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But a pang shot through me, marring the perfection of the moment. Travel to and from New Terra wasn’t allowed under the embargo. I’d never see my family again. Worse, they would never know of my happiness but would grieve, believing I’d been lost in space. From their perspective, I’d gone on a space cruise and never returned.
But…while travel wasn’t permitted, abducted humans got repatriated. Jessie would be going home. I can ask her to meet with my parents, tell them I met and married an alien prince. At least then, they won’t think I died.
He scanned my face. “What is it?”
“I love you. I want to be with you forever and ever, but I’m sad I’ll never get to see my parents or brother again.”
“You’ll see them. I’ll find a way. I promise.”
“What about the embargo?”
“I’ll find a way around it. I want you to be happy.” He stroked my cheek. “My father can be autocratic and blustery, Aeon enjoys razzing me, and my younger siblings can be annoying, but I would desperately miss them if I could never see them. And my mother?” He shook his head.
“Speaking of your autocratic, blustery father…how will he react to another of his sons taking a human bond-mate? What if he forbids our union?” An optimistic person, I believed people found what they looked for, so I avoided looking for trouble, but it was hard to not see it when it loomed right in front of me as huge as the statue of the monarch in the garden courtyard.
“He allowed Aeon to bond-mate with Holly,” Lomax said.
“He disinherited him!”
“But he didn’t prevent the bond-mating. And he reinstated him after he cooled down and my mother had a talk with him. Plus, Aeon and Holly, and, to some extent, Nadir and Millie, broke the ice, warmed up the crotchety old monarch.”
Not by much. “He forbade us to be together while you were undergoing treatment.”
“Because I broke the rules.” He stroked my arm in a soothing gesture. “Don’t worry. Leave King Saar to me—and to the queen. If there are any problems—but there won’t be—Mother will handle them.”
I yearned to believe him, but dread lodged in my stomach that our future could be yanked away. Being together couldn’t be this simple, could it? Maybe Millie’s pessimism is rubbing off on me. I hoped that’s all it was. “How can you be so confident?”
“The brainwashing would have been a catastrophe. After facing the worst, anything less doesn’t seem like much of a problem.” He stroked my cheek. “There will be a hitch or two. My father might throw a temper tantrum. But we’ll be together, and we’ll get through it.”
I still wasn’t as sure as he was, but his amber eyes shone with love, and his face wreathed in a tender smile that gave me butterflies.
With a sigh, I surrendered to the moment and let worries drift away. No more Scaredy Kat. I was being silly to look for trouble when happiness could be just a kiss away.
Chapter Six
Lomax
Outside the dining room, Kat stalled out and blanched, swaying on her feet. I grabbed her elbow to prevent her from falling. The liveried footmen, one on each side of the gilded double doors, stared over our shoulders, trying to appear inconspicuous.
“Don’t be nervous,” I tried to reassure her. “Everything is going to be fine. It’s just a little family dinner.” A gathering to celebrate the restoration of my mental health. My mother had probably begun planning it two minutes after receiving Seeher’s report.
Kat wet her lips. “Exactly. It’s a family dinner. I’m not family. I’m not royal. I’m not Arasetan.”
“Not yet, but you will be. Holly will be here.”
As soon as I’d learned of the celebration, I’d gone to my mother and let her know I wished for Kat to attend. She’d been immediately amenable.
“You’ll tell Father I’ll be bringing a guest?” I’d asked, wanting to eliminate as many glitches as I could. My mother had a way with my father—the only one who did.
The king was in rare good humor, happy for me. That made it a propitious time to introduce him to Kat. On the other hand, inviting a human who he might perceive as an interloper could spoil his ebullient mood.
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle him,” my mother assured me with a hug. “We’re thrilled the deprogramming worked, and I’m so happy you found someone to love.”
Outside the dining hall now, Kat hung back. “I’m still not sure this is a good idea.” She rubbed her palms together. “The king…”
“Will be on his best behavior—my mother has promised.”
“Your mother can control your father to that degree?” Kat whispered, glancing at the footmen.
