WORRLGENHALL

by Luke, Monica

  “Oh, Belon,” Aderac said relieved when he saw him lying on the bed, “How could you stay hidden from me for so long just to sadden me?”

  Belon woke startled when he heard Aderac’s voice. He truly regretted his angered words to him, but unsure how to make amends, had stayed hidden instead.

  “My words were cruel,” he admitted, “I wanted to beg your forgiveness, but I did not know how after storming out the way I did.”

  “Did not know how?” Aderac repeated bewildered, “I have been without you and miserable. How could you torment that way?”

  Belon sat up in bed. He was upset that he wounded Aderac by remaining hidden from him, and wanted to reveal he was just as tormented.

  “Do you reason my torment was not as great or greater?” he professed, and now got out of bed and stood in front of him, “Has it still not truly set within you how madly I am in love with you?”

  His statuesque body in front of him, Aderac wanted to rush into his arms, but somehow used all his will to stand and only stare at his handsome face.

  “How madly?” he asked instead, as he looked at him with love and anticipation, “How madly are you in love with me?”

  “In my anger I had set myself and my course to leave this place and you. Even being so bold to ride hard away,” he eagerly confessed, “But as I rode, I could not go far.”

  Aderac inhaled hard and still using all his will not to rush into his Belon’s arms, stared at him intently as he spoke. His chest heaving deeply as he did.

  “From the top of a hill I turned and looked back at Ivodgald. The home of my most cherished, and knew that I was riding away from my only joy, and the only I ever want to kiss, touch, and be inside, so I set my course back,” Belon proclaimed passionately as his eyes never left Aderac’s, “To as long as I breathe not be without him.”

  From his words, Aderac rushed to him and he did it so excitedly he collided into Belon, who had held out his arms waiting for him; then once their bodies merged, they held each other tightly.

  “Belon, my love! The only I shall ever love!” he cried out, as he pulled his head off his shoulder to kiss his face feverishly, “I feared you had left me and was just about to go get you and force you back!”

  Belon looked at him. His face turning red as if flushed; Aderac’s statement aroused him.

  “So forceful you were about to be.” Belon hissed pleased, his body now burning with desire, “To come get me and take charge of me.”

  “If you hide or flee from me,” Aderac assured, as he breathed into his mouth, “I will always do such from love.”

  “What if I did not want that?” Belon teased, while feverishly removing his clothes even more aroused by Aderac’s threat.

  “I would force you back,” he answered, “Seize you first to weaken you before tenderly loving you until you bend to my will.”

  “Umm,” Belon responded pleased, “I am back, seize me.”

  Kissing passionately both fell onto the bed; as Aderac took off what clothes he had put on; then when Belon pressed his body onto his, he looked down at him.

  “We should put it behind us,” Belon suggested.

  “Yes, we should,” Aderac whispered.

  “Forgive me,” both said and burst into laughter, because so in harmony both were, they said it at the same time.

  “I am king,” Aderac then whispered, “And rule this kingdom, but with us you are ruler, and always shall be in and out of this chamber.”

  “Yes, you are king,” Belon said between nibbling and biting on Aderac’s chin and neck, “But with us dare one rule the other when we both love each other so deeply. We shall heed each other’s command from this night on.”

  Aderac’s body under Belon’s, he hissed deeply when Belon entered him and stared into his eyes, and as Belon eyes stared back; want and passion for him beaming out of them, he made their bodies fuse.

  “Umm, so passionate do we love the other,” Aderac whispered pleased, as he did and thought back on his words to him long ago, “Did I not speak it Belon? Did I not speak that should you love again you would love passionately down to the marrow of your very bones? Did I not speak it?”

  “I shall love you no less than that,” Belon assured him before his thrusts journeyed deeper, and added, “Than that of passionately down to the marrow of my very bones,”

  That morning, as Aderac walked down the hallway to court, all noticed his changed mood. He seemed to gracefully float from happiness; then when they saw Belon behind him stroke his hand lovingly when Aderac held it out for him before he turned and went into the courtyard, all knew they were again one and happy.

  “The king is in court!” the court scribe yelled to all when Aderac floated to his throne; then after the council lined, court began.

  **

  “King Hurus has died,” King Rone said, as he read the letter Aderac sent him, “We must show our respect and honor, just as done for us. Send word Aderac the new King of Ivodgald, we are coming.”

  “Father,” Baric said concerned for him, “You have been unwell. I beg you not to journey so far.”

  King Rone exhaled through his nose and looked at his son. He indeed had begun again to feel fatigued and unwell.

  “Very well,” he agreed without argument, “Give him my words of sorrow for the loss of his grandfather and speak to him our need for more horses.”

  After sending a swift messenger ahead they were coming, Baric prepared to journey to Ivodgald. Since custom didn’t allow wives to journey, he said goodbye to his beloved just as Laad, and Loth, who was now first in command, did to theirs, but Ovfren, Ogorec’s beloved, who was now a high guild got to go with Ogorec.

  Excited to ride with him into new territory, the night before they were to leave, Ovfren couldn’t go to sleep and tossed around as he lay in bed.

  “Ovfren,” Ogorec finally said, annoyed with him, “Will you keep me awake all night?”

  “Uh,” Ovfren said excited, “How can you sleep? We journey to Ivodgald in the morning?”

  “I have journeyed to many lands,” Ogorec answered unimpressed, “And to many kingdoms.”

  “I have not,” Ovfren said; then moved onto his side to try to sleep.

  Ogorec shook his head; then pulled close to him.

  “Shall I put you to sleep?” he asked teasingly.

  “Ogorec,” Ovfren said, knowing what he meant, “So silly you can be.”

  “Still it is a question,” he said, as he moved him onto his back.

  “I know what is behind those words,” Ovfren said through a wide smile, “And know your passion, but you will not put me to sleep this night. I am to full of joy and cannot calm.”

  “Mmhmm.” Ogorec doubted, and got on top of him, “We shall see.”

  Inside Ovfren passionately long into the night, when Ogorec pulled out of him; Ovfren was so sated, he fell into a deep asleep.

  “You cannot sleep,” he teased when Ovfren woke that morning, “Did you mean you cannot sleep lightly?”

  Ovfren jumped out of bed and went to Ogorec. “Dare you thrust inside me so long that no less than three times my body trembled?” he asked, and smiled, “And so pleasant was it, I did indeed sleep soundly.”

  “Dress and pack your pouch,” Ogorec said, and kissed him, “We will ride out soon.”

  **

  Remorseful for their hateful words and actions when they had their terrible argument, both solemnly vowed never to sleep apart if they could help it, and sometimes if done for the day before Aderac, Belon would wait for him in the hallway so they could walk together to what was now their chamber.

  Anytime one came to bed before the other, he would stay awake until the other came to bed and once in bed, they held each other close and tenderly spoke or passionately embraced.

  One night when Belon came to bed for the night, he noticed Aderac sitting up reading a letter he received from WorrlgenHall earlier in the day.

  “What is my love reading that has his face so glum?” he
asked, as he put his sword away.

  “Cousin Baric is coming to show his respect to grandfather and speak of getting more horses for WorrlgenHall,” he answered as he read it; then looked over at him, “Does that mean the others will be riding with him as well?”

  “The others…” Belon commented curiously, when he looked over at him, as he took off his clothes and washed off the day’s grim.

  “Him.” Aderac admitted.

  After he washed, Belon came into bed.

  “Ogorec is his guard and first in command,” Belon casually commented, as he relaxed, “I gather he will come.”

  Aderac sighed deeply, walked to the bed and slid between the furs, but said nothing.

  “Is there really jealously still within you?” Belon questioned concerned because he sighed so deeply.

  Sheepishly, Aderac smiled.

  “No,” his truth, knowing Belon loved him completely, “Well, just a spark,” he then admitted.

  Belon let out his own sigh, as he thought of seeing Ogorec. “I shall be glad to see my old friend, who I have missed.”

  “It troubles me that this old friend you once loved before me,” Aderac confessed, and glanced up at him, “I have loved no one other than you.”

  From Aderac’s words, Belon mulled quietly unsure how to respond to his words, but was certain he sought some kind of reassurance. He knew lying to him just to soothe his fragile ego was wrong and that only truth would be more meaningful.

  “I will not lie to you Aderac. I was indeed in love with him and deeply wounded that while with me, he fell madly in love with another,” he finally spoke.

  Aderac only softly sighed from Belon’s truth, lowered his head, and offered no response, and when he didn’t, Belon moved his head closer to him to lovingly whisper in his ear.

  “Until a spoiled lord rode to WorrlgenHall and set his eyes on me. He loved me with all within him, and such was his love and words, he put himself deep into a wounded heart that vowed never to love again, and made it love him back. My life became his and his life mine as our hearts became the great treasure of the other, and I shall have it as that and no other way until I am dead.”

  “Aw, my wonderful love.” Aderac loudly sighed reassured, as his heart fluttered from his romantic devoted words, “I owe him so very much.”

  “How so?”

  “He foolishly released one so passionate, handsome, and loving,” Aderac’s simple answer, “And from it, you became mine and shall remain always mine.”

  “When I last journeyed to WorrlgenHall he saw in my eyes that I was in love,” Belon revealed, “And was truly glad for me.”

  Aderac turned onto his side to face Belon.

  “I can see it as well,” he said, as he kissed him; then bit his lip.

  Aderac teasing with him, Belon teased back.

  “I can see your love for me in one of your eyes, but not the other,” he teased, and looked at them back and forth.

  “Dare you say?” Aderac proclaimed, “What do you see in the other?”

  “I seeeee,” Belon said, pretending to study it closely, “I seeee me.”

  Aderac shook his head at Belon’s silliness.

  “Sleep,” he said, as he turned onto his side, and waited for Belon to pull closer, which he did.

  “He wrote they will ride swiftly. I shall have the servants make ready the floors below me right away and when close ride out to greet them with you.”

  “There is no need for you to ride out to greet them,” Belon whispered in his ear, “You are a king.”

  “I want to,” Aderac said eagerly, “I want to ride proudly with you to greet those close to you.”

  Pleased, Belon yawned as he began to get sleepy.

  “Shall we be as one with them here?” he asked, as he buried his head next to Aderac’s sharing a pillow.

  “We shall be only what we are Belon, and that is in love,” Aderac declared, as he snuggled his body comfortably close to Belon’s and drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 33

  Baric and the others rode diligently to Ivodgald arriving quickly, and as soon as Ovfren saw it in the distance, his eyes widened filled with wonder and awe of how they could have built it with such huge stones.

  Twice the size of WorrlgenHall and made completely of huge grayish brown symmetrically stoned blocks, it looked like a fortress from a distance because of the guard towers, which towered so high he gathered those on it could probably see all the way to the Great Sea.

  Added to the mystery of it, as they got even closer, a thick stoned wall dressed in green foliage lined the only road that actually led to its gate, and another wall just as thick surrounded Ivodgald from all sides.

  The land wide-open and plush green, so immaculate were the grounds, if not for people living just outside the wall going about their daily lives, they would have sworn they rode to the wrong place and went to a monastery.

  Even though, they arrived later the evening, Aderac, Belon, Gueden, and several of the king’s guards patiently waited for them on their horses until they entered the outer grounds, then rode to them.

  Laad, and the others bowing their head to the king, Baric lowered his only for a second; then rode to him, and looked at him solemnly.

  “My father and we all mourn the loss of your grandfather, and great king, and embrace the new one.”

  “I thank you,” Aderac said and nodded; then raised his hand for the others to raise their heads.

  When they raised their heads, Aderac couldn’t help but glance at Ogorec, but no jealousy filled him; instead, he looked at him grateful.

  King Aderac bothering to ride out to greet them, and cheerfully smiling when he spoke, Laad and Loth gave each other a glance remembering the smug arrogant greeting they got from him when he arrived at WorrlgenHall with his grandfather.

  “Such a smile and pleasant mood,” Loth suspiciously whispered to Laad, “I wonder what brought about such?”

  “My home is your home,” Aderac said cheerfully, “And a whole chamber floor is ready for you all. I reason the journey tiring, and all of you hungry so let us ride back to eat and rest.”

  As he spoke, Belon moved closer, then when Aderac turned to ride away, Belon followed suit, and rode beside him. As they rode, when they kept giving each other furtive looks, Laad saw it and knew.

  “Belon is behind that smile and mood,” he said to Loth, as they rode behind them, “The two seem taken with each other.”

  “That could never be,” Loth commented disbelieving, as he thought of Belon’s past ways and reasoned he could never be attracted to Aderac, who was far from handsome, and his body although tall and slender muscled was not defined and sculptured like Ogorec’s.

  “Look at them,” Laad said, encouraging Loth to see for himself, who when he did, noticed they glanced at each other while they rode, and believed it.

  Once back at Ivodgald, Belon jumped from his horse, and when Aderac jumped from his on the same side, when he bumped into Belon and apologized, as he spoke, he took his hand and stroked his forearm believing no one saw it, but Laad and Loth did, and looked at each other now sure of it.

  “At the table, food is ready,” Aderac’s hospitable words, and walked ahead, then when servants came out to take their horses, all followed him.

  Just as he said, all types of food was on the table for them to enjoy, and quietly more servants came out and washed their hands for them before they ate.

  “Any trouble along the way?” he asked, as he looked at them all from the middle of the table.

  “The journey was long, but without trouble,” Baric answered, and continued eating.

  As they ate, Aderac looked at Ovfren noticing his appearance was different from the others, and one of his favorite studies about origins and heredity. From his skin, eyes, cheeks, and nose, knew what region he came from.

  “Are you from just beyond the Balran Sea?”Aderac asked in Ovfren’s native language, and at once Ovfren looked up surprised, as did all of them.


  “Yes great king, right along the shore,” Ovfren answered back as best he could. It had been so long since he heard it spoken and he had forgotten most of it.

  “No so long ago a strange plague forced all to journey south,” Aderac said.

  “Such is true. I lost all my family in the journey as a young boy. It is how I came to be where I am.”

  “Ah, and to your loroog.”

  “Yes…”

  “I knew from Ovfren’s cheeks, nose, and skin, but most of all your eyes where he came from. Those from far north near the Balran Sea by the ice caps have light colored eyes, maybe from lack of much sunlight,” he commented, then looked over to Laad, “But I am not always right. When I first spoke to you Laad, I almost swore I looked into the face of a younger King Rone.”

  Laad let out an uneasy half laugh, while Loth shot him a concerned glance, lowered his head to show no emotion and began eating again, and as the others looked at Aderac impressed how he spoke to Ovfren in his own language, Belon’s chest swelled with pride as he stared captivatingly at him.

  All hungry, they ate quietly, but Aderac, who had eaten earlier wasn’t hungry, and knowing he had an early court decided to retire for the night.

  “I gather all have much to speak about,” he said cordially, and stood, “And Belon, as well, about his wound. It is why he could not journey back to WorrlgenHall.”

  “His wound,” Baric repeated, as he looked at him, then at Belon curiously.

  Belon intended not to mention it to them and shook his head dismissing it.

  “It was nothing,” he downplayed the deed, trying to have them believe he suffered no more than a scratch.

  Aderac’s lips cynically pursed from Belon trying to minimize the wound that almost killed him.

  “Look at the wound on his stomach, then speak it was nothing,” he chided playfully, “It was well something.”

  All bowed their heads; then raised them and kept eating when Aderac left the table, and just as he about out the door, Belon immediately excused himself to follow him. “I will not be long.”