Under the Rock

"In a few days, Roar, Steelsword and Dawn will catch up to us. Fifteen thousand men will be added to our command. That will raise our numbers to nearly thrity thousand. A great host. Although Sarah still outnumbers us, we cannot get wiped out in a single defeat. These three additional legions will help us greatly" Erik said to King Harold and Ash.

"And why would they give us command of the three legions?" Ash asked.

"Rooster" King Harold said. "It is n-not among the legions y-you mentioned"

Finally some semblance of intelligence from him, Erik thought. He was worried that King Harold was just a sack of jealous meat that talks stutters.

"King Timothy will personally take command of the Rooster. He will go straight to Kotara"

Both Ash and King Harold's eyes widened.

"Kotara" Ash said. "It is way behind enemy lines."

"And also houses most of the Wismarine Navy" Erik added. "Capture it and you decimate their navy. Without their navy and with Kotara under the Union, we could send the Vanadian legions here through the sea. Timothy is a madman I tell you"

Ash blinked a few times and then frowned. "They will have to go through Sarah Wismar's army before they could threaten Kotara"

"That's why we are to distract Sarah Wismar. We will prevent her from reinforcing Kotara"

"That sounds difficult"

"It is. But King Timothy knows what he is doing. He is smarter than me and I am smarter than you. But if this works" Erik smiled. "Then half of Wismar will be ours."

***

Lake Tanin shone in a radiance unmatched. The water was sparkling. It was calm like a mother's lullaby. Caves of huge rocks lined the shore, hidding beaches made of sand as white as ground Spachi leaves and fine as Ven plant powder. Lucia's feet were buried in the sand up to her ankles.

"Beautiful" Lucia said, cocking her head towards Timothy.

"Yes. Lake Tanin is one of the Omniscient's wonders." He looked at her, smiling a mischievous one. "Like you"

"Stop flirting with me. We are already married." Lucia chuckled.

"More reason to not stop" Timothy voice was a cool breeze. His eyes were sincere as he held her hand. "More reason to court you."

Her face flushed despite her protests. Timothy loved making her heart flutter with words.

Lucia looked back, scouring for a change of topic. Her face must have looked ridiculous based on Timothy's satisfied smirk. She would surely repay him next time for this.

"The horses..." She said. "Can they make this journey?"

"Ah, avoiding your defeat again."

She reached to him to pinch his cheek but Timothy caught her hand and pulled her into his chest. She could smell his lovely scent, that scent so familiar. She relished on it.

"Let's go somewhere" Timothy said.

"Where?"

"I don't know. Somewhere." He looked at the lake. "It is more beautiful than Greenwater bay. Erik would be pissed if he sees this" He laughed and turned his eyes back to her. "We should get wet"

"We are in the middle of Wismar and you want a swim?" Lucia grinned and shook her head.

"I am clutching my wife in front of a beautiful scenery. The summer is scorching and I want a lone time with you. Of course I want a swim"

"And what about the Rooster?"

"They will manage. We are stuck here until the scouts return anyway"

Lucia huddled closer. She tiptoed, closing her lips to Timothy's right ear. "And where exactly do you intend to bring me?"

"Somewhere where nobody could see us. Where we could be alone" He turned his head. "Abraham!"

The giant guard jogged along with Bear. Lucia didn't mind Bear. The two were inseparable.

Timothy took his crown and gave it to Abraham. Lucia also did the same.

"The Queen and I will have a little jaunt. Do not follow us"

Abraham opened his mouth but closed it again. He just nodded.

Lucia giggled like a child as Timothy pulled her hand towards the lake. The water was cool. The sand was tender. Timothy smile was mesmerizing as they splashed.

The lake grew deeper after a few steps. They swam, drenching her one-piece white dress and Timothy's shirt and trousers. She was better swimmer of course. Growing up in Holm helped cement that skill. Timothy was slow though he could still swim- or float- or whatever he was doing with that awkward waddling.

Even with his struggles Timothy managed to lead her into one of the stone caves that protruded like eggshells. The particular rock they went to was a yellowish limestone the size of a commoner's house. It was shaped like an deep alcove with smaller rocks scattered inside.

Lucia rose from the water. The breeze rattled her body with cold. She shivered, crossing her arms. Timothy gave her an embrace with arms around her chest.

"What are you doing?"

"Sharing heat"

"Sharing your the wetness of your clothes you mean"

"Well your loss"

He let her go and sat on a nearby rock, pouting. His hair was wet and messy. People view this man with awe. Some even worship him. Others fear him. But the King of Castonia looked like a normal person to her. He was her husband. He was Timothy.

She sat on the same rock and unbuttoned Timothy's shirt. "Do not sprout any wrong ideas. Wearing wet clothes is not a healthy practice."

"You have told me dozens of times not to have wrong ideas though what you really intend was that wrong idea I had. It all ended the same"

"Not this time. I only want your well-being"

Lucia set Timothy's shirt aside on top of another rock. He was bare and she could see that scar on his chest he incurred that time he got hit by a spear. She brushed her finger on it, feeling the scab.

"Considering the same logic then I should also undress you" Lucia looked up and Timothy was smiling now. It was dangerous already when he starts to smile.

"I shall do it myself and you will close your eyes Your Majesty"

"But I have seen everything" He bent closer "I have touched everything"

Lucia's jaw dropped a little. A giggle then followed. Timothy pulled her closer and soon was craddling her.

"No Tim. You said we would only swim and look at the scenery" Lucia said though it was probably hypocritical as she was helping Timothy undress herself. Soon she was naked and on Timothy's lap.

Timothy bit her lips and then made the next moves. Lucia was powerless. Or rather she neither had the strength nor the reason to stop.

They made love. Under the rock cave. In a Wismarine lake. It was a strange location yet why would she care about strangeness?

They ended with her still on Timothy's lap. She lost this time. Timothy lasted longer while she was spent. And he still had the drive, evidenced by the thing that was poking her thigh.

A short rest would suffice, Lucia thought as she leaned her head on Timothy's chest. Later they could continue and...

She blushed. What had happen to her? No, it was Timothy's fault for showing her the secrets of life.

"This is not so bad" Timothy suddenly said with his eyes fixed on the horizon where the blue waters meet the blue sky.

Lucia nodded.

"What if we leave? Swim to the other side and start anew where nobody knows us?"

"That would be great" Lucia said. "And Abraham would drain the entire lake just to search for us"

Timothy chuckled.

"But" She breathed and savored the air. "It would be a good life. No more worries. No more fear of assassins. No more sleepless nights planning and agonizing over problems."

"Theo and Alice"

"What?"

"Theo and Alice" Timothy said. "The names we used when we first met Abraham. We will become merchants of some kind and travel around the world." Timothy looked down. "A dream of mine is to sit on top of the great pyramid throne of Malzan. But I would give that up for a safe and peaceful life with you"

"Then what stops us from fleeing and taking new identities?"

Timothy shrugged. "Responsibility I guess."

"And Theo and Alice?"

"Will never come into being. Sadly we cannot hop into a wagon and just go on a trip around the world. We are not Theo and Alice. You are Lucia Vanadis and I am Timothy Castonia. We cannot change that"

Lucia stared at the water. It was beautiful. Responsibility, she thought. It is a prison, a chain that restricts desires. But withouth it everything would be in chaos. The only reward for responsibility is fame and prestige.

"We should stay here for a while" She said, giving her most radiant smile. In truth she was just afraid to take up the responsibility again. At least under this rock there were no burdens, no worries. Under the rock they were Theo and Alice.