Holly shook her head. "It's..."
"Impressive." Zahra filled in when Holly trailed off.
Her husband came from wealth. Lots of it. Zahra on the other hand came from a middle-class family. She'd been given everything she'd needed and a little extra, but her family home hadn't looked like this. Damn.
The shuttle landed with a little jolt, and then the pilot shut off the engine. The soft patter of rain could be heard on the metal hull of the shuttle. It sounded magical. Maybe Khaazai was right, and she shouldn’t have holed herself up inside her room at the emperor’s home.
"Come, Zahra.” Khaazai ushered her up. “I want to show you where I grew up." He said eagerly as he rose from his seat.
Zahra rose as Khaazai opened the shuttle door, and the fresh smell of rain rushed into the shuttle. Closing her eyes, Zahra enjoyed the sounds and scents surrounding them. The planet she’d grown up on hadn’t had much rain, maybe once a month if they were lucky.
"What kind of planet did you grow up on?" Khaazai asked as he watched her enjoying the wet weather, almost as though he heard her thoughts.
"It wasn't a desert planet, but it didn't rain a lot either. Storms were few and far between, hence why I enjoy the rain so much." Zahra inhaled. "Don't you enjoy the refreshing scent?"
Chapter 9
Khaazai watched as his human wife closed her eyes again and tilted her head towards the gray sky above them. She inhaled through her nose, her eyes closed, seeming to take enjoyment from what most would consider dismal weather.
"Don't you enjoy the scent?" She asked, seeming entranced with her experience.
With the constant rain, he’d never really taken a moment to enjoy it. It was just something he was used to, and something he hadn’t truly noticed.
Wanting to understand her enjoyment, Khaazai closed his eyes, and he sucked in a breath. He smelled the earthy scent of wet soil combined with the floral notes coming off of his mother’s garden not far away, and then there was Zahra’s delectable scent. An image of her naked, spread out before him with little raindrops dotting her skin flashed through his mind. His wife might just convince him the rain could be enjoyable. Especially if she fulfilled the fantasy that had just flashed through his mind.
"It smells nice," Khaazai agreed as he opened his eyes and found both human women watching him. They appeared amused with his attempts at understanding the joys of rain. "Now let us head inside before my sister wonders where we are."
Khaazai gestured for the both of them to follow him inside as he led the way over the small courtyard. As they walked, he found himself enjoying the splatters of rain on his head. His wife had a way of enjoying something he’d taken for granted and even thought of as a nuisance. Now, he had a new take on it.
"Wow!" Holly exclaimed from behind him as they entered the main entrance of his childhood home.
He turned to watch Zahra’s facial expressions. He had much to learn about humans and their expressions, but he figure he had the basics down. Smiles tended to be good. Frowns meant they didn’t understand or were upset. From there he could only guess what the others meant. Would she have the same astonished reaction as Holly?
Zahra's eyes spread wide as she took in everything around her. "I have no words." she finally said.
Khaazai puffed up his chest, feeling proud of his family home. "My family has ruled or played important roles in our planet’s political system for generations." Which had gifted them with an abundance of wealth.
"And now you do."
It wasn't a question, but he chose to answer anyway. "I became my cousin's general. His right-hand man, so to speak. I could have challenged him for the position of emperor.”
"But you didn't."
Again, not a question, but Khaazai chose to answer Zahra again. "No. My cousin is a fair and level-headed emperor. I would rather support him than cause unnecessary strife among my people by challenging his position."
"It's very loyal of you." Zahra said with adoration. “We have many periods in human history where families have fought each other over the chance for power. Sometimes, people find the appeal of power too tempting and turn against their own family members.”
"I still lead the people, in a way." Khaazai inclined his head. "The people may not realize it, but I do have my cousin's ear. I report their issues back to him, and advise him on how to handle certain issues. He’s a big enough male to know more than one head can be better at times."
"Well, I bet they'd be thankful for all that you do for them." Zahra replied appearing to admire his choice to back his cousin rather than oppose him. He figured it was another small win for him.
Khaazai would be the first to admit, his people weren’t much different than her people’s past. Strength was valued among his people. Thankfully, no one would challenge and take his life as he got older. Only the emperor would be challenged. The position of general was determined by more than brute strength. He needed cunning, and Khaazai prided himself on both his brain and his brawn.
"There you are!" His sister's voice echoed through the massive entryway, her voice bouncing off the stone walls.
“Vera." Khaazai greeted warmly with a slight bow of his head. She in turn offered a bow and a hand over her chest in a respectful greeting. After so many years away, he felt bad he hadn’t visited her more. It was time to change that error. He may have lost his parents, but he refused to lose his sister as well.
“Brother. It is good to see you again." Vera said as she straightened, her eyes lighting with happiness.
