30

“So,” Jason said, catching up to Zemar, “who’s the next court member we have to find?”
They had been trekking through Irewood for two weeks now, even with Zemar teleporting them over short distances from time to time. Jason had realized that Irewood was one extremely large forest. They hadn’t encountered any woodland creatures and Barine, with her kind green eyes, had patiently explained that all the woodland creatures had come to the area where she had chosen to survive when Firgewan had seized The Capital.
“Muna,” Zemar replied without looking at him, “her territory is the Frozen Island. We should get to the shore soon so we can take a boat.”
With the way she spoke about the Frozen Islands, Jason could guess that it wasn’t exactly a fun place to be. It was probably best for them to get in there and get the hell out as soon as possible, “So we get there, ask around and get Muna? Just like we did with Barine?”
“I’m afraid it is not that simple,” Barine said from right behind them making Jason jump almost three feet in the air, “Muna and her people are like their environment; ice cold. Of course, Muna can never say no to the queen but even getting to her will be an issue.”
“That’s if we don’t freeze our asses off before we find her,” James grumbled from a few feet behind, “so many people have died in the Frozen Islands and those who come back have lost limbs due to frostbite. How Muna’s people have been surviving there for millennia, I’ll never understand.”
“It’s because they adapt,” Barine replied in her signature soothing and patient voice, “the same way creatures and animals adapt to their environment, people also do not have a choice but to learn to survive where they are. It’s just like in the forest. My tribesmen have soles and palms like wood to not get injured by branches and splinters. They’re also very slim and agile, to be able to climb.”
James nodded his understanding while Jason wondered why it was so easy to like Barine and the difference between her and Zemar. Where Barine was calm and soothing, Zemar was thunderous and commanding. Where Barine pleaded reciprocity, Zemar demanded respect. It was all very confusing.
He had never seen Zemar rule but he could just guess that their personality differences would be very obvious in their manners of rulership. But at the same time, he had never seen any sort of clash between them, not even in the rhythm of their steps. He could just imagine Zemar sitting on an elegant throne with her sharp chin thrust high in pride while listening diplomatically to her court while enchanted fans cooled her from each side. She would be dripping in gold regalia and holding a scepter three feet long, and never to forget that crown. The crown with the wickedly bright stone in the middle. He could, however, imagine Barine sitting on the floor in a small room surrounded by complaining tribesmen and woodland creatures, listening to each of them attentively and giving solutions in that voice of hers that made sure everyone left happy.
Yes, very different.
“You’re thinking about them, aren’t you?” James asked. Jason then noticed that he had been thinking so much that he had fallen behind the women and in step with James. “Two incredibly powerful women but yet so different. And somehow, their differences haven’t caused a single issue throughout our trip.”
“How did you know?” Jason asked, then looked at James suspiciously, “can you read my mind?”
Jaye chuckled, “Even Zemar cant do that. Only some spiritual creatures can read minds but then there are ways to protect yourself. I could tell what you were thinking from the pensive look on your face and the way your eyes between both of them.”
Jason nodded then quickly added, “I have a few questions.”
“I’ll answer them the best I can.”
“Okay, first, what does The Binding feel like?”
Jaye shrugged, “I don’t know. I haven’t experienced one before, obviously. Hopefully, my queen will let me be Bound to her. But from what I’ve heard, it’s like an ethereal warmth spreading throughout your body. You feel the power of your monarch surging through you and it feels amazing. And of course, it comes with an earth-shattering orgasm.” Jaye smiled when Jason stopped dead at his feet.
He was no prude, Jason knew that he had had his fair share of women back on Earth (it still felt strange to say ‘back on Earth’) but it sounded ludicrous that he’s taste Zemar’s blood and start writhing in climax. At the same time, as much as he hated to admit it, it explained Barine’s strange trembling while she was being Bound. She was having an orgasm right in front of everybody: the lamassu, her tribesmen, the woodland creatures, Zemar, he, Jaye. And everybody except Jason probably knew it too. And she hadn’t been slightly embarrassed. Wow. Jason decided that when it was time for his Binding, he’d figure out a way to get it done privately. That would be later. Right now, he had another question for Jaye.
“How come Barine and Zemar are getting along so smoothly? Their personalities are extremely different and yet, they seem to get along just fine. Or is Zemar just more accommodating than I thought?”
Jaye scoffed, “Of course not. It’s all part of The Binding. Barine automatically bends to Zemar’s unspoken will without her even knowing it. She can only oppose Zemar when Zemar actually wants her to. In any other situation, going against Zemar would cause her to slowly bleed out until she dies.”
“That’s awful,” Jason whispered and Jaye chuckled. Jason didn’t find anything funny. He was going to have his free will taken away from him and there was nothing he could do about it except not take The Binding.
“There’s no point in whispering. They both hear every word we are saying. And no, it is not awful. Luckily for every member of this court, Zemar isn’t a tyrant, even if she can be demanding. She is compassionate and kind,” Jaye had stars in his eyes at this point, “So she won't control your mind or anything. And her parents always felt like the best way to rule was to let everybody speak their minds. I think Zemar feels the same way too. I know you’re worried about not being your own person anymore, but don’t worry. You’ll be alright.” He patted Jason’s stomach and Jason smiled.
They walked in silence for a few more minutes while Jason tried to think up another question when Jaye spoke up again, “Listen, I’m sorry, man. For the whole firing you because of Zemar thing and acting like a jealous prick since we got here,” Jason noticed Zemar stiffen slightly ahead of them no doubt hearing the conversation, “you’re my friend and I should know to do better, even if Zemar is my Mate. I should know how to handle things better. It just drove me crazy seeing you with her while knowing about the bond she and I share.”
Jason wanted to speak up about Jaye’s hypocrisy on that subject but decided to keep quiet, smile, and nod. Then to change the subject, he asked the next question that came to his mind, “What’s so bad about the Frozen Islands?”
“Damn, it is devastatingly horrible. I’ve only been there once for intense training and that was centuries ago before I even met Zemar. For one, its ice and snow on four islands arranged like the arrows on a game controller. Then there’s a tiny little island in the middle which is meant to be for the Chief and his family. But even at that, it’s just ice, snow and blizzard as far as the eye can see. The Islands are close together and the water between them is covered with ice as thick as a tree trunk.
“The cold is pretty much demonic. I don’t even know how to describe it but I sure hope Zemar and Barine are out front hatching a plan to keep us warm because warrior that I am, I abhor the cold. I’d die in an hour. But then I think the only thing worse than the weather is the creatures you’d find on the Frozen Islands. Goes to say; no fun-loving creatures could live at those temperatures. We are bound to meet them but we should be fine. As long as we can fight tooth and nail. And run too.”
Now that worried Jason. He didn’t know how he would be expected to run when his muscles were frozen over and he found himself also wishing Zemar and Barine had a plan.
“We should be at the shore soon. I can smell it.”
Jason couldn’t wait till the time when he would be able to smell something days before he got to it. It sure would be nice.

As Zemar and Jaye had predicted, they made it to the massive ocean fringed by a massive beach in about four days. A chilly wind came from the West and chilled Jason to the bone, making him pull the soft moss and grass cape Barine had made for him closer around his body. He just knew it: Muna couldn’t be too far away.