The King's Mistress

Chapter 5

Back at the castle the night after Mai's disappearance Leo was getting annoyed by the fact that Mai would up and leave. Leo wasn't the deepest thinker but he figured out the gist of it. Mai had most likely ran away due to him inability to show Mai respect and attention. Yet King Leo saw it as a rebellious state. He was angry and had no intention of tracking her down himself only letting his guards do a quick search for her. Most likely Leo himself was to lazy to search for her. Though deep in his mind he was worried for her. His mistresses seem to fade away like he became bored with their attempts to marry him. He felt empty though he didn't quite give up on the mistresses he just had less of an attraction to them at that particular moment. Leo tried to fill the void with musicians and dancers at his beckon call yet their melodies and swift appeal brought little amusement to the hardened king. Leo locked himself away in his study or chamber to be alone to think. The king was never aware of his treasures until they were taken from him. The King grew insane with his guilt and loneliness. He longed for his maiden but alas she was gone. Gone from sight but never quite gone from the mind. Leo summed up what little bit of strength he had to drag himself to his near by balcony and look out at the kingdom. Weak from lack of sleep and lack of food the poor king was withering away. Like the rose of the beast only to be broken by his lover's return. True loves kiss shall break and spell and mend the heart and soul of the distressed King. He laid limply in bed almost lifeless. His worried servants waited on him trying to find any means of excitement and happiness in the king. His mistresses unsatisfied with him for his lack of fun.
The castle now dark and lifeless as the King shut himself away.

At the cottage I could feel the dullness in the air. The air was plain, stale, and was hard to breath.
Eric was very nice to me and treated me as a princess when I wasn't volunteering to clean the stable and feed the cows and chickens. I work as I use to on my father's old farm. My hands now blistered and red from use.
It had been a few days since my escape. Was it really an escape or was it just my way of getting back at Leo for loving those women? Those dogs of the streets who prowled the kingdom for lovers of the night. How vile and disgusting those creatures were. Would Leo miss me over his prey, his lustful acts of the night in which no man should take part of nor woman at that. His heart blackened by the sins he committed each night with those vile creatures. Their hungry mouths feasting on his lips at night as he toys with them. No, he has no intention of searching for me. An act of kindness was all the reason for my stay at the castle. Once lust now a simple act of kindness to cover his lustful deeds of the night. A toy, that's what I was a toy to show that he had matured enough to make the people see he had settled down with a good woman and was now ruling his people faithfully with queen at his side.
I was not a queen nor was I a creature of the night. I was tricked into loving a untrue lover. The eyes of the man who looked at me was always looking at another woman deep in his love chamber.
"I love it here" I thought "the kindness of a man who was true not only to his word but to his former wife. Eric was still a widower with no eyes for me nor I to him." My mind wondered of Leo but then trailed off to the work ahead. Minute after minute, hour after hour my mind played on with thoughts of Leo. My poor brain still held those days when he was faithful only to me during our times together. No more, I could take no more I had to put the King behind me. His name should be a curse to my lips. Those memories wiped from my mind. I was angry at myself and angry at the King.
The work became scarce and the memories became stronger and stronger now the memories were stained into my mind like wine to a cloth.

Leo had sent for his guards to search again. "Widen the search, multiply the guards." The king said. Mai was to be found even if it took the whole guard to find her.