Free Bride Games: (Alien's Bride) by Yamila Abraham

stood causing Lysanter’s hand to come off her.
    “Would you grow up?”
    ***
    Dinner was dominated by Vivian recounting her adventure in the city.   Lysanter had Lenora translate.   He met her eyes a few times.   She didn’t shy from a lingering stare, but hid all emotion.   His soft voice and kind smile was starting to grow on her.   When she looked at his hands she relived the few gentle touches he’d given her.   There was an idiotic pang of longing in her that she refused to yield to.   Defective women didn’t have the privilege of infatuation.
    Just as he’d said, he ushered Vivian away after dinner.   His dedication to their plot struck her.   All things considered she was pretty lucky to have Lysanter.
    Hester brought her back to her room and provided her with a sleeping garment.   He spoke in his unintelligible language at length despite her not understanding a word.   After that he became silent and smiled at her, as if expecting a response.   Lenora looked into his glittering black eyes.
    “I wish I could be the girl for Lysanter,” she said.
    Hester tipped up his face.   “Lysanter?”
    “I wish I didn’t have to carry around all this hate, like a barbell twisted around my neck.   I wish I’d never been in the army, where life gets devalued so fast, and you get to know the worst monsters living in people’s souls.”   She swallowed.   “Your master doesn’t know what I really am, and he’s still trying to win me over.   You know what the truth is though?   What the honest to God truth is?”
    Hester’s eyes glittered a violet hue.
    “He deserves better than me.”
    The servant said a few more words, gestured to the nightgown he’d placed on her bed, and left.
    The next morning Hester flew her to the arena.   Neither Lysanter nor Vivian were with them.   Lenora didn’t question this.
    She was brought to the locker room where a fresh uniform was folded on the seat for her.   Only one of the remaining women sat waiting for her.   She scoffed.
    “I was starting to think I was the only one left.”   She spoke in English with a Russian accent.
    Lenora looked at her as she dressed.   “Two girls lost yesterday.   The rest are still playing.   I think Vivian’s already out there.”
    “Well, let me tell you, I fail today.   I wanted to forfeit but that asshole wouldn’t let me.”
    Lenora hesitated to pull her arm through the long sleeve.   “Why…why do you want to forfeit?”
    She shrugged.   “Wentivan, my groom, he’s not so bad.   I can put up with one like him.   He’s not from the home world so I don’t have to go back to that Hellhole.   He doesn’t have some asshole servant.   I understand they can no longer shock us like my last husband did.   Good enough.”
    Lenora finished putting on her pants and sat next to her.   “You were married to a Dak-Hiliah before?”
    “Mm.   Matoranis.   Seventh seat on the High Council.   He was not terrible, but his fucking servant—always shocking me.   Matoranis would do nothing.   So I escaped.   Then this traitor bitch told the empire all about how we were getting away.   The Aquars gave us all back to them.   They were going to put me in some fucking slave colony.   I said, fuck that.   Just give me a husband who doesn’t have the asshole servant.   Someone who won’t shock me.   They said shocking wasn’t allowed anymore, but I had to play this stupid game.   They needed contestants.”
    Lenora’s mind boggled.   A whirlwind of questions flooded her.   “How did you get over the anatomical differences?”
    “What you are talking about?”
    “Their big…um, organs.”
    The woman let out a boisterous laugh.   Then she snuffled.   “Dah.   Their dicks are humongous and it hurts them to get horny.”   She stretched out her arm and marked a line under her deltoid.   “Matoranis was this long and a little thicker than my wrist.   He didn’t get it all the way in, of course.