Extraterrestrial Lives

18

I can't believe I lost my temper and said those things at the press conference. Boy am I going to get in trouble for that. I'm sure that the press secretary has already informed my father. I expect him to charge in here any minute. I wouldn't blame him.

Maha is exhausted, it shows on her face and I know that this wasn't easy for her. I reach down and stroke her hair away from her face. I messed up with her again. When am I going to learn with her? I have no doubt that they'll call for psych evaluations with my revelations. She doesn't deserve that.

How can she be so forgiving of me? I know that she's already forgiven me because she let me hold her and kiss her at the end of the press conference. She doesn't let me touch her when she's angry with me. She says it's too hard to maintain her anger when I hold her. I do my best to hold her as much as I can.

Feeling our child kicking, wow, that was the most incredible thing I've ever felt. My baby is alive in her. I wish we had the same technology that would allow us to see our children as they had on Earth. I don't even care if it's a boy or girl, I just want to see my child.

I get back to reading the report my father wants me to read. Maha is sleeping contentedly at my side. The situation could hardly be better. I wish this could last forever.

Then comes the knocking at my door, a near pounding. Ahh, there's daddy dearest. He gave me more alone time with Maha than I thought he would. 

I slide off the bed and over to the door. "Dad, if you are going to be here you need to be quiet, Maha is sleeping."

Immediately my father simmers down. He pushes past me though and comes on into the room.

"Do you have any idea of the mess you made?"

"Actually I do. I regret announcing everything to the press, but she doesn't need to be doubted. She's gone through so much already, I won't let her go through any more. If you are here to tell me that they are demanding her to go to psych testing then I'm going to tell you to start finding someone else to take the throne."

"What the hell do you want me to do Rafe? There is no one else anywhere near worthy to take on the challenges you are uniquely qualified to deal with. I'm getting demands and fielding calls from all the ruling families from all ten of the fucking planets."

I smile a bitter and nasty smile. "If it keeps up tell them what I said. I'd rather die in my home with Maha and my child then rule ten planets that are so bratty they need to have their hands held at night. I mean it father, start looking for my replacement if you make Maha get the psych testing done."

"You can't mean that?" My father says more than a little sickened.

"Oh, I mean it alright. My recommendations were denied. My recommendations weren't just denied they did the exact opposite of what was recommended. She has suffered beyond belief at  our hands, I will not do this to her."

"I order you to do it," my father says in desperation.

"Order all you want, she won't be doing it. Call another press conference and I'll tell them all that I refuse the throne. You should start searching for my replacement as soon as possible. Maha and I will be leaving the palace as soon as we can find our own place."

My father turns white.

"Don't you think you should consult your wife before you make such sweeping statements princey?" Maha woke up and boy is she pissed. I figured out she only uses princey when she's very angry with me. I wince.

"Maha, talk some sense into this idiot, will you?" I don't know what Maha's face looked like but it has my father turning white and backing up.

"I will not be taking any more tests. If Rafe refuses the throne because I refuse the tests that is his right. He made a promise to me and this is one he will not be breaking. You are the king, tell those idiots that you know that I don't need any more testing. Or you can have them vying for the position of being king with the weight of the Other's bearing down on them. I will never be fully accepted because I'm not one of you. I'm not from the ruling class. My views will always be skewed towards the poor. That's not a popular view by the ruling class. You all like to pretend the poor don't exist."

I make the mistake of smiling. Maha next turns her speech to me. "As for you don't you think you should at least talk to me before deciding something that will affect us both so profoundly? I personally don't mind moving from the palace, but don't you think you should at least mention this to me before deciding it as a done deal?"

"The palace is the safest place for you." Father tries desperately to get me to stay.

"Safe? Did Rafe or did Rafe not send several people to the hospital that were planning on doing me and my child bodily harm? How does that constitute safe? They were court leaches. Rafe heard those three, but how many others are thinking the same thing and just haven't been caught? How am I safe here? Unless I stay inside this room and keep the door locked, I'm not safe. I'm nothing more than a glorified prisoner. I've had enough of that status to last me my whole life."

"We'll assign you body guards from the royal guard."

"I already have one and I'm married to him. I don't want anymore. Yet when he takes the throne I won't have him. I'll be a sitting duck. If anything happens to me what happens to Rafe?"

That shuts father up rather quickly. They are pretty certain by now that my throat is as healed as it's going to get. He feels responsible for it being like this. Maha has me drinking tea with honey to help soothe it. I don't know that it's working any better than that garbage the doctor's had me drink but it does soothe it.

"What is it going to be father? Because if it's going to be me rejecting the throne then I'll get you your papers back and escort you from this room so I can spend time with my bride and child."

"I'll tell them there is no need for a psych eval at this time. Rafe you can't leave your duty as heir. The people of ten planets are depending on you."

"I don't care. Gearan was the one brought up to care about the people. You showed me that no matter what I do it wasn't good enough. So taking the throne won't be good enough father. The people aren't happy with my choice of wife. They aren't happy that it's a closed marriage. They aren't happy about anything. Then maybe they should be the ones to deal with the Other's? Put them in charge of dealing with everything."

"That would be anarchy Rafe. The absolute last thing we need right now." Father was now whiter than the rug on the floor.