The Changing (26 page)

On the battle front things had taken a drastic change as well. Instead of the multitude of insects single-mindedly attacking Seth and his allies, now they scattered in all directions unsure of what to do without their leader present to guide them. Seth imagined the local population of predatory animals should have them mopped up in the months to come, but for the sake of speeding the process, he unleashed one last wave of fire into the darkness incinerating the few thousand nearest insects.

Covered in dust that clung to his damp body, the chief, doing his best to brush himself off, approached Seth, a large grin upon his tiny face.

"You have big power hooman," the chief said. "Where find big power?"

Seth thought a moment about his response, knowing he had to stick to the bargain he had made with Ishanya. Like the chief had done earlier in the night, Seth lifted his arms to the sky, tilting his head back as if holding the heavens within his arms.

"Big power from chief up there," Seth answered.

"What chief name?" the miniature leader asked.

"Ishanya," Seth answered honestly.

"Ishhhpanda," the chief mimicked. "You see Ishhhpanda, tell him chief Flapagappa Gudletut want big power."

"I will tell her," Seth replied with a smile.

With that the chief stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled five short blasts, to which his men responded by forming up in ranks. Without so much as a goodbye, they marched off back towards their home. Seth, Sara, Borrik, the feline sisters and Seth’s troops watched the slow retreat of the little men for a few moments quietly before Sara, realizing that watching the tiny men with even tinier legs leave could take hours, decided to break the silence.

"My love?" Sara asked, getting Seth’s attention.

"Yes?" Seth replied.

"Can we go home now? Or at least get started? We only have a few hours of darkness left at most," Sara both asked and stated.

"Yes, I suppose we should." Seth replied, and then turning to Borrik added, "Borrik, please lead us home to Valdadore."

Borrik did not bother so much as to reply as he turned and began walking at an easy pace for his master and his master's wife to match.

Chapter 12

A Wondrous Return and a Wretched Report

Two weeks had passed since Garret had unwittingly been voted into the role of King of Valdadore. Though he attended council meetings, gave orders, received reports and made the final decision on anything and everything of import regarding the kingdom, realization had still not struck him fully. He leaned upon the wisdom and guidance of his many councilors heavily, though in time he hoped he could grasp the entire scope of what his duties entailed and how his rulings on one front might affect people he would presume completely removed from them. It was often Sulvis whom Garret sought out for advice as the man had served the kingdom loyally for nearly his entire life, and knew much more about running the kingdom than Garret could hope to learn in short order.

The repairs to the mages’ tower were already nearly completed. The council had brought in all the best carpenters and masons from around the kingdom, though all doubted the lingering stench of smoke would be entirely eradicated for many years, if even then. Garret had visited the tower nearly every day to mark the progress for himself, and found the results of each day's labor much to his liking. Though titled king, Garret knew that those amongst the council worked extra hard to ease his transition, each of them taking a small portion of the burden onto themselves. For that he was grateful and did his best to make sure every decision was as well thought out from every angle that he could imagine. Up to this point Garret felt he was doing a fine job, though his newest friend, and greatest nuisance, assured him daily that he was overlooking something of great import.

Garret, in a way, had been living a double life over the last few weeks. Not that he was trying to hide anything from anybody, as "rumors abound in the castle", one of Linaya’s favorite sayings, would portend. But by habit, with Linaya’s fear of men's desire and women's cruelty, she was a bit of a nocturnal person, sleeping late into the day and spending most of the evening and night into the early morning hours awake. So in order for Garret to spend any time with the woman he both adored and teased ceaselessly, he too had to rearrange his schedule to an extent to make himself available during the hours she roamed quietly about the castle.

Linaya’s life for many years had been one primarily of seclusion. Since reaching womanhood, with the maturation of her body Linaya had been constantly plagued by men's lust and women's distrust. She had come to life at court at her father's urging for two reasons. First, her father assured her the longings of common men were often more ravenous, whereas those at court were held to higher standards. Sadly this was a point that had been disproved within Linaya’s first week at court when a visiting man of wealth attempted to accost her in one of the back corridors. Her father's second reason to bring Linaya to court was to spend more time with her, and though at first it had been a good arrangement and she did see her father often, it was usually in passing as he was off to perform some duty or another. As of the last year, with goblin raids and the razing of entire villages, Linaya had barely seen her father at all. Now that he was gone, she had planned to return home to the inn with her mother, but alas Sasha was gone as well. With no place feeling quite like home anymore, Linaya decided to stay on at the castle in an apparent attempt to be sure Garret never got a good night’s sleep, for which he was grateful daily.

Often in the late evening, when Garret was sure there would be no more calls for his attention he would retire to his royal chambers or to the king's study depending upon his mood. On nights he retired to his personal rooms, Linaya would often tiptoe in unannounced, as Garret generally sent his guards home to their families. They would sit up for hours either upon the bed or one of the large padded benches in front of the fireplace and tell stories of their childhoods, or share hopes and dreams for the future. On the other nights, when Garret retired to his study in an attempt to learn all he could from the previous king’s writings, Linaya would often come up to pester him, asking him silly questions until he gave up his pursuit of knowledge and folded to her will. Those nights they would peer out the great window from his study on the highest floor of the southwest tower, and they would gaze at the stars and make wishes, or look out over the kingdom together wondering what everyone else was doing.

Garret enjoyed their time together immensely and he knew, though she would not openly admit it, that Linaya looked forward to their every meeting as well. So it was that Garret sat in his personal chambers, waiting patiently for Linaya’s arrival, when she tiptoed barefoot into his room wearing nothing but a simple silken slip of the lightest blue. Though his jaw attempted to fall slack, and his tongue threatened to roll out of his mouth, Garret fought the urge and turned his attention elsewhere in the room with a knowing smile.

"Yes, yes, I know I am hideous and you can’t bear to look at me," Linaya said, getting the exact reaction she had hoped for.

Garret, no matter how often they played this game, fell for it each time. Just as Linaya had expected him to do, Garret turned back to face her, in awe of her exquisite beauty, held enthralled by her perfection. Worse was the fact that this night, unlike any other night they had shared, Linaya was flaunting her perfection, dangling it right before Garret’s face. As she pranced across the room causing undue bouncing in places that always seemed to trigger Garret’s attention, she came to a stop at the corner of his bed. Then resting her back against the tall bedpost that supported the canopy over his bed, Linaya reached up above her head and wrapped her arms around the post behind her. This particular motion achieved two things that set Garret’s blood on fire, though he managed to contain his desires. First the arch in her back pressed her breasts against the silk that cascaded down her body loosely, showing off not only their shape and firmness, but also accentuating her small, perky nipples giving Garret the subconscious need to bite something. Secondly, with the acts of both raising her arms and arching her back, the blue silk of her short gown, which normally hung to her mid-thigh, rose ever higher exposing even more tantalizingly perfect flesh. Garret could actually feel the blood in his face grow hotter and again realized he had fallen into her trap, and as such managed to tear his eyes from the extraordinary woman to look across the room at nothing in particular.

"How is it that you can do it, yet other men cannot?" Linaya asked teasingly.

"Do what?" Garret replied, sure it would be another game.

"Fight the inner animal," Linaya said.

"What do you mean?" Garret asked, assuming the worst.

"You cannot say you do not enjoy to look upon me. I can see the need to have me written plainly upon your face. Yet you have never once attempted to even brush against me or touch me in any manner that was improper," Linaya stated it as if it were fact.

"Yes, you are attractive," Garret said hoping to end the conversation and move on to something less uncomfortable.

"Duh silly, but you did not answer my question," she retorted.

"To be honest?" Garret asked.

"Would you tell me anything else?" Linaya asked with a grin.

"I suppose not," Garret said, thinking how to phrase his answer. "I will admit it is not always easy to contain myself, though it has never been harder than now."

"It's never been harder, huh?" Linaya giggled. "But why would it be harder now?"

"You know precisely why, Linaya. Look at how you are dressed," Garret responded.

"Ah, so my clothing is what intrigues you," she jested. "You must be terribly fond of blue, though I am sure I must have worn this color before."

"You have," Garret replied. "But you well know my meaning."

"So you are saying that my wearing something extremely comfortable makes you extremely uncomfortable?" Linaya asked teasingly.

"If that is what you want to call it," Garret replied.

"So are you saying then, that when I am naked and should wish to dress myself, I should think of you and your comfort?" Linaya asked.

Garret actually grimaced at the mental image Linaya’s last statement crammed into his head. Though the image was by far probably the most enticing thing he had ever imagined, he could not help but feel verbally raped by the comment, having tried so hard not to imagine the woman nude. However, after a moment to gather his thoughts, once again he managed a reply.

"Yes, I suppose you should," Garret answered.

"So you are saying I should dress myself with regard as to how you might look upon me?" Linaya asked, still teasing.

"Yes," Garret grinned. Simple answers caused him so much less trouble with her.

"Why?" she asked again.

"Because I do it for you," Garret answered and immediately regretted it.

"You dress for me?" Linaya asked, her tone now completely different.

"Yes," Garret admitted again realizing it was entirely too late to turn back now.

"Why?" Linaya asked, completely sincere.

"In hopes that you could perhaps see me as I see you," Garret answered honestly.

"Really?" She then asked, her tone changing to one of amusement, “Have you ever, and I mean ever seen a mirror? Seriously now, I see why you cannot shave without cutting yourself a dozen times or more. Come here." Linaya said and grabbing Garret’s hand dragged him off the bed and across the large stone chamber. Rounding the corner towards his private privy, Linaya stopped suddenly leaving Garret standing directly in front of a large mirror that stood from the floor to the ceiling and was polished to perfection. Using her hands Linaya guided Garret to turn and face the mirror as she then stood behind him. Reaching up from behind him, Linaya grasped the uppermost button of Garret’s shirt and paused.

"May I?" she asked.

Unsure if he could answer, Garret nodded in acquiescence, and stood as Linaya unbuttoned his shirt in entirety and pulled it down his back, removing his arms from the sleeves as it fell.

"Look at you," Linaya said. "You're like a chiseled statue of a god in one of the temples. I mean seriously look at yourself, Garret."

Garret stood a moment seeing himself in the mirror, yet not really seeing himself. He watched, using the mirror, as Linaya walked around him and placed her small petite body within the frame of the mirror and together they looked into the reflection.

"You do realize that you are attractive, right?" Linaya asked. "I mean, look at your arms. They're as big as my waist for crying out loud, and that’s scary..." she said, letting her words sink in before adding what she really meant. "Scary sexy."

Garret looked again in the mirror, trying to see what Linaya said she could see, though he wondered if she was just playing a game with him. It took him many minutes and it wasn't until he took his focus off himself that he realized what it was that Linaya saw that he didn’t. Peering into the mirror, Garret did not in so many words find himself attractive, though he was as she said well-muscled and sculpted like an artist’s portrayal of the gods. Looking into the mirror at them together, Garret saw perfection. It was with the contrast of their shapes and skin tones, the imperfections of Garret’s skin compared to her flawless, supple flesh that made the image whole. Linaya did not see herself as Garret saw her, and Garret did not see himself as Linaya saw him, but what Linaya had been able to perceive even before this moment was that together they were beautiful, each a complement and a contrast to the other.

"Now you see it," Linaya said. "I can tell by your expression," she added with a smile.

"I do see it," Garret professed.

"We shall make a handsome couple, won't we?" Linaya asked sincerely.

"I should like to think so," Garret replied.

"Good," Linaya said, a giant smile parting her lips. "Then you should get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow, you know, getting crowned king and all that." Linaya said giggling, and without warning she spun and kissed Garret’s bare chest, right where his heart lay beneath.