Staring into the mirror I hated what I saw. I hated what I was forced to wear, even though I was shoved into corners and dark spaces and told to not speak out.
I was forced to be a fly on the wall.
I couldn’t tell you how many pointless balls or parties I had been at through my years, where my father had said, “I don’t want to hear anything from your mouth. If you speak so much as one word, I will find out about it. Do you understand, Jaylee?”
I would cast him a glance, but only the nod of my head would tell him I knew. Around the time I was 14, he stopped telling me what was expected of me.
I was to be a good girl. I was to stand away from the people, and if someone were to approach me, I was to walk away to some other secluded part of the room. No matter what status they were, I was not allowed to speak a word to them. My posture was to be completely straight, and my nose was always supposed to be up, but my eyes down. My father made it very clear I was not to look any of the other people in their eyes, and that was drilled into me. If for any reason I was caught in a situation where I could not get away, and I was forced to be compliant, then I was to act like I did not understand them, or pretend like I was not able to hear them.
Though that was crazy because the minute I woke up, I was thrown into countless classes. I knew at least 12 different world languages, and all of their sub-languages, including Earth’s. My Earth accent was very prominent here, though I rarely ever talked, but when I did I was told it sounded lyrical. The language of my new home, a planet called Artoul was harsh. If you did not understand them, it would sound like they were yelling at you, when in reality someone could be telling you how much they loved you.
Not that I had even heard the word love come out of someone’s mouth when I was around.
Surprisingly many other planets’ inhabitants resemble those of Earth’s. Though some had weirdly colored skin, like the women from the planet Zaroth had blue skin, while the men had pink.
On Artoul, the planet was full of warriors. Literally, it had to be something in the water. All the men were tall, and had well defined muscles. Whether they were small muscles or huge, it didn’t matter because they were all extremely strong. They all had skills, some were better at intellectual things, while others were superior in the art of fighting, but in the end if there was a war it wouldn’t matter because they would all be used. The women of this planet were all very tall and coldly beautiful. They were all extremely tall, and skinny. They were insanely regal.
Now, take my 5’2”, curved figure and I was definitely a very sore thumb in this world.
My father was a king. He had the largest amount of land and was very wealthy. I knew he was my father the minute I had laid my eyes on him when I arrived on the planet. It wasn’t because some part of me was attached to him, it was more the fact that I had the same eye color as him, and my nose was shaped like his.
I hated him the moment I met him.
Now, eight years later, I am sitting before a large mirror, glaring into my golden brown eyes as one of my maids pulled my hair up and into a tight up-do.
“Jay, please sit up straighter! You know I hate to have to bend to get all the pins into place,” behind me the tall girl giggled, and I sent my glare her way. "Oh now, don’t be so prickly, shorty.”
I snarled at her, “It’s not my fault you’re 6’5”.”
She barked a laugh and I sat up straighter, bracing myself for the pokes and prods of the pins sliding into my hair. “Jaylee, I am so jealous of your hair color. I wish we had this color on this planet.”
The girl longingly smoothed a curl down, glancing into my eyes in the mirror.
“Zadra, I told you if we could sneak away and back to my planet that I could find you dye,” I sighed as she finished my hair, and turned my swivel chair around, so my face was level with her tummy.
Glancing up at her, I watched as she dramatically sucked in a breath and shot her hand to her extremely white hair, “I could never do that! That would… that would just be so weird!”
I raised one of my brown eyebrows, waiting for her to realize what she had said, and when she did I was immediately given a tight hug and countless sorry’s. I patted her back and she kneeled down on a stool in front of me, producing a pointed brush out of nowhere.
“Close your eyes, hunny!” she sang out, immediately going to work on my makeup. As she worked, she talked about my features, like she normally did, and I found myself growing tired.
When she was finally done, I yawned and stood up, smoothing down the silky material of the dress I was wearing.
“And those boobs!” I flinched as Zarda poked the feature, which was on the focal point of my dress. The corset like bodice pushed them up, much to my dismay. When I hit puberty, something that the women from Artoul did not have, things had gone to hell. If they weren’t already hell.
My keepers had informed my father of the monthly bleedings, and he had been very upset, thinking that the different climates and pressures of his world would stop the process of me becoming a woman.
Sorry dad.
“Just another thing for my dad to loath me for,” I grumbled, turning back towards the mirror and taking in my figure. I have a tiny waist, but my hips were pretty big, since I was the age of 20 in human years, I was ready to have a child. My chest, as Zarda pointed out often, was larger than I liked, and was often the first thing noticed.
Zarda shot me a pity glance and then faked a smile, “Well, princess you’re ready!”
I growled at my appearance, and turned on my heel, walking towards the door to my prison.
Zarda followed close behind and slipped in front of me, knocking on the door.
I winced as we waited for the lock to turn, for my prison to be opened.
It was a surprise to me, but when Zarda’s knock was finally answered, it was my father and his wife who walked in. They dismissed Zarda, and locked their gaze onto me before she had even left the room.
“Well look at the slut, all prettied up again,” the wife of my father snapped, fire in her cool grey eyes. She often thought she was cultured and witty, because she liked to throw in words from Earth when talking to me. The word slut came out very brutal, and sounded more like sh-loot.
“Usually I am escorted to the vehicle, what do I owe this pleasure?” I looked to my father, ignoring the vile beast to his right.
“We will not be riding in the same vehicle on this day, and I need to tell you a few things about the ball we are attending this time.” His deep voice carried power, and I had to acknowledge the fact that he was a formidable man.
Crossing my arms in front of me, I shifted my weight to my left leg, in a position my father hated because it was too “Earth-like”, and stared at him. “I know, father. Stay quiet, don’t talk or look at anyone, and stay in the shadows.”
Frowning, my father watched me, not commenting on my posture, which surprised me, and instead he said, “Jaylee, at this occasion there will be warriors and powerful men from other planets,” his usually powerful voice showed a hint of fear, “many women will be there too. Not just our women. I expect you to use everything I’ve had taught to you. If you are approached, you speak to them. If I hear anything bad about you, you will be punished,” he paused, “this is a very big event. It is to show power, and for other planets’ warriors to… find their mate.”
I snarled, “So you’re basically wanting me to flaunt my goods and get picked up by a male from another planet?”
“No!” my dad snarled back at me, just another thing that proved I was, in fact, his daughter, “You are not going to be handed out like a piece of meat,” he had switched to English, telling me whatever he needed to say was not actually for his devil-wife’s ears, “This occasion is an opening for me. What I need you to do is what I’ve been grooming you for for years. Among the planets that are going to be there, Tethra’s major rulers will be there.”
I gasped, through all my studies, Tethra had been the most taught one. I had the best language tutor, and I knew every culture, plant, and animal from the planet. This planet’s inhabitants were like Artoul’s, though their men were the best warriors in the galaxy. The most ruthless and powerful. In a war against Tethra’s men, you can bet your ass the other planet would lose.
“What about their rulers?” I fumbled over my words, having not spoken English for years.
“I want you to get as close as you can to them, talk to them, dance with them, get information from their conversations. They won’t suspect you know their language, only Artoul’s and the universal language.” My dad kept a calm face, but I felt his pressure and knew whatever information I needed to get was probably big.
“What exactly am I to be listening for?”
“Anything about war,” he stated it calmly, but my heart was racing.
I didn’t know if I could do it or not.
~~~~~
So here is chapter one! Let me know what you think! Comments are appreciated! This one is actually pretty long, which surprised me even!
Thank you for giving me a chance!
-Gabe