by Ann Bakshis
After bathing in the morning and having a small breakfast, I ask Welland to bring me the clothes Kerron had been wearing the day he tried to take Honora away. I know he probably returned the medallion before he came back to Geron, but it doesn’t hurt to double check, especially if I can obtain both of them without any additional effort. I’m still surprised at how quickly it took Ore to obtain the trinket as I didn’t think it was something Evander would’ve been willing to part with so easily.
I know I couldn’t have been persuaded, but given how I found my wife and her lover last night it doesn’t leave much to the imagination about how she won him over. I need to get her back in my arms before he, or she, thinks of something else to do that will try my tolerance and patience. I’d never harm Ore to the point of her dying, but I have no qualms about ending Evander’s life just to ensure her loyalty to me.
Welland brings the clothes to the library, but after searching every pocket in both his coat and pants, the medallion isn’t anywhere to be found. I grumble since I was right in my initial assessment, but I still need to be certain that it didn’t just wind up somewhere else.
“Perhaps it fell out,” Welland asks.
“Then find it,” I say, clenching my teeth. “I need that damn thing.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The minute he closes the door, I hear the secret one open behind me.
“You’re taking too many risks,” I scold my mother as she comes into view.
“I wanted to see how your night went,” she says, sitting on the edge of the desk. “It looked quite enjoyable.”
“You watched us?” I ask, stunned, and extremely bothered by the intrusion on something that was to be most private and personal.
“Of course. As I told you last night, I needed entertainment.”
“If you do that again, I’ll slay you myself.”
“You know that’s not possible,” she says with a slight laugh. “But I will respect your privacy if that’s what you so desire. Unlike your wife. How soon do you think after she was restored to him did she jump into his bed? Your little threat to her wasn’t much, so what makes you believe she’ll now suddenly be loyal? She is, after all, Gregor’s granddaughter like you’re his grandson. Both of you probably have voracious appetites… I know you do.”
“Drop it,” I say harshly. “That part of my life is over now that I’ve wed Honora. I don’t need anyone else but her.”
Moyra notices the uniform piled on the chair she sat in last night. “What’s this?” she asks, picking up the coat. “This looks like Kerron’s uniform.”
“It is. I was just looking through it for something he was holding for me.”
“I heard you mentioning it to Welland,” she says, slipping the coat over her form-fitting negligee. “Don’t you think he might have returned it?”
“Of course I do,” I reply. “But I just want to be certain. It wouldn’t hurt to have both medallions on hand.”
“Kerron is dead because he betrayed you,” she says a few minutes later. “He knew what was coming, so it would’ve been smart of him to give the medallion back to its rightful owner before he came here to die.” She moves the clothes onto the floor then sits down. “Didn’t you tell me that King Job is the one who bestowed it upon you at the ball? So that means Evander still would’ve had his.”
“Yes, so?”
“Well the rightful owner to the one Kerron was carrying for you would’ve been Job. You suspected Kerron had returned to the castle when you left for the town, so he would’ve given it back to Job.”
“Your point?” I ask, becoming increasingly annoyed.
“Honora was wearing one last night, which can only mean one thing… especially if Evander still has his, which I assume he does now that he’s ruling in his father’s place.”
I stare at her, hoping she has a point to all of this nonsense. When she realizes I’m not going to answer her, she continues.
“Isn’t it obvious? Evander and Honora are married.”
“What?!” I shout.
“Did you miss the gold band on her finger? I sure didn’t. Evander has one on as well, which I noticed while I was seducing him. Your little ploy to get her to remain solely yours has significantly backfired, son. All it did was push them closer together in holy… wedded… matrimony.”
“God damn it!” I holler.
I hear feet rushing in my direction, so my mother bolts into her hiding spot and closes the door just before the Vagter enter.
“Is everything all right, Your Majesty?” one asks as he holds his longsword out steadily in front of him.
“Yes, everything is fine. Go back to your posts and close the door,” I grumble.
They do as directed and my mother steps out to return to her seat.
“What do you suggest I do then?” I ask in a rage.
“Make her pay significantly for her betrayal,” Moyra answers. “I can show you how.”
“Does your lesson require you to leave the castle?”
“Not at the beginning, but I’ll need to venture out to make sure you’re successful. I can’t follow you in a dream state during those times as I’d only be seeing what she would be and not reality.”
“How long will this lesson of yours take?”
“That depends upon how fast of a learner you are.”
“Then let’s get started,” I say coldly.
“I’ll have to come to your room, and you’ll need to prepare yourself like you did last night, but I have no desire to see you naked in the flesh, at the moment anyway, so please cover up with a blanket when I arrive.”
“Fine. I’ll see you up there shortly.”
She retreats to her door while I stand and go to my room, fuming the entire way. I don’t know how I missed seeing the ring considering Ore’s hands were all over me. How could she do this to us? Does she think I’m going to let her get away with this? I want to feel the life drain from her with my hands around her neck, but I need her too much… I desire her too much. My ache for her has only worsened now that I’ve been with her. I’m finding it hard to breathe without my love around and the longer we’re apart the crazier I feel. She grounds me, makes me feel whole. I choke back tears as my mind plays images of her and Evander together, her calling out his name instead of mine. It was a mistake sending her to them, and she knew it too. I should’ve just invaded Pelheim, slaughtered them all, and then moved onto the next kingdom with my queen by my side.
When I reach my room, I close my door and do as my mother instructed, including covering myself. I’m not thrilled with her being in the room with me while I’m naked to begin with, though it wouldn’t be the first time, but it’s the only way I know how to pull someone into a dream walk with me. Maybe when I get to Toorkuns I can learn other ways. A few minutes after I’ve settled into bed, she enters through the hidden door behind one of my more precious paintings—artwork she’s often said she despises. In her hand is a dagger. I want to ask how she obtained it since that would’ve required her to roam the hallways as there aren’t any hidden passageways into the trophy room where all my most valuable weapons are kept.
“You’ll need this,” she says, handing the weapon to me. “Bring this into the dream with you. Don’t kill her at first, just simply wound her in such a way that it’ll be noticeable when she’s out on the street. Do you know which one you’re going to pull in with you?”
“Yes,” I reply. “She’s always working around this time. It would make sense if she grew tired and fell asleep while with a customer.”
“Good. Recreate the world like you’ve done before, just make sure to leave everything exactly how you find it, so the damage you inflict will take. You can’t alter anything of her environment or it won’t work. Understand?”
“Yes,” I reply before closing my eyes.
The whore I select is easy to get inside of, as they all are. She smiles when she sees me lying next to her. I pin her to the bed and have my way with her rancid
body. Unlike my time with Ore last night, I intend on scrubbing after this encounter. I know sex with this woman isn’t real, but it disgusts me to be betraying my love in such a manner even if Ore did sleep with Evander behind my back. Just as the young lady begs for more as she’s not yet hit her end, I brandish the dagger and drag it slowly across her face, digging deeply into her skin. She screams from the pain, but I laugh at her misery. She starts to fight back, so I plunge the blade into her palm. Her shrieks wake me up, which surprises me. My mother is smiling as she removes the bloody weapon from my hand.
“Get dressed and head to the village just to make sure it worked,” she says. “I’ll wait for you in the tower.”
After she leaves, I have a quick wash before donning my clothes. I call for my horse to be brought up from the stables. Welland brings it and advises he can’t locate the medallion anywhere. I tell him not to concern himself over it any further, but to take a ride with me into the village for some relaxation. When we reach the outskirts, I grin at Kerron’s body as it dangles and sways in the slight breeze. His arm is now gone, and the amount of flesh missing seems to have grown, probably from the ravens that like to haunt this area.
We reach the bathhouse and dismount, but I don’t go inside. Instead I retreat to a tavern across the street and tell Welland to go into the establishment and request a specific woman—the one I maimed. He smiles and disappears while I order my drink, taking a seat as close to the window as possible. If Kerron were still alive, there’s no way he’d permit me to be left unattended like this, but as his body is on display, I have no qualms in knowing the villagers fear me and therefore won’t even dare touch me.
Only a few minutes pass before Welland is hurrying across the street, but not in my direction. He disappears into a small building, then reemerges with a physician. They enter the bathhouse with Welland returning to the tavern shortly after.
“The poor woman was attacked,” he tells me as I sip my ale. “She couldn’t identify who did it as she’d been asleep.”
“Is she going to be all right?”
“She might lose sight in one of her eyes as well as the ability to use one of her hands, but at least she’s not dead.”
“The loss of an eye might even make her a more valuable prospect to her owner.”
“Or he’ll throw her out onto the street,” Welland adds.
“Either way, not really our problem,” I say. “Is there another young woman you might fancy?”
He heads back into the bathhouse and doesn’t return until an hour later, a genuine smile on his face. We ride back to the castle where he takes my horse to the stables while I enter in through the mudroom, then up to the door leading to the three sets of stairs for the towers. I take the one on the left and only have to walk-up a half-story until I’m in the lone room. Thick, dark curtains hang over the two windows that fill the space, blocking out every speck of sunlight. The only illumination is from a few candelabras. Several trunks line the room with clothes hanging over their open lids. The only other piece of furniture is a mattress, which has crumpled sheets and several blankets to ward off the cold up here during the winter. My mother is lying on her bed looking bored, but I can’t solve that. It’s too risky to have her roaming the castle.
“Well?” she asks, sounding irritated.
“It worked beautifully,” I reply, which causes her to scowl. “I thought you’d be happy about that.”
“I would be if you hadn’t picked it up so quickly. Now I’ll be stuck here for who knows how long,” she grumbles.
“It won’t be too much longer, I promise,” I say, sitting beside her. “I just need to kill Evander and then we can begin returning you home.”
“How are you going to convince the other rulers to give up their precious medallions?” she asks as she begins to rub my back. “My powers are almost gone because of how I used them on Evander, so I won’t be able to help you. And yours will be running out also if you attempt too many more dream walks.”
“That’s why I told you to wait,” I say, angry again by the reminder of her refusal to listen to me. “Besides, I’ll be fine with my abilities.”
“You applied them on Honora, didn’t you?”
“Yes, so?”
“Do you know how much energy it takes for you to maintain your hold over her? You might be able to get away with one more dream walk but go beyond that and you lose her.”
“Why are you only telling me this now?” I holler. “I can’t be sure that if she’s released from my care she’ll willingly come back to me. I know she loves me, but I’m not sure how much of it is actually her and how much is my influence.”
“You’re never going to be sure until we get to Toorkuns and she finally realizes the truth about who she is and what you are. If you think about it, she could be holding Evander under her own spell and not even know she’s doing it. At least for the moment.”
“I know,” I say. “Now everything changes in how I handle myself. Unfortunately, I have to use the one dream walk I have left to murder Evander instead of spending it with my wife. But how do I pull him into the dream state with me?”
“You won’t have to,” my mother replies, sitting up and putting her arm around my shoulder. “Just don’t alter the state of the room when you enter Honora’s mind, but make sure you wake her up so she can witness her husband’s demise. But that means you’ll have to endure at least one more night of your wife’s affair.” Moyra moves so she’s now sitting on my lap, straddling me. “Satisfy me.”
“Why do you do this?” I ask as she pulls her negligee over her head.
“Because it’s in our nature,” she whispers just before her mouth covers mine.
“I thought you didn’t like to see me naked,” I mutter as I discard my clothes.
“Only when you’re with another,” she replies as I move inside her.
A fire burns between us as she makes love to me. This isn’t the first time, nor will it be the last. I know I said I’d never sleep with another woman once I had Honora, but Moyra is different. She’s not only my mother, but she’s also my ruler… my sovereign… my everything. I inherited my sexual appetite from her, and I can never get enough. I long for the day when this will be Honora again, the two of us entwined together for the rest of our lives. I know Moyra will be jealous at first, but she’ll have to come to learn the importance of doing things my way and only with the true woman that I crave, or I’ll make her suffer like she’s made me suffer all these years.
“Just remember one thing,” my mother says as her breathing quickens. “You can’t remove anything from the dream state, so you won’t be able to steal those medallions from your lover’s neck until you have her in person.”
“I know,” I moan as our passion reaches its apex.
Moyra falls onto my chest. I love how her cool skin feels against mine.
“This is the last time we’re doing that,” I pant as I try to catch my breath.
“You say that every time,” she replies, smiling.
“Once Honora is back with me, then it’ll stop.”
Moyra lifts up her head to look into my eyes. “Whatever you say, son.” She kisses me deeply, then redresses and I take this as a sign that I’m no longer needed.
After donning my clothes, I head back to the library and continue working on my plans for invading Pelheim, which will happen in only a matter of days.
Twenty
Ore
I lie on my side in bed with my back to Evan as he sleeps. I’m bothered by how Lycus was able to enter my dream. I didn’t know he was capable of doing that, which makes me wonder what else he’s hiding. I know he’s responsible for altering the color of my eyes, but I can’t let Evan know that. He’ll ask too many questions that I don’t know the answers to. I’m just hoping that if Lycus does that again, it’s not when I’m sleeping with Evan. So, what do I do to prevent that yet still get what I want? Lycus’ threat to me last night was hollow. He needs me too much and I ne
ed him too, which is why I’m willing to take the necessary steps to ensure our lives last.
I try to fall back to sleep only to find I’m not tired, so I sit up and swing my legs out over the side of the bed, but that’s as far as I get. My body hurts and I feel mentally distorted. It must be a residual effect of whatever Lycus did to enter my dream. Now my entire mood is sullen, and I don’t feel like facing the world.
“Hey,” Evan says behind me. “You all right?”
“I’m fine,” I say, lying. “I just didn’t sleep very well.”
“Me neither,” he says. “Let’s get dressed. Henry should have breakfast ready in the dining room.”
I slip on the nightgown I wore my first night here as well as my robe, while Evan dons his nightclothes and we head downstairs. Neither one of us is much for talking this morning and I’m not sure if it’s because I’m overly sensitive to everything at the moment, or if Evan really slept as poorly as I did. When we enter the dining room, Caster and Argus are sitting at the table eating. Evan takes his place at the head while I sit alongside him. We grab only a few bites as Caster and Argus both stare at us, concerned looks creased across both of their faces.
“You two don’t look happy,” Caster says. “Did something happen last night after dinner?”
“No,” Evan says. “Everything is fine.”
“Liar,” Argus says. “What the hell is going on? You both look like shit.”
“Thanks,” Evan grumbles, glaring at Argus as Henry and Aliza enter.
“Ore, what’s the matter?” Caster asks.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I mumble, keeping my head down as I eat what little food looks appetizing.
Henry goes around filling our cups with tea while Aliza makes sure we don’t need anything else, but I can tell both are worried as they hover over us like concerned parents.
“Did you two have a fight?” Aliza asks, sitting beside me.
“No,” Evan answers.
“Then what’s bothering you?” Henry asks, becoming insistent.
