The stranger's sword stopped within a foot of Addie's midsection. He slashed again in the opposite direction. He pointed the blade at its scabbard and sheathed it ceremoniously. The sorcerer bowed and said, "Welcome to Pevir, Your Majesty. Allow me to escort you to King Salah."
He spoke Bamarrian like a native speaker. Convenient.
"I am Kumal, King Salah's apprentice sorcerer," he introduced himself, straightening his posture.
Still airborne, I felt his spell dissipate. I could move again!
"This way," he directed, flying toward the palace.
Addie let out a sigh of relief.
My curiosity had overflowed. Kumal could speak two languages! With our slow pace of learning, how was he able to learn another language so quickly at such a young age? I felt envious. "How did you manage to learn two languages in such a short amount of time?" I asked.
He looked over his shoulder. "I've had a lot of practice, thanks to King Salah, but I've shown a great interest in Bamarrian for decades. I speak three languages, actually," he added. "I also speak Sorcerian."
Three languages! I had heard of trilingual humans, but I'd never heard of trilingual sorcerers. I became even more envious.
Kumal spoke a few sentences to me in Sorcerian. Feeling inadequate, I admitted I only spoke Bamarrian.
He changed the topic by addressing Addie. "If you don't mind my asking, what made Her Majesty grace Pevir with her presence?"
Amused by his propriety, she replied, "I'm visiting another kingdom to learn of ways that are different than my own."
No she wasn't. She came to escape her duties. Though, I hoped that what she said would become of our getaway.
"You are a wise, humble queen, Your Majesty. It takes a great sovereign to have an open mind. It is a sovereign's duty to make wise and responsible decisions. It appears you are both."
I wanted to laugh at his statement. There was nothing responsible about her leaving Bamarre. I flashed her a glare as I jolted her in my arm to get her attention. "You're right, Kumal. A wise sovereign is responsible."
Eyes narrowed, she jabbed me with her elbow.
We arrived at the steeple-domed white palace that we had seen in the spyglass. The pathway leading to the palace was lined with tall spires and the large palace doors were shaped like the palace rooftops. Kumal issued a command and the door opened. We entered the palace and noticed the vaulted ceiling. Unlike Bamarre castle, the doorways were also steeple-domed shaped, like the rooftops, and the walls were decorated with mandala and damask designs. Like the tapestries we had seen in the market, the palace tapestries depicted patterns and designs only. I figured it was part of their culture.
We entered King Salah's throne room and saw him seated, being fanned by two servants. The bearded king had fair skin for his nationality and wore elaborate clothes, topped with a huge white head wrap. He had a narrow face, hooked nose, and prominent dark brown eyes.
When we were within a few yards of the king, we followed Kumal's lead by bowing on the floor.
King Salah issued a command that Addie understood. She stood and introduced herself in Pevirian.
"Welcome to Pevir, Queen Adelina. I am King Salah," he said in Bamarrian. His accent was hardly distinguishable. The king leered at Addie so long and intensely that I became uncomfortable.
Addie took a step back and signaled for me to stand.
"I have heard of your beauty in stories, but I didn't expect you to be this beautiful in person."
Addie blushed. "Thank you," she murmured awkwardly.
King Salah observed me. "And who might you be?" he asked curiously. "Are you her apprentice sorcerer?"
I'm more than that to her, you lecherous swine.
"This is Prince Rhys—"
I stepped closer to Addie and pulled her to my side. "I am Prince Rhys, Her Majesty's consort."
"Ah, I've heard of you. You're the sorcerer who vanquished all the monsters in Bamarre by summoning the phoenix."
A servant entered and whispered something to Salah. The king dismissed all his servants. After the servants had left the throne room, he stood, hands behind his back, and approached us leisurely. "I am curious to know why Bamarre's queen is in my land. Do not lie," he warned.
Addie shifted uncomfortably. She knew her reason for leaving was childish and irresponsible. "I was tired of the way things were going back at home, so I came here to experience something new."
That was a delicate way of putting her actions to words.
"What are you hoping to experience in my land?" he asked, brow raised. He knew she was hiding the whole truth.
"Something I've never experienced before," she replied. "Perhaps an adventure."
He stared at her, as if to gauge her honesty. He smirked foolishly. "Since you want an adventure, I have one in mind."
I didn't like the sound of that or the look on his face. What kind of adventure did he mean?
"I have a favor to ask of Bamarre's heroes," he said. "Pevir has been plagued by a super being called a genie for thousands of years. Many brave souls in the past have sought to put an end to its destruction, but none have succeeded. Periodically, the genie unleashes ten dreadful plagues."
That sounded terrifying. "What kind of plagues?" I questioned somberly.
"The genie turns our water into blood, brings frogs from the river, covers the land and skies with gnats and flies, diseases the livestock, covers our skin with boils, sends flaming hail from the sky, covers everything in a blanket of darkness, and then, finally, he sends the worst plague of them all… death of every firstborn son."
That sounded dreadful, especially the last plague. I ached for all those parents who had lost their sons. I couldn't fathom what it'd be like to lose R.J. prematurely. Of course I knew I was destined to outlive him, but I couldn't imagine losing him now.
"It is said that if one captures the magical creature, it will be bound to obey and grant infinite wishes." Salah gestured at us. "If you capture the genie, you may use it to grant wishes whenever you please."
Addie and I met eyes. Why would we risk our lives to capture a deadly super being just so we could wish upon it? Besides, we communicated with fairies, so why would we need a genie? Regardless, I'd wait for Addie's word before declining. She may have stated before leaving that she was simply my wife until we returned, but she was still my queen. "How are we supposed to capture it and where does it dwell?" I asked, facing the king.
"The genie dwells deep underground, in the heart of Pevir Desert."
"How far away is the heart of the desert?" Addie asked.
"It will take days to reach," Salah replied. "I will provide you with maps, clothes, weapons, and transportation."
Our getaway was supposed to last a day! Our children would miss us terribly, and Bella and the councilors would be furious at Addie.
Addie seemed displeased. "Are you aware that I am the late King Lionel's daughter? Years ago, you threatened my father with war. How can I trust that this isn't some kind of trap?" she asked boldly.
I held my breath, anticipating his next move. He didn't seem offended.
"Yes, I was in deep mourning. You see, that was the year the genie cast the plagues. The tenth plague had taken my grandfather, father, older brother, and my son in one night," he said somberly. "I unexpectedly became king at age twenty. After enduring the deaths of my loved ones, I couldn't handle Bamarrian monsters invading my land." He seemed sincere and forlorn. "It was wrong of me to threaten your father, and I am truly sorry for the pain and damage I caused Bamarre and its royal family."
It was big of him to admit he was wrong, especially since he was a king.
Addie observed him for a long time. Would she refuse out of spite? "I decline your offer," she said firmly. "Prince Rhys and I will return to Bamarre at once."
My eyes darted toward the king. He smirked. "The apple fell far from the tree, indeed." King Salah approached Addie, hands still behind his back. "Queen Adelina, may I remind you that you and your sorcerer are technically prisoners for trespassing on my kingdom?"
Her sorcerer? I wasn't an apprentice to a sovereign; I was her consort and was recently named a low-ranking councilor. Did he undermine my position out of jealousy?
Addie squared her shoulders, hiding any signs of weakness.
"As prisoners, you have two choices: stay my prisoners or win your freedom by capturing the genie." He noticed our hesitation and added, "I could use another beautiful concubine in my harem." Salah eyed Addie up and down, stopping at her chest. The lecherous king reached out to touch Addie's cheek, but she quickly took a step back.
I wanted to choke him with my bare hands, and I was certain she wanted to slap him. How dare he try to enslave my wife in such a shameful way! She wasn't one of his harem girls! She was a married and self-possessed woman! My breaths hastened as I clenched every unnoticeable muscle in my body. It took everything in me to restrain myself from shouting and punching him. I stepped in front of Addie to shield her from the scoundrel. "I don't think I made myself clear when I said I was her consort, also known as her husband," I said firmly, not caring if I worsened my predicament. "In Bamarre, sovereigns practice monogamy."
"Rhys," Addie chastised below her breath.
I didn't care that he was of higher status. He was not going to vocalize his desires to my wife!
Salah and I stared each other down, anticipating the other's next move.
"We'll capture the genie," Addie blurted in a rush, stepping around me to stop our confrontation from escalating.
Salah was the first to break eye contact. He looked at Addie. "Excellent. You shall leave first thing tomorrow." He raised a finger. "But first you must rest. You will join me for dinner and then you will be conditioned for the journey."
Conditioned? What did he mean by conditioned?
"Conditioned?" Addie questioned.
"Yes, your delicate Bamarrian skin is unaccustomed to the harshness of the desert. Your skin will dry out and crack—it's very painful. We have special treatments that will help prevent that. I will also arrange for you to have pampering treatments as my thanks and to relax your bodies for the upcoming brutal journey."
Addie curtsied. "You are most kind, King Salah."
I bowed and feigned delight.
"Kumal will show you around my palace until dinnertime."
Good, that meant we could escape. We'd don the seven-league boots and be on our way.
As if he read my mind, Salah issued a command to his guards and in no time, we were surrounded. We impulsively drew our swords, even though fighting all those guards would have been futile.
"Stay your weapons," the king growled. "Everything on your person belongs to me until you succeed on your quest."
Addie stubbornly sheathed her sword and presented it to a nearby guard. She also surrendered her concealed dagger.
I did the same.
The guards also took our sack.
Salah stuck out his bottom lip to mock my sorrow. "You should have thought about the consequences before you decided to trespass. A responsible ruler understands consequences. Let that be a lesson to your children," Salah said.
I was furious. Had he no empathy? It was going to be like the Great Monster War. I knew I had said in the past that the occasional break from my caretaking duties would be nice, but once I was away from them for war, I hated it. This would be the same.
How would our children handle not having us around for days? I could see it now: R.J. would probably worry about our whereabouts, Merry would take out her rage on her siblings, Rosie would miss me terribly, Daria would miss her embroidery idol, and the twins would cry endlessly for their mother.
Salah stared at me with an unreadable expression. "You must go with Kumal. We shall meet again for dinner."
We reluctantly went with Kumal.
He showed us the palace's many corridors, chambers, gardens, and its menagerie. Salah's palace was grand and one could plainly see that he was a spoiled king. I had a new level of respect for Addie. She may have been difficult at times, but she wasn't spoiled. Addie would never force others to do her bidding.
At dinnertime, we joined Salah in his banquet hall. He introduced us to his four official wives and his eight concubines. Why would he want so many women? Figuring out one woman was hard enough. There was no way he loved them all as deeply as I loved Addie. I pitied his neglected women.
Next, he introduced us to his thirty-three children. And I thought having six was a handful. His children were well-behaved, but they lacked the bubbliness that my children exuded. Overall, I felt sorry for his family.
Addie and I were directed to sit on huge pillows next to the king to view his sources of entertainment. As we ate, a dancer entered the banquet hall dressed in a skimpy, two-piece, fiery red outfit, holding two sticks underneath a shimmering, pleated fabric. Why was she dressed so scantily? The dance was supposed to emphasize her skill, not her body, right? The dancer raised the sticks, creating the illusion that she had shimmering wings. She moved her arms in 'S' formations a few times to the slow music before pointing the sticks upward, turning in circles, encasing herself in a spiral. After doing that move for a while, the dancer faced forward and twirled her upper body at an angle, creating the illusion that she was inside a vortex of flames. The shimmering red wings reminded me of the phoenix. Did their humans revere phoenixes?
The dancer dropped her pseudo wings and waited for the music to change. She raised her hands under her hair and then popped her hips to each side along with the music, quickly kicking out a leg each time. The kicks exposed her dark, toned legs through the slits of her ankle-length skirt. Her legs reminded me of Addie's gorgeous long, tanned legs. Thinking of Addie's legs made me absentmindedly caress my wife's leg.
The dancer dropped her long, wavy hair and held her bent arms away from her chest so we could see her precise abdominal control. She moved the muscles in her entire torso and hips to the fast-paced music. The exotic dance was borderline erotic, especially for a man like me who had never seen such a thing. The costume revealed the entire naval, legs, and cleavage—something Bamarrian men weren't used to seeing. Oh, what I'd give to see Addie wearing that outfit... I imagined seeing Addie's legs peeking out of the skirt, I imagined Addie gyrating and rattling her hips, I imagined seeing her ample clea—
"Rhys, not here," Addie whispered, removing my hand from her upper thigh.
Coming back to reality, I blushed at my audacity and whispered, "Sorry."
Smiling, Addie held my hand.
I couldn't stop imagining Addie wearing that outfit. Perhaps she could get one before returning home. I leaned closer and murmured, "You should wear that."
Exasperated, she huffed and tapped my arm with the back of her hand.
Why was she offended? I was indirectly telling her how attractive she would look. I wouldn't suggest such a thing if I thought she was ugly. What was so wrong about me wanting to see my wife in a skimpy outfit that would show off her assets? If the situation was reversed, I'd be flattered. Even after all these years, she still perplexed me. "What?" I blurted, louder than I should have. "Well, you would."
Salah leaned closer to Addie. "You would make a fine belly dancer. You have the body to wear something like that." He smirked. "Feel free to ask a servant for one... and feel free to wear it in my palace."
The nerve of him! I wanted to knock out his teeth. I had never met anyone so bold. I looked at Addie; she ignored him by staring straight ahead.
To complete the evening's entertainment, the servants brought out animals to do tricks for us, like jumping over objects or walking on their hind legs and so on.
When it was all over, Salah dismissed everyone. Addie and I were instructed to follow Kumal to the treatment chamber. We were to sit in a tub of steaming hot water to prepare our skin for the oils that would later be massaged into our skin. Needless to say, I was not thrilled, but Addie was. I was not looking forward to sitting in steaming water. Baths at home were fine, but steaming water could make me overheat.
The spacious, steamy chamber had a raised basin beneath a high domed ceiling.
We disrobed, and with much difficulty, stepped into the hot water. Over time, though, we sat down. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and leaned my head back. The water was hotter than any bathwater I had ever felt. I would have to be wary of how I felt or else I'd overheat.
Addie rested her head on my collarbone, wrapping her arms around my waist. "I can't believe Lord Tully suggested I wed King Salah as recompense," she whispered. "I would have been miserable. I'm so glad Father refused to use me as a bargaining chip."
I remembered seeing the memory that Meryl had shown us and felt glad that Lionel rejected the idea. I held my wedding charm, remembering my father-in-law. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be married to Addie.
Addie sighed. "I miss him," she murmured sadly. "I wonder if he'd approve of the way I'm ruling Bamarre..."
Well, he certainly would have disapproved of her running away to another kingdom to escape her duties.
"Do you think he'd approve?" she asked, looking into my eyes like an innocent maiden.
Rats, now I had to tell her the truth. "He would approve of how well you're ruling as a whole, but not of how you're deserting your kingdom for your own sake." So far she didn't seem mad, so I decided it was safe to continue. "Remember the difficult decisions he had to make? That's what every sovereign faces, but you have to put your own needs last. No one said it would be easy, but it must be done for the greater good of the kingdom. That's why I've never wanted to be king—it's too much responsibility."
She sighed again and sank a bit on my chest. "I know," she murmured. "I've made a mistake I wish I could undo. I should have listened to you. I was so determined to be less so I could enjoy spending more time with you."
I stared at her for a moment. She wanted to escape her duties so we could spend more time together? We had our monthly date nights, but that's all they were; brief nights. We didn't have the opportunity to spend whole days with each other, not like when she was pregnant with R.J. Before Addie discovered she was pregnant, she would tell me how we would have our own adventures and she'd be as brave as she could be. I anxiously awaited that day, but it never came. Instead, we embarked on an adventure called parenthood. While we loved being parents, it prevented us from questing. We most certainly got what we wanted now.
Cupping her chin, I kissed her.
She planted kisses down my cheek and down my neck, occasionally sucking on my flesh. Even though the air was hot and humid, my flesh raised as though I were cold. Addie's hand slowly moved downward until...
Thunderous knocking filled the chamber.
"Not now," Addie grumbled, moving her hand away. "Why do they have to come now? It's as if they know and don't approve."
I agreed and was reminded of our honeymoon or the few times our kids interrupted. The twins were notorious for interrupting the denouement of our date nights to the point where we had to make sure it was long after their bedtime.
Addie shouted in Pevirian to whoever was on the other side. Whispering, she told me to get out. After we wrapped ourselves in towels, Addie told them to come in.
A man and a woman entered, carrying filled baskets of contents that were unknown to me. They bowed and gestured at the encasing platform that surrounded the rim of the basin.
Addie and I got on top of the rims and rested on our stomachs, arms folded under our chins.
I did not want to be touched by another man. I raised off my arms to protest. "I don't want to do this," I said stubbornly.
"Oh, Rhys," she said, exasperated. "Stop being dramatic."
I wasn't being dramatic, I just didn't want another man to rub my body. Why didn't she understand that?
"You're going to love it. I promise," said Addie.
I didn't believe her.
The man stood next to me, guiding me back down.
I scowled at him as I lay back down. I felt him distribute oil all over my back, and then he began the massage. My scowl vanished. Admittedly, it was better than any massage from Addie. My muscles relaxed. "It is a trifle better than I thought it'd be," I admitted.
"See? Now relax and enjoy the rest of it," Addie directed.
My initial disgust slowly dissipated.
I wasn't sure how long our massages lasted, but after they were done, we were led to another chamber—a cool chamber. We were greeted by two women, who bowed upon seeing us. They helped us into our robes and guided us to sit in two comfy chairs.
The ladies guided our feet inside two large bowls. Two other servants came in and handed the ladies two pitchers filled with hot, sage-colored water. The women slowly poured the soothing warm water that smelled like a minty plant over our feet. The warming, minty sensation felt divine. While we rested our feet in the bowls, the ladies brought over stools and pulled small tables forward. Each table had a small bowl filled with some sort of utensils. They took out the tools and waited for the servants holding pitchers to fill the bowls before finally leaving. Then it dawned on me: we were getting beauty treatments. I didn't want them. Having someone mess with my appendages was not my idea of fun, and I didn't see why women enjoyed getting them.
My attendant reached for my hand. I resisted.
"Rhys, give her your hand," Addie chastised, allowing her attendant to work.
"No," I protested, holding my hand close.
"Rhys," she chided in her motherly tone. "Don't make me issue a command on my vacation."
I scowled at Addie as I gave my hand to the attendant.
Addie sat back in her chair and snickered. "Merry gets it from you, by the way."
"Gets what from me?" I had a feeling I knew her implication.
"Your stubbornness," she said bluntly.
She was wrong. We were nothing alike. "We are nothing alike, which is why we're constantly fighting."
Addie chuckled. Chuckled! She was having a fine time, arguing with me. "That's why you two are at each other's necks all the time; you're both strong in your contrasting beliefs."
I never thought of that. It was probably true.
When the attendants were done, Addie and I inspected our hands. Admittedly, I was impressed. The job she did was much better than what I could have done.
The attendants then took their implements and began working on our... feet? Feet! Anything but that! These ladies probably had no idea how ugly sorcerer feet are, and I wasn't about to let them find out either. Only my family members were allowed to see my feet, and even still, I made sure they didn't stare.
I yanked both feet toward me in a fetal position. "You're not messing with my feet," I said, hugging my shins.
My lady pointed at my foot and then patted her thigh.
I didn't care what she meant; she was not going to see my feet!
"Stop being such a pain, Rhys. Let her do her job."
Groaning, I rested my foot on her thigh.
My attendant covered her mouth and giggled. Giggled! Her giggling alerted the other attendant and together they giggled and said things about my feet in Pevirian.
Addie burst out laughing at whatever they said and then quickly covered her mouth once she saw me glowering at her.
"What did they say?" I asked angrily.
"Nothing," she replied, chuckling.
"Tell me," I persisted.
"You don't want to know," Addie said, shaking her head. "Just enjoy the treatment."
I tried to distract myself as I felt her drag something coarse across my toenails. After she was done sawing my toenails, she proceeded to give me a foot massage, and like the full-body one, it felt divine.
Addie moaned as she received her foot massage.
It didn't feel that good. Though, it probably felt better to humans than it did for me. I rarely stood on my own weight, so I wasn't familiar with foot tiredness I had heard humans complain about over the years.
Addie's lady collected her things and bowed before leaving, whereas mine was still on the floor, working.
I wished my attendant would hurry up. I grew more self-conscious by the minute.
She cleaned the top of my foot. Was that a sign that she was almost done? I hoped so! The attendant dragged something warm and sticky across the areas she had just cleaned. What was she doing? She pressed pieces of cloth over my foot, and then ripped them away.
Stinging pain! I screamed like a woman. I had no idea she was going to yank out my hair. I wished I had had a warning first. I panted and whimpered, waiting for the pain to subside. I raised my foot to see what it looked like. My tuft of hair on my knuckles was gone. Instead, it was smooth and red. I scowled at my attendant. "Why did you do that?" I snarled.
The woman just stared at me.
Addie stopped laughing hysterically. "She can't understand you," Addie said, holding back more laughter. She looked at my feet. "Much better. Now your feet look somewhat decent." Addie guffawed again.
My scowl remained.
I felt the woman drag the warm goo on my other foot. I tried to jerk my foot away but she held on. "No," I said to her.
The woman said something to Addie.
"She says she has to finish it or else the wax won't come off," Addie translated.
I pouted for a moment before bracing myself for the stinging pain. I screamed and whimpered again.
Addie laughed hysterically.
Why did she think that was funny? I was in agony! Why didn't she understand that? "I'm so glad my pain brings you pleasure," I said flatly, "you sadistic woman."
She stopped laughing. "Well, this 'sadistic woman' finds it hilarious when you tough men act dramatic when you experience pain for once."
"I don't find it hilarious when you experience labor pains," I countered in a rush, voice raised.
"That's because labor is real pain."
"That was excruciating," I said, pointing at my red foot. "You have no idea what you're talking about." Women are mean about pain tolerance.
"Oh, really?" Addie smirked at me. I knew that look; it was a challenge. She gave a command in Pevirian and pointed at her leg.
The attendant did as she commanded.
I watched Addie's expression like a hawk, waiting for the scream. The cloth was ripped away from Addie's leg. No scream. She grinned smugly at me.
"That's because you were expecting it," I said. I leaned closer to her leg. "And you have no hair. It has nothing to rip out."
"Yes, I do."
I looked harder and still didn't see anything. "No, you don't."
Exasperated, Addie shook her head. "It's excruciating to you because you're dramatic about everything."
She was right.
After our treatments were done, they guided us to our visitor chamber. The room was darker than what we were used to and it had many rugs and big satin pillows distributed all over. The bed was wide and almost hexagonal. Unlike Bamarrian beds, it had a circular canopy hanging from the ceiling, covering the entire bed.
A ciborium filled with grapes rested on a stand beside a one-armed sofa. Excited to eat my favorite fruit, I hurried to the sofa and sat. I patted the space next to me and winked.
Addie caught the hint and smiled as she sat down on the furniture.
I swung my legs to the side and rested my head on Addie's lap.
"Rhys, what are you doing?" she asked, laughing.
"Since you said you're not my queen on this trip, why don't you be a dear and feed me those grapes?" I said, gesturing at the ciborium.
Smiling mischievously, Addie stared at me for a moment. She grabbed the ciborium. "You want me to feed you these grapes?"
"Uh-huh," I replied, happily bobbing my head in her lap.
"You want me to feed you all of them?"
"Uh-huh," I replied again, my mouth salivating.
"As you wish, Your Highness." Addie upended the ciborium on my face. While I was startled by the falling grapes, she slipped out from under my head and ran away.
Flying, I easily caught my vixen and pinned her to the bed. I flipped her over and held her wrists above her head. "That's no way to treat your husband, you naughty minx," I growled playfully into her ear.
Biting her lip, she shivered at the reverberations of my voice. "What are you going to do about it?" she whispered before kissing my cheek.
With one hand, I held both of hers and gently pulled her robe's sash until it came undone. I didn't say anything—my gesture alone sufficed. I gazed hungrily into her playful, yet eager gray eyes.
Addie grinned. "Sounds exciting."