Page 3 of Right on Time
Right. He might look perfect, but that didn’t change the reason why he was taking up half her hallway. He was here to take her away from her life, and his companions were standing at the threshold probably to make sure she didn’t run off.
“You already said why you’re here, Mr… Sir…?”
He placed his hand, fisted except for his pinkie, over the green and blue insignia on the left side of his chest. “Subcommander Nitiel, my lady.” Then he bowed.
“Uhh…” Chloe curtsied as best as she could. She had read about the way Gaenthians greeted each other, but she had never expected she would have to put that information to use. It wasn’t like the few of their kind stationed on Earth hung out outside of their military and administrative bases.
“Subcommander, I appreciate someone of your rank coming here to inform me of this match.” Not that she was familiar with alien military ranks, but a subcommander had to be just short of a commander, right? “However, a software mistake has been made. Let us not waste your and my precious time by explaining the procedure to me. I will not be coming with you–”
Another rumble emanated from his broad chest. His wings spread slightly.
It seemed she was testing his patience. The cute crow feet he had by his eyes and the faint lines around his lips suggested he was someone who laughed a lot, but right now he was very, very serious. If politeness wasn’t second nature to his kind, he would probably be huffing and rolling his eyes at her.
She sighed. “Please, explain why you are here, Subcommander.”
“Thank you, Lady Loe.” He stood a little straighter, as if preparing for a grand speech.
Oh, boy.
“What you described as a matchmaking program, my lady, is an artificial space intelligence– ASI – which in the twenty years since its creation has not made a single mistake.”
Fudge.
“It has always unerringly matched a Gaenthian with a female of my or another intelligent species. In this case, the ASI has matched you, Lady Loe–”
Fudge, fudge, fudge.
“–with Commander Siriniel of the Swirling Horn Clan. You might know him as the Commander of Gaenthia’s army in the Solar System.”
Now, Chloe had promised her mother to never curse, but… Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“There can be no greater honor for a female in this system–Lady Loe, are you alright? You have grown paler…”
Chloe used the hanger by the door for support, because her legs had suddenly given out.
“My lady?”
“I’m not your lady!” She moved back to escape from his reaching arm. Never mind he had clearly wanted to give her a hand: subconsciously, she expected him to grab her and take her to the Commander.
The highest-ranking Gaenthian in the Solar System. The commander of the most fearsome army in this system. And he had sent no other than one of his deputies to retrieve his human bride.
Hysterical laughter bubbled inside Chloe. This was nuts. It could not be happening. It was not going to happen. No way.
The Subcommander’s wings fluttered. She must have shocked him with her rude exclamation.
Chloe was not a rude person, but nope, she was not getting ripped away from her life and dreams for an arranged marriage with anyone. He could be the king of the universe for all she cared.
“Lady Loe.”
“It’s Chloe. And this is a mistake. There is no software in the world–worlds without a glitch or two. Especially if it’s an old AI.”
“There is reason in what you say, Lady Hloe, but I assure you the ASI does not glitch.”
“Have you rerun the program to see if it will again match me with someone? Have you tried turning it on and off again? No? Then how can you be sure this isn’t the ASI’s first glitch in 20 years?”
The loudest rumble thus far came from the Subcommander. His companions, who were standing with their backs to the hallway, cast a look his way over their wings.
“Lady Hloe, even if the impossible has happened with the ASI, the check you speak of requires that you come with me.”