Destiny Scorns

  *

  The next few days Sidney managed to keep her distance away from him. She had been so embarrassed by the kiss that night. Now, three days later, she had something that she just couldn't keep to herself. She went to Gorham's castle and was taken to the library where he was. News had already been dispatched that she was important.

  She burst into the private office saying, `You won't believe what I…' she stopped short when she realized Gorham wasn't in the office alone. Nathan turned to look at her. A guard appeared behind her and started to apologize. He also started to whisk Sidney away but Gorham raised his hand and the guard left.

  `Morning Sidney,' he said.

  `Morning Your Majesties,' she curtsied. Then the shock wore off, `I'm sorry for interrupting but,' she started to walk toward the table, `I found something interesting that I thought you should know.' She walked to Gorham's side. Nathan was intrigued. He had never seen anyone on the other side of the desk beside Gorham.

  She leaned next to him and opened the book that she had been carrying into the office. She had two necklaces at the page that she had opened. She picked both of them up put them in front of Gorham. `Can you tell the difference between the two of them?' she asked.

  Gorham studied both and then answered, `This one,' he pointed at the one on the right hand. `Is clearer than the other one.'

  `Yes,' she said then putting the one on the right hand behind her neck. The other one she put aside. `At first I thought that mine was just a better quality than the other one. But after going through the books I realized that the clear ones were picked at the valley itself while the unclear ones were picked in the river.' she said.

  Gorham had turned his seat and was listening intently to her. `So this was what supported the legend?' he asked.

  `Yes,' she smiled. `Tell me I'm a genius!' she was almost jumping up and down because of excitement.

  `You are a genius,' he indulged her.

  `So you know the way there is a bit of truth in every rumor and a bit of truth in every legend, well let's assume the legend is actually true because well, most things started to become legend when the wizards started dying out.' At this point Nathan became very attentive. `They were the people performing the rites and whatnot. Suddenly they weren't there and the diamonds in the valley have multiplied while the ones in the river have reduced in size. The smoky ones I realized that cost more than what I'm wearing but then they are much less in numbers. Then knowing all that, I searched through the books on anything that is described as smoky hazy or some other references like that then I find that the most interesting thing with a reference to smoky. The reference is to the Izanami clan,' She saw Gorham lean forward. `Exactly! Your Queen was from the Izanami clan which is a strong connection to the diamond in the necklace.'

  `Where did you get all that?'

  `I collect rare books as a hobby,' she shrugged. `Anyway, now we have someone from the Izanami clan and a diamond that is supposed to trap the spirit. What we now need to know is whether she knew she was dying or whether she knew a wizard...' She noticed the look on his face.

  `She knew both things!' she exclaimed.

  Gorham barely nodded. `Did you find out why someone would need to trap her own spirit?'

  `I was getting to that. I asked myself; why would they throw the diamonds in to the water after they had trapped the spirits?' She pointed to the book. Even Nathan leaned over to see. It was a picture of drowning people in a river. `Even though trapped, the Spirits, remember they were bad, cause havoc. Being concentrated in the river it was said that they drowned anyone who came in to the river. There are some accounts that some people kept the diamonds claiming that they were family. They found out later that the family was doing all the wrong things that the dead person had been doing.'

  There was silence in the room. Finally Gorham asked, `What if it was a good person's spirit being trapped?'

  `There is no account of that.'

  `Assuming what would happen...' Gorham looked at her questioningly.

  `First before I assume, I would ask myself; did she want her spirit to be trapped or if her spirit had been trapped without her knowledge...'

  `Assuming she wanted it...'

  `Then I would ask myself why? Did she just not want the angels to cry or did she want to pass something to someone else?' Gorham didn't answer. She said, `I am most intrigued by wizards. It is said that when they looked at you they could see your own spirit. So unless I am really wrong then I think that they can see the spirits or even talk to them.' She raised her shoulder then brought it down again. She closed the book and put the smoky diamond in her pocket.

  `Sidney,' he got up and surprisingly he hugged her, `You are a real genius.'

  She put her arms around him. `But I didn't help you much, did I?'

  `Do you think that I would have been able to figure that out by myself?' he pulled back and looked at her.

  `Oh my,' she pulled back completely, `I almost forgot.' she fished into her other pocket and pulled out something wrapped in a piece of cloth and put it in his hands. `I need you to keep it for me here tonight.' It is almost priceless and it leaves tomorrow to some duke somewhere. I forget his name.'

  `You could keep it in Alice's castle!'

  `I don't trust women with things like this. Besides,' she pulled herself up and kissed him on the cheek. `I want you to know why it's almost priceless.' Then she headed to the door.

  After she left Gorham opened the cloth and looked at an ill-shaped stone. It had several colors depending on how you held it. Nathan was watching him. When he finally finished looking at it and he wrapped it up, Nathan said, `She is a very strange woman!' `Why would you say that?' he asked.

  `Well, she comes into town and barely two weeks later, she’s dining with kings and a queen.'

  `She has what people want.'

  `I don't buy the reason she is attracted to you.'

  `Who said she was attracted to me?'

  `She's always touching you and she just kissed you.' Gorham shook his head in disbelief. `And you are attracted to her too. What happened to Diane so fast?'

  `She died.'

  `But you are still looking for her.'

  `I am looking for her daughter.' he opened a book and said, `Let's get to work, please.'

  Nathan left it at that. He kept wondering though about this woman. He didn't like her but that may be just because he felt attracted to her. He wondered why Gorham who was older seemed to get the best women but him; he was stuck with his wife. He stared at Gorham and could see how the weight of the whole kingdom lay on his shoulder. He still didn't wish to become him.

  The following day Sidney walked into Gorham's business office. She was escorted by two armed men and another unarmed man. Gorham's own guards had come into the office in case something happened. Sidney and the unarmed man came forward.

  `Afternoon Your Majesty,' she curtsied and the man bowed in respect. Gorham as usual stood up and greeted both of them. `I came for the stone!'

  `Yes,' he opened one of the drawers and removed the stone in its wrapping. He handed the stone to Sidney. She in turn took it and put it in a case that the man next to him was carrying. She locked it with a key and handed the key to one of the guards. They bowed and then walked away. Finally it was only Gorham, Sidney and Jared in the room.

  `Please have a seat,' he said.

  `Thank you,' she sat down and looking at him in a strange way asked, `Did it help?'

  `The stone?' he asked rhetorically. `Yes, as a matter of fact. I can see why it is priceless.' `I didn't say it is priceless. I said it was almost priceless.' `What's the difference?' he was confused.

  `It has one fatal flaw. The way it makes the dream so realistic one can die in his or her sleep.' Gorham raised his eyebrow. `If you are to have a good dream, it will make it even better than it was but if you were to have a bad dream, then the nightmare will be heightened.'
/>
  `You couldn't have known that I wasn't going to have a bad dream.'

  `But the stone has a mind of its own. When you are sad, it works only on the good dreams and I knew you were sad, so...'

  Gorham almost didn't believe her but then he had never seen something that worked that way before. `Where did you get it?'

  `All these questions,' she laughed but they both knew she wasn't going to answer the question.

  So he asked instead, `What about the duke? Does he know the dangers?'

  `Of course, I have given the stone to him before and he understands how it works. He's only borrowing it for awhile.'

  `So it will get back to you?'

  Sidney's eyes stared at him lazily. `Yes, but I will not give it to you.'

  `Why not?'

  `Because like everything else that brings a sense of joy, it is addictive and I don't want you to become addicted to it. Besides, I think that you can handle your sadness and maybe one day you will realize that there is no need to feel that way.'

  Gorham didn't say anything and for the moment Sidney thought that she might have angered him. He said, `You are the most intuitive person I know.' She was relived. `But why do you give it to other people then?'

  `It's business. They pay handsomely to have the stone for a week or a month I'm yet to receive an order for a year but one day I will get it.'

  He thought about it then surprised Sidney by saying, `You don't just have one stone, there are several of them!'

  She smiled, `You know, come to think of it, you are the most intuitive man I've met.'

  As expected Gorham started spending a lot of time with Sidney. She was always telling him something new about something mainly the jewels but he was always being fascinated by them. Then she showed him her collection of books. He was expecting ten books and was surprised to see hundreds of them. If she were to start a library then it would be a big as the one in Alice's castle.

  Then one day Gorham invited her to dinner at his castle. It was just the two of them. She was wearing a pale dress that turned to gray almost to the bottom. Her hair this time was down but it was straight and as usual he couldn't see the shoes. She looked so elegant. She came and sat down. They went through the preliminaries and finally he handed her a wrapped package.

  She opened it. It was a large clear stone but it wasn't a diamond. She gasped. `The Ikhnaton

  Stone.'

  `I assume you know the story?'

  `Yes,' she said in a low voice, she touched the stone lightly and it turned as pale as her dress. Then she just stared at it as it changed back to colorless. She recited the story sadly, `It is said that a once powerful king gave his young bride the stone for her wedding present. She loved it so much because it was made only for her and that her husband had specified the jeweler to cut it specifically to his taste. The bride wore the stone around her neck until the day she died and that the stone absorbed all her emotions and when the king gave his second wife the same stone it was always changing color. He didn't understand why.' She turned to look at Gorham. `I can't wear this.' `Why not?' he asked a bit bewildered. He had thought that she would love it.

  `When the man came to buy this, I thought he was buying it for his wife and not you to give to me. I would have sold him something different.'

  `So you don't like it?'

  `No, I love it. It's just that the story on the pamphlet wasn't the whole story. I left some parts of the story out.'

  `So tell me the whole story then.'

  She turned back to look at the necklace and smiled a sad smile. `The story is true on the part where the king gave his wife the stone but it was the wife who turned it into a necklace so that she could wear it everywhere. The king was in love with her as she was in love with him but as years passed the king realized something. His wife wasn't aging. Then after sometime he found out that his wife was a wizard.

  `It was because of the fact that she was a wizard that her emotions got filtered into the stone before they came out. Anyway, the king went to his council and asked what they were to do. They came to the wife and she knew they knew. They brought her to court accusing her of bewitching the king. She denied all that but couldn't deny that she was a wizard. It was the first time that she felt sadness ever since she had started putting on the necklace.

  `They judged her guilty and tried to kill her in every way they could think of but it turned out she was one of the most powerful wizards at the time. Finally when they thought that they were doomed she came up to the council and told them that if they really wanted to kill her that she would only let one person kill her. Her husband. `So he debated and debated on what to do. In reality he was still in love with her and every time he heard that she was still alive after they tried to kill her he would be relieved. But now he had to act as a king and show his people that he would not condone being lied to.

  `He came with the intention of killing her and she could see it. She felt disappointment. He came and stood in front of her. He wielded his sword to her and everyone watched as the sword turned to the weapon known to kill wizards. The wife felt death, the final emotion. She was killed by her husband. They waited to see if she would rise again and finally they knew they had killed her.

  `The husband was distraught. He must have hoped that she would not die but she was gone for good. The weapon was kept safe for some years to come. The king got married again and surprising everyone he gave his wife the same necklace. He had retrieved it from his dead wife's body. It was passed down for generations until it got lost at some point in history.' she turned to Gorham who was listening to a history he had never heard before. `Do you know who the king was?' she asked him.

  `No.'

  `His name was King Izanami, father of the Izanami clan!' Gorham was speechless. `There is a lot of history in jewels.'

  `So I suppose you didn't want to part with it?'

  `No, I had kept it safe for a long time and I thought it was about time I parted with it...'

  `Only to have it come back to you?'

  She smiled. `You can't argue with fate. Can you put it on me?' she asked.

  `I thought you didn't want it?' Gorham asked.

  `It would be rude for me not to wear it even once.' Gorham stood up and went to put the necklace on her while she held up her hair. After it was tied she let go of her hair and stood up before him. `How does it look?' she asked.

  `It's changing color,' he said. Sidney didn't say anything; she was just looking at him. His eyes came back to hers. She was waiting. He leaned down and their lips met. He kissed her slowly and he felt as if all his worries were ebbing away and something peaceful was settling in. finally he pulled away. He smiled as he said, `I think you have bewitched me!' her eyes showed worry. He laughed at that, `I'm only kidding.' He leaned over to kiss her again. `I just really like you.'

  Then the door burst open and Nathan was walking in. He stopped short when he saw Gorham holding Sidney close and their lips were locked on each other. Nathan coughed. They parted lips but

  Gorham didn't look at him. `What is it Nathan?'

  `I think that Alice might have declared war to the Astrakhan's.'

  `Isn't there anything that you can do?' he asked finally turning to him.

  `Our relationship with the Astrakhan's isn't that stable yet. I don't think that I can persuade them to ignore the threat.'

  Gorham grunted. He turned to Sidney and caressing her face he said, `I have to go fix this.'

  `Okay.' She looked down disappointed. Gorham tilted her head up to his and kissed her again. He left her out of breath and then walked out. Nathan stared at her. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't explain but he followed Gorham out the door.

  Gorham had gone into the conference room not with charm but with logic. He wasn't talking about how the Astrakhan's were esteemed but he directly attacked Alice and convinced the Astrakhan's that she had not been fully info
rmed of the treaty they had. The ambassadors seemed to agree. Later on he went to Alice and after giving her a lecture on what to say and what not to say when talking to delegates he went home.

  He thought about Sidney. He knew he was falling in love with her and he knew he couldn't help it. She was everything that attracted him. She had a mind of her own and didn't follow conventional norms and traditions. Then she was attractive physically. Most of all he left him wondering what her skin felt like underneath the dresses that she wore. He fell asleep thinking about her.

  The following day she surprised him by coming into his office. She was still wearing the necklace. `Please take it off, I've tried everything and it just won't come off,' she said without any greetings.

  `Why wouldn't it come off?' he asked.

  `I don't know. I did try everything but it didn't help a thing.' she took a deep breath. `It must have been charmed by the wizard. I don't know... please take it off,' she begged.

  `Okay,' he stood up and unhooked it. `There it's off.' He looked at her like she was not in her right mind.

  `How did you?' she looked at him in shock then she realized something. `I swear it refused to come off.'

  `But you just had to unhook it...'

  Sidney interrupted him, `I'm not crazy. You put it on me and I felt different then when I tried to remove it, it simply refused.' Gorham just stared at her. She collapsed on the chair exhausted.

  `Maybe you are just being paranoid because you know that it did belong to a wizard.'

  `Maybe, but to show you,' she stood up again. `Put it on me again.' He did what he was told and put it on her. Before his very eyes he saw her unhook it but it didn't come off. She pulled it out with all her strength but it didn't come off. Then he touched it and it just fell off. `I told you. It seemed the person who put it on is the only one who can remove it!' `Haven't you put it on yourself before?' he asked.

  She shook her head. `No. I did try but I couldn't. It was as hard as taking it off.'

  `So when you told me you couldn't wear it you didn't think I would be able to put it on you?' `I was surprised it came on.' She wiped her face.

  `So will you put it on now that you know I can remove it?' `Why?' she looked at him curiously.

  `Because I think that it suits you!' he took the necklace and was about to put it on her again but he stopped. `You said you felt different.'

  `Complete, like a part of me had been missing all these years.'

  `Not like you are being possessed, I hope.'

  She laughed, `No not at all.' He put it on her and was surprised to see it adjust itself to suit the dress. This made her laugh even more. `No wonder she wore it everywhere, it adjusted itself to suit the occasion.'

  And the color changed to pink this time. She turned and looked at him, `Tell me I'm not crazy?'

  `You are not crazy!' He leaned over and kissed her. At the corner of his eyes, Jared saw them rise from the ground. His jaw dropped open. Then they started coming down slowly and were on the ground. Then Gorham whispered, `I want to be with you tonight!' `I'll be waiting.' Then she left.

  Gorham finished his work for the day then he went and changed into his riding clothes. He did not want to be carried by his carriage when going to see the woman. Jared and two other guards accompanied him as they did not want people to make a fuss of everything. Sidney had already moved from the tavern and was living in a small house but it suited her. When they got there, Gorham dismounted and left his horse with the guards. They had also dismounted and tied the horses in a nearby tree. They watched their boss make his way to the house and knocked. The door opened.

  Sidney was standing there in a very short garment and it was a thin material. Gorham stared dumfounded. With the light on behind her he could see the outline of her body. She smiled at him then pulled him into the house. She had made him dinner but he found it hard to eat when she looked like that. He left the food and carried her to the bedroom where he put her down.

  She started undoing his buttons and then pulled the shirt over his head. Her hands drew patterns on his chest as he continued to watch her. Her hands went down a bit and she undid his belt buckle and pulled the trousers off. She was taking her sweet time. She pushed him on the bed but she remained standing. She pulled off her dress over her head. She wasn't wearing a thing underneath but he already knew that.

  She went down on her knees and took off his boots. Then she was up again and he was staring at her body. Then he could take waiting for so long. He pulled her to him and for the first time kissed her that night. He laid her on the bed and climbed up on top of her. He kept kissing her and caressing her body and she was becoming impatient. She tried to move to have him enter her but it was his time to torment her. When he finally thrust into her she moaned with pleasure.

  She was different to any other woman he had been with including Diane. She told him what she wanted. He felt her approach climax. Her skin which had been initially cool on her body was glistening with sweat and then her body was experiencing spasms and now not caring what was going on. He concentrated on his own pleasure and at the back of his mind he heard her cry out in pleasure. He let go inside her and buried his head in her shoulder. He collapsed next to her exhausted.

  He found that he was waking up in the morning next to her. She was still asleep and her leg was over his. Her head was on his chest and her arm like her leg was across his body. He hadn't noticed that she still had the necklace on. He wondered what the color had been when they were making love. He stayed still and waited until she stirred. She looked up at him and smiled.

  `Hi,' he said.

  `Hi to you too.' They stayed like that for a long time then Sidney stood up. `I have to get to work.'

  He watched her walk around the room until she finally covered herself then he got dressed. He didn't know what to say and so after kissing her again. He left the house. He found his horse ready and they rode back to the castle.

  *

  Then it became almost like a routine and news spread like wild fire. At first it was just speculation then after some people confirming it, it became the hottest gossip. Then one morning after Gorham had left the house, there was a knock on the door. She went and opened it and found a man dressed as a royal guard standing at the door. She let him in.

  `Do you have a message from Gorham for me?' she asked.

  `Sort of.'

  `What do you mean by sort of?' she narrowed her eyes at him.

  `I actually have a message for you to give him.'

  `What are you talking about?' she had a bad feeling about this.

  `Well, your royal boyfriend made a mock out of me when he slept with my wife. Now I'm here to repay the debt. I am going to sleep with you.'

  `I would never allow you to come close to touching me!' she said as she almost spit. Something about him repulsed her that much. She moved away.

  `I wasn't asking you for your permission.' he moved towards her. Sidney instinctively pulled the table to block the path as turned on her heel. She sprinted out of the room and went to pass through the back door. She started running through the street shouting for someone to help her but the man caught up with her. He pulled her hair back and started dragging her back to the house. She was struggling all the while and when they got to the house he pinned her to the wall. She tried to push him away but he just laughed.

  `Stop being pathetic. If my wife was the leader of a whole army and I still used to get what I wanted from her what makes you think that you will be an exception?' he laughed.

  Sidney suddenly realized who it was. `Eric!'

  `Good now that we know each other, how about we get over with it.' His one hand went down and started to unbuckle his own belt. Sidney knowing that it was now or never. Kick him in the groin and he let go of her. She tried to reach out the door again but Eric grabbed her tearing her light dress off. She was half naked now and that made him more exc
ited. But she wasn't going to make it that simple for him.

  Something made her try kicking him in the gut but he caught her leg. Both realizing at the same time the significance of this, Sidney grabbed the door knob just as Eric tried to pull her. She stayed hanging in the air. She twisted her body and brought her other leg crushing on to Eric's face. The shock made him loosen his grip and she pulled her leg away from him. She came crushing down on the floor.

  She scrambled to her feet and knowing that she won't be able to open the door before he caught her again she ran passed it and doubled back to the living room. But the table was blocking her path. She was going to jump on it and slid over it but when she was midair she changed her mind. Her body turned and she came crushing down on Eric. Her elbow hit his head hard and he was disoriented for the moment. She landed on her feet. She turned round and kicked him in the head again and this sent him crushing to the wall.

  Eric was now aware that they were actually fighting. He blocked out the pain but he still couldn't help being disoriented. He came charging at Sidney. She grabbed his arm and in one swift motion turned going to her knees. She pulled hard twisting his hand and standing up. Eric was soaring in the air and he turned almost upside-down and he hit his back on the table and came crashing down head first.

  She turned half walking half running towards the back door. She opened it and saw a horse coming to a stop in front of her. She collapsed on the ground. She wasn't about to start another fight with this one.

  She woke up with a start and saw a woman sitting next to her bed. She smiled at her. `You are fine, don't worry,' she said.

  `What happened? Who are you?' she asked.

  `I'm your neighbor. I saw you running out of your house and I saw the other man running after you. When you started calling for help I knew there was something wrong. So I got out of the house and started running to my husband's post. Luckily I know a short-cut. He came here and saw you emerge from the house then you collapsed on the ground.'

  `That was your husband?'

  `Yes,' the woman watched her curiously. `He said that when he went into the house he found the other man was knocked out cold. How did you do it?' `He has been taken away?' she asked.

  `Yes, I went and called other guards and by the time that he was waking up he had been put in chains.'

  `Thank you.'

  `No need to thank me. He was out cold by the time my Nicholas arrived. How did you do that anyway?' she asked again.

  `I was afraid, I guess...' her voice trail. She had even shocked herself by what she had done but she couldn’t give any other explanation.

  `Let me go get Nicholas, he will need a statement from you before they do anything to the intruder.' She left her there. Sidney tried to relax but she wouldn't. Then the shock was finally wearing off and she felt like crying but the door to her room opened and Nicholas and his wife walked in. She was glad that there was a woman in the room with them otherwise she wouldn't have felt comfortable with this stranger alone.

  He came near the bed but not so near. He appeared to be afraid but he hid it well. `Miss, we will need a statement from you explaining what happened. We will need a full name first.' `My name is Sidney Storm and I …' but the woman interrupted.

  `You are the one who has been seeing the king?' she asked. Sidney nodded. She didn't see what hiding that fact would do to help her. The woman turned to her husband, `This is the king's girlfriend. You have to let him know.'

  `Let who know what?'

  `King Gorham, he has been seeing her!' Nicholas turned to look at the woman on the bed. He had to admit she was beautiful and maybe... but his wife cut in. `What are you waiting for?' she demanded. Nicholas excused himself. The only person he was afraid of rather than the leaders was his wife. After sometime they heard horse hooves leaving then Nicholas came back into the room.

  `If the king comes I will need to know all the information I can to tell him.' he looked at his wife slightly then turned to Sidney, `Why don't you tell me what happened?'

  By the time horse hooves were approaching he knew everything that he needed to know. He went down stairs and was surprised to see the king himself dismounting. He hadn't even changed to his riding cloths. He demanded to know what had happened. Nicholas took the initiative.

  `It was Eric, the late queen's husband …'

  `Oh God!' he said as he was walking towards the bedroom. Nicholas noted that he knew the direction well. He entered the room and stopped short when he saw Sidney in bed. The people following almost bumped into him. They watched as he slowly walked to the bed and Sidney sat up. He sat on the bed next to her, `Are you alright?' he asked and finally as if she was waiting to hear those words she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Gorham took her in his arm and just listened to her sob. At the door Jared pushed everyone back and closed the door behind him.

  Sidney cried until she was sure there were no more tears. Then she pulled back. He wiped the tears from her face. `What happened?' he asked.

  `Eric came here. I didn't know him but I thought you had sent him so I let him in. He told me he wanted revenge because you slept with Diane. I still didn't know what he was talking about but I ran. I managed to get out of the house but he caught me and dragged me back in. Then he started telling me how useless it was to fight him,' then the tears started again, `Did you know he used to rape his wife?'

  Gorham stared straight his face was blank for a while then she saw the sadness in them. He shook his head, `No.' Then there were tears in his own eyes and it was Sidney's turn to comfort him. `She never said anything!'

  `She didn't have the courage to do so. She was a queen who was in charge of the army and the best fighter. She couldn't let people know what happened to her.'

  `She could have written it in the diary...'

  `She probably didn't want you to know. She still had her pride.' she rubbed his back as he came back under control. He pulled back and looked at her. It was she who had gone through it he didn't have a right to cry. At least not now.

  `He didn't hurt you, did he?' he asked in a calm voice but there was anger in his eyes.

  `No. At first I just wanted to escape him then something held me back and I couldn't let him go away like that. And I fought him. I don't even know where it came from.' `You don't know how to fight?' he asked.

  She hesitated before answering, `No.‟ Gorham was thoughtful for a while then he lay down next to her.

  `I need you to relax, I will deal with this.' he brushed her hair from her face. She closed her eyes.

  Jared went to talk to Nicholas. The latter had explained to him what had happened at least what Sidney told him. `It just isn't possible that she fought him the way she did. She's considerably smaller in size and furthermore she doesn't have any skills whatsoever!' `So what are you saying?' Jared asked pretending to be curious.

  But Nicholas wasn't saying anything substantial. `She managed to knock out a warrior who had been the best in his own time without even having any kind of skills.'

  `What did she say was the reason?'

  `She said she was scared and after the fear there was just a need for flight. She doesn't even know what happened for sure.'

  `What about Eric? What's his take on the fight?'

  `He isn't talking...' The door to the bedroom opened and Gorham walked out. Everyone turned to him.

  He walked to where Nicholas was, `When she wakes up I want her to be taken to my castle.' `Yes Your Majesty,' he said bowing.

  Gorham turned to Jared, `You know where he is being held?' He nodded. `You are taking me there!' he ordered. They rode to the holding cell. Jared kept close, he had seen the anger in his eyes. He was showed where Eric was put. He had no chains and was roaming around the cell. The guard opened it and left him to go in. Jared was about to go in with him but he said he needed to talk in private with him.

  Eric stared at him contemptuously. He watched as the latter w
alked in the cell. Gorham was thinking how to begin. Then finally he said, `Why did you have to go after Sidney?'

  `She is your girl. I'm sure a learned person like you knows about revenge.'

  `But I didn't force Diane to sleep with me!'

  `You don't get it do you?' he was starting to pace. `I was married to her for twenty three years and not once in those years did she even come close to wanting me. Initially I thought she would warm up to me but she didn't. After she was captured then she came back, things became even worse. Then I thought that she was in love with someone else. I started going over my head thinking about who it might have been. At one point I did think that it was you but I dismissed it for a while. Then I realized that though she hated going over books she would come back happy.

  I even spied on the two of you but nothing happened. I would have preferred that you have an affair with her then than to have her actually in love with you. I hated you and I took it out on her.' He chuckled as if remembered a happy memory. `When I heard that you read the diary I thought that you would come to kill me then surprise, I was being let out.'

  `She didn't write anything about her having been raped by you.'

  `You talk as if it was once,' he smiled ruefully at him. `The first time I did it was very exhilarating but I was expecting to have been summoned by the council, nothing like that came. It became my style. Whatever time I would want her I just had to go to her.' He saw Gorham wince. `Then she brought that Victor Raymond along. Believe me I was surprised. She had gone and found herself a bodyguard. He used to know when I planned to have her and he would come and interrupt.

  I thought that if I started a rumor he would go away and so I was the first person to say that she was having an affair with him but surprise to me a third time. He got promoted and again promoted and it got to the point where when I went to see her, he was sitting there watching, waiting. I got so frustrated. But I could see that it made you squirm and I knew it was a matter of time before you took him out of the equation. Then the forth surprise, you kiss her.'

  `You still had no right to attack Sidney!’

  `But I did have a right! You had a go at my wife it was only fair I have a go at your girlfriend given that you haven't ever gotten married.' Then Gorham got out. `Where the hell are you going?'

  `I've heard enough.'

  `But don't you want to know how she fought me off if Diane herself couldn't?' Gorham stopped mid-step. He turned to look at him and waited. He took his time, `I didn't think that she was so hard, for goodness sake I used to bed the queen without much problem.' He didn't see Gorham clench his fists. `She is not normal.'

  `What do you mean by not normal?'

  `I was told when I was being questioned that she didn't have any skills...'

  `It might have been fate that intervened.'

  `Maybe,' he shrugged. `But do you know what I will tell the council given that you cannot prosecute me?'

  `What?'

  `I will tell them she is a wizard!' he looked at him challengingly. Gorham grabbed the cage in anger. `I will tell them I had my own suspicions about her and since these days you cannot be trusted in the case of wizards I will say I went to confirm it. It will be my word against hers and the council will see no reason to prosecute me. The most they will do is exile me but what I say will be enough to cast suspicion on her.'

  Gorham removed his hand on the cell and Eric could see the iron has turned red hot. The former walked away. Jared came up to him when they were outside. `What did he say?' he asked curiously but not demanding an answer.

  `He's going to accuse Sidney of being a wizard during his trial!'

  `But no one will believe him!'

  `It won't be enough. The seeds of suspicion will have already been sawed and he might just walk away a free man.' He mounted his horse.

  Jared did mount his also. `What will you do then?'

  `Try to get him convicted without hearing his side of the story.'

  `And if it doesn't work?'

  Gorham looked at him like he should know the answer to that but he didn't say anything. They started to ride away.

  *

  The council, because of Gorham's insistence, decided to hear the case as soon as possible. They heard the witnesses say what they saw starting with Nicholas' wife who described how Sidney was running away and how Eric had come grabbing her and dragging her back to the house. She finished by saying that she went to fetch her husband who was a guard. It was Nicholas who came next and described how just as he got there, Sidney was running out of the door then she collapsed when she saw him. He described the scene and the state that he had found Eric in and then he explained the procedure he had followed to get the statement and left the council nodding their approval.

  Then finally came Sidney's turn. She walked into the room and everyone who was looking at her turned to Gorham who was did not take his eyes off her. They could see that he was in love with her. Almost as much as he had loved Diane. Then Sidney was being questioned. She answered steadily until it got to the part where she found out that it was Eric. She turned to Gorham and skipped the part where Eric confessed that he raped Diane. There was no use tainting her name now.

  Then again she faltered and then admitted that she did not know how she had finally defeated him. But she had seen he was down and wasn't going to take her chances staying in the house and so she got out. At the end the council wanted answers on how she had defeated Eric but she had no satisfactory answer. Eventually she went out and left the council to debate the verdict. Alice and Nathan had no say in it. They just watched as the council debated and Gorham intervene in the part where they wanted a statement from Eric. The council agreed that they needed to hear from Eric. They watched Gorham storm out. His last faith in the council dissipating with every step that he made.

  Sidney had been waiting outside. She went and accompanied him to the carriage. She saw his bad mood. Finally she asked, `What happened?' she asked hanging on his arm. They were going to his castle.

  `Nothing.'

  `Nothing wouldn't make you storm out of the council room!'

  `Just let it go!' he said. Sidney kept quiet. When they got to the castle, he disengaged her arm from his and he headed to his office. Jared was following. When he got to the office he asked not to be disturbed and he closed the door behind him with Jared out. Gorham went to his desk and sat down then he concentrated. He took his time and eventually located Eric's cell in his mind. He could see him there getting ready to go to court. He concentrated even more and could see that it was happening. Then the walls were moving together and he could see him screaming for help and then the walls flattened him. He opened his eyes then opened the book in front of him and started to read.

  News came almost thirty minutes later. Jared came and knocked at the door then opened it. Gorham looked up, `Sir, we have bad news.'

  `What?'

 

  `Eric is dead, sir.'

  `Oh!' then he looked back to his book. Jared took that as a dismissal. Sidney came down after hearing the commotion that was taking place.

  Jared came to her before she got down, `I don't think that you should hear this Miss Storm.' He started leading her back up but a messenger had already seen her.

  `Miss Storm, I was told to give you the news,' Sidney turned to him and came down the stairs.

  `What news?' she asked when she got down.

  `Eric is dead.'

  `How?' she asked in surprise.

  `He was crushed by the walls in his cell.'

  `Oh my!' she said. She didn't know what else to say.

  Jared came next to her but he addressed the messenger, `You have given your message, and now leave.' Sidney stared at him confused. She didn't understand the animosity between Gorham's castle and the council. Instead of the messenger going away he just watched as Jared guided her up the stairs. He then turned and went to report i
t to the council.

  `What is going on?' Sidney asked.

  `Nothing,' he said and then went away after he got to the door of the master bedroom.

  But then instead of going into the room, she back tracked and went into Gorham's office. She found him sitting there without a worry of what has happened.

  `What's going on?' she asked for the third time.

  `Nothing,' again the same answer.

  `Don't tell me that! I know there is something going on and it concerns you.' He was staring at her with no answer. This made her even angrier than she was. `You start by storming out of the council hall and now there was a messenger here who was literally thrown out of your castle. Then I hear that Eric is dead...'

  `Did you want him alive?' he asked leaning back on his chair.

  `How can you ask me that? I'm the one who want him dead more than anything but I thought that the law will do the deed.'

  `He wasn't going to be convicted. He would have walked free. It was your word against his.' `And why would you think that?'

  `You are a stranger who just moved in to town accusing one of the top citizens of attempted rape. What do you think would have happened? He was married to Diane for twenty three years and all of a sudden he wants to rape someone!'

  `He used to rape his wife...'

  `And no one knew. They would have asked me if there was any account that she mentioned being raped in her diary but there wasn't and I couldn't lie.'

  Sidney was heaving deeply, `If you can't lie then answer me this, did you give an order to have Eric killed?'

  `No,' he stared at her. She stared at him in unbelief. She was about to say something but Gorham beat her to it. `I was the one who killed him.' Sidney who was about to say something suddenly closed her mouth. She opened it again and then closed it. Knowing that she wouldn't say anything that she wanted to say she turned and walked away.

  She went back to her house where though she wasn't comfortable she felt safe. It was as if she was being watched and the minute she was back someone came and questioned her on her knowledge of the Eric's death. They must have interpreted her shock for Gorham having been the one who killed him to the shock that he was actually murdered.

  Days passed and eventually the story died down. The people who had been suspecting Gorham of the murder realized that he was morally incapable of doing that. He could not do something to break one of the strongest rules. Then there were those who suspected the one with the strongest motive, Sidney. Though she seemed to not have recovered from the shock of Eric's death, it seemed to hit her even more than the aspect of almost being raped. She wasn't the one. Finally they concluded that it was an act of fate. He had it coming to him anyway.

  So two weeks later Gorham couldn't take it that he was away from Sidney. She still wasn't responding to any of his messages and even refused to accompany him to another ball at Alice's castle. Eventually Jared suggested, out of nowhere, `Why don't you just go and see her for yourself instead of sending people to do that!' `I'm busy.'

  `Too busy to see her slip out of your hands. Maybe what she wants is to know that you aren't too busy to see her. That you would do anything to have the relationship work.'

  Gorham was quiet for a while thinking. Then he turned to Jared, `Do you have a girlfriend?' he asked.

  He saw Jared hesitate but he answered, `No, sir. I work full time.'

  `You should take some time off.'

  `Your safety first. Unless I'm sure that you will be fine, I cannot take a break.'

  Gorham thought it wise not to argue on that he came back to the topic of Sidney, `What do you think she wants? I killed Eric for her piece of mind!'

  `Maybe she doesn't see it that way. She knows you loved Diane with all your heart. She knows Diane was married to Eric and she knows you know Eric raped Diane several times,' he saw Gorham frown at that but he continued. `She knows you would have done anything for Diane and even though she is dead her memory is there.'

  `But I killed him because I knew he was going to carry out the threat of saying that she is a wizard...'

  Jared interrupted, `Then go tell her that. Go tell her how you heard it from his own mouth that he did that to Diane and you didn't do anything. You waited until you were sure he was going to testify so as to silence him for her sake.' His voice lowered to almost a whisper. `Go tell her that you couldn't bear to see another person you love to die under the cursed queen's weapon.'

  *

  Gorham took Jared's advice, astonishingly, and at the end of the day he went to Sidney's shop. But as he entered she didn't react. She was busy with a customer and completely ignored him. He waited until she was done with her then he went to the counter. She moved away as if she didn't notice him. Everyone in the shop was watching in amusement.

  `Sidney, please I need to talk to you,' he said as he followed her around. `Stop ignoring me please.'

  She stopped and turned to him, `Then talk!'

  `In private?'

  `I’m not going anywhere,' she said as she started to move again. Gorham turned to Jared and nodded. The latter started to escort people out of the shop. He even went out in the back and removed everyone who was working there. Eventually they were only the two of them in the shop. Jared also decided to leave knowing that he should not probably get to see his boss beg. `There goes business for the day!' she retorted.

  `Why have you been avoiding me?' he asked.

  `Why?' she shook his head unbelievably. `You killed someone for reasons that seem to elude me.' She turned away.

  `I killed him to keep him quiet.'

  `But you have blood on your hands!' Gorham didn't answer. `Tell me you didn't kill him because of what he did to Diane?'

  `I won't lie to you about that. It partly had something to do with Diane but that was not why

  I killed him.'

  `Then why?' she folded her arms in front of her body.

  `I went to see Eric after I had seen you. He told me what he did to Diane and I admit I hated him for it. I blamed myself because I thought it was my fault. I practically threw her at him.'

  `From what I've heard, she was to marry the best warrior and that was what she did. She was doing her duty.'

  `But she came to me because she did not want to marry him and told me she was in love with someone else but it was because of my jealousy that I threw her to him so yes when I killed Eric I thought that was what he deserved for treating Diane like that.' He stared at her. `I could have killed him when I saw him at the cell but I wanted justice the legal way. I tried to stop him being called up to testify.'

  `Why do that?'

  `I couldn't let him accuse you of...' `Of what?' she asked curiously.

  `Nothing,' he kept quiet. He passed his hand through his hair and turned to look at the door. `I came here intending to tell you everything but I seem not to be able to do that. I should go, I'm sorry for interrupting your day.' He left.

  Sidney went back to work but she couldn't concentrate. She kept wondering what Eric was going to say which would have been so bad. And if he was trying to get her back then he didn't make a good argument at all. What was she thinking? He hadn't lost her, she just wanted the truth and she got part of that today. Maybe he just didn't trust her enough but she also didn't trust him enough. She had to work on that and she couldn't blame him if she was the one initially who didn't trust him. What did she have to hide? But she knew the answer. She wouldn't tell him that yet. She would have to wait until they had everything settled.

  *

  Jared was ready to have his week's vacation courtesy of Gorham. He waited until the former had gone to bed then he headed out. Going to the stairs he met Sidney coming up. He nodded his greeting and let her pass. He was glad that at least it was going to work out after everything Gorham had done for her. She smiled at him as she passed.

  Jared went to the stables and took hi
s horse, then he rode to his house. The house was dark but as he entered he could feel the heat in the house. He turned on a lantern and looked around. It had been a while since he had been in the house but he could see that his room-mate left him food on the table. “How did he know he was coming today?” He wondered. He ate the food then went to his room. There was figure in the bed. He tiptoed in the room hoping that he wouldn’t wake the person up but wasn't so lucky.

  `Hi, Jared?' a voice called.

  `Hi, Martin, I thought you were asleep!'

  `I was but I heard your horse arriving. Then I heard the noise in the kitchen...'

  `I couldn't find the spoons.'

  `I rearranged the place. Do you like it?'

  Jared hadn't noticed anything different but he agreed. `Yes, looks great.' He put his sword at the side of the wardrobe then started unbuttoning his shirt. His eyes had adjusted to the moonlit room and he could see Martin watching him.

  `How is Gorham?' he asked.

  `Fine, same as always,' Jared answered curtly.

  `Everybody seems to think that he might have killed Eric. He has the powers of the earth!'

  Jared stopped with the buttons thinking about what to say. `I'm sorry about your father!'

  Martin's head hit the bed but his eyes wear still on him. `He wasn't much of a father. I wouldn't miss him. I can't believe he tried to rape Sidney Storm!'

  `But you just lost two parents in the course of a few months. Aren't you sad?'

  `I was sad for my mother...' there was a long pause then he continued. `I'm still sad. She was disappointed that we weren't that active in the field but she had accepted it. She did love us. Not as much but it was enough!'

  `You do come from a dysfunctional family!'

  `Most royal families are! Blame it on the secrets,' he chuckled.

  `What about your brother? How is he coping with everything?' Jared started folding the shirt and put it away. He started removing his boots.

  `Doesn't seem to notice what's happening around him. His focus is on Alice. It seems he’s infatuated with her!' There was another long pause. `He has even gone back to training just to impress her.'

  `A lot of work,' Jared smiled. He removed his trousers. `What do you plan to do next?' `Don't know.'

  Jared could feel his eyes on him. He was always fascinated by how Martin would openly stare at him. `You could talk to Sidney Storm, she might have something that might require your talents!'

  `After what my father tried to do to her?'

  `She's a bit open minded than to blame the son for the sins of the father.'

  `I see you have gauged her already,' Martin scooted over and opened the bed cover. Jared slipped into the bed. They stared at each other then Martin touched his shoulder and then his arm.

  `You are strong!' he said to himself.

  But Jared answered, `You are beautiful.' He kissed Martin slightly and then pulled back looking at him. `I missed being with you.' He kissed him again. Then Martin was pushing himself down. Jared watched him for a while then he closed his eyes. He fell back onto the bed as he felt the pleasure coming over him. He had indeed missed him. His hands clenched and unclenched on the bed cover and then he let out a growl as he grabbed the headboard. Then Martin came back up again and watched him as he opened his eyes. Jared looked at him gently as his heart calmed down. Then Martin kissed him a last time and put his head on his shoulders. Tomorrow night when he wasn't so tired then they would do it properly.

  *

  The following morning Jared managed to convince Martin to talk to Sidney. He was to go talk to her that morning when she was still with Gorham. He claimed that it was best if Gorham knew his intentions so that he would not object to it later if Sidney agreed to give him a job. When Gorham and Sidney were having breakfast one of the guards came and announced that Martin was waiting to talk to Miss Storm.

  Gorham narrowed his eyes and in a straight face agreed. `Who is Martin?' Sidney asked.

  `He is Eric's son,' he said then went back to his breakfast.

  When the door opened a young man came in. Knowing that he was Eric's son she didn't see any resemblance. She thought that he probably took after his mother. His features were smooth and gentle unlike Eric's which were ragged. Sidney didn't know how to meet the son of a royalty and so she waited.

  `Your Majesty,' he said bowing. Even his voice had that smooth honey like tone. If he was a girl he would have been a beautiful one.

  `Martin,' he acknowledged. She noted that he had mixed feelings about him given that he was the son of Diane and also the son of Eric. `Please join us!' he said as he pointed to a seat.

  Martin came close and put out his hand to Sidney before he sat down. `What brings you here?' Gorham asked.

  The cover before Martin was being set up for him he looked up at Gorham, `I am here to talk to Miss Storm...' he noticed that Gorham's hand reached out to Sidney's. `I feel that I should apologize for my father's behavior...'

  `There is no need to do that...'

  `But I feel I must. He was after all my father and I feel you should receive a formal apology from his family.'

  `In that case, apology accepted.' she smiled. `So what did you want to talk to me about?'

  `I have been informed that you are one of the few open minded people around,' he saw the smile widening. `And I have a gift, so I've been told. I see things and know what to do with them and put together what no one else has thought of to come out with something beautiful.' `And what exactly do you put together?' she asked.

  `Fabrics, furniture and other upholster.'

  `So, in short, designing the interior of a house?'

  `In short but I can work with anything or anywhere.'

  Sidney was thoughtful, Martin hopeful and Gorham was just quiet waiting for a verdict.

  Finally she said, `It is a rare gift, much like mine in the jewelry business.'

  `You do have good taste. That necklace goes well with the outfit.'

  `Thank you,' she laughed and turned to Gorham. `He has a sweet tongue!' Gorham got the joke and smiled at that. He remembered when Sidney was trying to sell her business and was complementing everything she could think of. Martin just smiled. He had tea in front of him but he was nervous waiting for an answer. She turned back to him, `But the rarer the talent the harder it is to get something to do.' Martin waited. `You are Diane's son?'

  Martin had been asked that question several times. `Yes, but her talents were not passed down to the sons.'

  `Hmm,' she said thoughtfully then turned to Gorham. `I will need to borrow your castle.' `What for?'

  `Several things. You don't use it much so I think it would be a good testing ground.'

  `And what if it happens that I have visitors?'

  `We'll just use one room and if it doesn't work then we'll just change it back!' They waited for Gorham's answer.

  `Can we talk about this later?' he asked her.

  `Certainly,' Back to Martin. `I suppose you should come over tomorrow.' `Do I have a job?' he asked hopefully.

  `No,' Martin's face fell. `If it will work out then I think I'd rather be partners with you!' Both their jaws dropped. They were both surprised at that. Martin then stood up. He was beaming with happiness. He shook Sidney's hand and then bowed to Gorham and went out.

  `What the hell are you thinking?' Gorham asked after the shock wore off.

  `I am investing in someone who might come out great.'

  `He is a very lazy person. You don't know him as well as I do.'

  `And how well do you know him? Besides the fact that he is Diane's son. Do you know what he likes to do or why he isn't interested in the war stuff that he grew up around?'

  `No.'

  `Then do not object to this. If he thinks that he's good enough in this why shouldn't we not give him a chance in it?'

  `He is Eric's son!'

  `
And he is Diane's son as well. Do you think that she would like it if you were orchestrating her son because of his father?' Gorham didn't answer. `Please take this opportunity to do something good for him. Be like a father to him,' she paused and said sadly. `Because if things happened differently he would have been your son instead of Eric's.'

  Gorham sighed heavily, `Which room do you want?'

  *

  Jared went to Alice's castle now. He had been away from any real threat that he wanted to see if he could still handle himself. This was what he did when he was to be relaxing. At the end of a busy day like this he would relaxed. He went to the arena where countless of other soldiers and warriors were. Training for other and refreshing for others. He took a stand where others came and attacked him.

  He fought them off inwardly wondering why Victor had left. To him, the latter was the best opponent although sometimes he couldn't figure out how he did some things. Then he was turning wielding his sword high. He had seen a figure approaching him. He stopped barely an inch from

  Alice's neck. He put down the sword and bowed. `Your Highness.'

  `Jared right?' she asked. He nodded. `You are a good fighter. I can't believe Diane hid you behind Gorham all this time.' `I don't do wars.'

  `But you are still a fighter!' Alice stared at him. He was drenched in sweat. He had a muscular body but he was barely handsome. He had said that he didn't do wars but he could see a battle scar on his face. He was tall and certainly formidable. It was like she was seeing him for the first time.

  `May I help you with something, Your Highness?'

  `Yes, I came to inquire why you aren't guarding Gorham today.'

  `It's my day off.'

  `You must have been dying to get back here where there is a lot of activity going on and excitement.'

  `Gorham's castle is interesting. It just depends on where you are standing.'

  She smiled. She didn't know what to say about that. `I guess I'll be seeing you around.

  He bowed to her. She left. He thought of a reason why she would come over to him but didn't find any. He shrugged and went back to her work out. He didn't see Alice look back at him.

  *

  A week later he was back to work. He had missed a lot when he was off but he was updated by Martin. The latter had got close to Gorham something that Jared hadn't expected. He suspected that it was all Sidney's doing. Now Gorham was being dragged through the hall to his own small ballroom. He came to a stop and almost didn't recognize the room. Martin had transformed it completely and regardless of the size it was grander than Alice's.

  `Now to show it off!' she said.

  `Why do you need to show it off?'

  `How else will people know what he,' pointing at Martin. `Can do?'

  `How do you plan to do that?'

  `We hold a party here!'

  `Sidney, if you haven't noticed, my castle isn't equipped to have so many guests.'

  `It won't be a lot of people. Just the leading citizens and Alice and Nathan.' She watched him.

  `I already have the cards sent out. They will be coming whether or not there is a party.'

  `Then why were you asking?' He could see a streak of Diane's manipulative personality in him.

  `I just needed your approval.'

  Gorham looked from her to Martin then back to her. `The castle's budget won't be able to cover this.'

  `Don't worry, I'll chip in.' she smiled then turned to Martin. `There will be a party after all.' she said as she went to him. They hugged before Gorham's eyes. He couldn't help to feel a bit happy that he was trying to do something good for Diane's child. He studied Sidney and realized that she was acting like a mother to him. They looked around and she turned to him smiling.

  The party was held on a weekend. Sidney made sure that her plans did not clash with another person's. It wasn't wise to start feuds when you were looking for people to promote you. They were first unsure about the party and Sidney had to borrow Gorham's royal seal and send out new invitation to everyone. It was a hundred percent turnout. They were all curious about the party of course. Sidney and Martin were hosting. Then Gorham came down. He was wearing something that Sidney had brought him. He was smashing.

  As Sidney hugged him she noticed something behind him. She turned and saw Martin blushing. She turned back to Jared but the look was gone. She took Gorham around the room introducing him to the leading citizens. Her thoughts were on Jared and Martin. They were living together and the look they just shared. She back tracked and came back to Martin. He was surprisingly a very good host.

  `Martin, I forgot to bring the necklaces and bracelets for the women to wear. I want everyone looking their best.'

  She handed him a key to the store. `Yes Miss Storm.'

  `Tell Jared to accompany you.' She noticed him raise his eyebrow. `Take as long as you wish.' He smiled. He understood the message. `And Martin, bring a lot of them. I don't want anyone to miss putting on the jewels.'

  Gorham turned to her. `Why did you send Jared along with him?'

  `I want my jewels safe. Are you worried you might be attacked among all these people?' He stared at her. `Because if you are attacked, I'll protect you.' She laughed out loud and since everyone around them was in a good mood, they joined in the joy.

  Martin and Jared took one of the carriages and gave the order. When they started moving, the former turned to the other. His mouth found his. They kissed passionately for a while. With Jared's caresses, he was turned on. Martin slipped his hands into his companion’s trousers and could feel him. Then the carriage slowed down. Jared disengaged from him so fast that one would have thought that Martin suddenly caught fire.

  They came out. Jared again gave the order that the driver wait for them. Martin had left the door to the store open and Jared walked in closing the door behind him. Martin was suddenly over him. He was kissing him and undoing his buttons. `What are you doing?' he asked.

  `Taking advantage of the situation.'

  `Sidney will be expecting the jewels!'

  `Not right now,' he said. He pulled Jared shirt off and his hand went back to where they were before the carriage stopped. He knew he was going to lose control if he didn't stop him now but he didn't have the will. He was suddenly responding to his caresses. He leaned down and his mouth covered Martin's. He could feel the smile on his face. He had won.

  *

  Martin walked up to Sidney and handed her the jewels. Gorham as usual was holding her close to him. His arm around her waist. `That took long enough!' she said but she was smiling. `How did you know?' he asked.

  `Instinct!'

  `Either way, thanks,' he moved up to her and kissed her cheek. He whispered, `I needed that!' Then he walked away. People noticed the brief exchange. They weren't expecting Martin have been that close to Gorham now. It certainly never happened before but they realized what tied them together. Sidney Storm.

  When the guests had all left Sidney retreated to Gorham's room. She found him seated on the bed. `That went well!' he said.

  `Yes it did,' she paused. `It went better than expected.'

  `I can't believe how you just seem to swoop in unexpectedly and make everything fine. Martin has found something he likes to do. There is laughter and joy everywhere you go.' He didn't see her falter in her step. `And not forgetting me.' `What about you?' she asked unwittingly.

  `Every time I see you, it's like a ray of sunlight in a gloomy world.'

  She stepped on the bed and sat down facing him. `But I wasn't the only one who brought a ray of sunshine in your life!'

  `No.'

  `Tell me about Diane, I take she was beautiful?'

  `Yes.'

  `Smart?'

  `Yes.'

  `Funny?'

  `Not so much but she had a great smile.' Sidney sat attentively to listen but he didn't continue.

  `
I was told she was a compulsive liar.' Gorham laughed, `Who told you that?' `Martin.' she shrugged.

  `So, your hidden agenda comes out finally. You know I was wondering why you took to him so fast.' He stared at her accusingly.

  `I might have had an agenda but that doesn't mean anything. I do like him.'

  `So why did he tell you that?'

  `He said that when he was young and he asked Diane if she will die she turned to him without a second thought and said, `People like us don't die.''

  `That's all?'

  `I wasn't finished,' she said, `He said that she went on to say, `Even if we die, we will be reborn in someone else and we will make sure our family is safe and happy.''

  `I guess you are taking over that role!'

  `I guess I am,' she said thoughtfully. `I really want to know more about her. I feel like I sort of know her but I don't.'

  `You could ask someone else...'

  `That someone isn't you.' she looked at him closely. `You are the one who knew her better than anyone else.'

  Gorham looked at her and saw that she really wanted this. `It turns out I didn't know her as well as I thought. As you know she kept a lot of thing from me.'

  `I understand why she kept it from you. I would do the same if it was me and it was you who loved me as much.'

  He wanted to tell her that he loved her but this was not the time. Not when he was talking about a woman that he had loved for a better part of his life and so he continued with the story. `She was beautiful, smart, engaging, a compulsive liar,' he chuckled. `And she was sweet, understanding, and compassionate when she wanted to be. She was full of life when she was younger, before she got married to Eric and she knew the right thing to say to everyone.' He looked at her with thoughts passing through his mind. It seemed to him that he was describing her.

  He brushed it aside. `She was also strong, commanding and articulate when the situation demanded it. She hated books...

  `I love books!' she jumped in.

  `Yes, you do,' he narrowed his eyes. She loved books but she only read her own. `On the subject of books I thought that maybe you should go through them and familiarize yourself with some of the laws.'

  She came and sat next to him. `How about you will just give me the outline of the things I need to know?'

  `Sure,' he said keeping that in his memory.

  `Now back to Diane, I'm dying to know more.'

  `Well, at times I thought she was irrational but then that's just me. She objected strongly when I wanted to nominate Nathan as one of the candidates. She said he was somewhat evil but I

  never took her seriously. We met with the nominees several times and at the end of every meeting she would tell me that he looked at her strangely.'

  `Do you suppose she just hated him?'

  `She never said it outright besides, I think they worked well together. She never complained about him again.'

  `You know, I think there is something awfully wrong with Nathan.' `He's just ambitious!'

  `Ambition or not I think I would rather go against Eric any day than face Nathan.' Then she turned to Gorham, `You don't suppose he is a wizard, do you?'

  Gorham shook his head. `We know his parents. They were normal as he is normal.'

  She leaned back on his shoulder. `I think there is something wrong about him.' She closed her eyes. `So, besides Nathan, what else was she irrational about?'

  `Mainly her age...'

  `No woman likes to be told that she is getting older.'

  `She was always concerned about how I saw her children. They could have been yours; she used...' his voice trailed. Sidney stirred about to sit up but he finished it, `to say.'

  `Tell me how she was as a leader to her people.' He could hear her voice lulling.

  `She knew her role. You, yourself even complemented how she had organized the security of the city and its surrounding.' she yawned and then rubbed her eyes trying to keep herself awake. But it was hopeless. The minute she put her head back onto his shoulders her eyes fell shut. `She let

  Nathan do his job and let me to mine. She used to say, `I don't teach fair...''

  `There is no fair in the battlefield,' she finished the sentence for him. He waited for her to say something else but she didn't. He laid her gently on her back and watched her sleep. There was no reason for him to suspect that something was off but he couldn't help it. He knew she was a good researcher from the various things she would tell him about a particular jewels but she was reminding him more and more of Diane.

  He stayed up most of the night then fell asleep. He dreamed he was back together with Diane and that she wasn't dead. He was happy for the time and then she faded away. He tried to stop it from happening but he couldn't. He pleaded with her to stay but she just smiled and shook her head. He called her several times then he felt the depression coming over him. He woke up. Sidney was watching him intently. Her head was literally over his.

  `Who were you dreaming about?' she asked in a low voice.

  `You.'

  She seemed to think about that answer then she said, `You are a bad liar, Your Majesty.'

  `You can't read my mind so you can't tell if I'm lying or not.'

  `True!' she pretended that he won the argument then added, `But you are forgetting that I can hear fine and you know you talk when you are dreaming about her.' Gorham just watched her. `And you called her name several times in your sleep.' `Oh!' He sat up.

  `Is something bothering you?' she asked not taking her eyes off him.

  `Because I'm dreaming about Diane?'

  `You used to dream about her when we started sleeping together then you stopped and now it has started again. I take it something is wrong...' She was waiting for an answer.

  `No, nothing is wrong,' he said curtly then stepped out of the bed but Sidney just sat there.

  Her eyes followed him.

  `Was it because I asked you to talk about her?'

  `No.'

  Then Sidney stood up and went to him. `But I know what the problem is,' she paused and saw the amused look on his face. `The problem is, you don't trust me enough to let me try and help.' Gorham wanted to say something but she continued, `You don't even trust me enough to tell me a simple dream. What? Are you worried that I'm going to be jealous of your dead lover?'

  `I'm not worried about that...'

  `Because if you have forgotten, I am doing you a favor by reminding you that,' she poked him in the chest. `She is dead and she isn't coming back.' She turned abruptly and stormed out of room. Gorham didn't know what to make out of her sudden temper. It was just a dream but he knew he had to find her. He got dressed as he thought of where he might have gone to but then he remembered that she was in her negligee. She couldn't have gone far in that.

  He asked the guards at the corridor where she headed to and they pointed and kept pointing until he found her in the field. The sun hadn't come up yet but it was light. Sidney saw him coming and turned the other way. He came up to her and hugged her from behind. He kissed her cheek gently then asked, `Tell me what's bothering you.'

  `I thought I spelled it clearly inside!'

  `I was busy looking at how beautiful you were when angry. It sort of just passed me.'

  She turned to him. `It's just that sometimes I feel like I'm competing with a memory and that is worse than actually competing with a person. At least if she were alive I would see what she was doing and do it better but she is dead!'

  `You don't need to remind me of that. I was there when she got killed...' he suddenly saw that he made a mistake.

  `She got killed?' she asked.

  `Did I say that?' he asked unbelievably. `The point is, she is dead and like you said, she won't come back.' Sidney didn't seem to buy that. `I keep dreaming that she is alive but it lasts for only a little while,' he started to explain. `And then she starts fading away. I tell her to stop doing that b
ut she just smiles and shakes her head and then she disappears. That's the dream I've been having.'

  She held his face in her hands and stared straight into his eyes, `I know what is worrying you,' she smiled then said, `You are worried that she is going to fade from your memory.'

  `I guess so.'

  `You don't need to worry about that. It will seem that you are forgetting but you will look around and notice that she is everywhere. You will see her sitting in this same field with her head on your shoulders.'

  `This coming from a woman who was jealous of a memory a moment ago...'

  `Well, that woman knows that her place in your heart is secure and there is no problem.' `I'm glad we got that settled because it's freezing out here.' `Yes, it is.' She smiled as she was being led back to the castle.

  *

  Almost a week later Nathan walked into her shop. She looked around and realized that she was alone. She had sent everyone on one errand or the other. He came up to where she was sitting at the counter and started to laugh.

  `You know, I actually thought that you were dead this time!' he said as he clasped his hand.

  `Sorry to disappoint you.' She turned to her books and was about to ignore him but he turned her abruptly to face him.

  `This time you have a lot of tricks under that sleeve of yours.'

  `I learn with time.'

  `Hmm, so do I but do you know the difference between the two of us?'

  `No,' she looked defiantly up at him. `Enlighten me.'

  `I know how to destroy you for good.'

  `But I also know how to destroy you,' she paused as she saw the confused look on his face. `I just have to destroy him and you go away with him.'

  `You don't have the guts to do that. You love him too much.' `Feelings change with time...' her voice trailed.

  Then Nathan smiled wickedly. `You are still surprised that he killed Eric!'

  `It was a surprise, yes.'

  `He has an evil streak in him after all.'

  `It shows that he could do anything for me! Including killing you...'

  `Now, now, Sidney or Diane or whatever you have called yourself in your past lives. You don't want to go rushing in to anything. You don't want us to repeat the same routine again. I was thinking of ending this cat and mouse game in this life time, don't you think?' he walked around the room but seeing that Sidney didn't answer. He came back and leaned over her with his hands on the counter trapping her. `Because if I die before either of you, I get to be more powerful in the next life!' He smiled slightly and then saw the necklace on her neck and the smile dissolved. `How the hell did you get him to give you back your wedding gift?'

  `It is him. It was something he gave me once before and feels that it belongs to me.'

  `He doesn't know, does he?' Sidney frowned. `He doesn't know that he is the reincarnation of

  Izanami, my dear brother?'

  Suddenly Sidney was standing up, `You wouldn't dare!'

  `Sit down!' he suddenly shouted. Sidney fell back on the chair. She watched as Nathan brought his anger under control. `You wouldn't want me to snap your neck right now, would you?' he smiled slightly. `I wouldn't dare, not this time. I wouldn't want my brother to know that I am planning to destroy his eternal love forever.' He went back to walking around the room. `That would destroy him and we don't want that. He's the music that beats and we follow in this little dance of ours. I love him very much!' he said then chuckled. She didn't believe what he said for a moment.

  `This will end eventually. I am going to beat you in the end!'

  `With what? All your powers have been stripped away and it is only by chance that you have your necklace back on your neck.'

  `Do you really believe that this is all happening by chance?' she asked.

  `You aren't that cunning. I'm better at this than you.'

  `Of course, you are. You have done nothing but to manipulate people and you turned them against wizards just so that I wouldn't be reincarnated but you forgot that I had a strong connection to the Izanami clan. Then you tried to wipe out the whole clan.' `How is it that you are in that body?' he asked.

  `I don't give out my trade secrets!' she sneered at him and turned to the book.

  Nathan moved so fast to him and he held her by the neck and put her head on the counter. She was stuck bending backwards with Nathan strangling her. `Don't you dare make fun of me because I still have the will to continue this game.' He watched her as she chocked and her eyes were getting closed. There was a smoke coming from her neck where his hand was. Then the door opened and Martin walked in.

  `What-' he looked at Nathan whose hands were on Sidney's neck. Nathan let go before he said anything else. Sidney collapsed to the floor and Martin hurried to her. She was coughing and gasping for breath. Martin looked up at Nathan not believing his eyes. Nathan was looking at his hand which appeared to have been burned. He looked down at Sidney completely ignoring Martin and frowned. `This is not the end of it Jansenist!' He stormed out.

  But martin started questioning, `Why was King Nathan strangling you? Why did he call you

  Jansenist? Gorham should know about this!'

  `No, please, I'm begging you, don't tell him and don't tell Jared or anyone else.'

  `But he tried to kill you. If I hadn't walked in on you who knows if he would have stopped.'

  Sidney tried to get up. Martin helped her. She sat on the chair. `Please promise me you wouldn't tell anyone!' she looked directly at him.

  `He may try it again?'

  `He won't. He only did that because I provoked him.' he paused as she felt her neck, `now I want your promise that you will never tell a soul about what you just saw.' Martin looked doubtful but said, `I promise I won't tell a soul.'

  `Good!'

  `But I'm going to tell Jared to keep a close watch on you!' Sidney didn't feel like arguing about that and so she let it slip. She only hoped that he would forget. Martin brought her a glass of water and it seemed to ease the pain at the throat. She thanked him. He let her be in peace after that. He promised himself he would talk with Jared about this.

  *