Nightingale and Eagle; Dreams and Realities

This is the 4th of the offshoot of the Nightingale stories including their time with the Kingdom of the Eagle.

Again, these stories are loosely based on the characters of the Royal Thieves, created for the Top Games game Evony; The King’s Return, available in Apple and Google app stores and on PC.  I get no sponsorship from them, nor am I paid by them.  I also get no monetary compensation for these stories.

 Nightingale woke up suddenly, gasping as she jerked up in her bed.  She looked around for a moment, realizing that she was alone in her room.

 And it was her room.  About a month ago, Eagle declared that they’d live in the palace, noting that his friends all lived there.  He gave them each their own rooms, commenting that they could decorate them however they wanted.

 But Nightingale’s heart kept beating hard.  Still, she worked on it for a moment, not wanting to forget the dream.  It wasn’t a bad one, it was very good.

 As she closed her eyes, she could still feel his strong but gentle hands on her, her skin tingling, his weight on her.  She could almost feel the two of them so close, so intimate.  Her skin still tingled, still felt like it was on fire with his touch.

 But that wasn’t real.  He wasn’t there, not actually.

 She got out of bed after lighting a candle, smiling a little, knowing she was wearing the nightclothes she wore when she “woke up” next to Eagle.  Nobody ever questioned them on it because she’d found a way out of his room where it was her secret and hers’ alone.  She left the room, wandering the halls.

 It had been 6 months since they’d come back, not intending to steal anything.  A part of her just felt so compelled to come back here, not to be any kind of Robin Hood warriors but to see something extraordinary.

 Eagle was loved by those he ruled over, but it wasn’t really ruling so much as it was caring for them.  Sure, he was king, but the people weren’t really struggling so much because he actually cared.  They were happy, and they loved him for it.

 So why were they staying?  She’d thought about it often, but then there was that dream she just had.

 Sure, she’d had sex before.  She’d used it in cons and scams, knowing full well that she’d never be with child from it.  Something about them being immortal made that impossible.  She’d even ended a few lives to try and get money.

 But it was different here.  Eagle was a good ruler, someone worth knowing.  He had many allies, but never used it to oppress or dominate.  He listened to people.

 Nightingale didn’t know when, but she’d started to realize something.  Here, the three Thieves had spent centuries always taking.  Yes, they gave back, but, still, the idea was to take first.

 Maybe that was the reason she’d had that sex dream with Eagle in it.  Or maybe it was something else.

 Without even really thinking about it, he gave them all jobs, being his personal bodyguards.  She knew that his own people wouldn’t rise up against him, but wondered who would.  Duke had been killed not a week ago by someone who was trying to hurt Eagle.  He reported it a couple of days later when he’d returned, and the perpetrator had been caught.

 But he wasn’t really held so much as he was being educated.

 She knew it then.  Eagle gave.  He gave a lot of what he already had in order to try and help out others.  And she knew that it had changed her.  Here she was, 1500 years old or so, and the last 6 months had changed her.

 Did she want to be with Eagle?  She had to admit it, yes.  But she knew he could never spend the rest of her life with her.  Still, she could spend the rest of his life with him, but it wasn’t enough.

 She knew that he’d want his legacy carried on, and that couldn’t happen with her.  If she did spend the rest of his life with him there’d never be any offspring, no children.  His line would end with him.

 The thought was sobering.  But then something else came to mind.  When did she start thinking like that?

 She’d always gone after what she wanted, no matter what.  It used to be that she’d stay with her mark for as long as she needed before she moved on, but not here.

 The answer was so obvious, and it shocked her.  How could it have happened?  She was centuries old, but this was the first time that she could really remember it happening.

 She found her secret entrance and, a few minutes later, stood there, in Eagle’s room, listening to him breathe as he slept.  The sound was so peaceful, so calming.  Yet she knew she couldn’t ever tell him when he was awake.  She knew she could never really admit it.  It would be her secret, and hers alone.

 But she could say it now.  She could tell him now. “I love you.”