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

yesterday.”
    “Then—?”
    “Nayjoor was waiting for her on top.   Before she could touch the statue he cried out ‘cheater’ and shoved her off.   She fell back onto the fourth tier and the robot caught her.”
    Lenora put her face into her hand.   “Oh my God.”
    “She broke her arm and ankle.”
    She darted her eyes back to him.   “What?”
    “She’ll be fully healed, don’t worry.   She’ll only be a little sore tomorrow.   I don’t think it will hurt her performance.”
    “Hasn’t she lost?”
    “Danfet accused Nayjoor of cheating and wants to give Vivian a pass on this session.   His decision will be followed unless Nayjoor protests officially.   It would be humiliating for him to do so.”  
    Lenora melted back in her seat.   “Oh thank goodness.”
    Lysanter took her hand in his.   “You did magnificently.   I knew you would.”
    She met his eyes.   The soft expressions he made gave her a placid feeling.
    “Most in the audience are local to this world.   They’re both rooting for you and looking forward to you becoming their queen.   You’ll be a celebrity here.”
    “Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself?”  
    She heard him swallow.   He drew her hand to his lips and kissed it.
    “I want you to stay with me, Lenora.”
    She turned back toward the window.
    “I told you from the beginning, I don’t expect you to fall in love with me in three days.   But don’t you trust me?   Don’t you believe that I’ll respect you?”
    “It’s not that easy.”
    “It can be.”
    She squeezed her eyes closed.   Now a tear fell.
    ***
    When they arrived at Lysanter’s home Vivian was being brought into the lower floor on a gurney.   Lenora ran to her side.
    “I don’t know why I’m on this thing.   I feel fine.   They used some alien hocus pocus and healed me.”
    “I can’t believe Nayjoor did that to you.”
    Vivian’s face flared with anger.   “Yeah!   What a fricking dickhead.   I was home free and then this asshole tried to kill me.   I felt like I was in the air for ten minutes before I crashed right on my wrist.   Holy shit it hurt!”
    Lenora looked at Lysanter.   “How can he still be assigned to her after what he did?”
    He frowned.   “Danfet’s scared to take her from him.   It will lead him to protest his decision.”   He went to Vivian and touched the reddened skin on her arm.   “I’m repulsed, Lenora.   I’ve never seen Nayjoor this belligerent.   He was recently named a hero to the empire due to uncovering a scheme by our enemies, but at the same time he was pressured into divorcing his first wife.   Ever since then he’s been incorrigible.   The only way she’s going to escape him is to win.”
    “You’ll help her cheat again, right?” Lenora said.
    Lysanter closed his eyes.   “There’s no way for me to help her in the last game.”
    Lenora grew plaintive.
    “You’re going to be with her.   You can ensure she wins.”
    She looked back down at her friend with a scowl.   “I can make sure that asshole never touches her again.”
    “I’m still going downtown,” Vivian said clumsily in the Dak-Hiliah language.
    Lenora blinked.   “What did you say?”
    “I had them implant her with Dak-Hiliah and Dornovonian while she was in the hospital,” Lysanter said.  
    She sat up on the gurney.   The two Dornovonian medical personnel protested with their small arms flailing.   Lysanter gestured for them to leave her be.   Vivian climbed down.   The attendants reluctantly took the gurney away.
    “I’m going to get dressed and then I want to go out, okay?”
    Lenora fumed.   She looked at Lysanter.   “Would that be all right?”
    “Today is your turn, Lenora.”
    She traced a finger up and down the side of his arm.   “Take her with us.   Please?”
    He took her hand in his.   “You’re manipulating me.”
    Lenora kept her head down.
    “But I prefer that to being pushed away.   I’ll only agree if you let