Chapter 1:  War Bride

 In the slave pits of Planet Doom hundreds of young woman tremble in silent fear.
King Zarkon is walking among them to choose one of them to be the queen of his evil
empire.  The one he chooses will be a war bride, a queen but still a slave and forced to
bear his heir.

 Zarkon looks over the slave women and sighs.  None of them have stirred a fire in
him.  Plus, they tremble at the sight of him and to produce the fearless warrior son he
desires he must have a mother for the child with these same qualities.

 “Useless!!! The whole lot of them!” Zarkon strikes down one petite slave in
anger.

 The young redhead cringes in fear and her fellow slaves step back from her,
fearing to be the next recipient of Zarkon’s anger, all except one.

 The king’s eyes watch in interest as a tall blonde in the uniform of an officer of
the Galaxy Alliance helps the frightened girl up.

 “You have nothing better to do than striking a woman?” she spits at him.  “Your
day will come Zarkon.”

 “Who is this slave?” Zarkon smiles, this one has the fire...the fight he wants to see
in a son.

 “She won’t give us a name sire but we captured her from the Alliance ship headed
back to Earth from Arus.”

 Zarkon laughed, “It doesn’t matter.  After tomorrow she will be known as Queen
Zartheria of Doom.  I care not about her given name.  I have chosen my war bride!
Prepare our wedding.”

 I’m already married...Tarla Wilson thought in shock.  But she knew Zarkon cared
nothing about interstellar law, the child and husband she already had meant nothing to
him.  That night she wept for her family.