The Greeting of Kings

Main Land King

"Kaliment," Simon breathed, gently shaking his shoulder. The king groaned, and lifted his head, paper stuck to his face. He pulled it off with a laugh, feeling like an idiot.

"Where is Isa? Kasandra?" Kaliment mumbled, he couldn't remember for his life were he was.

His advisor rubbed a damp thumb across his jaw, "You are home Kaliment. You are at the castle. Kasandra is with Isa. Two days from now King Lincoln and his Knight Valkyrie will be here."

"Oh yea," Kaliment responded pushing himself to his feet. He smiled down at Simon. His best friend and advisor was back home.

"Where is Emma?" Emma his newest daughter who Simon had sired.

"With Kasandra, boy do they love each other." Kasandra was his heir to the throne. His firstborn--almost. She was part of a triplet set he had back a few years ago. His other two children were Icelyn--conceived by rape from the outlanders trying to sieze his throne-- and Sarah, his and Isa's child.

"I better find Isa." Isa was Kaliment's wife, his wife he nearly drove off when he had a wee bit of an affair with Simon. The man he still loved.

Simon nodded, and took a step back. "Kali..."

"Yes?"

"Would you be my best man?"

Kaliment bit his lip and nodded. That was right, his advisor was getting married in a few weeks time. Shit. "Yes. I'd be honored."

Simon smiled but it was almost as though it was fake. No matter what Kaliment did he couldn't shake his feelings for Simon. So he studied the smaller, brown haired, golden eyed man.

"Uh, Kaliment."

"Yea?"

"My eyes are up here, stop looking like you are going to kiss me," Simon started with a nervous laugh.

Kaliment grinned and pushed a hand through his tangled hair. Something was wrong with him. Something was defiantly wrong with him. Could it possibly be what Amir had warned him of? Future cycling? He had Emma over a year ago, and despite the fact he was male, could it be possible he was cycling as in if he mated he could get pregnant?

"Sorry, Si, I just feel weird today."

"You did fall asleep on that ancient desk again, come on lets get you to Isa. You need a bath and need to confer with her about Lincoln, because that man and his consort are very dangerous even if they bring nothing but themselves.

******

Kasandra giggled as Isa slapped the bubbles on top of Kaliment's head. The king gave a growl at his wife. "I am a grown man Isa, I don't need you washing my hair."

"Well someone is a crab today." Despite his protest his cheerful wife starting spiking horns in his hair, Kasandra laughing like crazy.

"Pretty soon Kali, she'll be getting to old to take baths with you." The king studied his three and a half year old daughter who could read and write pretty well. She was a spitting image of him. Complete with the dazzling bright red eyes and silky black hair--a genetic mutation Kaliment didn't think was possible to pass down to his children.

"Oh Kassy," Kaliment cooed scooping up her tiny body out of the water. She threw her arms around his neck as he washed her back.

"Kaliment, Kazir and Killian, you really should assign them one of your heirs."

"What ever do you mean, Isa?" Kaliment growled as she continued to spike up his hair, like he was a five year old and not her husband.

"Queens are not the dominate leaders. You need a son."

"Things can change Isa, you have equal ruling power to me. Besides Kazir and Killian are already in training to be her protectors and even then I can't pick one of them over the other."

"Kaliment." Isa stated softly, "Look at her body. She's three years old, and she can't weight more than thirty pounds. Look at you Kaliment you are her mother, you are a beast of a man."

"She's healthy!" Kaliment roared, then shut his eyes and lowered his voice after catching hold of his leash. "She's genetically not like her siblings. Amir can't run his tests do to the power outage, but...." A long heavy sigh. "She takes after who ever her father is. I can see details within her that make her not mine."

"Chad said...."

"I know what he said and how he explained it that they altered my DNA some how so I could mate with myself. But Isa, Kasandra has a father, and whatever he was, he was brittle and tiny."

"Daddy, I'm not weak..." Kasandra whimpered out as Kaliment set her back in the warm water. Isa by now was rinsing out his hair as well.

"I know that sweet pee," Kaliment smiled, she was so intelligent. "Isa, despite her seeming frailness and pettiness she will grow out of it. She's a strong little girl and she will be completely fine. You worry to much."

"You know I do after we nearly lost Sarah." Isa retrieved a bath towel for him. After slinging it around his hips he cupped his wife's face and kissed her.

"Daddy!" Kasandra cried, lifting her arms for him.

"Yes darling," he smiled at her, getting a pink little towel he scooped her up and tossed her high. Isa smiled and leaned against the door way. She had already bathed awhile ago and was fully dressed. Her silk like brown hair tied back in a neat braid, and her green eyes flashing with worry.

"Its these visitors isn't it?" Isa nodded.

"He's a fellow king he should have good manners." Kaliment assured, "Besides I know him personally. I met him back before he took back his throne. He's a good lad."

Isa nodded, and Kaliment passed her his favorite child and heir to the throne, Kasandra. "Dress my little girl for me and take her for a walk in the gardens. I'm going to spend time with the rest of the gang. Then I have a meeting at dusk."

"Then you have a meeting with me tonight," Isa purred, flicking his toned abdomen. Kaliment threw a sneer at her and nodded.

"Sounds fair."