King Rochar cringed at the offhand way in which the High Court Solicitor spoke of Maddie’s kidnapping for he had come to realize that was precisely what it was. But he spoke in a measured, even tone. “And that is what I had planned to do.”
The High Solicitor continued to nod and smile, obviously hopeful that his king was finally able to see the light and would therefore perform his duty.
“But I can do that no longer.”
The rumblings from the council members grew in volume.
“Whatever do you mean?” Marberry demanded.
“We send out scouts to kidnap women and bring them here so they can be impregnated.”
“As it has always been,” agreed the solicitor. “We choose women who are widows and who also have no living relatives or unattached female warriors.”
“Ah yes, I know. That’s so we can take them to the nursery satellite that revolves around Tentalia and keep them there until they deliver. Then we take them back to where we found them, wipe their memories and keep their sons. If they happen to have daughters, we arrange a marriage for the mother and change her memories and her husband’s to let them think the courtship, marriage and baby have all come about in a perfectly normal way.”
“As it has always been,” intoned Lord Marberry and the councillors.
“I think it’s time to make some changes,” King Rochar flatly stated.
“These proceedings are not about changes. They are about deciding your innocence or your guilt.” The High Solicitor’s voice was high and thin, anger fomenting below the surface.
“You don’t need a trial to decide whether I impregnated Maddie before the soprac bells rang. You already knew she was fertile. That was why she was brought to me at that specific time. The signal being monitored from her implant would have told you the exact moment of conception, and you know no signal was given. Your equipment must also have picked up the presence of Protoron in my sperm, telling you of the precaution I had taken. I had decided that she had a right to choose what happens to her own body.”
“So you’re admitting your guilt?” Marberry looked at the floor and shook his head.
“Oh, I’m guilty, guilty of poor judgment and the contemplation of enacting a crime against another human being,” the king replied in a defiant voice.
“What!” Marberry’s head shot up.
“From the moment we injected her with the implant, we were crossing the line into unethical, perhaps illegal conduct. Tentalian laws and rituals be damned.” King Rochar put up his hand as Lord Marberry made to argue. “I was planning to impregnate Maddie, erase her memories and turn her into a brood mare.”
“Not a brood mare, Your Majesty. She would have the honor of bearing the heir to the throne of Tentalia, the mother of a prince.” Marberry’s tone was haughty and self-righteous.
“An honor of which she would have no memory. And what about me? With her on the nursery satellite, I would share none of the joys of her carrying my child. Never see her round and fat with our offspring. Never help her rise when she asks me as she grows too large and cumbersome to do it for herself. I wouldn’t be present to help her at the birth of our baby. Never be with her and my child to share a life. What about me?” Tears streamed down the king’s face.
The High Court Solicitor and council members were silent, some of the members shifting uncomfortably in their chairs.
“Don’t any of you long for a woman’s touch, for a woman’s voice? Do none of you hunger to see the face of the women who bore your children?” He turned away, disgusted with the complacency of the men. “Maybe, I’m the only one who feels this way.”
A voice drew him back around. “She was lovely with long, dark hair and sparkling green eyes. Our son looks just like her.” One council member had stood up and stepped down from the raised dais. “I wanted to keep her with me, but I was young and afraid to go against what had been drummed into me since birth.”
“She bore me twins,” another said, moving to stand beside the first. Moisture glistened in his eyes. “Twin sons, you know. They’re fine young men. I’d like for them to know their mother, and for her to see how the boys have turned out.”
“It was difficult to raise them on my own,” someone else chimed in. “I would have liked to have shared the responsibility and the joys.”
King Rochar stood silently as the High Court Solicitor attempted to maintain order, but it was impossible. All of them had left their seats and were milling about, discussing the women who had come and gone from their lives. He realized that he had been speaking what was in their hearts as well.
“My lords, if you will sit down so we can continue the trial.” At first, no one paid Lord Marberry any attention. He raised his voice. “We need to make a decision.”
One by one, the men resumed their seats.
“I believe we’ve heard more than enough to come to a verdict.”
Rochar saw Lord Marberry’s look of confidence falter as he scanned the arc of faces.
Marberry approached the first councilman, head of the Tentalian High Council. “Lord Darkenfold? How say you?”
“Not guilty,” he announced.
“Are you certain that is how you wish to vote, my lord? King Rochar has all but admitted his guilt,” Lord Marberry said.
“Very sure,” Darkenfold asserted.
“Lord Roddenham? How say you?”
“Not guilty.”
“Despite the evidence?”
“Because of the evidence,” Roddenham said.
Around the semicircle Lord Marberry went, and man after man called out ‘not guilty’.
Turning from the final member, Lord Marberry approached the prisoner’s dock. “It appears, Your Majesty, that the council has unanimously found you innocent of the charge. You are free to go.”
“Not so fast, Lord Marberry.” It was the councilman with the twin sons. “We need the advice of King Rochar. This matter needs to be dealt with. There are obvious changes that must be made to the law. What are we going to do? Do we want the women to come back? How will we even find them? Who will be our spokesman as we try to locate the mothers of our children and tell them the truth?”
King Rochar stepped down from the prisoner’s box and stood in the half circle. “My lords, I have the perfect person in mind. I think she will be glad to help us sort it all out.”
Before he had a chance to elaborate, all eyes were drawn to the loud sounds from outside the chamber doors. Angry voices could be heard, followed by the thumps of something falling against the portal.
He smiled as it was flung open and Maddie stepped over the unconscious guards, a nasty looking phason pistol in her hand. Santara followed close behind.
“What is the meaning of this outrage?” Lord Marberry cried.
Maddie strode over to the assembly and stepped in front of the king to protect him. “It should be fairly obvious. This farce is over. We’re here for King Rochar.”
Chapter Ten
Lord Marberry took a quick pace back when she gestured at him with her weapon. Santara took up a place beside the king.
The king’s tone was affable as he turned his head to Santara. “What took you so long?”
Santara’s reply was given in the same vein. “I figured you’d have the matter well in hand.”
“I was doing all right, but I’m glad to see you both.”
“Will you two be serious?” Maddie hissed at them.
“Is this her?” Lord Roddenham called. “The woman they brought for you.”
The King nodded. “This is Maddie. She’s a bounty hunter from The Duskrider.”
Roddenham laughed. “Good luck, son. You’re definitely going to have your hands full with her. She’s a little spitfire.”
“She certainly is,” Rochar agreed.
“What in Joram’s name is going on here?” Maddie asked as she holstered the pistol. “I thought you were on trial. Everyone seems so happy.”
King Rochar moved beside her and too
k her hand. “It turns out that the council members all felt as I did. They missed the women who bore their children, were lonely for companionship and are now planning to change the law.”
Maddie frowned. “How are they going to do that? They can’t drag the women back. And where are they all? Who will find them?”
King Rochar beamed at her as Santara took up a position on her other side.
“If I’m reading things correctly, they want you to help them figure all this out, Maddie.” Santara said. “Am I right, Your Majesty?”
“That is exactly what we were discussing before you two exploded into the room. And don’t think I’m not grateful. I wasn’t really sure what the outcome of the trial was going to be.”
Maddie delighted in the way he squeezed her hand to emphasize his gratitude.
Lord Darkenfold left his council seat and joined the little group.
“This is who you have in mind to help us, isn’t it?” he asked, surveying her from top to toe.
“She’s clever and strong, with years of experience as a bounty hunter,” King Rochar said. “Plus, she’s a woman, and who better to give us a woman’s point of view and to help us retrieve the mothers of our children.”
Despite her delight with his scheme, Maddie couldn’t keep the combative tone from her voice. “Retrieve?”
King Rochar squeezed her hand again. “Sorry. I meant ‘bring them home’.”
“That’s better,” she said, pressing her lips together and nodding. Then she turned on him and poked him in the chest. “You said ‘our children’. Does that mean you’re included in that group? Do you already have children?” She hoped her tone conveyed the right amount of affront and jealousy. She certainly didn’t want him to misunderstand.
He grabbed her finger and licked the underside. “I have no children. I’m hoping to persuade you to be the mother of my children.”
She had no opportunity to dispute his statement as he leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss.
“But I’d like you to marry me first,” he continued. A dull rumble came from the group of council members.
“Marry…you?” she stammered.
He took Santara’s hand. “Actually, if Santara agrees as well, it would be ‘marry us’.”
Lord Darkenfold interrupted. “Sire, this is highly unorthodox.”
“And what we’ve been doing to women all this time isn’t?” the king quipped.
“Sire, I mean marrying Santara. He’s your consort. It just isn’t done,” Darkenfold blustered.
“He may be my consort, but I love him and mean to tie him to me if he’ll have me.”
“I would be delighted,” Santara interjected.
“But what kind of a monarchy will we have with three of you?” Darkenfold asked.
This time it was Maddie who answered. “You need to realize that this is going to be a common situation. We won’t be the only ones in a relationship of three.”
The king beamed and whispered to Maddie. “Does that mean you’re accepting my proposal?”
Maddie snorted and whispered back. “Such as it was. But yes, I’m accepting it. It was time for me to change professions anyway. I seem to have a bad habit of making enemies in my current one.” She faced Lord Darkenfold. “Many of the men here are already in relationships with other men, and you’re planning to bring the mothers of their children back, so you’re going to have to decide how this is going to work.”
Lord Darkenfold looked dumbfounded. “I never even thought of that. Some of us have children by different women. What will happen if they all want to return?”
Once again, King Rochar took charge. “If Maddie accepts the job, she’ll help us decide how to change the current law regarding the impregnation program and also help set up the strategy for how we’re going to go about bringing back the mothers. Some may want to return, others may not.”
“Don’t forget that their memories have been erased, so you’ll have to give them back their memories and many may need therapy or counseling, as well. The task is monumental,” Maddie said earnestly.
“As Queen of Tentalia, you will have rights and privileges, which I hope will make the task easier for you to undertake,” King Rochar replied.
Lord Marberry hurried forward. “My Lord, I must protest. You can’t take this woman as your wife. She’s not of royal blood. She’s a bounty hunter, for Joram’s sake.”
The king smiled and looked toward the council members. “My lords, did I remember to mention that Santara and I are able to share Maddie’s thoughts?”
Lord Darkenfold looked skeptical. “Your Highness, are you certain? We’ve always believed that to be the stuff of legends.”
“Ah, that’s not exactly true.” Lord Roddenham moved from his council chair, a contemplative expression on his face. “I knew your father well, Your Majesty, and he and your mother had the same connection. He was devastated when she was sent away.”
“You never mentioned that before, Roddenham,” said Lord Darkenfold.
“He didn’t want anyone to know, made me promise not to say anything and I respected his wishes. He thought it would show weakness to care for the mother of his son, but he spent his whole life wondering where she was and wishing things could have been different.” He focused on his monarch. “He would be very proud of you, to undertake what he lacked the courage to do, himself.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on,” Maddie said to King Rochar. “I thought everyone here could do that mind reading thing.”
“Allow me to explain, Your Majesty,” Lord Roddenham said.
The king nodded in acquiescence.
“The ancient stories of Tentalia speak of rulers who could read the thoughts of their soul mates. That hasn’t happened in more recent history. Or maybe, as with the current king’s father, King Mykan, the monarchs kept that knowledge to themselves. The fact that you and the king share this bond foretells a powerful union and the rightness of it. You were meant to be together, and Santara with you.”
Lord Darkenfold took over the telling. “We had always wondered if the legends were simply that, only legends. Now we know that the stories are true, and the royal line of Tentalia will flourish.”
King Rochar took Maddie’s hand. “You were originally chosen as a good match for me, and as a woman who would bear strong sons—until that first time I slipped inside your head. I knew from that ability that we were predestined to be together. And luckily, Santara with us.”
King Rochar addressed the High Court Solicitor. “With your permission, my lord, I would like to know that I’m free to go. I have a future to plan.”
Lord Marberry waved him away with a flick of his hand. “Go, go,” he said.
“A minute, Your Majesty,” Lord Darkenfold said. “As head of the High Council, I would like to request the presence of the three of you in the council chambers at precisely nine o’clock tomorrow morning when we will begin to sort all this out.”
Maddie nodded, as did Santara at the king’s look of inquiry.
“We’ll be there,” he said to Lord Darkenfold and the council.
The head of the council bowed to the trio. “Until tomorrow.”
Maddie managed to contain her excitement until the door had closed behind them.
“That was incredible,” she said, looking up and shaking her head. She turned and wrapped her arms around King Rochar. “I can’t believe what you did, my love. Lives will be changed because of this. And hopefully for the better.”
It was then she realized that the two guards were no longer sprawled in the doorway and had been replaced by others. Even her wide smile did nothing to dispel their wary expressions.
“That entrance of yours will certainly keep people on their toes around you,” Santara said.
“They’ll certainly want to stay on your good side,” Rochar added.
Maddie’s reply was cheeky. “How about you two? Want to go back to the king’s chambers and you can see what you can do about staying
on my good side?”
“Will it involve negotiations that last well into the night?” asked King Rochar.
“Most definitely,” Maddie replied.
“Will it involve lots of skin to skin contact?” Santara queried.
“I can guarantee that,” Maddie said, laughing.
“Sounds like we need to get started on this right away,” the king said as he swept her up in his arms.
“I don’t know how good my negotiating skills are,” Santara quipped as he led the way. “I may need lots of practice and support.”
“We’ve got a lifetime to hone your skills for you,” King Rochar said as the three of them set off to meet their future together.
About the Author
Although born in Ireland, Kaenar Langford now lives in rural Ontario, north of Toronto. She loves going to the big city to do research. The largest gay spa in Toronto as well as a gay, bondage bed and breakfast are two of the many places that have opened their doors to let her see inside. Kaenar is very curious. A love of romance and the exotic, as well as a decidedly off-beat sense of humor, are all entwined to produce stories that will not only seduce you, but also make you laugh.
Kaenar loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.kaenar.com.
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