The queen was infamous for her voracious appetites and now that she was older, her taste for the young men and women of kingdom was becoming insatiable. Her guards were sent daily into the royal forest to search for poachers. Her trusted Sergeant of the Guards new of what the queen wanted and as they captured poachers, they put to death all those who could not meet the muster of the queen. She only wanted young men between eighteen and twenty-five. They were required to be of good health and of stature pleasing to the eye. All that were captured were brought before him and after a quick look were pointed to either the executioner or the slave wagon.
Young Rowan understood it was wrong to be in the Royal Forest but he wanted some fresh meat for his mother's table on this her birthday. Now he had been caught and he was sure he would never see his family again. Although he knew not where this cart was taking him and the others he knew it had to be better than having his head cut off deep in the queen's forest. When they entered the town gates and headed to the palace's back entrance Rowan figured his new life would be that of a kitchen slave.
They were shown to quarters much nicer than their own and then bathed and put into clean clothes. Rowan could not remember the last bath he'd had or clean clothes. He found the guard who scared him the least and asked him about his fate. The guard chuckled as he told him,
"You're to be taken before the queen and if she takes a fancy to you she will take you to her chamber and boff you until you no longer can stand."
"But sir, she is an old lady, how could I ever be with her, my sword will remain too soft to sheath in her scaber."