{"sf1_id":1436580,"sf2_id":"5nzMlAEm","title":"The Word of the King","author":"AshenPhoenix13","words":9999,"posted_at":"2019-04-10T23:15:24.000Z","tags":["Aqua Sex","Armor","Armpit","Ass Worship","Bathing","Consensual","Couple","Erection","Fantasy","First Time","Fondling","Gay","Groping","Hotdogging Sex Position","Human","Interspecies","M/M","Male/Male","Massage","Medieval","Musk","Naked","Plot Development","Relationships","Sheath","Short Story","Size Difference","Tiger","Tight Clothes","White Tiger"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1436580-the-word-of-the-king","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/5nzMlAEm","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/22/79/227999fe-dff1-4695-97c3-1f0c10c7e116","description":"I haven't written anything in quite a while as all my motivation just up and left. Recently I thought up a new story and it really got me going, and well, here it is. It's just over 10k words, so it's technically two chapters, but I just decided to combine them together. Not sure if there will be a sequel or more after that since the story hasn't really formed in my head after this point. This is mostly story with a lot of innuendos and a flirty king, but it does have some sexual elements. I hope you all like it, and please feel free to tell me what you thought of it. If you have any suggestions for future stories, let me know, I just might write it.  \n  \nP.S. Anyone waiting for chapter three of A Moonlit Night will be happy to hear I'm going to start writing it soon. I just downloaded Borderlands 2 and have been too busy writing this and I want to play some of it first ;P","content":"1\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe massive castle sitting atop the cliff is filled with servants going about their work as always, but something seems amiss.\u0026nbsp; Someone walking into the castle could be forgiven for thinking it empty.\u0026nbsp; The reason for this unusual silence?\u0026nbsp; A crucial piece is missing: the king.\u0026nbsp;\n\nKingdoms can survive without their ruler but this is no ordinary king.\u0026nbsp; He is the sunlight after the rain, a fire on a cold winter’s night, the light at the end of the tunnel, the Golden One.\u0026nbsp; Like all silences, this one has come to an end with the arrival of a much-awaited message; the\u0026nbsp;Golden\u0026nbsp;One\u0026nbsp;has returned.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs the message of the king’s return spreads throughout the castle, spirits rise and paces are quickened.\u0026nbsp; Everyone wants to be there when he enters the castle so they can welcome him back.\u0026nbsp; Tasks are completed on the double, and a stream of servants pour into the courtyard.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone who is able to leave the castle is now standing attentively in the courtyard, waiting for the king to arrive.\u0026nbsp; They don’t have to wait long until the words they have been waiting for are said.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Attention!\u0026nbsp; The Golden One, King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux, first of his name has arrived!” one of the guards on top of the courtyard walls yells\u0026nbsp;out.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCheers erupt from the group of servants, who only get louder as the king rides through the archway on his black stallion.\u0026nbsp; The king is clad in black\u0026nbsp;armor, that is somehow even darker than his mount, and the shining silver accents on his\u0026nbsp;armor\u0026nbsp;sparkle brilliantly, even in the dim sunlight.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDismounting his steed, he is met with countless greetings\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;his loyal servants.\u0026nbsp; Over and over they say, “welcome back!”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhen he reaches the doorway leading into the castle, the king turns around and raises the visor of his tiger-shaped helmet.\u0026nbsp; The silvery white eyes staring out of the helmet are not those of a man, but of a white tiger.\u0026nbsp; His white fur stands in stark contrast to the black of his\u0026nbsp;armor, but it's his stripes that leave all who see them in awe.\u0026nbsp; Instead of normal hair, they are made of real gold strands but are just as soft as the rest of his fur.\u0026nbsp; These golden stripes are the result of a unique and powerful magic belonging only to his bloodline.\u0026nbsp; This magic allows those who possess it to have a one-of-a-kind title, Golden One.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king raises his hands to calm the crowd, and silence quickly follows.\u0026nbsp; “We would like to you all for this heartfelt welcome,” he says in a deep voice that seems to carry for miles.\u0026nbsp; \"Knowing we have this,\" he gestures to the crowd of servants, \"to come back to, does so much to alleviate the burdens of traveling.\u0026nbsp; It has been a long ride, so you'll have to excuse us before any\u0026nbsp;odors\u0026nbsp;start escaping this\u0026nbsp;armor.\"\u0026nbsp; The crowd laughs, and the king waves for a final time before heading inside.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe\u0026nbsp;doesn’t make it far before he sees a man running towards him.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;“Gottfried, it is so nice to see you, and it looks like you’ve kept busy while I was away.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe out of breath grey-haired old man stops and bows before King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;“It is so nice to see you back safe and sound Golden One.”\u0026nbsp; Gottfried takes a few deep breaths before continuing.\u0026nbsp; “You know I always keep busy, but I’m afraid I’ve failed this time.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Let us guess.\u0026nbsp; Our retainer is nowhere to be found?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I’m afraid so.\u0026nbsp; No one seems to know where he is.\u0026nbsp; I’ve almost checked the entire castle myself, and the servants I sent out to check his usual spots have found no trace.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Walk with us, and let us discuss our retainer.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“With pleasure Golden One.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king indeed wanted to talk about his retainer, but the real reason was to trick Gottfried into taking a break.\u0026nbsp; Despite being over sixty years old, Gottfried is never still as long as there is work to be done.\u0026nbsp; Not even the king can get him to take a break, but the king found asking for advice works as a substitute.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“We’ve given that boy more chances than most, but he just keeps failing.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps it’s time we find him a different task?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I believe so Golden One,” Gottfried says with a bit of a sad expression on his face.\u0026nbsp; “It is paramount to have everyone doing their tasks and doing them well, especially on such an important day as this.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“It is not a very difficult job, almost anyone could do it.”\u0026nbsp; An idea suddenly comes to him.\u0026nbsp; “You there, the one in the raggedy cloak.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nAll the servants are dressed in matching white and silver outfits, but this person is wearing an old-looking grey cloak.\u0026nbsp; It is quite modest in comparison to the servant outfits, having only a simple diamond grid pattern along the edges.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe one in the cloak looks at their arms as if making sure they are the ones being addressed or perhaps feeling disbelief at the term \"raggedy\".\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes, you.\u0026nbsp; Remove your hood at once.\u0026nbsp; We wish to see the face of the one we're talking to.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Your wish is my command, your majesty,” he says with a bow.\u0026nbsp; He quickly pulls the hood back and reveals his face.\u0026nbsp; A human male, probably in their twenties,\u0026nbsp;stares back at the king.\u0026nbsp; The man has light brown skin and eyes.\u0026nbsp; His hair is also brown, but dark enough to be mistaken for black.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIntrigued, the king raises an eyebrow.\u0026nbsp; No one’s ever called him “your majesty” before, but judging from the little smile\u0026nbsp;on his face, he enjoyed it.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“We recognize everyone who works\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;us, yet we do not know your face.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“My name is\u0026nbsp;Wendell and\u0026nbsp;I started working\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;the castle while you were away, your majesty.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nLooking for\u0026nbsp;confirmation, King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;glances at Gottfried, who nods his head.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“We request that you become our new retainer.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nGottfried quickly removes the shocked look\u0026nbsp;that appeared\u0026nbsp;on his face.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“That is a generous offer, but I’m afraid I have other tasks to perform.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You would deny a direct request from your king?!”\u0026nbsp; This time Gottfried is so bewildered that the shocked expression doesn’t leave his face.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Gottfried, would you kindly take a break and let us handle this.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Absolutely not.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king raises his eyebrows and gives him a smile.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“It’s not the same thing,”\u0026nbsp;an irritated Gottfried says as he walks\u0026nbsp;away.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Pay him no mind, he can be a bit hot-headed.\u0026nbsp; Now, let us walk and see if we can change your mind.”\u0026nbsp; The king puts his arm around Wendell’s shoulders\u0026nbsp;and beings pulling him along.\u0026nbsp; “You don’t need to worry about your current tasks.\u0026nbsp; If there is any trouble just send them to us, and we will deal with them.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell looks up at the king with a frown.\u0026nbsp; “You shouldn’t abuse your power like that.\u0026nbsp; When kings start doing whatever they want because they can, it inevitably leads to people becoming unhappy with them.\u0026nbsp; This can be especially bad if the servants start feeling this way, or if enough subjects do.\u0026nbsp; Most kings don’t last very long once it gets to that stage.”\u0026nbsp; Realizing the bluntness of his words he tries to recover, “o-o-or so I’ve heard, your majesty.\u0026nbsp; I’m sure you know that already and know better than me.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe look on the king’s face is completely neutral, not betraying any emotion.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps thinking he’s upset\u0026nbsp;him,\u0026nbsp;Wendell tries to change the subject.\u0026nbsp; \"I see you are in full plate\u0026nbsp;armor.\u0026nbsp; Was there a battle of some kind?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Of sorts,” the king says, instantly returning to his former self.\u0026nbsp; “We went out to make a trade deal with the\u0026nbsp;Trivalli.\u0026nbsp; When negotiating, the thing that matters most to them are displays of power.\u0026nbsp; If we had gone out with an\u0026nbsp;army\u0026nbsp;they thought they could defeat, then we would have had little power in the negotiations and an attack would have been likely.\"\u0026nbsp; The king takes a deep breath.\u0026nbsp; \"Thankfully everything went almost perfectly.\u0026nbsp; The worst part was the traveling.\u0026nbsp; It was long and dreadfully hot, especially in this\u0026nbsp;armor.\"\u0026nbsp; He fans himself with his free hand for added dramatic effect.\u0026nbsp; \"Oh!\u0026nbsp; Speaking of, we hope we don't smell too bad, especially since your face is at the same level as my armpit.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You smell just fine, your majesty,” he says, despite a fairly strong and acrid\u0026nbsp;odor\u0026nbsp;coming from the king.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWithout breaking stride, the king takes his arm off of Wendell's shoulder and pushes open a large wooden door.\u0026nbsp; The room is quite plain.\u0026nbsp; Inside there are only some stands for\u0026nbsp;armor\u0026nbsp;and weapons, a wardrobe, a large basket, and some chairs and stools.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“So,\u0026nbsp;what exactly do you want me to do, your majesty?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just help me take off my\u0026nbsp;armor, simple,\" the king says\u0026nbsp;with a smile.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I don’t know how.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Not to worry, as long as you can undo belts and untie knots,\u0026nbsp;I can guide you through the process.\u0026nbsp; Start by grabbing one of those stools so you can see what you’re doing.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell goes to grab one of the stools by the wall, picks it up, and sets it down by the king.\u0026nbsp; Once he steps on it, he's just a little bit taller than the king, and can now see the straps and tied cloth that were hidden under the king's chin.\u0026nbsp; It only takes a couple seconds to undo the little buckle and untie the cloth.\u0026nbsp; With nothing holding the helmet on, Wendell lifts the tiger-shaped helmet off.\u0026nbsp; Underneath is a black cloth coif, which he takes off\u0026nbsp;as well.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith everything off his head,\u0026nbsp;King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;gives his neck a bit of a stretch and his ears a few test wiggles and flicks.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA\u0026nbsp;subtle\u0026nbsp;smirk escapes\u0026nbsp;onto\u0026nbsp;Wendell’s mouth.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“What is it?\u0026nbsp; What’s so funny?”\u0026nbsp;King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;asks.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“It’s nothing, your majesty.\u0026nbsp; It’s just that your is fur plaster to the side of your head and it makes\u0026nbsp;for quite the sight.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I have no doubt that I look like quite a mess, so if you would hurry...”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I’m sorry your majesty!\u0026nbsp; Here you are suffering and I’m laughing at you.\u0026nbsp; Tell me what to do next.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“With pleasure.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nDespite not knowing what to do, it doesn't take Wendell long to take off the various parts of\u0026nbsp;armor.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Pauldrons, vambraces, chain mail and everything else easily comes\u0026nbsp;off with just a few buckles and knots\u0026nbsp;coming\u0026nbsp;undone.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"There's no need to put the pieces on the stand.\u0026nbsp; They all need to be cleaned, inspected, and so on,\" says the king after noticing Wendell trying to put some\u0026nbsp;armor\u0026nbsp;on the stand.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“So,\u0026nbsp;is that\u0026nbsp;all\u0026nbsp;or do you need help with those?”\u0026nbsp; Wendell points\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;the cloth pants and leather jacket.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“No need to worry\u0026nbsp;about\u0026nbsp;these.\u0026nbsp; I’ll remove the arming doublet and hose myself.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Am I free to go, your majesty?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king quickly responds, “while I have you, can you go run a bath for me in the next room?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWithout saying anything, Wendell turns around and heads through the doorway\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;the next room.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Thank you!\u0026nbsp; You’re the best!” the king\u0026nbsp;calls\u0026nbsp;after him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I know!” Wendell calls back\u0026nbsp;sheepishly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThis room is even more barren than the one before.\u0026nbsp; The only removable object is a shelf with soaps, brushes, combs and various towels for washing and drying.\u0026nbsp; The bath itself is sunken into the floor and takes up almost the entire room, leaving only some space to walk around the edge.\u0026nbsp; Built into the end of the bath closest to the door is a wooden gate that must act as a drain.\u0026nbsp; On either side of the drain, there is a ledge down inside the bath.\u0026nbsp; The ledge must act as a seat and a way to get in and out of the bath.\u0026nbsp; At the other end are two wooden chutes.\u0026nbsp; At the end of each chute is a chain, and at the end of each chain is a ball; one blue and one red.\u0026nbsp; Figuring the color-coded chutes must be where the water comes from, Wendell heads over.\u0026nbsp;\n\nPulling down the chain with the red ball causes the chute to unfold, and steaming water begins to flow out into the bath.\u0026nbsp; Once the bath has filled up over a third of the way, Wendell pulls the other chute.\u0026nbsp; Just like the other chute, this one unfolds and a second stream of water begins filling the bath, except this water isn’t steaming.\u0026nbsp; After a few moments of filling, the cold-water chute is released and only the hot water still runs.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Wendell stops the hot water once the bath gets to three-quarters full.\u0026nbsp; Steam gently wafts off the water, but a quick test of the water confirms the temperature.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“No need to test.\u0026nbsp; I can tell from here that that water is\u0026nbsp;perfect.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nLooking up at the doorway, Wendell sees the king standing in the doorway; nude.\u0026nbsp; The\u0026nbsp;armor\u0026nbsp;really didn't do him justice.\u0026nbsp; Instead of the typical fat king, King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;has the body of a blacksmith.\u0026nbsp; His fur does little to hide the amazingly\u0026nbsp;sculpted definition of the huge, lean muscles covering\u0026nbsp;his entire body.\u0026nbsp; The fur itself is just as beautiful as his muscles.\u0026nbsp; One can't help but stop and stare when seeing the bright white and shining gold in its full glory.\u0026nbsp; The stripes circle around his legs and arms, almost giving the impression of gold\u0026nbsp;jewelry.\u0026nbsp; There are a couple of stripes near the top of his huge puffy pecs, which resemble large necklaces, but the majority of stripes cover his abs.\u0026nbsp; The last bit of gold forms a trail down the middle of his body, just below the abs, all the way down to his crotch where it ends in a large tuft of gold.\u0026nbsp; Below that is a sheath that's almost three inches across, and an equally large pair of fuzzy,\u0026nbsp;golden striped balls,\u0026nbsp;which are\u0026nbsp;about the size of limes, if not bigger.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith eyes resting\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;the king’s\u0026nbsp;large\u0026nbsp;dangling balls, Wendell unconsciously says, “yes, perfect.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king clears his throat with a quick “ahem”.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“The water!\u0026nbsp; I do hope the water is perfect for you... your majesty.”\u0026nbsp; Wendell says with a too big smile on his face.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king says nothing further, and using the underwater ledge steps down into the water.\u0026nbsp; He\u0026nbsp;sits\u0026nbsp;down on the ledge,\u0026nbsp;rests his arms on the side of the bath and tilts his head back.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“This feels fantastic!” he practically roars out.\u0026nbsp; “You did an amazing job.\u0026nbsp; This water is just perfect.\u0026nbsp; I can just feel all the tension and soreness leave my muscles.”\u0026nbsp; He stays in this position without moving\u0026nbsp;for a while, and just when it seems like he might have fallen asleep, the king's head snaps up.\u0026nbsp; \"I bet you thought I fell asleep.\u0026nbsp; Well, you'd almost be right, but I guess it's time to actually clean up and get rid of my stink... Not that you seemed to mind.\"\u0026nbsp; He says\u0026nbsp;the last part with a big smirk on his face.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Can I have permission to speak freely?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“All those who serve under me may always speak freely.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“When I said you didn’t smell bad, well, I lied.\u0026nbsp; I was being polite, but you really do smell quite strongly.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Tsk, tsk.\u0026nbsp; You shouldn’t do that.\u0026nbsp; Always tell the truth, but be kind about it.\u0026nbsp; It’s better to be embarrassed in front of a\u0026nbsp;few\u0026nbsp;you know instead of many you don’t or ones who are important.”\u0026nbsp; The king suddenly starts sniffing.\u0026nbsp; “The\u0026nbsp;way\u0026nbsp;you said it though.\u0026nbsp; I’m actually quite hurt.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith trepidation, Wendell asks the king, “I’m very sorry for having hurt your feelings.\u0026nbsp; Is there anything I can do for you to make up for it?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Wash my back please!” the king responds\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;a cheerful voice with a huge grin\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;shows\u0026nbsp;off his teeth.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a sigh, “I do have tasks that I must perform.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“As I told you earlier, there will be no trouble for you if you help me.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“As\u0026nbsp;I\u0026nbsp;told you earlier, there still might be trouble for me if you play\u0026nbsp;favorites\u0026nbsp;and that attitude can end up hurting you too.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I’m aware that there are many important jobs, but none so much that your tardiness would harm me.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a heavier sigh, “did you even listen to me?”\u0026nbsp; Then in a quieter voice, “and I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe large\u0026nbsp;swiveling\u0026nbsp;ears of the king must have heard the last thing Wendell said since his eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the statement.\u0026nbsp; Despite the confusion, he doesn't say anything about it and instead says, \"would you fault me for enjoying your company so much?”\u0026nbsp; He tilts his head down and stares up at Wendell with his large eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Flattery will get you nowhere.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king somehow manages to make his face look even cuter.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“...Fine, I’ll wash your back.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;You\u0026nbsp;big suck.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nA large smirk replaces the adorable look on the tiger’s face.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"But not because of the compliment!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king bursts into roar-like laughter as Wendell walks along the edge, making his way closer to him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Well come on, get out and place your royal behind up on the edge.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I can’t do that.\u0026nbsp; I’m all wet,\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;while\u0026nbsp;sitting out of the water I\u0026nbsp;could catch\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;cold.\u0026nbsp; You wouldn’t want me to get sick, would you?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnother sigh comes from Wendell.\u0026nbsp; “Then how am I supposed to wash your back then?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Simple.\u0026nbsp; Just come in the water with me.\u0026nbsp; It’s nice and warm and there’s lots of room.”\u0026nbsp; The king moves off the ledge and sits on the bottom of the bath, with only his head sticking out of the water.\u0026nbsp; He lowers his nose under the surface and starts blowing bubbles.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Do you act like this with everyone?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Nope, just you.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell is taken aback by the sudden terse response.\u0026nbsp; Regaining his composure, Wendell scoffs at his response and says, “I’m sure you say that to everyone and just want me to get in the bath with you.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“We swear to you on our name as\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;Golden One, that we are telling you the truth.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, I can't argue with that... I guess.\"\u0026nbsp; Realizing he's lost, Wendell begins stripping.\u0026nbsp; Under the grey cloak are matching grey clothes with the same diamond grid pattern along the edges of each garment.\u0026nbsp; Taking off his shirt reveals his slender hairless body.\u0026nbsp; All of the muscles on his upper body are quite small, but despite the small muscles, a little fat helps keep him from looking unhealthy.\u0026nbsp; Reaching down to take off his pants, Wendell catches sight of the king,\u0026nbsp;who’s\u0026nbsp;staring right at him.\u0026nbsp; “Can you stop staring at me?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You\u0026nbsp;got\u0026nbsp;quite the eyeful\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;me earlier, so I just thought it would be fair if I got to\u0026nbsp;do the same with you.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell’s cheeks burn red as\u0026nbsp;he looks away in embarrassment.\u0026nbsp; “I don’t know why you would, there isn’t anything worth seeing.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nDespite\u0026nbsp;what he said, the king gives him a smile and continues to look at him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter a couple seconds,\u0026nbsp;Wendell resumes taking off\u0026nbsp;his pants and underwear.\u0026nbsp; As to be expected, his legs are just a little more muscular from carrying his weight but are just as small\u0026nbsp;as his arms.\u0026nbsp; Unlike his muscles, just underneath a patch of pubic hair is a flaccid seven-inch dick, with a nice pair of balls that would fill a hand nicely.\u0026nbsp; After standing around for a few seconds, Wendell turns around and crouches down to fold his clothes, giving the king a great view of his butt and tight hole.\u0026nbsp; With his clothes in a neat stack, Wendell turns back around and enters the bath,\u0026nbsp;where the king is waiting.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king floats over to the side of the bath, grabs a glass bottle from the little shelf and hands it over to Wendell.\u0026nbsp; With this job done,\u0026nbsp;King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;puts his arms on the edge and rests his head on top of them.\u0026nbsp; As Wendell gets closer, King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;spreads his legs apart giving Wendell a place to stand and reach his back.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell removes the glass stopper from the bottle and pours a little of the clear viscous fluid onto his hand.\u0026nbsp; A slight but sharp earthy smell comes from the liquid once he begins to lather it in his hands.\u0026nbsp; He begins massaging the lather into the fur near the base of his tail but stands as far away as he can to avoid any inappropriate contact.\u0026nbsp; As he washes higher up the king's back, he has no choice but to move closer to reach.\u0026nbsp; Once Wendell has gotten most of the way up King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux’s\u0026nbsp;back, he has to stop.\u0026nbsp; Any closer and he’ll be rubbing up against\u0026nbsp;him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“What’s the matter?\u0026nbsp; Why did you stop?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I-I-I'm just having some trouble reaching, your majesty.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Well if you can’t reach, then just move closer.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You could just lower yourself as you did bef...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Despite the size of my teeth, I don’t bite... Unless you want me to,” he says with a wink after interrupting Wendell.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter a few moments, Wendell moves closer so that his crotch is now pressing up against the king's butt.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“See?\u0026nbsp; That wasn’t too bad, and now you can continue.”\u0026nbsp; He faces forward again and places his head back on his arms.\u0026nbsp; “You are doing a wonderful job by the way.\u0026nbsp; Those fingers are practically magic with how they... rub out, all the stress and\u0026nbsp;tightness\u0026nbsp;of my muscles.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlready being in an awkward situation, the king’s innuendos don’t help matters.\u0026nbsp; Wendell continues washing the rest of King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux’s\u0026nbsp;back, but his dick begins to get harder.\u0026nbsp; To reach his shoulder’s, Wendell hops from the tips of his feet, which cause his dick to rub between the king’s round, muscular butt cheeks.\u0026nbsp; The king certainly notices but doesn't do anything other than rest his head.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“All finished, your majesty,” Wendell says with a full erection.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“That felt\u0026nbsp;soooo\u0026nbsp;great,” the king says while stretching out his back.\u0026nbsp; “Want to do the rest of me?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe innuendo proves too much, turning Wendell bright red and unable to speak.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Looks like the heat from the water and all that work you just did is getting to you.\u0026nbsp; How about I wash your back while you relax?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nDespite the king already feeling his hard-on, Wendell doesn’t want to get out of the water\u0026nbsp;and let the king\u0026nbsp;see it.\u0026nbsp; “Okay, that sounds like a good idea.\u0026nbsp; Let’s switch places.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith their roles reversed, King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;lathers his hands with soap and begins massaging Wendell’s shoulders.\u0026nbsp; Due to their difference in height, King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;can leave a space between them and still have no trouble reaching.\u0026nbsp; Strangely enough, the farther down his back, the closer the king gets.\u0026nbsp; It doesn’t take very long before the king’s dick is rubbing against Wendell’s butt.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The entire\u0026nbsp;back is covered in lather, but instead of finishing, the king grabs\u0026nbsp;Wendell’s\u0026nbsp;hips.\u0026nbsp;\n\nKing\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;leans in and whispers, “do you want me to give you a deep cleaning?” and at the same time pulls Wendell closer, causing his dick to prob between the smaller one’s butt cheeks.\u0026nbsp;\n\nStuttering and tripping over his words, Wendell says, “we really shouldn’t be doing this.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I’m not asking what we should or shouldn’t be doing.\u0026nbsp; I’m asking you what you really want.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's important that a king has an heir.\u0026nbsp; That's not something I can give, so this is pointless,\" he says still stuttering and embarrassing himself more with what he said.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I enjoy most of what I do, but in the end, it's still a job.\u0026nbsp; I want to be able to do things just for the sole purpose of enjoyment instead of it having to revolve around some grand purpose,”\u0026nbsp;while he’s\u0026nbsp;saying this, the king slowly softens\u0026nbsp;his iron grip on Wendell’s hips.\u0026nbsp; “I don’t know what it is about you, well I suppose I do, but I’m more interested in you than anyone else I’ve met.”\u0026nbsp; King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;sighs and then continues, “that’s why I’m willing to let you be my first.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell turns around and looks him in the eyes, unable to believe what he’s hearing.\u0026nbsp; “Even though you’ve been quite different from most kings, I still find it hard to believe you’re a virgin.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king shrugs and gives him a little smirk.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“This makes things even more serious.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I won’t go any further, so it’s entirely up to you.\u0026nbsp; As long as you’re being true to your feelings, I’ll accept your decision, whatever it may be.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWisely, Wendell takes some time to think but\u0026nbsp;still\u0026nbsp;comes\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;a decision quickly.\u0026nbsp; “I’ve made my choice.\u0026nbsp; I want...”\u0026nbsp;\n\nSlam!\u0026nbsp; The large wooden door\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;armor\u0026nbsp;room flies open, smacking against the wall.\u0026nbsp; From\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;room comes a stressed voice, “Golden One what are you doing, you must hurry or you’re going to be late!”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell can feel claws digging into his sides and hear a rumbling coming from the king behind him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“How dare you slam open the door and enter without knocking!” he roars so loudly that the water\u0026nbsp;ripples\u0026nbsp;around him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe person in the other room spews out apology after apology in a seemingly endless torrent.\u0026nbsp; “Please forgive your humble servant O\u0026nbsp;Illustrious Golden One.\u0026nbsp; I overacted and would normally never behave in such a manner, but the coronation of The Royal\u0026nbsp;Magistar\u0026nbsp;is extremely important.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nStill roaring, but not as loudly, he says, “you think we don’t know this?\u0026nbsp; Is it too much to ask that we relax after such a long and difficult journey and before such a stressful event?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;We’ve never been late to anything, so leave, and don’t you\u0026nbsp;dare\u0026nbsp;insult me again.”\u0026nbsp; The word “dare” dripping with so much venom that the threat seems quite genuine.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter a little\u0026nbsp;yelp!\u0026nbsp;the person in the other room starts his torrent of apologies again and can be heard through the shut door and down the hall as he practically runs away.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I’m sorry about that,” the kings\u0026nbsp;says\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;Wendell.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“No, it’s fine, my hearing was too good anyway.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Sorry.”\u0026nbsp; His ears go flat against his head.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“That’s alright.\u0026nbsp; I understand.”\u0026nbsp; He reaches up and rubs the king’s head.\u0026nbsp; “That voice was quite impressive.\u0026nbsp; It was almost like you were a different person.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Kings can rarely be themselves and are always having to change\u0026nbsp;their\u0026nbsp;personality depending on who they’re talking to and the situation.\u0026nbsp; It’s exhausting.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell gives him a sympathetic grin and a few more head rubs.\u0026nbsp; “No wonder you wanted to relax and collect yourself.\u0026nbsp; What is this coronation he\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;talking about,\u0026nbsp;and why is it so\u0026nbsp;important.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You’ll find out soon enough.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I will?!”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Let us finish washing and then you will accompany me to the throne room.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nOut of all of the commands\u0026nbsp;so far, this one sounded the least negotiable.\u0026nbsp; “Alright.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“That’s it?\u0026nbsp; I’m surprised you didn’t say anything about being late\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;your task or how much it would affect me.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Thought I’d give you a break.\u0026nbsp; Just this once.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Oh, how thoughtful\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;you.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nA pause, then they both burst out laughing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sexual atmosphere that once permeated through the room is all but gone.\u0026nbsp; They continue washing, although this time it's five feet apart.\u0026nbsp; Wendell is the first to finish bathing since he doesn't have fur to deal with.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;leaves the bath and grabs one of the towels on the shelf.\u0026nbsp; He stays in this room to dry, not minding the watchful king.\u0026nbsp; He puts all his clothes back on, but the king is still in the bath.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I hate to say this, but you should hurry.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Not you too!”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I said that because I worry that your fur will take a long time to dry.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You’re correct, that’s why I’ll just focus on parts of me that will be visible.\u0026nbsp; The rest can be damp since no one will be able to tell.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell thinks\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;a few seconds.\u0026nbsp; “If you hurry up\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;there, I’ll help you dry off.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king starts scrubbing himself almost comically fast before dunking himself under the water.\u0026nbsp; He emerges by the ledge and steps out, pulling the wooden board out that was keeping the water in.\u0026nbsp; He stands smiling with his arms out, ready to be dried.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I’ll get the back and you can dry the front.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Aren’t you more interested in what I have in the front.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nPerhaps already used\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;his taunts, Wendell hardly reacts and\u0026nbsp;says, “are you saying you can reach your back?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Ah... well...”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“If that’s the case, then I guess I won’t be needed to help you bathe in the future?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Back is fine,” he replies quickly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Thought so.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a dry towel in hand, Wendell begins rubbing down King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux’s\u0026nbsp;back.\u0026nbsp; He doesn’t spend too much time\u0026nbsp;trying to get it completely\u0026nbsp;dry\u0026nbsp;since it will be covered up\u0026nbsp;anyway.\u0026nbsp; Once the fur looks relatively dry and fluffy, he moves lower down.\u0026nbsp; Once his entire back is dried, Wendell moves onto the tail, which doesn’t take very long since it doesn’t have much hair.\u0026nbsp; Before he continues, he gives the king a warning, “don’t say anything and don’t do anything other than drying yourself off.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“All right?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell places the towel on the tiger’s muscular butt cheeks and rubs vigorously.\u0026nbsp; Despite how muscular it is, his butt is quite bouncy,\u0026nbsp;and it seems like Wendell is having some fun kneading\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;cheeks.\u0026nbsp; “Give me a hand here or maybe two.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king catches on quick and places a hand on each of his cheeks and spreads them apart.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith the area being more sensitive and the hair fairly short, Wendell rubs much slower.\u0026nbsp; The area looks dry and that’s good enough as he’s not about to start feeling.\u0026nbsp; He moves down to the back of the king’s legs, but the king still has his cheeks spread so Wendell catches sight of the tiger’s bright\u0026nbsp;pink\u0026nbsp;hole, making him blush.\u0026nbsp; “I’m done.\u0026nbsp; Stop spreading and start drying.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Are you sure you don’t want to give it any more attention?”\u0026nbsp; He wiggles his butt a little.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell knocks the king's hands out of the way and grabs onto the butt cheeks himself.\u0026nbsp; Spreading them apart and staring at the tight, puckered hole for only a moment, he buries his face between the round cheeks.\u0026nbsp; With his hands, he rubs and massages the firm glutes.\u0026nbsp; While his hands are busy, Wendell takes a deep breath.\u0026nbsp; He's a little disappointed since all he can smell is the earthy aroma of the soap, but it still smells good.\u0026nbsp; After a few more moments, he quickly removes his face and hands.\u0026nbsp; Having surprised both himself and the king, he tries to play it off by vigorously rubbing the rest of his legs.\u0026nbsp;\n\nStill crouching behind the king, Wendell decides to dry off the front of the king's legs.\u0026nbsp; He's surprised that the king hasn't said anything yet and even more surprised when he gets close to the king's crotch and\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;still doesn’t say anything.\u0026nbsp; “Well, I guess I’m all done,” he says standing up, his voice a little shaky.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“As am I.\u0026nbsp; Come.\u0026nbsp; Follow me,” he says, but doesn’t give Wendell much of a choice, having grabbed his hand and pulling him along.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Your paw pads are really soft.\u0026nbsp; I kind of expected them to be tough and leathery,”\u0026nbsp;his voice is still shaky from his earlier actions.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king doesn’t seem at all phased from Wendell enjoying his butt.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\"Why thank you.\u0026nbsp; It's good to know those lotions are actually doing something.\u0026nbsp; I'm afraid you'll have to rub them later because right now I do need to get dressed.\"\u0026nbsp; They come to a stop in front of the wardrobe.\u0026nbsp; King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;let's go of\u0026nbsp;Wendell’s\u0026nbsp;hand and opens the doors, revealing the clothes hanging inside.\u0026nbsp; Every single article of clothing is a deep black.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Wow.\u0026nbsp; Decisions, decisions.\u0026nbsp; I wonder what you’re going to pick.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Hmm.\u0026nbsp; I think I’ll go with the black shirt, black underwear, black hose, and to spice things up, black shoes.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Never would have thought you’d pick those, but an excellent choice.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king begins to put on his monochromatic clothes.\u0026nbsp; “Before we head to our final destination, we’ll have to stop at my chamber.”\u0026nbsp; Sensing the\u0026nbsp;look\u0026nbsp;he’s getting from Wendell, he adds, “these clothes aren’t formal enough for such an occasion.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Oh, I see.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“My bed is quite comfy though.”\u0026nbsp; He gives a wink before putting on his shirt.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell gives his biggest sigh yet.\u0026nbsp; “Just lead the way, your majesty.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n2\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe castle\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;like a maze.\u0026nbsp; The walls all seem the same and only change when going up one of the many flights of stairs.\u0026nbsp; After countless twists and turns, and seemingly heading down the same few hallways over and over,\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;unlikely pair reach a large, ornate set of doors.\u0026nbsp; One is a human clad all in grey, with a cloak covering their entire body.\u0026nbsp; The other is a white tiger clad all in black,\u0026nbsp;who’s\u0026nbsp;stripes shine a brilliant gold.\u0026nbsp; One is a servant and the other is a king, but they open the large doors, together.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlthough many things about King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;are different from most kings, this room is an exception.\u0026nbsp; Everything inside appears to be overly big and with almost too much detail to look at.\u0026nbsp; Everything seems to have either a tiger, sun, or light motif, or some combination.\u0026nbsp; The wood on the walls are covered with depictions of tigers and every corner seemed to have light rays shining from them.\u0026nbsp; On the ceiling way overhead is a giant, inverted glass dome with silvery streaks radiating from it all the way to the walls.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe worst part about this room is the\u0026nbsp;color.\u0026nbsp; While the king is clad entirely in black, the room is entirely white.\u0026nbsp; Even the wood is bone white, which is odd, due to the fact that there aren’t any trees of this\u0026nbsp;color.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's a good thing tigers have excellent hearing because you'd probably go blind if you spend too much time in here,\" Wendell says\u0026nbsp;while making his way over to the room-filling bed.\u0026nbsp; “You were right about the bed though.\u0026nbsp; It is super comfy.”\u0026nbsp; Despite being sprawled out over the bed, he looked like a little child on his parent’s bed.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Be careful laying on that bed.\u0026nbsp; I’m supposed to be putting clothes\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;and I just might join you.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell sits up and sees the king already fully dressed.\u0026nbsp; The black clothes have been replaced with similar black clothes, but these ones have very detailed silver embroidery.\u0026nbsp; Some silver arms bands now sit above his huge biceps and a silver chain holds a heavy looking cape around his shoulders.\u0026nbsp; The cape is, of course, black, but has fluffy silver fur all along the edge.\u0026nbsp; Embroidered on the back is a very detailed profile view of a tiger, and surrounding the tiger are stars which form the night sky above the castle.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“That cape is really beautiful.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Thank you.\u0026nbsp; I guess you could consider it a family heirloom.”\u0026nbsp; The king walks over to a table with a box on it, motioning for Wendell to join him.\u0026nbsp; Once at his side, the king slowly opens the box.\u0026nbsp; Inside is a large, but simple black crown.\u0026nbsp; The only detail\u0026nbsp;it\u0026nbsp;has\u0026nbsp;are large spikes that give the impression of teeth.\u0026nbsp; \"Now\u0026nbsp;this\u0026nbsp;is a family heirloom.\u0026nbsp; This crown was worn by\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;very first king, and every king after him.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Wow, imagine the stories it could tell if it could speak.”\u0026nbsp; Wendell leans in to get a better look but doesn't dare touch it.\u0026nbsp; Despite its age, the crown looks brand new, with not even a scratch on it.\u0026nbsp; \"I know I should probably know better, but I was expecting it to be gold, but it looks like it's the same black material your\u0026nbsp;armor\u0026nbsp;is made of.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"As you could probably tell, I'm not allowed to wear a lot of things, with gold being at the top of the list.\u0026nbsp; Apparently, it would distract from my natural radiance or something.\"\u0026nbsp; He rolls his eyes at how ridiculous the whole thing is.\u0026nbsp; \"A gold crown is just a show of wealth and power, and this black material is actually extremely rare, so it's much more valuable than simple gold.\"\u0026nbsp; The king puts the crown on his head, completing his look.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Hey, you look like a real king with the crown on.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nKing\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;glares at him, “that’s almost insulting.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I just meant that you don't wear really fancy clothes like most kings, so without the crown, you don't king off much of a king vibe.\"\u0026nbsp; Wendell looks down at his own clothes.\u0026nbsp; \"Speaking of fancy clothes.\u0026nbsp; Will mine be okay?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Normally I would have nicer things for you to wear, but we really don't have the time to get ones made for you.\u0026nbsp; People will mostly be staring at me, so it's not too big of an issue.\"\u0026nbsp; The king takes a deep breath.\u0026nbsp; \"Well, I guess it's time.\u0026nbsp; Let's head to the throne room and get this over with.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nLike before, the king guides Wendell through the maze of hallways, doors, and stairs.\u0026nbsp; The quiet murmuring of a crowd signals they've reached their destination.\u0026nbsp; From between heavy white curtains, they emerge into the throne room.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Sit on our right, and only after we have sat down,” he whispers quietly\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;Wendell.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs they get closer to the thrones, more of the room can be seen.\u0026nbsp; The room is massive, large enough to hold an entire village of people, and the ceiling many stories overhead\u0026nbsp;would make\u0026nbsp;anyone feel quite small.\u0026nbsp; The thrones themselves sit high above the floor below, with a grand staircase leading down.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king takes a seat on the largest throne, while Wendell sits on a small stool beside him.\u0026nbsp; Just as they’re both getting comfortable, a much harder job on the little stool, a loud voice starts speaking, startling Wendell.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“All rise for your king!\u0026nbsp; The Golden and Radiant One, first of his name, born under the light of the Father’s Moon...”\u0026nbsp; The one doing the shouting is Gottfried, the old man from earlier, who seemed to appear from nowhere.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs the titles stretch on, Wendell moves his attention to better inspecting the room.\u0026nbsp; Initially, he thought the room was made of polished stone, but upon closer viewing, it is actually made from white marble.\u0026nbsp; The silver veins running through the stone is quite subtle but really sets it apart from common stone.\u0026nbsp; The main level is completely devoid of anything, except some columns holding up the second story balcony.\u0026nbsp; On the balcony, there is tiered sitting, like that of an\u0026nbsp;amphitheater, and appears to be where all the upper class gets to sit.\u0026nbsp; At the far end of the room, is a massive doorway, whose open doors would require many men\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;move.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Just beyond the doorway is a line of guards, and beyond them is a huge crowd of the lower class.\u0026nbsp; Although they have to stand outside, it looks like everyone who could come, has, just to get the chance of seeing the king.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHaving run out of things to look at, Wendell is thankful when Gottfried finally finishes saying all the king’s titles.\u0026nbsp; “Isn’t this room a little big, even by castle standards?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“This room is mainly used to hold huge feasts and balls, and not the fun kind.”\u0026nbsp; He gives Wendell a sly wink.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIgnoring the tiger, he asks,\u0026nbsp;“how come I have to sit on the tiny stool?\u0026nbsp; Have you ever sat on this?\u0026nbsp; It’s not very comfortable.”\u0026nbsp; He adjusts himself to further prove his point.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Being able to sit beside us is a great privilege that only a couple others are allowed.”\u0026nbsp; A smirk appears on his face.\u0026nbsp; “If you want, you could take the empty throne reserved for my future wife.\u0026nbsp; It would cause quite a stir so it probably wouldn’t be worth it.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Stool is fine,” Wendell says in defeat.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlmost thirty minutes have passed with nothing happening,\u0026nbsp;so King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;signals to Gottfried.\u0026nbsp; “Does anyone know where he is or how long he’s going to be?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“The last update I got says he’s in\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;room and has been in there for quite a while.\u0026nbsp; As you know we can't enter, but I could send someone to check and see if he responds.\"\u0026nbsp; Being unable to properly serve the king, the look on Gottfried's face is a pained one.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king pauses and thinks\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;a moment.\u0026nbsp; “Don’t disturb him.\u0026nbsp; If he’s in\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;room, then it must be important, whatever he’s doing.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“To make the king wait, I would certainly hope so.”\u0026nbsp; He shakes his head, unable to believe how someone could act in such a manner.\u0026nbsp; “Although to be honest, I’m not that surprised.\u0026nbsp; I’ve heard some stories about him, and I can't say I’m all that impressed.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You ought to be careful what you say.\u0026nbsp; Once all this is done, he’s going to answer only to us.\u0026nbsp; Who knows what he might do\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;you after such insults?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nGottfried's eyes go wide and he hurries off without saying a word.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“We’re surprised that you didn’t scold us for that.”\u0026nbsp; With no response, the king looks over to the man beside him.\u0026nbsp; Wendell is slumped over and has somehow managed not to fall over.\u0026nbsp; “Fell asleep?\u0026nbsp; Can’t say we blame you.\u0026nbsp; We wouldn’t mind having a bit of a rest ourselves.\u0026nbsp; Well, we could, but it wouldn’t be for the best.\u0026nbsp; We don’t need to have people whisper the title of ‘Sleepy King’.”\u0026nbsp; Not wanting to show any signs of weakness, the king doesn’t even lean against the arms of his throne and instead continues to sit upright.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEven more time has passed than before.\u0026nbsp; The crowd has gotten quite restless, with their chatter having slowly gotten louder to the point of filling the whole throne room.\u0026nbsp; Normally it takes a few moments to silence a room, especially one with this many people, but without warning, the entire room goes dead silent.\u0026nbsp;\n\nJust as the king\u0026nbsp;registers\u0026nbsp;the sudden strange occurrence, Wendell wakes bolt upright with a\u0026nbsp;pained\u0026nbsp;gasp.\u0026nbsp; “What is it?!\u0026nbsp; What’s happening?!” he asks with panic in his voice.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You can’t feel that?” Wendell replies weakly\u0026nbsp;\n\n“No, I didn’t notice anything change, other than the silence.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“It must be your golden ancestry protecting you.\u0026nbsp; It feels like I’m at the bottom of the deepest ocean.”\u0026nbsp; He takes a few ragged breaths.\u0026nbsp; “It’s not a normal pressure like you’d expect.\u0026nbsp; This feels sharp, like countless needle points pressing down.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I-Is there anything I can...”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCRACK!\u0026nbsp; A sharp sound like glass cracking reverberates throughout the room.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“What was that?!”\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Look...\" Wendel says feebly and points\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;the doorway at the end of the room.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt doesn't take long for the king to see what he missed in his panic.\u0026nbsp; A large crack has appeared in the wall but continues uninterrupted through the empty space of the doorway.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I think he’s here,” the king says quietly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCracks continue to form, each followed by an almost deafening sound.\u0026nbsp; When enough cracks have formed, entire pieces begin to fall.\u0026nbsp; Even as they fall, they still keep the image they once held, like a painting on glass.\u0026nbsp; When the first piece hits the ground, it instantly shatters, sending shards flying everywhere.\u0026nbsp; As the shards come to a rest, they sink into the floor and a black flower grows and blooms in its place.\u0026nbsp; Behind the holes left by the pieces at the edge is darkness, but when a piece closer to the\u0026nbsp;center\u0026nbsp;falls something light grey is revealed.\u0026nbsp; As more pieces fall, the dark patch of flowers has grown to cover almost half of the floor.\u0026nbsp; With little to support the remains pieces, larger ones begin to fall and more rapidly.\u0026nbsp; The sound is like a glass tower falling over but thankfully doesn't last long.\u0026nbsp; The huge hole reveals what appears to be a moon out in space.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king has a confused expression on his face.\u0026nbsp; “I recognize the constellations, but not the moon.\u0026nbsp; It looks like the Father’s Moon, but it doesn’t look right.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You’re right, it is the Father’s Moon,” Wendell speaks,\u0026nbsp;sounding a little less pained.\u0026nbsp; “The reason you don’t recognize it is because what you’re seeing is the dark side of the moon.\u0026nbsp; No one has ever seen it... until now.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith wide eyes, the king shifts his view back to the moon.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA shifting river of light pours down from the moon and splashes down on the floor.\u0026nbsp; The light\u0026nbsp;flows\u0026nbsp;like water among the flowers, making them glow from beneath.\u0026nbsp; Almost as if it’s in opposition to the light, a black spot appears at the bottom of the moon.\u0026nbsp; As the spot gets larger, it becomes clear that it’s a dark figure walking down the path of light.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlthough the figure is getting closer, the darkness continues to spread on the moon.\u0026nbsp; The light from the moon and path reveals that this darkness is actually a long cloak worn by the figure.\u0026nbsp; The further down the path they walk, the longer their cloak becomes and the more it consumes the moon.\u0026nbsp; Eventually, the entire moon is turned into the black cloak.\u0026nbsp; With nothing holding it up anymore, the cloak gently floats down and drapes itself over the path of light.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe moment the figure steps\u0026nbsp;onto the ground and among the black flowers, the hole behind them beings to fade away.\u0026nbsp; As the castle wall\u0026nbsp;starts\u0026nbsp;to reappear, the light trail holding up the cloak begins to fade.\u0026nbsp; Once the hole has completely vanished, the massive cloak floats down and billows out along the ground.\u0026nbsp; The dark cloth patch behind the figure now matches the one\u0026nbsp;made\u0026nbsp;of flowers in front of him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe figure spreads his arms out wide with a flourish.\u0026nbsp; “I am\u0026nbsp;Maldeus, who heralds from the Blue Wastes.\u0026nbsp; I am the Grand\u0026nbsp;Magistar\u0026nbsp;Supreme, and the sole guardian of the Ultimus\u0026nbsp;Veneficium\u0026nbsp;Reconditorium.\"\u0026nbsp; His booming voice fills the entire room and seems to come from every direction.\u0026nbsp; In a slightly quieter voice, \"it is a great\u0026nbsp;honor\u0026nbsp;to make your acquaintance, O Golden One.\"\u0026nbsp; He bows deeply, with his head almost touching the floor.\u0026nbsp;\n\nKing\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;raises an eyebrow at the voice.\u0026nbsp; He glances at the stool beside him and finds it empty.\u0026nbsp; With a sly grin on his face, he says, \"remove your hood at once.\u0026nbsp; We wish to see the face of the one we’re talking to.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Your wish is my command, your majesty,” he says with another\u0026nbsp;bow.\u0026nbsp; He brings his hands up to pull the hood back.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe long cloak splayed out behind him begins to move on its own and spiral around\u0026nbsp;Maldeus.\u0026nbsp; The cloak lifts up, spinning faster and faster.\u0026nbsp; As it spins, it begins picking up flower petals and scattering them all over the throne room.\u0026nbsp; The black tornado of cloth and petals reaches all the\u0026nbsp;way\u0026nbsp;up\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;the ceiling.\u0026nbsp; The cloth covering the flowers quickly recedes, and as the bottom lists off the ground it takes the flowers with it and vanishes through the ceiling.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king’s suspicion was correct.\u0026nbsp; Although he looks different, his new retainer stands before him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWendell, although he calls himself\u0026nbsp;Maldeus, is now clad in brilliant white and shining gold.\u0026nbsp; His hair has gone silvery white and his eyes are now gold, both matching his clothes.\u0026nbsp;\n\nInstead of the grey cloak from earlier,\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;is now wearing a white trench coat with popped lapels.\u0026nbsp; The coat is almost entirely open, revealing a muscular chest with white chest hair and a matching treasure trail.\u0026nbsp; The coat also has his muscular legs exposed, which are covered with translucent white tights.\u0026nbsp; On his feet are white boots that match his coat.\u0026nbsp; A golden sash tied around his lower waist keeps the coat somewhat closed.\u0026nbsp; The ends of the sash hang over his crotch and act like a loincloth since his tights are see-through.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe coat is sleeveless, showing off his bulging biceps.\u0026nbsp; The only thing on his arms are some white gloves that reach up a quarter of his forearms.\u0026nbsp; All the fabric he’s wearing has contrasting white or gold embroidery.\u0026nbsp; The designs seem to be\u0026nbsp;a mix\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;magical and decorative shapes and patterns.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe only visible piece of\u0026nbsp;jewelry\u0026nbsp;is a golden diadem inlaid with white gems.\u0026nbsp; The gems seem\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;waver and move as if they were alive and might suddenly vanish.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA few moments of silence go by.\u0026nbsp; Gottfried is the first to speak, “now that introductions have been made, let us begin the coronation.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nNow that the silence has been broken, everyone, both inside and out, begins talking about what they just saw.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Now if we could have your attention,” the king tries, but the excitement proves too much.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBefore he can try again,\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;holds his hand up to the king to stop him.\u0026nbsp; Spreading his arms out, he booms, “SILENCE!\u0026nbsp; Your king is speaking!”\u0026nbsp; His voice is loud enough to be heard almost throughout the entire city.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone is silent and doesn't dare make a sound.\u0026nbsp;\n\nKing\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;has a grimace on his face, and his ears flat against his head.\u0026nbsp; “My hearing was too good anyway,” he says quietly to himself, but both him and\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;smile at each other.\u0026nbsp; He clears his throat.\u0026nbsp; “Have you brought an object on which to make your promise?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaldeus\u0026nbsp;bends down and picks\u0026nbsp;the last black flower from between his feet.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Then you may begin.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs in an offering, he holds the flower up towards the king.\u0026nbsp; “Through this ancient rite, I hereby pledge my life to you.\u0026nbsp; Through you may pass on to the next world, your descendants will inherit this promise, and with it my soul.\u0026nbsp; Only with my death shall this promise ever be broken.\u0026nbsp; Until my passing, I promise to serve you and your lineage, however you all see fit.”\u0026nbsp; He gently tosses the flower to the king.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe flower slowly floats over the large distance between them.\u0026nbsp; The king reaches out and easily catches it in his large hand.\u0026nbsp; “Through this ancient rite, I hereby accept your pledge.\u0026nbsp; Though we may waver, we will always try our utmost to make proper use of your awesome power.\u0026nbsp; I promise that as long as you live, you will never regret your decision.”\u0026nbsp; The king tosses the flower into the air.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“It is done!”\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;booms.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“It is done!” King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;shouts.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe flower\u0026nbsp;erupts\u0026nbsp;in a bright light that fills the entire throne room.\u0026nbsp; Even those outside have to cover their eyes or look away.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhen the light fades,\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;is holding onto the flower.\u0026nbsp; “I will find a container suitable for this,” he says only\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;the king.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOnce again Gottfried steps\u0026nbsp;forward.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;“The coronation has come to an end.\u0026nbsp; All present are welcome to walk the gardens while the feast is prepared.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaldeus\u0026nbsp;begins walking toward the king, who in turn stands and smiles at him.\u0026nbsp; As he's walking, he begins to fade and disappears completely before reaching the stairs.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Find out where he went, we will wait\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;our chamber until you bring news\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;his whereabouts.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I will do so, but you really should go and make an appearance.\u0026nbsp; There were some unexpected guests, ones who would be\u0026nbsp;saddened\u0026nbsp;if you didn’t show.”\u0026nbsp; This was\u0026nbsp;code\u0026nbsp;for: they showed up\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;cause trouble and if you don’t show, trouble is exactly what you’ll get.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king\u0026nbsp;let’s\u0026nbsp;out a big sigh.\u0026nbsp; “You’re right.”\u0026nbsp; He\u0026nbsp;begins the walk\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;the headache waiting for him\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;gardens.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone he sees greets and congratulates him on the new Royal Magister.\u0026nbsp; Over and over he hears what a spectacle it was, and over and over he says how glad he is they could make it and that they enjoyed the coronation.\u0026nbsp; These gatherings are always the same.\u0026nbsp; Say what you must, not what you want and always to the same people.\u0026nbsp; Surround by people who couldn’t care less about him and dragged away from those he considers friends.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomeone places their hands lightly on the king’s shoulders.\u0026nbsp; “You simply must ask your little Magister where he gets his clothes made,” a woman’s voice says quietly into his ear.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA friend.\u0026nbsp; \"Lady Galilei, how nice to see you.\u0026nbsp; You are looking as lovely as ever.\"\u0026nbsp; Before him stands a woman almost as tall as he is.\u0026nbsp; She's wearing a tight-fitting\u0026nbsp;wine-colored\u0026nbsp;dress, which makes it look like she just came from a party.\u0026nbsp; The many golden bangles around her wrist jingle whenever she moves and matches her long blond hair.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“How nice to see you as well.\u0026nbsp; You are looking positively radiant, O Golden One.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey both laugh at the formalities.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Oh, dear.\u0026nbsp; Don’t look now, but you’ll never guess who’s coming.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king tenses up not wanting to look behind him.\u0026nbsp; “Please don’t leave us with her,” he begs in a whisper.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Sorry, I’ve got to run!” she says loud enough so others could hear to secure her escape.\u0026nbsp; “Don’t worry, I’ve heard she’s gotten better,” she whispers back.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nLady Galilei just smiles coyly and shrugs her shoulder.\u0026nbsp; She begins to walk away, but turns around and says, “I wasn’t kidding about the clothes.\u0026nbsp; My little one would look gorgeous in them.”\u0026nbsp; With a wink, she disappears around a hedge leaving King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;his fate.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt seems like the talking will never end, but then Gottfried announces that the feast is ready.\u0026nbsp; The king says his goodbyes and breathes a sigh of relief.\u0026nbsp;\n\nUpon re-entering the throne room, the once empty floor is now filled with tables that stretch from one end to the other.\u0026nbsp; Countless plates piled with food cover the tables and the entire room is lit by just as many candles and torches.\u0026nbsp; Sitting in front of the thrones is an ornate white table that seems to have far too much food for one person.\u0026nbsp; Along with the table, another small throne has been placed on the righthand side of the king's larger throne.\u0026nbsp; Already sitting in the new throne is\u0026nbsp;Maldeus.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king walks over to his throne and sits down, all the while ignoring\u0026nbsp;Maldeus.\u0026nbsp; “Well, how nice of you to finally join us,” the king says with a little disdain\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;his voice.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I never left your side, your majesty.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king finally turns to look at him with doubt on his face.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tell Lady Galilei that I made these clothes myself and that I'd be happy to make some for her little one,\"\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;says with a bit of a smug look on his face.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Sorry we doubted you.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Don’t be too hard on yourself, seeing is believing.\u0026nbsp; And as I learned earlier from the bath, if you were hard then I’m sure everyone down there would be able to see.”\u0026nbsp; He looks at the king from the corner of his eye and gives him a sly smile.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king tries to contain his snickers.\u0026nbsp; “Behave!”\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm always on my best\u0026nbsp;behavior.\u0026nbsp; You though...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king gives his foot a little kick and\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;gives him one back.\u0026nbsp; “We’re surprised you aren’t confused by Galilei.\u0026nbsp; Do you know of her?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“No, I don't.\u0026nbsp; She doesn't seem like the kind of woman to dress her children in clothes as revealing as this,\" he gestures at his clothes.\u0026nbsp; \"She is the second tallest of everyone here, you being the first.\u0026nbsp; So, I assumed ‘little one' was probably a pet name for her beau.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king smiles.\u0026nbsp; “We’re impressed.\u0026nbsp; That was some excellent deduction.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I think you exaggerate.\u0026nbsp; Most people would have come to a similar conclusion.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“If you knew the people here as we did, then you'd know we are telling the truth.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It sounds like it's more of an insult to them, than a compliment to me.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nPeople are still getting themselves seated since some rather chatty individuals are holding up the rest.\u0026nbsp; Still unable to eat, the king leans over to\u0026nbsp;Maldeus, “once all this is done, we would like to speak to you in our chamber.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“This position has been vacant for quite a while, so I have a lot of work to catch up on.\u0026nbsp; Talking in my chamber would be far more\u0026nbsp;convenient\u0026nbsp;for me.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king leans in close enough to tickle\u0026nbsp;Maldeus’ ear and whispers, “our chamber has a nicer bed.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“What am I going to do with you?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You took the words right out of our mouth.\u0026nbsp; What\u0026nbsp;are\u0026nbsp;we going to do with you?\u0026nbsp; Would you like to guess?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Please behave in front of everyone.”\u0026nbsp; He tries to give him a stern look, but the smile betrays him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“We’re keeping our hands\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;ourselves, so we think we’re doing pretty well.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I don’t know if that’s something to be proud of, but at least it’s something, I guess.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king gives him a big toothy grin and\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;can’t help but smile too.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Stop fooling around and start eating so everyone else can start... and so they can stop staring,” he says the last few words under his breath.\u0026nbsp;\n\nKing\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;stands and lifts a goblet\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;the air, and everyone else does the same.\u0026nbsp; He brings the goblet to his mouth and downs the entire thing.\u0026nbsp; Only a few people empty their glass, the others just take a sip and begin eating.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe quiet sounds of people eating fill the air but soon becomes a little louder as more alcohol is consumed.\u0026nbsp; With many people are already done eating, dessert is quickly brought out by a procession of servants.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon.\u0026nbsp; Most of the food on the table has already been eaten and the pitcher of wine has already been filled up a few times.\u0026nbsp; He looks over to\u0026nbsp;Maldeus, who is just sipping on a glass of water.\u0026nbsp; “You’re not\u0026nbsp;done\u0026nbsp;already are you?!” he says a little too loudly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes, I am.\u0026nbsp; I'll have to tell the cooks they did an excellent job.\u0026nbsp; That chocolate crème\u0026nbsp;brûlée\u0026nbsp;was especially delicious.”\u0026nbsp; He takes another sip of water before continuing.\u0026nbsp; “Frankly, I’m the one who should be shocked that you’re still eating, even though you are larger than me.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Well, if you’re done you can leave if you want.”\u0026nbsp; The king doesn’t hide the sadness\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;his voice very well.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I’ll stay.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You really like our company that much?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I want to make sure that if you drink too much, you won’t become a problem.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Oh, you really do care.”\u0026nbsp; The king bumps shoulders with\u0026nbsp;Maldeus.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“It is my duty to care.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe king scowls and stuffs more food in his mouth.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter quite some time goes by,\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;calls Gottfried over.\u0026nbsp; “Do you mind if I say a few words to the people?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“No, not at all.\u0026nbsp; Go right ahead.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaldeus\u0026nbsp;stands and claps his hands together, which reverberates through the room.\u0026nbsp; With everyone now staring at him, he speaks, “I’d like to thank you all for coming.\u0026nbsp; It means the world to the Golden One and me.\u0026nbsp; Please eat and drink your fill, but I’m afraid the king must retire for the night.\u0026nbsp; He’s had a little too much to drink, and I fear his plate may soon become his pillow.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nLaughter fills the room, although most people are only laughing out of courtesy or drunkenness.\u0026nbsp; The king, who almost has his head on the empty throne’s seat, hardy stirs at the sound.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I bid you all a safe and good night,”\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;finishes with a bow and his hands spread out before him.\u0026nbsp; He brings his hands together and\u0026nbsp;giant\u0026nbsp;floor\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;ceiling curtains appear from the walls.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt only takes a few seconds for the upper level to be completely blocked from view.\u0026nbsp; From behind the curtains is genuine applause.\u0026nbsp; The curtains act as a window to the outside, showing a view of the night sky that only a few with large telescopes can see.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaldeus\u0026nbsp;turns to the dozing king.\u0026nbsp; “Now, let’s get you to bed.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you require any assistance?\" Gottfried asks.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaldeus\u0026nbsp;just gives him a bit of a smirk.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Right.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Of course\u0026nbsp;you don’t.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Thank you anyway.\u0026nbsp; The thought is very much appreciated, and don’t worry, there will be many times I will call upon you for help.”\u0026nbsp; He gives Gottfried a smile, who surprisingly gives him one back.\u0026nbsp; “Since the king can’t say it right now, I will.\u0026nbsp; Thank you for all your hard work and make sure you get a good night's rest.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Thank you, and you as well.\u0026nbsp; Welcome to the family.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaldeus\u0026nbsp;gives him another smile and a nod.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith the wave of a hand, the large table floats up and away, allowing access to the king.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;puts his hand on the king’s chest and effortlessly lifts him off the throne.\u0026nbsp; The table floats back down once they are clear of the area, and\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;pushes the king over so he’s laying down, but still floating in the air.\u0026nbsp; With his hand still on the king’s chest,\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;begins walking and the king following beside him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDespite having only walked this path once, and in the opposite direction,\u0026nbsp;Maldeus\u0026nbsp;find his way to the king’s chamber without fault.\u0026nbsp; Once inside, a wave of the hand has the covers on the bed pulled back neatly in preparation for the king.\u0026nbsp; He brings his hands together over the king and then pulls them away.\u0026nbsp; Everything the king is wearing slides off his body and finds its proper resting place.\u0026nbsp; He takes the king over to his bed and tucks him in, sitting on the edge.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Well, you got me in your chamber and on your bed no less.\u0026nbsp; What are you going to do with me?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nSoft snoring is the only sound the king makes.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I thought as much.”\u0026nbsp; He gives King\u0026nbsp;Reuleaux\u0026nbsp;a goodnight kiss on the forehead.\u0026nbsp; Before leaving he places something on the table next to the crown box.\u0026nbsp; The object is the black flower on which they made their promises.\u0026nbsp; The flower is now planted in a stylized version of the king's crown and is made of the same rare black metal.\u0026nbsp;"}