Married to the Alien with No House: Renascence Alliance Series Book 3 Page 14

  After Mir lay bleeding and still, the High Priestess turned to Babette. Her disciples held the human’s thin legs as she began whipping her white back. The High Priestess was almost fascinated watching the red blood, the same as theirs, pour out from an alien.

  Babette had never felt so much pain in her whole life as when the whip hit her bare back. She couldn’t help but scream out, and the tears began falling from her eyes. She could hardly hear what the High Priestess was saying to her or what the disciples were chanting; she was in so much pain. She looked into Mir’s eyes, and he was chanting too, but it was not in line with the disciples were saying. The pain went on and on like an old ship at sea in a storm, and then the ship overturned, and everything went dark.

  Mir saw Babette pass out and asked for the High Priestess to stop. He thanked the gods that she did. He stood and bowed to the High Priestess, “The gods have cleansed me through your dutiful work today. Please allow me to escort Babette to House Human.”

  The High Priestess looked at Mir and then at Babette unconscious. She didn’t want to have to go through the trouble to find someone to come and collect the human as she knew that Jane, their Head, was not on the Capital Planet. “You can take her to House Human. However, send me a locator to let me know she has reached her home and is being cared for. Go with the gods Mir, and please don’t let me see you here again.”

  Mir gave the High Priestess a deep bow, “Thank you. May the gods still grace us with your wisdom.”

  Mir picked up Babette’s unconscious, bloody body, trying to be mindful of her wounds and took her into the recovery room. There he tried to wash her as best as he could. She faded in and out of consciousness due to the pain, and then he looked at her clothing. He didn’t want to put it on her for fear it would hurt too much, but he had to.

  He went to the peg where her things were hanging. He found the small pieces of clothing, which he didn’t understand why she had been wearing it under her clothing, except maybe for warmth. Not wanting to waste any time he simply put those in his pocket and thought, You take my ring, I take these things. Then he chanted a short prayer and put the dress over her head. She winced and woke up again, looking at him as he held her.

  “Mir?”

  He made a sound to comfort her, “Zzzsss, now. I have you. I will keep you safe.”

  Babette saw Mir again, like an angel through all the pain, and decided that if he was the last face, she saw then it would be okay. She closed her eyes again.

  Mir picked up her jewelry and added his ring to her ID necklace, and then put the small amount of jewelry she had around her neck. Then he picked her up, and they walked out of the Grand City Temple. He walked as fast as he could to his transport from the Fira. Then he placed Babette inside at the back and sat in the pilot’s seat. He thought for a moment, looking at the dashboard, whether he should heal her himself or take her to a doctor. It was forbidden to take her to a doctor as religious punishments were supposed to scar as a lifelong reminder of the shame. But only religious zealots really did that. He looked back at his Babette and decided to take her to the Capital City Hospital to see the human doctor there.

  Dru was in her office when a receptionist walked in, “Yes,” she said without looking up.

  “Doctor James, there is a young man here with a human. He says he’s scared that she might die but will only allow a human doctor to treat her.”

  “Who is she? Do you know?”

  “No, she is unconscious, and her ID necklace is obscured. He will not let go of her.”

  Dru looked up then and read the receptionist’s mind. This was extraordinary. “Send them up. I will treat her.”

  Dru went into her examination room and made sure everything was in order. She wanted to be prepared for this. It seemed like an eternity before they appeared, but then suddenly, the receptionist was leading the young man in, carrying of all people, Babette. She momentarily forgot why she had agreed to see them at all, and it wasn’t for the human. But now she was focused on her friend, “Babette!” she exclaimed and then said evenly, “Place her on the medical bed and back away.” She watched the young man and was happy he didn’t leave for as soon as she healed her friend, she was going to concentrate her attention on him.

  “What happened?” Dru asked while assessing Babette’s wounds.

  “I’d rather not say.”

  “This is illegal,” Dru said dismissively while she removed Babette’s clothing.

  Mir said nothing more but just watched the doctor. He didn’t like doctors, and he just wanted to make sure that Babette was healed and safe, and then he would leave.

  When Dru finished healing Babette, she turned to speak to the young man, but he was gone. She looked down at Babette then and hoped she could get some answers from her. “Babette, Babette, wake up.”

  Babette opened her eyes and asked, “Mir?”

  Dru was pleased she had a name now. “No, Babbs, it’s me, Dru. Who is Mir?”

  “The man who I had the Capital City Temple punishment with. I think so, I don’t know it all seems so surreal now. I was in so much pain, and I just passed out.”

  “Yes, you lost a lot of blood and weren’t doing well. But you are fine now. What do you know about this man?”

  “Not much. I just met him there today, in the punishment room,” she blushed.

  Dru didn’t hide that she was reading her thoughts, “But he’s come to you in your dreams before meeting him?”

  “Umm, not quite.”

  “Explain it then.”

  “On the journey over, I used the bed function in my quarters, and I asked the computer to use the hologram of the last occupant.”

  Dru looked at her friend and laughed, “You naughty woman. And it was Mir?”

  Babette nodded, embarrassed.

  “Does he know?”

  “No, of course not,” Babette sat up, “You meet someone and say, ‘By the way, I had your quarters on the trip from Earth because I asked the computer to create your hologram to have sex with me a hundred times.”

  “You used the same program a hundred times?”

  “Not a hundred, a few times. Okay multiple times, stop looking at me like that.”

  Dru smiled again, but then frowned and asked, “What else do you know about him?”

  “Nothing. Except he has no House, or his House is called no House.”

  “He has no House,” Dru explained, “There is not a House called No House.”

  “Oh, how is that possible?”

  “Either his parents were of different classes, or he himself is moving classes.”

  “You can do that?”

  Dru nodded, “It’s rare, and it comes with a lot of uncertainty and is difficult, but a few do it.”

  “I think I love him,” Babette admitted quietly. “Do you think it means I can’t be with him if he has no class?”

  “Yes, most certainly,” Dru said, looking at her friend with a concerned look. “But rules are broken all the time in the Alliance, and maybe people would look the other way. He’s not well-known or Imperial, and you are,” she hesitated to find the words as she didn’t want to be rude, “of normal maximum class.”

  Babette smiled relieved. She wanted to see Mir again and court him. She was prepared to ask him even if he wasn’t ready to ask her. “I really want to see him again.”

  “Maybe you will meet at the next Assembly,” Dru said, trying to encourage her. She had heard rumors about Alliance people with almost mythical abilities, and she was sure this Mir was one of them. And that is why none of the staff took Babette from his arms. And she certainly felt a different kind of presence when he was in the room, but he hadn’t been here long enough for her to discern it. She wanted Babette to lure him back so she could study him.

  “I’m not going to wait that long. He is on the planet now. Who knows how long the Fira will be in orbit. I am going to contact him now. Where’s my IC?”

  Dru pointed to a small table with all of her clothin
g and personal belongings on it. Babette walked over and sent a message of Mir. She found him by simply saying, “Mir of no House, crew of the Fira.”

  “You’re not even going to get dressed first?”

  Babette shrugged, “You’re a doctor, what do you care?” Then she wrote,

  Mir, I want to thank you in person. Where are you? Are you close?

  Babette, I am relieved you are recovered. Thank the gods. When you have left the hospital, I will meet you. Walk home to House Human. Mir

  “What’s he say?”

  “He’ll meet me as I walk home.”

  “Oh, that sounds a bit dodgy.”

  “Yes,” Babette agreed. “But I don’t care. He is the first interesting, sexy, and sexually attractive man I’ve met here, and I’m not just letting him disappear.”

  “Do you think you find him sexy because he was the first and only Alliance man you’ve had sex with?”

  “Stop. It was a hologram of him.”

  Dru smiled and watched her friend rushing. “You do know this isn’t Earth, no one can disappear here. The Alliance is always watching.”

  “I know, but you know what I mean. I don’t want to lose my chance. What if he meets someone else?”

  Dru considered her friend’s words and thought that was unlikely because if he was what she thought he was, and he risked coming to the hospital, he cared for Babette strongly, “I think he is pretty attached to you already.”

  “Thank you for healing me. I know you aren’t supposed to.”

  Dru waved her hand, “ This is the least of my transgressions. Go with the gods, may they lead you to find your true other half.”

  “May the gods guide my steps,” Babette said as she hurried out the door.

  Dru went into her office and sent a message to Ket,

  What do you know about a man called Mir, who has no House? He is on the Fira.

  Ket was away in the galaxy but messaged back a few minutes later,

  Nothing.

  Ket looked at his IC. He knew it was wrong not to explain this to Dru, but it was way too complicated to do it now. It would have to wait. He knew his wife would have a lot of questions and he would not be able to explain this over a VM and an RVM was out of the question.

  Dru’s hands hesitated over her IC. Even from across the galaxy she knew he was lying. She decided to leave the matter for now. She would ask around and do her own research. Obviously, there was something going on, as there always was in the Alliance and Dru was going to find out what it was.

  Forbidden Relationship

  Babette walked out of the Capital City Hospital and walked towards House Human quickly, keeping her eyes out for Mir. The streets were crowded, though, it was difficult to make out faces. She assumed it would probably be easier for him to spot her, she tried to stop looking after a while and just walk.

  Mir spotted Babette as she turned the corner to walk down the street which House Human was located on. He began walking towards her, and when they met, he said, “Turn and walk with me.”

  She obeyed, and as they walked together in silence, she wondered if what she had imagined before, that their kissing had not really happened. If that had been a part of the punishment. That she had dreamed it from the pain.

  When they turned another corner, he led her into a small park area. There was a bench there. It was a little secluded, so they sat together, not touching.

  Mir wanted nothing more than to hold her, but he couldn’t, he had already done too much today, “I’m glad you are recovered. I’m sorry I didn’t’ ask you if you wanted to keep the scars.”

  “Are you serious?”

  He nodded.

  “No, I didn’t want to. You did the right thing by taking me to my friend. How did you know she was my friend?”

  “I didn’t. I just wanted you to see a human doctor, and as it was illegal, I thought it was probably better to go to a human.”

  “Why did you leave? Are you afraid of her?” Babette asked. She assumed this was the case as many of the human women were afraid of Dru, more than she was from the Exterior than that she could read minds. Babette thought maybe Alliance people didn’t like that either, as odd as it would be.

  “Something like that,” he admitted.

  That answer was enough for Babette, then she asked, “But what about your back?”

  Mir smiled, “It’ll be fine. I’m strong and returning to the Fira right after I speak to you. The doctor and I have a special arrangement. But I just wanted to see you before I left. I want to know how you got my ring.” He touched the ring around her ID necklace.

  “Oh,” she said, taking off her necklace to remove the ring and return it, “I found it in what I suppose is your quarters. I’m sorry here.” She had it in her hand and was offering it to him.

  “No,” he said, pushing it away. “It’s yours now. It’s fate telling us we should be together.”

  Babette looked into his green eyes and asked, “You believe we are fated to be together. Married?”

  “What other reason would there be for so many incidents and symbols to draw us together if we are not fated to be together?” He wanted to say, ‘You are my other half,’ but he was afraid of scaring her off.

  Babette looked at the ring and then asked, “How could the High Priestess know this was yours? I don’t see any markings on it.”

  Mir looked into Babette’s eyes, “It’s a slave ring. It transmits the information through a special implant for the police, members of the High Council, and religious authorities.”

  “Do all Alliance people have rings like this or just slaves? And why is your ID necklace not enough.”

  He reached out and stroked her light hair, “So many questions, I don’t have time to answer. But promise me, you will wait for me. I have no House, but we are destiny.”

  “How can I wait?” Babette said and then saw his crestfallen expression. “I mean, what can I do to wait? I have no men in my life. Of course, I want to be with you too. I just don’t know how. I know it’s complicated, but I don’t really know in what ways.”

  “Just do nothing. That is how you can wait for me. Now I hate to leave, but I must. Keep my ring but show it to no one. Go with the gods, dear sweet Babette.”

  Babette sat on the bench alone and watched him go. His long black braid moving as he walked away from her. After a few minutes, she walked back to House Human, thinking that it was only just past midday, but she had already had the strangest day of her life. When she walked into House Human, she was bombarded by questions about her punishment but only told Jade later and in private about Mir.

  Every night Babette would receive a message from Mir, and it would say,

  Don’t reply. I remember your blue eyes, your sweet face, and warm lips as if you were just here minutes ago. I am thinking of you. Stay with the gods.

  She had had to look up the ‘stay with the gods’ phrase as she had never heard it before and was shocked to find out that it was what slaves said to each other. Then after some research in the library, the only time Babette had ever been happy she worked in the library, she discovered records of Mir leaving his House, House Rog as a slave to attend the military academy. And that now he is considered of maximum class but has no House which makes him more or less invisible. Babette didn’t care, she just wanted him. She didn’t do any more research on him or his family.

  Babette was just about ready to go to sleep when one of the slaves appeared at her door. She didn’t even bother to knock as they never did. “May the gods be good, Babette. Here’s a parcel for you.”

  Babette got out of bed and took the parcel from the slave.

  “It goes against nature and the gods to sleep in clothing. You should remove it.”

  Babette ignored the slave’s comment and said, “May the gods light your way, goodnight.” Dismissing the slave.

  She could hear the slave murmuring down the hall about the clothing humans had covering their fur at night, and she couldn’t help but
smile. It was true, the slaves in House Human complained about humans all the time, there was nothing humans could do right. If they were naked, they left their ‘fur’ everywhere, and if they covered themselves, they went against the gods. Babette didn’t mind though, she thought it was humorous and she wished that she would have had as much freedom to complain in some of the jobs she had had on Earth. It was ironic that she had been more of a slave to her employers on Earth without the title than Alliance slaves who had the freedom to say what they wanted, when they wanted and to whom they wanted.

  Babette turned her attention towards the parcel now. It was about double the size on her hand. She opened the black box, and inside was a silver necklace with small green stones interspersed throughout its design. She was not allowed to wear green. Green was the color reserved for the slave class. She took the necklace out of the box and smiled. It had to be from Mir. She put it on and called for the mirror in her room.

  The necklace looked ridiculous with her floral pajamas, she took them off and then looked at her reflection again in the mirror. She was naked except for the necklace that hung beautifully between her breasts. She smiled and then commanded, “Mirror, capture image.”

  Then she put back on her pajamas and put the necklace back in the black wooden box. She also noticed a handwritten note for the first time. She picked it up and read it,

  Babette,

  I have not been able to get you out of my mind since we met. I would like to see you again. I’m on planet soon. Please meet me at the East Gate of the Promenade on the 4th day of the 3rd week of the year 18906. May you continue to walk in the gods’ light.