Chapter 164: The Darkness and Blood

A few days after the executions, there was a minor lull in the torrent of things that needed to be done. Laurel threw up her hands and started stripping just after breakfast.
Adolph chuckled, heading into the bathroom ahead of her to run her a cold bath as she struggled out of her gown.
“I told you to just wear the simple gowns.”
“But it’s not queenly!” Laurel huffed and growled. “Stupid ribbons!”
Adolph left the bath to run and returned to save his young wife from her queenly gowns.
“I’m so young barely anyone takes me seriously even now.”
Adolph shook his head and caught her hands before she ripped the ribbons. He kissed her pouting lips and began to work the ribbons free.
“You caught a treasonous noble and made it possible to clean up the kingdom in one fail swoop. Plenty of people take you seriously,” Adolph soothed, undoing the knots and pulling her dress apart. “I certainly take you seriously.”
Laurel flushed and worried her lip, stroking a hand over his chest and he licked his lips.
“Don’t tempt me,” Adolph said and pulled her gown over her shoulders so it landed in a pool of fabric. “Into the tub.”
She pouted and obeyed.
“I’ll call Sarah and Lily to look after you.”
She huffed and slipped down into the tub with a little gasp.
“Fine! Have it your way!”
“As is my right, wife.”
He found Sarah and Lily a few minutes later. The two women hurried up to their chambers to look after Laurel. Adolph left her in their care with a kiss on her head and headed down to the training pitch.
The sun was bright overhead and the sky was clear. It seemed like it was going to be a good day. He hoped there were plenty more after it.
Chasel grinned at him and waved, “Your Majesty, what an honor to have you join us! Care to join us on in the mock battle?”
He grinned. It had been a long time since he’d been in a mock battle. He missed the thrill of it and he was curious about how adept the recruits were.
“Count me in. Assign me as you please.”
Chasel grinned, “Red side, last line.”
Adolph snorted at the thought. He supposed it was fitting that he was the last line of defense. The training exercise was a largescale version of an old game. The generals of each side were meant to strategize and ensure that their king was able to escape the battle. It was a simple exercise to prepare for ambushes.
Adolph was a part of the king’s guard, the last line of defense. He picked up a training sword and checked that the edge had been dulled. When he was certain that he wouldn’t injure anyone, he went to meet up with his team’s general. The young man seemed nervous. They all did, but he didn’t look to Adolph to come up with a plan and put forth a very straightforward plan.
It wasn’t a bad plan if a bit inelegant, but the young man seemed young. The exercise seemed geared towards exposing the young recruits to battle strategy. He took his position with the rest of the last line guard and waited for the battle to begin.
The other side attacked with their full force, trying to squeeze Adolph’s team into needing more people on the front line. It was working. It seemed as though the offensive team had more experienced warriors and better fighters.
Chasel watched with a little bit of amusement as Adolph scanned the battle. By now, he should have realized that the teams were unbalanced. As Adolph’s frontal defenses started to thin out, he watched Adolph lift his sword and ready himself. They broke through Adolph’s team’s shield wall and Adolph launched into battle.
For a while, it seemed fine. He was as swift and as elegant as ever, fighting a clear path to get his “king” towards the safe zone, but the air turned heavy and Chasel narrowed his eyes watching Adolph's movements.
They grew lethal. The swings of his sword grew sharper as if he was losing himself in a memory. He blocked, parried, and shoved the other teams’ soldiers away with more force than was necessary.
His eyes started to flicker, but before Chasel could call the exercise over, Adolph’s “king’ reached the safety zone and the horn was blown announcing the end of the exercise.
Adolph blinked as the darkness cleared from his vision and the sound of the horn filled his ears. He looked down at the young man, curled up on his side, and dropped the training sword in horror. He cast his gaze around nervously and took deep breaths of air, but he smelled no blood.
There was pain and the scent of the kicked-up earth, but no blood.
He looked at Chasel who was staring at him with wide, nervous eyes. He flashed him a smile to reassure him even as his blood ran cold. He kneeled beside the young man.
“Let me get you to the infirmary.”
The man grunted, cupping a hand over his ribcage, allowing Adolph to help him inside. The doctor flitted around the injured before declaring them all having severe bruising and maybe a few fractures, but nothing worse than what he’d expected from a mock battle.
A little flicker of relief went through him, but it was dying out as he left.
Chasel was waiting for him outside.
“Your Majesty…” Chasel ventured.
Adolph gave him a tight smile, “I’m… going to wash up then go to my office. Thank you for inviting me, it was fun.”
Chasel worried his lip, but Adolph didn’t stay to reassure him. He headed up the stairs as fast as he could manage and entered his room just as the familiar heat began to burn beneath his skin. He shuddered, trying to keep his thoughts clear as he pulled his shirt over his head.
Water splashed from within the bathing room and he winced, retreating. He hadn’t expected Laurel to either still be in the tub or getting back into the tub. He was losing his mind if he hadn’t heard her in their chambers before he’d entered.
Carefully, he escaped the room as sweat began to dampen his hair and he felt his neck burning with fever. He needed to cool down as quickly as possible. He headed down the hallway to the queen’s rooms and ducked into the bathroom, activating the tub’s spouts to fill it with cold water.
He was glad that it was responding properly. He stripped quickly and got inside, shivering a bit at the chill and forcing himself to take deep calming breaths as the shaking started.
“Moon, be my light and guidance,” he whispered, closing his eyes as memories of blood and battle flittered behind his eyelids. “Give me strength when I have none. Give me serenity… Give me peace…”
His wolf growled. The darkness and anger were rising, barely restrained by his will and his prayers.
He’d been so wrong. He thought that it wasn’t possible to be losing himself still, let alone in a mock battle. It wasn’t a real battle! If he couldn’t control himself for a mock battle, who knows what else would set him off? Would an argument be enough? What if he just got angry or frustrated?
What if he hurt Laurel or their child?
The thought made him queasy and made the tremor in his hand worse.
“Adolph?”
He turned sharply to look at Laurel standing in the doorway in her dressing gown. She came closer. Adolph got out of the tub and went to her, wrapping her in his arms.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t think… I didn’t think it would be like this. I had no idea.”
Laurel stroked his back nervously. His skin was feverish though she could feel how cold the water was. Why was he running so hot?
“What’s wrong?”
“The curse,” he said, “It’s… It’s worse than I thought.”
Laurel listened to him explain what happened calmly, but it didn’t let her stay calm. She pulled back and looked up at him.
“I think… we should send a message to Taliesin… and go to the temple sooner than we planned.”
His eyes widened and before he could ask, she took his hands, “I think you’d feel less on edge if you knew I was somewhere safe…And maybe the peace of the temple will help.”
Adolph blinked and took a deep breath before nodding, “You’re right… What would I do without you?”
She pouted, playfully, “Use all the cold water.”
He laughed, “I doubt that’s possible, darling, but I will try my best not to!”
He shook his head and pulled her back into his arms, “Thank you, Laurel.”
She nodded into his chest, “Sword and shield, Adolph.”
He kissed her head, “Let’s have dinner together?”
“Sounds great.”