Sex, Lies and Conquest Ch. 01

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Empires are forged through Fire, Sword, Blood and Sex.
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Summary: In years long past, Jianna's family had ruled over the rich and plentiful lands of Quilan before being ousted by the conquering forces of the Highlanders. Since that time, Jianna has led a life on the run and was raised by a handful of her bodyguards who groomed her to retake her throne. Now she leads a rebellion against the Highlanders and is on the cusp of a major victory, and she will not let any barrier, physical or moral stand in her way.

Chapter 1- First Strike:

The two guards on night patrol were truly an unlucky couple. One had welcomed his first child into the world, and the other was there because of an unlucky roll of the dice. The night was hot, and soon it began to drizzle. The guards finished their hourly rounds and sat by the fire, with their hoods raised to shield their eyes from the rain.

"How is your boy?" asked Lorben the veteran of the two.

"Oh! He's beautiful, looks just like his mother and strong as an Ox already..." replied Mogul with the same enthusiasm that new fathers have. "He'll make a General in the army, just you see."

Lorben hawked and spat into the fire, "Don't fool yourself, boy, your son will be like his old man. Walking these borders until his back gives out and have this same conversation with another unlucky bastard who is with him at the time. Don't expect anything from our betters."

Mogul simply smiled, as he knew that Lorben was plagued by the various wars he had fought. His father served during the time of the great conquest, and he took up his father's mantle soon but killed his career prospects for being too cynical and critical of the policies of the army. He was old and was too stubborn to know that he should retire.

"Now now Lorben, it isn't a crime to dream now is it?" Mogul asked

"With the way this war is going, it may just remain that...a dream," Lorben replied in an ominous tone.

He rubbed his hands against the flame and whispered, "Her armies will take back these lands." a steady plume of steam exited his lips as he said these words.

Mogul slapped his back with a laugh, "You're a rather glum old man, come now I'll treat you to some ale after we are done. A fitting celebration for a new father."

The arrow glided silently and thudded against Mogul's throat and pinned him back against the stone wall. It took a while for Lorben to realize that his companion was dead, and before he could raise the alarm, a large hand covered his mouth and snapped his neck. Lorben was dead before he registered the pain.

The large muscled man covered in rain and mud stood over Lorbens body and examined the immediate perimeter. He signaled to his troops hidden within the darkness, and they silently scaled the walls of the fortress. Before daybreak, a new flag adorned the ramparts and the courtyard, one that carried the emblem of the burning Eagle. The Southern sector now belonged to Jianna.

Ch-2: Celebration

The courtyard was decorated with various torches and tents to accommodate the guests who will be arriving in the evening. The rooms cleared of all the blood and bile of the morning's massacre, and fresh preparations were under way to create a feast fit for the victors of the Southern Front. Jianna watched all this from the balcony of her quarters. She turned around and surveyed the accommodations. It was spacious and opulent, which as expected of a room that belonged to the commander of the Southern sector. Jianna smiled at the memory of disemboweling him in single combat and glanced at the bandage on her arm, "You're getting cocky." she muttered

One of her bodyguards entered her chambers with his head bowed, "The preparations are almost complete my Queen." Jianna nodded and dismissed him with a flick of her wrist.

"Uhhh your highness," the guard continued nervously, "The war council would like to have a word..." he gulped his breath in fright. Jianna was unpredictable and was known to throw guards to her pet beasts if their news angered her. However, today was not such a day.

"Send them in," Jianna said in an even tone and began inspecting herself in the mirror as the guard scampered away in relief.

The robe she wore showed far too much cleavage. However, she felt it was always a good policy to have some of the council members distracted from the proceedings; that way she always had the final say. She waited at the war room table until they finally came into her chambers and took their respective places.

They were mostly deserters from regimes that Jianna and her army had defeated during the campaign, "We have a concern my Queen," began the eldest member of the council. Jianna simply slumped back in her chair with a rather bored expression on her face.

"This celebration that you have planned...is greatly ill-advised. It is like a beacon that will attract unnecessary attention. You have even invited envoys from neighboring tribes and provinces. We fear that there may be spies among them."

"It is certain that there will be spies Councilman Shokan." Jianna cut in and looked at him with a patronizing glare. Jianna's cleavage made it difficult for them to concentrate, Shokan although a seasoned veteran of politics could barely tear his gaze away from her well-formed breasts and fidgeted with his robe constantly.

Jianna continued, "I want to make sure that the spies see how well we are celebrating, how much we have accomplished and how utterly unafraid we are of the Highlanders."

"But your highness...our war plans..."

"We shall not have any," Jianna replied with an arrogant smirk.

"What!"

Jianna shrugged and said in a very matter-of-fact voice, "We shan't have any war plans, Councilman. Since it would be foolish to have them fall in the hands of the spies."

"Then this celebration...is just..."

"A ruse," Jianna completed, "Let them think that we are off guard," She paced the length of the table slowly. Oscillating her hips to keep everyone's attention in a state of flux, "And when lulled into a sense of false security, we will strike."

"But...but we are running short of supplies, the bandits are..."

"I am well aware of the bandits Councilman. As I understand, they not only steal from us, but also from our enemy. It would appear they do have a sense of fair play. I shall deal with them when the time comes." Jianna went back to the head of the table and stood there. She reigned in her anger and reminded herself that she needed to be tactful with these men.

"I decided to meet the council primarily to make an announcement of my own, and the announcement is that you should enjoy yourselves tonight. No more war council and no more battle plans at least for this day and the next. It's been a long and hard campaign and the men need to unwind."

Saying so Jianna went to a side table bearing some wine and poured herself a glass with her back to the table. The shock of everyone present was tangible, and Jianna smirked as she took her first sip and rolled it around her tongue.

Once again it was Shokan who broke the pregnant silence," But...your highness...we must have a basic outline of..."

"Council," Jianna turned around with an annoyed expression and continued, "I have always had the best interests of my empire at heart when I make my decisions."

With a sinister whisper, she added, "Do not ever question my judgment, am I clear?"

They all nodded and the meeting adjourned. Jianna went back to the balcony, studied the preparations for the celebrations, and silently prayed that her gambit will pay off.

The following two days saw the army enjoy themselves to every extreme imaginable; gambling, drinking, singing and fucking themselves senseless. Jianna watched over her army like a strict mother who has allowed her children a few moments of relaxation and even managed to smile out of genuine compassion.

The second day was truly special for her troops as they saw Jianna compete with some of the toughest veterans in her army in a series of duels involving martial skill and dexterity. The swords were wooden but the bruises very real and Jianna gave back ten times more than she received. She personally rewarded the men and women who managed to get through her defenses.

Her display of skill and sense of fair judgment when competing with her troops cemented her position in the eyes of the local rebels as the promised ruler of these lands. After the conclusion of the final bout of wrestling -in which Jianna drew even with a member of her bodyguard- she decided to turn her attention once again to her campaign.

She walked back into her chambers with her hair still wet from the rain, and her fair skin still marked with fresh bruises and began arranging her maps in order. She stood at the head of the table with a goblet of wine in her hand and studied each map. Despite the morale of her troops and their training, she knew that a conventional war is no longer a viable option.

She strolled out to the balcony and watched the men engage in a final bout of drinking. In a few hours, the celebrations would close, and the commanders would spend the rest of the day sobering their troops and whipping some discipline back into their bodies.

Her men were well trained and fit, but very few of them have ever ventured this far North. Even the people she conquered on her quest so far did not have any intimate knowledge of the area's topography, people and most importantly attack and escape routes. Jianna's men captured and interrogated a few spies, but it yielded no usable intelligence.

Spies are often good sources of information, but if they were stupid enough to get caught then perhaps they were too stupid to know anything valuable. Jianna flipped almost all of them, sent them back to their masters, and instructed them to keep her informed of every move the locals make. Those who refused were given to the beasts.

"In war..." she heard her old teacher's voice saying, "It is just as important to coerce your allies as much as it is your enemies."

She turned her attention back to the maps on the table and studied them minutely for a solution to her problem. She called for one of her maidens and dispatched a letter to Shokan demanding a full report on the bandits in the evening. She then turned her thoughts towards a warm bath that was waiting for her, along with the bodyguard who had almost bested her in wrestling.

Ch-3: The Problem

Jianna sat at the head of the table dressed in a simple and elegant purple gown. The dress clung to her body like a suit, even more so after her bath. The water from her high ponytail trickled down the back of her seat and pooled under the chair.

The council were present and accounted for, and Shokan began the proceedings, "The uh," he stammered, "The situation with the Bandits your Majesty is one of great concern." Jianna looked on attentively, fixing her piercing green gaze upon Shokan's face.

"Based on our reconnaissance and local intelligence, it is safe to say that there are anywhere between 25-30 bandit tribes operating in the Northern Sector." He pointed to a map placed next to him, "The forest to the North East is particularly dangerous as a large number of these tribes make camp in this region."

"I was under the impression that they are nomadic." A council member put in. Jianna nodded in agreement as this was the very question she was asking herself.

Shokan cleared his throat to hide his annoyance with the interruption, "They are, but even nomads need resources and protection. This section of the forest is almost impenetrable due to its vegetation and none but only the seasoned tribal scouts can navigate through its maze-like paths."

Shokan turned to Jianna and stood up to drive home his point, "Your Highness, it is imperative that we address this issue before advancing to the North. You know as well as I that war comes down to logistics. If any one of these tribes manages to capture or disrupt our Southern lines then your army will starve to death before ever reaching the Quilan capital," he sat back down slowly. Ever the one for theatrics.

For Jianna, the bandits were the answer to her question of conventional warfare. The Northern Sector was notorious for its dense forests; this made conventional fighting of no value since there are no open fields to maneuver men or for cavalry charges. The only way to win is by raiding the enemy supply lines and camps, and to do that her army would need accurate intelligence about evasion and attack routes through the Highland territories.

She stood up and walked along the side to the table. Her gaze is never leaving the easel and, in particular, the northeastern quadrant.

"Which of the tribes do you recommend we deal with immediately councilman?"

Shokan tried getting up, but Jianna motioned him to sit back down. It was a small gesture but to allow Shokan to stand shoulder to shoulder with him would send the wrong message to the council. No one stands shoulder to shoulder with Jianna.

"That would be the Tribe of the Deer," he continued after regaining his composure from Jianna's rebuff, "they are few in numbers and lack the might to repel our forces. They are rumored to have the most gifted scouts in the region though I think they stand little chance against the full might of our army."

Jianna shook her head gently while still looking at the map. Shokan's arrogance blinded him to the real problem. Scaring away bandits is one thing but waging an all-out campaign against them is quite another. Jianna needed these people to work for her, and if she were to use force, she would not only deplete her army of fighting men but also lose valuable local assets with the deaths of the tribesman.

"Which of these tribes is the Matrix?"

"Matrix your majesty?"

"Every community has a Matrix, councilman. An alpha if you will," she strolled back to her chair and smirked as she felt the gaze of the council on her shapely hips and ass.

She sat back down and continued, "As you said, most of the tribes prefer the Northeast quadrant due to resources and protection. Protection comes under various guises."

Jianna sipped her wine and twirled the goblet in her hand, "I want to know which of these tribes can protect the whole sector."

She gazed at everyone at the table and rested her piercing green gaze at Shokan, "A tribe capable of holding its own against a military assault."

"An army of thieves your majesty?" put in a council member.

Jianna smiled and nodded, "That is an excellent way to put it." Jianna watched with relish as the council member beamed, and Shokan smoldered in his jealousy. However, he was too professional to let it show for too long and spoke as if nothing happened, "That would be the Tribe of the Apes your majesty."

With a nod from Jianna Shokan continued, "They outnumber the other tribes 4-1, and their command structure is quite organized and disciplined. Some say that the sole function of this tribe is to maintain security in the forest; a service for which they are paid by the other tribes. Though I find it highly unlikely that such a collection of rabble can have a..."

Jianna slams her cup down onto the table, "Be mindful of how you speak of our enemy Shokan. I am sitting here today precisely because your former masters thought the same of my men and me. Give our enemy the respect they deserve or it weakens us." Jianna slumped back into her chair and slowly calmed her outrage. Shokan was speechless and trembling at his spot and the other members of the council though scared were suppressing smiles of delight at Shokan's plight.

"M-My Queen I had no intention to...I mean, I..."

"Of course, not Shokan, even you aren't that stupid," she says in an even tone and stands, "I apologize as well. My youth gets the better of my temperament at times." She levels her gaze with Shokan once more, "I would like to know more about this Ape Tribe. Who leads them?"

Ch-4: Bedfellows

Tents and torches were laid out in a neat grid pattern with a large tent in the center. Jianna's entourage rode into the camp and brought their horses down from a gallop and into a slow and disciplined trot. Jianna noticed several of the camp members line their path; hands on their sword pommels and knife handles, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Some of them sniffed at the air as Jianna and her bodyguard trotted by them; it was as if they sniffing for fear or hostility like predators.

Jianna surveyed the camp and its occupants intently. They seemed like rabble yet the organization of their camp, as well as their discipline in not attacking immediately, suggested that someone with great skill and expertise led them. Jianna's entourage reached the large tent in the center and dismounted. Two guards waited outside and watched the horses while Jianna and two more guards entered the tent and beheld the opulence that lay within.

A fine carpet lines the tent floor. Tables and chairs stand on one end of the room and a massive chair that looked like a throne on the other. Between the two lay a large four-post bed adorned with red and gold curtains with fleece lined quilts on top. If Jianna had not seen it herself, she would never believe that a mere bandit lived in such opulence and luxury. There was no one in the tent, so Jianna and her entourage sat at the table and waited patiently.

Soon the tent flap opened, and a large man came into the room accompanied by two bodyguards of his own. His stature was massive enough to dwarf every other person in the room. Even Jianna's strongest bodyguard managed to reach only his chin. His face was that of a warrior, bearded and well worn, but the eyes shone with intelligence and cunning.

"This one is dangerous," Jianna's instincts told her as she quickly recovered from the shock of his presence and regained her composure.

"Greetings Jungir, the Khan of the North. I come in peace and with a proposition that can aid us both in the days to," Jungir's massive hand came up as he stopped the introductions.

"It would be best if we dispensed with such trickery. Do you not think so Queen?" Jungir locked eyes with Jianna, who dressed as a bodyguard stood next to the 'Queen' with her face covered by a veil and a sword at her hip.

Jungir laughed loudly and clapped his hands, "By the gods you have spunk in you. Never letting your guard down eh?" he walked to the throne at the other end of the room and sat down with a patronizing smirk on his lips.

Jianna came forward, motioned her bodyguards to leave, and stood in front of Jungir's throne. Jungir dismissed his men as well in a show of good faith, but Jianna could make out the end of an ax sticking out from behind his throne. Out of curiosity Jianna asks, "How did you know?"

Jungir merely kept smirking at her, much to her chagrin and leaned back in his chair, "You are aware of what they call you on the battlefield?"

"Yes, they call me the Witch Queen."

"True, but after that little celebration you threw at your fortress the natives have a new name for you. They call you The Green Death, on account of your beautiful eyes." Jungir sat up and waved his hand across, "Please, dispense with that veil. It would be best to conduct our business face to face, wouldn't you agree?"

Jianna did not expect this; she came here to negotiate with what she thought was a brutish man, and instead she confronts someone who is not only brutish but also intelligent. Jianna slid her veil off her face and looked Jungir square in the eyes with a mixture of respect and amusement.

"By the gods," Jungir breathed as he took in Jianna's beauty, "Oh if that face is the last thing I see before I die, I shall die a thousand deaths gladly."

"Shall we get to business then?" Jianna continued in an even tone

"Yes, to business." Jungir once again leaned back in his chair and let his eyes wander over Jianna's small but full body with undisguised lust, "How may I be of service to you?"