WORRLGENHALL (3 page)

Her words bringing to mind his younger son; then of his dream, again he sighed.

“Bayl is a child of sorrow,” King Rone revealed, “Queen Nohla died not long after she bore him.”

Before
he summoned her to him, the king’s presence as he sat in his large wooden chair in the gathering hall an intimating sight, now laying so close to him, she perceived him as just a simple man.

His openness unexpected, without his consent and at the risk of her own life, she gazed upon his f
ace.

In his chamber, his dark brown and gray colored hair unbound, she looked at him expecting to look into a tired face and aged eyes, but she did not. His skin firm, his eyes green and clear, she knew a man wanting happiness again were behind them

“You looked into my eyes,” he said, as he looked back at her, certain she knew it forbidden, yet his voice held no anger.

“
Forgive me, my king.” She quickly averted her eyes, fearing his wrath.

“
How did you come to WorrlgenHall?” King Rone asked.

“
I had no one and one day, as I stood hungry at the gates, someone in WorrlgenHall had pity and made me a servant,” she answered from now lowered eyes

“
As a beller?”

“
In the meal house first,” she continued, “Until a guard saw me and gathered I could one day suit one of your inner guards or perhaps a guild.”

King Rone raised himself in bed
. Some of his strongest men away at battle; he wondered who had already cast his eyes upon her with want.

As a brief tinge of jealously possessed him, he wondered also if she had
found one that suited her.

“
Do any of my inner guards or guilds suit you?” he asked, finding it troubling that he dreaded her answer.

“
My eyes have seen no one,” her lips lied. She had looked into the eyes and closely at the face of the one she wanted, “Yet, I have no choice who will take me for their own.”

His talk with Seda soothing
it made him sleepy, and as he again rested his head, he quickly fell into sleep. But when he awoke and discovered she was not in bed it troubled him because he had actually reached for her.

The day
’s dealings long, as he sat in the court hall, King Rone heard the accounts of tolls and lands, and the concerns of his people; then appeasing some, incensing others, he sent them away.

“
Any word of battle?” he asked one of those in his quorum. His mind filled with thoughts of his sons whom he had heard nothing from, he feared for their well-being.

“
No messenger again this day, my king.”

His mind troubled
. He thought of one who he felt now seemed to soothe him. “I will be in my chamber,” he said while standing.

“
My king, will you eat in the gathering hall later?”

“
This night, I will eat in my chamber.”

As he walked away, heads bowing when he passed, he retired to his chamber, but before he entered through the door, looked over at t
he guard who knew to come to him.

“
Bring her to me,” he said, knowing the guard already knew of whom he spoke.

While the king waited, after what seemed longer now than the night before, again quietly Seda entered his chamber. The squeak of the door announc
ing her informal presence, she stood before him; then formally announced herself.

“
My king” she softly said, her voice sending gladness through him, “You sent for me.”

“
Yes, sit.”

Obeying, she sat across from him diverting her eyes to his feet, then when she saw his head turn to the fire, she looked up and back down.

“The night before, I had a dream. Two hawks landed on a perch to small to hold them, but instead of one flying off to keep the perch from breaking, both held steady and struggled to keep it. In the end both fell to the ground and were devoured by a vulture.”

Seda pondered his dream for only
a moment, as she too stared into the fire, and again risking her life, looked at him.

“
You have two sons great king,” she spoke very soothingly, “That all know you hold dear to your heart, yet WorrlgenHall holds your heart too.”

“
I fear my sons will not hold WorrlgenHall built by my father’s, father’s great father,” he sighed, “And that it will fall.”

“
Then you have reasoned your own dream my king,” Seda said and added, “A kingdom must be far more than only large stones and wood, and reach beyond its walls to the people.”

“
A kingdom built from a small hall where men gathered to plan battles and as more land became won grew to what it is now,” he added.

“
And held true by a line of strong kings,” Seda humbly said.

Her words striking him deep, he looked at her
. “Who was your father?”

“
He served as one of the council to our king.”

“
He has given you his mind,” King Rone gave her a slight praise.

“
Then I worry,” she added, “Our king’s head sat on pole when the council unwisely agreed to fight before we were defeated and marched away.”

Her comment made him burst into laughter, not behind their defeat, but from the boldness of her words.
“Draw nearer to me.”

Seda moved closer, keeping her head low, and kneeled right at h
is knees.

“
How long have been in my land?”

“
The full seasons have gone just past six.”

“
What was your when you were brought here?”

“
Twelve springs.”

Gently, he placed his strong hand upon her head; then put it under her chin.

“Twice you boldly looked upon my face,” his voice strong like that of how he speaks in the gathering hall, “Look upon it now.”

Slowly, she raised her head. The firelight gleaming in his green eyes, she took his hand and kissed it.

“Do any in my kingdom suit you?” he asked, as his voice changed from strong to deep.

“
Yes, my lord,” she answered, “There is one…”

“
Reveal his name,” he said suppressing again his tinge of jealousy, but knew he would seek him out once he knew who he was. 

“
I cannot,” she said honestly, “My boldness could be the death of me.”

“
His name,” the king ordered,

“
Rone Ev Worrlgen. The King of Worrlgen.”

Not expec
ting his name to be the one revealed, he looked at her suspiciously while his mind pondered what plan she had devised to win his graces.

His years of occasionally indulging himself with young bellers now boring to him, he had settled into complacent old age, yet at times secretly he longed for genuine companionship.

“Is it your desire to bed a king and hope to become queen?” he questioned suspiciously, “Or bed the king to become with child and assure a fate.”

“
As with any woman with mind for reason, my desire should be for the king to desire me,” she answered, “Yet if he has no desire for me; then to pleasure him well as is my place.”

“
And if I have no want for you and send you away, never to call for you again, what would you do?”

“
Desire the king.”

“
And if I were not king?”

“
Whether the gold and bronze rings are resting on your head or not, you are the man I desire.”

“
You speak as if this feeling has been inside you for awhile.”

“
For as long as I have served your united men in the gathering hall and watched you at the table’s head before them; it has been inside me.” 

“
Why?” he asked.

“
As I watched you and heard your words, always my father came to mind.”

“
You desire a man like your father?” he asked, feeling that was an honor.

“
Next to you, my king, there is no love I feel greater.”

Slowly, his hand still under her chin, he made her rise; then stood himself.

Tall like his sons. He looked down into her long brown hair, then when she looked up at him, into her doe eyes.

Without speaking, he lifted her as if she were a feather; then carried her from his outer chamber into his bedchamber.

Gentle, where the strong hands that carried her and removed her beller’s silk gown, and no words between the two, she softly panted as he touched her fearing she was dreaming, yet the desire for him burning deep within made her certain she was not.  

His soft bed furs upon her back, she arched when his larg
e hand gently touched and followed the roundness of her breasts.

“
Desire,” he whispered, as his mind recalled her words, “It is desire.”

Patiently, she waited when he stood to remove his long linen sleep gown, and his chest bare, his healed wounds brought
immediately to mind one word – warrior.

She recalled his words to her, thinking himself as old, yet nothing about him showed signs of age.

“I fear I will crush you,” he said, as he looked into her eyes before he slowly put his body on hers.

His weight up
on her, the feel of her skin soft to his hand, as she parted her legs, he caressed her and parted them more to get better between them.

Only virgin b
ellers sent to the king, his sons, or visiting nobles, he knew she would hurt from him and took effort to lessen the pain.

As she shrieked from his first thrust, his gentleness exceeding his strong desire, which she knew was in him from the first, he did not try to pierce her right away.

“Perhaps the king’s passionate kisses will help,” she said, hoping his desire for her remained as her fortressed walls kept at bay its invader.

“
Perhaps,” he agreed; then moved his lips upon her breasts.

His warms lips upon her flesh, his soft beard brushing
against her gently, never would she have expected such selflessness from a king, whom she knew had had his share of women willing and unwilling.

“
My king,” Seda moaned, as her hands sank deep into his hair, “You torture me,” she added, now longing to fill him deep inside her.

“
On this bed, in this chamber,” he said, his mouth back upon hers, as he felt her hand touch what would fill her, “I am Rone.”

“
Rone, my king,” she whispered.

Again, he attempted to pierce Seda and again she shrieked,
but this time he didn’t pull away and knowing this pain must come before pleasure; he thrust harder now determined to break through.

Unlike any he had filled, her flesh resisting, he thrust until the foreskin of his manhood burned; then like a fire doused with blood, her flesh torn; the burning ceased.

Her walled fortress conquered now allowing him within, as she gripped him tightly, he kept his shaft intentionally still inside her to slowly allow her walls to mold around his hard form until her pain went away.

“
Instead of pleasure,” he said disappointed while he patiently waited,” I bring you pain.”

“
It had to be done,” she moaned. Her pain turning to pleasure, “And I feel pleasure rising from deep.”

Seda moaned
while holding tightly to his back. His heavy muscled body upon hers, she felt no pain from him only pleasure, as she kept to his pace.

“
Do I please you?” She pulled her body even closer and whispered in his ear.

“
You have…”

“
You have opened me; then filled me. I am now suited to you.”

The dank chamber like a
steam-filled box, their bodies vigorous against the other, sweating, pushing their desire, until…

“
Into you,” his words while still vigorously thrusting before his body suddenly trembled, “I am spilling into you.”

The feel of his warmth inside her, unable to describe the
unfamiliar feeling, Seda expressed it with a gasp.

“
Ah.” She went breathless; then gasped unable to express more, as her body trembled too before she pulled at the furs on his bed; then clung to him.

“
Your gasp and silence,” he said, while feeling her still waving walls, “Reveals to me, I too have pleased.”

Tenderly, he pulled her close; then one of his hands deep within her hair,
he smiled.

“
A smile from the king,” she whispered with a returning smile, which impressed him as it brought out the beauty of her eyes.