Chapter 7: Committing a Crime Over Dinner

Ellis wanted to retreat but Logan and the two others stood behind her, effectively cutting off her escape route. The room had gone eerily silent as if they were waiting for something to happen. 

Without warning, she felt two firm arms grasp her and suspend her in the air. She closed her eyes, mortification coloring her cheeks as she hoped the ground would open up and swallow her. 

Why was she being treated like Simba from The Lion King? Sorry, she hadn't signed up for this. She'd long been an adult and being cradled and shown off like a newborn was the last thing she wanted with her life. 

Apart from being the Empress of an alien solar system, that is. 

She clutched at the arms that held her by her ribcage to make sure she wouldn't fall. 

"Empress Ellis has arrived!" Logan's voice boomed. The room erupted into noise, the creatures banging the tables and shouting her name in unison. 

When Logan set her back on her feet, Ellis scrambled over to Laurel's side. "What the hell just happened?" she whispered.

Laurel gestured towards an empty table and guided Ellis to the spot. Unused to sitting on the ground and dining, Ellis scratched the back of her neck and looked around the room. It seemed that the Emperor dined with his subjects. 

At least he wasn't raising his nose and refusing to mingle with them. Laurel took a seat beside Ellis and leaned in to whisper. "You're the Empress according to our system. Your genetic structure is compatible with the Emperor, so he announced you in the room." She paused and looked at the nervousness in Ellis's face. "If you agree to marry Logan, you will be Empress. He's staking a claim on you because human women are precious in this solar system."

"This makes no sense." She looked around the room. "There is definitely a hierarchy here. Some people are sitting at a higher level than others. What is the social structure like?" she asked. 

These were things she needed to know. Was she to compromise everything she stood for? What would that make her?

"Also, I can't be Empress," she informed Laurel.

The other blinked. "You have a strong personality and thoughts of your own. I heard you were going to be a lawyer, so you have a lot of knowledge of government policy and laws. You'd be perfect for the role," Laurel assured, thinking Ellis was scared of taking up such a responsibility. 

"Civil Rights lawyer. I'm a liberal leftist in political opinion. Do you think taking part in the monarchy falls in line with my political ideology?" She wanted to cry. 

Laurel remained silent. She didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry." She could only apologize. 

Ellis was not sure how to respond to the situation. She was saved by a man who brought her food. "Empress, may I wash your hands and feet?" the man asked. Ellis looked on in surprise. This man looked like other Zotheans but his size was that of an average human male.

She looked towards Laurel for advice. The other nodded and Ellis smiled politely at the man. "Sure," she said. For now, she would follow the conventions. The man took her hands gently and dipped it into the bowl, taking care not to prick her with his claws. 

She thanked him automatically and the room grew silent. She noticed immediately and stiffened. She looked around to see if she had committed a crime. 

There was simply surprised. 

"You just thanked a Koln." Ellis looked on in confusion. "The people are surprised because most people don't thank Kolns."

Ellis couldn't understand why until she did. "Are they... slaves?" she whispered.

Laurel pretended not to hear. "They have a system in the galaxy close to the omegaverse one we know about on Earth. The alphas are the biggest and strongest, possessing more dominant features and mentality, while the betas are comparatively subservient. They don't have omegas. In place of that, they have Kolns. They are submissive and" she pointed at the male's tail. "... have shorter tails."

She looked closely. Indeed, the tail was merely a small stub the size of a finger and nothing more. "Is this some sort of sign of dominance? Like men comparing their penises?"

Laurel nodded vehemently. "The longer the tail, the better fighter the male is."

"What? The tail grows every time they win a fight or something?" she asked, finding the whole thing bizarre. 

"How is that possible?" Laurel teased gently. 

'Well, none of this makes sense, so...'

"If they lose a fight, the victor demands a piece of the tail. So, you can imagine..."

Ellis wanted to scream. She yelped in horror. "They cut off a body part if they lose a fight? What kind of morbid and barbaric society is this?" she hissed. "And they have slaves too. This is against the rights of any being. Shaming them and oppressing them for the benefit of others. That is beyond something a mature and civilized society to stand for."

Her outrage was understandable. 

"I was as outraged as you when I first came. But I don't have the power to do anything." She shrugged. 

"You can't just brush it off! I can't have a slave waiting on me!" she protested. 

"There's nothing you can do tonight." Laurel was calm. She looked to be around Ellis's age but her demeanor was more reserved. She gestured towards Ellis's plate. "Eat. You can fight for their rights and change the opinions of the masses when you are full."

The words were not meant sarcastically. Ellis sighed. She looked around to see that no other table had been served. 

"The rest of them don't have food in front of them," she observed quietly. 

"They won't get anything until you start anything. You're the chief guest tonight, they are waiting for you."

Ellis regarded the plate in front of her. The food looked delicious. From the lack of utensils, she could guess that she would have to treat it as an Indian restaurant. Eat using her fingers, it is. She put the first bite into her mouth and her eyes widened.

The food was good. 

From the corner of her eyes, she could see the others bend down over their food and eat as well. 

She could see that all the men ate only the meats. Hers and Laurel's seemed to have vegetables though.