Paradise Found

Paradise City was... well, paradise. Long ago, it had once been a cluster of independent city-states all crammed together on the same continent. Hunger, war, and poverty almost tore them apart until He descended. He floated down from the heavens on a flaming chariot, and single-handedly saved everyone on the continent. There were no more borders; no more strife and anguish. No more hunger or crime or neediness. He made Paradise City what it was today, and the people in it were very, very happy He came. All they needed to do to keep the blessed peace was surrender completely to His will, which they did happily. His will was the will of the people, and the will of the people was His.

In the early days, there was a small faction that resisted His help. Why anyone would do so, however, was preposterous. He was so benevolent and strong, and possessed more knowledge than any other being in the world. While no one knew His name - or wanted to - the handsome curl of his smile and the strength of his deeds spoke volumes for Him. Serving Him was not only every citizen's sworn duty, but the greatest honor anyone could bestow on them.

Paradise City's entire way of life was one enormous, well-oiled machine, and He kept the gears turning in tip-top shape. He alone took on the burden of teaching the city's children, ensuring they understood everything He'd done for the city and fostering their love for Him from an early age. He oversaw every aspect of the government, re-writing all its imperfect laws to better fit His plan for the city. He took time out of His busy schedule to examine each and every citizen when they came of age, determining what their strengths and natural skills were. Once they were assessed, He assigned them to one of many vital roles that kept Paradise City a paradise.

When a person came of breeding age, He searched their heart, then scoured the entire city for them until he found their perfect mate. Once they were mated, He alone blessed them with children - if He deemed them fit to become parents, that is - never giving any couple more or less offspring than they were capable of raising. In the rare instances where a person did not have a mate in the city, they were bestowed the highest honor a citizen could receive: an invitation to join His sacred harem as His newest spouse. And of course, no one ever turned down such a prestigious and highly-coveted offer.

No one, that is, until Joy.

Truthfully, she was grateful to be chosen as His newest wife. Joining the other spouses and bearing His offspring would award her the highest of social statuses. She would be revered as a goddess by her fellow citizens from the moment they were wed. Joy didn't really want that, however. She was already quite content in her assigned role as a seamstress, serving Him from afar while she helped care for her three younger sisters.

If she became His spouse, she would have to live in the Sacred Temple with the rest of the harem, far away from the home and family she had known all her life. As the firstborn, her family depended on her the most, and she was practically a second mother to her sisters. Also, she was looking forward to having a regular citizen chosen as her mate. There was a man who worked at the grocer's down the street from her parents' tailoring shop, roughly her age with golden curls and green eyes that sparkled like jewels. He always had a kind word on his lips and a song in his heart, and Joy was hoping he was meant to be hers. Then again, she hadn't seen him since he was brought before Him to find his own mate. Perhaps a bride had already been chosen for him, and they were living happily together on the other side of the city.

He saw her fear and hesitation before she could even give voice to it. In the end, it was His gentle coaxing that finally got her to accept His hand. Joy was still quite apprehensive about their union, up until the very second she'd said "I do". When He slipped that cold platinum band on her finger, the coldness trickled down her arm and seeped into her heart. She could feel it taking root within her as she walked down the aisle on His arm, scanning all the beaming, zealous faces around her. It should have been the happiest day of her life... so why was she so miserable?

There was no feasting or dancing after their vows were spoken, not that Joy was in any mood for merry-making. He explained that her duties as a spouse could not wait, escorting her to the Sacred Temple immediately after the ceremony. He left her in the care of the other spouses when they arrived, instructing them to prepare her for their honeymoon while He prepared Himself in private. Joy's new companion spouses welcomed her with open arms, which was more than a little overwhelming. She had heard He'd taken many spouses over the years, and that His love did not discriminate, but there were nearly a hundred people of all genders there to greet her. All smiling a little too widely in their flowing white garments.

After the briefest of introductions were made, a small group of women pulled Joy aside to help her prepare for the consummation. She was dressed in a flowing robe of her own, but hers was a soft, rosy pink instead of white. Once they adorned her arms, neck, and ears with beautiful jewels and wove flowers through her long, black hair, she was led to a small antechamber at the front of the Harem. Her companion spouses left her there alone without instructions, so Joy assumed she was meant to wait there for Him. With nothing else to do, she sank onto one of the many couches there with a heavy sigh, staring at the brand-new ring on her finger.

"First time?" a soft, masculine voice murmured, startling Joy from her thoughts. She followed the voice to the corner, where a young man in a billowing white shirt and matching trousers was leaning against a column.

Joy blinked at him, wetting her lips with a nod. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Guess I'm just a little nervous about... everything."

"Don't be," he quipped, moving into the light with his arms still folded across his chest. "There's nothing to worry about. He won't hurt you."

The iciness in Joy's heart melted away when she got a good look at the young man. Her chest was so warm and light, it lifted her to her feet without her even noticing. "It's you," she gasped. "The grocer's assistant! What're you-?! I-I mean, it's so wonderful to see you again!"

The young man's green eyes brightened with recognition, and his smile grew sincere. "You're the tailor's daughter," he realized. "Wow: small world, huh? I had no idea you'd be chosen, too."

"Yeah," Joy said, her heart growing suddenly cold and heavy again as she looked at her ring. "It's... a great honor. Or so I'm told." She bit her lip, covering her wedding band with her other hand, then tried to smile again. "I'm glad you're here at least. It's nice having a familiar face around. And now I understand why he didn't pair us up. I hadn't a clue you were-... I mean, n-not that there's anything wrong with-"

"I'm not," the young man blurted, his face flushing sheepishly. "What I meant to say is... I would have preferred being paired with a girl... like you... but He said I'm not supposed to. I have a higher purpose: to serve Him directly as His spouse, and I am very happy to do so."

"Me too," Joy murmured, shocked by how cold the ring was on her finger. A chuckle burst from her lips, forced out to try and chase away the creeping ice in her heart, as she fixed her features into a grin. "I'm sorry: I don't even know your name. Mine's Joy. Joy Ferris."

"I know," he said, returning her smile warmly. "Gregory Vice... but you can call me Greg."

His sparkling green eyes darted toward the heavy curtains covering the doorway before he suddenly stepped closer, taking her hands in his. "Being a sacred spouse is a great honor," he mused, "...but I'm not sure I'm worthy of it. Are you?"

"Definitely not," Joy scoffed, blinking as her eyes began to sting without warning. "I know He wants me to be happy, and being His spouse should make me happy... but for the first time in my life, I'm not happy at all."

"I get that," Greg whispered, rubbing the backs of her hands with his thumbs. After checking over both shoulders and stealing a glance at the curtain again, he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "If you had a choice," he whispered in her ear, "if you were able to leave right now... would you?"

Joy's heart glowed in her bosom like a burning coal, hammering against her sternum with guarded hope. Her throat was dry and her tongue tried to stick to the roof of her mouth, but she nodded. "Yes," she whispered back.

"Good: I was hoping you'd say that."

The next thing Joy knew, she was yanked behind a pillar into Greg's arms. His hand clapped over her mouth to silence her startled yelp, while his bare foot stamped the base of the pillar three times. Right before Joy's eyes, a portion of the floor sank down and slid back, opening to reveal a hidden staircase beneath it. Before she could take a breath to ask what was happening, Greg took her hand and dragged her down them, leading her to a series of tunnels under the Sacred Temple.

Without skipping a beat, he grabbed an electric lantern off the wall and jogged down the tunnel to his left. "This way," he panted. "Quickly!"

Joy shook with fear, glancing at her ring and the floor sliding back into place over her head. She could feel Him entering the room above; hear His soft, deep voice asking the other spouses where she'd gone. Without warning, her ring glowed with a brilliant blue light, searing the flesh beneath as if it were freshly plucked from a furnace. The burning sensation and His anger were both so great, she couldn't tell which was more painful. Greg returned to her side a second later, tearing the ring from her finger immediately and crushing it under his heel. To Joy's shock, it shattered as easily as glass.

Greg cradled his left hand to his chest, grimacing in pain, but he linked his right arm through hers without hesitation. "We have to go," he insisted gently. "Come on, Joy! You can trust me!"

Joy did not have to be told twice. She raced along behind Greg through the maze of tunnels, shedding flowers and that awful, heavy jewelry as she ran. It seemed like they'd been running for hours when they finally found the exit, allowing Joy to breathe fresh air again. The evening sky sparkled like a diamond-studded black carpet above them, the full moon giving them plenty of light to see by. A vast ocean stretched out before Joy, freezing her in her tracks with awe. No one she knew had ever seen the ocean before, at least not this close. She resisted the urge to kneel on the sand and touch the waves lapping by her feet, following Greg to a vessel floating nearby.

She had heard of ships before, but this one didn't look like any she'd seen in books or movies. It was made of a sleek metal with no visible rivets holding it together, with a shimmering sail she could see right through. An older man stood on the deck, dressed in military garb. Joy hesitated at the sight of him, and at the strangely colored banner flapping in the wind on the mast above him.

"Your Highness," the man barked, snapping to attention and saluting. "It's a relief to see you, sire. We were starting to get worried. Was the mission successful?"

"Yes," Greg answered, hiding a wince as he led Joy on board. "She brings the total of rescued slaves to seven. I tried to recruit more, but they wouldn't listen."

Joy blinked from Greg to the strangely dressed man, backing toward the ship's railing. "Slave?" she echoed. "What's a slave? Greg, what's going on here? Who are you?!"

Greg stood up a little straighter as he held out his injured left hand, allowing another uniformed man to tend it. "You are a slave," he said calmly. "...or at least, you were. My name is still Gregory Vice: I am the crown prince of the Galactic Empire, and the captain of this expedition. Your city has been psychically enslaved by an extremely powerful otherworldly being; I'm here to stop it before it destroys your whole world."

Greg offered his hand to Joy sincerely, showing it was fully healed. "I don't expect you to believe me," he murmured, "...but I'm telling the truth, Joy, and I do care about you. About all your people."

"I... I don't understand," Joy muttered. "He loves us. He... t-takes care of us! Takes away all our suffering and hardship! How is that bad?!"

"That I can't deny," Greg sighed. "Your people live in literal Paradise... but Paradise City is not a true paradise without free will. For the first time in your life, you made a choice tonight. Don't you want to give the rest of your people that same power?"

Joy looked at the fresh burn mark on her finger, where her wedding band had been. There were lots of things she didn't understand, but she knew in her heart to trust Greg. Very timidly, she reached out and took his hand with a nod.

"Yes," she said firmly. "I like having a choice. Being able to choose is important. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it!"

Greg's smile grew wider, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight. Joy could have looked in them forever. He was so handsome. He was so wise. He would make everything like it was supposed to be. He would make Paradise City into a real paradise.

"Thank you, Joy," he said. "First, you will help me conquer the higher being. Then we will rule this planet and your people... together."