The Dragon Princess (Crystalosias - Saga - Book One)

-Present Day-

Sahrah sighed as she stretched. It has been two weeks now, since Derk had rescued her and made her his mate, again. Now that she understands the word and meaning behind it, it makes her happy to think about it. It was as she had guessed, it’s their version of marriage. The only part of their ritual that she wasn’t fond of, is the Dunga.

But his people are so used to it, that they find no shame in it.

And as delicate as their women are, she can see why they had taken the women from her planet, to mate with.

The women of Poh-eh-nah are strong women, who can bear the strong men of Dextonia children, without fear of losing their mate in childbirth.

“Good morning, Tashia.”

Sahrah smiled at her companion. “Good morning, Trey.”

“How are you feeling this morning?”

“I’m doing all right.”

“Any sickness?” Trey asked.

Sahrah paused. “Not yet.”

“You should go to the sickbay.”

“I’m not sick, Trey.” Sahrah said as she climbed out of bed.

“Have you told Tasheen yet?”

Sahrah smiled. “Not yet.”

“What are you waiting for?”

Sahrah shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“Get dressed.” Trey said as she tossed clothes onto the bed.

Sahrah grumbled but done as Trey said. Once she was dressed, Trey led her to a room, that looked suspiciously like a hospital.

“Trey.” She grumbled.

“This is the Meditec.” Trey said as she walked over to a machine that was only half a robot, his waist was attached to an arm, that swiveled back and forth and around the room.

Sahrah stared at the machine.

“Tashia.” The Meditec said when he saw her. “I have been waiting for you to visit me.”

Sahrah grumbled. She does not like doctors or hospitals. The last time she had been in one, it was so horrible, she’d had nightmares about it, for a week.

“I will not hurt you, Tashia.” The Meditec said.

“How did you...I mean...” Sahrah stuttered.

“You have, fear, written all over your face.” Trey said as she helped Sahrah to the table.

“Now lay down.” The Meditec said.

With a heavy sigh, Sahrah complied.

A machine went slowly over her body, then beeped and retreated.

“She is with child.” The Meditec said.

“I could have told you that.” Sahrah grumbled.

“Exactly two weeks, I can tell you when it happened.” The Meditec said.

Sahrah groaned. “No, there is no need, I know when.” She said as she blew air out her mouth. “It was when we did the Dunga Ritual.”

“Why, yes it was.” The Meditec said.

Sahrah sighed. Five and a half more months. She thought.

“But the baby is much bigger than it should be.” The Meditec said. “My system is not understanding.”

“She’s not a Dextonian woman, did you not notice that?” Trey said.

The Meditec calmed. “Yes, of course.”

“What’s his problem?” Sahrah asked Trey. “Did I almost break him or something?”

Trey smiled as she shook her head.

“What did he mean that my baby is too big?” Sahrah asked.

“At two weeks, a full Dextonian baby is only the size of a bean. Yours is the size of a potato.”

Sahrah laughed. “How long are Dextonian women pregnant for?”

“Almost a year.” Trey said.

“A year?! Holy flick. I’ll be lucky to get through the next five and a half months.”

“Six months.” The Meditec said. “That is great information. Thank you, Tashia.”

Sahrah laughed. “You’re welcome, I guess.”

“Here.” The Meditec said as he handed her a picture.

Sahrah looked at the picture and sucked in a shocked breath. It was a picture of her baby. And Trey had been right, her baby is the size of a potato.

“I have done a DNA test, he is, Derksin Dentse’s son.”

“I already knew that.” Sahrah grumbled. “Wait.” She said as she looked up at the Meditec. “Did you say, son?”

“Yes.” The Meditec said. “You are carrying the Tasheen’s heir.”

Sahrah grinned. “Don’t give any of this information to Derk. I want to tell him myself.”

“As you wish, Tashia.” The Meditec said.

Sahrah turned to Trey. “Where is Derk?”

“I believe he is in the training room.” Trey answered.

“Wait for me in the bed-chamber.” Sahrah said as she passed Trey.

**

Derk took down his training robot and smiled when the robot gave in. He stood and waited for the robot to be ready for the next round.

“Tashia.” The training robot said as he came to attention.

Derk turned just before his fist connected with his robot and smiled at his mate. “Leave us, Chamblum.”

The robot bowed, then left the room.

“Hello, Spitfire.” Derk said as he drank in his beautiful mate. “Care to spur with me?”

She smiled at him. “I think I will be giving up spuring, or anything else too dangerous, for a while.”

“Is that so?” He asked with a mischievous smile. “Are you finally giving in?” He asked. “Are you conceding that I’m the best Warrior on this ship?”

She snorted. “I think not.” She said with a grin. “But we were right.”

He watched her as she moved over to him and held out a picture to him.

“What is this?” He asked as he took the picture from her and looked at what looked like a potato.

She smiled. “That.” She said as she pointed at the picture. “Is our son.”

He looked up at her, his eyes opened wide. “But how could that be? We had only become mates two weeks ago.” He felt anger rise up inside him. Who had she slept with before he found her? She had lied to him... “Who’s is it?” He demanded.

She went pale.

Yeah, feel guilty. He thought with so much anger he wanted to strangle her.

“Derk.” She said as she stared at him. “I had told you that no one had touched me. I would not have let them. Or...”

“Don’t lie to me!” He hollered as he threw the picture on the floor. “Who was your mate?!”

“Only you, you creep!” She cried out.

“But if it was mine, it would not already be this big.”

“The women on my planet are pregnant for only six months!” She screamed, then turned and ran out of the room, and strait for the bed-chamber.

“Tashia.” Trey said when she saw her.

“Oh, Trey.” Sahrah cried. “Men are such jerks!” She hollered as she fell onto the bed and cried into the pillows.

“He questioned you.” Trey said as she sat on the bed and touched Sahrah’s hair.

“He called me a liar.” She cried.

“He will come to his senses.” Trey said as she tried to reassure her Tashia.

“I don’t care if he does, I hate him!”

“No, you don’t.” Trey whispered.

**

Derk stared at the sliding door that his mate had just run out, then looked down at the picture he had tossed onto the floor. He slowly stooped down and picked it up.

“A son.” He whispered, then stood as he continued to stare at the picture of the potato and chuckled.

He forgets sometimes that his fiery mate; isn’t a Dextonian woman. He had been so enraged with jealousy and anger; he hadn’t listened to her words. But he can hear them now.

Six months. He thought. That means, that in five in a half months, he will be holding his son in his arms.

“My son.” He whispered. His and Sahrah’s.

He left the training room and headed to their bed-chamber.

“Trey, out.” He said to the robot, who was comforting his mate. He should be the one doing that, especially, since he’s the one who hurt her...

“Trey, stay.” Sahrah said.

“Trey, out!” Derk hollered.

“I am sorry, Tashia.” Trey said as she got to her feet.

“Traitor.” Sahrah grumbled.

Trey gently touched her Tashia’s head. “He can dismantle me.”

“He wouldn’t dare.” Sahrah said with a growl.

“No.” Derk said as he watched them. “But I can shut her off for a week.”

Sahrah grumbled. “Trey go, but don’t go far.”

“Yes, Tashia.” Trey said, then left the room.

Derk walked over to the bed and held the picture of their son out to her.

She took it and held it in her hands as she looked at it.

“He is yours.” She whispered.

He sighed as he sat on the bed and rubbed her back. She tensed under his touch and he cursed himself, for being the creep, she had claimed him to be.

“I know.” He said as he closed his eyes. “I am sorry, Sahrah. One of my greatest fears, in the last two years, is that you had found you a new mate.”

She whimpered. “I would never.”

“I know.” He said as he opened his eyes and brushed his hand over her hair. “I knew that when I had entered you, for the first time in two years. Your body was still molded to me. Nothing had changed, it was as though those two years had never separated us.”

She smiled, for she had felt it too.

“I am so sorry.” He whispered.

She looked at the picture of their son, then at her mate and smiled. “He looks like a potato, doesn’t he?”

Derk laughed as he pulled her into his lap and looked at the picture of their son with her.

“A proud Potato Warrior.” He said.

She laughed, and he kissed her.

**

Derk stood in the sickbay and looked at the information the Meditec had collected on his son. The only two words he paid attention to, were, boy and son.

He smiled. “A son.”

“Do you still not believe me?”

He turned to his mate with a wide grin. “No Spitfire, I believe you.” He said then turned back to the information board. “I just like to read the information that confirms it’s a boy.”

She smiled as she walked over to him and held onto his arm, as she looked at the documents with him.

“By the time we get to your planet, he will be bigger, and I will be showing.”

“At a month?” He asked, with wide, excited eyes.

“One month for us; would be about four or five months for a Dextonian woman.”

He smiled. “I will have to remember that.”

She nodded. “Derk.”

“Yes, Dear Heart?”

She smiled at the endearment. “Since I can’t spur anymore, can we find something safer for me to do, to keep my body in shape?”

He nodded. “I think between Trey and Chamblum, they can think of something.”

She smiled.

“But I know something that will keep us both in shape, and not hurt the baby.”

“Oh?” She asked, then squealed when he lifted her into his arms and carried her off to their bed-chamber.

**

Sahrah stared out the window of the control room. Dextonia is a beautiful planet, full of greens and blues. Not quite as beautiful as Poh-eh-nah had been. She sighed, she hoped to get her planet back to the beautiful planet it once was. But to do so, she is going to have to convince her mate’s people, that her people had not lied about the Crystals.

She truly hoped that Derk’s father is on her side, as Derk had claimed him to be.

She placed her hand over her stomach and smiled. She was indeed showing, and Derk couldn’t get enough of touching or rubbing her budding stomach. They were still discussing names, but they still have five months.

“Sahrah.” Derk whispered from behind her, as he came up within inches of her back.

She shivered at his proximity. Her nursemaid had been correct, their sex drive was amped up while pregnant.

She had shamefully jumped Derk in this very room, with poor Trey in the room. The computerized robot had, of course, excused herself, before it had gotten too far, but she had still apologized to her companion, later.

“Yes?” She whispered without turning to him.

“You must wear this when you are not in the castle.” He said as he placed a sash across her chest and secured it at her shoulder.

“What is this?” She asked.

“It is my sash. It will show all, that you are under my protection.”

She turned around and looked at him. “It is to show that I am your property?”

He chuckled. “No, Spitfire. It shows other men that you cannot be claimed.”

“Claimed?!”

He kissed her. “There are some men who claim women, yes.”

“How barbaric.” She said as she scrunched up her face.

“Yes.” He agreed with a nod. “That is why my father has been fighting to abolish the law, which allows them to do it. Hence the sash.” He said as he snapped the sash.

She sighed. “All right Derk. I guess I have to remember that I am on your planet now.”

He chuckled. “Just make sure you wear the sash in public.”

“But won’t me being pregnant, prove that I have a mate?”

“Not necessarily. If you don’t have a sash, they will still consider you claimable.”

“Would they rape me?” She asked as she placed her hands to her throat.

He shook his head. “We do not rape our women. But they may take you as a slave, if you will not lay, with them.”

She gasped. “Wouldn’t you come for me?”

He chuckled. “Of course, I would. But what if they have you for days or even weeks before I find you?”

She frowned as she looked at the sash. “Purple?” She asked as she looked up at him.

He smiled. “It’s my color. My father’s is blue. No one will touch you, while you have that on.”

She sighed. “All right, I won’t leave the castle without it.”

He let out a breath then kissed her.

“I will make sure that no one touches her, Tasheen.”

Derk turned to Trey with a smile. “Thank you, Trey.”

“Are we going out there?” Sahrah asked, not able to contain her excitement.

“Soon.” He promised.

**

Sahrah stepped off the ship and sucked in a breath of fresh air. They were in the biggest, most beautiful city, she has ever seen.

“Welcome to Leboriah, Tashia.” Trey said as she moved to stand next to Sahrah.

“It’s so beautiful.” Sahrah breathed. She looked up and sucked in a shocked breath. “Flying cars!” She shrieked.

Trey and Derk laughed.

Sahrah looked at Derk with a bright smile, and he smiled back.

“The driver should be here soon.” He informed her.

She nodded. “You have a beautiful planet.”

He chuckled. “Thank you, Spitfire.”

“Your ride awaits you, Tasheen.” An older gentleman said as he bowed to Derk.

Derk looked at the transportation and shook his head. “My mate is with child, bring the hovercar.”

The man looked at Sahrah with wide eyes, then smiled as he bowed to her. “Tashia.” He said, then left to collect the hovercar.

“What’s wrong with the vehicle he brought?” Sahrah asked as she looked at Derk.

“It was a land rider.” He said with a shrug. “Much too bumpy, a hovercar is much smoother of a ride.”

Sahrah frowned. “I’m not a fragile, Dextonian woman, Derk. I’m not going to break.”

He chuckled. “Humor me, Spitfire.”

She smiled. “Alright, I’ll humor you, for now.” She said with a mischievous grin.

He chuckled as he pulled her against his side and kissed her temple.

The hovercar appeared and Sahrah squealed with excitement. She noticed the look in Derk’s eyes and knew that this is why he had had the vehicles switched. To see that reaction from her.

He had known how much she would enjoy their futuristic cars.