Blood & Fire

"General Yurri. You will command." I wrote when all had finished with their reports.

This caused a bit of surprise among them, but I thought I noted mostly approval of my choice. I sighed with relief as General Yurri took swift command of the group, and they began planning.

"What is your name?" I thrust my board in front of the eagle shifter.

"Trecian, my Queen," he bowed slightly as he spoke.

"Trecian, you will advise me until we retrieve King Carnen. What is your advice?"

I purposely changed Carnen's status from Prince to King. If these people were going to call me Queen, then they needed to start seeing Carnen in a new role too.

"My Queen, a small detachment should go to free the four still trapped in the cave. Grayban and Darios, the telekinetic and the bear shifter, have exhausted themselves making the hole for me. Unbek and Sunu are powerless. It should only take two men and a bit of fire powder. But I should go too, the hole is hard to find."

"How long?"

Trecian frowned, "Two days to ride there with fresh horses."

"Flying?"

"A half-day flight, but I'm afraid I cannot shift now, my Queen. I won't be able to for at least a day."

"Take two men and go. Show them the location, then fly back."

Trecian nodded, "Yes, my Queen."

He told General Yurri the plan, then left the tent. I felt silly for having just gained an advisor and immediately sent him away. But what good was an advisor if I ignored his first advice?

Now that I'd set all these men in action, I felt useless. I glanced at Freja. She met my eyes and nodded. I took it to mean that I was still doing the right thing, which meant waiting while other people acted, again.

I watched as the plan took shape on Prince Carnen's war table, the generals moving around various random objects snatched from around the room. I was frustrated that none of it made sense, but I watched anyway, hoping to absorb some knowledge.

At one point, the question of how ruthless Prince Jadeth could be expected to behave towards his own Navy was raised. Ah now, I could help.

"Jadeth does not care about his people," I wrote and shoved my slate into the group.

General Yurri glanced at the slate, then at me, then nodded. Subsequently, everyone accepted that answer and continued with their debate, this new information taken into account.

It was the last time I felt useful that day. At some point, messengers started being sent from the tent and returning as the discussion increased in intensity and new information was required. When the sun set, lamps were set up. Shamefully, I fell asleep at some point in the night.

When I woke, only General Yurri remained, staring hard at the table with all its various new decorations that held some special meaning I couldn't grasp. I picked up my slate.

"How can I help?" I asked, now that asking would not distract from the intense planning that had occurred the day before.

The general shook his head, then stopped and squinted at me hard. I felt that the very core of my being was under scrutiny, and he was weighing my value.

"I have heard a story about Captain Nidan's daughter," he mused. "I heard that she is a blood mage that cannot bring health, but only death."

General Yurri flicked his eyes up from the table to meet mine, daring me to answer. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Freja stir and stare at me too, curiously.

"True," I wrote just one word, my hand trembling.

"A young woman, a waif injured by a careless accident with a candle, perhaps... A country girl too poor and too rural to be able to afford a good flesh mage, made mute by her injury... A girl like that might turn to prostitution in the city. They say that Prince Jadeth sends his men out in search of interesting whores..."

I understood what he meant at once. I could do what none of his men could do. I could be an assassin. And all it would cost was my fidelity to my husband and my self-respect. No price is too high, I thought with pain. Men were right now preparing to die because I had written those words. I had no right to balk at using my body for the same end.

I nodded, agreeing to the plan. I had spent a lot of time with Prince Jadeth, but like my father, he never looked at me. I was a ghost to them. And now, with my face half burnt, I would be even less recognizable. It was a plan that could work, if General Yurri was right about Prince Jadeth's tastes for the unusual. And I thought he was. It fit with what I knew of the man.

I didn't look at Freja. I didn't want to see the disappointment in her eyes that I would cuckold her son in this most terrible of ways. Worse, I didn't want to see approval there, of the fact that I would do anything for Carnen to rule.

"I will have a scout get you some clothes to match the story and lead you to the road. There, you will be on your own. Just follow the road to the city and make them understand you are desperate for food and money and will do anything."

I nodded. I had chosen well, I thought. General Yurri was a practical man, willing to use any tools at his disposal to get the job done. I was sure he knew that suggesting this would not endear him to my husband. But, like me, he hoped to have the problem of dealing with Prince Carnen's anger, rather than his dead body.

~~~~~

I looked up at the massive city walls as I walked down the road. I wasn't alone, plenty of other folk were heading here too. They thought their families safer behind a great wall than out on their farms when war was imminent.

These people too, Carnen had been trying to save by choosing a stealth attack rather than all-out war. Maybe he was too self-confident, or maybe he underestimated the evil in his brother. Either way, he had chosen wrong, although it was for the best reasons. Perhaps now I was choosing wrong, for the best reasons. I could not judge my husband for his choices, I could only do what I thought was right.

As the crowd made their way to the gate, I noticed that everyone was being made to pay to enter. I saw some people turned away, now begging others for the fee of their entry. I had no entry fee, of course. Like the impoverished woman I was pretending to be, I could offer only my body.

I had hoped that I would only need to seduce Prince Jadeth himself. I realized now that had been naïve. I was playing the part of a whore, after all. When the guard demanded payment, I bared my breast to him and looked up from under my eyelashes, which I hoped conveyed the message.

The guard examined me coldly. I wondered how many women tried to pay their way into the city with their bodies. How many breasts had he assessed for their worth, deciding who would be fucked inside, and who would be told to fuck off?

"Where are you coming from?" He asked harshly.

I shook my head and pointed to my mouth, indicating that I could not speak. His gaze lingered on the scars around my mouth thoughtfully. He reached out and fondled my breast, as if checking a fruit for ripeness.

I shivered. It felt strange, to be treated as harmless. That was a weirder sensation than being on display before the other guards and the waiting line. I could have killed the guard, with his hand lightly touching me. But that was no way to get to Prince Jadeth subtly.

So, I endured the groping patiently, trying to seem harmless and meek. The guard yanked up my peasant dress and inspected my nether region, pulling apart my hair and outer lips. I assumed he was checking for disease, but maybe he was only satisfying his own curiosity.

"What do you think of this one?" He called to the guard captain.

The captain strolled over and examined me too. He felt the scars on my face and pulled open my mouth to look at my teeth. Then, roughly, he ripped my dress down the front and pushed it off me, leaving me naked in the road.

I fought the urge to cover myself with my arms as the captain stalked around me, all my scars obvious in the morning light. He stopped in front of me again and nodded.

"Yes. The King will approve, I think. Send her to his ship."

Well, I had not expected it to go that easily. Granted, I'd been groped and stripped, but I had not been made to touch or kiss them, and that was a relief. The guard grabbed my arm and pulled me after him. He didn't bother to clothe me, but instead led me naked through the streets towards the docks. He hustled me onto one of the smaller ships and shoved me in front of the ship captain.

"Tribute for the King from the gate guard," He said, pushing me so that I fell to my knees.

"She looks pretty," The captain said, with disapproval.

"Show him your face, girl," the guard instructed.

I looked up, the scars pulling taut as I tilted my head back, my lips opened a little from the tightening of my skin. The captain looked down at me thoughtfully. Finally, he nodded.

"I see. The prince is away at the moment, but I'm sure he'll evaluate her on his return and send whatever reward he deems fit."

The guard bowed and left.

"Put her in the brig," The captain commanded.

A sailor grabbed me by my hair and dragged me into the bowels of the ship. He threw me into a cell and the door clanged shut. I heard the click of a lock, and then I was alone in the dark.

"Hello? Who are you?" A voice called out.

It was Prince Carnen, my husband. I felt horror at the realization that I was imprisoned with him. He would witness my shame when his brother came for me. Or, perhaps he would not, and we would die here together. I almost could not decide which fate I preferred.

"Hello?" He called again.

Of course, I could not reply. Even if I had a voice, I was sure I would have been silent, wanting to keep him in ignorance of his wife's fate for as long as possible.

Gradually, my eyes became accustomed to the gloom. A small shaft of light filtered from under a wooden door. I was enclosed in a space just long enough for me to sit with my legs stretched. I would not be able to lie down unless I curled in on myself.

I pushed to my feet. At least the space was big enough for me to stand, but just barely. A taller person would have to crouch. This space must be torture for a man, I thought. Was my husband in a cell like this?

"If you can hear me, can you knock?"

I knocked.

"Knock once for yes, twice for no, ok?"

I knocked once.

"Are you hurt?"

Two knocks.

"Are you one of Prince Carnen's men?"

I hesitated, then knocked twice. It was easier if he believed me a stranger. After that, there was silence for a little while.

"Are you hungry?"

Two knocks.

"Thirsty?"

Two knocks again. My heart ached that he would worry so for a stranger. Again, my faith in his character was reaffirmed.

In the silence that stretched, I could only hope that King Jadeth would come soon, so that I could end his miserable life. The wait was interminable. If I had felt useless watching generals plan a war, I felt much more useless now. I couldn't imagine how awful the boredom was for Carnen, and his son. I hadn't heard Ferdan speak, I realized. I hoped he was still alive.

Eventually, a small panel of wood slid aside at the bottom of my door. A mug and a plate were pushed inside. I put the mug to my lips and licked up a bit of the fluid inside. It was beer. That was to be expected on a sailing vessel. Unlike water, beer killed any bacteria in it, and was therefore much easier to keep on long journeys.

Still, the ship was docked and of all cities, Enerte had plenty of clean water. So there had been other options and they'd chosen beer for a reason. I doubted it was kindness. Perhaps Prince Jadeth preferred his women to be a bit lush before he fucked them?

The plate held only salted meat. Well, if I ate that, I would be thirsty.

"If you got beer, don't drink it," Carnen said. "They give you beer to drug you, because the taste is obvious in water."

I knocked once, to acknowledge that I'd heard. I wondered why they would want to drug me?

"If you're a woman, it's an aphrodisiac drug. If you're a man, it's a sedative," Carnen answered my unasked question.

One knock.

If they meant to drug me, then surely that meant Prince Jadeth would come soon? I dreaded it but desired it too. The sooner he came, the sooner this would be over, one way or another.

I stared at my food. My stomach rumbled loudly, and my throat felt parched, but I could not allow myself to be drugged. There was no way to know how long I waited. I stood, I sat, I tried to pace, but it was more like spinning in circles. I wished I had clothes, so I could at least have a thing to touch and play with in my hands.

Eventually, I had to pee, and I squatted in a corner. I felt degraded, standing in my own warm pee that puddled into the center of the cell. Apparently, the floor sloped. I considered my pee and realized that I shouldn't leave the beer sitting untouched. I poured it where I'd peed and let the two liquids merge together on the floor.

I really wanted to throw the empty mug at the door in frustration, but I didn't want to bother my husband, who had been calmly quiet all this while. How could he stand this inactivity? He must have been here for nearly a week now, and he seemed still sane.

Finally, I heard heavy footsteps thud into the room. Was this going to be merely more food, or would this be him, the one I was here to kill? I pressed my back into the far wall of the cell, fear suddenly overriding my impatience.

My cell door was swung open, and Jadeth's face was illuminated by lantern light. He thrust the lantern into the cell, and I raised my face, sure to show him my disfigurement, which seemed to be his particular fetish. Jadeth grinned, his teeth gleaming in the flickering light.

"Come here, girl," He said.

I gained nothing by disobeying, I thought. So I went, hesitant and slow, but I went. The Prince backed away from the door as I came closer. I had not gotten a good look at the room when I'd been brought down before, since there had been no lanterns then. Now, I looked around and saw the various implements of torture. And shackled to one wall, was my husband.

How much kinder it would have been, had he been shut in a cell like me! I ignored him, watching only his brother. I prayed that Carnen would not give me away.

A guard seized me and dragged me to a wooden x-frame. He strapped each of my wrists and my ankles to the frame. I regretted not rushing Jadeth when I had been unrestrained. But probably I would not have been able to reach him and would have only raised suspicions instead.

After securing me, the guards left the room, leaving me alone with the two brothers.

"Your army has just arrived at the city walls, Carnen." Jadeth mused as he played with a cane and stared at me absently.

"Surrender," Carnen said, giving away none of the surprise he must have felt at the news.

Jadeth laughed as he stuck the cane under my chin and raised my head. I looked up at him, my heart beating with fear that he might, despite all odds, recognize me. But, when I met his eyes, all I saw in them was impersonal curiosity.

"Your army is no threat. The wall guard do not even need me there to supervise. I will play with this girl and taunt you while your army uselessly flings themselves at the city, dying by droves. Isn't that nice?"

"Fuck you!" Carnen roared.

"Now, brother. That's no way to talk to family, is it?" Jadeth said mildly, grinning. "No further outbursts please or I'm likely to get angry."

Carnen jangled his chains in frustration but stayed silent.

Jadeth returned his attention to me, "How were you burned?"

I shook my head, trying to indicate that I could not speak. But of course, Jadeth was not interested in charades. He whipped the cane at my breast. The painful sting radiated through me, warming me, and causing a tremoring tingle that was almost arousing. Tears formed in my eyes, but they did not fall.

"Where are you from?" Jadeth asked.

Not even waiting for an answer, he struck my breast again. The strike went across the previous one, intensifying the pain. I shuddered. Unexpectedly, that special place that Carnen had awoken with his tongue pulsed. I had not consumed the beer, so why was I becoming aroused?

But more importantly, when would he touch me? I feared he would wait until I was too exhausted by his beating to use my power, and I would not be able to kill him after all. I pulled at my restraints, my body straining with the desire to protect myself, and to fulfill my duty.

Jadeth laughed, watching me struggle. He pressed the cane to my slit and rubbed it between my folds of skin and across that sensitive point of pleasure that was inside. He raised the tip that he'd used to caress me to his lips and licked the cane.

"You enjoy this," he said, smugly. "All whores like pain, don't they, Carnen?"

I hung my head in shame. The next hit came with no warning, slamming into my other breast. My nipples tightened and stood proud, declaring my arousal openly.

"You've made your point, brother. Let the poor girl go," Carnen said, calmly.

"Oh, that wouldn't be fun at all. Let's hope this one is more resilient than your son, shall we?"

What had he done to Ferdan? He'd been alive four days ago, when Trecian had spoken to them. Please let him still live, I thought.

Jadeth picked up a pair of small clamps and carefully attached them to my nipples. Somehow, he avoided so much as brushing his hands against my skin. I thrust myself forward, desperate to touch him. But he just leaned out of reach and smiled.

"Not yet girl."

The pain in my nipples grew with each strike of the cane against my breasts. And my nether regions pulsed and throbbed with joy at each hit. Tears began leaking out of my eyes.

"Stop! Please," Carnen begged, his chains clanging as he struggled against them.

"You care too much, brother. That is your problem, your weakness that landed you here. You could have been king, but you left your army behind. And for what reason? They came anyway, to the fate you tried to spare them." Jadeth taunted as he directed fast strikes against my clamped nipples.

"Don't you wonder how much pain it will take to make a mute woman ask for mercy?" Jadeth mused, "I do."

Suddenly, that was what I wondered too. Would he stop if I could make myself speak? I opened my mouth and tried to force air through my mouth in a way that formed words. All that came out was a pitiful moan.

"It looks like I'm not the first one to have played with her, though, am I? Who gave you these scars, I wonder...? Was it your mother or your father or a sister or brother, hmm? Or was it a husband that you ran from?

"These bruises I leave will not even scar that tender flesh. See brother? See how kind I am to this whore? I could mark her, and I don't."

Jadeth leaned close to my face, examining the scars on my mouth and cheeks. My mouth opened when he pulled the clamps from my nipples suddenly. He took that moment to press his mouth to mine. It was so sudden and unexpected that I almost missed my chance.

Almost, but I didn't. I pulled the magic and thrust it into him in an instant. Prince Jadeth's eyes opened wide, and I thought I saw recognition in his gaze before he slumped to the floor. Rain fell around him, water that he'd tried to pull from the air to defend himself in his last moment of life.

I hung limp, staring at the dead Prince. I expected him to stand suddenly, laughing, and tell me I'd been a fool. Part of me, I'd realized, had thought him an immortal symbol of evil. Perhaps I could have killed him anytime I'd seen him the last years. But fear had held me back. Or maybe it had been apathy. Maybe all I'd needed was something to fight for, and Carnen had given me that.

"My love," Carnen said now, gently.

The words broke me. I didn't deserve love. Hadn't he seen when I'd done? I'd killed his brother with my lips. I'd come, naked, to whore myself in a fool's errand. And inexplicably, it had worked.