Her Alien Abductor (Aegarian Saga) by Alexandra O'Hurley

she was alone, save for her lady’s maids. J’Halle exited to bring her a platter of foods for dinner. The sun was just starting its descent, meaning it was only late afternoon. She couldn’t wait for dark to sleep and hopefully see her dream man again. The flower in her hair that morning had been startling, unsettling, but it had excited her as well. She longingly waited to see him again.
    Did that mean she was ready to commit to the man? To give her life away to him in hopes he could fulfill the promises he made to her? Walking away from her entire existence, moving toward the unknown, she was afraid. Yet, she was also intrigued. There was so much to see, to learn, to taste. In the past couple of days, since her excursions into town started, she awoke with a renewed sense of excitement to see what the day would bring.
    She couldn’t recall the last time she’d woke excited on Earth. The daily grind of the business had become monotonous. She was the robot there, merely existing.
    J’Halle brought out the sumptuous tray of steaming slivers of meat and vegetables. After her conversation with Lord Fatel, she wanted to learn more of these creatures who spent their days at her side.
    “Sit with me, eat.” Kaya recoiled, unsure of herself suddenly. “You do eat, don’t you?”
    “We do take small amounts of sustenance, but we cannot join you to eat, my lady.”
    “Why is that?”
    “We are programmed not to.”
    “And if I demanded it?”
    J’Halle looked despondent, as if her inner workings were battling. “I suppose if you demanded it, I would have to sit and eat.”
    “Would you want to if I did?”
    J’Halle looked at her, a stunned expression on her face. “Yes. I suppose I would.”
    “Then I demand it.” Kaya smiled as the female slowly dropped into the seat across from her, hands in her lap. J’Halle looked as uncomfortable as anyone she’d ever seen.
    Kaya picked at a small amount of what appeared to be a meat. “It tastes like chicken.” Kaya laughed to herself. “Even on other planets things taste like chicken.”
    “Chicken?”
    “It’s a meat on Earth. Long story.” She smiled with that and slowly ate her meal. “Why not have a taste?”
    “No … no.  I can’t have this.”
    “Why not?”
    “This is g’nav. It is a delicacy, as it is only bred in the northern most mountains of the Allutta Range . It is too rare a treat for me to take a sample.”
    “But I want you to.” Kaya’s heart ached at the female’s second class citizen status. “If you want to try it, I demand you do.”
    J’Halle looked at her timidly, then reached over and picked up a small amount of the meat, lifting it to her mouth.
    “Delicious. If your chicken tastes like this, then you must be blessed on Earth to have it available to you.”
    Kaya smiled as she watched the female tentatively reach for another morsel and pondered the look of delight at the flavor it gave.
    “J’Halle, are you and your sister happy here? Truly?”
    “Why, yes, of course! Have we done something to displease you?” The female’s eyes widened in fear, and it struck Kaya with remorse.
    “No, no … it isn’t like that at all. It’s just I’m not used to being waited on. And it bothers me you are forced into this.”
    “But it is what we were made to do.”
    “Regardless, I want to know if you’re happy.”
    J’Halle’s face brightened. “Yes, my lady. We are both quite happy to be here.”
    Kaya still felt leery of being waited on hand and foot and how easy it was becoming to order the pair about. But the two seemed intent on doing things for her, and if they were happy, who was she to question? Yet she refused to abuse them.
    Kaya smiled as J’Halle picked up another finger full of vegetables, seemingly pleased to taste the items. Realizing these two probably had a long list of things they were programmed not to do, she decided to find out what that list was and see what could be tweaked. They were sentient beings