Here, I am king (open to one woman)

Having heard some of the hushed whispers and seen the fright in peoples eyes even those to whom she had sung their children to sleep Nile decided it was far better to simply stay hidden until Jas returned.
This after a quick trip to get some food when she finally woke.
It also did not help that when she stepped from the safety of Jas's room the voices in her head began screaming again yet while she was in Jas's room everything was peaceful.

Her problems had me thinking. If physical contact was enough to spark something, I guess what we would reprieve to be a vision of their minds, then she might be able to benefit from gloves to cover her hands, something like and soft that wouldn't impede her ability to touch or grasp but would prevent skin to skin contact. Something like silk was a long ago memory, but I had my people dig through their things to try to find something suitable. There had to be something and I went to the doctor as he was taking a break from mending the patients to enquire if there was anything we can do.

"I'm sorry, m'lord, but i'm not a psychiatrist. Best I can tell you is she has to learn how to control her feelings. My guess is the more she loses her mind in either depression or anxiety or anger the more her powers expand."

As the two of us were discussing this a messenger came in with a pair or thin deer leather gloves that were a light brown and soft and malleable. "On our hunters donated it to your cause" the messenger said.

"Thank the man for me," I said and went back to the chambers to give them to Nile.

Looking to the gloves, Nile spoke softly almost sadly as she slipped them upon her hands.
Even you do not trust me, but that is fine I understand. If these glove though I fear they will do no good make everyone including you feel better about me being out I will ware them.

There was a long pause then before Nile spoke again.
Jas I have two things I need to tell you, and I am unsure how you will take either. As a matter a fact both may cause you to run screaming from me but I must tell you especially the first one.

Deep breath taken.
Jas, I love you. I do not know why or how you do it but I feel safe with you around. It's like you protect me somehow. I can not describe it at all beyond that.

That was the first thing Jas. Now the second thing you must know it prove to you the gloves will not work but again I will ware them, and that is one or more of your men which lay in hospital are going to pass likely within a day or two. I learned this when I dared leave the safety of this room to get food and the voices in my head, the voices of the men who lay dying began screaming, begging for someone to end their suffering as they always do.

Nile would look Jas then squarely in the eyes then.
Now it becomes your choice to let me do what I know I must do or let your men who have already suffered greatly suffer through even their last breath.

Her comments of not being trusted and then turning it around with 'I love you' left me confused for but a moment as I sat on the edge of the bed and had her sit down beside me. "I love you to, Nile. It's not that I don't trust you, I have to assure the others that you're being treated. They do not understand your powers. They believe that it is flesh on flesh contact and that these gloves. It would be wise for you to wear them when you're up and about until the people grow accustomed to you."

It had been a wild few days. We nearly lost, but there was a great deal of change now. Oscar was gone and now we had Nile, I had Nile and she was comfortable with me as I was with her and she didn't appear to be leaving, and that would allow us to figure out how to control her powers. I reached out with my right hand and took her left, gloved hand, and held it tightly and gave her a reassuring smile, "You'll be safe with us."

I will.
Nile spoke as she slipped the gloves on better understanding now why she was being asked to ware them.

Can you get me work with the nurses so I might easier be able to do what I know I need to do? I will ware my gloves and I will make sure your men that are near to passing, the few remaining pass with peace.
No one needs be the wiser or know the truth. They will all think the men passed in the night and by then I will be here with you.
Just like this man here did.

Nile would then pull out a note and hand it over to Jas.

"These are the last words these hand will ever write.
I served my King well and for this I know heaven a waits me.
A heaven I will gladly embrace for my wife and son await me there, killed too long ago to recall.
Tonight an angel came I heard her voice singing and then she touched me.
I knew all was right.
I felt peace, a peace like never before.
So I write this with fading eyes.
Thank you my angel, Thank you. "

Nile then spoke softly.
I never fully caught his name. I found it near his body the next morning and I knew it was me for I was the only one who sang in the safe camp while war was still going on here.
No one know this either. I have kept it to myself. I never meant to scare anyone. I am sorry I did.

I am tired now. Can I sleep in here maybe with you? We do not have to have sex or anything, just a warm body and protection would be fine.

Nile let out a soft yawn then and waited Jas's answers to everything she had just spilled out over the last hour plus.

I smiled and looked at the writings. A brave fighter to have gone out in such a way. We would need to find him and give him a name. How horrible it would be to pass on without having a name.

Carefully folding up the letter and putting it aside, I rose up from the bed and went to the night stand and carefully began taking off my belt and hanging it on a hook from the wall and then taking off the worn boots and then the dirty socks and felt the swollen feet breathe in the fresh air and then off with the dirty coat I went behind a panel to undress myself and slip into a pair of night clothes and went back to the bed, pulled back the top and slipped inside and then motioned for Nile to come join me. I had slept in this bed for...months if not years and always alone. Bet Oscar had his wife and his concubines, but not me, strictly single, but I was willing to let Nile join me here. "I'll have you join the nurses," I said in a whisper and signed, "You'll be a big help to them. In the morning i'll tell the nurses. They all appreciate your work and your delicate touch" giving a wink and a smile.

Nile would yawn and nod her head giving at the same time the sign for thank you.

After that Nile would roll over still fully dressed minus her shoes, so that her back was towards Jas.
Her figuring in this is if he wanted to hold her he could and if he did not he need not. After all she had already pushed past what she was taught to be as close to a slut move as a female could be and that was to ask to sleep in his bed with him.

Now Nile had a reason behind this request however, really it was two fold but Jas need not know either and would not unless he asked, and then and only then would he know the first reason.

As Nile now lay in bed with her eyes closed her mind started drifting and soon Jas would know Nile was sleeping by an almost purr like snore coming ever so softly from her.

It was peaceful now. Surprisingly I found it to be disturbing that I couldn't fall asleep as fast as Nile did. She was curled up beside me and purring away while I was sitting up and looking around the interior of the dimly lit room, the only light coming from a candle towards the door. After a few minutes I looked at Nile curled up with her light flesh and hair that stood out from the rest of the dark interior. She was blessed in many ways that she could push everything that happened aside long enough to sleep while I had not slept in days and now given the chance, I couldn't. Course, in this situation if we were to be interrupted, the positions we were in could be considered scandalous, but there was no care for her nor me now.

After a few minutes of listening to the faint calls of those on the outside as they continued to work, I laid down in the bed staring up at the stone ceiling and began to let the exhaustion take over me until it saw only blackness and then it was quiet.

As the sun began peaking into the area where Jas and she slept, Nile woke and slipped silently from the bed as to not wake Jas up.

She knew if or she feared if she where caught sleeping in bed with Jas he would never hear the end of it or worse yet he maybe could come to harm despite being the leader of all these people, and Nile did not want that so she moved herself over to the small love seat, removed the blanket which lay folded on the one arm, covered herself and let her eyes fall closed again even though she knew she would sleep no more for visions of her dream last night kept dancing in her head.

A dream she could not wait to tell Jas of but again was fearful of his response.

I didn't awake until one of my aides came into the room and found that Nile had curled herself up on the love seat and was careful not to disturb her with his shoes as he went over to me as I lay in the bed. "Pardon, my lord" the aide said, "Sorry to wake you, but your lieutenants need you at the gate". It took me a moment to stir as I was completely sucked in by my slumber. It felt as though that I had been asleep for days. Flickering my eyes open and looking at the stone ceiling I groaned and tried to sit up but my back hurt me but eventually did and looked around and found that Nile wasn't there beside me. Instead, she was off over there on the love seat by herself tightly wrapped up.

"What has happened?" I asked sitting up all of the way and stretching my arms above the head and feeling the muscles ache then relax.

"My lord" the lieutenants are working to completing the rest of the damage on the fort, however, they feel that it would be wise to send parties out into the bad lands and try to make contact with the other kingdoms. With the destruction of Oscar, they feel that it would give us good standing with the other kingdoms to forge an alliance."

"Very well," I said, "Tell them i'll be there shortly."

"Yes, my lord"

Nile would sit, not saying anything until after the lieutenant left only then did Nile speak/sign to Jas.

Jas when you return might we talk of a dream I had last eve concerning both of us.


As Nile waited Jas's return she sat down and began writing out as many details as she could recall as to not forget anything more then what she knew she already had forgotten.
Once that was done she began determining the order in which to tell Jas the information and how quickly.
After much thought Nile decided to tell Jas of at least one of the bad parts of the dream fist,for despite coming later in the dream Nile felt certain it was in fact a catalyst to some of the better events to happen to Jas and her.

I didn't want to leave Nile alone in the room. She clearly wanted to tell me something, something weighing heavily on her mind, but I had to leave at least for a few moments. Going outside into the warm rays of the red sun and going up the steps to the gate my lieutenants greeted me and immediately began discussing their plans. I wanted it to be over with quickly. They were all experienced and competent but they couldn't do anything without my order. "Send out emissaries to each of the kingdoms to get a feel for the situation," I told them and bring back their word. It would be wise to take advantage of the situation."

"My lord, if I may be bold enough to ask," Lieutenant Victor asked, "How is lady Nile?"

"She is doing well" I replied with a smile to him, "She is up and about, but her hearing is still gone."

"That is tragic" he replied with a low voice, "Please inform her that we will be happy to see her again."

"I will" I smiled and nodded to them, "Let's get about our duties" then headed back to my room at a slightly quickened pace to see her.

When Jas got back Nile was still sitting and writing feverishly at his desk. Had it not been for the sun coming through the opening door she would not have even looked up. However she did catch the light changing over the paper upon which she wrote on and there for stopped writing.
Seeing Jas walk in she rose up and greeted him before walking over to where a bottle of high end aged scotch was seated and poured him a snifter, handed it to him with a smile, before sitting back at the desk again quickly closing the journal she had found and begun of her dream last night.

Normally I didn't drink but this was a special occasions of sorts so I took it and looked it over as she went back to the desk and sat down with her journal as she began her signing. She had written down a great deal in the short time that I was gone. Taking a sip and tasting the burning sensation rolling down the back of the throat that made me cough a bit. It had been a long time since I had good Scotch. Nile sat in the chair behind the desk and I went to the side and sat on the edge and signed, "What are you working on?"

She began with telling me about a horrid dream that she had turning the night then lifted her eyes over to the door to ensure that no one else was standing there. I looked over there as well and knew what was concerning her so I went over to the door and closed it the rest of the way and then put down the strong arm to lock it and went back over to the desk and sat back down encouraging her to go on with a firm nod of the head.

You and your men had been called away for some reason.
I remember you promising me that you'd be home by night fall.
It was just as the sun was coming up you left.
I was left alone, here in this room for that was where I felt the safest and you knew this.

From there everything went screwy.
I think I fell asleep in my dream when I woke up in them again there was a man standing over my body with his pants pulled down.
All I remember was the cock for too fast a bag was placed over my head.
I think the bag itself was laced with something to knock me out for I remember nothing until much later.

Next thing I remember was you holding me and screaming.
I could not make out your words for even in my dreams I was deaf but I knew you where screaming.

Then everything went black again and I woke up to a much better part of the dream I had last night.

Nile would sign all of this to Jas and then wait his response before telling him more of the dream.

When she started to explain what was a rape it had me staring intently towards her as she went on. A bag over the head and a man with his pants down in front of her, it was a rape. Did it already happen or was it something else? She was blessed so perhaps she was seeing the future in a way, but it was hard to put it together at the moment as there was so much more that she wanted to say.

Putting down the glass after only the first sip I reached out slowly to touch the wrist of her closest hand and silently beckoned her to go on with her dream. Leaning forward just a bit I could see that she had filled out entire pages in her journal, the ink appeared to be fresh so what was written was about her dream. Normally I couldn't remember my dreams. They would fade from memory as soon as I got out of bed.

"Go on, Nile" I said to her, moving my mouth slowly so that she could read my lips and know that I wanted to hear the rest. Her eyes were full of worry and i wanted to comfort her.

Nile smiled softly as she then went for the next part of her dream.

What happened to me brought us closer together.
I am again not sure how much time passed but I can tell you it was our wedding day.
I was dressed in a white lace dress that blended and made it seem almost as if I have no clothing on.
My hair was much longer down to my waste, and my eyes slightly darker too.
You where warring your dress uniform.
My "guards" where your best men.
Your lead man gave me away, he seemed to be almost like a father to me.
I had only two ladies standing with me, both where nurses.
Everyone else was dressed in black and they all wore a rose which matched my eyes.
It was a beautiful day not a cloud in the sky, and we said our I do's just as the sun was setting.
Now I will say I am unsure the season.

Nile would stop signing and talking then and wait once more for Jas to respond telling her to go on but before he did Nile asked one more question.

Jas there is more, but I need to know do you want more good, more bad, or a mix of good and bad.

I nod to her to continue. Dreams can be vivid. So vivid that people can be emerced and can't tell the difference of what was real or a dream. I had a few of those, but couldn't remeber them in the end. She had a lot on her muscles nd as she seemed enfused with the dream that I wanted to hear the rest. It seemed like tranquility of her dream, marriage with good people as they were hard to come by and a brilliant gown. Mostly what I get are nightmares that stem from the stress of running the kingdom and nightmares from other things.

Slowly picking up the glass again and slowly sipping the contents then pausing long enough to savor the flavor then placed the glass down. Signing I nodded towards her, "That sounds lovely. I haven't worn my dress uniform in so long that I dont think it will fit me any more. Come to think of it, I cant remeber the last time I wore it." Closing my eyes softly I tried to recall the last time but was drawing a complete blank. "Ah well" slowly waving a hand, "any way. Please, continue" leaning in a bit closer till my eyes could read her writing.

You and your men where called away for war again.
I feel it was close to us being married but I can not be certain for my hair was short again.
When you left we did not know I was with child.
By the time you and all your men save two returned what had to be several months later I was looking to be somewhere around 3 or 4 months months.

Nile paused signing then for a brief moment before continuing.
This I can not be certain on at all for I never saw the birth in my dream but I think I was to have twins.
I only say that because in the end we ended up with three children.
Two boys and a girl, and in my dream I was only carrying twice that I can recall.

Nile again stopped signing reached over and touched Jas's hand before signing.
There is more and what is next is not good either.
Jas would noticed Nile shaking now just slightly as she waited his OK to go on.

She would be with child? Three children..hmm...two boys and a girl. I always liked children, it would be a welcome relief to have more children playing around in this fort instead of just my trusted people. This place needed youth, those that were not accustomed to the horrors of war.

Then her tone changed and she fell silent, reaching out to me and holding my hand, hesitant to continue. There was a lot weighing on her mind and she didn't want to continue but felt she had to. Like any good story I wanted to hear the rest of it.

"Continue" I nodded towards her reaching over with my other hand and touching her hand that was over my own then giving a reassuring smile, "Continue to the end and we can figure out what the meaning of it is."

The ending is one or the other of what I am about to say.

First thing I saw was a bomb or the likes there of going off then everything went blank.

From there I remember seeing what where out Grandchildren or I would guess them to be since there was eight possibly ten standing over our graves.

I can vaguely recall a date also on the graves, but only the last part of year which was 52.

Nile would stop then and lean into Jas her own body shaking as she spoke aloud thankfully with words which where becoming easier to understand and with a voice that sounded angel soft.
I wish I knew more of myself and who and what I was, maybe then this dream would make more since, heck maybe everything would make more since to me.

"52?" I pondered at this one hand stroking my chin softly, "52. That would be over sixty years into the future, if that. I had time remembering the date because of the hard times. "Ten or so grandchildren? That would be a prosperous family, I do say," then look down upon Nile and she was nervous and trembling as if cold. Sitting down beside her I take my heavy coat and place it upon her shoulders and gently stroke her shoulders over it to try and calm her down, my head beside her's. "Try to keep thinking on it" whispering to her and looking upon her journal and her cursive writing. Normally our librarian would be the one that would be writing everything down to parchment and committing it to our archive, but that had been put on pause since the battle as we were trying to repair all of that.

Standing up and going around to the front of the desk and facing her, my hands rested on the top of the desk and I leaned over it, "You are a remarkable woman, Nile. You seem to be blessed with many things. Perhaps you haven't been able to fine tune your abilities. If you do have the ability of foresight then you might be able to help us in many ways."

Just as Nile was about to begin signing again to Jas she realized he was looking at the door, now of course Nile could not hear the rather loud and persistent knocking on Jas's door nor would she hear from out side one of the female nurses, or anything Jas might be saying.

Since Jas had not indicated it was safe Nile went to go hide just as she had been told to do should something strange happen, and this to Nile was strange. After all Jas never looked away from her when they where together without saying something and this time he had.

Now from outside the door the young nurse voice called.
Please sir open the door there is something you must know right now.

Going over to the door and releasing the strong arm, the door swung open and the nurse comes running in with a horror filled look upon her face. She looks at me and then to Nile and back to me, "My lord. There are two men approaching the gate. They are of Oscar's people and they look sick."

"Sick with what?" I ask.

"I do not know, m'lord," she confesses, "I'm too scared to go look at them up close, but they look like the undead, coughing and vomiting as they stand there but are calling upon us to help them. As chief nurse I will not allow the gate to be open because I do not know what ills them and I don't want anyone else to catch this contagion. My lord, what do we do?"

"I will look for myself," nodding to her and then beckoning to Nile to come with me to the gate as her blessing could give us an inside advantage. The chief nurse departed ahead of us to fetch her her fellow nurses and supplies and I asked Nile to stay at my side but warn her not to drift too close to them.

Nile listened and stayed as close as she could to Jas but when they got near she looked to him and signed.

They are dying please allow me to help them Jas. I do not think anything will happen to me since after all I am not fully human. Also since we do not know what is killing them please tell your nurses and please also yourself to stay back as the last thing we need is for you, the nurses, and the already sick and wounded to end up passing from something these men gave us.

Just as that was signed one of two men at the gates fell to his knees and began coughing up blood and without waiting an OK from Jas Nile ran over and slid her small frame through the bars something no one else could do.