Chapter 70

King Harvey shows me his sketch pad and I find myself mystified by a simple golden crown he has drawn for me. It is a thin crown, with a beautiful howling wolf in the center with ruby eyes. King Harvey smiles broadly as I stare at it.

“It is beautiful! King Harvey, did you get taught to draw?”

“It helps with werewolf abilities, Elena. Every werewolf in power understands how to draw.”

I nod. “It seems you will have to give me drawing lessons, King Harvey. I haven’t drawn seriously since before my mom…”

King Harvey gently pushes his collection of colored pencils to me. “Pick a color, Elena,” he urges warmly.

Picking a nice soft red that borders on the color of pink, I rim the eyes of the wolf. King Harvey openly stares at me, sweetly humming as I continue to color.

“You did such a wonderful job, King Harvey. I don’t want to mess up your work.”

“That is impossible, Elena.” King Harvey peers over my shoulder and studies his drawing. My nerves jump when his gaze is longer than usual. I hope I didn’t do anything wrong.

“Is… it good?”

“Yes. I am simply wondering if I can find a ruby that has a pink shine. Unless you would like a new crown?” King Harvey is already flipping through his drawing pad to another example of a crown.

“You have shown me 50 already, my love. Please, I want the one you just finished.” I grab his hands and pull them away from his art pad, kissing them slowly.

King Harvey smiles down at me. “Very well, Elena.”

King Harvey leaves his supplies on our bed and in his traditional blur he takes me outside the cottage. King Harvey set up a small fire set on a collection of rocks in a ditch. Once my feet are on the floor he is on the move and gets some measuring tape. In silence, he measures the crown of my head and writes down the number.

King Harvey rips a white strip of paper and wraps it around my head. It is at the size he wants when he smiles and walks off to behind the fire. Following him, I see he has a thin sheet of silver metal, and a thicker golden sheet.

He places the white strip of paper on the silver piece of metal and cuts down the sheet with his sword, using the paper as a reference. Taking the silver strip of metal, he holds it above the fire, and I watch as it softens.

He doesn’t let the fire eat away at the silver, instead he bends it quickly and places it to the side.

“Once it cools, Elena, you shall try it on.”

“You are working fast, King Harvey.”

King Harvey grins. “You deserve your crown, Elena. I wish I had one prepared. I am sorry.”

“It is okay, King Harvey. I understand.” I smile sweetly back at him and watch his shoulders relax; his frown is gone as he exhales.

As the crown cools, King Harvey rushes into the cottage and returns with a small metal box. Returning to me, he opens the box and shows me the rubies that are to go in the wolf’s eyes. They shimmer and shine radiantly.

“Do you like them, Elena?” King Harvey whispers slowly.

“Yes! Why wouldn’t I?”

King Harvey laughs. “They are not very big.”

“That doesn’t matter! It will be beautiful! Can I use my luna powers to bend metal?”

King Harvey takes my hand and slices another piece of silver metal for me. “Here, Elena. Focus on the center of this strip and activate your powers. It will eventually bend.”

King Harvey holds onto a spare scrap of silver metal, and I watch as he grips it, his knuckles glowing a soft red. When he releases the metal, it has the indents of his knuckles, making it jagged.

“Oh, how cool!” I exclaim happily.

King Harvey hands me my piece of scrap metal and returns to my crown.

The silver strip in my hand is a malleable piece of metal, but I know my strength won’t allow me to bend it. Closing my eyes and focusing, I see a soft red orb at the center of the metal when I open my eyes.

A glance at King Harvey shows me he is returning to me with the silver crown. Gingerly, he places it on top of my head then steps back to admire his work.

“Move your head, Elena, let me see if it stays steady on your head.”

Shaking my head side to side, I do as he asks. I move my head up and down too and the crown doesn’t budge an inch. Satisfied, King Harvey smiles and walks off to the golden sheet of metal. He slices the silver crown open and lays it flat on the golden sheet and slices it with his sword, as he applies extra force and a bit of a red flame to it.

“King Harvey, may I have some gold?”

“Anything you wish, Elena.” King Harvey replies over his broad shoulders as he kneels to collect the gold strip. He hands me one gold strip.

He now stands in front of the fire and begins to heat the golden strip.

I return to my silver strip of metal and focus on applying a red orb in the center of it again. The silver strip bends to the side when I focus too long on it. Using my left hand, I bend it slightly and it creates a curve. It could work as an abstract bracelet… I spin the metal again and it creates another curve.

It is interesting… but not what I want.

Dropping it, I pick up the golden strip and apply a strong flame to it. When it melts, I loop my finger around it, keeping my power steady in my pointer finger so I don’t burn myself. When it becomes too hot, I remove my finger and make another loop, but this is free hand and thinking of King Harvey’s finger.

My product is a wavy ring. There is a massive bump in the center, and the wave across it is uneven and jagged. I sigh.

King Harvey is by my side in his signature blur, and he examines my work with his hand on his chin. “For me, my love?”

I blush. “Uh… well. Yes...b-but it is not good, King Harvey! You deserve much better!”

“This is the first gift made from the heart, outside of you being my wife, Elena. I love it. May I, have it?” King Harvey offers his massive palm to me.

King Harvey breaks off the golden ring with a smile. “Perfect.”

“I don’t know if it would fit around your finger.”

King Harvey shrugs. “Elena, there are plenty of ways to accessorize.”

In horrible silence, I watch as my husband tries to put the ring on his left ring finger. It almost goes all the way through, but it stops halfway through. In a flash, King Harvey pulls his sword from his side and shows me the small metal chain attached to the end of his sword.

“A charm?”

“Why not, Elena? Forever at my side.” King Harvey proclaims as he melds the wavy ring to the end of the chain with a snippet of red energy.

Now, he grins happily, widely, and gladly.

“D-do you like it, King Harvey?”

“I went to war alone, Elena. Unloved. Now, if I ever must return to the battlefield, you are with me. I am overjoyed!” King Harvey picks me up and spins me, kissing me passionately.

Breathless and dizzy, I put my hands on his steady shoulders to stay lucid. I note that King Harvey’s arms are outstretched, and he is looking up. In my joy, I have levitated.

“Oh! King Harvey I am very happy for you, put I need to-!”

Carefully, King Harvey releases me from his grasp and smiles up at me. “Hold your place, Elena!”

“How long?” My nerves are beginning to make me feel as if I am spinning.

King Harvey seems to count to himself for maybe 20 seconds.

“Okay, Elena.” King Harvey helps to the ground. “30 seconds, congratulations!”

I smile at him.