Arriving at the Ziota colony they saw a large city surrounded by large wooded areas. They were told the woods were good for hunting, but also provided shelter for the rebels terrorizing the city. Protecting this city would take many men, Connor thought. This would definitely prove the challenge the elders had promised him.
Still, he looked forward to it. He would conquer both his mate and the rebels. In all the missions he had fought, these missions seemed easy in comparison. He had never lost a battle before and he had no intention of admitting defeat this time either, he thought resolutely.
***
They were welcomed into their new home – a large palace in the middle of the city. Covered with magnificent carpets on every floor, and decorated with beautiful treasures everywhere they turned. The former ruler must have liked his treasures, Teri thought while bending her head around to gaze at the gold covering every cornice as well as the door handles.
Impressive, she thought. There could not be an ounce of gold left on this planet after this house had been built. Or palace was probably a better word for it. The only place remotely resembling this was a castle she had visited in Germany at one time. This house only lacked a few towers to complete the picture, she thought. And a dungeon, of course. Every castle had a dungeon or some cellar where criminals and unwanted mates could be placed.
She glanced suspiciously around for anything resembling a cellar, but could not see anything. Good, one thing less to worry about. Now, the worst thing Connor could do was to lock her in her room. The idea was hilarious, and she started chuckling aloud until Connor gave her a reproaching stare.
***
Connor was being briefed while shown the house. It was enormous compared to the cabin he had spent his last 5 years in. But it was also a challenge to protect from intruders. The guards had to be doubled in order to provide any use at all. The brigade situated in the city had so far been successful in protecting the city from the rebels, but the rebels were closing in on the city borders. It would only be a matter of time until they ventured into the city itself.
So far they had concentrated on plaguing the people at the outskirts, and the people were demanding actions be taken immediately. The brigade general gave Connor a brief report on the situation. It complemented only slightly the one he had already received from the elders. There was a lot to be done, and quickly. He ordered the ship crew to take the evening off, before they would start patrolling in the morning. It was important to catch these rebels before they made more trouble for the colony. And he wanted the problem dealt with as soon as possible. Then he would deal with the other problem on his hand: his mate.
***
While Connor was occupied with state business, Teri was shown around the rest of the house by the middle-aged housekeeper, Mrs Jameson. She was grey-haired but had a quick walk that made her age difficult to guess. Also, she seemed to like gossip just as much as the house, as she ventured quickly to and from her favourite subjects. Teri had already learned more about her neighbours and staff than she had ever wanted to know. This way she would never be able to meet any of them without blushing profusely, and she had always pictured herself a very controlled person.
"What a handsome mate you have there, Mrs. Hamilton."
Teri jumped when hearing herself called that strange name. It did not belong to her she thought.
"Call me Teri," she replied friendly.
Mrs Jameson obviously took this as an invitation to pry even more. "And you must call me Gloria," she said. "Oh, yes, mark my words, he will give you many and strong sons that one. Well he remind me of my own Thomas when we were at your age. Oh, he was a real beast in the bed, I can tell you. Still are, to tell you the truth. But you know, we women appreciate a real man in our bed, wouldn't you say, dear? I'm sure that strong man of yours knows how to keep his woman warm throughout the night. Oh, yes, I've always said that you can look at a man's feet or his hands to tell how well-equipped he is, and your mate is definitely a stunner in that department."
Teri just nodded and hoped Connor was too far away to hear any of this conversation, as the woman blundered on about men and their various uses. She wondered if she should give Gloria the same details as she gave the council, but thinking about it, she would probably tell the entire city and then Connor would likely strangle her.
She had better watch her mouth around this busybody, she concluded as she listened to another of Gloria's stories about this neighbour who had been caught with 2 whores in his bed by his mother-in-law. Her ears felt as though they were burning from misuse already, and her face had got a warm feeling to it. This would definitely be a trying person, she thought. She hoped Gloria would not be quite so frank with Connor, but she knew it was to wish for the impossible. She would never be able to live through Gloria's good advice if Connor was around.
"And here is your room," Gloria said while opening the door to a large room. Warm colours and an enormous bed dominated the room completely. The ceiling was high, and curtains were hanging around every window. Teri looked at the bed. Judging by its size there was room enough for 5 people. That would probably mean she would have to share it with Connor. Or perhaps not, she thought after contemplating her options for a while. Better to jump into it straight away, she decided.
"This is Connor's room, isn't it?"
"Oh yes, and yours as well of course," the woman said while winking knowingly at Teri.
"No, we're not sharing a room," Teri said firmly. "Show me to another room!"
The housekeeper was perplexed. "You will not share bed with your mate? But, it's the law, and I've never heard anyone..."
"I don't care about the law," Teri interrupted quickly. "I do not recognize that man as my mate, and in my culture the woman has the right to refuse an unwanted marriage. So, I want my own room. Just give me any of the other 50 bedrooms in this house."
"Yes, of course," the housekeeper said vaguely, still looking perplex at the strange demand from Teri. She was shaking her head as she exited the room, telling Teri to please stay put and she would be right back.
Teri walked around the room while waiting. It was exquisite. The carpets alone must have cost a fortune. She had never lived in anything as luxurious as this room before. Not even the suits in the hotel where she worked could compare to this. She walked around the large room, touching every article and fabric she could get her hands on. Everything was soft and velvet like. Still, the shimmer of gold indicated some other fabric.
She walked up to the bed and admired the strange ornaments on the bedposts. They resembled animals of a kind she had never seen before. Every part of the bed was carved in some strange design. She walked towards the window, looking out on the wonderful view over the valley. She could see a large part of the city and also some of the forest outside it. Still, she had picked up some of the conversation between the general and Connor, and she knew that the rebels were located in the forest.
Not a good time for going for a walk there, she thought, although the shade from the trees looked tempting. Maybe she would try some shopping in the city instead. Hopefully this place could provide some interesting activities for a modern female. She would probably have to change employment, as she hadn't seen many hotels around this place. Well she did have some skills in bookkeeping and economics, so it would probably be possible to get a descent job so she wouldn't be bored to death in this palace. Hopefully she would be able to return home long before she managed to become bored.
Suddenly the door slammed open and crashed into the wall. Teri jumped, and turned around to see the angry face of Connor. The housekeeper was standing behind him, and she quietly closed the door leaving them alone together.
"You want your own room, is that it?" Connor roared at her in a barely controlled voice.
Teri stared at him but instinctively straightened her stance and faced him head on while nodding her head.
"Well, it's not happening," Connor roared on. "No way if my mate will sleep anywhere else but with me. I've had enough of your demands and strange customs to suit me a lifetime," he drummed on as he came closer to her.
Teri collected her voice again. "Why don't you simply break this mating then, and send me back to where you kidnapped me from? I never asked to be put in this position."