I watched as my sister and Father argued. Elda had her hand on her sword. And indeed no one would stop her from killing the king. As crown princess it would only cement her rule. Not that it mattered. Eventually she would lose the argument either to Father or the council. And I’d be sent away as some prize for an otherworlder. But that didn’t matter as long as my planet was safe.

I touched Elda’s hand before she could draw the fabled sword. The same blade I’d spent months perfecting. Forged from an alloy only found on this planet. The same stuff that our enemies were now bombarding us for.

“We need allies.”

Elda focused on me, her eyes hard. “So you’d just marry a stranger?”

I shrugged. I didn’t much care about stuff like that as long as I could work on my tech. But my lack of care was the reason I could diffuse the bomb that had landed in our courtyard yesterday. A bastard’s strength was only in death after all.

“Rakel.” Elda held a warning tone.

“If you care so much then devise a test for them.”

Elda growled but she stalked off. Father was not long after her. Finally I was left in my lab in peace. There was much to do. Many orders to fill. And my side project that might end the bombardment before the shield failed.

I don’t know how long I worked. But I noticed when the stranger entered. Some diplomats guard or another who’d stopped by to get his gun reconfigured. The main armory was too busy so why not add more to the bastard’s plate.

A cup of coffee was thrust into my face. The stranger smiled. “Figured you could use a break.”

I grabbed the cup and downed it in one gulp. Energy immediately sizzled through me as if I hadn’t been skipping my sleep cycles. I continued my work as I handed back the cup.

“That wasn’t a break.”

“Is there something you wanted?” I asked as I adjusted the trigger on that bomb I’d diffused. The perfect answer to its owner in the sky. A device that could get past it’s shield and make our people breathe easier.

He was silent for a moment. I could feel his eyes roving my face but I refused to meet them. Finally he scooted over the tools on my work bench and sat. Getting too comfortable again.

“So the strangest thing happened today. Stranger than the bomb you diffused last week.” He paused but I didn’t react to the passage of time. “Princess Elda got everyone together and had a little competition. Of course we all thought it was good natured so my Uncle allowed me to participate. Imagine my surprise when I won and the princess declared me her brother in law.”

I met his gaze, the trigger’s wires still tangled in my fingers.

“It was even more shocking to learn that you were the elusive princess.”

My hands clenched. “A bastard you mean.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but that’s when the bomb started beeping. A moment passed between us before we dashed to the escape pod. He flew the pod toward the troublesome ship while I worked to untangle my fingers. I’d set the trigger for just enough time to get to the ship. It was interesting that he’d remembered my mumbled rambling as I planned out what I’d code. How long ago was that? I blinked down at the wires cursing the caffeine for making me jittery.

Finally I gave up and shoved open the airlock. A bastard’s greatest strength was in death after all. But before I could close the door he was there.

“What are you doing?”

“There’s not enough time to get untangled.” I glanced out the window. “And we’re almost to the ship.”

He growled and with one yank freed my red fingers. Then pulled me out of the airlock before jettisoning out the bomb. The pod jolted as it exploded. But my new fiancé was already in the pilot’s chair steering us away.

“Why did you do that?”

“You may not care but I do.”

“Not caring is my greatest strength.”

“And saving people is mine.”

I sat there for a moment, feeling the secondary shockwave ripple through the craft. Then I sat down beside him.

“Does your uncle have a lab?”

He smirked as he began the descent down to my home.