章 4: Caverns
"She is. So cut her some slack, Gunther." Silas interrupted the moment and Gunther pulled away. "She may not be our Cathy, but Cathy picked her. We must trust in her decision."
"You too?" His voice cracked as his red eyes stared at Silas.
"I see no reason to distrust her. She will remain married to us." The Fae waved off Gunther's concern. "She could have ignored our request and had us killed, but she did not. The simple fact is, as long as she inhabits Cathy's body, she is our wife. As husbands, it is our duty to protect her until she is strong enough to take back power."
Silence fell in the cavern, and Catherine looked at the two men. If ever there was a power struggle between opposing personalities, this was it. The atmosphere chilled a little as the two men glared at each other. There was a history there Catherine did not know. All of her memories were only fragments left behind, those voices unlocked.
The rest of Cathy's memories went with her, Catherine supposed. So, the unlock was actually of no help. Yet. Catherine figured there was something there, in the memories she had, that would tell her what she needed to do. But thinking about that did not help her current issue. With the steady decrease in temperature, she could tell Silas would not keep his anger in much longer.
And the ground was shaking, just ever slightly, making it obvious Gunther was not too far behind him. What else could she do? To her, they were still strangers, though she now had a few memories of them. How could she stop them from fighting? There was so much she still had to learn, and though she appreciated their help, Catherine did not like people arguing. She shifted a little; her gaze going back out to the view of the four moons above her head.
"Look, I don't know what you two have against each other, but now isn't really the time to argue. I have a lot of questions and I'm not a very patient person, so let's get started." She stated without looking back at them. "We clearly have someone after us, and I only have fragments of Cathy's memories unlocked by some strange voices when I went to sleep. So, could someone please explain why the Tatiana of Erlias is on the run from someone?"
"There are Queens in this world who want your power, which I assume you have already figured out. That Satyr is a servant to one of those Queens." Silas explained, walking closer to her with a nod. "Cathy had yet to come into her Tatiana powers. That is why we were out here. The night we felt she was closest is the night you arrived. And I assume those voices only granted you the smallest fragment."
He was not wrong. Catherine only knew of Cathy's three husbands, the soul poisoning, and a few faces from Cathy's past. There was nothing else there to give her any answers. So, she would have to depend on these three husbands to give her all the answers. Catherine sighed before closing her eyes and leaning against the cave wall.
How could she save anything, knowing nothing? Especially if her husbands were the only people standing between her and people who wanted her dead. For now, she would have to trust in the feelings they claimed to have for Cathy and their desire to get her back. And her desire to protect her home world of Earth. Even if it meant she never got to go home.
'You likely cannot go back. What will you do?' Zion had not even shifted from his spot near the fire, and his sudden deep voice sent a thrill down her spine. 'Will you remain and continue to keep us alive? Or convict us to death and select new husbands?'
'I don't know, Zion. I'm just trying to figure out all I need to know about here and now,' she countered, before releasing a soft sigh, and opened her eyes. 'But even if I never figure it out,' "I will never convict the three of you to death."
It was as though her last sentence echoed in the cavern and she glanced over her shoulder to find the three of them staring at her in shock. What just happened? Catherine wondered, looking around the cave. How were her thoughts broadcasted when she had not said a word?
Silas exchanged a glance with Zion before looking back at her, with an expression akin to shock on his face. Gunther looked between the three of them with annoyed eyes before he huffed, crossed his arms, and stood to walk towards the back of the cavern where Catherine could hear the dripping of water.
"Did you two…?" Silas wondered aloud, his one gold, one purple eyes bouncing between the pair as Catherine shifted to a stand.
"No." Zion replied with a shrug, before his colossal form shifted back to the pile of pillows on the ground. "Our link is back."
"Huh?"
"Zion, explain more." Silas replied, stepping forward with an annoyed expression. "We are your Husbands, and Intirmates. They wed us under your crown, but your body bears our marks. It's known as Intirmates. The stronger our bond with you, the easier it becomes for us to communicate and protect each other. You would think those voices would have given you the basics of this world, at least."
~~~~~
Their marks magically linked Intirmates to their spouses. The marks worked to link her to their bodies and souls, and their spirit to hers. The closer their hearts were, their love for each other, the stronger the bond, and their abilities to work together as a unit. Catherine, as Tatiana (Queen of Queens) could have as many Intirmates as she desired, however, the other Queens faced limitations based on their powers.
According to Silas, once Catherine came into her powers, many men would desire to become one of her Intirmates. Since Cathy was the first Tatiana after the Original Tatiana, no one knew how long it would take for her to adjust. Unfortunately, no one knew what happened to the Original Tatiana, or her husbands, only that her 'spirit' would select the next Queen of Queens.
The other Queens only existed to help Tatiana rule. The system was immensely complex, and though she thought she understood most of it, there were some points she felt confused about. Like how so many husbands came into play. What was her role in all of this? And how was she connected to these three again?
"Okay. I'm just going to think out loud here, so ignore me. Tatiana is the ruler, and I am the Tatiana. In this world, that is the title of the Queen of Queens." Silas nodded as Catherine spoke. "And the other Queens seem to function as a Board of Directors, and help the Tatiana's rule. Seems similar to what I did as a CEO." Then his head tilted when she used unfamiliar terms. "Okay, so I understand that much. Where does having multiple husbands come into play? Why so many?"
"As we said before. Are you sure you were listening?" Silas crossed his arms, his eyes sliding closed. "There are very few women in this world, and even fewer with access to Erlias' Magyk strong enough to become a Queen. Men have long lifespans as it is, but it is simply for survival. We have to pass on our genetics. At least, other men. I am your Harlequin. A Dark Fae, but still the Fae you are Intirmated to. That makes me the King of Fae."
"What do you, being a Dark Fae, have to do with anything? Hell, I barely know what Fae are, so you're doing better than I am." Catherine countered, leaning back against her wall. "Which, by the way. Why are we in a cave so far off the ground? How am I supposed to use the restroom?" When his head tilted again, she sighed. "What would it be called here? The bathroom? Go potty? Urinate? Hm. Latrine?"
"Oh. There is a chamber pot a short distance away. Let me lead you." He replied, holding out his hand. "It is not far, but I fear there are a few drops here and there you must know the location of to avoid."
Catherine took his soft, chilly hand in hers, and he gently pulled her to a stand before leading her past the now sleeping Zion. A short distance away, she found herself shoved against the dimly lit cavern wall, by a distrusting looking Silas. His multicolored eyes glowed with the Majyk she could sense curling beneath the surface of his skin, and he seemed to stare into her searchingly. When his chilly hand lifted to press against her forehead, he pulled back with pain written all over his face. Confused, Catherine stared at the being with curious eyes.
"I was attempting to read your mind; however, I cannot break through. Something is blocking me. Tell me, who are you and what have you done with Cathy?" He demanded in a low whisper, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Such a farfetched story could not possibly be true. How foolish do you think I am?"
"She's telling the truth." Zions's voice echoed in the cavern, and Silas paled. "Now release your wife. After such a heavy speech about trusting Cathy earlier, you're the first to back down on your word. I should kill you."
"Zion." Catherine replied, placing a gentle hand on where Silas still held her arm. "I'm just as confused. I promise I will help you find the answers. But for now, we only have each other and what seems like many people after us. So, at the very least, I hope you'll trust Zion. Do you think he would trust me if I were bad?"
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