The Sisters of V'Gedra

"These are the two who inherited enough of their father's magic to be great Sorcerer-rulers with longer lives," an advisor had explained. "There are and have been older sons and daughters with far less of a gift, and some of them are old and preparing to die as well. Only in the last forty years has Begir-al-phon cared to seek out a Woman of powerful heritage and convince her to bear his heirs."

"Which took all of her strength to do so, I take it," the Valsharess commented wryly.

"Correct, my Queen, the mother is no longer among them. It is a House of Men."

Typical Zauyrian.

"You're so certain about the pull being enough?" Ishuna murmured as the topic came up again later. They were dining, just the Valsharess and her Daughters, well before any plans had been settled.

"He is young and malleable," Innathi said, spearing a green rod on her plate and acting as though she were not exactly the same where it came to their Mother's wishes. "I will have him as my formal Consort. He will live here."

No.

"You mean, if his Father agrees."

"He will be convinced." Innathi shrugged, looking at their Mother, who observed with her fingers laced. "I won't be having children for centuries yet, and this is a perfect balance."

"But—" Ishuna began.

"He is not the heir of his own lands," Innathi continued, "so he must still work for a legacy of any kind. He will be motivated and will have the needs of the Drowh always in mind. Our mage's match will help assure his desire and devotion to me but he cannot claim blood or heritage through offspring." She grinned at her younger sister. "Yet we may still enjoy his connections, particularly to the Deathwalkers, who have been mysterious to us since before I was born."

"True." The Valsharess seemed amused, impressed. Pleased with the plan. She focused on Ishuna for a moment. "We may also find among those seers what will help you rest again, Daughter."

The younger Qu'eesan was stunned for a moment. She hadn't been able to tell her Queen-Mother had even considered that she was still unsettled by what happened at Koorul since she'd silenced her on the topic of her "visions" coming back. They had all waited for Ishuna's dreams to pass and for how little the Queen had been bothered by it lately, it was assumed they had.

The Valsharess looked back at Innathi. "And this is truly how you wish to spend your second century, daughter of mine? Rutting with a Human?"

Innathi chuckled. "It will be my pleasure, and my service, Queen-Mother. I already claimed him in public anyway, why would I let some lesser female take his attention? I'm only sorry the Sorcerer and his son cannot get away from their people sooner than they've said. But I can wait. The alliance will be for the Queendom and our future."

Ishuna said nothing else through this, listening and eating with one hand in her lap, tasting very little of the fine food. They had both stopped listening month ago to her plea to consider that Cris-ri-phon should stay away. Even her vision now seemed faded and she wasn't sure how well she could justify her opposition to this, especially now that she had heard her Mother actually acknowledge seers at all.

Find among them what will help you rest again, Daughter.

Standing at her mirror that very night, Ishuna frowned as it seemed to shimmer a moment, and in the lower right quadrant formed a web-shaped crack, its legs reaching through the brittle glass until it obscured her belly over her purple dress. The young Drowh reached out to touch the mirror, tracing her finger along the lines. She could not feel the breaks themselves, no fine splinters of glass threatened the perfection of her skin.

Am I awake or not?

She hadn't even laid down, hadn't shut her eyes. She must be awake.

Ishuna threw the door to her room open. "Guard! Guard! Come here and take this mirror away. I need a replacement."

There was an oddly resigned nod. "Yes, Qu'eesan."

She watched the guard step in with a bow and approach her mirror. She watched the face, the eyes—did she see the crack? Did she understand why Ishuna needed a new one?

The guard simply detached and took the mirror out of the room, promising a new one within the hour.

"Make sure it doesn't get damaged," she said at the door.

"Of course, Qu'eesan."

Her new mirror didn't have a crack in it, though it seemed familiar.

"Have I had this mirror before?" Ishuna asked, quietly and more to herself but the guard took it that she was being spoken to.

"Yes, Qu'eesan. We have had it repaired for you. It is just as it was last month."

A reassuring smile, a graceful bow. She had done everything right, but the guard wasn't telling the whole truth. Ishuna's stomach felt cold; she listened with her ear pressed to the door after it had closed, in case anyone was talking about her. It seemed quiet. Eventually she left the door and sat back down on her bed.

I am seeing what I'm seeing, am I not?

*******

At last, the Sorcerer's son stood before her! There was such hunger in his eyes and naked relief, as if the proof that she was in fact real and had graced him with a smile had set him all to right. He bowed before the Valsharess more like a vassal and less like a guest from a neighboring kingdom. It was a good sign.

Innathi managed to pay attention to all the formalities and properly greet the Zauyrian ruler and his eldest son, as well as the Deathwalker— elegantly, just like her Mother, though she was a little surprised with the twinkle in the white-beard's hazel eyes and the words which followed.

"Shall Your Majesty and myself, and Houda, take refreshment in a place of your choosing, Great Queen, and discuss the boring politics while the young decide whether they can even tolerate each other?"

Brazen suggestion. The old Human wanted to cut down on the time it took to find a new balance between their families, and this should come as no surprise if one had only to imagine the mortality staring him in the face. He did not seem afraid or in denial, however, and seemed less interested in controlling every interaction his offspring would have but more removing obstacles. Given what happened at Koorul, perhaps it was just as well. Innathi almost thought her Queen-Mother could yet learn a thing or two from the frail old man before he died.

The eldest Daughter looked at her Mother with lightly raised eyebrows and a subtle, enticing smile for the rest of them. Both brothers were affected, staring at her a bit too long for a public greeting, and the Valsharess exhaled with equal subtlety.

"My daughters will give your sons a tour of the Palace and its grounds, Begir. Let us retire out of the sun, it is strong today."

Houda's head was hooded in her grey, less elegant robe as before, but she offered a slight nod to eldest son which could have been a farewell, except that he closed his fingers into a fist while leaving his thumb extended. Innathi wondered what that meant, but was more than content when Cris's older brother, Leur-en-phon, approached Ishuna with a deep, respectful bow.

"If you will show us the way to best enjoy the splendor of V'Gedra's Jewel, Qu'eesan Ishuna?"

More stiffly, Ishuna bowed back and glanced at Innathi to make sure she followed with the younger son as they excused themselves from their parents. The main courtyard was massive and busy, packed with temporary carts, tents, and Drowh with other traders whose posts lay just outside the curved walls in the sandy streets leading in a gentle decline from the Palace.

"It's mostly empty in the night," Ishuna said, "with space enough, they like to say, for a Dragon to land within if it wishes. Taking to this place under cover of night is assumed subversion, you should have no cause, so do not go exploring without a Drowh escort."

"Most certainly not, Qu'eesan," Leur said fluently in their own tongue, and with more charm and gentle amusement than Innathi would have given to a Human so young. "Our hosts honor us too much to risk such trespass."

While Cris was hardly listening, glancing at her often in the hopes that she would look back—and she was waiting just a little longer to give him that—Leur acted as if he wasn't the same age at all, even though Elves born a mere fifteen years apart as these young Men were nearly considered twins. Though again, technically these Humans weren't even of an age to be mature enough to mate had they been born Elves.

Her cheeks flushed recalling exactly how Cris-ri-phon indeed could mate, and he was endowed with quite a sword, which she intended to claim. She nearly looked at him but forced herself to keep amusing herself with thought, barely listening to Ishuna as she watched Leur's body language. He was not the same as Cris at all...

She and Ishuna were often treated to be the same age; they were only two decades apart, after all, conceived while their Queen-Mother had a special guest available to her for only a short time—a male wizard who lived deep in the desert as a hermit and was said to be gifted enough to speak with Dragons now and then. The Valsharess wanted two Daughters, and she got two Daughters before the wizard vanished from public view again.

Their Mother never talked about him, and at this point in their lives would not even give them a name. Perhaps when they were older; before the Valsharess passed her way into legend. Innathi was sort of savoring the mystery. No one in the Queendom forgot Innathi was the elder Qu'eesan and heir, however, simply because of their status. Among the commoners there would hardly be a difference as they grew up together.

Her thoughts flew from her mind when Cris-ri-phon boldly reached out and touched his fingers lightly to her wrist. She felt the shock of the contact far more than she had the other young males she had experimented with; for a brief moment, that was all there was. Their auras answered, a small, magical shock just beneath her skin.

He's touching me.

Innathi finally looked at him, her face warm and her ears starting to burn. He smiled—no, grinned, and she could smell his distinct musk, and only figured his looser, deep blue silk trousers weren't tented because he had another garment underneath to at least hold his erection flush against his belly. Because he most certainly had one.

Oh, Loricel...

She didn't want to wait. It had been a full year already. Surely that was a good enough test of patience for Mother—

Leur said something and she jumped, looking away from Cris as he blessedly released her wrist.

"I-I'm sorry, what was that?"

Leur smiled kindly at her, bowing his head, and gave his younger brother a gently judging glance. "I asked if he is being too forward with you, Qu'eesan. He is enchanted by your beauty and your presence, of course, and we've said before we are honored to be here." He gave a small shake of his head, lightly bemused as long as she wasn't scowling. "But my little brother hasn't earned all his wisdom yet. Humans his age face great tests of impulse control. As you have seen."

Ah, as if he needed to remind her! But...impulse control? Meaning Leur-en-phon considered himself much better than that?

Cris-ri-phon glared at his brother and hissed something in their native tongue but Leur only chuckled, slowly folding arms which were more muscular and filled out. Side-by-side it looked like Cris still had some catching up to do.

I need to learn Zauyrian, she thought to herself, kicking herself for not learning more before this point. The Humans always spoke Drowh when dealing with her Queen-Mother; only certain officers like former-Captain Xala became fluent in the desert Human language with regular contact. The dialects seemed to change so quickly among the Zauyrians, sometimes the Elves could hardly keep up with the Five Realms.

"I appreciate knowing for certain that a year hasn't cooled his fire," Innathi said to Leur but with a smile for Cris, who forgot to glare at anything at all. "I understand circumstances change more quickly for your race. I might have wondered if I had missed my window."

"Never, Qu'eesan," Cris-ri-phon said, then blinked. "Um...window for what, if I may ask?"

Innathi grinned her pleasure at him. His spoken Drowh had gotten much better; he had clearly worked at it since Koorul. The young sorcerer wanted very much to impress her. Innathi chuckled and could not resist brushing the tip of her finger beneath his chin. She felt just a little stubble, and his grey eyes widened.

"Why, to ask if you are interested in being my Consort for a time, Cris-ri-phon."

The young sorcerer was about to say something—probably some form of agreement—but Leur-en-phon suddenly reached out and gripped his brother's shoulder. It was so hard it caused pain and prevented the youth from making more than a blurt of surprised discomfort before he rather violently shook Leur off.

"We are most grateful for your forthrightness, Qu'eesan, as we have been wondering what purposes we are meant to discuss during our stay," Leur said quickly in Drowh, overriding his brother. "However, we do not know what this entails, it does not exist in our land. May we ask you and your Queen-Mother for more understanding before he gives his answer?"

Cris once again looked furious with Leur, but hearing the heir's words his expression changed and he brought his obvious desire under control with some effort. Innathi tilted her head, watching them. This was becoming more interesting. The younger agreed with the older; they had discussed this before now and the elder spoke for him in some regard.

"Of course," she answered with a bow of her own head. "We wouldn't wish the young Sorcerers of Third Zauyr to make any alliance they would regret. Peace between our peoples keep the Gedran Desert prosperous, indeed, it keeps it habitable!"

Leur bowed elegantly, giving his thanks, while Cris seemed a bit disappointed with her answer. Perhaps that it was more a Queen's answer considering the greater good rather than being solely about him.

Well, I will be Queen one day, he should always bear that in mind.

She wanted him, she would not deny that to anyone, but it would be on her terms this time. He had had her eyes and lips touch him first; he had tasted her as few others would; and he was certainly the first and only Human given the chance to seat his cock inside her!

If she had to court him a little to please his older brother—who would also one day very soon be a ruler she would have to deal with— well, she could do that.

*****

Ishuna stood awkwardly and watched unhappily while her sister bantered and spoke double meanings with Leur, displaying their Courtly manners in plain view just off the main courtyard. People were watching them and she personally wanted to get into one of the gardens where it wasn't so loud.

"If we've agreed on that, then let us move on with the tour."

She turned on her heel and started walking, almost not caring at this point if they caught up with her. It had not been her idea to be the guide, she did only as her Mother had instructed. And as the tall, polite Sorcerer's son had requested.

The way Cris-ri-phon looked at her sister was as unsettling now as it was a year ago. Those piercing, steel eyes beneath such a shock of dark hair, his brown face so intense and hungry. She didn't care if Leur-en-phon made excuses for him in being young and having problems with "impulse control." That was no excuse for how he acted!

If Innathi had been even the smallest bit visibly upset with the attack, Ishuna would not be so worried. Maybe. No, now her older sister was talking like a politician, setting things up to her advantage but with far too small of a focus.

She wanted a Human boy to be her servicing stud for the next twenty or so years while he was still his most virile. There would be no long, Elven courtship as they learned all his flaws and strengths. They had to lead by the cock while it was still plump. Peh! How quickly they shrivel!

"I'm sorry, what was that, Qu'eesan?" Leur asked, and Ishuna realized she had made an audible scoffing sound in her thoughts.

"Here are Her Majesty's West Gardens," she said aloud, ignoring his question and presenting the carefully cultivated desert landscape containing some of the oldest and rarest plants to be found anywhere in the Gedran Desert.

"And you likely know the name of each glorious survivor I am seeing?" Leur said gallantly, drawing her attention in spite of herself.

Survivor. Glorious survivor. That was actually how Ishuna thought of them. How did he know?

"I do," she said stiffly.

"Introduce me, Qu'eesan." He made a gentle, Drowh gesture for her to lead the way. "Please."

She did, letting her thoughts play farther as she indulged the Sorcerer's heir and they each pretended they did not see Innathi and Cris trying to get away with light touches when they thought their siblings weren't looking. Ishuna decided to take Leur's lead on that, or she would be glaring at Cris every step of the way. That was very tiring.

Leur-en-phon was clearly the smart one. His hair was much lighter than Cris's, a curious red-brown glinting with honeyed streaks, his eyes darker more like a classic Zauyrian. The skin color was about the same, and they looked like brothers the same way Innathi and Ishuna looked like sisters. He was bigger, and more educated.

Ishuna did not let herself be more generous than this. Leur was clearly trying to woo her on something, to get her to let down her guard or soften her up to agree with him on some proposal he yet intended to make. Probably more to benefit him and her Queen-Mother, or even Innathi, than the weaker Second Daughter.

When the group eventually made their way around the small fountain provided beneath the grand shade made of bright red sandstone and tough silk, Innathi sat down to dip her fingers in the water with a sigh.

"May we rest here a moment, sister?" she teased her, blinking her bright, red eyes. "I was not under the impression we had to cover all four gardens in an hour!"

Ishuna shrugged and took one of the stone benches farthest away. "As you wish."

The two males glanced at each other, but Innathi beckoned Cris to sit next to her, which left Leur standing alone. He looked her way and stepped forward boldly.

"May I sit, Qu'eesan?" he asked.

"Have you purpose?" she returned with narrowed eyes.

He nodded. "Yes, Qu'eesan."

She blinked, and when he made no move to sit, she eventually scooted to the side to make room and gestured.

"What do you want?" she grumped as a vivacious Innathi leaned to whisper to a flush-faced Cris-ri-phon something private. The sound of the fountain helped to mask it; Ishuna couldn't even guess what it was but the youth's eyes were sparkling.

Leur looked down at his big hands, carefully considering his words. "I want to help you, Qu'eesan."

Ishuna tore her gaze from the other two. Leur waited for a response.

She stared. "What."

"I want to help you," he said again, holding her eyes. "Houda says she can still see the damage caused by my brother last summer. My Father and I are both distressed to see nothing has been done, but we hope it is because the lack of knowledge and not some kind of punishment for what happened. It wasn't your fault, Qu'eesan."

Ishuna was speechless; she was not expected the lump in her throat, or the sudden rise of tears to blur her vision. She looked away.

Leur leaned toward her, kept his voice quiet. "You would not know it to look at him right this moment, but Cris has agreed to apologize to your Mother and you, and learn from Houda what he must do to heal it before we would even allow him to answer any offer from your elder sister."