It was as if he'd stepped out into an old European village. All the structures were made of light stone, their facades covered in ivy and batches of colorful flowers. There were flowers everywhere, actually. In pots along the walls, in gardens, patches of grass. Strings of the same glowing tiny white buds decorated the buildings, hung between lampposts, and wrapped around trees. Apparently they grew rampant in the forests. The town was alight with the warm glow from the many wall sconces and a cheerful melody floated up from a live band somewhere. The entire village seemed to be out, all chatting and smiling.
"What's going on?"
"They have never had the king of the Soldati stay in their village," Khalon replied warmly. "I didn't have the heart to quell their elation or put a stop to their festivities, seeing as how we'll be here for a few days at least."
"What about the you-know-what?"
Khalon pointed to the sky. "Any demon that touches the barrier of light will meet its end." He smiled down at Riley. "All is well. Enjoy yourself."
"Would that work on us?" Riley asked, curious. It made sense to him that if Khalon and the others could protect the village, they could ward themselves.
"What do you mean?" Khalon followed the path of Riley's finger as he pointed up to the sky. Khalon let out a heavy sigh. "If only it were so. The ward remains solid, as the village is unmoving. Attempting to place a ward over a living creature requires exceptional concentration, and the ward would last mere seconds. The moment you moved, it would fall away."
Well, so much for that. Wasn't the whole point of having magic the ability to do anything? He had no idea there were so many rules and restrictions.
"There he is! Your Majesty!"
Riley was stunned by the dozens of villagers who flocked to Khalon, all vying for his attention. They were all smiles and awe, thanking him for being there, offering him anything he needed. They all wanted to talk to him, touch him, though they didn't dare do the latter. They crowded him, got close to him, but not one of them touched him or grabbed him. As he started to move forward, they moved with him, but gave him enough room so he wouldn't walk into anyone. It was like watching a movie star walk down the street, except people weren't trying to maul him or rip his clothes off. Khalon was handsome, and from his smile and responses, it was clear he was used to this. He was polite and appeared genuinely interested in what they had to say.
It was funny how the whole "king" thing didn't register until now. Watching Khalon interact with the villagers was something else. He exuded nothing but confidence, giving off an air of royalty in the way he carried himself. His posture was nothing less than perfect, his broad shoulders squared back, and his attention focused intently on his people, as if whatever they were saying was the most important information he'd ever heard. He towered over the village of foxlings, even over the tallest foxling males. He was imposing with his great height and muscular build, yet his smile had everyone captivated, including Riley.
Watching Khalon, an urge to be near him rose up in Riley, and he didn't quite know what to do with it. Like the villagers, Riley wanted to reach out and touch Khalon. He remembered Khalon holding on to his hands, and Riley was startled by his yearning to have his hand in Khalon's once again. His heart squeezed and Riley kept his distance. It was abundantly clear the priestess had made a huge mistake. There was no way Riley could be Khalon's intended mate.
With Khalon busy and the villagers distracted, Riley sneaked away. He wandered down the cobblestone street and found a stone archway covered in ivy. On the other side was an expansive circular garden enclosed by tall dense trees and shrubbery. There were hundreds of flowers in all colors in bloom along the edges and a circular stone fountain in the center. Inside the outer edges of the garden were three evenly spaced stone benches. It was almost like a little hideaway. Riley took off his shoes and socks, placing them next to him before he lay down on the crisp, cut grass.
"Wow," he murmured to no one in particular. He laced his fingers behind his head and stared up at the night sky. It was gorgeous. Hard to believe what was out there in the dark, waiting for him. He tried not to think about that. Instead he looked up at the stars. He'd never seen so many. In the distance he could faintly hear the music and lively chatter from the village square, but mostly he heard crickets and the sounds of the forest. He was oddly at peace.
Soon he'd be home, back to working at the Tiger Tails Cafe, fighting his way through traffic, noise, and going home to... what? He had his mom, whom he loved, of course, but she was always away with her girlfriends on some cruise or another. Sometimes he didn't hear from her for weeks. He didn't blame her or her mantra of getting her kicks while she could still get them.
&n
bsp; His college friends were getting married, some of them busy with kids and making new friends who had kids. Their schedules hardly ever matched up. Occasionally he went out with his work colleagues to a bar or club where he'd sometimes hook up with a guy. He'd had a few boyfriends, none who stuck around very long, either because they lost interest, or he did.
A breeze swept through the trees and Riley let out a heavy sigh. What did it say that he didn't miss his life back home? Home. He liked his cramped little apartment well enough. That along with his job were temporary, or so he'd been telling himself since he graduated college. The truth was he had no idea what he was doing with his life. He closed his eyes. What he needed was a fresh new start.
A new start where? Here? Don't be stupid.
Even if he wanted to stay, what the hell would he do? He wouldn't be a prince for long. Even if he chose to stay, if Khalon let him stay in his kingdom, what then? He had no money, nowhere to stay, no magic. He supposed he could try to get a job in one of the villages. Maybe Flora and Lasa would let him stay with them for a while.
Are you listening to yourself? Stay? Are you insane? You don't belong here. His human practicalities had no place in a kingdom where everyone turned into a tiger, fox, or who knew what else.
No. He couldn't stay. It was a fanciful thought, a nice dream, but a fantasy nonetheless. He'd just enjoy the peaceful surroundings while he could. At least that's what he was doing until he got kicked. Riley gave a start, bolting upright in time to see Khalon flailing non-too king-like before hitting the grass. It took a significant amount of self-control on Riley's part not to laugh his face off. The perplexed look on Khalon's face alone was priceless, and Riley couldn't take it anymore. He burst into laughter. Khalon stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"What the blasted hell are you doing on the ground?"
Riley held his hands up and snickered. "Hey, I was just lying here, minding my own business, watching the stars when you came out of nowhere and kicked me."
Khalon opened his mouth to reply then closed it before he spoke up. "Did I hurt you?"
"I'm fine. What were you doing lurking around in the bushes, anyway?"
"I wasn't lurking," Khalon replied with a huff. He sat up and brushed his sleeves off. "I was escaping."
Riley cocked his head. "Escaping?" It struck him then. He held back a smile. Looked like the king of the Soldati was a little camera shy. "Oh, the villagers."
"Yes. They are kindhearted, generous, and enthusiastic, which is lovely." Khalon winced and Riley sensed a "but" coming on. He decided to give Khalon a break and help him out.
"It gets kind of overwhelming, huh? I mean, you probably get it everywhere you go, and although you appreciate their love and attention, it can get a bit much."