Royal Affliction (The Anti-Princess Saga) (16 page)

Kafkus, Quino and Loach were all sitting on the couch.  Their eyes were open wide, their mouths gaping in astonishment.  They looked like statues, frozen in time, flabbergasted by our actions.

Violet shoved me to the floor and I stormed from the room, slamming the bedroom door as hard as I could behind me.

There was a small knock at the door but I didn’t say a word.  I was just standing in front of my bed when Kafkus’ hand touched my shoulder.

“She called me loose.”

He spun me around but I couldn’t maintain eye contact with him.

“I could never think of you in such a way.”

“Maybe I am.”

He lifted my chin, and held it to keep my gaze.  “No, you are a sweet and thoughtful woman who is confused by newfound feelings.  I would not ask for you to be mine alone because I understand your feelings for Clifton and that the decision is yours alone.”

“You would not have me choose?”

“Princess, it is you I have chosen to love for all of my life.  It would be wrong to force away something which makes you so happy.  If you will have me, I will take all of you, including another suitor.  It is you I want.  It is you I love.”

My heart opened at his words, a tear leaking from my eyes at his genuine emotion.  I placed a delicate peck on his lips.  “I will have to make sure that Clifton is alright with this before I give you an answer.”

“All I ask is for a piece of your heart.  I am not as selfish as you thought.”

“No, you’re not.  Would you sleep with me tonight?  For comfort, not for fun,” I added in case he’d missed my meaning.

Kafkus just smiled, grabbed my hand and led me over to the bed.  He curled up against my back.

“I should probably apologize to Violet.”  My conscious had gotten the better of me now that I had calmed down.  I didn’t like Violet being mad at me.

Kafkus made sure I couldn’t move an inch.  “Quino is with her.  Best to let her sleep before talking with her.”

I yawned.  “I’m sure you’re right.  Everything will be better tomorrow.”

Chapter Seven

Kafkus was still clinging to me when I woke up but I managed to untangle myself without waking him.  The living room was quiet.  Loach was still asleep on the lone recliner which looked a bit odd.  It appeared as though he should be burning the couch, but he wasn’t.  His flames licked the material, but left it whole and unchanged, as if the flames were not even there.  I had hoped to find Clifton sleeping out here, but there was no sign that he had come back at all.

I nudged Violet who was sleeping awfully close to Quino.  It made me smile.  Her eyes flickered and once they caught sight of me she looked like she was going to cry.

“I’m sorry,” we both said in unison before smiling and hugging.  We never could be mad at each other for long.  It would take a lot of damage to end our friendship and a petty fight wasn’t going to cut it.

I pulled some clothes out of my dresser and tossed Violet some panties, a pair of jeans, and a tank top.  She looked uneasy at the clothes, but eventually got them on right.  I laughed at the weird and uncomfortable expression on her face.  She had never worn anything but dresses.  She looked much different in human clothes.  They flattered her tiny figure, accentuating her slightly wide hips and petite breasts.

Violet was staring at the broken glass door.  “I am very sorry about that.”  She raised her hand and the shattered pieces flew back into the frame, making it whole again.

“Thank you for fixing it,” I said a little distracted my mind back on Clifton.

She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.  “He will be back.”

“Do you really like him?  The way I suspect?”

“I do, but I would never act on it.  I cherish our friendship too much to let a man come between us.”

I sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

“He wants to marry me.”

“Does that not make you happy?”

“Marriage has never appealed to me.  I do not know if I can share my heart and body with only one man for the rest of my life, to know that I will never again have a first kiss.”  I thought of last night and I smiled.  “Or that special moment when you first realize that you might love someone who’s been in front of you all along.”

“You love Kafkus?”

My face grew hot.  “I think I might.”

“Does Clifton know?”

“No.  He knows that I like Kafkus, but he doesn’t know what I feel now.”

“Talk to him when he comes back, I am sure that he will understand.  Your love for Kafkus does not make you love him any less, right?”

“No, I still love Clifton.  But now my heart is divided between two men and I am afraid that I will lose Clifton because of this.  I don’t want to lose him.”

Violet said nothing.  She seemed to have run out of comforting words.

I fell to my knees, reality sinking in that Clifton may never return.  The tears began pouring out of me with no sign of slowing.

Kafkus was beside me now, his arms around my shoulders.  My crying had awoken him.  “What is wrong my love?”

“She fears for Clifton.  Will you two go out and look for him?”

Quino’s voice was stern.  “I do not think it wise for us to leave you two alone with Loach.”

I stopped crying but couldn’t move.  I accepted the comfort that Kafkus’ body gave me, but I just sat there.  My eyes became unfocused and began to stare off into the distance.  My mind rose high and I became vapor.  I was a ghost of myself.  My lifeless body now lay far beneath me.  Kafkus was still holding me but I could no longer feel his touch.  Time had slowed, everything was muted.  Kafkus yelled something that I couldn’t make out.  It was muffled, as if shouted through water.  I welcomed the nothing.  It took my pain, my torment.  It was nice not to have to think nor feel.  I willed it to take me away.

The front door opened and Clifton entered.  I watched as he talked to the others, but heard nothing.  He rushed to my body, though inched through my eyes.  Words broke through the silence as he cried out, “Tessa!”

He touched my chest and my body illuminated with a pure white light spawning from where his hand lay.  The room spun and I closed my eyes to keep from being sick.  When I opened them, I was staring into Clifton’s beautiful face, whole once more.

“I thought I lost you.”

He pulled my body against his chest tight.  “No, Tessa, I thought I’d lost
you
,” he said, tears dripping down his face.  “If you don’t want to get married just yet, I am fine with it.  I would just love to be a part of your life, even if it means that I have to watch from the sidelines.”

I gave him a soft peck.  “You will never be on the sidelines, Clifton.  Though I am not ready for marriage just yet, I would be honored if you would remain my man.”

“And will you have more than one man?”

My eyes fell upon Kafkus and I remembered the conversation we’d had.  “If I chose another, would you be ok with it?”  I didn’t want to hurt Clifton again.  If he said no then I wasn’t sure what I was going to do about Kafkus.

“If I must share you to keep you, then I am fine with it, for now at least.”  He kissed me.  “I would rather share you than not have you at all.”

I felt as if an immense weight had been lifted off of my chest.  It felt great.  “Thank you.”  A question lingered in my head.  “How did you bring me back?”

“I didn’t do anything, Tessa.”

I sat up quickly and placed a hand on the spot where he’d touched my chest.  It felt warm, hot even.  “But what about the white light?”

“What light?”

“Never mind,” I said, pushing the subject aside for the time being.  I was starving, and it was hard to focus on an empty stomach.  “I’m going to fix us something to eat.”

“No,
I
will make breakfast.  You just sit and watch some TV.”  He led me over to the couch and sat me down.  “You nearly just died, Tessa, please just rest.”

Kafkus’ robes were a mess and he had no human clothes to wear either.  “Could you loan Kafkus and Quino some of your clothes so that they can dress more human, at least until we can get them some of their own?” I hated to ask but he didn’t appear bothered by my request.

He left but the rest of them still stood around the room, looking like I
had
died.  “Come on guys, I’m fine,” I said, managing a smile.  “Come sit down and watch the magic moving picture box with me.”

One by one they sat, Quino on one side of me and Violet on the other.  Kafkus settled himself on the floor right in front of me, squeezing his body between my legs.  They all seemed to want to be close to me.  I found it comforting.

Loach stood alone now, eying me with hesitation.

“It’s ok, Loach.  Please come and sit with us,” I offered politely, trying to make him feel included.  He sat on the lone recliner next to the couch where he’d slept.

Feeling somewhat satisfied, I picked up the remote and turned on the television.  Everyone leaned in, captivated by the device.  I flipped through the channels until I found one of my favorite shows: Scrubs.

Kafkus stood and walked over to the TV, touching it with apprehension.  “What is this thing?  How are these people inside it?  Hello?”

I laughed.  “They can’t hear you.  It’s a show, you
watch
it.”  He just stood there, staring at me, seeming even more confused.  “Just come and sit with me.”  I patted the floor where he’d been.

He came to sit between my feet again and I wrapped my legs around his chest.  I pulled his head back gave him a delicate kiss.  He gazed into my upside-down face.  “Does that mean that I am your Zezka too?”

I smiled down at him, I had just been thinking about that very subject.  Clifton had said that he would be all right with it.  “Yes.”  I would make this man (the one that I had once resented) forever mine.

He pulled my face back down to him and kissed me with such passion.  It felt so right, so beautiful.

I felt so fortunate.  I never had a man that I ever truly loved before, and now I had two.  Two men that worshiped me in the way every woman needs.  I was happier now than I had been in my entire life.  I felt like my luck was finally starting to turn around. 
Would it last?

We watched TV while and I idly ran my fingers through Kafkus’ long soft hair, though it was a little hard to enjoy the show when Violet kept asking questions about it.

“Food’s ready!” Clifton called from the kitchen but no one moved.

I snickered.  “I think that you’ll need to bring it in here.”

Clifton marched into the room, though I was the only one who seemed to have noticed.  He hit the power button on the TV and ignored the protesting outcries that followed.  “I know that television is great and all, but we have important things to talk about.  Please come join me at the table.”  He turned on his heels and strutted back into the kitchen.

My dining table was small, and I had only four chairs, so Quino and Kafkus sat at the small bar on the high stools.  Clifton had made pancakes and they were delicious, very light and fluffy.  (The best I’d ever eaten!)  I wolfed down an entire stack, very un-princess like.  No one else was eating besides Clifton and me.  They were eyeing their food with evident distaste.

“Try it, it’s good,” I said.

Loach poked at the food with his finger.  “I only eat meat, Princess.”

“Raw or cooked?”  Like a good hostess I wanted my guests to be happy, especially the one who could help us with our task.

“Raw,” he replied, his face eager for the prospect.

I rummaged through the fridge until I found a package of raw hamburger meat.  I plopped it down on the table next to his plate.  He tore it open at once and began shoveling it crudely into his mouth.

He seemed to notice the appalled looks he was getting because he grabbed his fork.  He held it awkwardly in his miniature hand.  It was obvious that he had never used eating utensils before, but I appreciated the gesture all the same.

I drew my focus back on the others.  They were still only looking at their food.  “Eat it!”

Violet took a small bite.  “Oooh, it
is
good.”  She started shoveling huge bites into her mouth.

After seeing that she like it, everyone else joined in.  I was a little irked that my word hadn’t been good enough, but I didn’t voice my annoyance.  At least they were eating.

“So,” Clifton said, breaking the silence, “is anyone going to tell me who and what the flaming midget is, and what he’s doing here?”

I laughed, unable to hold it back and nearly choked on my orange juice.

Loach looked like he wasn’t sure if he should be offended or not.  “What is a midget?”

I filled Clifton in on why Loach was here and where he was from.

Clifton jumped up, staring daggers at Loach.  “So it’s your fault!”