“I’m sorry,” I said, looking at my old friend. “It is very hard not to … not to …”
“Submit?”
I bobbed my head.
“I understand,” Nicah said, her hand sliding down my arm until she clasped my fingers with hers. “It will take time for us to learn this way of life after living on The Farm under Master’s rule. You were born on that patch of dirt, and Master bought me as a toddler. We have only been here for four moon cycles. No one is expecting us to be … normal.”
I released a breath of relief. “You understand, I’m worried others … won’t.”
“They do understand,” Nicah assured me. “The Maji are wonderful, Levi. I know of many matings that have taken place between their males and our women. One of our women has even mated to one of the royal princes.”
I was shocked with the news.
“A prince?” I blinked. “Wow.”
“I know, right?” Nicah smiled. “This is our home, our true home. We never had one of those before because The Farm didn’t count.”
She was right.
“I brought you some food.” I looked at her large, rounded belly. “How are you feeling? I’m sorry I haven’t been by in a couple of days. It’s been a busy week with lessons.”
“Don’t apologise.” Nicah led me into her home after we removed our sandals and left them outside. I hated wearing shoes. I had never worn them before until we came to Ealra and had pairs made for us. The Maji did not have to wear shoes when they were off the Ebony, unless they were members of the Guard and wearing their work armour, because the skin on their soles was really thick. They were lucky. “I’m doing well or as well as I can be. I am so uncomfortable and sore ... I just want the baby to come.”
When we sat in the lounge room, I patted her hand. “The little one will be here very soon, and we will be the happiest family. A little brother for me, and a son for you.”
“A girl.”
“What?”
“You’re to have a sister.” She smiled. “A healer confirmed her gender a few days ago when I asked.”
“I stand corrected!” I beamed. “A daughter for you, and a sister for me. Oh, Nicah!”
Nicah suddenly looked terrified, and I felt my smile falter.
“What’s wrong?”
“What … what if she’s cruel like Master?”
My heart stopped with sudden worry, but I shook it away.
“Master was raised in evil, but this baby will be raised in love. I am his child. I look very much like him, but I am nothing like him, and your baby girl won’t be either. How we are raised reflects the person we will be.”
Nicah nodded, leaned over, and rested her head on my shoulder.
“I love you, Vi.”
“I love you too, Nini. You’re my whole world. I can’t believe we’ll add a girl to our family. I’m so excited.”
We sat like that and spoke for a long time about many different things until I told Nicah about my encounter with the prince during my herbalism lesson. I had thought of little else during the past two days. His sunset pink eyes were constantly on my mind.
“No!” Nicah gasped, sitting upright. “Was he very scary?”
“Well, thinking back, he wasn’t scary at all. He was actually very nice to me. It was just my reaction and mind that made me so scared. He is so big. I swear he had muscles on top of muscles. Nuni says he has to be at least seven and a half feet tall. He’s a giant.”
Nicah giggled. “Was he handsome?”
I shifted. “I don’t know, he’s an alien.”
“That doesn’t mean they can’t be handsome. They are very like humans, just bigger and better.”
I snorted. “They do seem that and more.”
“Did you think he was attractive?”
I felt my cheeks burn.
“I didn’t think about anything like that at the time. I was too busy having a silent panic attack.”
“What about now?” Nicah waggled her eyebrows. “You aren’t scared now, so do you think he’s handsome?”
I thought of Prince Ezah’s bright, sunset pink eyes, his plump lower lip, sharp cheekbones, and his tall, heavenly muscle-corded body, and I felt my heart thud against my chest. When I bit my lip and bobbed my head to Nicah’s question, she squealed. I covered my face with my hands. I felt this weird fluttering sensation in my belly. I had no idea what was wrong with me.
“Nicah!” I fanned my face. “I have never thought a man, a male, was handsome before. What is happening to me?”
“We’re free now.” She threw her arms around me. “We get to experience crushes like other women because we don’t have anything to be scared of anymore.”
I had a crush on an alien prince?
“I wish my mind would believe that,” I grumbled. “I know we’re safe, I truly know, but my mind sometimes still tricks me into believing everything is going to go wrong. Like all of this is some sick joke, and we’re going to be taken back to The Farm.”