Prince's knees were starting to hurt from kneeling so long.
The floor beneath him felt cold, almost alive, like it was humming faintly. He wanted to shift his weight or at least glance around the room, but something about the tall alien woman in front of him froze him in place.
Aria.
She stood still as a statue, her golden eyes locked on him like a predator watching prey. That calm expression, that shimmering silver-blue skin… it made her look less like a person and more like some untouchable goddess.
Prince swallowed hard.
"W-Why did you buy me?" he asked, his voice cracking.
The glowing collar around his neck pulsed once, sending a sharp sting through his skin. He winced.
Aria's lips curved ever so slightly—not quite a smile, not quite a frown.
"You ask too many questions for a slave," she said softly. Her voice was smooth like flowing water, but there was an edge in it that made the hair on Prince's arms stand up.
He bit his tongue, lowering his eyes.
---
Taken to the Palace
"Stand."
Her command was quiet, but Prince's legs moved before he realized it. The collar around his neck hummed again, as if reminding him what would happen if he disobeyed.
Aria turned gracefully and began walking toward a glowing archway at the far end of the chamber. Her long robe trailed behind her like a stream of liquid silver.
Two tall guards appeared from the shadows—both women, their faces hidden by strange, angular helmets. They carried long staffs that seemed to vibrate with faint energy.
One of them gestured. "Follow."
Prince hesitated, but the collar pulsed again, sending another jolt through his body. He flinched and hurried after them.
As he stepped through the archway, the air shimmered, and the world beyond the room unfolded before his eyes.
---
The Silver Palace
Prince froze in awe.
He was in a massive corridor that stretched so far he couldn't see the end. The walls were made of some glowing, crystalline material, and strange vines pulsed softly with blue light.
Beyond a wide glass panel, he saw stars.
Not just stars—entire clusters, spinning galaxies, and swirling nebulae, all glittering against the endless black void.
It felt like he was floating in space.
"Where… is this?" he whispered.
No one answered.
---
The Servants' Hall
They led him deeper into the palace until they reached a huge hall filled with rows of beds and lockers.
There were people here—but none of them were from Earth.
Dozens of alien women moved about the room, each one more unusual than the last. One had skin that shimmered like molten gold, another had long hair that floated around her head as if underwater. A few had eyes that glowed faintly in the dim light.
Prince's stomach tightened as he realized something.
They're all women.
And they were all staring at him.
---
Whispers and Rules
"A male?" someone whispered.
"He's small," another murmured, their voice dripping with amusement.
Prince looked down at himself. At 5'6", he wasn't exactly short for an Earthling, and his body—while not muscular—was lean and fit. But here, surrounded by these tall, elegant alien women, he felt like a child.
A tall lavender-skinned woman stepped forward. Her eyes, a sharp glowing white, pinned him in place.
"You're the Earthling male Lady Aria purchased?" she asked.
Prince nodded nervously.
She circled him, inspecting him from head to toe.
"You will follow the rules here," she said. "Speak only when spoken to. Do not resist orders. And never anger Lady Aria. Understand?"
"Yes…" he mumbled.
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good." She gestured to an empty bed. "You will sleep there. Tomorrow, your duties begin."
---
Alone Among Strangers
As Prince lay on the narrow bed that night, he stared up at the glowing ceiling.
Back on Earth, he had been just another teenager worrying about exams and life in a small middle-class neighborhood.
Now he was in a palace floating in space, surrounded by alien women who treated him like property.
His parents… his friends… would he ever see them again?
He wanted to cry, but no tears came.
Somewhere above, in her private chambers, Aria stood before a massive glass window, watching the stars.
"So fragile," she murmured, her voice almost gentle. "Yet perhaps… interesting."
The collar on Prince's neck pulsed once, as if reminding him:
You are hers now.