The Raven

Twenty-Four

"What news have you for me today, Delilah?" the king asks, tiredly rubbing his palm over his face. The stress of the recent happenings has been wearing excessively on him; if only he could finally eliminate everything standing within his path to success, then life would surely be easier. Perhaps his duties would be more manageable, more effortless. At least for a while, until everything inevitably and quite literally falls apart, leaving him shattered beyond repair. Alas, that is not the thought he should be concentrating on right now; he can only take things one step at a time, or else failure will be imminent and wholly unforgiving.

"The raven has been acquiring courage, Your Majesty," she replies, her thoughts racing with possible scenarios about how this new information may or may not work to her advantage. The success of her plan relies fully on the raven's ability to be compelled into supporting her; she absolutely cannot risk having him become too brave in his actions. Perhaps she should not have tricked the king into this idea in the first place; there is still a significant chance that the raven's growing confidence and boldness could obliterate her scheme entirely. "Yesterday, he left the tower for the first time and spent the morning in the garden with His Highness in his raven form. Unfortunately, Princess Elaina's arrival in early afternoon promptly ended their visit," she dutifully reports, a faux pleased expression gracing her face and masking her genuine feelings of contempt for the possibility of failure.

The king hums in response, thinking over the witch's words thoroughly. If these details are accurate, then it appears everything is well. For now. However, the anger he harbors for his wife's incompetence and inability to simply stay out of his affairs irks him greatly. "I am not sure yet whether or not that princess will be useful to our cause," he says, his fingers scratching at the stubble on his chin as he wonders. "My wife seems to think that forcing Henry to marry this... Princess Elaina will somehow prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled, but I believe it will only hinder or progress. We need Henry and the raven to be completely in love with each other if we wish this to work," His Majesty explains, his mind desperately attempting to conjure a solution for the queen's incessant meddling.

"I agree, Your Majesty. There is a slim possibility that the raven may succumb to feelings of jealousy toward Princess Elaina as she spends more time mingling with His Highness over the course of her stay in the palace. However, I am hopeful that I have raised him to be too kind-hearted and compassionate to surrender to such ill feelings. I think that if his focus should remain on his love for His Highness rather than envy, the plan is more likely to be successful. Perhaps seeing the disinterest that the prince so openly expresses for the princess will be comforting to the raven," Delilah says, although her words do not match her thoughts. Unbeknownst to the king, the witch knows that it would not necessarily be detrimental to her own plotting if the raven should develop a feeling of jealousy toward the princess; in fact, it would likely only further her scheme, making the creature much more susceptible to her compelling ways.

The king takes several moments to process the witch's words and the situation as a whole, silently sorting through each individual circumstance as it has been presented to him. With everything happening so quickly, there is no room for deviation from the plan if he wants to be successful at preventing the fulfillment of the prophecy--and that is what the king wishes for above all else. They absolutely cannot allow any divergence, especially not now, so late in the game. If everyone has done their jobs correctly, then there is little chance the raven will fail them now.

His Majesty wonders whether the same can be said for his son. Has Henry been adequately conditioned to complete the role expected of him? And what about the unnecessary and entirely inconvenient presence of Princess Elaina? She is an unexpected obstacle, an unpredictable wrench thrown into their path. The queen has more than likely brainwashed her into thinking she will be the one to marry Prince Henry; she had evidently become highly attached to that outlandish delusion.

"I suppose that all we can do is observe at this point," the king says, his words immediately followed by a frustrated sigh. If only the fate of his entire kingdom were not riding squarely upon his shoulders; if only this single event were not required to prevail in order to save them all from the most wicked and undeserved destiny that awaits them should this plan fail. "We must watch them closely and absolutely not interfere unless things take a drastic turn for the worse. And as for that Princess..." His Majesty trails off briefly, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as he contemplates his response; he honestly has no idea how to solve the dilemma with the foreign princess. "I really wish my wife would stop trying to take matters into her own hands; it is only causing delay to our progression."

"Would you like me to stop her, Your Majesty?" Delilah asks, a secret thrill dancing down her spine at the mere idea; she has been longing for the chance to rid herself of the vile woman for nearly two decades now. "I could compel her with my magic if you wish."

"No, thank you, Delilah. I do not think that will be necessary," he answers, carding a hand through his thick, graying hair. Then, with a seductive tone, he curls one side of his lips into a smirk and says, "Now, enough of this. Come, serve your king in the way only you can."

Pleased with the invitation and beyond eager to fulfill His Majesty's request, the witch wastes no time crossing the room. Once immediately before her king, she drops to her knees and hurriedly removes his pants. As her hungry mouth descends on him, he lets out a throaty growl of appreciation, his hand winding in her hair.

"This... mmm, this is why I have kept you around all these years," he tells her, his voice strained with the pleasure coursing through him. "Your loyalty and magical powers are simply an added bonus."

Unable to speak with her mouth full, Delilah opens her eyes and peers up at the king, only to find him already staring back at her. Keeping his right hand firmly entwined in her hair and holding her in place, he lifts his left to gently stroke her cheek. "Good girl," he whispers.