Chapter Two

 

Prince Cleto didn’t understand how he’d arrived in Clair’s home all those years ago, but somehow he had, all due to his brother’s hatred.

 

Now he watched as the girl who broke the spell and freed him, slumped to the floor before his bare feet. Cocking his head, he stared down at her, looking her over as she did him before slumping to the floor. For all the years he’d lived in this house, and heard her voice from the two floors below, he wondered what Clair looked like. Of course, she’d been a young girl for most of those years, then suddenly, her voice left the house and he was lonely—until now.

Her body was curvy, her hair was long and brown and framed a heart shaped face, but what captured his attention mostly were her lips. His cock came to life for the first time in more years than he could count as he took in her bow-shaped mouth.

Slowly he knelt down before her, touched her face, her hair, and moved his hand down the side of her cheek, behind her head. Then he scooped her up in his arms like a babe. He faced the fire, narrowed his eyes upon it, and waited for the gold and red flames to turn blue again. Once they did, he walked directly into them, slowly entering a Kingdom he hadn’t seen in a long while.

Eltora. His home. His kingdom, his first love. Now dull, gray, and lifeless, clearly, a dark spell had wrapped around his home tightly—a spell, no doubt, cast by his brother.

His father had split his kingdom in two so that he and his twin brother Rodas might both have a kingdom to rule. Oh, how wrong his father had been! How his father should’ve paid more attention when others were telling him of the darkness that was coming upon his brother. If he had how different things would have turned out.

Eltora stood in the mists of winter. The ground blanketed in white, homes, buildings, all gray and lifeless. Rodas really had done a fine job at fucking up Cleto’s home. The place had no life, no color—nothing. The place appeared dead, making him wonder about the condition of his palace. Hell, he wondered if anyone remained in Eltora, or had they all gone to Rodas’s kingdom?

The snow crunched under his bare feet, and the coldness chilled his naked form, but Cleto ignored it all. He walked down the street, looking at the houses, remembering the laughter, the lights, the colors of the town.

“By the magic that was stolen...” Cleto murmured, pausing when a man came out of what used to be a bakery building painted bright red. It had been so long, Cleto had forgotten the man’s name. His clothing even had the dreary look and feel as the rest of the place.

“Prince Cleto, May that be you? Has the spell been broken?” He covered his mouth with wrinkled, old hands—hands that Cleto remembered used to bake the best sweets and bread.

“What has my brother done?” Cleto asked the man.

“Come!” Quickly the man motioned for Cleto to come inside. “You haven’t a stitch on and its freezing. Come, warm yourself by my fire and I’ll tell you everything.”

Cleto followed the man, Clair still sleeping in his arms. Inside, he welcomed the bakery’s warmth, and the faint scent of bread. To the back, they went, and Cleto placed Clair on a large stack of grain, keeping his mesmerizing spell on her so she wouldn’t wake. She needed to sleep for she’d been given a fright with his appearance. Soon he would let the spell wear off and let her wake. The old baker handed him clothing, which he quickly donned, welcoming the warmth of the cloth against his body, and the offered meal of bread and wine.

“Eltora never thought the curse would ever be broken,” the man went on once Cleto sat down. “Every bit of life has been drained from this place. Not many have stayed. They’ve gone to Olric. Life here has pretty much been sucked dry.”

“No one has pleasure any longer?” Cleto asked.

“When one is so depressed pleasure is the last thing on their minds,” the man sighed. “Besides, the warmth of the seasons no longer come. We have not seen green grass in a very long time.”

“What is your name?”

“Finn.”

“Well, Finn, I intend to bring the color back to Eltora. May I impose upon you to take me to the palace?”

Finn nodded. “I’d be honored. Let me just hitch up the sled.”

Cleto smiled when he nodded, watching the man go. Alone, he put his cup down and went over to Clair. “You are my key to unlocking this spell,” he whispered, touching her face, “Just as I am the key to unlocking your pleasure.” Right from the moment she released him from his prison, he knew she was the woman for him—his woman—and he looked forward to making love to her

He heard the sled arrive, scooped up Clair, and went outside. He climbed into the back of the sled, draped the thick blanket over his lap and Clair, and inspected the land as he headed for his home.

The surrounding area was dull and lifeless. At one time, this place had been full of life, and here in Eltora it always felt like a holiday, like Christmas in other worlds. No matter if there might be snow on the ground or not, the colors of the land popped for all to see. Laughter could be heard, just as the cries from pleasures would blow into the windows at night, carried by the breezes, for Eltora had been a happy place.

Cleto remembered it all as if it happened yesterday, not years ago. “How long have I been gone?” he asked Finn.

“Almost fifty years.”

Though he knew in Clair’s world, he’d been imprisoned fifteen, not fifty years. Oh how time seemed to fly.

The palace came into view, and Cleto’s heart dropped. The blues of the walls were now gray. Even dark gray coated the roofs. The palace windows had dirt so thick no sunlight could shine through, that is if there was any sunshine.

“He couldn’t get in,” Finn whispered, “Not with the spell you cast to protect it, but he sure as hell drained as much from it as he could.” The sled stopped in front of the closed gates. Cleto stepped out, Clair tightly in his arms and the closed gates slowly parted, opened with the creaking of hinges unused in a long time. “Begging your pardon, but who is the girl you carry?”

“The one that freed me.”

“By the saints,” Finn gasped. “Your Queen?”

My Queen? Cleto frowned, thinking about Kalena and how she was to be his wife. Rodas hadn’t liked the idea of it. He wanted Kalena, and the power she would hand to her husband. Apparently, from the looks of things around here, Rodas had obtained Kalena and her power. How else would he be able to do what he did to Eltora?

He remembered Kalena as being small, petite, dainty, with long black hair, and dark brown eyes. She flirted with both Cleto and Rodas and the pleasures she gave both of them could light up a whole country. Even though only one of them could have her, and it had been decided that one would be Cleto. Being first born by two minutes he would have her hand. And right before that day, his brother stole her, stole the power, cursed, and banished him.

Moving his hand, the double doors of the palace opened slowly. His magic, while weak, it was enough to keep the spell held all these years in place, keeping Rodas out. Keeping Cleto’s magic safe.

“Go home, Finn,” Cleto said. “Tell the others their prince is back and the curse has been lifted.” He looked over his shoulder at the man. “The magic of Eltora comes back.”

Finn smiled big. “That it has your highness.”

The sled turned, headed back and Cleto took his first step into his home in fifty years. Each step he took, he felt the magic come back. Color began to show. The dull gray floors once more became golden, as did the walls. All of the paintings seemed to clean up, the bright reds, yellows, and greens, all showed as if they’d just been painted. Wood trim and the wooden staircase shined brightly and a new red rug flowed down the center of each step as he walked.

No creaking sounded under foot as he walked up the winding staircase to the second floor. There were twelve rooms lining this floor, and another twelve on the third. More paintings freshened themselves just like the dust, cobwebs and other things that had dulled the walls as he made his way up the steps. Everything righted itself before his eyes, welcoming him home.

At the far end of the hallway was the master suit. The double doors opened as soon as he neared them, and before his eyes, the room fixed itself. Bright, yet soft colors gave the spacious room a warm feeling. Drapes made of multicolored silk hung from the ceiling and around the large circular bed that hung from thick gold chains from the ceiling. Lion fur pelts lined the floors—four of them—each white with black spots.

Cleto walked up to the bed, waiting for the thick plush to right itself. A soft, pale pink fur cover lined the top with a matching silk sheet. He laid Clair down in the center of it and he began the pleasurable task of undressing her himself. No magic.

His hands shook as he removed each layer of clothing from her body. It took longer than he knew it should, but Cleto managed to do the task without touching her, or embarrassing himself in the process.

After he finished, he left her still resting and went to clean up and change himself. Everything in the bathing chamber was how he’d left it, but dulled from the spell. Now, as he stepped inside, it righted itself. Everything cleaned up; fresh water began to fall out of the two-waterfall style showers. With a flick of his wrist, the water heated up, filling the large room with hot steam. A snap of the fingers and he was naked, stepping into the hot water, sighing in bliss.

He washed, relaxed and remembered.

“No dear brother, the land, and the woman shall be mine.” Rodas walked around him as his men held Cleto to the floor upon his knees.

“You can’t do this, Rodas!” Cleto shouted trying to get back up on his feet, but the hold the men had on him was strong. “Father split the kingdom. You have your own to rule.”

“But you have Kalena!” Rodas yelled. “She is worth ten times more than the land.”

“Her power won’t fill the black hole in your heart,” Cleto said through his teeth, glaring up at his twin. “It’ll only make it bigger.”

Rodas returned to Cleto and knelt down in front of him. For the first time in their lives, Cleto saw the hatred, the blackness in his twin’s eyes. It was like looking into a stranger’s eyes instead of the twin he loved so dearly. Never had he anticipated his brother throwing him over and taking his kingdom. Never.

“You were always the favorite,” Rodas said with pain in his voice. “Father gave you everything and all I got was the leftovers.” The backhand blow to his face came unexpectedly. Cleto tasted blood in his mouth. “I’m not taking what’s left any longer, brother,” Rodas snarled as stood up. “I’ll no longer hold my hand out hoping for something good and grand. Now I’ll take what is rightfully mine. The book stated that the one who holds the power shall rule. Take a good look, brother.” Rodas extended his arms out. “I hold that power with Kalena by my side and I will rule this land. Soon I’ll be king.”

“You’ll bring it into darkness, just like your own land,” Cleto growled, struggling with the men who held him down. “You take away the color, and pleasures from the people and you’ll have shit to rule. The people won’t crown you if you take it all away. Don’t you understand that? Argh!” he yelled, trying to get up. “You fucking rodent! You’re my brother!”

“No. I’m king,” Rodas hissed, his nose flaring, eyes glaring. “Bring it in.”

A large nutcracker soldier was wheeled in as well as Kalena. His sweet Kalena, so frail, so delicate, and so white in the face from fear.

Cleto stared at her as one of Rodas’s men shoved her into his arms. Rodas fisted his hand into her long black hair, then he reached down and ripped the dark blue silk gown down the front. Rodas yanked her head back and kissed her hard, his other hand gripping a breast harshly.

When the kiss ended, Rodas smiled at Cleto. “You see, brother. She knows who has the power. Strip him.”

Soldiers yanked Cleto to his feet only to have his clothing cut from his body. Rodas then placed Kalena in front of him took her hands into his own, and extended them toward Cleto. Together they began to chant the spell that would cast him into the soldier.

Cleto was powerless against the two, their magic just too strong together. He yelled right before he found himself inside, trapped for eternity. He could hear Rodas’s laughter, but saw nothing.

“Take him to the other world,” Rodas ordered.

“There is still hope,” Kalena’s soft voice whispered to him, so softly he guessed so Rodas wouldn’t hear her words. “One day a woman from the other world will awaken you, break the spell, and set you free. I’m sorry I cannot save you, Cleto. Forgive me, but have this small gift of hope. The spell will be broken. You will be free, and we will see each other again.”

A small counter spell to help break this one. A small measure of hope was his gift from Kalena, one he would take and hold onto.

One that came true.

Cleto opened his eyes and took a deep breath of his new freedom. He’d made the simple mistake of trusting his brother. That would not happen again. He knew firsthand the kind of man Rodas turned out to be. He’d taken his freedom, his bride, tried to take his magic and kingdom. Well, as far as Cleto was concerned, the taking was now over. Rodas was going to pay for all the crimes he’d committed to Cleto and to his people.

“I’m free, brother,” Cleto said aloud. “What do you intend to do about it now? I won’t be as easy to catch as I was that first time, or as powerless.”