The Vixen Trials

My Heart is Hooked

"Unhook your heart from mine. Embrace your destiny as Queen. It's what you should be. This land needs you, the kindness you'll bring."

Dakkoul​

She bent her head and something in him snapped. He could not let her do this. He grabbed hold of her neck and swung himself on her broad back, holding himself in position as he continued singing into her ear, but this time he changed the tune, to the one Keilah's mother had sung to her, "I love you, little girl, I love you my Keilah," and with that the Fox beneath him shook. "I do love you Keilah," he said into her pointed ear. "My heart is hooked to yours."

​With that she trembled so much he slid off, vulnerable at her feet as the air shivered and she transformed back into herself.

​"Dakkoul," she said, her eyes wide. "Did I hurt you?" She came towards him, then saw the blood coming from his shoulder and froze. "I can't come closer. I don't trust myself."

​"I'm fine," he said. 

She stood there assessing him with her eyes. "Did you mean that? That your heart is hooked to mine?"

​He swallowed. "It always has been Keilah, since from when I got captured. Thinking of you got me through."

​"Yet you urged me to marry the Prince," she said, coldly. "You never sought me out."

​"I love you enough to want what's best for you. And that's not me. It's never been me. It's him."
For the Prince now approached.

​"How dare you?" Keilah turned on Prince. "You lead me here, you wanted me to kill him. I'll never forgive you for this."

​"The Queen-Priestess ordered it," the Prince said with narrowed eyes. "Your affection for the Hattavah holds you back from taking your rightful place beside my side."

​Keilah stilled and cocked her head to one side while her chest heaved. It slowed and she said, "Perhaps it does."

​Dakkoul's heart leapt within him at her words, even as he made himself convince her otherwise. "No. I'm a bad man. A murderer, a torturer, a rent-boy. Unhook your heart from mine. Embrace your destiny as Queen. It's what you should be. This land needs you, the kindness you'll bring."

​"A rent-boy?"

​The Prince came nearer and confirmed, "Before the shunning, he was quite popular. Your Uncle set the terms, and people paid them. Can you imagine? They enjoyed the thrill of being with him."

​"So Lady Vallie was just one of many," she whispered.

​"Yes," he said not wanting to look at her. "Although I've met Jagur's God, and feel all clean on the inside, still the things I've done can't be undone."

​"You've met Jagur's God?" she said with a laugh, that she stopped as suddenly as it began. "That's good, Dakkoul."

​"Who's Jagur?" the Prince asked.

​"Still," Dakkoul persisted, determined to make her see how he felt, "You accused me once of not speaking because I did not care, but it is because I care I did not speak. I have nothing to offer you, only the strength of my hands and my heart. I know it is not enough for you.  I want you to have the extraordinary life you deserve. You are blessed by the Fox, you should live that."

​"And what about what I want?" Keilah flashed. "Jagur wanted me to change to suit him, and you and the Prince you want me to do everything you want me too. Can't I be enough just as I am?"

​"You've always been enough for me," Dakkoul said, "But I am not enough for you Keilah."

​"He's not," the Prince said crisply. "And Keilah you must face facts. You've been chosen by the Fox to be the Queen-Priestess. This is the highest honour of our land. You will rule us all, if you only submit to her will."

​Keilah exhaled. "I don't want to submit to her will. She's evil. She nearly made me kill, Dakkoul. I won't be the Princess."

​"Then you can not be Queen," the Prince retorted. "The roles are linked. They can not be unlinked."

​"I don't see why not," She paused for a moment. "Why can't you be Priest-King?"

​The Prince's jaw dropped. "The leader of the Fox is always female and is always the Queen. It's the way it has always been. If there is only a Prince, then he must chose the future ruler and be her consort, her supporter."

​"You can transform, can't you?" she snapped back. "Why can't you surrender yourself to the Fox and lead the rites yourself?"

​"Men always transform smaller and weaker than women," the Prince persisted. "That's how we know the women must lead the way."

​"So learn to transform better."

​An eagerness came over the Prince's face. "You think that's possible? It was so unusual when she did not have a girl, and only me, and was forced to look outside the family for her successor. Perhaps it was meant to be me after all." He took her hand in his. She pulled it away. "Do reconsider. We look so well together with our matching eyes."

​"One of mine is amber," she said, "The other of yours is green."

​"We are truly stunning together," he said, ignoring her words. "I'm sure the Fox means us to be together, but if you reject her path you can not be my mate."

​"I reject it," she said. 

He dropped her hand. ​"So be it. For your own sake, you should go and secure your House, now that your grandmother is dead".

​"She's dead?"

​The Prince pointed to the elderly lady on the ground, as Keilah put her hand to her mouth.
​Dakkoul felt a jolt of gratitude that he had stayed his hand. 

​"I must consult my mother," the Prince said. "You've given my much to think on" and he scurried out of the clearing, calling the other Foxes with him.

​Keilah rushed over to the body of her grandmother and flipped her over. "Who did this?" she demanded.

​"The Prince. The other foxes helped."

​"They've hated her for along time. It is not surprising, but still, it catches one", and her eyes filled with tears.

​He pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry for you Keilah. She did her best for you."

​"She did," Keilah said. "I know all that she did for me she did for herself really, but still she was my mother's mother." She buried herself in his arms for a moment longer before springing back. "Your blood, Dakkoul, wash it off."

He went and cleaned himself and tied his wounds with strips of his tunic as she watched.

​"That's better," she said. He wished he could go back to the moment she'd been in his arms, but instead he held himself aloof.

​"What will you do now?" he asked.

​"Now that I won't be Queen?" she said, considering. "I shall do as the Prince said and go and claim my place as ruler of the House."

​That made sense. "You'll be able to keep the villages safe."

​"My uncle," she said with gritted teeth. "Gave all the villages to the Prince. I'll have to win protection for them somehow, perhaps buy them back from him and there are other changes I want to make too, like getting rid of the Apistola and that hag of a priestess. I won't have worship of the Fox in my house. I hate her. And you, Dakkoul?"

​"I'll go to Jagur," he said and was surprised a whoosh of relief he felt on uttering the words. "The new moon approaches, but I think I can still make the rim in time. Perhaps I'll even find Malek and my father there." And with that, it seemed that he had said all he could, and a weariness came over him. His body throbbed, his stomach was empty, his head ached and soon Keilah would walk away. Would he ever see her again? He doubted it. He could not return to Wayvolkan territory - the Prince and all the people had made that clear. His path must lie elsewhere.