WORRLGENHALL (107 page)

 
      “But,” Ovfren blurted; his lips about to lie.

 
      Enek nodded his head, put his hand deep into Ovfren’s hair, and spoke before Ovfren spoke a lie just to try to sway him.

 
      “Of great worth you becoming to me, and dare I let you touch me if you were not,” Enek confessed, “And should you become mine, I shall treasure you, but you shall be my treasure alone, and not belong to another, which you do.”

 
      “I love him,” Ovfren confessed, “I do.”

 
      “Then be with who you love.”

 
      Anguished, Ovfren stepped back, taking a moment to look at Enek’s handsome face and body,
as if he now could actually forget it.

 
      Inwardly cursing Belon for sending for him to come to WorrlgenHall, disturbing his and Ogorec’s content relationship, he sighed deep and loud.

 
      Ogorec was humble, tall, handsomely dark haired and brave, yet older. Enek was haughty, taller, handsomely blonde-haired, and brave, yet younger. He jumped on his horse to go on his watch for the night torn between two, by love and desire.

**

       Before bed, both watched the stars, as Aderac stood in front of Belon at the large window in the chamber. Belon’s arms wrapped around him, Aderac’s head resting back in the crevice of his strong shoulder. Every time Aderac leaned his head back and looked up at him, Belon would look down and give him a tender kiss.

 
      “The children are still unhappy you are sending them back,” Aderac revealed after he nestled his head again, “And spoke it to me after you kissed them before bed. They had me promise to speak with you about letting them stay.”

 
      Belon sighed hard, he didn’t want them to go, but he wanted them as far away from danger as possible.

 
      “I reason so.” He knew, “But one day I hope they understand that I do what I do for their sake and yours.”

 
      “They want to be near their father just as I want to be near my love.” Aderac said, as he turned to look at him, “And I reason one day they shall, but this day they do not.”

 
      “Why are you making sending them back more painful for me than it already is?” Belon’s angst, as he looked back at him, “When you know my family is all to me.”

 
      “What?” Aderac asked, as he tilted his head up to look right into Belon’s eyes, “Speak such again.”

 
      “This is painful for me as well.”

 
      “No,” Aderac said, as he smiled, “The other words.”

 
      “My family is all to me.”

 
      “Ooooooh.” Aderac grinned wide, and reached to put both his palms on Belon’s cheek, “So wonderful does that sound from you; so very wonderful honey.”

 
      Belon also started grinning and pulled Aderac closer to him so their bodies pressed together again, before he put his strong hand behind his head and kissed him.

 
      “Let us get into the bed.” He moaned into his mouth, “And you shall hear other wonderful sounds from me as you thrust inside me.”

 
      “Umm,” Aderac said, and took his hand to lead him to the furs on the floor, which were closer than the bed, “For that, we do not have to be in a bed.”

**

 
     
W
edded, then crowned right away, now sole King of Celgon after the
accidental
death of King Thogor’s young son, Atorad did not waste time putting his plans into effect, and sent a letter to WorrlgenHall demanding the body or bones of his queen’s brothers.

 
      He had hoped this would incite the people of Celgon if King Baric refused, fueling them even more than his lie that they lured them to WorrlgenHall just to kill them.

 
      Later, once the others made it back to Celgon, curious about what had happened; Atorad called them before him to give an account, but only one could, because he had lingered around in the courtyard.

 
      “What happened when at WorrlgenHall?” he asked the man.

 
      “A man confessed that you and Lord Cadon had a hand in paying men to ride throughout Worrlgen land robbing those they passed, while dressed like the Segorans.”

 
      “Is that so?”

 
      “Yes,” he eagerly answered, “And spoke he had a way to put truth to his words.”

 
      “How so?”

 
      “That part I could not hear.”

 
      Atorad inhaled deep, letting his mind wander back to when he meet with the tribe and made his deal, what they could have to prove he actually spoke with them, then it came to him.

 
      “Rengad,” he said under his breath.

 
      When the man turned to leave, concerned he could reveal Celgon actually incited Worrlgen to wrath he called out to him.

 
      “Just one more matter,” Atorad added.

 
      Curiously, he stopped and waited for his next words.

 
      “You did not call me king or bow to me,” he scowled, and gave his sadistic command to one of the guards, “Strike him down.”

**

       Belon carefully handpicked those most skilled and trusted to escort his children back to Ivodgald; even though, every day they unsuccessfully begged to remain.

 
      On the morning they were set to leave, as he and Aderac dressed to surprise them by riding halfway, stopping along the way to enjoy the sights, hard persistent knocking interrupted them.

 
      “So early it is…” Aderac commented knowing they still had awhile before leaving.

 
      “My command was we would not leave until later in the morning,” Belon added, as he slid his tunic over his head, and went to the door.

 
      Curiously, Belon opened it halfway; then when he saw Silinia standing next to one of the guilds crying, he flung the door open and hurried in front of her.

 
      “Aderac!” Belon called out, knowing whatever she was about to say, would not be good.

 
      Hysterically crying, Silinia fell to Aderac’s feet when he came to the door.

 
      “Why are you crying?” Aderac asked, as he looked down at her.

 
      Trying to speak as she cried, snot, tears, and saliva making her words unintelligible, Belon pulled her back up by her shoulders.

 
      “You must calm,” he urged, “So we can understand you.”

 
      “It is the… the… children.”

 
      Alarm swept across both men’s faces. Their eyes unblinking, as they looked intently at Silinia tear stained face. 

 
      “What about the children?” Aderac asked first.

 
      “Speak it!” Belon impatiently added.

 
      “They were not within the chamber when I woke, and Belo is gone as well,” she blurted. “I fear they sneaked away in the night.”

 
      Stunned, Belon braced himself against the threshold, and gripped the top edge of door for balance.

 
      “Belon,” Aderac said worried, as he moved close to him, “Where do you reason they are?”

 
      “I do not know,” he answered, as he looked at Silinia, “Go back to the chamber and search again to make sure they are not hiding within.”

 
      Quickly, her head nodded, and still crying she hurried away.

 
      “Get word to the king, Laad, and Loth of this,” his ordered the guard still standing by the door, as he fought to remain calm. 

 
      When the guard hurried away, Belon closed the door in silence, and as Aderac watched him walk to his clothes to finish dressing, knew he was beside himself with worry by the entranced look in his eyes.

 
      Once Belon tightened his belt after he dressed, he inhaled deeply; then looked at Aderac, who had waited patiently for the right moment to talk to him.

 
      As Belon’s eyes now called him over to him, Aderac came close, looked at him lovingly and supportively of his decision, then brushed his hair to the side away from his saddened worried eyes, and lifted his chin to kiss his nose.

 
      “I know,” Aderac answered the question he spoke from them.

 
      “Aderac,” Belon voiced his worry anyway, “If something happens to our children for my stubbornness, I shall throw myself from the wall.”

 
      “Speak no such thing,” Aderac said soothingly, knowing it was his turn to remain calm and help Belon with his worry and guilt.

 
      “They did not want to go,” he recalled again, as he shook his head wishing he had listened to them. “They begged to stay. They begged Aderac, and I was to stubborn to hear them.”

 
      Aderac’s hand stroked and touched Belon’s face.

 
      “You only wanted them to return so they would be safe. You did nothing wrong.”

 
      Belon’s tall frame slumped, then he put his large hand on the back of Aderac’s hand that touched his face, and held his hand with his other hand.

 
      “We will find them,” Aderac assured him, “And when we do, we will sit them down and speak to them at length of why they must return.”

 
      Quickly, Laad and Loth hurried to meet with Belon and Aderac, but as they walked down the hallway, another guard came up to them.

 
      “Two children are asleep in the outside stable,” he told them, “Hidden away in the back on straw. The servant knew they were the two children from Ivodgald by their clothes.”

 
      As he spoke, Belon and Aderac came walking down the hallway.

 
      “The children have left their chamber, and we do not know where they are!” Belon said before he even reached them, “Gather the guilds and I shall gather those from Ivodgald to search for them.”

 
      “No need to worry,” Laad quickly revealed, “A servant saw two children sleeping on straw; we believe they are your children.”

 
      Aderac turned to Belon, and sighed loudly. “Come, let us go to them.”

 
      Belon sighed as well, and both hurried away almost running to the stable, then after bursting inside, when they saw them cuddled together laying tucked under two loose heaps of straw asleep with Belo right beside them, their hearts turned to mush.

 
      Quietly, they entered; then Belon gently woke them.

 
      “Dare both of you do such a deed,” he chided them, as he dropped to his knees to speak to them.

 
      Groggily both woke; then when they saw Belon, jumped into his arms.

 
      “We hid,” they admitted right away, “So they would have to leave without us.”

 
      Belon could only lovingly chuckle as he imagined them with their heads huddled together secretly conspiring their childish plan.

 
      “Do you know how much I love both of you?” he asked, as he let out a sigh of relief after his chuckle, as his strong hands gently touched both their chins.

 
      “Yes we do,” they answered in unison.

 
      As he listened, Aderac overcome, decided to try once more to sway his decision.

 
      “Belon, honey,” Aderac’s bottom lip and chin dropped, as he got on his knees and joined them, “Such a bold deed just to stay here with us shows how set their minds are.” 

 
      “Yes, such a bold deed,” Belon agreed, as he pulled them even closer, so moved that he couldn’t send them back even if he wanted to, “Dare I sadden my treasures more, and send them back when so set are their minds to stay.”

 
      The children happily bounced and cheered that they could remain, and as they did, Aderac smiled wide pulling everyone together.

 
      “Come family,” Belon said, as he kissed both the children’s heads, then the head of his love, “Let us get away from this smell, and get hot food into both of you. It is still early, so after you eat, both of you back to bed.”

**

       “Do you reason King Gegorad has received the message King Baric and King Aderac sent him?” Loth asked Laad as, as always they walked on the wall and talked.

 
      “I reason if not,” he answered, “Then he shall in two or three days.”

 
      Both looked out and over to the glens faintly hearing the sounds of swords clashing, and men groaning and chatting as they readied themselves by practicing.

 
      “I hear the men of Ivodgald are training with the guilds and gruels,” Laad commented, “How are all fairing?”

 
      “All seems well,” he answered, leaning his shoulder onto one of the columns, “But, I have a worry.”

 
      Laad leaned onto the column facing him to hear what he had to say.

 
      “Well,” he urged when Loth hadn’t began to speak, “Speak your worry.

 
      “Osgorad is speaking bitter of Belon.”

 
      “Why?”

 
      Loth turned, and now leaned his back onto the column. Always informed of what goes on with the men when they had free time, many reported to him they heard Osgorad and some of his friends laughing over Belon’s love for King Aderac.

 
      He revealed some of the mocking was that King Aderac seemed more womanly than manly, and they often laughed amused at the irony that they had children.

 
      “I hope that you jest with me,” Laad expressed concern, “Words as that will not end well.”

 
      “There is no jest from me in this,” Loth’s reply wishing for once he were, “Soon enough if he will not stop, his words will reach Belon.”

 
      “He has changed since he has become The Commander of Ivodgald,” Laad said hopeful, “As I have seen with my own eyes.”

 
      “Well true,” Loth reminded, “Belon now cares of no insult to him, yet let another insult King Aderac or speak wrong of or to his children, and he will find his fate filled with suffering or worse, the same as the men from Hemrock.”

 
      “I will speak to Osgorad,” Laad said, knowing that as Lord Helm it was his duty, “To see that he holds his tongue of anything about King Aderac or their children.”

**

       In the glens, as Enek practiced with those under him with the guilds and gruels, while Ogorec watched him from a distance on his horse, Belon rode up beside him.

 
      “The highest guilds and men of Ivodgald’s horse guard are training together I see.” Belon noticed, “By whose words.”

 
      “Rulgesic saw them training apart, and reasoned why not have them train together to pass the time.”

 
      Belon nodded approving. “How are all fairing?”

 
      “All seem to be fairing well,” Ogorec teased, “Their commander has held true to how those trained him.”

 
      Both laughed.

 
      “Where is King Aderac?”

 
      Belon jumped off his horse, then grabbed his horse’s rein and petted its side.

 
      “Since the children are remaining,” he answered softly laughing, “He wants them still learning while here. He is speaking to the priests, who teach King Baric’s son and Laad’s children to see if any are learned enough to teach them.”

 
      Ogorec chuckled at the thought of King Aderac examining WorrlgenHall’s priests at length.