Chapter 22
She was drop-dead grade A gorgeous with long hair of iron gray that gleamed silver and hung to her waist. Her eyes were pools of emerald water that shimmered like the ocean at midnight with lashes as thick and sultry as a fawn's. Murphy pushed my mouth shut and grinned.
"You made him speechless, Zip," he said. "Not that he was a chatterbox before. She cleans up pretty good, huh? Unlike me."
I tore my eyes away from the willowy goddess in green silk and spared him a quick study. His hair was cut neatly on his neck, shaved and dressed in a fitted suit of tunic, pants and leather boots that laced up. He wore dark blue with silver accents, a belt hung from his waist with a sword and one of those tube weapons.
"A sword, Murphy?"
"I find myself with an inexplicable urge to wield one," he admitted. "I used to fool with fencing in high school. They say I'm not half bad, it might just save my life."
"How are you feeling, Jade?" She asked me and I recognized the voice.
"Okay," I checked myself. I was on a couch in the room I'd woke up in before and someone had pulled off my clothes, thrown a thin coverlet over me. I wasn't completely naked, but close. I hugged the covers to my chest and prayed nothing bulged where it shouldn't. Peop le were coming and going, bringing clothing and a huge tub made of copper looking metal. Two of them filled it with water that came from a spigot on one wall.
Zip gestured. "We let you sleep as long as we could, Lord Jadewyn, but it is time to bathe, dress and make ready for the Ceremony."
"What Ceremony?" I wasn't getting up and walking in front of her in my skivvies. Murph pulled on the covers and I fought him. "Murph," I growled, reddening, and he stopped.
"Jade, who do you think took care of you when yo u were sick, pottied, and washed you?
Held you when you puked? It wasn't me."
Oh great. Now I had more images to embarrass me.
"That's okay, Murphy," she said softly wrapping the covers around me and helping me out. "One of these men are gentlemen of the Bath and will help you, Lord Jadewyn." She pulled me over to the tub and I smelled the scents of spice and forests. The water was hot and frothed as my fingers trailed through it.
"Uh, you're not gonna watch, are you?"
"No." She gestured, they pulled a sort of screen around the tub, and one of them took me from her grip. She planted a kiss on my cheek and I was glad I was not facing her. My dick woke up with pointed enthusiasm. I leaped into the tub, clothes, sheet and all; buried my head under the water. Came up seconds later with a shout at the scalding temperature of the water.
"Holy shit! That's hot!"
Now, they were all laughing at me. Zip still stood there, soaking wet and her gown clung to every loving curve and made me harden even more. I groaned and b it my lip.
"Sorry. God, I'm such a dick," I mumbled, and Murphy pushed my head under so that bubbles from my words flew up my nose.
He pulled me up, choking and sputtering seconds later and said in my ear, "she's gone, Jade. You‘re safe. Stupid but safe." He patted me on the cheek and left me to the tender ministrations of the Bath staff scrubbed me as if to remove my skin. They rubbed lotions on me, did my hair and my nails, and treated me to a bruising massage even down to the soles of my feet. They left me weak, boneless, a bottom feeding fish.
It took three of them an hour to dress me, creating the garment on me. It fit like a second skin yet was loose enough to fight in; some kind of black stuff like leather but thinner, slippery to touch with a dull shine. It was a uniform of sorts and over the left breast was a spray of stars and comet tails in silver. The collar was high and pointed, edged in silver, as were the cuffs of the long square sleeves. The closure down the front was like Velcro, no buttons or zippers. The pants were snug in the crotch and when I pulled at it, I realized it had almost a built in cup. When I smacked it, I couldn't feel it on my balls. That would be handy in case of a kick in the nuts. I didn't like the way it crawled between the cracks of my ass and turned suspiciously to the tailor/dresser working on me. "This thing have underwear underneath? I'm not wearing no thong, right?" I dug around under the waistband and found the ties of a silky pair of pants. I readjusted everything inside with relief. Last on were silky socks and leather boots. They came halfway up my calves like riding boots, complete with spurs of silver. The boots stopped before they rubbed on the bite from the Druz. I poked it, found only a residual tenderness.
"It will only be a scar," Murphy told me. "You look very fine, very… Princely."
I would have punched him if I hadn't felt so limp. The valet placed some kind of jewelry around my neck. A thick chain from which dangled the coin that was a replica of mine and a sword's hilt covered with jewels and gold wiring around the scabbard. I pulled out the pommel of the sword and saw a short blade wrought of gleaming steel engraved with words not in English, but rather like old Celtic. I understood it.
'I serve Justice on the first blow and spill no Innocent Blood lest I be Tarnished and Weakened.'
The end of the pommel was a silver animal's head, like the face of a lion with chips of ruby colored stones for eyes. The guard was brass colored but harder and silver wire curled the edges of the cup. It was a pretty blade and well balanced for all that it was a deadly weapon. I had no idea how to use it. I shoved it back into its sheath. "I'll probably cut off something important of my own," I muttered. "I'm good with a hocke y stick, not a pig sticker." I looked up.
"Now what? I'm clean, duded up and ready for this… par-tee."
"They'll come get us when they're ready. Relax. You don't have to do anything but walk down the aisle and accept the command from King and Emperor."
"Command?" I shrieked. "Command of what?"
"You are their war leader, Jade. You've already put a major crimp in the Druz's advance by Terra-forming the Fangmoor Ridge." He paused. "Are you going to put it back when you're done?"
"How the hell do I know? I don't really know how I did in the first place."
Oriel and Belywyn bowed their way into my room. They were dressed in robes so ornate; I wondered how they managed to bend their heads and arms. They walked as if in a carton of cardboard.
"My Lord Jadewyn, are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be. Let's get this over." I followed them out and was escorted by an honor guard, my bodyguard and courtiers. At the head of the procession was a man carrying a flag with the standard of Fangmoor, a blue and black square with a white stylized mountain peak.
We marched down towards the end of the hallway where a raised platform stood and seated in a horseshoe shape were nobles dressed with as much bling as any Royal British ceremonial. I even saw capes with fur on them. I spotted Zip and she gave me a quick smile. I saw Revenal Juris and the Elders from the Celene Foundation. Everyone else was beside or behind me.
I faced the man with a short-cropped steel-gray hair and emerald hard eyes. He wore a slight goatee, one of the few I'd seen with facial hair. He had a crown on his brows shaped like a twisted wire and in each link was a green stone. My stone was abruptly in my palm and glowing, resonating with the stones in his. I dropped to one knee, this man deserved respect and obeisance without question. I knew without anyone telling me, he was my cousin.
"My Lord," I whispered my hand going to my left shoulder. He pressed his own into me.
"Jadewyn of Fanglock and… Earth," his voice was deep and throaty. He pulled me up onto my feet. "I meet you at last, cousin. I have met your warrior friend, Murphy. A fine fighter, excellent expert shooter, a loyal friend. I am Fetherwyn."
"Yes. He is that." My voice was dry.
"Let me introduce you to your family." I met more cousins, uncles, aunt and a grandfather. He looked like me in a weird way and when he saw me, his face blanched and he whispered my father's name.
"Yes," Lord/King Fetherwyn smiled. "He does bear a strong resemblance to Jethelyn. He was my favorite nephew. So, tell me of your life on this plane called… Earth."
I spent the next six hours meeting family and telling them of my life as a teenager. High school and SWAT fascinated them. It wasn't until I'd been passed around to the entire general staff that I realize my mind was being p icked for military experience, and I quickly learned to bypass them all to Murphy, who owned a prodigious amount of historical battle plans.
"You know, Murphy, you ought to be the Tactical Adviser," I said and no sooner than the words were out, he was pulled away and made so. Towards the moonrise – there were three, I finally found a quiet corner and was hiding in it when Zip tracked me down and sat next to me.
We spent another couple of hours talking about stuff and each other, giggling like teenagers. I went to bed dreaming of a princess.