King Reiks Book 1: King Reiks
Автор
Daphne Anders
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On the planet Kepler, Princess Lyra stands at the edge of her destiny—and wants nothing to do with it. As one of the last Evols in the galaxy, she’s bound by ancient tradition to wed a king her father selects. Unfortunately for her stubborn streak, that king is Reiks: towering warlord of Valvor, feared by worlds, admired by none for his patience. He craves a bride who is strong, beautiful, and obedient. Lyra is two out of three… and proudly defiant about the last. What follows is a battle of wills so charged it could set galaxies ablaze, where every glance feels like a dare, and every touch threatens to rewrite the rules neither of them planned to break.
Chapter 1
PRINCESS LYRA
Today was the day I was to be given away as a wife.
And instead of having an eighteenth birthday party like my ancestors would have had, I had a going-away party. Instead of being given presents, I was to be a present to my husband.
Instead of being happy, I was meant to make my husband happy.
But belonging to a group of evolved species was not for the weak-minded. We were called Evols. We had the closest remaining genetic makeup to humans, as humans were now extinct. Earth no longer existed; instead, there was the planet Kepler, which had a composition similar to what Earth once had.
I guessed with any bit of evolution, other things stayed the same or fell behind. It was the way of life, whether you were on Earth or another planet, I supposed.
Sometimes it didn’t matter where you were—some things just remained the same.
My father, like any king, paired his daughters off on their eighteenth birthday to other dynasties in order to form alliances. My sisters were all married off and forced to leave their home planet to live on a foreign one, while my brothers were able to stay on our planet.
My father wasn’t traditional. He behaved like a king instead of a father.
I guessed I should have blamed it on the extensive intelligence of our species and the logical aspect of our minds.
I let out a heavy sigh and muttered under my breath, staring at the ceremony entranceway with narrowed eyes. “Five hundred years is a long time to spend with someone when you have nothing in common with them.”
The indisputable fact remained: we didn’t share the same traits as other species.
I knew that marriage to a king of another species would become strained due to the differences in traditions, traits, and language.
And the sad reality was that I had a choice between just three dynasties in total, all different from my own.
As I stepped into the ceremony room, I noticed that it was nearly empty except for a few staff members. I made my way toward the throne area, where my father and mother were.
My father and mother were already sitting in their respective thrones, chatting among themselves as the staff bustled around handling last-minute touches.
The ceremony would begin in thirty minutes.
“Oh good,” my mother said, looking up and inspecting my light-blue gown and silver tiara. “You’ve arrived on time.”
“Yes, Mother,” I responded, taking my place upon the throne next to her.
“You look suitable,” my father said, glancing at my outfit.
“Thank you,” I almost muttered but maintained my composure.
“After tonight, you’ll be a queen,” my father said with pride.
“Unfortunately,” I whispered under my breath.
“There is nothing unfortunate about duty, young lady,” my father corrected, almost rising from his throne.
“No, Father, you’re right. There is nothing unfortunate about having to choose between three men of three totally different species, whom you do not know or love,” I murmured again, slouching into my throne.
My comment made my father turn his head completely and shift toward the edge of his seat. He was on the edge of his throne now, his eyes narrowed in my direction.
“Lyra, you are lucky to be given this opportunity. It is a great honor to be married to a king. All of the kings invited here have demonstrated their strength as rulers and the vastness of their dynasties. You could have been given to a lower dynasty—think of that.”
“Thank you, Father, for making sure my chosen husband and his dynasty are powerful,” I muttered, narrowing my eyes back at him.
“Aurora, bring some sense to your daughter.” My father sighed heavily as he waved over a server and ordered a drink.
I scoffed at his comment, then decided to end my argument. It wouldn’t matter what I said anyway. My father’s mind wouldn’t be changed. I’d still be someone’s wife by the end of the night.
“More than likely, you’ll be married off to the Valvorian king tonight, anyway. I am waiting to hear his offer in the exchange,” my father replied, sipping his drink.
He behaved in true Evol fashion—by his sentiment, his regard, the way he spoke. He was so diplomatic, political, and cold.
He wasn’t a father right now, but was he ever?
He only ever cared about what currency I could bring him. The currency used to be my intelligence, how I could learn a new language fully in a week.
Now it was what he could trade in exchange for my hand in marriage.
“The Valvorian dynasty is the most illogical choice,” I pressed, tilting my head to look at him. “We have nothing in common with their species.”
He sighed heavily, refusing to meet my gaze. “Your duty is to be his wife and have his children, not share similarities. It would do you well to remember that—your sisters have.”
“As you wish!” I yelled loudly enough for him to hear. “This is a dictatorship, after all,” I whispered under my breath.
Thankfully, he didn’t hear my last comment.
I began thinking about his words, that most likely I’d be married off to the Valvorian king tonight.
It was unusual for my father to make a statement like that, especially when he must still consider the Orc or the Carix king.
The Orcs were brutish men and women—creatures of great strength and stature—but the Orcs controlled most of the valuable elements in the universe. They were miners, and their dynasty was large in strength and power.
They lived on the planet Orcon. Orc men were hairy, unbelievably hairy, with long beards, pointy ears, and big muscles. They were known for their affection toward their mates, though.
Logically, an Orc king seemed like a good choice for a husband in my mind, but Father never considered qualities like that—just what the dynasty could provide him in exchange for me.
The Carixes lived on the planet Carix. They were average in height, with dark-colored hair and blue markings on their bodies.
The Carixes had the power of cryokinetics, which was the ability to freeze things, as well as the use of telepathy. They valued intelligence as much as our species did.
That would be another logical choice for a partner. But it would depend on what they had to offer.
The Valvorians lived on the planet of Valvor. They were the roughest of the three species.
They were a species that sought out war, enjoyed war, and needed war to survive. They relished it. They lived for the act of physical destruction.
They were large beings, both men and women alike, with black tattoo markings on their bodies. Out of the three species, they were by far the least logical.
Then the thought crossed my mind that the Valvorian king must’ve already made an offer to my father, but I knew better than to ask him that.
My father and mother went back to their trivial conversation, even though my mind persisted on without end.
They had forgotten all about me now, as they always had.
But in an hour’s time, I’d become someone’s wife and not just their daughter anymore.
I began to think logically again. My new life couldn’t be any worse than my current one. I couldn’t possibly be given to a man worse than my father.
But something banged inside me, with a hollow knock that maybe—just maybe—I was wrong.
