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“You have?” I said, stunned by her revelation, and judging by the nods of agreement among the others, it didn’t appear she was the only one.
“Challenges to the Champion and his Prize happen so rarely,” Gpidod said. “It’s always a big event when it does! So, go on! Tell us everything that happened!”
I looked out at the expectant faces, so hungry for a taste of true romance that they’d put the rest of their lives on hold. I supposed all females, no matter their species, loved to hear about romance. Who was I to deny them that?
“All right,” I said. “Well, it began last night when Druin chose me—”
“Skip past that bit!” Gpidod ordered. “We know it already!”
“And the less said about him, the better,” another Prize with scaly pink skin said with a disturbed frown. She still bore the marks he’d lashed across her skin when he’d Claimed her. “Except for when he got beaten. I want to hear all those details.”
And so, I told them.
I told them about how Ohara had dropped off a package of something called Quet-Dreai — and the Prizes gibbered among themselves about how they all knew he’d been cheating. And how he beat me with his belt, which made several of the Prizes look away, shut their eyes, and attempt to block out the negative memories that swarmed their minds.
I quickly moved on to how Ohara knocked on the door and challenged the jjizzik. The females squealed with excitement and hurled a dozen questions at me:
“What was the expression on his face like?” and…
“How did Druin respond?” and…
“What were you thinking when he came to rescue you?”
I answered them each in turn, adding a few extra details to make the story extra romantic for them.
Each Prize shivered with excitement in their own special way — tentacles quivered, others stood on end, while yet others’ scales formed waves like someone had tossed a pebble into a still pond.
Then I described the fight in detail, leaving nothing out, and made it clear that Ohara dominated Druin at every turn.
“Then I was taken to Ohara’s room and they took care of my wounds,” I said.
By the time I was done, I was exhausted, but it turned out that was merely the first act of the story as far as the females were concerned.
“What happened then?” Gpidod said, eyes wide with excitement.
“I think we know what happened then!” another Prize said with a bawdy laugh.
“Yes,” Gpidod said, rolling her mauve eyes. “But we want details! Details, please!”
I laughed at her desperation and shook my head. “What happened after that is… between us.”
“Oh no!” the females whined. “Tell us more! Tell us more!”
I shook my head and no matter how much they prodded me, I vowed not to tell them a thing. I let their imaginations fill in the details of what happened during the night. No doubt they would have been disappointed with the truth.
But I wasn’t.
I loved that Ohara had been so gentle with me, that he had considered my feelings before his own. Even if he wasn’t really interested in me, it was the kindness I needed right at that moment and I wouldn’t have changed a thing about it…
Except maybe a little more touching and a few more kisses…
I shook my head and returned to the expectant eyes of the Prizes.
“Do you think he’ll come back?” Gpidod cried, clutching her hands together in prayer and staring at me, dreamy-eyed. “Do you think he’ll fight all the other Champions who come along and try to Claim you?”
It looked like I wasn’t the only one who’d sipped a little too often at the romance Kool-Aid. I couldn’t help but laugh. “No,” I said. “I don’t think so. It’s one of those things that happen spur of the moment. I don’t think it will happen again.”
“Oh,” Gpidod said, her sadness painted plainly on her face, but it was gone in an instant. “But you never know! He might fight the others over and over again until no one would dare Claim you! It reminds me of a story in my culture about a hero and his fated mate…”
