Queen Yavara Ch. 38

BROCK

"Loose!" I roared, and a hundred siege engines released at once, sending great boulders into the air. Those that were launched from the trebuchets tumbled as they arced, those that were launched from the catapults flew unspinning upon a line-drive path. The trebuchet boulders rained into Mid Fort, and the catapult boulders smashed into its walls, caving in the final few lengths of its eastern-facing side, revealing the inner sanctum, the citadel, and the high tower. Debris blasted in the air, a great column of dust rising after it. Stones rolled from the pile of rubble and fell from the cliffside, joining the gold-armored bodies that had been sent flailing from the ramparts. The ogres loaded the engines once more, and once more, I gave the order. Boulders flew and arced, then smashed into the organized rock above, exploding against mortared bricks and punching great holes into walls and rooftops. I ordered the tarred and hayed rocks into carriages, and we set them aflame. Upon release, they shot through the sky like earthborn meteors, then splashed onto the fortress above. The fire spread to pitch roofs, wooden beams and textile tarps, and within minutes, all of Mid Fort was aflame. But the mages were too quick for the structure to be rendered to ash, and the inferno was quelled.

I waited for the returning salvo. My eyes scanned the top of the ridgeline, but there was no movement.

"There hasn't been a return salvo in five days." Trenok said, "He's moved his engines elsewhere."

"You're sure?" I asked, raising an incredulous brow.

"He's calling our bluff." He grinned at me, "I can't wait to see his face when he realizes we called his."

I frowned at the ridgeline. "He's goading us."

"We don't ascend near the forts; why would he waste his engines on us when he can slaughter hundreds that actually attack?"

"He's waiting for us to tip our hand."

"He thinks we already have!" Trenok insisted, "You always told me not to underestimate the enemy. Well, the enemy has underestimated us, and we must press our advantage!"

It went against my judgement, but inaction went against my nature, and Trenok at least had a plan. I raised my fist, and jerked it forward. From behind the piles of boulder, the ogres wheeled out twelve ballistae. They'd been left over from the Highlanders at the battle of the Tundra, and we'd only just managed to repair them to working condition. They ogres quickly positioned them fifty yards in front of the row of throwers, then loaded the great iron spears, and loosed. The spears shot through the air, a trail of rope flowing behind them. They struck the cliffside with a thud, and the ropes tied to their butts dangled to the ground below.

"Too low?" I asked Trenok.

"Too high," he replied, "they need to be below the lip of the cliff, or the imperials will be able to burn them off."

I gauged the ridgeline, then ordered another round to be shot. A dozen more spears imbedded themselves in the cliffside, the ropes dangling.

"Perfect." Trenok said, "That spot between the rise of the ridgeline and the eastern wall, that's the soft spot. Only eighty feet to the top, and not enough room to station a good defense point."

"Shordian will just send climbers down to cut the ropes."

"And we'll nail them to the rock." Trenok laughed, "These elven bows might not have range, but they can hit a fly from a hundred yards out. We can... ah shit!"

Scores of highland ballistae were wheeled into position atop the ridgeline, their bows drawn back and loaded.

"Get them back!" I yelled fruitlessly. The ogres grabbed the ballistae and pulled desperately, but there wasn't enough time. The engines fired at once, and a line of motion appeared from the top of the ridge, to the valley floor. Our ballistae were blown into splinters, sending razor-sharp iron shrapnel shooting toward our lines. Ogre limbs were cut clean off, men were split in two, pieces of meat were shorn grotesquely away, the punctures so clean that the shape of the shrapnel could be seen in the wounds. Engines were folded in half by wrought-iron shafts, and an unfortunate few ogres were speared to the earth. Ropes were sent cascading over the top of the wall, and climbers repelled down them, and cut the ropes off the ballista spears.

My mirror lit up. I palmed it, and Field Marshal Shordian's smug face appeared. "Brock, that seemed wholly amateurish. I'm disappointed."

"You were boring me." I grumbled.

"Boredom is a young man's bane." He chuckled, "I was wondering when you'd let Trenok grab the reins."

"No one who didn't make a mistake ever learned a damn thing."

"And now you know not to let children play a man's game."

"No harm done. We have hundreds of ballistae in production."

"I'm sure you do." He sneered, and palmed the mirror.

"I'm sorry, Dad." Trenok grumbled, leaning against the trebuchet with his face in his arm.

I put my hand on his shoulder. "You fucked up, Trenok, but I don't feel for a second that I made a mistake in trusting you."

He grunted in reply, and it was enough. He would carry the shame, but he had learned. Another salvo ascended from the top of the ridgeline, and we fired back in kind, throwing the same boulders back and forth at each other until the midmorning sun rose overhead.

YAVARA

It felt like a lifetime had passed since I'd last been in Ardeni Dreus. I stepped from the unassuming building Zander used as a portal, and onto a backstreet of the greatest city in the world. The majesty of the city still wowed me, but the excitement wasn't as great as the first time I'd been there. I looked down the road, and saw Prestira's bar at the corner. It was shuttered and locked, the windows broken, and the sign torn down. People passed me without even noticing me, their faces downcast and haggard. I hadn't realized the first time I was here that Prestira had lived in a slum. I was so struck by the city around me that I hadn't recognized destitution, but I saw it now. Ardeni Dreus was a great city, but there was a hopelessness within it that did not exist in Alkandra. There was fear in Alkandra, there was rage, heartbreak, and sorrow, but there was not despair and misery. The world had its evils, and I preferred them to be painful rather than numb. I planted my feet onto the cobblestones, and shot into the sky.

I circled above the city, waiting for my audience to arrive. When I was sure all of Ardeni Dreus had emptied into the streets, I dove to the earth, and a great cheer rose from them. Fire shot from my hands, forming great dragon-like wings at my sides, and with my mind, I projected a single thought for all receptive brains to hear, Hello, great citizens of Ardeni Dreus! Thank you all for such a warm welcome!

Their exclamations of wonder filled my ears and mind, and I swooped above the crowd, telekinetically picking up scores of citizens so that they could fly with me. Some screamed, some laughed with joy, and others simply gawked. One young boy tried flapping his arms like wings, cackling in delight. I laughed with him, and returned the people to their families, giving them a story they would tell everyone until their last breath. I indulged in theatrics for another five minutes, displaying my fireworks, performing great acrobatic feats in the sky, projecting my thoughts of good will into the world. When I felt I'd done enough, I landed upon the top steps of the palace, where King Albert Dreus was waiting for me.

"Your Highness." I smiled at him, bowing my head.

"Your Highness." He smiled in turn, "I believe I told you the last time you were here that I don't appreciate impromptu parades in my capital."

"Whoopsie." My smile broadened, and I took his arm.

A few minutes later, we were seated in an extravagant parlor, being attended to by his servants. There was a man seated beside King Albert Dreus who could only be Prince Arthur Dreus, first in line to the throne.

"How do you like Matthew?" King Dreus asked.

"We love him over there. He's an absolute treat."

"What kind? A fruitcake?" Arthur laughed, but not cruelly. He obviously loved his little brother.

"I was thinking more a banana split, actually." I chuckled.

King Dreus cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Yes, well... it's good to know he's found people... like him. Now, why have you come?"

"To discuss Lord Lucas Ternias."

Arthur and his father exchanged looks, then King Dreus looked back to me. "With all due respect, our dealings with the Highlands aren't of your concern."

"They are, actually. Remember that I was once Princess Tiadoa, and if I were to be so bold, I could make a claim as second in line to the Highland throne."

This time, Arthur and King Dreus just stared at me. Arthur leaned in, and asked, "Are you pressing your claim as second in line?"

"No!" I laughed, and laughed harder when I saw the relief on their faces, "No, no, of course not. But to say your dealings with the Highlands are not of my concern is disingenuous. Due to your meddling, the Noble Court has become an international stage, and we all have our actors on it."

"Is Elena Straltaira truly your actor?" Arthur asked.

I raised my brows. "Is Lucas Ternias truly yours?"

"Point taken." King Dreus said gruffly, "What is it about Ternias that you want to discuss?"

"My father—"

"We were sorry to hear of his passing."

"Thank you, Prince Arthur. My father always said that Ternias was a chameleon in a den of snakes, always willing to change color to attain his goals. If his goal is the Highland crown, then I'd like to offer him a deal for it."

King Dreus twiddled his mustache. "Ternias will never make a peace deal with you, Your Highness. His ambitions are lofty, and he is adaptable, but he is a traditionalist to the core. Still, if you offered him an armistice, I'm certain he would take it."

"My country—a country that you officially recognized before the war—was attacked without provocation, on false pretenses, by an army assembled and launched in secret. I will not ask for an armistice. The Highlands must extend a lasting peace deal to me with substantial concessions, and they must disband their army, or I will not disband mine."

King Dreus open his hands helplessly. "And Lord Ternias will never vote to disband the army while yours stands at the border, so we have nothing to discuss."

"Why do you back him at all? He's shown to be untrustworthy."

"You and I share that opinion," Arthur said, "but Father insists that Ternias is the most Lowland-friendly Highlander."

"He's a pragmatic opportunist. Leveria is adversarial to a fault, and plays very long games."

I turned to Arthur. "You support my sister?"

"In word only. I have no power of my own."

"I put you in charge of the greatest navy on Tenvalia, and you say you have no power?" King Dreus laughed.

"Military power is a weak brand." Arthur said, "Economic power, diplomatic power; these are the tenants of true strength."

"Why do you support my sister?" I asked Arthur.

He sat back in his chair. "She is young, ambitious and energetic," he flashed a marvelous smile, "just like me. Yes, she is competitive, but competition breeds progress if nurtured correctly. We just need to get these damn armies out of the way."

"I am young, ambitious and energetic," I said, cocking my head, "and yet, I was told you were against your father's decision to recognize my sovereignty."

"I thought it was the biggest mistake of his reign. I still do. He should've had you shackled and handed over to the Highlands the moment you were out of the public eye. "

I smiled at him, then his father. "You let your son say such things right before you?"

"He will be king. He is entitled to his own viewpoint." He smiled fondly at his son.

I turned back to Arthur. "You would've had me shackled the moment no one was looking?"

"That's right."

"And now what would you do to me?"

"To you?"

"You heard me right."

"Careful, Arthur," King Dreus chuckled, "don't make the mistake of thinking she's just playing with words."

Arthur sat back, studying me. "Why should we dwell on what might've been? The fictional past doesn't matter; only the uncertain future does."

"The future of the Highlands is the future of Tenvalia." King Dreus said to me, "The balance of power tips precariously in your favor. The Lowlands has always been a mercantile state, our strength coming in the form of wealth and knowledge, and so these are the tools of war that we fight with."

I raised a brow to him. "We are not at war, King Dreus."

He leaned toward me. "Make no mistake, we are not allies; we are trade partners. Until you disband your horde, our nations will be at odds."

"I am no threat to you."

He snorted, and stood. "If you'll excuse me, Your Highness," he said, "I have very pressing matters to attend to."

"Wait." I said, then added, "Please."

Dreus stared at me impatiently.

"My patrols have stopped several caravans trying to get into the Highlands. Many of them were laden with gold. I know these are yours, and I know that you're sending them to Ternias."

"You don't know anything. Millions of people live in the Lowlands, many of them rich, many of them supporters of the Highlands."

"Well, these caravans would find it much easier to reach their destination if Ternias were to adopt a more peaceful rhetoric in the court. Make certain he knows this."

"You will be disappointed, Your Highness." King Dreus said, then bowed, and left the room.

"Not what you were expecting when you came here, is it?" Arthur asked.

"I knew he was using me when he first chose to support me. I didn't know until now that he intended for me to die."

Arthur shrugged. "The Midlands were the only unclaimed territory in Tenvalia. He had grand plans, and you ruined them."

"And you?"

"Yes, Queen Yavara, you ruined all my plans as well."

I leaned back in my chair, studying the man before me. He was as handsome and strong as his father, and young. His mind was shut to me, and his face was unreadable. I didn't know if I was looking at an enemy. "How do you see the future?" I asked him.

"Alkandra and the Highlands cannot coexist. Your war will persist indefinitely until someone loses."

I rolled my eyes. "Why does everyone keep saying that? I am a former princess of the Highlands and the queen of Alkandra! If anyone can form a lasting peace, it's me!"

"It's not a crisis of politics, Queen Yavara, but one of economics. Even if you don't take one inch of Highland soil, you will still conquer them completely."

"If you know this all for certain, then why don't we work together to stop it?"

"A ruler can do very little in the grand scheme of things to change the course of nations."

"I don't believe that." I said, standing up, "When this war is over, the ruler of the Highlands, Lowlands and Alkandra will convene here to discuss the future of our nations, whatever they may be."

He stood up, and took my outstretched hand. "Whatever they may be," he echoed. When he tried to pull his hand away, I held it firm. A smile played across my lips, a playful glint shone in my eyes.

"I asked you what you were going to do to me, Prince Arthur." I whispered, "Are you going to leave a girl to wonder?"

ADRIANNA

As a man, it had never occurred to me to use my sexuality to get what I wanted. It had never occurred to me to have ulterior motives when being intimate with someone. I was shocked at how naturally it came to me as a woman. It wasn't difficult for me to affect interest in Drake Titus, mostly because there was nothing to feign. Despite his undeserved sense of superiority, he was a fascinating character, and a potent lover. Being the victim of a vampire orgy was an experience of such sweet surrender, and I indulged in it with relish. The other hybrids would come join me from time to time, but I had stayed in the crypts for five days straight, drowning in my pleasure. I always made sure Drake Titus was close at hand, either watching me or inside of me. I could tell I was getting to him. He was a sleepless creature, but I was not, and when I awoke to the dimly-lit dungeon of debauchery, he would be there, watching me. As the days passed, he no longer let other male vampires have me. Now my holes were to only be pleasured by his daughters, and the only vampiric cock I would enjoy would be his.

"Don't you have gubernatorial duties?" He asked me. I couldn't answer him right away, because my tongue was circling his anus. I moaned, feeling Tiffany dealing a similar pleasure to me, her fangs imbedded in my rim, her venom relaxing my sphincter so that it gaped pleasantly open and her warm wet tongue could slide easily inside, indulgently tasting every filthy inch of me. I shuddered, my knees sliding apart on the bed, my pelvis gently resting upon the face of Francesca, whose fangs pierced my labia, whose tongue slowly tortured that spot on my womanly ceiling. My chest rested upon the faces of Brita and Monica, who nursed from my breasts with their fangs puncturing my areolas, seeping their terrible narcotic deep into my bosom with my pillowing breasts consuming their muzzles.

I licked Titus along his taint, traversed the back of his sack, then took one heavy ball into my mouth, and drew upon it until the loose delicate flesh was taut. His head fell against the pillow, and he groaned. I moaned with him, enjoying the rich masculine flavor nearly as much as I enjoyed the pleasurable invasion of my holes. I serviced his other testicle, then flattened my tongue against the base of his cock, and slowly slid my way up. There was a froth of cum at his apex waiting for me, and I dipped my tongue into the little pool, and tasted it. Then, before his wonderous red eyes, I wrapped my lips around his glans, and with the utmost torpidity, I took him inch by inch all the way into my throat.

"Oh... gods!" He groaned. I smiled around his shaft. He was a self-professed atheist, but every time my esophagus hugged the end of his cock, he seemed to find religion. I eased my way down until he was buried all the way into my neck, and my lips were slurping gluttonously about his base. I rotated, coiling my throat around him, humming indulgently with my nose squishing against his crotch, wafting his scent in my nostrils. I held him there, swallowing around him, then I rose, revealing the full length of his saliva-sheened shaft before I took him again, and again, and again.

The tongues inside me began to work my nethers into a fervor. The mouths on my nipples sucked rapaciously, the felicitous tingle emanating deep into my chest. My insides felt like they were melting, my bones turning to jelly, my muscles wasting in the heat of such slow, wet pleasure. I consumed Titus with the utmost avariciousness, enjoying every splendid inch of him, my spit running down his balls in thick rivulets. I reached back and pulled Tiffany deeper between my cheeks, and she and Francesca touched tongues between my holes. It pushed me over. My back dove into a strengthless arch, my eyes rolled into my head, and around my sucking lips, a humming cry of delight sounded. I undulated with the lethargic motions of our debauchery, my cheeks spreading behind me, my chest sinking beneath me, my shoulders pinching back. The quaking in my nethers ballooned to my extremities, and as Titus moaned in surrender, I gave myself to the enslavement of ecstasy. We came together, and I saturated Francesca's face with my release as Titus poured his hot thick spunk deep into my belly. My breath sounded in my ears, accompanying the drum of my heart, and then both sounds faded as the sensations ebbed from me. The women extracted their fangs from my flesh, and the wounds closed. Their tongues exited me, and my holes were left swollen and open. They snaked from my body, leaving Titus and me alone in his personal cell of the crypts.