Page 87 of I Married Kayog
“Well, well, look who we have here!” the Stornian male exclaimed with the fakest air of surprise. Taylor and Lucas Darby! We meet again!”
Typical of his species, the Stornian was an imposing male. His charcoal skin, broad shoulders and the spikes covering hisbald head would be deemed very intimidating by most people. A smattering of dark scales covered his body, some of them much longer and slightly protruding. The latter were the same type of horns that adorned his head. When in danger, the darker ‘scales’ would stand up as vicious spikes that would inflict grievous injuries on any enemy attempting to touch him.
Despite his pointy ears that were usually associated with elves, people often mistakenly assumed his species to possess draconic ties, especially when you considered his long, lizard-like tail. But the lightning-shaped darker patterns on certain areas of his skin told a different story. Humans often compared Stornians to stone elementals or golems.
A young female companion quietly accompanied him. She seemed to be barely a few days over twenty. While petite compared to him—as was the wont of the Stornian females—they shared undeniable features that marked her either as his daughter or much younger sibling. I definitely leaned towards the former.
“Kateros Granger,” Taylor said in a polite voice, just the right level of welcoming without being deemed warm. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I flinched inwardly at the less-than-subtle dig. Although the newcomer didn’t seem to realize it, Darby had implied his business wasn’t high-ranking enough to justify his presence at this symposium. Kateros came here on a mission, and it seemed to heavily involve the two brothers.
“Please, meet our new friends, Linsea and Kayog Voln,” Taylor said, waving in turn at my mate and me.
I repressed a smile when the Stornian barely spared us a glance.
“Kateros Granger. Pleased to meet you,” the Stornian replied, granting each of us an almost dismissive nod before refocusing on Taylor.
“I wouldn’t miss this event for anything in the world. But have you met my beautiful daughter, Shaya?” Kateros asked, placing his hand on the small of her back to bring her forward.
A wave of anger instantly swelled within me. Thanks to my studies, I knew well how common arranged marriages occurred within certain species. In this instance, Kateros wasn’t even trying to be subtle about wanting to trade his daughter in exchange for a beneficial business arrangement. The sad part was that to him, it was normal, and not at all highly offensive and disrespectful to his child. Moreover, I could feel genuine affection from him towards her.
If he indeed secured a marriage proposal from one of the brothers, he would be deemed to have performed spectacularly well for his daughter. To Stornians, marriage was not about love but about securing the welfare and future of the bloodline. It was about strengthening one’s status.
The resignation emanating from Shaya was heartbreaking. She would comply with whatever agreement her father secured because it was her duty as his child. At least, these unions were not misogynistic in any way. Sons and daughters were equally traded in whatever deal the parent deemed beneficial.
“I had that pleasure a few years back,” Taylor conceded, his gaze roaming over the young female in an appreciative fashion. “You were but a child back then. But you have blossomed into quite a beautiful woman.”
“You flatter me,” Shaya replied with the perfect level of demure and polite.
Although it annoyed me to perceive the covetous emotions emanating from both Taylor and his brother, I at least felt relieved that neither of them had looked at her in a way that was lurid or disrespectful. There was nothing wrong with a male being aroused by an attractive female, and Shaya qualified as such. But both men were nearly twice her age with clearly nointerest in settling down with her. Why would they when some of the wealthiest and best-connected females in the galaxy gladly threw themselves at them? I could only hope that their interest in bedding her would remain that—the natural sexual attraction between compatible adults, and not something they would act on. However, it was something else that retained my attention.
Her song was familiar to me.
“She is my pride and joy,” Kateros said, puffing out his broad chest. “Shaya is my greatest treasure, my company being a pale second.”
“And what company would that be?” my mate asked.
“Granger Mining Corporation, the biggest provider of azonite and other rare metals of Khelesar, our homeworld,” Kateros boasted, before casting a less-than-subtle glance at Taylor to assess his reaction to his claim.
“Ah yes! Azonite is a pillar of the Stornian economy,” Linsea said.
She was furiously reflecting about something related to this. Right this instant, I wished I could read her mind.
“Absolutely. It’s a metal highly sought after throughout the galaxy. Our order book is overflowing,” Kateros replied, this time facing Taylor directly. “Frankly, we’ve reached a point where supplying the demand will be near impossible unless we expand.”
I sensed the very moment Taylor switched from having a casual conversation into business mode. And it clearly wasn’t going to bode well for the Stornian.
“Yes, azonite is a fantastic metal. It’s a pity that extracting it creates such massive hazardous waste,” Taylor said in a polite tone that also loudly broadcast the fact that he wasn’t interested. “If not for that, I’m sure investors would be beating down your doors to help you with this endeavor.”
The light of hope instantly faded in Kateros’s eyes, even as he tried to hang on with a last plea.
“The waste is obviously a problem that we have been diligently working on. But with the right investors, we would be able to turn things around swiftly, with huge profits guaranteed for everyone involved,” the Stornian replied eagerly.
“It would take years if not decades to recoup that initial investment,” Taylor countered in a slightly cooler tone. “Other, smaller mining firms have already optimized their equipment and methodologies so that they fall within the prescribed guidelines. The UPO is seriously cracking down on environmental violations. No one wants to get on their bad side over it.”
“As my father said, we have been diligently working to improve our infrastructure, facilities, and methodologies so that we remain in compliance with the ordinance,” Shaya intervened with an assurance that took me aback.
Initially, she had struck me as being submissive and reserved. But I could now see the strength and fire that lurked beneath that demure facade. It made sense, considering what was now obvious to me.
