Queen Yavara Ch. 08

The captain of the guard whipped his head around. "Stop!" he roared. The men stood back from Zander as the captain approached him. "You are Zander Fredeon?"

"Yes." Zander said, spitting blood.

The captain leaned down and extended a hand to the beaten wizard. Zander took it and the captain pulled him up. "Why would Highlanders attack one of their closest allies?"

"I have no idea."

"You are charged with the kidnapping of Princess Yavara Tiadoa, Fredeon! You know why we are here!" The remaining mage roared from his caged coach.

The captain's hand ventured to his sword. "Is this true, Fredeon?"

"I'd think you would have heard something from the Highlands if it were true, Captain. I take it you were not informed of this... mission?"

"I was not."

"Well then, it appears this contingent acted against the wishes of King Tiadoa, for I can't imagine he'd sign off on a covert operation to attack me, much less sully his lucrative relationship with King Dreus. These are traitors, possibly rebels, here to sow dissention amongst Bentius's allies."

The captain frowned. "Maybe, Fredeon. That'll be for a judge to decide."

As Zander tried to negotiate our release, I dared a glance into the other coach. Adarian and the mage were staring right at me. Adarian whispered something to the mage, whose eyes narrowed to slits.

"Captain!" The mage yelled, "Captain, that human woman there, she's under a spell! Make Zander remove it!"

The captain turned toward Zander. "Is this true?"

"A perception spell, yes. She's insecure about her looks."

"You're going to have to remove it. We'll make her swallow powder if you don't."

"Captain is that really necessary?"

"Sorry Zander, we can't let you go until we know the whole story." The captain's hand once again inched toward his sword.

Should I take control of his mind? I asked Zander telepathically.

Zander regarded the assemblage of guards, and the crowd of curious onlookers that had formed at the perimeter. There were hundreds of them, and more coming still. No Yavara, I have a better idea. We can use this situation to our advantage, but you're going to have to trust me.

What are you going to do?

Zander nodded to the captain, then raised his hand toward me. It's time to reveal yourself to the world.

I felt the perception spell leave my face. I quickly ducked down, trying to stay hidden from the elves in the other coach.

There's no hiding anymore, Yavara. Time to come out. Prestira's kind voice echoed in my head as she smiled down at me. Zander cast a spell that cut through my binds. My wrists were raw, and I welcomed the caress of the cool air, but it was a token relief in the wake of my mounting anxiety. My heart thundered in my chest, my legs felt like jelly, but I still stood. I stepped out of the coach, and the mid-morning sunlight illuminated my naked face. A silence fell upon the crowd. I could feel all eyes upon me, but I did not see them, for I fixed my gaze on the captain. His expression was contorted with confusion, slowly slackening to realization.

"I am Yavara Tiadoa, princess of the Highlands. I am also Yavara Alkandi, born ruler of Alkandra, and heir to the Black Throne." The voice that came from me hardly felt like my own. It was commanding and unwavering, not yielding an ounce of the fear that gripped me. The captain moved his mouth silently, staring from me, to Zander, and then to the onlookers. I followed his gaze. All along the perimeter of guards, the beasts of Ardeni Dreus were kneeling. Orcs, goblins, ogres and trolls; all prostrated with eyes cast upward, reverence shining from their lenses. I saw tears in some of their eyes. The human citizenry of Ardeni looked upon me with something akin to fear and awe, and even some of them knelt. Power. Such power I wielded for simply being who I was. The fear filtered from me, my chest swelled, I turned my attention back to the captain, and watched his gaze falter. He bowed to me.

"Your Highness." He said, and with two words and a gesture, gave credence to my claim. I saw runners peel off from the crowd, sprinting from door to door down the endless streets, crying the news for all to hear. The Dark Queen had returned.

I drew my attention to the elves in their coach, and saw the disbelief strewn across their faces. Only Head-ranger Adarian kept his expression impassive. He was an honorable man, and his intentions were more honorable still. I hated myself for what I was about to do, but the opportunity was too great. I could secure the cornerstone of my kingdom with one deadly lie. "Captain," I said imperiously, "these men were sent by my father to kill me. I am a political refugee seeking asylum. I claim sanctuary, and the protection of King Dreus."

"Your Highness, Queen Yavara Alkandi." The captain said, regaining his composure, "You are entitled to diplomatic protections. I will dispatch twenty guards to escort you directly to the palace."

"I thank you for your consideration, Captain, but my friends are wounded and in need. The portal they escaped in has been destroyed, and I must make haste to the Great Forest to come to their aid."

"I cannot allow that." The captain said resolutely, "You are a diplomat under my protection. These men were sent to assassinate you, and there will no doubt be more of them. I must escort you to the palace immediately."

"We're not assassins; we're rescuers!" The remaining mage screamed. I hated to see the terror in his eyes, but I was not moved to mercy. Adarian's expression had turned to one of solemn resignation, and I thanked god that Elena wasn't here to witness this.

"Rescuers?" Zander scoffed, "That was quite the rescue mission, gentlemen. Did you plan on reviving Queen Yavara after you'd burnt her to a crisp?"

"Captain," I continued, "I really need to go-"

Zander's voice cut into my mind before I could object. I'll go back for Elena and Brock; you and Prestira go the palace. You have a golden opportunity to strike a deal with the king; you will never be a more sympathetic character than you are now. Don't waste what you've done here. "Captain," Zander said aloud, "I will need access to your temple's portals. I will go and aid our wounded friends while the queen is under your protection."

"Of course, Zander."

"My queen," the booming voice of the troll startled me, "I would be honored to carry you on your procession to the palace. The beasts of this city must see your face."

I looked at the captain of the guard, who shrugged his shoulder. "It would be safer than riding at street-level."

PRESTIRA

Yavara and I climbed onto the platform that was strapped to the troll's back. I grasped the handle bars as the great hairy beast stood upright, lifting us twenty feet in the air. Our twenty-man escort formed two lines along the street, and rode their horses at a steady clop. Despite the troll's lumbering gait, the ride was incredibly smooth, and Yavara relinquished her grasp on the bars, standing straight-backed and proud before the crowd that formed along the street. The criers had spread the news like wildfire, and now every citizen within earshot rushed the expansive boulevard to catch a glimpse of the new queen. The beasts prostrated, the citizens cheered, and Yavara looked upon them in wonder.

"They love me." She whispered, her eyes glimmering.

I put an arm around her waist. "The Lowlands do not share the Highlands' hatred for Alkandra. These beasts you see are descendant of those Alkandran refugees from a thousand years past, and the legend of the Dark Queen has only grown with time. Go on Yavara; raise your hand to your people."

Yavara raised her hand and waved to the spectators. I giggled, and brought it down. "Not like a princess." I closed her hand into a fist, "Like a ruler."

Yavara grinned and shot her fist into the air. The crowd erupted, the sound thundering down the boulevard, rising from the featureless masses in the distance. I couldn't have dreamed for better optics. The Dark Queen bestride a troll, promenading triumphantly through Ardeni Dreus with her fist raised defiantly in the air, having just survived an 'assassination' attempt? Sometimes fate trumps the best-laid plans. Even I was caught up in the grandeur of it all. Yavara looked to me, her orange eyes crazed, her chest swelling with the power of the populace. I saw in that megalomaniacal face the first traces of who she could become. It scared me and inspired me in equal parts.

"Ya-va-ra! Ya-va-ra!" Her name was chanted in cadence by every mouth we passed. Rose petals were thrown from windows, trumpets were sounded, the immense crowd was a mass of writhing arms, all reaching for her. Her expression softened, and the conqueror's mask she'd dawned was shed for that of the compassionate queen. Now she spread her arms outward as if to embrace all of Ardeni Dreus.

The troll knelt at the palace steps, which were lined with the heavily-armored king's guard. They gave way to Yavara as she ascended, and I followed a good distance behind her, as was appropriate for a consul. Now that Yavara named herself 'Queen,' there was a rigid hierarchy to adhere to, and though she may have deemed me a friend and equal before, I could no longer retain that status. She was my queen, and for that, I followed. She reached the top of the steps alone, and looked upon the masses alone. I saw her eyes search her sides, only to rest upon me as I stood at the base of the steps.

You coming? She asked.

Am I co-queen of Alkandra? I smiled up at her. She frowned down at me. They didn't come to see me, Yavara. Give them what they came for.

Yavara regarded the thousands that had coalesced before the palace steps. Tens of thousands more lined the boulevards that extended like spokes from the pavilion, stretching into the distance. Yavara took a steeling breath, then raised a hand for silence. The crowd hushed. For a moment she just stood there, her features upturned to the crowd, resplendent and calm in the morning sun.

What do I say? She asked, a hint of nervousness in her telepathic voice.

Pander to them.

"Good people of Ardeni Dreus, I thank you for your hospitality. This is truly the greatest city on earth!" Yavara exclaimed, and the crowd roared. I smiled. The words were so easy to say, but only a few could say them to such effect. Emboldened by her reception, Yavara pressed on. "I will always consider the Lowlands to be a great friend and ally. It is by your grace that I have rekindled the dream of Alkandra, and it is by your faithfulness that the flame will carry on, a light of hope to be tended for generations to come! Together, Ardeni Dreus and Alkandra will forge a union more powerful than the world has ever seen!"

The crowd erupted once more, and Yavara looked down the steps at me, a satisfied smirk on her lips. Do you think that might force King Dreus's hand in supporting me?

Not if there is the threat of war. The Lowlands want peace, Yavara; sell them peace.

She raised her hand and quieted the crowd again. "Many of you may have heard about the attempt on my life. The rumors are true: assassins of the Highlands tried to take my life today. Though I am saddened that my own father has deemed me a mortal threat, I bear no ill will to my former people. I offer peace to the Highlands, in the hope that we may plant the seeds of fruits to come..."

What the fuck does that even mean?

I don't know, but it sounds nice. Shut up, Prestira.

"...I believe that in time, our two peoples may prosper together." Yavara held out her hands to the side, palms open to the sky, eyes cast downward. It was a posture full of solemnity, and she kept it, letting the sentiment wash over the crowd.

Now appeal to your future citizens. Give the beasts what they want.

Yavara closed her hands to fists, her face shot skyward, a hot wrath in her expression. "But I will not stand by while rangers raid our homes and kill our children! I will not stand by while the lords of the Highlands seek to divide us! I will not stand by while King Tiadoa rains terror upon my people! I offer peace, but I will not hesitate to defend my people until my dying breath!"

And with that, the simmering crowd boiled, fists pumping into the air, a myriad of war chants from a hundred different clans splitting the morning. They were songs passed through the ages, the last vestiges of a glorious era, now sung with a new life and hope. Yavara basked in it, raising her fists high. "May god shine her light upon Ardeni Dreus and Alkandra for a thousand, thousand lifetimes!"

I ascended the steps before the wave of noise, faltering for only a moment to gaze upon the Dark Queen. For I saw her in that light as I'd seen her before; terrible and beautiful, powerful and merciless. Then her orange eyes rested on me, and they were filled with the girlish excitement I loved her for.

How was that?

A touch dramatic, and a little authoritarian for my tastes. I smirked.

Bow to me, peasant!

"So that we can be at eye-level?" I sneered down at the elf as I ascended the last step, "Such an imposing figure you strike, my queen; all five feet of you."

"Five-four, Prestira; don't short me." Yavara grinned back, "And you don't seem so tall when you're on your knees."

"And that's where you'll have me tonight, my queen." I whispered into her pointed ear, "Because after watching that display, I'm dying to serve you." I licked her ear, "In any way you want."

Yavara's eyes glinted up at me. I winked back, tucked my hands into my robes, and followed her as she strode into the palace. The room was incredibly extravagant, adorned with statues and chandeliers all the way down it's immense length. I knew the room well, having served the late King Rondar Dreus for half a century as Arcane Master. The current King Dreus, King Alfred Dreus, sat atop a throne at the very end. He was guarded by at least twenty mages and a hundred soldiers, all standing at attention as we walked by them. I stopped fifty paces away, and Yavara stopped a mere ten. I bowed deeply, and she barely inclined her head.

"So, it seems the Dark Queen has returned!" King Dreus exclaimed, "You can cease your extravagant prostration, Your Highness; it's unbefitting for someone of your stature." The king chuckled at his own joke as descended the steps, and Yavara beamed up at him. He was a man in his early forties, a large blonde beard wrapping his cheeks, his body slim and tall. He looked very-much like his father, sans the rotund belly. He was handsome and confident, and I could tell Yavara was assessing the contents of his trousers, though she did that with everybody.

"Queen Alkandi Tiadoa, or whatever the great shit your name is," King Dreus laughed boisterously, "what an entrance that was! I thought I'd been invaded when I saw your procession, and was just about to apply my ass-kissing lipstick for whatever posterior had so easily infiltrated my walls."

"A shame you didn't, Your Highness." Yavara grinned, extending her hand, "Alas, the rear of my hand will have to suffice... for now."

"I've heard you were trouble." King Dreus grinned back, kissing Yavara's hand, "Clartias always said you were the wild child. Leveria described you with different adjectives."

"I'm sure I've heard them already from her lips." Yavara said, taking King Dreus's arm, "But if it pleases you, Your Highness, I'd rather not talk about my family."

"Ah, Clartias sheltered you from politics." King Dreus chuckled, "If I were to die from suspicious causes, the first place the investigator should look is my family tree. Your Noble Court is a pit of snakes, and those vipers eat their young. Still, it's not like Clartias to make such a bold move. Someone wanted to make sure you were caught on Lowland soil, and without my knowledge of it. Someone was trying to catch me with my pants down. I wonder who that someone was?"

"Leveria." Yavara sighed, then affected her sister's voice, "Harboring an enemy of the state within your borders, Your Highness? What did you plan to do with her, Your Highness?! Oh, I can keep this quiet, but only if we revisit the last trade deal. Gold at fifteen percent doesn't suffice; how about, say... zero? Does zero sound good to you, Your Highness?"

"It seems she's not the only Tiadoa daughter who likes to play games." King Dreus stopped, his expression growing sour, "I don't like impromptu parades for unrecognized sovereigns, Your Highness."

"You don't have to recognize my sovereignty." Yavara kept her smile, "Just know that twenty-percent of your population, and thirty-percent of your workforce is made up of beasts."

"Was that a threat?"

"It's a statistic." Yavara smiled innocently.

King Dreus regarded her with disdain. "You have all the tact of a lobotomized bull."

"I may not have the variety of tools my sister does, but I use the hammer quite effectively." Yavara inclined her head toward the end of the hall, where the roar of the crowd filtered through the doorway. I could see King Dreus weighing the options in his mind, checking all angles and plotting probable courses. He looked at Yavara, a glint in his eyes.

"I want unrestricted access to the Tundra silver mines."

Yavara couldn't mask her joy, and I cut in before she handed him her entire kingdom. "I'll be negotiating the terms of trade, Your Highness."

King Dreus looked sourly at me. "Prestira Rasloraca, I was just pretending you weren't here."

"Alfred." I sneered, "Last time I saw you, you were but a boy running naked through the courtyard."

"At least I outgrew exposing myself when I was seven." King Dreus smirked back at me, "I heard you and..." he gave Yavara a furtive look, "...Trisha put on quite a show the other day." Yavara didn't so much as blush, but grinned with absolute deviancy. For my part, I turned red near to the roots of my hair.

"You're quite well-informed." I muttered.

"It's my business to be." King Dreus leered at me, "Queen Alkandi, you may know Prestira Rasloraca as the greatest sorceress this side of the Knife River, but her greatest magic trick is her ability to scrape a penny out of any situation."

"I know." Yavara giggled at me, "I've taken recent advantage of her... entrepreneurship."

King Dreus kept his glare on me. "I won't trade words with someone who has a snake for a tongue, so here are my terms: I want exclusive rights to silver trade, and I want them at ten-percent for five years. After that, we can renegotiate."

I nodded; it was fair. "We need capital."

"Of course." King Dreus smiled slyly, "And I need reassurances that you can pay that loan. You have no army to protect your assets, and you need assets to create an army. It's quite a predicament you're in, Queen Alkandi, being ruler of a country that does not yet exist."

"I'm willing to offer some collateral." Yavara smiled, subtly pressing herself to the king. She glanced at me, and I heard her whisper into Dreus's receptive ear, "And Prestira is as well. Maybe the three of us could..." her hand moved beneath his robe, "...come to more favorable terms?"

"Oh, you truly are the Dark Queen." King Dreus chuckled, and took Yavara's searching hand into his own, "But I'm a faithful husband, and not so weak as to trade favors for flesh. That is, unless," King Dreus ran a hand up Yavara's belly, "you're offering me a different kind of deal." Yavara connected eyes with me.

No. I said mentally, The moment the child is born, King Dreus has a claim to your throne. How many assassins do you really want to worry about?