Chapter 27: The Pointless War

The palace guards were questioned, and those accused of collaboration were taken into custody. The palace was searched and Arron ensured any technologically advanced weapons were catalogued and placed under lock and key in the palace strong room. A guard was also placed round the disabled ship. Arron did not want any part of it to go missing. By the time all the loose ends were tied up it was the early hours of the morning. By then Arron had been awake for twenty-four hours. Minara was of course still tied up in the old ice store.

Now the Grojan females were locked up and Varna was still contained within the royal apartments with the Earth Force Captain, he could safely release Minara as she could no longer get involved with them and be mistaken for a collaborator. Arron also needed for his own peace of mind to find out how far her collaboration went.

Arron took a marvark from the palace stables and rode out to the ruined estate. When he arrived it was still an hour before dawn. He slid from the marvark and pulled a lantern he had taken from the palace from the back of the saddle. He struck a flint and lit the wick. The lantern flared and it took several moments for his vision to become accustomed to the bright light. As he approached the ice store a gentle sound of snoring reached his ears. He smiled to himself; at least she had managed to sleep. He walked down the steps after dimming the lantern so as not to disturb the sleeping Minara. When he entered the store he saw she was slumped forward sound asleep. She looked uncomfortable, so he quietly called her name to wake her without making her jump.

She opened her eyes and blinked. "Arron?'

"Yes, Minara, I will untie you now if you promise not to attack me."

She looked at him from under her lashes. "I promise not to attack you. Now please untie me."

From the tone of her voice he did not pay much heed to her promise. Arron walked to her chair, bent down and untied her, then jumped back as she took a swing at him.

"Bastard! Why did you tie me up?" She tried to stand but her knees buckled. Arron caught her and adjusting her position in his arms and carried her out of the ice store. She struggled against him for a moment then, as he held her tighter to prevent her from moving, she relaxed.

"I tied you up for your own safety. I don't know your relationship with our friends, so when I was organizing their downfall I wanted you out of the way and unable to go to their aid."

"You think so little of me then?"

Arron sighed, "Minara, for whatever reason you are more important to me than the rest of the universe put together, and if anything should happen to you I would die, but I don't know you and I don't know if I even like you for the things you have done."

She wriggled in his arms. "We have time to rectify that now, but for the moment Arron please put me down."

"I like carrying you."

"I like you carrying me, but I have been tied to a chair for hours and if you don't put me down now we are both going to be very wet! I need to pee."

He waited for her, lost in thoughts of how this strange alien female had got under his skin, even knowing she was a Grojan and the things she had done.

He was disturbed from his reverie by the gentle touch of long fingers sliding down his arm and entwining in his own. "Careful, Minara, it has been so long, the beast is just below the surface."

She giggled. "I can't wait, but I need you to curb him for a while longer, I have something to show you, something to prove I'm not the black hearted bitch you think I am."

She pulled him forward, hurrying back to her house - his house that was, he reminded himself. "Arron, you have to remember I'm not human, I'm Grojan. And I am truly sorry for what I did before I came here, but it was all that was open to me. Do not forget, I did not know you, and being judged unsuitable for the role of being a good Grojan wife left very limited options available to me."

Arron sighed. "I'm sorry, I forget that all this should be alien to me, yet it is not. I'm trapped between two worlds. Human and Grojan and sometimes it is difficult to reconcile the two."

She was pulling him forward at a run now. "Minara, what is so important?"

"Wait and see."

They reached the house, and Minara pushed open the door and ran upstairs. She entered a dimly lit room that looked to Arron like a nursery. A young woman held a whimpering child. She turned when they entered. "Thank the Ancestors, My Lady, you're back."

"Give him to me and get out quickly."

The maid handed the child to Minara, curtsied and ran out of the room.

"He is hungry." She sat and started to nurse the child. Then looked up at Arron with a shy smile. This is Arron, your son ... our son."

Arron was struck dumb and his heart felt as if it would burst from his chest.

"What do you feel now, Arron?"

He analyzed his raging emotions. "If anyone were to come near you at the moment I would tear them apart."

She nodded. "Very Grojan, Arron. We are a species where our basic instincts are only just below the surface, civilization is only a thin veneer." She looked down at the child in her arms. "You can hold him soon, then, when he is asleep, I would very much like it if you would let the beast loose." This time her smile was anything but shy.

The next morning Arron walked down the stairs to find the kitchen as he was ravenous. He had left Minara sleeping. He opened a door and found a young woman standing in a reception room looking out of the window. She turned as he entered and smiled. "General Arron."

"My God, Princess Avia!" He bowed. "What are you doing here, Your Highness?"

"I'm the Queen now, General, and Minara hid us both, the King and I." She nodded to the window. Arron glanced out to see the young king stripped to the waist chopping wood. "I think he likes the life of a commoner far too much." She laughed. "I will have to buy him a farm for his birthday."

She turned back to Arron. "I owe you a debt I can never repay, General. You sacrificed yourself for me."