Queen Yavara

LEVERIA

The previous night had been a sleepless one. I'd sat in my office, drinking wine and contemplating the mirror before me. Its twin was hanging over Elena Straltaira. She was awake, staring up at herself, a thin rectangle of moonlight shining on her face. Though her jaw was swollen, her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was filmed with dried sweat and smeared blood, she shown like an angel to me in her lunar aura.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?"

She asked herself. I'd been asking myself the same thing. Father had come by again. He'd rapped on my door and pleaded gently for me to let him in, and once again, I didn't answer. I'd just sat there, testing my reattached tongue against the back of my teeth, watching the mirror. I wasn't looking at Elena anymore, but staring through her visage to see my reflection. I'd always been honest with myself.

"You don't love him anymore." I whispered to my reflection. With all the dispassion of a mortician, I dissected my relationship with my father. Not once had I given an inch to him. I learned from him, adored him as a mentor and a man, and took his ill-begotten son into my womb, but he'd been right about me all those years ago: power was my true love, and he had no more to give me. I heard him shuffle away, and I detested him for it. He was just so...

weak.

"Not like you." I whispered, touching Elena's face on the glass, "Even as I steal everything from you, I can take nothing." I planted a kiss on the glass, leaving a print on her face, "But when you're inside me, I give you everything, and I give it all so

willingly.

" My voice was so hushed it was barely audible, "It terrifies me. It thrills me. And I know you feel it too, Elena." I slid my hand between my legs, leaned back in the chair, and watched her until the sun rose.

"...the list reads thusly: assassination of diplomats, slaughter of civilians, and scorched-earth destructions of settlements." The Lowland diplomat, Fran Wentz, read aloud before the Noble Court. "Good King Dreus has recognized Alkandra, and indeed, Alkandra's claim to the Midlands-"

"The

entire

Midlands, my lord?" I asked tiredly. It was too early in the morning for this shit.

"The Great Forest and the Tundra, yes." The speckled man looked up from his scroll, "The Highland kingdom cannot claim vassalage over territory it cannot tax."

"And has the self-proclaimed 'Dark Queen' levied taxes on her citizens?" Lord Ternias broached.

"What the good Queen Alkandi does within her borders is not my concern." Ambassador Wentz retorted.

"But do her own citizens even recognize themselves as

her

citizens?" Ternias pressed. It was good to have him on my side. When it came to international statecraft, all civil strife was put on hold for the good of the kingdom.

"It is our understanding that Queen Alkandi is beloved by her citizens." Ambassador Wentz replied.

"And I have it on good authority that the council of the Ten has rejected Queen Alkandi's claim outright." Ternias said.

"And what authority is that, Lord Ternias?" I asked with a raised brow.

"Good authority." Ternias smirked back.

"Since I cannot corroborate your story, I cannot consider it at this time." Ambassador Wentz said sharply, "My concern as of now -the

King's

concern as of now-, is the terroristic warfare being waged upon a sovereign state. News that the esteemed Prestira Rasloraca was murdered in cold blood-"

"We deny any part of that." I interrupted curtly, "My sources claim that dawn-elves carried out the assassination at the behest of the nymphs."

"Is that so?" Ambassador Wentz said wryly.

"If you have evidence to the contrary, please Ambassador, share it with us so that we may revise our investigation."

"Investigation!" Ambassador Wentz barked, "Queen Tiadoa, my king will not lend credence to an investigation conducted by the accused."

"And why has the good King Dreus decided to take the word of a rebellious territory over that of an honored and longstanding partner?" I asked.

"The Lowlands formally recognizes the Alkandran nation as-"

"But we do not, Ambassador." I said coolly, "And even so, such recognition does not give reason for this flagrant disregard for our official statements. Have we been anything but honest with the Lowlands?"

"Do you deny that the Protaki compound at the Bend and the Terdini village at the Gorge have been levelled?" Ambassador Wentz asked.

"It's my understanding that the Protaki and the Terdini have left their abodes and burned the steadings themselves."

"Indeed." Ambassador Wentz gave me a frank look, "And do you deny attacking the tribes of the Pines and targeting noncombatants?"

"I do not deny quelling rebellious sects in my kingdom's territory. When a province rebels, there are no such things as noncombatants."

"That's your policy?"

"It has always been." I inclined my head, "As it is with your nation, Ambassador. Now, you've raised three concerns before this noblest of courts, and we've addressed all three to the best of our ability. Is there more you wish to discuss, or shall we adjourn?"

"There is one more thing, Your Highness." The ambassador cleared his throat, "Two days ago, a Sea Serpent man-o-war was intercepted on route to the Ardeni docks. All souls on board were women who claimed to have been captured for slavery by the pirates. They claimed that Queen Alkandi rescued them from the infamous pirate captain, Timothy Two-Shot."

"And we formally thank the despot Yavara Alkandi for rescuing the captives." I said with a wave of my hand.

Ambassador Wentz twisted his lips. "One of the women claimed that Prestira Rasloraca had been a captive aboard the ship."

"Then I believe you should look for her killer amongst the Sea Serpents." Ternias interjected.

"Indeed, my lord." Ambassador Wentz replied, "And when we searched Timothy Two-Shot's manifest, we found a journal detailing transactions between the Bank of Bentius and himself."

"Our bank notes are legal tender all over Tenvalia, Ambassador." I answered.

Ambassador Wentz cleared his throat once more. "We also found detailed notes pertaining to a meeting with you, Your Highness."

"Me?" I said with an amused smile, "I wonder who would benefit the most from the discovery of these...

notes.

These are forgeries created by our enemy."

"We also found a witness in the cargo hold." Ambassador Wentz said, "One Big Bill, the first mate of Timothy Two-Shot. Under interrogation, he confessed that Timothy Two-Shot had direct business dealings with the first diplomat of Bentius, now monarch of the Highlands, Queen Leveria Tiadoa."

There was a murmur around the court. I silenced it with a slight elevation of my hand.

"And now you're taking the word of a pirate over mine?" I sighed, "Ambassador, misinformation is a weapon of war."

"A potent one indeed, Your Highness." Ambassador Wentz wrapped his knuckles on his dais, "Given the exorbitant amount of

misinformation

levied against you, I've been instructed by my factor in Ardeni to freeze silver exports coming into the Highlands."

The murmurs around the court turned to low grumbles, the eyes of the nobles looking to each other, then to me. This... this was unexpected. I cleared my throat. "You are sanctioning the Highlands?"

Ambassador Wentz shuffled his papers. "Until we have a clear picture of what's going on here, Your Highness, we can do nothing but assume and prepare for the worst. Prestira Rasloraca was not only Alkandra's ambassador to the Lowlands, but a beloved citizen and personal friend of the king. Your blatant disregard for diplomacy is... well, it's wholly disappointing." He narrowed his eyes at me, "The Highlands used to have a stateswoman who was quite fond of the elegance of statecraft."

"What can we do to regain the trust of our friends in Ardeni?" Ternias said, looking disgustedly at me as he addressed the diplomat.

"Diplomacy, my lord." Wentz said, standing up, "My king will not consider lifting sanctions until the Highlands show a concerted effort to find peace. The streets of Ardeni Dreus are filled with the criers of Alkandra sympathizers, and every day they bring fresh news of Highland atrocities to our citizens. If armies clash, I fear we might face a domestic crisis. Then, who knows what steps we'll have to take." Wentz turned on his heel, and addressed the court, "War is a failure, ladies and gentlemen of the court, not an opportunity." Then he left.

The shuffle of chairs and the grumble of discontent sounded from the nobles as they made their way out of the court. Lord Ternias rested on his dais, drumming his fingers as he watched me. Behind him, Lord Xantian was furiously rifling through a stack of papers, a host of stewards snatching letters from him and sprinting out the door. The Highland silver mines had run out generations ago, and Xantian's family had made their fortune acting as intermediaries between the Lowlands and the dwarves of the Bearded Peaks. He had been a staunch ally of the throne ever since I'd promised him access to Tundra mines, but his allegiance was only as strong as his checkbook.

I turned to Eric. "Darling, make sure to invite Lord Xantian to dinner tomorrow. See if you can smooth things over with him. Tell him... tell him the crown is open to subsidizing his losses."

"It's his contracts he's worried about." Eric replied, "If he defaults, the dwarves will look elsewhere."

"Thank you for your insight." I smiled, patting Eric's hand, "Now please, if you don't mind..." I gestured toward Lord Xantian, and my loyal dog of a husband went trotting away. I turned to Ternias, who was waiting expectantly at his dais. I got up, opened the door behind my throne, and gestured for him to follow.

"

The Sea Serpents?!

" He hissed when we were alone, "I knew you liked to get your fingers dirty, but I didn't think you'd go

that

low!"

"They're contractors, not employees."

"They're pirates!" Ternias growled, "And Timothy Two-Shot was persona non grata in the Lowlands for over a decade! What were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking that if I killed my bitch of a sister before she got to the Pines, then I wouldn't have to deal with this shit!" I snarled at him, gesturing to the door that led to the Noble Court, "Since I couldn't rightly send a Highland frigate into Lowland seas to kill a recognized sovereign, I got a little creative!"

"Oh, Good Mother!" Ternias sighed, rubbing his temples, "You know this is just the beginning; King Dreus has tipped his hand."

"Yes, he has." I muttered, looking at the map of Tenvalia. The Bearded Peaks backboned the continent along the western seaboard, starting at the latitudinal line that bisected the Highland kingdom, and ending in the Tropics at the southernmost point of the landmass. Trade between the Lowlands and the dwarves always had to go through the Highlands, for though the Bearded peaks and the Lowlands nearly bordered each other at the Tropics, everything south of the Maples was impassible. The marshlands of the Willows couldn't hold a highway, the Palms were unconquerable, and the mountains bordering the Tropics themselves were too steep to pave. That meant any caravanner would have to travel along the old imperial paths in the Maples, Spruces or Pines; those parts of the Great Forest that bordered the Highlands directly. If there was one part of the Great Forest the Highland kingdom could actually claim, it was those paths. They were the lifeblood of trade, for any Lowland merchant who dared brave the Southern Sea would fall prey to the pirates that called the Tropics home. Pirates like the Sea Serpents, which was why my consorting with them was such a diplomatic catastrophe. I thought my word would carry me through any accusation made by my sister, but I'd underestimated King Albert Dreus's gall. He hadn't propped up Yavara to gain unfettered access to Alkandran silver, nor because of the beast population in his capital city; he was propping up Yavara to steal the Midlands from me without even having to draw a sword.

"That clever cocksucker." I whispered.

Ternias looked at a tapestry depicting the crest of each noble house. "It's silver now." He said, pointing at Xantian's crest, "Cotton next?" He pointed to the Feltian crest, "Maybe diamonds?" He pointed to Feractian's symbol, "Or will it be cattle?" He pointed to Huntiata's crest, "Or maybe... maybe even whale oil." He rested his finger on the Tiadoa crest, and looked to me. "Your Highness, if we do not crush this rebellion soon, Dreus will think us weak enough to pick apart. He will cut our economic lines one by one until we make peace with the Dark Queen. Do I need to say that that would be the end of your reign?"

"No. I'm very aware." I growled, drawing my eyes across the map, "He was going to do this no matter what, Ternias, he just needed an excuse."

"You didn't need to gift him one."

"Risks have to be taken!" I snapped, "Are there balls in that sack between your legs, or do you use it as a purse?!"

Ternias stared implacably back at me, the corner of his mouth curling in a sneer. "Don't concern yourself with the wealth between my legs, Your Highness. The Tiadoa family jewels take up so much of your attention already."

Of course, he knew. But it wasn't what he knew, but what he could prove. "Careful,

Lucas

." I smiled sweetly at him, "Misinformation is a dangerous weapon."

"The most dangerous,

Leveria

." Ternias smiled back.

I glanced at the map, taking one breath, then another. I let them both out through my nose, and felt the anxiety ebb from me. "Ok. Well, I'm left with only one option then."

"What?"

"I recognize Yavara's sovereignty."

"You can't!" Ternias yelled, shocked.

"Why not?" I smiled over my shoulder.

"The Noble Court-"

"The Noble court will fall in line, because you will make sure that they do, Lord Ternias." I said softly, "Am I not your queen? Have I not given you an order?"

"I can't do the impossible."

I looked at the tapestry of crests. "King Dreus is betting that our greed will divide us. It is a safe bet. But he's also betting that I won't risk evoking the ire of the Noble Court, and that is where he erred. He thought he put me in an impossible quagmire; unable to capitulate to his ultimatum, and so unable to contest the increasing tariffs he imposes. Well, I'll call his bet, and see his bluff. Our emissary will nail our proclamation of sovereign recognition to his court's door, and we'll see if his merchant governors are willing to keep playing along with him then."

"It's not just the Noble Court." Ternias said, "What will we tell the people?! That you recognize your sister as the rightful ruler of the Midlands? Do you want a real rebellion, Your Highness?"

"The people?" I giggled at Ternias, and pinched his cheek. "My lord, the people will love me for this."

"What?"

"In one breath, I'll recognize the kingdom of Alkandra." I rolled my eyes to him, "And in the next, I will declare war on it."

Ternias opened his mouth, then closed it. He nodded. "But then we run the risk of Dreus doubling-down on his tariffs. Instead of escalating things gradually, he might call us bad-actors, and impose all the tariffs at once."

"I have a feeling that we won't be considered the bad-actors for long." I chuckled.

Ternias looked quizzically at me. "What have you done?"

"Every fire needs a spark to start." I smiled innocently, "I just gave Yavara a box of matches."

He chewed on his lip, his calculating eyes scanning me, the map, then the tapestry of houses. "So, you've goaded her into attacking us. That's wonderful and all, but you still have one problem."

"What?"

"You can't claim to recognize Alkandra's sovereignty if you don't have an Alkandran diplomat. Wentz will call foul, wave away any attack as a desperate nation lashing out, and level his sanctions anyway." Ternias dropped his eyes on me, "Do you have an Alkandran national lying around, one that Wentz won't immediately decry as your puppet?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. Lydia Straltaira had been busy, as I expected her to be. "Why, did you

hear

something, my lord?"

He smiled. "Just rumors, I'm sure."

BROCK

Zander and I stopped in the shadow of Castle Alkandra. The great hall had already been rebuilt, and the ramparts and towers were close to being done. Massive trolls imported from Ardeni Dreus lifted tons of stone on their backs and stacked the walls high in a matter of hours, and goblin masons quickly chiseled to rockwork into flush corners. The trolls that weren't working in the quarry were working in the mines, unloading mountains of raw silver onto Lowland cargo vessels. Titus stood in his black robe, shouting directions behind his mask. Zander walked over to him, but I had no compunction to follow.

"I heard there was bad news." Trenok said, stepping up to me and wiping his brow. He had a chisel in one hand, and stone dust all over his chest.

"You heard correctly." I grunted. He looked at me for a bit, his muscles tensing slightly. I raised an eyebrow and nonchalantly pivoted my heel into the dirt. Trenok acknowledged my offensive stance and gave me a grin, then offered his hand. I shook it, trying to hide my relief. "Where's Jefrok?" I asked.

"Digging the moat; why do you need him?"

"We're going to the Maples, and we don't have time to marshal the entire brigade and march for three days, so I'm just taking ten of my best to go with me through a portal."

"That's it? Didn't Zander say he could fit around seventy before it collapsed?"

"I guess we're getting help." I shrugged.

Trenok eyed me. "What's the play?"

"The tribe leaders meet with the centaurs in this spot below the Spearhead Mountains. Zander says he knows how to get them all together. After that, it's up to us to convince them."

"That's... one hell of a longshot."

"Yeah, well." I grunted, cracking my neck, "That's where we're at."

After giving my people a terse greeting, me and my ten best went to where Zander's portal was concealed. The man himself was waiting there with over two-score vampires at his back.

"I convinced Titus to lend you coin and some of his children." Zander said, "You'll need them for what you're about to do."

"And what's that?" I asked.

"There are fifty-three minor clan leaders in the Maples," Zander said, "and we don't have the time to convince them."

"Where is the honor in that?!" I growled, "Assassination is a tool of weak leaders! The clans would never follow me!"

"They will." Zander said coldly, "When they see your symbol carved into their chieftain's chests, they'll know their brand of strength has expired. We don't have time to earn respect anymore; we'll take fear instead."

"Tyrants are rewarded as they have ruled. You're condemning me to a short life of looking over my shoulder."

Zander stepped toward me, "Are you saying 'no' to me, Brock?" He levelled his staff. "Because if you don't have the stomach for it, I will throw Yavara's support behind one of the Ten, and add your clan as a prize."

"Watch it, old man."

"Test me, orc."

I stared down at the wizard, and saw no bluff in his eyes. With Prestira gone, everyone but Yavara was rapidly becoming expendable to him. I gave him a cold look back, and walked through the portal.

ELENA

I wasn't on my board anymore. I wasn't even in my cell. Sir Piss and Shit had cut the binds on my wrists, and carried me from the catacombs, to the tower. I tried to summon the will to fight him, but my limbs were locked from two days of bondage, and my muscles were wasted with spent adrenaline and fatigue. So I just insulted his children all the way up. My new cell wasn't even a cell; it was the guest room, reserved for Castle Thorum's most distinguished visitors. I was gently place into a steaming tub, and I couldn't help it; I purred like an indulgent kitten, and melted into the hot water. I didn't even notice Sir Piss and Shit cuff my wrists to the tub's sides, nor did I care. I only noticed the feeling of my body turning to butter beneath my flesh. I didn't even notice when

she

came in.