Keeping the Boys Happy

By Abs and Toni

Things had gone along peacefully enough when Brenda had first taken over Rodzin Manor, but now she could sense a feeling of restlessness through the great house. The men seemed to argue at the smallest provocation, and though Brenda racked her brain to think of what could have happened to make them this way, she was at a complete loss. So she turned to the man who'd become her trusted advisor, Sir Patrise, and asked him softly one afternoon, "Patrise, what is the matter with the men? Why do they seem so unhappy?" She knew that the knight knew all that was going on, so he'd be able to tell her if anyone would.

"Well, Milady," he said cautiously, "it is just that the men have gotten over the first warm glow of having you here, and their minds do wander back to the time before . . . when there was, shall we say, more feminine company?"

Brenda blushed slightly at what his words implied, but she went on. "You mean. . .they are in need of women." Then, half to herself, she said softly, "And I don't suppose any of them want to visit Amanda's establishment."

"That is but a temporary solution, Milady. Before, Lady Jay was . . . well, she was Lord Boterel's woman, but she took a fancy to all of our kind. You are Count Vronsky's woman and that is as it should be, but none of my fellows wish to intrude on the relationship."

"And I thank you for that, Patrise; it's most gentlemanly of you. What we need, is someone who is sort of like Jay. . ..someone who could share her time with all the men. And as far as I know, there's no one in the Realm of that description." She thought a minute more, then looked at Patrise, a smile appearing on her face, and said, "So I will have to ask Rayden to find us one! Surely on all of Earth, there must be someone who would be happy to be surrounded by such handsome and gallant men as you and your fellow knights, in addition to the others. Thank you, Patrise! And you may tell the men that help is on the way!"

She sprang up and went to get ready to visit Rayden, right away.

Rayden was sitting on a rock, gazing out onto Dragon Bay, watching the fire lizards do their aerial acrobatics around The Bonny Heather as she set sail for a supply run. Suddenly, something caught his attention, and he turned. There in the distance was a rider heading towards the castle. He knew at once that it was one of the Medallion Ladies and it caused him to smile happily.

When Brenda reached Eilean Donan, a stable boy took her horse, and Rayden came out to greet her. After saying hello, she smiled, "I know there's a gate from my home to yours, but I wanted to give Edan some exercise. He's such a wonderful horse, and he handles so easily, it seemed a shame to keep him cooped up."

"By horseback or by the gate, you are always welcome here," he said with a twinkle in his eye that caused her cheeks to blush for some reason. "You wanted to speak to me in private? If so, let's take a walk in my garden."

They set off for the garden, and he offered her his arm. She took it, and as they walked along, she told him, after a few moments to decide how to phrase it, "Rayden, it's come to my attention that the men in my care are. . .well, they are in need of female companionship, to put it plainly. I know they had that with Lady Jay, and I was wondering. . .do you think you might be able to find a young woman like her, whose idea of complete happiness would be to spend time with the VIMs, as well as the others? She of course would live with us, and become a Medallion Lady. Do you think it's possible?" She looked up at him hopefully.

Rayden threw back his head and laughed. "It just so happens, I might have found someone who matches that description. Her name is Melissa.
Melissa Valentine."

Brenda's eyes widened, and she asked, "Do you think we might be able to persuade her to come here? I could take Patrise with me, to sort of convince her, as we did with Connie."

"That could be arranged," he said, still chuckling. "She is young. Only 18, but she is a big fan of both the creator of the VIMs and the SIMs. But she is very lonely in her real life, so she lives in a fantasy world for the most part."

"She sounds perfect for this world. How soon do you think we might be able to leave?" Her eyes were sparkling with happiness that she'd be able to provide the companion her men wished for.

"Let us send for the good knight so that he may escort you," Rayden said with another low chuckle. Brenda had a feeling Rayden wasn't telling her *everything* about the young woman she was hoping could solve her problem.

She looked up at him, feeling she should know if there were any "hidden agendas", and asked, "Rayden. . ..is there anything special about her I need to know? It would help if I were completely prepared for her, so I could help her settle better."

"Melissa has never had any attention from members of the opposite sex," Rayden explained. "If your knights treat her with all the courtly respect they are capable of, it will turn her head, I'm sure. And she is young. She might need your guidance in learning discretion, if you know what I mean."

Brenda smiled, "I do indeed. I'd be only too glad to provide the guidance for her. Maybe I can do a better job with her than I did with my son. . ." Her smile slipped for a second, then was back, as she continued, "That would be wonderful. When may we leave?"

"Let us give Sir Patrise a few moments to get dressed up," Rayden suggested. "And while he is doing that, I can show off the twins. Ev wouldn't be pleased if I let you get away without you seeing her and them."

Brenda looked even happier, as she said, "I'd love to see them! I'll bet they're growing more every time you lay eyes on them! That's usually how babies are."

By the time she had seen and admired the little redheaded twins, Sir Patrise had shown up via the gate. He had indeed *dressed up* for the occasion, and looked very pleased with himself at having been chosen to accompany the Lady of the Manor on her mission back to the old world.

So it was with Rayden's instructions and assurance that he'd be watching them that the two vanished in columns of controlled lightning, on their way to visit the young lady in question.

***

Melissa rushed into her room and closed the door behind her. Then she threw herself on the bed, weeping wildly for a good five minutes until, exhausted, she pulled herself up with difficulty and looked around her room. She was alone - the only one on campus with her own private room - and she told herself that was a good thing. She could watch anything she wanted, and no one could complain. Only sometimes she wanted to share her happiness over a certain show or an extra good actor.

Searching around, she found her glasses where she'd put them on her way to pressing her face to the bed. She wanted to watch something that would cheer her, but the first thing she thought of was The Vicar of Dibley. That reminded her of her weight problem, and her lip quivered with the memory of their taunts. Why couldn't she have been born in England, where they were not overly concerned with Body Beautiful all the time?

Finally Melissa got up, put on a robe, and gathered up a bowl of chocolates as she settled in to watch a recent version of Ivanhoe. The man who played DeBracy was one of her favorites, and she wanted something LONG, to take her mind off her miserable life.

Meanwhile, behind the dormitory building where no one could see, Brenda and Patrise appeared. They straightened their clothing, and went inside the building. Seeing no front desk or intercom, they climbed the stairs to Melissa's door, and Brenda knocked. When there was no answer, Patrise said, "Allow me, my lady. Perhaps she has fallen asleep." He banged on the door a little louder, and called out, "Miss Valentine! Please answer your door. We mean you no harm, but we need to speak with you!"

Inside, Melissa was frozen in fear. Were they back to taunt her? Usually they left her alone in her own home - the only refuge she had. But then she heard a voice - a familiar voice! It was not quite the one used by DeBracy in the series she was currently watching, but it was close. Because, in a way, it belonged to the same man!!!

He called to her again, and they waited a few moments more. Mentally, Brenda was asking Rayden what to do next, and he told her to keep trying. So she told Patrise, and he had his hand raised to knock again when the door suddenly opened unexpectedly!

Melissa's face split into an excited grin. "Ohmygod," she said, "I thought I was dreaming!"

Brenda and Patrise smiled back at the young woman, and Brenda asked, "My name is Brenda Cromwell-Smythe, Miss Valentine, and this is Sir Patrise. May we come in?" She grinned to herself as she noticed the young woman's eyes glued to Patrise.

She stepped back slowly, never taking them from the knight. "Sure. I don't understand, but sure."

Both entered, and took seats on a couple of comfortable looking chairs. Once they were settled, Brenda began to tell her about Emerald Realm. What the people were like, how society was there, and that she herself was the landlady of a large Manor house where there lived a number of men, including VIMs.

"You mean there are more. . . " She looked at Patrise furtively. "More like him?"

"Yes. A few more knights, a teacher. . .a number of the men who a certain person made famous all live there." She didn't want to call them TV characters, but she knew Melissa would know what she meant. "And, there are men called SIMs, and even some called Beanios. A healthy mixture, if I do say so myself."

"SIMs? What are those? Can you name any?" she asked, rapt with interest. This sounded like heaven to her!

Brenda explained whose "representatives" SIMs were, and named most of the ones that lived with her. For good measure, she also mentioned the Beanios, after giving her a description of them. She couldn't help smiling as she spoke about all these handsome men!

Melissa didn't know the Beanios, but she wasn't going to let THAT stop her! "Where is this wonderful place?" she asked. "And how can I get there?!" She wasn't worried about staying in school; she'd only come here to get away from home.

"Well. . ..now this is the part that might be a bit harder to explain. Emerald Realm is - well, to tell you the truth, it's a whole different world, literally. The god Rayden created it, and is responsible for bringing people to it from Earth through what is called a transformation chamber. It lets you change any aspect of your appearance that you want; when you enter the Realm, you will look exactly as you've always wished, no matter how radical. I myself was a 50 year old woman on earth, but this is how I looked at 27, so I wished for that back again." She hoped the younger woman would believe her.

"Rayden of Mortal Kombat? How cool is that?" she asked them with a grin. "And you mean I can . . . well . . . I'm only eighteen, but I've always been . . . people pick on me," she said at last, avoiding Patrise's stare.

Brenda nodded in sympathy. "Well, on the Realm, if you choose to go with us, no one will pick on you ever again. We have people from all walks of life, and every member of society there is welcomed and judged on their merits, as they should be. The change is entirely up to you - it isn't necessary to make it to achieve happiness there."

Melissa jumped up, knocking over her bowl of candy in the process. "When do we leave? Can I take my tapes?"

Brenda laughed in relief, and Patrise grinned. "We can leave as soon as you're ready, and you may bring whatever you want. When we get there, you will be living at Rodzin Manor with me; I hope that's all right. There are spacious rooms - and don't worry, while the building design is ancient, there is modern plumbing." Brenda explained. She was delighted things had turned out the way they had, and sent a mental thank you to Rayden for sending them to her. He chuckled and told her she was welcome.

They threw her tapes into several large bags - big enough that they all had to struggle carrying them - and then Melissa followed Brenda and Patrise off to a new world. She didn't much care about leaving the old one, and figured they could just consider her a drop out.

They went back behind the building, where the young woman unhesitatingly followed her new friends through the gate. When they emerged, they were on a hilltop in Scotland, a few yards from a circle of stones.

"When you step inside that circle, Melissa, a room will spring up around you, and Rayden will instruct you on what to do then. Patrise and I will take your tapes with us, and meet you on the other side, welcoming you to your new home." She reached out and touched the younger woman on the shoulder, smiling softly, "And above all, don't be afraid. You couldn't possibly be in safer hands than Rayden's, I can tell you that from personal experience. Now good luck, and we'll see you in a little while!" She leaned over and kissed her cheek for luck, and she and Patrise watched as she walked toward the stones.

Melissa didn't look back. As she stepped into the circle and the chamber started to appear around her, she said, "Rayden? You here?"

When the room had finished forming, a soft chuckle wafted through the air. "Yes, Melissa, I'm right here. Welcome; in a few minutes you'll be with Brenda, Patrise, and everyone they spoke of in my world. But first, you must remove your clothing, stand before the mirror, and imagine yourself as you would like to look."

Melissa wrinkled her nose. "I don't usually undress in front of people," she said. But then, after a minute, she decided it was worth it. After undressing, she said, "Now, can I be Christie Brinkley with a British accent?"

There was a bit of a startled silence, then Rayden said softly, "Melissa. . .if that is what you truly want I'll do it. But if you'll allow me to reveal it to you, there is a natural beauty within you that is far lovelier than any fashion model. Will you trust me? The accent will fit fine, but the rest of it. . ..you'll have to see it to believe it. I can see it in my mind's eye, and so could Patrise. Or didn't you notice the way he kept stealing glances at you in your apartment?"

"I thought I was staring at HIM," she giggled. "As long as I get the accent," she said, "and I don't look like THIS, I'll try anything."

"All right. Now close your eyes, relax, and let me do the driving - or the remodeling, in this case. You'll feel a slight electrical charge, but it will not hurt, I promise. Ready?" When she nodded, closing her eyes, a soft blue glow enveloped her entire body, like a halo, as Rayden's magic did its work.

When she opened her eyes she gasped. She was beautiful! Though Rayden had been slightly off; she did look like a model! She had long blonde hair and a pretty face, and, of course, a wonderful body now that the extra weight was gone. Melissa stood and looked in the mirror for a long time before Rayden got her attention away from her reflection.

"I took the liberty of correcting your vision; if you'll notice, your glasses are no longer necessary. Now, think of the clothing you'd like to wear; it's a little cool but still pleasant in the Realm; it's early fall here just as it is on Earth. And by the way, the mode of transport here is horse."

Melissa thought for a moment. She thought of Patrise and the other knights - like DeBracy - and suddenly an outfit from medieval times appeared on her. She looked up for Rayden, who complimented her, but then pointed out that she had to ride back to town. "Oh, all right. Jeans and a sweater, then," she said.

In a flash, her outfit had been changed for the more practical garments, and once she had put these on, Rayden told her, "Welcome officially to the Realm, Melissa. Brenda and Patrise are waiting for you with your horse, and we will meet eventually face to face. Until then, enjoy yourself!", and the presence was gone.

When she was ready, the young woman opened the door, and stepped into the early fall sunshine just as Rayden had said. Not far away at all was Brenda, astride a beautiful black stallion, and Patrise, on his own. Between them, the reins being held by Patrise, was a pretty brown mare, who looked warmly at the new arrival, as if she knew she was meant for her.

"I've never ridden before," Melissa admitted.

"Never fear fair maiden," said Patrise, his eyes quite obviously drinking her in now. "We shall help you in any way you desire." Then he proceeded to help her into the saddle. But Melissa took "desire" the wrong way, and as he was helping her up, she shifted so his hand came in contact with her bottom. Patrise moved off as if stung, and her face fell a mile.

He blushed a deep red, and stammered out, "Please, forgive me, Lady Melissa. I apologize for my clumsiness in placing my hand where it should not have gone on someone I barely know. I will be more careful in the future, I swear it." He stood with his head lowered, awaiting her forgiveness.

Brenda, meanwhile, had seen what had happened, and said softly, "Melissa. . .men of Patrise's time did things differently than modern men do today; to touch a woman they didn't know very well in that intimate a manner was unthinkable. Maybe we could have a chat about it when we get home, would that be all right?" The older woman knew that she had to get the ground rules straight from the beginning or there would be problems.

Tears welling in her eyes, Melissa nodded, and they turned toward the Manor. She'd have a lot to learn, but Brenda would be a good influence!