Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 11

He looked at her, "Did you marry this morning?"

She kept an even face, "No, Your Majesty."

He looked at her, "Play me something."

She knew if she played badly the guards would report it. If she played well, she would be made a permanent consort.

She asked the King, "Anything or did you have a request, your Majesty?'

King Goldeagle sighed, "Anything."

She took her lute around and performed an elven comedic version of a dwarven drinking song. She had played It earlier in the evening and it was part of her song list when she recalled seeing the 2 of them watching her.

The King was not amused and looked at his guards, "She played that this evening?"

The guard cleared his throat, "Yes and other numbers, your Majesty."

He looked at her, "Your eyes are not normal."

She nodded, "Some snow-elf heritage. Many House Silvertree members helped with that but not all returned to the north. It is very cold up there, Your Majesty."

He looked at her, "Any relation to the Champion?"

She nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty."

King Goldeagle asked, "Let me rephrase who is your mother, and was she married to the champion?"

She looked at the King, "Starista Silvertree and from what I have been told she was married to the last wielder of the family blade but he was not a champion. It had been jumping family lines in recent years. She died giving birth to me. I have no information on the sword as the Blade Wielders Journal is missing. The champion was a Grandfather 10 or more times removed, your Majesty."

He sat up, "Take your top off. I want to know if you are a champion."

She removed her top to display a holy symbol to Corellon Larethian. Which hung loosely. He looked over and saw Monnius standing there. "You know this one Monnius?"

Monnius walked to the line, "Yes. My wife Brena delivered the child. Difficult pregnancy and delivery from what I have been told. She was the only child to survive, Your Majesty."

The King groaned, "Very well put your top on. Inform her Patron she should entertain the troops."

Monnius bowed, "Of course, Your Majesty."

The guard spoke up, "You should hear her rendition of the Flight of the Pegasus, your Majesty."

She finished getting her shirt on and thought, "Fuck I hate this guard."

The King asked her, "You know the song?"

She kept an even face, "Eight versions of the song. Did you have a preference, your Majesty?"

He sighed again, "Just play the song."

She tightened the strings on her lute and belted out the song as an elven battle song."

The King rolled his eyes, "Take her home Monnius, give the Patron my instructions." She bowed and held it. "Stand and go."

Monnius got her out of there and teleported her home. He looked at Nova, "That was brilliant."

She smiled as they went inside. She hugged her Patron, "Besides having to take my top off, to show I was not a champion. After being groped by every gold-elf guard in the district. I sang 2 songs. One that should not be played in court and 1 played in a way suited to the battlefield. I survived it."

Monnius looked at the Patron, "He wants her sent to entertain the troops. She avoided becoming one of his hundred or so consorts. Nobody knows for sure. Any that become one never return home. I better get home. Those guards are not going to like being made to look like fools."

She sighed, "Anything to keep them from coming tonight?"

He nodded, "Pull your guard in and seal the portal for the night."

The Patron nodded, "Could be viewed as compliance with the law. Any scrying would show nobody out there. Tell him to come inside. One way to keep my youngest off the front line of combat."

Monnius went out and Nearon came in and sealed the portal. He brought the wall down, "What was that about?"

Nova looked at him, "What?"

He sighed, "2 royal guards were looking like they wanted to rush the house and Monnius stopped them and asked their business. They looked pissed. He told me to get inside and seal it."

She looked at the Patron and went to get geared up. She came back out in blacked-out regalia.

She looked at the Patron, "If they are out there looking for me bring them to Charlus's room."

He nodded, She went in back and entered the room. Access to the training wing had been restored to the Patron years ago when she got her psionic abilities under control. She kept the sword moving light and quick. The door opened and the 2 guards came in. She nodded to the Patron, "What do these 2 guards want?"

The Patron looked at Nova, "They claim to be back because the King changed his mind."

She looked at one and thought, "Answer truthfully." She asked, "Is that why you are here?"

He laughed, "Fuck no, we came to fuck you and fuck you over for making us look like fools."

His buddy looked back at the Patron.

She thought to the mouthy guard, "You are to go out to the Main gate with your friend. When he bends over you cut his fucking head off. Then fight any who try to apprehend you. Cast everything you got to kill as many Gold-elf royal guards as you can. Shouting for the resistance! You succeed in killing them all then go to the front line and join in the fight.

Blasting the enemy. Then fighting bare-knuckled. You leave the grounds you will not remember being on the grounds."

She looked at the other one and thought, "Go to the Main gate, bend over and fix your shoe. Wait for permission from your friend before getting up or looking away. When you leave the grounds, you will have no memory of even being on the grounds."

She glared, "I think it would be best for you both to just leave before my Patron reports your illegal activity. While not a gold-elf house we are still a well-respected house in this city."

The 2 of them turned toward the Patron and she nodded. They left. The Patron came back alone, "What did you do?"

She looked at him, "Nothing, just warned them of you reporting their activity. As you just heard."

He did not know of her 'talents.' She went to bed and slept. She heard the Lady of Dreams, "You avoided getting raped twice once by the King and then those 2. The first would have been a nightmare to get you to escape the palace if that occurred. It will likely happen a third time with the army. If it does close your eyes and avoid letting them know they hurt you. Channel that anger going forward."

Nova responded, "Why not kill them?"

The Lady sighed, "You are not supposed to marry. The children need to be born to House Silvertree for the future of the sword. Having sex with and killing a man at the same time requires a high level of detachment."

Nova sighed, "Does it have to be rape? What if I took someone to bed that I did not care about or cared little about?"

The Lady of Dreams sighed, "Before you get to the Army? Who?"

Nova thought, "Nearon is a distant relative and single."

She sighed, "Infertile and you care for him. That would only make that feeling stronger and you need to be emotionally detached."

Nova thought, "Monnius then. Easy enough to get him here with Brena. I can cut off all senses and replay my birth in my head. I have that level of control over my body as you know."

She heard, "He would work if you can get them to agree given those constraints. Brena would have to raise them both instead of splitting them. After the war, you will have to practice having sex and killing, sometimes during the act. Before you go after your target.

It is an ugly approach to things but becoming the seductress is your only viable path to the first primary target it has to be done. You will have to kill him to reclaim your family sword and all of the others for the other Blade Wielders to be identified later."

Nova sighed, "Understood. At least I would not have a rapist's children."

She awoke and meditated to recharge. She went out and found her Patron, "Contact Monnius and Brena. I need to see them in the training ground."

She went back to her room as they walked in an hour later. She looked at Brena, "I was contacted last night by the Lady of Dreams. I was expected to get raped yesterday. I was told it would likely happen a third time and I could not just kill them instead.

She said I had to have one set of twins with someone I cared little about. She told me Nearon is infertile and too close to me already. I have to keep detached from forming any love for an individual. The only other name I could think of at that point who was not infertile was Monnius. She said you would have to raise them both."

Brena looked shocked, "You want Monnius to father your children?"

Nova groaned. "In order to kill and have sex with someone, I have to have complete detachment. It was this or allow myself to be raped sometime after I get to the army."

Brena looked horrified, "That was what the enchanter meant."

Nova looked at her, "The enchanter predicted this?"

She nodded, "Said you would have a hard time looking at them because of how they were conceived. Until they were revealed. She thought you were going to get raped by the King or others."

Nova nodded, "Then those 2 guards that Monnius worked to send away. They should be dead now."

Monnius looked shocked, "I sent them away."

She shook her head, "They waited for the portal to open. I sent the Patron to check on you. Then got them back here. I got one to admit they were here to 'fuck me and fuck me up.' I commanded them both to the main gate. The caster going off at any royal guard who tried to apprehend him for killing his friend."

Monnius looked horrified, "I just came from the Main gate. The culprit is believed to have escaped but was heard shouting for the resistance."

She nodded, "Told him if he ran out of targets to go to the front and blast the enemy and then fight them bare-knuckled if he had to."

Brena had a different outlook, "Fucking brilliant. Got them away from here."

He looked at Nova, "What if he gets caught?"

Nova nodded, "Thought of that. No memory of having been on Silvertree Estates or meeting with us last night."

He looked less alarmed. Brena walked over to her husband, "Do this. You know my last pregnancy made me infertile. Create another pair of twins for us."

Nova looked at Brena, "They are not to be claimed as Goldeagle. They have to be available for the sword in the future."

Brena looked at him and nodded. Monnius sighed, "You better work to keep from getting raped out there."

She nodded, "She can check if it took. Do not mind my actions. I am going to spend my time focused on my mother giving birth to me. Over and over again. The most traumatic memory I have."

She slid a suppression ring on. "Just to be safe and not to send that to anyone else."

She stripped down, got on the bed, and put a pillow over her face. She focused on all the screaming and wailing from the night of her birth. She put it into a repetitive loop. She never felt him enter or finish. She locked out all senses except sight. She came out of it when Brena pulled her arms away from her and took the pillow.

Brena looked at her, "You made no sound. You did not even climax. He took it slow and..."

Nova held up a hand, "I do not want the details unless you are going to say 'and then he just fucked the shit out of you.'"

Brena nodded, "He just fucked the shit out of you."

Nova nodded, "I know you did not want to do this. But I want control over who and when my body gets used. Eventually, it will get used and abused in my 'training for my assigned work.'"

Monnius nodded and walked away. She went into the shower and washed up. She walked out and dressed for battle.

She looked at Brena, "I will say nothing of who the father is. You can explain to the children how this came to pass if something happens to me."

She walked out and hugged him but not firmly or long, "I am sorry it had to be done this way."

She walked away. She went to the pasture they had in the Blade Wielders section of the home, "I am in need of a horse for the war."

She had one of the free stallions come. He was a red roan. She thought, "Bintra'Usia, Battle Paint." She took her ring off and heard the comments from the herd from 'bizarre' to 'I can see it.'

She thought to the herd, "Because the blood of the enemy will not reflect on him as easily as myself. He will be painted in their blood."

The herd went quiet and Bintra'Usia looked at Nova, "Like us then."

She nodded and thought, "Same killer spirit and ability to communicate."

She took him out and closed the portal. She thought to him, "Would another have come if I had asked mentally?"

She heard him chuckle, "A few might of actually."

She thought to him, "Just between us and not to be shared. I am the new champion. The first psionic champion of Corellon Larethian. It is a secret you cannot share as it would anger the gods. I have to be honest with you. Someday I may kill our connection and leave you behind. I have to be upfront as I can be, and my goals after that are my own."

She heard back, "Then I am aptly named. I will hold your secret, even from the herd until it can be revealed."

She rode out to see the door opened for her. She rode out of the house and Monnius looked at Nova, "Do find love somehow."

She nodded and thought to him, "Not in the plan. When the Gods tell me I can and after I have OUR blades back. If I am not completely fucked up by then, with everything I must do to get to them...I may look at that."

He nodded to her and she winked at him. He teleported them to the fort at the front.

Nova looked at the Moon elf out front, "Was sent here to 'entertain the troops.'"

She looked at Nova, "With a lute?"

Nova smiled, "With these and the lute." As she displayed her weapons.

She nodded, "A battle bard I take it?"

Nova smiled, "Novella Silvertree."

She looked up, "Wait I heard you in a bar a few years ago. What is someone with your talent doing here?"

Nova smiled, "It was this or be a seed-bag consort to the King. I at least get to be armed facing an enemy this way."

She smiled, "Follow me."

Nova got down and followed her inside. She was taken to a desk. The guard saluted, "They sent us some talent, Sir."

The guy sighed, "I hope she is better than that royal guard who teleported in this morning blasting everything in sight until taken down in a hail of arrows."

Nova smiled, "Prettier and smarter than that."

He looked at her, "If you have been conscripted into the army then you call me Sir.

I am Captain Willow."

Nova looked at Captain Willow, "Technically I was instructed to come and entertain the troops. I am Novella Silvertree, a battle bard."

He sighed, "You did not catch the Sir part?"

Nova smiled, "I caught it. I just told you I had not been conscripted. Just told to come and entertain."

He chuckled and shook his head, "Fine you are conscripted. Academy trained?"

Nova shook her head, "No. Trained by many. Xandius Silver was my duelist instructor. Janella Silvertree my bard instructor. I am a Gestalt, Sir."

He pointed, "Three training dummies, Twenty seconds at each one. Show me your best."

She looked over, "Then do I need to take the full twenty seconds at each of them, Sir?"

He shook his head, "Show me your best smart ass."

She ran toward the wall between two of the dummies. Nova ran up the wall drew both blades. Flipped into a topspin cutting the heads off of both targets. Then flipped onto her feet, did a no-handed spinning cartwheel, and took the head of the third. She sliced up with her left blade through the groin and up through the neck.

Finally, she jumped up and back to the left twirling and slammed one blade down into each of the remains of the first two again splitting from the neck to the groin on both of them. She backflipped and sheathed both blades in mid-flip.

She looked at the Captain, "Should I continue on these targets, stop now, or pause while you bring me more, Sir?"

He shook his head, "Destructive smart ass."

Nova smiled, "Better than a dumb ass, Sir."

The girl from the gate giggled at her. She asked, "That groin shot. How do you get such power in that?"

Nova smiled, "That is the easy part. Being accurate is the hard part. All I have to do is picture each and every one of them as a rapist."

The Captain nodded, "How long have you been wielding like that?"

Nova smiled, "Since I was 8; two years later I started with Xandius Silver. I became an adult yesterday before you ask 'Where in the 9 hells have you been,' Sir."

He got up and went upstairs. She saw a Gold Elf Commander. The Captain came back down and shook his head, "Best I can put you in at is Sergeant; only because you are not Academy trained. Take this and get outfitted."

She looked at him, "Sir, I am outfitted."

He shook his head, "Army issue. You need to look like him."

He pointed at a man behind him. She altered herself and the private gasped. He looked up as Nova now looked exactly like the guy he pointed at.

She smiled, "Like this, Sir."

He chuckled, "Just attire."

She adjusted so her attire looked like his.

He nodded, "Just needs the rank."

She looked over and made the modification.

Nova looked at him, "You did say just like him, Sir."

He pointed, "Take her to her Lieutenant if she can hold that form."

Nova nodded, "Performers Ring. It helps when I want to look like a burly male human singing like an elven female and playing dwarven drinking songs in elven, Sir."

He finally chuckled and motioned her out. She looked at the name, "He is alright, one of the better officers actually. A Moon-elf. Like you, he did not go through the Academy. Small house. Lieutenant Moon Eye, Arcane Archer. Talented."

Nova walked over with her. She tapped the lieutenant on the shoulder, "I was asked to give this to you and introduce you to Sergeant 'Destructive Smart Ass' Silvertree, Sir."

The Lieutenant did not look amused, "Big family name. Why were you not academy trained?"

Nova felt him try to enter her mind and she shut him down with ease.

Nova smiled, "Battle bard trained by one of the best or mediocrity from the Academy, Sir."

He tried again and Nova shut him down again. He asked, "Who was this best?"

Nova smiled, "Janella Silvertree Student of Melody Silvertree. Master bard. I do have my Master's level. Did he put in there what I did to the three training dummies, Sir?"

He nodded, "Said you obliterated them." He tried a third time and Nova slammed the door on him again only quicker.

Nova smiled, "Told them I just pictured rapists. Those that take without asking and assumes everyone wants it, Sir."

He stopped trying at that subtle threat.

He nodded, "Good motivator."

The private looked at him. "I loved the way she came up through the groin and took the blade all the way up and out of the neck. She took the head off seconds before, Sir."

Nova saw him wince at that reference. Nova just gave him an evil grin.

Nova smiled and figured she would throw him a bone, "Orders, Sir?"

He snapped out of his stupor. He looked at her, "Says you are a battle bard. Can you play that thing or is it just for witling with your swords?"

Nova smiled and brought it around. She flipped it so it faced up and adjusted it. Nova sang a tune he had not heard before, but he had heard it. It was the tune of Eldar's Charge. It began earlier in the story with the discovery of the Teleportation circle, attack planning, the assault on the Draco-lich, and then went into the standard version of the song with minor artistic license.

Nova played a haunting melody with one hand and a steady back song on the other. The back song was the melody of the original song. When it came to the original version. Nova kept playing now she had the song doing an echo of the original. Nova finished and he just glared at her as the surrounding camp started clapping.