant any other time.  That last about seven moon cycles.”

“What?”  He yelled this time.  Then lowered his voice. “You are fertile most any time?”

“Yes.  Can you tell if my baby is Ok?”  I asked.

“Baby?”

“Young.”  When talking about pregnancy, it was like a whole new language.

“Yes, he is very heathy.”  He smiled as tears came to my eyes. 

“Cadas, I have to ask you something.  Please don’t tell Zahin, let me do it.”  He didn’t look happy about it but agreed.

“You have until the next moon cycle Eliana.  That’s it.  He needs to know.”  He looked at me sternly.

“Ok, thank you Cadas.”

Zahin

Chapter 24

     What could be wrong with Eliana?  Cadas was in there with her and she had asked me to step out.  Why?  I was pacing back and forth.  Dar and Tolan was watching me, but I didn’t care.  Everything was such a mess.  Granted, I had made most of it, but there was no reason for my parents to act that way.

“Are you going down to last meal brother?”  Tolan asked him. 

“No.”  I didn’t even stop pacing.  Tolan looked at Dar, but Dar didn’t look as concerned as he felt.

“What shall I tell mother?”

“Tell Queen Saia that we did not want to attend.”  I said as I kept pacing.  Tolan nodded as he left to attend the feast my mother had prepared.

     Cadas finally came.  He looked Ok, almost excited. 

“She is fine Zahin.  She requested that I let her fill you in on everything, so go talk with her.”  He turned and left and I went to see Eliana.  She looked so pale lying on the bed.

“What is wrong love?”  I asked.

“I need to ask you a couple of questions first Zahin.  Ok?”  I nodded.  “Who is Raaka, and why did she think she was to be your
Ardhangini?
”  I closed my eyes for I knew she would ask at some point.

“Raaka was a lover, and my sister Mishra’s best friend.” I smiled at her. “I didn’t have any feelings for her, but my family liked her.  She is like Tula, she only cared about what my status could bring her.”  Elian paled even more when she thought of her being like Tula.  “Not like take.  Raaka is not dangerous.  Tolan explained that while I was gone that Raaka and Mishra told everyone that I had promised to make her my intended, which I did not.  My mother started making plans based on their lies.”  I took her chin in my hand so she would look at me.  “You are the only one I have made promises to Eliana.  You are my family and I love you.”  She had tears in her eyes again.

“I’m pregnant!”  She blurted out.

“What?  What is pregnant?”  She started laughing.  She had been so worried about telling him and when she finally did he doesn’t understand.  She kept laughing.  She knew her emotions were all over the place.

“I’m with young.”  She said when she regained control of her emotions.  He looked like he might pass out now.  She was getting worried because he hadn’t said anything yet.  “Zahin are you OK?  Say something love?”

“How?”

“Sex usually causes it.”  She smiled.  “I had a device in my arm that prevented pregnancy, being with young.  Cadas removed it when I first came to your ship.  Humans can get pregnant anytime except for about 1 week, 7 moons cycles a month.  A month has about 30 moon cycles and I am almost 2 months pregnant.  You’re really going to have to learn my time tables.  This is hard!”  She said exasperated.

“I’m going to be a father?”  I started laughing, as I gathered her into my arms.  I was so happy!  “I can’t wait to tell everyone!”  Her face fell.

“No!”  She cried.  I startled.  “Please Zahin, please don’t tell anyone yet.  I hadn’t told you because I didn’t want to add to your stress.  I don’t want your parents to know.  If they ever accept me I don’t want it to be because I’m having a baby.”  She begged.  I understood her reasoning, but I wanted to tell everyone.

“How about if I only tell a few of my males?  That way they can help me protect you.”  I was so happy that I forgot about protection.  She was carrying the future King of Sukara.  “I at least need to tell Justyn because he is the head of my Guard and you are carrying the future King of Sukara.  I would also like to tell Dar and Tolan.” 

“How do you know it’s a boy, I mean male?”

“The first young has always been male. “I smiled.

“I agree with Dar and Justyn, but I’m not sure about Tolan.  I don’t want him to tell anyone in your family.”

“He want, I promise.  He is loyal to me first.”  She nodded.  “Why don’t you get some rest and when you wake up I’ll have last meal waiting on you.”

“Sounds good.  Thank you Zahin, I love you.”

“I love you to. “  I kissed her gently then left so she could rest.  I had plans to make.

     I found Justyn, Dar, and Tolan sitting having a drink.  I poured myself a glass and sat down.  “How was mother’s feast?”  A smile broke out on Tolan face.

     “Great!  Everyone was upset you didn’t make it.  Mother and father actually thought you would cave and join with Raaka.  You should have seen mother’s face when she ask why you wasn’t there and I said ‘He said to tell Queen Saia that they did not want to attend.’  She had many females there, but she called an end to the feast early.  The bad thing is that Raaka knows that you are back.”  I nodded.  I expected no less.

“I need to tell you all something and I expect it to stay between the three of us.  I do not want it repeated under any circumstance.”  They leaned closer knowing that this was important.  “Dar, I need you to plan my joining ceremony.  I want a private ceremony with friends and some family.”  I smiled.  “Tolan, I would like you to stay with Eliana when I’m not around.  I want you to get to know her and help protect her.”  Tolan nodded.  “Justyn, I’m not sure how you will spilt the guard, but Eliana likes you and I trust you.  She is carrying the future King of Sukara.”  I waited and then heard the gasp when they realized what I had said.

     Justyn immediately started planning.  This was one of the most important task he would have.  He protected me, but I was a trained Sukaraian warrior and could protect myself.  Eliana wouldn’t have much support right now and she would always be vulnerable to threats.

     Dar needed to plan the ceremony.  “Zahin, do you mind if I ask my mother for help?  She could also help Eliana, especially if she had any questions.”  I thought about that.  Marala, Dar’s mother, had always been a part of my life.  She was a kind and gentle female.  “I think that will be fine Dar.”  Dar left to go see his mother.

     “Congratulations Brother!”  Tolan said with a big smile.  I smiled back.

“I’m going to be a father.”  I smiled even bigger.  The happiness was radiating off me.

“Why did you request I spend time with her?  I don’t mind, she is a very attractive female, it’s just an unusual request.” 

“You are my brother and I trust you and Dar more than anyone else.  It’s important to me that she trust you to.  She wasn’t sure she wanted you to know about the young.  She thought you might tell the rest of the family.”  Tolan realized what I was saying, and I could tell he was glad that I was giving him the chance to prove himself to her.

“Thank you.”