by Beth Hodgson
After absorbing much information from the countless technological mechanisms, Ikaria finally made her way to the outside of King Damaris’s chambers, stopping in front of the guards. The thought of King Damaris gave Ikaria a stir within. She had always wanted to see King Damaris for herself in the flesh instead of inside his mind. Ikaria never had cared for older men, but Damaris was an exception, as handsome as he was for his age.
“I am sorry, miss, but you are not supposed to be here,” one of the two guards told her firmly. The other guard lowered his eyes to her cleavage.
Responding, Ikaria gave a small, pleasant smile. “I would like to request an audience with His Majesty.”
“His Majesty doesn’t want to see anybody.”
“Oh, His Majesty will want to see me.” Ikaria grinned, sweeping back her violet hair.
“And you are?” inquired the guard.
“I am from York. Tell the King that Derek’s royal advisor is here to see him,” Ikaria said, looking a bit annoyed, pretending that they should know who she was.
They both opened their eyes at the mention of her title, then exchanged looks. The guard who’d spoken disappeared inside Damaris’s chambers, while the other guard studied her. Ikaria decided to toy with him by sticking out her chest and taking a deep breath. The guard saw the exposed tops of her breasts rise out of her corset as she breathed, then quickly looked away, his brow moistening with sweat.
The other guard returned, then motioned for Ikaria to enter.
Playfully, Ikaria smiled at the flustered guard, then ran her finger across his chest as she walked past him. His cheeks turned red as he lowered his gaze.
Men were so easy to manipulate. Give them a bit of skin and you had them wrapped around your finger. Ikaria didn’t even have to use her black magic, nor her old violet magic, that was just how easy it was to control their lustful minds. Especially Derek. All he wanted was Princess Emerald, and all Ikaria would have to do was give him the princess in exchange for the whole kingdom of Arcadia if she so desired. But this was about revenge on the High Court, not about ruling Arcadia.
I can’t wait to wipe those smug looks off their faces, especially that High Justice bitch, Belinda. Ikaria let out a small laugh just thinking about the High Court trying to stop her and the cyborgs. They would soon face their doom.
Ikaria entered Damaris’s sitting room, gracefully scanning the chamber to get a glimpse of the King himself. The light of the day flowed through the paneled glass, capturing the white-marbled room flecked with gold. She spotted Damaris, seated in one of his chairs, alone. He was just as handsome as she’d seen him in Derek’s mind, but he was much more attractive in person.
His chiseled face complemented his light-green eyes and thick blond eyebrows. His hair was long blond silk, flowing down his back, with a simple golden circlet adorning his forehead. He looked so regal in his red velvet and silks. And underneath his robes, Ikaria could see that Damaris was extremely fit for someone in his fifties. Her lowers stirred with a burning sensation just taking in the King’s form. He was a bit older than she would have preferred, but she didn’t mind. It just made the game new to her.
I suppose I should let him have his mind for a little while, she said, smiling to herself.
Slowly, Ikaria began to pull away her magic. She loved to let the host have a bit of control for the fun they were about to have.
“The guard outside told me you were an advisor from York,” Damaris called out as Ikaria approached him. “This is the first I have heard he had such a position. Why didn’t you escort the fool here when he first arrived?”
Trying to call my bluff, I see.
“I had other business to attend to,” Ikaria hinted with a small smile. “You know how that is.”
A sudden look of recognition came over Damaris’s face, then quickly morphed into a scowl. “It is you. The one in my thoughts, paralyzing my mind! Forcing me to give up my throne to that worthless prince! Now I understand!”
“Oh, come now, my king. It’s all for the best.” Ikaria walked toward his seat, swaying her hips and bowing before him.
“Best for whom? York? I think not!”
“I think you are mistaken.”
“Then whom?”
“For Arcadia.” Ikaria walked over to a nearby chalice, pouring a cup of wine. She returned, hovering over his chair, taking a long drink, then offered him the cup. Damaris snatched the goblet, downing the glass. “You see, your daughter needs to produce offspring to ensure the future gifteds’ survival. She certainly cannot do that under your strict supervision, can she now?”
“The future? Bah, I do not care for the future. I care only about the here and now.” Damaris glanced at her. “My daughter doesn’t need to procreate. She needs to stay right here with me.”
“I’m afraid I disagree.”
“Is that what your magic tells you? To halt my plans of conquering? Because if that is so, you can forget about it and go crawling back to York empty-handed.”
“My king, I came here to ensure that you follow through with your end of the bargain.”
“Bargain? There is no bargain.” Damaris laughed. “I see that the King of York is using a gifted to one-up me. Forcing me with crafty spells to give up my kingdom. Well, I am not afraid of any gifted. Especially you.”
“We are the same, you and I. Not afraid of anyone or anything.”
Damaris swished his chalice around, taking another drink. “Why is it that you conspire with Samir? If you truly are able to see the future, you would see that I was granted a vision that my kingdom would reign over all others, a vision that came from the God of Light himself. But it appears that York has more sway over you than the God of Light. That makes you just another pathetic hound dog, eating out of Samir’s lap.”
“You are sorely mistaken, my king,” said Ikaria. “It wasn’t the King of York that sent me. I sent myself. You see, I do as I please. No one has authority over me, including this Samir, King of York, or even the God of Light himself.” Ikaria moved closer to Damaris, sliding a hand across his back alluringly. “But I can be convinced to change my mind and work toward Arcadia’s favor.” Ikaria smiled wickedly at him.
For the first time, Damaris’s face returned her smile, then he bellowed out a loud laugh, amused. “Convinced? Really?”
“Why yes, my king. I am just a mere person, just like anyone else.” Ikaria came closer to him, brushing her finger across his body. “Minds can easily be persuaded.”
Damaris gave a small smile, taking a drink of his wine. Ikaria lowered into his view and took the cup from his hands, then licked it seductively before placing it on an end table.
“Let me have a look at you,” he said, motioning for her.
Ikaria gave him a sly grin, then stood in front of him, striking an erotic pose.
“Tell me, what motivates one such as yourself? Rule? Power?” Damaris’s eyes were fixated on her, taking in the curves of her body.
“Let’s not talk about business right now,” Ikaria said, crawling into his lap.
“Agreed.”
Ikaria ran her fingers through his blond hair, then patted it gently. “I have a thing for blonds, and I know you have a thing for my kind.” She moved her position, then straddled him, both her legs locked onto his body.
“You saw that in my mind, did you?”
“Indeed,” she whispered in his ear, massaging his earlobe slowly between her lips. She could feel the hot breath of his mouth on her neck, which caused her senses to run wild. A shudder ran through her body as she sensually kissed his ears.
His mind was wide open, ready for her to invade once again. But it was different controlling him from the same time era, instead of across time. The inside of his dark mind was so vibrant, so beautiful, and so erotic.
Damaris continued to kiss her neck fiercely. Ikaria moaned softly, pleased at his touch. They would have made a great pair if circumstances had been different.
“We are going to cont
inue to play by my rules,” she whispered in his ear.
Damaris immediately snapped away, glaring at her. “I thought you said that I could change your mind about Arcadia.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, my king, but I lied. I don’t ever change my mind once it’s made up.”
At once, she summoned her black magic, taking hold of his mind. His eyes instantly went vacant, awaiting her direction.
“I didn’t tell you to stop…” she stated as she kissed his ear.
Damaris resumed kissing her but no longer made conversation.
“I have a perfect wedding gift for you to give the happy couple,” Ikaria whispered, moving her hands further down his body. “But before we get started, I will be needing this…”
Ikaria traveled her free hand down to Damaris’s hand, meeting it, his hand encased in cold, hard metal. She pushed the edge of his robed sleeve back, revealing a metal gauntlet with a large colorless orb in the middle. Through the glasslike sphere, Ikaria saw intricate wires running to and from it. Ever so delicately, she slipped the mechanical gauntlet off his hand and fastened it onto hers. Immediately, Ikaria felt the black gift working through her, giving her understanding of the delicate device.
“Thank you, my king. You have given me my wildest fantasy,” she said breathlessly, looking at her new toy.
Then she began to ravage him with her kisses.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
GREEN
“I have come to see my father,” Emerald stated, standing boldly in front the King’s guards posted outside his chambers.
“I am sorry, Princess, but His Majesty already has a visitor.”
“Is Derek with him? Let me talk to them!” Emerald demanded.
“No, it is the Prince of York’s advisor.”
“Advisor?” Emerald said, bewildered. Derek had never told her that he had an advisor.
“Yes. She just went inside about ten minutes ago. We were given very strict orders not to let anyone in.”
“She?”
The guard blinked at her. “Hasn’t the prince told you about Advisor Ikaria?”
“It seems that no one tells me anything, quite honestly,” Emerald replied, frustrated. “Please, sirs, just let me see my father. I was told that he has been very ill.” She leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I think you both know that I have the ability to help him. Please reconsider.”
“We know you can help, Princess,” the guard said quietly. “But we still can’t let you through. I am truly sorry. I think the best option you have is to talk with the prince. Perhaps he can put in a word to change your father’s mind, or you could come back later and see if His Majesty is accepting any other visitors.” He nodded his head in respect but otherwise made no other movement from the door.
Derek putting in a word for me? Emerald thought. It was as if she had stepped into a backward reality or some kind of strange dream.
Derek. He never did tell her how he’d convinced her father to let him marry her. And why had her father fallen ill so suddenly? Why hadn’t he called on her? And why was Derek the only person allowed to see her father besides his royal advisor? And who was this advisor anyway?
Something was going on. Emerald felt it deep down, and a deep concern consumed her. Emerald turned to the guards, giving them a weak smile. “I shall come back later. Please, if you see my father, tell him that I called on him.”
“Yes, Princess,” they said in unison, nodding.
As Emerald walked back to her chambers, her thoughts wavered between her situation and Kyle. How she wished she could be with him, in the safety of his quaint apartment, hidden from the upper levels. Her world was drowning her, and now she felt trapped. Trapped by the very man she had hoped to marry all these years.
What would Kyle do in my situation? Emerald could already hear Kyle’s voice. Tell the asshole to go packing back to where he came from. She smiled to herself. That was definitely what he would say.
If her father wouldn’t see her, then she would have to take it upon herself to end the engagement. Emerald didn’t care what kind of agreement her father and Derek had. She was not a prize to be won or an agreement to be bartered with. She was a princess. And she was not going to live a life of unhappiness anymore.
First, she had to talk to Derek. Then she would go find Kyle.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
BLUE
It was nearly evening. Derek anxiously waited for Emerald, sitting completely upright on the audience chamber’s metal throne. He watched as raindrops splattered against the paneled glass, creating an electric-green pattern that captured the glow of the palace from outside. Loud rumblings of thunder sounded.
Emerald had finally sent word that she would see him.
Derek had not seen her since the incident with her drawings. He had called upon her countless times, and every time she never showed, nor gave word. It was torture not seeing Emerald’s angelic face. The face that kept him going all these years, the face that gave Derek hope for his future. Well, their future, he should say. He desperately wanted nothing standing between them, but the more he tried to fix the situation and apologize, the more she refused to see him. It pained him to be withheld from her. She was his life. They were about to be married, and it was about time they put this whole thing past them.
Derek got up, pacing evenly around the throne a few times, then sat back down, unsure how to handle his excessive nervousness. There was not a soul in the hall, as most of the councilors and lords had retired for the evening. The servants were too busy preparing for the royal event, working nonstop to ensure that the wedding was the grandest one the world had ever seen. It was set for tomorrow, and soon Emerald would be his by right.
Ikaria had been gone most of the day and hadn’t returned from wherever she had gone, but Derek did not mind. He wasn’t in the mood to handle her vile comments and crude sexual humor. He was tired of her and just wanted her gone.
Derek reached inside his tunic and felt the cold metal circlet within his hands. Dark magic radiated from it. A feeling of guilt ran through him again, but his logic, along with his newfound power, pushed away the guilt, leaving him with a sense of resolve. It was all for the best.
A shadowy figure walked toward him, a most beautiful shadow, belonging to the one who had captured his heart. Lightning crashed within the skies outside, illuminating the deep-blue room with a bright white, giving Derek a glimpse of Emerald walking toward him, her maidens behind her.
“Princess,” Derek said, rising from his seat and bowing deeply before her. He took Emerald’s hand, then softly kissed it. Something caught his attention—Emerald wasn’t wearing her engagement ring.
Emerald raised an eyebrow at his expression, then immediately snapped her hand away. “Derek,” she said, rather coldly, “why is it that my father refuses to see everyone except you and now your advisor?”
“Your father decided it was best that I alone see him, as well as my advisor, since he is transferring matters of state over to me,” Derek said quickly.
“But why won’t he see me? Did he say?” Emerald pressed.
Derek shrugged, pretending he didn’t know. “I couldn’t tell you, Princess. I have asked him the same thing. In fact, I urged him to see you, but he wouldn’t listen,” Derek said, the lie heavy on his lips. “Please, let’s not talk about your father.” His face turned serious, glancing at the handmaidens. “Might I have a word alone with you? I have been anxious to see you all day.”
Emerald continued to stare at him with hesitation but finally nodded. Waving her hand toward her handmaidens, she said, “You are dismissed. Please wait outside the hall for me.”
Derek watched the women leave the hall single file. One head turned back before she exited the hall, peering at him harshly. It was Emerald’s first handmaiden, Glacia. Her hazel eyes pierced right through his heart, as if she could see his intentions. She glanced at him for a second, then disappeared behind the door with the other maidens.
/> Derek swallowed his nerves, then began in an even voice, “Emerald, I have been wanting to apologize to you for the way I behaved. I… I don’t know what came over me, but I am sorry and ashamed for what I did. I was completely out of line. How I acted was the last thing I ever wanted to do to you.” He leaned in closer, then held her hand, kissing it gently once again.
Emerald withdrew her hand after he kissed it, taking a step back from his space. “You are right. You were completely out of line,” she said coldly. “You violated my personal space and destroyed my drawings, after I specifically told you I needed time to think. What good did you think would come of it? Please, tell me.”
Yes, Derek, do tell! Ikaria mocked inside of his mind.
Shut up! Derek answered the sorceress.
“You are my fiancée,” Derek said, scowling at Emerald, frustrated. “You are supposed to be devoted to one person: me. Instead you have refused to see me since you came back to the palace. And what’s worse is you spend all your time drawing pictures of another man! Don’t tell me you wouldn’t be the least bit angry if you were me!” Derek stepped toward her, getting close. “Please, Emerald, the thought of another man with you… I cannot bear it! I want you to be mine. Fully mine!”
Emerald began to back away from him, her bright-green eyes wide.
Derek saw it. Fear. Emerald feared him.
Thunder pummeled the halls again, causing the room to shake slightly.
“Derek… I am not marrying you,” Emerald said in a whisper.
I told you that you would be needing the circlet, Ikaria said within his thoughts. If you would have believed me in the first place, you wouldn’t be in this situation now.