Free The Princess and her Alien Rogue: Alien Romance by Harmony Raines

he moved behind the screen, listening to the voices that were raised in disagreement.
    “Princess, on reflection, we have to object to you joining with this man. We know nothing about him.”
    “I know enough about him to know he is the man for me. He will make a good husband and a good protector to our child.”
    “A child you have not yet conceived.”
    “He is strong and virile; of that I have no doubt.” These words brought a smile to Johar’s face.
    “But what of you, Princess. What if you have the same affliction as your mother?”
    “Affliction?” she asked, her voice rising further.
    “Yes, your mother gave birth to you, a female, but she was barren from then on. What if you do not produce a male heir?”
    “And what if I do?” she hissed.
    “Is it fair to keep the population hanging like this? Surely it would be better to hand over the running of the planet to the Emissars until you have given birth to a child and we know that child is a boy.”
    “Is that what this is about? You and the other Emissars are scared. You are scared I will have a boy and you will be powerless.”
    “The Emissars are never powerless, Princess.” The Emissar’s voice came out like an angry hiss. “We have indulged you, tried to give you time to come to your senses, to mourn your father’s passing, but no more.”
    “I will remind you that I am still the ruler of this planet.”
    “Only because we allow it.”
    “You allow it? It is the law. It is our way.”
    “Then maybe the way should be changed. We leant our support to the males of your line because we knew we needed a strong leader to keep the slavers and traders in their place. You are not that leader.”
    “You’re afraid,” she said. “You are afraid you will lose your power just as those before you. You never expected me to find a husband. You tried everything you could to stop me meeting a suitable man.”
    “He is not a suitable man, let alone a suitable husband. He is no husband; he is no prince. Look at him, he is some freak you found in the … where did you find him exactly, Princess?”
    “That does not matter to you.”
    “Oh, but it does. You dragged him from the market, from what I hear. A common, street-brawling thug. Oh yes, I have eyes and ears. And do you know what else those eyes and ears tell me?”
    A silence hung in the air.
    “No? You don’t want to guess?” His voice was contemptuous as he spoke his words. “That you are as mad as your mother. That you went to the witch, and the witch told you who you who you were supposed to marry. Is this true?”
    “And what if it is?”
    The Emissar laughed. “Call off this wedding. Do not make a fool of yourself in front of all of your subjects.”
    “There is no rule to say I can’t marry whoever I want.”
    “No. But we will make sure you do not rule.”
    “Are you threatening me?”
    “Yes,” he spat, and then there was the sound of footsteps walking away. But all he could hear was Tallia taking deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down.
    Johar lifted his hand, standing up straight to tear the screen down. “No!” Rian said, standing in front of him. “It is bad luck.”
    Johar stepped back, letting his hand fall to his side. If there was one thing they did not need, it was more bad luck.

Chapter Thirteen – Tallia
    Tallia stood firm and watched him leave, her head held high and back straight, even though inside she was crumpling like a piece of discarded parchment. But not with fear, with anger: her body wanted to fold in on itself and erupt into a seething mass of fury and strike down the damn Emissars and their provocative stance on anything that did not go along with their wants.
    Provocative. Yes, that was what Aleck had come her for, to provoke her into actions she would regret. To try to force her into making a mistake, or letting her temper go and so proving she was unsuitable, unstable. Those were the words she had heard him use to describe her mother when it