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Chapter 11 - Chapter XI

Erick was now very certain that he was acting beyond how a king should behave with his servants. Well, in most cases. Kings may have a night or two with the women of the castle, but kings did not court them. They did not think about loving them, and certainly did not imagine married life with them. His worst fears were confirmed, he couldn't help himself. She had to be his Selfrund, he knew his heart would have no other. And it scared him.

He contemplated this as he lay awake, Flora still soundly asleep in his arms. Despite his comment, she had not objected to his advances. This only made things worse for him, as his nether regions would agree. It was difficult to stop what had already started, so he did his best to shift away without waking Flora.

Unfortunately for him, she only clung on harder. I might just die. He moaned miserably. He was not going to wake her up just for sex. It was wrong and he was certainly better than that. Or so he hoped. His self restraint was wearing thin the longer he held her so close. This is exactly what Esther planned. He realized, gritting his teeth in irritation. Realizing that it was a futile attempt he quickly pulled himself up and climbed out of bed.

"Wait, what?" Flora groggily looked up, her hair sticking out g out in various directions. Erick quickly turned the other way, making his best attempt at throwing some clothes on. He managed to pull up some pants before making a quick excuse.

"I just have to use the bathroom." He coughed, doing his best to quickly but casually head outside.

"Oh, uh… Okay?" He heard Flora's questioning tone in her voice but gave a simple wave before heading out. He went in the direction of the small outhouse but instead opted to go a little further beyond it. A little more distance couldn't hurt. He thought, not wishing to be heard for the next few minutes.

It wasn't long before Erick was undoing his pants and undergarments. It was not sophisticated or refined by any means, but it got the job done. Erick reminded himself of this as he tried to shake the image of Flora from his head. He couldn't deny the thought of having her, being with her, or being in her as he continued to pleasure himself. His mind wandered to her, and before he could stop himself he peaked into her mind. Erick was shocked by the mix of emotions and images he found.

First was the anxiety, of which there was a lot of. He realized she was anxious over his return, as it turned out she had also turned to thoughts not unlike his own. I suppose I left a good impression. He couldn't help but smirk at the thought.

Erick fought through several emotions, several of which involved going back to the cabin and finishing there. Instead he grounded himself by gripping the nearest tree with a free hand. He hardly noticed as the bark dug into his hand and under his nails.

Seeing what Flora thought of him, while it wasn't entirely interesting it was certainly a turn on. I suppose she's just not very imaginative. He told himself as he continued, until it hit him. She's a virgin dumb ass. He berated himself, almost stopping entirely. By now it was very difficult to not hear her thoughts, but felt as if he had gone too far. It was much too intimate, and yet…

Before he could stop himself, he planted a few ideas in her head. He felt her brief surprise before her arousal deepened, and so did his. Again he returned to thoughts of himself buried deep inside her, only she now shared those thoughts. He knew he would regret it later, but the shame was not enough to wash away this moment as he climbed his high to release. He couldn't stop the moan that escaped his lips as he finished. He imagined it was her around him and not his own hand.

He knew he was not nearly as satisfied as he wanted to be, but it helped. Walking back to the cabin, he did his best to muster himself. It was nothing out of the ordinary. He reassured himself, taking a moment before entering the cabin.

Erick stood outside the door, taking in the view. Fresh grass sprouted around the base of towering oak and spruce trees. The horses munched lazily on the overgrown grass. He called back to his dream last night, and for a moment Erick considered staying here. He thought of what it would be like to not go back, to stay in the woods and live a simple life. Then reality crashed in, and he knew better. I have a duty to these people. He reminded himself, shaking his head clear of his fantasies before heading into the cabin.

Erick gently searched with his mind before entering. It was not exactly polite to disrupt someone during their private time. Not like you haven't already done that. He grimaced, realizing that he would eventually have to come clean to Flora.

Finding the situation clear, Erick opened the door and walked back into the cabin.

Flora almost jumped at the sound of the door opening. She turned to find King Erick returning, and thought that she caught a glimpse of guilt on his face. If it was, it was gone in a heartbeat.

"Is everything alright?" Erick asked, one eyebrow lifting in curiosity. He can't know, right? He was gone for a while so he had to have been busy. Flora felt the panic at being caught rising in her chest but she swallowed it down.

"Yeah, just still waking up." She replied with a wry smile. He looked her over for a moment before seeming to deem it an appropriate response. Flora couldn't help but watch as he strode towards her, with a dark look that almost swallowed her whole. He paused just inches from her, looking down his nose at her. From here Flora could see his tattoos in stark relief, a large twisting unicorn with wings on his shoulder with a smaller unicorn and dragon contorted on his upper arm.

"You're in my way." Erick said with a small chuckle. His eyes danced with amusement as he smiled down at her.

"What?" She asked, pulling her attention from the various dots of tattoos she has not noticed before.

"My clothes." He gestured to the pile of clothes he had dropped at the foot of the bed. The pile she happened to be standing directly in front of. His crooked smirk told her everything else she needed to know as she mumbled an apology and moved out of the way. I will not think about it. I will not think about him. I will not-

"So do they mean anything? Those tattoos?" Flora mostly asked to distract herself from this morning's recent ventures, but couldn't hide that she was at least a little curious.

King Erick paused halfway through putting his shirt back on before answering. "Well, there's a few." He started, tugging his shirt the rest of the way on before carefully buttoning it. It covered the tattoos, but Flora couldn't shake the image of them now that she had seen them up close.

"The largest one," King Erick motioned to his shoulder where the curving winged unicorn sat. "Represents my familial line. It's unique to the Vincorne line." He informed her, pulling up his vest and jacket. "The other two represent my parents." He said in a quieter voice, tugging on the rest of his clothes for the day. There was a pause as Erick adjusted the fittings of his clothes.

It's hardly been four months now. I can't imagine how I would feel carrying something like that on my skin. Flora thought back to the passing of her mother, as well as her siblings.

"It's a unicorn tradition." King Erick cleared his throat before continuing, pulling himself out of his own memories. "They grind up a small portion of the deceased's horn an mix it into the ink. Even the ancestral mark." He commented, rubbing a hand over the spot where his parent's marks would be. He didn't look at her, the look in his eyes distant as he looked down his arm. Flora could practically feel her heart crack and break at the thought of it. It was incredibly sentimental, and Flora realized just how much it meant to him.

"I'll be able to get one for Thomas soon." Erick's voice was tight, almost as quiet as a whisper. She hadn't meant for this, and regret tightened her chest at seeing the pain in Erick's eyes. He looked up at her then, and she felt her heart shatter with the grief she held back for him as well as herself. He's going to think you're just a big cry baby. Flora thought as she felt a few tears slide down her face.

"Don't cry for me, I'll be fine." Erick said with a wry smile, taking one of her hands with a gentle squeeze. She hadn't realized just how big his hands were - or on the other end, just how small hers are. "Really, it'll be okay." He said with a final squeeze of her hand before letting go.

"Besides," Erick started while grabbing his saddle bags. "We're going to one of the fun farms today." He said over his shoulder with a mischievous grin and amused look in his eye.

"What exactly do you mean by fun?" Flora asked, unsure if he'd actually clarify for her.

"You'll have to wait and see." King Erick winked before leaving the cabin. Flora was torn between being very frustrated and being very turned on. It turns out the two can go hand in hand as she swiftly arranged the bed into something somewhat presentable and grabbed her own saddlebag.

Outside she found that Erick had already begun to saddle up his horse Penelope. The mare quietly stood in a polite manner as King Erick slung the saddle over her back. She stood outside of the little pasture but was well behaved enough to not be tied down. Condor on the other hand weaved back and forth at the pasture gate as he impatiently waited to leave. Flora sighed but couldn't help but smile as she approached the young gelding. He put his head down for a brief moment before looking over at Penelope and King Erick.

"I know you know we're going, but you gotta hold your horses." Flora laughed as she started to tack up her horse. Condor danced beside her as she tried to tighten the girth and get him ready. Nearly planting a hoof on her foot, Flora had to step aside with him and lose grip of the saddle. Flora heard Erick's laugh before she saw him come over to help.

King Erick didn't say anything as Flora finished putting on Condor's tack, a much easier task now that he was being held still. Despite this, the horse still managed to paw the ground as if to say 'get a move on!' Erick's eyes danced with amusement as he watched the young gelding, and Flora couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks for the help." Flora wasn't sure why but she felt her face heat, looking away as she mounted Condor. Erick smiled, and at first Flora thought it was just another smirk like Dante, but then she saw that his smile was more genuine. It still sent mixed feelings through Flora.

"It's no problem really. The quicker we're done the quicker we can get going." He informed her, and the look in his eyes only caused her to become more heated. I don't think I'm going to survive the rest of this journey like this. Flora thought warily as Erick got up on his horse and the two left the cabin behind. Flora couldn't help the small feeling she had as the cabin grew smaller in the distance, hidden by the trees. It was as if she had left something important behind.

It wasn't long before the two were back on the road, albeit a different road from the night before. I'm sure he knows where we're going. Flora told herself as she saw her king quickly survey a map before heading off at a trot. The sun had begun to crest over the tops of the trees, and birds dipped around as they caught the bugs of early morning.

Flora took in a deep breath, relishing in the scents of Spring. New growth, fresh earth, and morning mist mingled together into a symphony of a smell. She realized that King Erick was watching her, and she looked away abashedly. Thankfully he made no comment and the two rode out through the morning like this.

It was early afternoon when Flora spotted the next farm. The fields were spread wide and the barns were low, not unlike a cow farm. However, Flora could not spot any cows in the pastures. Perhaps it's a poultry farm. A very large poultry farm. Flora thought to herself. That's when Erick pipped up.

"Well? Aren't you excited?" He asked, a wicked grin on his face. Flora saw the mischievous twinkle in his eye, and almost regretted asking him anything.

"Why should I be excited?" Flora asked, emotions warring between anxiety and exasperation.

"Because," Erick started, his expression becoming more excited. "It's our one and only pig farm, and its owners are just lovely." The emphasis on the last word led Flora to believe that these farmers were anything but. She sighed resolutely, nodding a simple agreement as the two trudged on towards the farm. It wasn't long until Erick had called back his gilded horns and unicorn mark, the farm coming ever closer into view.

When they arrived, the owners were eagerly waiting at the gate. Erick had resumed his impassive nature, and Flora did her best to put on a cheery face. The two waiting for them couldn't have been more different from each other. The man - who Flora assumed was the husband based on the way he held the woman - was nearly as wide as he was tall. He was practically a pig himself, with ears that jutted out sideways and a nose that hung down on his face. He wore a simple work shirt and overalls, both of which were stained and torn with use. His looks didn't seem to bother his wife however, who was almost as tall as her husband and lankier than a newborn colt. She was dressed in a simple farm dress, which had only a couple minute stains compared to her husband's attire.

"We're so glad to have you both here, Your Majesty and our dear Beast Master." The man said, bowing low before them. The wife made a similar comment, making an attempt at what was supposed to be a curtsy. Supposed to be anyway. King Erick didn't seem to mind as he thanked them and dismounted his mare, with Flora following suit.

"Yes, we're very pleased to have you." The woman had a dry voice that contradicted the pleasant expression on her face. A farm hand rushed up to greet them.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." The boy said, bowing deeply at the waist. He couldn't have been older than fourteen Flora noted. She looked in Erick's direction, but he remained neutral as he handed the horse's reins to the teen. The boy quickly and efficiently took both of the horses and headed back towards the pasture under the scrupulous eye of the farmer's wife.

"Well, now that that's taken care of!" The man said with a clap of his hands. "Why don't we have something to eat?" The farmer turned to Erick with an eager grin. There was a pause before Erick answered, and Flora could see him processing something behind his eyes.

"Yes, that would be very generous of you." King Erick replied with a small dip of his head. Flora let go of a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. While they had eaten small rations on the road, she was hungry enough to eat a whole horse. The thought caused her to look in the direction of their own horses before smiling.

"I don't understand what's so fun about this farm." Flora said quietly as they were led towards the main house on the property. Now that they were closer, Fora could see - and hear - the many groups of pigs that happily munched and grazed in the fields around them.

"The Beckwith's seem like a very happy couple, don't they?" He quietly commented. It was hard to tell, but Flora could make out the small grin playing across his lips.

"I suppose, but what does that have to do with anything?" Flora asked, watching the two farmers - Mr. and Mrs. Beckwith - give each other a small kiss as they got closer to the house.

"They're actually siblings." Erick quickly commented under his breath before Mr. Beckwith opened the doors to the house. Flora did not process the information right away as the man began to speak.

"I know it's been a while but welcome back to our humble abode!" Mr. Beckwith gestured to the house with a flourish. It was much like the Smith's farmhouse, albeit in different colors. The house was a gentle shade of natural brown with light tan and green trim. It was similarly decorated with farm and pig related objects and nick-knacks. Wait, Flora's thoughts stopped their swirling for a moment. Did he say siblings? Like brother and sister? Flora's shock nearly rooted her in place as the two farmers continued talking to King Erick.

Yes, they are, but they think no one knows. Flora very clearly heard King Erick, but very clearly saw him speaking to the farmers. The married-but-actually-siblings farmers. He turned and gave Flora a quick look full of amusement and a hint of a smile before continuing into the house with the farmers. Just act normal. She heard him say? Think? In her head? It was a lot, and all Flora could do was shake her head and continue inside.

Inside the dining room, the table was being set by a young child, probably no older than eight. The child seemed normal for the most part, but something felt a little off. By all the gods, they've had a child? Flora thought miserably. I thought this was illegal. Flora tried her best to hide her expression, but couldn't help shooting a look in Erick's way. For his part, he seemed to hardly notice at all. Very illegal. Erick confirmed with his mind speaking. Flora shuddered and did her best to put on a pleasant face as they were all seated at the table.

"We hope you enjoy what my wonderful wife has prepared." Mr. Beckwith said with an appreciative glance towards Mrs. Beckwith. Flora did her best to hide her cringe. "We've prepared some wonderful meat straight from our farm." The man concluded, gesturing to the hot plates of sliced pork, sausage, and large french toast. It had Flora's stomach growling. "We figured it was too early for lunch, but not too late for breakfast." The farmer said with a happy plump into his chair, and his sister-wife began dishing out food to the rest of the table.

King Erick gave Flora a look that said plenty. She briefly scowled at him before turning to her plate of food. If you're listening, just know that I am very uncomfortable and very unhappy about this. Flora did her best to think loudly, though she still wasn't sure what that meant. Erick smiled. Yes, but unfortunately they are the only people willing to raise this many pigs at the moment. He informed her. The feeling of him thinking in her own mind was… odd. It felt like a shadow creeping at the edge of her vision, but it was inviting rather than terrifying. She shook it off and returned to her food.

The Beckwith farmers continued to speak with King Erick, and much like with the Smith's he gave them short but polite answers. It seemed to be quite normal for him to be distant from people, Flora realized. He never said anymore than he needed to, and always kept a polite tone with an impassive nature to it. Before long, they had finished their food and it was time for business.

"Well!" Mr. Beckwith said with a loud clap of his hands. "Why don't we get right to it?" He asked, standing up from his chair. "My wife will take care of the dishes." He waved her away, and she seemed a little upset but said nothing. King Erick gave a polite nod and he and Flora were soon out of the house and heading towards the pasture.

"When were you going to tell me about this whole… weird mind thing?" Flora hissed towards Erick as they left the house. He gave her a quick apologetic smile before responding.

"It never came up." He whispered, leaning down so she could hear him. His horns brushed her hair as he stood back up, pulling a few strands with it. Flora could not hide her blush as she quickly straightened her hair back into place. No, I will not think about it or him or this morning. Flora told herself, hoping that Erick had left her mind by then.

Flora opened her bag to pull out her logbook and pen, learning from her last mistake and pausing to grab the items out of her satchel. She flipped the book open to the next page and continued to follow the two men, writing notes about the pastures and various pig breeds as they passed by them. She didn't need to be told what they were, as she had learned to recognize them all by now. Nevertheless, Mr. Beckwith went through the long list as they passed by the pens on their way towards the barn.

"Here are our wonderful Yorkshires, the best meat pigs you'll ever see!" The man said with a proud look at the pen. The pigs were the stereotypical pink skinned few haired animal that most people had come to associate with pigs as a whole. Many of the animals seemed content as they were, happy in the field and rolling in the mud to cool off the spring heat. It wasn't as hot as it could be, but since pigs couldn't sweat it was important for them to cool off with the mud. Flora wrote this down, noting the exceptional state and care that the animals were in. Maybe the King was right to look the other way. Flora couldn't help but think this as she knew just how hard it was to take care of a large number of animals, let alone so many pigs.

They continued past pastures of Saddleback pigs, Spotted pigs, and even the hairy Mangalica breed of pig. All of them were primarily for meat, but Mr. Beckwith would go on to describe just how well these animals did in the other kingdoms. "When I sent that there sow to show in your brother's kingdom," Mr. Beckwith started, pointing at a large female Mangalica pig. "Not only did she win best of breed, not only did she win best of breed, she got best in show!" The farmer exclaimed, clearly very proud of his animal. King Erick simply smiled and gave him his congratulations before continuing on.

They eventually reached the barn, which was currently mostly empty at the moment. While each pasture had sported small sheds for the animals to go into should they want it, this was clearly the main barn for most of the work. It included several fenced in areas with low mangers for the animals to eat from. The aisle was lined with drainage channels and slatted panels to make for easy cleaning. As they continued on, they came to the breeding area where sows stayed with their piglets for their early weeks of life. There was one in their now, a large Saddleback pig with nine piglets at her belly.

"Here's our youngest batch, aren't they just the cutest?" Mr. Beckwith said fondly, his eyes full of warmth as he gazed at the animals. Despite his relations with his sister, Flora noted that he clearly cared very deeply for these animals. She commented as much, and the farmer took it with pride. "But of course! Only the best will do for my pigs. Anything less would make me less than a farmer!" He exclaimed, looking rather full of himself. "Not like that farmer on the East side, the man only gives them the bare minimum!" He complained. Flora had the suspicion he was talking about her father, but made no comment on it as they continued their tour of the rest of the barn.

Flora caught the look that her king gave her, but whatever he thought he didn't voice it, verbally or mentally. She was grateful for that, because right now she only wanted to focus on her work and not have to think anything about her father or her family farm. She knew it was close to the end of the trip, but that end was getting closer and closer by the day.

Eventually they came to the end of their tour, and the Beckwiths were more than willing to show off everything to them. Erick hardly seemed suspicious of them at all, which was a stark contrast to the slaughterhouse from just yesterday. Flora relaxed a bit as they got back onto their horses, the tension releasing from her shoulders as they left the farm behind them. The two rode at an easy walk, and Flora had time to review and fix up her notes as they rode.

Her thoughts wandered to Erick's recent closeness to her, and she tried to divert her attention by focusing on her pen. The fountain pen that he gave her. The fountain pen was made with a golden ivory that looked suspiciously like his own golden horns. She looked at the pen and his antlers several times before he sent them away again, and was left wondering if he had somehow gotten dragon horn to make the pen with. Should I ask? How would I even say that? How do you even make a pen with dragon horn? Or is it more like an antler? What would I even-

"The pen was made from a shed." King Erick informed her. "I know this may sound contradictory but I really don't mean to intrude. You're just a very loud thinker." He said with an apologetic smile. Flora glared at him, and he had the decency to wince at it. Flora focused on her anger rather than give in to the shame of her earlier thoughts that would surely drag her to her grave.

King Erick shifted uncomfortably in his saddle. "So, dragons shed their first antlers." He started with a cough, not looking in Flora's direction. She appreciated his distraction but still felt a bubble of frustration. "It's kind of like baby teeth." He continued, and Flora gave in to the tidbits of information. How many humans get to hear the secrets of dragons? She pondered, knowing how secretive the species can be, their human shifters even more-so.

"The first set is not unlike a deer's antlers, and they'll fall off in teenage years before the real horns grow in." He explained, still looking at the road ahead of them. By now, the sun was starting to dip into the lower half of the horizon. Flora looked at her pen, the rays of the sun setting the gold of the antler alight in varying shades of red and yellow.

"So this pen.. was made from your own antler?" Flora asked tentatively. She wasn't entirely sure if she liked the idea of a dragon's-baby-teeth-pen, but it very much resembled any normal deer antler with just a golden color. Erick shrugged his shoulders as if it were a casual thing.

"I mean, it's better than throwing it into a hoard. At least I can do something with it." The King commented. Flora contemplated what Erick's dragon hoard would look like. She pictured a pile of golden items with the young antlers on top, looking more like a hunter's trophy than anything else.

"Now my brother Balder on the other hand," Erick started with a breathy laugh. "Since his are more like the shape of a bull's horns, he turned his into s horns, he turned his into a pair of drinking war horns. Devised a plug that can come on and off, and he is very proud of them." He finished, a look of exasperation mixed with familial love set on his face. "Perhaps he'll bring them out for his big party." Erick smirked, looking over at Flora. Flora couldn't help but laugh at the image of the two brothers drinking from dragon horn cups.

"I'm sure they will be quite the sight." She said at last, giving Erick a full smile. He returned it with an equally comforting smile of his own, and Flora was glad to be able to see this side of him. She had a feeling that had they gone out with a full retinue as planned, he would not have shown her this side of him.

The two continued down the road like this, making small companionable talk as the sun lowered in the sky. Birds sang their evening calls, deer grazed in the fields beyond, and the world they were in seemed so far away from the one with plotted murders and coups. Flora's worries ebbed away, and she enjoyed just living in the moment beside her king. As the sun set for the day, the two made camp for the night, and by then Flora's fears had all but vanished. She would soon regret that.

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