Few Days Later.
~King Wealene~
"If I may, His Greatness."
Jaith pulled the curtain of the inner chamber of the King. King Wealene looked to his side in bed, surrounding by a bevy of naked ladies. He sat up, as one of the ladies trailed her hand down his chest, towards his stomach. He ogled her suddenly as she took the warning.
As soon as the ladies paved way for him to see Jaithz he found his words,
"Do not tell me you've brought a bad news yet again?"
Jaith took few steps in and crashed before the king,
"Far from it, His Greatness."
Wealene pushed further in the bed and sat at the edge,
"Bring him in then."
Jaith thrusted his face to the floor.
"I thought so."
The king scorned. Jaith looked up,
"We have where he lives. He lives in a cave. The third batch of men has been sent, they are there at the moment. Even men worked through the night in cold and terror."
"If you have nothing fruitful, be gone!"
Wealene raised his voice. Jaith persisted, knowing what odds there were to that.
"We should had catch him, but he's aided by a sorcereress. We were outnumbered, ten to one."
"Get out!"
Wealene barked. Jaith crumbled.
"I'll have your head on a platter next time you return without him."
Jaith bowed and made to leave, Wealene called,
"Call the Princess."
Jaith hurried out of the inner chamber, strode through the beautifully adorned royal space, then two gaurds got the door for him and he stepped out of the King's chamber, into the hallway. He edged in the direction of the Princess' room.
He saw Samantha walking in his way, towards him.
"Where's the princess?"
He quizzed as soon as he got to her,
"I thought she's in the king's chamber. She left hers several minutes ago."
"Did she say to where she was going?"
"If she did, would I be standing here having this discussion?"
She walked away from him but she smacked her butts. She spun around,
"Don't you dare again. Else I'll say words in the ears of the princess and you know what that means."
She kept walking as he called at her, following her at close proximity.
"Sam, how long will we continue this way? Can you really say to my face that what we shared that night was a mistake and doesn't mean anything to you?"
She halted suddenly. He had no choice but to take suit. She turned to him and closed up the space. Standing directly before him, she tossed her head up, leaning forward as though she would kiss him. He pushed his frame forward to complement her effort. When their lips almost met, she strayed and her cheek brushed his, as warm air washed the lob of his ear in gentle whisper,
"If I could go back in time. I'd wish that night repeat itself. But poor us, it makes no difference. Twas just a fling."
She looked up at him,
"I do wish it would mean more, but I can't help it. Let's not talk about it again and keep our places as we were before."
She walked away, he hurried,
"You can't be sure. Let time test it."
But she didn't reply. She took another turn as he come to stand before the door of the king's chamber.
"Sam."
He grunted as the door opened before him. He strode in and halted at the curtain of the inner chamber,
"His Greatness."
He had gotten the curtain and was on his knees,
"Didn't I say not show your ugly face?"
"The princess isn't in the palace. I'll go search for her now at your words."
"She's not some stray cat to be haunted. This all should be over already if I had a better and capable general."
He shot. Jaith cowered at the thought of what next might come.
"I was on my way His Greatness."
"Hope for your sake you don't show up in vain again."
Jaith stood up and made to leave.
"Has his mother spoken yet?"
Jaith shook his head in response.
"You want your head off its neck?"
"No, I mean, His Greatness."
"Throw her in the dungeon until she speaks."
The king dismissed him and he scrambled off.
---------------------------------
"I'm certain you know who I am, young sorcerer."
Malisa said, standing under a large barren tree; no leaves, let alone fruits. Just a cluster of branches.
"If you've come to threaten me, princess, shall I leave?"
The young sorcerer countered. Malisa nodded softly,
"How did you know I would be here?"
"If words could fly to the ears of a king resting in his chamber, flocked by a bevy of ladies. How much a rider of magic?"
Malisa sighed.
"You will come to the Palace in three days time, bringing the words of the gods. You'll tell the king that you've been sent by the gods to bring a warning to him. The warning is... The princess has been chosen to marry a groom, keeper of horses, and no man shall stand in the way. For her sudden choice is nothing but the wills of the gods."
A quick smile paced his smoothly carved face,
"You will put words in the mouth of a sorcerer, princess Malisa, potential queen of the great Agranah. Daughter of the tyrant ruler, Wealene?"
"Choose your words, wisely, sorcerer. Will you be of service or not?"
The sorcerer stomped his feet, Malisa flinched at the sudden wind,
"I'll speak the truth, Malisa. Three-day's time it is."
And without further warning, the sorcerer was nowhere to be found; housed by the apt atmosphere, transported by the wandering winds.
"Hey, wait. You didn't say your name."
Malisa turned, looking around with no sign of the sorcerer.
"Givan."
She heard in the air. And that was all.
"Alright Givan, let's hope your truth falls in line with what I want. Else..."
She refused to complete the statement and walked to her horse. She climbed on and rode off towards the palace.
--------------------------------
~In the front of a grotto~
"Where in the world did she go?"
Kie remonstrated, pacing to and fro at the base of the large hickory. The same hickory tree to which he had pinned the strange creature which changed to an Alan.
The grotto he lives in was just opposite the hickory. It's been few days since they'd been living there. Life wasn't really hard living with a strange friend who could conjure almost anything and hunt at will.
Suddenly, he heard a movement up ahead of him. Behind a tree, few metres away, in the clusters of shrubs.
"Have these dorks found me?"
He ran to hide behind the large tree. Waiting for the owner of the movement to show up.
But he got nothing. Nothing at all. He moved a bit, peeping from the back of the tree,
"Was that the wind?"
He argued not sure. But then, there was a sudden stillness in the air.
"What was that?"
He looked again but he didn't see a thing. Suddenly, he heard a thud behind him. Before he could move, he had been pinned to the tree, his hard pressing hard against the bark...
But he was skilled in such art... he moved skillfully and held the person, throwing the person off him. He had climbed on the person before he realize who twas,
"I could had killed you..."
He tried to stand up from her but she pulled him back on her, his chest pressing against her titties.
"What are you doing?"
She was breathing heavily. His eyes kept a stern stare at her eyes,
"Do you love the Princess?"
"Why should that concern you?"
He asked, pushing a lump down his throat. His face yet stern.
"Obviously you do?"
"Never! I would choose Talia over her!"
She chuckled. And suddenly, began to bring her face to his... closer and closer...
Their lips almost met when they heard clopping of hoofsteps, neighing and constant calls of the guards.
She yet wanted to kiss him but he rolled over her,
"If you so wish to die, count me out."
He hurried towards the cave, she called.
"Come with me. They know you live here already."
They both walked off the cave, hurrying as the horses drew nearer.
"Where were you?"
"You'd find out soon."
She dismissed.
"Poor princess."
She added as he glared at her.
"There's actually no point running anymore."
She stopped suddenly. He grabbed her hand,
"What's wrong with you?"
"Sire, I found them."
A voice came from the corner they'd cut. Kie looked to his back and saw the guards. He made to make his own escape, since she wasn't willing.
But as he moved, Shamaica pulled him into her chest in a tight hug, holding unto him strongly.
No matter how hard he tried to break free, his mortal strength was no match for her supernatural power.
"Let me go, you bitch!!"
He struggled in vain. But she chuckled and stole a kiss, as the guards fell on them.
That Evening.~Kie Azholophased~"Hey Handsome."Shamaica teased him from the hanging cage next to his.The both of them had been brought to the palace straight and King Wealene had had the best of Kie... having him flogged severally by the captain of his guards, Jaith.And twas evening already, the time for judgement to be passed on the both of them. And all the people were gathered in the square, the gaurds stationed, the princess at the upper porch staring at Kie who was held up in a drooping cage.Everyone was awaiting the arrival of King Wealene, who would pass the judgement.The wooden cage in which the two of them were locked had iron doors. Kie's hands were tied as well as his legs. He could hardly move in peace in the tiny cage, tossed by the crashing wind, let alone break himself free.And of all the pains and rage he was plying through, Shamaica had just gone out of the mark and line to tease him. The hell!"Y
Same.~Kie~"Where's she?"He stopped walking for a little while, looking around him hurriedly. He knew he didn't have the luxury of that time. He knew the guards were still on him and could catch up with him anytime and any moment."The dungeon."He thought he heard someone say that to him. But it didn't matter. He hurried in the direction of the dungeon. He knew the path by heart even though it was once he had visited it."Mother?"He called as soon as he got to mouth of the pit, staring through the bars of rage beaten by wants, into the cold slightly gloomy pit."Are you there, mother? If you're there let me know please."He went on his knees, throwing his face into the bars to look into the far end of the pit. Then suddenly, he heard a movement in the pit. And soon, the silhouette first, then the frame of his mother came to view."What have they done to you mother. I will have the head of that foolish Wealene.
On a Path. The Next Day.~Malisa and Samantha~"It's rather contemplative how His Greatness looked away from the nuances of that insolent hostler."Samantha took a stray off the topic, taking a slight gaze at the princess who was riding beside her on a horse. They were taking the early morning stroll as usual, and the path to which they were headed led to the final hut at the outskirt of the village, Kie's Hut."What say do we have over the wills of the gods?"Malisa came on, taking a quick glance at her. Then looked to the front,"My father, the king, could seem harsh and tough and ruthless. Which all best suit him. But he does have regards for the gods. And he wouldn't go out of his way to insult or ridicule their words."Samantha was quiet for a while, but responded eventually,"But what would you do with the hostler. He sure is so dumb not to acknowledge the feelings of the only and the most beautiful princess in all the wo
Few moments Later.~Kie and Mara~"Have you come to your senses yet?"Mara called, leaning on the back window of the hut. She was in the hut, but looking through the window at Kie, who was at the back of the hut trimming the hoofs of Talia, his horse.He allowed the distraction and looked up from the last hoof to his mother's face, poking out independently out of the window as though it had no neck supporting it."Depends on your definition of sense mother."He looked back at the hoof too quickly, hitting the handle of the narrow blade which looked like a modern chisel. Only that twas rustier and hardly plain. But it did cut through the hoof, sliding off the hard keratin.After that push, he took a pause and said to his mother again,"If getting married to that wench is what you call sense, I'd rather be senseless."His mother scoffed,"You call the princess of the land a wench? Do you know what would happen if We
Africa. Kingdom of the God-king.~Xerxes II~"Hail the God-king"A dwarf man with bounty beards called in the large hall and everyone present in the hall echoed,"Hail."And as though no words were spoken, the activities in the hall went back to normal.The throne hall of the God-king was very enormous and its height, unprecedented. The palace wall cast in gold were built so loftily that its roof was almost a mirage. And twas built such way because of the elevated throne of the God-king.His throne, which was at the end of the throne hall to the North, was three feet above the floor. He had made such throne for himself to observe the activities of his subjects from the heights. Like God in heaven does!Few metres away from his throne, in the throne hall, before him, there were several sexual activities and local musicians playing lyre and harps like the Israelites would do to appreciate God.His deep immortal eyes straye
Celebration. Wealene's Palace. Agranah~Royalties~"Bathias, the bard."At the call of Jaith, Bathias the bald bard, kinky, stout, white long drooping beards with stray curls, dressed in a while linen garment which covered his waist, but left a strap up his chest to be connected to another at his back. Leaving his chest and back bare. Stepped into the ring of fire which ought to emphasize what dramatic direction his literary presentation would take. He bowed slightly and started his ritual humming before the words would flow.It's the gathering of the Kings. An occasion that takes place three times a year in Agranah. Mostly centering on the kingdoms yet to pay their taxes, new developments they've learnt from other nations outside the walls of Agranah and its sister kingdoms. Like they had once learnt from a kingdom called Frankia and had built a rampart to take the form of such defense system that had kept the remote kingdom standing.But this tim
Same.~Kie and Wealene~"Who, by the gods does this retard think he is to intrude whenever he wants."King Wealene mumbled under his breath as Kie walked to where he was. Kie miraculously went on his knees and bowed with his forehead brushing the floor before Wealene. Twas pretty much hard to tell what that was for. Respect or -- whatever."What is this?"Wealene queried as Kie stood up tall before him."Didn't you say she's not worth your while? That you'd rather get married to a -- Jaith what did the lad say the previous day?"Jaith, who had hurried there, standing behind Kie for any quick ambush if necessary, mumbled incoherently. King Wealene dismissed his poor memory as Kie came on,"I guess I was wrong about her and spoke out of rage. The rage of the clashes we've had before now."Wealene chuckled softly, taking few steps closer to him as the rest of the royalties watched in surprise."Pardon my interruption
Same.~Malisa and Kie~"Of all the days, why today?"Malisa complained, her arms tucked into each other over her fanny. Kie was leaning back on a royal table which was placed in the middle of the princess' chamber. He kept a straight face when he said,"Am I a stain to the royal house? Oops. I forgot, I'm an Ostler who shouldn't be present when other kings are."Malisa shook her head softly, her face wielding an emotional gaze. She swept a sheet of courage and took two steps towards him, standing quite not far from him.She argued, yet delicately,"Of course not. That's not what I mean."She puffed and strayed to an end of the room by the East where there was a big drawer with mirror and traditional makeup kits lined on its deck.She turned to him, her backside pressed against the edge of the deck."I know my father too well. He loves taking an advantage of situations. Especially such situations as this. And you k
The Arena. "Now that the King has been crowned and the Queens have been celebrated, it's now time to have the games. But first, we'd be starting with blood and gores... let all the women take caution now. If you cannot contain the emotions, you won't be held against your will to remain seated. But if surely you have nothing to fear, I shall then call in the gladiator!!!"Hannibal took a pause, looking away from the crowd who occupied the arena to every corner of its length. He looked at his back, at Kie who was elegantly dressed as a king, the gold crown sitting majestically upon his head. Beside him to the right was Malisa and to the left was Sam. The parents were behind them; that particular elevated spot of the arena had been consecrated for the royalty and family. Kie nodded him to continue and he did. "By the order of the great king of Agranah, Kie Azholophased, I thereby introduce to you the great terror of the men of the East, a bea
Through the woods of Agranah. "What if Malisa figures out that the both of us disappear a day before the coronation? Don't you think she'll have a lot of reasons to be jumpy?"Kie took a glance at Samantha whose horse was going gently beside his. She smiled at him,"Are you saying that she would think that we absconded again?"He nodded looking away,"Definitely. It's quite the thing to think about. And to think of it, we found our way back to each other after that sex. Now I know what I want and who I truly love.""And who's that?"She teased, intentionally avoiding his gaze. He chuckled and made his horse stop. He climbed off it and walked to hers which had stopped too. He got to her and turned her on the horse. He turned her to face himself then buried his face in her stomach. "Of course you, Samantha. You are the one I love genuinely."He looked up at her, his face soft and reflectiv
On a boat. A lagoon. "So I convinced her. She surely believed me."Shamaica said to Amani who was standing very close to the edge of the boat on the other end. Naturally, the boat should tilt and fall over but 'twas mysteriously stable on the water. You could call that magic. "Why do you make it sound like you have done something evil. All you did was tell the witch the truth. If I was a third party, I would think that you have an ulterior motive."Amani turned to her and the boat shook. Shamaica was seated at the extreme end, on a plank connected to both ends of the boat; six other planks like that made rows of seven seats. "Sorry, master. That wasn't the intention."Shamaica apologized. Amani huffed, then started walking back to her, jumping from one seat to the other till she got to the middle. "Why do you call master? It's reasonable to think that you chose to become my disciple in order to cultivate your p
Night. The King's chamber. Agranah. "I don't think this is the right thing to do."Kie was reluctant to walk to the bed. His back was pressed to the door. His eyes traveling across the room. The room was lit in red candles, the floor clothed in beautiful flowers. Kie needed no soothsayer to tell him those were the efforts of Malisa. And Malisa was already in bed, half-naked, her white night gown was transparent and revealed every sensitive part of her body; especially her hard and standing nipples. "What do you think, Sam?"Kie decided to look away from Mal. That was the only way to counter the arousal he was having. Sam on the other hand was still wearing her gown. Though her cleavages were revealed, but her dresses were at the peak of modesty. "I don't know. I'm not sure I can stand it."She walked away from the bed, beside which she had been standing, heading towards the door. Malisa slid
The Palace Garden. Agranah. "Why do I feel like we have to uproot all these flowers and replant new ones. The blood and sweat of the warriors seem to ridicule their efforts to grow."He walked around the garden, careful of the traps he'd once heard Wealene talk about. "But for a fact, one must agree that Wealene is quite the genius. How could he had thought of creating such deadly shortcuts and traps. He must have a lot of things going on in that thick head of his.""I bet you can't say that it to his face."A feminine voice came from behind him. He was familiar with the voice, and therefore found no reason to turn to her. "After all, he's the father of a woman you love."She added, advancing towards him. "Go away, I don't want to talk to you."She halted few steps away from him. He kept on walking towards the pit. She followed. As soon as he got to the pit, he stopped then looked into it. 'Twas
Within the Palace walls. The dining hall. "Now let's talk about the king's coronation feast."Elonaise proposed over breakfast. Everyone of them was gathered at the table. Only Hannibal was missing: he hadn't arrived from the island yet. "Can't it wait until we finish dining?"Wealene had made an exception. He seemed to be in a better state now. For all that there was, he was seated and had his usual expression stalking his face. "There's no kid here. Why should we do that? Or do you fear to choke on the meat?"Elonaise trolled. Wealene glared at him for a while. Mara looked from one end to the other. Kie was seated between his wives. Mara between the two men, each set opposite each other over the table. "Kie, when do you want the feast to be?"Kie who had been enjoying his meal, paused for a while, then looked up at his mother. He could feel the eyes of the rest heating up his face. He picked each of t
Through the neighborhood of Agranah. "Where are you taking me to?"Kie was impatient now, and he wouldn't move anymore. He had been keeping his calm all this while but now that they were past the arena and were walking through the plain towards the East, he'd decided to stop his horse. Samantha who was leading ahead of him didn't stop. She wasn't going to give in to his threat. She was now a different person. Ever since Kie placed her as a second choice. Twas quite a wonder that he decided to come with her after she told him that there was someone who wanted to speak with him. "You think I'm joking? I'm turning around now!"He pushed the threat further and then she stopped. She turned on her horse and called at him,"Don't be a sucker and catch up. We are almost there. What a bore you are!!!"She grunted and nudged her horse, turning away from him. "A bore?"He called on top of his vo
Towards the plains of Kattiput. "What kinda life is this?"Alanor panted, taking a break. He could see the plains of his land few steps ahead of him. He was on an unnamed spot between the woods behind and plains ahead.He resumed walking, his clothes dusty and dirty. His hair unkempt, face rough, lips cracked, shoes worn from the tiring journey. His heart was faint, but dropping dead or refusing to walk would do him nothing close to good. "Why are there no wandering warriors on patrol?"He remonstrated, advancing towards the plains. A realization dawned on him,"Even if many died in the war, but I left few back at home. Aren't they supposed to be worried about me?"He was now walking through the plains. "And there is no horse. What fate is this. Why do I fall into wrong hands over and over again."The view up ahead of him was blurry because of the hotness of the sun. He could hardly take a long s
Agranah. Wealene's Chamber. "How do you feel now, father?"Malisa helped her father up. She handed him the goblet filled with concoction. He took a long gulp of it, not allowing the bitter taste to ruin his motivation. "Like shit. But it's a relief that I won't die. Let that choad just wait till I recover, he would wish he didn't know me."He tried to lie back down, after handing the cup back to his daughter. She looked inside the cup,"There's still some portion left. It'll work together.""Malisa?"Wealene called, after getting comfortable. "Yes father?"His face housed a thin smile,"How about you be a good daughter and take the remaining portion for me."She rolled her eyes at him,"Why would I ? Was I the one who was bitten by the dick of a God?"She tried to laugh stealthily but he caught her. "So, now you're against your only father?"