Blind to Men (6 page)

She felt ravenous.
Playing with her protector’s cock was gratifying indeed, but tended to leave
her hungry. The stew brought by Kylor’s friend, the proprietor of the inn, was
very tasty and a delicious smell wafted from the platters. Chewing on potatoes and
beef, she gazed around her.

The noise in the crowded
central room of the 'Fair Knave' hurt her ears as men appeared busy eating, drinking,
talking, smoking pipes and playing games. There were men everywhere.

She basked in the sight
of the real world. Obviously, all these people had already been there when she
arrived with Kylor at the 'Fair Knave' a short while ago. But she had still
been under the curse at the time. Now, she was able to see and hear them. And
they saw her too.

Tall, big, and hairy,
they looked similar to Kylor. Yet none of them were as pleasing to look at as
her guardian. Being able to watch those men excited her, like a new world at
last revealing itself.

At the same time, an odd,
out of place sensation surged in her as their stares began to bother her. The
men's eyes on her were disturbing in a manner she had trouble expressing.

"This is strange,
Kylor. I'll need time to get used to men."

Across the table, he
cocked an eyebrow while helping himself to another platter of stew.

"How so?"

"They’re all
watching me, and it's disturbing. I guess it's my imagination, but I don’t feel
comfortable."

"It has nothing to
do with your imagination. They
are
looking at you."

Considering his reply,
she struggled to come up with a logical explanation for the men's strange
behavior.

"Why?"

A hint of a smile wavered
on Kylor's firm lips. He put his spoon down and leaned toward her.

"You don’t realize
how lovely you are. They find you attractive and they all want to stick their
dicks in you."

She gasped. Certain he
wouldn't lie to her, she tilted her head toward them, her gaze rapidly sweeping
around the room.

"Do they?"

"Without a shadow of
a doubt."

Enlightened, she now recognized
the twinkle in their eyes, for she had seen that same look when Kylor stared at
her naked body.

"I'd never have
guessed."

Her surprise didn't
escape her guardian's notice. Frowning, he looked down at his stew and spoke in
a funny voice.

"Would you let them,
Anya? Would you allow these strangers to put their cocks inside you?"

"Would it be
bad?"

"Not really."

His denial sounded false
to her new sense of hearing, yet she didn't interrupt him as he added an
explanation.

"As far as
copulating is concerned, there is no good or bad. Only attraction and
satisfaction."

"Copulating?"

She added this new word
to the list she'd started making in her mind. The record still contained few
entries, but given time and lengthy consideration, it would be much longer
soon.

"You've always lived
on a farm. Don't tell me you haven't seen dogs mounting bitches or bulls riding
cows?"

"Of course, I
have."

She never was blind to
animals, male or female, but that didn't mean she understood everything.

"I just wasn’t sure
what they were doing."

Jaws tight, Kylor drained
his goblet with two long gulps then poured more wine into it.

"It's called
coupling, or mating. Sometimes fornicating."

"Then you and I have
coupled?"

"Yes, Anya."

"I really like
mating with you."

"The pleasure is
mine, but you didn’t answer my question."

She looked at the men
sitting around the tables: all similar, yet different, and none of them Kylor. She
pushed her hair back, letting her gaze drift across the room but not one of
them stirred any emotion in her.

"The only man I want
to copulate with is you. Why do you ask?"

"Because the mere idea
of another man touching you and enjoying your beautiful body . . ."

His intense blue gaze
drilled into hers while he tightened his fingers around the goblet.

"I'd feel angry,
jealous, and sad. Do you understand?"

"I think I do."

She realized her life up
to now had been far too secluded. She wasn’t familiar with many emotions, and
she resented it.

The curse had protected
her in a peculiar way, but that same spell also deprived her of sentiments and practical
understanding regarding simple facts of life. Although the knowledge would come
in time, she felt like an infant trying to stand on tottering legs. Kylor’s
teachings were engraved in mind however, and an idea blossomed.

"Would you like to
mount me like a bitch?"

His eyes darkened
instantly and he just stared at her, speechless. Waiting for his answer, she
perceived her question excited him. Then he took her hands in his to stroke the
tender skin on the inside of her wrists.

"What if I undressed
you, Anya? What if I touched you breasts and caressed your sweet pussy? Would
you like me to mount you?"

The mental picture of
their naked bodies turned her special place into moist warmth. She thought of a
great bull riding a cow. She thought of Kylor riding her, and the words flowed
out.

"Perhaps later I can
. . . ?"

"You turn me on, my
devilish lady."

He cut her short, but she
didn't mind in the least as he let go of her hands to reach under the table.

"My cock's so hard,
I long for your touch."

She felt hot all over,
her skin tingling. She might have said more, but Kylor’s friend appeared and
placed two slices of pie in front of them.

"Straight from the
oven."

As she'd learned earlier,
his name was Barley, a charming man whose open smile lit his whole face.

"I’m very proud of
my pies."

About Kylor’s age, both
men seemed to get on well. She tasted the pastry before looking at Barley who
was clearing up the remnants of their supper.

"It's a very savory
dish."

"Thank you. I hoped
you’d like it."

As he went back to his kitchen,
she wished she knew more about her protector and his life before they came
together.

"How long have you
known your friend?"

"Since we were
children. We used to train together, but even back then, the life of a warrior
didn’t appeal to him."

"What about
you?"

"My father told me
once I was born to fight. I guess he was right."

This was yet another word
to add to her list. Listening to her guardian always proved to be interesting
and exciting.

"What’s a
father?"

"My mistake, Anya. I
forgot you wouldn’t know about that."

Kylor brought a piece of
pie to his lips and chewed with eagerness. He curled his mouth into a grin but
set his spoon down.

"It takes a man and
a woman to have a child. They're the father and mother. I told you one of my
relatives hid you and brought you back to your rightful mother. Do you
remember?"

How could she forget such
an important part of Kylor's earlier revelations? When she nodded, he breathed
in.

"He was my
father."

"Dear spirits, I owe
him my life. I'd love to thank him."

She touched her
guardian's fingers, a wave of profound gratefulness swelling her heart. As
though he feared she'd ask him a question he wasn't prepared to answer, he
stared at his dish. But she wouldn't let him off the hook.

"Do I have a
father?"

She instantly sensed a new
tension in him. Kylor retrieved his hand from hers and dipped into his pie. An
uncomfortable silence lingered between them until he muttered under his breath.

"I think you
do."

"Who is he? Do you
know him?"

Her protector appeared
decidedly embarrassed but was saved from answering as Barley came up to them
once more.

"Kylor, your
visitor's in your room."

"Thanks, we'll see
him now."

Barley nodded. She waited
for him to leave them before she looked at her warrior.

"Who is it?"

He ignored her enquiry.
He stood up instead, circled the table and offered her his arm to lead her up
the stairs to their room. When he opened the door, a man stood beside the bed.

He was tall, quite old,
with a short, white beard giving him an air of wisdom and blue eyes which
reflected both kindness and severity. After closing the door, Kylor bowed and
performed the introductions.

"Anya, this is my
father, the wizard Xandor."

Was she supposed to bow?
To kneel? A single thought running through her mind, she jumped to the older
man’s neck and hugged him.

"Thank you. You
saved me and I'll be eternally grateful to you."

"You're most
welcome, my child."

Despite her tight embrace,
he managed to extract himself from her arms and quirked his eyebrows just as
Kylor commented for his benefit.

"She's an impulsive
young woman."

"Indeed, she
is."

"Are you a real
wizard?"

Although she butted in
with more enthusiasm than politeness dictated, Xandor seemed to be amused.

"Before the curse
was broken, didn't you ask yourself why you were able to see my son?"

"Of course, I
did."

"And I trust he
didn't reveal my secret because I asked him not to. It's a simple matter
really, I just put a spell on Kylor enabling you to see and hear one another. Now,
I need to know when the curse was lifted."

"Not long ago."

She replied hastily, happy
to be of service and to tell him something she knew.

"It happened while
Kylor and I were copulating."

"A yellow light
glowed and came out of my body. Believe me, it was all very strange. I
felt—"

Xandor raised his hand,
interrupting her. Only then did she notice his expression of renewed amusement
as well as Kylor’s awkward grin. Her protector took hold of her hand to pacify
her zeal.

"Father knows how
the curse was broken."

Unsure as to why he looked
somewhat embarrassed, she turned to the wizard who dismissed the moment.

"We need to act,
children. Anya must be presented at court tomorrow but her presence has to be
kept secret till then."

"What do you
suggest, Father?"

"We must sneak her
into the castle tonight. The royal guard is searching for her all over the land
yet I'm fairly certain the fortress is the last place the soldiers will look
into."

"Good plan. We
should bring her up there at once."

When she heard the wizard
would take her to the castle of Palance, eager anticipation coursed through
her. She'd finally see the castle she had dreamed about so often. Kylor's hand
strayed to the hilt of his sword but Xandor grabbed him by the shoulders.

"No, my son. You
aren’t coming with us."

"Of course I am. I
don't care what—"

Her sudden step forward
cut him short. Fearing an unseen danger, she pointed a finger at the wizard.

"I'm not going
anywhere without Kylor and I won't change my mind. Why would he not come?"

"Because he broke
the curse and—"

"Enough,
Father!"

Kylor lashed out in a forbidding
tone. As he stood his ground, his defiant stare sent flutters down her belly.

"I need to see Anya
safe in the castle. I don't mean to undermine your authority but I will disobey
you if I have to."

Father and son stared at
each other, yet not as enemies. The intense look of concern in the wizard’s
eyes disturbed her. Sensing great peril, she grabbed her protector’s arm and
stepped closer to him.

"What is it, Kylor?
What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing."

Though he gave her a
reassuring smile, he replied much too quickly for her taste. Her mixed feeling
of apprehension and anxiety lingered even when he circled an arm around her
shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm
not leaving you."

She moved into his safe
embrace and let him stroke her cheek. A strong emotion swelled up in her as he
placed a brief but tender kiss on her lips. Caught in the net of his love, she
barely registered the wizard’s anxious eye on them. Yet, she did. Her prior
uneasiness grew, probably because Xandor accepted defeat with a gloomy face.

"May I suggest we
don’t lose any more time?"

Kylor let go of her with
a soft sigh. He checked his scabbard while his father walked to the door and
opened it for them. She donned her cloak, pulling the large hood over her face.
Although scared, she knew her time had come. Time to let her fate unravel.

They crept along dark
streets, shadows among shadows. Keeping to tenebrous alleyways as much as
possible, they soon reached the inner wall of the castle. Xandor led them
forward and they followed the massive wall to the back of the fortress, walking
soundlessly in the high grass.

At some point, they all
fell flat on their stomachs as a royal patrol passed them by without noticing
their presence. Her heart lurched. She kept her eyes closed, undisturbed by grass
tickling her mouth and nose. Legs weak, she hang on to Kylor when he helped her
up.

The wizard touched the
wall ahead of them, fingers probing, looking for something. The dark summer
night offered them good cover but possibly impeded his progress.

They tagged along behind
him until he sighed with satisfaction. Pushing a little black door set in the
wall, he then stepped aside to let them in and lit a torch before closing the
passage.

"Where are we?"

Kylor whispered and his
father also murmured in answer as he raised the torch high.

"That's the north
wall of the castle. Few people know about this door, and even fewer use it.
It's proven very useful to me over the years when I had a need for secrecy.
Like tonight."

"Where does it
lead?"

"To all parts of the
fortress, providing you know your way around. We'll head for my
apartments."

Kylor faced the way
ahead, prepared to plunge into whatever awaited them. Not so ready, she blinked
while her eyes adjusted to the light from the torch. Now that she stood inside
the sturdy walls, the obscurity outside paled in comparison to the darkness
within.

"Xandor, do you live
in the castle?"

Already on the move, the
wizard halted his advance to glance back at her with a slight frown.

"I have to, I'm the
king’s personal wizard. Hush now, we might encounter guards on the way."

They did, but thanks to
his intimate knowledge of the place and customs, they reached his apartments
without being seen. Once safe, she felt like she was about to burst with
questions.

"What’s a
king?"

"A man who rules
over a particular territory. In the Four Kingdoms, His Highness King Harfayn is
master of Palance and its lands."

"Does he know about
me and the curse?"

"He does."

Although the wizard spoke
of his ruler with an air of deference, he took a deep breath.

"He was already king
when you were a baby."

She wondered what kind of
man this monarch was. He'd been aware of her situation at the time, yet he
hadn’t done much to help her.

"So why didn’t he
stop the witch? Surely, he must have been able to do something."

"He couldn’t. Try to
understand, Anya. By the time Melisande uttered her prediction, it was too late
to do anything. People believed her."

Xandor shook his head,
lips tight, without acknowledging the fact that she crossed her arms over her
chest.

"They had been
struck by fear, and fear is a most powerful weapon. I think even King Harfayn
accepted the prediction. You can't blame him for his actions, he's only a
man."

What kind of feeble
excuse was this? Regardless of the king's lack of response at the time, a
recent discussion stayed clear in her mind.

"Kylor told me you
didn’t hold faith in the prediction. How come you didn’t try to fight the
witch?"

"I was young back
then, and no match for a woman with such powers. I'm much stronger today and
she's older."

That she could
understand. Yet she held Xandor's gaze while her mind returned to the master of
Palance.

"Has the king
searched for me?"

"He appointed me
head of the inquest. As you can imagine, I easily led him astray over the
years."

So, the wizard had
provided protection for her mother and her while lying to his ruler. Their
relationship was confusing at best.

"Don't you trust him?"

"That's a delicate
question, Anya. I trust him but disclosing your whereabouts would have been
unwise and pointless. On any account, we had to wait eighteen years. Now, the
time is right."

"What are the king's
intentions?"

"I've no idea."

She may not be certain of
the wizard's commitment when the prediction was foretold, but she believed he kept
the king in the dark all those years. Somehow, she didn't want to meet this
ruler. A man who didn't fight for the life of a newborn didn't deserve
forgiveness. Heedless of her train of thought, Xandor shrugged before resuming
his story.

"We've talked a lot
about you, the prediction, and the eventuality of breaking the curse. I'm sure
he's come to share my views on the matter. King Harfayn is a sensible man but
it's not my place to point out his errors. I'm his personal advisor, I don't
order him around."

"Do you think he'll—"

A loud knock on the door
cut her short and a man barged in before any of them could move. His rich, long
garment enveloped him from the shoulders down to his shoes. Of medium height
and stocky build, gray hair thinning, he might have appeared rather plain if
not for his eyes taking in the three people present. That icy gaze was razor-sharp.

Unannounced, he strode in
the room as if he owned it. She just stood there, taken aback by the unexpected
entrance, and observed the distinguished stranger. Kylor and Xandor instantly
bowed, hands on their hearts.

"Your Majesty."

"What is the meaning
of this private gathering, Xandor? Why have I not been informed your son was
here?"

She didn't make a move
but studied the haughty features matching the coldness of his tone.

"And who is this
girl?"

"Her name is Anya,
Your Highness. She's the cursed child."

As King Harfayn turned
his sharp gaze on her, she was reminded of a hawk soaring above unchartered
territories.

"She doesn’t look
cursed to me. I can see her."

She trusted the wizard
knew his master well. As if to confirm her guess, Xandor's features shifted to
convey peace and reassurance while he took a step toward his sovereign.

"The curse has been
broken."

"And might I ask who
achieved that feat?"

The icy undertone in his
voice caused her to shudder. In spite of her apprehension, she was about to
answer him when he called out to the guards standing by the door. Her heart
lurched when the four men took position on both sides of her protector and King
Harfayn pointed a finger at Kylor.

"Arrest him!