“There,” Sarah said, smiling. “Isn’t that the best thing you’ve ever put in your mouth?”
“Not quite the best thing I’ve had in my mouth.” His pale eyes glowed red for a moment. “But it is very good.”
Sarah felt her cheeks get hot at the way he was looking at her and her stomach fluttered. Why had she put it like that?
But before she could get any more flustered, Dod was saying it was time for them to try harvesting some of the champles for themselves.
“Just push off real easy,” he instructed. “If you jump too hard you’re going to bang your heads on the ceiling and that’s never any fun. Hold on to the stalks when you get to the top and give the chample you want to pick a little twist. Don’t forget to put it in your suction bag before you come back down. All right? Everybody ready? Then go.”
Sarah thought later that picking champles was more fun that almost anything else she and Sazar did (at least in public) while they were on Alquon Ultrea. The feeling of near-weightlessness was exhilarating although it took some time to get used to.
She watched as Sazar took off and then Chandra, who was pointing her black square at him, probably taking pictures. Sarah didn’t want to be left out so she pushed off from the spongy ground too, only she pushed too hard and went rocketing up at a frightening speed.
Oh no! she thought as she saw the thick glass dome of the ceiling getting closer and closer. I’m going to bang my head, just like Dod said! That’s going to hurt!
She tried to shield her head but Sazar, who was already holding tight to one of the long thin chample stalks, reached out and snagged her arm. Pulling her tight against him, he murmured in her ear,
“Be careful, Ladara. I wouldn’t want you getting injured.”
“Oh—I think I jumped too hard,” Sarah said breathlessly.
“Stay with me. I’ve had experience in low G.” He twisted two of the bright yellow, cube-like fruit from the branch and handed one to Sarah who put it in her suction bag. Then, keeping an arm wrapped firmly around her waist, Sazar let go and allowed the two of them to drift slowly back down.
They jumped up again, this time holding hands. Now that she felt safe, Sarah couldn’t help laughing in sheer exuberance at the wild sensation of being nearly weightless and flying upwards. Sazar laughed too, a warm, deep chuckle she hadn’t heard before but liked at once. His face was so different when he smiled, Sarah thought. So much more open and free. It made her feel close to him.
Again and again they jumped from different spots, aiming to get one of every kind of chample growing in the huge glass dome. They spent some time on the ground trying them, too.
“Just don’t eat any of the brown ones unless you’re bound up inside,” Dod advised as he named and explained the various varieties they had picked.
“I’m sorry, what?” Sarah asked. “I don’t understand.”
“They’re medicinal champles,” Chandra said delicately. “For…digestive health.”
Oh, so it must be like eating prunes or taking some kind of laxative, Sarah thought.
“They work pretty quick too,” Dod put in. “So be certain you don’t eat one when you’re too far from a bathroom.”
“We’ll keep it in mind,” Sazar said dryly. “I don’t think we’ll be trying those particular champles right now.”
But there were plenty of the strange alien fruits that were grown simply for their flavor and texture. Sarah’s favorite was a red one with yellow and green spots which she thought tasted just like a cheeseburger. Sazar favored a dark purple chample that had a sweet and sour flavor Sarah couldn’t place. He said it reminded him of a food from his home world.
Chandra asked him if he liked it and he smiled.
“It is good but not nearly as delicious as other things I have tasted recently,” he remarked, giving Sarah a meaningful look.
“Oh…” Sarah put a hand on her fluttering heart. Was he talking about the taste of her blood…or other things? She kept seeing him in her mind’s eye, between her thighs healing her pussy with his tongue the night before. The memory made her feel hot and breathless.
She wished she had the nerve to kiss him again, as she had that first night in his room. But everyone was watching and Chandra was, presumably taking pictures for the Alquon version of social media. So she simply looked into those pale eyes, flickering red with desire as he looked back at her, and wished this moment could last forever.
At last Chandra remarked that it was late and they’d spent much more time at the chample farm than she’d intended.
“I’m afraid we don’t have time to see the yeechee fields or the to-ti works either,” she sighed. “We’ll have to get the two of you back to your room to get changed for the Breeding Ball tonight.”
“That’s fine with me,” Sarah remarked. She didn’t know what a to-ti was but the yechees were the toilet snakes and she had no wish to have any kind of contact with them at all—let alone go visit a whole field full of them.
They thanked Dod who nodded good-naturedly and gave them some extra bags of champles to take home and share on the Mother Ship. Sarah hoped they would last—she had no idea of the shelf life of the alien fruit but she really wanted to share some of it with her new friends Kat and Liv and Sophie.
I wonder if they’ll keep until Christmas, she thought as they made their way back to the tuve station. They would make really unique gifts. Kat, especially would love them. She struck Sarah as being kind of a foodie.
Then she thought of Tsandor—he would probably like the purple one Sazar had liked. Or maybe the bright yellow one that tasted like a mixture of lemon cookies and grape popsicles…
Her heart gave a little lurch when she thought of Sazar’s son. How was he? Was he lonely? Waiting to see her again? Still hoping to have a complete family?
Sarah couldn’t let her thoughts go in that direction, though—she knew things between herself and Sazar seemed really close now but once they were back on the Mother Ship, who knew what might happen?
She was aware that she needed to ask Sazar about allowing Tsandor to celebrate Christmas with Sophie’s family. But again, it didn’t seem to be the right time.
Christmas isn’t for a little while yet, she thought. I’ll ask him later…when the time is right.
But whatever happened, she promised herself sweet little Tsandor wouldn’t have to spend the holiday alone or in the care house.
* * * * *
“So do you have your outfit for the Breeding Ball all ready to go?” Chandra asked Sarah as she walked them to the door of their room. She had hooked an arm through Sarah’s and was strolling beside her in a chummy way, with Sazar on her other side. Minister Obglod had pleaded exhaustion again and returned to his own home.
Privately, Sazar thought that was best. The elderly Minister irritated him with his constant complaining and lecturing. Despite her “ditzy female” act, Chandra was much more pleasant to be around. Although if he had his preference, he would simply spend time with Sarah alone.
“Oh yes—the gold outfit. It’s all ready to go,” Sarah said, nodding.
“Good. Oh, and I had Lemmy make a new outfit for you too, Commander Sazar,” Chandra remarked, looking up at him. “It’s silver to match Sarah’s gold. It’s going to look spectacular with those pale eyes of yours.”
“I thank you,” Sazar said a bit stiffly. “I’m certain it will look fine.”
“There is one question I wanted to ask you about my, uh, outfit…” Sarah’s voice dropped to a confidential tone. It was clear she had no idea how sharp a Kindred’s hearing was—though she spoke very softly, Sazar couldn’t help catching her words. Still, since his little human obviously wanted privacy, he walked a little ahead to at least give her the illusion that her conversation could not be overheard.
“Yes, what is it?” Chandra murmured, also keeping her tone low.
“It’s the panties that go with it,” Sarah murmured. “They seem to have an, uh extra hole.”
&nb
sp; “What?” Chandra started to laugh. “What do you mean an extra hole?”
“Shhh!” Sarah hissed. “Well, they have a hole for my waist, and two for my legs but then there’s another one, right in the back. They have four holes. That can’t be right, can it?”
“They’re breeding panties—of course they have four holes!” Chandra exclaimed, still laughing. “One for your waist, two for your legs, and one for your pair partner’s shaft to enter you while he breeds you.”
“Oh, uh…” From the corner of his eye, Sazar saw that Sarah’s face had gone red. She glanced quickly up at him but since the topic clearly embarrassed her, he pretended not to have heard.
“I can’t believe you’ve never worn breeding panties, before,” Chandra went on. “How do they do things on your planet, anyway?”
“Well we don’t…usually all, uh, breed together at a big ball,” Sarah said quietly, still sounding embarrassed. “It’s usually a private thing—just between a man, er a male, and a woman.”
“How strange! Well, I guess you’ll get a taste of the Alquon way tonight,” Chandra remarked “Just remember to position yourself on the breeding couch so your breasts show to best advantage when Commander Sazar takes you. Good form is important, especially at the palace.”
“Wait—what?” Sarah sounded slightly panicked now. “But Sazar and I don’t have to participate—The Lord Magnate said so. We’re just going to be there to watch.”
“No, that’s not what he said at all.” Chandra shook her head. “He said, you two don’t have to breed with anyone else at the ball. But you must breed together. To attend a Breeding Ball at the palace and refuse to participate is the worst offense you can give! Why, The Lord Magnate would throw you to the grike if you just stood there and did nothing while everyone around you was doing their best to honor the tradition.”
“He…he would?” Sarah sounded positively faint. “You know, I don’t feel so well, Chandra. I…I think maybe one of those champles I ate disagreed with me. I’m not so sure I can go to the ball tonight.”
“Oh but you have to!” Chandra exclaimed. “Once a royal invitation has been given and accepted, you cannot back out of it for any reason. It would be an even greater insult than attending the ball and not breeding! The Lord Magnate would have both of you thrown into the middle of the ocean without your ship and Minister Obglod told me you can’t swim.”
Sarah’s face had gone pale—a clear sign of distress. Sazar wanted to gather her into his arms and comfort her but he wasn’t sure what to say. It appeared they were in a very difficult situation.
If they didn’t attend the Breeding Ball, they risked expulsion from Idd and possible death in the waters that surrounded it. If they did attend but refused to participate, they would be thrown to the grike—whatever that was. Possibly some kind of wild animal, Sazar speculated.
Either way they risked danger or death but the alternative—taking Sarah in the middle of a room full of strangers—was unthinkable. Not that Sazar didn’t want to make love to her—he did, very much. She was beautiful and perfect and curvy and he was beginning to care for her very much—maybe even love her.
However, Sazar wanted to make love to her when she was ready—when he was certain she felt for him the way he felt for her. Not just because they were expected to participate in some barbaric alien ritual! How could the Alquons present themselves as a civilized people when they objectified their females the way they did and insisted on public sex?
“I’ll tell you what,” Chandra was saying, pulling him out of his angry thoughts. “I’ll send you a few vids of past Breeding Balls—I’ll have Blorg activate a screen in your room. That way you’ll know what to expect. All right?”
“All right,” Sarah said faintly. “I guess…guess that’s good.”
“It will be! This is going to be the best Breeding Ball ever—you’ll see.” Chandra smiled brightly and pressed her cheek to Sarah’s. “Now you get ready to go. I’ll be back for you in a bit to take you and Commander Sazar to the palace. See you soon!”
And with a final wave she left them standing in the doorway to their room.
Sazar tried to hold back a frustrated growl. They were in a damn sticky situation—what in the Seven Hells were they going to do?
Chapter Seventeen
The minute the door closed behind them, Sarah turned to the big Kindred.
“Sazar,” she said, her voice trembling. “I…I have to tell you something.”
“I know,” he growled, to her surprise. He’d looked like he wasn’t paying attention to her and Chandra whispering as they walked along.
“You…you do?” Sarah asked.
“I heard.” He frowned at her. “We’re expected to perform at the Breeding Ball after all. Now what in the Seven Hells are we going to do?”
“I don’t know, but Sazar…” She licked her suddenly dry lips, unsure how to say what she had to say. “I…I’m a virgin,” she blurted out at last. “I can’t…I mean, I don’t…”
“What?” His eyes widened. “You’ve never—”
“No!” Sarah said quickly. She looked at him shyly. “I’ve never wanted to. And now this…this Breeding Ball…”
“Well of course you can’t have your first sexual experience in the middle of an alien orgy,” he exclaimed, as though reading her mind. “That’s out of the question!”
“It is? Oh, good…” Sarah was weak with relief that he understood. “I mean, not that I wouldn’t like to, uh, you know, with you,” she went on, stumbling over the words. “But in public like that…”
Sazar took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.
“Sarah,” he said quietly. “I understand. Virginity is precious among my people—I won’t take it from you. Your first time should be special—with a male you love and want to bond with. I’m not going to take you at the Breeding Ball.”
Sarah bit her lip.
“But what are we going to do?”
“I don’t know.” He frowned. “We’ll think of something.”
Just then a knock sounded at the door and they heard the voice of the manager, Blorg.
“Hey—Chandra said you needed a screen?”
Sazar went to let him in. “Yes, Chandra is supposed to send us some, uh, instructional videos.”
“Uh-huh.” Blorg nodded absently. Sarah had expected him to bring some kind of screen or TV with him. Instead, he cleared a spot on the rounded glass wall across from the bed, moving a colorful wall hanging to do so. “There you go, folks,” he said, tapping the clear glass several times. “Should pop up right here when she sends it.”
Suddenly the clear spot on the wall darkened and loud moans began to come from it. At the same time, a picture of writhing bodies, clearly engaged in sex, showed up.
“Instructional vids, huh?” Blorg cocked an eyebrow at them.
Sarah felt like she could sink through the floor with mortification. Clearly the hotel manager just thought they wanted to watch porn together. How embarrassing!
“We can explain,” she began but Sazar shook his head.
“Thank you—that’s all we need,” he told the Alquon manager shortly.
“All right. Pat the wall here—” he showed with his own hand, “For controls. Volume, picture…that kind of thing. Enjoy.” Then he smirked and left.
When he was gone, Sazar took care to lock the door behind him and came to sit on the bed by Sarah. The mattress swayed in a rocking motion when he settled his big body beside hers.
“Well?” he asked in a low voice.
“Well, it…it’s a lot of people, uh, having sex.”
Sarah was so embarrassed she could hardly look at the screen. She’d never been allowed to see such things at the Compound where there was a strange double standard. On one hand, a girl was supposed to keep herself clean and never touch her body or think wrong thoughts or do or say anything sexual. But on the other hand, she was supposed to submit her body willingly to become a Bride of the Prophet
when Father Caleb decided she was ready. After he was tired of her, she was passed to a husband and had to submit to him as well.
But she was never supposed to enjoy sex, talk about sex, or God forbid, watch sex in any format. Sex was only for the pleasure of the man—the husband or The Prophet. Never for the female who must submit to it.
So she had been taught, anyway. But the people on the wall screen certainly seemed to be enjoying it—both men and women.
“It’s not just people having sex.” Sazar was staring at the people on the screen intensely, as though he was seeing something Sarah wasn’t. He looked at her, his eyes blazing. “It’s not just porn—it’s our way out of this mess. Look.”
He stood up and walked to the screen, pointing to an Alquon couple with the pale green and purple mottled skin common to just about everyone in Idd except The Lord Magnate. The male was wearing the usual trousers and open robe combination and the girl had bare breasts and was wearing a split skirt.
“Look at the way he’s taking her—the way they’re doing it,” Sazar said. “Here, let me start from the beginning…”
He did something to the barely visible controls on the glass and the scene rewound itself to the point where the Alquon couple were just entering the vast golden throne room. Sarah recognized the tall windows and the golden light but the throne was no longer the only piece of furniture. The huge room, which had been empty when they saw it in person, had been filled with small pieces of waist-high furniture which looked like padded benches. The benches were curved down on one end and up on the other, with a large oval opening in the upward curving side.
They watched as the Alquon couple walked up and the female positioned herself lying on her stomach on the padded bench. Her bare breasts fit through the hole in the upward curving end, putting them on display and she gripped the carving handles that came off the sides almost like a pair of handlebars. Her lower abdomen and bottom were free of the bench, her feet planed firmly on the golden floor for balance.
“The breeding couch—that must be what Chandra was talking about,” Sarah exclaimed.