Taming the Rogue King

The Wedding Ring

Ira

By the time their breakfast talk was over, it was already dark outside. Ira looked around the darkening room in a panic. Through the porthole, she saw the orange orb dunk into the sea at the horizon.

“How can it be dark so soon? I had just woken up!” Ira remarked, unable to believe that she had already lost a day.

Diana frowned and responded, “we are losing time. I think we are travelling at a different speed through the portal that I created in the morning. Do you remember seeing Remus in my room?”

“Of course I do! He was still upset with my behaviour. Did not even bother to greet me.” Ira said.

“He wasn’t upset with you. He was worried because of the way our ship was behaving. You coming in just confused him and he isn’t so good with modern English, either.” Standing up, Diana walked towards the door of her cabin. Her golden dress moved along with her legs, showing off her shapely ass. She turned around and beckoned Ira. “Follow me. We need to start working on the solution. Let me let Remus know that you have agreed to help.”

Looking at the perfectly dressed witch Luna, Ira felt conscious about her own clothes. Although she had freshened up, she was still wearing the yellow summer dress that she had worn the previous day.

She wasn’t even sure of how much time had passed since she had come to this ancient world.

“Oh yes! Let me take care of that!” Diana turned around and pulled a wand out of her dress with a flourish.

Ira hadn’t noticed the wand. She stared at the wooden artefact in awe. The last wands were used by the witches in the seventeenth century when the witch hunts were at their peak.

Before that time, witches always used wands. They aligned with the element of the witches, performing impeccable magic at the master witch's beck and call.

Ira felt unbelievably lucky to witness a real wand doing real magic in front of her eyes.

After the worst witch hunt of all times, the Order of the witches was formed and the usage of wands was abolished. Wands were a dead giveaway that the person was a witch. They could be stolen and destroyed, rendering the witches weak. Although most witches retained their innate power, it wasn't enough to keep them or their covens safe.

The order was headed by the Keeper of the Orb at Mount Kailasa. Each continent had its own order and its own Head of the Order for the continent. The witches were divided into the amenables, who pledged their allegiance to the Order and the recalcitrants who dabbled in dark arts and dismissed the Order.

While the amenable followed laws and respected life, the recalcitrants rejected all laws laid down by the order and believed in the supremacy of the witches over any other race.

Ira's brother James was an amenable, and so was Sarena.

Diana moved the magic tool in a spiral motion and chanted a verse in Latin. Ira’s dress changed into a gorgeous silk robe.

Diana pointed towards the mirror. Ira looked at herself and gasped at the change.

The chiton was off white, in colour, long and flowy, with a foot of the edges dyed in a beautiful shade of teal. It showcased her slender figure perfectly, and she felt beautiful. The upper fold of the chiton covered her boobs just enough to leave a healthy amount of cleavage visible and the high girdled, golden zoster was tied just under her boobs, giving a feel of push up bras.

She turned around to look at her bare arms, which were partially covered by the chiton.

Her blue eyes looked mysterious with the makeup that Diana had done for her and they went well with the teal edges of her dress. Her long chocolate brown hair was tied up in a bun with a few loose strands freely dangling around her face.

She stared at the reflection, not knowing that she could look this beautiful.

Two snake shaped, gold bracelets adorned her arms, delicate danglings with carnelian red stones matched a similar necklace around her neck.

“This is beautiful. Thank you!” Ira responded.

“The ornaments are family heirlooms. They were my mom’s. I don’t know what Liam is up to, but for me, you will remain the woman who saved my people. Please keep them!” Diana said and started walking.

Ira followed Diana, thanking her. “But... I have done nothing yet!” She tried walking fast to catch up with Diana, but the tall woman’s strides were faster.

“You will! I trust you.” Diana started climbing the steps to the quarterdeck.

Suddenly Ira felt a sharp pain at the spot in her chest where the carnelian red pendant of her necklace rested. It buzzed, causing her heartbeat to flutter, and she choked for air.

The familiar fragrance of Sage wrapped her. The boat jerked, and she fell onto her knees with her palms on the floor.

The pain subsided as suddenly as she had felt it. The sharpness caused her to retch. Thankfully, she did not puke. Her eyes watered as she tried to gain control of her body again.

Diana was next to her, rubbing a hand on her back. Ophelia brought her a glass of water.

“Ira… Ira! Are you alright?” Diana’s concerned voice reached her ears as she opened her eyes and looked up at Diana's motherly eyes.

She was still on the wooden floor. Slowly getting up, she dusted her hands. “Sorry. I felt lightheaded.” She massaged her chest lightly with her palm, trying to ebb the residual dull ache.

“What is happening to your chest?” Diana’s eyes glinted as she asked the question. As if she knew something that Ira did not.

“A sharp pain. It’s nothing. Must be because of the seasickness. I have been nauseous since yesterday.” Ira took the glass of water from Ophelia and took a few sips, conscious that the ship was running out of resources.

“Let’s go upstairs. We don’t have much time.” She said, handing the glass over to Ophelia.

Diana pursed her lips as if wanting to say something but then decided against it and they both went over to the quarter deck.

Remus stood at the wheel, looking towards the vast ocean. This time, there were a few men scattered around on the deck. Each was busy working, either manning the sail or cleaning the deck.

As Diana and Ira passed a few men, they bowed with respect.

Ira saw a few eyes linger on her, but no one said anything.

They reached Remus, and he turned around. “Amores!” He pulled Diana into his arms and gave her a passionate kiss.

She accepted his show of love, kissing him back.

Meanwhile, Ira looked around the boat to give the couple some privacy. Dark night had engulfed the boat. She could see and feel the sea, but there was no moon or stars. She wondered how they navigated in such conditions.

“Bonum nuntium, good news,” Diana said and continued in English, “Ira has agreed to help.”

“Thank you, my Fair Lady. My clan would be indebted to you forever.” Remus responded by taking Ira’s right hand, turning it and giving it a peck.

As his soft lips brushed against her sun kissed skin, Ira blushed with the old world gesture. “It’s nothing. I will try my best.”

“That would be enough for us.” Remus smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

“What’s the matter, love?” Diana asked, concerned as Ira watched their conversation.

She felt a pang of jealousy at the easy way in which they spoke. Constantly touching each other. Their love and affection were as clear as daylight, and Ira felt the pain of rejection again.

Why did Liam have to get betrothed? The thought brought back the memory of Liam’s fragrance, and she sighed.

Both Diana and Remus were looking at Ira intently. Did they ask something? Ira panicked. “Sorry, did you say something? I had zoned out.”

“That’s alright. You have had a long journey. The meat on the ship is over. The Alphas have been squabbling, as the children in their packs have been crying in hunger. For now, they have managed with the hard cookies, but we are worried that many children won’t survive if we did not get to our destination soon.” Diana responded. “When do you want to begin?”

Ira blinked, understanding the gravity of the situation. She hadn’t seen other women or children yet, but obviously, they were somewhere on the ship.

Remus continued, “yesterday when you heard us fight, it was about this same issue. We did not mean to scare you like this.”

His broad shoulders were covered with a purple chiton, and he wore armoured cuirass around himself.

His face showed pride, and his forehead creased with worry lines. Ira felt sorry for him. She wouldn’t want to be in such a situation, ever. “It’s alright. I could understand you. Latin was one of my subjects. Your Alphas were worried and I could see that. It did not scare me, I was just confused as I did not know what had happened when I was reading a book in the library. But I did not understand what Diana said to Ophelia and Helena”

“Oh! It's good that you know Latin. Diana speaks to her girls in Sabine. You may not know that language.” Remus responded. “How do you want to go about this?"

“Oh! That makes sense.” Ira said as things became clearer to her. “I could begin by trying to create the portal again. But I don’t have a magic tool. No wand, no ring, nothing that answers me. And I don't know how I will manage the time. I wouldn't want you to reach the Modern world with your subjects. How would I do this?” She looked at Diana, waiting for an answer.

“I can make one for you. I know what the witches use in the coming age.” She looked Remus in the eye and held his gaze.

Ira knew that meant that they were having a secret conversation through their mind link.

Remus gave an imperceptible nod, and Diana hugged him. “Thank you, mate! I love you forever and beyond.”

“I love you too, my saviour,” Remus kissed her again.

Then Diana turned around and pulled out her wedding ring. “This is going to be your own magical artefact. Once you go back to your world, write to the Keeper of Orb. He will know his duty.”

Ira stared in shock at the single black diamond embedded in the gold ring with the intricate design around it. “It is your wedding ring! I can’t take it!”

“Please! I insist. Black diamonds are the easiest to direct magic into. I would like the heiress of my lineage, the saviour of my clan, the Etheral Witch to have it. Please don’t deny me this pleasure.” Diana pleaded, and Ira couldn’t say no.

It looked as if this was the only way and if she refused, she would break Diana’s heart.

“Okay!”

“Thank you!” Diana pulled her into a bear hug. “Thank you for giving me this pleasure.”

I will now take your leave and meet you at dinnertime. By then I would have converted this ring. I need my meditation room for the rituals.

Ophelia came over to escort Diana, and Ira stayed back with Remus on the quarter deck.

*****