"Killing the hive mind is your goal," Aria said, confused. "The most important thing."
"And I will, I promise you. But it is not the most important thing for me," Ryden said. "Not anymore."
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Aria
It was what she'd wanted, right? It was what she'd feared as well.
Aria didn't know what to say. What did a woman say in situations like that?
I'm not sure I believe in fairytale love? And Ryden isn't exactly a prince.
Aria found herself desperately wishing that she'd taken more interest in Isolde Fenner, another human woman who had bonded with a Brion warrior. She figured she was the only person who could have understood what she felt right about then.
Shock encompassed most of it quite well. It buried joy and fear and denial neatly underneath it, because a part of her refused to believe it. Living on Ilotra hadn't done her much good, it seemed. Some customs were bound to sound pretty damn unbelievable to humans. Her mind started going through all of the things it meant.
For one, it meant that her life was forever bound to Ryden's and there was no other way that could go. Aria didn't find the idea as repulsive as another girl might have, because she liked the general, but the Brion bindings were sacred. He wasn't asking her to be his; Ryden was telling her. Aria couldn't just accept that without protest.
She was a Terran ambassador, not someone's property. She belonged to no one. Not even this incredibly hot, powerful man standing before her, looking at her like she was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen.
It also meant that one of the most powerful men in the galaxy was hers now. Aria found that concept much more difficult to wrap her head around than the binding thing. While she was struggling with her natural doubts, Ryden had none. He was a Brion. The situation was as clear as day for him.
Aria knew for a fact that in one second she'd become more precious to him than anything else in the world. More than the Conqueror, his position, his victories, even his life. She was the most important thing now, as he'd said.
It was too much. Way, way too much. Aria didn't know how to put that into words.
I wanted to be with you, she thought miserably. I'm not sure I wanted an alien wedding.
The truth was, she'd guessed. The Brions didn't have relationships in the way humans did. They bonded for life and the bond lasted until one of them died. Until death do us part, literally.
"I..." Aria said, trying to force her mind to be one person instead of thousands, all of which were suggesting different things to her. "We should focus on saving Ilotra."
She'd been afraid that Ryden would take that as an insult to his honor, but the slight smile on the general's lips told her he was far from mad.
"Yes," he said, his deep voice rich and gentle. "There will be time after this is done. The binding shouldn't be interrupted."
Aria, who was very familiar with the cultures of the union 's many species, shuddered at that. She knew how the bindings worked. Her body didn't mind at all—merely the memory of Ryden's amazing, strong body against hers was enough to make her wet and willing. She refused to voice that emotion out loud, but judging by the look on Ryden's face, she figured the general knew anyway.
Damn Brions and their stupid powers.
Desperate to avoid the topic until she'd had a moment to clear her head, Aria asked:
"What should I do now, General? The Host destroyed my command center."
Ryden looked at her oddly, with an amused expression.
"I will not have you anywhere near the Host again," he said. "Until I've killed the hive mind, I'm sending you to the Conqueror."
"No," Aria protested, taken aback. "I can't run my devices from there. I'm needed here, on Ilotra. You can't send me away."#p#分页标题#e#
"I can," the general said, smiling as if he was doing her a great favor. "You have made sure that the defenses function without you. Now it is best that you are in the safest place possible."
His expression turned very dark, as he added, "I already made the mistake of sending you into danger. I will not repeat that mistake. You are going to the Conqueror."
The tone of his voice left no room for arguing. Aria stubbornly shut up, figuring it wasn't the best time to start a domestic fight about equal rights. In dark silence, she let herself be led to the nearest hangar where a small cargo ship picked her up.
Ryden came to send her on her way. Aria found herself unable to leave without speaking her mind.
"I don't like this," she said, looking him straight in the eye without fear.
It was easier now that she knew that Ryden would never, ever hurt a hair on her head.
"I don't like you sending me away and acting like you can make decisions for me."
A dark look passed behind Ryden's eyes. For a moment, Aria thought he was going to lash out at her, but all he said was, "Ilotra is under martial law. That means I can tell you what to do and where to go. But more importantly, Aria, you saw what happened. The hive mind wants to use you as living bait to get me. I can't let that happen again."
There was a deep emotion under his words and Aria felt bad about hers, but she couldn't back down from that argument entirely. She heard the pain in Ryden's voice. Both the pain of having to part with her, but also the pain of her not understanding his concern. She wanted to assure him it was fine, but Aria couldn't help wondering if that was what her life with Ryden would be like, if there were to be one.
Every time there was danger or a threat to him, he'd send her away, lock her up somewhere safe. He was a Brion general; danger was always bound to follow in his footsteps. The life of a princess in a tower held no romantic allure for Aria.
She turned from him and walked into the cargo ship without looking back.
Being seduced by a warrior lord looked so much more glamorous in movies.
***
The Conqueror wasn't exactly what Aria had expected. Then again, she wasn't entirely sure what she had presumed to see. Images of tall, bulky men who brawled without provocation popped into her mind. That sounded about right, Aria supposed, as she was led through the surprisingly clean and pristine corridors of the warship. She had been expecting some kind of savages.
It worked so well with the general reputation of the Brions, after all. They were a bloodthirsty species, always waging war. Aria had subconsciously expected to see blood and gore, but all she saw was weapons and a capable crew.
You know, an actual warship, her mind provided the commentary cheerfully.
She was honestly amazed by the order she saw, evident in every detail. Even moving was perfectly coordinated, making her look like she had no manners, but she learned quickly. The Brions walked on the right side of the dim corridors to avoid running into each other, but even going through doorways seemed regulated somehow.
Aria watched as much as she could see with her mouth wide open. The Brion warships were legendary for the darkness that enveloped them, because the warriors mostly communicated through their valor squares.
Aria saw them flashing everywhere. There was a war afoot and no crystal was resting idly. She wished she could read them better, but at least the color red seemed to be pretty straightforward. Aria had seen Ryden's squares bathe the rooms in crimson when he was in his battle mindset.
While she was staring at the warriors, the Brions were looking at her even more. She wondered exactly how many seconds it took for everyone aboard the Conqueror to know that she was the general's gesha. Aria was willing to bet that it wasn't that many. News like that traveled at light speed, and her being a human only added to the mystery of it all.
She was led deeper into the ship where it was even darker, up to the point where Aria was forced to only move against the wall, finding her way by touching the surface to make sure it was there. The Brion warriors accompanying her, including Joya, noticed and the next second, a light shone from one of their bracelets, illuminating her way.
"Where are you taking me?" Aria asked hesitantly, feeling like a prisoner despite the fact that none of the warriors had even looked at her oddly.
"To the general's quarters," they replied.
Well, of course. Yes. That makes sense.
They came to a stop before huge doors that took some special code to open. Then Aria was led into some of the most extraordinary rooms she'd ever seen and left alone in her new home, at least if Ryden had any say in the matter. He probably did, she thought bitterly.#p#分页标题#e#
She looked around in her beautiful cage, wondering if after all she had done for Ilotra, she would have to spend the rest of the war locked in that room. Safe and sound, kept away from all harm, while the others were still down on Ilotra, suffering, fighting, and dying.
Aria didn't mind feeling safe. She'd been craving safety from the moment Sota told her about the Clayors, but her new arrangement bothered her. It was the injustice of it. All of those people down on Ilotra's lower levels, hiding from the enemy, were far from safe. And all that separated her from them was that she happened to be the general's fated.
She shouldn't have let him send her away. Aria wondered if her protests and pleas would have done any good. She honestly doubted it. Ryden wasn't a man who changed his mind a lot and especially not about her.
Figuring she wouldn't be allowed to leave the Conqueror anytime soon and dismissing ideas of a daring escape, Aria set out to explore. She walked through the vast quarters, with every room surprising her more than the last.