The Speech of Restoration

Malinda makes a grimace of pure resolve; clenched teeth, a frown of beauty, and eyes which burns with passion.

She says, “I want to meet your mother.”

“Mm… Okay, come, I will take you to her,” Xe’Reth said as he fakes being injured as he stands up. But as worried as she is, she helps him up, to stand straight. “It is okay Malinda, I feel a lot better now.”

“I… see,” she said with flickering eyes as his one hand shows in front of her face.

Xe’Reth gazes towards the broken door as he recognizes the poor people which has gathered out there, but that view disappears as he turns to the door in question. As he is about to grab ahold of the handle, he looks behind himself, to see Malinda there with dead-set eyes.

“Malinda… it won’t be a pretty sight. So if you can’t handle it, tell me and we’ll leave the room,” Xe’Reth said with a concerned voice while he shows his pain with a forced smile. “Come.”

She doesn’t say anything, only nods with her hard as steel facial expression, readying herself.

As the door opens, Malinda prepares to hold her breath for the smell that she so remembers. That smell of rotten flesh which had been scorched upon her mother’s and father’s body, but as Malinda catches a breath of the vented out air, her eyes flickers in amazement from no nauseating scent.

It’s more of a soothing perfume, an aroma of complete harmony. Its smell is like a flowerbed of the most astounding floras that can be bought for money. It simply blows Malinda’s senses to the Divine Sky.

As Malinda follows closely behind Xe’Reth, she sees the white bed where his mother lies slumbering. When they go to her, Malinda’s face contorts into pure pity while she raises a hand to cover her mouth. The woman who lies there on the bed that has blood imprinted onto its sheets, is groaning in her sleep.

From a sudden move, Xe’Reth’s mother feels the pain of her inflicted body, but she is unconscious, so she doesn’t feel the pain directly inside her head. Only her body, her body is the one that gains such agony. Though, even her mind is experiencing the torture as tears has formed around her eyelids, as if some nightmare is plaguing her.

Malinda’s expression becomes filled with sorrow as she turns to stare with watery eyes at Xe’Reth. She can still remember how her father and mother felt when they were inflicted with this disease. Their screams of agony, their calls for help, but no help was able to aid them. But here in front of her, Xe’Reth’s mother, still lives.

She’s still alive, Xe’Reth has actually kept her alive for four years!

“This is my mother, Theresa Quinery. And that would make my name, Xe’Reth Quinery,” he said proudly while trying to put up one of his forced smiles.

“Quin...ery… Xe...Reth Quin...ery… Yes, I like it very much. But, I still can’t believe that you’ve actually kept your mother alive for this long,” Malinda said as she gazes at the bandages that covers Theresa. “Your mother must be a strong woman to be able to stay alive for over four years since the disease broke out. Though… I know that it is because of your love that she has been able to live. This scent I smell, what is it exactly?”

“Oh, it is just an incense I made. It has a very tranquil feeling, doesn’t it? Well… If you mix the right amount from certain flowers, powder, dough, and have the right equipment, then the result can be extraordinary… Or it can be one’s own doom,” Xe’Reth said as he looks towards a shelf that has many vials of all kinds of fluids, dry leaves hanging, crushed vegetation that has been prepared for later use, and different kinds of boxes and tools. “I’ve had my fair share of failures for these three years since I began with it, because I have been trying to ease my mother’s agonizing life. But this disease just won’t go away… no matter what I give her.”

Malinda’s eyes becomes wide with horror, which Xe’Reth sees, “Oh, but don’t get me wrong, I try all of my experiments on myself first, before I give it to my mother. Though, she has become rather addictive to the Yran’Gilis’s effect.”

“So it is a dangerous flower then?” Malinda asked as she too looks around the bedroom curiously, seeing all of the mysteries that Xe’Reth has.

“Everything is dangerous if you take a certain quantity of it, which my mother has… sadly. But... I couldn’t do anything else,” Xe’Reth said as he grows sad while he lowers his eyebrows by the means of saving his mother. “I have to keep her alive, she… she is my mother… My only parent. What else can I do…?”

Malinda hugs him affectionately because he shows blank sorrowful eyes, a face of pure anxiety which drills into Malinda’s pulsating heart of tenderness, “It is okay, you don’t need to explain yourself to anyone. I would exactly do the same to save my parents. But I wasn’t as strong as you back then. I was so immature… I only watched as my parents died… My father who died from a heart attack when he couldn’t stomach the pain which your mother has endured for over four years. And my mother… who… My mother who…”

Xe’Reth’s hands takes ahold of Malinda’s now grief-stricken skull as she hugs him with such a secure embrace. He makes her look into his ebon eyes and says, “Malinda, your parents, they were great people. I have heard of your father’s rule, his generous rule of this city which hasn’t been degraded by your family’s affectionate hands. Your mother, she helped the poor people who starved on the street. She gave out food to the needy, and gave shelter to those who had no homes. But, I never experienced those luxuries myself.”

“I lived a well-off life with my mother before the disease came. My mother, she was my role model; she was strong, beautiful, and compassionate. She was one of those people who also helped the poor, like your mother.”

“Because of my hair and eyes, I have always been looked upon by judgments of disgust, distrust, and someone who is disloyal. Just a simple boy who's an atrocity. But these four years of living in poverty has shown me the truth. The truth of peoples’ minds.”

‘Even though my mind is far more rotten to the core…’ Xe’Reth thought as he keeps on spewing out his drivel while he holds onto Malinda’s head so she stares straight into his shadowy eyes.

“Though, I have recently met someone who I can share all my secrets to, it’s you Malinda. You’re my savior. What I want from you, isn’t the statues of beings with you, no. I want someone who I can share my sad moments, my joyful moments, and my mad moments with.”

Xe’Reth gives her a quick kiss as he then says, “My mother and you will be… everything to me.”

“I love you,” he said as he finished, while Malinda shows tears that has gathered up.

“Yes, yes I love you too—!” she cried out as she presses her rosy lips onto his.

They once again starts kissing each other with deep long kisses. Their tongues swirls inside their wet mouths while Xe’Reth yet again gets the smudges of red lipstick on him. But they keeps on kissing and kissing, until they part, though this time both of them stops at the same time.

But they remain embraced, but Malinda wipes off her lipstick off of him automatically with her sleeve, not caring if it gets dirty. Then she lowers her head so it rests on his bare shoulder. Malinda feels his warm-blooded skin upon her cheek as she keeps it there, falling into a daze.

They stand there beside Theresa who’s sleeping while her groans resounds throughout this bedroom where they hold each other in a lovingly cuddle.

‘Hopefully she won’t be too clingy in the future.’ Xe’Reth hopefully thought because… he doesn’t love her, all of these emotions that he shows are completely fake. His wooing has been accomplished, and now he just needs her hand in marriage. Then, he’ll become… an Honored One himself. But that will take a long time to bear fruit, for he must take it slow so no one suspects him of intrigue.

He must lock away his true feelings and bear his facades, those masks that hides his deceitfulness, those masks that brings forth his cheerfulness and kindheartedness. If he can only get her pregnant with his child…

As Malinda’s head rests on his one shoulder, she doesn’t see his smile of deception that displays on his victorious lips. She has never once thought that these emotions that he shows her are fake.

A component she has found for her troubled mind that has sought out this sensation but never had the courage… until now. What if she never met him? Would she forever be lonely? Never finding a lover? Maybe she would pledge herself to the priestesses of the Divine Queen? To join in the celibacy of purity that they're known for.

But now, she can only smile... Smile for finding someone that she can truly like, to love, to spend the rest of her life in such an embrace which she's feeling right at this moment. The beatings of hearts, the breaths of arousal. She grips slightly tighter around him to not let go of her component of happiness.

As Malinda had to leave to take care of all of the conflicts that’re inside her mind, Xe’Reth guides her out of his and his mother’s room. Though Malinda is worried that the men who tortured Xe’Reth might come back, but she swallows her concerns to deal with the matter at hand.

The perpetrators must be found; hunted down to face her wrath!

They stand there inside the kitchen by the broken front door while they’re saying their goodbyes, for now, “I don’t want to leave you here alone, but I need to find those men who hurt you.”

“No need to worry. Because last time they caught me off-guard. Though this time they won’t be able to hurt me… Sure, I am wounded, but I was afraid if I did something to them, they would hurt my mother. But, since I have you as my lover now, I don’t need to be afraid of that anymore, now do I?” Xe’Reth said while placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her while smiling.

“Sigh, be careful. I will come back as fast as I can, and move your mother to the castle. It might take a couple of hours or maybe a day or two, but hang in there… And I… I love you, Xe’Reth, I truly do,” Malinda said with aching worry as she strokes his bandaged chest.

“Malinda, you worry too much. But I promise nonetheless. I will be waiting for you here with open arms. Now go Malinda, for it seems the crowd is beginning to become restless with curiosity,” Xe’Reth said as he caresses her cheek with his hand, but… “Hmm… If... If you want the people to respect you even further, give a little speech about that you, Malinda, will start to give out food to the needy, like your mother. Because, it is tough to live down here in the slums.”

“From a small amount of money you can make the simplest people worship you. Just look at your mother, so many cried when she died. For when she died, so died her charity organization,” Xe’Reth said with an overbearing smile which shines upon Malinda, wanting to give her courage.

“You are right! They did stop giving out aid to the poor… Wait…” she covers her mouth in surprise, “My… My brother’s wife was the one to order them to stop… I… I remember now, she said that it was a waste of money, like throwing gold coins into the lake.”

Her eyes gazes outside, she stares with sorrowful eyes at the crowd of raggedy people, filthy people who hasn’t bathed, children who are too skinny to be true, and that just makes Malinda angry. What has she been doing these years since her parents died?

“You are correct, Malinda. I knew this. Though, you do know which family your sister-in-law comes from, right?” Xe’Reth asked but he didn’t wait for her response. “She comes from an esteemed family that hasn’t reached the status of ‘Honored One’. Only she and her husband, your brother, is an Honored One. The people from that family are arrogant, egotistical, and envious. They’re not a family of kindness, but… Sigh, I don’t know much about them, only what I have heard on the street.”

‘Though I think that the Honored Madam, Celyssa, is only a puppet for her family. Through her, nepotism is born,’ Xe’Reth thought.

“You say Celyssa’s family is corrupt? But every time they have visited us, they have been so generous and caring. They are the most perfect noble family that I have ever seen,” Malinda said with a clouded mind as her eyebrows lowers immensely.

“I went too far, I am sorry. It’s not my place to judge, but you’ll see when they reveal themselves. But for now Malinda, do as I said. Be strong like your mother was! Make people seek your aid, and not your wrath! Make them worship you like their Goddess, their savior!” Xe’Reth said in a high but caring voice as his face starts beaming at her.

Malinda just stares with a warm heart; her cheeks sprouts forth a blush as her arms embraces Xe’Reth with all her emotions, again. Talking about her dead mother has made her feel the emotions that’re so unpredictable right now, but when she heard Xe’Reth talk about how she can be her people’s savior, she feels the happiness that she has felt whenever Xe’Reth speaks.

“I will do it! Yes, I will do as you say Xe’Reth! Even though my brother is the ruler of this city, I do own one third of it! Come, I must tell the crowd that I’ll give them their aid back!” Malinda said as she releases her embrace from him and starts to pull him outside with such a beam of light on her smiling face.

As Xe’Reth is dragged outside, Taryna sees them and was about to speak to her Miss, but Malinda walks straight past her so she can get the attention of the whole crowd. They aren’t many, only two dozen or so people. Though that’s enough for her word to spread. Her generous words which will sound out into the entire outer layer.

“Divine… It really is her Honored Lady Malinda…” a woman said while clutching onto her baby who’s currently sleeping in her embrace. Though her hollowed cheeked face shows her weakness of poverty.

“Why in the world would she be down here…? Wait… Isn’t that the brat…? Oh… Queen. So it was true, about that rumor…” A scrawny man said with empty patches of hair showing on his dirty-looking head.

The man had heard a rumor while strolling through the outer layer, enjoying the festivities, but the man was driven away because he was filth itself. Though as he was on his way home, he saw the golden carriage standing there in the slums. Feasting his eyes upon the alloyed glory of something he’ll never experience.

Now that he sees Xe’Reth beside Malinda he truly thinks that rumor about Xe’Reth being under her protection was true. Because a man had witnessed the captain being dragged off to the prison after he had badmouthed Xe’Reth right in front of Malinda. The witness had spread it out like a laughing wildfire around the city, though of course, only those who really wanted to listen heard it, for it was the words of a madman who ridiculed the city-guard itself since the captain was a high-ranked officer.

Even though it has only gone almost fourteen hours since the fat captain was sent to prison, words had spread throughout the network of the poor. They had cheered because that captain had come many times to the slums of the city to demand certain levies that he himself put up.

It is starting to reach midday and people from various places are flooding into the city because of the festivities that’re currently going on; village folk, town folk, everybody is allowed inside on this single day. No passes are needed to come into the city to explore, though only two hour ago did the gates of the city open for those who didn’t have the licenses.

The dozens of scruffy people looks upon Malinda whose fierce yet kind reputation has spread to the slums. They’re indeed grateful for their savior that has sent the captain to the prison. Not even Malinda knows why they’re looking at her with such gratitude. But what the worn-out people are about to hear is going to send them into the Divine Sky in even more happiness.

Their vantage point, Malinda’s and Xe’Reth’s that is, is standing on the other side of the golden carriage so every person that has gathered here can see them clearly. Taryna, however, doesn’t understand what her Miss is going to do since she has been out here the whole time tending to the terrifying monsters in black gleaming armor that’re fastened to the carriage.

‘What is Miss doing? Oh no… What has that man done now?!’ Taryna thought with worry as she sees Xe’Reth leaning in to whisper something into Malinda’s ear.

“Show them how alike you and your mother are. Tell them simply that you’ll start the organization again. Then leave in a hurry, so they’ll be stunned by your greatness, your beauty, and your benevolence,” Xe’Reth whispered as if the words oozes into her with enthralling and arousing tones while Malinda feels his breath upon her ear. The words… Those words of his rings in her head like the cathedral's giant ringing bells.

A forward step she takes, then another one, so she stands with her feet in a perfect lined harmony; her whole existence is being seen by the crowd.

Her blond hair is shining ever so brightly with its golden color as her attire’s light-plate is also glistening as the sun hits it with its rays of warmth; her now fixed eyeliner, her alluring red-colored lips, her expression of serenity that displays on her turned up curves of dignity. Her eyes which scans the people with a sorrowful aspect, yet no disgust is showing in her azure spheres while Xe’Reth backs away so she can get all of the spotlight.

Malinda closes her sparkling blue eyes to ponder about what she’s going to say. Then, she slowly opens them while the people stares in awe upon this woman who’s one of the rulers of this city.

“My people. You’ve lived here for years now without any aid from the city,” she calmly said as she gazes around at the startled crowd, because her words are like a running waterfall, such a beauty if a person sees it from afar, yet deadly if that person was to travel down from it.

“I am truly sorry. I’m sorry that I haven’t looked after you like my mother did. My selfless mother who gave you food, clothes, and built houses for you, my people, to live in. But when she died, it was removed.”

“But! Be at ease, for I, Malinda Tertin, will bring back what my mother did! To bring back the organization who saved many unfortunate lives from the cold winters! I have been late to realize this, I know. Only now have I seen how you’ve lived.”

“As a ruler, I am ashamed to look upon you. Not because of the state that you’re in, no, but because I’ve lived my life not even worrying about my own people! And that makes me disgusted about how blind I’ve been!”

“I… I can’t ask for your forgiveness, I don’t deserve it, but I promise you, things will change for the better, soon!”

“Before the deadly storms of winter comes, I will have brought aid!”

“That’s all I’ve to say… My people.” She said as she curtsies with a womanly bob of her head, legs that bends slightly, and hands holding her skirt, not raising it, but holding it with a pleading sorrow of how blind she has been. To her people… To her city… Her mother would be ashamed of how naïve she has been these years of mourning her death. And her father, her kind father who would look upon her with his bearded face of disgust upon his expression.

Was she raised to be a woman who turns away from her people? Only following another one’s orders? Being led astray by a family member who has removed so much from the city, which helps the more unfortunate?

An Honored One bowing before her own people? What madness is this, is what people would normally think. But now the crowd is staring at her with dumbfounded eyes which has seen the horrors of life, called poverty.

Those who’re a noble to the bone would spit on such a behavior which Malinda shows… Why does someone like her need to help them? If they can’t even get up from their asses and do something with their pathetic lives, why waste money on such lowlifes? Instead of sitting on the streets begging… wailing… and crying about how miserable they feel, try doing something about it instead!

That kind of thinking is what makes a world rot… and rot… and rot… and rot away into a spiral of destruction that can send a kingdom to its doom. For such egotistical thinking is what destroys the minds of those who tries to get up and stand on their own two feet. Those who hold power will always be the ones who beats the poor, but even those who hold such power, are also those who can be their saviors from such beatings.

That’s what Xe’Reth wants, it is why he urged her on to speak to them… To make them worship her… To be loyal subjects to her…

When the time comes to rise to power… years from now.

For she’s Malinda Tertin, the Goddess of Battle and Benevolence. That is what Xe’Reth has in mind anyways. But he’ll see how it will turn out after she gives out aid… Will they gaze upon her as if she was the Divine Queen herself? Who knows? Xe’Reth hasn’t thought that far yet. Only a tiny made up plan that might bare its fruit, or it will wither into the past, but either way, Xe’Reth has her in his grasping hands, and she doesn’t even know it.

The crowd stands in their various conditions of poor and poorer while staring in disbelief… What did she just say? Aid? Will she bring back aid? Like her generous mother did?

“Goodbye, my people, until next time we meet,” Malinda said as she turns to the side, being very pleased with herself, because their expressions tells her everything she needs to know about her success in winning their hearts.

Then she does an even more spectacular action; she walks towards Xe’Reth while having eyes of a beast. A beast that wants her mate. With two hands, she places them on either side of his cheeks, and with a gentle motion, her lips goes to his mouth to show that Xe’Reth is hers, only hers.

But he takes that kiss like the man he is, the beastly Malinda turns into a harmless cub when Xe’Reth does an even more outrageous act. He places one foot forward as Malinda gives him a deep kiss, not a tongue against tongue kiss, but a normal puckering kiss of affection.

Though with his foot placed on Malinda’s one side, he swings her while she lets out a startling moan as she’s tossed sideways, so she tilts, hanging, while Xe’Reth holds her in place with arms around her back and waist, making her hair dangle as her tights rests on his forward placed leg.

He grins teasingly at her for he's about to do an act, which will make Malinda's face turn into something else. All going according to his plans.

Thanks for reading!

Don't forget to voice your thoughts! Hopefully I'll have time to put out a chapter tomorrow. Until next time!

If you see grammar mistakes, you're welcome to point them out! As I am the only who proofreads, which isn't the best idea... I think. :D

Comment/Favorite/Follow