Warm Hearted
Learning To Speak To The Wind
Part 1
By
Warm Hearted
Edited By
Commentator
Even though my friends and coworkers tried to talk me out of it, I was attempting to mark off a major item on my bucket list. I was on a four-day hike of the Appalachian Mountain Trail. The weather was perfect. Being early fall in North Carolina it was a little brisk but the nights were still comfortable on the lower elevations of the hike I was taking.
I was an experienced hiker and had I all that I needed in my aluminum-framed backpack even a can of bear mace. No phone because there was little or no service where I was going. But the trail I was taking was well traveled, clearly marked, and patrolled by the Park Service. Despite my age of 60, I felt safe and I was not a Rambo so no wild boar hunting with my survival knife.
On my first day, I found a really nice campsite and quickly set up my one-man pop-up tent and had a wonderfully unhealthy meal of Beanie Weenies. Then I sat against a tree and did my normal meditation.
Some found it strange that an empirical science guy like me would believe in Meta-Physics. But I saw the logical science of it and recently Duke University completed a study on meditation and came up with empirical facts as to its benefits.
I started meditating when I was in college. I had shared my trouble sleeping at night with Professor Patel. I was an assistant to the Mathematics Professor and Hindu. He taught me how to meditate to calm my mind so I could sleep and it worked.
Prof Patel was a genius and he truly believed in the energy of the different Chakras. I never truly tried to open my "Third Eye" as Prof Patel suggested. But I did see the logic about energy points called Chakras. The human body produces all types of energy such as electrical, thermal, kinetic, and so forth.
After I meditated I would read some of my old dogged eared copy of "A Warlock In Spite of Himself" by Christopher Stasheff. I had brought only two books on my hike the new George R.R. Martin book "The Winds Of Winter" which I had not read and the well-worn Warlock.
I opened the cover and read the note from my old college friend Frank,
"To Major General Mike,
Remember this book is fiction unless you figure out how to do it for real. Be good, if you can't, be good at it!
Frank"
I always enjoyed Sci-Fi and Fantasy along with Mythology, Pre-Elizabethan Lit., and old musicals, I also loved the Empirical Sciences. This combination of likes coupled with my disinterest in any kind of sports made me "that odd guy".
Then mix in being blessed with a very high IQ and a photographic memory so I was able to skip five grades in school. When I started college I lost every chance to be normal, being a college freshman at thirteen. I excelled in college and it was easy for me to carry a double class load.
By the time Frank became my dorm roommate I was 19 and I already was a Ph.D. in Physics and completing my Masters in Mechanical Engineering. He was twenty-one and working on his MBA. By the time he got his MBA I was 21 I had an additional Master in Micro Biology with a Bachelors in Chemistry. Being very tired of school by then I left when Frank did.
But I was never in the military. The reason for Frank's nickname for me was because of my love for Gilbert and Sullivan plays. Frank and I saw one together while we were in college "The Pirates Of Penzance.” I was surprised when he wanted to go with me to see it until I found out he was trying to date the female lead in the play.
Frank seemed to enjoy the play more than I thought he would. He really perked up when the student in a fake gray beard and a pith helmet sang "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General." Frank then leaned over and said "That is you Mike, the Major General"
Evidently, Frank going to see her in the play worked because they started dating heavily.
They were soon married and happy together with their 2 kids until 9/11. Frank died in the Towers and I miss the old money-grubbing bastard.
I did well after school myself. I eventually started my own prosthetics company but had two bad childless marriages. My first wife was a surgeon and we never had time for each other so she ended up leaving me for another doctor. My second marriage was more a business arrangement than a marriage with a forty page prenuptial contract. My new wife was cultured and sexy but liked our gardeners too much.
So here I am in the woods with a book from a dead friend and most of my life behind me but really enjoying the time I have left. In the setting sunlight I saw dark clouds coming up the valley I was in. The clouds looked strange. They had a red tint, but I thought it must be the light refraction from the sunset. Then it started hailing golf ball sized hail.
I knew my pop-up tent would be ripped to shreds and offer no protection so I looked for cover when I spotted a rocky overhang and got under it. I noticed that the inner part of the overhang had a high iron content. I did not have time to look at it closer because a strange bolt of purple lightning hit the top of the overhang and everything went black.
I thought I must have been killed and I was on my way to whatever afterlife was real. I floated in the dark for a very short time then I popped into the light again. What I saw looked normal. I was in the still in the woods but I then noticed it was midday not twilight.
Looking around I didn't see my campsite or any of my things and noticed that the landscape was flat and not mountainous. I just stood there thinking in a logical format like an equation,
"OK this is strange but I am unhurt and I know it is real, not a dream. Something was different about that storm and maybe that overhang. So what made me come out of that darkness in a different location. I know from recent discoveries "Star Trek" type teleportation could be theoretically possible but turning as much mass as my body into energy would destroy the Earth so teleportation is not the likely cause.
Then what could be the cause? Space and time can be folded by massive gravity wells, like black holes. But I wouldn't have survived the experience, it would have crushed me to microscopic size. I could survive crossing to an alternative parallel universe. Little is known about alternate realities except they are mathematically possible.
So the best supposition at this point is that is what has taken place and I need to act accordingly and be cautious of any differences. The first thing I did was jump to see if there was a change in gravity. I was shocked as I jumped the three feet off the ground. I was certain I was not on my Earth anymore. Curious as always I took out my survival knife that had a ruler on the blade and measured a three-foot long piece of line. I tied the line to a branch at that height and dropped a coin and timed it. After a little figuring, I got a rough estimate that gravity here was 4/5 of Earth's.
Not enough make me Superman but it would make an old fart like me more comfortable. I knew I needed to see if this world was inhabited and if the inhabitants were dangerous. I also knew I needed to find a stream or a river both as a likely guide to civilization and for drinking purposes. As I struck out I noticed that the plant life was Earth normal as far as I could tell and the air seemed fine with plenty of oxygen.
Most times you can find animal life if you follow a stream or river and I found a stream moving fairly quickly and started following it downstream. I noticed the temperature was comfortable like the high 70's. I watched the sun and it seems to be traveling a direct East to West path or it could be North to South or the other options. Depending on the planet's rotation.
I was not overwhelmed by what had happened to me because that was one of the quirks in my personality. It was almost like reverse Autism, the unexplained made me comfortable and very curious. Like the fabled cat that curiosity killed my curiosity has always overcome my common sense. So I trudged on, very excited about what I might find, mainly if there were the sentient beings and how they might look.
The first animals I saw were birds that looked just like the various species of Earth birds but of the Sand Hill varieties. So maybe I was near an ocean. The lay of the land was very flat and there was high humidity. Then I thought, " I hope this river doesn't empty into a swamp."
When darkness fell, any doubts I wasn't still on Earth were dispelled. I saw three small moons in the sky roughly the same small size. Earth's large moon is unusual. So three small ones were more normal cosmically. Then the thought hit me to look at the compass in my knife.
I opened it and moved it and the needle continued to point in the same direction so this world had a magnetic pole like Earth. I looked up and I saw a different night sky. I saw Orion but not the Big Dipper but there seemed to be a mismatch of old and new constellations.
Then I saw something that even shocked me, there was a dim glow coming off of everything. Plants had different shades of gold, insects were greens, fish in the light blue river were shades of purple. Then I heard a rustle of branches and I saw deer drinking and glowing shades of burgundy. Outside the glow, they were normal deer.
I thought, "The bioelectric energy in life forms must be visible here. That would be very helpful to animals in spotting food sources, threats, and predators"
So I lay on the ground and went to sleep and had a strange dream of Knights and Ladies. I rose early the next morning feeling like I slept on a down bed. The lower gravity makes sleeping on the ground much better. All I had in my coat was five energy bars not having my backpack and I had one for breakfast.
I emptied my pockets and did an inventory of what I had. I had my well-made survival knife with a compartment in the handle that held a flint and steel fire starter, water purification tablets, and fishing line and hooks. I had a canteen on the same canvas belt as my knife sheath.
In my field jacket pockets I had a Mylar poncho and my four remaining energy bars. Checking my pants I had my some change, and my small "pocket size" Swiss Army Knife that I always carried. I found it useful. It was a gift and a good one, with tweezers, scissors, a sharp small blade, leather punch, file, and even a toothpick. It was very flat and small and the engineering of it made me jealous of the designer.
Then I loaded back up, continuing my trek downriver stopping long enough to fill my canteen and dropped in a purifying tablet. But then in the pre-dawn light, I saw smoke rising as if from a chimney.
" I need to check that out very stealthily because I have no idea of the types of beings that are here, they may think humans are a good snack."
So I made it close to the area where the smoke was coming from. I was thankful all that frat boy bullying encouraged me to become good at Ninjutsu to protect myself. I kept it up, mainly the Katas, just like the meditations over the years. With my knife drawn I slowly made my way to where the smoke was coming from.
Lying on the ground under a bush I saw a rough-hewn board hut with a stone chimney and a thatched roof. Just as their Sun was rising, I saw a short middle aged woman exit the hut with a bucket in her hand. She went about a 100 yards to a pen and emptied the bucket. Then I saw what looked like pigs hurrying up to eat what she dumped.
I thought, "She looks normal, the pigs looked normal but I have no idea if there are others in her house. Considering what she was wearing and the construction of her house it is very comparative to early Twelfth Century Europe.
I always loved that period even though the reality of it was violent, harsh, plague-ridden, filthy, and under the thumb of religion and nobility. The fantasy version of knights, chivalry, and questing for the good was what I loved greatly. I guess I am a "Don Quixote" wanting to tilt at windmills."
Then I saw the woman use a slit trench to pee. Then she picked up a different bucket and carried it to the river filling it with water. Standing up I sheathed my knife. I was about a hundred feet from her so I yelled,
"HELLO!"
I did not know what else to say, I was sure I did not speak the language so that was the only thing I could think off to announce my presence. I stood at that distance hoping she would not take me as a threat and run.
The woman drew back fearfully looking at me and said,
"HWA B'EON O'U STRIA EALDA MANN!"
Which to my surprise I could understand. She was speaking Middle English which I understood very well thanks to playing Dungeons and Dragons with my literary club. We only allowed Middle English to be spoken during the game. So what she asked was "Who are you old man!" and I answered back,
"MIN A'C SY MIKE IC MEANAN OU NA'HT DARU!" Which means, "I'm Mike and I mean you no harm.
**To make this story more understandable I will use my version of Modern English, as flawed as it is, but the characters will be speaking in Middle English from this point on.**
Then the woman said, "I do not know you so what is your reason for being here?"
I answered, " I have traveled a great distance exploring and I wish to talk to you about your people."
The woman hesitated and asked " What is this "exploring' that made you travel a great distance is it like a madness? I do not want a madman here so go home."
I thought about my pronunciation of exploring and it was right so I tried to explain, "Exploring is traveling to learn about new lands and people."
She huffed and then looked intently at me then her eyes went wide open and stutteringly asked. "Stranger named Mike do you have sleep sight?"
I questioned, "What do you mean sleep sight?"
She thought hard not to show her fear and frustration at the same time then asked, "When you sleep do you see not real things and people."
Then I understood what she was asking, "If you mean dream, then yes I dream."
Then very shaken she asked, " Did you travel from the Wizard world called Earth?"
I thought, "So she knows of Earth so others have come here from Earth and they may know the way back."
So I answered,
"Yes I am from Earth and I have been in this world less than a day"
She looked awestruck and said "I must take you at once to King Edmond. Please my Lord wait till I get my walking stick."
I was surprised as being addressed as "my Lord" by this woman but I waited a second and she came out with her stick. She then bowed and said,
"Please my Lord, follow me."
I followed her and I started asking her questions. She answered all my questions respectfully and without hesitation. I found out a lot in a short time as we started our trek to Kingstown the home of King Edmond.
King Edmond was from Earth too but many centuries ago and it seems he could work great magic. Kate the name of the woman taking me to the King told me some of the King's history. I listened amazed to Kate recite the history of King Edmond.
He came to The World (They have no name for the planet that they live on just "The World") after being struck by lightning during the time of King Ah Min Tet. During that time the World had no iron just brass and all the people were forced to build King Ah Min Tet's big city.
After much struggle, King Edmond learned enough magic to teach the people to make iron and other things like crossbows. King Edmond ended The evil King Ah Min Tet's rule and later killed him. The good King Edmond set up a fuedal style of government and placed his offspring over different areas to govern for him.
She told me something that caused me to have many more questions, she told me that only people related to Earth Wizards had new magic.
I asked, " Kate is there Old Magic"
She answered, "Yes but not much of it, there are the Wedding Rings, The Wall, and the Birth Stones. Old Magic is the most powerful and even the King can't break it."
Let me back up some and explained what I thought and I had deduced from what Kate told me. I figured that these Kings came from Earth as I did. I thought their magic was just Earth technology that was more advanced than that of The World.
So I figured Ah Min Tet came from around 2000BCE considering he knew how to make brass and knowledge of building. King Edmond as the language and lifestyle showed must have come from around the 12th Century. But I did not understand if he came here so long ago why there weren't more advancements in technology or any language corruption.
But learning of an "Old Magic" made me think that I may be wrong in my assumptions.
So I asked Kate,
"What kind of magic can King Edmond do?"
Kate in a much lower reverent voice said, " I have never witnessed his magic like I have a few other nobles, but it is said he is much more powerful since the nobles are only part Earthborn. But I have heard he can kill with a word at a much greater distance than any of the part Earth-borne. They all can start fires, break iron, knock down walls, and the like. But King Edmond can do it more easily and much more of it.
But only he can change people into animals or other people. Every five years he picks a new man to become. He selects a man and changes into that man then he kills the man he becomes. So no one will confuse that man with him. There is also the history that is told of Prince Horace."
I asked, "Could you tell me the history of Prince Horace?"
Then Kate recited,
"This is the history of Prince Horace, Prince Horace was the son of Ah Min Tet and very powerful in magic and too proud. His pride was so great he challenged the King and the King turned him into a servant girl only of 17 Summers so she had not bled yet.
Then the King married the former Prince to his faithful son John when she bled at her 18th Summer. Having to obey John as his wife she was no longer a danger to the King and bore her three children to Prince John with great magic since both parents were half Earth born and strong in magic."
Having heard about magic and trying to understand it I asked,
"So when the King changed this man into a maiden she retained her magic?"
Kate said, "Yes changing did not lessen the magic she had but it changed her rank from Prince to Princess."
I was confused so I asked, " I thought you said King Edmond changed him to a serving girl, so why was she a Princess?"
Kate answered, "She kept her rank and magic with the change just as King Edmond does when he becomes new men."
Then I asked, " You said when she was married she had to obey her husband, why did she and not just keep on trying to defeat the King?"
She looked puzzled and answered, "It was the Old Magic Once the man gives a wedding ring to a woman she must obey him, and will greatly desire his cock in her, she is happy when she swells and loves to care for his children. Now the man must really want the woman to give her the ring or he can't give it.
But once he does he must provide the best he can for the woman. He won't desire any other woman and want only her until he dies, and he can only be happy if the woman is happy. This is all done by the Old Magic so it never can be broken, even by death. That is why my ring is black my husband died and I still don't want any other man and no other man will want me."
I then asked, " You said the maidens don't bleed till their 18th Summer, so maidens can't have children until then?"
She laughed and said, "Sorry my Lord, I know you come from Earth so it must be very different there. But here in The World, maidens are not opened till they bleed. Until then there is just a piss hole. They have no hole for a man's cock to enter. Girl babies are born with a hole but it closes when they are placed on a Birthing Stone by their father, which like I said is the Old Magic"
Curious I asked, " Are boy babes placed on a Birthing Stone too?"
She said "Yes. When they are placed on the stone they become dutiful sons. They will reverence their fathers and care for them when their fathers grow old."
So I recapped some of what I heard,
"So girls can not have sex till they bleed and once married they are slaves of their husbands?"
She responded, " Yes, no girl can have sex till she bleeds, but wives are not slaves. They have to obey their husbands, but wives can talk to their husband about what they're asked to do. As I said the husband can not be happy unless the wife is happy. So if what he asks is grievous to the wife, the husband will not demand it, unless it is very important."
I thought, "This "Old Magic" seems to have been designed to form a very good social system. Where the family is a secure social system it ensures good child care and care for the elderly. It has some weaknesses and unfairness, but all in all it is a very stable social system."
As we walked I learned a more things about The World, I saw the woods give way to farmland. What I saw was like watching a well-made movie set in the Middle Ages. The farmers were plowing with wooden plows of the period. Iron plows would have been too costly for the poor serf farmers to have.
The animal life seemed the same as Earth. The farmers had oxen to pull their plows and I saw pigs, cows, chickens, geese, ducks, dogs, and cats. The people were dressed in homespun clothes in traditional 12th Century English style. I seemed much taller than most of the men but I saw one man my height or a little taller.
I knew poor nutrition played a large part in how tall people grow but it is not the only factor. But how I was dressed did cause some to stares at us as we traveled. The road we traveled on was dirt and very muddy in spots.
Then I saw three men mounted on horses headed toward us and I saw the serfs stopping what they were doing and bowed in their direction. So from that action, I assumed they must be of the ruling class. As they got closer I saw the were dressed much better than the serfs and they had swords on their side.
Their outer tunic had a coat of arms on it I assumed it was the Earl's so they were nobles of his house. When the reached us on the road, Kate bowed very low but I did not. I was not wanting to insult the nobles but I was not a serf. It may have been my pride but I have an aversion to debasing myself to anyone.
I knew I was probably inviting them to hurt me but I was willing to chance it to show them that I did not think they were better than me. They looked at me shocked and one of them moved his horse closer to me and I readied myself to dodge a kick or some other attack. Then the oldest of the riders said,
"Hold Gwynne! Stranger, I see by your strange clothes so you're not a serf. So where do you come from and why do you not pay homage?"
Using a tone and body language I saved for smart-ass bureaucrats I answered,
"I am Major General Mike of Earth and I do not owe homage to you."
Then he pulled his sword and I backed up and pulled my survival knife. I saw that the blade was heavy and straight and not made to strike down from horseback like a curved blade. So if his friends did not join in I could maybe catch him off balance and unhorse him. Then with him laying on the ground, I would have the advantage.
But he said, " Hold your hand I do not wish to join battle with you yet. I just wish for you to read the markings on my blade to prove you speak the truth."
I looked at his blade and read, "The Blade of Earl Longmire, Sworn to King Edmond."
Then I figured, this was the Earl and this sword was the mark of his title. Reading must be kept from the serfs and it is only allowed for the noble's. So reading it showed at least I was a noble. The Earl returned his sword to the sheath.
The Earl then said, "As you can read and no noble would lie about being born on Earth because that would lead to their certain death I know you're as you claim to be. Hail Major General Mike Full Earth Born."
Then the Earl dismounted and as did his companions and knelt on one knee, bowing their heads. I realized they were waiting for me to say something. So I said, "Rise Earl of Longmire and nobles"
They did as I said and the Earl looked at the youngest noble and said, "Hershel give Lord Mike your mount and walk to Kingstown."
Hershel handed me his reins and bowed. I enjoyed riding and have actually ridden in amateur rodeos when I was younger. So I had no trouble mounting the horse in this lesser gravity. I thanked Hershel for his mount and bid farewell to Kate and asked the Earl,
"Could I impose on you to give Kate a reward for her effort in bringing me here?"
The Earl seemed a little surprised at my request but told Hershel to give Kate a coin.
Hershel looking his in money pouch complained, " The smallest I have is a Half Crown."
The Earl gave Hershel a piercing look and said, "Well give it to her. We of Longmire are not beggar knights so what is a Half Crown."
Wide-eyed, Kate looked at the coin, looked at me and kneeling to me said,
"My Lord Mike I thank you."
I later found out that what she received was more than what a serf would make in a year and that the King had commanded if any serf happened on someone born on Earth, that they were to bring them to their Noble at once. It was not normal practice to reward serfs for doing what they were told. So Kate brought me to the Earl under penalty of death if she did not.
Leaving Hershel to walk or find another horse. We made our way to Kingstown at a fast pace. I soon found out that the Earl was 1/6 Earthborn from the line of King Edmond. The Earl then told me told me he was going to Kingstown for the Great Joust. The Great Joust only happened every five years and was a huge celebration.Finding me would make it even greater.
I said, "The Great Joust must keep up your skills for the real wars"
"I'm old but not that old Lord Major General Mike. The last war was over 200 years ago. But there are recent rumors that some of the outer provinces are unhappy with King Edmond. But the King is taking steps, which I am a part of, to bring them to heel. Unlike Longmire and most of the inner provinces, The Lords of the outer provinces do not come from the line of Edmond but from Ah Min Tet the Slaver King."
I asked, "Why did you call him the Slaver King?"
The Earl answered, "Ah Min Tet obsessed with building a great city and made most the people slaves to build it. He left a few to work the land to feed and clothe his slaves but the people were always starving and near naked.
Ah, Min Tet was crazy because the great city he was building was not for him or anyone else to live in. His obsession to build this city was for a place for his tomb. So you see how crazy he was but he did teach the people many things.
Ah Min Tet taught them how to build, farm, weave, ride horses, make carts, forge brass, and many other things. Ah Min Tet kept the people building the city for his death even after he learned how to take younger bodies as only full the Earth Born can do.
So when King Edmond came to The World riding the lightning he was captured and forced to be a slave. But in a few years, he began to see the magic and he escaped. He lived in the wilderness learning to speak to rocks, plants, animals and finally to iron.
King Edmond was The Master Journeyman Of Iron on Earth. So once he could speak to iron it gave him what he needed to defeat AH Min Tet. The people was tired of being slaves and building a city for a madman. So when King Edmond gave them iron which would cut brass they overthrew AH Min Tet.
Even a large number of his line pledged fidelity to King Edmond and after 12 years of war, King Edmond's magic was powerful enough to defeat Ah Min Tet. Then King Edmond set up the Nobility based on how much magic they will have. So the more Earth Blood the noble has the more magic they can learn and higher their rank and the more land they have.
The King freed the slaves and made them serfs. Then the King taught people more things than I can name. The ser's lives are much better than as slaves because the nobles only take one-half of what they grow or make on our land. All the craftsmen serfs are of the inner provinces because we're closer to Kingstown and King Edmond because from time to time he will teach them something new.
We of the inner provinces are wealthier because we have many more serfs than those of the outer. Serfs are the source of our wealth so they're bound to our lands under penalty of death. But they are fed and clothed well if they are not too lazy, but those usually are executed for non-payment of their tax. "
I then thought, " So Edmond came here the same way I did and he was a journeyman blacksmith. Coming from the early 12th Century he set up a Feudal system similar to what he was used to.
But is he afraid that I will try to overthrow him like he did Ah Min Tet? If so why not just place the command to kill any Earth Born new arrivals on sight. No, I think he has some other plan for me. But what? I need to be careful not to share how much Earth has advanced since the 12th Century or Edmond will know what a great threat I could be. Calling him King Edmond reminds me of the youngest brother in C.S. Lewis' The Lion, Witch, And the Wardrobe. In a way, there are a lot of similarities to that story like Earth Born were nobles called "Son of Adam or Daughters of Eve, but this isn't Narnia"
The fact it wasn't Narnia became very clear as we went on our swift journey to Kingstown. I saw the serfs all looked malnourished and everyone worked the fields. From very old men to very young children and I even saw a woman emerging from a hut carrying a baby not more than a few hours old going into the fields to help thresh wheat.
I asked the Earl, "why do the serfs look so underfed with so large a harvest?"
He just looked at me strangely and answered, "My Lord Major General, you know how much it takes for our noble feasts and how much fine linen for us to be respectable in our daily new garments. I am sure on Earth you must have had many serfs for you to gamble and hunt as the honor of your rank warrants."
Then I started understanding and thought, "the culture here isn't a duplicate of early 12th Century but a parody of it. It was created frpm the perspective of a low-born blacksmith. I guess to him the that is what the nobility did and being part of the lower class he magnified his pain and suffering over time. So he felt the serfs have it as bad as he did when he was one."
In sight of Kingstown I started smelling a very foul stench and I discovered what it was when we came to a crossroad. There were several bodies hanging at the crossroads on scaffolds. There were eighty total scaffolds with twenty going in each direction. Most were empty, but nine had corpses on them in varying stages of decomposition being fed on by buzzards and ravens. On the end of the top arm of the ones with bodies were wooden signs with a crime listed.
I saw listed crimes such as Unpaid Taxes, Poaching the King's Game, and Cutting The King's Trees, but one of the scaffolds had a cage on it with a small, long dead, nearly skeletal remains of a body. The cage's sign announced "Traitor".
I asked the Earl if he knew about that the corpse in the cage and he said, "Yes the whole kingdom knows of that one. He was a four-year-old son of a low ranking noble that struck the son of a higher born noble over a toy. The boy's father pleaded with the King because of his age, but the law is the law and being hung in a cage until you die is the punishment for treason."
It took all my willpower not to scream at the heartless acerbity of such punishment for a four-year-old, but I fought it back. There were still plenty of scaffolds empty and I had no desire to spend my last days on one in a cage. I rode on with them in silence for awhile then we made it to Kingstown.
Kingstown reminded me of descriptions I read of London of that period. The filth and smell were as bad as I imagined, being nobles we did not have to dodge chamber pots being dumped from second-floor windows. Rat terriers were everywhere darting in and out living up to their name.
We rode directly into the courtyard of the King's castle. The guards knew the Earl and saluted him as we passed. Handing his reins to a servant the Earl dismounted and commanded of a man dressed in an ornate coverlet, "tell me where the King is. I have an important guest. He will want to see him no matter what he is presciently engaged in."
The man said, " the King is in his private living quarters preparing for the tournament."
The Earl said, "Good, come Lord Major General Mike and meet the King."
The Earl almost carried me to the King's private quarters. I had no time to examine the sheer opulence of the great hall with its fine woods, hanging tapestries, and breathtaking stonework. We got to two gold-gilded doors flanked by two guards that saluted and one opened the door for us.
I saw a young handsome man dressed in gold brocade with a white Ermine trimmed purple cape wearing a small gold crown. The Earl immediately bowed low and I did the same putting aside my principles while thinking of that cage I saw. Then King Edmond said, " arise and you may speak."
We stood up and beaming The Earl of Longmire said with much pomp and pride, "your Majesty, may I present Major General Mike just arrived one day hence from Earth."
The King's mouth first dropped open but soon closed in a huge smile. Then he looked at me with a blank expression and I saw a pale white light emit from his forehead and covering me. The light stopped and the King nodded his head and looked almost giddy saying, Well met Major General Mike." Then in a questioning look, he asked the Earl, does he understand us?" The Earl nodded and said, " his speech is a little strange but he speaks The Kings English very well." The King answered, "Most outstanding that will make what is to come much easier."
The King looked at me still smiling and asked, "Major General Mike since you speak English so well what part of England do you come from?" I told him honestly but hiding as much information about me as possible," I come from a land to the west of England that was a province of England till my ancestors rebelled and became a separate country, but that was over 200 years ago. We still have English as our national tongue, although it is a little different."
The King said, "Yes I have heard of Ireland to the west it was the last land till the edge of the world. Now tell me who sits on the throne in England?" I said, "Elizabeth II of the House of Windsor." The King then said a woman rules how strange and I don't know this House of Winsor. There must have been a bloody war before she took the throne." Being a little deceptive actually referring to WWII I said, "There was a very bloody war before she took the throne. London was almost destroyed, but that was over a decade before I was born and London is bigger than ever now."
King slapped me on my back like a long lost friend and said, " The Earth never changes, there always will be wars, but here under my rule, the whole known world lives in peace."
The King with his hand still on my back said, "come Major General let us go attend the games and we will talk more. I have a question for you though, the title Major General was a military rank in my time on Earth, are you a military man?" I just lied, "No. In my time and land, it would be the equivalent to an English Duke." The King nodded, and remarked, " I thought as much your demeanor and ease in my presence speaks of someone used to being in the presence of a King. So if you are not insulted may we call you Duke Mike so others will fully understand your rank?" I agreed, being pleased with myself for pulling this off.
King Edmond and I walked surrounded by his personal guard to the Royal Platform. He said, "all my personal guard is entirely made up of my bastard sons that were borne to me by past courtesans." I asked, "I thought the old magic kept men faithful to only their wives?" He laughed and said, "Yes that is true if you marry the woman. As yet I have never married. I select my courtesans a year before the bleed and they're taught over that year by Lady Ann to be a Lady. Then I take them after they bleed, I keep them till they bore me then I set them free to marry. I keep my sons for my guard and the daughters I marry off to houses that love having 1/2 earth blood in their family."
I nodded not letting my growing disdain for this selfish, ignorant, boastful, and hard-hearted man show. He said, "this will not take long. I will call the beginning of the games, but that is all it will be. There will be no contests today because most of the nobles have just arrived and some will not be here until later because of the length of their journey. The first games will not be until midday tomorrow after the welcoming breakfast feast. The noble's will rest tonight and prepare."
King Edmond stood to a fanfare of trumpets and ordered the beginning of the festivities.
He then looked at me and asked have I heard how he became King and went over what I knew. Then he said complimented me saying, "you have learned a lot just being here for two days." Then he went on,
"What you didn't know is that I spent two years learning that pagan language and over a year building a forge in secret. Magic would have made it a lot easier but like you I had no idea about how to use it. I imagine in a year or two you will start seeing the colors of the nature of things but you are a long way off from that. It took me twenty years to raise and arm a force large enough to challenge the Slaver King. Then another five years for my Magic to increase enough to fight Him.
You will learn that you have to of know something before you can see and know its nature so I had to be taught about what things are in the world. To control something you first have to know its true nature. Although just knowing something's true nature doesn't give you control of it. Magic is like a muscle, you have to use it to make it strong and that takes much time.
So you may wonder since I came from Earth and killed the one that came before me why I don't just kill you. The reason is as an ally you are much more valuable but as my wife, you would be priceless."
I looked at him in shock as I was grabbed and carried to an empty stone room. In the room was a young, very pretty naked girl cowering in the corner. Then King Edmond said, " as luck would have it I just picked this girl to be my new courtesan yesterday. She is one of the most beautiful I have ever found. You will become her double and my future Queen once you bleed in a year."
Without another word, I saw light emit from him and I felt my body start to change inside. Then he looked at the girl and she fell over dead. He then said to the guard, When she finishes changing have her handmaids clean and dress her then take her to Lady Ann."
As the guards carried off thebody of the young girl my body started experiencing the worst pain I could ever imagine. I started sweating buckets and peeing uncontrollably with the worst case of diarrhea I ever had. After what seemed an eternity it suddenly stopped. I was covered in my own filth and stank worst than the town, but I was able to stand up and I felt my clothes were huge on me and knew what King Edmond had done to me.
To Be Continued
Learning To Speak To The Wind
Chapter Two
By
Warm Hearted
Edited By Commentator
Synopsis: The former sixty years old finds himself trapped on parallel 12th Century Earth where Magic works. He is in the body of a seventeen-year-old girl. Mike's future is totally controlled by wicked King Edmond. The King's plan for Mike is to make her Queen on her eighteenth birthday so he hands Mike over to Lady Ann to be trained to be a proper Queen. We see Mike's story unfold in this chapter
Covered in my own waste I was led to a bathing chamber which contained a wooden tub filled with warm water, flowers, aromatic herbs and natural sponges. I knew baths were not as uncommon during the 12th Century as most people thought. King John of Magna Carta fame often carried a tub with him when he traveled. The practice over later years became more uncommon. So by the 15th Century, Henry the Eighth boasted of having only one bath his whole life.
I took off my clothes secretly retrieving my small Swiss Army Knife. The women who were evidently there to assist me, used sticks to carry them off. I snuck the small knife in my mouth and looked down at my dirty naked body. I was the double of the girl that King Edmond killed. Same skin, large breasts, shapely body and long dark hair. The women rinsed me with buckets of warm water before I entered the wooden barrel tub and I did not speak.
I knew I had my reverse Autism, but this was more than even it could adjust to and I started crying. It was not out of outrage or sadness over losing my male self, but out of pure unbridled fear, feeling completely vulnerable and helpless. I felt the last memento of who I was in my mouth and that was the only thing that gave me any hope, but I was completely and utterly terrified.
I was a weak small 17-year-old girl in a parody of 12th Century England. The property of a murderous supreme monarch with great Magic power and I had no idea what my new Lord could do to me if I displeased him in any way. I struggled to retain my humanity and not just give up all control.
After I was bathed and dried by the women one opened a side door and said, "your Grace, Lady Ann is waiting for you in here. If Your Grace will join her?"
Naked and moving like a zombie in shock, I did as I was asked. I entered the room and saw a matronly woman who I assumed was Lady Ann. She introduced herself and said, " Your Grace, I'm Lady Ann and I will train you in how to act as a proper wife and Queen to His Majesty King Edmond." Still having the knife in my mouth I just nodded.
She said, "now that introductions are done dress yourself, Your Grace. Put on the linen chemise first, then the gown. I will help you with the sash and no head scarf is proper till you're wed. I did as she said and I was glad the sleeves of the blue woven wool gown were long and a little tight because I was able to hide my tiny pocket knife there. I did this more out of fear of being caught with it than stealth. Lady Ann then demonstrated how to tie the embroidered sash belt. Then she untied it and told me to retie it like she did.
I guess I still possessed my photographic memory because I did it and with my back to Lady Ann I slipped my knife under the wide sash. She then examined my work and said, "for an Earth-Born you learn like a serf. You did a perfect job. As long as you continue like this your Grace it will go well for you, but I need to give you a small example of what will happen if you displease me."
I saw her face go blank and her forehead glowed red and a beam of red light hit me in my abdomen and I doubled over in a terrible cramp. Lady Ann smiled like she enjoyed causing me pain and the beam stopped. She then said still smiling, "I needed to show you how I can punish you without marking your lovely skin. That was just a small demonstration so you best not displease me." The pain instantly stopped and she left saying, "your Grace wait here. It will a few hours so don't leave this room until I return. I'm going to oversee the preparation of your quarters." I sat on a wooden bench just thinking.
"The Mike that arrived in The World, was he just suffering from self-delusion created by how easily he could overcome his problems? He felt superior because of his special gifts and could effortlessly impress people so that they would place him on a pedestal. That Mike must have been just a character I was playing.
That Mike had never faced a real challenge and facing those are the true tests of who somebody really is. This must be my real personality just in a new body. I don't like myself at all. I'm an unsure coward and I vow that I will change and earn back my self-respect no matter what body I'm in."
I realized at the moment that vow was just empty words.
I chided myself, "well Major General Mike if you can stop being frozen in fear, of being resigned to a hopeless future and having grand time feeling sorry for yourself then start using those gifts you were so proud of or you will be completely broken down and rebuilt into a submissive baby factory for a heartless megalomaniac."
It was the hardest thing I ever had to do but I pushed back my panic and finally started thinking instead of just reacting.
"OK. Prof. Patel taught me how to meditate to clear my mind and work my Chakra's."
I never had much use for what he taught me except to relax, but with the flood of emotions I was feeling now, I needed that training badly. I remembered perfectly what he taught me and mentally went over the lessons.
Before I started meditating I defined what I needed. For the feelings of being overwhelmed and loss of willpower, you meditate on your Third Chakra located in your solar plexus. Its color is in the 565-590 wavelength nm which is yellow. Prof. Patel always gave me the empirical facts about what he taught me about Meta-Physics so I would not question them too much.
For the first time since I came to The World, I went into my meditation relaxation preparation. I was amazed how great effect it had on me. I was totally relaxed faster than I ever was before. Which considering I was an emotional train wreck when I started was a miracle. The World must be in an Alternate Universe where Metaphysical energies are much more powerful.
With my eyes closed, I saw my aura. I thought I had seen it a few times before briefly but convinced myself it must have been an illusion. There were no doubts this time, it glowed like an orange caution light. I knew what that color meant, so I went to work on aligning my seven Chakra's, spending more time on my Third Chakra increasing my feelings of personal worth and the will to correct the hopelessness I felt.
I moved to the green fourth heart Chakra and strengthen my ability to integrate into the new position and culture I was in. Then on to the fifth, the blue throat Chakra, and built up my lost ability to express myself with respectability, not like a cowering bitch. Moving to the sixth, my purple underdeveloped third eye opened immediately. I then saw The World in a whole new way. It was amazing. I could see everyone in the castle like looking through night vision glasses. I realized then I was seeing their auras that first night.
I saw everyone in the castle. I saw some working, some using Magic. I didn't know how but I knew what they were doing with that Magic. I then went to my crown purple Chakra and it changed to white and it was like an explosion in my brain. I was there, but I wasn't at the same time. It was like I was very nearsighted paralyzed but now I could move see clearly.
I saw plants and thought they're made up of cells. It was like super zoom vision, I was seeing cells of the plants like I did though a microscope. I wanted to see the plants DNA and zoom, I saw the DNA like I have through an electron microscope. They were still alive and splitting and reproducing themselves. I tried it with animals and it worked the same way and I even saw the tiny flaws in the DNA that reproduced and caused aging.
Then the thought struck me and I tried to see an atom, but I knew I could not because I have never seen one before. To my surprise, I could and they are mainly space. I thought I have seen the colors of the elements in mass spectrometers. I looked at a rock and I saw its composition.
If all this was not enough I knew that I could affect these things with my focused energy by generating the right frequency. At this point, I knew I could not generate the energy that it would take to alter them. In addition, I would have to widen my scope of sight to see more than the amount I was seeing.
I thought back to what I King Edmond said about learning his Magic. He hinted that someone had to teach him how to see and that you have to know something is before you can see it or use magic on it. He was a journeyman blacksmith from the 12th Century. At that time a person of his rank knew very little of the reality of things. Those of that period believed that plagues came from bad smells or curses. Which brings the question up, how could he completely change me by Magic and how did Lady Ann hurt me?
Coming out of my meditation thinking, "those questions will have to go unanswered until later because I had more pressing issues to deal with now."
My meditative healing relieved me of the all-consuming fear and hopelessness.
although I was still in the same position with the same problems I was in when I started meditating, but I could think more clearly now. In my mental search for options a seed of a plan took root.
I reduced my present condition to something like a mathematic equation. With Magic being an unknown to be left out of the equation at this time. This form of assessing bore fruit and I drew from what I knew from past experiences that I could apply now. The source of those experiences was a little surprising to me, it was my second wife Margaret.
In breaking down my situation, I deduced that the solution was going to be a very long equation. Time (t) was key to the equation. I had to reverse the value of my social standing and bring into harmonic phase the strongest localizes wave to strengthen my output. That is the only way to produce the time alone I need to discover the value of the unknowns.
I saw how my second wife did it when she invaded the local social hierarchy. She joining me in my city being from old South Carolina money. She had her social secretary make inquiries as to whom the social queen was and all about her. The locals didn't know Margaret came from old money.The locals considered her just a gold digger but she intended to change that quickly. She discovered what the queen bee's favorite charity was and to her great pleasure that they were members of the same sorority but Margaret was a fifth generation legacy and the Queen bee was a first generation pledged member.
So after having me make a major donation to the queen bee's favorite charity, I watched amazed as I saw her go from being looked down on to having Queen bee orbiting her, basking in Margaret's Light. I remember Margaret first making her feel small by talking about her family's prominence then building her up as the only one in their group that was cultured enough to be her adviser.
I thought, "why to invent the wheel when I can mimic Margaret. I did it enough for my employees after our divorce. They would roll with laughter, but this time I needed to be like Margaret for real
I heard women talking and I assumed it was Lady Ann and the group of women that washed me returning. I pulled on strength I didn't have before my meditation and stood. I mimicked the body language and facial expression that Margaret had when servants kept her waiting too long. The gamble I was betting all or nothing and I knew it.
Lady Ann entered the room and looked at me a little surprised seeing me standing proudly as a Duchess should. Lady Ann spoke in her "I'm in control" tone saying, "your Grace your quarters are ready."
Using Margaret's culturally restrained angry and condescending voice I said, "Lady Ann is their reason I'm unaware of that your speaking to me, a Full Earth Born Duchess, without first paying me homage and I giving you permission to speak?"
Lady Ann just stared at me first and I thought, "get ready. She isn't buying it and I am going to be painfully punished."
Then I could see a look of the first revelation then fear on her face. It dawned on her that what I was asking was truly proper and the law. She then curtsied low and the other women followed her example. Lady Ann was smart and she knew that if not today but someday I would be in a position to help or hurt her very much.
I waited a little longer than was normal to let it sink in then said, " Lady Ann and ladies rise. I will shortly examine my quarters to see if they meet my approval but first Lady Ann I want you to know something. I accept your teaching willingly.
I know there are things I need to learn considering my new sex and other gifts good King Edmond has given me. Yes, I was a Duke on Earth but I had no hope of advancing my rank. I was 22nd in the line of succession and at my age knew the throne would never be mine. Now, thanks to my future husband I will sit on a throne, a Queen's throne.
I understand that some of lower birth would see this change I underwent through as a curse. Losing one's self and gender, but those people have no idea what a high-born as myself sees. I see the opportunities that such a rank holds. In addition to all that the King made me young again. I know that I need to learn much concerning my new gender so to fully meet and fill the role the father of my children will require of me.
Lady Ann my future husband trusted you with this great responsibility, so he must trust your skills not to fail me. I will trust in them also. Therefore I'm granting you the privilege of teaching me. I'm sure you will not show disrespect to your King by failing.
That brings me to a situation I'm sure at some point may trouble you greatly, our first meeting. I want you to know I understand why you thought you needed to demonstrate how you could punish me. Therefore your future Queen pardons you for the act of attack on her person.
It was an act of ignorance. I bear you no ill will and I'm sure you will serve your King and myself your future Queen well. Lady Ann very gratefully said, "thank you your Grace I will not fail my King or my future Queen."
I said, "Lady Ann you seem much more cultured than the other Ladies In waiting. May I ask how much Earth Born you are?"
She looked at me and proudly beamed and said, " My Grace I am 3/8 Earth Born"
I responded, "I thought so, bloodlines always show."
I thought, " thank you, Margaret, for teaching me to first overpower your strongest rival then draw them into orbiting you as a satellite. I was so worried that my ruse would fail with me being painfully punished, but it is working well."
As I was examining my Quarters I saw it had its own privy of the period, a room with a stone bench with a wooden seat with a toilet hole in it. I knew it emptied somewhere outside the castle and was a high-class luxury of the 12th Century. I saw Lady Ann straightening one of the tapestries on the wall, looking it with pride. I assumed she was the one that selected it so I took a chance and followed my assumption.
Looking at the tapestry I commented, " my quarters seems to be acceptable so far, but that tapestry is the highlight of the room. Who selected it?"
Lady Ann smiled and bowed her head and said, "I did your Grace."
I answered, "which again proves my point, good bloodlines always show."
I went to the bed, moving the pillows and pulling back the covers then felt the mattress which was very soft, but I used it to my benefit. In a controlled, disapproving voice, I said, "by Earth standards, this would be unacceptable, but I have no idea what is acceptable by the World standards. Lady Ann will you please feel it."
Lady Ann came and stood close to me and felt the mattress and turned and looked at one of the ladies saying, " Lady Marie how dare you to put such a mattress on our Grace's bed. That rag is not much better than the thatch bed a serf would sleep on. You will replace it immediately. I'm sorry your Grace I should have had another lady pick the mattress. Lady Marie is only 1/20 Earth Born."
My complaint had the desired result. Then I built on the effect saying, "Lady Ann I can understand your difficulties. I have been in positions where I had to use lower born nobles and it can be very trying. So I hold no blame for you personally. I know you understand the proper requirements for someone of my rank."
Lady Ann then said, "Thank you your Grace for recognizing the difficulties that I have with such a low-born group of handmaidens. I promise you your Grace I will recruit more suitable handmaidens as they become available."
I smiled saying, "I am sure you will Lady Ann because I see already you are very good at getting things done properly and in good order."
Then looking in my closet at the gowns I said, "I know there will be the Great Breakfast Feast but will there be a feast tonight and what should I wear."
Lady Ann answered, "the nobles are still arriving so there will be no feast tonight. Most are preparing for the games tomorrow and will dine in their quarters."
Then I asked, "will his Majesty dine alone tonight also?"
She said "yes."
I inquired, "would it be too forward of me to request to dine with him?"
Lady Ann thought for a second and said, "considering how well your Grace has assumed her new station in life I think it would please his Majesty to personally see how well his future wife is adjusting. I will go and ask his Chamberlain to communicate your request. I should have his Majesty's answer quickly."
I said, "very good and please notify me with his Majesty's reply in time for your to help me dress for the occasion but until then I would like to be alone and rest from the events of the day."
She curtsied as did the rest of the ladies and said, "it will be done as your Grace wishes," and they all left the room.
Alone I breathed a deep sigh of relief in pulling all that off. I had a hard time not letting my nervousness show. I lay on the bed thinking, "I want to talk to King Edmond as much as possible and encourage him to brag how he learned his Magic. I also want to know if there are any major differences between the Earth and the World that I don't already know.
I have to be careful not to let on that I can already see nature of things. I need to guard what I know about the true nature of the things also. King Edmond is very prideful and ignorant but he is not stupid. On Earth, he may have been just a journeyman blacksmith but he knew how to read and write. Those skills would be very unusual for someone of his status in the age he came from. I must never underestimate how smart he is."
I started to feel my confidence fade again so I went into another meditation. I limited it to just working on me and not exploring the new world I discovered. When I came out I was amazed how well it worked. The fear was gone and I was even more confident that I would soon have a plan to escape my fate as King Edmond's wife in a year.
I reflecting on how well it worked I thought, "There must be some sort of amplifying energy field like the Magnetic Field on Earth. This field must be naturally occurring but why can only people that are part Earthling access it? Those are questions I'll consider later. Right now I needed to focus on trying to plan some way to escape the fate King Edmond has for me.
Now that I'm winning over Lady Ann I need to win the trust of King Edmond. At this point, I have no idea of how to do it. I need to watch for ways to feed his ego and try to convince him that I really like his plan for me. I'm sure people suck up to him all the time. not underestimating his intelligence I knew he would spot that I was doing the same thing.
In my company I had people sucking up to me all the time. That never worked for me and it will not work on him. I only trusted those whose actions proved they had my best interests at heart. Therefore I needed to watch for opportunities to do the same thing for King Edmond. Watching will require I spend a lot of time with him.
I need to take any opportunity that presents itself but this must be the last time I request to meet with him. Future times need to be either at his invitation or something that would be normal for me to attend. I also need some way to demonstrate that I'm just not a submissive, weak-willed person without self-respect. I need to present myself as an intelligent person that truly sees the benefits being Queen will grant me; a person who understands that in my new position what benefits him ultimately will benefit me."
My mental accessing was interrupted by a knock on the door. It was Lady Ann here to tell me the King had accepted my request to dine with him. After the handmaidens dressed me and did my hair in a long tightly braided ponytail, Lady Ann escorted me to the King's private quarters which were very close to mine.
The guard knocked on the door and it was opened. I entered alone and curtsied low saying, "Your Majesty." He told me to rise and I did and said: "thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you for honoring my request to dine with you."
King Edmond laughed and said, " Lady Ann told me how you have accepted your new life as if you were born to it but it does please me to see it for myself."
I answered him in an even tone saying, "Your Majesty as I explained to Lady Ann my rank on earth is like one of your Dukes and I was 22nd in the line of succession. On Earth, I had no hope of rising in rank. Now I will be on a Queen's throne.
The trading of my male life and responsibilities for that of a female was well worth being made young again. As I told Lady Ann a low-born ignorant man may have looked at this as a curse but I see it as a blessing. Thank you, Your Majesty, in all sincerity."
He laughed again and said, "I was quite fortunate that someone like you was the next Earth Born to come to the world. Once we are wed you will have an even easier time adjusting because of the Old Magic. Our children will be full Earth Born, What a force they will be. Now come and dine with me."
As we chatted I found out a lot about The World. First of all, there were no diseases not even colds and people here live well into their seventies. I asked, "then why is the world not overpopulated?"
He explained, "women can only have 3 children. They will only bleed once a year and then only until they have three children. Normally they have two sons and one daughter. This works out well considering a lot more men die from work accidents, arguments, and executions. So the population stays about the same. Although that limit will not be the same for you, my future wife. I will change your bodies regularly like I do mine so you will have a new body about every five years and be able to bear three more every time."
The thought of me being pregnant at all revolted me but almost constantly pregnant for centuries just about made me lose control but I fought it back. Then there was knock on the door and the King said, "enter." The guard came in and whispered in the Kings ear and I saw a young, well-dressed woman waiting at the door. When the guard straightened back up the King said, "not now, tell her I will send for her later."
Seeing an opportunity my mind snapped back to my plan. After the guard shut the door and we were alone again I asked, "your Majesty may I have permission to speak openly?"
He looked like he was thinking, "OK. Here it comes but I might as well deal with this now." Then the King nodded and said, "yes, within limits."
Then I said something in a very clinical voice hoping to knock the King off balance. I said, "your Majesty I have learned since I have been in The World that once we are wed we will not want any other. Living as a man for sixty years on Earth I know a man has needs. So it is of no consequence, no, I actually encourage you, my King, and future husband not to deny those needs. Sex is a wonderful way to relieve stress that great authority brings."
With his jaw slacked he looked at me for a second. Then I saw his face go from surprise to inspection. I thought " He is trying to see if what I just said was me trying to brown-nose or did I truly mean it. So now the hook."
Then I said, "Your Majesty I know I have no right to ask you this but I think it is wise counsel for how your court will view me in the future. So with no right to do so, I ask if Your Majesty keeps his consorting private and never in my presence. I would not have spoken to you so boldly except I know the Court's respect for me is linked directly to their perception of Your Majesty's respect of me.
If they think Your Majesty respects me enough to shield me from his sexual escapades it will grant me the respect I need to have to be the kind of Queen I wish to be."
He first looked annoyed that I spoke so directly but then he smiled as he saw I was just staking rights to my place in his Court. Then he said,
"You may have been 22nd in the line of succession but I would wager a 1/3 of my Kingdom that you were a good advisor but a fearful enemy. I thank you for remembering men have needs and yes I will give the appearance that I am shielding you from the knowledge of them. It is really the wisest direction to take. I doubt if I really could have done it because I don't think that much escapes your sight. Now I have a question for you, My Lady.
What did you do to Lady Ann? She has been my trainer for women for many years and she loves breaking them very much. I couldn't believe how she praised you and spoke of you with such respect. My Lady you took my old hound of war and made her your lap dog."
I answered in the same humorous tone he asked in and said, "My King once she understood that I actually desired her teachings. I reminded her even though I was her student that I'm a Full Earth Born Duchess and her future Queen. I assured her I held no ill will for her ignorance in how she treated me in our first meeting - as long she assumed her proper place considering her lower rank."
The King laugh till he cried and finally said, "yes on Earth you most certainly were a valuable advisor and a fearful enemy."
We chatted and his nature took over and he bragged how after being forced to be a slave that he learned just enough of Ah Min Tet's pagan tongue to communicate. From the King's weaving of his tale, it was obvious that he was the hero and I learned a lot about the World as I hoped.
It seems there are some strange quirks in the brains of The World's natural humans. They have very little if any imagination but they are perfect mimics. They have the photographic memory like mine and can perfectly mimic anything that is demonstrated to them or even drawn.
When they are shown something new that works better they just start doing it the new way. It is impossible for them to lie but they will break the law if someone shows them that it is better than observing the law. Like poaching, it started with a noble telling a serf to kill a deer to feed his family. So the serfs that became poachers were shown this by other serfs.
I thought, "maybe because of their lack of imagination they can't learn Magic but how you can change bodies and still retain your Magic is a question which I must shelve with so many others until I have time for them."
When King Edmond taught his fellow slaves if they did what he said their lives would be better they followed him. He took over more and more of the known world which was surrounded by a mysterious wall made with Old Magic and thus impenetrable.
His forces were stopped by the last of Ah Min Tet's forces holding up in a near impenetrable valley that was bordered on one side by The Wall and the other by the ocean. The mountains had only one entrance that was very narrow like the movie "300 Spartans" but Tet had a lot more than 300 troops to defend it.
The King told me of making an Old Magic Blood Oath with one of Tet's nephew's that he would let him have the valley to rule as the supreme ruler without his interference. He would also teach his slaves about iron and English which had a much better-written form than their old one if he would a crossbow that he would provide and kill Tet. Then pay him a yearly tribute that his agents would deliver to the King. The next day Tet was dead.
The King did say, " So you were 60 years old. That is a long time to live on Earth. Here in the World people live much longer. There are no plagues here or blights on plants. I have not even had a cold since I came here. So there are many here over 100 years old. They are weak and worn down just as their age would suggest although they never had a sick day in their long lives."
I said, "that is astounding my King, I guess they have no need of leeches here." My thoughts were much different than my words. I thought, "there must be some reason for this, I know there are different bacteria here because of the smell of the bodies at the crossroads I know things rot. So that adds another question to my growing list."
The knowledge of the land that King Edmond imparted freely gave me a lot to think about. The King then said, "My Lady Mike I have enjoyed our dinner together very much but the hour is late and the Game's Great Breakfast Feast early. So I must say good night to you but I wish for you to sit at my side at the feast and the Games."
I curtsied and said "I would enjoy that Your Majesty. Rest well." I thought "YES!"
The next morning at the Great Breakfast I sat on the Kings right side properly dressed in new fine clothes by Lady Ann and my handmaidens. I fed Lady Ann's ego by asking the King to allow Lady Ann to sit on my right side which he smiled at and allowed. The food was lavish and artistically presented.
There were a lot of different meats and bread. We used a sharp pointed knife like a fork and spoons but some used their hands. I cut my meat into small bite size pieces as I did with my bread and used the tip of my knife like a fork. Lady Ann leaned over and whispered in my ear, "your Grace you eat with such an elegant lady-like manner you must teach me this skill."
I answered, "Certainly Lady Ann."
Towards the end of the meal the King rose to his feet and said, "remain sitting. I just wish to introduce to you Earth Born Duchess Mike who in less than a year I will wed making her your Queen." He took my hand and I rose and he held my hand as the Lord and Ladies shouted: "Hail Earth Born Duchess Mike, our future Queen". then they applauded me as the King kissed my hand.
Then the King looked at me and said: "I ask a favor of you. All here are of Noble birth and we enjoy a good tale so please honor us with a new tale from Earth."
I was placed on the spot I had not thought that I would have to do something like this. I need a tale that that would not let on to the King that the Earth has changed much since he came to the world. Then It hit me. I told Chaucer's "Woman of Baths Tale". At the end of the tale when the old crone turns into the beautiful woman and she and Noble husband live happily ever after. Hoping the parallels with my present situation were seen I worried when all I saw was blank stares from my audience.
Then they started banging the tables loudly and cheering, even the King. Lady Ann, with tears in her eyes, just looked at me in adoration. At the end of the applause, the King rose and said, "now to the Games and let's see if we can entertain Duchess Mike as well as she has us with her stirring tale.".
Sitting again on the King's right side Lady Ann stood behind me in her proper place. Although it was still an honor as she was never on the King's platform for the Games before. The King rose and called for the Games to begin and I saw two men enter the arena from opposite sides. Then I noticed there were no serfs at the Games.
They were not armored and were on foot. They didn't even have weapons. They bowed to each other and a flag went down and the contest started. I saw both the men cover themselves in a bubble of white light. Then I saw two beams of very bright light come from the men's foreheads.
The King said, "I know you're not aware of what is going on because you can't see Magic yet so I will tell you. The knights have joined in battle and they are evenly matched. They are attempting to push back the other's Magic and then break through a Magic shield the other as placed around himself. Once that happens they the more powerful knight will just cause his opponent pain till he submits. In a real battle, the stronger would kill the weaker."
I continued to watch, acting like I could not see what I was seeing clearly. They were using their energies to jam their opponents. They had placed a white energy field around themselves to help block the other's energy. Then I saw one of the knights start pushing back the energy of his opponent until he broke through. The stronger knight then matched the color of the energy of the weaker leg muscles and the weaker knight fell to the ground yelling, "I SUBMIT!"
I asked the King a question, "Your Majesty could two less powerful knights join forces to defeat a stronger knight?"
The King shook he said, "No. one knight can not work together with another, their Magic will just cancel the other's out. For that, I am most grateful."
The King did say, "In a couple years you should be able to see the Magic then you will start enjoying the games more. Once you start seeing it I will have you trained in how to speak to it, but that takes much longer. Once you start using it the stronger you will become. Sorry to say no matter how strong you get you will never be able to speak to things you don't know the true nature of or can never see like the wind."
I thought, "You would be surprised King old boy if you knew that I can already see the Magic and I can see the wind because I have seen it because I know what elements make it up. The question I needed answered was, "how do I speak to the energy once I do that, how long will it take for me to be able to perform Magic?"
After the day's events, we had another grand feast and I retired to my room as the men were going to the gambling tables. After Lady Ann and my handmaidens prepared me for bed they left me alone and I went into a deep meditation. While in meditation I though how the colors of the Magic energy would change then it hit me, "speaking of things is just wave harmonics."
With this revelation, I came out of meditation wanting to try it. I filled a brass cup with water and I cleared my mind as if in preparation for meditation and focused on the water. I then opened my mental eye and looked at it and I could see its color and matched the color and by thinking what I wanted the water to do. To my surprise it did it. I made it rise, form shapes, to spray out of the cup and then return.
The I had another idea and I tuned my sight to the inferred red spectrum and I saw the heat in the water. I had watched Lady Ann light a fire magically, she did it with a small stone rotating very fast to cause the friction to start the fire. In the 12th Century, they had no idea that heat is really just the movement of molecules.
So I looked at the water and excited its molecules and in a second it was boiling. I tried slowing them and it instantly froze. I looked at the fire in the small fireplace. The World didn't have seasons. Its rotation didn't have a wobble like Earth but the nights in a stone, drafty, castle sometimes required a small fire for comfort.
Tonight a fire was required so I looked at the fire and moved the heat to the stones so quickly that the fire went out. I then gathered the heat back into the logs and they burst into flames. I thought, "that would make a good weapon if I needed it."
The strength I could produce was nowhere near what I saw today and theirs was not in the same league as the King's. It will take a long time using Magic to build mine to the level of even the weaker knights. Although to my advantage I am the "Major General" and knew far more of how things truly work. While they use sheer force I'm more like a gem cutter. I use just a little power to cause nature to work for me rather than overpowering it but I did need to practice using it and to build my strength.
Then I looked drown at my small body and tiny hands and a wave of fear hit me. I thought, " right, the 'Major General.' I am a small young woman waiting for her first period so she can become a baby factory for a cruel, all-powerful man."
I had done well to this point not thinking how things were so different for me. I have to look up to every man and many females. I can't open heavy doors without struggling and I have to be a dress-up doll for the King's pleasure.
I fought back the feelings of sheer hopelessness and compartmentalized them like Scarlet O'Hara in "Gone With The Wind" by thinking, "I don't have time to think about this now. I will think about another day."
I devised a plan to ask the King to let me ride my horse out alone. I would tell him I was sure I would be safe on his estate but I needed time alone to fully adjust to my new role. I will tell him that I was sure he understood how great the changes were between Earth and the World and as smart as he was he knew it will take some time alone to ponder on to adjust.
I spoke with the King in the morning at our private breakfast before the game. He agreed to me having four hours a day to ride unattended laughing then saying, "I understand that you have a lot to ponder and I know that you're earnest in recognizing the status you will have as my Queen so you will not run away to end up the wife of a pig farmer." At that, I started laughing and he joined in.
So each day after the games had ended I went on long rides and found a secluded place and practiced my Magic. I became stronger but not very fast. I could see DNA and watch it split. Very sadly that was all I could do I couldn't control its makeup. Furthermore, I could not see enough of it at one time to actually change a complex animal's DNA structure.
By the time the games ended King Edmond really enjoyed my company. I was able to advise him on a certain situation he faced with two of his nobles. One noble was completely loyal and worshiped The King but was a total screw-up resulting in a loss of revenue.
Another young and unmarried noble was only loyal to himself but was brilliant and a great administrator. Only the King felt that he was using his sharp intellect to outmaneuver the tax laws legally. Doing it legally may give other nobles the idea to try the same thing.
I adapting the old Prussian rule of command. I told the King, " Your Majesty why not take the failing noble and give him some grandly titled job on your staff. This new role will require him here in Kingston but the job actually does nothing important.
Just tell the ignorant noble of how important it is to you and praise him from time to time on how well he is doing it. As a reward to him, you will make title hereditary and it will go to his eldest son and both his sons will be needed here to assist him. Therefore they must leave their province which borders the smart noble's lands as I remember from studying the map tapestry in the main hall.
Then order the smart noble to marry the dull noble's unwed daughter thereby giving the smart noble rule of both provinces. This way demonstrating how linking his benefit to yours you will teach him loyalty to you is the best way to serve his own ends."
Then King Edmond blinked and looked at me like he had just won the lottery and I was the winning ticket. He just exclaimed. "DAMN! If you weren't going to be my wife before you get your Magic I would have you killed now. My Lady Mike you have the skills of an Earth-Born Noble.
I know I knew much above my station on Earth because I hungered to learn but I remember the nobles of Earth. They could construct plans layered like an onion to get what they wanted and as I thought, you were probably one of the best at that. I want you to attend all my council meetings. I grant you the permission to openly advise me. The nobles will see your great skill and fear what a powerful pair we are."
I started spending more time with the King with Lady Ann at my side, using her as my mistress of spies. The ladies, like little birds, gathered information and reported it to Lady Ann. The time ticked off with me practicing my Magic and in court politics. I was sad that my powers as a politician improved faster than my Magic. My Magic had gotten stronger but it grew like the hands moved on a clock.
I could not tell I had gotten stronger from day to day. It was just when I would look back over the weeks that I could see my Magic strengthening. I was less than three months from my first bleed and I was starting to worry. I was no closer to finding a way to safely leave. Like the King said, "you leave, you will just end up the wife of a pig farmer."
Then the King told me that in a week we would go on his bi-annual inspection of the provinces. He shared that he started with the farthest and rushing through the poorer outlying ones to spend more time in the inner wealthy ones. He told me " My Lady the first stop is right at the wall and Tet's valley kingdom.
The King said, "My Blood Oath says as long as they pay me my tribute in gold they will remain outside my kingdom but their agents let slip last year their mines are dwindling. If they fail to pay me my tribute I can take their kingdom. Their land is poor but they are rich in serfs although they have developed strange customs.
Their women carry their wedding band around their neck and choose who and when they marry. Even stranger is how their King works alongside his serfs and like on Earth they have Guilds and they help the King rule. When I was first taught Magic I shared about guilds with the nephew of Tet. He must have spread it in their kingdom but once I take it all that foolishness will stop and I will divide out the serfs to the inner lands."
That gave me an idea and I had a week to plan an escape. I went to work to make use of this important new information.
To Be Continued In Chapter 3 of "Learning To Speak To The Wind"