I pull Gerard’s jacket from my shoulders. It’s worn. Sewn and patched countless times. He isn’t one to throw something out – not if it’s of high quality, and just because it’s got some years on it.
Then, I pull off the dress.
That feels cheap – and I still suspect that Lazar acquired it from a pleasure store.
But when I wore this outfit, I didn’t feel cheap in front of the Aurelians. They might be fools when it comes to women – no matter how many years they have of chasing tail. They have no idea what women are really like; but they do know how to look at one to set her insides aflame.
Naked, I now mindlessly sort through my closet – supposedly picking clothes, but in truth my thoughts are on the Aurelians. I’m not sure what I’m going to wear.
The way those Aurelians were raised must have affected their psyche. What would it do to a man, to grow up on Colossus? Learning to fight Scorp from infancy, and practicing battle tactics from a young age? How would it affect you, to live where every woman you run into is part of an Aurelian Harem?
To an Aurelian growing up like that, he might never before have seen a woman as a leader of science, or industry; or even as anything more than just a sexual object.
Even Queen Jasmine is a sexual symbol – allowing herself to be taken publicly by her triad, right there in the Arena of the Gods; for all to see the mating rituals between her and her Bonded triad.
Thank the Gods for Queen Jasmine, though – and her initiatives which have allowed those who wish to leave the harems to get a paid-for education and training in skills which empower them to go out on their own into the universe.
Jasmine may be seen by the more misogynistic Aurelians as nothing more than a toy – but I strongly suspect that she has her own ideas on how things should be done, and manipulates her image carefully.
My hands run over the wool of my many dresses. They’re all so different from the thin gossamer of the dress I’d been wearing previously.
Now that I’ve experienced the dominance of a triad of Aurelians, I can see why some women prefer to stay in the harems, instead of learning to take care of themselves.
I grab a simple dress – plain and modest – and pull it on. My father could afford to buy me anything I had a desire for, but I’ve always like simple things – items that let me blend in. I’d rather read about beautiful women in luxurious dresses in my books than try to imitate such women in real life; because I’d feel like a knock-off version if I tried.
I smile, remembering how gorgeous I’d felt beneath the gaze of those Aurelians.
I shouldn’t let my confidence come from an external source – I know that. I should be confident in myself, on my own…
…however, it’s impossible to feel anything other than beautiful in the eyes of my three, Bonded Aurelians. Through the power of the Bond, I know with unshakeable confidence that even the most beautiful holo-vid star would look as enticing as furniture to those three men. They’ve found me, the one woman they’ve been seeking since they first started even noticing women.
Now that I’m far away from them, I feel a strange longing for them.
The excitement. The adventure - but also, the certainty of them. Those three warriors might bring danger and excitement to my life, but there is also a solidity among them; a shared purpose that nothing could change.
I look in the mirror. The wool dress falls nearly to my ankles – modest and bland. It’s so strange that my old, familiar clothes suddenly feel so out of place.
There’s a sudden knock on the door. I recognize it as my father.
“Come in,” I say, and he opens the door. Father’s gaunt face is stretched even tighter than the last time I’d seen it, a few days ago. He looks like he’s aged a decade since I’ve been gone.
He narrows his eyes at the thin dress on my bed. “My sweet! How did you escape?”
I shake my head. “Father – it’s not what you think. They let me go.”
He’s stunned. He can’t process it. “B-but… They never even made me an offer for the mines? They never even declared a ransom!”
He still thinks this is about the Orb-Mines. He’s been so obsessed with the idea of this ‘ultimate score’ for so long that now, it’s all he can see.
“It’s not about that, Father. It’s not about the mines. I need you to help me.”
His eyes widen.
“Anything, my sweet! Anything! Gods, I’m just so happy you’re alive.”
I take a deep breath. I’m certain he’s not going to react well to my request – even after he promised to help me.
“Father, I need you to help me get the Aurelian Law Enforcement to forgive Brennan’s triad and drop the charges.”
My father looks like I’ve doused him in ice water. He stiffens.
Suddenly, his eyes are filled with hate.
“Those bastards are going to rot in jail until they die for what they did to us.”
“To us? They kidnapped me, not you – and I’m telling you; I need you to help me with this!”
He grabs the dress from the bed – the slinky one that Lazar had chosen for me. With a snarl, he throws it across the room – slumping onto the edge of the bed in disgust.
I watch as my father takes a ragged breath, and then he motions for me to sit next to him.
I can see every line on his face now – every pained worry, etched into his skin.
“Natali, I haven’t slept since you were taken. If
