Chapter 11: Meeting

Arron fingered his high collar and shifted his feet. He stood with his three senior officers, his dress uniform stiff and uncomfortable. They were first in line waiting for the King and Princess to arrive. He looked at the sea of faces beyond the line of officials and dignitaries facing them, the somber gray and blue dress of the males and the vibrant colors of the females' long dresses. It reminded him of films he had seen as a child of a fourteenth century ball on earth. He had become used to how similar these people were to humans. Now that he was resigned to spending the rest of his life as one of them he was eternally grateful. He had been junior and unimportant enough to be posted to this primitive backwater where the intelligent life forms could easily pass as humans on Earth.

The one thing that puzzled him however were the females. Their curves and features matched any human female, and as he had risen in the ranks he came to the attention of the women in the Halcyon Royal Court. Many of the court ladies he considered beautiful, and he had attempted relationships with several of them, but it always left him feeling as though he were having a relationship with his sister. They did nothing for him, yet any human would be more that happy with one of these women. He had wondered if it were another effect of the changes wrought on him by the Intelligence Corps. For that change he cursed them roundly, and he had given up and became celibate. He now avoided functions like this before rumors of his inability to perform undermined his position at court. He shuddered at the thought. He had never had a problem while he was growing up and he had no idea what was wrong with him here when the females, no, women, he reminded himself, were so fundamentally the same. For a while the women at court had vied for his attention so he had deliberately stayed away as much as possible.

Arron felt an elbow in his ribs which caused him to jump. "General sir, wake up, they have arrived!" Arron blinked and turned to Jerros's smiling face on his left. "You were daydreaming, sir, I know you hate functions like this." Jerros laughed under his breath.

Arron sighed and stood straight. Yes, Jerros old friend, you know me too well. He looked at the sweeping steps that led down into the ballroom from the royal apartments. He had agreed to attend the ball as the King had decided it was where Arron should meet the Princess. And where the official handover of the Princess to his safekeeping should take place. But before they could leave there was this official farewell ball where the Princess could mingle and say farewell to all Matheros' court and dignitaries.

There was a fanfare of trumpet-like instruments and the King appeared on the top of the steps with a pretty young woman on his arm. "Wow, the Prince is a lucky bastard; she could have been ugly!" Jerros hissed.

Arron ignored him as just at that moment the King and Princess started to descend the stairs a woman stepped forward from behind them. She took Arron's breath away. She was as tall as the King, and slim, her bare shoulders and arms showing strong muscle tone that was offset by the smooth curve of her breasts bulging above her form fitting laced bodice, her hair was burnished gold, cut in a short bob longer at the front than at the back. She walked down the stairs behind the Princess with cat like grace, her aqua marine eyes taking in the ballroom. She suddenly looked in his direction and for a moment their eyes locked. Arron's heart missed a beat and he had to remember to breathe. A slight frown crossed her brow and she stumbled and for a moment she hesitated before resuming her decent.

As she moved closer his heart rate increased. Dear God, what is happening to me? He closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to bring himself back under control. He heard a cough and opened his eyes focusing on the courtier now standing in front of him.

"General, allow me to present the King, and his daughter the Princess Avia." By concentrating on the King and the Princess he managed to regain a semblance of control.

To his relief the golden haired woman had moved to one side out of his line of sight. He bowed first at the King. "Your Majesty" then at the Princess. "Your Highness, I have been sent to escort you to your new husband Prince Aquilas of Halcyon as detailed in the peace treaty between our two countries."

The Princess held out her hand and Arron took her fingers and pressed them against his forehead then against his lips. "I am honored, General, and look forward to meeting my new husband. I will be ready to leave the day after tomorrow, after I have said my farewells to the court and my family."

Arron found himself admiring the proud young woman, who due to politics was to be up-routed from her home and family and married to a stranger she had never meet. Arron bowed again, and the formal presentation was complete. The King turned and continued down the line, greeting the important guests, a buzz of conversation started and those already greeted by the King started to mingle with the crowd.

The Princess relaxed a little after her father had left her side and she looked into his eyes. "General Arron, I should like you to meet my Chief Lady-in-waiting and personal bodyguard, Minara, she will accompany me."

She stepped into his line of sight and held out a gloved hand. Arron felt his face flush his pulse rate jumped. Oh my God! He fought for control, the same strange alien part of him that he had learnt to control in battle, just wanted to take her there and then. He was grateful he had learnt to control his inner daemon, the beast within, and had not let it have free rein over him. He was fairly certain that ripping the clothes off the Princess's Lady-in-waiting and taking her on the ballroom floor would be a major breach in protocol. But what the hell was happening to him now? He was human after all, not some rabid beast. All the women he had met so far, even the most beautiful ones, had no effect on him at all. This one, dear God this one, the effect she had was far stronger than the berserker battle rage.

With a trembling hand he took hers and bowed, he dare not bring it to his forehead and lips as protocol dictated or he would have lost control and disgraced himself. Thank God she is wearing gloves. He dropped her hand as if it was a hot coal and straightened, taking a shuddering breath. "Madam."

"General." Her voice seemed like music in his ears and it touched his soul. He closed his eyes for a moment forcing his raging emotions to be still.

He dragged his attention back to the Princess, who was regarding him with raised eyebrows. "Are you all right General? You looked ill for a moment there."

"I am fine, thank you, your Highness." He thought quickly of a way to explain his sudden strange behavior. "It is formal functions like these, I much prefer soldiering and battle in the field I'm afraid."

The Princess nodded and smiled. "Yes, General, it is because of that we are where we are, is it not?"

Arron swallowed. "Yes, your Highness."

"Now, sir, I must mingle so I will leave you to the tender mercies of Lady Minara for the evening, you should get on well as she is a hell cat!" The Princess laughed then turned away with one of her other ladies.

Arron found himself left facing Her. "Well, General, you are showing remarkable control. I was convinced for a moment I would have to fight you off me." She smiled, parting her lips. Arron sucked in a breath. Her white teeth were filed to points, blemishing her perfection. He looked back at her eyes, and he sensed she had bared her teeth deliberately in an attempt to get him to calm down.