Fencer Read online

  “Kebril is a prince of the Genarans. He has ambassadorial status on several dozen worlds. You will have to attend and probably throw a few dinner parties.” Rhoda grinned.

  Meena muttered, “Maybe the Nyal government will put me under arrest again. Save me from my horrible fate.”

  Rhoda cackled and hooted in amusement until Meena couldn’t help but grin in response. It seemed that Yacaro was going to have two Terrans in residence. They were asking for whatever Meena and Rhoda could dish out.

  Chapter Five

  Meena was curled up in the solarium, reading a book, when the courier bot arrived. It rolled up to her with a box supported by its arms.

  The mechanical voice said, “First instalment from Prince Kebril.”

  She took the box and set it to one side, opening it carefully. Inside were several bundles of fabric, each wrapped with a ribbon. Meena unravelled the bundles one by one, and when she draped each offering over the chair she had been sitting in, she found three days’ worth of clothing, including underwear, and a fencing outfit reminiscent of feudal Japan.

  She grinned and held the clothing up to her body, one by one. It was nice that he had made the fencing outfit a priority. Now, she only needed a blade and a practice dummy and she was set.

  Rhoda was with Drehl in a far section of the palace. Meena’s room was a little too close for audio comfort, so she waited an hour before she tried to go back to bed. Rhoda was noisy in the sack.

  Meena tried on the clothing, piece by piece.

  Each item was such a close fit, she would swear that they were designed specifically for her.

  She frowned as she checked the flow of a day gown. Kebril hadn’t told her where the clothing came from. He just spent time with her, looking at patterns and staring at her while he chose colours.

  Meena finished playing dress-up and returned to her original dress. She sat back down and continued to read the history of the Genaran people. It was a secure file that Rhoda had given her in an effort to help her understand the people she was surrounded by. The majority of the population of Yacaro was Nyal by extraction, but the Genarans were the original inhabitants.

  A small population managed to keep its presence hidden for a few generations but finally confronted the new colonists and explained that they would be tolerated but that all decisions involving the resources of Yacaro were up to the Genarans.

  There were a few skirmishes, but even with a small population, the Genarans managed to subdue anyone who tried to rise against them. The alteration that they had undergone generations earlier made it unlikely for them to succumb to the crude weapons of the colony. After two generations, they managed to live in harmony.

  Meena yawned. She was exhausted. She got to her feet, piled the new clothing into the box and made her way back to her room.

  The raucous noises were over, so Meena stripped and crawled between the sheets. If she were lucky, she would get a few hours of rest before her body woke her with the urge to exercise. Not being able to do the one thing she was trained for would become a strain if she didn’t get back to work soon.

  A bot wheeled into her room as she towelled off after her shower. “Good morning, Miss. Prince Kebril has requested that you join him at his home for breakfast. Please dress for a duel.” She blinked. “Do I have a choice in this matter?”

  “Miss, please be aware that Prince Drehl and his wife are waiting for you to leave so that they may resume their nocturnal activities.” The bot whirred.

  Meena yanked on the silky underwear and put on her wide trousers and wrap shirt. She slipped into a pair of sandals and was out the door right behind the bot.

  The bot spoke as they walked. “Prince Kebril has programmed the transport to take you directly to his home.”

  The gleaming personal transport was waiting for her with the hatch open and beckoning to her.

  It was time for a ride.

  The small conveyance had no controls and took off the moment she was settled, sealing as it rose.

  The vehicle skimmed along the mountain range, heading north at stunning speed. A gleam of light caught her eye, and she stared as the ship took her toward a palace made of crystal grown from the mountains themselves.

  The quartz had a blue tint, and the polished pale grey granite that the vehicle landed on offset it. The palace could have housed a hundred or more quite comfortably, but the only person in sight was Kebril, standing next to a chest hovering a few inches off the ground.

  The transport settled, and the canopy opened.

  She pushed herself free of the small vehicle and crossed the courtyard until she was standing in front of him. “Thank you for the escape.” He grinned. “I made the mistake of staying over one night while they were still in their honeymoon phase. I had the room you are staying in, and the mornings are far more distressing than the evenings.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you have to face them over breakfast, and it is very hard to keep a straight face.” He rolled his eyes, and despite the hellish colouration of his gaze, it was still funny.

  Meena giggled. “What is on the agenda for this morning?”

  “I thought you could show me your skills and then breakfast.” Kebril reached out and flipped open the hovering box next to him.

  Meena moved toward the box and fought the urge to either cry in delight or drool over the array of blades arranged with neat precision in an artful display. She smiled and picked a lightweight sabre.

  She stepped back and ran it through the air, rotating her wrist and slashing the air to hear and feel the hum of the metal.

  “You tend to fight two handed, don’t you?” Kebril pulled out a blade that matched hers, though his was scaled up for his size.

  “Usually, but I can adapt to one-handed for this kind of blade.”

  He closed the box and tapped it once. The blade case flew off to one side and waited.

  She faced Kebril, her blade raised in salute. He engaged in the same salute, and with a nod, they engaged.

  Sparks flew as he pressed the advantage of height, but she was quicker, and she dodged his strikes, forcing him to waste energy in an effort to close in on her.

  “You are really quite good, Meena.” Kebril continued to advance with one arm tucked behind his back.

  She didn’t have a chance to take in his compliment. His sabre struck hers, and her weapon went flying through the air.

  She stood and blinked, stupefied. “What just happened?”

  The cool press of his blade was against her collarbone. “You lost. I have had a little more time to practice, and the nanites give me faster reflexes. I am afraid that you really have no chance against me until you bond to me.”

  Meena blinked again. “Why not?”

  “You aren’t a Genaran yet. My body repairs itself with every lunge, keeps acids that cause fatigue from building up, and because my system doesn’t degrade my reflexes, I always remain in peak condition.”

  “Are you spewing an advertisement for being a Genaran?” Meena laughed as he moved the blade to rest at his side.

  “Spewing lacks grace. I am merely pointing out the benefits. Now, shall we have breakfast?” He offered her his arm and whistled sharply. A bot picked up her sword and brought it to the box.

  He stowed their weapons and offered his arm once again. They walked into the crystal archway and through to an elaborate garden.

  Bots bustled everywhere with plates and covered trays. The swarm faded as Kebril led her to the table set up in the centre of the garden.

  “You are here alone?”

  He shrugged. “All Genarans make their own homes. The longer their lifespan, the more intricate their home.”

  She gave him a blank look.

  He grinned and shrugged. “I had some time on my hands.”

  “How do you make all this?” She gestured around her at the ornate arrangements of plants and rocks.

  “I enjoy gardening, and as for the other stuff, well, my brother is no
t the only one to inherit the extra nanite-producing gland. As the eldest, I was not allowed to engage in off-world daring, so I put my energies into my home.”

  “You did a wonderful job. It is beautiful.” The smells from the platters were teasing her. Her stomach made an alarming sound.

  Kebril grinned and reached out to take a roll, and as he broke off a piece and took a bite, she was free to eat.

  Protocol was annoying, but it was one of the first things that Meena had been forced to absorb when she left Earth. Dealing with alien races on a daily basis, knowing what was expected of her made her days easier and her transition to her new life very smooth.

  She reached for a roll and lifted one of the lids off the covered dishes while Kebril exposed the other two. Morning stew was popular with many races, and it appeared that the Genarans were no exception.

  Fruit, meat and mushrooms were paired with the rolls in a peculiar harmony. It took some getting used to, but if you were hungry enough, you ate it.

  Meena used fragments of the roll to pick up pieces of the stew, and she acknowledged that the blend of flavours reminded her of eating fruitcake with a taco.

  “You seem rather hungry.”

  “I skipped dinner. Drehl and Rhoda were loud, so I evacuated the area and spent time reading in the solarium.”

  Kebril chuckled. “Who sent you running, Rhoda or Drehl?”

  “Rhoda. She is very vocal.” Meena relaxed slightly as her body ceased clamouring for food.

  She was able to engage in a more decorous pace as she ate.

  “Yes, she is.”

  There was an uncomfortable pause, and Meena asked, “Did you program the bots?”

  “Yes. They are all crafted and run by my nanites.”

  She frowned. “How does that work?”

  “I send the orders, and they carry them out with my knowledge of geography and architecture with sensors that give them feedback to act independently.”

  Meena was intensely interested, but she didn’t want to get too deep into it. “You have a lovely selection of weapons. The craftsmanship is excellent.”

  He inclined his head. “Thank you.”

  “You made them?”

  “I did. It was a summer project.” She sat back and looked around her. “What was this?” She gestured to the palace around her, the soaring balconies and the patterned garden.

  He grinned. “This was all part of a plan.”

  Chapter Six

  The tour of the palace took the better part of an hour, but Meena’s head was spinning at the intricate design of every inch of the quartz and granite.

  “Do you entertain here very often?” The question was casual, but she winced the moment that she said it.

  He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist. “I have not. This is my private sanctuary. I have a house in the city for entertaining.”

  “Oh. Why am I here then?”

  He turned her to face him. “You are here because you are my destiny and I am yours. I know it sounds trite, but it rings with truth, does it not?”

  She nodded. From what she had learned of Kebril so far, his life and hers would mesh very well. “It does feel true.”

  “Are you willing to trust me and to walk the line of experimentation with me?” Meena dragged in a breath. “I do trust you. It freaks me out that I do.”

  He smiled, the curve of his lips causing a dimple to appear. “I am glad that I can unsettle you.”

  She didn’t have a chance to respond. He pressed his lips to hers in another light, exploratory caress, but this time, she threaded her finger through his hair and pursued a firmer contact.

  His fingers wrapped around her waist, and she felt a tug at the side of her shirt. It peeled open under his expert guidance and fell to one side.

  They were in an empty hall near the garden, but it didn’t matter. They were alone, and as he peeled her clothing from her, she followed suit with his clothes. Naked, they twined together, and she held tight to him as he lifted her, setting the wet heat of her sex on the tip of his cock.

  Her own body weight pulled her down, but his hands kept her from going too fast.

  The feel of his rigid erection inside her made her close her eyes to absorb the feel so she could commit it to memory. He lifted and lowered her in a heady rhythm. She wrapped her legs around him and held tight to his shoulders as they rocked rapidly toward release.

  She moaned and leaned back, letting her neck take the weight of her head as they rocked and slid together. Meena felt his teeth on her neck, and she shuddered, twisting her hips against him as she prayed for orgasm.

  A spiral of heat started where Kebril’s mouth touched her throat, and the spiral coursed through her bloodstream, centering on the point of joining and flared through her clit.

  She shifted her hips a quarter of an inch, and she shook as her orgasm struck her, rocked her and left her gasping for air.

  She heard a low moan, and Kebril thrust into her one final time, holding her hips tight to his as his cock jerked and bucked inside her.

  Meena held tight to him as they both fought to regain normal breathing patterns. She chuckled. “I thought the nanites kept you compensated for any exertion.”

  She pressed her lips to his shoulder as he cradled her tightly against him.

  “Apparently, Genaran science has nothing on you, Meena. I am exhausted.” He chuckled.

  “How can you be exhausted, it isn’t even noon?”

  “You have worn me out. I definitely feel the need for a nap. Care to join me?” He gave her a charming smile.

  “Of course. You are my host. I would be lost without you.”

  She noticed that they were moving, but he wasn’t walking. “You can fly, too?”

  “Oh, I have many, many talents. I look forward to you discovering them one by one.” He gave up all pretence, and they whisked through the halls to his room. Even his bed was made of the same stone, but the sheets and bedding were of the softest stuff Meena could have imagined. It practically begged her to stay in bed and cuddle with Kebril.

  She found it important to always obey inanimate objects when they were offering her rest and comfort.

  He cuddled her against him as they tilted at a right angle and settled them onto the bed. Kebril let out a sigh and caressed her hair. “Stay with me.”

  Meena pushed away enough to see his face. “I can’t, not yet.”

  He exhaled sharply. “Why not?”

  “I don’t know you. I don’t know your people or your world. Yes, I am accepting that we will end up together, but that moment isn’t now.” It took all of her concentration to clarify that thought.

  He scowled. “What do you need to make up your mind?”

  She stroked his cheek. “Time.”

  He tucked her head against his shoulder and kept her firmly in his arms. “Then, I will take this moment and hope for more, but in the meantime, you need more training, and I think it should begin tomorrow.”

  Meena rubbed her cheek against his skin. “That sounds good. Same time?”

  He stroked her back with a long caress. “The transport will be waiting.”

  She nestled against him and watched the bots bring their clothing in, fold it and set it at the foot of the bed. “Then, I will see you tomorrow morning.”

  He sighed and squeezed her again. “If you don’t show, I will come looking for you.”

  “Deal.”

  Sex with Kebril was great, but the promise of fighting with him was what got Meena out of bed at dawn the next day. Hawk and Under had the other wing of Drehl’s home, so the room next to the frisky couple was all that Meena had to choose from. It made for the earliest start she could manage, and the uncharitable part of her hoped for a natural disaster to get the Guardians out of their ersatz base, so she could have a full night’s sleep.

  Yawning, she sat in her fight gear in the pod and let it whisk her back to the crystal palace. She had opted for a bodysuit covered by an ankle-length vest that
was slit to the hip on either side.

  She didn’t know if Kebril had chosen her clothing based on the paintings, but she had recognized the outfit the moment the bot presented it to her.

  He was waiting for her in the courtyard with a different container today. “Good morning, Meena. Today, we are going back to basics. Have you ever worked with a Saluth blade?”

  She shook her head, and he handed her two swords that had a peculiar sheen. “No. I have heard that they are very expensive training tools but have never seen one.”

  “Well, now you have two. The blades will pass through living tissue and numb the area, but otherwise work like a regular metal blade. They are perfect for training, because you can feel the hits but not the death.” He removed two blades for himself and rolled his shoulders.

  She blinked and raised her blades in first position. He grinned, matched her and, with a quick nod, they engaged.

  The blades reacted like standard metal, just as he said, but when he passed his blade through her right shoulder, her hand went numb and her blade fell to the ground. She switched her stance, so her left arm was taking the brunt of his attack, and in under a minute, her other blade was on the ground.

  “Dammit.” She flexed her hands, and they slowly responded. She picked up her blades and made a suicide lunge at Kebril.

  He grabbed her and turned her quickly.

  His arm wrapped across her chest and held her back against him. “That could have cost you your life.”

  Meena shrugged. “It was worth a try. You could have been freaked out by my fury.” He whispered in her ear. “I might have been if these were live blades. The most you can do is short me out for a few seconds.” She stomped on his instep, but all that happened was his grip tightened.

  “Surrender and I will show you how to get out of this situation and avoid those strikes.” He pressed slow kisses to the side of her neck.

  She could feel the pressure of his erection against her butt, but he wasn’t engaged in anything lewd. In fact, even his kisses seemed more amused than anything else. He was kissing her because he could.

  “Fine. I surrender. Show me how to defend against that kind of strike.”