“It would be impossible for me to love you any more than I do,” she whispered into his ear.
Later that night, Ruxin couldn’t sleep, so he took a walk around the castle. He went to the ground floor and walked past the dimly lit throne room. His father had left some of the previous kings’ busts on the assorted pedestals. The current King had removed several of the statue heads of monarchs who didn’t deserve the honor. The silver throne shimmered in the dying torchlight as Ruxin approached the front steps. He walked up and sat on the uncomfortable chair. He closed his eyes and thought about how he would change the throne once he took over as king. He knew it would be a long time from now, but he still liked to dream. He planned to use gold gilding to decorate the entire throne and widen the seat for comfort. He wanted to put gigantic golden bull horns on the top of the back of the seat. He also thought about a nice silver silk pillow stuffed with goose feathers to sit on while he ruled. He anticipated a long run as king so he wanted as much comfort on the throne as possible.
I’ll show Haley how to be a just ruler. If you treat the citizens with respect, nobody will have reason to revolt. I shall be the greatest king to ever rule, and she, the greatest queen.
He heard footsteps and opened his eyes to see Chopkins Haddock stumbling around the room. He was playing with the face of King Ali-Dus when Ruxin said, “Hello there, good man.”
The intoxicated joker started to spin around and looked up at the ceiling. “Straight to the stables, who said that?”
Ruxin got up and walked down the steps as the stocky jester focused on him.
Chopkins slurred his words, “Prince Ruxin. What are…what are you doing up this late?”
Ruxin answered, “Couldn’t sleep. And what’s your excuse?”
The young man stared at the Prince before answering. “Same. Exact same for me.” He slurred his words through his red wine-stained teeth. Even in the dark, Ruxin could see the funnyman’s eyes were glazed over. Chopkins said, “We’re going to have some fun in this castle, you and me.”
Ruxin glared at the young man before saying, “No. You will have fun in my castle while I go and fight for our kingdom.”
Chopkins shook his head with a strange smile before saying, “I’m going with you when you leave to defend the kingdom.”
Ruxin looked at the staggering man, specifically, his soft, round belly, and asked, “You are going to fight with me?”
Chopkins nodded confidently and said, “Sure as seven hells, I am. I’m Torvald’s squire. He told me we were leaving with you when you move out west. Truth be told, I’m a tiny bit scared about the whole endeavor.” He put a finger on his lips and winked at Ruxin. It turned out to be more of a blink as the drunken man couldn’t control his eyes.
Ruxin said, “Worry not, little man. As luck should have it, we’ve been ordered to stay out of the action. You are going to be just fine.”
A slight look of relief came over Chopkins’ face as he said, “That’s pleasant news because Torvald and I have never been in real battle. I can keep the men’s spirits up, but that’s about all I am good for.”
Ruxin thought for a moment and told him, “We’ll give you a pike. You can poke ‘em with the pike. Now let’s get you back to your quarters.”
The next evening, Haley and Ruxin prepared for the special supper with the entire family and friends of Bottomfoot. Ruxin walked over to his bride and presented her with a beautiful necklace. A silver charm with a mosaic of shined turtle shell, crushed crystal and carnelian hung from a golden band. He secured the clasp behind the back of her neck and looked at the streaming rainbow of colored lights coming from the charm.
He held out his arm and Haley put her arm through it. They walked down the hallway and descended the steps to get to the Grand Hall. Almost all the attendees were already there and the couple took their place at the table. Jon sat at the head of the rectangular table with Ruxin to his left and Camelle to his right. Haley sat next to Ruxin and the rest of their side consisted of Edword, Lucille and Orian. Ruxin looked at the opposite side and saw Mariah, Torvald, Sir Bastion, Chopkins and J. Everson. The long maple table, one of many in the hall, was the only one occupied and the chatter at the table echoed throughout the open area. Baby Jon sat on Camelle’s lap as she fed him tiny spoonfuls of mashed carrots and onions. Ruxin grabbed his wife’s hand and squeezed as Callice rolled a giant harp into the hall and began to serenade the guests.
As the meal commenced, he noticed his sister kept arguing with Torvald and giving him dirty looks from across the table. The faces full of judgment became more frequent and when the meal ended, Ruxin went to talk to Mariah.
MARIAH
Mariah immediately berated her brother, “Why is my husband suddenly going off with you to fight? Did you talk him into this?”
Ruxin stepped back and answered, “I didn’t even know he was coming with me until I saw his little jester stumbling around the throne room last night. All I know is Chopkins told me that he and the Bottomfoot men will be coming along, all except Edword, who is going with father.”
Mariah talked in an angry and annoyed tone, “So that’s who it was, father? He’s making Torvald go into battle, isn’t he?”
Ruxin answered with a slight grin, “It’s Torvald. Torvald is making Torvald go into battle. He’s a man. Men fight and women have children. That’s how the stars shine. I think he wants to go because that’s what real men do. You should be pleased you didn’t marry a coward.”
Mariah moved closer to her brother’s face and said, “Yes, look at me; I’m basking in joy over the matter. He can die a hero on the battlefield, yet that still leaves me a widow. There’s no joy in that. He’s not a fighter and most of the young men from Bottomfoot aren’t real warriors. They all tell me Torvald will excel in battle and while it may be true, I don’t want my husband to risk his life out there.”
Ruxin smiled and said, “You don’t seem too concerned that I am risking my life out on the battlefield…again?”
She shook her head and said, “Not right now, I don’t. Someone put my husband up to this. He comes from a land of neutrality. I know he wouldn’t want to leave me.”
Mariah turned and walked away only to immediately bump into Lucille.
Lucille looked her up and down. “You look angry, my precious dear. Whatever is the problem?”
Mariah showed her teeth in a fake smile and responded, “Nothing really, just a slight disagreement with my brother about dragging the Bottomfoot men away to war. What if they are gone for months or even a year? I’ve heard about how unexpected things can happen during a war.”
Lucille pulled her in for a comforting hug and whispered into her ear, “Listen to me, you precious thing, men are going to do strange things constantly that will drive you absolutely mad.”
Mariah asked, “But what can you do?”
Lucille brushed Mariah’s hair over to the side with lavender fingernails poking out and soothingly said, “You can love him, support him and pray for him if he should be away for reasons of duty. Apart from that, you can only worry.”
Mariah wondered, “When did you stop worrying about Edword?”
Lucille laughed and answered, “You never stop, sweet dear. Being a wife or a parent is different. For some inexplicable reason, you dream or imagine of horrible events involving the people you love the most. The more you love, the more you will be scared to death that something horrible is about to happen to those you hold dear. For the boys, well, they like to play rough, so every time Edword left the castle without me, I was as nervous as a sin-filled soul on judgment day.” She laughed again and broke the hug with Mariah as they stared into each other’s eyes.
“So there’s not really anything you can do?” Mariah asked.
Lucille put her palm on Mariah’s cheek and lightly tapped her neck with her silky smooth fingers. “Find activities that will fill your day and fill your heart. Find friends that share the same interests. You are a princess now. You can do anything
your soul should desire. Love your husband, but don’t become dependent on him to take care of everything. Walk on your own, my sweet dear. Regardless of all that worry I see behind those sparkling eyes, you look absolutely beautiful, sweet dear.” Lucille gave her a kiss on the cheek and left some crimson smears from her makeup.
The White Raven came to say farewell for the evening and Mariah queried, “May I please have a few moments with you in private?”
The old man slowly answered, “Of course, where do we need to go?”
Mariah pointed and said, “Just over here, a bit farther away from the music.” She led Orian to the other side of the hall. The instruments still buzzed in the background but now the High Raven could hear her without straining his ears.
He started by asking, “Have you had enough time to make a decision on my offer?”
Mariah ground her teeth together and her stomach started to stir. She didn’t want to disappoint the highest-ranking religious official in the land. She didn’t like to disappoint anyone. She talked through the developing lump in her throat, “I have, and I must respectfully decline.”
Orian pressed her, “And why is that?”
Mariah took a deep breath, looked into the White Raven’s dull blue eyes. “I would love to join you in traveling the kingdom to spread the word of the Faith. Unfortunately, I need to carry out my duties to the realm as a princess.”
He nodded slowly before licking his brown lips and saying, “Our duties aren’t owed to any realm. Our duties are only owed to the Seven. Salius, Patriah, Josevius, Nunce, Cleon, Radial and Numa. They are the ones who bestow the great gifts upon us. The Gods will be judging your soul when that fateful day should arrive. We help the realm, but we don’t owe any piece of land our allegiance.”
“My father is the King of this piece of land and it is to him that I owe my allegiance. I can’t bring my husband here to the Capitol and just leave on him with my family while I travel around.” Mariah finished with a playful frown on her face.
Orian smiled and tapped his lip. “I hardly think anyone would shed a tear for a man stranded in the luxury of the King’s Castle, but that is a matter for another discussion. I asked that you give thought to my offer and you did. I hoped you would join me in this venture but I can tell you have given a good deal of thought to the matter. Perhaps if a next time should arise, we shall see each other again.”
Mariah smiled at the gentle man and said, “Yes, this is still a turbulent time for our kingdom.”
The White Raven took a drink of water from his sheep skin vessel that was slung over his neck. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hairy hand. “Indeed it is. That is why I must spread the word with even more vigor. A great many people are going to die soon and I must help guide the pure souls to the heavens. I must help the tainted souls denounce a life of sin and set out on the straight path to the heavens. I must travel the kingdom and educate our brothers and sisters. That is my duty.”
The old man chuckled, bowed and pulled the wooden end of his whip from his tied belt. He took a few steps away from her, transferred the wooden handle to his right hand, and stopped to whip his left hip. Mariah cringed as she noticed blood spray out after the third strike. The repentant man adjusted his belt and kirtle around his midsection. He looked around and continued his slow, slouching walk out of the Grand Hall. Two hands met Mariah’s shoulders from behind and she immediately knew they belonged to Torvald. She turned to look at him with a scowl of defiance. His loving smile started to warm her heart but she still felt betrayed.
“Did my father force you to go with my brother?” Mariah questioned.
Torvald shook his head and said, “No, nobody forces me to do anything I don’t want to. My father is going with yours to defend the east and we will be going west. We have to defend your kingdom.”
Mariah quickly asked, “My kingdom?”
Torvald took a moment to gather his thoughts before replying, “Our kingdom. Is that better? Look, nothing is going to happen. We are going for moral purposes so the men can see that the son of the king and a duke will fight for their kingdom. We just have to be there.”
Mariah retorted, “Men have fought in the past without kings and princes on the battlefields. I’ve read many stories that would support that.”
Torvald said, “Our past two kings did not fight in battle. Look at the state of our kingdom. A man doesn’t want to defend a king he will never see. The men will fight solely for self-preservation and only for that, and that is a bad way to fight. Think about King Ali-Baster. He wasn’t a warrior and nobody wanted to fight for him. Then we had Ali-Stanley. Not a warrior and no one would fight for him either. Ali-Ster went to war for four years instead of the required two. Men remember that. It isn’t surprising that men ran to the Capitol to help King Ali-Ster. He fought for his kingdom and by doing so, he fought for his men. They would do anything for him. There’s no choice to be made here. I have to go. That scare on our wedding night will never happen again. We were caught in a queer situation where we were unaware of the attack. There are no secrets now. Not to mention, we’ve been forbidden to join the fray should anything occur. I’m telling you, you’re worrying about nothing.”
Callice broke the tension by serenading the couple with their special song. Torvald leaned down and kissed Mariah, causing her anger to subside.
After the song, a drunken Chopkins stumbled over, held his finger in the air and said, “Alright, alright, what did the bald rabbit say to the horse?”
Everyone just looked at him as he spilled wine on his puffed ivory sleeves due to his shaking hand. He held his finger in the air again and spoke, “He said, I wish…I wish I was more like a hare. Or is it what he said to the hare?” The confused young man jumbled and slurred the words.
“My, you certainly are taking a strong liking to the wines of the Capitol,” Mariah inferred.
Chopkins looked up at Mariah and shook his clear goblet around, spilling even more on the floor. “What difference should it make? All us men could be dead bodies in only a few days from now.”
Torvald immediately scolded him, “Shut your mouth. I’ll have no talk like that. If you are scared, you can stay behind.”
Sir Bastion came in to pull Chopkins away before the young man said something he would come to regret. The knight told Chopkins, “Let’s get you into that nice soft bed of yours.”
Mariah started to get angry again until Torvald softly rubbed her lower back with his thumb. She could see his flushed face return to normal as he pulled her in for a hug and kiss. The evening wound down and the couple held hands as they walked back to their quarters.
As soon as they closed the door, Torvald picked Mariah up and carried her to the bed. They began to kiss and undress each other passionately. Mariah got lost in the moment and didn’t realize how long it took to shed all of her layers. Her fiery body reacted to the chilly air in the room and became even more aroused as Torvald pushed her onto her back and got on top.
He started out slowly, but initially all Mariah could feel was pain. From this short preview, she didn’t think she would like sex, but the pain progressively shifted to pleasure. As each moment passed, her internal bliss seemed to multiply. She could see Torvald’s brown eyes in the flickering firelight as he continued to drive her wild with excitement. She wrapped her legs and arms around Torvald’s body and pulled him tight as he kissed her neck. His warm breath on her ear made every hair on her head tingle and then spread through her entire body. She could feel their hearts beating in unison and truly felt like one with her new husband. She let go, fell back again and the overwhelming passion lasted for a few more minutes until an explosion of love preceded Torvald’s collapsing on top of her. The heavily panting couple lay on their sides and lovingly gazed into each other’s eyes. The wash of ecstasy began to dissipate but she had never been more in love with her husband. Mariah pushed Torvald onto his back and put her head on his chest. He put his arm around her, making her feel secure. They talk
ed and giggled until they fell asleep later that night.
LEIMUR
The Queen of Goldenfield stared at the sky, which was streaked with hues of pink and baby blue. Some of the clouds mixed together for a deep lilac that matched some of the inlay coloring on her armor. She desperately needed to know what had happened to Ali-Tiste and her brothers. Nobody knew where they were and it was driving Leimur mad. She couldn’t comprehend how her guards could have lost the future king. Thoughts she didn’t want to believe kept crawling back into her head.
Ali-Tiste wouldn’t double-cross me, would she? We have something special. No, she wouldn’t do it.
Leimur had survived the near mutiny by her men, although her tigers had saved her from being torn apart by the angry mob. Her forces had been severely diminished and those who remained wanted to go back to Goldenfield. Leimur still believed they could take the crown if they stayed and fought. She had secretly sent a letter to request that another four thousand troops meet them outside the Capitol of Donegal. A raven carrying confirmation had arrived a few hours ago and the Queen had a sudden jump in her shattered confidence.
Six Heads One Crown (The Pearl of Wisdom Saga Book 3) Page 21
