Free The Tigrens' Glory by Laura Jo Phillips

Glory, to offer her comfort from the pain she tried so hard to hide.  But she remained in her seat, knowing that Glory wouldn’t appreciate overt emotion or sympathy at the moment.  “What does it mean that you were stripped of rank?  Are you no longer Princess?”
    “My place in the royal family is my birthright,” Glory said with a hint of steel resolve that pleased Lariah.  “Like the blood in my veins, it is my own and can never be taken from me.  Without due cause, King Bashir stripped me of my warrior rank, which I had fairly earned over long years of hard work and combat service.  He also declared that the protections inherent in my position as a female member of the royal family no longer applied to me.”
    “I’m sorry, Glory,” Lariah said.  “That must have been painful and difficult for you.” 
    “And dangerous,” Glory said with a sharp snap of her teeth, her bronze eyes flashing.  “Word of King Bashir’s decree got out surprisingly fast.  So fast, in fact, that by the time I left the palace minutes later, it was already surrounded by men hoping to claim me.  Free Claiming a Princess would have been a huge boon to any male since what is mine would become the claimant’s.  My royal blood cannot be taken from me, as I said, but I would be forced to share it with any man who successfully claimed me.”
    “I don’t understand,” Lariah said.  “Do you mean that your own father put you in a position that would allow any man to claim you, whether you agree or not?”
    “According to Ramouri custom, yes,” Glory replied.  “All a man need do is place his right hand upon the left shoulder of a woman who is both unattached, and no longer under the protection of her family, and say the ritual words.  According to both law and custom, the woman may run, but she may not defend herself once caught, or refuse the man’s claim.”  Glory shrugged one shoulder, her eyes narrowed in anger at the memory.  “It’s safe to say that I was not inclined to bow to the customs of a world from which I’d just been banished.  As a result, several men got more than they bargained for when they tried to place a hand upon me before I managed to escape Ramouri.  What King Bashir did was dangerous, though not to me.”
    “Once again I have to say that I’ve no desire to insult your people, or your culture,” Lariah said carefully.  “So I’ll just tell you that I’m glad you came here, and that you are welcome to remain on Jasan for as long as you want.  No strings attached.”
    “Strings?”
    “Conditions,” Lariah said.  “Whether the Tigren are found or not.”
    Glory took another sip of her juice to help wash away the sudden lump in her throat.  “You are very kind, and incredibly generous, Lariah,” she said when she was able to speak again.  “I’m glad that I told you.  It was wearing on me that I hadn’t.” 
    “I’m glad you feel better for telling me, Glory,” Lariah said.  “But we all have things that we don’t share with everyone.  It doesn’t make us dishonest.”  Lariah tilted her head and grinned.  “My daughters are calling to me.”
    “You can hear them?” Glory asked in surprise.
    “No, but I can feel them,” Lariah said.  “I’ve promised to spend tomorrow with them and their brothers since it’s our last day before leaving, and they want an early start.”  Lariah trailed off as the sound of an approaching ground car reached them.  “Are you expecting company?”
    “No,” Glory replied, rising to stand at the top of the steps.  Lariah joined her and they both watched the car appear over the rise.  “Anyone you know?”
    “I can’t see inside,” Lariah said.  “That’s one of the garrison ground cars though.  They’re made available for visitors to use while they’re here since the ranch is so big.  It’s no one who lives on the ranch, I can tell you that much.”
    “I know no one on Jasan aside from those I’ve met