Free Whimsy by Thayer King

at Gaedrian . “I decided to share the morning meal with you
today, my son.”
      “Son,”
Whimsy gasped. “You’re his mother!”
      Editha gave her a disapproving glare. Her lips flattened to
a hard line, making her mouth a mere slash of red in an otherwise pale face.
“You are still here.” There was no surprise in her voice. Her words were a
threat, a reminder to Whimsy of punishment to come.
      Her eyes
flew Gaedrian but he did not detect the malice in his
mother’s phrasing. He greeted his mother with a kiss to the cheek. “To what do
we owe this honor?”
      “I have
missed you.”
      “You are
checking up on me,” he stated. “Let us be seated so that the servers might take
their leave of us.”
      Whimsy
looked at the girls. They were beginning to suffer. Their brows were dotted
with perspiration. They were fidgeting and tugging at their uniforms. For once,
she understood. And since Editha was his mother, she
was immune to his scent.
      Gaedrian seated first his mother and then her. The servers
presented them with their meals and were quickly dismissed. “So how are you, my
son?”
      “As well as can be expected.”
      At this Editha shot her another tight-lipped glare. Did they all
expect her to sacrifice her life for a few moments of his carnal pleasure?
“Well, if you would have done with this one, we could continue on our quest.”
Apparently so, Whimsy thought wearily, toying with her food. At the sight of Editha , her appetite had taken a nosedive. The other woman
continued, “We have quite a few promising prospects in the waiting.”
      Gaedrian arched an eyebrow. “Really?”
      Was he
interested in the other women? She felt the sudden violent urge to kick him.
She gave the sausage on her plate an unnecessarily vicious stab. Gaedrian coughed. “Excuse me,” he said, covering his mouth
with his napkin, coughing again.
      “ Gaedrian , are you coming down with a cold?”
      “No.” He
averted his face as the spasm continued.
      Growing
concerned, Whimsy stood and crossed to him. “Are you okay? Do you need water?”
She placed her hand on his back.
      “No,” he
said again and she caught sight of his face behind the linen cloth. He was
laughing.
      She
placed her hands on her hips. “And what is so funny?”
      “You are.
You were jealous.”
      She
shoved at one of his ridiculously wide shoulders. “I was not.” Myrna, she had
been so jealous. The thought of him with other women made her angrier than she
had ever been. And the hurt. It felt like a vice was
closing over her chest.
      “You
should have seen your face.”
      “And why
should I be jealous? You can’t meet any of them until you ‘dispense’ of me,
remember?”
      At that,
he sobered. “Then I should be happy to never meet any of them.”
      “Oh, Gaedrian ,” she whispered, sliding her fingers into the thick
waves of his hair. She would have kissed him if Editha hadn’t interrupted.
      “ Gaedrian ! What is the meaning of
this? I do not understand why you have not done your duty. This is disgraceful.
You are a good ruler, but in this matter, you have been nothing but remiss.”
      At his
mother’s rebuke, he pulled her fingers from his hair and kissed each of her
hands before setting her aside. “Mother, need I remind you who is responsible for my present condition? Or
for Whimsy’s presence here?”
      Editha sat straighter. “My only concern, as always, is for
you.”
      “I hear
that so often these days as I am told
what to do.”
      His
mother sniffed and stood. “I see you are in no mood for civilized company
today. I shall take my leave.” At the door she hesitated. Her hand on the knob,
she turned to them. “It would be best for both of you to end this swiftly so
that we might all go on with our lives.”
      Whimsy
took her seat again. This was becoming too much to absorb. Editha was Gaedrian’s mother. His mother spoke of his duty
and called him a ruler. He’d