“It didn’t have to,” Kate would say every time Dorcas got the feeling.
Dorcas knew he was treading on a tight rope with his affair. He would see the queen and in his head, tell himself that he would end the affair. However, the minute she wrapped her salivating lips around his olive penis, the blood circulating in his head to make him think rationally dropped to his penis and gave into the seduction.
It helped the couple thatIchiamo was more into his administration, which meant many hours away from the Santos Palace and exhausted days in which he needed his wife the most. Still, she kept her distance and persuaded her husband in the nicest way that she needed her space. She was still a good mother to their kids, but that was as close as it got.
The rest of her time was devoted to her lover Dorcas.
On one night of their lovemaking at the floating Nero Palace, when they came together, she cried. Dorcas had seen this before, but there were real tears and real disappointment. Dorcas could not help but to put his arm around her. Curiosity came over him.
“What’s wrong, Kate?” he asked.
Kate fell on his shoulder. He carried her to the bed and started kissing her softly all over her face, but the sadness stayed on her face.
“It’s not you,” Kate assured. “I wish this wasn’t a big deal, but I feel it is, my love.”
“What’s a big deal?”
Kate tried to bring the words out. “I…hate my husband. I really hate him.”
“Why?”
“He’s going back to his ways. He tried to hurt me, threaten to kill me. He talks in his sleep about everyone that he’s going to kill. He mentioned Cheron’s name. I’m afraid he’s going off the deep end and there’s no way he’s coming back from them.”
Dorcas heard the story about the Priam Murders. The king had always been paranoid due to his position and how the Fallen Court changed the fabric of how his court acted towards their king. Since working for him, Dorcas always had been a level-headed king who care about being a perfectionist.
“What are you going to do?”
“He may find out about us, Dorcas. If that happens, we’re both dead.”
“Do you want to end this?”
Kate paused. Dorcas was already carrying doubt that she could end it immediately. Then she grabbed his shirt and kissed him deeply.
“This is all I want,” she said. "This is all I ever want. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But that can’t happen as long as the king lives. We might as well hide for the rest of our lives.”
“You… you really mean that?”
“I know you’re a soldier and you have your code of honor…”
Dorcas put his finger on her lips. “I gave up being a Byzant to follow you. I would do the same for the Democrat Guard if it meant being with you. Being with you is all that matters."
“Then, it has to be done. Would you do it if I ask you?” She kissed him slowly and softly all over his face and with every kiss, she said a word.
“Would…you…kill…the…king?”
Dorcas could feel the sexual intensity building; the same feelings that turned him into a complete romantic. Staring into her pretty brown eyes, he concluded in his mind that she was sincere in her feelings.
From that, they started their night of emotionally-charged lovemaking...
****
Dorcas was asked by Ichiamo to come to him for an assignment. The Democrat Guard commander realized that this was the best time. In doing this, he would carry his thoughts of Queen Katharina on his sleeve.
Dorcas took the trip to the Santos Palace slowly, probably the most careful walk he ever made in his life. When he went inside the Santos Palace, he took his time before he headed to Ichiamo’s office. Even when he came to the door of the throne room and opened it, his nerves acted up. Before he could get himself together, Ichiamo met him halfway.
“Welcome!” Ichiamo said in his gentlest voice. "I’m glad you’re here.”
“Anything for my king,” Dorcas responded with a bow.
Ichiamo went to a long table, where they were blueprints all over it. Ichiamo brought out one of them and spread it out.
“I’m dealing with new water irrigation systems,” Ichiamo said. “I feel that in Crystal Metropolis, water is the richest element we have and we need a way to control it. Lately, the water has been terrible. There has to be a way to separate them so that farming will become important on this planet again. I hope to put this in the rebuilding of Troyuvant."
A part of Dorcas wanted to ask why, but Ichiamo continued talking nonstop. He could tell that any passionate subject would have the king talking for hours. Dorcas reached into his back and slowly took out a knife. Ichiamo’s turned his back to him as he strolled the steps to his throne. Dorcas walked slowly, raising the knife every inch with each step he took.
Then, when Ichiamo turned around to ask a question, Dorcas launched. Luckily, Ichiamo had brought out his hand and the knife was away from his heart. He received a scratch in the chest from the knife, but Dorcas continued swinging. Dorcas tried his best, but despite his age and thanks to keeping his health and weight in check, Ichiamo was stronger than he was in the past.
Ichiamo yelled for help. At this point, Ichiamo and Dorcas were in a wrestling match. Dorcas stabbed Ichiamo in the shoulder. Ichiamo screamed as loud as he could.
Before Dorcas could stab him again for a final blow, out came the palace guards. They wrestled him down. One punched him clean in the mouth and they took him away.
“Keep him alive,” Ichiamo ordered, and the guards were gone with Dorcas. Another guard came to him to make sure Ichiamo was okay. He was bleeding in the shoulder; interestingly on the same shoulder Bastiannius Priam stabbed that saw his brother killed. He tore off cloth on his shirt near him and wrapped his arm around it to control the bleeding.
Ichiamo was tended do by one of his doctors. Once he received medical attention in his throne, Ichiamo ordered his guards to retrieve Dorcas so he could questioned him.
Minutes later, royal guards brought in a chain-bounded Dorcas Camillo before him in one of the Santos Palace’s royal chambers with other royal palace guards mixed with some cursers. Ichiamo could not even sit down due to aggravation. He went straight with the questioning.
“I trusted you,” he said. "I gave you a job. I gave you my friendship. Why would you try to kill me?”
Dorcas said nothing.
“I’ll ask you one more time. Why did you try to kill me?”
“Ask your wife,” Dorcas said.
Ichiamo slapped him in the face. "WHAT DOES MY WIFE have to do with this?”
“It was for her," Dorcas replied. "She wants you dead.”
Ichiamo’s mouth was wide open. "Do you know what you’re saying? If I were you, I would choose my words carefully.”
“I don’t care what you do to me. You Santoses are all the same! Treating you women with such contempt.”
Ichiamo ask for a guard. "Bring my wife to me,” he said sternly.
Minutes later, Kate came inside and saw Dorcas bound in chains and her husband fuming.
“What’s wrong, my husband?” she asked.
“Dorcas tried to kill me. What’s worse, he says that you’re the one who put him up to it. Is that in any way true?”
Kate stared into her husband’s eyes.
Ichiamo touched her shoulder. “If it is, I need to know, darling. Is Dorcas telling the truth?”
Then, Kate took a look at Dorcas. She could see some water forming in Dorcas’ eyes. She went to him and touched his face. He closed his eyes, warming up to her hand.
Then, from out of nowhere, she slapped him hard.
“RAPIST!” Kate bellowed. “RAPIST!” She went to Ichiamo and hugged him tight. “He tried to rape me.” She went back to him and slapped Dorcas again. "How dare you try to blame me? Why should you hate my husband after everything he’s done for you? You should be ashamed.” She
went back to Ichiamo. "My king, you’re the only love in my life. There will never be another. You care for me more than I’ll ever know.”
Kate hugged him again. Ichiamo ordered the guards to take a completely confused Dorcas away to the dungeons...
****
Alonso Fontaine heard the news around the Democrat Guards quarters. One of them gave him a newspaper that confirmed it.
FIRST ATTEMPT ON THE GOLDEN AGE KING’S LIFE.
"This isn't true. I know it isn't."
Alonso trusted that Dorcas Camillo had more integrity than that. He was more surprised that there was an attempt on King Ichiamo’s life. The Santos king was always seen as the most benevolent ruler to ever come out of the ATM. Who would want to kill him and what for?
He took this thought with him to Dorcas in Crystal Metropolis’ Sabine Dungeon. Luckily, he was able to have access because he was a Democrat Guard.
When he saw him, Dorcas was a shell of what he was. Gone was the brave soldier who fought gang wars and protected the king with honor. He was like a vagrant begging for food and accepting his fate.
Alonso strolled to the cages. Dorcas saw him and stood right up, touching his hands.
“It’s been all over the newspapers,” Alonso said frantically. “They say you try to kill the king. That can’t be true. I know it isn’t. Just months ago, you was relieved to have your title back. Come on, man! Tell me something. Tell me this isn’t true and someone framed you.”
“No one framed me,” Dorcas whispered shaking his head. “I knew what I was doing. And I will accept my punishment when it comes.”
“Why would you do that?”
There was a pause and Dorcas kept a stationary stare.
Then, Alonso had an idea.
“No, it can’t be,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t tell me it’s her. Anything but her.”
“Love’s a dangerous thing,” Dorcas stressed.
From that, Alonso knew the whole story. He was struck with the “Katharina Plague" as gossipers had called it during the Hero gossip. Alonso popped his head trying to understand how this man, who was so hard on the notion of love, be fooled by the worst woman to ever fall in love with.
“I have no regret with what I did,” Dorcas told him. “I only wish I succeeded. Then, I would have killed that lying bitch.”
“Someone has to do something,” Alonso pleaded. “Someone has to tell the king.”
“And then what? The king has too kind of a heart, which means he’s ruthless if someone tries to destroy that. No matter what anyone tells him, the only person that can stop her is the king. Until then…I feel for anyone that goes near that woman. Luckily, I won’t be around long to see her cause more damage.” Dorcas held on tighter to Alonso’s hand. "Promise me that you won’t fall for it. No matter what, protect the king. He’s going to need you now.”
Alonso nodded his head. “I’m going to protect Ichiamo. Even from himself.”
“I will miss you, my brother.”
Dorcas released his hands from his friend’s and walked to a corner of his cage. “Her eyes,” he said to himself. “The queen has the most beautiful eyes. She has to be a demon. There’s no way those eyes can be human.”
****
Alonso Fontaine left with that thought in his head of his good friend and leader Dorcas Camillo losing his mind in the dungeon. He never saw Dorcas Camillo again.
Days later, with the swipe of a sword that decapitated his head in the throne room of the Santos Palace in front of the royal court, Dorcas Camillo’s name died away with the thought of the Queen’s infidelity.
Standing with the Democrat Guards while they killed one of their brightest commanders, Alonso had lost another important person in his life.
For the next few days, Alonso separated himself from his comrades. He decided that he needed to be alone. He decided to take a trip back to Solaria to get his head back in the game again.
Suddenly, the last person he ever thought he would see again was at the pilot seat in one of Crystal Metropolis’s Beau Lombards.
After four years since the last meeting, former soldier and commercial pilot were together once again and at a difficult time: at a time of a death.
When the plane he piloted landed in one of Solaria’s air bases, Lucius Gaines walked with Alonso out of the plane and sat with him in the waiting area of the airport. Lucius could tell that Alonso was not the mood to talk.
He had seen this before: when he lost his wife in the war.
“I’m sorry,” Lucius told him.
“For what?”
“Whatever’s bothering you?”
“Can I ask you a question, Lucius? If there was something you knew that was so devastating it could destroy someone you care about, would you tell that person or keep it to yourself?”
“Depends on who that person is?” Lucius answered directly. He had heard too much gossip to realize that the person he was talking about was King Ichiamo.
Like Alonso, Lucius cared for him as well.
“One of my friends in the Democrat Guards was executed for trying to kill the king.”
“I’ve heard about that. You knew him well?”
“We have the same mind. We were both trying to run away from our pasts. That was how we came together. He was one of the realest men I knew. That was until she came along.”
“The Queen?”
“Do you think it’s true what they’re saying about Queen Kate?”
“I don’t know,” Lucius answered. “I don’t even bother with it. All I do is fly the planes for these rich bastards and make sure I keep the money coming for my family.”
“How is Juliet?" Alonso asked without wandering a name.
“She’s fine. So is my son?”
“What’s his name?”
“Rafe!”
“Good name.”
The conversation continued on, but neither one could not bring back the closeness they felt when they were kids. Both could tell that each thought that things would never be the same. Then, Lucius had to get back on the plane to take more people to another planet or moon. He said his goodbye and walked away.
Lucius turned his head to see Alonso sitting there calmly with a colder heart, thinking it would be a few more years and another death before he ever saw Alonso Fontaine again. Either way, there was no way he could comfort him with everything moving around them.
He left his blessing with him as he boarded back on the Beau Lombard and saw the next planet on his schedule...
****
Days after the execution of Dorcas Camillo, Ichiamo traveled around the Santos Palace alone while everyone was asleep. He added wine into the mix and it made things more awkward.
Worse, it made him think about Cheron, the last person he wanted to think about.
Thinking that he was alone one night, he ran into his other brother, Pedro Santos, as he stared off into a large window overlooking the rest of Crystal Metropolis.
"Can't sleep, my king?" Pedro asked as he stood next to him as Ichiamo took another swig off the wine bottle. Pedro took the bottle from him and took a swig himself.
"Do you ever think about him?" Ichiamo blurted.
"Who?"
"You know. Our cousin Cheron?"
Pedro smirked. "After everything he did, why would you want to bring him up? I sleep a lot better with him dead."
"Do you think I did the right thing? Executing Dorcas Camillo?"
"Are you asking me as a king or as your brother?"
Ichiamo glared at him.
Pedro answered, "As the king, I would stand by any decision that you make. If you think it was right, it is right and just. As your brother, I would wonder did you think clearly about what you did."
"Dorcas tried to kill me!" Ichiamo stressed.
"Not denying that at all. And believe me, I would be right there with you if it wasn't for..."
Pedro stopped himself.
"If it wasn't for what?" Ichiamo asked.
Pedro chuckled "Never mind! What's done is done! You shouldn't beat yourself up for doing this." Pedro seized his shoulder. "And get that psychopath cousin of our out of your mind. You're not him and you never will be. Do you understand? Because I'll make sure that never happens."
Ichiamo took a breath and shrugged his shoulders. "Thanks for saying that. I needed that."
Pedro hugged his older brother tight as Ichiamo's heavy arms wrapped around Pedro's slender body.
INIQUITOUS DOMINION: The Galactic Classic Page 28