Alien Prince's Bride: Scifi Alien Romantic Triangle Romance Novel Read Online Free Page A

were even rarer than they themselves, but the glimpses were astonishing enough. For some reason, the elusiveness of their beauty made them all the more desirable.
    “Seven of them,” he said, rising from his chair to stand at full height. Sarto almost stopped breathing, while Reim dropped his mocking act at once. The time for pretense and fooling around was over for a while. His voice dropped to its real, deep and dark tone. Those who had heard him speak like that were his for all of their lives. Reim had bowed to that voice, and so had all of the Raiders.
    So would any unlucky soul that entered the Overlord’s tournament, and the girl who served as the prize.
    Though the warriors competing would be many and good – very, very good, in fact – the Prince doubted any warrior who cared about his reputation could stand aside for this one. The tournaments were as rare as the calayas , and usually there were just two or three of them to be won. Four was enough to summon every Atreen clan capable of traveling the stars. But seven... Seven would bring something spectacular.
    Not any seven calayas, but three of Irmela’s daughters. Her beauty was legendary. Even at poor angles and hidden by veils, the images of the three were stunning, the colored strands showing who they were. The men had been staring mutely for a whole minute now – no wonder poor Beren had suffered for it.
    The Prince sent the image to the main screen. Almost life-sized, it even left him speechless for a moment. Slowly, he walked closer.
    “Pearl and Halley,” he said. “Pearl is said to be a little firecracker. I hear she even joked about entering the tournament herself. If she’d win, she’d get to choose between us .”
    His grin grew wider.
    “I like her.” He went on. “Her sister, Halley – nicknamed Honey and as sweet as they get… I swear, if they raised her like that just so I’d get to say that, I’m going to kill someone. Poor girl.”
    “Olive,” he went on. “Not much known about her. She’s been kept in such secrecy I didn’t even know she existed. But she’s pretty, no doubt.”
    With every name he called, Sarto and Reim directed their eyes to the girl in question, just like he. The beauty of the calayas wasn’t to be underestimated, he thought with a bitter smile.
    “And that’s Maige,” he said. “The only one known to already be rooting for someone. I hope it works out for them, I really do.”
    That left the last three.
    “And those are Irmela’s.”
    All three of them stared, equal in that moment, if not in any other.
    “Lavie – bright, happy, bubbly. We’ll see how long that lasts after the Overlord reveals what he has in store for the trials. I doubt he wants to give his daughters to someone who doesn’t bleed for them. Marelle. I hear she’s truly Irmela reborn. Doesn’t believe in the tournaments at all. I think she’s going to say as much.”
    The Prince looked at the girl for a moment longer. “I admire that. Good for her.”
    And finally, the last one, the one to blame for the wound in Beren ’s side, and an older, more painful one. “And that leaves Violet.”
    The name alone made his voice drop low and dangerous. From the corner of his eye, he could see Reim back down. The Prince wouldn’t get to hear whatever it was that he had wanted to say. Possibly it was better that way. Reim would only say something smart and fair, but he was in no mood for reason. In fact, the Prince was in the mood for more mischief.
    “Set course for the tournament,” he ordered, returning to his fake self as easily as if he’d donned a cloak. He could see Reim rolling his eyes, but his second-in-command said nothing, as was his place – in that matter, at least.
    Sarto started to leave, but the Prince barred his way. He could see the naked fear in the man’s eyes and didn’t blame him at all. He was well aware of what he had to have looked like, at last so close to his journey’s end.
    “Not so fast,” he