applepie

[I]Here is chapter 6. I think I've worked out the kinks in the plot, and despite what parts of this may suggest, it is not turning into a romance novel. If I don't screw it up *crossing fingers* it will be a love story, but that isn't going to be my main focus. I am thinking of following the unrequited love theme a bit, and I have some grand plans for Allarick. The main focus will be on the society and the lack of inequality there. There will be more on this coming soon. I hope everyone enjoys the new installment.

Meg[/I]

Chapter 6

Arabella thought wryly that at least it was good to know the translation program was working properly. Now all she had to do was find her way out of the social faux pas she seemed to have made. All eyes in the room had turned to her, so now it wasn’t only the Syine who was looking upon her with displeasure. At least half the men in the room were glaring at her while the rest seemed barely able to control their amusement at her predicament. She shifted from foot to foot for a moment trying to think of an appropriate or at least acceptable answer.

“Answer me woman,” the Allarick said again. His tone was much harsher than it had been a moment ago. Arabella was obviously running out of time to explain her presence. He continued to stare directly at her, which was only increasing her anxiety level. Rather than be intimidated, Arabella chose to answer as simply and truthfully as possible.

“I request a private audience with you. There are things I wish to discuss, but they are only for your ears.” As she spoke, Arabella executed a graceful curtsey though she had never actually performed one before this moment. This statement brought much laughter from the men in the room. Several of the men made suggestions of what it was likely that she wanted privacy for. The Syine just looked suspicious, but he inclined his head to agree for the private meeting.

“We are done for the day,” he told the men, “we will continue our discussions tomorrow following the morning meal. Woman, follow me and we will have our discussion now.” The Syine swept past Arabella and out of the room. Hesitantly she began to follow, but she was forced to jog in order to keep up with the fleet footed ruler. He sprinted up a tall flight of steps, Arabella on his heels, and entered into a luxuriantly furnished room. Once there, the Syine addressed her again. “What is it that you wish to talk about that you felt it was necessary to interrupt my proceedings?”

“I was unaware that entering into the room was forbidden. I am not of this world, and I merely came to seek aid.”

“Not of this world,” he repeated with a scornful laugh, “from what other world would you come? We are the only world and so you must be from here.”

“I swear to you that I am not from this planet. I am from another planet far away. I came here accidentally and now I do not possess the knowledge to return to my home. I came to ask for aid in determining my location in the Universe and a place to stay while I try to determine my positioning.”

“You speak of coming from somewhere other than this land. How is it that you managed to get here? I see no wings with which you could fly, and I sense no magic about you. So, if you are from a different world, how then did you get here?”

“The planet that I come from is called Earth. It is a great distance from here, but I don’t know how far. I came here with the aid of a machine that can travel through the Universe. It is called the Ara X, and it was designed by me. I came to be here through a problem with the transport system. Something caused the system to short out, the wires melted, and somehow I ended at this place rather than at my proper destination. I don’t know where here is, but I do know that it isn’t close to any of the places that I’ve ever visited.” Arabella’s words came to a rushing halt. She was almost at the point of begging the stern man before her for aid, but she was unwilling to sacrifice that last bit of her pride. It was enough that she was lost, possibly forever, and that she had broken down like a silly female aboard her own shuttle. She was not willing to beg for aid. She would rather leave this planet to find a solution alone before being reduced to that.

The Syine regarded her with a dubious expression. He seemed to be taking in her coloring and reaching his own decisions about who she was. “By your coloring I believe you to be a laborer. You have the same hair and eyes which proclaim to all your true status. Why do you choose to come to me with such lies when your appearance will give away your scheme?”

“If you will allow it, I can take you to see my shuttle. I can prove to you that I am not of this world if you will give me a chance.” Arabella spoke with all the desperation pent up within her, but she was determined not to beg. If the man before her could not be made to believe what she says as truth, she would never be able to convince him to offer any aid possible. She knew that there was very little they could offer to her in the way of technological help, but she would greatly appreciate a safe haven while she tried to figure out how to return home.

“I will grant your request,” Allarick responded, “If you can prove that your claim is truthful I will then make a decision about what is to be done with you. I do not promise to offer any aid at this moment, but I will come with you to see this shuttle.” He said shuttle in such a tone that Arabella knew he believed that she was a liar. “We leave immediately.”

Arabella was once again following as Allarick raced through the palace. She had no indication of where in the structure they were going, but she was certain that she was to follow. Briefly, she wondered if this man ever moved at a pace slower than a run. He seemed to be bursting with energy, and never seemed to go anywhere slowly. The mad dash ended at what appeared to be a type of stable. It was larger than any stable Arabella had ever seen, but it seemed to be used for the same purpose.

Allarick entered the structure and said, “We will ride to your shuttle on borcas.” He made a gesture that included a massive beast unlike anything Arabella had ever seen. She stood in awe of the creature that stood over ten feet high. It seemed to have a body like that of a horse, but the head resembled a dog. From the center of the head sprung a small horn that was shiny and black. It looked like a piece of obsidian had been polished and placed on their head just above their eyes.

“I don’t know how to ride a borca,” Arabella stated as she eyed the beasts with wariness. “We have nothing quite like one of those animals on my home world. Is it difficult to ride?”

“I am tired of these games, but if you wish to continue then you will ride before me on the borca. One can easily carry both of us, and then we will not exhaust two animals with your amusements.” As he said this he made a disgusted face that indicated his impatience with her story. He did not believe a word of what she had told him, and now he believed her to be a liar about knowing how to ride. They Syine mounted one of the borcas and then held down a hand to help her onto the beast. She seated herself before him with a small sigh. This was not how she wanted her visit to the planet to start out. His arm came around her waist to secure her seat, and then they were off to see the Ara X. There was no excitement with this showing of her shuttle, and Arabella was amazed at the difference in attitude that less than two days had wrought on her. She only hoped that the shuttle would be enough to convince the Syine that she was telling him the truth and not fabricating tales for her own entertainment. She did not know what would happen if she couldn’t convince him that she was not a mischievous worker from his planet.

Arabella was once again awestruck by the scenery passing before her. The trip back to the shuttle was going much more quickly riding atop a borca. She was amazed that the gait seemed to be both smooth and fast. It was easy to see why the beasts were used as a mode of transport, and now, after seeing one, she noticed many more within the city being used to haul carts filled with goods for sale. It seemed to take only moments to reach the outskirts of the town. Once they were safely beyond the wall the Syine turned to her.

“In which direction is this shuttle you claim to have come upon?” The doubt was still very clear in his eyes, but it seemed as if his mood was lifted some by being outside the city. Rather than withering sarcasm when he mentioned the ship there was now more amusement in his tone.

Raising her arm to point, Arabella instructed him on where her shuttle was landed. She was sure to tell him of all that she had crossed, and the Syine was nodding his head at the mention of the forest. It seemed that he was familiar with the place she was talking of, and he kicked the mount into a run. Arabella was grateful for the strong arm anchoring her because the running pace of the borca almost threw her over its head with every forward motion.

It had taken Arabella hours to cross the distance from the Ara X to the city. She was surprised to find that the same trip only took about an hour on the back of the borca. The journey had been made in silence, but she was able to feel the tension enter the Syine’s body as he caught his first glimpse of the Ara craft. It was exactly as she had said, so it was with no small amount of reproof that she craned her neck to look at the Syine and demanded, “Are you ready to believe my tale now?” Her only response was a quick intake of breath.

Allarick sat speechless at the sight before him. It was massive. Larger than any beast found on the land the shuttle seemed to dwarf the clearing in which it was situated. From the sides protruded two appendages that were reminiscent of the wings upon the lorelilla, which looked to be miniatures of the fabled Pegasus. There was no way to deny that the woman before him was not of this world. There was no other explanation for what he was seeing. Allarick’s eyes were drawn to the hatch that allowed for entry to the Ara X.

“We will go inside so I may look around,” commanded Allarick. He was curious to see what could bring someone through the heavens, and as Syine he was not used to asking. His role as Syine meant that he was the absolute power and he never had to ask permission merely commands others to do his bidding. As soon as he gave the command Allarick dismounted, and he reached behind to help Arabella to the ground. Her waist fit easily into his hands and he tamped down the flare of desire that the thought brought. Even if she was available to him there could be no mate for the Syine. He was married to his country and the position he held with his people. By their laws he could never mate. That was the reason that the position of ruler went to the lord that won it through battle.

Arabella moved to the hatch and began to key in the access code that would disable the security she had set before leaving. The door swung open, and she led her way into the Ara X. Allarick seemed to be looking everywhere at once as he moved through the ship. He was asking questions about what each thing within was and demanding explanations about its purpose. Arabella was amazed at his interest in her technology, but she was also a bit surprised that he had asked nothing about her and the planet she visited from. The man before her seemed to be entirely focused on the ship and was willing to ignore everything else.

Allarick spent a long time looking around the Ara X. He marveled over all the different pieces of equipment. It was the main computer of the ship that impressed him the most. He jumped when the voice first came from the intercom offering an inquiry of what commands he needed processed. He had instructed the computer to tell him about the shuttle, and Allarick was granted a detailed explanation of the ship’s specifications that could have been found within a book. When his curiosity was satisfied he instructed Arabella to mount the Borca and turned them back to the city. Allarick didn’t speak until they were almost within the city.

“You will have the aid that we can offer under the condition that from this moment forward you will obey all the rules of my world. In return you will be housed at the palace as my guest, and you will be afforded all of the comforts of a ruler. There will need to be some announcement of your status to the populace, and there will be many questions. You are to direct anyone who approaches you to come to me for their answers. It may mean the difference in me providing safety or forced imprisonment. I will introduce you as an honored guest under my personal protection. That is the best that I can do.”

“Thank you. I will do my best to abide your conditions, but I will need you to explain your laws so that I may be sure to follow them. I know the language, but there are words that have no meaning because I have nothing to compare them to. I know a little about the structure of your society, but I know nothing of your laws and customs.”

Allarick was already tense from the ride back to the city, so he offered to begin their lessons tomorrow. He let her know that tonight she was to acquaint herself with her rooms and the palace. He wanted this strange woman who drew him to be as comfortable as possible. He felt a need to shield her from any that may harm her. It was a strange feeling, and it was one he was not familiar with. Never had a woman captivated him as much as this strange little traveler.