You Should Be Lucky
AURORA’S POV
"Do you ever miss your families when you are stuck here in the palace all day?" I asked, leaning my head back against the gold rim of the tub.
Luma paused, her hands covered in white soap bubbles. She looked at Tali and then back at me with a soft smile. "Every day, Mistress. But my family lives in the lower sectors of the city. It is very crowded and dark down there because the big buildings block out the sun. Working here allows me to send credits home so my little brother can go to the academy. He wants to be a pilot one day, to fly past the ten shields and see what the rest of space looks like."
"Is it really that different out there?" I asked, curious.
Tali nodded quickly, her hands moving gently to scrub my shoulders. "Oh, yes. My village is on the other side of the planet, near the pink oceans. It is very quiet there. My father is a shell-farmer. He spends his days wading through the water to find the glowing pearls that the King likes so much. It is hard work, and his back always hurts, but he is proud. He told me that serving the King’s guest is a great honor. He thinks you are a sign of good luck."
"A sign of luck," I whispered. I looked at the steam rising from the water. "I feel more like a sign of trouble. Everyone is fighting because of me."
"It is not your fault that you are beautiful," Luma said, pouring more warm, scented water over my chest. "Men have fought over beautiful things since the beginning of time. But you are safe now. That is what matters."
I looked at them both. They seemed so happy to be here, so sure that this was the best place for me. I wanted to believe them. I wanted to stop feeling like I was waiting for a disaster to happen.
"What does King Kraye really want with me?" I asked, my voice getting a bit more serious. "I know he says I am a treasure, but why keep me here? Why spend so much money on ten shields and gold tubs just for one human girl?"
Tali stopped what she was doing and leaned in close. Her big eyes were wide and honest. "Mistress, the truth is that the King has always wanted a human. For years, he has watched the news from the far galaxies. He sees the way the Alien King travels to Earth and brings back its riches. Our King is powerful, and he is the tenth richest man in the universe, but he does not have the special engines to make that long trip to your home. He can hardly get a human for himself, no matter how much gold he offers the traders."
Luma nodded in agreement. "He doesn't just want a slave, Aurora. He wants a Queen. He wants to marry you. He wants the whole universe to see that he was the one who finally caught the most precious prize of all. To him, you are the ultimate proof that he is just as great as King Karn."
"But I don't love him," I said softly.
"Love grows like a flower, Mistress," Tali said. "And here, you have the best soil. King Kraye is a kind man. He doesn't have the cold blood of the Alien King. Did you know that in Karn’s palace, human girls don't last long? People say he brings them back in chains, treats them like trash for a few weeks, and then kills them when he gets bored or when they cry too much. He has no mercy."
I felt a cold shiver go down my back that had nothing to do with the water. I thought about the way Karn looked at me. I thought about his human face, which was so handsome it made me forget he was a monster. Was it all just an act? Was I really just a few days away from being killed if I had stayed with him?
"They say he has a heart of stone," Luma continued. "But here, it is different. Our King will treat you like a princess. You will have a throne right next to his. You will have the best silk from the spider-moons and the best food from the garden-planets. You will never have to worry about being hit or called names ever again. Here, you are the most important person on the planet."
I closed my eyes and tried to imagine that life. A life of peace. A life where I didn't have to jump every time a door slammed. I thought about my life back on Earth—how simple it was. Now, I was caught between a man who treated me like dirt but made my heart beat fast, and a man who treated me like a goddess but made me feel like a statue.
"Is he really that rich?" I asked, trying to change the subject. "The Alien King?"
"He is the richest of all," Tali said, her voice full of awe. "He owns the stars themselves. But money doesn't make a man kind. It just makes him more dangerous. You are lucky that King Kraye stole you away. You are the only human who has ever escaped Karn's grip. It is a miracle."
I sat in the water for a long time after that, listening to them talk about their families and their dreams. Luma told me about the festivals in the city where the sky turns orange and everyone dances in the streets. Tali told me about the giant birds that fly over the pink oceans. It sounded like a fairy tale. It sounded like a place where I could actually be happy.
But even as they wrapped me in a thick, fluffy towel and helped me into a soft nightgown, I couldn't stop thinking about the Alien King. I thought about the way he stood on his ship, looking down at the shields. He looked so lonely in his anger.
I walked over to the bed and lay down. The sheets were the softest thing I had ever felt. Luma and Tali dimmed the lights and bowed low.
"Sleep well, Mistress Aurora," they whispered. "Tomorrow, the dressmakers will come. It is the start of your new life."
The door clicked shut, and I was alone in the dark. The palace was quiet. The ten shields were holding. I was in a golden bed, in a golden room, in a golden cage. I told myself I was happy. I told myself that peace was better than passion. I told myself that I was lucky to be the Crab King’s prize.
But as I drifted off to sleep, the last thing I saw wasn't a golden crown. It was the face of King Karn, staring at me with those burning red eyes, demanding that I come back to the dark. I was a princess now, but the monster was still calling my name, and a part of me, a very small, stupid part, wanted to answer.