Fairyfly II - 10. Clarity

Rays of the morning sun streamed through the barred windows, falling upon Rulf’s face, warm and gentle like kisses from a lover. Slowly, the Lykos began to stretch in his bed, a satisfied smile on his face.

“Mmmm, I love it when you do that,” he muttered as he felt the light, feathery kisses on his naked skin. He turned so that he was now lying on his side, casting a loving gaze at his beloved sorcerer. “Stay for a little longer, Esthor,” he kept mumbling, hugging his beautiful lover.

Esthor and he lay naked in bed, only a thin sheet covering them. Their legs and arms were entwined as the blond man peppered the Lykos’ neck and collarbone with kisses.

“You are so handsome,” the sorcerer whispered. “I want to show you how much I desire you.”

“I think I already know, but I’ll never say no to that,” Rulf chuckled, gently moving his hands all the way from Esthor’s shoulders down to the small of his back. The sorcerer’s body emitted such warmth that penetrated not only Rulf’s skin, but also his heart, filling him with a sense of comfort, security and love. It was something Rulf never wanted to let go of.

“Good, because I’ll show it to you every single day,” the blond man replied, moving his hands lower and lower, until he gripped the Lykos’ firm erection and gave it a light stroke. “I’ll worship you the way you deserve, my love.”

“Mmm, I love everything you do to me,” Rulf moaned as his breathing got quicker, the heat becoming almost too much to bear. He desperately needed to be inside his lover and become one with him, lost in the passion and desire.

All of a sudden, a loud knock on the door interrupted his dream, jolting him awake. Opening his eyes, Rulf realized he was alone in bed, hugging a pillow. As he looked up, he suddenly became aware of his surroundings, remembering where he was - in his new home. He was now living with Lyra, but then… why was he dreaming about Esthor? He had seen the man briefly the day before, so maybe that was the reason. Yes, that must be it. It was silly to even think it could be anything else. He was in love with Lyra now, he had to remember that. Esthor was his past and nothing more.

“Rulf, open up,” a male voice came from the other side of the door.

Still sleepy and confused, the Lykos got out of bed, reluctantly dragging his feet toward the door. He wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and continue the amazing dream that was so rudely interrupted by his visitor. Alas, he knew the man would not give up until he let him in.

Opening the door, Rulf saw the handsome, dark-skinned man that lived with Lyra as well. As usual, he wore only a light pair of pants, the rest of his body exposed.

“Hey, did I wake you up?” the man asked.

“Yes, couldn’t you have let me sleep for a little longer?” Rulf replied grumpily, rubbing his eyes with his fists. “Tomorrow I’m going to wake you up before dawn!”

“Sorry, friend, that’s the order from the mistress,” the man chuckled as he entered the room. As usual, he carried a goblet with the all too familiar blue liquid inside.

Rulf had to force himself not to roll his eyes. They all had to drink the potion twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. It was the only rule Lyra insisted upon, and no one ever refused, as strange as it may have seemed to Rulf. It wasn’t a particularly tasty drink, so why did they have to do it? It wasn’t as if she was treating them with a round of ale every day. Still, no matter how peculiar it may have been, for some reason, the Lykos never thought to refuse. He loved Lyra, and if she asked him to do something, all he wanted was to obey. Nothing brought him greater pleasure than fulfilling her every wish.

But now, curiosity got the better of him.

“Hey, Auden, can I ask you something? Why do we even have to drink this thing every day?”

The man looked at him strangely, as if Rulf had asked the most confusing riddle ever.

“I don’t know… But does it matter? I don’t need a reason, I still want to drink it,” Auden replied as he handed the goblet to Rulf. “Why do you ask?”

“Just a silly question I had, never mind,” the Lykos shrugged, putting a smile on his face.

“Alright then. Drink up and get changed. The mistress will be in the lounge shortly, and we should be there to serve her.”

“Of course, I can’t wait.”

As Auden left the room, Rulf brought the goblet to his lips, looking down at the liquid inside it. It was a light shade of blue, just like the color of Esthor’s eyes. Icy, but beautiful. Blue, just like the sorcerer’s favorite shirt that he loved to wear whenever he had to dress up for an occasion. He looked so handsome in it, but then again, he always looked beautiful.

With quick steps, the Lykos walked over to the corner of his chamber and emptied the contents of the goblet in a large ceramic pot with a palm tree growing out of it. Once the last drop fell into the soil, Rulf took a deep breath, staring into the empty goblet. He had just done something that only yesterday seemed unimaginable - he defied Lyra’s orders.

Still unsure of what came over him, he quickly changed into his daily outfit and went to wash his face. It didn’t take long before he was in the lounge with two other men - Auden and Cyneric. As usual, two other men were outside, guarding the gate - Dane and Clive.

“Did you know that Amarion I, the first king of Amaret, had a harem of fifty women in his prime, all living in his palace? And he had seven wives as well,” Lyra’s melodious voice filled the room as she read from a history book in her hands. “Now, why should men have all the fun? Us women deserve the same, if not more. Am I right?”

“Of course, Lyra,” Auden nodded without hesitation, and Cyneric joined quickly.

“Ah, Rulfie, you’re here as well. We can start the day properly then,” the sorceress spoke as she noticed all three men had joined her. This time, she was clad in a light green dress that revealed her cleavage and long legs. A sweet, floral fragrance already filled the air as her blond locks fell freely across her shoulders.

Rulf had to admit, she did look nice, but… He couldn’t help but feel as if there was something missing.

Unaware of the strange look in the Lykos’ eyes, the sorceress stood up and walked barefoot across the thick white carpet, quickly glancing over the three men that stood by the sofa, awaiting her command.

“You’ve all taken your beverage, I presume?”

All three men nodded, almost in unison, much to the woman’s satisfaction.

“Lovely. Let’s get down to business then, shall we?” Lyra said as she picked up her magic wand from a small cabinet by the window. She pointed it at each of the men, one by one, as she recited her incantation. “There, that’s taken care of. Now come on, you should know your duties by now.”

As the sorceress splayed down on the sofa, one of the men stood next to her, holding a bowl of fruit so he could feed her, while the other sat on the floor nearby and started to rub her feet.

Rulf observed as the two men looked at Lyra with blind adoration, as if she was the only woman in the world. He was familiar with that feeling, as he had also experienced it only yesterday. But now that strong emotion was quickly fading, much to his confusion. Turning around, the Lykos quickly made his way to the kitchen to make refreshments for Lyra, as he did every morning, only this time it wasn’t because of his desire to please her. This time, he needed to be away from her.

As soon as he entered the kitchen, he shut the door behind him and slumped into the nearest chair, his mind and body in turmoil. Something was very wrong in that house, and he had to get out. He had to leave and find Esthor.

Looking up, he noticed the windows were all barred, just as the ones in his bedroom and all other rooms he had been to. He had never questioned it before, but now his mind was getting clearer, he realized Lyra was not going to let him to leave. He would have to find a way to escape.

~~

Esthor had never returned home that day. After confronting that impertinent sorceress who dared to steal away the person that mattered to him the most, he could not go back. He could not rest even a single moment until he found a way to free Rulf from her clutches.

Hearing the man he loved say that he didn’t love him back hurt his soul, despite knowing it was only the spell talking. He knew Rulf did not truly feel that way, but it was unbearable nonetheless. It was as if Esthor’s worst nightmare had come to life. As he wandered the streets, he began to wonder what it would be like if he never managed to save Rulf? What would he do then? The thought terrified him more and more.

He had lived alone for most of his life, though he had never been lonely. No matter what, Master Khalgos was always there to support him. There was also Jonah the blacksmith, who had always been in the mood to keep him company and warm his bed at night. But now that he had Rulf, Esthor knew he could not live without him. He did not even want to try.

Without even knowing where he was headed, he roamed the streets until his legs brought him to a small local inn. The wooden sign above the entrance read ‘Belvor’s Inn’, with a loaf of bread and a mug of ale carved into it. Pushing open the heavy door, Esthor stepped into the inn, letting the warm, boozy aroma flood his nostrils as soon as he walked in.

“What can I get you?” the innkeeper asked as Esthor approached, looking around.

“Um, I’ll have a few of these sweet buns,” the sorcerer replied, pointing to round little pastries that were displayed in front of him. They looked tasty enough. “And… do you have any good white wine?”

“Does this look like a royal cellar?” the innkeeper scoffed. “We have mead and ale.”

Pursing his lips in annoyance, Esthor quickly whipped out his scepter, and with a hand flourish, a small bottle of white wine appeared on the counter. “Now you do.”

After getting his meal, he noticed a small, unoccupied table for one by the window. It was perfect for him. There were quite a few patrons in the inn even though it was still early in the day. Esthor glanced around, wondering if he should ask anyone about the crazy sorceress. Perhaps someone would have some useful information for him.

Just as he started eating, he could hear the sound of chairs scraping the floor. The people at the table next to him were getting up, ready to leave.

“That’s probably our best bet. We should let the queen know about what happened. We need to go to the castle and get ready for the ball anyway, with or without Dane.”

“It’s not like we have a choice at this point.”

The mention of the queen and the ball piqued the sorcerer’s curiosity. He quickly looked up to see a young man with light brown hair, a small girl and two older men. Whoever those people were, they must have been nobles if they were attending Loreena’s ball.

It was only then that he noticed the golden tree embroidered on the left side of the young man’s jacket. The royal symbol of the Kingdom of Thorodan.

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice your garments. Are you from Thorodan?”

“And who might you be?” one of the men asked, standing protectively in front of the prince.

“My name is Esthor. I had the pleasure of meeting and befriending Prince Terryn on his visit to Alduin last year,” the sorcerer explained, mostly focused on the young man. Judging by his expensive, dark green outfit with golden trimmings, he was clearly a nobleman. Perhaps even…

“Oh, you’re the Esthor!” the young man’s eyes lit up as he tried to push the guard aside and extend a hand. “Terryn mentioned you in his letters quite a few times. I’m his younger and handsomer brother, Prince Wilton!”

“It’s an honor, your highness,” Esthor replied politely. “I can see all the Thorodan princes are quite fun and dashing.”

“I would say it’s in out blood, but you haven’t met our father,” Wilton replied with a cheeky grin.

“How is Prince Terryn? I haven’t seen him since he left Alduin.”

“Me neither, actually. He never came back home. He is travelling the continent and sends me a letter on occasion, describing all the places he’s been, all the people he’s met. I’d wager to say he is having the time of his life. If I didn’t enjoy the comfort of the palace so much, I think I’d be tempted to join him!”

“Good for him!” the sorcerer nodded, smiling as he remembered the prince and his companion Huck. “I hope he stays safe and has fun… and maybe the road will take him back to Alduin at some point.”

“Excuse me, your highness, but shouldn’t we get going?” one of the guards spoke up.

“Actually…” Wilton hesitated as he glanced between the people around him, his gaze finally settling on Esthor. “You’re a sorcerer, right?”

“The very best.”

“And as modest as Terryn said you were,” the prince chuckled. “We’ve actually found ourselves in quite a pickle, and I believe you might be able to help us. Of course, we’d reward you for your troubles.”

“Oh, of course, I’d be happy to help you if I can. What is the matter?” Esthor asked, his curious eyes fully focused on the prince. “And please, you’re Terryn’s brother. We’re practically family.”

“Thank you. But, why don’t we go out so we can talk in private. Our ride is just outside,” Prince Wilton suggested, leading the group out of the inn, where the remaining two guards stood, guarding the carriage and the horses.

“You see, my father appointed Lord Marshall Dane to keep me safe on this journey, but… he’s gone missing. We’ve tried finding him, but we’ve been unsuccessful. Frankly, we don’t know where else to look.”

Esthor listened carefully as the prince recounted the events of the past day, his frown getting deeper as the story went on. It seemed that the disgusting mage woman had been quite busy lately, abducting people for whatever reason. Mind control or not, Esthor knew he had to put a stop to it.

“Surely you can help us?” the young prince asked once he finished his story.

“Oh, you can be sure of that. That bitch will get what’s coming to her,” the sorcerer replied with an icy tone, his blue eyes darkening as he thought of his beloved under the mage’s spell. There was no telling what lies she was feeding him and what she was ordering him to do. He shuddered at the thought of Rulf and Lyra in bed together, a pang of jealousy shooting through his heart. It pained him to even think of that possibility. He would have to get Rulf safely out of there as soon as possible, and he knew just how to do it.

“We’ll set off as soon as the sun sets. I promise you, we’ll free your Lord Marshall, as well as my boyfriend.”