Chapter 10 Tea

Someone put a pot in her arms and when Ayla opened her eyes she found herself face to face with King Rhobart.

“Fill this with snow. And make sure it’s not yellow.”

Ayla wanted to throw the damn pot at him, but the King already left, moving around the camp.

“I know how clean snow looks!”

In the middle of the camp was a fireplace, that Gorn already filled with logs. Milton took out a rune and started a fire.

Tizgar was taking care of the horses while the King took out blankets. Kerra disappeared into the forest.

“Ayla, the pot. Now!” the King said in a loud voice, not looking at her.

“You can shove the pot up your – “

The King spun around, and looked straight at her, “What did you say?”

“Nothing!”

Her muscles screamed with pain when Ayla tried to stand. The King was still looking at her, and she was determined not to let him see how much everything hurt.

The pot, made of copper felt heavy in her hands and had to half drag half carry the damn thing. Once she found a spot that had clean snow, she filled the pot and took it back to camp.

“If you are done with the pot, fill the kettle next. You will find it is next to the fireplace,” the King said once she put the pot next to him. “And put the pot next to the fire.”

“You are welcome,” Ayla muttered before going for the kettle.

When Ayla returned with the kettle, Tizgar already put the pot over the fire and the snow had melted. He added some dried meat and vegetables to the water.

Ayla looked at the King to see if he would give her more stuff to fill with snow, but when she saw that the King was busy cleaning the snow from some wood platforms and not paying attention to her, she sat on a log, in front of the fire, and looked at the camp, trying to distract herself from her aching muscles. Kerra who returned, probably from hunting, sat next to Ayla and started purring.

The camp was a place that hunters and travelers from Nordmar used to spend the night or only to rest. Wood was stored in a shed, to keep it dry. In baskets hanged inside the woodshed or a foodshed, provisions were kept – smoked or salted meat, dried vegetables, roots, and plants to treat basic wounds or sicknesses. Wood platforms were built close to the firepit to be used as a sleeping place. In some camps instead of platforms, there were small shelters, or cabins, if it was a big camp.

Ayla was trying to massage her thighs. Milton sat next to her.

“It will get better in time.”

“What will?” Ayla asked.

“Riding. Your muscles will be sore for a few days.”

Ayla wanted to tell Milton that she felt like her muscles felt like they were about to fall off her bones.

“In a pocket with a triangle that is crossed by an arrow, you will find gotu balm. Do you know for what it is used?”

Ayla nodded, “Aching muscles and pain in general.”

“Drink an infusion with gotu balm, and tomorrow morning you will feel better,” Milton told her.

Gorn and King Rhobart finished setting the camp for the night at the same time Tizgar finished making the stew.

The men sat around the fire and talked, while Tizgar filled bowls with food. Once the bowls were full, Tizgar put them on a log, next to the spices, so that the food would cool down a little. After that, Tizgar joined the discussion.

Ayla was half asleep when she heard King Rhobart talking to her, “Can you pass me a bowl of food?”

She was tired and aching and just wanted to be left alone. So Ayla took a bowl, made sure no one was paying attention to her, added a big spoon of pepper, and stirred the food well.

With a sweet smile on her lips, she put the bowl in the King's hands, “Enjoy.”

Ayla sat back on her log, picked up a bowl, and started eating while she looked at the King. When he took his first spoon of the stew, Ayla grinned at him.

The King ate everything while he kept staring at her.

He put the bowl on snow, smiled, and said, “And now you will clean the dishes. After that, you will pack them in their satchels.”

“No!”

His gaze darkened, “You are begging to be spanked.”

Ayla paled, “You would hurt me?”

“I would never harm you, t’xoria. But you need to learn discipline.”

“I will not be spanked! I am not a child!”

“Then stop acting like one and do as you are told!”

Ayla looked at the other men, hoping that they would say anything to the King. But when even Milton was looking at her with a disappointed face, Ayla stood and did what the King instructed her to do.

When she was done, she snuggled in her blankets and fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes.

If Ayla dreamed something that night, she could not remember.

*****

It was early morning when Ayla woke up. She opened her eyes only to see, on her blankets the ugliest creature she had ever seen in her life. Said creature was pink, with no eyes, instead of ears two holes on each side of its head, and two big front teeth, like a rabbit. The creature was bigger than a house cat. And dead. Very dead.

Ayla screamed and jumped from her blankets. Her muscles still hurt but she was too disgusted by the ugly creature to notice.

Someone started laughing.

Ayla turned around only to see the King who was laughing so hard that tears were falling down his face.

The others were trying hard not to laugh but failed.

“What? Scared of a molerat?” the King asked, once he calmed down.

“They are inoffensive creatures,” Gorn said.

Ayla could care less about how inoffensive the disgusting creature was. What did the King call it? A burn-it-until-nothing-is-left-of-it-rat.

“You put that ugly creature on my blankets!” Ayla accused the King.

“Ugly? I think it reminds me of you when you get angry,” the King said, and the others laughed.

Ayla kicked the creature towards the King hoping to hit him in the face, but the creature landed a few feet away.

“I would not let go of the molerat if I were you,” the King said. “It makes a perfect broth.”

Before Ayla could say to the King what he could do with the ugly thing, Kerra snatched it and ate it.

“At least someone appreciates my gift,” King Rhobart said.

Ayla was boiling with anger, and while she was preparing her things for traveling, she was thinking about how to get back at the King for the ‘I-never-want-to-see-one-in-my-life-ever-again-rat.’

When her fingers touched her messenger bag, Ayla grinned.

The rest of the day passed without any other incident and soon they were at the next camp.

Like the previous night, Ayla had to fill the pot and the kettle with snow. Tizgar prepared the food while the King and Gorn prepared the wood platforms for sleeping.

It was after dinner when Ayla offered the King a cup of tea.

“Tea?” Ayla asked.

“Yes and thank you! I am first to stand guard, so a warm drink will be welcomed,” the King said and took the cup from Ayla.

Ayla sat next to him and waited in silence for the King to finish his tea.

He drank half of the cup when he looked at her.

“What did you put in this tea, woman?”

Ayla shrugged, “Worm-rue.”

“You little – “ the King said before rushing into the forest.

Milton, who was sitting across from her, shook his head, “I am starting to think you want to get in trouble.”

“He will be breathing fire when he returns. I would hide if I were you,” Gorn advised her.

“Worm-rue, huh? I am glad that I got to know you, Princess,” Tizgar said.

Ayla was starting to think it wasn’t her greatest idea when she decided to put worm-rue in the King’s tea.

King Rhobart returned after an hour. Ayla was sitting on top of her blankets, waiting for him. She wanted to make sure he was alright.

“You!” the King said in a voice full of anger.

Ayla stood, “I can explain.”

While King Rhobart advanced towards her, Ayla walked backward until her back hit the woodshed. He put both hands around her head, trapping her between the shed and him, and stared at her.

“What the fuck are you going to explain?”

“Rhobart! She is sorry,” Milton said.

“Stay out of it Milton. This is between me and her,” The King said while his eyes never left hers.

She had never seen the King so mad. She swallowed hard.

“Did you ever stop to think what would have happened if someone would have attacked while I was busy shitting, because of you?”

“I – “, Ayla started.

“I wouldn't have been able to lift my pants to fight.”

“You could have shit on the attacker,” Tizgar suggested.

“Death-by-shit,” Gorn said.

“Shut the fuck up!” the King said to the Paladins. And to Ayla, he said, “I am going to spank you until you learn how to behave!”

“Rhobart, don’t! She’s your –“ Milton said.

“I know damn well who she is! She is a spoiled princess and she needs someone to teach her what happens when she puts another in danger.”

“Don’t. Please. It won’t happen again. I promise,” Ayla begged, her heart hammering in her chest.

“We can do this two ways: the good way or the bad way. Either way, I am going to spank you.”

Ayla looked into his eyes, inhaled deeply, and said, “The good way.”

The King nodded and pointed to a log, “Bend over it.”

Ayla went to the log and bent.

“What are you doing?” the King asked.

She gritted her teeth, “What you said.”

“First you pull your pants down, then you bend over the log,” the King said.

Ayla looked at the King and then at the other men.

“Does it has to be in front of them?”

The King looked at the others, “Turn around.” And they did.

“There! Now pull your pants down! Or I will!”

“Rhobart –“ Milton started.

“Don’t worry, I will only wound her pride, “ the King said.

Ayla stood and pulled her pants to her knees.

“Do I need to do the same with my undergarments?” she asked.

“No! Now bend!” the King said.

She took a deep breath and did as instructed. When the first spank came, Ayla breathed through the pain.

“Never again put a laxative plant in my tea!” the King growled while he spanked her.

A second spank came followed by the third. Her ass felt like it was on fire.

‘I am going to kill him! From nightshadow I can make a powerful poison. Too bad I can’t find this plant in Nordmar.”

…Nine, ten.

At ten, the King started spanking the other half of her ass.

One, two…

‘Or I can use a sword. That way I can look into his eyes the moment I stab him in the chest.’

… Ten.

At ten the King stopped and backed away. Ayla stood, lifted her pants, and looked at him.

“I hate you!” she yelled at him.

“The feeling is mutual!” he yelled back.

Then Ayla went to her sleeping platform and muffled her crying with the blankets. When Kerra came to sleep next to her, Ayla hugged the snowcat and fell asleep listening to Kerra’s purrs.