Heaven's Kingdom Ch. 04

Jax stood in the garden, examining the woman before him. Unlike before when he'd first encountered her, this time she appeared completely familiar. Short blonde hair styled in an angular bob cut, lighter armor atop a thinner frame, she stood out from the other guards in the sense that she appeared almost to be made of glass.

After their previous night's activities, he'd asked River to produce the file she'd collected on the unknown guard. Reading it over proved to be an enlightening experience, though not an entirely complete one. Lyra, as she was known, betrayed nothing like last time, her face stone cold. Still, River had chosen her for his detail which meant something.

Jax pursed his lips and handed over a series of glass orbs, each containing a familiar pink and magenta substance, this time swirling in the form of a gas. The woman bowed, accepting them and placing them on her belt.

"Thank you, your excellency. I'll use them well," she said, her voice coming out in a noticeable accent, yet one he could not entirely place. Definitely somewhere from outside the kingdom, though certainly not from any nation he recognized. At the very least, it wasn't a Shri accent.

"So, you're the spy who picked my would-be assassin from the bunch," he said, looking her over.

Her thin frame and light armor came with a purpose. The lighter she was, the quicker she could move, the quieter she could be. Enough to be of some use, but not heavy enough to radically slow her down. Unlike the others, Lyra was a glass cannon, built for stealth and speed. No doubt, two attributes that served her well in her profession as top spy.

What Tali was to the Bene Dai, she was to him.

Also, it gave her a body like a lithe cat. Whereas most of his guards held bodies like trained athletes, Lyra's was closest to a conventionally feminine form.

"Your excellency is correct," she answered, her tone as cool and commanding as the rest of her, "When the orders came down to shadow your would-be killer, it was myself who executed them under Captain River's orders."

"Well, I thank you for that. But, I'm afraid I have another job for you now."

She somehow found a way to straighten herself even further, "Of course, your excellency. I live to serve you."

Jax pinched the bridge of his nose, "You know, uh, you don't need to do that."

She cocked her head, "Do what, your excellency?"

"That. All the formalities. When it's just us, so long as my family or the rest of the nobility isn't around, I would prefer we be frank with each other."

"Is that what his excellency wishes?"

Jax nodded, "It is."

She pursed her lips, her brow wrinkling as though manually attempting to stamp out the behavior in real time. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before releasing a strangely warm smile, "Very well, I will do my best. I live to serve you."

"Uh, you don't need to say that either."

"But I'm not in the business of lying. I'm in the business of spying," she said, relaxing her posture.

Jax sighed, "Gods, what is River telling you girls to get you so-"

"Loyal?"

"Uh, not the word I would use."

Lyra smirked, "Well, not much to be honest. If I may be frank, as you asked, yours and River's escapades are probably the worst kept secret among the guard."

Jax cringed, "Yeah, I figured as much."

"Nothing to be ashamed of. To be honest, if River wasn't such a good captain and sister to the rest of us, we'd all be a lot more jealous than we already are."

"Am I going to like where this conversation is going?"

"Don't know," Lyra said, licking her lips, "It's also not a secret that River selects the guards for your detail, including myself. It is also no secret that the Queen would like you to... expand your mating prospects beyond just your favorite white-haired toy."

"Now how would you know about that?"

She took a step forward, "I am a spy, my lord. Give me some credit. Stealth and subterfuge are skills like any other. If one is to be any good at them, it's good to practice. Plus, I like to think that any kinks in the armor I find, someone else definitely can. So, it's best I find them and get them patched up ahead of time."

Jax shrugged, "Fair."

"And... rumor has it that the Prince is finally looking to... explore the fine selection of women his bodyguard has collected for him."

Jax frowned, "Gossip certainly gets around this castle."

Lyra smiled, moving closer and placing a finger on his chest, "And if those rumors happen to be true... I'd be more than happy to volunteer for such a prestigious assignment."

Somewhere, Jax could almost instinctively feel it, River was watching him and enjoying every minute of it. Once everything was properly sorted out, he would have to come up with a more interesting consequence for River's activities.

"Let me ask you something," Jax said, placing a finger on Lyra's forehead and lightly pushing her away.

Lyra frowned in response, her face turning pink, "Alright."

"How exactly is River selecting you guys for my detail?"

Lyra straightened, "Well I can't say exactly for the others, but I do know she recruited all of us... uh... personally."

"Personally?"

Lyra's lips curled up, "I could provide you with the exact details if you'd like. Or... a reenactment if it would please his excellency."

"Oh my gods," Jax rubbed his head.

"Mmhmm. She was always honest with us about what she was looking for and that, well, we were perfectly free to decline or transfer out if we wanted."

Jax sighed, "May we cut the inuendo for the rest of this conversation?"

"Very well. She told us the truth. She was in love with you, but also accepted the reality that as the last male in the royal family and the last sorcerer no less, you were going to be expected to take on multiple partners."

"Yeah, it was nice of her to wait until recently to tell me that."

"So, she figured she would do her best to make the inevitable reality something both of you could, at the very least find agreeable. She didn't want your prospects to be the daughters of nobles or princesses or anyone else who would want to use their position as a member of your harem for political gains. And, if I may be so bold, given the Queen's complete lack of interference with this, is something her majesty agreed with."

"Mother has eyes everywhere apparently."

"More places than you would think, but I digress. Captain River figured that the best potential options for future mates would be, well, among your guard detail. She was very straight forward in saying she was assembling a harem for you on top of a guard detail and she was very selective."

Jax raised an eyebrow, "Uh, how selective?"

Lyra placed a finger to her chin, "Well considering the size of Avalon's military, she could afford to be incredibly strict in her criteria. Bisexual, obviously. Unquestioning devotion to the crown, and by extension you. Polygamous for another, though to be honest, these days you'd have a harder time finding a monogamous woman than a polygamous one. Basically, the best of the military who, not only wouldn't have a problem in, uh, well, being another gemstone in your collection, but would also enjoy it."

Jax swallowed, "Enjoy it?"

"Your excellency, we're sorcerers. We're going to live a very long time. River figured that if we're going to be guarding you, we might as well have fun. Especially since, given what male birthrates look like for the foreseeable future, you are the only male of age many of us have ever seen up close or likely will. And though the late-night pillow fights with the ladies in the barracks have been fun and all, they have been missing a certain something. Something our beloved Captain has gotten to keep all to herself."

Lyra licked her lips.

Jax took a step back, "Suddenly, the notion of letting Tali kill me in my sleep doesn't seem so scary."

"Aww, we can't be that scary," Lyra pouted.

"Do you have any idea how many guards are in my detail?"

She nodded, "A lot. Believe me I would know. But they're all awesome. You know what they say, variety is the spice of life. And these girls are plenty spicy."

"Uh huh..." Jax deadpanned.

"When you do get around to sampling your collection, I can highly recommend Chane."

"Oh my gods."

"Girl tastes like the richest chocolate you've ever had. Fucking amazing. Don't know what she'll taste like to you, but I can guarantee it will be something you'll like."

"I'm actually going to die," Jax said, "My stupid girlfriend's going to get me killed."

Lyra's hands suddenly found his own, "Your excellency, as much as I joke... and I do but in sincerity, all of us here are here because want to be. None of us would hesitate for a second to protect you with everything we have. We all love this job. But... you are still a mystery to us. Even to me, I may be a spy but everything I know about you is still only on paper. River is the only one among us who has had the privilege of knowing you personally."

"Well from the sounds of it, knowing me personally is a big reason you all joined."

She laughed, "Well, sure but I don't mean like that. I'm sure whatever activities we get up to will be fun, but I mean the more personal aspects. And I'm aware of how this will sound when I say it but, River is your only real friend up here since the Queen confined you."

"Yeah," Jax sighed, "I'm aware."

"But that doesn't mean she has to be your sole source of personal interaction. The rest of us have been here, ready and waiting, and above all else, willing for a while now. All of us would jump at the opportunity to count you as a friend."

"Is that because I'm a prince or because I'm the only boy in a one-mile radius?"

Lyra cringed, "Well, considering the horror stories that come out of your sisters' detail, I can comfortably say it's not the former. But still. Aside from the obvious, we all have our own personal reasons for being here."

"I see," Jax said, his brow wrinkling.

Lyra stepped back, "You don't believe me."

"You'll have to forgive me but considering what I am, I'd say I've earned the right to be a little suspicious. When people aren't trying to kill me, they're trying to get me to marry their daughter or their niece or themselves in some cases."

"Believe me, none of us are expecting marriage," Lyra laughed, "The only person you'd probably even considering marrying right now is River."

Jax's heart momentarily sunk into his gut as his mind's personal asshole behavior bell began to ring. As much as he loved River, if was going to do this, he couldn't play favorites or ignore the other girls.

"Well, uh, she's just been around the longest and-"

Lyra shook her head, "There's more to it than that. We know the stories. And all of us were briefed on just what exactly you are before we got here. After all, your eyes aren't naturally that color."

Jax tensed, his hands falling away.

Lyra bowed, "Apologies. I shouldn't have said that."

Jax cleared his throat, "It's alright. Learning to hide it was one of the first things I learned. Unhiding it just happens to be, uh, shall we say, easier for me than others."

"I'll bet. But, uh, I can't and won't speak for the others, but it was one of the happiest days of my life when River came to me at the Academy."

"Why's that?"

"I, uh, I met your father you know."

Jax cocked his head, "Really? You? You're-"

"I'm not that much older than you if that's what you're worried about," Lyra smiled, "No, uh, it was late in the Long War and the Shri Union's legions had razed my family's village to the ground. My parents and my brother were killed in the massacre before we got herded into a labor camp. I was only three."

"My gods, I'm so sorry."

Her eyes turned to the ground, "I was there for about four months before Avalon's Royal Army drove the Union out and liberated us. Most of us were hungry or starving so when the King's forces pushed into the camp, led by his royal majesty himself, and offered us food and aid, well, it felt like the gods finally answered our prayers."

"I've heard stories from my mother but, never from one of the survivors of those camps. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, it was a rough four months to put it very lightly. But... when your father appeared with his army and began personally serving food and giving aid alongside his men, I knew in that moment I wanted to do whatever it took to repay that kindness."

"He was just doing the right thing. He always did"

"Your excellency, I don't think you understand just how rare someone doing the right thing was back then... and still is to this day in some degree. The fact that your family has managed to stay on the right side of history for so long and prospered because of it, as far as I'm concerned, direct evidence that the gods favor you."

"We're not divine. We're not gods."

"Maybe not. But, doing the right thing is an aspect of divinity, wouldn't you say? And given the blood that flowed through your father's veins, he certainly had an aspect of it. Just as you do. I believe good people inspire others to follow their example, and that the gods reward that. I don't think it's a coincidence that you were the one to inherit your father's power and not your sister's. No offense intended."

Jax sighed, "No, none taken, unfortunately."

"But I swore I would repay your father however I could. So, when he was killed, well, that kind of left me with a debt that couldn't be repaid. So, I did the next best thing and joined the guard. At the very least I could serve the family of the man who saved my life. Then when River offered me the chance to directly serve that man's son, well, of course I said yes."

"I'm not my father but if it's a debt you want to repay, I can say he wouldn't accept it because I wouldn't accept it. You don't owe us anything."

Lyra smiled and shook her head, "Oh no, your excellency, you can't get rid of me that easily. My debt was to your father and since he's not around to absolve me of it, I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

Jax smirked, "And if I order it?"

Lyra's eyes widened, "Uh, well, uh, your excellency is free to do as he pleases, though I would be very displeased to be sent away. So, uh, I would humbly request to stay."

"Relax," Jax placed a finger under her chin, "I'm not in the business of making people suffer. And as weird as it is for me to say this, having you reassigned away from me would obviously make you unhappy, so I won't do it. Plus, you're good at your job so I'd be dumb to do it anyway."

"Thank you, your excellency."

"Also stop doing that."

Lyra laughed, "Of course. Though, uh, what should I call you instead?"

"Well, considering that I have a name, you could try that."

"Jax. Jax. That will take some getting used to."

A dull thud followed by the cracking of rock echoed through the garden. Jax turned, his eyes falling on the path leading to the cave.

"Well, you'll have plenty of time to break that bad habit."

"I look forward to it."

Jax nodded, "Well, uh, considering you all apparently knew what you were getting into here, I guess I should feel completely fine doing this."

Quickly he leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on Lyra's lips. Immediately the spy tensed before closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around him. She tasted faintly of caramels as her flavor and scent washed over him. They separated with a combined small gasp.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped by bounds here-" Jax began.

"More..." Lyra huffed, her face now hot crimson as she licked her lips, "I'm going to want more of that."

Jax gave her a small grin, "Well, for now, consider that one for the road, ahead of your new assignment."

Lyra's eyes narrowed as her own smiled widened, "Oh you're a filthy little tease. You're gonna make me work for it."

"Well... maybe. But I get the feeling you enjoy games."

"Humph. You didn't make that Bene Dai girl work for it."

"Yeah, well, I also strapped her to a table and left her with a brand on her groin."

"You act like any of us would see that as a punishment. Maybe I should try to kill you in your sleep one of these nights... Uh that's a joke by the way."

Jax smiled, "Better be. Else I'd have River chain you to the garden table out here and then organize a contest among the other guards to see who could keep you edged the longest."

"Oh no! Anything but that!" she held up her hands in faux terror.

"I could have them all cum on you."

"Sounds kinda hot, not gonna lie."

Behind him, a pair of metal boots thumped up to the pair. River's voice boomed out her helmet as she placed a gloved hand on Jax's shoulder.

"You could tie her down, legs spread, arms above her head. Have the girls raid the maid's quarters for all the feather dusters they could find, and then have them tickle her nonstop for six hours."

Lyra immediately paled. Jax turned and glanced behind him as River's helmet folded itself away. She smiled down at him before turning her attention to her subordinate.

"I see you two have finally met," River said warmly.

"You could say that," Lyra said, "You never mentioned how great of a kisser he is."

River leaned down and planted her lips on his cheek, "Oh, I figured I'd let you learn that one for yourself. But I'm glad you two are enjoying each other."

Jax turned, "Oh. You and I need to have a talk sometime soon."

River blushed, "Another talk? So soon?"

"Lyra's been very informative with just how naughty you've been behind my back, missy."

River turned, focusing on the spy, "Oh really? Just what exactly did she say?"

Lyra swallowed.

Jax smirked and placed a hand on River's cheek, "Look at me, not her."

River's blush intensified, "Yes, love?"

He clicked his tongue, "It appears you're conspiring to get me killed."

"My lord I would never-"

"Surrounding me with a collection of young military succubi. Tch, tch, tch, you apparently want me to die of exhaustion. Lyra was kind enough to inform me."

River chuckled, "I surrounded you with options, love."

"You made it sound like I was going to be choosing a few gifts, not getting every damn present under the tree."

"Well, I figured you'd enjoy it once you figured it out."

Jax glared at her, "Oh... now that Lyra's been so kind to tell me the specifics, I intend to enjoy it. Very, very much. Captain River, you will submit yourself for disciplinary action tomorrow night in my quarters."

River straightened, the blush remaining on her face, "Yes, my lord. As you wish."

"And you will bring Scarlett with you, along with the cart."

"Yes, my lord. Of course."

Jax turned to Lyra, "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you. I have a special mission for you."

"Of course, your excellency," Lyra smiled.

"Tali's going to make another attempt tonight, yes?"

"Considering she scouted out this place again yesterday, I would guess so."

Jax nodded, "Good. Bring her to me. The orbs I gave you should help with that. Get her to breath the contents in and... well, capturing her should be easier than it would be otherwise. Though... I suspect that she's not going to be entirely on top of her game as she normally is."

Lyra licked her lips, "This wouldn't have anything to do with the brand you gave her, would it?"

"What do you think?"

"Of course. It will be done, your excellency."

"Good. Well, I won't keep you any longer. But..." he placed a gentle hand under her chin and kissed her again, this time drinking more of her taste in. Where River tasted of vanilla, Lyra was a succulent butterscotch. Her flavor and scent washed over him as, behind his closed eyelids, his irises began to glow as he began to probe her body. Her nervous system appeared to him in his mind's eye, every heartbeat sending waves of energy through her form.