The Wildest Woods

by S. K Munt

  Cairo Fisher, of course. And the man that was unconscious in our hospital ward had obviously once gone by Teddy. Sam had read Cairo’s story through my thoughts, and had picked up on Teddy’s half through his own, and had brought them together like puzzle pieces that fit to create a pirate flag: a Kingslater Pirate Flag.

  The screech of the chair was the first sound I heard to indicate that Cairo had snapped out of his shock, and the way he turned his face away from me was the only way that I could diagnose his horror.

  ‘Excuse me,’ he said roughly, and I caught the sight of one tear running down his cheek before he managed to twist his profile away. ‘I need to go get a stiffer drink…’

  ‘Take your time…’ Sam called after him, before fixing his bright blue eyes on me. ‘The party’s only just beginning…’

  But Cairo did not respond. I wanted to chase after him, but Sam had scared him away in order to give me the chance to manipulate Kohén, so if I went to comfort Cairo instead, it would all have been for nothing and I couldn’t deal with that. Poor Cairo! And poor Teddy! What a blessing it was that Kohén’s friend had been too out of it since he’d arrived to realise that the man that had slaughtered his family was present here.

  Asshole! I thought, glowering at Sam. Soulless bastard! Evil fucking genius!

  Takes one to know one!

  There’s more to that story than Theodore has reflected on, you know! The people that Cairo killed weren’t innocent- they deserved what they got!

  I know Larkin- I’m not a complete monster, and I know that Cairo isn’t either. Still, you didn’t want him to witness you coming onto Kohén and he won’t now, so I’ve actually spared the bastard going through an ordeal of his own, haven’t I? And that’s more than I can do for myself so what you should be saying is: ‘Thank You Sam!’

  Thank you Sam- but if you think I’m pissed about this now just you WAIT until my humanity kicks back in! This was supposed to be one of the best days of Cairo’s life, now it’s going to be the worst!

  Actually I think given the nature of the story I just shared, we already know that the worst day of his life has come and gone and if he survived that, he’ll survive this too. Besides, that’s what Tomorrows are for, isn’t it? I suggest all three of us just do what we can do to get through today, and have faith that after tomorrow, we’ll never have to go through any of this again. He sighed. And don’t worry- he’s going off to drink his body weight and cry and to try to think of a way to make things right with Teddy, not to do something stupid.

  If you’re lying to me-

  Larkin please! Like I don’t have better things to do then to lie to save your bloody feelings- or his.

  Like what, write erotic books?

  Why? Are you ready for part two? Sorry honey, you’re going to have to hold out for the real thing. No one’s gonna buy the cow, you know…?

  ‘You know, I think I heard about that massacre, years ago,’ Bastien mused, staring at the glass he was idly twirling while wearing a disconcerted expression. ‘Horrible mess it was- I think a girl was kidnapped that night too, and the house with all the bodies in it burned to the ground.’

  ‘What kind of a monster could do such a thing?’ the dwarf asked, sighing sadly. ‘Poor Theodore.’

  ‘Agreed,’ Kohén said, and I was moved by how concerned he suddenly looked for his friend. Moved- and worried. What if he left the party now out of guilt?

  ‘Oh no...’ a female voice purred then, and I rotated in my seat just in time to see a vision in shimmering green slink her way down the stairs, taking her time as I’d instructed her to, while holding her head high. ‘Have I missed dinner?’

  Sam turned around and blinked. ‘Holy shit!’ he furrowed his red brows at me. ‘Is that who I think it is?’

  ‘Yep….’ I smacked my lips together on the ‘p’. ‘She looks good, hey? One might even say… incomparable?’

  Sam gave me an odd look, but Martya sighed then, pressing her hand against her flat, narrow waist while pouting and Sam’s head jerked back her way. ‘Damn, I’m famished! Is there anything left?’ She leaned against the bannister at the foot of the stairs striking a casual albeit striking pose, and a giggle threatened to bubble up out of me like a fountain to realise that she was using all of my tips- at once. That was Martya Rice: all in. ‘I don’t want to put anyone out, but it just took me so long to get into this… I can’t even imagine how long it would take me to get out of it later on…’

  ‘I’ll help you!’ the dwarf stood up and raised his hand. ‘Whatever you need girl. My food, assistance undressing- my eternal devotion...’

  ‘Raithe!’ Kohén smacked him over the head but Martya giggled. ‘Cool it!’

  ‘Big words for a little man,’ Martya teased as she pushed off the bannister and stood tall again. ‘But I’m feeling a bit wild tonight, so how about you flag down a waiter to get me a drink, and we can get this party started, hmm?’ then she turned to say hello to a few of our friends, who’d spotted her and had run over to admire her gown, ignoring Sam completely even though he was practically leaning over the table in his need to get a better look.

  ‘You’re on!’ Raithe clapped his hands together and beckoned over a passing server. ‘Good man! Five bottles of whatever will make me look taller to her!’ and Bastien and I laughed again, first at his wit then again when Kohén suggested a booster seat or stilts. I realised that Sam still hadn’t spoken a word, and when I glanced over at him again and saw that he was still straining to gawk at Martya, I almost hooted with laughter. I couldn’t read his thoughts, but I could tell that it wouldn’t take him long to get Martya out of that dress- not long at all and I was so relieved that I actually sagged down in my chair and fanned my face languidly, trying to stay as invisible as I could for my best friend’s moment in the spotlight, while my other so-called best suffered accordingly.

  ‘Dear God…’ my father said, blinking after Martya with shock. ‘Where did Emm get that gown from? She’s going to be fighting beaus off with a stick in that thing!’

  Good! I thought, triumphant, not only that Martya had made a splash, but that Bastien had remembered to use the alias we’d quickly picked for her that afternoon. I hope Sam gets hit in the head with it in the process, so she chooses someone else! Would serve him right!

  ‘I won’t disagree,’ Kohén whispered as he sat up straighter, and I was annoyed at myself for feeling a flash of jealousy. ‘What a stunning girl.’

  I nodded my head in agreement as I looked back, for Martya truly did look incredible: statuesque, lean, busty and sparkling. Her broad shoulders shimmered with the glitter that was being shaken off the tiny set of wings, and her tail had been fixed to an elastic strap around one of her wrists so that it parted her skirt a little more at the slit, flashing a glimpse of the longest set of legs in Raphael that were smooth and perfectly carved. She was an absolute vision, especially while she was talking and laughing and glowing from the attention like that, and as soon as it had occurred to me to be jealous of her, that jealousy turned into awe and bliss. How lovely it was, to know that I had helped someone else shine! How peaceful it was in my mind now that Sam had been torn from it!

  The tense conversation that we’d only just had about the Selimpor Massacre had taken some of the euphoria out of my body temporarily as my brain had been forced to rise up to the surface of my being, but I shimmered happily again now and finished off the rest of my champagne, wondering if this was how my father felt when his flesh pixelated, and if his flesh pixelated from utter joy because he’d performed so many good deeds in his life. Now that I’d just performed one of my own, I was rather eager to keep doing it!

  ‘I’m utterly in love!’ the dwarf turned to Bastien and asked quietly: ‘Is she spoken for? If not, I’d like permission to commence woo!’

  But it was Sam who responded flatly as he yanked the fresh champagne bottle out of Raithe’s hands, and drunk directly from the neck of it, before getting up to walk over to Martya. ‘Permission d
enied.’

  *

  I slipped my amber ring back on once Sam had successfully managed to pull out a chair for Martya (and slide it back in after her) for I had had it under the napkin on the spare plate next to me all along. I was nervous about making any sudden movements, but I stood up slowly, moved to my father’s side and bent in a curtsy.

  ‘Thank you for inviting me to dinner, your highness, but I must confess, the sounds of the music in the other room are calling to me.’ I stood up straighter. ‘May I join the others at the ball, now? I’m desperate to dance!’

  ‘Of course, my lady,’ my father nodded his head. ‘Go on, dance up a storm! I’m sure Captain Kingslater will make his big entrance soon and you’ll be tethered to his side all night by obligation, so enjoy yourself while you can.’

  ‘Thank you, your grace.’ I curtsied one more quickly, then turned to bow to Kohén. ‘Your highness. It’s been… illuminating.’

  Kohén stood up so quickly he almost knocked his chair over, but I hid my smile and pretended not to notice it. ‘Are you allowed to dance with other people? Even though you came to dinner on the arm of another?’ he caught up to me quickly. ‘In our country, that’s frowned upon.’

  I looked over at Kohén haughtily. ‘In our country, we allow women to consent to spend time with whoever they consent to spend time with, and as Captain Kingslater has already explained, I don’t belong to him… he is the man in my life, not my jailor.’

  ‘What does that mean exactly… the man in your life?’ Kohén gently touched my elbow as he guided me across the room. ‘Do you love him? If you took a shine to another… could you act upon it?’

  I twisted my lips into a pursed smile as we approached the ballroom. ‘Take a shine to another?’ I whipped out my fan again and fluttered it in my face. ‘What a notion! What man in the world could possibly compare to Captain Kingslater?’

  ‘That’s not answering my question.’

  ‘That’s because your question is incredibly personal, your highness-’

  ‘Would you stop calling me your highness, please? How many times do I have to explain that that’s not who I am anymore?’

  I lowered my fan and looked at him, allowing a bit of fake vulnerability to shine through. ‘I’m sorry, Kohén,’ I reached up and touched his jaw tenderly and almost mewled when I felt the spark between his skin and mine. ‘But I’m afraid that in my memories, you will always be the prince that…’ I closed my eyes and shook myself off, walking forward and raising my fan again. ‘Never mind. You’re not that boy anymore, you’re right- I will endeavour to call you Guardian from now on.’

  ‘Erika, wait!’ I sucked in a breath when Kohén caught my hand and then yanked me out the door onto the terrace. I waited for my man-hating claustrophobia to rise up around me like a cloud of soot, but when he backed me into the corner, I felt only amusement- and a bit dizzy.

  ‘What are you doing?’ I glanced over his shoulder as he forced me into a nook between a potted topiary and the white brick wall. ‘Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ll get in if Cairo walks out and sees us like this?’

  ‘I’m not scared of Captain Kingslater, but your threats that I ought to be only further convince me that you are.’

  ‘Well I’m not,’ I snapped, determined to keep his name clean even while it was being thrown around amidst such filthy lies. ‘People like to speculate about our relationship, but only he and I understand how it is and I assure you, he’s been a guardian angel to me.’

  ‘Then why would I get in trouble if he walked out here and saw us together?’

  ‘Because he wants to protect me from men that would do me harm,’ I crossed my arms across my chest, ‘as you’ve already said: your reputation precedes you. If he sees me backed into a corner by a known sex offender, he’ll throw a fist first, and ask questions after.’

  But Kohén stepped forward more, entrancing me with his hypnotic eyes. ‘I’m not trying to force myself on you and I’m fairly certain that I never actual did anything to Larkin that could be considered a sexual offence, but I would very much like to talk to you alone. If I am wrong about Captain Kingslater’s overbearing personality than I apologise, but your co-worker, Lady Lucida, confessed to me that my arrival has sparked Cairo’s jealousy because apparently, you’ve admitted to having a crush on me in the past- one that you developed after we kissed that time.’ He paused, wetting his perfect red lips. ‘Is that true?’

  I flushed from embarrassment, not bashfulness, but all Kohén saw was the flush and his eyes sparked with excitement. ‘So what if it was?’ I asked lightly. ‘That was a long time ago, and as I explained to Cairo- things have changed.’

  ‘Really?’ Kohén squinted at me. ‘Because it kind of seemed like you were flirting with me earlier… both in the hall, and at dinner.’

  But I rolled my eyes again and waved my hand. ‘Oh so what if I was? I had a few tokes of a Devil’s Claw joint earlier to take the edge off my nerves and that made me feel a little scatty-’

  ‘What? How can you smoke that vile weed?’

  ‘Because I don’t have to worry about producing heirs, remember? I can enjoy how dizzy it makes me, and not have to worry even a little about the consequences- except for this one.’ I patted his shoulder. ‘I’m sorry if I mislead you into thinking that I was trying to make some spare cash for the night by servicing your poor, neglected royal cock but don’t worry, the haze is fading from my mind right now and I’m certain that I’ll never flirt with you again.’

  The sparkle faded from Kohén’s eyes then. ‘Because of… what I did?’

  I arched an eyebrow. ‘Would that story not cure any woman of an unhealthy fixation with a ticking time bomb such as yourself?’

  ‘I understand.’ Kohén sighed. ‘But I hope you can understand that I’ve changed since then, Erika. I am desperately trying to atone for how I mishandled that situation, and make no excuses for it. And I am sorry if I hurt you too- it’s not fair that I have left so many people suffering nightmares due to my actions, but am spared any personal recollections of them, and the guilt that ought to come with it.’

  ‘Hurt me?’ I drew my brows together. ‘It was a kiss, your highness, one that was freely given. I hurt myself when I assumed that it meant more to you than it did, and when I built you up to being a God in my head, that’s all- and Cairo will hurt you tenfold if he discovers us discussing it so intimately now!’ I pretended to look around, acting skittish. ‘Ugh I am very cross with Lady Lucida for sharing such a secret with you!’

  ‘But that’s all we’re doing- talking,’ Kohén stepped into me more. ‘And you said that was okay, right...?’ he bit his lip. ‘So please, can’t we talk about the last time we met? I have no memories of my youth, Erika, and am desperate to salvage any that I can! What did we talk about that night? How did I act?’

  I frowned up at him. ‘I thought you said you’d changed? That you know that it’s wrong to force yourself onto a girl?’

  Fear flitted behind Kohén’s eyes. ‘I have, I swear it!’

  I pressed my hand to my chest. ‘Then stop trying to force me to feel for you, please? I can’t bear it. I’ve done all I can to get through this evening without breaking down, but if you keep…’ I lowered my face and made to move past him, but Kohén caught my arm and spun me around, then turned himself so that we were facing one another again, this time with him in the corner. Once he had his gaze locked on mine, he released me and lifted his hands.

  ‘I won’t touch you,’ he swore, keeping his hands up, and his eyes were an earnest, neon blue that made my heart skip too many beats to count. ‘Just tell me… was I gentleman? Was I tender, at least?’

  I stared at him, confounded. Seriously, who was this guy? ‘Tender?’ I repeated, taking a step back towards him. ‘You want to know if you were tender with me? Will that make you feel better about how you treated that demon girl?’

  Kohén’s face crumpled and he shook his head. ‘No,’ he croaked. ‘No it won’t.
But it might give me hope to think that there was more to me, then what I’ve been told. That I was more than just a barbaric monster.’

  My heart felt like it had been folded in two, and when he turned away to face out to the lawn, gripping the railing and starring up at the Fallen Forest in the distance, I wasn’t sure if I sighed out of resignation, or empathy. ‘You were more than a barbarian, your highness,’ I said softly, coming up behind him to rest my hand on his shoulder. ‘In fact, I was told that you were quite the romantic, not just in matters of the heart, but every aspect of your life. Gentle, loving, clever… you worked very hard, trying to become the man that everyone expected you to grow up to be, and you spoke warmly of Larkin of Eden when we met. In fact, you told me that you kissed me because you feared what kissing one of your own girls would change.’

  Kohén turned around, his beautiful face full of angst. ‘That seems like a cruel thing to say, not tender.’

  But I shook my head and smiled warmly. ‘No, it was honest and considerate. You’d made a deal with her to get her out of there long before you fell in love with her, and you were determined to see it through, regardless of how tortured you were by her proximity. In my eyes, you looked like a hero for my kind, and until I learned of how you slipped in the end, I went on believing that was the case, so the crush developed organically- you did not force anything on me, not at all.’ I came to stand at the rail beside him. ‘I have been furious with you since for giving into the temptation and hurting her beyond belief, but I wanted you to kiss me that night we met, Prince Kohén. I wasn’t going to get out of my harem and I hated it, but for the first time ever, I craved the touch of a prince’s mouth against mine, and when you did it…’ I closed my eyes and hummed softly, and when I opened them again, I could feel the intensity of his gaze burning down my profile and neck. ‘God… it was like an answered prayer.’

  The world was becoming heavy and foggy, but Kohén turned and cut through that fog so that it broke apart and then enshrouded us. ‘Really?’