by Lucy Kelly
“Well, Majesty, I won’t say it’s been easy, especially not at first. We’ve had to learn new skills. Of course, not having as many hands, some work has had to be put aside. Still and all, we’re doing much better learning the women’s jobs than I would think the women are doing learning ours,” he said, picking up dirty clothes and removing the sheets from the bed as the king sat and ate.
“What do you mean, about the women learning men’s jobs?” the king asked.
“Well, it stands to reason. We don’t stand around all day. If there really are few men on the Duchess’s estate, then the women would have to be doing the jobs the males usually do. I would expect they’re having a harder time. They don’t have as much education and those long skirts would hinder them with any of the heavier tasks we do.”
Firmly on Queen Malpha’s side and feeling as if he’d dribbled enough information in his king’s ear, he gathered up the laundry and left.
Ben finished his breakfast and was glad that, as king, he could still get it delivered to his rooms. Most of the palace staff had to eat in shifts in one of the banquet rooms. They didn’t have enough staff to have hot meals delivered all over the palace.
By that night, gossip had spread enough that many of the men were made aware of the aborted attack and the arrest of Duke LucenTio’s remaining supporters. Many of Ben’s courtiers were asking him to command the women to come home. He told them he’d think on it and give them his answer the next day. He paced back and forth in Malpha’s lounge, trying to figure out a way to encourage the women to come home.
After two hours, he hadn’t come up with any ideas. He turned to Malpha’s DRD to see if he could find something there. He remembered Malpha saying Grace had sent her some stories that helped her understand the relationship between a husband and wife much better and had alleviated her fears. He looked for and found those stories. He had grown used to using the nano-patches now and he loaded all the stories onto the patches before heading to his bed. He made a vow he would have his Queen back by the end of the week.
Chapter Eight
Ben was in his cleansing chamber, showering and trying to think of an idea, when the plot to one of the books swept through his memory. Brilliant! Jumping into the drying chamber, he rushed through the remainder of his morning routine. He rang GrumIo and informed him he wanted everyone to have breakfast together in the main banquet hall. After the food was laid out buffet style, he wanted everyone there so he could address them as a group, including all the servants.
Ben was too keyed up to eat, so he waited until most of the people had served themselves and were sitting and eating. Then he jumped on top of a table to speak to them.
“Thank you all for coming. I spoke to Queen Malpha last night and I believe our females need some encouragement to come home. Think back and remember what your wives were like when they neared the end of their pregnancies. How, even though they are glowing and beautiful as they grow with the new life inside them, they don’t believe it. Instead, they think they’re fat and without appeal. We need to make a grand gesture to show them how much we love them and are in awe of this miracle that only they can accomplish.”
The crowd of men cheered and clapped at the king’s words. He could tell they would agree to any plan that brought their women home. Holding his arms out, palms flat, he made a downward gesture to get them to calm down once again.
“I thought on this problem for many hours last night. This morning, I remembered a story about a far-off land. In this land, there are men and women who perform miracles. In this ancient land, there was a war and the king thought soldiers should not be married. He felt having a family would split a warrior’s focus between his duty and his family. And so the king outlawed weddings. However, in this same ancient land, there was a holy man, a priest. His belief was that if a soldier truly loved his family, then he had a reason for which to fight. So when he came across couples who loved each other, he married them. The king, upon hearing about this, had the priest arrested and thrown in jail. The priest, so full of love, made friends with his jailer. As a gift to his friend, he began to teach the jailer’s daughter. She was blind and had trouble with her studies.”
Ben paused and looked around the room and saw he had every man’s attention.
“What happened next?” asked a boy sitting at a nearby table.
“Well, the priest was sentenced to be killed for disobeying the king. The night before his execution, he wrote a goodbye letter to the young girl whom he’d been tutoring. Then he prayed for her. When her father, the jailer, took the note to his daughter, a miracle had occurred. Her blindness had been cured; she could see and read the note for herself. Because of this miracle, the priest was named a saint. Once a year on the anniversary of his death, people in love would pray for his soul and send letters to their loved ones. All this took place some two thousand years ago. Yet, in that far-off land, lovers still exchange letters and gifts on this day.”
“So we should write letters?” someone called out from the back of the room.
“Yes, we should write letters telling our women what is in our hearts. Also, in modern times, it has become usual to give a token of our love as well. Flowers, sweets, or a piece of jewelry are all popular gifts,” he said with a twinkle and a grin.
There were chuckles around the room as the men started exchanging ideas around the room of what they could do. Once again, the king gestured them to silence.
“I plan on making this a planet-wide feast day. I propose to wait eight days from now, to give everyone time to make the necessary arrangements. Are you with me?” he asked.
The answering cheer nearly deafened him. Laughing, he jumped down from the table. He was ready to have his meal now.
When GrumIo had his first rest period, he sent a detailed message to his sister, telling her everything the king had said.
Just before lunch, GremIo got the message her brother sent. As soon as she finished viewing it, she rushed off to speak to the duchess. She and her brother had served the king and his sister since they were in their teens together. They had always worked together for the happiness of the royal siblings and they would continue to do so for as long as they lived, just as their parents had done before them.
She tapped at the door to the duchess’s study before entering. The queen and the duchess were having another meeting on how to make things better for the women of KowLer. The Queen’s maid, GemMa, was at the end of the room cleaning.
“Come in, Grem, is there something we need to take care of?” asked BianCa.
“I’ve gotten a message from Grum and I think you both should see it. It’s wonderful news,” she said with a smile.
“Then, please, let’s view it right away,” said BianCa.
Malpha and BianCa were incredibly pleased with what GrumIo had to say.
“Malpha, where could he have heard this legend?” BianCa wondered.
“He heard about it from a story Grace gave me that’s on my DRD. He must have found it and taken a look at what I’ve got on there,” said Malpha.
“I see a smirk on your face, Malpha. What are you plotting in that brain of yours?” BianCa asked with a smile.
“There is one other gift often given on this day for lovers. It is one mentioned in the story but not mentioned in the message. I think we should take advantage of the omission,” she said and laughed.
“Well, come on, then, you can’t leave me in suspense.”
“In the story, they called it lingerie. It’s a type of undergarment made to enhance a woman’s femininity. What you call perilo. Only instead of plain cotton, the perilo are made from sexier fabrics. In addition to white, they can be made in almost any color, with embellishments. So whatever your outside clothing is, you know you’re wearing something sexy underneath. You can even stretch it to nightwear, sheer gowns worn only in the privacy of your bedchamber,” Malpha explained.
“And you think we should get some of this special perilo? But where would w
e get them?” BianCa asked.
“We have seamstresses aplenty. All we need are fabrics, skilled hands, and a little imagination. We can also access historical databases to get some ideas. One thing Ben doesn’t know is that I have my other DRD with me. So, are you in?”
“Of course! I’m looking forward to modeling it for Thors. How do we convince the other women?” BianCa wanted to know.
“Simple, we lead by example. I have a few garments in my wardrobe I can model. We’re all women here so there’s no one to see. When they understand the items are hidden beneath regular clothing, there should be no objections. We won’t be breaking any traditional dress rules…none which can be seen, anyway. I don’t believe any of the men will object when they get a private showing from their wives, do you?” she asked on another laugh.
“I see. You are definitely sneaky, Malpha!” BianCa giggled.
“Not really, I’m sure Ben has me all figured out by now.”
“How are you going to explain this without telling them what the men are planning? Because I think the men should be allowed to keep their surprise.”
“Hmmm.”
GremIo had been listening to the conversation while she went around the room and cleaned up a few things from one of the group meetings held earlier. When she heard the duchess’s question, she cleared her throat.
“Yes, Grem, you have an idea?” asked BianCa.
“Well, Your Majesty, I just thought¯since the king read the queen’s story to get the idea, why couldn’t the queen, who’s also read the story, have the same idea? After all, with the things you’ve been working out that you want the men to change and all…I’d expect you’d all want to put them in a good mood first. This fancy perilo should do that, alright,” she said with a grin.
“That’s a splendid idea! Thank you for thinking of it. We’ll present it to everyone at lunch today. We don’t have much time if we’re going to sew everyone some ‘fancy perilo’ in less than eight days,” said Malpha.
Chapter Nine
Over the next seven days, both the men at the KowLer Palace and the women at the LucenTio country estate worked hard to create their gifts of love. The king had made a planet-wide declaration of the feast day and the worldwide news-net was full of stories about citizens finding creative ways to show their love.
Since the use of embroidery was only allowed on royal garments, the women made use of richly patterned fabrics and lots of lace. A few of the women explained they were uncomfortable appearing before their husbands in perilo when they were so large with child. Those women made flowing nightwear gowns, enhancing their beauty while preserving the women’s modesty.
Malpha already owned a great many sexy garments, but she had ideas for new ones specifically designed to accommodate her chains. The tops cupped and supported her breasts while leaving them bare from the nipples up. The bottoms came in two pieces, which fastened at the hips. They also had a detachable crotch, for easier access, so she could switch out the panel throughout the day. The constant stimulation of her clit kept her wet and ready; replacing the panel, as needed, prevented chafing.
BianCa, who had worn pretty feminine clothing her entire life, was drawn to looks with a more masculine design aesthetic. She was so dainty and small, compared to Thors, that she always felt feminine whatever she wore. As a result, her choices were geared for comfort and enhancement of her ripe pregnant belly, showing a lot of skin.
On the sixth day, the women belonging to Clan KowLer began preparing to return home. They would pack up and have their shuttles take off first thing in the morning. A secondary benefit of the visit was the stronger ties between the two clans. The animosity the previous duke fostered was vanquished when the women became friends. Malpha had been the one to bridge the gap by setting up a night of pampering. She and BianCa purposely had mixed the seating arrangements so everyone got to know each other quickly. The sleeping arrangements had also been decided by age and stage of pregnancy, instead of clan.
Like the other women of the palace, Malpha was anxious to see her husband. She had been gone a little more than a month and her own pregnancy now showed. Would Ben still find her alluring?
Late the next morning, as the shuttle approached the landing pad, she looked around and saw a worried look pass over more than one face. She immediately sat up straighter in her seat and put a smile on her face.
“You all look beautiful. The rest has been good for all of us,” she said to the group, reminding them to believe in themselves.
“One nice thing about coming home is that we can have the men carry our bags for us,” said one of the women, causing a few to laugh.
“Another nice thing about coming home is that I’ll be sleeping with my husband tonight instead of JolEne, she snores,” said another.
The laughter continued as the women thought of more and more outrageous reasons why it was nice to be home and have men in their lives again.
So it was a group of laughing, happy women who exited the shuttle. The men, seeing the glowing happy women, were quick to smile in response. This was the best part of the return, the warm welcome home. More than one woman was a little out of breath from the ardent welcome they received from their mate.
Malpha, accompanied by GemMa and a few other women she’d become good friends with, quickly spotted her king standing at the end of the long passageway from the shuttle to the flight lounge. Though they hadn’t met, because he’d been away on a diplomatic mission, she recognized the old man standing beside the king. RubEn was one of the leaders of the Assembly and an advisor to the previous king. He held a great deal of power. He was also known to be against any increase in freedoms granted to women. She planned to change his mind.
In deference to the heat, she had worn a short skirt which danced around her thighs as she walked, showing long legs tanned from the sun. Her halter top fastened at the back of her neck. The material was tight until just below her breasts, where panels of fabric swung back and forth over the small mound of her stomach. There were flashing glimpses of her skin, the ruby in her navel winked in the light. She’d worn her hair up in a high tail at the back of her head. A cone-shaped holder had it swinging free several inches away from her body. She wore string sandals tied at her ankles. Ben thought she’d never looked so beautiful.
Looking neither right nor left, she walked straight to her husband. Putting her arms around his neck, she leaned in to kiss him hello. The kiss quickly turned hot and carnal. The sound of someone clearing his throat loudly finally had them remembering their surroundings. Laughing, Malpha pulled back her hands but not without first sending her nails down Ben’s chest and over his nipples.
“Malpha, behave yourself. I would like to introduce you to someone,” he said with a smile.
Turning to the man standing on the king’s left side, Malpha listened as Ben introduced Councilor RubEn. She held out her hand in greeting. She was surprised when he clasped it in a strong grip. She had expected him to touch the tips of her fingers only and to do so reluctantly.
Suddenly, she was pulled forward and felt a sharp pain. She tried to cry out but was having trouble taking a breath.
GemMa had left the shuttle at the end of the group and was walking toward the lounge carrying the queen’s smaller bag. She watched the king and queen greet each other. Looking away from their passion, she glanced at old Councilor RubEn standing beside them. He had such a look of anger and hatred in his eyes. She started to rush forward.
Then she saw the king introduce his wife and a flash of metal; RubEn had stabbed the queen.
“No!” she yelled.
Swinging her arm, she smashed the queen’s bag into his elbow. As he fell back, she kept swinging the bag at him, beating him away from Malpha.
Ben watched Malpha and RubEn greet each other when Malpha seemed to lose her balance and lurch forward. RubEn leaned over to steady her. Just as he took her arm, she straightened on a gasp and he heard GemMa shout and attack the councilor.
&
nbsp; “Stop, GemMa, what are you doing?” he released Malpha’s arm and stepped around her to come to the aid of the councilor, pulling GemMa off the man.
Before he could ask her what was going on, someone behind him screamed. Turning to see if there was a new threat, he was just in time to catch Malpha as she crumpled to the floor. Looking down, he saw the knife sticking out from her ribs.
He roared his anger. Looking over, he saw that others had stepped forward to take hold of RubEn. Ben yelled for a doctor, only to find that emergency aid was already on its way. Holding his wife still in his arms, he turned to make sure RubEn couldn’t attack again.
“Why? Why did you try to kill my queen and unborn child?” he asked in a harsh voice filled with tears.
“Don’t you see the havoc she’s caused in the short time she’s been here? She’ll change everything. I had to stop her, can’t you see that?” he explained in an eerily patient voice.
“I see you’re insane. Take him away,” Ben said to the guards who had rushed over. He turned his head back to Malpha; the aid worker was trying to help her.
“Majesty, I need you to let her go. We’re going to help her but you have to let us put her on the travel bed,” the man urged.
Ben noticed they had wrapped padding around the knife. They couldn’t remove it until they had taken scans. When Ben finally pried his hands away, they quickly picked her up, and readied her for transport to the closest hospital.
“Tell the doctors to save my queen and my daughter!” he said as they rushed away with her.
The transport was too small for him to go along.
PetruChio ran up to him, “Ben, I have a transport waiting. Let’s go. We’ll follow them to the hospital.”
The two of them took off at a run, everyone backing away quickly from the look on the king’s face.
Chapter Ten
Ben was only minutes behind Malpha getting to the hospital, but when he arrived, she had already been rushed into surgery. People were still getting out of his way so he took a deep breath and then approached the work station. The nurse looked up as he cleared his throat.
