He a Responsible King

"How are you, lass?" Duncan asked me. He was currently occupying the seat where Riley occupied a few minutes ago.

The woman was in the kitchen feeding the kids. My new friend left me and faced the kids rather than joining me. Well, I cannot blame her. She was new to town. And speaking to the laird was not at the top of her list.

She did send over a plate full of mini cream puffs. If she was trying to fatten me up, she was succeeding. I made a mental note to at least exercise for the next few days and to avoid visiting her shop.

"After the bomb that you dropped? No," I replied. Yeah, I sound sour but could people blame me?

"Julie, lass," Duncan began.

"It's fine, Duncan, I am okay. I understand." Who was I kidding? Myself apparently. Showing my bad side was something I was not proud of, yet this man was in front of me. His eyes were so focused on me that I had to look away from him. Because if I don't, I would be pulled into his gaze, and I wouldn't be able to think straight.

"I am a paranormal romance writer. You, being a god, made me think that all the things that I have been writing about might actually be true," I glanced at him. The grin that was on his face told me I was on the right track.

"Really? All of them are…" I let my words fade as realization dawned on me.

He was nodding, which only meant one thing. All of them, all of the creatures I have read and made a romance story of, were real.

"Each pantheon of every fraction and region has a task to look over the creatures you have been writing about. As King, it is my duty to look over my subjects," Duncan explained.

"Modern technology is both a blessing and a curse for gods like us." The irony could clearly be heard in his voice. "The sudden boom of that sensitive machinery made it impossible for us to travel undetected. Most of the oldest and most stubborn Immortals refuse to bend or obey the rules each pantheon has placed."

Duncan shook his head and it was clear that he was not happy with the turn of events. Being exposed to the world to see was not something that people want. Looks like gods do too.

"All gods came from different nations, right? So it means a different outlook, different religion, and different culture. All of you are bound to fight at some point. How?" I asked.

As an author of paranormal romance, the level of research I do for my books takes months to accomplish. Ideas would sprout, but the actual writing takes place when the sprout had become a tree and was blooming. It was my editor who noticed my pattern.

["The only way for you to write well, Julie, is for your imagination to bloom. The words I read now, are nothing compared to when you are on the roll. Everything blend so well that you cannot distinguish reality and fantasy."]

I could still remember what he said that day. He flew from America to Scotland just to have me under the wing of the publishing house he was in.

I looked at Duncan who was silently contemplating how to answer my question. He was the King of Tuatha Dé Danann. There were things a human should not know. I winced. I must have asked the wrong question.

"Our treaty is complicated. We are not allowed to meddle in other pantheon affairs unless it is direly needed. Like what happened to South Korea," He sounded so tired.

"You were in Korea because?"

"Because some younglings thought that they could break rules and get away from it." The air inside the room began to drop. Whatever caused Duncan to fly to Korea must be something that really ticked him off.

I sigh. Making him angry in a public place is not a good idea. I could see that people are already feeling the sudden drop in temperature.

"Come on, Duncan. I need to walk all the calories I just ate. You might as well join me," I told him.

Gads, I could see the glint of happiness in his eyes. It was like he was going on a date with the words I just told him. He picked up the plate of mini cream puff and proceeded to walk to the kitchen at the back like he owns the damned place.

I shook my head and went outside. The kids were eating, and knowing them, they adjusted their needs to me. Each time I see them smile and have fun, ease the pain that I might have done something irreversible when I hauled our small family here.

The door of the bakery opened and Duncan walked out of the store with a bag of more than just the cream puff we carried in the kitchen. "What happened to my cream puff?" I asked as he held out the take-out bag.

"They are still there. Riley told me to take the other cake home. So that is what I would be doing." Duncan reached for my free hand and entwined our fingers as we walked the not-so-busy streets of Strathpeffer.

I knew people were looking at us. Their Laird was walking, hand in hand, with a woman. Something that I would bet they have never seen. How do I know? The look on their faces said it all. There was a mixture of happiness, curiosity, and skepticism.

"We are drawing attention," I told him.

He grinned down at me, threw his arm over my shoulder, and pulled me close. He kissed my forehead and replied, "I don't really care, lass. I have you beside me, that is all I care about."

I could feel my face heat up, and my inside melt. Duncan was as smooth as butter. His words were like a good dose of vitamin C. I feel like I am basking under the sun but without much sunburn.

However, when I looked into his eyes, I knew that this was not the kind of burn that would be good for me. Once I accepted his claims, Hell would break loose, and what I am afraid of was not for me.

But my children.