Queen Yavara: Epilogue

Epilogue

PRINCESS PRESTIRA TIADOA

Being a Highland princess was a lonely ordeal. Though my mother was a "free spirit" and encouraged me to make friends outside of the castle, I couldn't bring myself to do it. A princess had her place, and it was not with the commoners on the street. That was why my only friend was my cousin, Adrianna Straltaira. Adri's mom was a really busy woman, being the ambassador to Alkandra, so Adri spent most of her time living with her grandma, Great-Aunt Lydia, just a few doors down from my bedroom. Adri was never allowed to leave the castle, and I never wanted to, so it was perfect. We were like sisters. I didn't find it weird that her skin was dark, one of her eyes was black, and her hair was half black and half blonde. She had pointy ears and one blue eye, and so she was just like me as far as I was concerned. It wasn't until later that our differences became more important.

When Adri turned twelve, she moved in with her mother at Alkandra. I didn't know why at the time, but I got the feeling it had something to do with the way Adri was starting to look at me. That didn't matter to a younger me. All that mattered was that my best and only friend had been taken away from me. From that point on, we only saw each other once or twice a year, and each time she felt more and more like a stranger to me. She got tattoos that frightened me, told stories that disgusted me, and acted with such a blithe attitude that I wondered if she cared about anything at all besides sex and drugs. What had that place done to her?! As if I needed more reasons to hate Alkandra. Mother was always galled that I harbored such ill-will to the nation of monsters, though she was very private about her opinions. I understood that she was afraid of some of her advisors, mostly the mages that always seemed to be lurking around the corners. It galled me equally that she didn't hold our enemy with as much contempt as I did, but I supposed it made sense considering her... complicated past.

It had been twenty years since the end of the second Alkandran War. I was an astute student of history; I knew that such an end was no ending at all. Mother always told me that the Highland Kingdom and the Dark Queen could not coexist, and she was right, of course. The Dark Queen (or as I knew her, Aunt Leveria) had finally broken the back of the Highland economy, and Mother had no choice but to raise the army, and march east. Many feared that the soldiers were marching to their end, but that fear bore more hope in it than Bentius had felt for decades. A pervading sense of doom had infested every nook and cranny of my beloved city. It wasn't until it was lifted during the first days of the war, that I realized its existence. For the first time in my life, I saw the people of the Highlands raise their heads in pride and pound their chests, and I couldn't help but be swept up in the national fervor. Something was finally happening!

Mother had always been a bubbly and cheerful woman. When I was a child, I thought she was the best person in the world, but as a teenager and a young adult, I came to see her more and more as a ditzy fool. I sometimes doubted the stories Auntie had told me. How could Mom possibly do all those things?! She was... well, she was Mom. This was the woman who had been successfully harried and cornered by a mouse during a diplomatic meeting with the Drastin representatives. This was the woman who got drunk off of one glass of wine, then tried to play strip-poker with me—her own daughter! This was the woman who used the throne room as an archery range because 'well, it's not like I'm using it for governing!' No, I could simply not believe the stories I'd heard about her. The doomsday-bringer from hell who singlehandedly took Castle Thorum, vaporized the Mid Fort causeway, and brought the Highlands to its knees was not... Mom. But then I saw her give a speech on the balcony of the castle. Never in my life had I seen her engulfed in such passion. She roused the crowd with proclamations of our greatness, invigorated them with premonitions of victory, and awed them with a display of magic I never thought possible from her. Fire wreathed her head, telekinetic shockwaves shot from her chest, and her voice resonated in everyone's minds, speaking with such confidence and strength. I was on my feet and applauding with the rest of Bentius, so assured in our victory against the Alkandrans that I was ready to pick up a sword myself.

"Mom, that was amazing!" I cried as she stepped from the balcony.

She winked back at me. "I told you I was a badass. Now," she walked past me, and fumbled through her purse, "where is my ass-kissing lipstick... ah, there it is. Prestira, be a dear and leave the room."

"What? Why?"

"Because Mommy has grown-up things to do."

"I'm eighteen!"

"And I'm thirty-nine, so I win. Nana-nana-boo-boo, stick your head in dog doo. Now get out."

"No."

She turned around, and glared at me. "Prestira, I'm not fucking around. Get out, or I'll make you get out."

"We're about to go to war, Mom! If you can't treat me like an adult now, when can you?!"

Her features softened somewhat, and she sighed. "Fine," she smiled, "I guess it was selfish of me to enjoy the one time you haven't been ashamed of me in the last ten years."

"Don't be like that."

She shook her head, and turned toward the mirror. "Try not to judge me too harshly for this, Prestira." She reached out, and touched the glass. A second later, the Dark Queen's wicked portrait swam into view.

"Well, well, well..." Aunt Leveria chuckled sardonically, "just like old times, eh, sis? Ah, and I see you already put on your ass-kissing lipstick."

"Yeah?!" I yelled, "Well, you better put on your ass-kicking lipstick, because we are going to kick your ass!"

Aunt Leveria blinked. "Prestira, baby, that was so terrible. Yavara, why is she here?"

Mom held out her hands helplessly. "I couldn't get her to leave. What was I supposed to do, throw her out?"

"Yes, you weak little woman."

"Not all of us are 'strong' enough to execute our own daughters."

"When you fertilize a thousand fields, a few bad seeds are inevitable. Now, shall we get down to business?"

"Sure." Mom said, waving like she didn't care.

Aunt Leveria paged through her notes, and hummed contemplatively. "My army outnumbers yours fifty to one. They are better equipped, better trained, and better supported. Five of your generals have been paid to switch sides the moment the battle starts, and your field marshal is a drunk. Need I say more?"

"No." Mom grumbled.

"So... are we still doing this then?"

"Might as well tear the band-aid off."

"Cool." Aunt Leveria touched her mirror a few times, then fished around her desk, and pulled out a hand mirror. She watched it for a few minutes, then put it down. "Your army was just surrounded. Your men have laid down their arms, and your field marshal tried to kill himself. The vampires got to him before he could bleed out."

"Oh, good." Mom sighed, "So, no losses?"

"Looks like one of your men died of typhoid in the barracks, but no casualties on the field. A bloodless engagement discounting the field marshal's attempt."

"Poor Krakis," Mom muttered, "I hope he gets the help he needs. Alright, so now what?"

"WHAT?!" I screamed. I'd been in such disbelief of what I was hearing that I couldn't summon my mouth to form words before.

Mom turned around and scowled at me. "Prestira, we're in the middle of something, could you not interrupt?" She turned back to Aunt Leveria, "How shall we proceed then?"

"Ambassador Straltaira will be teleported to you shortly. She'll fill you in on the details." Aunt Leveria quirked her lips, "She fought very hard on your behalf, Yavara. I wanted you to surrender to me in the arena, but she negotiated it down to just the throne room."

"WHAT?!" I shrieked.

Aunt Leveria smirked at me. "I always told your mother she sheltered you too much. She wanted to raise you like how our mother raised us, but perhaps she should've raised you like how our father raised me."

"The thought crossed my mind a few times," Mom muttered, "mostly when I was drunk."

Aunt Leveria giggled. "I love how disgusting you are. I can't wait to see you, little sis." She palmed the mirror, and her image disappeared.

I flitted my eyes from the mirror, to my mom. "Mom, what is going on?!"

Mom turned around, a rueful smile on her face. "Wars are won or lost decades before they are fought. We lost this war twenty years ago, Prestira. Aunt Leveria has been biding her time, countering my every move until my only option was to attack her. She knew this. I knew this. It had to be done this way, for the Highlands would never surrender until surrender was the only course left. Now, finally, we can have peace."

Before I could even think of how to respond to that, there was a flash of green light, and two figures appeared in the portal. Though they were twenty years apart in age, they looked like they could've been sisters. Though one of them had streaks of black in her blonde hair while the other was pure platinum, both their skin-tones were a caramelly bronze, and both their bodies were sleek and athletic, displayed like trophies in their scanty clothes. Each of them were tattooed all the way to their chins in tribal designs, but I still thought of them as more elf than beast. Auntie Elena, and her daughter and my cousin, Adri.

"Auntie! Adri!" I yelled, and ran to them. They took me into their arms and embraced me, and I vented into their shoulders. "Auntie, what is going on?!" I sniffled, "Mom talked to Aunt Leveria, and she s-s-s-said that the army had s-s-s-surrendered a-a-a-and that y-y-y-you were coming here t-t-t-to—"

"Shh, Prestira." Auntie said reassuringly, holding me tightly, "It'll all make sense soon. You'll be OK. Everything will be OK." She kissed me atop the head, then released me, leaving me with Adri.

"Adri, what's happening?" I hissed.

Adri held me at arm's length, and looked me over. "God, when was the last time we saw each other?" She gasped.

"I don't know. Two years ago?"

She beamed at me. "When did you get so fucking hot?!"

"Stop it, Adri!" I growled, "I'm serious! This is all really fucking serious! What the fuck is going on?!"

Adri's eyes lingered on my body for a while, then fell upon my face. I knew she was a lustful creature; everyone knew that about dark-elves and hybrids, but Adri had never shown such open desire for me before. Her gaze was unfetteredly hungry, and looking into her longing blue eyes made me feel... strange.

"Adri, stop staring at me like that." I muttered, suddenly extremely uncomfortable.

She giggled. "You're still a virgin?"

"Of course I'm still a virgin! I'm a Highland princess, not an Alkandran whore!"

"Oh, and so I'm a whore now?"

"N-n-no! I didn't mean... what I—"

"I'm just fucking with you, Tira." Adri laughed, and the avarice left her eyes, replaced with that old impish spark. "Of course I'm a whore."

"You're a mean bitch is what you are," I smiled back, glad that the moment had past. "Adri, please tell me what's going on."

Adri gestured to Auntie and Mom, who were in the midst of a serious conversation I couldn't hear. "My mom is telling your mom my dad's terms of surrender, and your mom is probably giving my mom some important details before she takes over."

"Takes over what?"

Adri laughed, "the Highlands, of course."

"What?!"

"She's going to be governess of this province now. Your mom and my dad agreed that my mom would be the best choice since the Highlanders all mostly trust her." Adri shrugged, and pulled out a cigarette, "Personally, I think we should just rape and pillage the fucking place, but I guess I take after Dad. Wanna smoke?"

"Oh my god," I gasped, panic taking over me, "I can't believe this is happening right now!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Adri said, putting her hands on my shoulders, "it's going to be OK, Tira. You and Aunt Yavara will move in with me and Dad, and Mom will come visit all the time, and—"

"I'M NOT MOVING TO ALKANDRA!" I bellowed.

Auntie and Mom looked up at me.

"You're not going anywhere, Sweetie." Mom reassured me, "You're staying here with Aunt Elena until things settle down."

"Actually," Auntie said, and my stomach dropped in my throat, "uh... I tried to fight on your behalf, Yavara, you know I did, but..."

Mom's face went ghostly white. "Elena, please," she begged softly.

Auntie just shook her head. She pitched her voice low so that I wouldn't hear it, but I had enough of Mom's telepathy in me to read the thoughts as they came out of her mouth, "We told you what would happen if you got pregnant, Yavara," Auntie muttered, "no loose ends. Heirs are loose ends. You chose to have her, you knew what would happen to her, and you never prepared her?!"

"I know it's my fault," Mom whispered just as quietly, "but please, Elena. She's so innocent, and you know how Leveria is with innocent girls."

Auntie paused for an excruciating moment as I stood shaking from head to toe. Finally, she whispered, "You know Leveria. The only way you're sparing Prestira from her, is if you are the one to baptize her into the sisterhood."

Mom glanced sharply at me, then back at Auntie. They held each other's gazes for a long, long time. Then a smile crept across Mom's face. A wicked smile. An evil smile. A smile I'd never seen her wear in all her life. She and Auntie shared a giggle, then came together in a passionate, vulgar kiss.

I was so frozen in shock that I didn't notice Adri's hands moving down my body. It wasn't until they were already at my waist that I realized it. Her front pressed into my back, her breasts pillowed against my shoulders, and her... her... her penis pressed into the folds of my dress, and slid between my buttocks.

"Do you feel that, Tira?" She whispered in my ear, "Do you feel how long and thick it is? That's going to be inside you very, very soon." She sniffed my hair, and let out a shuddering breath upon the nape of my neck, "I have waited so, so long to show you who I really am. I can't wait to show you who you really are."

"Don't touch me!" I hissed through gritted teeth, paralyzed with fear.

"Don't touch you where?" Adri giggled, and slid her hands around my waist, moving them along the converging lines of my pelvis, "don't touch you here?" she whispered, sliding her fingers past my pubis, "don't touch you here?" she whispered again, moving between my thighs. I felt her fingers in my crotch, pressing against the soft forbidden parts of me, and I gasped, a bolt of heat shooting through me. "Or did you not want me to touch you here?" Adri hissed, and poured her tongue into my ear. My hearing was filled with little squelches and wet clicks as the wet point of her appendage lathered around my cartilage. It was repulsive, but... but...

"You're wet down here." Adri giggled, pressing her fingers harder, bunching my dress between my legs, "So responsive. Your body is already betraying you." She curled her fingers, and I let out a whimper. "God, that's so fucking hot!" Adri moaned in my ear, "You know, I haven't gotten the chance to rape someone before. Looks like this will be a day of firsts for the both of us."

"Mom!" I managed to cry across the room. Mom broke from her kiss with Elena, and looked upon my pitiable state. "Help me!" I blubbered, "Please!"

She unwrapped herself from Elena's arms, and walked over to me. Adri slowly retracted her hand, letting my shame-stained skirt fall back between my legs. Mom stopped just in front of me, and smiled with that wonderful, kind smile of hers.

"I remember this," she muttered, framing my face with her hands, "I remember the fear of what was happening to me, and even more terrifying, the fear of what was happening inside of me. God, I was just like you. Savor this moment, Prestira. Savor the fear, the pain, and the shame. You'll only be innocent once."

"M-m-m-mom!" I blubbered, "What are you talking about?!"

Her expression was so gentle and maternal, so loving as she looked down upon me. "Do you want me to help you?"

"Yes!"

She kissed me. It was my first kiss, and I was so shocked that I hardly noticed it at first. Her soft plush lips pressed and opened mine, and her tongue slithered between them. Wet and hot, her wriggling appendage explored my mouth curiously, flicking my gums and teeth, then curling about my tongue. So gentle. So playful. There was nothing wrong with it; it was fun. It felt amazing. Her lips curved into an affectionate smile about my mouth, and she lathered my static tongue with a swirling pattern. I was about to join in the kiss, when my mind came surging back to me, and the horrible realization dawned on me. I broke from the kiss with a scream, and tried to spit the taste of her from my mouth. She just chuckled lowly, and pet my hair as I thrashed in Adri's arms.

"Was that your first kiss?" Mom queried.

"Why the fuck did you do that?!" I screamed.

"Because you need to understand."

"Understand what?"

She gave me that maternal smile again. "We are going to get through this, baby-girl," she pitched her voice low so that only I could hear it, "just trust me, Ok?"

Mom shifted her eyes toward Auntie, then toward Adri, then back to me. I understood then. This was an act. We were at the mercy of enemies, and only she knew the way out. I gulped, and nodded imperceptibly. Mom nodded back.

"Stop tormenting the poor girl." Auntie laughed, clapping Mom on the shoulder.

Mom's expression turned back to its wicked façade. "Are you going to lecture me on parenting?" Mom laughed, "How old was Adri when you took her virginity?"

"Much, much, much too young." Adri hissed in my ear, "But of course, it was me who crawled into Mommy's bed that night, and Mommy couldn't resist. Oh, she was so ashamed afterward, but that didn't stop her from fucking me in the ass when I told her I wanted my second virginity taken!"

"Enough of you." Auntie scolded her daughter with a smile, then pressed the button beside the portal.

A second later, we were standing in a vast atrium, a room larger than I'd ever seen before. The ceiling was so high that thin clouds misted its dome, and the walls were lined with tiered risers filled with monsters. The sound was what struck me. It was a roar the likes of which I'd never heard, so loud that it seemed to ring in my head. The tens of thousands of wild beasts churned in the stands, beating their chests and screaming at the tops of their lungs, and in the middle of it all, standing centerstage, was Aunt Leveria Alkandi.

She wore nothing but a black crown atop her wavy black hair, and thin leather straps that crossed her pillowing breasts, sculpted abdomen and crotch. They covered nothing. Her nipples were exposed, her navel was showing, and her... her... good god, it was enormous! And it was pointed right at me! She raised her fist high in the air, and the crowd roared louder and louder, their voices reverberating off the walls and into my skull. When the sound reached the precipice of its crescendo, she cracked the whip in her hand, and all went silent.

"Loyal subjects of the Alkandran Empire," the Dark Queen called, "our conquest of Tenvalia is complete!"

They roared once again, shaking the risers, vibrating the very stones so that dust flaked on me from above.

Aunt Leveria cracked the whip once more, and silenced the crowd. "The Highland forces were crushed and humiliated, defeated even before they drew their swords!" After Aunt Leveria was satisfied with the crowd's reaction, she cracked her whip a third time, then pointed to the alcove we were cowered in. "And now, after twenty long years, my sister, the false Dark Queen, returns to Alkandra to face her retribution!"