The Wood Knot Warrior Pt. 02

The scream grew louder and shrill with terror as she flew into a murderous, blind rage.

-=-

Marlah grabbed her mother and pulled her to safety, down the hall toward the door. She was stunned that her sister would try regicide.

As she yanked the door closed behind her, she suddenly realized Tawna hadn't followed, but she was still screaming and flinging magic missiles and fire around her.

Dell appeared in the hall behind them with the sword on his hip. "The noise woke me. What's happening? Is that Tawna?"

Marlah wasn't prepared to see him so soon after their interlude, so all she could do was nod.

His expression became grim, and he pushed past her to enter the hall to the sitting room. Marlah quickly followed. They peeked around the corner, and Tawna was still shrieking, half in panic and half in rage.

He looked back at Marlah to whisper. "I can help. I won't hurt her, but you must trust me," he said firmly.

Marlah once more nodded automatically. Before she could change her mind, Dell slipped around the corner and drew his sword. Marlah's eyes widened, but he just used the sword to deflect the missiles and blasts. He surged forward and pulled Tawna into his embrace as he whispered into her ear. She burned his arm, but he didn't let go.

The fireworks stopped, and the panic on Tawna's face was fading. Marlah finally heard what Dell was saying to her.

"You're safe and home, and no one can hurt you anymore."

He continued to speak softly to her until she broke down in tears and clung to him.

"It will be okay. You're safe, and I won't let anyone hurt you," Dell said to her. She stiffened momentarily, then slumped in his arms. Dell looked to Marlah in concern as she joined them.

"She's exhausted. She used a lot of magic," Marlah said gently as she touched her sister's face.

Stella approached and looked at Tawna in Dell's arms, resting against his chest. "How did you know how to do that?"

Dell's expression was sad. "She's gone through a terrible ordeal. Probably saw and heard some very disturbing things. Her mind is releasing the pressure. She needs to talk it out with someone she trusts so she can release the rest. Eryllis went through this too. It takes time and patience."

The Queen summoned some attendants to gently carry Tawna to her room. "I'll have the physician stay with her tonight," she said with a subdued voice, then left after looking at the damage to her sitting room in surprise.

Marlah moved to check on Dell's arm and saw the red, singed skin.

"Yeah, that really hurts," he said.

She nodded and cast a healing spell for burns over his forearm. He immediately sighed with relief.

"Thank you for helping her," Marlah said.

He nodded but looked into her eyes with concern. "Tawna will have more episodes. I meant it when I said someone she trusts needs to speak with her about her experiences. There may be things in her memory buried deep that are leaking out. Go over what you were talking to her about tonight. Something triggered this memory to come out."

Marlah nodded shakily, then walked him back to his room, where she saw him put his sword away, then drop onto the bed in exhaustion.

She gave him a troubled look as she thought about his words.

Marlah realized it was likely the idea of them imprisoning Dell that triggered Tawna.

She needed to speak to her mother.

Chapter 9

Dell learned in the morning at breakfast that the queen was throwing a banquet that night in his honor. There would be many people from the first families and the royal court.

Until then, he'd been assigned a guide who would help him explore the city. Anywhere he wanted to go.

He faced the older male Pixie, who waited for his answer. He'd been given some suggestions like the Royal Guard training grounds, the armory, and the fortifications.

Dell eyed the man. "Anywhere?"

His guide nodded with a smug look on his face.

So Dell spent the day in the royal kitchen, trading information and ideas with the queen's Royal Chef. He became good friends with him and his kitchen staff and even got to help prepare some of the ingredients for the banquet in his honor.

Dell was in heaven, but his guide fell asleep sitting in a chair at the side of the room.

After, he was led back to his room, where he found new clothes. They looked like Pixie versions of his clothes from home. He smiled at the effort they'd made to make him feel at home.

At the banquet, Dell was once more faced with a hall filled with very attractive people. He definitely felt out of place amongst them.

The Queen made a lovely speech, and people applauded for his rescue of the princess.

Dell was sitting next to Marlah and leaned over to whisper. "Where is Tawna? Is she doing okay?"

Marlah smiled. "Yes, she's a little better today. She spent the day with the physician. She's not well enough to attend."

"That's too bad, as some really lovely dishes are being served tonight," he said with a sigh.

She looked at him with a smirk. "Someone gave you a preview of the menu?"

He tossed the grin right back at her. "You could say that."

She frowned at him curiously.

The Master Chef joined them to let their illustrious guests know what would be served tonight. Dell waved to the older male, and he waved back. Then it was his turn to speak.

"Tonight is a tribute to our new friend from Grennesh, where I understand he works as the Master Chef in his father's restaurant in the Wood Knot Inn." His audience laughed at what they assumed was an odd joke, but the chef continued after a shared glance with Dell.

"I had planned to create some of my favorite dishes to give him and you a taste of the best dishes our nation can produce. Dell spent the day with us today, and we matched wits and ideas. Tonight you are being given the best our nation has to offer with ingenious and delicious improvements. I hope you enjoy."

Eyes turned in his direction, and he nodded to the Queen, who was as confused as her court.

The dinner was served, and Dell made no effort to hide how much he enjoyed each and every dish... except for one side he passed on as he'd found the vegetable far too tart for his tastes.

Dell noted that the meal's portions were smaller than he expected. Marlah must have noticed his curiosity as she leaned closer to speak.

"There will be dancing after the meal, so everyone is watching how much they're eating," she explained.

This made sense to him, so he nodded his thanks to her, but she leaned even closer to whisper.

"As this is a tribute evening, there will be some diplomatic activities, such as we had last night," she said.

Dell looked at Marlah's smiling face and struggled to remain calm. "I know you're saying it's a diplomatic process, but it's not something that's done in my culture. Last night was lovely, but the expectation makes me uncomfortable.

Marlah shot him a quick annoyed look, then put the smile back in place for their guests. "We are spending much effort to find a means to get you home as quickly as you arrived, so we'd appreciate it if you could do your best to follow our cultural norms in the interim."

Dell did his best to keep the frown from his face, but his appetite was definitely affected. He barely touched the last two courses as he was nervous about the interludes he was expected to participate in.

Finally, dinner was cleared away, and the chef was called back out for a round of applause. He was very pleased, and Dell shared a smile with him and bowed his head to him in respect.

Dell was happy about his activities earlier in the day as he had some improvements and new recipes he'd be taking home.

Music began, and Dell was surprised to see the other guests shrink to their smallest form before they flew up into the space above the dance floor.

He looked at Marlah, and she smiled at him. "It's how we prefer to dance."

Dell thought that meant he was off the hook when it came to dancing, but the Queen was standing before him and gestured for him to join her.

He walked out onto the dance floor with her. "I'm not very skilled when it comes to dancing but thank you for the honor," he said awkwardly.

She smiled up at him. "How do you dance at home? Maybe we could try that."

"Oh, that's simple enough," he said. He knew Eryllis liked to be held in his arms as they gently swayed around the room, so he moved closer, took her right hand in his left, and placed his right on her lower back to pull her body to his. Then he gently swayed to the music and guided them around the floor.

Queen Stella was equally lovely as her people though her hair was brilliant white, and her eyes were a paler version of Tawna's. Like the other Pixies, she showed very little visible evidence of age. Her skin was smooth and blemish-free, her voice was strong and assured yet light, and her movements were sure and energetic. She was smiling up at him as their bodies touched and pressed together while dancing. Her cheeks soon showed a flush from excitement.

She began to lead him to one side of the floor and stepped back as they neared a door at the side of the room. She turned without releasing his hand, guided him to the doorway, and Dell realized he was being led to the room.

The Queen? Was he supposed to have sex with the Queen?

They stepped through the door, and there was no question about what the room would be used for. Thousands of flowers surrounded a large bed with pristine white sheets beckoning the lovers forward. The sweet scent of the blooms filled the air, and Dell felt a little flushed and light-headed as he began to stiffen down below. Was this due to magic or something in the scent?

The Queen turned to face him, tugging him unresisting toward the bed. She stopped at the base and began undressing him.

Dell thought about protesting for a moment, but Marah's comment about their efforts to get him home returned to his mind. He undid his belt and let it slide to the floor with the sword.

At home, he'd finally taught the sword to remain in his room while he was inside the inn, but here it stayed close. He imagined it might have something to do with his feelings of insecurity.

He pulled his thoughts back to the now as the Queen had his shirt undone and was running her hands over his chest, pushing the shirt off his shoulders. He undid his pants and let them drop.

"Ooo!" Stella purred as she glanced down to see part of Dell rising to greet her.

Her hands immediately moved to grip his cock. "Oh my, this is a generous helping," she said with a coy smile. She reached to the side, dipped her fingers into a bright yellow flower, and scooped out a clear gel which she stroked across his hot skin. She gathered more and continued to spread the slick liquid onto his cock until he was thoroughly lubricated and stiff as steel.

By this point, any questions Dell had in his mind about having sex were washed away in a cascade of lust from the sweet and musky scents, the intense tingling the gel was causing, and the desire in the Queen's eyes.

She touched her shoulders, and her gown dropped to her feet, displaying her lush curves. She stepped back, then slid herself onto the bed as Dell followed.

Dell seized her legs behind her knees and pushed them up to her chest, which lifted her ass off the mattress. Her eyes widened as she watched his face dip downward to her pussy, then gasped loudly and moaned in bliss as he stroked her roughly with his tongue while tremors erupted through her body. He was rough with his need, but she was lost to the sensations.

Once she was very wet, Dell moved up and pressed the head of his cock against her lower lips, and she accepted him inside. The gel assisted, but she hadn't dealt with someone of his girth before, so he took over a dozen strokes to completely bury his cock inside her. Her eyes were rolling back in her head, so he kissed her, and she made a muffled squeal as she clamped down on his cock. It felt too good, so Dell pulled back and slammed forward again.

Stella's eyes flew wide as she grunted and clung to him.

Dell began to give her long and fast strokes, and he felt her pussy squeezing in rippling pulses. It was too much for him, and he buried himself once more before erupting deep inside in surge after surge. He couldn't get over how quickly they'd reached their mutual releases.

"So much!" she gasped in his ear as her arms and legs wrapped tight around him.

When his body said enough, he gently pushed himself up to look at the dazed and gasping face of the Queen as she recovered. He gently drew himself from her, and her eyes rolled back once more as a series of small quakes went through her body.

He managed to ease himself down and off the bed as she panted and closed her eyes.

When he turned, he spotted a basin of warm water and some cloths for washing and drying. Glancing back at the Queen, it seemed she was fading into sleep, so he washed and dried himself, then got dressed. The sword returned to his hip.

Silently slipping out the door, he turned to face a beautiful pixie with flame-red hair and vibrantly green eyes wearing a sexy smile on her lips. Her gossamer dress left little to the imagination but what it showed was spectacular. The music was still playing, and she held her hand out as the Queen had before they danced.

Dell's eyes quickly scanned the hall and spotted multiple doors along the perimeter. As he reached out to accept her hand, he wondered how many diplomatic activities he was expected to do as repayment for their efforts to get him home.

-=-

The guests were gone when he stepped from the flower-filled bedroom and took some deep breaths of fresh air until his mind cleared. He was certain now that the scent contained some kind of stimulant. There would have been no other way for him to have been able to perform so many times in one night. Granted, none of the Pixies was aggressively athletic like Kharza, but seven in one night was... too much. A particular part of him was feeling a little sore from overuse.

He spotted his guide standing not far away and received a bow.

"I will take you back to your room," he said politely.

Dell nodded and followed as his mind was lost in thought.

He looked to his guide as they got closer to the royal chambers. "I'd like to check in on Tawna to ensure she's okay."

He got a nod for that and was soon standing before her door. He knocked. "Tawna? It's Dell. May I come in?"

Her response was faint. "Yes."

He entered and closed the door, leaving his guide outside.

He turned to see her room was very girly and sighed in relief it wasn't filled with flowers.

She was alone, sitting on a sofa by the window. He crossed the room as he removed his sword and sat next to her. "I was told you were speaking with the royal physician. Is that helping?"

She looked at him with sad eyes, so he opened his arms, and she crawled onto his lap and cried.

Dell's heart went out to her as he recalled the nights he spent with Eryllis as she worked her way through her suppressed memories. He rubbed her back, pressed his cheek to the top of her head, and breathed in the sweet scent of her hair.

"You will heal from this and be stronger on the other side," he whispered to her. "You will put all of this behind you, and life will move on."

She pulled back to look into his eyes. "How do you know?"

"I know because Eryllis went through a terrible experience and struggled with her memories of them. She talked it out with people she trusted, and now she is so much better," he said.

A look of rage slipped onto Tawna's face. "I want to kill the one who stole me away!"

Dell nodded. "That's a natural desire. Sometimes you get the opportunity to confront your enemy, and sometimes you don't. Either way, it won't change the fact that you will heal from this. Eryllis was able to punish her attacker. She said she doesn't regret taking her revenge, but it didn't help her recovery. Being around those who loved her was far better treatment. Life and love heal."

Thinking of Eryllis made his need for her stronger. "I need to go home. I miss my family."

Tawna suddenly tensed in his arms, but he held her tight, and she came out of her memories. She burst into fresh tears as she clung to him.

When she settled a little, he kissed her cheek. "Can you talk about what you just saw?"

Tawna's blue eyes were a little haunted, but she nodded shakily. "I-I was in a stone castle in a dark chamber. There was an old Human and a Human wizard. They were preparing me for shipment from Portoa to Grennesh. I heard the old one say those names. Then I-I saw another Pixie. Trapped in a Silver cage."

Dell felt an unfortunately timed pain in his overused appendage as Tawna was pressing on it. He gave her an embarrassed smile and shifted her weight before speaking.

"That's really good! I'm proud of you! That's very helpful information. We're getting a clearer picture of the people involved and what's at stake. Eryllis and I would gladly rescue this other Pixie, but that can't happen until I get home." He sighed, but it turned into a yawn, and he looked at Tawna in apology.

She smiled at him in sympathy.

"The Pixie diplomatic process of greeting new strangers with sex is exhausting. I don't want to insult anyone, but there are limits to my endurance, especially when I'm not yet up to full strength," he said with an embarrassed smile.

Tawna kissed his cheek. "You should go rest. I do feel a little better after our talk. I'll speak with my mother about where they are in getting you home."

"Thank you," Dell said as she moved off his lap, and he stood. He took her hand and kissed its back before he collected his sword and left her room.

It really had been an eventful day. He was looking forward to going to bed. He just wished it was his.

Chapter 10

At breakfast, Tawna returned to her mother's suite to speak with her. When she arrived, she saw Marlah was with her, and both wore very satisfied expressions. Taking a deep breath, she began.

"Last night, I had another flashback. This time it happened when I was with Dell, and he helped me with what I saw. When I was captured, I saw another young female Pixie in captivity. We must free Dell so he and Eryllis can help save her."

Her mother just laughed. "The idea of letting Dell go is absurd. I'm pregnant, as are the other six court females Dell was with the night before. Dell is the perfect breeding stud and will sire many more children for us! We already have another banquet scheduled for tomorrow night."

"What about the Pixie prisoner?" Tawna insisted, and Stella frowned.

"I dislike the idea of someone keeping one of my subjects as a pet, but can you pinpoint where she is?" Stella asked. Tawna shook her head.

Stella frowned. "The risk of being detected while hunting for her outside the Tanglewood is too great. The chance of losing more just to rescue one is unacceptable. However, there is something we can do." The Queen rang a bell, and an attendant arrived. Tawna's hopes rose.

"Carry a message to the Captain of the Guard. I want an outlined plan of the steps he's taking to increase the vigilant protection of our borders that will prevent further incursions like the one which took Princess Tawna." The attendant nodded and rushed from the room at the Queen's gesture to leave.

Tawna's faith in her mother came crashing down. She would do nothing to save the other Pixie, just as she would have done nothing to save her own daughter. She stepped back from the table as her mother and sister smiled at each other, touching their tummies. They didn't even notice her leaving.

As she wandered the halls, Tawna's mind spun. She knew she wasn't the favored child of her mother. That position was clearly held by Marlah, and Tawna now understood that necessity. When she was younger, she'd been jealous of Marlah's monopoly on her mother's time, but that was before she realized her mother was only interested in her children as extensions of her role as queen.