Chương 2: Who Are You?
"Catherine, I see you've met your husbands." A woman's voice filled her ears, and she looked around for the owner. "You wished for forever. A man that would love you until death. We gave you three. In exchange, we need you to save this world. Tender for your granted wish."
As much as she tried to speak, no words came, and a woman appeared before her. What shocked her was how familiar the woman was. She looked just like Catherine, except her eyes were a beautiful, shimmering purple, and her ears pointed at the shell, much like Silas. Her hair was a shiny white, despite having absolutely flawless skin.
A natural beauty, and the name which came to mind was that the men spoke of in camp last night. A sad smile lifted the corners of her lips before she slowly faded into the darkness. That was Cathy. Catherine looked down at her body to see the form she was familiar with fading away, replaced by the image of Cathy.
"Save my husbands and the world. You're the only one who can." Her soft voice continued, almost like a whisper. "In exchange, you may take my place. Have the love you've always craved, for I no longer need it."
~~~~~
"Do you think she'll return to normal?" A deep voice asked, one that registered in her mind as Gunther's. "We just married and haven't even consummated it yet. She's my wife!"
"Gunther. She's our wife, too. The marks on her flesh prove it. I don't know about you two, but she has the same mannerisms as our Cathy. Maybe a soul swap?" Silas countered, and cool fingertips touched her brow. "You would think as Queen, she would be immune to something like that."
"Queen?!" she shot up, startling the three men, with her mouth parted. "That's who I am?!"
But she knew it was true. From the dreams she had the previous night, all doubts fled her mind. The 'Queen' they knew died last night. Someone brought her soul here, and she did not know why. What she knew was this world needed her. So. to conclude her thoughts, she sighed heavily. It must mean the 'her' in her world was dead.
When did her life turn into a joke like this? She wondered as a loud laugh parted her lips. This was not some television show or book. Why was she here? How did she get picked for something like this? Did she even look like herself anymore? No matter where she turned, all she saw were their confused and heartbroken expressions. Catherine sighed before throwing her feet over the edge of the cot.
"I had very vivid dreams last night." She whispered softly, her eyes narrowing in distress. "Very clear. Of each of you.
Catherine did not miss the hopeful looks in their eyes or the way they moved closer. Though she felt a little crowded, she remained as still as she could and examined the three men closer. Now that the sun shone through the trees, lighting their features, she could see why 'Cathy' was in a relationship with two of them at least.
If it was a relationship based on looks, Gunther, and Silas were winners. Zion looked just as scary in the light as he did the previous night, though, and this made her curious what he was really like. She wanted to learn more about the men 'Cathy' married. And find out what they planned to do with her, now that they realized she was not their 'Cathy'.
"I think I saw some of her memories… um… your Cathy, not me." She was quick to correct, watching as their shoulders sagged with sadness. "The good news is, I can see why she has this kind of relationship with you. All of you are very handsome."
"Are you sure you're not her? She often said that to us…" Gunther questioned, his red eyes narrowing. "You seem very calm for someone from another world."
"I could barely speak last night… but I've had time to adjust. Sleep helped." Catherine replied, and her stomach picked that moment to growl loudly. "Ignore that."
"We couldn't if we tried, my Lady." Zion countered, waving a hand over his shoulder, a small smile on his lips. "Are women not treated well in your world, Catherine?"
Her eyes widened as a table appeared in front of her, and several well-dressed men placed a candelabra with lit candles, a plate of food, and a goblet in front of her. It was all done in a flash, and they bowed before stepping away, their figures disappearing into the shadows of the trees.
Of course, she did not expect this treatment, but when she glanced around, her three 'husbands' were watching her with expectant faces. Not one to disappoint, she gently lifted her fork to cut into what looked like simmering steak and lifted it to her lips. The flavors spread across her mouth, making her eyes widen. She tasted nothing so delicious in her life.
"Oh, this is wonderful!" She exclaimed, continuing to eat, making sure she swallowed before she spoke. "Whoever cooked this seared the meat to perfection. The vegetables blend perfectly with the meal and the drink! Is this wine? Paradise!"
"It's like you've never had delicious food. Watching you eat makes me feel full, my Lady." Gunther said, making her freeze. "Oh, no, please don't take it that way, Cathy. You look beautiful no matter if there's food on your cheek or not."
Catherine's eyes widened in shock and she hastily wiped at her cheeks, trying to find the food he mentioned. In her haste, she knocked her goblet over, and the candelabra fell from the table, the fall blowing out the candles on top. Though she felt ashamed by her fumble, the three men shared a glance before Gunther let out a bellowing laugh, startling her from her thoughts.
Silas and Zion both wore knowing smiles, and the scene made her want to find the nearest hole to jump in. As the men from the shadows, as she so liked to refer to them, stepped forward and cleaned up the mess she made, she sighed. Silas leaned forward a little and wiped at the corner of her lips.
When he pulled away, her eyes widened. On his finger was a tiny speck of food, and without hesitation, he stuck it into his mouth. No one responded to his action, but she could not help but watch in wonder. This man seemed the least interested in her presence, yet he would do something so intimate.
When his beautiful one purple, one gold eyes rose to meet hers, there was a heat there she had not seen previously. All three men seemed to stare at her hungrily, but were restraining themselves, and this made her stomach do flips. She wondered what she looked like as a result, but remembered what they were discussing before her stomach so politely requested food.
"Um… women are… well… treated like everyone else… but I've never seen a polyamorous relationship before." At her strange word, the men looked at her in confusion. "Um… usually, people only marry one person…"
"There must be lots of women in your world then. Here, there are only a couple of handfuls of women." Gunther's voice was heavy with insinuation and this caused her eyes to widen in shock. "And you are the Queen above Queens."
It was just as her dream said the previous night. The price she had to pay to get what she wanted. She was still in charge, but now she had more husbands than she knew what to do with. As this information circled in her head, the three men stepped forward, their postures suddenly stiff and serious.
When she went to stand, Zion shook his head no, so she remained sitting where she was on her strange, pillow-like cot. What surprised her was their sudden bow to their knees. Right as she opened her mouth to ask what they were doing; their heads rose to look at her. The heartbroken expressions on their faces tore at her, so she waited patiently for them to say what they needed to.
"You are our wife, the one we picked, and the one who picked us. We want to stay by your side as you rule over this world, even if you have no love for us." Zion started, taking her small hand in his big one and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Men refused by their Queen face a death sentence, and though I'd rather not die, if you request it, I will."
She stared at him in shock before her eyes flew to the other men, who nodded solemnly. They killed men not accepted by their wives here? What kind of crazy policy was that? Catherine wondered in shock. Could they not remarry? But no, they said there were only a few handfuls of women in this world.
That meant they probably would not want the ultimate Queen's former husbands. Despite all this being strange and very new to her, she knew she could not fathom condemning the three men to death. It would be unfair of her to do so simply because she was not who they thought she was. Her slim shoulders sagged under the weight of this decision, and she sighed softly.
"It would be unfair to cancel our marriages if it means you would die." Catherine said, watching as their eyes widened in shock. "Instead, why don't the four of us get to know each other. Maybe one-on-one? Just until I get used to the idea of suddenly having three husbands…"
~~~~~
"So, I'm immortal?" She asked, and Zion nodded. "And I have marks that prove our marriage?"
He nodded yet again, making her release an inward sigh. Silas and Gunther wanted her to spend time with Zion first, since he was the quietest of the three. But she barely got anything but a nod out of the man. Zion seemed happy to answer all her questions, though it was the bare minimum.
Why did Queen Cathy have to decide to pass on her work? She wondered, looking around the modest camp. For a queen, the camp sure was small, she wondered, looking around the clearing at the trees surrounding them. She could hear the cry of birds nearby, the sway of the branches above in the wind. The scent of masculine musk entered her nose, and a warmth pressed into her hand on the pillows.
What followed that warmth she could only explain as wonderful. Catherine felt as though she could feel his love for her flowing in his veins, hear his sweet whispers in her ear. In his touch, she found something surfacing. Was it a memory of hers? No, this was Zion's memory, she realized in shock. It was in the past, when he first saw her.
Catherine could feel his heart racing in his chest, the emotions curling through his veins. The more she tried to understand this, the less it made sense. What was this? How was Zion doing this to her? A familiar voice seemed to whisper the answers to her, and she leaned against his shoulder. Ancient Magics he had access to because of their bond.
"Zion… I'm not her, you know…" Catherine said sadly, shifting away from the support his body supplied. "The woman you love is Cathy. Not me."
"Then, Catherine…" He mumbled, leaning closer, his eyes narrowed on a point on her neck. "Let me learn to love you instead."
How fickle? She wondered, but thoughts left her when his lips traced whatever was on her neck. For a single moment, Catherine considered questioning what it was. Until she felt his large hands wrapping around her waist. It was just like yesterday, so hot, so passionate; she did not feel like herself.
The thought made her shiver, and Zion pushed her to her back, his enormous frame almost concealing her from the world. His hazel eyes seemed to stare straight into her soul with a burning desire she never witnessed before. Large hands stroked down her body, pulling at the fabric of her dress, and teasing her flesh. Zion's desire was a physical thing, Catherine thought, as something massive pressed against her inner thigh.
Her back arched when his lips pressed to that spot on her neck again, and his hard chest met her breasts through her clothes. Catherine's nails dug into the bare skin of his back, making him groan, and her lower stomach clenched in anticipation. The musky scent of his filled her senses, making her forget where they were.
It was the first time she ever experienced anything as amazing as this, and a moan parted her lips when his tongue traced a trail down her neck to the top of her breasts. One massive hand pulled the top of her dress down, exposing her bare chest to the air, and a hot mouth locked on one peak, making her rational thought flee. Until a throat cleared, snapping her out of her ecstasy. Zion pulled away, adjusting her robes, and sat up as though nothing happened. A few feet away, Silas and Gunther were staring at the two in unconcealed shock.
"You accept her, Zion?" Gunther asked, his voice cracking a little. "I thought it would take you the longest."
"Catherine's dream. Cathy picked her for us to love." Zion shrugged, his broad back finally revealing his tattoos to her. "I saw it."
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