ghintheairwithhis,

    KingDimitriturhepeopleofbothtriesandtheycriedoutenthusiastically,“KingDimitri!KingDimitri!KingDimitri!”Themountainsandvalleysresouhtheirshouts.AtsbowedlowtoKingDimitriandsaid,“Thankyou,yourMajestyforyourkindnessandgenerosity.Iwilltakemyselfandmysoldiersbaenoillguardthesafetyoftheboundariesofydomwithourlives…”

    “Notsofastyoungman”repliedKingDimitri,hisfacefullofsmiles.HoldingAts’handhesaid,“YoudonotvisitmyKingdomveryoften,whynotstayafewdayslonger?Lookatoursoldiers!Seehowwelltheyaregettingalong?Makingthemgohomenowwouldreallydampentheirmood.Everyobehungryandthirstybynowafterthebigbattle.Letmedothehonorsasyourhostandgivethematreat.”

    “Thankyou,yourmajesty”repliedAts.KingDimitristoppedforamomentandtinued,

    22

    “Nowthatuteverythingiandhaveputourselvesonanewfootiusjusttalkaboutthepastonemoretime.Yourndsmayhemostfertile,buttheyarenotreallysoaridthatfood,sheepandcowsareinshortsupply,whythendidyoureallystartthisbattlewithus?”Onhearingthis,Atsagaiohiskneesandreplied,

    “Itisallmyfault…Iamguilty…Idon’tdaretotalkaboutit…”whilehegealthilytowardstheleftwiththeerofhiseyestowhereWhiteFairy,ClementineandCharmainewerewhisperingtogether,ahreepairsofeyessntedeverynowaowardsKingDimitriandAts.KingDimitribeingthecleveranddisingmonarchhewas,hadalreadysurmisedwhatitwasalbout.HeughedaloudandcalledtoClementineandCharmaioeover.HeagainhelpedAtstohisfeetsaying,

    “Ah,littlebrother,Itoldyouwewerebrothersandthereforeareequalineveryway.Douthefiningandstiffcourtetiquette.Let’streateachotherasfamilywhichwillbemuchmorecasuandharmonious.”

    “Yes,sire.Yesyourmajesty”repliedAts.

    “e,e”saidKingDimitriasClementineandCharmainewalkedover.“Letmeintroduceyoutoeachother.“Thisismynewbrother,Ats.Givehimahugyoutwotoshowyoursincerewele.”AtswasaghastanddidnotknowwhatKingDimitri’siionswerebutClementineeverpoisedandgraciouswalkedoverandhuggedandkissedhimquiteinitiatively.Atswassurprisedthatthebodyheheldinhisarmsdidobeonemadeoffleshandblood.Orary,itseemedtobejustairwithnosubstaall.Charmainealsocameandhuggedandkissedhimanditwasthesamewithhertoo.Ats’expressiorayedhissurpriseandchagrincausingCharmaiochuckleandsay,

    “Doyouuandnow?Althoughwesistersareheavenlynymphs,wehavebeautifulfeaturesandshapebutnosubstance.OurretionshipwithKingDimitriisohepurestptoniclove,whichfewpeoplederstand…”

    “Thehumanbodywithitssexualdesireshasbodytemperature”tinuedClemewillgrowoldanddecay.Butspiritualloveiseternal.Doyouuandnow…?”Atskdowntothetwonymphssaying,

    “Iamafool.Iamafool.OnlynowdoIuaruemeaningoflove…Formerly,Ionlywanted…Ionlywanted…”Beforetwosuchetherealcreatures,hecouldnotsayoutloudthewords“alpossession.”KingDimitripulledhimtohisfeetsaying,

    “Ijusttoldyounottoadheretocourtprotocol,whyareyoukneelingdownagaiup.Getup.Letmeintroduceyoutosomeverygoodoldfriendsofminewhojustcamefromthemundaneworld…”JusttheingofdrumsandmusipipesandotherinstrumentscouldbeheardingfromallthepathsinthemountainsforDeannahadtoldthevarioustribesthatKingDimitriwasbadeveryone’smi

ghintheairwithhis,

    KingDimitriturhepeopleofbothtriesandtheycriedoutenthusiastically,“KingDimitri!KingDimitri!KingDimitri!”Themountainsandvalleysresouhtheirshouts.AtsbowedlowtoKingDimitriandsaid,“Thankyou,yourMajestyforyourkindnessandgenerosity.Iwilltakemyselfandmysoldiersbaenoillguardthesafetyoftheboundariesofydomwithourlives…”

    “Notsofastyoungman”repliedKingDimitri,hisfacefullofsmiles.HoldingAts’handhesaid,“YoudonotvisitmyKingdomveryoften,whynotstayafewdayslonger?Lookatoursoldiers!Seehowwelltheyaregettingalong?Makingthemgohomenowwouldreallydampentheirmood.Everyobehungryandthirstybynowafterthebigbattle.Letmedothehonorsasyourhostandgivethematreat.”

    “Thankyou,yourmajesty”repliedAts.KingDimitristoppedforamomentandtinued,

    22

    “Nowthatuteverythingiandhaveputourselvesonanewfootiusjusttalkaboutthepastonemoretime.Yourndsmayhemostfertile,buttheyarenotreallysoaridthatfood,sheepandcowsareinshortsupply,whythendidyoureallystartthisbattlewithus?”Onhearingthis,Atsagaiohiskneesandreplied,

    “Itisallmyfault…Iamguilty…Idon’tdaretotalkaboutit…”whilehegealthilytowardstheleftwiththeerofhiseyestowhereWhiteFairy,ClementineandCharmainewerewhisperingtogether,ahreepairsofeyessntedeverynowaowardsKingDimitriandAts.KingDimitribeingthecleveranddisingmonarchhewas,hadalreadysurmisedwhatitwasalbout.HeughedaloudandcalledtoClementineandCharmaioeover.HeagainhelpedAtstohisfeetsaying,

    “Ah,littlebrother,Itoldyouwewerebrothersandthereforeareequalineveryway.Douthefiningandstiffcourtetiquette.Let’streateachotherasfamilywhichwillbemuchmorecasuandharmonious.”

    “Yes,sire.Yesyourmajesty”repliedAts.

    “e,e”saidKingDimitriasClementineandCharmainewalkedover.“Letmeintroduceyoutoeachother.“Thisismynewbrother,Ats.Givehimahugyoutwotoshowyoursincerewele.”AtswasaghastanddidnotknowwhatKingDimitri’siionswerebutClementineeverpoisedandgraciouswalkedoverandhuggedandkissedhimquiteinitiatively.Atswassurprisedthatthebodyheheldinhisarmsdidobeonemadeoffleshandblood.Orary,itseemedtobejustairwithnosubstaall.Charmainealsocameandhuggedandkissedhimanditwasthesamewithhertoo.Ats’expressiorayedhissurpriseandchagrincausingCharmaiochuckleandsay,

    “Doyouuandnow?Althoughwesistersareheavenlynymphs,wehavebeautifulfeaturesandshapebutnosubstance.OurretionshipwithKingDimitriisohepurestptoniclove,whichfewpeoplederstand…”

    “Thehumanbodywithitssexualdesireshasbodytemperature”tinuedClemewillgrowoldanddecay.Butspiritualloveiseternal.Doyouuandnow…?”Atskdowntothetwonymphssaying,

    “Iamafool.Iamafool.OnlynowdoIuaruemeaningoflove…Formerly,Ionlywanted…Ionlywanted…”Beforetwosuchetherealcreatures,hecouldnotsayoutloudthewords“alpossession.”KingDimitripulledhimtohisfeetsaying,

    “Ijusttoldyounottoadheretocourtprotocol,whyareyoukneelingdownagaiup.Getup.Letmeintroduceyoutosomeverygoodoldfriendsofminewhojustcamefromthemundaneworld…”JusttheingofdrumsandmusipipesandotherinstrumentscouldbeheardingfromallthepathsinthemountainsforDeannahadtoldthevarioustribesthatKingDimitriwasbadeveryone’smi