Claiming The Remnant

Chapter 50

[ Garrett ]

I had thought I was done for.

Since the moment Jo had not returned my ‘I love you’ the entire world had stepped forward to test me. With each situation thrown my way I crumbled a little more inside until the cracks were on the outside and I was out of control.

His Majesty, My King, had exuded patience, taken the time to sit with me in this calm cocoon of earth, allowed me reprieve and expression and forgiveness; after I had yelled, after I had been unseemly and disrespectful in his presence, after he had realised I was a liar and had been cavorting with criminals - even after I had stupidly picked up Jo’s dagger. I had picked it up for the comfort of it belonging to my butterfly, a little piece of them I could hold when everything felt so far away but the instant I had seen the King’s face I knew what it looked like and truly, truly, I thought that he would have me executed for the implication alone.

Yet, he had reassured me. His Majesty was dismissing the whole thing as nothing more than a blip, so I told him everything. Even things he had not asked. I wanted his trust again. Keeping my position was one thing but regardless of his promises there would always be a whisper in his head, a question of my true intent - my loyalty.

His Majesty now had all my truth, I could only hope that it was enough.

"Your Majesty… are we concluded? I would like to go and see Jo now." I sighed staring out into the parts of the cave the lamp light didn’t quite reach. I wanted to see Jo, desperately, at exactly the same time I didn’t. They were my comfort and my pain.

Something jangled and I was surprised to see the cuffs I had thrust into the King's hands earlier being pulled from his pocket.

"One last thing." King Leorè let them dangle in the air, his face not giving anything away. I got up, my legs feeling unsteady.

"Do you want me to arrest myself?" I asked, sort of joking but also thinking that it was exactly what His Majesty expected. Perhaps he had only used his words as little pawns to get me talking and now that he had his answers he would take the course that actually made sense.

"No, Captain. I would like to correct you on a certain matter. You were correct to say that I was ignorant of the effect these cuffs have but I am no coward and I don't like to stay ignorant. Put them on me." He moved to a kneeling position.

"These are too strong for someone with no visible shade…" I eyed him with concern while reaching to take the cuffs. Suspicions had floated in my head for sometime regarding magic and the King. While he had never denied nor admitted to having magic he, was Fae enough; and so there were rumours and whispers. A Royal on the throne without magic was unheard of.

"Well Captain, you are not the only keeper of lies and secrets. This," He pulled at his hair first and then his beard, "is all dyed."

Then he showed me the glow of his eyes; silver.

The revelation that the hair was dyed was shocking enough on its own but the shade explained so much. The strange turn of the situation stacked on my emotionally drained and very tired self took all my attention. The floor went from under me and hot water enveloped me as I misstepped and ended up in one of the natural pools.

Laughing and sopping wet I pulled myself out of the hot spring.

"You alright there, Captain?" The King was still waiting for me on his knees.

Clothes, wet and clinging, water running down my face from my hair I answered through peels of laughter.

"Yeah, this has just all been so bizarre!" Another thought hit me. "Ye Gods!" I practically crackled. "All the…" I pinched the bridge of my nose and dipped my head imitating the King's regular pose of exasperation, "makes so much sense now." Everytime he employed that action he was hiding his magic. It was too funny or I was too tired or both but I couldn't stop laughing. Here was the King, with his magic of truth, lying through his teeth to not just the Kingdom of Lystra but the entirety of the Oshylands.

Still chuckling, tutting and generally shaking my head in disbelief I pulled off the soaked shirt to wring it out only to catch the King's eyes, greedy and darkened, lingering on my chest, my abs, my crotch… the drenched material was clinging revealingly, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Today just exploded from bizarre to absurd.

Temptation snaked around me. It was like fantasy had become reality, a dream snatched from my brain and playing out before my eyes. Ye Gods. My breath went heavy, my body heated and I swallowed hard. I was sorely tempted to see where this would go. It was a secret desire that shuffled around in my mind, never in a thousand years would I have thought it a possibility but here was the King.

On his knees.

Looking at my barely concealed c**k.

"Eh-hem." I coughed. Not sure what else to do.

"My apologies, it is quite inappropriate of me all things considered." He looked away, a little abashed. "You are a tempting specimen when dry but wet is a whole new level." His words had me taking a sharp breath.

"It would be impossible for me to deny how… engaging this scenario is for me." My arousal was very evident. "This is quite the moment, a moment I've had some very vivid imaginings of but I must, er, politely and respectfully decline." It was the right thing to do but, Ye Gods I wanted this. Jo might have cheated on me but it didn't give me the right to do the same.

"Sincerely, I should have not behaved so and put you in such an awkward position. I am surprised though that had things been different this would be an opportunity you would take… I didn't think I was to your taste. If Clara were still here she would have had you in our bed chambers a dozen times over by now. You are very much to her taste, and we did like to indulge in such things together." His eyes raked me lustfully as he mused. "I'm not shy of bodies to warm my bed, being King certainly has its perks, I say as such only to underline that my interest comes from desire and not a lack of bedfellows; if Willis and yourself agree… there is an open invitation to share my bed." Darkened, alluring, sultry eyes met my own.

I was going to faint, or wake up or something. Sky above and Earth below, had I died? Absurd had just been upgraded to outrageous.

"That is the offer of a lifetime." I groaned with a lick of my lips.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. When all is said and done I really am just a man." His look said more than his words.

"When things have settled between Jo and I then maybe we will take you up on your invitation but as it stands… Jo," I hunted for the right words, "Jo is more to me than anyone had ever been, I have never felt so possessive or protective, so all consumed, so overwhelmed by someone. We connect in a way I didn't know was possible and the thought of sharing them makes me want to crush the world to dust. All I saw was another person in our bed and Jo dressing and I was torn to ribbons. I don't even know if Jo actually had s*x with the woman or not. Such things had never been a problem before but now I don't think I could consent to such an act. I can't understand it."

"Could you perhaps be mates?" King Leorè gave me a smile that held thoughtful contemplation.

"That is a fable and besides I'm so un-Fae it's a joke, no way I would have a 'mate' even if it were real." Rubbing my neck I looked away unfairly embarrassed; the construct of my blood was not my fault. Besides, on top of this already outrageous situation, I didn’t need to also have such an outlandish and fanciful conversation.

"Well… I have a little and slightly wild theory. I think when Taiya used her magic for the first time after putting the Remnant inside her body it set off the Remnant’s magic but in a different way to when people had tried to use it before. Used externally its force seems quite destructive, indicated by the travellers companions not returning, the chaos that then occurred in the city and the unhinged activities of King Fendryn. Taiya was already in a shift when you brought her in, the cuffs meant she couldn't use her magic or at the very least she didn't want to show her hand. It was only after that, when she shifted into this Lady Esther that things changed, was it not?" His words were measured and contemplationional.

"Sooo… you think I'm only into Jo because of magic.” I tried not to roll my eyes.

"Not at all, I think you were always into Jo but felt so indebted to Taiya for what she did for you that it blinded you. The Remnant simply made the path clearer." His Majesty was sincere and seemed convicted by this conclusion he had formed. "The Fae texts have much to say on relationships and the mate bond. From what you have said of your feelings there are several passages, chapters even, that come to mind. My thoughts stray to considerations of dominance. Level of dominance influences not the strength of the bond but the flexibility of it and so the more dominant the couple - the texts indicated that dominance levels are usually equal within the bond, the less open the it is to intrusion. Akin to the monogamy of the Old Ways, a dominant couple are not accepting of additional s****l partners outside of the bond. Interestingly though, the mate bond isn’t necessarily a pair but a pair is the usual format. All speculation at the moment of course but… I think I'm right." The King had a look in his eyes, one that told me he thought himself very clever.

"So you're saying I'm dominant." I grinned at the insanity of it all, while also being a little delighted at the implication.

"Very. And Jo." He shifted a little, becoming uncomfortable on his knees. "I can't help but pry - do you feel the need to bite Jo or have you bitten Jo?" He looked at me expectantly.

"Yeah," I nodded, captured by how much the question struck me, "never been my thing but now I want to sink my teeth in, break the skin, I really have to hold back.”

"More Fae in you than you think, Captain. A bite to the crook of the neck is what, according to the texts, solidifies the bond." He was delighted by my revelation, it was shown in the corner of his smile and the glint in his eyes.

"The thought is so appealing I'm salivating." I said more honestly than I intended, Ye Gods I needed to change topic. "Well, you still want to do this?" I held up the cuffs.

"Yes, I think it is long overdue, and wrong for me not to understand something that I expect my subjects to both enact and endure." A slightly more serious air descended.

"Is your shade pale or bright?" I ran my damp fingers through his hair, almost absent mindedly. It was soft and thick, like I imagined. Realising the liberty I was taking I pulled my hand away.

"The brightest." It came across as boastful, such as the way he said it.

"Hum, a six will do, I probably would have gone with a seven if I was actually bringing you in as a prisoner. Matching the syphoning strength to the shade strength and volume is very important. Failure to apply the correct cuffs will result in either the prisoner experiencing burnout or being able to still access their magic." I informed him.

"I recall that you instigated a change from the nullifying cuffs to the syphoning ones, an early implementation upon gaining your position as Captain. I approved it without question but what was the reason for that?" He enquired.

"Nullifying cuffs are continuously painful, syphoning ones settle. The one size fits all approach was barbaric, of course it makes sense to prevent those with magic accused of criminal actions to be stopped from accessing it but not all accused are found guilty and even amongst the guilty there are children, the sick, the elderly, pregnant women. It wasn't right when there was a better way." I was proud of this change, the halls were no longer filled with the continuous crying and screaming of the prisoners with magic being sliced apart on the inside. Kneeling next to him I took one hand and pressed one cuff shut. "Deep breath, take a couple, try to relax and stay relaxed. On the count of three… one, two, three."

The King pitched forward, bending with the pain as he made little choking noises. Hands balled into fists he tried to push though but he hadn’t heeded my advice. All his muscles were tense.

“Relax, start by letting that breath out.” I put my hand on the King's back, rubbing a soothing circle, like he had done to me. He let out a little air but didn’t make the full exhale. “You want me to take them off?”

His Majesty shook his head.

“I c-can d-do it.” He stuttered through the pain, managing to take a shaky breath or two.

“There is nothing to prove, Your Majesty. You’ve tasted what it’s like.” I spoke while reaching to unlock the cuffs. He pulled away just enough to make his intention to see this through clear.

“W-whhen w-w-ill it ss-ssettle.” He ground out, voice reaching a slightly higher pitch than usual.

“It’s different for everyone, if it’s really fast - usually means the cuff is too strong, too slow the cuff is too weak. Looks like a seven would have suited you better but Benton gave me these so… you know.” I shrugged, rubbing harder. “Strength runs from 1 to 10 but we label 10 as 0, no confusion then of accidently using a 1 when you wanted a 10 or vice versa. Nullifying cuffs are labelled 00, minimal issue if they get confused with any syphoning cuffs regardless of the strength. The main difference is that a double zero will continuously cause pain. Initially it is like the syphoning but starts stronger and then dips, never quite ceasing, before peaking and troughing on a cycle. For those with a small well the cycle is fast paced but for larger wells the cycle is longer but much more painful.” My explanation gave the King something else to focus on and seemed to settle him quicker. Nullifying cuffs would break even the strongest mind eventually. Jo might have enjoyed that brief stint during our rough session but days? Weeks? Months even? That would shatter both the soul and the mind. It didn't matter that I had no magic of my own; I understood. Magic was as much part of a person as their beating heart.

In my cells there were dozens who’s minds had ceased to live in this reality, damaged from their time in nullifying cuffs. I took care of them best I could, these charges that I had inherited from the former Captain. Yet another conversation I realised I needed to have with His Majesty.

“That,” He blinked rapidly and shook his head, “was horrible. It stopped hurting but still feels really uncomfortable like… someone is standing on my chest. We do this to children?” My King questioned with an air of disbelief.

“More often than I like. Doesn’t matter if they are eight or eighty, if they can burn you, blind you, fill your lungs with water you can’t hesitate.” I told him matter of factly. “The cuffs have a very interesting design, it isn't the whole thing that is imbued but a thin band of metal that creates a circuit. Opening one cuff breaks the circuit. It's a safety measure - in the prisoners favour. That way if there is a problem it’s quicker to switch them off. The other interesting thing is that there is a second band completely sunk in that is only activated once the cuff expands with the prisoner's body heat.”

“Why is that necessary?” The confusion in his voice plain as day.

“It’s a fail safe. If the second reaction happens in quick succession to the first, less than 30 seconds, it indicates pending burnout. If the cuffs are not quite strong enough and the initial pain won’t settle then the half a notch extra usually fixes it when it kicks in.” He looked at me, grey eyes softerin the lamp light. “That uncomfortable feeling, like your chest is being crushed, will be fixed when the second ring kicks in, which it will do any moment. You want to wait or shall I uncuff you?”

“I’ll wait.” He nodded.

“Just keep taking deep breaths.” His Majesty didn’t have to wait long. The second ring was activated almost immediately after I spoke. It hit him harder, making the King cry out. “Easy, easy.” He choked and spasmed like Lady Esther had done.

“M-m-maaake i-i-it sss-top.” He panted.

“Come on, Leorè.” It felt so odd to say his name without his title. “You’re really close to knowing exactly what it's like, just a little more, just breathe.” I rubbed his back with a firm hand and held him against me.

“Ye G-g-gods, fuck.” His breathing was coming in hard pants, his hands trying to claw at the cuffs. “T-t-too m-much.” The King sobbed in my arms.

“It’s not too much, if it were too much you would be screaming. It will settle." Really I should take the cuffs off, he had asked after all, but there really was a lesson to be learned here. Hopefully it would open the King up to more changes in the system. “Just breathe.” After a moment's hesitation I pulled His Majesty closer pressing his face against my bare chest.

“Urghh,” He moaned low and hard, his breath hot across my skin, “ok, ok, I-i c-can do, do i-it.” The King shuddered and I held him close. “Captain?”

“Yes, My King?” My eyes were closed, the scent of his hair filling my nose as we both breathed deeply.

“Take them off.” King Leorè lifted his bound wrists but not his head, something tickled along my bare stomach and I realised it was a tear; a tear from the King. With a soft click the first one popped open eliciting a sigh of relief. He said nothing.

He just cried.

“Hey, hey,” I tried to soothe, “it’s over, why are you crying?”

“Because, Captain,” He sniffed, mumbling against my chest, “how is that better?”

“Poor choice of words on my part, it’s an improvement on the nullifying cuffs. At least the pain doesn’t last long.” Patting his back I pulled away.

“I understand why you really didn’t want to do that to Esther. I, err,” He swallowed, “don’t, after that vile experience, wish for anyone to have to endure such a cruel punishment before they have even been found guilty, let alone after. I think we should look at discussing a solution that is less pitiless.”

“The most obvious solution would be to go back to using nullifying cuffs but with a pain relieving imbuement added.”

“You seemed to have that idea ready suspiciously quick…” The King eyed me sharply.

“Well it was actually what I would have originally liked to propose.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“My apologies, Your Majesty but I didn’t think it would come across well… think about it, not knowing what you know now, what would you have thought if I had made such a proposal? That I was limp d**k pushover, incapable, incompetent and ultimately unfit for the role.” With a heavy sigh I offered my hand to help him up. “Newly appointed, untested, highly contested and without a lick of magic to boot; how do you think that might have gone down, My King?”

“Hum, I see your point.” The King, now standing on his own feet, took a deep breath and let his eyes glow silver. It was common, after the cuff had been removed, for people to test their magic. “How about you take a few days off, Jo as well and then come to my study next week with a proposal and we can discuss it.”

“That sounds wonderful, My King. I look forward to it.” Wet, cold and tired I bowed, my heart full of respect. “Thank you, I am astounded by your graciousness.”