“Kai my boy, have you come for my fresh cookies?” Ahxezo asked as he noticed me standing there.
“Unfortunately, no, I need to have a word with Yaga about something.” I walked deeper into the room and he held a plate out just to tempt me. I grabbed a cookie before walking over to Yaga.
“I hope it’s nothing serious,” he replied to my back, as I stood before the desk.
Yaga looked up and startled, his hearing was going so he generally didn’t hear me arrive. “Your Majesty, when did you arrive?” he half yelled.
I raised my voice slightly, so he could hear me better, “Just now, I need to talk to you about a mating. General Thuzo is hoping to bring a mate here. I wanted to make sure we had a home available for them.” He smiled brightly at my words.
Ahxezo walked over and placed a hand on Yaga shoulder smiling at my news. “Well, this is wonderful news, and yes, we have homes for those who choose to mate. Most have been waiting for Her Majesty to arrive. Now that she is here, I suspect the population of this castle will grow,” Yaga yelled again. He also laughed and slapped his thigh at his last comment about the population growth.
I smiled and nodded, but Ahxezo noticed it didn’t reach my eyes. “We will let you get back to work. I’ll bring you your tea soon.” He kissed Yaga on his balding head and then pulled me toward the kitchen. “Sit boy.”
“I really don’t have time for tea Ahx. I need to prepare for the Nymphs’ arrival.” He ignored my words and placed a hot cup of tea in front of my seat with two more cookies. He knew I would stay if there was food involved. I picked at the cookies while the tea cooled to a drinkable level.
“Spill it, boy, what’s eating you?” he jumped straight to the point.
“Fuck, really. Are you fucking physic?” I asked deflecting.
He slapped my shoulder. “What have I told you about swearing in my kitchen, don’t make me get the paddle, boy.”
“Yes, sir. It’s just Maisie. She wants to go home. I don’t think she wants to mate with us, and I suspect she doesn’t intend to stay long,” I spilled swiftly.
He sat down across from me. “Give her time boy, she’s just had her entire world turned upside down. Instead of focusing on mating her, take the time to get to know her, let her get to know you. Not in bed either.” He patted my hand with his own wrinkled one. “Your mother would be so proud of you, boy. Make her proud now, and give Her Majesty time to get to know this world, you and the others, and herself. I suspect she has been hiding her true self for a very long time.” He sipped his tea and sighed.
I chugged mine, only slightly burning my tongue, before eating my cookies. “Same old Kai, always in a hurry for the sweets. Why don’t you take her some cookies?” He offered me a plate covered in cloth and then shooed me out of the house. He waved from the front door. “We will make sure Thuzo and his mate have a wonderful house close to the castle.”
I walked back into the castle to see chaos, as the kitchen staff ran around the great hall. Tables were being set up in tidy rows with long white clothes spread across the tops. I carried the plate of cookies up the stairs and into our room. Maisie was sitting in the window seat.
“I brought cookies.” I called out. She looked up and smiled, as I sat the plate in front of her and pulled the cloth off. “Hot and fresh from Ahxezo. He’s the steward’s mate.” I sat next to her and looked out the window.
Kai sat next to me and watched the Gryphons. I had been mesmerized by them for most of the day. “They are doing a mating dance. Trying to attract the females that stay in the tree line.” He pointed towards a small stand of trees close to the base of the mountain. “The males do aerial dances and also battle to be the first chosen to breed.”
“So those are only males? Why don’t the females join them?” I was curious, Gryphons were nothing more than mythical creatures on the Earthly realm but they were real.
“Right now, yes, it’s just the males. The females will join them as the sun begins to set, and then they begin to pair off. The females will choose their male and they will mate,” he was explaining their mating rituals, but wasn’t seeing the problem I was having. I didn’t get to choose my mates. These Gryphons were freer than I would ever be.
I grabbed a cookie that was warm and gooey and began to eat. The flavor reminded me of home and Mom, and I could feel the tears begin to gather. I refused to cry over this or anything. I was strong, I would get home to Mom. I vowed it.
Kai reached out and wiped his thumb along my lower lip. “You had chocolate on your face,” was all he said. I felt tingles travel across the skin he touched, and a low hiss in my ear as my basilisk awoke. She wanted him for a mate, but I refused to let her out.
I turned away from his face and returned my attention to the Gryphons as I finished the last two cookies on the plate. “You know, you do still have a choice. I have five brothers, Emot has three, and Sic, fuck, he has about a dozen. Although the youngest is five. As far as the Duke is concerned, well any one of the higher-class men in the North could replace him,” his words were soft, and I could hear the sadness as he spoke. It was as if he didn’t want me to choose someone else.
“It isn’t you guys that’s the issue. I had no say, how is that fair to me? Did anyone take into consideration how I may feel about this?” I spat out. I could hear the bitterness in my tone.
“I know it isn’t what you would have chosen, but I still remember a little girl who was happy about marrying Princes. Have you really killed off all that the little girl wanted?” he was still speaking softly, as if we were in a room full of people and he wanted no one else to hear.
“That little girl grew up,” I simply said.
“But did she really go away? Admit that your basilisk is begging to be out. That’s why every night you’ve shifted in your sleep.” I looked at him in shock.
“That’s not true. I didn’t shift last night,” I could hear the defensiveness in my tone.
“Yes, you did sugar. Gods she is beautiful. Scarlet red with just a hint of pale pink on your underbelly, green swirls along your spine,” his voice had gone all wistful, like he desperately wanted to see it again. “Don’t get me wrong, this form is more than pleasing, but she calls to us all. Your basilisk is one of a kind, sugar, and the world would do anything for you.”
“How do you know I shifted? You’ve seen my form many times over the years, I’m sure.” He smirked at my words.
“We know you shifted because it forces our shifts. Your basilisk calls to ours, so when she is out, ours come charging forward.” He looked over at me and smiled.
“Oh, I didn’t realize that happened. Why does it happen though?” I was curious now.
“Because our basilisks are mates, regardless of what we want as people, our basilisks have been mates since those signatures went on paper. Our basilisks are extension of us, we wouldn’t have signed without them being fully aware of the implications. Your mother told you about us so much when you were young, your basilisk thinks of us as her mates. Even without the consummation she calls them to her,” he explained, and deep down I could tell he was right; my basilisk hissed her confirmation that they were hers.
“Why was I never told about the Duke then?” It was the one thing that didn’t add up.
“Because your mother didn’t know about the Duke until after he had been added. She’s never met him, never seen him, and therefore couldn’t tell you about him. She’s known us since we were children. The Duke’s family was reclusive even before your mother left. She wouldn’t have met him as a child.” I listened to his words but couldn’t tell if he was truthful or not, I guessed it would just have to wait until I met him.
Kai scooted closer and leaned in towards my face. His hand cupped my cheek and my basilisk purred, if that’s even the word for the utterly pleased sound she made. He slid his thumb along my jaw before tilting my head up to look as his. “I don’t care how long I have to wait. I won’t leave you, and my basilisk won’t leave yours.” He pu
lled me to his chest and planted his mouth softly to mine. He didn’t demand just lingered with his lips pressed gently to mine.
Just then the door opened, and he pulled back. I couldn’t control the blush that tinted my skin as Sic and Emot walked into the room. “I have news,” Sic called, as Emot looked between Kai and me.
Kai cleared his throat and Emot hid a smile. “What news? Did your meeting with the Nymph King go well?”
“The King understands our special restrictions and has asked if we would be agreeable to having just his son, himself and five wives each. I told him that would be more than acceptable, and they will be joining us tomorrow night for dinner at sundown.” Sic smiled at this news since it meant that the castle wouldn’t be overrun with Nymphs.
Kai stood and glanced at me one last time before picking up the plate. “I’ll go let Thuzo know the numbers. If he is back yet… Oh, I almost forgot, he has found a mate and is bringing her back to the castle. She is a seamstress, if we ever have a need for one.” He walked towards the door, glancing over his shoulder one last time before closing it behind him.
Emot looked at me questioningly as he sat down in Kai’s vacated seat. I tried to ignore his gaze while Sic continued talking. Once Sic had laid out all the details, which I really didn’t listen to, he looked at me. “You have a bit of chocolate right here.” He pointed to his own face and I hastily licked my lips clean. Sic watched my tongue dart out with a hungry stare, before walking back to the door. “I’m going to make sure we have all the preparations in order.”
Emot and I both laughed as Sic walked towards the door, adjusting himself on the sly. Once Emot saw the door close, he turned to me and said, “Ok, ssspill it. Did I really ssee you and Kai lip locking?”
I blushed again and looked out the window. “He kissed me, if you must know.”
“Ssso. Did you like it?” he continued, scooting closer to me on the window seat. “I promissse I won’t tell a sssoul.”
“Why are you so interested if I liked it or not, it was one stupid kiss,” I sounded defensive, even to my own ears.
“Kai isss different than Sssic and me. There are waysss for malesss to be together obviousssly, and Sssic and me, we actually enjoy it. Kai only ever… how do I put this nicely… joined in, on the very rare occasssion when you and Sssam got rowdy. Mossst of the time he would jussst take care of himssself, but thossse nightsss, well they got to usss all,” ,is words where not unkind, just a statement of fact, but I still felt bad. Probably because they had to wait for ten years and I just did whatever I wanted during that time. “He alssso never let either of usss do things to him.”
“Since you’re being so forthcoming with the information, why did you and Sic sign if you’re both into guys?” He laughed at my question.
“It would be easssier to say in human termssss, Sic and I are bi. Kai is ssstraight. The Duke, well I have no clue, ssso let’s just say sssstraight. We actually didn’t begin any relationssship until a few years after we signed. We did the typical guysss night out and got wasssted, trying to pick up chickssss that totally ssshot us down and he and I ended up in bed together later that night. I’m guessssing this isssn’t newsss to you though?” He looked at me as if waiting for an answer.
“Not entirely, no. Kai explained the various ways basilisks can have… sex.” I blushed; it was one thing to have sex, but another to talk so openly about it. Hell, my mother had stumbled her way through the birds and bees talk, and she had only explained the human version. “But do you want only him?” I had to know; my curiosity was my worst enemy.
“I love Sssic, but he isssn’t why I signed that Treaty. Originally, we all sssigned it to bring peace and reunify Lasina. However, over the yearssss, watching you grow up from a ssscrawny kid, to this beautiful young woman hasss made usss all develop a desssire for you as a person. That’ssss why we all stayed; we could’ve backed out at any point,” his words were softer than I expected.
“I honestly don’t know how I feel about this whole situation. I want to go home, but a part of me wants to stay. I just feel like I was cheated out of my choice in this matter.” I looked away from Emot and continued watching the Gryphons, the females had just joined the males in the sky, and they slowly began to pair off.
Emot leaned his back against the window just inside my field of vision. “You are the one piece of the Treaty that is ssset in sssstone. You are the Queen, no one elssse. I know Kai told you all of us are replaceable and he’sss right. I won’t lie though; we would all be disssappointed if you choossse sssomeone other than ussss.” Emot stood and looked down at me. “I guessss my reasssoning for wanting to know if you liked it, wasss to see if we had any ssshot at all,” with that said, he left.
I watched him walk out the main doors leaving me with nothing but my thoughts and the sound of the fire that seemed to always crackle in the large fireplace. I turned back to the window and watched the sun begin to lower over the lake. My thoughts turned to Kai and his kiss. My lips tingled as I thought of his mouth pressed against mine, and my basilisk hissed in appreciation. I felt my skin begin to crawl and saw scales begin to rise up, just under my skin. She wanted out, but I didn’t want her anymore. At this her hiss turned nasty and she pressed harder trying to escape. I held back the shift barely, before she subsided.
I climbed to my feet as the dying sun sank below the horizon and walked to go find something to eat. Time seemed to be similar to Earth, but I haven’t seen a clock to know for sure. Once I rounded the bottom of the stairs, I ran into a young woman looking on in awe as the servants rushed around with all sorts of decor. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said as she turned.
“Your Majesty.” Her eyes widened and she sank deep into a curtsy. “I am so sorry.”
“It was my fault I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” I tried to get her to rise but she stayed low to the ground.
“Sage, there you are,” I heard a male voice call out, and then a large man appeared around the corner. “Your Majesty,” he spoke, before bowing low.
"You must be General Thuzo," I asked, noticing his military uniform covered in metals of high rank.
"Yes, Your Majesty, and this is my soon to be mate, Sage." He gestured to the woman who was still bowed low.
"Please stand Sage, it was entirely my fault. I should have paid better attention to where I was going." I watched Sage slowly rise and a blush spread across her face as she looked at Thuzo. "Congratulations to you both. If you will excuse me, I’m in search of dinner." They both bowed again as I began walking towards the kitchen.
I walked down into the kitchen again and it was chaos, people were rushing everywhere and Emot was giving orders like a general himself. I paused in the doorway, so I was out of the way, and watched. Emot's forehead was covered in sweat and he had his sleeves rolled up showing off his toned biceps. I felt my basilisk purr her pleasure at the sight of his prowess.
I heard the sound of footsteps and backed into the darkness of the stairwell to keep from being caught staring. "He is a magnificent sight, is he not?" the question whispered into my ear had my heart jumping into my throat. I spun around only to be pinned to Sic's hard chest as he backed me to the wall.
My basilisk preened at his nearness and it took everything in me not to shift on the spot. His bare chest was covered with scales as if he was having trouble keeping his own in check. His head dipped to my neck and I felt his lips trail up to my earlobe softly. "He'ss magnificent to watch. You sshould ssee other thingss he’sss magnificent at." His hiss was becoming more prevalent as more scales bloomed on his arms. He stepped back and let his shift fully take over before flicking his tongue out just a bit to smell the air. "I can tassste the desssire coming from you," with that, he turned and left me standing alone in the stairwell.
“Do you think Viper will find Zugo?” I couldn’t help asking, as Emot sat back down at the small kitchen table. Sicrin had told him I was hiding in the stairwell and now the three of us were seated at the sma
ll table in the kitchen. Occasionally, Emot would get up to direct the staff, but he always came back when he was done. Sic sat shirtless picking at his plate while I devoured everything Emot put in front of me to try.
“I think she’s our best shot at locating him.” Sic said throwing his napkin down. “I’m done, I’ll see you upstairs in thirty, right Emot?”
I watched as Emot blushed. “Yeah, I’ll be up sssoon.”
Sic walked off and I couldn’t help but glance at Emot’s red face. “What was that all about?”
“Kai asssked for a favor, to keep him from doing sssomething sssstupid. It’s not sssomething we haven’t done before, but well you’re here now, sssso it’sss a bit awkward.” His face got even redder as he spoke.
“I’m guessing that Kai asked for something sexual, and you don’t want to tell me about it because you think I would be upset?” I had to admit even to myself that I was entirely too curious about them having sex, and a bit turned on. I could feel my basilisk aching to be let out at the idea of seeing them all together.
“Would that upssset you?” he asked quietly, as if not really wanting to hear my answer.
“I don’t have a problem with you having sex with Sic. So, why would I have an issue with you having sex with Kai?” I replied.
“Well, he didn’t exactly ask to have ssssex. The only thing he ever asksss for is a blow job. I think the only reassson he even doesss that issss because women won’t touch us.” He didn’t say it, but I knew it was because of me that women wouldn’t touch them.
The Basilisk Princess Page 6