Minirtha: Warrior Woman Ch. 04

The streets were crowded as Minirtha navigated them. There were a lot of people out today, hopefully a good sign. Perhaps they are about since the Queen is here, she thought to herself. She headed the way to the palace she had walked the past two days she had been in Obstanus. She turned the corner and looked. There, on the two poles between the doors that led into the marble palace, were the royal standards of the Kingdom of Hyperal. The Queen was in the palace today and holding court with the people. Finally, Minirtha could go before Her Majesty and get her audience, or at least she hoped. Apparently she was not the only one who needed to see the Queen, as the line out the palace doors was quite long. She wondered if she would be able to get inside today. She took her place and prepared for a long wait.

The hours were long in the hot sun. Sweat rolled down Minirtha's topless form. Fortunately, since she was only clad in her loincloth and thong, she stayed in her state of near-nudity. She had prepared, however, bringing along her water sack filled with cool liquid. Her years of traveling and the life she spent among the barbarians trained her to go long periods in conditions like this. As the time went by, the line grew nearer and nearer to the palace doors. She was afraid they would close at any moment as the sun began its descent down towards the dusk. A palace guard came out of the door and began to count the people in the line. He looked at each one before pausing at Minirtha, looking at her carefully. She was armed with her axe and sword after all, and this may look bad in trying to enter the palace. He soon turned to the people in line behind her.

"This woman is the last one who will be allowed entry today," he said to them as he pointed at the redheaded warrior. "The rest of you may leave and return tomorrow to try."

MInirtha breathed a sigh of relief. She would get inside today, at least, even if there was the possibility she would have to spend another night in the city. But that could be worried about when the time came. Her mood was better as she continued her wait. Before long, she found herself standing beside the guards who waited by the palace door. A signal of a gong ringing was heard from inside as the sun's light was almost gone. You may enter now woman, providing you remove your belt and surrender your weapons to the guard inside the door, she was told. She complied with the request, passing off her items as she entered into the long entry hallway of the palace and was now out of the hot outside air.

She walked the red carpet running down the entire length of hallway leading towards the purple curtains that no doubt led to the throne room. Candles lit the entire passage and Minirtha looked into the many alcoves along the walls. Each of these alcoves held a marble statue, each of a man dressed in robes that told of nobility. All looked deep in thought to her, as if they were pondering great mysteries. These must be the former rulers of Hyperal, immortalized in these statues. To the warrior woman they all appeared to be men of great wisdom, and the looks on all faces portrayed them as being viewed in a positive light. Perhaps this would allow her to fair well with the currency monarch. She entered into the throne room, ready to lay it all out.

She entered into the bright throne room, illuminated by several skylights. All around attendants were lighting candles, no doubt to prepare for the coming night. The large room was mostly empty, a vast stone floor stretching. This room was mostly devoid of furniture and the open floor should allow for plenty of people when the Queen addressed her subjects. On the opposite side of the room stood a golden throne, surrounded on both sides by a total of twelve powerfully-built women. All stood, wearing helmets and apron of gold, All were topless, their arms crossed over their breasts. All were quite strong; no doubt in Minirtha's mind that these were the Queen's bodyguards. But they were not the object of Minirtha's attention.

Upon the golden throne sat the Queen of Hyperal. Though she was sitting, Minirtha had to guess she probably stood close to her own six-and-a-half feet height, perhaps a bit taller. She wore the jewel-encrusted crown of her kingdom, placed atop her head of gray hair. Though this gave her an appearance of advanced age, her face did not seem to fit there. It was smooth, free of age wrinkles but with the occasional line of stress running along it, her tanned skin showing she spent time out of the palace and in the sun. Her sharp brown eyes told that she was decisive and confident of herself, one who belonged in power. Overall to Minirtha, she appeared that she was still a great beauty as she had no doubt been in her younger years. The Queen wore a purple dress, all the way to the floor and covering her entire body save her head and hands. The dress appeared to have quite a bit of padding, not allowing the redheaded warrior to see what Her Majesty's body was like.

Minirtha approached the throne and bowed down to the Queen, just to be safe and maintain the etiquette that most monarchs expected. The Queen looked down from the throne upon her, no doubt wondering where the practically-naked woman had come from. After a few moments of carefully looking at Minirtha, seemingly deep in thought, she spoke.

"State who you are and where you have come, as well as your business," she said to the warrior woman in a tone that seemed familiar to Minirtha's ears.

"My name is Minirtha and I am a native of Carg. I have come before you, Your Majesty, to ask that I be granted passage by you to enter the Forbidden Heavens."

This statement caused the Queen to rise up slightly from her seat. The Forbidden Heavens was the name given to a giant walled city that was home to the temples of the gods and goddesses worshiped by those in Hyperal. The only inhabitants were the priests and priestesses who maintained the temples and appeased their deities in proper fashion. The only other person who could either enter freely or give passage for entrance was the kingdom's monarch. Being caught in the city without royal approval would lead to seven years of forced labor in the mines in the deserts to the south. Surely this woman from Carg was not looking to act simply as a tourist.

"You had better have a good reason for wanting to enter the Forbidden Heavens," the Queen said. "Outsiders of my kingdom do not gain entry and I have not issued a single pass in over three years. I demand to know your reasons."

Minirtha knew the Queen would want an explanation, and she had originally not wanted to give the true details of the mission she had been hired to undertake. She originally planned to say she was hired by a king in a distant kingdom to search for a long-missing golden idol that was rumored to have been plundered to Hyperal around 500 years earlier. The Queen of Hyperal was said to be fair and willing to repatriate artifacts to their homelands, so she may be willing to allow her passage. But something about the Queen's brown eyes told that she would easily see through Minirtha's lies and more trouble would be caused. Minirtha hoped for her fairness and level-headedness would allow the monarch to listen to the truth.

"Your Majesty, I am acting as a hired mercenary for a duke in the Kingdom of Torran. Roughly one year ago, a raiding party attacked his estate while he was away on royal business. The possessions that were taken he does not care for, but the invaders took off with one of his sons and one of his daughters. The son they took happens to be the heir to the dukedom. The last time the party was seen with the prisoners was by merchants traveling in your realm. They said they turned at a crossroads towards the Forbidden Heavens, and were led by a man in robes indicating he was one of the high priests. I believe that they are within the walls there and I am to retrieve them and see them home."

"So you are saying that one of my high priests happens to be involved in some kind of kidnapping? What is the motive may I ask?"

"I have been told, Your Majesty, that rumors come offering to sell the heir to the right bidder so he may be ransomed back directly to the duke, allowing the real abductors to stay clear of Torran. I have heard nothing of the girl."

"And do you know which high priest, providing this man was not an imposter, was leading the party?" A tone of question was in the Queen's voice, as if she were making sure that Minirtha did not lie.

"I do not, Your Majesty. I was given a description of a symbol he wore on a medallion around his neck, hoping that would aid in his identification."

The Queen stared silently at Minirtha for a moment. She studied the woman carefully, obviously deep in thought. Minirtha had not spared a detail she had been asked of, and did not bother to deceive the Queen as she knew she would be figured out. The Queen's gaze was directed at Minirtha's chest, something the redhead was used to since she was always bare-breasted. But her large breasts were not the object of the monarch's attention, rather it was the necklace she wore that was.

"I happen to be somewhat familiar with Carg," the Queen finally said. "I can tell by the necklace you are wearing that you are a devotee of the local goddess Tricta, or am I mistaken?"

Minirtha replied, "No, Your Majesty, you are correct. By birth, I am from Tricta's People and I still worship and devote myself to her."

"Then would you swear by the name of Tricta that the story you have told to me here is the truth?" The Queen had chosen her words carefully, Minirtha thought. People would never dare swear something was the truth by saying they swore to the goddess, but they were allowed to swear by her name to symbolize their telling of the truth.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I swear by the name of Tricta that everything I told you is the truth." She punched her bare chest three times with her left hand in a fist, the symbol one of her people gave when they swore by her name.

"Very well. I believe that what you are telling is the truth, Minirtha. You are indeed seeking to free two who are imprisoned somewhere and you seem to believe them in the Forbidden Heavens. At the same time, you possibly bring a great charge against one of my high priests, something that would lead to them being sent to their death if brought before me. This would be a devastation to my kingdom and lead to great doubt and hysteria among whatever devotees to the god this man represents. Possibly great problems could rise in the land. I must think for a moment on what to do."

The Queen sat in silence for several long minutes, her brow wrinkled as she was deep in thought. That was a job that Minirtha would not want to be forced to do; going into battle against an entire army would be much more agreeable in her mind versus having to make a decision that could lead to great troubles in an entire nation. She stood by, waiting for the decision, hoping she could continue on with her journey. If not, then she would have to begin formulating a new plan, one that could lead to her being in grave danger. Finally, the Queen sat back up and prepared to address Minirtha one again.

"No matter what cost it may come to the kingdom, I cannot allow the injustice of two people stolen from their home to be falsely imprisoned under the threats of an unknown fate that could lead to great sorrow for many. To rescue them is a delicate matter, but one that must be done. I feel that if the right person could do this, then all will be balanced for the parties involved. I therefore am giving you the opportunity to prove yourself as the worthy warrior for this task."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will prove myself in any manner you direct me to. I am ready to do anything for it."

"You seem like a capable warrior Minirtha. If you were to prove yourself with physical combat in a wrestling match, it would show you have the endurance and heart to undertake a rescue. Therefore, if you have not been defeated by the time the sun is down, which will be in around a half-hour, I will grant you your pass to enter the Forbidden Heavens."

"I will take on the challenge, Your Majesty. I am to wrestle with one of your bodyguards," Minitha asked as she looked over the powerful, topless women surrounding the throne.

"No, my dear child, that is not a duty of theirs. I have a champion to undertake battles like this."

"Very well, I will face him now."

"The champion is not available at the moment," the Queen said. "Minirtha, I myself am the opponent that you will be facing. We will do battle here in the throne room. Prepare yourself to face me at once, if you desire your pass that badly."

Minirtha was in shock at the statement. It was not the place of a kingdom's ruler to partake in a match like this; most saw wrestling as below them. Was this some sort of test the Queen was putting her through? She could not be sure that if she defeated the Queen her bodyguards would not simply let her get away and take her away to the jails. She wouldn't be able to get away from them easily since they had taken her weapons when she entered. Her mind returned to her job she had and she decided to face this Queen and see what she had in mind.

An attendant stood beside Minirtha holding a tray. The redhead took the headband from her head and placed it on the tray, followed by the necklace and bracelets she wore. She bent down and removed her sandals before she untied her loincloth and pulled it off to add to her other possessions on the tray. Now only clad in her black thong, the attendant moved to the side with the tray. Minirtha stretched and flexed her lean, muscular body, loosening herself up and preparing to grapple with the Queen. The entire time she had felt the monarch watching her, looking her over and getting to know her opponent's body.

The Queen rose from her throne and stood up. Two female attendants, neither one wearing any clothes, came to her side to assist her in preparing. She removed her crown and handed it to one for safekeeping. Towering over both of the naked women assisting her, she bent down to allow the other to reach her back better. "Help me out of this dress," she told to the woman who untied the string in the back holding it on the Queen's body. The two attendants worked the dress off the Queen's shoulders, down her body and to the floor so the monarch could step out of it. She stepped out the gold slippers she wore, and stepped forward to allow Minirtha a better view of her.

Minirtha was shocked at the view she had of the Queen's body. The padded dress had indeed hidden it, but the redhead did not expect the sight she was greeted with. The Queen was incredibly muscular, a powerfully-built woman of great size. Where Minirtha was built of lean muscle achieved through lots of training and hard work, the Queen's muscles were of bulk, bulging out from under her bronzed flesh. Every single one was clearly defined, the woman was obviously very cut, as Minirtha looked over her opponent's entire body.

The Queen's feet stood firm on the ground, as Minirtha looked at the powerful legs she had. Her leg muscles were large, particularly her massive cut thighs that Minirtha did not even think she could wrap her large hands around. The only garment on the Queen's body was a small gold thong she wore around her hips, wide but still somewhat feminine despite her ripped body. Above her waist Minirtha gazed at the clearly defined abdominal muscles the Queen had, counting eight in total. It was clear that the Queen had quite large pecs, making her already large breasts, free of absolutely any sag, look even larger. Her broad shoulders led down to her massive arms, loaded with large muscles. Her biceps alone looked as if they could be the size of a cantaloupe when the Queen flexed them.

"Ah, it feels great to be out of that damned dress," the Queen remarked as she began to stretch her powerful body. Every muscle moved freely and with great flexibility, showing Minirtha that the Queen was not limited by her bulky size. The Queen turned away from the redhead warrior, flexing her muscular body. Her muscles rippled under her massive back as her massive biceps bulged out, showing off the massive size and strength she possessed. Her backside also gave Minirtha a good view of the Queen's buttocks, barely covered by her thong, which while a work of muscle too was still quite shapely as men would desire on a woman. The Queen's legs looked as thick as tree trunks as her powerful thighs flexed. The monarch was making sure every muscle was flexed to loosen up. She turned to once again face Minirtha, flexing her powerful pecs as she did. The flexing made it appear her breasts danced on their own, bouncing up and down as if by magic.

The Queen, now stripped down and ready, walked forward to face Minirtha. She only stood maybe a single inch taller than the warrior woman, but clearly she was much larger than her opponent. Minirtha had good reason to worry, as she could tell that not only was the Queen's muscular body from the results of genetics, probably some barbarian in her heritage, but she also clearly worked her body out regularly to maintain it. Her hair may be gray, but otherwise she looked as if she were still in the prime of her life. The two women, only clad in skimpy thongs, stood toe-to-toe as they stared each other down.

"Remember," the Queen told the redhead, "if you last the half-hour we have until dark, you will prove worthy of your mission." Minirtha simply nodded, understanding what she must do, as the command was given to begin.

The two opponents grabbed at each other, working to force the other to the ground. Minirtha was putting all of her lean muscles to work, bulging against her tanned skin as she worked to resist the Queen's drive to knock her off her feet. The much larger monarch pushed back against Minirtha, knowing she was trying to get her down first. Minirtha felt the rock hard muscles the Queen sported bulge as they pushed her flat onto her back. The Queen dove down on top of Minirtha, slamming her great weight on her downed opponent. Minirtha felt the pain of such a force dropped onto her, but resisted the urge to cry out and simply grunt. The Queen attempted to use her large size to keep the redhead pinned, but Minirtha fought against her. She worked and worked, finally managing to get free from under the hulking monarch's body. She stood up on her hands before pushing up into the air, landing back on her feet.

"Quite agile," the Queen remarked as she stood back up. The Queen took off running directly at Minirtha, who did not move fully intending to take the blow she was about to receive. The muscular monarch made contact with the warrior and sent her flying back. Once again, Minirtha landed on her hands and flipped herself back onto her feet. She had hoped to be knocked back this far and charged at the Queen. Instead of trying to tackle her, Minirtha jumped into the air and wrapped her legs around the monarch's midsection. She was unable to get around the Queen's massive chest, but was just under it. The redhead grabbed the Queen's head and pressed it into her large chest, catching her off guard. The hulking woman, her opponent smothering her and wrapped around her body, stumbled backwards before tripping over her own feet and falling to her back.

Minirtha had the Queen right where she wanted her at that moment, able to pull her legs out from under her body and pinning the Queen. She used every one of her muscles to try and keep her opponent down. But the Queen was simply too strong, too powerfully built for the redhead and she soon had her hands on Minirtha's shoulder and butt. Minirtha felt herself being lifted off the monarch's body and being held onto as the Queen stood back up. The muscular woman held the warrior woman over her own head and spun her around several times before throwing her straight to the stone floor, slamming her down. Minirtha felt the pain, laying there on her stomach, as she felt the Queen's powerful foot being pressed on her back.