Cinderfella 2: A New Life - 47. Chapter 47

The new relationship that was forming between the Creids and me was still one I was surprised with. What had my mother told Christian about their table manners wasn’t true. Had King Mordor being playing an act? He ate as decently as other men, better than some I’ve witnessed.

I also noticed that when we dined in the great hall, there were a lot of men there eating as well.

“You do this sort of meal every meal? All of these men eat here?” I asked seeing all the men talking and having a pleasant time. Servants were busy serving them more chicken and wine.

King Mordor looked out at the men puzzled. “Well of course. These are the palace guards. They live here in the palace.” Then he smiled. “These are the best. We have other warriors, but these men earned a place in the King’s Warriors. Thus they live here.”

The castle was more of a barracks than a castle. The men here still had on the black leather armor, but not their helmets. I understood more that they were a warrior driven people. The men here were well fed and seemed very healthy. Thinking about it, those bare foot children didn’t look malnourished, just dirty and that seemed to be because of the dirt around. It just was. I also noted they seemed to have a sort of honor warrior code they followed. These were warriors, not just soldiers. I smiled as I watched them act together. They were acted like gentlemen! No loud talking and they also had good manners. I sipped the wine and their wine….well…it wasn’t bad, but…

I set my goblet down. “Would any of you be offended if I sent you men a case or two of wine from Royal Valley?”

King Mordor smiled. “I take it you don’t care for ours.”

I held up my hand. “It’s fine, really….but I’d like you to try mine.” I grinned. “And of course I consider mine is better.”

King Mordor wasn’t offended at all. “I’m sure you would think so, pride in what you do is important. I’ll have to taste it to see!” He chuckled.

I chuckled back. “This is good, really…your wine, but I like ours. I’d like you to taste it.”

Yannick’s eyebrows rose. “That’s right. You got Thorne Valley when Arthur died. You run it now?”

“My husband and I do.” I began. “Seth loves the vineyard and tends it lovingly. I think he knows every single grape personally. Our two sons love the juice…”

“Sons!? You have children!?” Yannick balked. Apparently that was not told to them. “You and Seth?”

I chuckled. “I see not all information about us gets to Creid. We have two boys. Toby is about to be three and Dennis is seventeen months.” I grinned drinking a little more wine. “That’s pretty good as neither Seth nor I have any stretch marks to show anyone.” But I saw his startled look, but knew what was next. “And before you ask, neither of us had them. That’s usually the first question. A young woman, who was widowed right after she gave birth to Dennis came and died shortly after the birth. We took them as our sons.”

Yannick nodded understanding. “Oh, I see.”

I thought about Seth and our sons and I felt this longing in my heart. “I miss them. This is the longest I’ve ever been apart from any of them. I miss Seth.” I could see Seth’s face clearly.

King Mordor nodded understanding. “I’m sure you do. You really love Seth.” He said softly as if this concept had escaped him that it was possible.

I nodded. “He’s a major part of me.”

King Mordor nodded. “Well, we’ll be sending help with what’s going on. You’ll be home soon. What we need to do is organize how we do this. We have Ryan, but he can come with you to work there either in Blethos or A’Dore. From what I understand, King Christian has what’s needed in his body. Are you planning to go back to A’Dore from here? You’d have to, wouldn’t you?”

I thought of the doorway. Demetrius said only family, but more were going to find out, but I was determined to keep it as minimum as possible. “We have a way of getting what’s needed to Royal Valley from Christian. We can work from there.” I looked at King Mordor. He needed to know about Len Na. “But there is another threat.”

“Oh?” King Mordor asked.

“There is a woman.” I began. “I’ve never met her. My godfather told me about a woman named Len Na. She is such as my godfather, but she’s bent on revenge against mankind. She uses people to get things done. She used a man named Jean Claude to get those little creatures into Christian. Unfortunately Jean Claude died while doing that and we can’t question him. He married one of Ella’s step-sisters. Len Na will use whoever’s necessary to get what she needs. As a result, Seth and our boys are under guard in Royal Valley now.”

Yannick frowned, never doubting that what I said was true. I guess the Challenge of Conviction was pretty concrete! I was trusted. “Well, then we can’t send them back with just Ryan!” He said to his father. “They could be attacked if this woman is like his godparent and uses people against him. We’ll have to send some men with them. I volunteer.”

King Mordor looked surprised at his son and then to me. “My son is right, but…” he turned to Yannick. “But you’re the Crowned Prince.”

Yannick nodded. “Who’s seen battles before and I have scars to prove it. I was chosen by you when Prince Erik issued the Challenge because you know I’m the best. If I don’t go, who would you send that’s better? To protect Ryan and Prince Erik!”

I was confused here. “This is something I may not need to know.”

King Mordor wasn’t saying, but Yannick smiled a little tightly. “But I’ll let you know. Father is concerned about the royal line. You see? I haven’t given my heart to anyone. No future queen and no heirs. He’s afraid I’ll die and leave the throne vacant.”

I nodded. “Well, that is the way for kings…” but I wondered. Yannick was nice looking and a kind man. “…you never have given your heart? Ever!? Not to anyone?” I found that impossible to believe.

Yannick grinned sipping his wine and shrugged. “I’m picky.”

King Mordor frowned. “Too picky. Each young lady presented, he finds fault.”

Yannick scowled as the was an old argument that was well traveled. “I want more than a good fuck.”

“Yannick!” King Mordor rolled his eyes embarrassed. “That’s so…common….and beneath you!”

“That’s what it’d be!” Yannick said adamantly. “Besides, you’ve given us three other children by your second and third wives. I don’t know how many half siblings out there I have you don’t even know about. I’m not the last even of royal birth!” He set the goblet down a little too hard where it banged. “You have another son!”

King Mordor frowned as it hurt him to hear it again. “But, Yannick, you are my first born. You are to be king.” Then he looked at his son for understanding. “Unless you’re in the process of giving your heart already to someone else.” King Mordor looked at me sensing there could be a complication.

“What!?” I asked a little unprepared for this. “I never…” Yannick never gave me the first impression he would be interested in me! Or did I miss that he was?

“Prince Erik and I have become friends.” Yannick said shaking his head. “I hope we become good friends, but he’s married to someone that he loves very much and who loves him. To put him in that position…I’d never do that to him.” He looked pleading with his father. “But Father, how many other people have even come to Creid? He came, thinking we were brutes and savage, yet he came unarmed and with only two soldiers with him. He trusted we would do the right thing. How can we do otherwise? If we don’t, if I don’t go, there may be no kingdom to pass down at all. I have to go.”

King Mordor nodded. “Very well.” He sighed. “Take five others you trust. You must protect him and Ryan. This little creature problem and protection from this Len Na must be resolved, and soon.”

What did I just witness? Yannick was like Seth and me? I couldn’t believe we were THAT common. But I did like Yannick. He was a nice man! And he was good looking, I admit that. But I had Seth and I loved Seth. Would I be stirring up a hornet’s nest? Then again…I looked out over the others in the great hall eating and saw Darrin with Ryan. I knew Darrin was like Seth and me, but it seems that Ryan might be. They were off alone and Ryan was laughing at something Darrin was saying, but I didn’t let the hand coming to rest on Ryan’s hand escape my attention. I also didn’t miss Ryan did not remove his hand from Darrin. Maybe we were more common than I realized.

Ryan was enjoying the Seer I brought and was marveling at things he’d never seen before. “This is amazing!”

I grinned at his excitement. “It is, isn’t it? You should see what’s on our skin. Especially our hands!”

Ryan nodded. “I can’t imagine. My father kept things very clean. He said my grandfather had complications when not clean.” Then he shrugged chuckling. “But he had complications with a lot of things.”

Darrin carried something strange over. A wheel? “Where do you want this, Ryan?”

Ryan looked with a smile. “Right over there’s fine. Thanks, Darrin.”

Darrin nodded, but his gaze was a little longer than necessary. “No problem.” He smiled charmingly to Ryan.

I loved the idea of potential love blooming, but we had something to do. “Could you show me how you insert someone else’s blood or liquid in a person?” I asked changing the subject as I watched Ryan watch Darrin put the wheel down. Darrin’s back was turned and he did have a nice figure. Why wouldn’t Ryan look?

Ryan nodded brought back to our conversation. “Sure.” He had brought some things from where he worked over that Darrin was helping to bring in. He picked up an odd sort of little bottle. It had a black….something on the top, but otherwise it was just a clear bottle. “It's just a rubber substance taken from a tree. This sap is kind of stretchy as it settles. It makes a good seal. I remove the air in bottles and this rubber seals after the air is gone.” Then he took another odd little bottle that had a metal…almost like a sewing needle on top. That black sap held the needle on a top of another bottle, only it had something inside. “You put this needle in an arm. Men are easier, they have larger veins. You pull this….” He pulled what was inside. “….pull the blood out and then stick the needle in here.” He showed the first bottle. “The blood goes in here. Now, there is a process I do to spin the solids from the liquids.” He walked over to the wheel Darrin brought and I notice it had a hand crank. It looked like a wagon wheel, but there were slots in which the bottles he would put the blood in. “I put the bottles in one of these and someone turns this for a while. It takes effort, but the faster you go, the better the blood and solids divide. You stick this back in, take the liquid and you have only the liquid. That is what you want, right?”

“If that’s where the warriors to fight the little creatures are, yes.” I answered. “But Christian can’t lose that much blood. Not enough for the entire world!?”

Ryan shook his head. “Bloodliquid is pretty much the same. Others can add to it. I’ve been toying with growth mediums to add that can be used. But with others adding their bloodliquids, it will stretch and those little warriors should reproduce in the extra liquid also.” Then he looked at me cocking his head. “But how will we get the blood from King Christian? He’s twelve or thirteen hundred miles away! Maybe more!”

I nodded. “We can get it in less than a day.”

Ryan’s blue eyes widened hearing that. “Impossible. How?”

I chuckled. “You’ll see in Royal Valley.” I patted him on the shoulder. “Just trust me. It’s hard to explain, you have to see it.”

Ryan frowned and as scientific as he was the old ways still played a part. “It’s magic, isn’t it?”

“If science is magic, it is.” I nodded.

Ryan nodded still very unsure about how we were going to do all this. “Fine.” He said shrugging and then he grinned. “You’re married to a man.”

I smiled. My marriage to Seth seemed to be a fascination with new people I meet. It was unusual, so I’d deal with it. “I am and very happily married for several years now.”

“I heard your two kingdoms took the law off the books where two men can’t marry.” He said. “And there are some in Creid that…what’s the word….they get together and do things, but nothing serious. In fact, it’s common that the men do it. Especially among the military. No threat of unwanted pregnancies or complications on the battlefield.”

I nodded. “That’s the way it is around the world. Why?”

Ryan shrugged. “Why is it so wrong to be a companion for a man? I know that King Mordor has had affairs with several women and a few men.”

I was startled to hear that about it being common in the military here and King Mordor? “He has? I knew about other marriages, but men, too?”

Suddenly Ryan was waving me down and shushing me to quiet down my speech, which was hardly loud. “Sure, the whole kingdom knows. We don’t talk about it, but we know.” He said in a whisper.

“It’s not against the law in Blethos or A’Dore now.” I knew he was very interested in these ideas, and he was he interested in Darrin. “It’s hard until it happens in the family. Just like it was for my brother or Seth’s brother. Royal Valley has quite a few couples of the same gender that are married now. Male and female.”

Ryan smiled, but was clearly surprised. “A few? And women, too?”

“There are.” I nodded.

He shook his head. “I think King Mordor, like many in Creid, including the warriors see it as something…fun. Like something not serious. There could be no marriage as it won’t produce a child.”

I nodded. “Is that the only reason to marry? Seth and I have two children and I love Seth. I’d be miserable without him. I am miserable now! I miss him more than I can tell you.”

He nodded. “You have children?” He found that hard to believe.

“Two boys.”

“But they aren’t yours or Seth’s.” Ryan said to confirm.

“Their births were not caused by Seth or me, but they are most definitely our sons. There are a lot of precious children without any parents and we became parents for two such children.” I patted his arm. “You’ll see. But they most certainly are Seth’s and my children.”

Soon we had a wagon that we were bringing and Darrin, Quaid, Ryan, Yannick and five others from the Creid warriors were heading out. We couldn’t go fast because of the glass we were bringing even though the glass containers were wrapped carefully, which even though they were wrapped, they could easily break. I tried not to spur the horses faster than was safe, but it was hard not to do. I was going home. Back to Seth! Yannick and I got along fine, but having heard what King Mordor said and what Yannick said, not to mention what Ryan said, I was trying not to make things complicated for him or for me. I could have been interested in Yannick, but I belonged to Seth.

I smiled as I watched Darrin take a portion of the roasted rabbit and take it to a smiling Ryan and they sat together talking.

It was later that night that Yannick came with a weary sigh and sat down by me. “Okay.” He said to me quietly. “When I met you…” he shrugged, “…I saw you as a pampered prince. I admit that. Then I fight you and find you aren’t a pampered prince. You won my respect. Then I began to like you. I thought we were getting along very well. What happened? Was it what my father said the other day? Was it something I said? You’ve been sort of distant since that afternoon.”

I sighed. This wasn’t fair to Yannick, so I was honest. “Yannick, the truth is, I don’t know. You said you haven’t given your heart to anyone. Your father did think you could be giving it to me, I don’t even know if you would because I don’t know you, but he does.”

Yannick chuckled. “Yes, he would.” He gave a shrugging concession. “Okay!” He stood up and began pacing. “I do like you. A lot!” Then he shrugged. “You bested me!” He shook his head. “No one’s been able to do that in ten years, but you did. Then I get to know you and I liked what I found.”

“Yannick! I will never…and I repeat never…cheat on my husband.”

“And I’d never dream of putting you in that position.” He looked at me sadly. “Does that mean we can’t be friends? I can control myself. We just met. I like you!”

“I just want to be clear.” I said…then shook my head at the absurdity of what was happening. “I never thought I’d ever face this sort of situation. In A’Dore, I was terrified to admit I was attracted to men at all. Here, it is almost common. I’ve read about civilizations, warriors where it was done. Even where if a man marries, the woman had to dress as a young man on the wedding night to ease the man into sex with a woman instead of men as he may have gotten used to. Spartians. Thousands of years ago did it.”

Yannick smiled nodding. “And it’s common here among Creid warriors. It’s a way of bonding our men together. A man will defend to the death one he loves or even likes. A brotherhood, sort of. Erik, I just want to be friends with you. I entertained the idea of more until I heard about your feelings for Seth and I would never come between you and Seth.”

I looked at Yannick. “You couldn’t.” Then I smiled at him. “Yannick, you’re a good man and if there was no Seth, maybe, but there is and I love him. I just don’t want to hurt you.”

Yannick nodded. “You won’t. I’m a big boy. There will be no problems. Can we be friends again?” He asked holding his hand to me to shake.

I smiled. “I’d like that.”

And we had to camp several nights, but I had been gone over a month before we topped a rise and I saw Royal Valley. I felt a surge in my heart making the ache intensify, I was going to see Seth!

I turned to Yannick. “I’m sorry, but I have to go faster. Darrin and Quaid know the way.” Yannick just nodded and waved me to go and I kicked my horse in the sides and raced off home. As I neared the house, you can see the vineyard and I saw men that were very distant, but I saw one tap the other on the shoulder, he looked, threw down whatever and was running from where he’d been working. So, I turned the horse to cut the distance meeting him half way back as I dismounted even before the horse had stopped. Seth was filthy and I was, too, but neither of us cared. Seth practically tackled me as he grabbed me tight, kissing me so hard it almost hurt as I returned the kiss! But both of us were so grateful to be in each other’s arms again we didn’t care! He held me so tight, but I didn’t care as I held him. He felt so good in my arms. Solid and warm. Suddenly it was like getting a drink after being so thirsty! I started crying! He was shaking as his hands were all over me, up my sides, arms as he kissed me again and again like confirming I was really here again.

“You’re home!” He said as he cried. “My God, I missed you so much!”

I nodded again having my vision blur as I cried I was so happy to see him. “I missed you, too. I love you, Seth.”

He nodded. “I know. I love you, too. Never, and I mean never leave me this long again, please? I was miserable!!”

“I was, too.” I said kissing him again. “I never want to be without you again.”