(Y/N)
Caspian takes Miasha to her room and returns with a grin.
"She's the sweetest." Zuri comments.
Caspian's grin grows wider but his red-eyed gaze lands on me. "She is, isn't she?" he says.
I straighten under his gaze. I suddenly feel like he isn't talking about his sister anymore.
"Where are the other princes, Captain?" I say.
"They'll be here in another hour. How about I ask you some questions about your planet?" He asks.
"Only if you answer ours. An eye for an eye." Amit replies curtly.
Caspian nods. "You go first."
"What happened to this planet after the World War?" I ask.
He shakes his head grimly. "While we have no mention of that in our records, the Lollets, as you call them, have told us of our tragic past. This world seems to have restarted but we have no recollection of anything. They did tell us a few things."
"What were they?" Zuri asks.
"Uh-uh. My turn." Caspian smirks.
I sigh in frustration. "Ask away."
He leans forward and his eyes suddenly flash a brighter, ominous red. "What is your planet's concept of love and worship?"
Amit and Zuri straighten their backs and their hands immediately go to their respective weapons. I look at him with narrowed eyes.
"Our love is harmony. We have relationships, yes, marriages too. I imagine it may differ much more than your concept of love, but marriages are rare, common only in the retired population. Most are devoted to the community. It's just how we are. We have no 'religion' to worship but science and truth." I reply.
"Our turn. Answer the question she asked you." Amit says, his hand still on the holster of his weapon.
Eyes furrowed at my answer, Caspian leans back. "They told us that the nuclear energy from the War caused some mutations in our ancestors. Those who survived received heightened senses of hearing, sight and instinct. Though, it did come with some downsides. We feel strongly too, to the extent our eyes turn red when we experience any heavy emotions. We also tend to do more drastic things when we feel strongly compared to our ancestors, which is why, the Lollets told us, we have made legal certain actions that earlier were considered a sin." He finishes.
"Actions like?" All of us ask in unison.
"Stealing, abuse, harassment and sometimes even murder." He says.
"So you made literally everything morally incorrect legal?" I ask.
"Only in specific conditions. You can only steal food when worse comes to worst. Since all of us feel strongly, our love is practically obsession. We know it's wrong, but when a situation arises between our morals and our feelings, we tend to pick the latter," He grins sheepishly, "Obsession has different forms. Some are reverent, some are abusive and psychotic, some even result in death. Only when the person at the centre of someone's affection is targeted does abuse, harassment and murder become legal." He finishes.
We gawk at him.
This planet practically has criminals running all around.
What the hell happened to this planet?!
"What about the gender, race or religion gap here? We have sources telling us that your people tend to discriminate between men and women?" Zuri asks.
"Well, ever since all of our surviving ancestors received heightened senses, there really wasn't much to discriminate. Women and men became on par. As for race and religion, the gap was bridged by the War. Survival took precedence and I suppose no one went back after that. We have different religions, yes, but everyone respects one another." Caspian finishes.
Caspian asks us a few more questions and we answer truthfully. Some are about our world's technology, some about our feelings for some of his society's beliefs.
Caspian then proceeds to explain that his world believes in the concept of a 'chosen love' to avoid infidelity. It has been declared illegal to have more than one lover without the consent of their chosen one. Caspian explains that the chosen ones are known by many names, but the most popular one is 'Klavor'. He said that the people allowed the Lollets to choose the term.
Amit, Zuri and I glance at each other nervously. What these people don't realize is that 'Klavor' literally translates to 'Treasured Property'. They don't realize they're objectifying the people they have feelings for.
"Hey Caspian, how does one find their Klavor?" I query.
"Well, they-" He gets interrupted by the slamming open of a door.
We collectively turn towards the door to see four handsome men stroll in. The moment their gazes land on us, their eyes turn a bright red and they hold a feverish look in their eyes. A blush falls across their cheeks and they start muttering 'Klavor....' over and over again.
"That's how, (Y/N)." I hear Caspian whisper from behind.
I turn to see Caspian's gaze red-eyed once more, and I suddenly realize that his strong feelings must not be from curiosity for I see the dark shadows of the same expression the other men befall his own face.
Amit and Zuri draw their weapons and I do the same.
This place doesn't feel so safe anymore.
===