| The former "plaything" of the now deceased Drederigo D'Honaire
had proven most.......challenging to make right.
The "plaything's" name was Anina at one time, and after many frustrating
false starts, Malin had finally.....recently.....been able to undo the
magical alterations on the poor woman's mind. However, Malin had been surprised
and shocked that the mages who'd done this to Anina had somehow transform
Anina from human to hamadryad! The means had been lost with the death of
the mage (who'd taken his own life rather than face the ravening mobs calling
for his blood). A hamadryad was a step above a normal dryad in the facts
that she could wander hundreds of miles away from the tree she'd placed
her life source within AND the fact that once that tree died.....the hamadryad
could (and would) place it within another tree. Normal dryads died when
their tree died and were bound within a hundred yard circumference around
their trees. A very special creature that was effectively ageless, Anina
now was.
Basically, Drederigo wanted something that wouldn't grow old and feeble.....
forevermore a trophy of beauty and submissiveness!
However, while Malin had been able to restore Anina enough to where
she now remembered who and what she'd been.....Anina's fighting spirit
still was missing. She was very timid, now. Malin figured that he'd wasted
enough time on the simpering thing and was going to suggest freeing the
weak little thing to the forests to protect and nuture the royal forest.
He'd be really solemn and sad when he make his pronouncement later, after
the concert and looked forward to the crestfallen face of the Queen.
See, Astra remembered Anina well; she had given Astra some of her earliest
lessons in swordplay and the two had become very close. Astra had been
a girl of ten when the report had come through that Anina had died and,
though even at that young age she had known that showing grief was frowned
on in Aqualaria, she hadn't been able to hold back the tears.
Turns out that the reports of her death had been false, and there had
been much celebration and joy, especially by the one called Astra! While
the news of the return to youth (and forever staying within that realm)
by her weapon trainer would lessen the blow.....the news that Anina would
forever be a shadow of what she had been would tear at Queen Astra.
The Queen would grieve, but thank Malin for the work he'd done.
Malin might even be the center of attention again, being seen as the
noble mage who'd tried and failed nobly.
At no time did he think that this was part of the reason why his services
had not been asked for. So selfish was he, that his envy would not allow
him to see anything but him being snubbed by the Queen.
A shame, really, for Malin was talented in magic and otherwise very
intelligent. He could be a real asset to the kingdom, if for only that.....
Malin then smiles and bends to examine the Queen, not expecting any
real change....in regards to why the Queen had deemed him worthy to be
graced with his presence.
Then he swears softly when he discovers, by his divination, that not
only did his potion succeed in it's work (apparently Malin had misjudged.....er.....the
King's virility...since there were strong indications that twins were now
on their way) there were indications that Astra had been with a child even
BEFORE coming to see him! Indeed, while this usually WAS the end result
of ....certain actions......the mage had not figured that such would happen
so soon. The same apparently was true for Queen Astra!
Foolish woman! Malin seethed silently at the prone form, Can't
you even tell when you didn't need my services!
He then chuckles to himself, berating that foolishness. If she'd known,
then he couldn't have as easily have gotten to this position of domination
in the first place.
Besides, while the Queen will no longer need this potion of fertility.....those
who are pregnant but gain more children from this breed of potion need
almost weekly examinations to prevent the little ones from aborting early!
Better and better!
Now, the Queen would HAVE to come see him weekly.
She would be his.....and soon through the orcs.....all of Aqualaria.
And it wasn't like that foppish outlander king would be able to see
Malin's brilliant plans before it was too late......
Malin was brilliant in some things....but in others his arrogance blinded
him to concealed truths.
One of them being that the King, while not as powerful as the Queen,
was by inclination a rather.....brilliant man who hid it by a cloak of
gaity and such. Who had been what in a later age called a "secret agent"
in the service of the King of Aqualaria and had discovered through informants,
too late, of what Duke Drederigo had done to a certain Frederigo (now a
manfox) D'Honaire's map. That this spy had, with Astra's permission, taken
his secret talents and formed a small but effective "spy shop."
Another was that Astra 8 had already been granted, in private, by Queen
Astra permission to take over the rehabilitation of Anina because "....if
anyone can bring the fighting spirit back within her.....it is going to
be me!" Astra 8 had lost her Anina in a senseless accident with a deer
hunt and wanted desperately to aid this Anina, for her own sake,
the poor woman's sake, and her sister's sake.
Astra, initially awaking cross at Malin for some reason, had cried out
in joy and actually hugged the startled mage in gratitude at what was said.
Malin had paused, then smiled and said that it was just him doing his
duty....and then warned Astra of the danger facing her children....and
she MUST see him on a weekly basis.
Later that night, the conductor/composer was giving a STUNNING performance
that moved those who heard to weep for joy. Indeed, the composer was weeping
for joy for a visit by some "Golems" had restored his hearing to normal
after years of nothing but.......
-
 Nothing but
garbled, loud cacophony of noise......
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