I couldn’t help but laugh at the small piece of Laffy Taffy he held.
“You brought this from Earth for me?”
“Yes, Paige, Queen of Insuri.”
I took it and opened the wrapper and read the joke.
“What did the house wear to the party?”
Everyone in the control room eyed me with confusion. The question made no sense when jokes weren’t something they shared.
“Address,” I replied.
Now they stared at me bewildered. I looked to Addan, who smiled, well aware there were many Earth things I did that he didn't fully understand.
Stohn, however, laughed. “A dress! That is very amusing.”
I held out the opened candy for Stohn to take. I knew how he liked his sweets.
He bowed and declined. “No, my lady. I brought it for you. It is my honor.”
I nodded my thanks and popped the treat into my mouth. It would be rude not to.
“You see, you did find a mate.” Warlord Stohn scowled at Addan with…approval? Men were so weird. “A worthy male who will protect and satisfy you.”
I blushed, remembering how Addan had satisfied me as soon as we were shown to our quarters on the battleship.
My gaze darted again to Addan. He stood at my side, calm and steady. Solid. Everything Stohn mentioned.
The tension in my chest eased. He looked like he belonged here. Like nothing in the galaxy could rattle him.
I held my breath and straightened my spine as Commander Zeus turned to us. Stohn retreated, but remained nearby, clearly ready to protect me as well.
Zeus looked a hundred times more fierce and intimidating on his battleship, with his fighters lined up behind him, than he had on Insuri. When he spoke, his voice filled the entire space. And that was without the help of Hermione’s voice amplification.
“Queen Paige of Insuri. King Consort Addan Peigi, her Resonant.” Zeus’s sharp gaze flicked over us, his tone clipped. “Welcome aboard Battleship Zeus. Today, we formalize Insuri’s place as a full member of the Interstellar Coalition of Planets.”
Addan held out his arm and I wrapped my hands around the crook of his elbow. The solid heat of him, the contact, grounded me. I consistently clung to it, to him, like a lifeline. Yes, I was queen now. There had been a huge ceremony. A heavy crown plopped on my head. But most days, I still felt like an imposter, a maid turned into a princess, a maid with the sickly-sweet taste of sour apple on my tongue.
Holy shit. I was fucking Cinderella. Hah.
“This day has been a long time coming,” Zeus continued. “Queen Madallaine, Paige’s mother, dreamed of this day. She gave her life for Insuri’s future, and I believe she’d be proud to see her daughter standing here now, fulfilling her vision.”
I met Zeus’s gaze. “It’s an honor to bring Insuri into the Coalition. This partnership will mark the beginning of a new era for my people.”
Zeus nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Of course, none of this would have been possible without a certain someone’s unexpected fall into a transport pool.”
Addan chuckled softly. The sound sent a ripple of warmth through me, even while I blushed at my klutziness.
“The universe had a plan for her,” Addan said, glancing down at me.
“Apparently, it involved me scrubbing toilets,” I replied dryly.
Laughter rippled through the room, breaking the tension. Even Zeus allowed a small smirk.
Then, Zeus’s voice grew serious. “Thanks to that plan, we’ve brought down one of the largest smuggling operations in Coalition history. The arrests of Queen Alienor’s allies dismantled the illegal weapons and tech trade across multiple sectors. Corruption we’ve been chasing for years—gone. Justice served.”
My chest tightened. We’d done it. I still couldn’t believe I’d been involved at all. Me.
