Chapter 6

Six

“ W hat do you Blackseed boys want?” asked Sebastian, approaching the small traveling party standing just inside his castle’s gate. There were the three brothers and the elf. Sebastian had his advisor, captain of the guard, steward, squire, and several dozen soldiers backing him up. They all had their hands on their weapons, ready for a battle to break out.

“If you’re looking for a fight, you’ll get it,” snarled Farrimond, starting to pull his sword. Sebastian raised his hand and stopped him from doing so.

“We come in peace.” The Sin Eater, Darium, raised his hands in the air. Still, he had the power to control weather and didn’t need a blade in his hand to be considered threatening.

“Peace? Hrumph,” snorted Farrimond. “More than likely you’re here to try to steal the last of the true kings of Mura’s castles. Admit it.”

“No one stole anyone’s castle,” spoke up Rhys. “I inherited Kasculbough from King Osric himself and you know it.”

“And I married a queen and was elected King of Evandorm after King Grinwald’s death,” added Zann.

“I don’t believe you,” snapped Farrimond. Several of Sebastian’s soldiers voiced their agreement with his captain of the guard.

“Men, stand down,” commanded Sebastian, not wanting trouble. He directed his attention back to his visitors. “What is your purpose for being here?” he asked them once again.

“We need to know if you caught a sea nymph in your nets,” said Zann.

“He did! It’s me,” Merrow blurted out before Sebastian could even respond. She ran forward to meet them.

“You’re a sea nymph?” asked the elf from atop his horse. All of the Blackseeds were still mounted as well. “You look more like a lady of the castle to me.”

“I look like one, but I assure you I am not. Did you find my sisters?” asked Merrow.“There were three of us who came through the portal.”

“Quiet, Merrow, before I lock you back in your room again,” threatened Sebastian, not wanting to look weak in front of the other kings. With the girl talking over him and asking questions before he could answer, it wasn’t going to fare well with him where his enemies were concerned.

“We found two sea nymphs, but we don’t want them,” said the elf named Elric in his nasally little voice. The man was as small as a child, but Sebastian had seen him wield his powers before, and he was the most dangerous of the bunch of them. Sebastian needed to proceed cautiously and not get any of these magical people angry.

“Bring my sisters to me. Please,” begged Merrow, once more talking over him. He couldn’t let her get away with it again.

“That’s it! I said to stay quiet but you can’t seem to listen to directions,” he told Merrow, losing his patience with her. “Jocet, take the girl back to my solar and be sure to post a guard and lock the door.”

“Nay!” cried Merrow, fighting his steward. “I won’t leave. I need to be brought to my sisters.”

Sebastian had no choice. He needed to control her. Slipping his hand into his pouch, he quickly rubbed his fingers over the shell. “I said, you’ll wait for me in my solar.”

“Ooooo, I will,” he heard her say in a lusty voice. “And when you get there, I will give you pleasure like you’ve never felt before.”

“Huh?” Sebastian’s head snapped around. Merrow was already untying her bodice. Damn, mayhap he rubbed the shell too hard again. He quickly released the charm, letting it drop back into his pouch. “Get her out of here,” he ground out.

“Aye, my lord.” His steward pulled her along with him. All the while Merrow looked back over her shoulder at Sebastian, throwing kisses. If he hadn’t been embarrassed by her behavior before, he certainly was now.

“What was that all about?” asked Elric. “She’s acting like your concubine.”

“Never mind. Tell me, what do you want me to do about your sea nymphs?” asked Sebastian.

“Take them off our hands,” said Elric, before the Blackseed boys had a chance to speak.

“Nay, that’s not what we want at all,” interrupted Rhys, the youngest, but biggest and strongest of the three men. He had super strength as his power and no one could best him in a fight. “All we want is to help the nymphs get back through the portal to go home.”

“And how do you plan on doing that? Do the Blackseed brothers now have the ability to open and close portals too?” asked Drell.

“Nay. Of course not,” said Zann. “No one can do that.”

“Not true,” said Elric. “I know someone who can.”

“Elric, let us handle this,” said Darium. “King Sebastian, we are willing to make a trade for your sea nymph.”

“What do you have to offer?” Sebastian didn’t plan on letting her go, but still, he wanted to hear what the Blackseed brothers were willing to give him. If it was a lot of money and gold, then he’d know that these sea nymphs were valuable creatures indeed.

“How about we give him Elric?” mumbled Zann under his breath.

“I heard that, you big oaf,” snapped Elric. “You’d better watch it, or you’ll be sorry.”

“Elric, Zann is your son by marriage, he didn’t mean anything by that,” Rhys told the little man.

“You’d better hope not.” Elric waved his hand in the air and a butcher’s cleaver appeared.

Every one of Sebastian’s men took that as an act of aggression and pulled their weapons as well.

“Elric, for Zoroct’s sake, get rid of that, or we’ll have a war on our hands,” shouted Zann.

“What?” The elf looked around and shrugged. “I just meant don’t get me mad or I won’t cook your favorite meals for you anymore. Whatever.” He nodded and the cleaver disappeared.

“I think we’re done here,” said Sebastian. “Guards, see our visitors to the gate.”

“Wait! We’re willing to pay you money for your nymph,” said Zann as the guards escorted them to the exit.

“Not interested.” Sebastian turned to leave.

“We’ll get her one way or another, so don’t think we won’t,” warned Elric. Then, in a blur, he sped away without his horse, so fast that no one knew where he even went.

“Where did he go?” asked Sebastian.

“I didn’t see, did you?” Drell asked Farrimond.

“Nay, I didn’t. Shall I have my men scour the area?” Farrimond asked Sebastian.

“Nay,” Sebastian answered, looking over his shoulder as the Blackseeds left, taking the elf’s horse with them. “Give me some time to think about all this. I am sure they won’t try anything before daybreak. We’ll revisit this matter in the morning. I’m going to bed, so make sure the gate is lowered and the drawbridge raised.”

“Aye, my lord,” answered Farrimond, talking to the soldiers and carrying out their orders.

Drell joined Sebastian. “My king, I must advise you that keeping the sea nymph will only bring you trouble.”

“How so?” he asked as he continued walking back to the keep.

“You either need to give her up to the Blackseeds or we need to steal the other two nymphs and bring them here.”

Sebastian stopped walking and turned back to his advisor. “Steal the other two? Why would I want three of them? One sea nymph is already proving to be more than enough trouble.”

“Then give her up, my lord.”

“Nay. I can’t do that either.”

“Then, our only choice is to own all three of them. If we do, we’ll be true rulers. Mayhap these sea nymphs will have their own powers that we can use against the Blackseeds to conquer their castles and take over Mura for ourselves.”

“We?” asked Sebastian, noticing his advisor was using a lot of we’s and ourselves. “Last I heard, I’m king, not you.”

“Of course not, my lord, that’s not what I meant.” Drell chuckled nervously and bowed deeply, his hands pressed together. His cheeks turned red. “I just meant that it is what your uncle would do. I’m sure you want to follow in your uncle’s footsteps in every way, don’t you?”

“Yes. Of course, I do,” said Sebastian, wondering if Drell was right. Three nymphs would give him the upper hand. Especially if the burdensome Blackseeds wanted them. He’d have to give this some thought overnight. “We will discuss this again on the morrow. Good night.”

“Those other kings have Melite and Galene,” Merrow told her mother, pacing back and forth in Sebastian’s solar as her mother lit the candles and the fire on the hearth.

“Good. At least we know where they are now,” her mother answered, poking the logs with a long iron rod.

“Mother, how can you say that is good? Who knows what they are doing to them. They could be locked in the dungeon and being tortured for all we know.”

“Nay. They are safe with the Blackseeds, I assure you. They are good men. They are nothing like King Sethor or his nephew. Sebastian is the one you have to worry about, not them.”

“And why is that?” came a deep voice from the door.

Merrow spun around to find Sebastian standing in the open doorway. “Sebastian! How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to know that my maidservant is speaking badly about me behind my back.”

“I’m sorry, my lord.” The iron rod fell from the woman’s hand. “I didn’t mean…I meant…I mean?—”

“I think Merrow would be better off with a different maid servant. You are dismissed. Guard,” he called out. “Take this maidservant out of here.”

“Yes, my lord.” The guard took Dee by the arm.

“Nay! I need her. Please, don’t take away my maidservant,” begged Merrow.

“You don’t need her. And guard, you don’t need to stand watch at my door tonight. I’ll be here with the nymph so you are dismissed for now.”

“Yes, my lord. Where shall I take this one?” He nodded at Dee.

“Take her to the dungeon for speaking ill of her king.”

“The dungeon? Nay!” cried Merrow, feeling fear and dread wash through her. “You can’t take her there. She is my m?—”

Nay, don’t tell him, daughter , came her mother’s silent warning in her mind. It will only be more dangerous for you if he knows.

But I can’t let him hurt you, Mother. I won’t let him put you in the dungeon, she told her mother with her mind.

It will be fine for now. Focus on finding your sisters.

The guard left with her mother and closed the door. Merrow crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Sebastian.

“You’ve been a very bad girl today, Merrow.” Sebastian sidled over to the door and slid the bar hold across and then used a key to actually lock it as well. He proceeded to drop the key into his pouch. “I don’t like anyone speaking over me the way you did today. You are lucky I’m not locking you up in my dungeon along with that traitorous handmaid.”

“She’s not traitorous. You know nothing at all about her.”

“I know enough.” He unbuckled his weapon belt and took it off. “She and you were conspiring against me and that does not make me happy.”

“All I want to do is to find my sisters. Yet, you will do nothing to help me. You are rotten, just like your uncle. Just like my m—maidservant said.”

“I am not evil, and it hurts me to know that you think of me in that way.” He hung his weapon belt on a hook on the wall.

There was a knock at the door. Sebastian went over and undid the bar and then unlocked the door and opened it slightly. “Thank you, Hitch. That will be all.” He took a tray of food from his squire. There was also a bottle of something on the tray and Merrow figured it was wine. He held the tray in one hand while he bolted and locked the door once more.

“I’m a prisoner, even if you say I’m not. Just look at the way you bar and lock the door. That proves you are evil.”

“Hush. I thought you might be hungry so I had food sent up. I know I am ravenous.” He carried the tray of food over to a small table in the center of the room. Then he kicked off his boots and sat down on one of the two wooden chairs. “Join me,” he said, holding out his hand, motioning to the food. He removed a dome from a plate and a delicious scent wafted through the air.

Merrow’s stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten since before they went through the portal, and was really hungry. “What is it?” she asked curiously, stretching her neck to see it.

“I thought you’d be more familiar with seafood, so I ordered a pottage made up of scallops, lobster, oysters and clams. I also had some fresh white bread and some sweetmeats sent up as well.”

“Seafood?” she asked curiously, moving closer ever so slowly.

“Yes. Or are they your friends and you can’t eat them?” he asked with a half-cocked smile.

She let out a sigh. “Of course I eat seafood. That is my home. The fish and crustaceans of the sea gladly give up their lives to give my family sustenance. We just don’t eat dolphins, octopuses, whales, sharks or sea turtles.”

“And neither have I served you any. Now sit. Please.”

“Well, mayhap just a bite.” Merrow realized that Sebastian didn’t seem rotten and evil right now. He actually seemed like he cared enough to offer her food, and that surprised her.

“Where are the shells?” she asked, looking around the tray.

“Shells?” She saw his hand go to his pouch that held her personal shell charm. The one that would enable him to control her sexual desires. He was careful not to let that out of his sight.

“Not that shell,” she scoffed. “I mean the shells to scoop up the pottage so we can eat it.”

He laughed heartily at that, and she didn’t understand why.

“What is so funny?”

“You are,” he told her. “Here on land, we use something called a spoon.” He held up a metal stick with a round indention on the end. She stared. “You really never used the spoon before, have you?”

“I don’t come to land often. And when I do, I don’t eat, so no, I have never used a…a spoon or anything like it.”

“Then allow me to show you how it works.” He used the indented end of the spoon to scoop up some pottage. Then he brought it to his lips, blew on it to cool it, and slipped the spoon with the food into his mouth. “Understand?”

“Of course I understand. I’m not addled!” She grabbed the spoon from him and tried to mimic his actions, but she forgot to blow on the food first. It was too hot to eat and she burned her mouth. “Ow!” she dropped the spoon and it went clattering to the table, spilling pottage everywhere. “I know how to use it, but I am not used to eating hot food,” she told him. “My sisters and I eat the fish raw. We don’t cook it.”

“I see. Well, allow me to help you then.” He repeated the process. Sebastian scooped up pottage onto the spoon, blew on the food, then slowly held it up to her mouth this time. “Open up, my little sea nymph.”

Merrow opened her mouth and he slid the food into it. An explosion of delicious flavors accompanied by a spicy aroma awoke her senses and brought her to life. She closed her eyes and moaned at the taste of the rich and savory seafood pottage. “Mmmm,” she moaned in pleasure. “That is soooo good.” When she opened her eyes again, Sebastian was fidgeting on the chair. “What’s the matter?” she asked him.

“Nothing.” He fed her again, and she let him do it. Merrow enjoyed the intimacy of a handsome man spoon feeding her.

“Mmmm, ooooh, aaaah,” she cooed, just loving the taste of this human way of eating food from the sea.

“That’s it!” He threw down the spoon. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

As soon as he stood, she knew exactly what he meant. His aroused form was tenting out his breeches. She giggled.

“You think it’s funny?” he asked, turning toward the fire. More than likely he felt too embarrassed to face her right now.

“What’s funny is that you have my shell charm and supposedly can control my sexual urges and desires. Yet, all I did was eat food from a spoon and suddenly I am the one controlling yours. Humans sure are odd creatures.” She ripped off a hunk of bread and gnawed on it.

“What exactly can I control by being owner of your charm?” He spoke to her over his shoulder, still not turning around.

“Owner?” She scowled at him.

“I mean, the holder of the shell.”

“What exactly are you asking?” She was thirsty and uncorked the bottle.

“What I want to know is, can I actually control everything you do? And am I able to keep you here? Or is it just sexual matters than I am able to handle?”

“Keep me here?” she asked. “You want me stay?” She brought the bottle to her mouth, taking a swig, thinking it was wine. It wasn’t. Fire burned her throat and she found herself unable to breathe. Choking and coughing, she ran to him for help, yanking on his arm until he turned around.

“Merrow? Are you all right?”

She was able to breathe air or breathe underwater. But right now, whatever that liquid was in the bottle, it stopped her from breathing in any way or form. She felt her head growing dizzy and gripped on to his arm so she wouldn’t fall. Then, the next thing she knew, her eyes rolled back in her head and she felt her body going limp as she passed out against him.