Chapter Three: Father Daughter, Mother Son
Calla waited for her father's reply.
She had explained to him about her feelings about marriage and about her
feelings towards Cavin.
"I just want you happy, Calla."
Calla looked up, surprised. The King
smiled. "You're my treasure and Cavin is a prized page. He would make a fine
prince and king. But I want him to ask you, not the other way around."
Calla smiled, "Can I let him know
you don't mind our relationship then? We were nervous, because he's a page and
I'm a princess. I know he's of noble blood but well,"
"Go ahead, my dear."
Calla leapt up and hugged her
father. She ran outside, calling, "Cavin!"
The King of Dunywn smiled at his
prized knight, Sir Tuxford.
"Young love."
The knight nodded. "Yes Your
Majesty. I noted Cavin's interest a while ago and then after a while I realized
it wasn't just admiration. I think they were chosen by Fate."
"But why did she wait until now?"
* * *
Igthorn stood at the ready. Celina
had said that she had a gift for him. The Duke was not ready to trust her. But
he also was not crazy enough to rebel against her. She had far too much power.
He wasn't about to risk his life.
Suddenly, the door opened. Igthorn's
heart sailed.
"My dear, Lady Bane, welcome!"
Instead of rejecting him as she
usually did, Lady Bane smiled and flung her arms around the Duke's shoulders.
She kissed the Duke hard and long on the lips.
Igthorn's eyes went wide and as he
was released, he was floating on air.
"Wha-"
Lady Bane silenced him by leaning
against his chest and fingering his torso muscles. He chuckled lovesick.
"Oh Igthorn, where has my sight
been? Why didn't I see my heart is only yours?"
"I.. I…"
He heard Celina's voice. "I've sealed
her in a spell. Her heart is yours. Now go into Dunywn, kill the king. And then
you'll have only to conquer the princess."
Igthorn smiled. "My dear, how about
you and I go conquering a kingdom?"
Lady bane smiled. "Name it."
"Dunywn.
We need to kill the king."
Lady Bane smiled, and fingered the
Duke's chin. Her long black hair fell around her shoulders.
"Done and delivered."
* * *
Buddi sighed with boredom and put
his book away. He chose another in the room, called, Forbidden. He
opened it but before he could read a word, the door opened. Buddi sat up.
Ursa walked in, with a tray of food
for Buddi. She noted Buddi was reading, the only thing she had not forbidden
him to do. She inwardly hated punishing him this fiercely but her concern of
him getting too close to Glens was more powerful than her pity.
"Here Buddi. Eat."
The cub took the tray and waited for
Ursa to leave.
She didn't.
Buddi took a bite of his sandwich,
which he noted that Ursa had fixed it herself. It was his favorite, turkey. As
the cub ate, a hand placed itself onto his head. Buddi turned his head. Ursa
smiled at him gently.
"I know that being inside like this
is terrible, Buddi. But you need a good dose of discipline."
Buddi sighed, :I didn't mean to."
Ursa looked at Buddi with sympathy. "Buddi, I
know but well, I'm afraid that their softness will wear off. You're already too
sensitive and shy for your own good."
"Am I really that bad?"
Ursa smiled, "Buddi, there is nothing wrong with
being sensitive or shy. But yours is too extreme."
She sighed, "But you're tough too I
think. I don't need that ruined by Glen influence."
Buddi looked at her. "But they're my
friends."
Ursa nodded, "I know and they can
continue to be. But until you get over this fascination, I don't want you alone
with them."
Buddi sighed, "Ursa, it isn't-"
"Buddi…"
The cub sighed. Ursa knew he liked
the glens and she could normally accept that. But after that event two days
ago…
But Buddi looked miserable. Ursa
knew that he couldn't help his feelings; he was a very sensitive boy. Ursa
moved closer and hugged his shoulder gently. Buddi looked up at her.
Ursa hugged him tightly. It wasn't
just the fact that Sunni was a Glen. It was the fact that he had gotten his
first crush. That meant he was growing up. Ursa hated that. Buddi was her only
child, the Barbics' only child. When she told Gritty that, he'd been amused and
said, "You're definitely a mother."
Ursa knew it wasn't fair. She knew
Buddi had to grow up. It would have been easier if it had been another Barbic
cub that shared Buddi's first kiss. Ursa liked Sunni but she was too soft for
her liking and Ursa was not about to let her cub go to a weaker one.
Buddi finished and Ursa took the
tray and left, calling, "Just one more day, Buddi then you can go outside.
There are lots of cubs here. Try to play with some boys your age."
Buddi sighed. He knew Ursa didn't
want him hanging with a Glen because they saw them as weaker than themselves.
Friendship was fine but friendship with privileges wasn't. He wished Ursa would
let him be friends with whomever he wanted. But she had raised him to be tough
and didn't want anything to threaten that.
Buddi sighed, "I wish that Ursa
wouldn't chain me down so and expect so much from me."
Buddi picked the book up and read
the title page. It had a quote from Peace, the main character of the story.
Buddi read it aloud,
"They can bind my things and bind my
body. But they cannot cage my heart."
Buddi smiled to himself, "That's
right. They can't bind my heart."
