xfc: Holding Out For A Hero: Chapter 2 (4/7)
Vyper
frequently drowning out the music being played by a dozen wind and
percussion instruments at one end of the room.
Kaneesha ate at her father's side, one of his large hands frequently
stroking her leg under the cover of the table. She struggled not to
cringe at his caresses, not wanting to draw attention to her discomfort.
She sought out Bonita and Valerie, finding them deep in discussion with
two young men, Bonita's natural charm enabling Valerie freedom to relax,
away from the rules and protocol of her condition that normally marked
her as an outcast. She had removed her veil to eat and her face shone
with a lightness and glow that warmed Kaneesha's heart. She silently
thanked Gareth for not forcing her into an arranged marriage, allowing
her freedom to develop and fall in love with whoever should steal her
heart. However she knew that it was expected of her to marry pure and
noble blood, a young healthy male to give strong children to carry the
Royal name into the future.
The torches had burnt low, the fires just smoldering coals when another
musical fanfare drew everyone's attention to the Royal table. Gareth
had stood, a golden goblet in one hand, his other resting on his
daughter's naked shoulder. He waited whilst glasses were filled and
fragrant cloths passed around to clean fingers and mouths. When he had
the room's attention, he gestured for Kaneesha to rise beside him.
"Lords and Ladies, Dukes and Duchesses, thank you all for making the
journey, some of you traveling many sunsets, to celebrate my fair
daughter's birthday. Many of you have watched her grow from a young
girl into the beautiful woman in front of you. My greatest regret is
that her mother did not live to see her only daughter develop into the
fine woman she is today."
The night's festivities had hardened his groin as well as his tongue.
She could feel his erection pressing against her inner thigh as he
turned her to face him in a long-lasting embrace. Kaneesha blushed at
such a public display of affection, so unlike her father. She was
relieved when he released her and turned once again to face his
audience.
"Please raise your glasses as I toast Lady Kaneesha of Carteria. May
she continue to honor and enrich our lives with her beauty and
kindness."
As one, everyone in the room lifted their glasses in a rowdy toast.
Cheers and blessings and salutations filled the air, though some guests
stood unsteadily, having to be supported by servants.
A Carterian Knight approached Gareth and spoke softly in his ear.
Gareth straightened at the news and spoke to the guests who had yet to
succumb to the sleep-inducing effects of too much food and drink.
"I have just been informed that a special surprise awaits us in the
eastern garden, one I am told is not to be missed." He led Kaneesha
down from the dais and out onto a huge balcony overlooking the largest
of the formal gardens that surrounded the castle. The guests still able
to move gathered outside, surrounded by exotic flowers and ornate ponds
and fountains.
Kaneesha spotted her friends in the crowd below and longed to join them,
having had her fill of her father's company.
As if reading her thoughts, Gareth spoke. "Go, my love. Have fun and
celebrate with your friends. I shall see you later." He placed a
fatherly kiss on her cheek, but his hands roamed her body, reminding her
of his intentions.
She left quickly, almost running for the stairs and out of the castle to
find Bonita and Valerie talking and dancing with the men they had met at
dinner.
"Well, I don't think I'll eat till the next full moon." Bonita was
saying as Kaneesha approached. Her suitor held her in strong arms,
lavishing kisses and caresses on naked skin, of which there was plenty.
"I don't plan on letting you out of my bed till at least then," he said.
He was tall and slender with curly brown hair and gray eyes. Dressed in
the maroon and black of his homeland, his clothes fitted tightly enough
to show off a well-muscled body to perfection, broad shoulders, well
developed chest, firm stomach down to long, strong looking legs.
Kaneesha eyed him appreciatively, Bonita always had the finest taste in
men and never had trouble attracting the ones she desired.
Valerie had an admirer of her own. They were seated on a stone bench,
his blue cloak around her shoulders warding off the late night chill.
He didn't seem put off by her condition nor by the fact that she was
married. Shoulder length blonde hair framed a handsome face that held
Valerie's gaze. No-one had showed her such attention in a long time,
least of all her own husband. Vincenzo held her hand gently in his,
telling her about his life as an artist, traveling from village to
village, creating paintings and carvings in return for food and
lodgings. She longed for him to kiss her, to feel those long, slender
fingers tracing her skin, to feel the blood rushing through his veins as
it coursed through her own. But he was the perfect gentleman, asking
about her home and family, asking if she was tired or hungry or thirsty.
"Well here's the birthday girl at last."
Kaneesha was pulled into the circle of people that seemed to always
hover around Bonita.
"Decided to grace us humble peasants with your presence, M'Lady?"
Bonita was in a very giddy mood, high on life and love and romance and
it resonated from her, infecting those in the vicinity with happiness
and relaxation.
Alec was definitely under her spell, considering he didn't usually find
women even remotely arousing, preferring the male of the species to warm
his bed at night. *Well, a change is as good as a rest-leave* he
thought. It wasn't as if she lacked any vital parts for he had never
and would never allow anyone to dominate him in bed, indeed she had more
openings to be explored and penetrated.
"So what's the big surprise?" Valerie asked, resting against Vincenzo,
her sore back and aching ankles adding to her general tiredness.
"I have no idea." Kaneesha replied.
All of a sudden the night sky exploded in a cacophony of light and sound
and color. Everyone jumped as a chorus of thunder-like booms shattered
the quietness of the evening. Stars of every color appeared in the sky
in clumps, before exploding and shooting downwards, trailing tails of
glittering light in their wake. Tubes shaped like giant arrows were
somehow hurled into the night sky, blossoming like gigantic flowers in
full bloom.
Oohs and aahs floated up from the crowd in amazement, some clearly
thinking they were under attack from some mysterious foe. When no sky-
fire actually lasted to reach the ground, they relaxed enough to enjoy
the show.
The display soon finished, leaving the crowd murmuring in amazement at
the strange abilities of their hosts. Gareth took full credit, even
though he had no idea how the light had appeared. He assumed this was
the work of his absent Master-At-Arms, Rajiv. He didn't know whether he
should reward or punish him for such a show, his heart had yet to stop
pounding in his chest, sweat running in rivulets down his face. He
turned to compose himself only to find himself facing the very man who
had caused his shock.
"A little warning would have been appreciated, Rajiv. I'm not a young
man any more and neither are many of the guests." He sat on a couch,
accepting a tall glass of water from a concerned servant.
"My apologies, M'Lord. But what a display to show them." He swept his
hand out over the crowd, most of whom had started to disappear into the
castle, to their rooms and suites to sleep off the night's excitement.
"By moonrise tomorrow, word will have spread the length and breadth of
Carteria and beyond of how powerful Lord Gareth is. Able to control
fire and stars and light. No-one would be foolish enough to wage war
against us." Rajiv looked extremely proud of his work, convinced that
he had the old man where he wanted him--- impressed by his work and
willing to break the long-standing injunction on forbidden items (tools
of the devil, Gareth had called them) to maintain his reputation as a
strong monarch over all the surrounding lands.
"But we know what can be done with such things. The terrible things
that my grandfather did to his own people, as well as his enemies,
things that I vowed in my coronation oath would never happen again."
Gareth struggled to his feet, leaning heavily on two slaves, his head
spinning and beginning to pound inside his balding skull.
"M'Lord, just the threat of using such measures, just the knowledge that
we have them is enough to keep the more ruthless warlords in line. What
you have seen tonight is only the start of what I can achieve, with your
support and wisdom there are many more possibilities." He followed his
Lord down the wide stone corridor towards the wing housing the Royal
suites.
"And what happens if others should learn of such things, men who would
use them without compunction, without thought of the consequences of
abusing such power?" Gareth turned to face his advisor, a stern look on
his weary face that said he would not change his mind.
Rajiv chose his reply with care, knowing much depended on the outcome.
"M'Lord, the secrets to the display shown tonight are safe, their
location known only to myself and my most trustworthy lieutenant. When
we stumbled on Lord Thomas' tomb searching for more coalfields, it was
obvious that no-one had entered since it was sealed at the time of his
burial." He didn't mention that there had been strange marks on the
floor of the stone tomb, places free of dust and sand, as if objects had
once stood there. He could not tell what the missing items may have
been, just squares and rectangles of varying sizes, with no clues to
their contents or purpose. But there had been no visible sign of
disturbance, no tell-tale hand or footprints. Even the massive
sculptured piece of stone that blocked the only entrance had not been
interfered with. Indeed there was much debate as to how such a large
item could have been maneuvered up the steep side of the small mountain
into which were carved the tombs where all preceding generations of
Royalty had been interred. Rajiv could only hope that the people who
had ransacked the chamber had no idea of what they were stealing.
Perhaps the pieces were just items valuable only for the jewels or gold
that covered most of the remaining artifacts. The simple clay jars that
contained the mysterious black fire-powder had been found in a secret
crevice covered by the many bones of slaves who had been interred alive
to continue serving their dead Master in his afterlife journey; a couple
of them broken, their contents spread over the ground, of no interest to
the graverobbers.
Knights standing at attention stiffened as their Lord entered his
chambers, pausing to inform them to admit Lady Kaneesha later. They
relaxed as the heavy oak door shut. With Gareth's inebriated condition
plain for all to see, they would have a quiet couple of days while he
recovered.
One guard relaxed more than the others. Lieutenant Vidkun, Rajiv's
"most trusted" hurried off to relay the good news to his lover. They
had succeeded in ransacking the tomb of certain items without being
detected. He didn't know how Imram had achieved the deception and he
didn't care for he had been promised rewards of untold power and wealth
in return for his loyalty and silence. Their plans could proceed
without interference. Little did he know that behind the heavy oak
door, other plans were being made that would throw Lord Jaxtar's dreams
of domination into turmoil and eventually plunge all of Carteria and the
known world into war.
End 4/7
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