BRIDE OF THE RUTHLESS DEMON

THE WAR ROOM DATE

Chapter 16: The War Room Date

Roxan followed Damon down the long, cold hallway. The ship was vast, much bigger on the inside than it looked from the outside. Damon walked fast, his large body moving with powerful steps. Roxan had to jog a little to keep up.

“Slow down, Your Majesty,” she said. “Are you marching to war or walking to a meeting?”

Damon stopped. He turned around, his face serious. “We must move with purpose, Queen Roxan. Time is a resource. We do not waste resources.”

“My purpose right now is not to fall over in these stupid shoes,” Roxan said, pointing to her fancy party heels.

Damon looked at her feet, then at her face. A small look of confusion crossed his features. “Why wear shoes that slow your movement? That is inefficient.”

“They look nice,” Roxan sighed. “Human women sometimes choose ‘look nice’ over ‘efficient’. It’s complicated.”

“Complicated is bad,” Damon stated.

He bent down fast. Before Roxan knew what was happening, Damon picked her up. He held her easily in his strong arms, like she weighed nothing.

Roxan gasped. “Put me down! What are you doing?”

“Saving time,” Damon said flatly. “This is the most efficient way for you to move with purpose. Stop yelling.”

Roxan didn’t know if she should yell or laugh. The King of the Universe was carrying her like a bride over the threshold. It was totally crazy. Her face turned red.

She wrapped her arms around his strong neck so she wouldn’t fall. His chest was hard muscle. She could feel his warmth, even through the uniform. That confusing feeling from the kiss came back strong.

“This is a very fast way to walk,” Roxan admitted, resting her head slightly on his shoulder.

Damon just kept walking fast down the hall. He seemed proud of his new plan. “Of course. Logic always wins.”

They reached a large, dark door. It slid open with a quiet whoosh. Inside was the War Room.

It was a huge space with a large, round table in the middle. Bright blue light from many big screens lit up the room. The screens showed maps of stars, moving ships, and lines of battle. Three very serious-looking alien generals were standing by the table.

The generals froze when they saw their King carrying the human Queen in his arms. Their eyes went wide with surprise.

Damon didn’t care. He walked straight to the big table and gently put Roxan down on her feet.

“General Varrick is on the main screen,” Damon said, pointing to the wall screen. The screen showed the general’s rough face.

“My King!” Varrick started, staring at Roxan with surprise. “The fleet is ready to wait. As ordered.”

“Good,” Damon said, sitting in his large chair at the head of the table. He gestured for Roxan to sit next to him. “Queen Roxan has a thought on this Kreet issue.”

Roxan sat down, feeling very out of place in her party dress and heels. The three generals in the room looked at her like she was a bug. Varrick on the screen looked confused.

“A human thought, My King?” Varrick asked. He sounded very unsure.

“Yes,” Damon said simply. He looked at Roxan. “Roxan, tell them the plan for looking strong by waiting.”

Roxan cleared her throat. She decided to use her business meeting voice. “Hello, Generals. The Kreet leaders are just testing you. They want to see if King Damon is distracted by Earth. If you attack now, you prove them right. You look like you are scared and rushed.”

The generals in the room shifted their feet, listening carefully now.

“If you wait, you look calm and in control,” Roxan continued. “You tell the Kreet that their small moves are not even worth the King’s time. You make them feel unimportant. They will get scared that you are planning something big and quiet. They will back off.”

Damon nodded once. “Exactly. We use their fear of the unknown against them. We ‘chill’, as Roxan says, but in a smart, warlike way.”

Varrick on the screen seemed to think about this. “That is… smart logic, Queen Roxan. We will make them wait and worry.”

“Good,” Damon said, a proud look on his face as he looked at Roxan. “Now, about the Kreet's water systems on the border planets…”

Roxan spent the next hour talking about water filters, supply lines, and using human psychology to win a war without firing a shot. The generals started to look at her with real respect.

It was the weirdest date ever. But Roxan had to admit, working with Damon like this felt powerful. They made a good team. Damon made the rules, and Roxan found the smart ways to use them.

The line between fighting the King and working with him is totally gone now. Roxan was helping the monster win his wars, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that.