Cinderfella 2: A New Life - 46. Chapter 46

The banquet hall was now a symphony of men talking, laughing and kidding each other. These were not just soldiers, they were warriors! Then the feeling I now got from them was extremely pleasant. In their eyes, I’d proven I was to be trusted. They had no problem accepting me as a friend now.

At the end of the meal, I rose, but felt the muscles telling me not to move fast. I was getting stiff and sore. I didn’t mean to, but I must have made a sound. King Mordor and Yannick looked at me cautiously.

“You’re a little sore?” King Mordor nodded knowing what I was feeling. “I’d be surprised if you weren’t.”

I nodded. “Is there a hot bath I can get?”

Yannick smiled nodding. “I know just where to take you. If you’re done with us for now, Father?”

King Mordor nodded. “Of course.” He looked at me. “We’ll discuss what is needed in the morning, if that’s okay with you?”

“I’ll be ready, Your Majesty.” I nodded.

Yannick got up. Whether it was to say my groan was understood or something else, he let out a little groan himself. “In fact, I could use a hot soak myself.” He waved for me to follow.

I bowed to the king and followed Yannick, only stopping to tell Quaid and Darrin what was happening. They were being treated well by the other warriors and seemed to be enjoying themselves, delighting in an unexpected pleasant company. Yannick led me to some stone stairs that led down. We went deeper in the castle to what looked like caves. The Creids had burrowed out much of it for easier passing. Added torches and lamps and soon we arrived at…well….there were dozens of tubs! Tubs made like the wine barrels Seth and I used for wine, only much bigger and these were filled with steaming water. I looked as there were pipes rising from somewhere that went up through the ceiling or cave roof to somewhere above unseen.

“Wow.” I said looking around the large area. It was a cavern! “Where are we?”

Yannick chuckled. “There are many hot springs in Creid. Vents where the water in the ground is super heated. Boiling really. We access and pipe the water to create heat above in the castle. The pressure is so high from the natural geysers the water flows easily. These tubs are mixed with cold and the hot waters to make them tolerable. The guards and soldiers use them after a campaign or after practice.” He shrugged. “Or just because it’s there. It’s very relaxing. It will help the muscles relax and lessen the soreness.”

I grinned at the set up. “Natural hot water! This is amazing.” Turning to Yannick. “We have water heaters in Blethos. And there are some in A’Dore, but we have to heat the water. Here it naturally is hot!”

Yannick nodded. “For us. Like I said, we have to cool it down to use it.” He said pulling on his shirt. Then he stopped. “We often bath communally. Meaning we do it together. Do you mind?”

I pulled on my clothes. “I’ve bathed often with others. Mostly my husband now. We love our nightly hot bath. Nudity is not unknown or frowned on. There are some more modest than I am.” I pulled my shirt off.

Yannick nodded. “Good.” He waved toward the tubs. “There are drying cloths about. The water is clean and flushed almost as fast as its added, so new water replaces the old.” He said as he finished undressing.

I looked at his wound I’d given him. “The hot water may make your cut bleed more.” I pointed to his cloth bandage.

He smiled. “It looks worse than it is. It’s really not that deep. The armor deflected much of the cut. It might bleed, but it’s mostly stopped now. I’ll have it rebound after the bath.”

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t look. Yannick was a handsome man! He was between Seth and Christian in age, about thirty. He was big that was sure, but he was a little hairier than Seth. He had the close cropped beard of black and his chest, which was well formed, was covered in the black hair. His arms were also well formed as were his legs. He didn’t care that I was married to a man or could or would look at him. He stepped in a tub letting a hiss out as he lowered himself in the water. The tubs were large enough for six or seven men. There were enough tubs to provide hot baths for a whole battalion of soldiers.

“Join me.” Yannick motioned toward his tub. “We can talk easier.”

I put my foot in the water and it was hot! It was almost too hot, but I eased in feeling the delicious warmth radiate through my muscles. Then slowly lowered myself to sit on benches that were positioned for a man to sit and enjoy the steamy comfort. “This is sinful.” I said letting my head fall back on rest I saw there.

Yannick chuckled. “It is.” He agreed.

I looked back to him. “Your name sounds Parisian.”

He nodded with a smile. “That’s because it is. My mother’s father’s name. He was Parisian. She named me after him.”

“There is a lot I’d like to learn about Creid. Care to share?” I asked sincerely.

“What do you want to know?” Yannick asked.

I shrugged. “All of it if possible. You have others here from other parts of the world. Thus your name.”

Yannick nodded. “We are a nation…or people that are made up from a lot of other kingdoms. We have people that came from A’Dore, Blethos and Darma. Other people, like my grandfather, just came from other continents. Either to escape raiding hordes, or just to hide. That was easy to do up here. The mountains are a natural protection. Until we began mining and exporting ore, we really were very poor and still are, but keeping this part of the world takes effort. Some kingdoms…even Blethos and A’Dore wanted what we have and are willing to just take it. There were parties that would come and take over. We were barbaric in the past. We got the reputation of being blood thirsty and even savage. That helped keep the other kingdoms away. Fear.”

I nodded. “But we’re not all like that. A’Dore could be a friend. So can Blethos.”

Yannick nodded. “Those opinions of us will take time to change. The reputation served us well for a long time. It will be hard to overcome.”

“I understand.” I said. “There are those that will take what they feel they deserve, whether or not they do or don’t deserve it.” I smiled. “But we, A’Dore and Blethos aren’t like that.”

Yannick smiled nodding. “Father sees that. I see that. But Grandfather was very wary of strangers. It is a distrust passed on by the generations. We can and will fight if necessary. Father has begun to realize we don’t need to.”

“Keeping yourselves ready to fight is an absolute necessity. Our troops are drilled and trained to do that and will fight when needed.” I shrugged. “I was trained to do that. So was Christian.”

Yannick nodded a concession. “And I found out you learned very well. You were damned good!”

I grinned. “Thank my instructor Jason. He never let up just because I am a prince.”

Yannick smiled at that. “He must be Creid. Whatever it takes.” Then he frowned. “I’m guilty, too. I judged you because you’re from A’Dore and Blethos. I assumed you were, as Father said, a pampered prince, but clearly you’re not.”

I chuckled. “Well, I like to pampered sometimes, but I respect what I’ve learned. Creid is not made of barbarians at all.” Then I sniffed as I smelled what I’d smelled in King Mordor’s room those years ago. “Is there Sulphur in this water?”

Yannick sniffed too. “I don’t really smell it. I suppose so.”

I grinned now knowing that explained what I smelled when I first saw King Mordor. It wasn’t that he didn’t bath, it was from this water! “It’s not bad.” I loved the radiant heat soaking in my muscles. “I like you, Yannick.”

He chuckled. “You’re just saying that because I kissed you.”

I laughed. “Well, as I recall, I kissed you, but I have a tendency to like the people I kiss. I must have a thing for princes. So far, they are the only men, or even women, I have kissed that I wasn’t related to.”

Yannick chuckled. “I like you, too, Erik.”

I was escorted to another room other than one we were led to after arriving. This room was, again, not overly furnished. There was a bed with a few lamps and a wooden bench that held a chamber pot. The bed was comfortable. The fur that covered the bed was warm as I crawled underneath it. I slept very well.

It was after breakfast when I was asked about more details on the new threat.

“The new threat can only be seen in what I have a Seer.” I had brought some glass containers and small portions of glass to put any sample on. We went to a small room where I set things up and lighting the lamp to see. I directed the reflectors to show King Mordor and Yannick what I had. Using my own blood, I cut and place the blood underneath. “Take a look at what you’ll see about my blood.”

King Mordor looked and did like everyone does. Looked at what he saw and then looked at what he was looking at without the Seer to see if there was trick and then back again. “This is your blood!? There’s all these little things!”

I nodded glad he saw it. “Yes, and makes up your blood, too. We have identified things in blood and so far there are several kinds of blood. I am kind one. The thing is, when blood of different kinds are combined, if not careful, the blood will fight each other. There is a kind that doesn’t fight with any other kind, but that’s not the norm.” I explained and got what Dr. Warren had drawn to show of the other of these little creatures and how different they were and how varied they were. “There are also other things….creatures that are alive and will be in blood. When we get illnesses of any kind they are all different little creatures for each illness.” I explained. “A while back, someone managed to get some little creatures in my brother, King Christian. They nearly killed him. I am certain they would have...”

Yannick had looked at the glass and seen the blood, too. “But he lives. We heard about the attack, but you cured him.”

“He was cured because I was given…” How did I explain this? “…something that would help what’s in his body fight these little creatures and assure victory.”

King Mordor nodded. “But there’s no more.” He said it not as a question. It was logical. King Mordor was very smart. “Otherwise you’d simply get more.”

I nodded pleased I wasn’t dealing with a simpleton. “And please believe me. Do you believe there are…people that can access things…well…it’s like magic?” I asked worried they’d throw me in a hold thinking I must be insane.

Both Yannick and King Mordor exchanged an uncertain look. Then King Mordor gave a careful nod. “I know there are things in this world…that can’t be explained logically. Are you saying that was how your brother was cured?”

“If I say yes, do you believe me?” I asked.

King Mordor frowned as wandered a little pondering how to answer. “A few decades ago, I was skeptical. Then this Lukus Kane character seemed a little…unusual and Arthur Thorne was convinced Lukus could do magic and Arthur wasn’t too sharp, but he was no fool.” Then he wandered away a little more before turning back to me. “Then a few years ago, I heard a voice. No source I could see or find just spoke in the middle of the night and it was no dream or vision. It asked me about the attack on Blethos and the killing that occurred there to King Alexander’s family. The voice asked me if I were a part, which I say again, I had no part in.”

I nodded. “And to which I assured you, I believe you didn’t. Arthur Thorne was trying to get his son on the throne. He thought he could force the issue killing Seth’s family, or rather Prince Phillip’s family. He and his brother survived that attack.” I explained what I knew. “So, if I tell you, I was given something to give to Christian that did cure him of these little creatures that attacked him.”

“But now there isn’t anymore.” Yannick said nodding.

That’s when I smiled. “And this is where you, the Creids, come in.” I raised a finger for them to hold their thoughts or questions. I pulled another drawing out. “The cure I was given to give Christian has resulted in these new little creatures. What Dr. Warren, our palace physician, says are little warriors for Christian. They attack and consume other little, more dangerous creatures, but leave Christian pretty much immune to new ones and healthy. These new warriors began reproducing and making more and more.”

Yannick frowned. “But we’ve never even seen blood this close before. How can we help?”

“There is someone here. I was told a man named Ryan. Whose father knew about blood. I’m told he knew how to pass what is in a person’s blood that…maybe he knew how a man who was attacked by some illness or these little creatures or some like these, but survived, making his body capable of defeating the little creatures again. This man of cures here, Ryan, found a way of taking what is in another person’s blood and giving it to someone else, making this new person able to fight the new creatures without getting the illness at all!”

King Mordor nodded. “We do have him and know him.” He smiled. “Though I don’t think he, his father was Ronan, or Ryan knew about these little creatures.” He turned to a man working in the room. “Can someone get Ryan and bring him here?”

The man nodded and bowed. “At once, Sire.” He hurried out to do the task.

Yannick looked again at the blood I had. “This is amazing! You thought of this?” He smiled in admiration.

I chuckled. “Well, actually it was my husband. He thought of this.”

“Huh.” Yannick grinned. “He must be a smart man.”

I nodded. “He is.” Then I grinned. “And big, too.” I motioned to Yannick.

Yannick chuckled. “You like big.”

“I love big. I love him so I’m very fond of big.”

“So you believe me about the voice I heard?” King Mordor asked wanting to sure I believed his story.

I nodded. “I do.” I wasn’t about to tell him that voice he heard was mine. “In fact, it was a couple of these people that brought Ella and Christian together. And me and Seth.”

Yannick smiled. “So the story about Cinderella is true? She had a fairy godmother!?”

I grinned. “Who I have met, yes.”

Yannick shook his head. “I need one of those fairy godparents.” Then he sat down. “And you had one?”

I nodded again. “I did. He was the one that gave me the cure. The answer to this threat is in Christian’s blood. We just have to get them out so they can do the job with others.”

Yannick shrugged. “I don’t see why not.” He looked at his father. “His father, Ronan, did cure people using blood from others. He even cured me of a fever that would have killed most men. He used blood from men it didn’t kill to cure me.”

I smiled at that. “So, he did have a way of transferring what protected one man into another.”

King Mordor nodded. “This has been going on here for a hundred years or so. Ronan’s father was the one that found it, but it was crude and didn’t always work and Ronan perfected it to ensure it did!”

It took a few hours before a man came in. I was prepared for another large, dark haired man. He was a good size, if you count me as being a good size at five feet and ten inches. What startled me was his red hair! Not orange like I’ve seen occasionally. We had few in A’Dore and some in Blethos, but not many. His hair was red.

“This is Ryan.” King Mordor stood as Ryan entered. “He’s carried on his father’s work and taken many cures to people in Creid.”

Standing up, I shook the new man’s hand and then explained about what I’d found and asked about what he knew. It was after he saw the blood he nodded with a smile.

“It makes sense now!” He marveled to everyone and no one. He turned to me. “My father tried to get the blood of men that had the ability to fight an illness into another man. Some of the men lived and did become able to fight the illness. Others got sick or even died.” He sat with us as he told us about it. “Father found that putting the blood in containers, and spinning them around fast in what he called a Spinner the blood separates!” He got up and looked again at the blood. “And there it is!” He looked back at us waving to the Seer. “My father said blood is made up of two parts. Solids and liquids. The Spinner forces those parts to separate. Like a yolk separated from the whites. The blood solids can be separated from the liquid. And there it is! He found a man’s ability to fight illness is not in the solids, but the liquids and that is tolerated by everyone! Something my grandfather wanted to do, but failed many times.”

I was feeling a lot of hope now. “But you know how to transfer this liquid to another person?”

Ryan nodded. “Sure. We are good at metals in Creid and a clean hollow needle will transfer the liquid to a person.” He said as if it was the easiest thing to do.

I almost did a jig!! “Yes!! This is why I came here! You guys are great!!” I said hugging a surprised Ryan. “This is amazing!”

Ryan chuckled not bothered at all about the hug, just surprised. “I’m glad we made you so happy.”

“You did! All of you! We have a chance now.” I hugged Yannick who was chuckling and then was about to hug King Mordor, but hesitated. He was a king, you didn’t just hug a king. “I’d hug you, too, if you let me.” That’s when King Mordor laughed heartily and hugged me! “New friends in Creid! I love you people!!”

Yannick laughed and then got mockingly serious. “Oh, but this could ruin our reputation.”

“It will! It will absolutely ruin that reputation!” I nodded. “If this works, everyone is going to love the people from Creid, just like I do! You people are marvelous!!” Then I did do a jig.