Malus gave gave him a look of disapproval as whispered his answer back, "She did not want to come; I insisted on it. Deserted in that poor, run-down village of hers... she deserved better. Hell, even if she isn't good for much, she is still a life, just like you or me." he was silent for a moment, "And... to be quite frank, I think I'm falling for her..."
The squire's eyes went wide, as did Natalia's and she gasped quietly.
"But Lord Malus!" he protested, still whispering, "You're married! What on earth could have she have done to make you feel any such affection towards her? You've only met just today!"
"But Lord Malus!" he protested, still whispering, "You're married! What on earth could have she have done to make you feel any such affection towards her? You've only met just today!"
The king gave an indignant cough, "Ahem, well she, unlike many people I've met, has her feet tethered to the ground; her sincere nature makes her very... desirable. None of that schmoozing I get from all the other commoners." his gaze seemed to darken a little, as he whispered, "My own wife was a commoner, you know? Took her from the same situation and gave her everything, but she's spoiled. She's forgotten the responsibility of being queen and is only in it for the reward; our relationship is beginning to sour..." he grew silent for a moment, then elbowed him in a joking manner, "Heh. Besides, even if you don't, I consider Natalia to be quite the prize... Well, you know, if I had a chance. Haha!"
For some reason he pictured the beautiful queen roasting on a spit at the king's explanation and he quickly shook the obscene, strange thought from his mind and looked back at Natalia.
"Well... She is attractive... Could use some cleaning up and some food... Er, a lot of food. But still, the queen is your wife! You cannot just leave her for someone who obviously has been treated worse than stray dogs! It seems like even they pee on her."
Natalia was still listening and now she didn't know whether to laugh, keep crying, smile or feel ashamed. It was an odd mix of emotions.
"Well... She is attractive... Could use some cleaning up and some food... Er, a lot of food. But still, the queen is your wife! You cannot just leave her for someone who obviously has been treated worse than stray dogs! It seems like even they pee on her."
Natalia was still listening and now she didn't know whether to laugh, keep crying, smile or feel ashamed. It was an odd mix of emotions.
"Bah. I am king, I can leave my wife to do whatever I please. Just as she can do the same... and has. Besides, a bastard wife is a common occurrence among the upper class; I have seen it done a million times over." the king looked back and noticed Natalia was still holding the crown. He began to imagine if she was the one to wear it, instead of that spoiled Illimura back at Sarracosta. After a moment of gazing, he quickly turned back, in case she thought he was staring.
(Just in case you don't know, a 'bastard' wife is simply an olden term for a secondary relationship, parallel to the primary marriage.)
(Just in case you don't know, a 'bastard' wife is simply an olden term for a secondary relationship, parallel to the primary marriage.)
(okay 
)
"But you would have a second relationship with a homeless person?" Carter asked, sounding confused, "She can't truly be worth your affections. There are plenty of other, more well respected women you could go for rather than a homeless girl who seems to be younger than I am, and I'm only 17."
)"But you would have a second relationship with a homeless person?" Carter asked, sounding confused, "She can't truly be worth your affections. There are plenty of other, more well respected women you could go for rather than a homeless girl who seems to be younger than I am, and I'm only 17."
Malus thought for a moment, then contemplated a way the young squire would understand his means, "Let me ask you something, Carter: do you live in a town nearby?"
"I see. And do you have a certain 'someone' at home who is eagerly awaiting your return?"
"Hmm..." Malus had to think for a moment, considering he had thought the boy would have already had a lover to speak of, "Well, either family or friend, would it matter to you if they were poor or rich; whether they were worth your affection? You love them for who they are, do you not?"
"That's different though. I've never even met someone as homeless as she seems to be and honestly I wouldn't want to waste effort on someone who I wouldn't bother getting to know anyways. How much do you really know her?" he asked, "I bet I know just as much about her as you do and I met her not half an hour ago.
Malus turned to Carter and gave him a cold, hard glare. "You forget who you are talking to." he stated dryly, before picking up his pace. "This discussion is over, Carter. Come. Let us make haste, before the invaders move and there isn't any family to come home to."
Malus sulked indignantly, taking the lead now that he could recall what village the squire had spoken of.
Sure, maybe Carter was right. The king could admit to himself that he barely knew Natalia past a name and a face, but in all the rights the squire did have; he had absolutely none for speaking to him like that. In the short amount of time Malus had been with her, Natalia had seemed so kind, so sincere, and just so... real. She wasn't one of the high-end wenches who drooled at the very chance to see him; she wasn't a gaunt stick in the mud, in his eyes. Something just... clicked. She was simply her, and he was perfectly fine with that.
Of course, he would never admit that to Carter. No, the king was now swimming in his own pool of pride. He won't open up that easy any more.
Malus sulked indignantly, taking the lead now that he could recall what village the squire had spoken of.
Sure, maybe Carter was right. The king could admit to himself that he barely knew Natalia past a name and a face, but in all the rights the squire did have; he had absolutely none for speaking to him like that. In the short amount of time Malus had been with her, Natalia had seemed so kind, so sincere, and just so... real. She wasn't one of the high-end wenches who drooled at the very chance to see him; she wasn't a gaunt stick in the mud, in his eyes. Something just... clicked. She was simply her, and he was perfectly fine with that.
Of course, he would never admit that to Carter. No, the king was now swimming in his own pool of pride. He won't open up that easy any more.
"That's what I thought," Carter huffed then gave a sincere apology, "I should not have spoken to you like that. I'm sorry."
Natalia had heard the entire conversation and tears were rolling down her cheeks now. She'd been called worse things many times, but for some reason from Carter the words hurt as much as breaking a bone.
Her bottom lip trembled and she cried silently, her tears dropping onto the crown in her hands.
Finally she stopped again, "H-he's right..." she said just loud enough for both cheetah and wolf to hear her, "I-I'm useless..." the crown dropped out of her hands and she turned then started walking away, her big, furry shark tail dragging in the dirt and her entire expression just drooping.
Natalia had heard the entire conversation and tears were rolling down her cheeks now. She'd been called worse things many times, but for some reason from Carter the words hurt as much as breaking a bone.
Her bottom lip trembled and she cried silently, her tears dropping onto the crown in her hands.
Finally she stopped again, "H-he's right..." she said just loud enough for both cheetah and wolf to hear her, "I-I'm useless..." the crown dropped out of her hands and she turned then started walking away, her big, furry shark tail dragging in the dirt and her entire expression just drooping.
Malus turned at the sound of her sorrow, then silently dragged his feet over to the discarded crown. Picking it up, he looked at it for but a minute, before turning back to continue on his way towards the village, looking almost as pitiful as the poor girl did.
He handed Carter the crown, not even sparing him a glance as he did so. "Keep it." He muttered, "I don't deserve that crown."
Malus continued to march towards their destination. He was done; tired of all the strain from both his instrests in the girl and the responsibily for his people. Hell, if Carter thought she was slowing them down, who was he to deny him? Let them acomplish their own thing. All that mattered to the king now was vanquishing the menace upon them.
He handed Carter the crown, not even sparing him a glance as he did so. "Keep it." He muttered, "I don't deserve that crown."
Malus continued to march towards their destination. He was done; tired of all the strain from both his instrests in the girl and the responsibily for his people. Hell, if Carter thought she was slowing them down, who was he to deny him? Let them acomplish their own thing. All that mattered to the king now was vanquishing the menace upon them.
Carter looked up at him then clipped the crown to his belt and now he felt guilty about sending Natalia off. She was still a person after all, and of she went out there and got killed, it would be on his shoulders...
"I'll be right back," Carter said and ran back to Natalia, who hadn't made it that far anyways. He made her stop and then spoke with her for a moment then returned to Malus' side with Natalia's hand in his.
"Let's go," he said with a wan smile to the king.
"I'll be right back," Carter said and ran back to Natalia, who hadn't made it that far anyways. He made her stop and then spoke with her for a moment then returned to Malus' side with Natalia's hand in his.
"Let's go," he said with a wan smile to the king.
"Lets." the king responded.
As Carter had said, the trip would last a day before they would make it upon the village. As the sun began to set, a cold chill ran through the air and wind stirred the treetops and ruffled their fur. Malus shivered, but relished in the cool mountain air.
His feet were sore from the long trek up and down the winding slopes and his eyes felt heavy. Nevertheless, they had to reach the village.
"Should we settle down for the night?" He asked the others thoughtfully.
As Carter had said, the trip would last a day before they would make it upon the village. As the sun began to set, a cold chill ran through the air and wind stirred the treetops and ruffled their fur. Malus shivered, but relished in the cool mountain air.
His feet were sore from the long trek up and down the winding slopes and his eyes felt heavy. Nevertheless, they had to reach the village.
"Should we settle down for the night?" He asked the others thoughtfully.
Carter yawned and Natalia was barely awake, almost like she wa sleep walking.
"I-I don't think that's a good idea..." the cheetah whispered and looked at the hybrid next to him, "She's about to pass ou-" as he spoke, Natalia fell over and shivered violently, her strange medical condition immediately taking effect. Her body temperature dropped to a point where the cold of her skin could be felt through her fur and Carter grew worried.
"King Malus... Something's wrong... She's so cold..."
"I-I don't think that's a good idea..." the cheetah whispered and looked at the hybrid next to him, "She's about to pass ou-" as he spoke, Natalia fell over and shivered violently, her strange medical condition immediately taking effect. Her body temperature dropped to a point where the cold of her skin could be felt through her fur and Carter grew worried.
"King Malus... Something's wrong... She's so cold..."
Malus also became worried at Natalia's sudden condition, crouching beside her to make sure she was at least breathing. "She's freezing..." he stated hastily as he checked her pulse. "W-we need to warm her up. Now."
Malus looked around, hoping to find anything that could warm her, but nothing around them could be even remotely useful, until a thought dawned on him. He quickly placed her in a sitting position and embraced her, fluffing up his fur as much as he could and running his arms back and forth so that he could warm her. "...Well? What are you waiting for?" He told Carter, his puffed-out fur almost making him impossible to take seriously, "Help me."
Malus looked around, hoping to find anything that could warm her, but nothing around them could be even remotely useful, until a thought dawned on him. He quickly placed her in a sitting position and embraced her, fluffing up his fur as much as he could and running his arms back and forth so that he could warm her. "...Well? What are you waiting for?" He told Carter, his puffed-out fur almost making him impossible to take seriously, "Help me."
The Cheetah took off his warm, blood stained coat and put it over her then sat next to the king and did his best to warm her with his remaining arm.
"It's not even cold outside... Why is this happening to her?" he asked worriedly.
"It's not even cold outside... Why is this happening to her?" he asked worriedly.
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