May 26th, 2006 by C.A. Dubois

» Their Story – Part 59 «

“I take it that Catarine appearing when she did was not a good thing?” I prompted Cyl after a few moments. All through the night as Cyl told me Their Story, she’d sometimes get “stuck”. It wasn’t that she didn’t or couldn’t tell the story – what I believe happened is she would forget to verbalize what she was watching in her minds eye. Thus my prompts.

“Well,” She began as she shifted slightly. “First we had to scramble to our feet and then bow or curtsy. That always puts a kink in lying down, ya know?” She giggled at her own joke. “Of course Catarine…she was still swept away in her own horrors…”

At this point Cyl’s voice sounded plastic, as if she were faking what she said. She rolled onto her left side and peer up at me as her hand fell to my chest.

“Oh hell David. In my opinion, Catarine was being a bitch. As far as I was concerned, Catarine had put herself on my enemy list the moment she agreed to aid Manshoon in any fashion, even if for her husband.”

My heart skipped a beat. When Cyl is being cold and heartless, you not only hear it in her voice or see it in her eyes, but it permeates the entire room. She does heartless well, unfortunately. I’m not so capable of it.

“Cyl…” I groaned. Although I could see why Lithie might be angry at Catarine, surely she understood Catarine felt her back was against as big of a wall as Lithie’s was.

“Don’t Cyl me David Sutterland.” Cyl’s hand began lightly pounding my chest. “You never, never, never negotiate with terrorists! NEVER! Catarine did…..”

“Manshoon was not a terrorist.” I interrupted. Cyl sat up enough that she propped herself on a hand.

“Like hell he wasn’t David. He terrorized Kline for years. Then Illiard and Corbaire. He had his little henchmen do his dirty work, probably for the same fucking 72 virgins even! Yes he was…..just because that time did not have a 9-11, doesn’t mean Manshoon was NOT a terrorist!”

I held my hands up to signal I would not fight her on this. Cyl immediately realized she had grown way overzealous against the wrong target and she smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry.” She whispered as she patted my chest. “It’s just….” Her voice faded off and as she picked non-existent lint off my chest she shrugged again. “He used terror as a weapon. That is what terrorists do. All war is hell and terrifying, but not all wars were terroristic in nature.”

Cyl looked up at me with the biggest welling tears in her eyes I have ever seen, a lump formed in my throat. “Using terror as a weapon makes the user a terrorist. Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, My mother, Manshoon….they all used it purposely and knowingly as a weapon against good souls. When people understand, anyone using terror purposely as a weapon is a terrorist, they will understand why this world is so fucked.”

Not knowing what else to do and having nothing to say, I reached over and rubbed Cyl’s back. I knew her mother. I found Cyl once when her mother locked her in a sealed basement and left her. The woman did terrorize Cyl. I always thought of that, and her mother as Child abuse…now I realized Cyl was right, she was a terrorist and perhaps the worst kind.

I could have got lost in those awful thoughts, but Cyli girl doesn’t dwell on things like that for long. They are what they are she always says. Suddenly she pulled one of my chest hairs and then giggled when I yelped.

“Ignore me will you?” she proudly cooed as she flopped back down.

I was still rubbing my chest as I said, “You didn’t say anything to ignore!”

“oh” she suddenly giggled. “my bad” the tiny smirk across her lips told me she planned this all along. I pulled her hair for revenge. Cyl laughed even harder.

“Hey David, you know what they say about boys who pull little girls hair right?”

I biffed a giggling Cyl in the back of the head as I silently groaned. Why I try to win these little battles I’ll never know. I’ll also never win – damnit.

“Anyway,” She began, once again settling into Their Story. “Catarine stuck around long enough to remind us that we’d be prisoners until we produced a confirmable heir. And that is what she said too, a confirmable heir.” Cyl shook her head in disgust. “She tried blaming me again. She made a bunch of pretty shitty remarks about my status as a paid whore to her brother. You know David that was the only argument I ever saw that Lornon technically lost.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well she was ranting about how I was his paid whore, and he was defending me while trying not to break her neck. But she was right. Technically I was being paid to be with her brother and be married, and then have sex with and birth a baby for.”

I stared down at Cyl and smiled in wonder. The way her mind thinks at times still mystifies me.

“I didn’t say anything during their argument, but as we walked back to our chambers, Lornon asked me why I did not defend myself. When I stated I was a whore thus there was nothing to argue, Lornon said nothing more. He quickly escorted me back to our chambers, ordered everyone out, stood at the doors after locking then for at least five minutes and then he turned and exploded on me!”

“I’ll never forget the rage on his face when he turned around. I don’t know why he threw everyone out. They had to hear him all the way north to Kline the way he yelled, “In the name of the nine hells you are no whore!” He was….pissed. He stormed over to me and yanked me by my upper arms. “How many men have you bedded Lithie, HOW MANY?” he demanded.”

“At first I was so shocked by his anger I could not answer him. It didn’t last long though. I pulled myself free and smoothed my gown as I coolly stated, “I was untouched when we married and I have remained such, so the answer to your question is none. Do not yell at me Lornon. I’m in no mood.” I turned to walk to the windows but was too slow.”

“He grabbed my arm, pulled me against his chest, held me by my wrists with one hand and had his arm around the back of my waist. He was seething. “You can’t be a whore Lithie unless you’re bedding men.” He hissed. If there was one thing I knew best about Lornon, it was how to deal with the many shades of grey of his anger. I knew when he got this angry, where he hissed and restrained me, to not say a word. I also knew that pissed him off more and usually caused him to let go of me. So I stood there with indignant eyes and kept my mouth shut.”

Cyl leaned her head on the soft inner portion of my arm, the one that once again held her down and she sighed. “Like clockwork, Lornon grew angry and released me in a flash. He stormed to the windows and stood there with his hands firmly locked behind his back. He stayed like that for a very, very long time. In fact he didn’t move until our evening meal arrived.”

“What did you do during all that time?” I heard myself ask. Cyl smiled to herself and began playing with her finger nails like she does.

“I sat in my favorite chair and….somehow my mind drifted back to the book we were reading. To be totally truthful, I didn’t move until our meal arrived either. I guess I was lost in daydreams.”

“So that was the end of the argument?”

“Not really, no. But our silent time did signal the end of the hissing, angry portion.” Cyl shook her head with shame. “One of us always had to blow up. We wouldn’t have known we were arguing otherwise.” She admitted with disgust and delight.

“As we ate dinner, I watched Lornon and I got mad. Now he chose to be angry that I’d be seen or referred to as a whore, but not the night Gilly proposed this marriage of convenience. I didn’t understand that. Of course the night Gilly contrived all of this, I was furious and now I wasn’t. So in all fairness I had changed, why couldn’t he…but I didn’t think of that until months later, so it didn’t apply that evening.”

I laughed at Cyl.

“Anyway,” She sighed. “During our meal, I asked him why. I looked right at him and said, “Does it bother you that I am a whore, or that your wife is a whore?” Lornon looked up to me and paused. He actually thought about my question, which wasn’t too odd, he often thought before replying, but in this case considering his anger earlier I guess his calmness surprised me.”

“Of course his answer surprised me even more. “It bothers me that you’d believe I think you a whore or I’d treat you as one.” – amazing huh? I could not believe it David. Of course he was as amazed by my words as I was of his. “I never said I believed you thought me a whore Lornon. I simply stated the fact is, whores offer and perform intimate – services in exchange for pre-arranged payment. That is precisely what a marriage of convenience is. My payment, Kline and rule over it, my services offered: my hand in marriage and bearing your child. -But I never felt as though you thought me a whore.”

“You told him that?” I could not believe what I was hearing. Cyl said it without malice. She sounded so cold and unfeeling, just as I knew Lithie did that day.

“Oh yes I did, then I told Lornon, “Why do you think I was so angered at both of you? Neither of you were men to go into a tavern and pay a whore for her services but you thought nothing of doing such to me. The only reason I accepted was to be able to stay in the home I love.” Then, because I realized what I was saying, I got up and excused myself from our meal.”

“I ….” Cyl’s voice faded off. For a few seconds Cyl fidgeted next to me. “She never admitted to anyone why she hated what Gilly and Lornon did – the whole arranged marriage. Telling Lornon what she had was probably as close as she ever got to telling anyone.”

Cyl went silent. I could almost hear Cyl asking herself why she never told anyone. I didn’t like that. I hated how deeply Cyl took Lithie’s feelings to heart. Lithie may not have told anyone, and had her reasons; but seeing Cyl try to live through the guilt of it killed me.

“What did Lornon do when you walked away?” I nudged Cyl along.

Cyl wiggled slightly. She does that a lot when she doesn’t want to or it’s hard for her to answer something.

“Lithie didn’t walk away like I do David. She did excuse herself from the meal and walk to a settee in front of the window, but she didn’t walk out like I would have.”

“I see” I chuckled. Cyl’s infamous for removing herself from an argument until she is of a level head. She will walk out!

“Lornon brought my plate to me. He told me I needed to eat. Then he surprised me and sat down with me as we finished our meal.” Cyl continued. Bolting upright at breakneck speed, she slid across and then hopped off the bed. “It ended up being a nice night David…we didn’t fight…we didn’t disagree…we didn’t argue….and we even started fulfilling that damn legally binding contract. Over all I’d say it was a nice fucking night.”

Then she slammed the bathroom door shut. It wasn’t the slam of the door that hit me. It was the pain in her voice as she spoke those words…

For some reason, I found tears in my eyes.

© 2006 D Sutterland

May 26th, 2006 by C.A. Dubois

» Their Story – Part 58 «

In no time flat, Cyl and I were both clambering up into my bed so she could tell me what I just promised never to tell another soul. (See Part 57 and note Cyl rescinded my promise) I’ve known Cyl for so long that I knew I had no idea what to expect.

Cyl isn’t one to ask you to promise anything. If she does ask someone for their word, she usually states it that way, “Do I have your word?” I’ve never seen her grab anyone or violently shake them while threatening bodily harm in order to extract a promise. I must be special, or stupid. (No comments from the peanut gallery kids…)

I situated myself so I was propped against the headboard of my bed, stretching my legs out in front of me. I turned to offer Cyl something when I was biffed by an oversized down pillow. I heard her muffled apology. Within seconds, “Princess I-Own-The-Bed-And-All-Room-On-It” had adjusted her various pillows and comforters to precisely what she needed; every inch of space on my damn bed.

I’m a good host. I’ll sleep on my couch for any guest. But on this night, or early morning, I noted two things. A) Cyl was no guest, she was Cyl and B) There was no heat where my couch was. I decided to change the bed hogging situation immediately.

Cyl had just started to say, “Anyway,” When I scooped her, all the pillows, blankets and assorted crap she had with her up into my arms while I shifted on the bed. Once I had the room I wanted, I promptly dumped her in a heap next to me. When Cyl unburied herself from a blanket and came up with a down feather in her hair, I almost ruptured my spleen I laughed so hard.

There she was, Miss Brilliant, Miss Genius IQ, Miss So Intelligent It Is Scary, kneeling on my bed with both hands on her hips as she hissed, “What is so damn funny” ALL while one white feather stood directly off the top of her head.

I guess you have to know Cyl. 99% of the time (and that is no exaggeration) she is composed. Even if she looks like she doesn’t know what is going on, she does. But at that moment, she was clueless and as cute as a button with that stupid feather in her hair and that pouty face. Plus, I knew something she didn’t know, and I was not going to tell her.

It was a good moment.

Eventually, despite my obvious need for serious help, Cyl began getting comfortable again. Again, she was stalling, so I reached up and yanked her so she flopped back on her heap of pillows. She had been propping pillows in such a way, that she left a small pile still near my shoulder and ribs. When I grabbed her, I yanked her down on those pillows and tucked my arm over her waist while holding her hand. Effectively I pinned her down into the crook of my arm. She was now on her back with her head propped slightly on my chest/shoulder.

“Will you relax? I’m not telling a soul, the world won’t end, and we’ll both stop bouncing around if you just take a deep breath and relax peach.” I gently told her.

Finally Cyl’s body relaxed slightly. She kind of shifted her weight, then she did it again, and then in a voice I can only describe as sheer wonder, she said “Wow, this *is* comfortable!!!” Instantly all tension in her muscles was gone.

“Wow,” she turned her head to the left and realized that with her back tucked up against my side like it was, she technically didn’t have to face me. “Wow David, you’re pretty comfortable.”

I slowly shook my head as I looked down at her. I know she thought she was safe from my scrutiny. She would have had to sit up and turn around in order to look at me. Of course she didn’t know that from my angle I could still see her.

“Wow this is freaky.” She gasped. Something in the tone of her voice caused me to pause. Obviously Cyl was not a snuggler if she was just now lying like this with someone. “Okay,” she said more to herself then to me. “Where were we?”

I watched as her face gave me the tell tale signs of her slipping back into Their Story. I knew once she did, it wasn’t likely she’d pop upright and slap me for moving her as I did. Only when I felt her neck muscles relax too did I finally relax my body.

“You asked me if Lornon’s idea of having me read him the book worked to fight my own insanity from boredom away.” She suddenly stated calmly. “And I said yes and no…”

“That’s correct.”

Cyl chuckled to herself. “Gawds I can’t believe I am even going to tell you this…’ she whined.

“You don’t have to Cyl.”

I watched from above as she smiled slightly. “But if I don’t…” she bemoaned.

“Something you tell me later on won’t make sense?”

“Right”

“Okay, well I am listening, take your time.” And with those words I squeezed her hand gently. Cyl nodded softly.

“Well remember I said Lornon read one chapter in the book to me?”

“Yes”

“Eeeeewwww” she instantly groaned.

“So it is the chapter of the book that is….what?”

“eeeeewwww”

“Help me out here Cyl, eeeeewwww how?”

“Oh for pete’s sake, can’t you read minds?” she suddenly tired to sit up. Gently but firmly I held her right where she was.

“I sure can’t, so Pete is fucked.”

Cyl stopped fighting my hold and laughed. “That’s good, I’ll have to remember that.”

Cyl took a deep breath and began again. “I really loved that book David. I think by the end of the first chapter I was hooked. And I really loved reading it aloud. I don’t know why, but it seemed to give more power to the stories….I just loved it.”

I felt Cyl’s energy change; it shifted to a calmer, more distant type of feel. Her voice grew soft and she nestled down into my side. “I looked so forward to when Lornon and I would head outside. He’d barely get down on the blanket before I had the book open and was reading it to him. Every day when we were done, Lornon would ask me what Chapter was next. When I told him that the next chapter was called “her”, he asked for the book back.”

“I was sad.” Cyl suddenly confessed. “I didn’t sleep well that night at all, thinking maybe Lornon had grown tired of it since he read it before. But the next day when he asked if I was ready to go, I was ecstatic. This time, we didn’t go to the center of the maze. The maze was a bust place. Lornon and I often noticed different ministers walking quietly with one another. We figured they came to walk the maze when they needed to discuss something in private.”

“So the day we were to start the “Her” chapter, Lornon lead me deep into the back corner of the gardens. Lornon sat down first and then helped me to sit, and then all of a sudden he opened to the chapter and began to read. I stopped him and asked why I wasn’t reading today. He smiled and said, “Because you have a headache Lithie.” And you know what? I did!”

Cyl’s eyes were closed, but the shock that Lornon was right was still evident on her face.

“He put the book down, took my hand, laid me down so my head was in his lap. Took a cloth and poured some water on it and placed it on my forehead. Then he told me to close my eyes and listen. He picked the book back up, and I stopped him. I asked how he knew. “I can see it in your eyes Lithie.” – That’s what he said, he saw it in my eyes.”

Cyl paused a moment and I saw her eyelids flutter open. “I didn’t know he even looked at my eyes, at least not like that.” She confessed in a whisper.

“That was really weird.’ She told me just before she closed her eyes again. Shaking her head but keeping her smile, she continued. “Lornon began reading and I did exactly as he said. I closed my eyes and listened.”

As I watched Cyl bask in the memory of the story, I fought the urge to hug her tightly. She looked so damn peaceful.

“Lornon reads really well. Out loud I mean. You know how some people suck at it, well not Lornon. I was so into The Alchemists memoirs of her.” Cyl sighed a sigh of contentment.

“He loved her at first site, that’s what he wrote. It was because of her that he stayed in the city he was in. Some law prevented him from approaching her….I don’t remember what or why so he’d watch her from afar. He’d watch and then write all his dreams, hopes and…”

Cyl suddenly blushed a deep red. She paused and I felt her grow nervous. “Well, and he wrote of his desires for her too.” She forced herself to admit.

“David you know me, I am no prude. Talking about sex, or desires, or anything like that doesn’t bother me in the least bit.” She instantly defended herself. “But for Lithie….”

I stared down at the tiny woman lying against my side, under my arm. I felt my cheeks start to burn because my smile had been there so long. I’ve listened in on many discussions Cyl’s had about sex. To Cyl, sex of any kind is a physical thing only. In over 20 years of knowing her, never once have I seen her associate any sort of emotional attachment or significance to the act of sex. So to watch her as her breath grew shallow and a longing smile appeared on her lips – it was mind blowing.

“For Lithie…she knew nothing of the act, and even less of love.” Cyl declared quietly. “I was soooooooo absorbed in the pain, and delight and anguish and sheer desire the alchemist had for this woman. He wrote of seeing her the first time. He wrote of finding excuses to be in the places in the city she would be at. He spent years befriending her….no…not even a true friend, but an every day man she’d run into often.”

“Every night, he’d wrestle with the idea of creating the perfect elixir, one that could fix the reasons he couldn’t be with her.” Cyl glanced upwards towards me, but realized she couldn’t see my face from where she lay, so she snuggled in closer. “She was paid whore, a bar whore.” Cyl confessed in a whisper. “That poor man. He loved everything about her.”

Cyl is a very deep person. When she feels and allows those feelings to be seen, it’s almost painful to see how deep they go. I was heartbroken for the alchemist and I didn’t care about his love life. Just watching Cyl agonize for him hurt me.

“One night, the Alchemist had provided service for the city, so they held some dinner or banquet at which he and some other up and coming people were honored guests. It was a big honor, and a big party. One of the perks was staying in the grand home of the ruler of the city. And that night when the alchemist returned to his room, he found two guards on his door. There he was told that the regent wanted to express his sincerest gratitude and as such left an evenings worth of pleasure for the alchemist. The guards were to ensure his night went uninterrupted. The Alchemist entered his room and there she was lying seductively on his bed.”

Cyl paused and chewed her bottom lip. “I can still remember Lornon’s voice grow husky as he read the detailed account of their passions that night. Having never had sex, nor even talked of sex to anyone, the things I heard read to me….oh have mercy…”

Her voice was no louder then a hoarse whisper.

“I actually snuck a peek out from under the cloth on my eyes. I don’t know what I was looking for. But as I watched Lornon’s lips while he read, I wondered if his lips would do to my body what the alchemists did to hers.”

Cyl stopped breathing just then. Whether she sucked in her breath or exhaled it and then stopped breathing, I wasn’t sure. But she held her breath so long that I was almost ready to shake her slightly and tell her to breathe when she finally did.

“That was a pivotal moment for me; lying there listening as I did that day. I learned things and I don’t mean the “how to” part. I learned how to recognize Lornon’s breath when it grew shallow because he was excited. I learned how he tends to tighten every muscle he has in order to relax them all at once. I learned that touching his thigh with my hand, just placing it lightly on his thigh was enough to cause him to lose his place as he read.”

I felt my smile grow as Cyl shook her head no. Her eyes were still closed, but now she clutched a pillow against her chest and was holding onto it for dear life. “I learned that I liked lying with my head on Lornon’s thigh. I could feel it when he moved, even in the slightest. I learned I liked the way he smelled when the breezes would brush his scent my way. I learned that when his one hand grew tired, he had the habit of reaching for my hair.”

Cyl’s lip quivered slightly. “But when I rolled onto my right side and faced out towards the gardens while Lornon intertwined my hair through his fingers as he read, I learned that his touch on the back of my neck could send shivers down my spine in ways no man has ever been able to duplicate…”

“EVER” she swore under her breath. “I was this close, just this close to rolling over and doing whatever it would take – everything, anything he wanted as long as he didn’t stop.”

Cyl had been holding one hand up so her fingers showed me a tiny space between them to emphasis how close she was to succumbing to Lornon that day. When she stopped talking, her hand flopped limply down. Now she touched the forearm I had draped over her waist and stomach. Suddenly I realized I was holding my breath. Carefully I exhaled. I didn’t want Cyl to note my reaction to her passion.

“If Catarine had not suddenly appeared before us, Gawds know what would have happened in that garden that day David. Gawds know….”

May 25th, 2006 by C.A. Dubois

» Their Story – Part 57 «

I had just asked Cyl how long it took for Lithie’s back to heal from all the lashings with a whip she received, when Cyl replied “far too long.” Pain etched Cyl’s face as she leaned back against my hip again. (Damn – lost that battle)

That is the sick and twisted part of Their Story. When Cyl started telling me about Kline and Lithie and Lornon, I wanted to know more because it was apparent to me, they’d eventually be together right? But as the night wore on and more of Their Story was told, it seemed as though the pain grew deeper and deeper and the torture worse and worse for Cyl. The sick twisted part is wanting, no needing to know more despite the ugliness of it all.

“I don’t know David. Define heal.” Cyl asked me with a twisted face. I looked down at Cyl and hated myself for answering her.

“Lornon stated that the two of you should wait until your wounds healed before you tried to conceive a child. Was it a couple of days, longer? I don’t know how healed – maybe that is what I am asking?” I shrugged as Cyl looked over to me and nodded.

“The day we finally woke up, that second morning; Lornon remarked after we landed in a heap on the floor, that he trusted no one from the staff. Before Lornon removed his body from mine and we disentangled ourselves from the linens, he asked if he could dismiss my ladies maids immediately. I didn’t trust the staff either – especially since they held me captive and whipped me, but like I said to Lornon, “What am I to do, walk naked through the palace?”

I laughed. She had a point.

“Lornon wasn’t even fazed by that. “Have I not been a chamberlain for years? I will dress you.” And with that, it was decided. By the time we did get out of the linens’ the ladies maids returned and were dismissed permanently. I think my back healed faster because of his actions, because every evening he had a Slav he would rub on my back. The open sores didn’t fester and soon closed up. Perhaps a week, maybe a week and a half?”

Cyl sighed again. “Time blurred together. We didn’t do much. We did go twice a day to the nursery to see His and Her Royal Highness’s. We walked. Gawds, what did we do David? A whole bunch of nothing.”

“I do know that with each passing day, the fog lifted off my brain, so I got more and more antsy again.”

“Antsy, why?”

“Because Kline. I had no word on Kline. I lived for Kline and now suddenly I was cut off and doing nothing. It….” Cyl’s face took on a painful grimace. “It made my stomach hurt. Guilt riddled me. Oh Gawds did I feel guilty.” Cyl glanced sideways at me and shook her head as she cleared her throat again. “You name it, I felt guilt for it.” She announced quietly. “I couldn’t even go sparring since the Queen made it perfectly clear we could not touch a weapon.”

“They had it all wrong David.” Cyl grinned slyly at me. “If they wanted to torture me, inactivity is the way to do it. Not fancy clothes, hair, jewels and attitudes.”

I swatted Cyl on the back of the head and she giggled. “Well it’s true. I know I was beginning to drive Lornon nuts because he started saying my name differently.”

Now I was curious. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” She began as she cocked her head to one side. “Whenever Lornon called me Lithie, it was short, and pronounced. Lithie. But as I grew more and more antsy, it became more like a LI-thie…as if he was going to snap at me but stopped himself after the first syllable.”

“I could not tolerate it David. Bows and curtsies. My Lord, My Lady, fancy this fancy that and none of it, not one single second served any sort of purpose really.”

Suddenly Cyl paused. When she looked at me next, she looked like a scared little girl about to confess an awful secret. “I even started talking to inanimate objects David.” she whispered.

I blinked. She was dead serious.

“I did!” She cried as she sat up.

“We’d be in our chambers, and Lornon would have his nose tucked in a book or doing something, and I’d sit. Pretty soon I’d look at am item in the room and start examining it closely. Then one day as I examined this vase full of flowers that I knew had been cut from the gardens, I said to them, “I bet you heard all kinds of stories when you were still in the gardens.” Then I’d try and think of the stories they heard.” Cyl leaned back against my hip.

I bit my tongue and tried not to laugh, but I know it showed in my eyes. Cyl lazily reached up and slapped my thigh with the back of her hand. “Be nice, I was dying in captivity.”

“How long had it been by this point?” I asked as I worked not to snicker.

“Four days”

I laughed – loudly. “Four days?”

“Hey, to some people, four days is an eternity. It was for me!” Cyl grinned, but I saw the defensiveness in her eyes too. I stifled my laughter and tried to look more concerned.

“What did Lornon do when he discovered you were talking to inanimate objects?”

Cyl blushed a deep, crimson red. “I didn’t know he had.” She admitted in a low voice. “On the fifth day he veered off our normal walking path and led me into the maze. We wandered that until we reached the center garden that had a reflecting pool in it. There was a blanket laid out in the shade, a basket with food and drink and he sat us down.”

“Once I got kind of comfortable, he reached in the basket and produced a huge book. He handed it to me and then lay on his back, tucked his arms under his head and closed his eyes as he said, “I’d like you to read that Lithie.” When I realized he wasn’t joking, I opened the book and started to read it.”

Cyl started giggling uncontrollably. “I was almost through the first page by the time Lornon barked, “To me Lithie, read the book to me, out loud.” That’s when I thought Lornon was just being pissy because he had to take time away from his precious whatever to walk me.”

“I snapped the book closed, plopped it on his chest and said, “If you’d like to read Lornon, please go right a head. I won’t stop you.” Lornon didn’t move a muscle though. “I’ve already read the book Lithie. Now I want you to read it. To me please.” He informed me arrogantly.”

“With the grace and poise Lornon always has, and without opening his eyes at all, he reached down, picked up this massive book and handed it back to me. “From the beginning.” He added. Oh man, was I mad. I don’ know why I was mad, except …well…it was Lornon, so I was mad.”

“So I shifted myself so I was laying on my stomach with my feet in the air, a major no no in lady land, and I flipped the book open to page one. My plan was to make it as boring, painfully, twistedly boring as possible. That lasted until I read the title. “How to Steal The Soul”…” Cyl whispered longingly.

“What?”

Cyl’s eyes flew open and she nodded enthusiastically. “That was the title of the book, How to Steal the Soul, pretty cool huh?”

I did not think it pretty cool. Cyl noted my reaction instantly and she slumped heavily against my hip. “Sorry, forgot you God Fearing folk don’t like soul stealing.” She quipped. I biffed her on the head.

“Okay,” she acquiesced. “I deserved that, from you – not no God!”

I could have choked her, but didn’t. (Please note, starting any religious conversation with Cyl should be done with full notice that you do so at your own risk)

“So was this book a how-to book?”

“Nooooooo.” Cyl giggled and gleefully rolled onto her side. Now she rested the side of her head on my hip and tucked one hand between my thighs. She squirmed slightly until she was comfortable and then she explained.

“It was the memoirs of an Alchemist/Herbalist. He spent his life traveling the lands, learning various methods of alchemy and Herbalism. In the memoirs he spoke of the people he’d meet, and how they’d inevitably always ask him for some potion or powder or elixir that could aid them in some way. Often, for reasons he felt were good intentions, he’d try to give them as close to what they wanted as he could create. Then, he sat back and watched the disastrous effects of people as they got precisely what they asked for.”

“Most of the time, the results weren’t what the asker had intended. So the soul stealing came when the Alchemist realized each time he watched people get what they want and end up being ungrateful or turn against him because of the results, he lost piece by piece of his soul to the disastrous effects.”

“WOW”

Cyl nodded excitedly. “It was a great book, one of the best I have ever read! It was so sad David. Sometimes I’d cry for him. In this one town, a young, widowed mother came to him with her sick child. She asked for an elixir that could help the boy get better. The Alchemist worked for months, often tirelessly, and finally found just the right chemical/herbal composition for what the little boy suffered. He created the elixir, and gave it to the mother. All she had to do was give her son one drop a day for six months and he would be healed.”

Suddenly Cyl’s voice began to waver and her eyes filled with tears. “At first the mother did that, gave just one drop. The baby boy began showing less visible symptoms. It was working David. But the mother, she didn’t listen. He told her, anything more then one drop per day would kill the child in a gruesome painful death. He checked the little boy every other day.”

“The mother wanted her child better, and then she wanted him better, faster. She increased the drops to two a day. The baby….” Cyl’s voice cracked and now she whimpered as she openly cried. “He died in three weeks, vomiting up his own intestines.”

My stomach churned and my heart broke, both for the baby boy Cyl spoke of, and Cyl. I reached down and rubbed her arm.

“This poor man, he never forgave himself David, and it wasn’t even his fault. The village turned on him. He had to run for his life. It was awful, just awful…” And with that Cyl fell quiet.

I gave Cyl her space as she calls it while she readjusted her energy. She does that a lot as she tells this story, pulls away from everything near her in order to once again be on stable ground. When she looked back into my eyes she smiled weakly.

“I know it’s just a book read by some girl in a dream I have, but DAYAMN” she said whole heartedly. “Whenever I think things are really, really bad for me in life, I remember him, the alchemist. He had it so bad David. By the time he died, he felt he had no soul left to die with. How awful!”

“That is…” I nodded my head, unable to find any consoling words or any words at all. “And this is the book you read to Lornon?”

“Yes,” She whispered, finally smiling with sincerity. “Well most of it. One chapter he read to me. But I read him all the other ones.” Cyl looked down at her hand for a moment and I saw it flash in her eyes; the look she had only for Lornon.

All throughout the night, I had seen flashes of it. I can’t describe it in words. But it is a very special look and so far it has only sparkled or flashed through her eyes, and even then only every once in a while. It’s so powerful and so…complete. When you first see it, you know it is only HIS look. If Lithie had ever been able to look at Lornon freely, as she wanted, it’s the look she would have given him.

I wanted to question her about the look, but I knew better. Hell I wasn’t even sure if she knew she had this look. So I chose another question.

“So to keep you sane, Lornon had you read to him about someone else’s insanity?”

Cyl smiled proudly at me. “Wow, I never thought of it that way, but yes, he did! Damn good observation Sweets!”

I tried to ignore the flush on my face from her compliment. “Did it work?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes and no.” Suddenly Cyl looked hesitant. Again I noted she was stalling. That meant the first time I felt it, I hadn’t been wrong.

“What, what is it?”

Cyl sat up and pulled a blanket around her shoulders. As soon as she did I got up and checked the fire. I noticed when I glanced back at her, she was counting by twos on her fingers. She only does that when she is frightened or highly nervous. I was surprised to see her doing it now. I was also worried that maybe I pushed too far again.

When I crawled back in bed, she didn’t look me in the eye. She didn’t move away or act as though she needed space, but she was definitely nervous.

“You don’t have to tell me…” I heard myself offering. In my mind I thought, “YES YOU DO, I HAVE TO KNOW” But I didn’t want to push her. When Cyl is nervous, which is truly rare, she looks so small and fragile to me. (She WILL slap me for that, sorry Peach)

“No, David I want to tell you, it’s part of Their Story, but….” Cyl’s face scrunched up in disgust and horror. “Eeeeewwww” She said as she shivered.

Cyl fact # 132 – Cyl does not use the word “eeeeewwww’ often. When she does, it usually is used in reference to something Cyl thinks is extremely gross. Weddings, Love Songs, Chick Flicks, The Color Pink (except fluorescent) and Barbie Dolls are all good examples of “eeeeewwww”. Anything romantic, gets an automatic, “eeeeewwww” from her.

When Cyl “eeeeewwww’s” it is damn hard for me not to laugh. DAMN HARD. I got away with just a smile.

“It can’t be that bad.” I teased with a wink. Cyl snorted.

I watched Cyl as she pursed her lips together and raised one eyebrow in deep thought. She always looks like Samantha from “Bewitched” when she does that. It looks as though she is about to wiggle her nose and make magic.

One minute I am watching her think, the next she lunges at me and grabs the comforter around me and draped over my chest. “Alright I will tell you Sutterland, but if you tell ANYONE….anybody at all…..I will kick your ass!” she hissed in my face.

She scared the shit out of me, because she moves so damn quick. I didn’t have a chance to even pull away.

“I’m not going to tell a soul Cyl.”

“You better not. I am dead serious. Do you promise not to tell a soul?”

“I promise Cyl. Whatever you’re about to tell me, I won’t tell a soul.” (said promise has since been excused by Miz Kick My Ass or I wouldn’t be telling you this now)

Cyl eyed me closely, until she was positive I’d never tell another soul. Once she released me and sat back, she kept glaring.

“You suck!” she growled unhappily.

“What’d I do?”

“I don’t know, you’re there.”

“Oh gee, thanks, no really, accost me and then this…thanks.” I tried teasing her. “You DON’T have to tell me Cyl.”

Instantly all of Cyl’s hostility melted. She flopped her hands down on her thighs and sighed dejectedly. “Yes I do…it’s part of Their Story.” She whispered.

I nodded slowly and sat quietly. Suddenly Little Miss Drama Queen flung herself backwards in a big huff. Her tiny body barely made a thud in all of the down of my bed. There she laid dejectedly with her curly hair flipped over her face. From under the red mane she bellowed, “You better piss, refuel and rebooze Marine, because once I start this, I ain’t stopping till it’s all said.”

I’d have laughed my ass off if I hadn’t known by the tone of her voice – she was deadly serious. “Aye Aye Ma’am” I hollered as I slid off the bed.

Just as the bathroom door closed I heard a tiny, un-amused voice say, “That man needs serious help….”

2006© D Sutterland

May 24th, 2006 by C.A. Dubois

» Their Story – Part 56 «

If you have been reading Their Story or Cyl’s blog for any time now, you’ll know me as David. For those of you unaware, I am Cyl’s husband now, but at the time when she told me the story of Lithie & Lornon, and Kline; we were just friends. Well one of us was.

As you read in Their Story, I did ask Cyl to promise me that one day she’d write Their Story. She kept her promise, as she always does. What surprised me is she placed Their Story on her blog.

I’ve known Cyl for a very long time. Intensely private does not begin to quantify precisely how private she is. So for her to place this story and our night together on her blog for the world to see; it shocks me. I am incredibly proud of her. Sure I am bias but when something is this deeply engrained into your heart, it’s difficult to expose it to needless criticism. It took guts Cyl. Thank you.

Cyl came to me when she started this and told me she didn’t know if she could write the end as it happened. I don’t mean the end of Their Story, but “the end” of her telling of Their Story. It all ties together. She asked that if she could not, would I take over and tell the rest as I saw, heard and witnessed that night/day. Of course I said yes.

She didn’t tell me it would begin here, at Part 56. (Thanks Cyli Sweet Woman) It does begin here though and so for now you are stuck with me. I don’t narrate as well. Cyl said she’d help me with that. But I want everyone to understand, I sat through this story your now reading. I know the ending, in its entirety needs to be told.

What Cyl could never write, I hope I can. As powerful as she has written this to be, if you could actually have seen her the night she shared this with me. That’s what I hope gets through to you, some of how Cyl looked and moved and reacted – because trust me, she is as much a part of Their Story as Lithie, Lornon or I.

People have a hard time understanding my wife. I’ve found out over the years that the best way to understand Cyl is to watch her. How does she take what she is sharing and offer it? Does she reflect it, mirror it, shove it, caress it, or gently weave it towards you? She does it all, and sometimes I saw parts of this story before she ever said the words, just by watching her.

So if you’ll bear with me as I get into the technical groove of writing this, I give you my word to do my best in bringing a close to this night between Cyl & I, Lithie & Lornon and Their Story.

-David

Part 56

When Cyl looked at me and burst into tears, I was flabbergasted. She’s cried during the night. Cried as she shared about Lithie and Lornon and Kline, but not like this. Cyl isn’t an over emotional person. She will allow tears or happiness to be seen – never to extremes. As she wailed, “What an evil thing to do to someone David” she pleaded with her every body language for help. She was drowning in the agony and pain Lithie caused Lornon that day. It was killing her.

As she told you, I did pull her into my arms. I did get her lying down with me and I held her for a very long time. Not much was said by me. I was too shocked by Cyl’s display of such emotion, and sadly; I was as heartbroken for Lithie & Lornon as anyone else. What Cyl didn’t tell you was she wasn’t the only one in tears.

With time we did get through it. Scariest damn moments of my life were during that time. I felt – helpless doesn’t even begin to state how I felt. I felt guilty for pushing her all night long to tell me more. I also felt like shit because until that point, I did not come close to understanding how much of a factor this haunting dream was in Cyl’s life.

Cyl begged me to understand or grasp how what she just did as Lithie would affect everything else in her life with Lornon. At the time what I could grasp was that yes, this would have a huge effect, but they were Lithie and Lornon – they always got through.

Once Cyl calmed down enough to be sitting on her own again, I went up into the attic and dug through my camping stuff. She needed coffee and I had something that would work on the wood stove. Before too long she had a hot cup of coffee to sit with and sooth her nerves. She wouldn’t look me directly in the eye. She was embarrassed.

“I’m sorry David” she whispered from her mug. Her voice was so tiny, definitely not like the voice we’re all used to from her.

“Bite my ass” I said as I chuckled at her. Cyl froze and stared over the rim of her coffee mug. I pointed to the bottom. “I asked you for a set of white coffee mugs…” I accused. Slowly I saw the knowing, sly smile spread to those gold and green eyes of hers. Her cheeks began flushing which meant she was stifling her laughter.

“And you get me a beautiful set….” I snatched the mug from her hand and stood up. Pointing directly to the big, black letters on the bottom, underside of the mug, I repeated what it read, “BITE MY ASS”.

Cyl lost it as she would say. I could not believe it. Cyl always complained about my lack of coffee mugs. Whenever we were out she’d find the most obnoxious mugs and try to sell me on them. I resisted. Finally she threatened to buy me some and I told her, if she could find plain, white, nice coffee mugs – I’d use them. She did find them…or so I thought.

“LOSER” she squealed in delight as she raised her thumb and first finger up in the shape of an L to her forehead.

“I served my mother and her church ladies coffee in these CYL”

That did not scold her, it delighted her.

“Did you read the other ones?” she cried. In a panic I reached for my pristine white coffee mug. Lifting it over my head carefully I nearly choked when I read it. “Lick Me Raw”

I could have killed her. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed the other four mugs. Sure enough each had its own unique saying. Not only did I have a lovely, “Bite My Ass” mug and a “Lick Me Raw” mug, but I had “Kiss My Ass”, “Fuck Me Longtime” “Suck My Left One” “Blow Me”.

Cyl had done it again. She’d taken me from the depths of low that I never thought I’d crawl out of, into delirium in less then a minute. That’s how it feels as you sit and listen to her tell you Their Story.

I ranted and raved. She cackled with glee. Soon enough we were back up in my bed giving each other the evil eye. I was almost going to tell her for the one hundredth time how evil she was, when she leaned over, kissed my cheek and whispered, “Thanks”.

The woman’s got timing down pat! I nodded. What else could I do?

“I’ll get you some real white mugs, without words on the bottom, underside of the cup.”

“Cyl, you don’t have to.”

She smiled sweetly. “I know” she whispered.

Cyl tucked her knees against her chest. Immediately I saw the look in her eyes. I knew that already she was slipping back into the space or place where the dream world of Lithie, Lornon and Kline exists.

You can see it in her eyes. She’ll focus on something, but then she doesn’t see it at all. Whatever it was she focused on, she now looks directly through. In her mind she sees every detail, every face. And if you watch her eyes, you can see them move and dart as she looks at everything while she tells you Their Story. I learned hours and hours ago, when Lithie feels something I can see it in Cyl’s eyes.

It is amazing.

Not only are Cyl’s eyes the windows to that world, but her voice gives you little clues. Some people use what I would consider a varying, but normal range of tones as they express things vocally. Not Cyl. She has a voice that … she doesn’t carry words upon her voice; she creates words within her voice. Cyl is the only person I know who can not do the famous “Beuller Beuller Beuller” impersonation from the movie “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off.” She can not keep inflections, nuances and tones from her voice. She can’t do it.

If you combine the act of watching her face and listening to her voice, you’d easily slid into Kline like I did. But when you add Cyl’s ability to draw a person into whatever it is she is seeing – it makes for a vividness so real you’d think the blood you see spurting is going to hit you.

So all of a sudden when Cyl’s body was drawn up tightly under her arms, and her eyes focused in that far away place, I moved a little closer to her.

“David, he was supposed to argue with me.” Cyl confessed. She was barely shaking her head, lost in her awe that obviously Lornon didn’t argue.

“He always argued my choices David, always.” Her eyes met mine and silently pleaded for answers. “He should have stood upright and stated “What makes you think I am willing to abide by that contract now Lithie” Or something more arrogant. He was supposed to tell me the fool I was. How I was not thinking clearly.”

Cyl’s lip began to quiver and her sadness turned to shades of disgust as she looked to the stove. “But he didn’t. You know what he said? He said, “We should allow for your back to heal.” That’s what he said.” Cyl glanced up at me and sighed. “That’s all he said.”

Even I was floored. “Damn”

Cyl nodded and cleared her throat. There is another key, when Cyl clears her throat. She doesn’t realize it, but she only does that when she is disgusted with herself. Just before she speaks, she’ll clear her throat ever so slightly. Right then, Cyl cleared her throat.

“All I said was, “agreed”. That’s it. I watched as Lornon walked over and sat back down on the love seat thing. He picked up his goblet, poured himself some more juice, poured some for me and began reciting off interesting facts he had learned during his last trip.”

“Maybe they weren’t interesting to others. They were to me. I love gardening and surprisingly Lornon had learned quite a bit about the various beautiful plants of these southern lands.” Cyl shook her head and chuckled. “So we talked about plants. Lornon even showed me some sketches he had made. When he noticed my eyes growing weary he raised me up off the floor by my hand, and we went to bed.”

Every ounce of disbelief Lithie felt showed in Cyl’s face as she gazed at the window. “It was funny too, because we didn’t have much of a bedtime routine. We were never kissers or cuddlers or anything like that. Usually though Lornon said goodnight to me. But he didn’t that night. First he had me sleep on my stomach, and then after he crawled into the big bed we shared, instead of sleeping on his side, he slide over to me until he was also against my side. He was on his side and I laid next to him on my stomach. I fell asleep to the odd sensation of having my hair stroked tenderly.” Cyl whispered in awe.

When she looked over to me and smiled her dazzling smile, I laughed. “How weird is that?” she cried with a giggle. “Crazy” she muttered to herself.

All at once Cyl was a flurry of activity. She shoved back the comforter, hopped to her hands and knees, flopped down on her stomach and had the whole kit and caboodle of blankets covering her within ten seconds.

“Anyway, I don’t know how long I slept, but I finally slept more then two hours!”

Propping her chin upon her hands she grinned at me wildly. I’m not as nimble as she is, so it took me longer to readjust positions. Once I was settled, she flashed me a wink and patted my hand once.

“You must have needed the sleep.” I stated as I got comfortable.

She nodded. “We both did David. When I woke up as a servant left the room, I noticed it was turning dark outside again. Lornon muttered sleepily, “What time is it” and I told him it was only an hour after we went to bed. He drifted right back into his deep sleep and so did I.”

“Wow”

“Yeah, no shit. We slept until the second morning.” That’s when Cyl gave me the ‘eek” face she makes. I had to laugh at her. Her face is so damn expressive.

“Anyway, on the morning we did wake up Lornon was still in the same position as when I fell asleep. I woke up, my eyes fluttered open and suddenly there is a face next to me. It scared the living hell out of me. I started screaming which scared him. He jumped, I jumped and all of our movements landed us in a heap on the floor just as the ladies maids entered.”

I burst into laughter. Cyl whacked my arm playfully.

“It wasn’t funny. Our positioning was compromising to say the least. I know those two ran off and told their Queen we were already doing the nasty.”

Tears rolled down my face as she said that. She looked so disgusted, but even better then that, she looked embarrassed.

“You’re a dork!” she hissed at me playfully.

“I can’t help it, that is funny Cyl”

Cyl rolled over and sat up briskly. “That’s what Lornon said too David!” she scolded me. As she proceeded to pout, I laughed even harder.

“That idiot started laughing after the ladies maids ran off, and I couldn’t make him stop!” She turned and hit my hip. “And now you too….damn men!” she playfully growled. Then Cyl started laughing too.

“Maybe he laughed because your so cute in the mornings.” I offered helplessly. Cyl slapped me a third time.

“Not funny Sutterland.”

“Well you are. Last time I ended up in a heap with you I laughed my ass off!”

Instantly the light clicked on in Cyl’s head. “Oh Gawd, you have done that with me. You bastard!” She hissed as she proceeded to poke me. “Stop it, you’re evil!” We both kept laughing.

Cyl and I laughed over the falling out of bed incident way longer then we should have. You don’t know someone over 20 years and not know when their stalling. Normally I don’t pull Cyl’s punk card unless it is a drastic situation. You might think me crazy, but to me, this was drastic.

As we once again shifted on the bed, this time with me on my side with my head propped on one hand, Cyl laid back with her head on my hip and body stretched out in front of me.

For Cyl I know the choice of positions was innocent enough. She isn’t the type of woman to use sly manipulation to seduce someone. If she wants to have sex with you, you will know it. But for me, that was a little more intimate of a position then I was comfortable with – only because I knew she had no idea of my feelings for her.

As I watched her stretch her fingers like she does, I kept having to force my left hand away from her hair. That’s when I pulled her punk card.

“Okay, why are you stalling peach?”

Cyl sat right up and turned to look at me. “Stalling? I’m not stalling.” She instantly retorted. She looked insulted.

I took a deep breath. It worked. Yes, she was now slightly miffed that I insinuated she was putting this off, but at least she wasn’t lying with her head on my hip while looking damn good in my shirt! Of course, in my moment of victory, I forgot the other thing that happens when you drastically pull Cyl’s punk card. She gets drastic.

“Phhhhhhhhft tell me I’m stalling. Who’s the one that keeps having to run to the bathroom or run and get this or that. Not me. I’m sitting here, ready to go buddy…..so what’s it gonna be?” She challenged with her hand on her hip.

But again, knowing a woman for over 20 years, you pick up a thing or two. “I’m sorry, I was wrong. I guess you weren’t stalling.”

Cyl’s mouth flew open. Then it slammed shut and her eyebrows knit together tightly. Want to win a fight with Cyl? Tell her you’re wrong. It shuts her up almost every time. (please note the ALMOST)

She nodded slightly, but I could tell she was trying to figure out why I caved in so fast. I had to act.

“So how long did it take for your back to heal?” I asked quickly.

Instantly my Cyl was gone. In her place sat Lithie, or at least Lithie’s feelings. “Far too long” was her remorseful whisper. “Far… too… long.”

©2006 -D. Sutterland

May 16th, 2006 by C.A. Dubois

» Their Story – Part 55«

I don’t know why I said that to David. In all of the years that I have had this dream, I never once wished for someone to have been with me or able to stop me – not once. But suddenly as I sat in the bed with the room finally growing warm again and David so close by – that was how I felt. I did wish David had been able to be there in those chambers that night to stop Lithie.

Of course, it was all just a dream anyway…. At least that is what I offer to myself when it gets me down. But when I said to David, with a quivering lip; “God I wish you could have been able to be there and stop me” even he didn’t know how to react. There was nothing either David or I could do, and we knew it.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to focus closely on my re-occurring dream. “I was turning around when Lornon reappeared.”

I smiled.

“That pony tail…whenever we had some political visiting to do, be it to kingdoms or to city states, it didn’t matter the type of government; Lornon wore his hair neatly in a ponytail. In Kline his hair was always left down, no matter who visited or what was going on. So that pony tail, every time I saw it, it made this strange sensation in my stomach. It wasn’t supposed to be there. It bothered me.”

“I never told him that.” I suddenly blurted out. David smiled. I found myself blushing and asking myself why I hadn’t told Lornon.

“He took one look at me, still fully dressed and perfectly coiffed as a good lady should be and he groaned. “I dismissed the staff. I’m sorry Lithie.” Almost immediately he was behind me to help me untie, unlace, and un button. As he went to work at loosening the gown and under garments, he asked if I were hungry or thirsty. He kind of made typical, aimless small talk like he used to do years ago in Kline; until he exposed the open sores on my back from the whippings.”

Exhaling slowly, I sunk down into a group of pillows. “I will never forget hearing the air he sucked into his lungs when he saw them. He froze. I froze. For some awful reason I did not understand, I felt so ashamed and had to fight not to let it show. He didn’t stop loosening everything, but he worked more slowly and much more delicately. And he never said a word at first.”

“When I stepped out of the gown itself, but still stood corseted and petty-coated, he saw the lashes that were on the lowest part of my back. That’s when he stripped me virtually naked. He was removing my stockings and noted even on the back of my thighs there were older lash marks and he suddenly made me jump when one fist pounded into the floor.”

“I could not take his rage. I was pretty sure he was angry with someone else, but the last weeks still had their grip on me too and I was scared to death. I muttered some sort of ‘excuse me’ and went and finished changing in private. Once I composed myself and removed the large ornamentals from my hair, I went back into our main chamber. There Lornon awaited me.”

“He was sitting on a…I don’t know…a love seat like piece of furniture. It was not as big as a sofa and yet it was more then a chair. For lovers it would be ideal. He was wearing only pants and a shirt. He had taken off the vest, ascot like tie and the other ornamental crap he had to wear. His sword in its sheath was leaning on the side of the love seat, right under his left arm. He could have grabbed it right away should he have need. When he saw me, he stood up at once.”

“Did he do that in Kline, stand when you entered a room, or was that palace behavior?” David suddenly asked me. I smiled.

“He’s always done that. Lornon Dubuai was as regal as any King or Knight. He was always a gentleman.”

David nodded a thank you and allowed me to go on.

“He held a hand to me and stated, “If you’re able, I’d like to talk with you.” There was no sense putting it off, so I walked towards him, took his hand, allowed him to seat me next to him and watched as he carefully repositioned himself. He offered me some juice, and then without looking at me he stared towards the fire and began.”

“It was so weird. Lornon was not a talker. Whenever he asked to speak with me, he had a specific purpose for it, and he often cut right to the chase. I had never seen Lornon avert his eyes purposely in order to begin any conversation with me – except perhaps in battle when we’re watching the field.”

David nodded.

“He must have stared into that fire for nearly a minute too. “The last thing I recall is being thrown to the feet of Catarine. I want to say I reached to her, but that is not clearly focused in my mind.” And that is when he looked at me David. In his eyes I actually saw self doubt and from Lornon Dubuai that was huge! “You did. You reached for her and called her name. Someone kicked you. A blow to the head. The way you fell and lack of movement afterwards, I believed you dead.” I told him.”

“He nodded slowly and exhaled deeply. I remained quiet and allowed him to go on. “I awoke in this room. My memories are scattered, although I am told I did not awaken for many days. It took nearly four weeks for me to recover enough to be without aid of healers.” That bothered him David, knowing that for a length of time he had been dependant upon another. It really bothered him.”

“Well sure, it’d bother me too.” David admitted. I chuckled. I was just as guilty of that.

“Lornon looked into the fire and his voice was so hoarse I could barely hear him. “I’d ask of you and receive rhetoric. It was not until I was capable of walking to Catarine’s private chamber that I was told of your disappearance.” Lornon looked me in the eye and his rage was evident. “I was told that you escaped, having been offended at Catarine’s insistence of proof we were who we appeared to be.” Lornon searched my eyes as I shook my head no. “No one every questioned my identity.”

“Lornon sighed. He looked down at my hands in my lap and suddenly he cocked his head to one side. “I’ve never seen you sit so much in your life, nor so still.” He confessed in amazement. He seemed pleasantly surprised, until I opened my big mouth. “The lashings were harsher the more I moved My Lord.” I think that is when Lornon realized I too was angry.”

“Lornon’s jaw clenched and I could hear him gritting his teeth. He put his hand over mine and swore to me, “I will make them pay.” I’ll never forget that look on his face.” I admitted in a whisper. I found myself smiling as I admitted, “It almost cowered my plan.”

David watched me suspiciously. I could feel him asking about my plan, but he remained silent.

“It almost cowered my plan, but almost isn’t quiet everything, is it?” I quipped more to myself then to David.

“When I felt myself faltering, because of the sincerity in Lornon’s voice and the look in his eyes, I instantly stood up. Automatically I began walking like Mrs. Dubuai would during any session where we planned for war or its aftermath. “They’ll be no need to make anyone pay Lornon. Had I concluded my business with you, this would not have occurred. I’d have arrived in Corbaire already with child, thus fulfilling Manshoon’s requirements as well as our legally binding marital contract.”

“Lornon stood up as soon as he heard that. “What are you talking about, our business transaction? Have you lost your mind? What business?” He demanded. But now I had the upper hand and I could taste that feeling of power I always had in Kline and there was no stopping me. I whirled around and faced Lornon eye to eye. “Do not tell me you thought my appearance was due to some romantic notion I might have held for you. We both know far better then that Lornon Dubuai. I came to seek you out when I did because I needed that final stipulation fulfilled. No more, no less.” – Lornon was dumbfounded.”

“I didn’t let up on him either. He shook his head, twice. He opened his mouth to say something but no words could be heard. I sneered at him. “Come now, you didn’t honestly believe I sought you out for love?” Lornon shut his mouth and stiffened immediately. “I gave you the letter to re-read. I told you I’d not leave alone. But I never said I planned to leave with you – at least not all of you – but your seed, yes.” Then I stood there smiling slyly at Lornon with every ounce of hatred I could muster.”

“Damn Cyl” David winced. Tears rolled down his cheeks, so I turned to look at the stove. I knew the pain he felt, and I felt it twice as strong. I couldn’t let it out though, because I feared it’d shatter my heart. Lithie’s pain was too much to bear in this instance.

“Lornon actually turned pale.” I admitted through a strained voice. “He began pacing slowly in front of the fire. His hands were firmly clasped behind his back. I returned to my seat which allowed my back to be towards him and drank my juice as if nothing were wrong. As I sat and he paced, I formulated some brilliant story about one of the new servants I hired and how she found the contracts and came to me bribing me. I went into intricate detail of how I had to fool everyone into thinking that I discovered I loved my husband too much to be without him.”

“I even spoke at length of how Sarah and I would laugh at the end of a long day of fooling people. I was really awful about it. All the while I acted as though it was perfectly acceptable that I was only seeking him out in order to have him father my child.”

I paused as I recalled Lornon’s reaction to everything. I could not help it when my voice grew wavering and tears welled in my eyes. As Cyl, I ached for him too.

“He kept pacing. He said nothing. But every once in a while he’d pause, mid-step; and he’d look to me…. He always did it when he thought I could not see him and the heartbreak in his eyes…”

Suddenly I burst into tears as I turned to David. “What an evil thing to do someone David.” I wailed helplessly. All of the years that I held onto Lithie’s pain suddenly collided in that moment.

No words anywhere in this universe could impart to the reader how all encompassing her pain was. But I think, in David’s room of that dream house that should not exist – I think he understood its vastness.

I don’t get hysterical with tears or sobbing. I am not one to ever be found crying in someone’s arms. I can promise you on my life, that up until that very moment, I had never once been held as I cried my soul out – especially not by a man, nor while I laid in his arms in bed. Until that night….

Something happened as David laid me down and held me while I shook with uncontrollable sobs and unending regret. Everything Lithie felt became that much more powerful. Every.damn.thing.

Because of that, I don’t think myself capable of writing the rest of Their Story. I told the rest of it to David, after I could finally stop crying. So now I turn the screen and the words, and the perspective over to him.

From Part 56 on, David will be the writer of the rest of Their Story. He says he’ll do it with help from me. I say he’ll do just fine. David is also going to share with you part of Their Story that……..Truthfully, I don’t want anyone to know the very ending. You’ll understand why, partially when you read it. But David made me promise not to stop him from telling the whole story. And so, that means, even the parts I want to keep hidden away forever.

This definitely turns out to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do – Turn Lithie and Lornon’s life over to another, but I’ve always said David is more then “another”. Hopefully, they will understand.

~Cyl