A Peculiar String of Bizarre Dreams

Chapter 19: Hansel and Gretel

The door creaks open into a lavish room.

Golden  curtains cover all the walls, and rich red carpets decorate the stony  floor. A large bed sits in the middle of the space, furnished with royal  blue satin sheets and a thousand crimson cushions. There's also a  dressing area shaded by a partition slide placed in one corner of the  room.

The King himself — I assume — stands before us, smiling and clapping his hands in welcome.

"Hello, Jemma! I've been waiting for you!"

He's  a short man but I immediately see the resemblance between him and  Lykin. They have matching sharp features, beard lengths and dark caring  eyes. He has a maroon and gold gown draped around him.

"Your Highness," I curtsy... I think? I'm not sure what I do. I've never been in royal  presence before. I do what I know is right - based on all the period  dramas I've seen - and desperately hope I haven't violated any 'royal' greeting etiquette.

"Come Jemma! Sit here!"

The  King takes my hands and gestures towards a beautiful burgundy sofa. An  inviting table of food is laid before me. There are delicious-looking warm  breads of different shapes and textures, colourful dips and a fruit  basket. Water and juice pitchers rest interspersed between the jams and  butter. I shamelessly gawk at all the food in front of me.

"Please eat whatever you wish. I don't know why they feed me so copiously, my appetite isn't that big. I usually send a bag or two full of these goods with Lykin when he visits me."

They  look at each other briefly as if recollecting an inside joke, and then  the father and son break into quiet laughter together.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you know I was coming to your realm, Your Majesty?" I interrupt.

"Oh I know everything there is to know. But I need you to tell me how I can help you?"

"Are you a Bijou Maven?" I fall into my now-familiar line of questioning.

"How else would I know you were coming, Jemma!" The King declares with the confidence and grace of a mesmerizing ballerina.

I  sigh with relief. I was close to thinking that I would get kidnapped by  crazy viking people and they would make me their slave girl,  considering the meek little child I was.

While Lykin tells his father about how he found me, I take bites from all the food I can get my hands on.

"It's rude to ignore your allies, Jemmalyn."

Sachelle's rasp intrudes on me as I devour an entire bread the size of my fist in one go.

"Oh Sachelle! I almost forgot you were with me." I take him out of my pocket and settle him onto the table.

"The werewolf's presence is bothersome. I couldn't speak until I was sure we were safe."

"Werewolf? No...that's Lykin, he's harmless."

"He's a werewolf, you ignorant simpleton, ask him yourself."

I glance over at Lykin. He looks pretty human to me, a nice protective human.

"Umm Lykin...are you a werewolf?" I ask artlessly.

Lykin  and the King stop mid-conversation. They stare at me wide-eyed, and a  strange tone of red begins to colour their cheeks. They almost look guilty, which worries me considerably.

Am I going to become food for these people, I mean, creatures?

"Who told you that, Madame?" Lykin asks me cautiously.

"I  wear sapphire around my neck, a gem of wisdom...you are a werewolf  then? Am I going to die? Are you fattening me up so you can eat me? Is  this a twisted version of Hansel and Gretel?"

The King's laugh booms around the room as Lykin continues to look puzzled.

"Lykineria is a land of werewolves, Jemma!" The King announces.

I put aside the food I was eating and fold my arms. I'm in a land of werewolves. How does this make them a peaceful people!

"We  don't talk about it, but some of our people are werewolves. It's a rare  occurrence but when we get angry, we change into wolves. I'm not one  but Lykin here, is as docile as they come."

Lykin chuckles at his father's description of him.

"It  happens for a few seconds sometimes. The moment we calm down, we turn  back into our usual selves," the King attempts to clarify.

"A  few years ago, Lykin lost a sword fight during his training. It was an  unfair match, I admit, and Lykin let his temper get the best of him. He  changed in front of the common folk. Everyone was astonished. It's taboo  to get angry in public, so angry that you change. Lykin immediately  changed back. But he was unapologetic about it, which made the common folk very unhappy. I had to resort to banishing him. Who likes an uprising?  No one, that's who! We come and go in peace."

I  consider the King's narrative carefully. He has a manner as  grandfatherly as Lykin's fatherly one. I decide to trust these guys. And  why shouldn't I, especially if Sachelle felt comfortable enough to  speak to me in their presence.

"I believe you. But I'd prefer if you didn't lie to me. I mean your realm no harm. I'm only here for a gem."

The  King and Lykin nod at me in sobriety, and settle themselves onto other  sofas around the room. Now, I feel like I'm in a business meeting.

I  quickly scrutinize my request for specifics and say, "I need a gem that  puts people at ease, makes them more zen. Something that calms them  when they're angry."

The King walks over to a chest of drawers and takes out a bejeweled wooden box. He picks out something small and hands it to me.

It's a white gem, with gray lines running across its surface. It looks like a souvenir from the moon.

"Howlite, a gem that calms. Lykin has one too."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. This is perfect," I whisper, the gem is beautiful to behold.

"Are you not going to stay with us for dinner, Madame?" Lykin asks.

"No,  I'm afraid I have to go. But I wish I could see more of Lykineria. It  sounds fascinating, I would love to meet peaceful people."

"You're welcome to visit us anytime, Jemma!" The King claps his hands excitedly.

"I look forward to it, I'd really like to see how you teach kids to fight!"

My last memory of Lykineria, is of Lykin affectionately smiling at me.