A Day in the Life: Balt Felicity Heaton
Copyright © 2010 Felicity Heaton All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. The right of Felicity Heaton to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First printed September 2010 First Edition Layout and design by Felicity Heaton All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Cover by Felicity Heaton
The following short story follows on from:
Sons of Lyra: Slave Princess Captain Lyra II, known as Balt to his family, is one of the famed sons of Lyra, the handsome princes with passionate hearts that every girl in the galaxy wants to catch. The second eldest son, he’s content with the freedom and adventure that life in deep space and the Lyran Imperial Army offers him. What he isn’t content with is the current situation he’s found himself in. Not only has he been forced to stop at a backwater port for supplies, but he’s leaving with more than he expected! Kayla is a slave but can still vaguely recall what it had been like to be free. It’s something she believes that she’ll never taste again, and when she finds herself handed over like the piece of property she is to a complete stranger, a Lyran prince no less, she’s convinced her life is about to get a lot worse. Taken onboard his ship, she quickly finds herself torn between fulfilling a promise she made to her friends when she was young, and falling for his chivalry and good looks. Balt, not wanting a woman as his slave and not wanting to become the laughing stock of the admirals, intends to dump Kayla at the first decent planet he comes across, but as he starts to learn more about her, he finds it harder to fight his growing attraction to her. A passionate kiss from her only makes things worse. When Minervan mercenaries demand he hand her over, he discovers her true heritage and realises that things are more complicated than he’d believed. Will Balt let her go, sending her into a life as a pleasure whore for the highest bidder, or will he fight to protect her? Will Kayla take revenge for her people, the Terrans, who were almost exterminated when Lyra destroyed the Earth system? Can love between a prince and an enslaved princess ever have a fairytale ending? Read an excerpt or buy here: http://bit.ly/9Yzepi SAVE 25% on this story by entering this code during checkout:
BALT
A Day in the Life: Balt – Felicity Heaton
A Day in the Life: Balt The fanfare made Balt jump. His palms began to sweat and he stared at the beautiful white arch in front of him, trying to gather himself. Pale blue Lyran lilies and roses entwined themselves around it and through the fretwork. The royal city of Lyra Prime lie beyond it and the balcony of the white square, the wide steps leading his eye down into the heart of it. The tall spires of the financial district rose high in the centre and beyond them even taller spikes pierced the rich blue sky. The Lyran parliament. Nearer to him, tiled brown roofs gave off a shimmering haze under the hot Lyran sun. They spread far and wide, marking the civilian section of the city, all shopping streets and houses of the merchants and soldiers who were stationed on the planet. It was beautiful but he couldn’t focus on it. His heart pounded, deep and hard against his ribs, and he couldn’t bring it under control. The fanfare continued and he drew a long breath in an attempt to regain some control over his scattered feelings. “She isn’t coming,” Acer said and grinned when Balt glared at him. His younger brother was joking, his aquamarine eyes bright and sparkling with amusement, but it didn’t feel like a joke to him. The fanfare was lasting forever. Usually at royal weddings, the bride appeared the moment it started, stepping slowly along 1
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the sky blue carpeted aisle between the hundred rows of guests. Balt glanced over his shoulder at the guests and regretted it straight away. He had never been afraid of anything. He had faced Vegans, wars that threatened to crush Lyra, and met all manner of terrifying creatures in his time as a captain of the Lyran Imperial Army, and never once had he felt so nervous and scared. He swallowed and stared at the dark arched doorway of the grand white palace at the end of the aisle. Where was she? “Relax,” Acer said and placed his hand on Balt’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Balt couldn’t, but he was glad to have his younger brother with him. They had always been close and it had been Kayla’s idea to have what the Terrans called a ‘best man’ at his wedding. Acer had been the obvious choice and he had immediately asked him if he would perform the duties. His brother had been flattered but he was the only one who had accepted the decision so lightly. It had caused much talk amongst the aristocrats who were to attend the wedding. No one had ever heard of a change being made to a Lyran royal wedding before. His dark gaze skipped over the heads of the guests to settle on the front rows to his left. His oldest brother Sebastian and his youngest brother Remi sat there, dressed in dark blue tailcoats with a sky blue cravat. Sebastian shrugged and gave him a sorry look. Remi glanced over his shoulder towards the open doorway of 2
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the palace and then looked back at him, his dark eyes matching Sebastian’s in their apologetic look. Balt flexed his fingers and then loosened the collar of his shirt, tugging at the cravat and wishing he could undo it for a few minutes so he could breathe. His dark blue jacket felt too tight, hugging his figure too closely. He toyed with the hem where it ran along his waist, meeting the top of his tight dark blue trousers, and then followed it down into the tail at the back. He’d thought that flight suits were restrictive but they had never irritated him like this. He tapped his foot, following the beat of the fanfare, wondering where Kayla was. It felt as though time was stretching into infinity. The guests were beginning to talk. He could hear their chatter as it grew in volume. Everyone wanted to know where Kayla was, none more so than him. He looked down at his polished black knee-high boots, staring at his warped reflection. Didn’t she want to marry him? “It’s probably just a glitch. She’ll be along in a minute,” Acer said and looked past him towards his family. Balt looked there too, catching the unimpressed look on his mother’s face, and then faced front again. The fanfare began to die down. She wasn’t coming. His heart ached and he clenched his fists against the pain. He had rushed her into this and she was probably having second thoughts about marrying a Lyran, a 3
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prince of the species that had decimated her people, the Terrans, and obliterated their home. He couldn’t blame her either. She probably saw this as another form of enslavement and he knew that she’d spent most of her life as a slave and had had enough of living such a terrible life. He didn’t want to make her his slave. He had freed her, hadn’t he? He only wanted to love her and be her husband, and to give them both a place that they could call home. He had to speak to her and make her see that. He loved her more than anything. If she didn’t want to marry him right away, they could wait until they knew each other better, or until she was ready. Balt turned and was about to run down the rich blue aisle and find her when the fanfare started again. He stopped dead and stared as a pale shape materialised in the dark arched doorway at the end of the aisle. His eyes widened when she stepped out into the bright Lyran sun, beautiful even at a distance, her black hair tied up and a long white veil flowing down from it, covering her bare shoulders. A shiver danced through him and he smiled at the sight of her as she started to walk slowly along the aisle, the bouquet of white Lyran lilies and blue roses clutched in front of her stomach. She wasn’t wearing the traditional sky blue dress that his mother had arranged for her. Instead, she was wearing what she had shown him was a traditional Terran-style wedding dress. It was beautiful. The tight corset pushed her breasts up and emphasised her slight figure, and the bell-shaped skirt grazed the floor and flowed out behind her. 4
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She had never looked so beautiful. Two young maids followed her, dressed in sky blue empire line dresses. They were the maids that had been assigned to her since her arrival several months ago and she had grown very close to them in that time. He had asked his parents if they could accompany Kayla when they left Lyra Prime to settle on their new home planet of Lyra Five. His mother had told him that the maids wouldn’t be needed once Kayla was gone so it was best they went with him and his new wife. Kayla neared the top of the aisle now and he could see her better at last. Her cheeks flushed when her gaze met his. The dark make-up around her eyes made their beautiful emerald depths even brighter than usual. She smiled, a hint of shyness in it. He smiled too and extended his hand to her. She took the steps slowly, raising the hem of her dress a little, and then handed her bouquet to the maids that had come to walk beside her now. The eldest dark haired girl took it and they moved off to one side. Kayla slipped her hand into his and stepped up to him. Her cheeks darkened further when he caressed the backs of her fingers with his thumb and she cast a glance around, avoiding his eyes, and then finally looked back at him. The priest stepped forwards, dressed in white robes with a blue sash around his waist, and cleared his throat. Balt looked Kayla over, taking in just how beautiful she looked. It had been worth the wait, even though he had thought that she was never going to come and that he was going to remain a bachelor and lose his love.
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A Day in the Life: Balt – Felicity Heaton
“What took you so long?” he whispered and interlocked their fingers, tightly clasping her hand in case she was having second thoughts and might try to escape. “Acer said that you had left.” Kayla glared past him at his brother. Her green eyes darkened with her frown and he squeezed her hand to bring her attention back to him. She looked back up into his eyes and smiled. “I wanted to make sure it was perfect, and now it is.” She smoothed the corset of her white dress, running her slender hand over the white lace that decorated it, and shrugged. “I tried, but sky blue does not suit me.” He sighed and tilted his head to one side as he looked at her. He was glad that she had chosen to do as her heart dictated and marry him in the way she wanted, not the way his mother wanted or the way that she was expected to. “You look radiant in white,” he said and gave her his best smile, the one that always put a spark of hunger into her eyes. “I am glad that you did not give in. I love the fight you have in you.” Balt didn’t hear a word that the priest said at first, not until Kayla started to recite the words to him, and then he listened. He listened to her declare her undying love for him, and that they would always be together and nothing would part them. Her words were music to his ears, softly spoken with affection and full of meaning. Her eyes remained locked with his the whole time, their honesty touching him, making him believe that she meant every word that she said. He couldn’t wait to start saying his part to her and jumped the gun, earning him 6
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an angry look from the priest. He didn’t care. He continued, reciting everything that he had worked hard to memorise over the past few weeks and adding his own part to it. “I love you, Kayla, forever and always, and my devotion to you will never swerve, my love for you will never change, and my heart will be yours until the universe ends. In this life and beyond, I will be yours and yours alone.” She blushed and took hold of both of his hands, clutching them tightly in hers. The smile that curved her soft red lips brought out his own. Her happiness shone in her eyes and he felt as though it was flowing into him through where they touched, suffusing every inch of him. “You may kiss the bride,” the priest said in a sharp tone. Balt ignored him and swept Kayla up into his arms, wrapping them firmly around her waist and tipping her over backwards as he kissed her. She giggled and kissed him back, her lips playing gently against his, sending a shiver through him each time they met and making him feel light inside. He loved it when she kissed him like this, with so much feeling and emotion, but he loved it more when she unleashed her passionate side. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss, brushing his tongue across her lips. Her arms encircled his neck and she moaned when their tongues touched, softly caressing each other. The sound of it drove the rest of the world to the back of his mind. It drifted away, meaningless in this place where only they existed. He didn’t care about propriety or what society would think of him. All that mattered was this first kiss with his wife. 7
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His wife. He smiled against her lips and it widened when she threaded her fingers into his dark hair, tousling it and holding his mouth against hers. He drew her closer to him, her body flush against his, and his hunger rising. Someone coughed. Kayla giggled again. It seemed terribly familiar. He broke the kiss and leaned back a little to look down into Kayla’s eyes. They sparkled with love and amusement. Crimson stained her cheeks, as dark as her lips. Balt looked at the priest and then at all of the guests. They were staring, some with their mouths open, others with horrified expressions on their gaudy faces. He straightened up with Kayla and tried not to smile. She struggled to contain hers. Her lips quivered with it. Looking into her eyes, his smile broke free of its restraints. He loved her so much, and he was so glad that his little slave princess was finally his and they could leave for Lyra Five. He had already set to work making it beautiful for her, building a city for her wedding present from him. The finest architects from across the galaxy had started building it the moment she had agreed to marry him and it was almost complete now. Every building was based on the historical documents that had survived the destruction of the Terran system. He hoped that it would make the Terrans feel at home, and that Kayla would like it. He couldn’t 8
A Day in the Life: Balt – Felicity Heaton
wait to show it to her and for her to send out the message to the remaining Terrans in the galaxy that they had a new planet to call home if they wanted it. Kayla took her bouquet back from her maids and straightened her dress out. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She really was beautiful. She released his hand and took hold of his other one. The blush on her cheeks wasn’t going anywhere and he knew it was only going to get worse as they walked down the aisle back to the palace. He couldn’t wait to get her in there either. They didn’t have much time before the grand reception began in the palace gardens but he was going to make the most of it. There was a look in Kayla’s eyes that said she was thinking the same as him, her pupils wide and her eyes dark with passion. He was about to walk down the aisle with her when he happened to glance to his left, towards the white domes of the royal space port. With a mischievous smile, he turned to Acer and said, “How is that engineer that I transferred to your ship?” Acer’s cheeks flushed and he looked away, towards the royal space port. Balt knew that the Nephis-Lyra was docked there, all crew waiting inside for their captain’s return, and amongst them was a very pretty dark haired woman who was just perfect for Acer. The moment he had met her, Balt had known that his younger brother would fall for her if she was under his command. He had transferred her for that reason. Half the galaxy was chasing Acer but Stella could win his heart. All she had to do was break down his defences and he would be 9
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hers. Balt’s smile widened and he turned back to Kayla. She was smiling too. He had told her about Stella and it had been her idea to transfer Stella to his brother’s ship the moment she did something wrong. Stella was perfect for Acer. Balt walked down the aisle with Kayla, looking into her eyes the whole time, barely aware of the people surrounding them or the congratulations that were given in several languages. Kayla was perfect for him. She was the only woman in the world he had wanted to marry and he couldn’t wait to start their new life together. He was sure it was going to be wonderful, just as the past few months with Kayla had been. They walked into the cool darkness of the palace, leaving the bright square behind. He glanced over his shoulder at the two maids and they nodded, clearly reading his silent command to stay there. He smiled at them and they giggled. “Did you mean it,” Kayla said, her voice echoing along the empty stone hall. He felt her gaze on him and nodded. “Every word,” he said and led her up the stairs, thinking only of getting her to their room and getting out of his restrictive clothing for a few minutes before he had to endure a long night of flattering wedding guests and barely seeing Kayla. 10
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Soon she would be his alone. He would spend the next three weeks on Lyra Five with her, free of his duties as a captain, and he intended to make the most of it. He wasn’t going to let Kayla out of the bedroom, let alone out of his sight. They were going to live there, like hermits, loving each other. Just as they had done these past few months. The moment the door of their rooms was closed behind them, he twirled her into his arms and kissed her again. She giggled and kissed him back, her hands making fast work of his jacket and shirt. He grinned at her eagerness and pulled her flush against him, trapping her hands there. She stared up into his eyes. “Say it to me,” she whispered. “In Lyran.” He smiled into her eyes and nodded. Her eyes closed when he carefully removed the sky blue translator from her ear and then took out his own. She looked up at him again, her arms around his neck and her body close to his. It was easy to say the words when he felt them in every fibre of his body. “Yoi aishin,” he murmured and she smiled. He kissed her lips, her nose, her cheeks. He kissed everywhere and then drew back and looked deep into her eyes again. “Yoi aishin, Kayla.” He loved her. “Amo tatui sem.” She took the translator back and stuffed it into her ear. He placed his back in. 11
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“What does that mean?” she said with a frown. He stroked her face and thanked Iskara for giving this angel to him. He loved her so much. He had meant every word that he had said to her today, with all of his heart. It was nice to say it to her in his own language, even when she hadn’t understood. So he would say it again for her now, and he would never stop saying it, and he would never stop meaning it. “I am always yours.” The End
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About the Author: Felicity Heaton is a romance author writing as both Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. She is passionate about penning paranormal tales full of vampires, witches, werewolves, angels and shape-shifters, and has been interested in all things preternatural and fantastical since she was just a child. Her other passion is science-fiction and she likes nothing more than to immerse herself in a whole new universe and the amazing species therein. She used to while away days at school and college dreaming of vampires, werewolves and witches, or being lost in space, and used to while away evenings watching movies about them or reading gothic horror stories, science-fiction and romances. Having tried her hand at various romance genres, it was only natural for her to turn her focus back to the paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction worlds she enjoys so much. She loves to write seductive, sexy and strong vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and alien species. The worlds she often dreams up for them are vicious, dark and dangerous, reflecting aspects of the heroines and heroes, but her characters also love deeply, laugh, cry and feel every emotion as keenly as anyone does. She makes no excuses for the darkness surrounding them, especially the paranormal creatures, and says that this is their world. She’s just honoured to write down their adventures. To see her other novels, visit: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk If you have enjoyed this story, please take a moment to contact the author at
[email protected] or to post a review of the book online Follow the author on: Her blog – http://felicityheaton.blogspot.com Twitter – http://twitter.com/felicityheaton Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/feheaton Grouply – http://felicityheaton.grouply.com
Enjoyed this story? This short was based on: Sons of Lyra: Slave Princess
Captain Lyra II, known as Balt to his family, is one of the famed sons of Lyra, the handsome princes with passionate hearts that every girl in the galaxy wants to catch. The second eldest son, he’s content with the freedom and adventure that life in deep space and the Lyran Imperial Army offers him. What he isn’t content with is the current situation he’s found himself in. Not only has he been forced to stop at a backwater port for supplies, but he’s leaving with more than he expected! Kayla is a slave but can still vaguely recall what it had been like to be free. It’s something she believes that she’ll never taste again, and when she finds herself handed over like the piece of property she is to a complete stranger, a Lyran prince no less, she’s convinced her life is about to get a lot worse. Taken onboard his ship, she quickly finds herself torn between fulfilling a promise she made to her friends when she was young, and falling for his chivalry and good looks. Balt, not wanting a woman as his slave and not wanting to become the laughing stock of the admirals, intends to dump Kayla at the first decent planet he comes across, but as he starts to learn more about her, he finds it harder to fight his growing attraction to her. A passionate kiss from her only makes things worse. When Minervan mercenaries demand he hand her over, he discovers her true heritage and realises that things are more complicated than he’d believed. Will Balt let her go, sending her into a life as a pleasure whore for the highest bidder, or will he fight to protect her? Will Kayla take revenge for her people, the Terrans, who were almost exterminated when Lyra destroyed the Earth system? Can love between a prince and an enslaved princess ever have a fairytale ending? Read an excerpt or buy here: http://bit.ly/9Yzepi SAVE 25% on this story by entering this code during checkout:
BALT
