Strange Bedfellows

Kalus lay awake longer than he would've preferred. His two wives were snuggled as a mirror image of each other on either side of him, and he thought that fitting considering their personalities. Katia-- no, Shara sighed softly in her sleep and then snuggled her head slightly closer.

He shook his head in disbelief.

A princess.

Who would've ever thought he would have a princess snuggled up to him like this? Especially one who was carrying his child. They had been legally married, so she was his wife according to all the laws of the Ten Kingdoms. He had no idea how her father would react to that if King Tyso gave him a chance.

He didn't know how to react.

He had always planned to return home, find a nice girl, court her properly, ask her father for her hand, and then raise a family in quiet peace. With a princess as a wife, a quiet life didn't seem possible anymore. Well, unless her identity remained concealed. That seemed unlikely, given that they were about to enter her father's castle.

He lay there, trying to figure out a way that he, his wives, and his unborn child could survive the coming days. He couldn't think of a plan, so he did the only thing he could do; he prayed to Illuminar for the safety of his family until he fell asleep.

* * *

Lyra woke before the sun and before her husband and fellow wife... who was the princess of Timarou. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, still entirely unsure what to make of that information. Katia-- no, Shara was an actual princess.

A princess!

The ash blonde had no idea how to be a co-wife with a princess. Didn't that mean that Shara had all the refinements of the court? All the education? Lyra's own father had taught her to read, write, and basic maths, and she knew some of her country's history of course, but that was it. How many languages did Ka-- Shara speak? How many things could she do that the horsewoman herself couldn't?

It was times like this that the blonde desperately missed her mother. She would know what to do and help her with how to feel about this. She would be able to help with perspective on such things and help her figure out how to cope with having a princess as a co-wife.

On the other hand, Shara had been nice to her the entire time and she was sweet, if a bit reserved. Still, Lyra was having trouble figuring out how she -- a lowly rancher's daughter -- could ever possibly measure up to a real princess. She couldn't even control her desire to bed her husband for Illuminar's sake! Unbidden, the idea of her bedding her fellow wife came to mind and she had to try to push the idea out of her head.

It wasn't easy.

Shara's lips were so soft and kissing her had been wonderful. She wanted to try a lot more than kissing, and also kissing in other places if Kalus would allow it. She thought he might, but was pretty sure that someone as refined as a princess would have no interest in such things.

"Lyra."

She looked up to see her husband looking at her.

"You seem rather tense." He whispered, probably because Katia-- no, Shara was still asleep.

"She's a princess!" She whispered. "How do I compete with a princess?!"

"Why do you have to compete?"

She blinked.

"The infantry and cavalry are very different than each other." He continued. "Some might even say one is more powerful than the other. Yet neither can do everything by itself and they work best when they cooperate."

She stared at him for a long moment. "But, won't you compare us? Even if you don't mean to?"

"Of course." He whispered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I compare infantry and cavalry too, but I also recognize that both have their strengths and weaknesses and neither is better than the other. Each has an edge in one role or another, but neither is better or worse at everything; they are just different."

She nodded slowly, then bit her lip.

"What?" He asked.

"I..." She hesitated, then spoke quietly. "I'm glad to hear that."

"But?" He prompted.

"But she's a princess and I'm just--" She began, but he interrupted.

"A thoroughly delightful woman and a wonderful wife." He said, and judging by his eyes he looked sincere. "In a comparison with Kat-- with Shara, you wouldn't suffer."

"Really?" She asked.

"Really." He nodded. "Neither would she; I can appreciate each of you for who you are, and you are different from each other. Could you not appreciate two horses for their own strengths, different though they may be?"

"I could." She nodded, then snuggled closer to him. "I'm glad you see it that way."

He kissed the top of her head, which made her heart melt and her loins itch. She wiggled her hips against him, making sure her nether lips were pressed against his thigh.

"Shara is still sleeping." He whispered, but didn't stop her.

"Mmm." She rubbed a little harder, and could already feel herself getting wet. "Mmm hmm."

"Mmm?" Shara stirred, then lifted her head and blinked.

"Eww." Lyra screwed up her face as her fellow wife's morning breath hit her.

Kalus chuckled.

"What?" Shara asked, then yawned.

"Your breath." The ash blonde replied, her rubbing nearly forgotten as she turned her face away.

"It can't be that ba--" Shara stopped after she had exhaled into her hand and sniffed. "Oh, sorry. Perhaps it was that rock candy? My breath suffers when I eat too much sugar."

Kalus chuckled again. "I've smelled worse. Come, we should get ready for the day."

Shara nodded, then asked. "Does anyone know where I could get some mint leaves?"

For some reason, the fact that Shara had morning breath even though she was a princess put Lyra's heart at ease. It was a small thing, but it helped. Maybe she was a normal girl after all. A very nice, and kind normal girl who happened to be a princess, but a normal girl.

* * *

Kalus rode Tornado towards the king's entourage, arriving just as the first rays of light fell upon the conquered city. Behind him, Katia-- no, Shara and Lyra, were both riding their own horses. His wives were guarded by Octavian and a half dozen of his best men, and he was grateful for that; for Shara's sake if nothing else. He was having trouble thinking of his first wife as anything other than 'Katia', and he supposed that was a good thing for now.

"Kalus, you made it." King Tyso said as he glanced at the sunrise. "And on time too."

He sounded disappointed.

"And you brought the wenches that I set you up with." The king continued looking past him. He then 'lowered' his voice and 'whispered'. "I hope they are at least decent lays."

"I have no complaints about either of them your majesty." He gave the king a head bow, then glanced towards to gate in front of them.

King Tyso had assembled all of his commanders at the gatehouse that led to the field which separated King Bracken's castle from the inner wall of Laerten. Behind him was the entirety of the king's guard -- all two dozen of them -- plus nearly a thousand soldiers. None looked like they were from his own legion.

"Is there a plan sire?" Kalus asked.

"There would be if you'd captured that bitch of a princess Shara as I asked." He scowled in return. "I'm pretty sure threatening to take her virgin cunt in front of his castle would've done the trick."

The commander restrained himself from reacting with difficulty. "And now?"

"Well since you failed me in such an easy task, I'll have to think of something else." The king regarded Kalus with disdain. "Come, grab the white flag and we shall dictate terms."

"Aye sire." Kalus took the white flag, not minding the slight as much as he perhaps should have.

The king turned his horse, then glanced back. "Oh, and have your wives accompany us; their guards will not be necessary."

Kalus resisted the urge to disagree and turned towards Octavian. "You are released."

Octavian had his fist clenched and his jaw looked capable of crushing steel if one could fit some through his clenched teeth. Kalus gave him his 'stern commander' look and the man bristled, but nodded.

"Ladies." Octavian gave them a respectful head bow, then led his men a short distance away.

With that, King Tyso started trotting his horse down the cobblestone road that led towards the castle. Kalus chanced a glance at his wives, and unsurprisingly saw flickers of fear in their eyes. He wished he could comfort them, but they were right to fear.

He didn't like that.

The ride to the castle gates took barely a minute. The wall was at least twenty feet high and crenellations lined the top. He could see archers on top of the wall, but they respected the white flag and didn't fire.

"Let me speak to your king." Tyso barked without preamble when they'd closed to within a dozen yards.

"Who requests the honor of his conversation?" Someone he couldn't see replied from the wall.

"The man who's conquered the entire fucking country." Tyso growled in return.

"I shall inform him." The voice replied.

Tyso pointed his hand towards the sun. "And tell him that every finger he makes me wait will cost a dozen townsmen their lives."

Kalus bristled.

It was an old method of telling time near dawn and sunset. If a man fully extended his arm towards the sun, the sun would move about a finger's distance in fifteen minutes. It became less accurate further from sunrise and sunset, but it was enough to get his point across.

Kalus checked his own hand against the horizon and then waited.

The sun had nearly traversed almost an entire finger when an older man appeared at the wall's crenulations wearing a thin golden crown. He looked to be at least fifty, and sixty was probably closer to the mark. He also looked tired. Kalus had known that King Bracken was getting up in years and that the queen was significantly younger, but he hadn't realized how old he was.

"You called, Tyso." King Bracken's voice was strong and confident, but it had a slight waver to it too.

That didn't bode well.

"Open the doors old man."

"Your soldiers have a certain reputation, and the women who live here would prefer to--"

"I don't give a shit what they would prefer." Tyso replied. "You can either open the doors now, or I'll start beheading townsfolk; a dozen every hour until the doors open. While we do that my men will build a battering ram to breach the door ourselves. And should you wait, there will be a lot of... 'breaching' when my men come in."

King Bracken paled.

"Open it up old man." Tyso barked.

"Will... will you promise safety for those of my castle if we surrender?"

"No." Tyso shook his head. "But I will promise no mercy if you make me wait any longer."

Even from as far away as he was, Kalus could see King Bracken swallow hard and take a half step back.

"I will give you ten seconds." Tyso said.

"But the rules of war are--" King Bracken began, but Tyso interrupted him.

"Eight seconds."

King Bracken put a hand on the crenellations, probably to steady himself.

"Five seconds." Tyso continued.

"Four."

"Three."

"Two."

"Open the gate!" King Bracken said, then closed his eyes and slowly shook his head.

"Wonderful." King Tyso said. "Prepare a reception in your throne room for... let's say noon. You will surrender your crown personally." He turned to leave but stopped and looked back. "Oh, and tell your men not to interfere with mine; the consequences would be..." He paused, probably for effect. "Unpleasant."

If possible, the king turned even paler.

"Come Kalus." Tyso said much as you might address a servant. "We'll let the men do the brunt of the work and return at our leisure." The king waved towards the thousand or so men that had been waiting at the gate, and they started marching forward.

Kalus prevented himself from curling his lip in distaste at how they marched forward. His own legion wouldn't be caught dead being that sloppy while in formation.

"What of the people sire?" Kalus asked King Tyso

"I've told them to hold their appetites until this evening's celebration." He shrugged. "Can't interfere with the palace guards surrendering, which could delay my fun." His eye glimmered, and not in a good way. Kalus had never met a dragon before, but he imagined that the look in Tyso's eye would be similar to a dragon who had caught the scent of some gold.

That didn't bode well.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Shara slowly shook her head at her fellow wife's question. She wanted to shout 'I'm not okay!' at the top of her lungs, but resisted. Instead, she glanced into the ash blonde's eyes and let the hurt she was feeling show.

Lyra's face fell. "I'm sorry."

They were some distance away from everyone else, with only Octavian's guards around them since they were no longer with the king. They were currently sitting in an abandoned and ransacked restaurant that looked like it had once been incredibly nice. In fact, she vaguely remembered seeing it as her carriage had driven past before, and it had been fine enough for lords and ladies to dine there.

Now...

Now it was ransacked and in shambles; a perfect example of what King Tyso did to everything.

"King Bracken looked... not well." Lyra whispered delicately.

"He's..." Shara swallowed hard. "The king um... he was already middle-aged when he married my... the current queen."

"After the first queen died." The ash blonde nodded. "They said pretty awful things about her not being able to give him children."

"They said those same things about my-- about King Bracken after he remarried." Shara hung her head. "Queen Hylea comes from a family famous for bearing large numbers of children. When she only had me, and only after several years..."

"I'm sorry." The horsewoman sat next to her on one of the few intact pieces of furniture that was left in the restaurant.

"He looked so tired." Shara hung her head. "I know he's not the greatest king ever, but he really is a good man."

"I can believe that."

"And I know that he and the queen had an arranged marriage because of her family's fertility, but they really do love each other, despite..."

"Despite..." Lyra prompted.

"He was around forty when they married and she was my age." The princess did manage a small smile. "She's not yet forty, but you'd think she wasn't yet thirty if you saw her." She grimaced. "You know what Tyso is like, what if he... She's really beautiful and... and..."

Shara swallowed hard.

"And what of King Bracken? King Tyso might... might actually..." She couldn't bring herself to say it. Tyso wasn't known for mercy and her father had made his life difficult during the long war. What if... if...

"Hey, it'll be okay." Lyra put her arms around the princess as the latter tried not to start crying. For the first time, Shara realized what terrible danger her parents were in. In the back of her mind, she knew that she would be too if Tyso discovered her, but she couldn't get her father's ashen face out of her mind.

She wanted Kalus.

Not the way Lyra constantly did, but she wanted him close right now. She wanted him to hold her. He was so strong and good, and she needed that right now; she needed someone strong to lean on. Sadly, the King had taken him away for various menial duties almost the entire morning. It would've been humiliating for any other commander, but he bore it well.

She needed that stability right now.

"My ladies." Octavian broke into her thoughts. "King Tyso 'requests' that you join him and the commander at the castle."

The two women looked at each other, fear in both their eyes.

"I can't accompany you past the castle gates." Octavian continued. "But I have instructed the rest of my century to spread the word; nearly our entire legion will pray for Illuminar's intervention."

"Blessed be He." Shara and Lyra said.

If the princess was honest with herself, that helped very little with her state of mind. The two women followed Octavian as his men formed a protective guard around them. They walked instead of riding to the castle and the sun was nearly overhead. King Tyso had specified the meeting would be at noon; it was almost that time.

Thankfully, her husband was waiting for her just outside the castle.

Octavian saluted him, then turned to leave after a brief glare in the direction of King Tyso's approaching entourage.

"Octavian." Kalus called after him.

"Yes sir." He turned around smartly.

"I shall not forget your kindness and loyalty." Her husband said. "And if I cannot repay it personally, then I ask Illuminar to bless you mightily for your faithfulness."

The centurion smiled. "Thank you sir."

"Dismissed." Kalus said with a respectful nod of the head.

"Lucien." Shara addressed her husband as she tried not to shiver, and not from the cold. "I... I'm..." She couldn't finish.

He swallowed. "Me too." He reached down and gave her hand a comforting squeeze, then did the same for Lyra. "I know not what this day will hold, but I have been blessed to know you both."

One of the tears that had been threatening to fall all morning finally managed to slip out of the corner of Shara's eye. It traced a slow path down her cheek as she took a slightly shuddering breath. She sniffled slightly and reached up to wipe the tear away, but he beat her to it.

Kalus gently rested the palm of his right hand on the line of her jaw and softly wiped the tear away with his thumb. "Someone so lovely should not be made to cry."

Her breath caught.

He leaned in and tenderly kissed her forehead. She made a sound halfway between a whimper and a sigh.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Whenever you desire, merely ask and you shall have it again." He replied.

She nodded.

He turned to Lyra and smiled, though it was a slightly pained one. "My beautiful, spirited bride; I wish that had time to 'run' with you to your heart's content."

The ash blonde blushed at the reference to what she'd said on their wedding night.

He continued. "But since we don't, know that I wouldn't trade my time with you for anything."

She nodded, looking somewhat happy.

Shara wasn't.

Not at all.

She knew what was going on, why Kalus was saying these things, and why he was being more vulnerable and open now than usual. He didn't think he was going to survive the day and was preparing for that. She felt her throat get tight all over again as she realized what he was doing.

He was saying goodbye.