Humanity Pt. 01

Planet Taelinas

The impending wedding ensured peace between the two warring nations. At least that was the guise presented to the Yewn and the Taelin. Luciana, daughter of the Taelin Queen, knew better. After all, her mother was not known for her compassion or fairness.

"Luciana," Berith snapped at her inattentive daughter.

The Queen was beautiful with her long pale hair and ethereal looks. Even with her serene beauty, all who knew the Queen knew that she could be as fierce as she was beautiful. The princess took after her mother with the same silver-blond hair, big blue eyes, and porcelain skin.

"I am sorry, talia." Luciana strove for sincerity, but fell short. "I know I will have to gain Garrin's trust so he confides in me. Then we will know how to defeat the Yewn once and for all."

The Yewn were enemies of the Taelin. Although they appeared to be identical species, the ancestors of the Yewn arrived in a giant flying metal ship. The ancestors were from a place called Earth. The first settlers from Earth described their planet as barren. It had been ravaged by war, disease, and environmental instability.

"We will take back our land for Ganu."

Luciana nodded as she recited a sacred prayer in the Taelin tongue. "Garanka rinu awani."

Ganu only spoke to two of the Taelin. The first was the Great Queen and the second was the current queen, Berith. Their goddess Ganu came to the queen in a dream. She told Berith that the time had come to reclaim their planet. No longer would they have to live deep in the forests and underground caves. They could roam free and take back the land for all, not this odd idea of land ownership the Yewn had. But Luciana would miss her home in Verik, the maze of tunnels and caves that hid hundreds of rivers and enclosed thriving forests.

"Practice your english."

With a frown, Luciana followed her mother's order. "Yes, ta- mother."

"Good. Now, about your wedding night..."

-

Garrin raised a brow and looked up from his desk work as he heard another sigh. Across the room sat his lover. His very displeased lover. He explained to her that nothing had to change between them, but they'd have to be discreet as to not anger the Taelin. Although with their mysterious ways of procreation given the lack of any males in their race, Garrin was not certain on their take on infidelity.

"I don't know why you have to marry her. I doubt they plan on keeping the peace. The princess, if it will even be the princess, will probably murder you in your sleep," Fiona muttered.

"We have to do this. The Taelin have access to resources we need. With the toxic air outside the barrier of our settlement, we can't very well get to the resources ourselves."

When his ancestors arrived about two-hundred years ago, many of the settlers had gotten sick from the poisonous air. It was a creeping sickness that killed slowly. They had set up a barrier, planting their own flora within the semi-permeable dome to keep the 'good' air in and the 'bad' air out, yet still allowing for slight gas exchange. Over the years, some had developed an immunity to the outside air. Garrin and his kin had. That was why his father had been the elected leader of their growing community of nearly two-thousand people.

"I guess we can't all have a Taelin ancestor," Fiona shot out sarcastically.

It was a known fact that Garrin's ancestor, one of the first settlers, had married and mated with the Great Queen. They had one child. The only successful offspring of human and Taelin heritage. After the First Offense, the Taelin retreated into the forests, cutting off all civil communications with the humans.

"It is a pity. We'd have a better picking in the looks department," Garrin replied, purposely seeking to annoy Fiona. "The Taelin are the very depictions of goddesses and fairies our ancestors had."

Fiona scowled, her dark brows pulling together. "I have never seen one up close. I've heard they are either immortal or live for a long time. And they can choose when to stop aging. Your bride could very well be over a hundred years old."

"As long as she doesn't look it."

A vase flew passed Garrin's head, shattering behind him. He cringed at Fiona's shrieks. She was very beautiful, even in a rage. Her dark curls bounced and her slightly tanned skin flushed as she paced back and forth. Those full lips were spewing out threats that oddly aroused Garrin. He was always attracted to that fire in Fiona.

"-seriously! She could very well kill you, Garrin! Call off the wedding or I swear that I am leaving you."

Garrin knew this ultimatum would come eventually. He had a duty to his people and his attachment to Fiona would not jeopardize his chance at bringing peace and security to the Yewn.

"Then leave me. You don't tell me how to run this community and I won't ask you to stay. Either sit your ass down or leave like you threaten to do."

Eyes narrowed, Fiona marched up to Garrin. With Garrin at six-foot-six, Fiona looked like a child beside him. She craned her neck up before jabbing him in the chest. He didn't budge.

"You're going to miss me," she spat before turning on her heel and storming out.

Garrin knew that Fiona would always let her temper get the better of her. She'd be back eventually. They'd see each other and start up a conversation and continue on with their arrangement as if they never had a fight. That was how it always went.

He couldn't bother himself with worrying over it too much. He had to prepare himself to meet with the Taelin the next day. He'd finally get a glimpse of the one he was set to marry by the end of the week.

-

"Frani gala werth Ganak. Bis a derk," one warrior snicker over at the other.

The two Taelin were escorting Garrin and his three cousins to the meeting place. Although Garrin and his cousins were tall and muscular, he did not doubt the Taelin warriors could cut them down in a blink of an eye. They moved incredibly fast and were deceptively strong given their tall and lean frames.

One warrior had short dark hair and nearly black eyes with skin like dark chocolate that begged to be licked. The other had medium length red hair and striking green eyes with an olive complexion. Both were well-endowed, yet lean. Just the way they walked screamed sex to the men.

Garrin knew they were talking about the Great Queen. He was tempted to point out that his heritage made him royalty among their kind. That was to assume that the Taelin cared about lineage.

"Wait here," the other warrior said as they entered a clearing.

The two warrior females disappeared, leaving Garrin and his cousins alone.

"Damn, if our women looked like them, we'd never leave the bedrooms," Bryce laughed once he figured the warriors were out of hearing distance.

Even happily married, Hayden and Josef had to agree. The Taelin were unbelievably beautiful. It was no wonder the first men to settle here thought they landed in heaven while the women thought they landed in hell.

"I have to say, I'm curious about your bride. As the princess, she must be drop dead gorgeous."

Garrin shook his head at his cousin Hayden. It was a damn good thing his cousin was married. Hayden had been the biggest slut in the town, Bryce now claiming that title.

Frowning, Garrin glanced at the ground and noticed vines creeping up at an accelerated rate. The four men jumped back in surprise and watched as the vines twisted and multiplied until there were six seats formed in a circle.

"Please, sit." Came a melodic voice from behind the startled men.

Bryce had trouble keeping his mouth closed as the Taelin queen came into view. She was at least six feet tall with curves that could make a grown man weep. Her silver-blond hair fell down her back and those cat-like blue eyes caught everything. With the way the Taelin dressed, as they seemed impervious to the heat and cold, little was left to the imagination.

Cautiously, the three cousins took their seats as Garrin held a hand out to the queen. She raised a brow at the offered hand, having shook his hand on the few other occasions they met when striking their deal. He was now in her domain.

"We do not greet that way here in the Filan," she explained as she took a step closer.

Garrin tensed as he found the queen pressed up against him. Her hand reached up to pull his head down so their noses touched and she inhaled deeply. As quickly as she was there, she was gone.

The look of amusement on his cousins' faces did not go unnoticed. Berith took a seat and motioned for Garrin to sit. This was the first time they were meeting outside.

"It is customary for us to greet that way. We share a breath as we acknowledge all life is connected," Berith explained though she doubted the Yewn understood such a concept.

"Should I greet you as well?" Bryce chimed in, hopeful at the chance to get near that delightful creature.

"My business is not with you." Came the answer. Her attention returned to Garrin. "My daughter will be here shortly. First, there is something we must discuss. Marriage does not exist within the Taelin. We live together and we raise our young together. We may partner up for solely pleasurable pursuits, but we do not experience jealousy nor possessiveness. The Great Queen ran from your ancestor because he thought to control her, own her. My daughter will remain faithful to you as she is willing to compromise in these cultural gaps between the Yewn and the Taelin. But if you expect her to be faithful, she will expect the same from you. It should not be too difficult as this is your culture."

Garrin couldn't argue with that. "Agreed. However, what will I do about an offspring? You cannot guarantee me a child."

Berith frowned. "What is the importance of a child? To carry on some sort of legacy? A leader should be chosen by his or her worth, not by his or her parentage. That is how it has been done with the Taelin and we have lived in harmony since the beginning...before the arrival of your ancestors. Still, there is no internal dissent among the Taelin. Perhaps my daughter will be able to teach you something."

"Talia, must you insult him?" Luciana laughed as she made her appearance. "I am sure we will both benefit from this. There is much we can learn from each other."

Taking a seat, Luciana noticed the way the youngest of the men looked at her. The way his eyes roved up and down her body piqued her curiosity. She would almost say the young Yewn looked hungry.

"Bryce," Garrin growled.

Perhaps Luciana wasn't the only one who noticed the young man's gaze. Interested in the owner of that smooth, deep voice, Luciana looked over at the surly man. She found him attractive with his strong features and dark eyes. His skin was like bronze, muscles gleaming as he shifted in his seat.

"What?" Bryce tried to say innocently. It wasn't his fault Hayden was right and the princess was drop dead gorgeous and practically naked.

The two warrior Taelin gave each other knowing glances as Berith looked from the one called Bryce then to Garrin. The Yewn did not appear overly interested in her daughter. Maybe he needed a little push.

"You two should get to know each other," Berith suggested before Garrin and Luciana found themselves sealed in a bubble made of vine.

"My apologies. She does that," Luciana said sheepishly as she reached out and ran her fingers over the interwoven vines. "As queen, Ganu grants her certain powers. One is being able to more or less control the elements."

"Not all of you can do that?" Garrin asked. He may as well get to know the Taelin better.

Luciana tilted her head. "To an extent, we all can." Her mother warned her not to say too much about the Taelin. "Tell me, are you married now?"

"No."

"I would think that a man like you would have a wife by now. We seek pleasure partners by the time we start to develop," Luciana paused as she tried to remember the word, "breasts."

Garrin watched the princess speak. She had the slightest of accents and he found it endearing how she nibbled on her lower lip in search of the word 'breasts'. Although there was no denying that the princess took after her mother, she had a kind of softness that hinted at a sheltered and privileged life.

"You mean a lover? I'm not a virgin, if that is your question."

"Virgin," Luciana repeated. "Oh I see! You have had many wives before, but not anymore." These Yewn sure were confusing.

Garrin shook his head. He wondered if he had been matched with a princess who wasn't all there. "Just because I had sex with a woman, doesn't make her my wife. With a wife, there is a commitment. You share your lives and owe your fidelity."

"So you have had sexual partners, but no one you shared your life with." Luciana was beginning to understand.

"Exactly. And you?"

"I've had several partners, but no one I am committed to. I have not had intercourse with a Yewn. Neither male nor female."

Her sexual ambiguity did not faze Garrin as homophobia wasn't much of a problem as it had been nearly five hundred years ago. Even the word homophobia was archaic.

"Well, I have never had sex with a Taelin so I guess it will be new for the both of us."

Luciana smiled brightly. "You look as though you know how to please your partner. I look forward to the wedding night."

A willing bride. That did make Garrin smile. "I haven't had any complaints."

The rest of the meeting went rather well. She learned about Garrin and his people a bit more, each piece of information being stored away so she could tell it to her mother. They said goodbye to each other and went their separate ways after agreeing that Luciana would present herself to the Yewn at the end of the week to be married. Her mother promised there would be just one other Taelin to follow along as Luciana's guard.

Luciana liked to think of herself as courageous. However, a little doubt started in her mind. Garrin did not seem all that bad. Her mother would probably not agree so she didn't mention that part when filling in the queen on what she learned.