Title: Fated Enslavement

Genre: Planetary Romance

Summary: Prince Roake Vinesk Xykull never thought a rumored experiment with battle prowess could cause him this much trouble. He’d never wanted the Rivi to be in their custody in the first place – least of all his. What use did they have for a Rivian experiment, a woman, who showed no signs of the rumored battle intelligence? Rii-6 seemed almost unconcerned with the fight for control of her. What did she know that they didn’t? Did she know anything? …Was she even alive?

Author’s Notes: NANOWRIMO FIC! Yep, so expect fairly quick updates. For those of you who do not know what Nanowrimo is, go to nanowrimo (dot) org. 50,000 words in 30 days! Since this is a Nano fic, editing has not been done, though it shouldn’t be too bad. Hehe.

Planet Kirest – Kull System

EPILOGUE

Eight Years Later

Vinesk Rii Xykull gave a broad smile as little Vella Annev Krest punched his arm and turned away while crossing hers. Well, Vella was not so little anymore; after all, she was already almost as tall as he was. Obviously, she was going to take after her father, Uncle Voskore.

Her twin, Vylena Xyrn Krest, however, was an entirely different matter. The Xykull son drifted his eyes over to the similar appearing girl and watched her talk to his two younger sisters. She may be shorter than her twin, but was just as feisty. His father said it was the Krest blood that caused that. He still did not know what that meant exactly, but his dad could be a bit odd during some conversations, so he had never really asked.

“You’re not even going to consol me?” Vella growled out. She looked more angry than upset, and a wisp of her green tinted silver hair hung thickly in her face. “Don’t you know anything, Vine?”

“Don’t call him that!” A female child interrupted suddenly and two boots clicked soundly against the dining halls floor. The girl, named Xyline Ki Xykull, lifted a hand and grabbed onto her brothers arm, as she got close enough. Why did Vella always have to horde him when her and Vylena, her twin, came with their Uncle Voskore and... Aunt Venna? Not only did she monopolize her brother’s time, but it interrupted her training too! “You know he hates that name.” Xyline continued. Her bright blue hair was tied with a black band, but it was not nearly as bright as her matching eyes that were angered. She looked like her mother, everyone said.

Vella rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly as an arm dropped over her shoulders. “Get your hand off of me, Syrin.”

“Don’t be like that,” a drawling voice replied and squeezed her for emphasis. It was straining his arm to reach up so far, but he could not help it. According to his mom, General Yemet, he was just like his father, even at the age of six. He was not quite sure why he liked to annoy Vella, but she always got so angry that he could not help it. His cousin always seemed annoyed too – like right now.

“Syrin Yole Xykull,” Vinesk formally ordered, as though on cue. “Remove your hand from Vella.”

Xyline turned her blue eyes to her cousin. “Uncle Ly’kroll is going to be angry if he sees you doing that,” she stated harshly. Why did her cousin always act like a dolt? He was a year younger than her, and tried to act a year older. How aggravating.

“Dad don’t care,” Syrin replied, but dropped his arm nonetheless. “He just doesn’t want my three younger sisters doing it – he said so himself.”

“Have you not been going to classes, brother?” Frawl’s voice interrupted and sounded much older than the group of children’s had been, and like many at the last years of childhood, he had grown quite a bit in the past year. It would be only a year before he was considered an adult. His hair had become more prominent as he grew, and it looked like a black stone covered in shear silver silk. At ten years old, he was already quite adamant about how things should be done.

A sigh left Frawl as he gazed at his brother; he did not mean to be so hard on him. After all, he knew he was still a bit upset that their half brother was with his own father for the week in the Rivian territory. Uncle Fiear, as they called him, was not around often in the past few months due to the Rivian’s new projects. “Have you been studying at all?”

A small patter of feet came up and the young girl looked like a spitting image of Roake, though her mother’s blue eyes were peeking out from beneath thick lashes. Her hand tugged on her cousin’s shirt and she looked up. “I stud-id, Frawl.”

“Did you, now?” Frawl asked and glanced down. The current youngest of his Uncle Roake and Aunt Rii was standing there in her two-year-old form with a smile. Syrinia Cynet Xykull was always so happy, like her brother, but he was not fooled. That little girl was quite mischievous when she wanted to be, probably due to her sister’s influence. “I believe the correct phrase is ‘studied’,” he added, but ruffled her hair as her smile fell. She always seemed to try and impress him. “I’m sure you did quite well.”

The far doors flew open and three girls came running in, giggling. It was Levoli, Rollina, Lilressa Xykull; Prince Ly’kroll and Yemet’s three daughters, of course. It was going to be a long day.

---

Rii glanced about the table as conversation continued on. Her stomach was swollen yet again and she gave a large yawn. The former King Krykoic was sitting beside her at the head of the table and was talking adamantly to his oldest son, the current King, about some matters involving the Xons. The peace treaty with them had been setup following the last large war, but it only took two years before that fell apart and they were at one another’s throats. It had been an on and off matter for quite a while now.

The Rivi’s blue eyes turned to Roake who was talking to that Voskore. They both had had some ups and down shortly following the Krest Kings dethroning. It was her husband, her vysken, which had started the fight with that former General. He had been quite upset when Voskore announced he was going to be acting as a bodyguard and communicator for Lady Venna on behalf of Kirest… and would be joining her back to the Krest territory. Things had settled down since then, but she wondered if Roake had ever really forgiven him for falling for a Krest. He was hard to read when it came to that. Part of him seemed to want to give in, as he had said Venna and Voskore were perfect for one another, but the other part of him… just couldn’t let the fact go, that she was indeed a Krest.

With a watching eye, she grasped her water and took a small sip. Even after so long, she was still very much in love with Master… Roake, as she now called him – at least in public. It had been at his insistence that she not call him that after they married, though he always seemed to like it when she called him that in private – like a secret little game between them. One of many, she noted with a small blush creeping to her cheeks. At least she could blame that on the heat. The dining hall was rather warm this time of year, although comfortably so. She could hear all the children running around on the other side of the room and if it wasn’t for the unusual quietness at the table, from the lack of them, she would have called them over to eat.

Roake snorted and leaned back in his seat. His hand moved and he placed it on his wife’s as he turned to her. “How are you feeling, Rii?”

Rii smiled, but got lost in his eyes before she could reply. How was it he could still look at her like that after all these years? Things had been so hard those first months back on Kirest, after they had stopped on a nearby planet to marry. Everyone of the Liege’s had had something to say about her existence, but he had never faltered. The decision had been made; no matter what any of them had said. It took her hair sparkling, in its activating glory, for the arguing to die down then, though she never intended to actually hurt any of them, nor did she, well, Lord Tryinine had gotten his hair singed off. That had been on purpose though… she still could not forgive him.

After all, she had finally been told how she was actually made and she was not about to have anyone, especially him, dictate to her any longer just how she should live. She was real and with that came autonomous responses. If there was one thing she learned along her eventful life these past years, was that nothing good came from enslaving those not willing to serve. Her father had been trying to win her into his favor since, but… it was hard to forgive someone, she learned.

The prince raised his hand and brushed back the silky hair from his wife’s head. Her fourth pregnancy was going much easier than the last three, but he still worried. He knew her lack of abilities bothered her, though she never disliked her pregnancies, but he understood the need to have some control and without her full talents, it was unsettling to her. “Vosk and Venna plan to stay here for a while, while the… Krest territory finishes its move. The Kirlaskians have been in the area more lately, so things have to be sped up.”

Rii looked down the table a ways and to Venna. The woman was as composed as always, with her silver hair tied back and making her look quite the queen with her back so straight. The rivi could not help but wonder if it was just from still getting used to fancy clothing, rather than the servant garbs that were more forgiving for posture. “I like it when you and that Voskore stay here,” she remarked, as though it was a surprising comment. “Vinesk is always much more happy when the twins are here.”

Voskore grunted with pride. His twin daughters were the joy of his life. If Venna was correct, like she had been wondering this morning, he might soon have another child on the way.

The Krest queen snorted, seeming almost odd coming from her while dressed in such expensive clothing. “Those two brats? I swear they never listen.” Despite her words, there was amusement in her voice… she loved her girls very much, but their tempers could be quite exasperating. “Trust me, within the week, even you will be wanting to lock them in the dungeons. They can be quite petulant,” she continued. A sigh left her lips and she looked across the room. To be honest, she was more worried about the crush the ‘older’ twin had on Vinesk… it was going to cause problems one day, she was certain. At least that boy seemed oblivious. “They mean well enough,” Venna added and her voice softened.

Roake snorted, but kept his thoughts to himself. That woman was quite protective of her girls, despite how she talked about them some days. It was his younger brothers kids that everyone had to keep an eye on; his only son, the oldest, was as flirtatious as his father had been and he was only six. Ly’kroll’s ways had become more strict when he ended up with three daughters after the first son… it was almost humorous to hear him say ‘such frivolous ways are not good for children of royal blood’. It was during that conversation that Fiear had shown up for his monthly week with them, and ruined the point he was trying to make. After all, there was no hiding it when Yemet and Fiear had a son of their own, born just five months after Ly’kroll’s first son.

The Rivi spared a look behind her to the kids as the ‘older’ twin began to yell at Vinesk again. Though he was older, he was always quite kind to Vella, despite her constant anger towards him. Her eyes shifted about the room and fell on Frawl, Yemet and Lefest’s son; though even to this day, he didn’t know that was his father, but instead knew Ly’kroll as such. It was a matter that she worried would turn out badly some day, but it wasn’t her decision to make and she understood their reasoning for it.

Still… she worried. He was such a well-educated and loving child, though only a year from being an adult, and she wondered how things would turn out for him. After all, Lefest had no other children; though there was a rumor he had been recently seeing some woman… a mystery woman. Rii had to hide her knowing look as she glanced back across the table to the young King. She knew exactly who was snuck into his quarters a few nights ago, and she doubted Roake or that Voskore would be pleased to find out who. Although, she supposed, since the truth had come out about what happened and the charges dropped, it would not be as big of a deal as it could have been, but… her vysken did not like the woman, at all, that was for certain. Then there was what that Voskore felt for her… hopefully it had been only physical.

Rii took another drink of her water and intertwined her fingers with Roake’s had had settled on her palm again. Lefest and the ‘mystery’ woman seemed to be well enough, even though she was only around now and then. She had heard ‘her’ talk about the danger of exposing their relationship, when she had walked by his quarters late one night, in search of some odd connotation of food that her pregnant belly was demanding. Right away, she had recognized the voice… though she had not heard it in many years, and only recently a week prior when the charges had been dropped. Would Lefest ever come forward that he was seeing Dria Rovena, the leader of the Bylot scavenger ship? The one he had been hunting for, for so long?

Roake pulled a smile to his lips as he looked to Rii again. She was in one of her observing moods, he noted. With a quick glance around the table, he noted the others seemed occupied with conversation and he leaned down. His mouth was but a hairs breadth away from his wife’s ear. He could feel a shiver course through her in delight. “Care to join me in our bedroom? I’m sure the others can look over the kids for awhile,” he whispered. Even after all the time that had passed, he still wanted her more than anything.

A small nod came from Rii and she turned her head towards him. Their faces were so close and she could not resist, before she could act on impulse, he pressed his lips to hers. A few remarks echoed from the tables occupants, but neither seemed to care. Everything was quite right now.

The End

A/n: ITS OVER! I hope the Epilogue was not too confusing, there were lots of new names and such, I know. This story has been so fun to write, and I just cannot believe it is done! Complete! Over! AHHH! Thank again to everyone who has read, reviewed, etc. It means a lot, and it was those reviews that helped me get this story done so quickly! I will be doing some editing over the next few weeks/months however long, and then I will be trying to get it published – which means, this story will only be up online until I am done editing, then I will need to take it done before submitting anywhere, so make sure to get all your reading of it done before then, if you haven’t already. Thanks again!!!