Natural Beauty

by Meraki P. Lyhne

  “Well, here he is. Halfling. I even empowered him.”

  Daniel looked up, grinning, his eyes human green. His eyes widened when he saw Gloradin’s stomach, and Seldon actually figured there had to be two in there. She was bigger than when she carried Marcadon, and he’d been a big baby.

  “Daniel, this is Marcadon’s mother, Gloradin.”

  “My Lady.” Daniel stood and shook her hand.

  She took his hand and directed Daniel’s face to catch the light. “A very young Halfling by the looks of it. A very beautiful one, too. It’s nice to meet you, Daniel.”

  Seldon exchanged a sideways glance with Marcadon who led her attention away from Daniel by introducing Levidon.

  Before they made their way back toward the Royal Halls, Heimli and Chas had joined them, too, and since they were in the know of Daniel, they’d be staying with them, too. They talked about the new House, the old House, all that had happened, and Talidon reported about everything that had gone down in the old House during and after the struggle. It wasn’t all good news.

  Daniel fell silent when Talidon spoke, and Seldon recognized the boy going into full Royal mode. All that was needed were the golden eyes and the feeling of a Royal cognitively aware of his powers. Seldon squeezed his hand since he feared Daniel was feeling inadequate at not being able to do anything about it.

  “My Prince!”

  Seldon stopped to look around, finding Grand Lady Geodin and Nol-Plydon coming their way.

  “The warriors of Nol-Elakdon have called in with intel,” Geodin said.

  Daniel looked at Seldon, and his eyes were bright golden. And Seldon definitely felt the presence of the young Royal then.

  “Stay with your family and tend to our guests. Caledon and I will call you if we need you.”

  “Yes, My Prince,” Seldon said.

  “Levidon, stay with my Fountain. Excuse me.”

  “Yes, My Prince,” Levidon answered.

  Daniel ran off with the Grand Lady and King of High.

  “Your Halfling lover is our future King?” Gloradin asked, gaping.

  Seldon had never seen such surprise on her face. “Yes. And tomorrow, I’ll be Lord Lokil-Nol.”

  “Why would you not tell me that when I met him in the cave so that I could have shown My Prince the respect he is owed?” Gloradin did not look pleased with the situation, and Marcadon looked ashamed as if he’d lied to her.

  “The Prince is in hiding until he rises tomorrow. This decision was made by the Grand Council and carried out by his Guard Lords and Ladies,” Levidon said. “I am Guard Lord Levidon.”

  “I see.” But she was not happy, Seldon knew her well enough to see that.

  “Let me show you to our residence,” Seldon said, holding out his arm.

  “Am I the only one who doesn’t know?” she asked.

  “Of this party?” Seldon asked. “Only you and Sire Urdon didn’t know.”

  “And there are more surprises, but the next one is one you need to sit down for,” Marcadon said.

  “And, unfortunately, one your Sire is not privileged to,” Levidon added, looking at Sire Urdon. “Every Kingdom has its secrets. We are at war, so we have more than usual.”

  “I understand, My Lord,” Urdon said.

  They made it back to the Royal Quarters, and Seldon led them through to the salon. Aaron and a breeder were setting the table. Seldon suppressed his urge to tend to Gloradin since it wasn’t his child she was carrying, and he didn’t want to be rude around Sire Urdon.

  They all sat, and Seldon sensed that they needed to get the news about Marcadon being a Fountain out of the way before Gloradin would be able to be happy again.

  “Levi, who are not allowed to know?” Seldon asked, discreetly tilting his head toward Marcadon.

  “Only immediate family is, meaning your daughter’s hunting party will have to leave, too.”

  Guard Lord Afdon stepped out of camouflage. “I’m Guard Lord Afdon. Please follow me.”

  Urdon, Heimli, and Chas left with Afdon. Upon the sound of the doors closing shut, Seldon looked at Marcadon, and his son took a deep breath.

  “Do you know what a Fountain is, Mom?”

  “I know every Royal has several, but I don’t know what it is, exactly.”

  “A Fountain is a Cubus chosen by the Royal to be heavily dosed by none other than that Royal. We are the purest containers of their doses, and thus the gifts they give to their people are spread through us. We are the ones elevated to Grand Lords and Ladies to maximize the spread of the dose to strengthen the people.”

  Gloradin gaped, and Seldon had to admit he didn’t like seeing uncertainty on the face of a Succubus he thought could take on the world and win.

  “You’re a Fountain?” she finally managed.

  “Yes. That’s why I look like a dosi at the moment.”

  “You don’t look like a dosi!”

  Seldon laughed since Gloradin, Rosadin, Talidon, and Levidon exclaimed that at the same time.

  Marcadon smiled, apparently finally appeased.

  “Some Fountains become Guard Lords or Ladies,” Levidon said. “The Grand Council will talk to you about it once your eyes change to full blue.”

  “Are you?” Marcadon asked his lover.

  “No. I was chosen as a Mingler. My Lady dosed me as heavily as a Fountain would be until I could be handed over to the Royal Guard, and then they took over the dosing along with Nol-Feydon. I volunteered to come here and await the birth of the new Royal.”

  “And how do you find potential Guards?” Gloradin asked. The way she looked at their son made Seldon’s heart fill to the point of bursting with pride like he expected hers to be, too.

  “The brave ones are being watched, tried, pushed, tempted…” Levidon leaned closer to Marcadon, lowering his voice. “Groomed.”

  “You guys want to make me a Guard Lord?”

  “That would be for our Prince to decide, but I’ll help you excel in whatever task My Prince has in mind for you, Allon.”

  “Ha! Marca can blush! I did not know that,” Talidon said, getting a growl from his older brother and an uncontrolled snicker from his sister.

  And just like that, Talidon managed to turn the mood. Gloradin looked at Seldon with the same admiration she had when she chose him as a father. She was proud of what he’d accomplished as Marcadon’s dad, and Seldon was proud to earn her approval. He always sought it from his children’s mothers. He wondered if human fathers did that. Considering the legacy of Daniel’s human father, Bill and how he’d worked to secure a child he knew wasn’t his own, he thought they just might.

  * * * *

  Daniel sat next to Caledon and stared at a screen. Images, blueprints, and pictures of people flashed by in a seemingly never-ending stream, commented by Nol-Elakdon. Once again, he felt totally unprepared for the huge responsibility that would be put in his hands the following day, but as Elakdon carried on, Daniel once again felt grateful for having the wise King with him until Daniel could rise to the challenge.

  Elakdon had worked closely with his warriors, and they’d mapped out the enemy and how to hit the enemy hardest but with fewest casualties.

  “This possible step is one I’d like to hear your opinion on, Beaudon,” Elakdon said. Daniel nodded curtly, and Elakdon pushed the remote. Pictures of humans from ages more than fifty down to baby rolled onto the screen. “These are the closest relatives of the highest ranking humans hunting us. They’ve been confirmed rogue by the human government, but the human government has also proven incapable of making decisions on whether to honor our treaty and laws on exchange of offending transgressors or if they’re to try to save their rogues.”

  Daniel sat back, staring at the many humans. He wouldn’t label any of them the level of his collection of natural beauties. Collection. Caledon sat to Daniel’s right, looking at the screen, and Daniel’s mind raced to catch up and make connections to what the word collection had just sparked. Caledon had gone out in searc
h of revenge. Instead of killing, he’d punished by taking away the transgressors immediate family and raised them as Untouchables or turned them over to labor.

  “Collect them all. Treat them as guests while the transgressors get the ultimatum of letting themselves trade to stand trial. If they refuse, we’ll keep their families here as labor and the youngest as Untouchables if anyone wants them. The girl in the lower right corner is above pretty.”

  Mumbles erupted around the table, and Geodin leaned over the table in order to send Daniel a baffled look.

  “I see the early rising King is learning the necessity of ruthlessness,” Elakdon said, grinning.

  “Yet he manages to balance where to place blame and where to hit the enemy hardest,” Geodin said. “The heart.”

  “Inspired,” Caledon mumbled.

  “I learned this one from you,” Daniel whispered.

  Caledon looked surprised, then like he connected the dots to what he’d revealed while they lay on Daniel’s mother’s living room floor, looking at a map. But, like when Daniel had suggested that the Cubi hoard natural beauty without regards to the treaty, his feelings were in turmoil. He’d watched hunting parties leave the Great House near Canada to join the hunting parties gathering around the States, and he’d felt like a bigot. He’d been kidnapped, and he’d hated the Cubi people for it. Since then, he’d learned about the necessities since the Cubi lived so secluded. He’d decided to do it because his people needed it, and he’d decided to flip the human government the finger by doing it. But the families on the screen were innocent bystanders that his people had no interest in feeding on. Their fate had been sealed by something else entirely, and Daniel wouldn’t punish them for that.

  “Shall we vote?” Neardon asked.

  Geodin laughed heartedly. “Just set it to works! I don’t believe anyone in here disagrees with the Prince.”

  And no one disagreed with her.

  Elakdon sauntered up to take Seldon’s chair. He held out the phone. “Do you want to give the order yourself?”

  “No.”

  Elakdon dialed and spoke briefly in Cubi. “Collect them all as guests of this House.” He then hung up.

  “Guests,” Daniel said. “That means they’ll be treated well, right?”

  “Yes.”

  Daniel looked around the Grand Hall, and he couldn’t overlook the proud look Geodin kept sending him. “What did you expect me to suggest?”

  “Expect?”

  Daniel leaned closer to the King, grinning. “You and your niece have talked this through before you lay it out and let me try my hands at it. I can see it on your faces.”

  “Aw, so we’re not even convincingly sneaky?” A grin ruined the pout on the King’s face.

  “Sneaky, sure.” Daniel laughed.

  “Okay.” Elakdon nodded, and Daniel actually liked that the King let his sneakiness show every time because Daniel was pretty sure he was weathered enough to pull off an impenetrable façade.

  “Geodin guessed at you wanting to keep the families out of it.”

  “And you?”

  “I figured you’d go for a diversion, using the collection of natural beauties to split their resources and corner the ones leading the anti-Cubi divisions.”

  Daniel gaped. He hadn’t thought about that. “That’s a bit too strategic for me, you know. Do you have a plan like that ready?”

  “I do. I always have more than one plan, and the best plans are the contingency plans. But we don’t have enough warriors in place in the areas of the families. It could weaken our offense.”

  “Okay. If not, maybe we could have done it at the same time.”

  “I’ve set a delay for a week. The day after your coronation, six hundred Cubi will leave here to join the warriors and work as their practical backup. The families will be collected two days before the natural beauties are rounded up. The transport of them will be done covertly since the military will be looking for the families and securing lower ranking families. We’ll set traps around them.”

  “Is this what you’d have done if I hadn’t suggested it?”

  “No, we’d have used them to scare the soldiers. We have a lot of material on the families, timetables on when the kids go to school, where people work, pictures or film material of them at work, grocery shopping, leaving home, girl scout meetings, all that. We’d have played it on hacked public channels with warnings for the officers to turn themselves in.”

  Daniel gaped. “We can hack network channels?”

  “Of course we can. If there’s anything a Royal can’t do, he or she must collect that knowledge to enrich his or her council.”

  “That’s very mild compared to what I chose.”

  “Oh, it is. We tried to keep the final decision one you would be comfortable with, but I see that you hold the ability to strike back harder than we thought.”

  “Because of the soldier who raped you,” Daniel said quietly. He still didn’t know how he felt about having been that lenient, but he was at least glad that he didn’t feel vindictive.

  “That was a difficult one. You showed greatness, and you earned respect. Seldon earned a great deal of respect being able to feed the soldier.” Elakdon gnawed his lip looking a bit haunted. “Your lover is a strong man. I’m happy you have him to influence you.”

  Daniel didn’t like how the pain clouded the King’s radiant person, but the thought of Seldon brought the opportunity to brighten Elakdon’s day. “Since we’re done here, do you want to come back to my place? Seldon’s kids arrived.” Daniel looked at Caledon. “And a few of yours are on their way as far as I’ve been told.”

  “Mine? Yeah, two.”

  “I’d love to.” Elakdon squeezed Daniel’s shoulder, smiling more genuinely.

  They finished up and left for the Royal Quarters. It sounded like a party in the salon. Laughter and low music drifted through the huge apartment, and Daniel smiled in expectation of getting to kick back a bit.

  It was time for Marcadon’s doses. Daniel was hungry as hell and hoped Caledon’s kids had arrived to be empowered, but after that, he’d kick back.

  “Nol!” someone said, and people got up to untangle themselves from pillows and couches and chairs all packed closely around the coffee tables to kneel. Even the heavily pregnant Gloradin who Seldon and Uldon supported in doing so.

  “Thank you,” Daniel said.

  People stood and bowed instead.

  “Thank you,” Elakdon said.

  Marcadon came to them. “Can you dose me soon?”

  “Now, yes, but I need a—”

  “By the gods!” Elakdon exclaimed. Daniel looked around Marcadon to see what had caught the King’s eyes. “I love your beard.”

  “Thank you, Nol.” Heimli looked shell-shocked, making Daniel laugh.

  Daniel looked at Elakdon, and his eyes looked like molten gold. And that was definitely his horny face.

  “With your Prince’s permission…” Elakdon leaned closer to Daniel. “Can I dose him? Like now and tonight and…from now on and until tomorrow morning? I really love the whole Viking vibe.”

  Heimli gaped, and Daniel laughed.

  “If Heimli wants to.” Of course he did. If not, he wouldn’t say no to a King any more than he’d say no to any other higher level Cubi asking him to feed them.

  “Yes, Nol.”

  “Come.” Elakdon waved Heimli to him. “I need you now.”

  Heimli came to stand next to the King, towering over him by almost a head. Elakdon stepped closer and stroked Heimli’s beard. “Heimli. Your name reminds me of Heimdal.”

  “My mom is Norwegian. Human.”

  “How fitting since I’m King of the North.” Elakdon dragged off his Viking. “We’ll return and mingle later!” Elakdon waved on his way out the door.

  Daniel could barely contain his grin. Daniel’s kink was makeup, Elakdon’s was big men with neatly kept beards. Daniel’s thoughts stopped there as Marcadon grabbed him and flung him over his shoulder.<
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  “We’ll just borrow him for a moment,” Marcadon said, leaving the room with Daniel hanging over his shoulder and Levidon following.

  Yeah, the mood was definitely high enough to lift Daniel’s spirit and maybe even keep the nerves of all that was to happen the following day at bay.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Daniel was a mess the next morning. He’d been nervous the night before, and he’d felt grateful for Seldon and Caledon when they’d tried to take his mind off the following day’s program by cuddling him. Their many guests had helped, too, and Daniel had empowered Caledon’s daughter and son. He looked forward to getting to know them better, and he really clicked with Monadin since she shared Caledon’s humor and easy-going persona.

  What level of nervousness he’d managed to shake the night before was nothing compared to what he woke up to, though, and feeding had been under several doses. Had he not been a Cubi, Daniel was sure his dick would have been a limp noodle. Even food was forced down bite by bite whenever Seldon and Caledon poked him to remind him to eat, and he didn’t dare drink more than one cup of coffee because he feared that he had to pee really badly once the ceremony started.

  Elakdon and Heimli joined them while Daniel poked at the last of his scrambled eggs. “Good morning, young Prince. I see asking whether you’re nervous would be redundant.”

  “I’m not just nervous, I’m terrified.”

  Elakdon took a seat opposite Daniel and leaned across the table with a secretive smile on his face. “So was I. So has every Royal ever to step up to that chair been. Seriously, I had to piss from the moment they put the cape on me. Just do your business before that and know that it’s just your mind playing tricks on you.”

  That was easier said than done, but Daniel appreciated that the old King tried. He’d tried to ask Geodin a few times about everything that was going to happen at the ceremony, and he’d been given a big picture. The not knowing every little detail had seemed okay at the time, but now he wished he did.

  “Look forward to all those little faces smiling when you reveal the playground afterward,” Seldon offered.

  The thought made Daniel smile, but then the mental image of all those faces looking at him at the reveal barged in, and he caught himself rocking back and forth.