by Luke, Monica
“Adgor,” he quickly answered deciding it long ago.
“After grandfather…” Ogorec said surprised, and nodded pleased.
After he nodded, Nona opened the door. All heads now turning towards her, they held their breath waiting for news good or bad.
“A boy,” she happily said, causing all to exhale relieved no words of woe came out of her mouth about the mother or the child.
“May I see my wife and child?” he asked, beside himself with pride, joy, and love.
“You may,” Nona said and moved aside so he could pass her.
Laad smiled at Nona, then went to her and kissed her lips. “I am proud of you.”
“Why?”
“That, as well as bring them into this world from your womb, you bring them into this world by your hand.”
“I did nothing husband.” Nona smiled, “It is Seda pride should be placed upon.”
Slowly, Rulgesic walked inside; then sat by the bed.
“You were right,” she said, as she looked up at him with their child in her arms, “We have a son.”
Proudly, he carefully picked up his son; then leaned over and kissed Seda’s head.
“Such love is within me,” his overcome words, “To hold my son, who I love as I look upon the face of his mother, who I love.”
“And we look back at you.” She smiled, “With love.”
Later that night, when Ogorec woke and didn’t see Ovfren beside him, he sat up and looked around the cottage; then when he didn’t see him, rose and walked to the door.
When he looked out, he saw Ovfren standing by the tree staring out looking lost in thought, and walked to him.
“You seem as far as the stars you watch,” Ogorec said, as he put his arms around him, “What is going through your head.”
“Ooh, nothing,” Ovfren only said, as he still looked up.
“It is something,” he said, and lovingly turned him, “Speak what is within.”
Ovfren looked down; then back to Ogorec.
“Such joy was in your brother’s eyes,” he confessed, “And such joy in yours when he spoke his son’s name would be your grandfather’s name.”
“Such is true.”
“With me,” Ovfren said saddened by his thoughts, “You shall never have a son and it saddens me that your seed will die with you.”
Ogorec put his arms around him.
“Ovfren,” he tenderly said, “I do not care. I am in love and shall be until my last breath. I chose to be with you and am true to my choice with no regret.”
“I am true to my choice as well,” Ovfren’s reply, as he held him back, “And with no regret.”
Ogorec moved his head to kiss Ovfren, but Ovfren’s tongue delving deep into his mouth exploring and savoring his taste all the way to his tonsils, this time it was Ogorec, who had to catch his breath.
Ogorec panted, forced to pull away. “You kiss me to breathlessness, and yet we still outside. Get inside now.”
Chapter 42
When not alongside Beladera learning or with Belon or Aderac, Ihon played with other young boys within Ivodgald as if any other regular boy without incident, but one day while he played, four older boys all twice his size and thought of as bullies teased and taunted him.
Although, Aderac wanted guards with Ihon wherever he went to protect him, Belon wanted him to grow up unshielded or smothered and refused.
He wanted him to be able to roam freely enjoying playing wildly as young boys do and because of it, many he played with were unaware who he was to the king.
As he ran around kicking the ball playing along with other young boys, the four older boys came up and taunted them, and all the others quickly cowering when the four hatefully took the ball, Ihon protested and grabbed it back.
“We are playing and this is my ball.”
Spurred by his boldness, one of the boys began to taunt Ihon about his red hair; then after another grabbed hold of him, all pulled on it hard.
“Fire head,” they taunted, “Fire head, fire head.”
Angrily, Ihon broke loose; then charged forward, but one of them tripped him, and after he fell to the ground all of them held him down.
“Fire head,” again, they chanted when they did.
His fighting spirit inherited by his father, Ihon broke one’s hold, before he bucked another off him and struck him, but after he struck him, all four converged and began brutally hitting and kicking him until they bored.
Aching baldly, after he laid for a while, Ihon rose to his feet, dusted the grass and dirt off his clothes and out of his hair, and went inside, but he told no one what had happened to him.
That night, Belon away scouting, when Aderac said goodnight to him Ihon kept his head turned away to keep him from seeing his face, but Aderac curious why turned it to face him.
“What befell you?” he asked concerned, but Ihon lied and said he had accidently fallen.
Not convinced, Aderac turned Ihon’s head to the left and right looking at his wounds. He noticed he had a black eye, bruised chin, and a swollen lip, but only smiled after he looked at them and didn’t question him more.
“Be more careful as you walk about and I shall have a servant tend to you,” he merely said, “And when they are done go right to sleep.”
Although, he said nothing else to Ihon, that morning he called for one of his high guards.
“Follow young Ihon,” Aderac commanded. “But stay hidden. Something befell him and he will not confess it to me.”
As obeyed, he followed Ihon, and just like the day before, while he played the same four boys taunted him about his hair. However, this time after fighting with him, all four on one, as well as taking the new ball he had, they took the small knife Belon gave him as a gift.
When the guard reported what he saw, Aderac became so angry a vein bulged across the forehead wanted to have all four tortured. As he reasoned what to do, he remembered Belon’s words of wanting young Ihon unshielded and not smothered, and knew once he made himself known to them, all would treat him differently.
“Remove your guard’s clothes,” Aderac ordered, “And find those boys.”
“And once found, great king?”
“Dare four larger taunt one smaller?” Aderac said, as he sat back in his chair, “Have one larger taunt four smaller.”
“To what end, great king?”
“They are amused by the color of his hair.” Aderac scoffed, “Have them learn to be grateful for their own hair more by removing it, and make all four run back to Ivodgald naked, after all are lashed of course, but before you do give them a message that should they taunt him again you will find them and hang them by their toes off the wall.”
Right away, he rode and found the boys all playing with the balls they stole and when he rode over to them, he held up a silver coin so they could see it; then flipped it high into the air.
“It belongs to the one who catches it before it lands,” he said.
When all four scrambled to catch it, he jumped from his horse, grabbed two of them by their hair, and looked at the other two.
“Come closer both of you,” he ordered, “If you do not, I will pluck out their eyes.”
His threat menacing, they obeyed; then when all four were in front of him, he took another knife out of his boot.
“Shave his head,” he simply commanded one, who was reluctant at first until he pricked another with the end of his knife.
One by one, he made them shave each other’s head as best they could; then after that, he whipped all four of them; then made the undress.
“Run back to where you came,” he ordered, “Just as you are and should any of you as much as glance at the red headed boy you taunted, I will hang you by your toes from the wall.”
Humiliated, they ran back and complained to their fathers, who went to the king seeking justice against the man who shaved their son’s head, beat them, and stole their clothes; then made them all runaway naked.
Standing in co
urt for most of the morning, when all four boys and their fathers finally came before King Aderac, already knowing who the boys were, he glowered at them.
“Answer this …” he casually asked after he heard their story, as he leaned back in his chair, “Can the boys remember his face if they saw him again?”
Right away, all four nodded.
“Apec,” Aderac called out, “Come forth.”
Casually, Apec, again wearing his guards clothing, walked from the side hallway and stood next to the king.
“Is this the man you saw?”
“Yes,” the boys answered, as they looked to their fathers, who knew well to hold their tongue when they saw his clothes.
“I shall ask your sons this,” Aderac then added, “Can the boys remember the face of the one they taunted that brought about all this?”
“We can,” they said confidently, “By his ugly face and fiery red hair.”
When they insulted Ihon by mentioning he had an ugly face, Aderac had to bite his tongue not to give an order to have them all put the death.
“Bring Ihon,” he ordered, and bit his lip so he wouldn’t speak.
Back learning alongside Beladera, the guards went to get Ihon; then as he walked into court from the side door, which should have been their first clue he wasn’t just a regular boy, because only those within the king’s circle could walk, especially unescorted, from that direction.
“That is him.” The boys pointed. “He warned us of him.”
Aderac smiled, then waved with his hand for Ihon to come to him, and when he did, he stood and kissed the top of his head.
“Woe to you, should another have learned of your deed to him before me; all of you would be beaten far worse children or not,” Aderac warned, “But with me I shall be merciful.”
“We beg you, great king for mercy,” the boys’ fathers knew to plead and put their hands on their children’s shoulders and over their mouths to keep them saying anything else to worsen the matter, “They boys did not know who they taunted.”
Aderac sat back down, but when he happened to glance at the belt one of the boy’s wore, scowled and stood again.
“You,” he said, and pointed, “Where did you get such well made knife?”
Humbly, the father of the boy, who had it pulled it from his son’s belt, then bowed and held it sideways to give back to King Aderac.
“I beg you king,” he pleaded knowing he stole it from him, “Spare my son.”
“What is the punishment for a thief?”
“The punishment is to lose a hand for the deed.”
Aderac looked at all four boys and then at the father, who held the knife.
“Give the knife back to the boys and have them return it to him,” he ordered, “They are the one’s bold enough to steal it.”
Ihon stepped forward to take it, but when the boys looked at Ihon’s face as they walked closer to give it back to him, it angered Aderac.
“Dare you again offend me and this time do it by looking at his face as if he is the same as you?” Aderac blared, “Bow your heads or his face shall be the last you shall ever be able to look upon before I have your eyes plucked out of your heads!”
Right away, all four bowed their heads low and humbly moved more forward; then slowly and humbly, one extended his hand with the knife, so Ihon could take it.
“My words were I would merciful,” Aderac’s simply words, “And I have always been true to my word. Use great toil that he never sees any of your faces again even in passing and should he speak that he did, I will have one beheaded in each family and make you keep the head on the table of your home until it rots with maggots. Now leave my court.”
After they scurried out Aderac turned to Ihon.
“Come,” he said, as he walked out of court.
When alone with him in his private chamber, Aderac again kissed the top of Ihon’s head.
“You may speak to me of anything that troubles you or of any harm done to you,” he said lovingly, “And trust that I will do all within my power to keep you always safe.”
Ihon smiled comforted and tucked his knife in his belt.
“Now, go back to the teachers,” Aderac added, and playfully rubbed his head, “You are not done with your reading young man.”
**
When Belon and his band journeyed back from scouting, as he was about to pass a small modest monastery he had seen while riding out and visited, Belon stopped at it again coming back.
“Ride ahead,” he ordered the others, “I will not be long.”
Quietly, he walked inside and as soon as the scribe he spoke with when he was there earlier saw him, disappeared into a room and quickly reappeared with something in his hand.
“Are those them?” Belon asked, looking at him hopeful.
“Yes, I have them,” he answered and handed them over.
Noticing how carefully he, or someone, took the time to bind them in the thinnest of lace and corded leather he nodded pleased and gave him a pouch about the size of his large hand.
“For your toil to get them,” he merely said, and hurried away to catch up with his men.
As the priest walked to the wide doors and watched the trail of dust disappear down the road, he bounced the pouch in his hand. It was heavy and expecting it filled with coins, when he didn’t hear a jingle, curious what it could be; he tucked his finger into the grooves slightly opening it.
When he didn’t see anything, he opened the pouch more and dumped some of its content into his hand, and when they fell out one by one into his palm, his fingers quickly clamped tightly reflexively protective.
Diamonds, onyx, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, tumbling into his palm; he let out a surprised gasp and walked to the road to yell a thank you to Belon, but he had long vanished.
Belon’s reward far greater than what he could have ever expected, although, he had asked for nothing, his reward to the priest, which he donated to the monastery was enough that from that moment on it would want for nothing for a very long time.
Once back with his men, as Belon rode alongside Enek, he looked over at him curiously several times.
“Belon,” Enek had to ask, his curiosity getting the best of him, “Why did you stop at that monastery?”
“Worry not of it,” Belon only answered casually.
“Did you stop to pray?”
Belon looked at him, and gave a half chuckle. “Such that I know I should, but I did not.”
Enek shook his head as he looked at Belon now knowing it had to be something to do to with King Aderac.
“I can look at your face,” he now teased, “And now know it has to do with our king.”
“All I shall confess is yes,” Belon only offered through a sly smile, “Have two men ride hard ahead,” he added, “And give word to the king that we will be back soon.”
Enek ordered two to ride ahead and as soon as Aderac got the letter read, he it anxiously.
Always worried about him when he was away scouting or investigating this or that, his heart lifted knowing he was safely returning.
“Aaah.” He sighed pleased knowing he would soon again be safely in his arms. “Aaah, my Belon.”
Eagerly, Aderac waited always making sure the guards knew the moment they saw him or his men to tell him, and stopping only when they had to, diligently Belon and the men arrived not long after he sent the letter.
“He is coming, my king,” a guard, as always, told Aderac the second someone saw him.
Right away, Aderac ordered his horse brought to him and waited at the wall, and as soon as he saw the cloud of dust rising high from their horses hooves, hurried out to greet him.
“My love is again with me,” he greeted, as he lovingly smiled and moved his horse closer, then touched Belon’s leg.
Belon smiled, and about to put his hand on Aderac’s, his horse slightly jolted so he patted it on its neck to calm it; then promptly put his hand on top of Aderac’s hand.
“Yes, he is,” he
replied in a low lingering voice, “Let us not tarry. I want to be alone with you.”
Aderac’s smile broadened and he spurred his horse hard away, then when they got back within Ivodgald; he jumped from his horse first and ran with Belon in tow.
Once both got within the chamber, when the door slammed closed, Aderac flung his back against it waiting for Belon to put his pouch down, then immediately flew into his arms.
While they kissed, Aderac again found his back against the door as Belon grinded against him, and although it didn’t seem possible, their kissing became even more filled with desperate want as they grabbed at each other like two drowning men.
Wanting his body pressed down on Aderac’s, but his lips never leaving his Belon pulled him off the door, and as both made their way to the bed while kissing madly, they broke or knocked over everything along their path to the bed.
“Umm, I love the taste of your lips,” Belon commented, as they kissed and moved.
Somehow, as they kissed and moved, Belon managed to keep the pouch moving along with them.
“Why such toil with that pouch,” Aderac asked, and tried to take it from him to toss it aside.
“You shall know soon enough…”
Both fell hard onto their bed, and after Belon moved on top of him he looked down at him lovingly.
“You are the only I desire.” Belon moaned, and began to kiss on his neck. “And great is and shall always be this desire.”
“We are still clothed,” Aderac said. His body so heated with want he felt his clothes would catch fire.
“Not for long,” he said, as he rose slightly, took his knife out of his belt, which was beside the bed, and cut Aderac’s clothes off him; the cold steel of his knife never once touching his skin.
Mesmerized by how gracefully he did it, Aderac wanted to devour him.
“My body is burning for you.” He panted from his want, “Take charge of me now Belon. Take charge of me.”
Belon stood, but kept his eyes in Aderac’s as neither lost their gaze while he hurriedly removed his clothes, then his shaft so swollen and tight he ached, in a low heavy voice, he commanded him. “Open your thighs.”
