'When He created you lying in bed
He knew what He was doing
He was drunk and He was high
and He created the mountains and the sea and fire at the same time.'

-Charles Bukowski
***

His father was finally dead.

He was officially the King now.
Nobody will be able to debate the fact.

Algar felt the weight of his father's hand in his, as he peered closely at his ashen face.

His wrinkled skin hung on high cheekbones; his eyes- those formidable grey eyes that had always intimidated him to an alarming extent, were closed to the world.

The royal physician, and a slew of maids and guards, stood surrounding him, but all he could hear was the enthralling cheer of an invisible crowd, as they celebrated their new king.

"Your Highness, we have to get the body ready for the funeral."

There was an infliction of sympathy in the physician's voice as he approached him. Algar gathered that the man probably considered him as the mourning son. He looked up at him with glazed eyes.

"Now?"

The older man seemed to hesitate, throwing an uneasy look at the limp hand he held. He answered with a simple nod of his head.

Algar took a quivering breath- overwhelmed with the knowledge of the unmitigated power he now held.

He then took another look at his father's hand. The ostentatious ruby, glinting on the gold band on his finger, beckoned to him. It had always fascinated him. The ring was the symbol of the royal family, passed down through generations.
And now, it was finally his turn to don it.

With a carefully-restrained excitement, he pulled the ring out.

Several shocked gasps were heard around the room. He could feel their reproving gazes on his back- doubtlessly outraged by his action.

They must have expected a forlorn son, inconsolable at his father's death.

To hell with them.

He was their King now. He did not care if they termed him a shame for a son. All that mattered now, was the weight of the ring as he slid it on his finger.

Straightening with a hardly-contained jubilation, Algar faced the others.

"Get the body ready. We'll have the funeral tomorrow itself. And the soon after that, my coronation."

Walder, standing near the far corner, cleared his throat to disrupt the stunned silence.

"Of course, Your Highness."
______________________________________

"The King is dead?"

Rayna's heart thudded in her chest, as she gaped at Zaryna's sombre face.

After hours of waiting for some news regarding the King's health, she had already expected something of this sort.
However, hearing it was even more jarring than she had thought.

"The Prin-King asked me to relay his regrets for not being able to visit you as often as before."

Rayna schooled the perfect look of pretend disappointment, hoping for it to fool the gullible woman before her.

She could not let her discover the relief she felt upon hearing the words. That boorish lout will not be tormenting her with his presence...what more could she ever ask for?

"Alas! There is not much that can be done to rectify that. Please let him know that I will be eagerly waiting for him. For now, his Kingdom needs him more. "

She was appeased to know that her promise to her father had proven to be true. Now, Algar would be far too busy with the state of affairs here, to even spare her people another thought.
All she had to do in the meantime, was to pray for her son's safety, and try to devise a way to escape this purgatory.
______________________________________

Algar was restless with need. It had been more than a month since he last spent some fulfilling time with Rayna.

All their recent encounters had been brief, leaving him itching for more.
He wanted to have his sweet time with her, to seek pleasure in every dip and curve of her delectable body. But with the hustle and bustle of the court, he had found himself short of time.

Soon after the coronation, he had taken upon himself to take full rein of the entire court. Even the ministers who had been reluctant to bow before him earlier, now found no other choice, but to follow his every whim.

He derived an ecstatic thrill to see the old geezers bending to his will. But more than that, he enjoyed having Rayna's supple body pressed against his.

His strides quickened as he neared her chamber. He had finally managed to squeeze some time for a visit, and wanted not let even a single second go to waste.

The guards stationed outside, bowed as he approached. He could not bother to give them a single glance.
His tone was strained as he ordered.

"I want no disturbance."
______________________________________

"Get out."

The maid wasted no time in rushing out, leaving Rayna sitting in front of him, her hair damp from a recent wash.

"My King."

Algar's breath caught in his throat as he ran his eyes along the length of her figure.

Oh, how he had been yearning for her!

"You are a treat to the eyes."

Her seductive smile beckoned him closer. He found himself moving towards her with impatient steps. She stood up to face him, her eyes full of promises.

"I have been waiting for you."

Algar noticed the sharp outline of the unmistakable bump through the fabric of her robe, with a start. She had seemed to grow considerably over the last week. There was no mistaking the girth of her waist, or the heaviness of her breasts.

He drunk her luscious appearance in a heady stupor.

"Is something the matter? You seem unwell, My King."

Her soft tone, brought him out of his trance, and he lifted his lips in a cocky smile.

"You are a marvellous creature, love."

She lowered her lashes with a chiming laugh.

"So you tell me time and again."

When she looked at him next, there was a twinge of concern in her eyes,

"You mustn't overwork yourself. There are others for that. You are the King of this land, afterall."

Her statement, intensified his thirst, and he found himself incapable of waiting.

With a firm, but careful pull, he had her flush against him. His hand found itself buried in the confines of her silken locks, as he kissed her fervently.

"Yes, I am. I am your King."
______________________________________

Her King? Huh.
In his bloody dreams.

The only place the scoundrel occupied in her head, was that of an insufferable scourge.

Rayna wanted to laugh in his face. Sometimes, she had to gather all her will, just to stop herself from cursing him outright for his delusions.

The cur fancied her to be smitten by him! Him! The very man who had torn her away from her family, and forced to surrender all shreds of dignity.

He was mad to think that.

The only way she will ever be happy on his account, would be upon his death.

But she knew it was an implausible dream. He was in control of her life for now. And till she found some other way to escape, she had to be in his grace.

The past month had been a breath of relief. To be spared of his constant visits, had been no short of a boon. On the occasions he did visit her, she tried to keep herself as detached from the task of pleasing him, as possible.

The knowledge that her son was safe, and growing healthy, was enough to keep her going.

Just this past week, she had felt him move for the first time. It had been a beautiful moment- one where her son seemed to reassure her of his presence. She knew she had to persevere. For his sake.

Her rounded abdomen had become more swollen, leaving no room for any doubt regarding her condition. She knew Zaryna had long suspected it, but the woman had not spoken a word to her on the topic.

As for the others, Rayna knew Algar had not told many about her predicament. With the way she was kept hidden in like a treasured possession, she wouldn't be surprised if it was secret to everybody else.

"I wish I could stay here longer."

Algar spoke in a muffled voice, as he nuzzled the column of her throat.
She indulged him with a gratified chuckle, trying not to grit her teeth in the process.

"You are the King. Nobody can stop you from doing what you want."

She made sure to keep her tone one of reverence.
It always worked to her favour.

She knew he craved praises. She left no opportunity of fuelling his pride, or stroking his ego, with a praise here and there. It accomplished the task of keeping him pleased with her, as also the one of making herself indispensable for him.

She could see that he was addicted to her.
He could hardly go a few days, without seeking her company.
She had even managed to comfort him to the point, where he did not hesitate to disclose parts of himself to her. He no longer guarded himself in her presence, leaving himself susceptible to her ministrations.

There were times when Rayna wanted to laugh at his idiocy.
The boy was as inexperienced in the fine art of ruling, as a toddler!

If only his father had been able to grill some sense in him...

All he was capable of, was using his power to instil abject fear amongst his subjects. She could already sense some wariness in him.

He seemed much agitated since his coronation. Till now, he had been acting in the shadow of his father. The knowledge of the King's death however, must have left many of his supports frustrated.

Algar had aften disclosed his discontentment, for having to work with such difficult ministers. Now that his father was dead, he must have realised the actual burden of governing the entire kingdom.
He must have realised that being a King doesn't only mean giving blatantly arbitrary orders; he now had to take accountability for his actions, and face the dissatisfaction of the court.

Earlier, all the accountability of his actions were shouldered by the ailing King. And the people, being loyal subjects to him, had been sympathetic of his frail condition, and avoided voicing their outright protests.

Now, the situation was different. Their King- the one they had sworn their loyalty to- was dead. And his heir- the unpredictable and mercurial boy who now occupied the throne, did not warrant much of that loyalty for himself.
It was only a matter of time, that the public sentiment snapped, and Algar found himself facing the boiling discontent and civil unrest.
But that was a possibility for some other day. For the near future, this boy will have complete control over the fates of his subject- including hers.

"You always know what t-"

His appeased words were cut short by a surprised exclamation, his hands stopping in the motion of rubbing across her stomach.

"What was that?"

Rayna, confused by the sudden wonder in his voice, frowned.

"I do not understand..."

Algar pointed to her stomach, before repeating himself.

"I just felt something there."

Understanding dawned over Rayna, and she smiled warmly.

"That, I'm afraid, is my son expressing his presence. He often does that these days."

"Oh."

His eyes were still fixated at her midsection, and for a short moment, Rayna dreaded if he wanted to hurt her son.

But before she could voice her concerns, she was met with Algar's soft gaze. He held a palm over her swollen belly, with a content smile.

"He will be an active one."

Her heart soared with a strange feeling. It felt inherently wrong- to share this moment with this man.
But for the love of nature, she couldn't bring herself to be angry.

She was happy- more than she had been in a long while. And even this wretched boy was not going to dampen her spirits.

She beamed at him without inhibition, not caring for the strange look in his eyes, and replied eagerly,

"Yes, I believe he will be."
______________________________________

"Are you listening, Your Highness?"

Walder's weary voice bounced over Algar. Nevertheless, he indulged the man with a nod of his head.

The truth was, that while Walder reported to him about the recent uprisings in few of the western clans, all Algar could think of, was the delicious fragrance of a particularly bewitching woman.
The moments from yesterday, tortured his mind.

"- talking about the subject of your marriage."

The end of Walder's statement, drained through Algar's foggy mind, causing him to straighten in alertness.

"Marriage?"

Walder seemed unaffected by his clueless tone. He looked at him with restrained patience, fully aware of his misplaced attention since the last half an hour.

"Yes, Your Highness. The court is worried about the future of the Kingdom. Now that you are the King, it is your duty to find a proper alliance and secure a marriage for yourself. The sooner we have an heir, the better it would be for the stability of your rule. Until then, the tongues will keep wagging. The situation is quite volatile at the moment. I suggest you take urgent consideration of the matter."

Algar sat still for next several minutes, contemplating Walder's words.

He could see the legitimacy of the suggestion. It was indeed a pressing matter. He needed to find a wife; and he needed to do that fast.

There was no shortage of the women he could have; but there was a persistent nagging in the corner of his mind. That feeling spread to his palms, as they quivered with the memory of being pressed against Rayna's abdomen.
He could still feel the moment of the child beneath his skin.

The answer was suddenly floating before his very eyes. He almost laughed at the convenience of it.

"There no need for that, Walder. I do not need to find a wife for myself. I already have her here."

Walder looked comically puzzled.

"Your Highness?"

Algar looked up to him with a blissful grin.

"I am to marry Rayna."

Walder appeared too shocked to say anything, giving him the opportunity to continue,

"Have the court prepared for the ceremony. Also, inform everyone of the news, that I am soon to be a father. The Kingdom will have its heir."

The man let out a horrified objection,

"It cannot be, Your Highness! She is a married woman! Everyone is aware of that fact. Also, wi-with child? Are you certain it is yours? It might very well be the spawn of that-"

Algar's stony face stopped him mid-sentence.

"I think keeping your mouth shut will act in your best interest...Are you trying to challenge the validity of my claim? Do you accuse me of spreading baseless lies?"

"No, Your Highness! Of course, not. But-"

"-But I will be very happy to indulge you in the consequences of your actions, if you speak another word."

Taking a deep breath, Walder continued in a compelling tone,

"I do not think you understand the severity of this, Your Highness...That woman is married in the eyes of the people. The court will never accept her. This will have the opposite effect than the one we intended."

Algar felt his patience slip. The elation of the last few seconds, turned to irritation.

Why couldn't Walder see the merit of this arrangement?

"I do not think I require your, or anybody else's, permission to get married. I have already decided. I will wed Rayna. It will be wise for you to remember that the customs of our land are much different from the one she comes from. Their pagan rituals are not valid in the eyes of our law. And in that case, no one can object to our marriage; not when her previous union is as good as a sham."

Algar sprung to his feet with a new-found enthusiasm.

"Oh, what a brilliant mind I have!"

He laughed with mirth, slapping a perturbed Walder on his back.

"Why the tensed face, Walder? You ought to be happy for your ruler. I just informed you that I am going to be father soon. Isn't this a matter of celebration?"

Walder's lips curved in an unnerved smile.

"O-Of course, I am happy. It is a matter of great joy."

Algar grinned widely.

"That is the spirit. Now, I require an addict edict to be passed before the end of the day, making all the required announcements. Also, send for the royal physician to attend to Rayna. My son needs care and looking after."

He made his way towards the door, eager to visit Rayna, and relay the blissful news to her. Just as he had reached the doorway, he stopped and looked back at Walder with a chilling smile,

"Ah! I forgot to mention one more thing...If anyone has any objections to this union, or if anyone has any protest to raise- ask them to convey them to me directly. I will be more than happy to clear all their doubts."
______________________________________

Gillian stood at the entrance of the Chieftain's hut; his hands clammy with sweat.

He had been in the arena, undertaking the training of his men, when a guard had informed him about the chieftain's summon.

After being secluded to the confines of his hut for the entirety of the past month, Gillian had not been expecting the chieftain to call for him.

He also knew that facing him would mean facing the guilt that had been gnawing at him constantly.
With regret settling heavy in the pit of his stomach, Gillian proceeded to enter the hut.

"You're here."

Edgar's voice was hoarse as he stood up from his chair. The face that greeted him, was that of an unrecognisable man.

"Chieftain."

Gillian's voice was little more than a whisper; his eyes lowered to the ground.

Edgar felt his heart clench upon seeing the man before him. He knew what was plaguing Gillian; knew that he was mourning the loss of his family, just like himself.

His bent frame, hollow expression and guilt-ridden composure, was enough to disclose the misery in his heart.

Edgar recalled what he had heard from the men- that there was hardly a time when Gillian wasn't in the arena. He beat himself to exhaustion, punishing his body for hours altogether. He seldom ate or drank; and judging from the shadows beneath his eyes, hardly ever slept.

The concern on the men's faces, had compelled Edgar to arrange this meeting. He could not let him wither away like this.

Edgar smiled morosely, striding towards him with heavy steps. Reaching him, he kept a comforting hand on his shoulder,

"Son, how long are you going to suffer like this? It was not your fault."

His words caused Gillian's head to snap towards him; and just as he had predicted, his gaze was suffused with shame and regret.

"Chieftain? I-"

"No, Gillian. I know what you are feeling. I also know that you are hell bent on punishing yourself. But you have to listen to me, when I tell you that it wasn't your fault.
If anyone is to be blamed, it's me. My helplessness mocks me. I know my daughter is held captive, but I cannot do anything to save her. I can only await her return, as she suffers through hell.
Even if I march my men to the palace gates, I know I will only be taking them to their deaths and putting her to a greater risk. I cannot do that to my people. I am just a worthless man, with nothing but a title to his name."

Gillian shook his head fervently.

"No, Chieftain! You are this clan's hope. You are our honour. You have done everything possible to save Rayna. It was all my fault. If I had won that fight-"

"-Which you couldn't have. The result of that fight was predetermined. I, however, could have been more patient with the negotiation. I shouldn't have lost my composure with that bastard."

Gillian's eyes were filled with fury as he strode towards the centre of the hut.

"You were absolutely within your rights to do that. What father could ever keep his cool in the face of such a situation? I told you- it was my fault. I should have tried to save her the day they abducted her. I have failed you miserably, Chieftain."

Edgar sighed heavily, knowing that his words would have little effect on Gillian. He saw his fists clenched, knuckles white with its force.

"What is done, is done Gillian. I called you here because you are the only family I have left. My daughter-"

His voce broke, and tears pooled into his eyes at the mention of his darling daughter.
Avoiding Gillian's sympathetic gaze, he cleared his throat and continued,

"I can feel you pain, because your suffering is the same as mine; probably even more than mine. You have lost your child- just like I have lost mine. But you have also lost your wife. And I can only fathom the extent of your sorrow.
I will not ask you to smile, for that would be a deception. But we have to stay strong for Rayna, son. I know my daughter. I know her courage. She has given her word for her safety, and we must trust her. I have faith that she will retu-"

Edgar winced against the sharp pain that enveloped his heart, and clutched his chest.

In another second, Gillian was beside him, holding him up by the elbows.

"Chieftain!"

"Oh, I am alright! It is just weakness."

He wheezed out the words with struggle. He would not let Gillian know about his recent affliction. The man had enough to worry about.

"You ought to rest, Chieftain."

Edgar let Gillian lead him to his bed, laying down with a groan.

"A small rest is all I need. Do not stress about me, son. Just take care of yourself. Stop overexerting your body. If you have anything weighing upon your heart, talk to me. I have always considered you my son, Gillian. Before Rayna comes back, we have to renew our spirits. For when she returns, we have to be strong enough to lend her our courage."

Gillian nodded his head softly, pulling the sheets over Edgar's worryingly frail body.

"Of course, Chieftain. But for now, you have to rest; so that you can awaken with a renewed vigour. Our people need their leader."

Edgar murmured something, too quiet for Gillian's ears. Before he could ask him what it was, the man was already slipping into slumber.

Gillian left the tent with a strange foreboding, fearing that somehow, the worst was yet to come.
______________________________________

Author's Note-

Hello to all my wonderful readers!

I hope you all are doing fine.☘

We have 3 more chapters left. I'll probably be updating weekly.
(🤞🏽)

Back to the story,
I know things are going berserk!

So....

Thoughts?

😆😆😆

Enjoy the ride!

Till the next time👋