by Heath Pfaff
She scrunched up her face. "I'd sleep better if you didn't always leave in the night. Where did you go last night?" This was yet another aspect of the morning routine. Every night I left the room, and in the morning, she asked me where I had gone. This morning I could answer her honestly without fearing hurting her.
"I came here, to catch up on my work. It seems that there is always more waiting for me." I answered with a sigh. Some nights, not often, but when I was most lonely, I made my way to Snow's quarters. The young, white-furred, master of swords for the Knights of Ethan, was always an eager partner. I was not sure what she felt for me, but I had made sure she understood that my love only lay in one place, even if my body wandered. We were friends, and nothing more, though I knew she believed me a fool for holding on to my hope for Malice.
I was not so foolish, or unobservant, that I did not hear the whispering among the knights, the castle staff, and even amongst the nobles who visited. They believed I took advantage of Malice's flesh because her mind was weak, and that I did not desire to find another woman because I did not wish to find one with a mind who might resist my advances. Of those around me, very few believed that what I felt for Malice was sincere, and that I had not taken advantage of her in her innocent state.
None were so foolish as to say anything directly to me, or to insult Malice's honor, or my own, directly, but I could see the accusations in their eyes. Snow, Ethaniel, and Malice, they were the only three that knew the truth, and of them only Malice believed I was right in the head. Of course, she saw me through the idealistic eyes of a young girl with a crush.
"You work too much, you should . . ." A knock sounded at the door, interrupting Malice's reprimand.
A black cloak entered, not Liet, but the other who served on guard duty with him. "The Lord of Clan Lheec wishes audience, my King." His eyes, dark and dangerous, caressed Malice's body with a look of mingled lust and violence. Her innocence, and her shapely form, attracted the part of the black cloaks that was Fell Beast. I had gotten use to that terrible stare, but I did not like to see it.
"You may see him in." I said, eager to have the guard gone.
"He wishes to see you . . . in private, your Highness." The half-man said, more pointedly looking at Malice, that hunger still in his eyes. My mind replayed for me the image of a woman I had considered a sister, Wisp, and her shattered body, ravaged and brutalized by black cloaks that had slipped their magical leash. I had to bite back my anger.
I pointed to a side door, one that led to my private study. "Laouna, would you . . ."
Malice hopped down from the desk, a graceful movement that spoke volumes on the state of her physical condition. Every movement she made was like art. It was that movement that had made her, at one time, one of the most dangerous sword masters ever to train the Knights of Ethan. She wore a sour look on her face.
"You let me know when you're done." She ordered, her face stoic. For just a moment, the barest breath, I saw the old weapon master shine through, and then the expression faded in the light of another smile. "I'll be angry with you if you don't!" She spun about and dashed from the room and into my study. I blanched to think of what mischief she might get into in there, but I couldn't force myself to send her out past the black cloak with the hungry eyes. His eyes traced her movements as she left the room.
"Send Lord Lheec in, please." I issued a sharp command, and the black cloak jumped to obey.
Lord Lheec was one of the many nobles I'd found myself dealing with while working on restoring the capital city to proper working order. His clan made their home in lands rich with rock, and resources we needed to rebuild the many damaged segments of the city, and the other towns and villages that had been ravaged in the Hungering attack. At first, he'd been only too willing to give to the cause, to "better the lives of our people," but it soon became clear that he had only been trying to better his own position. He had great resources upon which to draw because his homelands had not been struck by the Hungering.
I had, perhaps foolishly, taken advantage of the help he offered, and he seemed to believe that placed him in a better position to negotiate for whatever he wanted from me. I had given him some of the things he wanted, for it seemed better to keep a man with such resources on good terms, but the last few times he had paid me a visit, I got the impression that he was aiming for something more, though he wouldn't speak his designs clearly. I didn't trust the man.
He usually came later in the day, and I generally only met with him when Ethaniel was nearby. Ethaniel was out of the castle on routine business, and Lheec's timing for his visit, so early in the day, was suspect.
The door to my general study opened, and Lheec was shown in by Liet. The nobleman did not enter alone. Behind him was a strikingly beautiful young woman adorned in a dress that probably cost more than a common person made in a year's time of hard labor. The gown was cut to accentuate the girl's budding figure, and was hemmed in jewels that rang softly as she moved. The sound, I knew, was so soft that those with human ears might not hear it, but it was clear enough to my Fell Beast senses. She had bright blond hair, and pale, translucent skin.
Lheec strode confidently across the room to stand before me, bowing deeply as he came to within a few paces of my desk. The girl, who seemed to almost quiver inside her extravagant gown, followed him, and curtsied awkwardly. Beautiful though she might be, she was young, afraid, and still awkward.
"My King, it is good to see you looking well." Lheec said without prompting, and there was a massive and false smile plastered across his face. I had seen enough of these smiles to be able to identify them with little more than a glance. I did not bother to return the insincere expression.
"Lheec, what brings you to see me so early in the day?" I asked bluntly. My advisors, had they been present, would have blanched. They tended to dislike my to-the-point attitude. I was supposed to engage in small talk before getting to the business at hand. However, I had never been one for discussions involving the weather, or the current selling price of local vegetation.
Lheec seemed taken aback for a moment, but he cleared his throat, strengthened his well crafted smile, and pressed on.
"Straight to the heart of the matter, my King, that is a noble and forthright attitude, refreshing in these hard times." Lheec said, laughing with the same insincerity with which he smiled. The empty flattery made me nervous, though I kept my face composed and cool.
"This," Lheec reached out and grabbed the girl that accompanied him, clenching her arm hard enough that I thought he might bruise her. He pulled her forward. The young woman, despite Lheec's harsh grasp, only came forward hesitantly. "Is my youngest daughter, Bellena. Bellena, this is his Majesty, King of Men, the Noble King, the Drake Slayer." He embellished my title in an attempt to honor me. I did my best to not wince at the tired recital of titles.
Bellena curtsied once more, deeply this time, shaking on her feet as she did so. Her eyes did not meet mine. "It is my pleasure to meet you, my Liege." Her voice was surprisingly deep for such a young girl, far gruffer than I would have anticipated. Lheec smiled over the girl's shoulder.
"Bell has just reached the age at which she might be married, my King." Lheec began, and the purpose of the meeting suddenly dawned on me. I should have realized it the moment the girl walked in with Lheec to our "private" meeting, but I was still unaccustomed to the scheming of politicians, even after four years of dealing with them.
"Forgive me for noticing," Lheec continued. "But you do not yet have a queen, and without a queen there can be no heirs for the country. I saw this, and many of my countrymen have seen this as well, and we feel that it is an injustice to both you, and the very country in which we live." His speech was so rehearsed that it felt to me that he was reading it from parchment. I let him continue. "What would happen should some ill fate befall you? Why, there would be an uprising amongst the people, and chaos in the kingdom! This is why we need to assure the lineage of our king, so that in the event something unf
ortunate should befall you -- pray let that never happen -- but should something happen, you will have children to carry on your name.
"This is why I've brought my daughter here today. I can assure you that Bell is pure of heart and body, and that she will give you as many heirs as you wish. The women of my blood are known for birthing strong, healthy boys, your Majesty. Bell is also well schooled in child rearing, and the tasks of state. She can keep books, and has been educated at only the best schools. I do not make this offer lightly, my King, as Bell is my favorite daughter." He droned on, and I tuned him out, knowing he would continue for a while. I looked at Bellena, Bell.
She was pretty, if overly young. If she was old enough to marry, she was just so. Though I looked like a young man of sixteen, maybe seventeen, I was nearly twice that many years. Being a Knight of Ethan, I did not age. Bell was maybe two, three years at the most, older than my own daughter. On top of that, she was terrified of me. She stood before me shaking as though I were a monster that might devour her at any moment. Perhaps, I thought, that was exactly what I was. Certainly I was no mortal man.
"What do you say?" Lheec asked, obviously having come to the end of his dialogue. He had noticed me watching the girl, and his eyes had a glimmer of victory in them. He didn't understand that I saw her less as a woman, and more as a little girl.
"At this time," I began, trying to find the words that would least offend the Lord of Lheec. "I am not in a position to consider taking a wife. There are too many. . ."
Lheec held up a hand, a dangerous spark in his eyes. "Now, now, your majesty, I don't want you to make this decision in haste. This is my most favored daughter, after all, and turning her down outright would be a terrible slight to both her, and my family. Why don't I leave her here with you for the day? I will come back tomorrow, and at that time I will accept whatever decision you make, knowing you gave the matter your full attention."
Bell was shaking even harder then, her shoulders twitching lightly in what I knew were sobs, though she kept her face down turned, and the slight noise I heard would have been impossible to make out if not for my acute hearing. Lheec had me in a corner. If I refused him at that time, he would have a reason to withdraw his land's aid. If Ethaniel had been there, he might have found a more politic way to extricate me from the situation, but I could not think of one.
"Perhaps you are right, Lheec. I will keep company with Bell for the day, and consider this proposition more carefully." The sound of my private study door sliding shut, as though it had been cracked just enough for someone to listen through, came to my ear, and I cursed inwardly. Malice, of course, had been spying. She hated being left out of anything.
"Good!" Lheec exclaimed, his eyes brightening once more. Bell was still silently sobbing. "Now Bellena, you show King Noble why you'd make the very best wife for him, girl. Remember all that we taught you, and I know that you won't fail to impress." Lheec said to the young woman, who did not look up to meet his eyes, or mine. Lheec did not seem to care or notice.
"I leave her in your just care, my King." Lheec's voice oozed a sick confidence, before he turned and walked from the room. Bell stood quietly in place, her eyes downcast, her shoulders shaking with silent sobbing. Lheec had chosen his youngest daughter because he believed I liked women who were young of mind, and malleable. His actions only went further towards proving exactly what all the nobles of my kingdom thought of me. They saw me as a tyrant who preyed upon the weak and innocent. By offering me Bell, he offered me a girl who would be of service, and was young enough to be trained in whatever fashion I wished for my wife. He was trying to supplant the position he thought that Malice was filling. That realization angered me, not because it was true, but because it showed such little faith in me as a person.
I was so caught up in my thoughts, that I barely noticed that Bell had begun to remove her dress. She moved in a mechanical fashion, unfastening the clips on her outfit with fingers that looked as though they only moved numbly.
"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, my voice stern. I felt bad for the girl, but I had no intention of relaxing my demeanor in her presence.
"My King, I'm going to show you what a good wife I can be. I have been told what I must do to please a man, and I am willing to offer myself to you." She whispered, her voice soft, frightened. She did not stop undressing.
I took a deep breath to stifle my anger. Lheec believed I would be swayed by the promise of flesh, and he'd offered up his own daughter. I was disgusted.
I stood up from my desk, and the world slowed around me. I forced myself through the slowness, ripping through the resistant air, moving so quickly that I knew human eyes couldn't follow my progress. I used the gift of speed that only the Knights of Ethan who'd taken the legs of the Fell Beast could manage. I came to a stop when I stood directly before Bell, letting the world resume normal pace around me. The girl shrieked and fell backwards, her dress falling open as she landed on her backside, exposing a chest not fully ripened with puberty.
"You're just a little girl. You want no part of this monster." I growled, looking down at her, and smiling, exposing the fangs that had grown to replace my human teeth. Bell's eyes streamed with tears as she gazed up, her face pale beyond white in her terror.
"Did your father really think a human girl could ever satisfy my urges?" I filled my voice with venom, though the words were as false as any I'd ever spoken. I was certain her body would have well sated my lusts, but it was better if she believed something foolish, than that I was rejecting her for some reason that might be her fault. Better still, if her father believed that as well. I didn't think he would look well upon Bellena when she returned unsuccessful. At least if I did not sully the girl's honor, she should be able to find a husband elsewhere. She was still shaking in fear, crying openly now. I really was a monster.
"Dress yourself. You will remain here until I send a servant to give you quarters for the night. I do not want the company of a girl who cannot match my brutality." I turned my back on her, and listened as her sobs eased. For all that I had scared her; she was relieved to know that she would not need to give herself to a monster, to the Maimed King.
"I have a private matter to attend to. Make yourself presentable, and I will send someone for you." I ordered over my shoulder, and then I walked towards my private study, in which I knew I would find a very upset Malice. I had probably just ruined my associations with Lheec and his people. In my anger, I had reacted hastily. There would be repercussions.
As I drew near my study door, my sensitive ears picked up a faint sound. Quiet crying issued from behind the intricately carved wood surface. It seemed I had a bad-way with women.
Malice's eyes were downcast as I entered the room, but her crying stopped as soon as the door began to open. I slipped in quietly, not opening the door far enough to expose the still dazed, and unclothed form of Bell who was collecting herself on the floor of my public study. My dear friend, my love, was sitting in my chair, her legs curled up and wrapped in her fur clad arms which ended in those lethal talons. She said nothing, so I took a seat in one of those chairs across the desk from her.
"You really shouldn't listen in on business matters, Laouna." I told her, not sternly, but with a great sense of sadness. She did not respond immediately.
"Are you going to make that girl your queen?" She asked, her voice as timid as I'd ever heard it. Had I not been looking at her, had I not known she was the only other person in the room, I wouldn't have believed it was her.
I shook my head. "No, I'm not going to make that girl my queen. I should. It would make Lheec happy, and that would be good for the country, at least in the short term, but still, I will not marry her."
"That's good." Laouna answered, a little more confidence in her voice. "I was scared. . ." She paused for a moment. "That you wouldn't want me around anymore."
"That won't happen, Mali. . . Laouna. You don't have to worry about that." I replied, my heart heavy with the words. For all tha
t she might never recover, I knew in my heart that I would hold out hope for as long as we both still lived. I was foolish in such ways. I had done the same for Kyeia, in a time that seemed forever gone.
The green-eyed girl looked up, an innocent smile on her tear-streaked face. It was good to see her wearing such an expression again.
"I wouldn't mind being your queen." She told me then, her smile fading into a more serious expression. "I would always be there when you needed me, and I would help you run the kingdom, and fight the criminals."
"Perhaps, when you're. . ." What was I going to say? When you're older. She was already far older than myself. "When life is less complicated." I finished lamely.
Malice's face fell, the remainder of her smile fleeing.
"I love you, you know." She told me, words I'd never heard her say when she was Malice the Knight, but that I heard now three times from Laouna the child.
"I know, and I love you too." I answered, the words were true. I had loved Malice for a long time before even I realized it, but had never told her until she lay in a coma, on the verge of death. That weighed heavily as one of the many regrets in my life. I'd been told by many people that living with regrets was useless, but I still believed that keeping my regrets with me, meant that I would not mistakenly make the same bad choices again.
A pained expression crossed Malice's face. "Then why do you never lay beside me in the night? Why do you never kiss me? I've seen lovers in the court, and I've seen them walk holding hands, and kissing beneath the trees in the garden. Why do we not do these things? Why, Lowin? What is different between us? Why do you leave the bed every night? I just want to be close to you." I could see the tears in her eyes once more. Her face held the expression of the very young, frustrated when they don't understand something that they consider simple. Her questions were difficult ones to answer. I knew the reason, but how could I tell her? She was physically an adult, but her attitudes, her personality, and her understanding of the world were those of a child. Giving her what she thought she wanted, would be taking advantage of an innocent crush.
