

# The Competition

Princess Wars: The Final Chapter

### J. D. Rogers

### ***

### SMASHWORDS EDITION

### Text copyright © 2017 by J. D. Rogers

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for quotations in printed reviews, without the written permission of the author.

All characters are fictional. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

### COVER PHOTOS: courtesy of Pixabay.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

### Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

BOOKS BY JD ROGERS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

#  Chapter 1

They came from a land we didn't know existed. A land somewhere on the other side of the Western Sea. They arrived on longboats. The prows of their boats were carved to look like women, women with large breasts that defied gravity. The sails on their boats were blood red.

The men were short and stocky with shoulder length hair and thick beards. Their vests were made out of animal fur. Their breeches were leather. Fur leggings covered their legs from their knees to their red leather shoes. Their swords were short and thick, much like the men that carried them. Each man had two swords and wore them on his back, the hilts of each blade sticking up over his shoulders. They called themselves the Voss.

They arrived in Dunre's capital city of Glover just a few days after I did. It was during the fifth year of my reign as First Consummate of Landish, Queen of Adah, Queen of Vassa, and Queen of Dunre. I was twenty-five years old and my world was at peace.

Both of my big sisters were in Glover when I arrived. Salisha, who served as Regent of Dunre, and Iderra, who lived up river and served as Regent of Vassa. It was a good thing Iderra was there because the Voss didn't speak the Common Tongue, not to mention any of the other four languages that I spoke. Iderra was the smartest person I knew. It took her less than two days to learn the Voss language.

"So what do they want?" I asked her.

We were in the dining room of my private suite, which was located on the third floor of my castle in Glover. A white stone castle that overlooked a horseshoe shaped bay on the Western Sea. A bay that was currently full of Voss longboats. Two dozen Voss longboats. I was there. Iderra was there. Salisha was there. My eighteen year old aunt, Martika, was there. Originally, she died before I was born, but a trip back in time changed that. Briel, another girl from the past, was also there.

"They want you," Iderra said.

"Why?"

"Their king has decided it's time to take a wife. He ordered his men to scour the four corners of the world and bring back any and all queens that they can find so they can compete for the honor of marrying the King of the Voss."

"You're joking?" Martika said.

"The Voss don't impress me as the kind of people that joke," Briel said.

"Me either," Salisha said.

I looked at Iderra. "Did you inform them I'm not interested in getting married?"

Iderra nodded. "I informed them that the women of our family take consorts not husbands."

"And?" Salisha said.

"They said if you don't go with them willingly, they will take you by force."

"Twenty-four longboats. One hundred men per boat. That's twenty-four hundred men," Briel said. "Almost as big as Dunre's entire army."

The Army of Dunre consisted of three thousand men. Unfortunately, those three thousand men were scattered around the country. There were less then one thousand in and around the city of Glover.

"We could fight them," Salisha said. "But a lot of people will die."

"And they could end up taking you anyway," Iderra said.

"What you could do," Martika said. "Is go with them then throw the competition. Let another queen win it."

"What if they can't find any other queens?" Briel said. "What if Lila is the only queen that shows up? She could get stuck there."

"Plus, we don't know what kind of competition it is," Iderra said. "Nor do we know what happens to the losers."

"I'd prefer to avoid war, but I need more details on this competition." I looked at Iderra. "Tell them that I can't go with them until I've learned their language. Then inform them that it'll take a couple of weeks for you to teach it to me. If nothing else that will buy us some time."

Iderra nodded. "While you're studying their language, I'll try to get a few more details on this competition."

"I'll call in our troops from the outlying districts," Salisha said. "In case we have to fight."

Briel looked at me. "You might want to use your powers to contact our troops in Landish and Vassa. Maybe send some of them down river, just in case."

"The armies of Landish and Vassa are pretty small. Around five hundred each. And most of those are tied up patrolling the cities and roads. I'd rather not involve them."

"We've got plenty of troops in Adah," Martika said. "Maybe we should bring some over."

"It takes a month to circumnavigate the continent," Salisha said. "They'd arrive too late."

A large desert divided our continent in half, which prevented our troops back in Adah from traveling here on horseback. If we went to war, it would be with the troops we had here in Dunre. If I wanted to avoid war, I would have to go with the Voss.

***

By dinner time, Iderra had more information on this competition. Once again, the five of us were sitting at the dining table in my private suite.

"You have exactly two weeks to learn their tongue," Iderra said. "No more."

"Two weeks is plenty," I said. "Did you get more details on this competition?"

"Their king gave them no details on the competition."

"How many queens do they expect to compete?" Briel asked.

"And what happens to the losers?" Martika said.

"They said every queen in the world will be there. At least those that do not have husbands."

"How many is that?" I asked.

"They didn't give me a specific number but they did name half a dozen countries. I've never heard of any of those countries, so they could be lying."

"Sounds like they come from a continent and not just an island," Briel said. "A continent as big as ours."

"How long did it take them to reach us?" Salisha said. "How long were they at sea?"

"Six months."

"Their continent must be on the other side of the planet," I said.

"You still haven't answered my question," Martika said to Iderra. "What happens to the women that lose this competition?"

"Nothing."

I looked at Iderra. "Is that the word they used?"

"Their exact words were, 'the losers will return to their kingdoms bereft, knowing that they will never get to share their life with the world's most perfect man.'"

Every woman at the table laughed, including myself.

"You have so got to go," Martika said. "Even if it's just to put this clown in his place."

"Six months to their homeland, six months back," Briel said. "She'd be gone for over a year."

"If I sailed on one of their longboats, I'd be gone for over a year. If I take one of Idy's corsairs, I can cut my travel time in half."

Salisha looked at me. "It sounds like you're thinking of going."

"It's the best way to avoid war," I said. "It's the only way to avoid war."

"Now that we know these people exist," Iderra said. "That this continent exists, someone needs to explore it. With all of her powers, Lila is best equipped to do that."

By powers, she was referring to the fact that I was both a seer and a time walker. I also possessed the ability to move small objects with my mind. By small, I mean anything that I could physically lift.

"Iderra's right," I said. "Now that we know this continent exists, we need to explore it. And my powers do give me advantages normal people don't have."

"I guess that means you're going to go with them," Salisha said.

"I'm taking my own ship, but yes. I'm going with them."

"Can I come?" Martika asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know how dangerous this trip is going to be. The fewer people I have to look after the easier it will be."

"You got to take one of us with you," Martika said. "We might come in handy. Remember when you lost your memory back in Gibney. If Briel and I hadn't been there you might have never gotten it back."

I wasn't sure I'd go that far, but she was right. It might not hurt to take one of them with me.

"Point taken," I said. "I'll take one of you with me. But just one."

"So which one of us is going with you?" Briel asked.

"I haven't decided."

"You'll keep in touch with the rest us?" Iderra said.

"As far as my powers will allow."

My seer powers gave me visions. When someone wanted to harm or kill me I would have a vision warning me. They also allowed me to create and project images. I could also contact anyone I wanted, as long as I knew what they looked like and could picture them in my mind.

Whether I could contact someone when I was on the other side of the planet remained to be seen. Most seers were limited in how far they could project images. Those limits ran anywhere from a couple of miles to an entire continent, which was my current limit.

I used my seer powers frequently. Just like I practiced moving small objects with my mind. My ability to walk through time I had used just once. When Briel, Martika, and I got stranded two thousand years in the future. Time walking was a dangerous power. Unforeseen consequences could occur when you played around with the future or the past. Especially the past.

I had an aunt that was a time walker. When she was young, she got mad at one of her sisters and used her power to travel back in time and eliminate that sister from existence. She had spent the rest of her life regretting that rash action, an action she had never been able to undo.

"Here's a thought," Briel said. "What happens if you fall in love with the King of the Voss?"

Salisha, Iderra, Martika, and I looked at each other and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Briel said.

"We're Harans," Martika said. "We don't fall in love with men."

"They fall in love with us," Salisha added.

"You're more likely to fall in love with a man than we are," Iderra said.

Since Briel preferred women to men, that meant it just wasn't going to happen. Of course that didn't stop us from having sex with men. I had taken my first consort at eighteen and had taken several more since then. I had even been married briefly. If you wanted to call being the thirteenth woman tossed into the high sage's harem a marriage. Since it allowed me to ascend to the Landish throne, I counted it as a marriage.

"I'm not going to fall in love with the King of the Voss," I said. "I may decide to ride him, or let him ride me, but I'm not going to fall in love with him."

"Point taken," Briel said. "But what if he falls in love with you?"

"Sounds to me like he's already in love," Iderra said.

Martika laughed. "Yeah. With himself."

***

The next day, I met the Voss commander in my throne room. I was sitting on my throne wearing black leather riding boots, black leather knee breeches, and a long sleeved purple silk shirt with pearl buttons. The crown of Dunre, a gold headband with a setting sun rested on my head. In the middle of the setting sun was a large purple gem. My black hair, which reached to the middle of my back was tied in a ponytail. A cutlass in a silver scabbard rested on my left hip.

The Voss commander dressed just like his men, a gray fur vest that left his arms bare, dirty brown leather knee breeches, gray fur leggings that covered his calves and shins, and bright red shoes. The handles of the two short swords he carried stuck up over his shoulders. His brown hair was shoulder length and looked like it had never been brushed or combed. His thick brown beard didn't look any better.

"I'll accompany you to the land of the Voss," I said, speaking his language. People said I had a good ear for languages, but I didn't believe it. After all, it had taken me two weeks to learn what Iderra had mastered in two days. "But I don't wish to be at sea for six months."

"It is a six month journey," the commander said.

"It's a six month journey on a Voss longboat. I can make the journey much quicker if I take one of my own ships."

The Voss commander smiled. "Voss longboats are the fastest ships afloat. No one can row faster or longer than a Voss sailor."

We had longboats in this part of the world, albeit smaller than the Voss longboats. They were faster than our triremes, mostly because they were smaller than the triremes, having just one deck of oars instead of three. They were slower than the caravels, which relied solely on wind power, and way slower than the corsairs invented by Iderra.

Above the water, Iderra's corsairs looked very much like the caravels, three decks, three masts, nine square rigged sails. Below the waterline they were very different. A caravel had a U-shaped bottom while Iderra's corsairs were V-shaped, plus, they contained a winged keel the pushed water away from the hull, creating less friction and allowing the ship to cut through the water like a fish. I don't care how strong the Voss were. There was no way their longboats could keep up with one of Idy's corsairs.

"I'd like one of your sailors to accompany me on my ship, not just to keep us from getting lost, but to give me someone to converse with. The Voss language is new to me and I should like to practice it during my journey."

The commander bowed. "I will accompany you myself."

"You are an experienced sailor?"

"I am."

"Then your presence will be most welcome."

The commander smiled.

"Did something I say amuse you, Commander?"

"The thought that one of your ships could out run a Voss longboat, Your Majesty."

"Perhaps we should make a small wager."

"How much, Your Majesty?"

"How much can you afford to lose?"

"One hundred gold pieces?"

I smiled. "One hundred gold pieces it is."

It wasn't really a fair wager. The Voss commander knew nothing about my sister or how smart she was, let alone the scientific principles she used to design her ship. Even if his men were three times as strong as the men on this continent, which I doubted, they were still no match for Iderra's brain. That was when I decided who would accompany me on this journey. Who better to explore an uncharted world than Iderra. She would noticed things I didn't, mostly because her brain worked different from mine, or anyone else's for that matter.

***

"Why Idy?" Martika asked when I told everyone who would accompany me on this journey. She slumped back in her chair, folded her arms across her chest, and thrust her lower lip out in pout, making no attempt to hide her disappointment.

"Iderra thinks differently from you or I, she'll notice things about this world, these people, that I'll miss."

"Who's going to serve as Regent of Vassa?" Briel asked.

I looked at Martika. "Marty's eighteen now. I think it's time she got a shot at running a country."

Martika sat up straight. "I'm going to get my own country?"

"I think it's time."

Just to be safe, I would send Briel with her, to serve as chancellor. They had spent the last two years here in Dunre, helping Salisha. But Salisha no longer needed their help. She was over the depression she had been in when I found her locked in a dungeon. She had also learned to accept the fact that she was still beautiful, despite the two wicked scars on her face. Not only did she look like our mother, she was beginning to act like her, which was a good thing. In our homeland of Adah, our mother had served as queen for thirty years, earning the nickname Bella the Beloved.

Martika jumped up on the table and began to dance, working her hips, shaking her long black hair, while singing off key. "I got my own country. I got my own country."

The rest of us sat back and laughed. Enjoying these last few hours together. Tomorrow, Iderra and I would set sail. To the other side of the world.

# Chapter 2

The next morning, Iderra and I set sail on the Edgerton Hooks, a ship named after the man that brought me to this side of the continent. The sailors that manned the Edgerton Hooks were all from Vassa. The ship's captain was Commodore Elrod Hubbard, an old friend and faithful companion.

Commodore Hubbard was tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He wore his shoulder length white hair in a ponytail, had a square jaw, and a chin that jutted out. His uniform consisted of black shoes, red knee socks, white cotton knee breeches, a long sleeved white shirt with pearl buttons, and a red cotton jacket with four gold stripes on the cuffs and a gold braid on the left shoulder. Like me, he wore a cutlass on his left hip.

The ship had a crew of twenty-five men, counting Commodore Hubbard. In addition, there were eighteen guards, six from Vassa, six from Dunre, and six from Adah. Bokham Mora, Captain of the Queen's Guard was there. My other captain, Vomeir Nardis, wasn't. Vomeir resigned his commission in the Adan Army and moved to Sorea where he lived with my cousin, Calista, who looked and sounded just like me. They met when she had been forced to pose as me, but that's another story.

Usually, when we left Glover, we turned south, and eventually east, skirting the continent's coastline. This time, we didn't turn south. This time, we headed west, into the open sea.

It was spring, so a brisk wind was blowing. Since the wind was out of the west, we had to set our sails to tack into the wind. That meant we weren't going at full speed. Even so, it wasn't long before we began to pull ahead of the two dozen Voss longboats that flanked us.

Iderra and I were standing on the rear deck, next to Commodore Hubbard, who was steering the ship. The Voss commander, who identified himself as Bog, was standing next to me, watching his longboats fall behind. First one length, then two, then three. And we were barely one hour into our journey.

I looked at Bog and switched to the tongue of the Voss. "Your men row well, Commander. I didn't think they would keep up with us this long."

"Your ship is fast," Bog said. "As long as the wind blows."

"The wind always blows," Iderra said. "To a greater or lesser extent."

"We will see how fast your ship moves when the wind blows to a lesser extent."

"Fast enough to beat those fat boys rowing your ships," Iderra said.

Bog glared at Iderra, apparently he didn't like his men being referred to as fat boys. For her part, Iderra wasn't trying to be mean. The Voss men were short and stocky. Bog wasn't any taller than me and I wasn't a tall girl by any means. As smart as she was, Iderra just didn't understand social niceties. She always said what she thought, with no internal editing. Our mother tried to change that habit but failed. Iderra's mind just didn't work like other people's minds.

"How long do you think it will take this ship to reach the Vossland?" Bog said.

"Three months," Iderra said. "Give or take a week."

"Assuming the winds remain fair."

"If the winds remain fair we can probably do it in less than three months. If we don't get good wind, it may take four. But no longer."

"You are confident in this ship's ability."

"That's because I designed it."

"Tell me about your king," I said.

"What do you want to know?"

"How old is he?"

"He is of age."

"I take that to mean he's young and recently ascended to the throne."

"If he were old, he would not be in search of a queen. He would already have one."

"How does one ascend to the throne of the Voss?" Iderra asked.

"One must be a son of the previous king. Then he must prove himself worthy of the throne."

I looked at Bog. "How does he prove himself worthy?"

"The same way his queen proves herself worthy."

"By winning a competition?"

"Yes."

"Who does he compete against?"

"All the previous kings."

"So he has to equal or better their records."

"Exactly."

"What if he fails?"

"He is Voss. He does not fail."

"Ask a stupid question," Iderra said in the Common Tongue.

I smiled at Iderra and turned to Bog. "Tell me about this competition I'm suppose to compete in."

"What do you want to know?"

"How many people will be in the competition?"

"At least seven. Maybe more if the ships we sent to the north, south, and west find any queens in want of a husband."

"How many countries does your continent have?" Iderra asked.

"Twelve."

"Half of them are ruled by queens?"

"At the moment."

"And they're all single."

"At the moment."

"I'm guessing your country is the biggest and strongest," I said.

"Not the biggest, but certainly the strongest."

"Which is why all the queens desire an alliance with the King of the Voss?"

"As do you," Bog said. "Since you are making this journey."

I looked at Bog. "I'm making this journey to avoid war, not because I desire an alliance with the Voss."

"You are afraid of war?" Bog asked.

"People die in war. Innocent people. I see no reason to make innocent people suffer when it can be avoided."

"Among the Voss, people that fear war are considered weak."

"People that lust for war are fools."

Bog glared at me. "You consider our king a fool?"

"If your king lusts for war, then yes, he is a fool." Bog opened his mouth to respond, but I held up a hand, silencing him. "I had a sister who lusted for war. She's now dead. As are her dreams of conquest."

"You consider your sister a fool?"

"Yes. She was a fool. Anyone that dreams of conquest is a fool."

"With an attitude like that, you will never become Queen of the Voss."

"I'm not making this trip to become Queen of the Voss, I'm making this trip to avoid war."

"Those who are afraid of war invite war," Bog said.

I drew my cutlass and pressed the tip of the blade against Bog's chest. "Do not confuse my desire to avoid war with an inability to fight."

Bog smiled. "You wish to test your skill against mine?"

"I wish to see if the Voss are more than just a big wind."

Bog drew both of his short swords and stepped back. He bowed. I bowed. Then he went on the offensive. Attacking me with both swords. Using two swords instead of one allowed him to be very aggressive, no surprise there. It was pretty clear the Voss were an aggressive people.

I remained on the defensive, countering Bog's aggressive attack. Fortunately, I spent my whole life training against opponents that were stronger and more aggressive than me. When I fought, my goal was always the same, let them go on the offensive, let them tire themselves out. When they tired, I would go on the offensive, I would take the fight to them. I would force them to maintain a pace they could no longer maintain.

I wasn't as strong as Bog, but I was just as quick, probably quicker. Bog was attacking me as fast as he could. I was moving just fast enough to counter his attack, which was about three quarter speed.

The sailors and soldiers on board were watching our fight. No surprise there. Like me, they wanted to see the Voss fighting style, wanted to see how good the Voss were with a sword. Bog was good, but he wasn't the best I'd ever faced. That belonged to my late sister, Bedonna, who was bigger, stronger, and faster than anyone I ever faced. If it hadn't been for my powers, I never would have defeated her when we fought for our mother's throne.

I didn't need to use my powers to defeat Bog. All I had to do was fend off his attack and wait for his arms to grow heavy. To make sure that didn't happen to me, I kept switching my cutlass from one hand to the other. I had another advantage. My cutlass was longer than Bog's short swords, which made it hard for him to get close enough to cut me.

The fight went on for quite awhile, long enough for me to work up a sweat. Long enough for Bog to start breathing through his mouth. Eventually, Bog paused and lowered his swords. He started to say something, but before he could get one word out of his mouth, I went on the offensive. Instead of moving at three-quarter speed, I went all out, attacking Bog as fast as I could, forcing him to retreat, forcing him to fight at a speed he wasn't used to.

"Saw that coming," one of my guards chuckled in the Common Tongue.

I practiced with my guards almost every day, for five years, so they knew my fighting style. Bog didn't. I caught him off-guard when I went on the offensive, and when I picked up the pace of the fight.

"You fight well," I said, as I pressed the attack. "But like most men, you haven't learned how to pace yourself. It's your gender's biggest weakness. In bed and out."

I stepped back, lowered my cutlass, and bowed. Bog lowered his swords and returned my bow. "Perhaps one of the other queens will give you a better fight."

"Will the competition involve sword fighting?"

"It will involve fighting," was all Bog said.

***

We never saw the Voss fleet again. Exactly three months after we set sail, we encountered land.

A rocky coast with rolling green hills.

"Is this the Vossland?" I asked Bog.

We were standing on the ship's rear deck, next to Commodore Hubbard, who was manning the helm.

"This is not the Vossland," Bog said. "But it is my continent."

"Where's the Vossland from here?"

"We must sail north."

"What's this country called?"

"It is called Edgewater."

"Is it a big country?" Iderra asked. She was standing on Bog's right. I was standing on his left.

"No."

"Is it an important country?" I asked.

"Not really. It is an insignificant country. But it does have a young queen. She will be competing for the right to marry the King of the Voss. If she wins, her country will become more important."

"I'd like to meet her," I said. "Assuming she's not adverse to receiving visitors."

"Her country is not known for its hostility," Bog said.

"We could use a map of the continent," Commodore Hubbard said, speaking to me in the Common Tongue.

"Good idea," I said in the Common Tongue. I looked at Bog and switched to the tongue of the Voss. "Commodore Hubbard would like a map of your continent. So we can find our way around."

"A couple hours north of here lies the city of Godel. I'm sure you can find a mapmaker there."

"Godel is part of Edgewater?"

"It is Edgewater's capital."

"Is the tongue of the Voss well known on this continent?" Iderra asked.

"You will have no trouble communicating if you use the tongue of the Voss."

"Good to know," I said.

Commodore Hubbard turned the ship and we headed north, skirting the continent's rocky coast. Eventually, we came to a city. It sat on the end of a small peninsula. The buildings were made out of gray stone. They had flat roofs and square windows. There was no glass in the windows, just heavy wooden shutters that could be opened and closed. The largest building was three stories high. Obviously the queen's palace since the roof contained ramparts and guards with longbows. A high stone wall protected the city on four sides. The wall contained ramparts with more guards.

The city's gates were open. Dirt roads led from the city down to the water. There were no docks extending out into the water, but there were several longboats anchored to the rocky shore. They were similar to the Voss longboats except the prows were carved to look like gulls in flight rather than large breasted women.

"I will take my leave of you here," Bog said.

"You're going to head to the Vossland on horseback?"

"There are people I wish to visit. They live between here and our capital of Funderburk. Once you have acquired a map, you can find your own way to the Vossland."

"When is the competition?" Iderra asked.

"When all of our ships have returned. I cannot tell you when that will be."

"Probably not for another three months," Iderra said. "Assuming all those longboats we left behind don't sink in a storm."

"Speaking of which," Bog said, turning to me. "I believe I owe you one hundred gold pieces."

He tossed me a bag of gold. I tossed it back to him. "Keep it. Consider it payment for helping us reach your homeland safely. And for teaching us your tongue."

Bog bowed. "I look forward to seeing you compete for the hand of our king."

Because of our ship's winged keel, we had to drop anchor in deep water and take the ship's pinnace to shore. We kept our crew small, Bog, Iderra, myself, and Bokham, my most trusted guard.

Everyone else remained on ship, until we got a lay of the land and found out if the natives were friendly.

When we reached shore, Bog took his leave of us and headed off to purchase a horse. We headed up the hill, toward the queen's palace. I wanted to introduce myself. I also wanted to ask her about the Voss and the competition.

The city's streets were dirt. The people on the streets wore clothes made from wool and leather, brown leather boots and breeches, long sleeved wool shirts topped by brown leather jerkins. If there were any rich people in the city they didn't dress differently from everybody else. I got the impression that Edgewater was a poor country.

The palace gates were open, but guarded. The guards wore black riding boots, black leather breeches, and long sleeved yellow wool shirts. Brass breastplates covered their chests. A gull in flight graced the front of their breastplates. Their brass helmets contained a brim that circled around the helmet. They carried pikes with brass tips. They pointed them at us and said something in a language I didn't understand.

"I am Lila Marie Haran," I said in the tongue of the Voss. "Queen of Vassa, Queen of Dunre, Queen of Adah, and First Consummate of Landish. I wish an audience with your queen."

"I have never heard of those countries," the guard on our right said, switching to the tongue of the Voss.

"They're on another continent. It lies to the east, a six month journey by longboat. The strange looking ship you see off shore is mine."

I was wearing polished black riding boots, black leather breeches, a purple silk shirt with pearl buttons, and the crown of Dunre. My trusty cutlass hung from my left hip.

"The Voss have brought you here for the competition?"

"The Voss threatened war if I didn't come."

"I will relay your request to our queen." The guard turned and waved another soldier on over. He spoke to the soldier in his native tongue. The soldier nodded and ran toward the palace. Ten minutes later, that soldier returned and said something to the guard at the gate. "You will be escorted to the palace, but your weapons must remain here."

I unbuckled my cutlass and handed it to the guard. Bokham did the same. The guards stepped aside and we followed the soldier to the front doors of the palace. A handsome young man with short brown hair and a neatly trimmed brown beard was waiting for us. He was tall and slim. He wore the same boots and breeches as the soldier, as well as the same long sleeved yellow wool shirt. A large amber pendent hung around his neck. The amber had been cut in the shape of a gull in flight. The chain it hung from appeared to be made from brass. He wore no gold or silver. Not all that surprising. The people in the streets had been buying goods with copper coins.

"I am Thom Bale," the man said, speaking the tongue of the Voss. "Chief adviser to the Queen of Edgewater."

"Lila Marie Haran," I said. "Queen of Vassa, Dunre, and Adah, as well as First Consummate of Landish. This is my sister, the Princess Iderra Derbe Haran, and Captain Bokham of the Queen's Guard."

Thom Bale bowed. "I am told the strange looking ship anchored off our coast is yours."

"That ship is called a corsair. It was designed by my sister here."

"You are here at the request of the Voss?"

"I'm here because it was the only way to avoid war with the Voss."

"There are no Voss longboats with your ship."

"Our ship is considerably faster than a Voss longboat. It will be another three months before they reach these shores."

"How is it you speak the tongue of the Voss?"

"A Voss commander by the name of Bog guided us here. He took his leave when we reached your city."

"He taught you his tongue?"

"He did."

"What is it you want with Queen Devin?"

"I wish to ask her about this competition the Voss have told me about. And now that we know your continent exits, and you know ours exits, it would benefit both of us to establish diplomatic relations."

"The queen is in her throne room. I will take you to her."

Thom Bale turned and headed inside. Iderra, Bokham, and I followed. The castle was spacious but cold and unadorned. No tapestries or paintings hung on the stone walls. No murals decorated the ceilings or floors. The furniture was sturdy wood with no intricate carving. The throne room was like any other throne room. Large and spacious with a dais on one end and a high backed throne in the middle.

A young woman about my age sat on the throne. She was built like my sister, Iderra, tall and thin with small breasts and no hips. Her hair was long and blond. She wore it in a braid that fell well past her shoulders. She had a pretty face. A small nose, high cheekbones, and full lips. Her eyes matched the purple gem in my crown. Her gown was yellow and made from wool. It had a flared skirt that reached her ankles, long sleeves, and a high neckline. Her crown was made from brass. It consisted of a headband with a soaring gull on the front. Two guards with pikes stood on each end of the dais.

"I am Devin Sandre Edgewater," Devin said in a soft voice. She was speaking the tongue of the Voss. "Queen of Edgewater."

I stepped forward. "Lila Marie Haran. First Consummate of Landish. Queen of Vassa. Queen of Dunre. Queen of Adah. This is my sister, Princess Iderra Derbe Haran, and Captain Bokham of the Queen's Guard."

"I am told the strange looking ship anchored off our coast is yours."

"It is."

"And you live in a land that lies across the Great Sea."

"We call it the Western Sea, but yes, that's where we come from."

"And you are here to compete for the hand of the King of the Voss."

"I came because the Voss threatened war."

"That is the way of the Voss," Devin said. "They are not an easy people to deal with."

I smiled. "As I have learned."

"But they do serve a valuable purpose."

"May we ask what that is?" Iderra said.

"They offset the power of the Witch Queen. Were it not for the Voss, she would rule this entire continent."

Bog never mentioned a Witch Queen. Suddenly, I got the impression that this was going to be a very interesting trip, way more interesting than I expected.

# Chapter 3

"Tell us about the Witch Queen," Iderra said.

We were in Devin's dining hall, eating dinner. Like the rest of the castle, the room was spacious but poorly furnished. Long unadorned wooden tables and straight backed wooden chairs filled the room, with the tables put together to form a square. A brass chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, its candles lighting the room. Our dinner consisted of fish and boiled seaweed covered in a cheese sauce. A dark bitter ale went with the meal.

I sat on Devin's right, with Iderra and Bokham on my right. Thom Bale sat on Devin's left. Not only was he her chief adviser. He was also her cousin. There was nobody else in the room save for Devin's four guards and a couple of servants. The meal was served on brass plates. Eating utensils and goblets were also brass.

"The Witch Queen rules the southern half of this continent," Devin said, between bites of fish. Even though she was built like Iderra, she was a light eater, more like myself. Certainly not like Idy, who had a hollow leg which she used to store everything she wolfed down. "Small poor countries on that half of the continent pay tribute to her, just as we in Edgewater pay tribute to the King of the Voss."

I looked at Devin. "Why is she called the Witch Queen?"

"She has powers."

"What kind of powers?" I couldn't help but wonder if there were people on my continent that referred to me as the Witch Queen because I had powers.

"They say that she has been around for centuries, although she does not look it."

Shades of my father. When I met him five years ago, he didn't look any older than me. That was because he had made a deal with a higher being called the Prince of the Air. That higher being had granted him an unnaturally long life in return for his fealty.

"Does she know people call her the Witch Queen?" Iderra asked.

Devin nodded. "She gave herself that title."

"She comes from a county called Crofton," Thom said.

"What powers does she possess?" I asked.

"They say that she can control those around her merely by speaking to them."

"Sound like anyone we know?" Iderra said, switching to the Common Tongue.

She was referring to my father, who possessed the same ability. Another gift given to him by the Prince of the Air.

"I guess we know who she's made a deal with," Bokham said, whispering in the Common Tongue.

"They also say that she can appear anywhere she wants at a moment's notice," Thom said.

That was new. My father never possessed that power. He could project images like me, but that was it.

"If that's true then she must be hard to kill," I said.

"Even the Voss cannot kill her," Devin said. "And they are the most fearsome warriors on this continent."

"I'm surprised she hasn't tried to strike an alliance with the Voss," Iderra said.

"There is a rumor that she will enter the competition for the right to become his queen."

I took a bite of my fish. The cheese sauce made it quite good. Even with the cheese sauce, I didn't care for the seaweed.

"If she did make a deal with the Voss," Bokham said, "They'd rule the entire continent."

"The previous Voss kings married Voss women," Thom said. "This is the first Voss king to search for a queen outside the Vossland."

"There are rumors," Devin said. "That this is a plot to lure the Witch Queen into the Vossland so the Voss can capture her."

"How come the Voss and the Witch Queen don't like each other?" Iderra asked.

"The Voss want to dominate the entire continent," Thom said. "As does the Witch Queen. Not surprisingly, their goals place them at odds."

"And if they did pool their resources who would be the top dog?" I said. "The Witch Queen or the Voss king."

"Exactly," Devin said. She looked at me. "Tell me about your world."

"From the map you showed us of this world, it's about the same size, except a large desert divides our continent in half."

"How much of this world do you control?"

I looked at Iderra, who answered. "About thirty-eight percent of the habitable land is under Lila's control. We are at peace with all the countries that are not under her control."

"You are the most powerful leader in your world?" Thom asked.

"She is," Iderra said. "Long ago the prophets of the One God wrote about a queen that would come along and usher in an age of peace and prosperity. They referred to her as Destiny's Queen. Many in our world, myself included, believe that Lila is the woman the prophets wrote about."

"If you are that powerful why would you submit to the demands of the Voss?" Devin asked me.

"Why shed blood if it can be avoided?" I took a sip of the dark bitter ale. "And now that we know this land exists, we would be foolish not to explore it, make alliances with great leaders such as yourself."

Devin laughed. "You flatter me. I think we both know that I am not a great leader. My country is small and poor. What little wealth we have, we pay to the Voss to protect us from the Witch Queen's army."

"One of the countries I rule is called Vassa. It's small and poor, but the woman that ruled it before me was still a great leader. She was wise and compassionate and loved by those she ruled. Her country's wealth, or lack thereof, did not affect how her people felt about her."

Devin touched the sleeve of my shirt. "Tell me about this material, we have nothing like it in Edgewater."

"It's called silk. Spun by worms. There are farms that cultivate millions of the insects then harvest the silk they produce."

"I have several silk gowns on our ship," Iderra said. "You and I are about the same size, so I will give them to you."

"And I have several shirts that you can have," I added.

"I cannot take the clothes off your backs," Devin said. "That would be wrong."

"They are gifts," I said. "Our way of thanking you for your hospitality. It would be rude of us to eat your food and drink your ale and not give you something in return."

Devin smiled and bowed her head. "I will accept your gifts."

"Tell us about your ship," Thom said. "You said it crossed the sea in three months. Half the time it took a Voss longboat?"

"Yes."

"You would be willing to share this technology with us?"

"We can do better than that," I said. "Visit our world and we will give you one to sail home on. As a gift."

"We don't keep the technology to ourselves," Iderra said. "We build and sell these ships to whoever can afford them."

What Iderra didn't mention was that she was building a steam engine that would make her corsairs obsolete. Not surprisingly, she had been inspired by my trip to the far future, and the steam powered machines I saw there.

"Six months is a long time to be at sea," Thom said.

"You are a seafaring nation," Iderra said. "Your national symbol is the gull. Your sailors could make the trip easily."

"We know it can be done," I said. "Two dozen Voss longboats did it."

Before anybody could respond, a woman appeared between the four tables that formed a square. There was no flash of smoke, no lightening or electrical energy. One second she wasn't there, the next second she was.

"The Witch Queen," Thom whispered.

She reminded me of my sister Salisha, tall with generous curves in all the right places. She had a round face with high cheekbones, a long narrow nose, and full lips. Her hair was long and curly and bright red. Her eyes were also red. I don't mean red like a normal person's eyes get when they're tired. Her eyes were red where mine were green and Iderra's were brown.

Her gown was black and sleeveless. It reached to her ankles and had a V neckline that ran all the way to her bellybutton. The bottom half of the gown hugged her legs and contained an inverted V, displaying her legs to the top of her thighs. I'm not sure what kind of material the gown was made from, it was slinky like silk but it sparkled, like black diamonds in the sunlight.

I couldn't tell if the Witch Queen was in the room with us or if she was merely projecting an image the way I projected images with my mind.

Devin rose to her feet. "Edgewater is under the protection of the Voss. You are not welcome here, Witch Queen."

The Witch Queen ignored Devin and looked at me. "When one travels as far as you have, you should dine with an important queen, not an insignificant one."

The Witch Queen disappeared. A second later she reappeared behind me. Then she placed a hand on my shoulder. That certainly answered the question as to whether she was in the room or merely projecting an image. "You shall dine with me. We have much to discuss."

The world around me disappeared. One second, I was in Devin's dining hall, then it was gone, replaced by a different dining hall. Judging by the color scheme, I figured we were in the Witch Queen's palace.

The palace was made out of black stone. Black stone walls, a black stone floor, and a wooden ceiling made from black oak. The chandeliers that hung from the ceiling appeared to be solid gold. The dining table was made out of the same black oak as the ceiling. It was one long table that ran the length of the room. The chairs were made of the same black oak. The legs, arms, and backs of the chairs were carved to look like snakes.

There were only two place settings at the ridiculously long table. One at the end of the table and a second on its left hand side. The plates, goblets, and utensils were solid gold. A red gown and a pair of matching high heeled sandals rested on the second chair.

The Witch Queen looked me over. "Around here, we dress up for dinner."

I was still in my traveling clothes. Black riding boots. Black leather knee breeches. A long sleeved purple silk shirt. The Witch Queen still had one hand on my shoulder. Her free hand touched the high heeled sandals and the red gown sitting on the chair. The next thing I knew, my clothes were gone. In their place I was wearing the red gown and the high heeled sandals that went with it.

My gown was even more daring than the Witch Queen's gown. The upper half of the gown was backless, and there wasn't a whole lot to the front. Just two strips of red cloth that tied behind the neck. They were just wide enough to cover my nipples, while leaving both the insides and outsides of my breasts bare. The bottom half of the gown reached my ankles and had an inverted V in the front. Instead of stopping at the top of my thighs, it ran all the way to my waist, revealing my legs, as well as the glittery red briefs I found myself wearing. The clingy material felt like silk except that it sparkled, like rubies in the sunlight.

The Witch Queen stepped back and looked me over. "Now you're dressed for dinner. Although that purple stone in your crown doesn't exactly go with the red gown."

I took the crown off and set it on the chair containing the rest of my clothes. "Better?"

The Witch Queen nodded. "Much."

I'm pretty sure she didn't care how I dressed for dinner. She was just showing off, letting me see how powerful she was.

The Witch Queen clapped her hands twice. Two servants appeared. One male. One female. The male wore black leather knee boots, as well as a shirt and breeches made out of the same material as our gowns. His breeches were black and hugged his thighs and buttocks. His long sleeved shirt was black and left open in the front. The female wore high heeled sandals and an extremely short shift with a plunging V neckline. Her outfit was black, and like our gowns, sparkled. Both servants were young and attractive.

"Remove those," the Witch Queen said, pointing to my crown and clothes. They grabbed my crown and clothes and scurried out of the room.

The Witch Queen moved to the chair at the end of the table and sat. I took the chair on her left, noticing the way my skirt fell to the sides when I sat, leaving my legs and briefs on display. The Witch Queen clapped her hands again and a fleet of servants brought food into the room.

While they dished out the food, I took stock of what I learned. The Witch Queen had the power to go anywhere she wanted just by thinking about it. She could take anyone with her, just by touching them. She could also move objects just by touching them. It was similar to the way I moved through time, and the way I could take people with me. Except when I moved forward or backward in time, I created a ball of electrical energy, and I always came out in the same spot.

Needless to say, I was a little jealous. Being able to move through space just by thinking about it was a much better power than being able to move through time. Moving through time was a dangerous power, if you traveled back in time, you could screw up the time period you lived in. If you moved forward in time, you could learn things you shouldn't know.

I ran my hands over my gown, what there was of it anyway. "Mind if I ask what this material is? It feels like silk, but it has a different look to it."

"It's spider silk. Stronger and brighter than the type of silk you're used to."

"More dangerous to harvest, I suspect."

The Witch Queen smiled. "But well worth it."

Dinner consisted of roast squab, fish eggs, and some kind of blood soup. A bit exotic for my tastes. The goblets appeared to contain water, except it bubbled. Fortunately, I had just finished eating.

"You want to tell me why you brought me here." I didn't bother to ask how she knew I had arrived. I suspect her master, the higher being known as the Prince of the Air, told her. He had been my father's master, so I had little doubt that he was well acquainted with me, not to mention my comings and goings.

"You should eat," the Witch Queen said. "You won't get food like this anywhere else."

"I already ate."

The Witch Queen nodded and sipped her blood soup. "I have a proposition for you."

"What kind of a proposition?"

"I want you to win this contest the Voss are planning."

"You want me to become the Queen of the Voss."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I want you to kill the King of the Voss."

"Why don't you kill him yourself?"

"I can't get close enough to kill him."

"I find that hard to believe." If she could pop in and snatch me, why couldn't she just pop in and snatch him?

"He knows what I'm capable of. Because he knows, he takes precautions."

"What kind of precautions?"

"He's always surrounded by a squad of guards. Guards that are expert knife throwers. Their sole duty is to prevent me from getting to him."

"I take it you learned that the hard way."

The Witch Queen smiled and cut into her squab. "A long time ago. When I was young and full of myself."

"Probably not this king then." I looked at the Witch Queen. "His grandfather?"

"Great grandfather."

"Why would I want to kill the King of the Voss? Seems that would cause more problems then it would solve. At least for me."

"The death of their king will throw the Voss into disarray, civil war will breakout. That will allow my army to enter the Vossland and crush them. Together we can rid this planet of them once and for all."

"You still haven't told me what's in it for me."

"The Voss are warriors. They believe the only honorable death is to die in battle, at the hands of another warrior. Now that they know it exists, they will invade your homeland."

"How do I know you won't do the same?"

"I will rule this half of the world. You will rule your half. You have my word that I will not invade your homeland."

As much as I wanted to believe her, I knew something about her master, the Prince of the Air. He wouldn't settle for half the planet. He wanted the whole planet, bowing down to him, worshiping him. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to keep her word.

"If I help you, what happens to queens like Devin?"

"Their lives will go on as usual. The only difference is they will pay their tribute to me rather than the Voss." The Witch Queen took a sip of her bubbling water. "Perhaps we can even get her out of those ugly wool gowns she wears. Put her in something more elegant, something befitting a queen."

I indicated my gown. "You mean like this?"

"Devin Edgewater wouldn't appreciate a gown like that. She's not what you would call a sensuous woman."

"What makes you think that I am?"

The Witch Queen smiled. "Even if you're not, you look the part in that gown."

"I'd like to return to my sister and think about your offer. Talk it over with her."

"You don't want to go back to that drafty old castle built by the Edgewaters. I've prepared a room for you here. You'll be much more comfortable."

Okay, so she wasn't going to let me go. No surprise there. Still, I had to ask.

The Witch Queen clapped her hands twice. Two male and two female servants scurried up to her. "Take our guest to the quarters I had you prepare for her."

The Witch Queen turned back to me and smiled. "I don't know if you prefer to share your bed with males or females, so I've given you two of each."

I pushed my chair back and stood. "Actually, I prefer to sleep alone. I'm a bit of a bed hog."

"Well, if you change your mind, they will be there."

I nodded, acknowledging her gift. If that's what you wanted to call it. "Do you have a name? So far I haven't heard anyone call you anything other than the Witch Queen."

The Witch Queen chuckled. "It's been so long since anyone has asked me my name, I sometimes forget I have one."

"I'm Lila Marie Haran," I said.

"Gabrielle Eudora Crofton," the Witch Queen said. Her face grew more serious. "I will expect your answer concerning my proposal by morning."

"You shall have it," I said.

# Chapter 4

The four servants led me to the second floor of the castle, then up to the third floor, then we passed through a heavy wooden door that led to a stone staircase that wound its way up a tall round tower.

I owned castles with towers, one in Vassa, another in Dunre. But I never stashed a guest in one of those towers. Never imprisoned anyone in one of those towers either, although they'd be a good place to imprison somebody.

The four servants were young probably between eighteen and twenty. One of the males was a blond. The other had brown hair. Same with the two girls. One was a blond. The other was a brunette.

The staircase ended in a room at the top of the tower. The room was round, with black stone walls and a black oak floor. A gold chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, its candles lighting the room. There was nothing in the room except a large bed. It sat in the middle of the room and had four posts that rose halfway to the ceiling. Each post was carved to look like a large snake. The black oak headboard looked like a spider's web. There were no blankets or sheets on the mattress, which was made out of shimmering black spider silk and stuffed with who knows what.

"I trust you will find this to your liking," the Witch Queen said, appearing beside me.

There was no warning that she was coming, no rush of wind, no discharge of electrical energy, or energy of any kind for that matter. One second she wasn't there. The next she was.

I looked around the room. The windows were round and contained no glass. A warm breeze blew through them. "It's a bit drafty."

The Witch Queen smiled and nodded at the four servants that led me into the room. "That's why I left you these four. Best way to keep warm is with body heat."

The Witch Queen reached out and touched my shimmering red gown. Just like that the gown was gone, where she sent it, I have no idea. I was tempted to grab her and transport her to the beginning of time, to when nothing existed on the planet except rivers of lava and volcanoes spewing hot ash. I was tempted but I resisted the urge.

I had yet to meet the King of the Voss. For all I knew, the Witch Queen was the lesser of two evils. I figured it was better to do nothing until I got to know all the players. My goal here was simple. When I left, I wanted to make sure whoever was in charge wouldn't invade my homeland.

"So you don't run away," the Witch Queen said, explaining why she had taken my gown, leaving me standing there in shimmering red briefs and insanely high heeled sandals.

It wasn't the first time in my life someone had tried to keep me from running away by taking my clothes. Five years ago, Lydo Jarvo, the Chief Counselor of Landish, did the same thing when he tossed me into the high sage's harem. It didn't work then and it wouldn't work now. "When I'm ready to leave, I'll leave, clothes or no clothes."

"I believe you," the Witch Queen said. She paused to look me over. "Still, it's not everybody that looks that good without their clothes."

"A combination of the bloom of youth and attractive parents," I said.

The Witch Queen turned to the four servants. "You will stay here and give her whatever she wants. Except of course, your clothes."

The four servants nodded. A second later the Witch Queen vanished. Once again, there was no warning that she was going, no rush of wind, no crackle of electricity. One second she was there, the next she was gone.

I turned to the four servants. "You don't have to stay here. I'll be fine by myself."

"We must do what our mistress commands," the blond guy said.

"What would happen if you didn't do what she commands?"

"We could end up as the next sacrifice."

"What do you mean you could end up as the next sacrifice?"

"Our mistress has a master," the brown haired girl said. "Her power comes from him, but it comes at a price. He demands sacrifices, human sacrifices."

I felt a chill go down my spine. "How do you know this?"

"We know."

"How do you know?"

"We've lost friends."

"Others that have worked here have displeased our mistress," the blond haired guy said. "She takes them below ground. She returns but they do not."

"She returns covered in blood," the brown haired girl said.

"They are never seen again," the blond haired girl added.

If this was true, there was no way I could make a deal with the Witch Queen, no way I could help her take over this continent.

***

I woke to discover the Witch Queen standing over me. I was sprawled on the big bed in the middle of the tower, still wearing the shimmering red briefs and matching high heeled sandals. The Witch Queen was in her black spider silk gown. The four servants she left with me were standing at the foot of the bed, staring at their feet.

"I'm glad to see you're still here," the Witch Queen said. "How was your night?"

"I've had better," I said, sitting up. It was time to find out if what the servants told me was true.

"May I ask what was wrong?"

I pointed at the brown haired girl. "That servant was horribly inadequate. I ordered her to fetch me some water and it took her forever to get it."

The brown haired girl looked up. Her face blanched as all the blood drained from it.

The Witch Queen turned toward the brown haired girl. "What have you got to say for yourself?"

The girl was white with fear and she seemed to have lost her voice. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Even if the Witch Queen didn't practice human sacrifice, her servants clearly believed that she did.

"She talks about as well as she responds to commands," I said.

The Witch Queen looked at me. "You're much more severe on servants than I thought you would be."

"I have no use for servants that don't know how to serve," I said. "I'm surprised that you do."

"I don't." The Witch Queen glared at the brown haired girl. "But I do have one more use for this one. If you will excuse me."

She grabbed the brown haired girl by the arm and the two of them disappeared. As soon as they were gone, I closed my eyes and pictured the brown haired girl in my mind. A second later, I saw her. She was with the Witch Queen, in a dark windowless room, probably somewhere beneath the castle.

There was a stone table in the middle of the room. It was big enough for a person to lay on and was as black as the castle's walls.

The Witch Queen released the dark haired girl's arm and spoke in a voice that sounded like two people talking at once. I recognized the voice. It was the same voice my father used when he wanted to control people. "Lay down on the table."

The girl did as ordered, stretching out on her back. The Witch Queen reached under the table and pulled out a dagger. It was long and straight and had jagged teeth on both sides. The handle was made out of bone and carved in the shape of scorpion. It was the first weapon I had seen in the entire castle.

She grabbed the dagger with both hands and raised it high in the air, directly over the girl's heart. Then she began chanting in a language I didn't understand. Perhaps her native tongue. Perhaps some ancient tongue. I didn't know, nor did I care.

It was obvious that the servants spoke the truth. The Witch Queen did engage in human sacrifice. There was no way I could work with her, help her take control of this continent. I didn't know if the King of the Voss was any better, and at this point I didn't care. At this point, I only knew one thing, the Witch Queen had to go.

I had my image appear in the room. I couldn't transport myself from room to room, let alone country to country, like the Witch Queen could. But I could make it look like I was in the room, which was enough to distract the Witch Queen.

The Witch Queen lowered the knife, so it was resting between her breasts. "I knew you had powers, but I didn't know you could transport yourself like I could."

I didn't bother to tell her that I wasn't actually in the room, that I was still in the tower. Instead, I concentrated on the dagger in her hands. I imagined my hands wrapped around hers. I imagined my hands turning her hands so the dagger was pointed at her chest. I imagined my hands forcing the dagger into her chest, up to the hilt.

A second later, the Witch Queen realized what was happening and looked down. She was more than a little surprised when her hands turned the dagger, so it pointed against her chest.

She fought me when I tried to plunge the dagger into her heart. Not that it mattered. My power to move objects with my mind was too strong for her. As hard as she fought me, and she fought hard, the dagger slid into her chest. Its progress was slow but steady. Blood appeared between her breasts and ran down the plunging neckline of her black spider silk gown, all the way to her bellybutton.

When the dagger was halfway in, the Witch Queen stopped fighting me. Her hands let go of the dagger and dropped to her sides. She stared at my image, a stunned look in her red eyes.

I plunged the rest of the dagger into her chest, clear up to the hilt. The Witch Queen gasped then collapsed into a heap on the black stone floor. In a matter of seconds, her body dried up and turned to dust.

With the Witch Queen dead, her power over the brown haired girl was broken. The brown haired girl sat up and swung her legs over the side of the stone table. Then she watched as something strange happened. Red smoke rose from the pile of dust that had been the Witch Queen. It curled up and headed straight for the dark haired girl. The dark haired girl gasped when the smoke reached her nose. When she opened her mouth, the smoke rushed in, almost like it had a mind of its own.

When the smoke was inside her, the dark haired girl's eyes changed color, going from brown to red. At the same time, her hair changed color, going from a dark brown to a fiery red. That's when she looked at my image and smiled. "Nice try, but I can't be killed."

She hopped off the table, removed the servant's garment that she was wearing, and checked out her new body. When she finished, she slipped into the black spider silk gown that lay in a heap on the floor.

"Nice trick," I said. "Being able to change bodies."

"It does come in handy." The Witch Queen checked to see how the gown fit her new body. "I preferred my old body. It was taller and had more curves."

"When you're a thief, you have to take what's available."

The Witch Queen glared at me, clearly, she didn't like being called a thief. "Maybe I should take your body."

I forced my image to smile. "I think you'll find I won't step aside as willingly as that frightened girl did."

"No, I suspect you wouldn't." The Witch Queen looked my image over. "It's just as well. I've never been comfortable in top heavy bodies."

She was mad at me for killing her. Trying to kill her? So I let the comment pass. Actually, I was mad at myself. Because of me, the Witch Queen was now occupying the frightened girl's body. I felt like I had all but killed the poor girl when I claimed that she was a bad servant.

"Can I assume by your actions that you've decided not to help me kill the King of the Voss?"

"If I decide to kill the King of the Voss," I said, "it will be after you're out of the way."

"You might be too powerful for me to kill, or even control, but I suspect your sister isn't."

The Witch Queen disappeared. One second, she was there, enjoying her new body. The next second, she was gone.

I let my image fade. Then I pictured Iderra in my mind. A second later, I saw her. She was in Devin's dining room, eating a breakfast of ham and eggs and hash browns with Devin, Thom, and Bokham. Before I could say anything, the Witch Queen appeared, right behind Iderra.

"You're to come with me," she said, reaching out to place a hand on Idy's shoulder.

"Bokham," I yelled. "Don't let her touch Idy."

Even though they couldn't see me, Bokham heard me. I knew he heard me because he pulled a dagger out of his boot and plunged it into the back of the Witch Queen's hand.

The Witch Queen screamed in pain and disappeared. A second later, my image appeared, dressed like I was when Idy last saw me, wearing black leather breeches and a purple silk shirt.

"You need to leave," I said. "Right away."

"And go where?" Idy asked.

"Home."

"You want us to leave you here alone?"

"The only way the Witch Queen can get to me is by threatening you. It'll be a lot easier to battle her if I don't have to worry about your safety."

"Understood," Idy said. She shoveled some eggs into her mouth and rose to her feet. "How will you get home?"

"We can bring her," Devin said. "On one of our longboats."

I turned to Bokham. "Don't let her touch Idy. She has to physically touch you to transport you."

"Understood," Bokham said.

He rose to his feet and followed Iderra to the exit, the bloody dagger still in his hand.

"Once we're gone, you'll be all alone," Idy said as my image walked beside her.

"Which means the only person I'll have to worry about is myself."

She stopped in the doorway and looked at me. "Keep in touch. If you can."

"I will." I waved goodbye then let my image fade. I opened my eyes to find myself back in the Witch Queen's castle, still sitting on the bed in the tower. The two male servants and the blond female servant were still lined up at the foot of the bed, waiting for someone to tell them what to do.

Before I could tell them to find me some clothes the Witch Queen appeared. She had wrapped the hand Bokham stabbed with a bandage. She was also holding the red spider silk gown I had worn.

"It's time for you to go." She tossed me the gown.

I grabbed it and slipped into it. When I had the gown on, the Witch Queen reached out to touch me.

I responded by imagining myself moving forward through time. A ball of electrical energy began to develop around me. When the Witch Queen touched it, she jerked her hand back as if she had been burned. Which I suspect she had.

"Touch me," I said, "and I'll transport you to the end of time, where there won't be anyone left alive for you to control, let alone possess."

I moved toward the Witch Queen and she retreated. I stopped thinking about moving through time and the ball of electrical energy surrounding me faded.

"I want you out of my castle," the Witch Queen said.

"You and me both."

The Witch Queen changed her voice, so it sounded like two people were talking at once. It was the voice she used when she wanted to control people. It was the voice my father used when he wanted to control people. "You will let me remove you from this castle."

The strange voice made me a touch dizzy, but that was the only affect it had on me. "Nice try, but that power doesn't work on me. Others might be compelled to obey you when you use that voice, but I'm not."

The Witch Queen sighed in frustration then went back to her normal voice. "I'll make a deal with you."

"What kind of a deal?"

"If you promise not to transport me to the end of time, I will return you safely to Edgewater."

"Why would you do that?"

"To get you out of my hair. I don't need you hanging around my castle looking for ways to kill me."

"If you return me safely to Edgewater, I won't transport you to the end of time." I paused to stick a finger in the Witch Queen's face. "But if you take me anywhere else, I will abandon you at the end of time."

The Witch Queen nodded and offered me her hand. I took it and began thinking about moving forward in time. Just in case. The next thing I knew we had moved from the Witch Queen's castle to Devin's castle in Edgewater. As soon as we were in Devin's castle, I released the Witch Queen's hand. She stepped away from me, as wary of me as I was of her.

"It's a shame we couldn't do business," she said.

"It's a shame you're still alive," I said.

"Perhaps you will change your mind once you meet the King of the Voss."

"I doubt it."

The Witch Queen vanished.

# Chapter 5

The Witch Queen left me in Devin's dining hall. Devin, and her cousin, Thom, were still there, finishing their breakfast. Iderra and Bokham were gone of course. There were four guards in the room, standing at attention against the wall behind Devin.

"Are you here or are you projecting an image?" Devin asked.

It sounded like Iderra had filled her in on some of my powers.

"I'm here," I said.

Thom looked at the red spider silk gown I was wearing. "That's an interesting dress. What there is of it."

I twirled. "Apparently, this is the latest fashion at the Witch Queen's castle."

"What did she want?" Devin asked.

"Could I get some breakfast? I haven't had anything to eat since the Witch Queen snatched me from your dinner table. The food she offered was a little too exotic for my taste." Thom offered me his chair, which was on Devin's left. I sat, ignoring the way my dress fell open, revealing my legs and shimmering red briefs.

Thom took the chair on my left and clapped his hands. A couple of yellow and black clad servants hustled into the room. A minute later, a plate of ham and eggs and hash browns sat in front of me.

"So, what did she want?" Devin said, as I dug into my breakfast.

"Was that the same woman that snatched you from us?" Thom asked. "It didn't look like the same woman."

"It was the same woman," I said. "But in a different body."

"How could it be the same woman but in a different body?"

"Why don't I start from the beginning." I took a bite of my hash browns then washed them down with a sip of tea. "The Witch Queen grabbed me because she wanted to make a deal with me."

"What kind of a deal?" Devin asked.

"She wants me to win the competition for the hand of the Voss king."

"Why?"

"So I'll be in a position to kill him."

"Why did she look different from the last time she was here?" Thom was paying more attention to me than he did last night. Maybe he was just interested in what had happened to me. More likely it was the revealing outfit I was wearing.

"Because I killed her."

"I don't understand."

"Neither do I," Devin said.

"The Witch Queen gets her power from a higher being called the Prince of the Air. In return for that power, she engages in human sacrifice." Devin and Thom gasped in horror. I continued. "When she tried to sacrifice one of her servants, I intervened and killed her."

"You killed the Witch Queen?" Thom said.

"I stabbed her in the heart with the dagger she used on her human sacrifices. When the body she was occupying died, she took over the body of the girl she was about to sacrifice. When that happened the girl's eyes changed color from brown to red, as did her hair."

"So the Witch Queen can't die," Devin said.

"Not as long as there's another body around for her to occupy."

"Does it have to be a female body?" Thom's eyes did a slow walk up my body, checking out my legs and breasts and everything in between.

"I don't know."

"How come she didn't take over your body?" Devin asked. "You were in the room weren't you?"

"Actually I wasn't. I was in a tower, about as far away from her as I could get without leaving her castle."

"How could you stab her if you weren't in the room with her?"

There was a brass table knife in front of me. As I ate, I used my power to move objects to levitate the knife in the air. "That's how."

"You can move things without touching them?" Thom said, making no attempt to hide his surprise.

"Yes."

Devin looked at me. "When she realized that you were too dangerous to have around, she brought you back here?"

"She promised to return me here if I agreed not to abandon her at the end of time."

"You can move through time?" Thom said, sounding even more surprised.

"I can, although I've only used the power once."

"Why?" Devin asked.

"Traveling through time is dangerous. If you travel back in time, you can accidentally change the world you live in. If you travel forward in time, you can learn things that you might not want to know."

"Why doesn't she kill the King of the Voss herself?" Thom asked. "She's powerful enough."

"The Voss king surrounds himself with a squad of knife throwing guards. Their sole duty is to protect him from the Witch Queen if and when she appears. To ensure she can't control them, these guards have all had their eardrums pierced."

"They're deaf?" Devin asked.

"They weren't born deaf, but were made deaf when they agreed to protect the King of the Voss."

"Wow."

"That's what I said."

"So the Witch Queen wants to use this competition to kill the King of the Voss?" Thom turned sideways in his chair, so he was looking right at me. One of his elbows rested on the table, the other rested on the back of his chair.

"The Witch Queen thinks that with the Voss king dead, his army will be thrown into disarray, enough for her army to destroy his in battle."

"Even without the Voss king, their army still outnumbers hers two to one," Devin said.

"Yes but the death of the Voss king would result in civil war," Thom said. "Clans would square off against other clans, wanting their leader to become the next king. That would weaken the Voss and provide an opening for the Witch Queen."

"If she can't get to you, she may try to use someone else to kill the Voss king," Devin said.

I nodded in agreement. "Perhaps another queen."

Thom finally took his eyes off me. "Maybe Devin?"

I shook my head. "I don't think she'll go after Devin."

Devin looked at me. "Because I'm protected by the Voss?"

I smiled. "Because I'm here."

"You think the Witch Queen fears you?" Thom's eyes were back on me, raking in my bare legs and my mostly bare breasts.

"I was with her for less than a day and managed to stab her with her own dagger. Something no one else has been able to do in the last two hundred years. So yes, I think she fears me. As well she should, I'm one of the few people on this planet who can destroy her."

"By abandoning her at the end of time?"

"According to Iderra the sun is expanding. She says that one day it will become so big, it will burn everything on this planet, destroying all life. Of course that's in the far far future, perhaps millions of years."

"If you abandoned her in that time period, where nothing is left alive, she would eventually perish," Devin said.

I nodded. "With no more bodies to take over, she would perish when the body she was occupying perished."

"Or at the very least, her soul would be stranded on a lifeless world," Thom said.

"At the very least."

"Do the Voss know how powerful you are?" Devin asked.

"I found no reason to discuss my powers with the Voss, let alone demonstrate them."

"Why did the Witch Queen think that you'd be willing to make a deal with her?"

"She said that if I help her defeat the Voss, I won't have to worry about anyone invading my homeland."

Devin looked at me. "She gave you her word that she wouldn't invade your continent?"

"For what it's worth."

"How much do you think her word is worth?" Thom said.

"Not much."

"Are you going to stop her from trying to kill the Voss king?" Devin asked.

"The fact the Witch Queen needs my help to kill the Voss king tells me that he can take care of himself."

"So you're not going to warn him."

"I came here to prevent the Voss from invading my homeland, and to find out how big a threat they are. I'm not interested in getting involved in this continent's politics."

"How big a threat are the Voss?"

"As long as the Witch Queen's around, not much. She keeps the bulk of their army tied up and they keep the bulk of her army tied up. It looks like a couple thousand men is all they can spare."

"Which was enough to bring you here," Devin said.

"When the Voss arrived, the bulk of my army was located on the far side of the continent. That won't be the case the next time they show up."

"What if you win the competition for the Voss king's hand?" Thom asked.

"That's not going to happen."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm going to throw the competition."

"Me too," a grinning Devin said.

***

The next two weeks passed quietly at Edgewater castle. Then the Voss arrived. I thought they had come to tell us a date had been set for the Competition of Queens, as everyone was calling it, but that wasn't why they were here. They had come to collect more tribute.

Devin met them in her throne room, wearing one of her yellow wool dresses and her brass crown. She could've wore one of the silk gowns Iderra gave her, but she was afraid the Voss would take them.

I was wearing a silk gown. It was emerald green in color. The skirt was ankle length and loose fitting. The waist consisted of a built-in black velvet corset that laced up the back. The dress had long sleeves and a scoop neckline that left my cleavage on display. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, held in place with a green silk ribbon. My boots were also emerald green and were a cross between riding boots and dress boots. They laced up the front like dress boots but had a low heel like riding boots. My cutlass was around my waist, but I wasn't wearing a crown. Mostly because the only crown I brought with me, the crown of Dunre, was still at the Witch Queen's castle.

Thom was wearing his usual black breeches and yellow shirt.

"How often do you have to pay tribute?" I asked Devin when we headed into her throne room to meet the Voss.

"Every month."

"You're kidding?"

Devin shook her head. "At the end of every month a squad of Voss soldiers shows up demanding all the gold and silver that we have."

"And if you don't have any gold or silver left?"

"Then they take whatever they want." Devin looked around the room. "This castle wasn't always bare. When Thom and I were young, it was full paintings and beautiful tapestries. Our guards wore armor made out of solid silver and my mother's gowns were sewn from the softest velvet."

We reached the throne room. Thom stood to the right of Devin's throne. I stood to the left of her throne. Devin's four guards stood at each end of the dais. Two on each side.

The Voss that strode into the room looked like every other Voss, short and stocky with sleeveless fur vests, dirty leather breeches, and fur leggings. There were seven of them. They all had ratted shoulder length hair and thick bushy beards. The hilts of their short swords peeked above their shoulders. From what I could see, there was no way to tell who was in charge, other than by who entered the room first.

"We have come to collect our monthly tribute," the Voss leader said.

"I have nothing of value left, save for the clothes on my back and roof over my head." Devin rose to her feet, took off her brass crown, and tossed it to the Voss leader. "I don't even have the crown my father wore. You've already taken that."

The Voss leader looked at the brass crown then tossed it on the floor. He scanned the room looking for something of value. Eventually, his eyes lighted on me and the silver scabbard I wore on my left hip.

"Her sword is in a solid silver scabbard, we will take that." He looked me up and down. "We will also take her. She will make an excellent slave."

I used my power to move small objects to pull the two short swords out of the Voss leader's scabbards. The blades flew over his head then pressed up against his throat.

At first the Voss leader did nothing, probably because he was too stunned over the sight of his swords floating out of their scabbards and pressing up against his throat. Eventually, he grabbed the hilt of each sword and tried to pull them away from his throat. He failed of course. My power was too strong for him. Or perhaps I should say, my mind was stronger than his biceps.

While the Voss leader struggled with the swords pressed against his throat, I stepped off the dais and march up to him. "My name is Lila Marie Haran. Baroness of Haran. Duchess of Laamatt. Heir to the throne of Sorea. First Consummate of Landish. Queen of Vassa. Queen of Dunre. Queen of Adah. You will apologize for offending me or you will die."

When the Voss leader didn't respond, I pulled every sword the Voss were carrying out of their scabbards and pressed them against the throats of their owners. Each of the Voss soldiers grabbed his swords and tried to pull the blades away from his throat. Each man failed.

I was at the limit of my powers and would probably end up with a headache, but I didn't care. I was tired of the Voss pushing people around. It was time someone pushed them around. It was time someone gave the Voss a taste of their own medicine. It looked like I was to be that someone.

"You will apologize for your insolence, or you and your men will die here and now. The choice is yours, Commander."

The Voss leader clearly wasn't in the habit of apologizing. That much was evident from the way he glared at me, looking past the two swords still pressed against his throat. After what seemed like forever, but probably wasn't more than a few seconds, he relented.

"I apologize if I offended you," he said through clenched teeth.

"Your Majesty," I added.

"Your Majesty," the Commander said, still clenching his teeth.

I turned and stepped back onto the dais, only when I was back in my spot did I release their swords. "You will inform your king that I will not sit around forever. If he doesn't move up the time table for the Competition of Queens, I won't participate."

"Take what you value and go," Devin said.

The Voss leader looked around the room a second time. He and his men were clutching their swords at their sides, clearly afraid that I would take control of them again. "I will inform the king that you have nothing of value left."

He turned and marched out of the room. His men fell in behind him. When they were gone, Devin turned to me. "You realize he's going to run back to his king and tell him that you're a witch."

"I don't care," I said. And I didn't.

***

The Voss returned two weeks later. It was the same group of men that tried to collect me and my cutlass as trophies. He marched into Devin's throne room, his six men behind him. He unrolled a sheepskin scroll and read from it. Which I must admit surprised me. The Voss didn't impress me as the kind of people that spent a lot of time reading and writing.

"The King of the Voss, his most illustrious self, Mog the Second, announces that a competition to determine the most worthy queen in the world will be held at the rise of the next full moon. This competition will take place in Funderburk, capital of the Vossland. The most worthy queen will win the honor of becoming the wife of his most illustrious self, Mog the Second. The queens attending will compete in the following areas: beauty, intelligence, fighting skills, endurance, compassion, physical fitness, and leadership. The safety of all queens entering this competition will be guaranteed by his most illustrious self, Mog the Second."

The Voss commander rolled the scroll up, turned, and marched out of the room. His men followed behind him. When they were gone, I looked at Devin. "That didn't tell us a whole lot, other than when and where the competition takes place."

"You know I've never even seen a Voss woman," Devin said. "Which makes me wonder how the Voss judge beauty. Are their women short and stocky like their men?"

"Based on the prows of the ships, I'd say they judge beauty the same way all men do."

"You mean a pretty face and big boobs?" Devin said. I nodded. Devin smiled. "If that's the case then you've got me beat in that area of the competition. You may have everybody beat."

"What do you know about the other five queens that will be competing?"

"I don't know anything about the three that pay tribute to the Witch Queen. I've met the two that pay tribute to the Voss, although we're not close."

"Can I ask why you're not close?"

"Mostly geography. Their kingdoms are located on the other end of the continent. Just as my kingdom borders the eastern edge of the Vossland, their kingdoms border the western edge of the Vossland."

"Both are young?"

Devin nodded. "Both are young."

"What do they look like?"

"One is a husky brunette with a bulbous nose. The other is quite cute. Although she's not as well endowed as you. Truth is she's a tiny thing."

"What's her name?"

"Ora Shayne Freemont."

"What country does she rule?"

"The Nordland. It's located on the northwest corner of the continent. Very similar to Edgewater, limited farmland with a lot of rocky coast."

"How old is she?"

"Mid twenties."

"What does she look like, aside from the fact she's tiny?"

"She doesn't look tiny until she stands next to somebody else. She's well proportioned. It's just that the proportions are small."

"Blond, brunette, or redhead?"

"Her hair color is silver. It's quite lovely actually. Not to mention quite common in her country."

"Eyes?"

"Ice blue."

"What's the other one's name? The husky one."

"Nula Baat."

"What's the name of her country?"

"Midland."

"Men like pretty girls," I said. "From what you just said, Nula Baat isn't a pretty girl."

"She's not."

"Then I suspect King Mog will make sure that she doesn't win the competition."

Devin nodded. "And with you and me intending to throw the competition that means the winner will either be Ora Shayne or one of the three queens from the south."

"I suspect the Witch Queen has given them orders to try and assassinate the Voss king."

Devin looked at me. "Do you think we should warn him?"

"I suspect he already knows one of them will try something. Personally, I intend to stay out of his feud with the Witch Queen. You'll have to decide for yourself what's best for Edgewater."

"Either way, we go to the competition and do our best not to win."

I nodded. "We go to the competition and do our best not to win."

# Chapter 6

The night before we set sail for Funderburk, the Witch Queen paid me another visit. I was in my suite on the second floor of Devin's castle, having just changed into my night clothes. The Witch Queen was still in the body of the serving girl I tried to save. Still in the black spider silk gown with the plunging neckline. I couldn't help but wonder what life was like for that poor girl. Could she see and hear what was happening? What the Witch Queen was doing? What her body was doing? Did she regain control of her body when the Witch Queen was sleeping? Did the Witch Queen even need to sleep?

I was about to climb into bed, but jumped out of it when the Witch Queen appeared. I placed the bed between us and glared at the Witch Queen. "What do you want?"

The Witch Queen held up the crown of Dunre. Then she placed it on my bed. "Just returning your crown. Thought you might need it when you go to Funderburk."

"And?" I said, figuring there was more. The Witch Queen wouldn't just pop in to return my crown. If she was here, she wanted something.

"And now that you've had some time to interact with the Voss, I wanted to see if you've changed your mind about helping me."

"Why would I change my mind?"

"You've seen what the Voss have done to your friend, Devin. They've stripped her castle, her kingdom, of everything."

"I remember seeing quite a bit of gold in your castle."

"Those I protect are required to pay for that protection, but unlike the Voss, I haven't stripped them of everything they own."

"You just take their sons and daughters, to use as blood sacrifices to your master."

"Power comes at a price," the Witch Queen said. "And keeping the Voss in check requires a lot of power. Help me kill the Voss king and we will be able to live in peace. Most of all, you won't have to worry about the Voss invading your homeland."

"I like my plan better," I said.

"What is your plan?"

"We leave things as they are. With you keeping the Voss in check and the Voss keeping you in check. That way I don't have to worry about either of you invading my homeland."

"You are a fool," the Witch Queen said. "Sooner or later I will control this continent. You seem to forget that I have one thing on my side that no one else has."

"And what's that?"

"Time."

With that said, the Witch Queen vanished. Here one second. Gone the next.

I wasn't surprised she tried to make another deal with me. With me on her side, four out of the seven queens competing would be working for her, trying to kill the Voss king.

***

Funderburk lay on the continent's northern coast, which wasn't as rocky as the continent's eastern coast. The city lay on a sandy U-shaped bay. There were a lot of longboats on the sandy beach, perhaps as many as one hundred.

The city's buildings were made out of logs, with each building having eight sides. There was a hole in the middle of each building's roof, with smoke rising out of the hole. Doors were nothing more than slits in the wall with animal skins covering the slits. There were no windows in the buildings.

The streets were nothing more than packed dirt. There was no wall surrounding the city, but there was a forest of old growth pine trees behind the city. In fact, the city appeared to have been carved right out of the forest.

"What do they call those buildings?" I asked Devin as we surveyed the city from the stern of her longboat.

"Hovels."

"Where I come from a hovel is considered a dump or a dive."

"On this continent a hovel is an octagon shaped structure built by the Voss."

"Which is King Mog's hovel?" Mog's hovel. No wonder some of us intended to lose this competition. Who wanted to live in a building called Mog's hovel.

Devin pointed to a big hovel on a hill. "That one."

It looked like every other hovel, except bigger.

"Have you been here before?"

"No, but I've studied the Voss. My father said the only way I could understand them was to study them."

"And do you understand the Voss?"

"Not a lot to understand," Devin said. "They eat. They drink. They fight. They take."

Devin's crew found an open spot on the crowded beach. They rowed the boat to that spot, raised their oars high in the air, and let the longboat coast to a stop on the wet sand.

"We must pay our respects to King Mog," Devin said. "Let him know we're here."

Devin changed from her traveling clothes into more formal wear, a yellow silk gown that Iderra gave her, as well as a matching black velvet cape trimmed in snow leopard fur. Her brass crown sat on the top of her head. I wore what I had on, polished black riding boots, black leather knee breeches, and a black silk shirt. The crown of Dunre, the one the Witch Queen returned to me, sat on my head. My trusty cutlass was buckled around my waist.

We headed to Mog's hovel on foot. Four of Devin's guards accompanied us, clad in their yellow and black uniforms. As we walked through the city the smells assaulted us, horse sweat and manure, cooked meat, sewage, and men that didn't bathe. Lots and lots of men that didn't bathe. God did the city stink.

Most of the women bustling about were young, attractive, and dressed in red. Red leather boots. Red leather skirts. Red leather vests. They walked with their heads down and paid little attention to us when we passed them.

"Lot of pretty girls in the city," I said. "How come they all wear red?"

"Those are slaves," Devin said.

"How do you know?"

"The Voss dress their slave girls in red. Makes them easy to spot."

"Where are all the Voss women?"

"I don't know."

"How do the Voss treat their women?"

"What do you mean?"

"One of the countries that I rule, Landish, considers women to be second class citizens. They're not allowed to learn how to read or write, nor are they allowed to own or run their own business."

"The Voss divide the world into two classes. Those who are Voss and those who aren't Voss. If you aren't Voss then you're considered inferior."

"If that's the way they feel, why would their king want to marry someone that isn't Voss?"

"Perhaps the rumor is true. Perhaps this is just an elaborate ruse to capture the Witch Queen."

"If that's all it is then it's doomed to fail. The Witch Queen won't show. Not when she can send her envoys."

The hovels came in all sizes, from just big enough for one person to King Mog's hovel, which was as big as a castle, rising over three stories high. Like the other hovels it contained no windows. The doorways were barely doorways, so narrow you had to turn sideways to slip through them. Like other hovels, they used animals skins rather than wooden doors. Unlike the other hovels, there were guards stationed in front of each doorway.

Devin stepped forward and introduced us to the guards. "I am Devin Sandre Edgewater, Queen of Edgewater. This is Lila Marie Haran, she rules on the other side of the planet. We are here for the Competition of Queens."

"The two of you may pass," the guard said, "but your men must remain outside."

Devin told her men to return to the ship, then the two of us headed into Mog's hovel. The main floor of the hovel was packed dirt. In the center of the main floor was a fire pit. A fire big enough to heat the whole place was burning. The rooms were located against the exterior wall and contained doorways identical to those that led into the hovel. The second and third floors contained balconies that circled the hovel and looked down on the fire pit. There were no stairs leading to the second and third floors, just ladders.

There were a lot of people milling around Mog's hovel, just like there were a lot of people milling around Funderburk. The men looked like all Voss men, short and squat with red shoes, fur leggings, brown leather knee breeches, and fur vests. Their hair was shoulder length, ratted, and dirty. Their beards were just as bad.

The women, which were all young and pretty, wore short red leather skirts and matching vests that left their waist's bare. Their boots were also red. They didn't wear makeup but their long hair was clean and brushed.

"What's the deal with the red shoes?" I asked Devin.

Devin shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe they just like the way they look."

One of the girls approached us. She was a tiny thing with thick brown hair that reached to her ankles. "You are here for the competition?"

"We are," Devin said.

"I will take you to the king."

"Are any of the other queens here?" I asked as we followed the girl.

"They are all here. You are the last to arrive."

King Mog's throne room was located on the fourth floor of the hovel. We had to take a series of ladders to reach it. The ladders that ran between the first and second floors were located in different spots than the ladders that ran between the second and third floors. I assumed that was to make it harder for invaders. The narrow doorways pinched the invaders, likewise, ladders were harder to climb than stairs, making the upper floors easier to defend.

The fourth floor of the hovel didn't contain any rooms, nor did it circle the fire pit on the ground floor. It consisted of a wooden floor that occupied the back half of the hovel. You could walk to the end of the large room and lean over the wooden railing, which would give you a view of the third and second floors, as well as the fire pit on the ground floor. Since heat rises, it turned out to be the hottest part of the hovel.

A large wooden throne sat on a dais at the back of the floor. It was so big that it made the man sitting on it look like a child. Piles of gold and silver sat on each side of the throne. The gold and silver items in the piles consisted of everything, candle holders, plates, crowns, necklaces, even shields. I suspected Devin's gold crown sat in one of those piles. Not to mention every other gold and silver item that she used to own.

The man on the throne, Mog the Second, looked like every other Voss male. He was short and squat with shoulder length brown hair that looked like it had never been brushed or combed. His beard was just as thick, although it was clean.

There was nothing special about his clothes. He wore the same outfit that all Voss men wore, a sleeveless fur vest, his was white, brown leather knee breeches, white fur leggings that covered his shins and calves, and red leather shoes. A large gold crown graced his head. it consisted of a gold band topped by gold stars. There were no sword hilts sticking up over his shoulders, but there were nine men scattered around the room. Each of those men stood quietly, his arms crossed over his chest, a large knife in each hand, ready to throw should the Witch Queen appear.

Five women stood in front of King Mog's throne. All five wore crowns. Ora Shayne Freemont, Queen of the Nordland, was there. As was Nula Baat, Queen of Midland. Both looked exactly like Devin described them. Ora Shayne was a petite young woman with silky straight hair that reached to the small of her back and was silver in color. Nula Baat was a big husky girl with short brown hair that stuck out every which way.

The queens from the south, the three that paid allegiance to the Witch Queen went from plain to pretty to exotic. The plain one was a petite brunette with long thick hair. The pretty one reminded me of my sister Salisha, a tall blond with a heart shaped face and plenty of curves. The exotic one had dark blue hair and skin that was so pale it was almost translucent. She was tall and thin like Devin and had eyes the same color as her hair.

"My last two queens have arrived," King Mog said as we approached his throne. He turned his attention to me. "You must be the queen from the far side of the world."

"Lila Marie Haran," I said.

"How come you aren't wearing a gown like the others?"

"Why should I?"

"Because I wish it."

"Your wishes might matter to the people of this continent, but they mean little to me."

"If my wishes mean so little to you why are you here?"

"Perhaps I have come to take your throne."

Mog laughed and looked around. "Hard to take my throne without an army."

I used my power to move small objects to rip the knives his guards were holding out of their hands. Then I sent them flying at King Mog, all eighteen of them. When they were inches from his face, I stopped them and left them suspended in midair, still pointed at him. "Not as hard as you think."

"I was told you were a witch," King Mog said. He was staring at the knives floating in front of him. "I can see now that it's true."

"I have powers," I said. "But I'm not a witch. My powers are a gift of the One God."

The knives floated back to their owners, who quickly snatched them out of the air.

"If you need a few minutes to put on a dry pair of breeches," I said. "I think all of us would understand."

Mog's face turned bright red. At least I think it turned bright red. It was hard to tell with the wild hair and thick beard.

"I could use someone like you," Mog said, after collecting himself. "Together we could defeat the Witch Queen, take control of the entire continent."

"Why would I want to help you defeat the Witch Queen?"

"If you help me, I will sign a peace treaty with you. You can go home knowing the Voss will not invade your homeland."

"How could I be sure that you would keep that treaty?"

"I am King of the Voss. The King of the Voss always keeps his word."

"Your men told me that the Voss are warriors. That they believe the only honorable way to die is in battle."

"That is true. One cannot enter the hovel of their ancestors unless they die an honorable death."

"Then I fear you would not be able to keep your word. When you ran out of people to battle here, you would turn your eyes on my homeland."

"And you fear war?"

"I will not ask my people to shed their blood if it can be avoided."

"And how do you plan on avoiding war?"

"The Witch Queen made me an offer similar to the one you just made. Unfortunately, I don't believe she would keep her word anymore than you would keep yours."

"You have talked to the Witch Queen?"

"She gave me a tour of her castle."

"And what did you tell her?"

"Same thing I'll tell you. I like the current balance of power on this continent. She keeps the bulk of your army tied up. You keep her army tied up. As long as things remain as they are, neither of you will be able to invade my homeland."

Mog leaned forward. "If you do not want to work with me, why are you here?"

"When your men arrived, the bulk of my army was on the far side of the continent. As such, we were not prepared for a conflict."

"You came to avoid a war with the Voss?"

"I came here to give my generals time to move my forces. Rest assured, next time you send men to my homeland threatening war, there will be war. What's more, you will never see any of those men again."

"So you did not come to win my hand in marriage?"

I laughed. "No."

"But you will compete?"

"I will compete."

"If you win you the competition, will you consent to be my bride?"

"The women in my family don't take husbands. We take lovers. When they begin to bore us, we toss them aside."

"So that is a no?"

"That's a big no."

"And if I tried to make you my wife?"

"You saw what I'm capable of."

"Then why bother to compete?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I've got nothing better to do."

# Chapter 7

Mog informed us that the competition to become his queen would begin the next morning. The first thing we would compete in was the area of beauty. One judge would decide which of us was the most beautiful. That judge was of course, Mog.

We stayed in our cabins on Devin's longboat then headed for Mog's hovel first thing in the morning. When we arrived we were shown to a room on the third floor. It had a standard hovel door. A narrow slit that you had to turn sideways to slide through. Unlike the exterior doorway, there was no animal skin serving as a door.

The room was small and simple. It contained two beds and a full length mirror with a gold leaf frame. I thought the mirror and its elaborate frame looked out of place in the hovel. Most likely, it wasn't made by the Voss. The beds were simple wooden frames with animal skins stretched across them. Obviously, they were made by the Voss. Lying on each bed was a white leather outfit.

The girl pointed to one outfit and looked at me. "This is your outfit. The other outfit is yours," she said to Devin. "When you have changed you can join the others in King Mog's throne room. They are waiting for you."

The girl curtsied and hustled out of the room.

"Matching outfits?" Devin said, looking at the clothes laid out on the beds.

"Makes sense," I said. "Best way to judge our looks is by putting us in the same outfit and lining us up side by side."

"How do we throw this part of the competition?"

"We can't. Mog already knows what we look like."

"So what do we do?"

"We throw the areas of the competition we can throw and don't worry about the ones we have no control over."

We changed into the outfits laid out for us. White leather thongs, white leather skirts that fell to mid thigh, and white leather vests that laced up the front. The vests left our waists bare and had scooped necklines that showed off our cleavage. More so in my case since I had more cleavage to show.

Our white boots stopped just short of the knee and laced up the front. They had a wide two inch heel.

"I guess we're ready to go," Devin said.

We left our hair in ponytails with our crowns still on our heads. Devin turned and headed out of our room and I followed. We were on the third floor of the hovel which meant we had to take a ladder up to the fourth floor, which of course served as King Mog's throne room. The ladders to the fourth floor were easy to find. There were only a couple of them and both had guards standing on each side.

"You know what those guards are going to be doing when we're on that ladder," Devin whispered to me.

"If it'll make you feel any better, I'll go last," I said.

Devin breathed a sigh of relief. "Actually, it would."

Devin grabbed the ladder and climbed up. I started to follow but one of the guards placed a hand on my shoulder stopping me.

"One at a time," he said, keeping the hand on my shoulder. Once he was sure I was going to wait my turn, he and his partner looked up, enjoying the view Devin's short skirt provided as she scrambled up the ladder.

There was about twenty feet between the third and fourth floors so it was a tall ladder. Which meant Devin gave the guards a good show, whether she wanted to or not. Once she had disappeared through the hole in the fourth floor, the guard removed his hand from my shoulder.

"Now you," he said.

I stepped onto the ladder and started up. Having worked as a shimmy dancer, not to mention a pleasure palace lure, and a waitress in a strip club, their attention didn't bother me.

Eventually, I reached the fourth floor and looked around. Mog was on his throne, looking the same as the last time we saw him. His deaf knife throwing guards lined both sides of the room, watching for the Witch Queen's appearance.

Devin had joined the other five queens, who were lined up in front of Mog's throne. The fact that they got here so early made me think that either they were afraid of Mog, or they wanted to win this competition. I suspect Ora Shayne and Nula Baat were afraid of Mog since both of their small countries bordered his.

I had little doubt that the three under the control of the Witch Queen came here with every intention of winning this competition, so they could try and kill Mog. Whether they were willing assassins or reluctant assassins I didn't know. I did notice the others wore outfits identical to what we wore.

"Today is the first day of the Competition of Queens," Mog said. "Today, you will all be judged in the area of beauty."

"Can we assume you're the judge?" I said.

"Who better to judge a queen than a king." Mog looked me over, but I couldn't tell if he liked what he saw. "This portion of the competition is simple. Each of you will step forward and introduce herself. When you are done, I will rule which of you is the most beautiful. The winner will receive one point. When all portions of the competition are done, the queen with the most points will become my bride. Are there any questions?"

"I have a question," I said, stepping forward.

"Why am I not surprised."

"Why have you decided to marry outside the Voss? From what I understand no Voss king has taken a wife that is not Voss."

"I do not want my son to have the blood of a commoner running through his veins. We are holding this competition to find a queen worthy of giving birth to my son. With me as his father, and the winner of this competition as his mother, Mog the Third will be the greatest king this world has ever known."

"If this is all about a son you might as well send me home."

"You are barren?"

"No woman in my family has ever given birth to a boy."

"Never?"

"Never. We've produced some of the greatest queens the world has ever known, but we have never given birth to a boy."

Mog smiled. "Perhaps that is because your women have never been impregnated by a Voss king."

"Typical male bravado," I said to Devin. "Thinking he's got the best swimmers in the world."

"Swimmers?" a puzzled Devin whispered.

"It's a term I picked up in the far future."

"Did you say something?" Mog said to me.

"I said you're just like every other man on the planet, thinking you've got the best swimmers in the world."

Mog might have turned red faced, although I'm not really sure. With his scraggly hair, and equally scraggy beard, it was hard to tell. I do know he rose to his feet and glared at me. "I am Mog the Second, greatest of all Voss kings. My swimmers, as you call them, are the best in the world. If you want, I will prove it to you right now."

I held up a hand. "Thanks but I'm not looking to get pregnant, according to my court physicians I've got plenty of time."

"No woman has as much time as she thinks." Mog sat back down. "Not when it comes to giving birth."

"True, but I'm not your average woman. I age at much slower rate than most people."

"I do not believe you," Mog said.

"How old would you say I am?"

"Eighteen. No more than nineteen."

"Actually, I'm twenty-five."

"So, you are older than you look. That is not uncommon."

"When he was young, my father made a deal with a higher being. In exchange for his fealty, that higher being altered my father's physiology, causing him to age at a much slower rate than other people. Whatever that higher being did to slow down my father's aging, I seemed to have inherited it."

"Interesting story," Mog said. "But I am not sure I believe it."

"You don't have to believe it," I said. "All I'm saying is I'm not ready to get pregnant, and if I did get pregnant, I wouldn't give birth to a boy, not even if you were the father."

"The Voss have ways of ensuring a woman gives birth to a boy. Rest assured, if I choose you, you will bear me a son." I didn't bother to reply. Talking to Mog was like talking to a rock.

"Perhaps you should introduce yourself to the others," Mog said.

"Lila Marie Haran," I said. "Heir to the throne of Sorea. First Consummate of Landish. Queen of Vassa, Dunre, and Adah. If none of you have ever heard of those places it's because they're on the other side of the planet."

Mog spun his finger. "Turn around. So I can see you from every angle."

I did a slow spin. When I finished, Mog turned his attention to Devin. "Devin, why don't you introduce yourself."

I stepped back in line and Devin stepped forward. "Devin Sandre Edgewater. Queen of Edgewater."

"Tell me why I should select you as the most beautiful queen in the world."

"Truth be told Your Majesty, I wouldn't select me."

Mog's expression told me that he wasn't expecting that answer. Apparently, he believed that all queens thought that they were the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Then who would you select?"

"I would select Lila."

"Why?"

Devin turned to me. "Twenty years from now, she'll still look like this while I'll look like her mother. Perhaps even her grandmother."

"You believe she has been speaking the truth?"

"I do," Devin said.

"And why is that?"

"She's not a woman prone to exaggeration. Everything she has told me about herself, I have found to be true."

"You sell yourself short," Mog said. "And perhaps you give her more credit than she deserves."

He motioned for Devin to spin around. She did, then she stepped back in line. Mog turned his attention to Nula Baat, who was standing next to Devin. "Nula, why don't you go next."

Nula stepped forward. "Nula Jace Baat, Queen of Midland." For such a big girl, she had a surprisingly squeaky voice. It reminded me of what a mouse might sound like if it could talk.

"Tell me why I should select you as the most beautiful queen in the world."

"If you like skinny queens," Nula looked at Devin on her left. Then she looked at Ora Shayne on her right. "Or tiny queens, then you probably won't think that I'm the most beautiful queen in the world. But if you're looking for a queen with a little meat on her bones, a queen that isn't afraid to eat and drink and laugh, then I am without a doubt, the most beautiful queen in the world."

"Well spoken, Nula." Nula did a quick spin and stepped back in line. Mog turned his attention to Ora Shayne. "Ora Shayne."

Ora Shayne stepped forward. She reached behind her head with both hands and lifted her long silver hair away from her ears, which I noticed were pointed. "Ora Shayne Freemont, Queen of the Nordland."

She had a surprisingly husky voice. The kind of voice that made men melt. Something I didn't expect from someone so small.

"Tell me why I should select you as the most beautiful queen in the world."

"Even among queens I stand out from the crowd. As all truly beautiful people do."

"Somebody's full of herself," Nula mumbled.

"You are a unique beauty," Mog said.

Ora Shayne spun around and stepped back in line.

Mog turned his attention to the first of the three queens from the south. The plain looking brunette. She had small brown eyes, a small mouth with thin lips, and a wide nose. She stepped forward. "I am Adriana Ki Rasmus, Queen of the Lowlands."

"Tell me why I should choose you as the most beautiful queen in the world."

"Beauty is not just physical appearance. It is much deeper than that. A truly beautiful queen loves and treats all of her subjects the same. That is something I strive to do every day."

Mog nodded. "Well spoken, Adriana. You are wise to remind us that beauty goes beyond the physical."

Adriana spun around and stepped back in line. When she did, Ora Shayne leaned toward her and whispered. "Mog's a man, and like all men, he could care less what's beneath the surface."

Mog turned his attention to the second queen from the south. The curvaceous blond that reminded me of my sister, Salisha. Minus the scars on her face of course. She stepped forward. "Riley Louise Depoto, Queen of the Souderland."

"And why should I chose you as the most beautiful queen in the world?" Mog asked.

Riley smiled and even I had to admit that she had a great smile. "Because I am."

Mog laughed. "Even if that isn't true, it's clear that you believe it is, which makes you the most honest queen in the world."

Riley spun and stepped back in line. The last of the southern queens stepped forward. She was tall and thin. Her hair was long and straight and matched the blue of her eyes. Like Ora Shayne, she had pointed ears. Like Ora Shayne, her skin was so pale it was almost translucent.

"Leah Cantrel Nix, Queen of the Hinterlands."

"Why should I select you as the most beautiful queen in the world?"

"Like Ora Shayne, I stand out from the crowd. Unlike Ora Shayne, I'm a normal sized woman."

Nula giggled. I was beginning to think that she didn't like Ora Shayne.

"You do stand out from the crowd," Mog said. "No one can deny that."

Leah spun and stepped back in line.

Mog rose to his feet. "I guess it's time for me to make my decision."

Before he could say anything else, Devin stepped forward. "Excuse me for interrupting, but you forgot to ask Lila why she thinks she's the most beautiful queen in the world."

Mog sighed and looked at me. "Why should I select you as the most beautiful queen in the world?"

I stepped forward. "I believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As such, I have no idea what kind of a woman you consider beautiful." Having said my piece, I stepped back in line.

"First, let me say that each of you brings her own unique beauty to this competition. That being said, Lila is right. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Since I am Voss, my preferences lean toward women that resemble Voss women. As such, I select Adriana Ki Rasmus, Queen of the Lowlands, as the most beautiful queen in the world." Mog pushed himself to his feet and looked at Adriana. "Congratulations Adriana, you now have one point in the Competition of Queens."

Adriana beamed, clearly pleased to have won the beauty portion of the competition. At the same time, Devin breathed a sigh of relief while everybody else looked disappointed.

"Feel free to enjoy the hospitality of my hovel," Mog said. "Tomorrow morning, we will begin the second round of the competition, which will test your intelligence."

# Chapter 8

We returned to Mog's hovel the next morning. Instead of being escorted to a room on the third floor, where we could change into matching outfits, we were escorted directly to Mog's throne room. I wore black riding boots, black leather knee breeches, and a long sleeved black silk shirt. My hair was in a ponytail and the crown of Dunre graced my head. My trusty cutlass was strapped around my waist.

Devin wore a long sleeved yellow silk gown with a high collar. One of the dresses that Iderra gave her. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail and a brass crown graced her head.

"How do you suppose Mog judges intelligence?" Devin asked as we headed for the ladder that connected the third floor to the fourth.

"You tell me. How do the Voss judge intelligence?"

Devin shrugged her shoulders. "Battle tactics?"

"Possibly. The hovel is clearly designed as a defensive fortification. Thick log walls. Doors too narrow for opposing soldiers to rush through. Ladders instead of stairs, which makes it harder for opposing soldiers to rush the next floor."

"And a ladder leading to the hole in the roof," Devin said. "A possible escape route if the first three floors have been taken."

"So you pretend you know nothing about battle tactics. Or anything else for that matter."

"And you'll say something to tick Mog off."

I nodded. "And he'll declare someone else to be the smartest queen alive."

"Works for me," Devin said.

"Me too," I added.

The two soldiers guarding the ladder to the fourth floor didn't even bother to look up when we climbed the ladder. Probably because we weren't wearing short skirts that you could look up.

Once again, Devin and I were the last to arrive. The others were lined up in front of Mog's throne. Like Devin, they were dressed to the hilt, wearing expensive gowns.

As I approached, Mog looked at me. "Lila, you seem to have misplaced your gown."

"I only wear a gown when I want to impress someone." I looked around the room. "I see no one here that I want to impress."

Mog glared at me. "I'm surprised you're still here. Considering you're not interested in bearing me a son."

"I gave your man, Bog, my word that I would compete, and I honor my word. Of course, I never said how hard I'd compete." I didn't have to say that last part, but if it ticked Mog off, then it worked for me.

"You are without a doubt the most insufferable woman that I have ever met."

"Your men dragged me to the far side of the world to compete for the hand of a man I have no interest in marrying. What do you expect?"

"You did not have to come."

"Your men threatened war. And as luck would have it, the bulk of my army was on the other side of the continent. But be forewarned, next time you send men to my homeland, my army will be waiting for them. And if they threaten war, there will be war."

"Did you invite us here to talk of war or to test our intelligence?" Nula asked.

"I invited you here to test your intelligence," Mog said.

"Then shall we get on with it?"

Mog looked at Devin. "I shall ask you the first question. Your king has been offended by a neighboring ruler and feels the offense warrants military reprisal. At the same time, his generals do not want to go to war. They feel the price of blood would be too high. What counsel do you give your king?"

Based on Mog's ego, I figured the correct answer was to support the king, even if it meant a costly war. Plus, the Voss believed the only good death, the only worthy death, was to die in battle. Devin must've thought that too because she went in the opposite direction.

"A wise king defers to the counsel of others," Devin said. "If his generals feel the army is not ready for war, then I would urge the king to defer to their wisdom."

Wrong answer," Mog said. "The king is always right. If he feels war is necessary, then his opinion is the only one that matters. Plus, the only good death is the death that takes place on the battle field."

Devin thrust her lower lip out in a pout, pretending to be disappointed. Mog turned his attention to Ora Shayne.

"The next question is for you, Ora Shayne." Ora Shayne nodded. Mog continued. "A lack of game in the forest. A lack of fish in the ocean. And a poor harvest has left your country short of food. What advice do you give your king?"

Ora Shayne pulled back her shoulders and smiled. "If your military is strong enough, you take what you need from your neighbors."

"And if your military is small and weak like that of the Nordland?"

The smile faded from Ora Shayne's face. "Then you must rely on the charity of your neighbors."

I stepped forward. "I've got a small problem with this portion of the competition."

Mog sat back and sighed. "Of course you do."

"Seems to me if you had all the answers, you'd rule this entire continent and not just half of it."

"Are you saying I'm not fit to judge which of you is the smartest?"

"Yeah. That's pretty much what I'm saying."

"Then how about if we make this portion of the competition, not which of you is the smartest, but which of you I deem to be the smartest."

"That would work for me." I stepped back in line. My goal here was simple, make Mog hate me, make him not want me to be his wife.

Mog turned his attention to Nula Baat. "The next question is for you, Nula. One of your generals is conspiring to kill you and claim your throne. Do you have him arrested and executed, or do you kill him yourself in a duel to the death?"

"Were I a skilled swordsman like you, great king, I would kill him myself in a duel to the death. But since I am a mere woman, I would have him arrested and executed."

"An excellent answer, Nula."

Nula smiled and stepped back in line.

"I'd kill him myself," I said. "In fact, I sort of did that once."

Mog turned his attention back to me. "Yes, my cousin, Bog, informs me that you are quite skilled with a sword. He informed me that on your journey over, the two of you dueled daily. He did not tell me that you have killed with a sword."

"I met a duke once. He thought women didn't belong on thrones and tried to assassinate me. One of my guards offered to fight him for me, but I preferred to do it myself."

"And you obviously won."

I forced myself to smile. "I always win."

Now it was Mog's turn to smile. "Unfortunately, tomorrow's fighting skills competition will not involve swords. It will be a simple wrestling competition. Winners must force the losers to submit."

"Can we throw punches?" I asked.

"Not to the face."

"What about kicks?"

"Again. Not to the face."

"How about pulling hair?" Nula asked.

"Pulling hair is allowed," Mog said. "Even encouraged."

"How about ripping off clothes?" Devin asked.

"That is also encouraged," a smiling Mog said. "Now, let us continue the intelligence portion of the competition."

How much do you want to bet Mog was going to pair me against Nula, the biggest girl in the competition. Not that I couldn't beat her. I had taken men down in hand to hand combat, I was pretty sure I could take Nula down, if I wanted to. Did I want to? That was the question. I didn't want to win the competition, but I'm not sure I wanted to lose in the first round. Either way, I would worry about it tomorrow. When you rule an empire, you learn to focus on today's problems and not worry about tomorrow's problems until tomorrow.

Mog was talking to Adriana Ki Rasmus, Queen of the Lowlands. The plain looking brunette he had named the winner of the beauty portion of the competition.

"This is your question, Adriana. "A neighboring ruler more powerful than yourself has asked you to assassinate someone for her. How do you respond to her?"

The way Adriana's face blanched, it was pretty clear that she never expected that question.

Apparently, Mog wasn't as dumb as he looked. He obviously knew why the three queens from the south had agreed to enter this competition.

Adriana cleared her throat a few times. "You tell the neighboring ruler, the one more powerful than yourself, that you will do what she wants should the opportunity arise. Then you return to her and explain that the opportunity never arose. That the person she asked you to assassinate was too well defended."

Mog nodded. "I suppose that's all one can do when they're trapped between the crashing waves and a rocky shore."

"It is all one can do," Adriana said.

She stepped back in line. Mog turned his attention to Riley Louise Depoto, Queen of the Souderland. The curvy blond stepped forward. She looked as pale as Adriana. Not surprising, considering Mog had all but told them that he knew why they were here.

"A man someone has ordered you to kill selects you as his bride. Do you marry him knowing the person who asked you to kill him may punish your countrymen?"

Riley looked Mog in the eyes. "If I win this competition I will marry you and be a faithful wife."

"If you do that, your people will face reprisals at the hand of the Witch Queen."

"There's not much more the Witch Queen can do to my people. She's taken control of my army. She taxes us mercilessly. And she takes our young women. I don't know what she does with them, but they're never seen again. We don't even know if they're alive."

"Some are alive," I said. "Working as servants in her castle. Some have been sacrificed to her master, the Prince of the Air."

"And you know this how?" Mog asked me.

"When I first arrived here, she tried to make a deal with me. She even used her powers to transport me to her castle. That's where I learned about the human sacrifices."

"And you did nothing about it?"

"Actually, I killed her."

"By her, you mean the Witch Queen?"

I nodded. "Unfortunately, she just moved into the body of the girl that she was about to sacrifice."

"So, you are telling us the Witch Queen cannot be killed?"

"Apparently not."

"You used the same power to kill her that you used to take my guard's knives away from them?"

"I did."

"You did not try to kill me."

"No."

"How come?"

"You're dirty and unkempt." I looked at stacks of gold on both sides of his throne. "Not to mention greedy. But you're not evil, not like she is."

Mog turned his attention to the last queen in line, Leah Cantrel Nix, Queen of the Hinterlands. The girl with the long straight hair that matched the blue of her eyes. Like Ora Shayne, she had pointed ears. Like Ora Shayne, her skin was so pale it was almost translucent, except of course, she was taller.

"Leah," Mog said. She stepped forward and waited for his question. "It appears we have abandoned all pretense. So I will just come out and ask you. If I select you as my wife, will you try and kill me?"

"In all truth, I cannot answer that question."

"Why not?"

"The Witch Queen can control people, make them do things they don't want to do."

"So you could be under her control right now and not even know it."

"Yes."

"As could Adriana and Riley."

"Yes."

"And even Lila."

"No," I said, before Leah could answer. "That power doesn't work on me."

"And you know this how?"

"Someone on my continent also served the Prince of the Air. He was given the same ability. It didn't work on me, or anyone in my family for that matter."

"You are sure of this?"

"Think about it, Bright Boy. If the Witch Queen could control me, you'd already be dead."

Mog nodded. "I suspect you are right. She would've sent those knives you took from my guards right into my heart."

"She would have."

Mog turned his attention back to Leah. "You have given me an honest answer and an honest answer is always a good answer."

Leah bowed her head and stepped back in line. Mog pushed himself to his feet. Before he could say anything Devin stepped forward. "You never asked Lila a question."

"I think he's heard enough from me," I said, grabbing Devin's hand and jerking her back in line.

"I was very impressed with all of your answers, not to mention your honesty, which I must admit was surprisingly frank. That being said, I think one person stood out from the others. As such, I award the intelligence portion of this competition to Lila."

"What?" someone said. It sounded like me. I think it was me. "What did I say that made you think I'm smart?"

Mog sat and flashed a smug grin. "You recognized that the Witch Queen deserves to die, but that I do not. In my mind, those two decisions demonstrate true wisdom. Congratulations Lila, you now have one point in the competition, which means you and Adriana are tied for first place."

Me and my big mouth. Now, I had no choice but to throw tomorrow's hair pulling competition. There was no way I could afford to get a second point in this competition. The way Mog was spreading the points around, two might be enough to win.

# Chapter 9

Devin was still laughing at me when we arrived for the third part of the competition. Mog called it the fighting skills competition. Since we weren't allowed to punch or kick someone in the head, let alone use swords, I tended to think of it as the hair pulling portion of the competition.

"Stop laughing," I said as we slipped into our third floor changing room. "It's not funny."

"It is," Devin said. "Your goal in talking was to make Mog mad at you, instead you convinced him that you're the smartest woman here."

"If I was smart, I would've kept my big mouth shut."

Once again, our outfits were laid out on the beds and once again, they were identical. We both got white leather thongs, shorts, vests, and boots.

"Do you have any training in hand to hand fighting?" Devin asked as we changed.

"Yes, do you?"

"None whatsoever. How much do you have?"

"Lots."

"Then you'll probably win this portion of the competition."

"No I won't. As soon as my first opponent grabs me, I'm going to fall to the floor, pound my hand on it, and yell, I submit."

"How do you know your training won't kick in? You might take your opponent down without even realizing what you're doing."

"I'm not an assassin."

"What if you end up fighting Ora Shayne in the first round? She's pretty small. Be hard not to beat her in a fight."

"Yes, but I suspect that she'll be trying hard to win. Her and Nula both seem to think that marriage to Mog will make their lives, as well as the lives of their people, easier."

"It won't," Devin said with certainty.

"I agree. It'll just make their lives harder."

"What happens if we have to face each other?"

"One of us is going to have to take the win and throw the next round of the competition."

"We should decide right now which of us is going to take the win?"

"You," we both said at the same time.

"I don't know anything about fighting," Devin said. "No one will believe that I can take you in a fight. No one will believe that I can take anyone in a fight."

"Fine," I said. "If we have to face each other, you can take the loss and I'll throw the next round of the competition."

After dressing, we laced each other's hair into a single braid, then pinned the braids up, coiling them into buns, so someone couldn't pull on them during the competition. We left our crowns with our clothes and headed for Mog's throne room. Once again, Devin scrambled up first. Leaving me to bring up the rear.

Once again, we were the last to arrive. Perhaps because we were the only two that didn't want to win the competition, more likely because the others were sleeping in the hovel while we were sleeping in our cabins on Devin's longboat. Everyone had pinned their hair up except Nula, who wore her curly hair short.

Once again, there was no one there except Mog and his deaf guards. I suspect everyone appreciated the lack of an audience. The only thing worse than having to engage in a hair pulling match with another woman, was having to engage in a hair pulling match with another woman in front of a big crowd.

"Now that everybody's here we can begin. Since there are seven of you. One of you will get a first round bye." Mog rose to his feet, stepped off the dais, and moved toward us. In his hand was a small leather bag. "There are seven wooden tokens in this bag. Six of them have a number. One has no number. The person that draws the token without a number gets a first round bye. Everyone else will square off in either the first, second, or third match, depending upon the number on your token."

Mog moved toward the other end of the line and gave Leah the first pick. Leah drew a wooden token with the number two on it. Riley, the curvaceous blond, drew a token with the number three on it.

Adriana drew a token with the number one on it. Nula went next. She drew the token with no number. That meant she would get a first round bye.

Ora Shayne drew the second token with the number two on it. That meant she would square off against Leah in the second match. I figured that would be an interesting match since Leah made fun of Ora Shayne's height, or a lack thereof, on the first day of the competition.

Devin drew the second token with the number one on it. That meant she would be in the first match of the day against the mousy Adriana. I got the last token which had the second number three on it. That meant I would square off in the third match of the day against Riley, the curvaceous blond.

"The rules are simple," Mog said. "No punches or kicks to the head. Other than that there are no rules. A match ends when one of you submits or is rendered unconscious."

Mog moved back to his throne and sat. "Everyone but Devin and Adriana can come up here with me."

We all moved to the dais. Nula, Ora Shayne, and myself standing on one side of Mog's throne. Leah and Riley standing on the other side.

"The floor is yours," Mog said to Devin and Adriana.

Adriana and Devin turned to face each other. Then Adriana did something completely unexpected. She lowered her head and charged Devin like an angry bull.

"Yah!" she screamed as she rushed Devin.

Devin responded by sliding out of the way, more out of self preservation than any desire to win the match. Adriana didn't bother to look up and see where her opponent was, she just charged on, screaming all the way. Eventually, she ran into the heavy log wall at the end of the room, crashing into it head first. That's when she straightened up, rubbed her head, and collapsed onto her back.

"Is she dead?" Devin said.

"Just unconscious," Nula said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, her chest is moving. Which means she's still breathing."

While everyone focused on the unconscious Adriana, Ora Shayne leaned toward me. "I don't know anything about fighting."

"Jump on her back, wrap your arm around her neck, and put pressure on this spot." I touched the appropriate spot on my neck. "You can cut off the blood supply to her head and render her unconscious."

"That really works?"

"It really works. I did it to a man that was twice my size. He went out like a candle doused with water."

"How do I get behind her?"

"Drop to one knee and use your other leg to sweep her feet out from under her. Then you can jump on her back and put pressure on that spot."

"I guess Devin wins," Mog said. "She will advance to the next round. Congratulations Devin. You, um, demonstrated great agility in getting out of Adriana's way. Leah and Ora Shayne. You're up next."

Devin grabbed a spot next to me on the dais. "This should be a good one. I get the feeling that these two don't like each other."

Leah and Ora Shayne stepped off the dais and faced each other. Both had long narrow faces as well as pointed ears. Leah was taller, but both girls were slight. For a couple of minutes, they just circled around each other.

"Somebody do something already," Nula said. "Or I'll come down there and sit on both of you."

Everyone laughed, distracting Leah. That's when Ora Shayne dropped to one knee and used her other leg to sweep Leah's feet out from beneath her.

Leah landed on her stomach with a grunt. Before she could get up, Ora Shayne jumped on her back and wrapped her right arm around Leah's neck.

"Submit," Ora Shayne said. "Or I'll cut off the blood supply to your brain."

Leah pushed herself to her hands and knees. Ora Shayne responded by wrapping her legs around Leah's waist while increasing the pressure to Leah's neck. Leah collapsed to her stomach, then rolled onto her back, trying to force Ora Shayne off her. It didn't work. Ora Shayne hung on like a tick. Slowly, Leah lost consciousness. A few seconds later, the fight was over.

"I think she's out," Nula said.

"I believe you're right," Mog said. "Ora Shayne wins."

Ora Shayne pushed an unconscious Leah off her and leapt to her feet.

"Well executed, Ora Shayne." Mog looked at me. "Even if Lila did tell you what to do."

I looked at Mog. "You heard that?"

"I heard. If you don't do as well in your fight. I'll know you're not trying."

"Whether I choose to try, or not try, is up to me."

While Ora Shayne stepped onto the dais. Nula stepped off. She grabbed an unconscious Leah by the ankles and dragged her to the side of the room, laying her next to a still unconscious Adriana.

"The southern queens aren't doing so well," Nula said. "So far, they're zero for two."

I stepped off the dais and smiled at Nula. "I'll see if I can't do something about that."

"You don't need to throw your fight," Nula said to me. "I've been wrestling with guys my whole life. I'll have no trouble beating any of you girls. No matter how hard you try."

"I believe Nula has just issued a challenge," Mog said. He turned to Riley, the curvaceous blond. "You and Lila are up next."

Riley stepped off the dais and faced me. To say that she looked nervous was an understatement. It was pretty obvious that she had never been in a fight her entire life.

"Grab her boobs," Nula chuckled. "Squeeze them hard enough and she'll submit."

"Who are you talking to?" Mog asked.

"Whoever listens," Nula said. "They've both got big racks."

Riley must've decided to take Nula's advice, because she rushed me, hands extended in front of her like a blind man. I responded by turning my left side to her, raising my left leg, and extending it straight out.

Riley ran straight into the heel of my boot. She grunted as it connected with her stomach, knocking the wind right out of her. She collapsed to her knees, then onto her side, gasping for breath.

"Was that a legal move?" Nula asked Mog. "You said we couldn't use our feet."

"I said you couldn't kick your opponent in the head."

"So the move was legal?"

"The move was legal," Mog said. "Besides, Lila didn't kick Riley. Riley simply ran into her foot."

I didn't want to do it, but I didn't really have a choice, so I walked over to Riley, bent over her, and said, "Do you submit?"

Riley nodded. She was still on her side, holding her stomach while gasping for breath.

"Lila wins," Mog said, rising to his feet. "The second round will consist of Devin, Ora Shayne, Lila, and Nula. Let's hope the second round fights are better than the first."

Devin and I helped Riley to her feet. We escorted her to the side of the room, setting her down next to a groggy Leah and the still unconscious Adriana.

When we returned to the others, Mog pushed himself to his feet and held out the leather bag. "Once again, you will draw for opponents. There are four tokens in the bag. Two with the number one on them. Two with the number two on them."

This time Mog came to me first. I reached into the bag and pulled out a token with the number two on it. Devin was next. She pulled out a token with the number one on it. Nula reached into the bag and pulled out the second token with the number two on it. That meant I would square off against Nula in the second fight while Devin would battle Ora Shayne in the first fight.

"I know you and Devin are friends," Ora Shayne said to me. "So I won't ask you for any advice. Unless of course you want to give it."

"Whatever you do, don't put your head down and rush her like a bull. She'll just step out of the way."

"That was self preservation," a grinning Devin said. "You saw how hard she hit the wall."

Mog returned to his throne. "This is the first semi-final round. Devin and Ora Shayne. You're up."

Devin and Ora Shayne stepped off the dais and faced each other. For a minute, they didn't do anything other than circle around each other. No surprise there. Devin was waiting for Ora Shayne to do something so she could fall down and submit. Of course, Ora Shayne didn't know that. She thought Devin wanted to win this competition as much as she did. Since Devin was bigger than her, she was being cautious.

Eventually, Ora Shayne made a move. She dropped to one knee and swept her other leg across the floor, trying to trip Devin up the way she tripped Leah up. This time the move didn't work. Devin was waiting for it and jumped out of the way of Ora Shayne's short leg.

Devin wasn't ready for the next move. As soon as she jumped back, Ora Shayne sprang to her feet and rushed forward. Then she stopped, turned sideways, and extended her left leg up and out, imitating the side kick I used on Riley.

She caught Devin in the gut, knocking her on her butt. As Devin scrambled to her feet, Ora Shayne jumped on her back, wrapped her legs around Devin's waist, and her arm around Devin's neck. Then she applied pressure to the spot I showed her, cutting off the blood supply to Devin's head.

Instead of submitting, Devin looked at me, her eyes pleading for help.

I mouthed the words, "Fall on your back."

Devin did what I suggested, she fell backward, smashing the smaller Ora Shayne between herself and the floor. Ora Shayne let out a loud grunt as her head smashed into the wood and the air left her lungs.

Devin scrambled to her feet but Ora Shayne didn't get up, she just lay there gasping for breath.

"Do you submit?" Devin said, bending over Ora Shayne.

Ora Shayne nodded, still gasping for breath.

"Devin wins," Mog said, rising to his feet.

Devin had made it to the finals with just two moves. In her first fight, she merely stepped aside. In this fight, she simply fell on top of her opponent. It was so ridiculous I couldn't help but laugh.

"It's a good thing these girls have people to fight for them because they sure can't fight for themselves," Nula said.

"I think you'll discover one of them can fight," Mog said. He looked at me. "Whether she wants to remains to be seen."

"I hope she does fight," Nula said. "Because Devin isn't going to give me much of a tussle."

Ora Shayne finally got her breath back. She staggered to her feet and moved off to the side, sitting down next to Riley and Leah. Adriana was still unconscious, which was probably a good thing. When she did wake up, she was going to have one heck of a headache.

"Nula and Lila are up next," Mog said.

"Thank the gods. I was getting bored watching these little girls play house." Nula leapt off the dais, anxious to see some action. I followed her. As I passed Devin, she stopped and whispered in my ear. "You have to beat her, if for no other reason than to save my life."

I stepped off the dais and turned to face a grinning Nula.

"You ever popped a grape?" Nula asked me.

"Not recently. Why?"

"Cause I'm gonna squeeze those big boobs of yours until they pop like a couple of giant grapes."

I didn't want to win this match, but it was beginning to look like I didn't have a choice. Nula was way more serious about this portion of the competition than anybody else. Probably because this was the one part of the competition she knew she could win. Or thought she could win. As she was about to find out. She was wrong. She couldn't win this portion of the competition. And the only thing that was going to get popped was her head.

I looked at Nula and shimmed my shoulders, causing the exposed part of my breasts to quiver. "Here they are. Come and get them if you think you can."

Nula licked her lips, making me think that if she won this competition, there wouldn't be much romance between her and Mog, between her and any man for that matter. Then she crouched and moved toward me, her arms spread wide like a wrestler.

When she was within range, I executed a crescent kick, raising my right leg in front of my left then swinging it in a left to right crescent shaped arc. I should point out that it takes longer to describe the move than it does to execute it.

Nula never even saw it coming. In less than a second, the heel of my boot crashed against her right temple. Not surprisingly, Nula went down like a giant bag of potatoes.

She got back up, although she was quite groggy. Before she could get her bearings, I swung my left leg up and around, delivering another crescent kick to her head. This time the heel of my boot crashed into her left temple. Once again, she dropped to the floor like a giant bag of potatoes.

It took a minute, but she staggered back to her feet, which I must admit surprised me. I didn't expect her to get up from the first kick, let alone the second one. Once again, I hit her before she could get her bearings, delivering another crescent kick to her right temple. Instead of falling backwards, like she did the first two times, she fell forward, right on her face. I knew she wouldn't be getting up any time soon, because she didn't even put her hands out to catch herself.

Mog stood. Before he could say anything I spoke. "I know. I know. I'm disqualified for kicking her in the head."

"I did rule that kicks to the head are illegal. Not that I blame you. It would be foolish to get in a wrestling match with someone twice your size." Mog turned to Devin. "Congratulations Devin. I don't believe Nula's going to be in any condition to fight again today, which means you are the winner of the fighting skills portion of the competition. You are now tied for first place with Lila and Adriana. Tomorrow, we will continue with the fourth part of the competition. The endurance test."

"What exactly does that entail?" I asked.

Mog smiled. "You will find out tomorrow."

# Chapter 10

"What do you suppose Mog has planned for us today?" Devin asked me.

We had just slipped into our changing room on the third floor of Mog's hovel, having been told they had outfits for us. I turned to look at Devin. "I thought you weren't talking to me."

"That was yesterday. I've decided that it's time to move on."

"So you've forgiven me for helping you win the fighting skills portion of the competition?"

"You had no choice. Nula would've squished you like a bug if you hadn't taken her down. Then she would've squished me like a bug."

"Whatever Mog has planned for today, I suspect it won't be comfortable."

"What makes you say that?"

"You ever heard of a comfortable endurance test?"

"I've never heard of an endurance test."

"It sounds like another one of Mog's--the last girl standing wins—competitions. He seems to like those."

"Which means we have to make sure we don't last very long."

I nodded in agreement.

We changed into our outfits, which consisted of red leather thongs, skirts, vests, and boots, standard slave girl uniforms. The first thing I noticed was the difference in how well they fit.

Devin's skirt fell to mid thigh and slid on and off quite easily. My skirt was considerably shorter and tighter. I had to squirm and writhe just to get it on. Once I had it on, it looked more like a belt than a skirt. It was so short, it left the lower half of my bottom on display. My vest was no better. It was sleeveless and laced up the front like Devin's vest, but was smaller and tighter. Devin's vest left a couple of inches of her waist on display. Mine left a good six to eight inches of my waist bare. It was so tight, it mashed my breasts together so I was displaying maximum cleavage. Our boots reached to the top of the calf and laced up the front. Devin's had a wide two inch heel. Mine had narrow five inch heels.

I wasn't surprised at how well my uniform fit, or didn't fit. Not after the way I had been shooting my mouth off. I couldn't blame Mog for using this opportunity to get back at me, to embarrass me the way I had been embarrassing him.

We left our hair in ponytails, dropped our crowns on top of our clothes, and headed for Mog's throne room.

As usual, Devin and I were the last to arrive. The others were also wearing slave girl outfits. Standard outfits like Devin's, not the skimpy outfit I had been given. As I took my spot at the end of the line, Nula looked at me and grinned. "I've been trying to decide which of you I'd like to do first and I think I just decided."

The outfit didn't bother me, nor did Nula's comment. Five years ago they would have, but not now. I was used to revealing outfits, used to comments of a sexual nature.

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin," Mog said. "Today is the endurance portion of the competition. Each of you will be put to work somewhere in Funderburk. The person that lasts the longest will win this portion of the competition." Mog clapped his hands twice and seven girls dressed like us stepped forward. "Consider these girls your supervisors. They will take you to your jobs and keep track of how long you remain there. When you can't endure any longer, tell your supervisor and she will bring you back here."

"Hard work doesn't bother me," Nula boasted. "Don't expect to see me until after sunset."

Mog returned to his throne and smiled. "We shall see."

A brown haired girl came up to me. "You're to follow me."

I followed the girl down to the third floor, then to the second, then to the first. We headed outside, although we weren't outside very long. We walked right across the street and entered another hovel. It was big, but not nearly as big as Mog's hovel.

The first floor was packed dirt with a fire pit in the middle. There was a second floor, but that was it. The second floor contained a balcony that circled the fire pit. Tables and chairs littered the first floor. At this hour of the morning, the place was empty.

"You're to spend the day working as a barmaid," my escort said. "Your job is simple. You deliver mugs of ale to the tables and return the empties to the bar."

"I know what a barmaid does," I said.

"You should know that nobody except Mog and myself know that you are not a slave. So expect to be treated as such."

"Are you a slave?" I asked the girl.

"Of course," the girl said.

"Where are you from?"

"I am from the Westland."

"How did you end up a slave?"

"When our king could not pay the tribute the Voss demanded, they took several girls, myself included, as slaves."

"How come there are no male slaves in the Vossland?"

"There is no shortage of men here in the Vossland. But there is a shortage of Voss women."

"So I noticed."

"If you do not wish to do slave work, we can return to the king's hovel. Of course, you will lose this portion of the competition."

I didn't want to be the first to return the the king's throne room. If I was the first back, Mog would call me weak. I was a lot of things, but I wasn't weak.

"I'll stay for awhile," I said.

It wouldn't be the first time I worked as a barmaid. When I traveled two thousand years into the future, I was brainwashed and put to work as a waitress in a strip club. It wasn't even a classy strip club. It was more of a joint.

The girl led me to the back of the room where a bartender was busy cleaning wooden mugs. He looked like every other Voss male, short and stocky, with wild shoulder length hair, and a bushy brown beard that needed a wash and a trim. His fur vest and leggings were red, probably fox.

"I have brought the girl the king promised you," my escort said.

"How long do I get her for?" the bartender asked.

"Maybe a few minutes. Maybe a few hours. We shall see how she does."

The bartender stepped out from behind the bar and circled me, looking me over. "She's beautiful."

"All the king's girls are beautiful."

The bartender's eyes focused on my breasts. "She's got big tits."

"Is that a problem?"

"Definitely not. I like em big." He nodded at a couple of plump brunettes who were busy wiping the tables down. Both girls were young, well endowed, and dressed in red, probably the bartender's slaves.

I thought this endurance test would be a physical one. Turns out is wasn't a physical test but a psychological one. Mog wanted to see how much humiliation we could endure. I didn't consider performing manual labor to be humiliating, but I had little doubt some of the others would.

Most queens didn't even dress themselves let alone perform manual labor. Of course, I wasn't like most queens. I was Adan. When I was a teenager, my mother made me spend a month working as a maid at a roadside inn.

"To understand your subjects, you must understand their lives," my mother said. "And the only way you can understand their lives is to spend some time in their shoes."

This was a job I could perform in my sleep. This was a job I had performed in my sleep.

I had no idea what Devin and the others were doing, whatever Mog had them doing, it would be basic labor, and I had little doubt that they would consider it to be beneath them, if not down right demeaning.

"Your job is simple," the bartender said to me. "You deliver drinks to the customers and return the empties to the bar. And don't talk to the customers. A good slave is seen but not heard. Understood?"

I nodded, but didn't say anything, proving I could keep my month shut when I wanted.

The bartender moved behind the bar and set three wooden mugs on a wooden tray. Empty mugs. Then he pointed to a table. "Let's see you deliver these to that table."

I picked up the tray. Before I could head off, he stopped me. "Keep the tray around your waist. You don't want to hide those gorgeous tits."

I lowered the tray to my waist, so the mugs on it weren't hiding my breasts. As I headed off, the bartender had a couple more suggestions. "Arch your back. And work that cute little ass of yours."

I arched my back, which of course pushed my breasts and bottom out, then I added an exaggerated wiggle to my bottom. I delivered the three mugs to the table, then I returned to the bar, remembering to keep my back arched while working my bottom.

"What's her name?" the bartender asked.

"She is a slave," my escort said. "You can call her anything you want."

The bartender stared at my breasts and smiled. "I'm going to call her Jugs, for obvious reasons."

Eventually, customers started showing up, like the other two waitresses, I got busy delivering drinks. The men stared at me and made jokes about my anatomy, but unlike the strip joint I worked in, they didn't try to touch me. Apparently there was an unwritten rule in the Vossland. You keep your hands off my slaves and I'll keep mine off yours. The biggest difference between this job and the one I worked at in the strip joint was I didn't get tips here.

"You can quit anytime you want," my escort reminded me when we had a moment to ourselves.

I wasn't ready to quit. The stubborn part of me didn't want to give Mog the satisfaction of being the first one back, or even the second one back. Of course I didn't want to win this portion of the competition either. I wanted to stay long enough so Mog couldn't call me weak, but not so long that I ended up winning. "How long do you think the others will last?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know what Mog has them doing?"

"No."

"Jugs, I got another order for you," the bartender said. His name was Rog and he was one of Mog's cousins. The name he gave me didn't bother me. I had been called worse. Plus, he called his other two girls Bubbles and Melons, so it wasn't like he was picking on me. He just liked breasts.

Rog pointed to the appropriate table. I picked up a tray loaded with four wooden mugs, lowered it to my waist, and teetered off.

"Work your ass, Jugs," Rog called out in a voice loud enough for the whole bar to hear.

As I headed across the bar, I did what Rog wanted, swinging my bottom so I was putting on a show for all the men that were watching me.

"How long have you been a slave?" I asked my escort when I returned to the bar.

"A couple of years."

"Will you ever get your freedom?"

"If a Voss man takes me as his wife, I will earn my freedom."

"What are the odds of that?"

"Not too good. The Voss like to look at us, and play with us, but they do not take us as their brides."

"Because you're not Voss."

The girl nodded. "Because we are not Voss."

"Perhaps that will change if Mog takes a bride that is not Voss."

"One can only hope."

Rog interrupted our conversation. "Jugs, order up."

I grabbed my tray and loaded it with four mugs of ale. Rog pointed to the appropriate table and I teetered off, swinging my bottom while trying to decide how long I should stay.

***

It was mid afternoon when I returned to Mog's throne room.

"It appears we have a winner," Mog said, rising from his throne. "Ora Shayne has yet to return, which means she wins the endurance portion of the competition."

I breathed a sigh of relief. My timing had been perfect. I wasn't the first one back, which meant Mog couldn't make fun of me, but I wasn't the last one back, which meant I didn't pick up another point in this stupid competition.

"I thought you said we wouldn't see you until after sunset?" I said to Nula.

Now it was Nula's turn to blush. "That was before I knew we would be doing slave work."

"Don't be too hard on Nula," Mog said. "She lasted a couple of hours. Which is longer than the others lasted. They were all back inside an hour."

"You just wanted to humiliate us," Riley said. "Forcing us to do manual labor. Dressed as slaves no less."

"The ability to endure requires mental toughness. Not just physical toughness. My son will be King of the Voss. People will expect him to be mentally strong as well as physically strong. That's what this test was about, to separate those that are mentally tough from those that aren't."

"What is Ora Shayne doing?" Leah asked.

"Slave work."

"What kind of slave work?"

"Does it matter?" Leah didn't respond so Mog turned his attention to the rest of us. "Tomorrow morning, you will compete in the fifth portion of the competition. The compassion test. I will see you then."

All the queens turned and headed for the exit, with Devin and myself bringing up the rear.

"What did Mog make you do?" Devin asked me.

"Serve drinks in a tavern. What did you have to do?"

"I had to work in a bathhouse, bathing elderly Voss women."

"How did that go?"

"I had to get naked and climb in this big wooden tub with them. The first woman I tried to wash must've been one hundred years old."

"So?"

"So, she tried to feel me up."

"At least she liked you."

Devin laughed. "You are incorrigible."

"So I've been told."

"Do you suppose the Voss view compassion as a strength or a weakness?"

"I have yet to meet a slave owner that views compassion as a strength."

"So we should be extra compassionate tomorrow?"

"I think it's a losing formula."

"I hope you're right," Devin said.

So did I, because we were still tied for first place.

# Chapter 11

The next morning, we were able to head up to Mog's throne room without changing. Devin worn a pale green silk gown with long sleeves and a scooped neckline. Her blond hair was pinned behind her ears. Her brass crown graced her head. I wore a long sleeved purple silk shirt. It contained a V neckline that plunged all the way to my waist. Black leather dress boots that ended just above the knee, and a short black leather skirt, completed my outfit. My hair was in a ponytail and the crown of Dunre was on my head. My cutlass hung from my left hip.

Once again, we were the last to arrive. Like us, everybody else had dressed up. Nula wore a brown cotton gown with long sleeves and a high neckline. White lace adorned the sleeve cuffs as well as the skirt's hem and collar.

Ora Shayne wore high heeled sandals and a short skirt made out of brass coins. Her top was a halter that left her arms and waist bare. Like the skirt, it was made out of brass coins. Not surprisingly, she jingled when she moved.

The three southern queens wore spider silk gowns. Based upon their plunging necklines, and the slits in the front of their skirts, they were probably designed by the Witch Queen. Leah's dress was a dark blue that matched her hair and eyes. Riley's was white and showed off her generous curves, especially above the waist. Adriana's dress was orange with a wide black belt around the waist.

Everybody wore a crown. The crowns of the three southern queens were gold. The crowns of the three northern queens were brass. I suppose that said something about the differences between the Witch Queen and King Mog. The Witch Queen took young people to use as servants and sacrifices, but she left the other queens a few things of value, like their gold crowns. She even gave them something to wear when it suited her purpose.

Mog took everything of value, then he took the young women. Of course, he didn't use them as human sacrifices, but he did make them slaves. I was no longer sure which was the lesser of two evils. I was beginning to think that evil was evil no matter what guise it took. I had little doubt that this continent would be a better place if someone got rid of both the Witch Queen and King Mog, of course there was no one around with that kind of power, except perhaps me.

"I guess we can begin," Mog said, rising from his throne. "Today is the fifth test of the competition. The compassion test. Lila has one point. Adriana has one point. Devin has one point. And Ora Shayne has one point. There are three points left, including today's test, which means anybody can still win."

I stepped forward. "I have a question."

"Why am I not surprised."

"Since I have no intention of marrying you, even if I win this competition, and seeing how you don't want to marry me, since I can't bare you a son, I'm wondering if I can give my points to somebody else, like Ora Shayne?"

A ray of hope filled Ora Shayne's ice blue eyes and she shifted her weight, causing her brass outfit to jingle. I had little doubt that once upon a time, she had a solid silver version of the outfit. And I had little doubt that it sat in one of those piles of silver and gold that flanked Mog's throne.

"Why would you give your points to Ora Shayne?" Mog asked. He moved to his throne and sat down, anticipating a long argument with me. "I would think you'd want to give them to Devin. Your friend."

I couldn't say that she didn't want them because she didn't want to win, so I said the next best thing. "She prefers to win this competition on her own."

"She offered me her points," Devin said. "I told her that I didn't need them."

Mog looked at me. "And you think Ora Shayne does need them?"

"I didn't say she needed them. Nor did she say she wanted them. I just asked you if I could give them to her."

"No," Mog said. "You cannot give her, or anybody else, your points. If you win this competition, you will become my wife, and you will bare me a son."

"You want to bet?"

"Bet what?"

"That if I win this competition, I'll become your wife."

"If you win the competition. You WILL become my wife. Mark my words."

"If you try to make me your wife. I'll abandon you at the end of time. Mark my words."

Mog grinned. "Hollow threats from little girls don't scare me."

Once again, I ripped the knives out of the hands of Mog's nine guards and sent them flying at Mog. Once again, I stopped them just outside of his reach. I left them suspended in midair, still pointed at him.

"I don't make hollow threats," I said. "If I threaten to abandon you at the end of time, rest assured, I have the power to abandon you at the end of time."

Once again, I sent the knives back to their owners. Once again, the guards snatched them out of the air and hugged them to their chests as tightly as a mother might hug a beloved child.

Mog looked at me. "If you become my wife, will my son inherit your powers?"

"If I become your wife, which isn't going to happen, you wouldn't have a son. You would have daughters. Lots and lots of daughters. Each one as outspoken as me. As to whether they would inherit my powers, I can't say."

"You inherited your powers."

"I inherited some of my powers. But not the ability to move objects without touching them. That power was a gift."

"From who?"

"The One God."

"I have never heard of this One God."

"That's your problem, not mine."

"Why would he give this power to you and not to me?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Perhaps because I wash and brush my hair and you don't."

I was making a joke, but Mog took me seriously. "If I wash and brush my hair like you, this One God you mentioned will grant me this power?"

"I don't claim to know the mind of the One God," I said. Then quickly added, "but it wouldn't hurt to try. You also might want to start shaving. I hear the One God, prefers men that shave."

Devin snickered. Then covered it up by stepping forward. "Can we get on with the compassion test?"

"Yes. We must remember why we are here." Mog rose to his feet and stepped forward. "Seven slaves that have committed grievous errors will be brought forward. Each of you will pass judgment on one of these slaves. How much compassion you show them will determine whether you win or lose today's portion of the competition."

"Are you looking for a lot of compassion, or very little compassion?" Nula asked.

Mog returned to his throne and smiled. "That is something you will have to figure out on your own. Consider it part of the test."

Mog clapped his hands. A slave girl stepped out from behind a wall in back of Mog's throne. She moved around to the front of the dais and dropped to both knees. She was dressed like all the slave girls, red boots, a short red skirt, and a matching leather vest that left her arms and waist bare. She was short and slim, extremely slim, with pale blond hair that she wore in a ponytail. She was young, somewhere around eighteen years old.

Mog rose to his feet and motioned for me to join him on the dais. "Lila, you are up first."

I joined Mog on the dais. I noticed that with four inch heels, I was taller than him by a couple of inches. I couldn't resist another jab, so I looked down at him and smiled. "You're kind of a shorty. Just for the record, I prefer my men on the tall side."

Mog glared at me then turned his attention back to the slave girl. "Tell Queen Lila your crime, girl."

The frightened girl didn't look up. She continued to stare at the floor as she spoke. "I stole food from my master."

"What did you do with the food?" I asked.

"I ate it, Your Highness."

"Why?"

"Because I was hungry."

"Your master doesn't feed you?"

"He says a fat slave is a lazy slave. To keep us from getting too fat, he feeds us one meal every other day."

"Is your master fat?"

When the girl didn't answer, Mog spoke. "Answer her honestly, slave."

"My master is . . . well fed."

"So he's fat."

"Yes."

"Your master wouldn't happen to be King Mog?"

Mog glared at me. "I am not fat."

I looked him up and down. "You're not exactly skinny."

Mog pounded his chest with his fist. "This is all muscle."

To prove it was all muscle he peeled off the white fur vest that covered his chest, revealing that it was indeed all muscle. His chest was surprisingly hairless when you considered all the hair that covered his head and face.

"See," Mog said. "All muscle."

Mog flexed his biceps for me. I looked him up and down, then said, "Do you shave your chest? I don't like men that shave their chests. It makes you look . . . feminine."

"You are insufferable," Mog said. He put his vest back on, stormed over to his throne, and slumped down on it. "This slave's fate is in your hands. How compassionate are you going to be?"

I looked at Mog. "You will enforce my ruling, no matter what it is?"

Mog nodded. "I will enforce your ruling. No matter what it is."

I turned back to the girl. "What is your name?"

The girl didn't look up. She kept her eyes on the floor. "My real name or my slave name?"

"Your real name. I have no interest in any name some fat smelly Voss pig might have given you."

"My real name is Elena."

"Where are you from Elena?"

"I come from Edgewater."

"You are one of Devin's subjects."

The girl finally looked up, focusing on Devin. "I was, Your Highness."

"How long have you been a slave?"

The girl turned her attention back to the floor. "About six months."

"Mog's men took you as a slave because Devin had nothing else to give them?"

"That is what I was told."

Devin blushed and lowered her eyes to the floor. In my mind, the only person that should've been blushing right then was Mog. I decided that he needed a little humbling so I used my power to move small objects to pull my cutlass from it's scabbard. I then sent the cutlass flying toward Mog, stopping it only when the blade was pressed against Mog's throat.

Mog's nine guards responded instantly, sending their eighteen knives flying at me. I used my power to stop the knives before they reached me. I left them floating in midair, surrounding me. When I moved toward Mog, the knives moved with me, still surrounding me, still suspended in midair. Yeah. I know. I was showing off.

Mog had both hands on the hilt of my cutlass. He was trying to pull it away from his throat. As hard as he tried, he couldn't do it. My power was too strong.

"You're a greedy little boy," I said, stopping in front of him. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now and claim your throne for myself?"

Mog opened his mouth to respond, but I held up a hand, silencing him. "Think carefully before you answer, because your very life depends upon what you say."

Mog's guards moved toward me, intending to physically restrain me. I spun their knives around, so they were pointed at the men approaching me.

"If your guards take one more step. They'll die. You've seen how fast I can move objects when I want to."

Mog let go of the cutlass he was still struggling with and raised a hand. His guards stopped their advance.

"If you let me live," Mog said. "I will stop forcing Devin to pay tribute."

"Not good enough, greedy boy."

I used my power to press the blade of the cutlass against Mog's throat until the blade cut skin and a drop of blood trickled out and ran down Mog's neck. One of his guards took a step forward. I sent one of the eighteen knives still surrounding me at that guard. It moved so fast, the guard never saw it coming. The knife went deep into his left shoulder. He screamed in pain and dropped to his knees. Before he could touch the knife, I used my power to pull it out of his shoulder. The knife returned to its spot in the circle of knives surrounding me. It's blade dripping with blood.

When I first started using this power, I couldn't have done what I was doing now. But I had been practicing, for five long years I had been practicing, testing my powers, stretching the limits of my abilities.

I turned my attention back to Mog. "You still haven't given me a reason as to why I shouldn't take your life and claim your throne for myself. Greedy boy."

Mog was still fighting with my cutlass. Not to mention losing. I noticed that a line of sweat had broken out across his brow. "I will return all the gold and silver I have taken from Devin and her people. They can have it back."

"You see that outfit Ora Shayne is wearing?"

Mog glanced at Ora Shayne. "What about it?"

"I'm guessing that once upon a time, she had an identical outfit made out of silver. One that matched her hair. I'm guessing she'd like to have it back."

"She can have it back," Mog said. "She can have everything back. As can Nula."

"I have your word on this?"

"Yes, yes, you have my word. As King of the Voss."

"And you will stop demanding tribute from their kingdoms as well as Devin's?"

"Yes, yes, I will stop demanding tribute. You have my word as King of the Voss."

I finally released the cutlass from Mog's throat. It floated through the air and slid back into the scabbard on my left hip. At the same time, I sent the guard's knives straight into the air. The knives embedded themselves into the wooden ceiling, where nobody could reach them. I wasn't foolish enough to give them back to the guards. Not after I threatened their king's life.

"It's nice to know that even the King of the Voss can humble himself," I said.

"You have left my guards defenseless," Mog said. He wiped the blood from his neck and glanced at the knives stuck in the hovel's ceiling.

I smiled. "Don't worry. I'll protect you from the big scary Witch Queen."

Mog sat up straight and puffed out his chest. "I do not need you to protect me from the Witch Queen. I can take care of myself."

I bowed my head. "My apologies, Your Majesty."

Mog pointed to the blond kneeling in front of the dais. "You have yet to rule on this slave."

"Elena."

"What?"

"She said her name was Elena."

"How much compassion are you going to show her. And remember, she is a confessed thief."

"She stole food because she was hungry. Because her fat Voss master was starving her." I turned my attention to the girl. "My ruling is this. Because your fat Voss master was not feeding you, and because you stole only food, your crime is forgiven. Because I believe slavery is evil. I am granting you your freedom. Your queen's flagship is docked in the harbor. When you leave this room, you will go directly to her ship. You will stay on board that ship until we return to Edgewater. When we reach Edgewater, you will return to your family and resume the life you were living before it was taken from you. Is that understood?"

The girl finally looked up. Instead of looking at me, she looked at Mog. "She asked you a question, girl. Do you understand what you are to do?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. I understand."

Mog waved her away. "Then go and do what you were told."

The girl rose to her feet. She started to leave, then turned back to me and curtsied. "Thank you, Your Highness."

I smiled at her and waved her away. When she was gone. I slid over to Mog, sat on his lap, and draped an arm around his shoulders. Not an easy thing to do considering he needed a bath. Then I lowered my voice to a sexy whisper. "Was that the right decision or the wrong one?"

"Too much compassion is a sign of weakness," Mog said. He spoke in a soft voice. Maybe he didn't want to tip off the other queens. Maybe he was flustered. Perhaps because of what I did to him earlier. Perhaps because of what I was doing to him now. I was pretty sure that wasn't a role of gold coins in his pocket. Either way, there didn't seem to be a lot of conviction to his words. "At least that is the traditional Voss way of thinking."

"So, you wouldn't have made the decision that I just made?"

"I would not have. But then I am Voss."

"Sounds like there's no reason for me to stick around and see who wins this portion of the competition. It's pretty clear it's not going to be me." I rose off Mog's lap and headed for the exit. When I reached the ladder that would take me to the third floor of the hovel, I stopped and looked at Mog. "When I return for tomorrow's portion of the competition, I expect those piles of gold and silver flanking your throne to be returned to their rightful owners."

Just to remind Mog what I was capable of, I used my power to pull the eighteen knives that belonged to his guards out of the ceiling. They ended up at the foot of Mog's throne. The tip of each knife stuck in the wooden floor. Their bone handles pointing up. When the knives landed they spelled out LILA.

My mother once said, "If you're going to throw your weight around, you might as well do it with style." She didn't throw her weight around much, but when she did, she did it with style. I wasn't sure if I was living up to the standard she set, but I was trying.

# Chapter 12

Devin filled me in on what happened after I left. She did exactly what I did, forgiving and then freeing her slave. Ora Shayne did the same thing. Nula forgave her slave for her crime, but didn't free her. Adriana did the opposite. She ordered her slave punished. Riley and Leah followed Nula's example, forgiving their slaves but not freeing them.

Not surprisingly, Mog declared Adriana the winner, spouting the same line he fed me. That the Voss view compassion as a weakness. Adriana's win moved her into first place with two points. I had no problem with that. If Adriana could win one of the final two events, then Mog would make her his wife. I could go home and forget this blasted continent existed.

The next morning, we arrived at Mog's hovel for the sixth portion of the competition, physical fitness. Once again, there were outfits for us to change into, red leather boots with no heels, red leather shorts, and red leather vests. Once we had changed, we headed to Mog's throne room.

"How much do you exercise?" Devin asked me as we took our spots in line.

"When I'm home, I run and sword fight every morning."

"Every morning?"

"Every morning."

"How long have you been doing that?"

"Since I was six years old."

Devin didn't try to hide her surprise. I hadn't told her about how my sisters and I were expected to fight each other to the death to claim our mother's throne. In my homeland of Adah, those battles were known as the Princess Wars. All Adan princesses spent their childhood preparing for those battles. In Adah's long history, only one princess had managed to claim her mother's throne without killing all of her sisters. That princess was me. Although most people in Adah didn't know that Salisha and Iderra were still alive. That was why they lived on the far side of the continent. They were safe there, safe from anybody that might want to take their lives.

"Now that everybody is here, we can begin," Mog said.

The piles of gold and silver that flanked his throne were gone. What he had done with them I don't know. I do know Devin hadn't got her gold crown back, not to mention the other items Mog's men took from her. Maybe they were still sorting them out, figuring out what belonged to who.

Mog pushed himself to his feet and strode to the front of the dais. I couldn't help but notice that he had washed his hair and tied it back in a ponytail. Wonder of wonders. What's more, he had trimmed his beard. I was so surprised that I couldn't resist walking up to the edge of the dais and smelling him.

"What are you doing?" Mog asked me.

"I'm smelling you."

"Why?"

"To see if you took a bath. Which you did."

Mog looked at me. "Do you approve?"

"I do. You look and smell human now."

"And I did not look or smell human yesterday?"

"Yesterday, you looked and smelled more like a bear than a man."

"Then you approve?"

"Very much so."

"Do you think the One God approves?"

"I suspect he does."

"Perhaps he will give me powers like yours?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Only a fool would claim to know the mind of the One God."

I stepped back in line. Mog resumed his speech. "Today's test involves physical fitness."

"Let me guess," I said. "You want a queen that's physically strong so your son will be physically strong."

Mog nodded. "Yes."

"So you're going to give us some kind of a fitness test?"

"There is a training center just outside the city," Mog said. "It contains an obstacle course. The seven of you will be taken over there to run the obstacle course. The winner of the race will win this portion of the competition. Since there are still two events left, anyone of you can still win this competition."

"What happens if there's a tie at the end of the competition?" I asked. "What's the tie breaker?"

"Those of you that are tied for first place at the end of the competition will make love to me. Whoever satisfies me the most will become my wife."

I leaned toward Devin and lowered my voice to a whisper. "We have so got to lose this competition."

Mog's cousin, Bog, the man that taught me how to speak the Voss tongue, escorted us to the training center outside of the city.

"I understand you are doing well in this competition," Bog said. I was walking alongside of him. The others were following single file behind me.

"Without really trying," I said.

"You do not want to win the competition?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"The women in my family don't take husbands. We take consorts, lots and lots of consorts. I have no desire to tie myself to one man. Even if he is a king."

"I believe my cousin is smitten with you."

"What are you talking about?"

"He bathed last night, then he brushed his hair and trimmed his beard. I have never seen him do any of those things."

I laughed. "He didn't do that to impress me. He did that to impress the One God. He's hoping the One God will give him powers similar to mine."

We reached the training center. It was carved right out of the old growth forest. Tall pines surrounded it on three sides. A wall made out of logs surrounded the center. Guards manned the top of the wall. We passed through the front gate, which was open. Inside the wall were several small hovels. The obstacle course was to our right, set between the hovels and the wall.

My first thought was that this was a military training center. That thought quickly faded when I noticed that most of the people there were young women dressed in red.

"This is where you train slaves," I said to Bog.

Bog nodded. "When they first arrive, they are brought here for training. Then they are sold."

He pointed to an auction block in the middle of the center. Several slaves were standing on the raised platform, wearing red outfits similar to what we had on. Several Voss men surrounded the platform, waiting for the auction to begin.

"Just for the record," I said. "I abhor slavery. And I abhor anyone that tolerates it."

"Like my cousin, the king?"

"Like your cousin, the king."

"Mog did not invent slavery," Bog said.

"I don't see him making any moves to abolish it."

"It is not easy to change the Voss, not even for a king."

"And he's trying so hard."

We reached the obstacle course, which meant Bog didn't have to respond to my cynical comment. The course was set on a grass field. There were water pits to jump over. Walls to climb over. Ladders to climb up. Ladders to climb down. Two poles with a crossbar on top served as the start line. Two more poles with a crossbar on top served as the finish line. You ran in a straight line, starting at one end of the compound and ending at the other end. The course was maybe a quarter of a mile long.

"When the king arrives at the finish line, the race will begin," Bog announced. "Until then, you are all free to warm up."

Ora Shayne drifted over to me. "You're not going to try and win this are you?"

"I'm not."

"Good because I can win this. I'm very fast."

"You really want to marry Mog?"

"As the Voss queen, I'll have Mog's ear. I believe that will make life easier for my people. Of course I'll have to win these last two portions of the competition."

Ora Shayne went off to warm up. Devin drifted on over. "At least this will be an easy competition to lose."

"Ora Shayne believes that having Mog's ear will make life easier for her people."

"Sounds like wishful thinking to me," Devin said. "Mog's already admitted that he's just looking for someone to give him a son. His wife isn't going to have a say in anything, including what happens in her country."

Mog finally arrived, surrounded by his nine deaf guards. While he moved to the finish line, the seven of us lined up at the starting line. I was on the outside, next to Devin. She stood next to Ora Shayne, who stood next to Nula. Adriana was on Nula's right. Riley was next to Adriana. Leah was on the other end of the line.

"The first one to cross the finish line wins," Bog said. "If you run around an obstacle, you will be disqualified. Does everyone understand?"

The girls nodded yes. Once Mog was in position at the finish line, Bog raised an arm. Then he dropped it, shouting, "Go!"

Ora Shayne took off like rabbit, quickly beating everyone to the first obstacle, a log fence that reached her chin. I thought she might have trouble clearing it, but she didn't. She just grabbed the top of the wall with both hands and pulled herself up and over in one fluid movement.

On the far outside, Leah was only a step behind. She reached the first obstacle just as Ora Shayne disappeared on the other side. She grabbed the top of the wall with both hands and threw herself over as easily as Ora Shayne.

Adriana was a couple of steps behind Leah. Nula and Riley were several steps behind her. Devin and I brought up the rear. Devin was trying to make it look like she was running hard, pumping her arms in an exaggerated motion. I'm not sure Mog bought her act because her arms were moving twice as fast as her legs. I was loping along at half speed. I don't know if could've beaten Ora Shayne or Leah if I had gone all out, because they were fast. I do know I could've made it close.

The second obstacle was a pool of water that you had to jump over. Ora Shayne came up short and ended up falling face first in the water. While she was scrambling to her feet, the taller Leah cleared the pond and took the lead. Ora Shayne scrambled to her feet and took off in pursuit of her blue haired rival.

The third obstacle was a pair of ladders that formed an A. You climbed up one and down the other. At their peak, they were about twenty feet off the ground.

There were ten sets of ladders so everybody got their own. Leah reached the ladders first but Ora Shayne caught her at the top. By the time they were back on the ground, Ora Shayne had regained the lead.

By the time Devin and I reached the ladders, we had caught up with Nula and Riley. By the time we climbed down them, we had pulled ahead.

The fourth obstacle was a rope bridge. You had to climb a ladder that was a good twenty feet high, walk across the rope bridge, which consisted of one rope to walk on and two rope to hold onto, then climb down a ladder on the other side.

Ora Shayne's feet were so small the rope she was walking on was like a log to her. She crossed it quickly. The taller Leah struggled with the ropes. A couple of times she almost fell off. The smaller Adriana caught her halfway across then passed her. By the time I finished crossing the rope bridge, I had caught up with Leah. Behind me, I could see Devin, Riley, and Nula all struggling with the unstable rope bridge. Especially Nula, who had slowed to a snail's pace so she wouldn't fall off.

The next obstacle was a twenty foot plank wall. Ropes with knots hung down the side of the wall. You had to walk up the wall, using the rope to pull yourself up. Tiny Ora Shayne had no trouble climbing the wall, other than it was a long way up for someone her size. Adriana couldn't seem to make any progress on the wall. Every time she tried to walk up it, her feet slid off the wall.

"I think you got some mud on the bottom of your boots," I said as I loped up to the wall. "Probably from that mud puddle we had to jump over."

While Adriana wiped her boots on the grass, I started up the wall. Like Ora Shayne, I had no trouble scaling the wall. The other side of the wall had rope ladders to climb down. By the time I jumped off my rope ladder, Ora Shayne had reached the next obstacle. A log over a pond. Once again, her small size enabled her to cross the log easily.

Even running at half speed, I managed to pull into second place. If it wasn't for Ora Shayne, I would be on my way to becoming Mrs. Mog. I could just imagine myself standing in front of Mog's hovel, greeting people. "Hello. I'm Mrs. Mog. Welcome to my hovel."

When I reached the log and the pond, I looked back to check on everybody else's progress. They were still on the far side of the wall, struggling to climb up it.

The final obstacle was a series of walls. The first was a short plank wall you could jump over. The second was a tall plank wall that you had to pull yourself over. The third was a stone wall you had to climb on and then jump off, clearing another pond. Just beyond that was the finish line.

Ora Shayne cleared the short plank wall with no problem, but the tall plank wall presented a problem for her. It was so close to the short wall that she couldn't get a running jump. All she could do was stand there and jump, trying to reach the top of the wall, so she could pull herself over. She was so small, no matter how hard she jumped, she couldn't grab the top of the wall.

I could've passed her and won the race, but that was the last thing I wanted. Instead of scrambling over the wall, I trotted over to Ora Shayne. "Let me help you."

I laced my fingers together and lowered my hands, so they formed a stirrup. Ora Shayne placed her foot in my hands and I boosted her over the wall. Then I pulled myself on top of the wall. I sat there and watched as Ora Shayne climbed up the stone wall, leaped over the pond, and sprinted across the finish line in first place. Once she had crossed the finish line, I jumped off the tall plank wall, climbed the stone wall, cleared the pond, and coasted across the finish line in second place.

Instead of declaring Ora Shayne the winner, Mog glared at me. "You are throwing the competition."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Instead of sprinting to the finish line, you just sat on that wall and watched Ora Shayne."

"Maybe I was out of breath."

"You do not look out of breath."

"You should've seen me when I was on top of that wall."

"You did not look out of breath when you were on top of that wall."

"Looks can be deceiving. By the way, I like your new look."

The compliment seemed to mollify Mog's anger. He waved to Bog. Bog rounded up the other queens, who were still trying to scale the twenty foot wall with the ropes.

"Ora Shayne has won this portion of the competition," Mog announced. "She now has two points, as does Adriana. Lila and Devin each have one point. Tomorrow we will test your leadership skills. Unless Ora Shayne or Adriana wins tomorrow's portion of the competition, there will be a tie. Meaning those of you tied for first place will get to bed me."

Mog turned and walked away, surrounded by his nine deaf guards. I had no desire to bed Mog, which meant I would have to make sure I lost tomorrow's portion of the competition.

# Chapter 13

The next morning, we were escorted to Mog's throne room without having to change. Devin wore black leather riding boots, black leather knee breeches, and a long sleeved yellow silk shirt that I had given her. The gold crown worn by her father graced her head. The previous night, Mog's men returned several wooden barrels containing all the gold and silver items that he had taken from her.

I was wearing black leather knee boots with four inch heels. A black leather skirt that was so short it barely covered my bottom, and a purple leather vest that left my arms and bellybutton bare. The vest also flashed a generous amount of cleavage. My trusty cutlass hung from my left hip, its silver scabbard gleaming. The crown of Dunre, with the purple gem representing a setting sun, graced my head. Like Devin, I wore my hair in a ponytail.

Once again, we were the last to arrive. Ora Shayne was wearing a skirt and halter made out of silver coins. A silver crown graced her head. Nula wore a gold crown instead of a brass crown. Apparently, Mog had returned all the gold and silver that he took from them, just like he did with Devin, just like I had ordered him.

"Today is the final test in the competition," Mog said, rising from his seat. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail. His beard trimmed. I guess he was still hoping the One God would give him powers like mine. "Today, we will test your leadership skills. If Ora Shayne or Adriana wins this portion of the competition, she will become my bride. If anybody else wins, we will go to the tiebreaker I talked about yesterday."

He looked at me, expecting me to say something. I had nothing to say, so I remained silent. My goal today was simple, do nothing.

"Today, each of you will be put in charge of a crew of workmen. Whoever can get her men to finish their task first will win." Mog clapped his hands. Seven long haired, bushy bearded soldiers stepped forward. "These men will take you to your work crews. The first one to get her men to complete their task and return here will win."

One of the men came up to me. "You will follow me."

I followed him to the first floor and out of the building. He led me down to the beach, where half a dozen men were repairing a longboat with a large hole in the side.

"You must get them to repair this boat as quickly as possible," my escort said.

"Only if I want to win," I said. "Which I don't."

"You do not wish to become Queen of the Voss?"

"I do not."

"But it is a great honor."

"Not from my perspective." I walked up to the men working on the boat. "Hey guys, what do you say we take a break. Go have a drink. My friend here is buying."

Telling them my friend was buying seemed to seal the deal. The workmen took me to a nearby tavern. It was smaller than the one I worked in, but designed the same way. It contained a packed dirt floor with a fire pit in the middle. Straight back wooden chairs and round wooden tables filled the first floor. There was a second floor with a balcony that circled the hovel's interior.

We grabbed a table near the fire pit and sat. A single slave girl carried mugs of ale to and from the tables. She wore the standard slave girl outfit, red leather boots that stopped just below the knee, a red leather skirt that fell to mid thigh, and a red leather vest. She was a big sturdy girl that reminded me of Nula.

The tables were only designed to hold four people, but all six workmen crowded around my table. Perhaps they were afraid if they sat at a different table, they'd have to pay for their own drinks. From the way they were checking me out, it was more likely they just wanted to sit with the girl. The only one that didn't sit was Mog's soldier, who stood on the far side of the table where he could see me and I could see him.

"A mug of ale for everybody," I said, when the girl stopped to see what we wanted. I pointed to Mog's soldier. "He's buying."

The soldier glared at me then fished a silver coin out of a small leather bag he wore around his neck. He handed it to the slave girl, who headed off to fetch the ale.

"We were told you were going to supervise our work," one of the men said to me.

"I will," I said. "But there's no hurry. The king has plenty of other boats."

The men laughed and nodded in agreement. While they drank heartily, I nursed a single mug of ale. Mog's soldier declined to drink, pointing out that he was on duty. Mog's soldier ran out of money after a couple of hours. But that was okay. By that time, my workmen were drunk.

"Okay, guys," I said, rising to my feet. "Let's go repair that boat for good old King Mog."

The workmen cheered and staggered back to the beach, laughing and leaning on each other for support.

I followed behind them with Mog's soldier.

"They are too drunk to repair anything," he said. "And thanks to you, I am down a week's wages."

"I'll tell the king to reimburse you," I said.

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then I'll reimburse you out of my own pocket."

My promise to reimburse him seemed to mollify my escort. When we got back to the beach, I climbed onto the longboat and sat on the rail, dangling my legs over the side and watching as my drunken workmen struggled to repair the hole in the side of the ship.

Needless to say, their progress was slow. It didn't pick up any when they finally sobered up. Perhaps because I started cheering them on, yelling encouragement in as loud a voice as I could. Every time I yelled, they stopped what they were doing and covered their ears, mumbling something about their pounding heads. By the time they finished repairing the boat, the sun had set.

My escort checked to make sure the work was satisfactory then escorted me back to Mog's throne room. Not surprisingly, everyone else was already there.

"It would appear everyone is finally back." Mog said. He glared at me. "You could not inspire your men to work faster?"

"I tried, but every time I yelled encouragement, they covered their ears with their hands."

"Your voice is that loud?"

"Not really, but we had a few drinks before they started work. Speaking of which, I promised your man that you'd reimburse him for all the drinks I made him buy. He said he's out a week's wages."

"You took your men out drinking?"

"To build camaraderie."

"More likely to throw this portion of the competition."

"Speaking of which, who won?"

"Leah won today's test. Like Devin and yourself, she finishes with one point." Mog smiled. "Which means there will be a tie breaker between Ora Shayne and Adriana."

Mog rose from his throne and held up a small leather bag. "In this bag are two wooden tokens. One has the number one. The other has the number two. Whichever one of you draws the token with the number one will be the first to bed me."

Mog moved to the other end of the dais and offered the bag to Adriana. She stepped forward, reached into the bag, and pulled out a token, which she handed to Mog.

"Adriana has drawn the number one," Mog said. "She will bed me first. Ora Shayne will go second."

"What happens if one of them refuses to bed you?" Leah asked. "Does the other win by default?"

"Not until she actually beds him," Nula said.

Mog stepped off the dais and offered Adriana his arm. "Shall we?"

Adriana blushed but took Mog's arm.

"How are we going to know if she actually delivers?" Nula said.

"I will tell you," Mog said. "And my nine guards will witness the event."

That announcement caught Adriana off-guard. She released Mog's arm and stopped dead in her tracks. "Why do they have to be with us?"

"They are always with me," Mog said. "To protect me from the Witch Queen."

"I'm not used to an audience."

"They will not hear your cries. They are deaf."

"Can't they wait outside?"

"They cannot."

"Why not?"

"There is a chance the Witch Queen sent you here to kill me. That is why they cannot wait outside."

Adriana backed away from Mog. "I don't think I can do it in front of an audience."

"You are sure?"

"I'm sure."

Mog shrugged his shoulders and walked over to Ora Shayne. "This is your chance to break the tie."

Ora Shayne looked at Adriana and smiled. "Doing it in front of an audience sounds like fun."

It was pretty clear that Ora Shayne was anxious to become Queen of the Voss. I knew her reasoning. She believed, or at least hoped, that if she became Queen of the Voss, Mog would go easier on her people.

Ora Shayne, Mog, and Mog's nine guards headed off, leaving the rest of us alone in the throne room. As soon as they were gone, Leah marched up to Adriana and stuck a finger in her face. "You should have slept with him."

I placed my right hand on the hilt of my cutlass and stepped between them. "Do we have a problem here?"

"This is none of your concern," Leah said. She noticed I had my hand on the hilt of my cutlass and stepped back.

"The Witch Queen told us that one of us must succeed in killing King Mog," Riley said. "If we don't, she'll punish all of us."

"Ask King Mog for sanctuary," Nula said. "As long as you stay here, you're out of her reach."

"If we don't return, she'll take revenge on our people." Adriana looked at me. "You're very powerful. You could free our people from her dark reign."

"I already tried. I took a knife away from her and plunged it into her heart. Her soul just took over the body of the girl she was trying to sacrifice."

"She can't be killed?"

"She can be killed. She just can't be destroyed."

"So there's nothing you can do?"

"There's one thing I can do, but I'd have to get close enough to touch her. Which she's not going to let happen."

"Because?"

"I told her what I would do to her." In retrospect, not a smart thing to do.

"So you can't help us?" Riley asked.

"The Witch Queen and I are at a standoff. I'm too powerful for her to take down, and she's too powerful for me to take down."

"What if we help you?"

"Help me how?"

"Help you get close enough to her, so you can do whatever you need to do to get rid of her."

"If I get rid of the Witch Queen, Mog will take over the entire continent. Then he'll turn his eyes on my homeland."

"Not if you take the Witch Queen's place," Riley said. "If you get rid of her, we'll pledge our loyalty to you. As will our troops."

Riley looked at Leah and Adriana, who both nodded.

It looked like I had a choice to make. I could refuse to help them, return home, and hope the standoff between the Voss and the Witch Queen never changed. If it did change, if one side gained control of the whole continent, I had little doubt that they'd turn their eyes on my homeland. That would result in a war the likes of which the world had never seen. That was something I couldn't allow, not if I could prevent it.

If I stayed here, if I helped, I would have to get rid of the Witch Queen, take over her lands and armies. If I did that, I could bring justice to the southern half the continent and ensure the Voss never gained control of the whole continent. Of course, getting rid of the Witch Queen was easier said than done.

"So how do we go about this?" I asked.

"You can return with me," Riley said. "To my castle. When the Witch Queen pops in, you can grab her and do whatever you need to do to get rid of her."

There was a chance that Riley was setting me up at the Witch Queen's request, but I didn't think so. And even if she was, I would have a vision warning me if and when the Witch Queen tried to kill me.

I had no desire to rule on this side of the world. But the Witch Queen was too dangerous to ignore. As she pointed out, she had time on her side. Sooner or later, she'd find a way to defeat the Voss and take control of the entire continent. Then she'd turn her eyes on my homeland. As much as I wanted to go home, forget this continent existed, I knew I couldn't. I had to get rid of the Witch Queen.

"All right," I said to Riley. "When you head home, I'll come with you. Perhaps together, we can defeat the Witch Queen."

***

Mog and Ora Shayne must've hit it off in the bedroom. When they came out, Mog announced that he had found his queen.

"I want to thank all of you for coming," Mog said, taking his throne. Ora Shayne stood on his right, looking quite please with herself. It was pretty clear that she felt she had just taken a big step toward making life easier for her people. "And for participating in the Competition of Queens."

"We would also like to invite you back here next fall," Ora Shayne said. "For the royal wedding."

"Normally, we don't have wedding ceremonies in the Vossland. But Ora Shayne insisted on one, so we will have one." Mog looked at me. "Will you be staying for the wedding or heading home right away?"

"I'll be here for awhile, whether I'm still around come next fall, I can't say."

"If you are here, you will be most welcome. Ora Shayne thinks very highly of you."

"And you don't?"

"I think you would make a most frustrating wife."

"And a dangerous enemy. So next time you send someone to my homeland, it better be an ambassador and not an army."

"And if it is an army?"

"Then you will never see them again."

# Chapter 14

I headed south with Riley, skirting the coastline in her longboat, the prow of which was carved to look like a dolphin. The Souderland was located just south of Edgewater, giving the two countries a common border. Not surprisingly, Riley was quite nervous. A fact which she revealed to me one evening when we were dining in the captain's cabin.

"The Witch Queen is going to be upset that we failed to kill King Mog," Riley said. "She told us that if we failed, there would be serious consequences for all of us. That was one of the reasons why I asked for your help."

"Did she say what kind of consequences?"

"She told us that if we didn't kill King Mog, she would bring each and every one of us to her castle and turn us into play toys. Her exact words."

I dismissed the Witch Queen with a wave of my hand. "The Witch Queen is going to be way too busy to give any thought to punishing you."

"Busy doing what?"

"Fighting me."

"I'm still scared. There are a lot of stories about what goes on in her castle."

"I've been to her castle. It isn't any worse than Mog's hovel. The food takes some getting used to, but at least the people bathe."

We continued south until we reached a city. It was unwalled and surrounded a horseshoe shaped bay. The buildings were a mixture of wood and stone.

"Once I set foot on land, the Witch Queen will be able to contact me," Riley said.

We were standing on the raised deck of the stern, watching the longboat's crew row the ship into the tranquil bay. It was early morning, with the sun rising over the Eastern Sea.

"Her powers are limited to this continent?"

Riley nodded. "It would appear so. I've noticed that every time I'm at sea, she's never visited me."

"Stick close to me and you'll be okay."

The crew rowed the ship right onto the sandy beach. They dropped the gangplank and we headed for a gray stone castle on top of the tallest hill in the city. There were no towers on this castle, but there was a rampart on top of the building.

As we walked through the city, I saw no men, other than the six soldiers that served as Riley's personal guard. The city contained nothing but women and children. There were no teenage boys in the city, no adult males, no elderly men.

"Where are all the men?" I asked.

"In the army, stationed on the Edgewater border."

"Old men and teenage boys too?"

"Old men and teenage boys too. The Voss army is very large. Apparently Mog wasn't lying when he said they have ways of ensuring their newborn babies are all boys."

"That explains why their slaves are all girls. They need them to take the place of the girls that aren't being born."

We reached Riley's castle. I noticed that there were no men in the castle other than the six guards with us. I also noticed that there were a lot of pretty girls bustling around the castle.

"The Witch Queen insists I keep a good supply of pretty young girls around," Riley said, when I asked her about all of the girls.

"No surprise there," I said. "Between the human sacrifices, and the bodies she possesses, I suspect she goes through a lot of girls."

I noticed all the girls that worked in the castle wore spider silk, just as Riley did. The only difference was the length of their dresses. The serving girls wore short dresses while Riley's gowns were all long. Although with plunging necklines, bare backs, and slits in the front of her skirts, Riley was flashing just as much skin as the serving girls.

I was the only female in the castle that wasn't flashing a lot of skin, being dressed in black riding boots, black leather knee breeches, a long sleeved black silk shirt that buttoned down the front, and of course, my trusty cutlass. I thought about slipping into something more revealing, but what was the point when there weren't any men around?

It was evening before the Witch Queen made her appearance. We were in the dining hall eating. Riley wore a dark blue spider silk gown. A silver crown graced her head. I sat on Riley's right, still dressed in black, without a crown. Serving girls dressed in dark blue spider silk shifts stood quietly in the corners. The six men that served as Riley's personal guard stood behind us, dressed in dark blue uniforms topped by silver helmets and silver breastplates.

The Witch Queen appeared in the middle of the U formed by the three oak tables. She wore her usual black spider silk gown. She was still using the body of the girl that I tried to save.

"This is an unexpected surprise," she said when she saw me. "Why are you here?"

"The way I look at it, I have three options. The first two are obvious. I can support you against King Mog, or I can support King Mog against you. Not surprisingly, I've rejected both of those options."

"I thought you were going to go home, leave things the way you found them."

"I was, but then people started asking for my help."

The Witch Queen glared at Riley. "I assume she means you."

Riley rose to her feet. "The Souderland is no longer part of your empire. My army is no longer at your disposal. And I will no longer answer to your beck and call."

The Witch Queen glared at Riley. "Is that right."

"We're joining another empire."

"The Voss Empire?"

"Not the Voss Empire," I said. "The Souderland is now part of my empire. You have any complaints with Riley. You can take them up with me."

The Witch Queen laughed. "You're expanding your empire to this continent?"

"Why not? The people that live under my rule are a lot happier than the people that live under your rule, or King Mog's rule. I don't tolerate slavery like King Mog does, nor do I engage in human sacrifice like you do."

"That might be true, but your army is on the other side of the world."

"So?"

"How are you going to take territory away from King Mog and myself when you don't have an army to back you up?"

"I'll admit that taking away territory from King Mog could prove difficult. On the other hand, taking the Souderland away from you should be fairly easy."

"My army is every bit as powerful as Mog's," the Witch Queen said.

"That's where you're wrong. Riley's army, and Leah's army, and Adriana's army, when combined, is as powerful as Mog's army. But they're not really your army. If Riley decides to remove her troops from your command, there's not much you can do about it."

The Witch Queen looked at Riley. When she spoke, her voice had that odd timber to it, making it sound like there were two people speaking at the same time. It was the voice she used when she wanted to control somebody.

"Riley, I want you to . . . ."

In expectation of the Witch Queen dropping in for a visit, I laid several knifes on the tables. As soon as she started speaking in that odd voice, I used my powers to send two of those knifes flying at her. One knife headed for her left ear. The other headed for her right ear.

I don't know if the Witch Queen saw them out of the corners of her eyes, or heard them whistling through the air. Either way, she disappeared before they reached her, vanishing as quickly as she appeared.

I stopped the knives in mid flight and sent them back to the tables. As they settled gently on the tables, the Witch Queen reappeared, this time at the far end of the room. Once again, when the Witch Queen spoke it was with a voice that sounded like two voices, a voice that made me a touch dizzy. "Riley, you will . . . ."

Before she could get another word out, I sent two more knives flying at her, forcing her to disappear. Riley waited to see if the Witch Queen would reappear. When she didn't, Riley turned to me. "It would appear she's going to try and force me to do her bidding."

"That's going to be hard to do when I'm around."

"Problem is you can't guard me twenty-four seven. You need to sleep. Just like I do."

"You think the Witch Queen will try to get to you while you're sleeping?"

Riley nodded. "I would if I were her."

"We can always share a bedroom. Or you can drop anchor in the middle of the harbor and sleep on your longboat."

"I'm not going to let her drive me from my own castle."

"Then I guess we're roomies, for awhile anyway."

***

Riley was right. The Witch Queen came for her in the middle of the night, appearing in her bedroom. I was sharing a bed with Riley, trying to protect her. It worked too. Sort of. The Witch Queen appeared on my side of the bed. That was good news for Riley. Bad news for me.

"You're not the one I came for," the Witch Queen said. "But you'll do."

Had I been awake, I would've been able to get rid of her before she could do anything. Problem was, I wasn't awake. I was still half asleep. Before I could wake, the Witch Queen touched my shoulder. The next thing I knew, I was standing in the Witch Queen's castle, in a tower.

"You'll notice there are no doors or windows in this room," the Witch Queen said. "I'm the only way in or out."

The Witch Queen disappeared, leaving me alone. I took a minute to wake up, then did a quick survey of the room. It looked like the other tower she put me in. The room was circular. The floor was black oak. The walls black granite. A gold candelabra with a dozen candles hung from the middle of the ceiling. A four post bed with a black spider silk covering was the only piece of furniture. There were no doors, no windows. There was a chamber pot on the floor, but it was nothing more than a wooden bucket with a wooden lid.

If I was going to get out of here, I was going to have to travel forward or backward in time. I could see a spot in the wall where there had once been a door. Somewhere along the way, it had been walled up. I figured my best bet was to travel back in time, to a day when that walled up doorway was still a doorway.

I was wearing an emerald green sleep shift. It was silk, had spaghetti straps, and was short, barely covering my bottom. Matching briefs went with it, but that was all I had on. I didn't even have shoes, and I suspect my hair had that, I just got out of bed look. Not the ideal outfit for time travel.

I thought about moving backward in time. Almost immediately, a ball of electrical energy enveloped me. As I moved backward in time, I saw the Witch Queen and myself appear in the room. Then the room was empty for the longest time. After that a couple of workmen appeared in the room, walling up a doorway that led to a winding stone staircase.

I didn't stop then, I kept going until the black spider silk bed disappeared, until it was replaced by a collection of chairs and tables and other assorted pieces of furniture stacked on top of each other.

I stopped when I had traveled back in time two hundred years, hopefully to a time when the Witch Queen didn't exist. Even if she was alive, I was pretty sure that she had yet to become the Witch Queen. The castle walls were still constructed of black granite, but the wooden floor was no longer black. It appeared to be made from regular oak. Somewhere along the way the Witch Queen must've laid black oak over the original oak.

A young man wearing the livery of a royal servant stepped out from between a couple of wardrobes. His outfit was made out of cotton and consisted of black riding boots, red knee breeches, and a red tunic with a golden winged lion on the front. He was clean shaven with short brown hair, bright brown eyes, and a square chin. I placed him in his early twenties.

He jumped when he saw me. "Where did you come from?"

"The future."

"I don't understand."

His eyes focused on my face. Then he noticed what I was wearing.

"An evil witch kidnapped me, locked me in this tower."

"How did you end up here?" he asked. "In this time?"

I didn't want to tell him that I had the power to travel through time, less he think that I was the evil witch, so I made something up. "The witch imprisoned me in this tower. Lucky for me there was a magic mirror in the tower. I touched it and the next thing I knew I was here with you."

"Why did she imprison you?"

"She has the ability to take over another person's body. That's why she imprisoned me."

"She wants to possess your body?"

"Yes."

"How do I know you're not an evil witch? Maybe someone locked you in this tower to keep you from using your powers."

I flashed what I hoped was an innocent smile. "Do I look like an evil witch to you?"

"No, but you could be using your powers to hide your true appearance."

"This is my true appearance. Now are you going to help me or not?"

"I need to think about this." The servant turned and scampered out of the tower, shutting and locking the door behind him, so I couldn't leave.

There was a lot of junk in the room so I figured I'd look around, see if I could find something to wear. I was still looking when the servant returned with a friend. His friend wore the same outfit that he did, the red and yellow livery of a royal servant. He was about the same age, but taller, with broader shoulders and long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"I'll be damned," the blond guy said when he saw me. "You were telling the truth."

"I told you," the brown haired guy said.

"Where did you come from?" the blond asked me.

"The future."

"And you were kidnapped by an evil witch?"

"Yes."

The blond looked me up and down. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"I was in bed when the evil witch kidnapped me."

"How did you end up here? In this tower? In this time?"

"The evil witch locked me in this tower, several hundred years in the future. Luckily it contained a magic mirror that allows you to travel back in time. I managed to step through the mirror before she could stop me."

"How did you know it was a magic mirror?"

"I heard the witch talking about it. She ordered her servants to remove it from the tower. That's when I jumped through it."

"I was thinking maybe she's the evil witch," the brown haired guy said. "And they locked her in this tower so she can't use her powers."

"She's way too pretty to be an evil witch," the blond said. "Everybody knows that evil witches are ugly old hags."

"She could be hiding her true appearance from us."

"There's one way to find out," the blond said. "But we'll need some salt."

The brown haired guy turned and left, leaving me alone with his buddy.

"What do you need salt for?" I asked the blond.

"Everybody knows if you throw salt on a witch, she'll burn."

An old wives tale. Still, if tossing salt on me got them to help me, then I had no intention of dispelling them of their beliefs, no matter how silly they were.

The blond looked me up and down. "You're very pretty."

I smiled and looked him over. "So are you."

He returned my smile. "I sure hope you're not a witch."

"I'm not."

"We'll see."

The brown haired guy returned with a small bag of salt. The blond reached into the bag and pulled out a fistful of salt. Then he tossed it on me and stepped back, waiting to see if the salt burned me. When it didn't, the blond breathed a sigh of relief and grinned at his buddy. "She's not a witch."

"Now that you know I'm not a witch, you can help me," I said.

"What kind of help do you need?"

"We don't have any magic mirrors," the brown haired guy said. "So we can't help you get back to your time."

"I could use some clothes. I'm not exactly dressed for going out in public."

"That we can do," the blond said.

# Chapter 15

The brown haired guy pulled off his red and yellow tunic and tossed it to me. I slipped it over my head and pulled it down. It reached to my knees and looked more like a sleeveless dress than a tunic.

"So, who's in charge in this time?" I said.

"Gabrielle Eudora Crofton," the blond said.

Gabrielle Eudora Crofton was the Witch Queen's real name. "How old is she?"

"She just turned twenty."

"Is she a good person?"

The blond shrugged his shoulders. "Her and I might live under the same roof, but we don't exactly hang out together. If you know what I mean."

So the Witch Queen was alive in this time. She just wasn't the Witch Queen. Maybe I'd stick around awhile, see what she was like before she became the Witch Queen. Maybe I could even find out how she became the Witch Queen, or, keep her from turning into the Witch Queen. If nothing else, I could kill her before she became the Witch Queen.

"Don't suppose she could use another serving girl?"

The browned haired guy looked at me. "You thinking of sticking around awhile?"

"I am."

***

I had no trouble getting a job. Not a big surprise considering I grew up in a palace and knew what was expected of palace servants. It also didn't hurt that the woman in charge of the palace maids was the blond haired guy's mother. She did want to know why I was wearing a royal tunic and not my own clothes. Her son explained it away by telling her my clothes were too dirty to wear inside the palace. After that, she asked if I knew what was expected of a palace servant. I proved that I did and she hired me.

New servants usually get the dirty work, emptying chamber pots, scrubbing floors, washing dirty pots and pans. Because of my looks, I was given a job as a serving girl. I would work the dining hall, pouring wine for the queen and her advisers, starting with lunch.

The girls that cleaned the chamber pots and worked in the kitchen wore yellow cotton blouses, red wool jumpers, and sensible brown shoes. Those of us that served meals wore red ankle boots with two inch heels, pleated yellow cotton skirts that stopped just short of our knees, and red cotton blouses with red chiffon sleeves. I used a red ribbon to tie my hair in a ponytail, donned my uniform, then left my room in the servants quarters and headed off for work, anxious to see what the Witch Queen was like before she became the Witch Queen.

There was a fleet of serving girls in the dining hall, all of them young and pretty and dressed like me. Each girl was responsible for one thing. One girl set the plates, another served the soup, another served the meat, another served the potatoes. I of course served the wine.

At high noon, Gabrielle Eudora Crofton, the current Queen of Crofton, and the future Witch Queen, entered the dining hall with her entourage, a dozen red and yellow clad guards, a dozen advisers, mostly gray haired men dressed in black, and half a dozen ambassadors that lived and worked here.

To say that Gabrielle wasn't what I expected would be an understatement. She was short and walked with a limp. When I say she was short, I mean the top of her head barely reached my chest, and I wasn't tall by anyone's standard. She had a hunchback. Her left arm was half the size of her right and ended in a stubby little hand that didn't look like it was good for much of anything. Her hair was flaming red. It was short and curly and stuck out every which way. She did have a pretty face, topped by a small nose and bright blue eyes. Her ankle length gown consisted of layers and layers of white chiffon. A gold crown with a winged lion on the front graced her head.

Because she was so short, her chair sat higher than all the others, so that when she was seated, her head was level with everyone else's. The chair also contained a step that she used to climb up.

Once she was seated, everyone else sat. The gray haired man on Gabrielle's right clapped his hands twice. The serving girls, myself included, moved toward the table in a long line, carrying our tureens and platters and pitchers. Or in my case, a jug of red wine.

We worked our way down the opposite side of the table. If somebody wanted something from a platter or a tureen, the girl that held it set it on the table and let the person help themselves. If they wanted wine they pointed to one of the silver goblets in front of them. I filled it then moved on to the next person.

"You're new," Gabrielle said when I reached her. She had a husky voice. The kind of voice men found sexy. It seemed out of place with her body. She pointed to her goblet and I filled it.

"I am, Your Highness. Thank you for noticing." There were a lot of sharp knives on the table. I wondered if I should use my powers to plunge one into her heart, get rid of Gabrielle before she could become the Witch Queen. I dismissed that idea. The Witch Queen might be evil but this girl hadn't done anything to deserve such a fate. Not yet anyway.

"When physical handicaps prevent you from participating in everyday activities, like mine do, you watch, and you notice." Gabrielle studied my face. "You're very pretty."

I curtsied a second time. "Your Majesty is too kind."

"What's your name?"

"Lila."

"I'd like to have a better look at you. When lunch is over, you shall report to my private quarters."

She dismissed me with a wave of her good hand. I curtsied and moved on to the gray haired man that sat on her right. I had no idea why she wanted to get a better look at me, but I would find out.

***

Later that day, I was escorted to Gabrielle's suite on the third floor of the castle. It reminded me of the suites that I owned. The main door led into a spacious sitting room. Various other rooms branched off to the left and the right.

The end tables in the sitting room were made from polished mahogany. The chairs and divans had mahogany arms and legs. Gold velvet cushions covered the seats and backs of the chairs and divans. A handwoven gold throw rug covered the room's oak floor. A brass candelabra loaded with a couple dozen candles hung from the middle of the oak beamed ceiling. Handwoven tapestries with garden scenes covered the black stone walls.

Gabrielle sat on a divan in the middle of the room, still wearing her white chiffon gown and her gold crown. Her feet dangled. Her legs too short to reach the floor. I noticed the sole on her left shoe was thicker than the one on her right, indicating her left leg was shorter than her right.

"Leave us," she said to the two guards that escorted me into the room.

The guards bowed and left the room, shutting the door behind them. I wondered if I should transport her to the end of time and abandon her there. From what I could see, we were alone, which meant there was no one to stop me. I thought about grabbing her and transporting her to the end of time, where she couldn't hurt anybody. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The truth is, I felt sorry for her.

"I turned twenty, three months ago," Gabrielle said. "Two months ago, my father died and I ascended to his throne. Much to his chagrin, I suspect."

There wasn't much I could say to that, so I remained silent.

"After I was born, he spent most of his time trying to have another child. He didn't care whether it was a son or a daughter, nor did he care who the mother was, he just wanted a child that wasn't me."

"I never met my father until I was twenty years old," I said. "At which point, he tried to kill me."

"You must be older than you look," Gabrielle said. "I figured you were about my age."

"Your Highness is too kind. In truth, I'm twenty-five."

"Why did your father try and kill you?"

He had . . . issues."

Gabrielle laughed. "Perhaps all father's have issues."

"I'm inclined to believe that all men have issues."

"I wouldn't know about that. Men aren't attracted to me." She looked me over. "If you're really twenty-five, I suspect that you've had some experience with men."

"Some," I conceded.

Gabrielle laughed. "Probably more than some. You are one of the most beautiful women I have ever met. Men must fawn over you."

"Your Majesty is too kind."

"What's it like?" Gabrielle asked.

"What's what like, Your Majesty?"

"Having men chase after you, fawn all over you, want to do things for you. What's it like?"

"You are a queen. You must know what it's like to have people fawn over you."

"They fawn over me because I am queen, not because they desire me. I want to know what it's like to be desired."

"I suppose it depends upon who desires you."

"I'm speaking about men in general. What's it like to be desired by men you don't even know? Don't want to know. What's it like to walk through a room and have every man want you?"

I thought of telling her that I had never walked through a room and had every man want me, as far as I knew, but I didn't think she'd believe me. "It makes you feel good about yourself. And it gives you a feeling of power. You know that if you flirt with them, you can probably get them to do things for you."

"Why would they want to do things for you?"

I laughed. "In hopes that you will do something for them."

"Like?"

"Like spend time with them."

"Time alone?"

"Usually."

"Because they want to have sex with you?"

"Some think they're in love with you. Others just want sex."

"You speak the Tongue of the Voss, but not our local tongue. How come?"

"I'm not from Crofton, Your Highness."

"You're from the Vossland?"

"An island east of the Vossland." No point in telling her the truth, that I came from a continent on the other side of the planet. She probably wouldn't believe me.

"How did you end up in Crofton?"

"My mother became ill. Her physician suggested she move to a warmer climate."

"Did it help?"

"Unfortunately, no. She passed away."

"So, you're alone?"

"I am."

"Remove your clothes," Gabrielle said.

She caught me off-guard with that order. I couldn't think of anything to say other than, "Excuse me?"

"I need a girl to fill a position, but it has to be the right girl, which means I need to see what she looks like naked."

I unbuttoned my blouse, peeled it off, and tossed it on a chair. Then I undid the the cotton wrap that bound my breasts. I tossed the wrap on top of the blouse and looked at Gabrielle, checking to see if that was sufficient.

The skirt too," Gabrielle said. "And the briefs."

I unbuttoned my pleated skirt, dropped it to the floor, and stepped out of it. Lastly, I peeled off my red cotton briefs. I tossed the skirt and briefs on top of the rest of my clothing and faced Gabrielle, naked save for my red ankle boots.

"Turn around," Gabrielle said. "Nice and slow. So I can see you from every angle."

I did a slow turn, wondering what she was planning.

"You're thinner than I expected," Gabrielle said. "Your hips are quite narrow and you have a small bottom."

"I got those from my father's side of the family. My mother had move curves down there."

"Your breasts are amazing. Full and firm."

"I got those from my mother."

"And of course you have a pretty face, the kind of face that turns men's heads."

"Your Majesty is too kind."

"It would seem you're just the girl I'm looking for," Gabrielle said.

I completed my turn. "I don't understand."

"I'm going to make you my lady-in-waiting. I will dress you in beautiful outfits and parade you in front of the men that live and work here. At the end of each day, we will come back here and you will tell me what it was like to have all those men staring at you, wanting you, desiring you. Through you, I will learn what it's like to be beautiful and desirable."

So that's what was going on. Gabrielle wanted to be beautiful, wanted to be desirable. Since she wasn't beautiful, or desirable, she decided that she would live her life vicariously, through other women. And as luck would have it, she picked me to be the first of those women.

Somewhere down the road, she would decide that living her life vicariously wasn't enough. Somewhere down the road, she would meet the Prince of the Air, who would give her the power to inhabit the bodies of those beautiful women, so she could experience first hand what it was like to be beautiful, what it was like to be desired by men she didn't even know.

The question was, what was I going to do about it? I couldn't kill her, nor could I abandon her at the end of time. I couldn't do either of those things to someone I pitied. Someone that was still innocent of any crimes.

"What do you think of my idea?" Gabrielle asked. "If you agree to it, you will live in a suite next to mine. You will eat at the royal table, and you will want for nothing."

"I'm not very good at sharing my feelings," I said.

Gabrielle dismissed that thought with a wave of her good hand. "You'll learn. Now, do we have a deal or not?"

"We have a deal." I would stick around and play along, until I could figure out what to do with Gabrielle Eudora Crofton.

# Chapter 16

Gabrielle moved me into the suite across the hall from hers. It looked a lot like her suite, with its mahogany furniture, gold velvet cushions, and garden scene tapestries hanging on the black granite walls. The only difference was the rooms were smaller. The sitting room was about half the size of Gabrielle's sitting room. I suspect the same was true for the other rooms, which consisted of a private dining room and office to the left of the sitting room, and a dressing room and bedroom to the right.

Gabrielle must have had every tailor, seamstress, and cobbler in the palace working on my new clothes because it didn't take long for the wardrobes in my dressing room to fill up. I noticed there was a pattern to the clothes she gave me. The boots all had high narrow heels, ridiculously high heels, at least five inches. The skirts were all short, barely covering my crotch and bottom. The gowns had low cut necklines that showed a lot of cleavage, while the undergarments consisted of thongs and corsets. There were even a couple of slinky gowns made out of a single layer of transparent chiffon. I had no idea where Gabrielle thought I could wear them without creating a scandal. Then again, maybe she wanted to create a scandal.

When it was time to make my debut as Gabrielle's lady-in-waiting, she ventured into my suite alone, wearing another chiffon gown. This one was yellow, and like her other gowns had a high collar, long sleeves, and layers and layers of a billowing chiffon skirt that hid her feet. As usual, her gold crown graced her head.

"I thought I'd help you pick out something to wear to dinner," Gabrielle said, limping into my sitting room.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

I had on a pair of black calf high boots, a black leather skirt that barely covered my bottom, a strapless black leather corset, and a transparent black chiffon blouse. The most conservative outfit in my new wardrobe.

Gabrielle looked me over. "Remove the blouse."

I removed my blouse, leaving me in the boots, skirt, and corset. A corset that pushed my breasts up and together, so I was displaying maximum cleavage.

"Much better. Now all the men will be sure to notice you." She pointed to a velvet covered foot stool. "Sit and I'll braid your hair."

I sat on the footstool and stretched my legs out in front of me. Gabrielle moved behind me and began to braid my hair into a single braid that fell down my back. Considering she only had one good hand, she was surprisingly good at it. "Is there anything specific you want from me tonight?"

"Be nice to all the men. Smile at them, bat your eyes, pretend to be interested in what they have to say. When they stare at your legs and breasts, let them look."

"What men are we talking about?"

"My advisers. The court ambassadors. Even the guards and servants."

"All of them?"

"All of them." Gabrielle paused for a second. "Although there is one in particular I'd like you to impress. His name is Barcombis. He's my Minister of Trade."

"What's he look like?"

"Tall. Short brown hair. A neatly trimmed brown beard. Broad shoulders, narrow hips. He's easy to spot. He's the tallest, youngest and best looking of my ministers."

The way Gabrielle talked about him, it was pretty clear that she had a crush on the man.

"Would I be wrong to assume that you like him?"

"Not nearly as much as he likes himself."

"He fancies himself a ladies man?"

Gabrielle snorted. "To say the least."

I got the feeling that somewhere in the past she had flirted with the man only to have her advances rejected by him.

I spun around so I could look Gabrielle in the eyes. "What exactly do you want from me?"

Gabrielle hesitated for a second, then answered. "I want you to make Barcombis fall in love with you."

"And then?"

"And then I want you to break his heart."

Now, we were getting to the crux of the matter. Somewhere along the way, Barcombis broke Gabrielle's heart. Now, she wanted revenge. She wanted to hurt him the way he hurt her. It wasn't a nice thing to do, but it didn't make her evil. It just made her human. It certainly wasn't a good enough reason for me to abandon her at the end of time.

"You sure that's what you want?"

Gabrielle nodded. "It's what I want. Do you think you can do it without falling in love with the man yourself?"

I laughed. "The women in my family don't fall in love. Don't get me wrong. We're good at flirting and at sex. Casual sex anyway. We just don't fall in love. Intimacy isn't our strong point."

Gabrielle smiled. "Which makes you perfect for this job."

***

Gabrielle and I headed to dinner with her guards following behind us. Her advisers and the court ambassadors joined us when we reached the second floor. Barcombis was easy to spot. He was taller than her other advisers, not to mention the only one that didn't have gray hair.

When we reached the dining room, Gabrielle had me sit on her right. Half of her twelve advisers sat on my right, the other half sat on Gabrielle's left. The ambassadors grabbed seats on the sides of the U. I noticed that Barcombis took one of the seats farthest away from Gabrielle. I wasn't sure if that was because he was the youngest of her advisers, or the least important, or simply because he was out of favor after rejecting her advances.

"Didn't you used to be a servant?" the man on my right said. He was bald on top, with a ring of neatly trimmed gray hair on the sides, and a hooked nose. He spoke with a gravely voice.

"For a couple of hours."

"And now Gabrielle has made you her lady-in-waiting."

"What were you before someone made you a royal adviser?"

The old man smiled. "Point taken. Those of us that aren't royalty all have humble beginnings."

"Even some royals have humble beginnings," I said. "What was the first King of the Voss before he became King of the Voss?"

"An illiterate barbarian," Gabrielle said.

"Artis Malpoint," the old man said, offering me his hand. "Royal Exchequer."

"Lila Marie Haran," I said, offering the back of my hand so he could kiss it.

"You're very beautiful."

He was focusing more on my cleavage than my face. I thought of saying, "I'm up here." Instead, I said, "Not only are you adept at handling money, you're also adept at handling women."

"A skill that has taken me much too long to master," a chuckling Artis said. "If only I had mastered it when I was young enough to turn a pretty girl's head."

"The right words can turn a pretty girl's head as easily as a handsome face."

Artis smiled and leaned forward so he could look at Gabrielle. "You were right in making this one your lady-in-waiting. Not only is she beautiful, she knows just what to say to an old man."

"Let's hope she's as good with the young men," Gabrielle said. Her way of reminding me why I was there.

When dinner was over, Gabrielle took my hand and led me around the room, introducing me to each of her advisers. She saved Barcombis for last. He was a good head taller than me and about twice Gabrielle's height. A neatly trimmed brown beard covered his square jaw. He had a narrow nose, and big brown eyes that seemed to track your every move. Like Gabrielle's other advisers, he wore polished black riding boots, black cotton knee breeches, and a black velvet waistcoat over a red cotton shirt with pearl buttons.

"Minister Barcombis," Gabrielle said, pulling me up to him. "Allow me to introduce my lady-in-waiting, Lila Marie Haran. Lila, this is my Minister of Trade, Nardo Barcombis."

I offered Barcombis my hand. He took it in his and pressed his lips against it, all the while staring at my breasts. "Beautiful lady."

"Minister," I said.

He released my hand and smiled. "My friends call me Barcombis."

"What do you think of her?" Gabrielle said.

"As lovely a woman as I have ever met."

"She comes from an island east of the Vossland. A place called Adah."

"I'm afraid that I've never heard of it."

"No reason you should have," I said. "It's a small island, hardly worth anyone's notice."

"How did you end up in Crofton?"

"My mother's health took a turn for the worse. Her physician suggested she move to a warmer climate."

"And is she doing well?"

"She passed away."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"I promised to give Lila a tour of the castle," Gabrielle said. "But I fear my legs are not up to that much walking. Perhaps you could serve as my substitute, Minister."

"It would be my honor, Your Majesty." A smiling Barcombis offered me his arm. "We can do it now, if you would care to join me."

I looked at Gabrielle. She nodded, so I took Barcombis's arm and let him lead me away. We moved from the dining room and into the great hall, which was empty.

"What's she up to?" Barcombis asked me when we were alone.

"Who?" I said, playing dumb.

"The little troll that thinks she's our queen."

I feigned surprise. "You don't like Gabrielle?"

"You do?" Barcombis looked at me and smiled. "Of course you do. She's given you a suite in the castle and let you sit at her right hand during dinner. Why wouldn't you like her."

"Why don't you like her? She seems nice enough."

"People judge a county by its leader. How she looks. How she acts."

"From what I've seen, Gabrielle acts very much like a queen."

"She may act like a queen, but she doesn't look like one."

"That's not her fault." I couldn't help but think that if the people around her, people like Barcombis, had been nicer to her, maybe she wouldn't have wanted to be someone else. But how did I get someone as shallow as Barcombis to be nice to someone that looked like Gabrielle?

"Many base their opinion of a country on that country's ruler. If the ruler is handsome or beautiful, they believe the country must be beautiful. If the leader is a hideous little troll then they will view the county much the same way. As Minister of Trade, I can tell you that is not a good thing."

"If you treat Gabrielle like a hideous troll, she may become one, which will be bad for you and everyone that lives in this castle, not to mention the entire country of Crofton."

Barcombis laughed. "I don't know if you noticed, but she already is a hideous troll."

"I'm not talking about physical appearance, I'm talking about what's inside her. Right now, Gabrielle is a good person, but if people don't start treating her better that will change. And you will not like what she becomes."

We reached the main staircase at the back of the great hall and headed up the stairs. "You talk like you've seen the future."

"Perhaps I have."

We reached the second floor, Barcombis placed a hand in the small of my back and steered me to the right, down a long hallway. It appeared we were headed to his private quarters.

"I'd rather talk about you than the queen," Barcombis said. "You're much more interesting."

"Fine," I said. "Then let's talk about me."

"You come from a small island east of the Vossland?"

"Actually no. I come from a continent on the other side of the planet."

Barcombis laughed. Clearly he didn't believe me. "And does this continent have a name?"

"It doesn't. Until the Voss arrived on our shores, we didn't even know there was a second continent on the planet. Like you, we thought we were the only ones here."

Barcombis realized I wasn't joking and stopped laughing. He removed his hand from the small of my back and turned to face me. "You're serious."

"Deadly."

"So how did you end up in Crofton?"

"I was battling an evil woman known as the Witch Queen."

"I've never heard of this Witch Queen."

"That's because she doesn't exist. Yet. But in two hundred years, she will rule half of this continent."

Barcombis studied my face for a second, then grinned. "You had me going for a second. I almost believed you."

He placed a hand in the small of my back and we resumed our stroll toward his suite. As we walked his hand slipped from my back to my backside. I didn't bother to remove it because I needed him touching me when I executed my plan. I figured the best way to get Barcombis to be nice to Gabrielle was to show him the future, show him what Gabrielle would become.

When we reached Barcombis's quarters, he unlocked the door and ushered me inside.

"Here we have most interesting part of the castle," a grinning Barcombis said. "My suite."

He shut and locked the door to the hallway, then turned and faced me. I didn't resist when he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me to him. Nor did I resist when he kissed me. Instead, I thought about moving forward in time. Two hundred years to be precise.

Lightening began to pop and crackle around us. A second later, we started moving forward in time. Barcombis realized that something strange was happening and started to pull away from me. I wrapped my arms around his neck so I didn't lose him before we reached my time.

"What's the matter?" I said, as we continued to move forward in time. "You don't like the way I kiss?"

"What's happening?" He was still trying to pull away from me, so I tightened my grip around his neck.

"I'm taking you on a trip."

"To where?"

"Two hundred years into the future."

"How are you doing this?"

"How isn't really important."

As we neared my time, the appearance of the room we were standing in stabilized and the electrical energy faded. I released Barcombis and he stepped back, stumbling in the process.

"Where are we?"

"I already told you. Two hundred years in the future."

Barcombis looked around the room and jumped. Sitting on one of the divans was a corpse. The skin was gray and leathery. There were no eyes in the skull, and only a few hairs left on the head. The corpse was little more than skin and bones dressed in tattered black clothes.

"Who the hell is that?" Barcombis said.

I took a closer look at the leathery corpse, noticing that the throat had been cut. Then I compared it to the man that was still backing up, retreating toward the door. "I believe it's you. It would appear Gabrielle had your throat cut."

I checked out the room. It looked the same as it did when Barcombis pushed me into it, except that a thick coat of dust covered everything.

"Place looks pretty much the same as when you lived here. Maybe Gabrielle turned it into a shrine."

"That's really me?" Barcombis said.

"I believe so."

He stopped retreating and crept toward the corpse. When he reached it, he stopped and leaned forward, so he was nose to nose with his corpse.

"Bless the gods! It is me." Barcombis stumbled backward. Then he did something totally unexpected. He fainted.

# Chapter 17

I knelt next to Barcombis and waited for him to wake up. Eventually, he opened his eyes, looked at me, and smiled. "You wouldn't believe the nightmare I just had."

"Let me guess. I transported you two hundred years into the future where you saw your leathery corpse sitting on a dusty old divan."

The smile faded from Barcombis's face. He looked around, noticed the corpse, and scrambled to his feet. "It wasn't a dream."

"No."

"We're really two hundred years in the future?"

"We are."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"So you could meet the Witch Queen."

"A witch rules Crofton?"

"Crofton and the southern half of the continent."

"Only the southern half of the continent?"

"The northern half of the continent is controlled by the Voss."

"This Witch Queen is evil?"

"She wants to rule the entire continent."

"That doesn't make her evil," Barcombis said. "Just greedy."

"She practices human sacrifice." I pointed to the corpse sitting on the divan. "And she slit your throat."

"How can you been sure she's the one that killed me?"

"Because she's been ruling Crofton for the last two hundred years."

Barcombis's jaw dropped. "Gabrielle is the Witch Queen?"

"She is."

"How could she still be alive?"

"She made a deal with a higher being known as the Prince of the Air. In return for human blood, and making him the official god of Crofton, he showed her how to possess the bodies of beautiful young women. He also gave her the power to move around just by thinking about it." I offered Barcombis my hand. "Come."

Barcombis looked at my hand but didn't take it. "Where are we going now?"

"It's the dinner hour. I thought we'd drop in, surprise the Witch Queen with a visit."

Barcombis took my hand. Reluctantly. We headed out of his suite and into the second floor hallway, which was just as dusty. "It doesn't look like this part of the castle is used anymore."

"Probably isn't. The Witch Queen doesn't have advisers."

"Why do you call her the Witch Queen?"

"Because she calls herself the Witch Queen. And because she is no longer Gabrielle."

"What do you want from me?"

We reached the stairs and started down them. "Gabrielle wanted to be desired. By you. I think that's what drove her to become the Witch Queen."

Barcombis pulled his hand away from mine and stopped in the middle of the wide stone staircase. "I can't love her. She's too hideous."

"You could pretend to love her."

Barcombis folded his arms in front of him. "Why?"

"To save Crofton. And your throat." I offered him my hand. "Come."

Barcombis took my hand, albeit reluctantly. We continued down the stairs. When we reached the first floor, we hung a right and headed for the dining hall. As we drew near the hall, I could hear laughter, although it sounded like only one person was laughing. The Witch Queen.

"You wouldn't happen to have a weapon on you?" I said.

Barcombis reached into his right boot and pulled out a large knife. He flipped it around and offered it to me, handle first. I took the knife and slipped it into the back of my corset.

"You expecting trouble?"

"I might need the knife to show you the extent of the Witch Queen's power."

We slipped into the dining hall. That's when I saw what the Witch Queen was laughing at. Riley, Leah, and Adriana were there. All three of them were wearing black leather harnesses that left their breasts and bottoms bare, as well as black leather thigh boots with high narrow heels. Each of them wore her hair in a tight braid.

The three queens stood side by side, attached to each other as well as a small wooden cart with a male dwarf riding on top of it. The dwarf would smack their bottoms with a long switch and they would take off, pulling him and the cart around the middle of the dining hall like a team of horses.

The Witch Queen did threaten to turn them into her play toys if they failed to kill the King of the Voss. Looks like she was carrying out that threat.

"Hope you don't mind if we join the party." We moved to where the Witch Queen could see us. Barcombis remained by my side, tightening his grip on my hand. I have no idea what he thought of the spectacle in front of him. "As you can see, I brought an old friend."

All movement in the dining hall came to a stop. The Witch Queen rose to her feet and glared at me. "That was you?"

I curtsied. "Your lady-in-waiting, at your service."

"You have no right messing with my past!"

"I've just started messing with your past, Gabrielle."

The Witch Queen pointed to Barcombis. "He's dead. I cut his throat nearly two hundred years ago."

"And yet, here he stands."

Barcombis leaned toward me and whispered in my ear. "Is that really Gabrielle?"

"It's her soul. The body belongs to somebody else."

He nodded at the three queens pulling the cart. "And those three?"

"The Queen of the Souderland, the Queen of the Lowlands, and the Queen of the Hinterland. Gabriel ordered them to kill the King of the Voss. They failed so she's punishing them."

The Witch Queen used her powers to transport herself from the far end of the room to a spot right in front of us. She stuck a finger in my face. "I want you to stay out of my past!"

"And I told you that Riley and the Souderland were off limits to you. You didn't listen to me, so why should I listen to you?"

"Fine," the Witch Queen said. She transported herself to where Riley was standing and placed a hand on her shoulder. A second later the two of them were gone.

"How does she do that?" Barcombis said.

"I don't know."

"Can you do that?"

"I wish I could. It would make traveling way easier."

The Witch Queen reappeared in front of us, albeit just out of my reach. "Riley and the Souderland are yours. Now return him from where you got him."

"I thought you wanted me to seduce him then break his heart."

"I want him back where he belongs. He doesn't belong in this time."

I took a step forward, forcing the Witch Queen to retreat. She hadn't been afraid of me before, but now that she knew I really could move through time, she was very afraid. "Neither do you."

Barcombis stepped forward. "Gabrielle is that really you?"

Gabrielle turned her attention to Barcombis, and for a few seconds, seemed to forget that I was there. "Hello Barcombis. It's been a long time."

"What happened to you?"

"I met a higher being, calls himself the Prince of the Air. He promised me power, immortality, and any body that I wanted."

"In return for?"

"Blood. Worship." The Witch Queen smiled. "The ironic thing is, I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you."

"I don't understand."

The smile on her face widened. "It's simple really. You were my first sacrifice."

Barcombis slid behind me for protection. Gabrielle continued talking to him as if I wasn't standing between them. "It was your blood that enabled me to move out of that hideous little body you hated so much."

"Why did you make Barcombis your first sacrifice? I thought you loved him."

The Witch Queen looked at me. "I did love him. That's why he was my first sacrifice."

"I don't understand."

"The Prince of the Air demanded that my first sacrifice be someone I loved. To prove my loyalty to him. You of all people know how I felt about Barcombis."

I nodded.

Barcombis moved out from behind me, but kept his eyes on the Witch Queen. "You killed me so you could be beautiful?"

"Ironic isn't it. You hated me because I wasn't beautiful and it was your blood that allowed me to become beautiful." She spun around, showing Barcombis her new body. "Of course this isn't the first body I took over. That one has long since turned to dust."

"Where's your body?"

"Gone." The Witch Queen looked at me. "You need to return him to his own time. Now."

I nodded at Leah and Adriana, who were still attached to the cart with the dwarf. "First, I want you to return those two to their castles. It's not their fault they couldn't kill King Mog. He knew why you sent them. He told them as much."

"If I do that, you'll return Barcombis to his own time?"

"I will."

"I have your word on that?"

I nodded. "You have my word."

The Witch Queen disappeared with Leah. She reappeared, grabbed Adriana, and disappeared with her. A few seconds later, she reappeared by herself. "They're both home."

"Fair enough." I grabbed Barcombis's hand, then I concentrated on moving through time, back two hundred years, to the day and time Barcombis belonged. Almost immediately, we were enveloped in a ball of electricity.

The Witch Queen retreated as the electrical energy increased, then she and everybody else in the room faded away. People appeared and disappeared as we moved back through time. Eventually the images stabilized and the electrical energy faded. Barcombis and I found ourselves alone in the dining hall.

"Where are we now?" Barcombis asked as he surveyed the dining hall.

"We're back in your time. Same day, same hour as when we left."

"You sure about that?"

"I'm sure." Barcombis looked around. It was clear from the expression on his face that he didn't believe me. "Would you like me to walk you to your suite?"

Barcombis nodded and kept a tight grip on my hand. I escorted him out of the dining hall, through the great hall, and up the stairs to the second floor. Barcombis didn't relax until we passed several other advisers that he recognized. As we headed down the second floor hallway, I looked at Barcombis. "Now do you understand why you need to be nice to Gabrielle?"

"To keep her from killing me."

"We want to keep her from turning into somebody that will do anything to be beautiful, which includes killing the people that she loves."

"Like me."

I nodded. "Like you."

"But how do we keep her from turning into that person?"

"By making her content with who she is."

"So we need to convince her that's she's already beautiful?"

"She knows her body has limitations, so there's no point in pretending that it doesn't. What we should do is remind her of her good points."

"Which are?"

"She's got a pretty face. It wouldn't hurt to remind her. And to keep reminding her."

"She does sort of resemble her mother. Who was a very pretty woman."

"You should tell her that. And keep telling her that. She also has a sexy voice. You should tell her that."

Barcombis nodded. "It's a good plan. Hard to cut the throat of someone that keeps telling you you're beautiful. Especially if he's the only person you know that tells you you're beautiful."

Barcombis's main concern, his only concern, seemed to be saving his throat. But if that's what it took to get him to be nice to Gabrielle, so be it.

"It would help if you sounded sincere each time you said it."

Barcombis smiled. "I'm the Minister of Trade, I know how to sound sincere even when I'm not."

"I hope so because your life, not to mention the lives of a lot of other people, depend upon your ability to convince Gabrielle that she's a desirable woman."

"You really think my being nice to Gabrielle will keep her from turning into the Witch Queen?"

"You were her first sacrifice."

"Maybe, but I'm not sure my being nice to her will be enough to keep her from wanting to be someone else."

"If you have any suggestions, let's hear them."

"I think we need to find Gabrielle a man," Barcombis said. "One that doesn't care what she looks like. A blind guy would be good. Or even better, a blind guy with no sex drive."

I would've laughed, but Barcombis was being serious. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that he might be on to something. Finding someone that could love Gabrielle for who she was might be the perfect solution to our problem. People in love, people that had someone that loved them, were among the happiest people on the planet.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea."

"Finding a blind guy with no sex drive?"

"Finding someone that can love Gabrielle for who she is, someone that she can love back."

"Like a hideous male troll."

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Gabrielle's attracted to handsome men."

"Then we're going to have to find a handsome blind guy."

"Or someone that doesn't care about looks."

Barcombis laughed. "Everyone cares about looks. Some people just don't want to admit they care."

"I don't think that's true."

"You ever had an ugly lover?"

"No, but that doesn't prove anything."

"It proves you're as shallow as me. It proves everybody is as shallow as me. Which means finding a handsome man that can love Gabrielle is going to be hard, maybe impossible."

We reached Barcombis's suite. He unlocked the door and peeked inside, checking to make sure his corpse wasn't on the divan. It must not have been because he stepped inside. He still had a tight grip on my hand, so I was forced to follow. We checked the entire suite, his office, dining room, sitting room, dressing room, and lastly his bedroom.

Finally, Barcombis breathed a sigh of relief. "It looks like I left it. I guess we really are back in my time."

"We are," I said. "It's only been a couple minutes since we left."

Barcombis faced me then used the hand he was holding to pull me to him. He wrapped both hands around my waist and kissed me. I have to admit that he wasn't a bad kisser. His kiss was light, teasing. When his tongue entered my mouth, he didn't try to shove it down my throat. Instead, he teased the tip of my tongue with his.

At the same time, one of his hands slid from my waist to my bottom. He found the hem of my skirt and started to pull it up. That's when I pushed him away. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"Why not?" Barcombis said, trying to pull me back toward him.

I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him away a second time. "I didn't travel back in time two hundred years so I could make out with you. I came to prevent Gabrielle from cutting your throat and turning into the Witch Queen."

Barcombis touched his throat. "You're right, all of our attention, all of our energy should be focused on finding Gabrielle a lover."

# Chapter 18

I didn't see Barcombis for the next few days. He said he had an important trade mission. I don't know if that was true or not. I do know Gabrielle lost interest in me when Barcombis wasn't around. After my first meeting with him, she invited me into her suite then asked for details about our evening together. I didn't tell her about traveling through time, no surprise there, but I did tell her about his making a pass at me and how I rebuffed his advances.

When Barcombis did return, he told me to meet him in his suite, claiming he had something important to show me. When I got there, he let me into his sitting room. That's when I noticed a strange man sitting on one of the divans. He was young, probably in his mid twenties. He had a symmetrical face with a sharp chin, sharp cheekbones, and dark blue eyes. He had pointed ears, like Leah and Ora Shayne. His hair was thick but cut short. It matched the blue of his eyes. He stood when I entered, revealing the fact that he was tall and thin. Obviously one of Leah's people.

"This is Mayoch," an excited Barcombis said. "And he's the answer to all of our problems."

"By problems, I assume you mean Gabrielle."

Barcombis nodded. "Mayoch is a professional gigolo. His job is to make women fall in love with him. From what I've seen, he's very good at it."

Mayoch stepped up to me, smiled and bowed. He took my hand in both of his, then kissed the back of it. I felt a tingle of electricity shoot up my arm, making me think the guy had some kind of power.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met," a smiling Mayoch said. "Hair as black and as shiny as a waterfall at midnight. Eyes as bright as polished emeralds. Lips as lush as rose petals covered with dew. Alabaster breasts that would make a baby's mouth water."

He wore polished black riding boots, white cotton knee breeches, a white cotton shirt with pearl buttons, and a black velvet topcoat that was cut at the waist, revealing the wide black belt he wore around his small waist.

He was still holding my hand in both of his, stroking the back of my hand with the pad of his thumb. When he did it a tingle would shoot up my arm. Oh yeah, the guy definitely had some kind of power. Whatever that power was, he had decided to use it to seduce women.

As Mayoch played with my hand, I looked at Barcombis. "You think Gabrielle is going to fall for a gigolo?"

"Why not? He's handsome enough."

"Yeah, he's plenty handsome."

"He certainly knows how to compliment a woman."

"I thought the compliments were a bit over the top. Especially the one about my breasts making a baby's mouth water."

Barcombis laughed. "I thought that was the best of the bunch. Your breasts certainly make my mouth water."

I was dressed in one of the outfits Gabrielle gave me, boots, a short leather skirt, and a strapless leather corset. Today's outfit was a deep forest green. It showed a lot of thigh, a lot of breast, and a little bit of my waist.

"Gabrielle knows her physical limitations, I'm not sure she's going to buy all that hooey."

The smile faded from Mayoch's perfect face. Apparently, I offended him when I called his compliments hooey. "I do not have a list of compliments that I use over and over, fair lady. My compliments are off the top of my head and are based solely on the woman standing in front of me. What's more, I believe everything I say. I also believe that all women are beautiful and that each woman's beauty is unique."

"I found him in a pub, charming the briefs off a fat barmaid," Barcombis said. "I figured if he found her beautiful, he'd find Gabrielle beautiful. Of course, he could've been lying to her to get a free drink. But if he was lying, I couldn't tell and neither could she. And even if she knew he was lying, I don't think she cared."

I turned my attention to Mayoch. "What do you know about Gabrielle?"

"Only what Minister Barcombis has told me."

"What did he tell you?"

"Gabrielle Eudora Crofton is the newly ascended Queen of Crofton. She has a beauty that is unique to her and her alone." Mayoch smiled and continued to stroke the back of my hand with his thumb, sending tingles of energy up my arm. It was quite pleasurable and I couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if he did it to other, more intimate, parts of my body.

"I called Gabrielle an ugly little troll," Barcombis said. "He's changing my words."

"All women are unique," Mayoch said to Barcombis. "And uniqueness is not ugly. Therefore no woman is ugly."

I looked at Mayoch. "You actually believe that?"

"I do, fair lady."

"Did Barcombis tell you why we want you to meet Gabrielle?"

"He said she is a young woman that doesn't appreciate her uniqueness or her beauty. That she needs someone to help her see these things in herself."

"I told him she hates being an ugly little troll. He's changing my words. Again."

I found myself smiling at Mayoch. "He does seem sincere."

"I am sincere, fair lady. If anyone can find the beauty in your queen, it is I. If anyone can help her see the beauty in herself, it is I."

"How do you like his touch?" Barcombis asked me. "I hate being touched by other men and even I liked it." Barcombis looked at Mayoch. "Kiss her."

Before I could protest, Mayoch grabbed me by the waist, pulled me toward him, and kissed me. As soon as his lips touched mine, I could feel the energy, energy that literally caused my lips to tingle. When his tongue found mine, the sparks were so strong, I moaned. Oh yeah, this guy definitely had some sort of power. The question was, where did he get it? Maybe it was something Leah's people inherited.

"Well?" Barcombis said, when Mayoch finally released me. "Is he something or what?"

My mouth was tingling from his kiss and my head was spinning. He was definitely something. Mayoch smiled, perhaps the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. He had perfect teeth, perfectly straight, perfectly white. While he did that, I took a moment to clear my head.

"Tell me about your power."

The smile faded from Mayoch's face, replaced by a look of puzzlement. "My power, fair lady?"

"You're generating some kind of energy. Maybe electrical, maybe chemical. I can definitely feel it when you touch my skin."

"I don't know what it is that you speak of, fair lady."

"When you touch me, my skin tingles."

Mayoch smiled and ran a finger down the length of my cleavage. I could feel the sparks jumping between his skin and mine, not to mention see them. "That is desire you feel, fair lady. My desire for you, for your unique beauty."

I pushed his hand away and looked at Barcombis. "I'm betting he hasn't had to pay for a single drink in his entire life."

"Not to mention a meal or a place to sleep," a laughing Barcombis said. "So what do you think? Should we introduce him to Gabrielle?"

I nodded. "I think we should."

"So how do we introduce him? Who do we tell her he is?"

"We could just go with the truth."

"You think it's wise to tell Gabrielle that Mayoch is a gigolo?"

"I'm not a gigolo," an indignant Mayoch said. "I'm a man that helps women discover their uniqueness, their beauty. Gigolo's seduce women in return for payment. I have never asked a woman for anything."

"But he's never refused anything either," Barcombis said.

"To turn down a gift would be rude," Mayoch said. "I am not rude."

I looked at Mayoch. "When people ask you what you do for a living, what do you tell them?"

Mayoch smiled. His perfect smile. "I tell them that I am an ambassador of joy, happiness, and love."

I found myself laughing. "I guess that's what we'll tell Gabrielle. Even better, we'll let Mayoch introduce himself."

A grinning Barcombis nodded. "Once he turns on the charm, Gabrielle won't care who he is, she'll just be glad that he's here."

***

Mayoch accompanied Barcombis and the rest of us to dinner. We were at the dinner table when Gabrielle noticed him sitting next to Barcombis.

"Who's that man next to Barcombis?" she asked me. "The one that looks like he comes from the Hinterlands."

"His name is Mayoch. He's an ambassador . . . of sorts."

"The Hinterlands has replaced Ambassador Runich?"

"Mayoch doesn't represent the government of the Hinterlands. He's what you might call an independent ambassador."

"I've never heard of such a thing."

"I'll introduce you to him after dinner. I think you'll find him interesting."

"He's a friend of Barcombis?"

"Barcombis met him on his last trip. He decided that he was worth bringing back to the castle."

"Why?"

"He's very . . . likable."

"You've met him?"

"I have."

"And you liked him?"

I found myself smiling. "He's easy to like."

After dinner, I introduced Gabrielle to Mayoch. Mayoch took Gabrielle's good hand in his and kissed the back of it. The way Gabrielle shivered told me that she experienced the same tingle of power that I did.

"Lila tells me that you're an ambassador," Gabrielle said. "Yet I know you do not represent your king here in Crofton."

Mayoch smiled. He was holding Gabrielle's hand in both of his, stroking the back of it with the pad of his thumb. "I'm not a government ambassador, beautiful Queen. I am an ambassador of the gods."

"You're a priest?"

Mayoch laughed. "Hardly. I'm an ambassador of love."

"You're a gigolo?"

The smile faded from Mayoch's face. He dropped Gabrielle's hand and stepped back, as if he had just been slapped. "I am no such thing, beautiful Queen. I do not trade sexual favors for money. It's true that I help women discover their beauty, but I ask for nothing in return. What I give, I give freely."

"And if these women were to offer you something in return for helping them discover their beauty?"

The smile returned to Mayoch's face. "I am not a rude man, beautiful Queen. To refuse a gift would be the height of rudeness."

"I've never had an ambassador of love in my court," Gabrielle said. "But your presence here is welcome."

Gabrielle extended her hand. Mayoch took it in both of his and kissed it a second time. "Your outer beauty is exceeded only by your inner beauty, great queen."

"I trust your quarters are comfortable."

"Very comfortable, beautiful queen. Minister Barcombis has given me a fine room in the servant's quarters."

"An ambassador should never reside in the servant's quarters," Gabrielle said. She waved to Barcombis, who was watching us from the other side of the room.

Barcombis marched up to us and bowed. "How can I be of service, Your Majesty?"

"I understand you've put Mayoch in the servants quarters."

"The room is small and no one was using it, Your Majesty. I thought it would be okay."

"It's not okay," Gabrielle said. "Mayoch is an ambassador. He should be on the second floor, in the section of the castle where the other ambassadors reside."

"You, ah, do know that he's not an official ambassador, Your Majesty."

"As of now, Mayoch will be treated as an official ambassador, Ambassador of Love to the Court of Gabrielle Eudora Crofton."

Mayoch grinned from ear to ear. He took Gabrielle's hand and kissed it again, clearly aware of the affect it had on her. "Your wisdom and generosity will be known from sea to sea, beautiful queen."

Barcombis bowed. "With your permission, Your Majesty. I will show the ambassador to his new quarters."

"You have my permission, Minister." Barcombis and Mayoch headed off, leaving me with Gabrielle. "What do you think of him, Lila?"

"I think he believes everything he says."

Gabrielle headed off and I fell in beside her. Because she was so short, and because she walked with a limp, she moved slowly. Her personal guard fell in behind us, matching their pace to ours.

As we walked, Gabrielle looked at me. "What did he say to you when you met him, and why do you think he believes everything he says?"

"He said that he believes all women are unique, and it's that uniqueness that makes all women beautiful."

"So you think he's telling the truth when he calls me beautiful."

"I do."

"Did he touch you?"

"He did."

"Did you feel it?"

I nodded. "He seems to possess some sort of energy, could be electrical, could be chemical."

"I don't know what electrical energy is," Gabrielle said.

"It's the energy that creates lightening."

"Somehow, I don't think being hit by a bolt of lightening would be as pleasant as Mayoch's touch."

I found myself chuckling. "No, I don't think it would."

"Why do you suppose Barcombis brought him here?"

"Because he's unique and worth meeting."

"He is indeed, but I can't help but wonder if Barcombis had an ulterior motive."

"I don't know the minister well enough to comment on his motives," I said.

"Even though you kissed him?"

"He kissed me, Your Majesty. And that's all we did. We didn't share our deepest darkest secrets."

"Do you think he's trying to set me up with Mayoch?"

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he doesn't think anybody else would be interested in me."

"Other than a gigolo?"

"Exactly."

"Do you like Mayoch?"

Gabrielle laughed. "It's hard not to like him."

"Then who cares what Barcombis thinks. Barcombis is a good looking man, but if I may be blunt, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed."

Gabrielle laughed. "You're right, he's not that bright. But he can be very charming when he wants, which makes him a good Minister of Trade."

We reached the staircase in the great hall and headed up it. Climbing stairs was probably the hardest thing Gabrielle had to do, so our pace slowed even more.

"I have a question, Your Majesty."

"What is it?"

"If Mayoch tries to seduce you, will you let him?"

"Why would he want to seduce me?"

"I get the impression that Mayoch wants to seduce every woman he meets."

"So do I," Gabrielle said. " I guess that's why I kept him around. I've never been seduced before."

"Does that mean you'll let him seduce you?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On whether it's worth it."

"How will you know if it's worth it, unless you do it?"

Gabrielle looked at me and grinned. "Because you'll tell me."

# Chapter 19

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at Gabrielle, who had fallen behind me in her struggle to climb the large staircase. "I don't understand."

"It's simple," Gabrielle said, as she dragged her bad leg up the stairs. "I want you to let Mayoch seduce you. Then you can tell me if he's worth my time."

I didn't understand why she wanted to see if Mayoch was worth her time. She already admitted that she had never been seduced by a man. Considering how handsome he was, it seemed to me that he would be well worth her time. So why was she reluctant to get involved with him? Unless she was afraid that he would reject her, that she was the one woman on the planet he wouldn't want to seduce.

Gabrielle caught up to me and we continued up the stairs. "Considering his power, and the way it makes a person tingle when he touches you, I'm pretty sure he's worth your time."

"If he's worth my time, then he's worth your time," Gabrielle said.

"What if he isn't interested in me?"

Gabrielle laughed. "Every man in the palace is interested in you. Why would he be any different?"

"Because I have nothing to offer him."

"Other than yourself?"

"In Mayoch's case, I'm not sure that's enough."

"So you think he's a gigolo too."

I nodded. "A different sort of gigolo, but a gigolo."

"Different because he doesn't demand payment?"

"Because he doesn't have to demand payment. One touch, one kiss, and he knows he has you."

"Where do you suppose his power comes from?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Probably something he inherited. The people of the Hinterlands are different from you and I."

"That they are," Gabrielle said. We reached the second floor. Gabrielle stopped and looked at me. "I want you to see if Mayoch finds his new quarters satisfactory. Ask him if there's anything else he needs. Find out if he's . . . I'm not sure how to put this."

"Willing to earn his largess?" I said, finishing the sentence for her.

"Yes," Gabrielle said. "Find out if he's willing to earn his largess."

I found myself grinning. "I don't think that will be a problem. Mayoch impresses me as the kind of man that looks forward to earning his largess."

"Still, it wouldn't hurt to offer him some incentive." Gabrielle paused for a second. "Tell him that we're a package deal. That if he spends some time with me, he will get to spend time with you."

"I don't think that's necessary, Your Majesty. I suspect he'll be more than happy to spend time with you, whether I'm included in the deal or not."

"Do it anyway." Gabrielle dismissed me with a wave of her hand. "Then report back to me. I'll be in my suite."

I curtsied and headed down the hall, toward the ambassador's quarters. At least we were making progress. Gabrielle had stopped obsessing over Barcombis and how he had rejected her. Now, she was worried about Mayoch rejecting her. I was pretty sure that wasn't going to be a problem. Mayoch seemed more interested in what a woman could do for him than in what she looked like. As Queen of Crofton, Gabrielle could do a lot for him.

I'm not sure offering myself as an added incentive would make a difference to a man like Mayoch, but if it did, I was prepared to make the sacrifice. I was more than a bit curious to know what it would be like to be intimate with someone who possessed his touch, his power.

I found Barcombis and Mayoch in Mayoch's new quarters, a suite that was just slightly smaller than mine. There was a sitting room, an office, a dressing room, and a bedroom. The only thing missing was the private dining room.

"Well?" Barcombis said when I entered the sitting room.

"Well what?" I said.

"What did the queen think of Mayoch?"

"She wants me to find out if Mayoch will be willing to earn this largess." I waved a hand, indicating the suite.

"Of course he's willing to earn it." Barcombis looked at Mayoch. "Aren't you my boy?"

"One cannot earn a gift," Mayoch said. He smiled, his perfect smile. "However, I look forward to showing your queen that she is a beautiful and desirable woman."

"She also wanted you to know that we're a package deal. That if you're willing to spend time with her, you'll get to spend time with me." I'm not sure why I said that. It was pretty clear I didn't have to. But it was hard to forget Mayoch's touch, the way it made your skin tingle, the way his kiss made your lips tingle while stealing your breath. It was addictive. One touch and you wanted more.

The smile on Mayoch's face widened. "To take you to the heights of ecstasy fair lady, would be a pleasure indeed."

Barcombis opened his mouth to say something, but I held up a hand, silencing him. "Let's remember our goal. To convince Gabrielle that she's a beautiful, desirable woman. Nothing else matters. Including me."

"Why is that our goal?" Mayoch asked.

I looked at Mayoch. "If you can't convince Gabrielle that she's a beautiful, desirable woman, she'll turn into something evil and many people will suffer because of it."

The smile returned to Mayoch's face. "Finally, a challenge worthy of my skills. Yet I can't help but wonder how you know all of this."

Now it was my turn to smile. "You're not the only one with powers."

"She's a time traveler," Barcombis said. "That how she knows all of this."

The smile on Mayoch's face widened. "Then you and I must spend time together. That way you can spread my name, my legend, throughout the ages."

Mayoch stepped up to me and ran a finger across my lower lip. His power flowed through my skin, causing my lip, my entire body, to tingle. I found myself gasping for breath. Apparently, he could control his power, turn it up or down. That time he had turned it up, way up.

Barcombis stepped between us and glared at Mayoch. "It would be wise to remember who's bestowing all this largess on you."

Mayoch smiled and bowed. "You're right. Business before pleasure."

Barcombis grabbed me by the shoulders, spun me around, and pushed me toward the door. "You need to go back to Gabrielle and inform her that Mayoch is more than willing to earn his largess."

"Tell her I am eager to gaze upon her beautiful countenance," Mayoch said. "To hear her sultry voice once again will make my day complete."

I headed up to Gabrielle's suite, then waited in the hallway until the guards let me inside. Gabrielle was sitting on the divan that faced the door, dressed in layers and layers of red chiffon, the same gown she wore to dinner.

"You talked to Mayoch?" she said to me.

"I did, Your Majesty."

"And?"

"He's more than willing to earn his largess. He sent me to inform you that he's eager to gaze upon your beautiful countenance, and that to hear your sultry voice once again will make his day complete."

"He said all of that?"

"He did."

Gabrielle giggled. "You informed him that we're a package deal?"

"I did, Your Majesty. Although I don't think it mattered to him."

"Did you learn anything else?"

"He can control his power. Increase it whenever he wants."

"How did you discover that?"

"He ran a finger across my lower lip. The experience was much more intense than the first time he touched me."

"But still pleasurable?"

"Extremely pleasurable."

"Was Barcombis there when you talked to Mayoch?"

"He was."

"How did he react when you informed Mayoch that you were part of the deal?"

"He wasn't happy."

Gabrielle flashed a pleased smile. "I suspect he wasn't. Barcombis is used to being the only rooster in the hen house."

Okay, so she hadn't completely forgotten about Barcombis rejecting her. Although I suspect the more time she spent with Mayoch, the less she would think about Barcombis. At least that was the hope.

"Do you think I should see Mayoch now?"

"Do you want to see him now?"

Gabrielle nodded. "I do."

"Then you should see him now."

Gabrielle threw her shoulders back. "And so I shall. You shall inform Mayoch that I request his presence in my suite, so that I can get to know the newest ambassador to my court."

I curtsied. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

"You will also inform him that when we have finished our visit, he will be free to spend time with you."

"I don't think that will affect his desire to spend time with you, Your Majesty." It was clear that Mayoch believed he was God's gift to women, and that he lived to prove it. From the few minutes I had spent with him, I had to agree, he pretty much was God's gift to women.

"Tell him anyway. And let him know that you are anxious to spend time with him."

I curtsied and headed off to deliver Gabrielle's message.

I found Mayoch in his suite. This time he was alone.

"Most beautiful of women," he said, when he opened the door to the hallway and saw me standing there. "Too long have I gone without gazing upon your angelic visage."

When he reached out to touch me, I stepped back. The last thing I needed was one of his hands on me. They were way too distracting. "I have a message from the queen. She requests your presence in her suite, so she can get to know the newest ambassador to her court."

Mayoch smiled and bowed. "I'm anxious to spend time with her."

"She also wants me to inform you that after you have spent time with her, you are free to spend time with me."

Mayoch stepped out of his suite. "I have never met a woman so willing to share a man with her friends. Your queen is truly unique."

He fell in alongside of me and we headed down the hall. "It's not about sharing. She's afraid if she doesn't throw in an incentive or two, you won't want to spend time with her."

"Sounds like I have my work cut out for me." Mayoch smiled and squared his shoulders. "Fortunately, I am up to the task."

To prove he was up to the task, he placed a hand between my shoulder blades, just above the corset, so skin touched skin. I could feel the tingle of energy radiate from his hand. God did it feel good. It made my muscles melt and my nerve endings tingle. It stole my breath and made it hard to think.

"You should save that for the queen."

Mayoch chuckled. "Most women aren't able to talk when I'm touching them."

"I'm not most women."

"No, you are a time traveler."

"Something you don't need to mention to Gabrielle."

"Would she believe me?"

"Probably not."

We reached the stairs and headed up to the third floor. Mayoch's hand slid down my back. His power faded when his hand slid over my leather corset, the heavy leather providing some insulation.

"Fear not beautiful lady. Your secret is safe with me."

Mayoch's hand continued to move down my back, until it reached my bottom and the short leather skirt that covered it. When his hand slipped under my skirt and caressed my bare bottom, the flow of power was so intense, I tripped on the stairs. The good part about my tripping was it broke the skin to skin contact.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea to put your hand there," I sputtered as I straightened up.

Mayoch smiled. "It seemed like the most perfect of places for my hand. It certainly felt like the most perfect of places. Firm and round, with skin as soft as velvet."

I ignored the fact that I was blushing and stuck a finger in Mayoch's face. "You need to focus on the queen. She's the important one."

"The queen is important. After all, she's my benefactor."

"And you need to remember that."

We continued up the stairs with no more skin to skin contact. Much to my relief, and regret. When we reached the top of the stairs. Mayoch grabbed my hand and turned me toward him. "You are important too, fair lady. As a time traveler, you have the power to spread my name and legend throughout the ages, to people that I will never meet."

He was stroking my palm with his thumb, sending his power through my hand and up my arm. I could deal with his power if that was all he touched. When he went for the more sensitive areas, like my lips, or my bottom, or my breasts, well, that was a different matter entirely.

I yanked my hand away from his and pointed to Gabrielle's suite. "You're here for one thing, to convince the queen that she's the most desirable woman on the planet. Got it?"

Mayoch bowed. "I could never forget anything that passes through lips as luscious as yours."

The guy was full of it, but with his looks, his power, his touch, no one cared.

"Go," I said, pointing toward the queen's suite.

Mayoch smiled and went. I watched until the guards admitted him into Gabrielle's suite. I could've used my powers to spy on them, see how things went, but I didn't. I was more of an exhibitionist than a voyeur.

I stepped into my suite to find Barcombis waiting for me. He was sitting on the divan that faced the door, dressed in polished black riding boots, black cotton breeches, and a yellow cotton shirt topped by a black velvet waistcoat. He looked like a man that had something to prove.

"What's up?" I said.

"Mayoch is with the queen?"

"Yes."

Barcombis smiled and rose to his feet. "That means we have some time alone."

He moved toward me, but I held up a hand, stopping him. "I'm flattered, but try to remember, we're not a couple. We're just two people with a common goal."

"That doesn't mean we can't have some fun."

He tried to grab my waist but I placed a hand on his chest and pushed him away. "I realize playing second fiddle to Mayoch is hard on your male ego, but you've got to understand, I didn't travel back in time to soothe your ego. I'm here to prevent Gabrielle from turning into the Witch Queen. Once we've accomplished that, I'm headed back to my own time."

Barcombis sighed and left, looking none too happy. Not that I cared. I wasn't here to make sure he led a long happy life. I was here to make sure Gabrielle didn't turn into the Witch Queen. That was all I cared about.

# Chapter 20

I was in my suite, waiting to find out what happened between Mayoch and Gabrielle, when there was a knock on my door. It was Mayoch. I let him into my sitting room, then shut the door behind him.

"So?" I said, turning to face him after I locked the door. "How did your meeting with the queen go?"

"It was over much too soon," Mayoch said. "But whenever I spend time with a woman, it ends much too soon."

"If that's true then your life must be speeding by."

I was making a joke, but Mayoch took the comment seriously. "Too true fair lady. At this rate, my life shall be at an end before I know it."

"When that day comes, I suspect the fairer half of the world will mourn."

Mayoch smiled. "You flatter me with your kind words just like you flatter me with your presence."

"Tell me about your time with Gabrielle."

"I'm sorry, fair lady, but I never talk about one woman when I'm with another."

He tried to touch my face with his hand. I used my power to move objects to stop his hand, freezing it in midair. "You'll make an exception in my case, or the only thing you'll be touching is yourself."

Mayoch withdrew his hand and bowed. "Your desires are all that matter, fair lady. What do you wish to know?"

"Did Gabrielle let you touch her?"

"Gabrielle's not comfortable with people touching her other than to shake her hand. Her good hand." Mayoch smiled. "Fortunately, I don't need a lot of contact to make a woman happy. The brush of a finger on an arm is more than sufficient."

Mayoch reached out and brushed his little finger down my arm. Energy radiated up my arm, through my shoulder, and down into breasts. As much as I didn't want to, I forced myself to step back, out of Mayoch's reach.

"Not only can I control how much power I send out, I can control where I send it."

Mayoch stepped closer and ran a finger across my lower lip. This time the tingle headed straight to my groin. It was so intense my knees buckled and I had to grab onto Mayoch's shoulders. "I guess that answers the question as to whether you'll be able to make Gabrielle happy. But will you be able to convince her that she's a desirable woman?"

"Give me enough time and I can convince any woman that she is the most beautiful and desirable woman on the planet. It is my gift, fair lady."

I regained my composure and stepped back, once again moving out of Mayoch's reach. "Gabrielle's not happy with who she is. She wants to be somebody else. She wants to be . . . . "

"You?" Mayoch said, finishing the sentence for me.

"I was going to say that she wants to be beautiful and desirable."

"Convincing a woman that she is beautiful and desirable takes time. Gabrielle has taken the first step down that road, but she is not there yet."

"But you can get her there."

"I can and will, fair lady." Mayoch smiled. "But I'd much rather talk about you. I've never met a time traveler before. You must tell me about yourself."

He took my hand and led me to the divan. I sat. He sat next to me, still holding my hand. He stroked the back of my hand, sending just enough power through my hand and up my arm to make the nerves in my arm tingle.

"Not much to tell," I said. His power made it hard to concentrate, hard to think. "I inherited my power to move through time from my father's side of the family."

"How does it work?"

"I just concentrate on the time I want to be in and I move there. Where does your power come from?"

"In truth I have no idea." He was still stroking the back of my hand with his thumb. "I was raised in an orphanage. All I know is, when I hit puberty, I developed the power to make women happy."

"And you've been making women happy ever since?"

"To deny women such a gift would be wrong." Mayoch smiled. "Can I ask you another question, fair lady?"

"Go ahead."

"From how far in the future do you come?"

"Two hundred years."

"And you are here to prevent Gabrielle from turning into something evil?"

"Yes."

"You are telling me that Gabrielle is still alive two hundred years from now?"

"Yes."

"How does one live that long?"

"It sounds like you'd like to live for two hundred years."

Mayoch laughed. "Wouldn't everybody? Especially if you could remain young and healthy."

"Gabrielle paid a high price for the life she was given."

"Who gave her that life?"

"A higher being called the Prince of the Air."

"You mean a god?"

"There is only the One God," I said. "All other beings, be they higher beings like the Prince of the Air, or lower beings like you and I, were created by him."

"How high a price did Gabrielle have to pay?"

"She had to kill people, starting with the people that she loved the most."

"And in return for this she got a long life?"

"As well as the ability to possess any body that she desired. But she also became the most despised person on the continent."

Mayoch smiled. "You realize this sounds like a fantasy. How do I know you speak the truth?"

"You want me to show you?"

"You can do that?"

"I can." I stood and held out my hand. When Mayoch stood and tried to take it, I yanked it away. "You must promise me that you won't use your power on me, I don't need any distractions when I'm transporting us through time."

"I give you my word," Mayoch said.

I held out my hand and he took it. This time there was no tingle, no energy radiating up my arm.

I thought about moving forward in time, two hundred years to be exact. Within seconds a ball of electrical energy surrounded us. The room we were in didn't change as we moved forward through time. No one appeared or disappeared. The furniture remained the same.

When we reached my time, the electrical energy dissipated. We found ourselves standing in the sitting room of a suite that hadn't been used in a long time. A thick coat of dust covered the furniture while cobwebs filled the room's corners and doorways.

"We are in the future?" Mayoch said.

"Two hundred years. This is the time I come from, the time I belong in."

"And Gabrielle is still alive?"

"She is, although she no longer calls herself Gabrielle. In this time, she calls herself the Witch Queen."

I led Mayoch out the door and down the hallway. It was late in the evening and the castle was quiet. I'm not sure where the Witch Queen was, perhaps she was sleeping, perhaps she was praying to her god, the Prince of the Air, perhaps she was sacrificing one of her servants to her god.

"Where are all the guards?" Mayoch asked as we headed down the stairs to the second floor.

"The Witch Queen needs no guards. There's no one on the planet that she fears."

"No one?"

"No one, except perhaps myself."

"Where are you taking me?"

"To show you what became of Barcombis."

I led Mayoch to the part of the castle where the queen's advisers once resided. The hallway was as empty and as dusty as it was when I was here with Barcombis.

"It doesn't look like anyone lives in this part of the castle."

"No one does."

"The Witch Queen doesn't have advisers?"

"There's no one in the Witch Queen's life but her servants."

We reached Barcombis's suite at the end of the hall. I opened the door and led Mayoch inside. Barcombis's corpse was still sitting on the dusty divan. A skeleton covered with dry leathery skin and dirty and tattered clothes. The slash in his throat was still evident.

"This is Barcombis?" Mayoch said.

"He was Gabrielle's first sacrifice."

"Why?"

"Because he was her first love."

"And in exchange for killing him?" Mayoch was studying the corpse up close, checking to see if it really was Barcombis.

"She gained the power to occupy any body that she wanted. Of course, she always takes the body of a girl that is young and beautiful."

"What happens to the souls of the girls whose bodies she occupies?"

"I don't know. Perhaps she destroys them. Perhaps they are trapped in a body they no longer control."

"And Gabrielle's body?"

"Long gone." I offered Mayoch my hand. "Come. I'll show you the room where the Witch Queen practices her human sacrifices."

"That won't be necessary. I can tell that this is no longer a pleasant place. Fear and anger permeate the air."

"The fear comes from the servants that live here. They're afraid of the Witch Queen. They fear that she will make them her next sacrifice."

"And the anger?"

"That comes from Gabrielle. The Prince of the Air gave her what she wanted most, to be beautiful and desirable, but he took away her reasons for wanting it."

Mayoch nodded. "The people that she loved. The people that she wanted to love her."

"Like Barcombis."

Mayoch looked at me. "This is perhaps the saddest existence that I have ever seen."

"You believe that I speak the truth?"

"I can see with my own eyes that you speak the truth."

"Would you like to meet the Witch Queen?"

Mayoch shook his head. "That will not be necessary."

"Then we can return to your time." I held out my hand. Mayoch took it. I thought about moving back in time, to the same year, the same month, the same day, the same hour, the same minute it had been before I transported Mayoch into the future.

I knew we had reached the right time when Barcombis's corpse turned into the real Barcombis. What's more, he wasn't alone, a pretty blond serving girl was with him. Based on the disheveled state of her clothes, it was pretty obvious what they had been doing.

"What the hell!" Barcombis said, leaping to his feet. "Where did the two of you come from?"

"The future," Mayoch said.

"I was showing Mayoch your corpse."

"It's still on the divan?"

I nodded. "It is."

"That means the future hasn't changed."

"Not yet."

Mayoch smiled. "That's because I've only spent one evening with Gabrielle. Convincing her that she's beautiful and desirable will take time."

"But you can get her there?" Barcombis said.

The grin on Mayoch's face widened. "I can and I will."

I nodded in the direction of the blond serving girl sitting on the divan. "You need to tell her to forget everything she's seen and heard tonight."

Barcombis held up a hand. "I'll take care of it."

Mayoch and I left Barcombis's suite.

"You seem to know a lot about this Prince of the Air," Mayoch said, as we headed down the hallway. A hallway that was clean and still used.

"My father made a deal with him."

"And how did that work out?"

"About the same as it did with Gabrielle."

Mayoch laughed. "The Prince of the Air sounds like a con man. He gives you what you want, but takes as payment your reason for wanting it."

I nodded. "If you tried to make a deal with him, you would have to give up something you love, most likely your ability to make women happy. In the end, you would be left with a long life and nothing to live for."

"What makes you think I would consider making a deal with the Prince of the Air?"

"I saw the look in your eyes when I first told you that Gabrielle is still alive two hundred years from now."

"And what look was that?"

"Desire."

"Desiring something and trying to attain it are two different things. I will be content with whatever time I've been given."

"You understand why you have to help Gabrielle?"

"To save her from a life without love, which in my opinion is no life at all." Mayoch placed his hand on my back, just above the corset, so skin was touching skin. I decided to move away from him before he could use his power.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"How could it not be a good idea? We have the queen's blessing."

"Somewhere down the road, Gabrielle is going to fall in love with you."

Mayoch smiled. "That is a given. Every woman I've spent time with has fallen in love with me."

"You and I both know that women in love tend to get possessive, not to mention jealous."

"You're worried that Gabrielle will resent you for spending time with me?"

"I want her to be happy, but how is she going to be happy knowing the man she loves is involved with me? I think it'll be better if we don't actually do anything."

"You don't wish to experience the pleasure I can bring you?"

"Making sure Gabrielle doesn't turn into the Witch Queen is more important."

"Would you change your mind if I told you that I can't actually have sex with you?"

We reached the stairs and headed up to the third floor. It was late and the castle was quiet. The hallways and stairs deserted. "I don't understand."

"A couple of years ago, I made the mistake of getting involved with a married woman. Her husband was an expert swordsman. We dueled. I lost." Mayoch smiled, a melancholy smile. "I still have all my original parts, mind you, I just can't feel anything. The physician that tended to my wound said it has something to do with a severed nerve bundle."

"Was it an accident or did the guy do it intentionally?"

"It was intentional. Rest assured. The man I dueled with was a surgeon, so he knew exactly what he was doing."

"So you get no pleasure from being with a woman?"

"On the contrary, fair lady, watching a beautiful woman in the throws of rapture brings me great pleasure."

"You realize that if you stick around you'll be in this as deeply as Barcombis."

Mayoch wrinkled his brow. "I don't understand."

"Gabrielle loved Barcombis. When he didn't love her back, she made her deal with the Prince of the Air. He demanded that Barcombis be her first sacrifice."

"You're saying that if I fail to convince her that she's a beautiful and desirable woman, she'll make her deal with the Prince of the Air and he'll demand that I be her first sacrifice?"

"Perhaps not her first, but certainly her second."

A big grin spread across Mayoch's face. "Then I had best not fail."

# Chapter 21

I met Gabrielle the following morning for a private breakfast in her suite. She was wearing a long sleeved gown made out of layers and layers of pink chiffon. I was wearing my usual, boots, a short leather skirt, and a strapless corset that showed off my breasts. These were dark blue in color. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, held in place with a blue velvet ribbon.

Breakfast was simple, ham, eggs, hash browns, and tea. None of the exotic stuff Gabrielle served after she became the Witch Queen.

"So?" I said, as we ate. "How was your evening with Mayoch?"

"His power is most impressive." Gabrielle looked at me. "Wouldn't you agree?"

I nodded. "Most impressive."

"I'm meeting with him again this evening. So you can expect another late night visit."

I felt a wave of disappointment wash over me, not because I'd be spending more time with Mayoch, but because Gabrielle still thought that she needed to offer me up as an added incentive to keep Mayoch interested in her. That meant that Mayoch was right, he hadn't convinced her that she was as beautiful and desirable as any other woman. That meant I couldn't go back to my own time. Not until I knew that she was happy with who she was, and that she wouldn't make her deal with the Prince of the Air.

"Did he tell you that he can't perform like other men?"

I nodded and took a sip of my tea. "He did, then he mentioned a duel with an angry husband. A duel that left him injured."

"And you believed him?"

"I did. I do."

"When he told me that story, I thought it was something he made up, so he wouldn't have to be intimate with me, or more intimate than he already was."

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't a story."

Gabrielle paused between bites of scrambled eggs. "What makes you say that?"

"The look on his face when he recounted the story. There was a sadness in his eyes that isn't normally there."

Gabrielle breathed a sigh of relief. "So it wasn't because he found me repulsive."

"Mayoch believes all women are beautiful."

Gabrielle scoffed. "You actually believe that? Believe that he thinks I'm as beautiful as you?"

"Mayoch finds beauty in uniqueness. So yes, I do believe that."

"If that's true, then in his eyes, I'm even more beautiful than you, because I'm as unique as they come."

"Let's just say that we're two different types of beauties."

Gabrielle laughed. "Right. You're the long legged, big boobed, kind of beauty. I'm the short dumpy kind."

"You have a very pretty face," I said. "Even Barcombis thinks so."

"He told you that?"

"He did. Said that you look like your mother, whom he called a very pretty woman."

That seemed to surprise Gabrielle. It made me think that it was the first time in her life that she heard somebody say something nice about her.

"Do you think I have a pretty face?"

"I do."

Gabrielle paused for a second. Almost as if I had caught her off-guard. "Thank you."

"I also like your red hair, it's very striking. You ever think of growing it long?"

"I thought about it, but I didn't want anybody to mistake me for a candle."

"I think long hair would frame your face better."

"Then I'd be a beauty like you?"

"A more noticeable beauty than me. Red hair like yours stands out much more than my black hair."

"From the neck up, we'd be equals. Not so much from the neck down."

"All women have things that they don't like about themselves. The key is to play up your assets."

"What don't you like about yourself?"

"My mother and older sister were both blonds. I always wanted hair like theirs. Plus they were both taller than me. I always wanted legs as long as theirs."

"I'd take your legs any day of the week," Gabrielle said. "And you've got great hair. It's always so sleek and shiny."

"The point is you're not the only woman that has things about herself that she doesn't like. My mother said the biggest difference between men and women is that women tend to focus on their negatives while men don't even notice theirs."

Gabrielle laughed. "That might be true. I'm always focusing on my negatives. Barcombis, on the other hand, is convinced that he doesn't have any."

"Perhaps you should be more like him."

"I don't think I'd be a very popular queen if I behaved like Barcombis."

I laughed. "You'd have to have someone follow you around with a mirror, so you could spend more time admiring yourself."

"You're not far off," Gabrielle said. "I happen to know that Barcombis carries a small mirror in his pocket. As Minister of Trade, he claims he uses it to shine more light on the various goods that he's inspecting, but everybody knows the real reason he carries it."

"To admire himself?"

Gabrielle nodded. "To admire himself."

"With Mayoch around, Barcombis is going to find fewer admirers. At least among the fairer sex."

Gabrielle laughed. "That alone is reason enough to keep Mayoch around."

"Speaking of which," I said. "Do you mind if I pass on getting together with Mayoch this evening?"

"Why?"

"I don't think it's a good idea if you and I get involved with the same man."

"Because?"

"What if one or both of us fall in love with him? That could lead to jealousy and resentment. It could ruin our relationship."

"I don't get jealous," Gabrielle said. I opened my mouth to respond, but she held up a hand, silencing me. "I know you think he's as interested in me as he is in you, but I'm not sure I believe that, not yet anyway. Just to be safe, I'd like to be able to tell him that you're anxiously awaiting his presence."

"As you wish, Your Majesty." Okay, so Gabrielle wasn't convinced that she was an attractive and desirable woman. Not yet anyway. Clearly this was going to take some time.

***

After dinner, Mayoch joined Gabrielle in her suite. A couple hours later, there was a knock at my door. It was Mayoch.

"Most beautiful of women," he said, stepping into my sitting room. "Too long have I gone without being in your radiant presence."

"You saw me a couple of hours ago, at dinner."

"Two hours without seeing you, is two hours too long."

I shut the door and locked it. Not that I intended to get intimate with Mayoch. I just wanted to talk to him without being disturbed. I indicated the divan. Mayoch moved to it and sat.

"How are things progressing with Gabrielle?" I moved to one of the wing chairs and sat. Purposely avoiding the divan.

"You sit so far away from me, I find it hard to concentrate on what you're saying." He smiled his perfect smile and patted the gold velvet cushion next to him. "Why don't you join me over here."

"Thanks, but I think I'm going to pass."

Mayoch thrust his lower lip out in a pout and folded his arms across his chest. "If you do not join me on the divan, I am not going to talk about Gabrielle."

"Don't you ever get tired of making women happy?"

The smile returned to Mayoch's face. "How can one tire of making women happy?"

Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door.

"That should be Barcombis," I said, leaping to my feet and heading for the door. "I invited him to join us. He's as interested in how things are progressing with Gabrielle as I am."

I opened the door and let Barcombis into the room. He bowed to me, then nodded at Mayoch.

I indicated the spot next to Mayoch. "Have a seat."

Barcombis took the seat next to Mayoch, much to Mayoch's chagrin. I returned to the wing chair that faced the divan. "Mayoch was about to tell me how things are progressing with Gabrielle."

"You must understand," Mayoch said. "It takes more than two days to convince an ugly duckling that she is a beautiful swan."

Barcombis snorted. "Especially when she is an ugly duckling."

Mayoch pointed at Barcombis. "Perhaps things would go quicker if he helped."

I looked at Barcombis. "Mayoch's right. You need to start complimenting Gabrielle. When you run into her tell her that she's looking lovelier than ever."

"You want me to lie?"

"You want Gabrielle to cut your throat?"

Barcombis moved a hand to his neck. "Nothing wrong with lying when it's for a good cause."

"You'll start paying her compliments?"

Barcombis nodded. "I start paying her compliments."

"It can't be just one. You have to do it day after day. And you have to sound sincere, even if you're not."

"I understand."

"I hope so." I looked back at Mayoch. "Anything else we can do?"

"If you hear something long enough, you eventually believe it. We just need to keep telling her that she's beautiful until she begins to believe it."

"So, it's just a matter of time."

Mayoch smiled. "It is just a matter of time."

I rose to my feet. My way of letting the two men know that our meeting was over. "This was a good meeting, gentlemen. Now, if you'll excuse me. It's late and I'm tired."

Mayoch rose to his feet and bowed. Barcombis did the same. The two men headed for the door. When he passed me, Barcombis grabbed me by the shoulders, yanked me to him, and kissed me. Hard. His lips crushed mine, smothering me for a full minute. When he released me, he looked at Mayoch and smiled. Almost as if issuing a challenge.

Mayoch returned Barcombis's smile and stepped up to me. Instead of grabbing me by the shoulders, he slipped a lone finger into my cleavage. He used that finger to tug on my corset and pull me to him. Pretty easy to do since I still hadn't recovered from Barcombis's smothering kiss. He then touched his lips to mine. It was the opposite of Barcombis's kiss, light and teasing, just enough for him to release his power. A power which made my lips and mouth tingle. A power which made my head spin.

"Enough," I said, pushing Mayoch away. "This isn't a competition and I'm not a prize."

"I disagree," Mayoch said. "You are a great prize, fair lady."

I staggered toward the door. "Both of you need to go. Now."

Barcombis pointed at Mayoch. "I'll leave when he leaves."

I opened the door to the hall and turned to Mayoch. "Leave. Please."

Mayoch smiled and bowed. "I anxiously await our next meeting, fair lady."

Mayoch left. Barcombis looked at me, decided I wanted him to leave, and followed Mayoch out the door.

***

Thus did I develop a routine for my time at Gabrielle's castle. I would begin my day by having breakfast with Gabrielle in her suite. We would talk about Mayoch and men in general and I would do everything I could to convince her that she was a beautiful desirable woman.

I spent my days practicing my sword fighting with some of the guards, as well as learning the local tongue. I had no idea if I would ever use the local tongue, but studying it kept me from getting bored. In the evenings, I would dine with Gabrielle and her court.

At night, Mayoch and Barcombis would stop by my suite and we would discuss how things were progressing with Gabrielle. Not surprisingly, Mayoch and Barcombis always said the same things. Mayoch would say that changing a woman's opinion of herself takes time. Barcombis would insist that he was being extra nice to Gabrielle.

Our meetings always ended the same way, Mayoch and Barcombis would each make a pass at me and I would rebuff their advances, albeit for different reasons. I avoided intimacy with Mayoch because getting involved with the queen's favorite consort just wasn't a good idea. As for Barcombis, well, I just didn't like him that much. It was obvious that he didn't like being nice to Gabrielle and that he only did it out of a desire to save his neck.

***

A couple of months after my arrival in this time period something positive happened. It was during breakfast with Gabrielle.

"I've decided that you don't have to see Mayoch anymore," Gabrielle said. "Of course, if you want to see him, you're free to. I have no claim on the man."

"Do you want a claim on him?"

"I'm not sure what I want matters. I doubt if Mayoch would stop seeing you even if I asked him to."

"If it'll make you feel any better," I said. "We haven't actually done anything other than talk."

Gabrielle wrinkled her brow. "I don't understand?"

"It's not a good idea for friends to get involved with the same man, so I've been rejecting his advances."

"Then why has he been seeing me?"

"Perhaps because he likes you."

"Do you think he's been seeing other women?"

"It wouldn't surprise me."

Gabrielle squared her shoulders. "I'd prefer he not see other women."

"Ask him to be your consort. Then explain to him that as the queen's consort he must refrain from being involved with other women."

"I'd like to," Gabrielle said. "But if he said no, I'd be crushed."

"He might say yes." Especially if I had anything to say about it.

"He might say no."

"Maybe you could offer him another incentive."

"You mean in place of you?"

"Offer him a salary. Tell him that as your consort, he's entitled to one. Maybe you could even give him a title. I'm thinking Minister of Personal Affairs."

"And if people ask me what my Minister of Personal Affairs does?"

"You tell them that he helps out with personal matters, matters that concern no one but yourself."

Gabrielle grinned. "I suspect that would silence the curious."

"You wouldn't be the first queen to maintain a Minister of Personal Affairs." My mother had several of them on her staff. Of course the affairs they tended to were all sexual in nature.

"Wouldn't I be buying his affection?"

"Women use whatever assets they have to attract the man that they want. Blonds brush their hair until it shines. Tall girls show off their long legs. Rich women toss their money around."

Gabrielle focused on my cleavage. "Well endowed girls show off their breasts?"

I was wearing my usual, boots, a short leather skirt, and a strapless leather corset. Today's outfit was white. My hair was tied back in a ponytail with a white satin ribbon.

"Now you've got it." I arched my back and shimmied my shoulders, so my breasts quivered. "A smart woman uses whatever assets are available to her and she doesn't apologize for it."

"This is stuff my mother would've taught me if she hadn't died after giving birth to me."

"You're still young. You've got plenty of time to put what you're learning to good use."

"Tell me about my assets."

"You're smart. You've got a pretty face. Not to mention the reddest hair I've ever seen. And you're a queen." I paused to smile. "From what you've told me about your nightly meetings with Mayoch, you possess great sexual endurance."

Gabrielle giggled. "Greater than you?"

"Way greater than me."

"And my negatives?"

"You're short and you have a bad arm."

"Nothing else?"

"You have a lower opinion of yourself than you should have. An unkind father, and the lack of a mother, probably contributed to that."

"You have given me a lot to think about," Gabrielle said, climbing off her chair. It was her way of letting me know that our meeting was concluded.

I pushed my chair back and stood. It appeared that Gabrielle had finally turned a corner in how she saw herself, which meant that it was time for me to go, time for me to return to my own time.

"I may have to take a trip up north," I said as Gabrielle walked me out of her private dining room.

"Why?"

"I just received notice that my mother's sister has taken ill. If she doesn't recover, I'll have to take care of her."

"She has no kids of her own?"

"She does not."

"You could always bring her down here."

"I'm not sure she's in any condition to make such a journey."

We reached the door to the hallway. Gabrielle stopped and faced me. "If you leave the castle suddenly, I will know why."

I curtsied. "Your Majesty is most gracious. An asset that I should've mentioned but forgot."

Before I headed back to my own time, I would meet with Mayoch, see if he agreed with my assessment of Gabrielle's progress.

# Chapter 22

When I got back to my time, the first thing I noticed was the suite I was staying in, the one across from the queen's, hadn't changed. The walls were still made out of black granite, but the floor hadn't been overlaid with black oak like it had when the Witch Queen was in charge. The suite was also free of dust, which meant it was being maintained for guests, or more likely, someone was living there.

I took that as a good sign since the Witch Queen had no advisers, no one living in her castle except the young men and women she used as servants and human sacrifices.

I slipped out of the suite before someone discovered me and asked me what I was doing there. Across the hall was the queen's suite, or the king's suite, depending upon who was in charge. A pair of red and yellow clad guards stood on each side of the door, another good sign.

The guard on the right panicked when he saw me. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here."

"She must be the chancellor's new doxy," the guard on the left said.

It wouldn't do any good to tell them that I was a time traveler, odds are they wouldn't believe me. Pretending to be the chancellor's new doxy gave me a reason to be there.

"I was told to report to his suite, but he doesn't seem to be here." Like the guards, I spoke in the local tongue, although I probably had an accent they didn't recognize.

Doxies were professional mistresses. If you wanted a mistress, but didn't want the emotional attachments that came with a regular mistress, you hired a doxy. If she liked you, and you made her an offer she couldn't refuse, she would be your mistress. She wouldn't ask you to marry her or demand that you leave your wife for her, if you had a wife. When you wanted to end the relationship, you would never hear from her again. Of course if you didn't treat her right, or she grew bored with you, she could end the relationship. If you were a young woman that dreamed of associating with the rich and powerful then working as a doxy was your best bet, assuming you were attractive enough and like having sex.

I always thought that I would make an excellent doxy. I didn't mind wearing revealing outfits. I liked sex. And I didn't get emotionally attached to the men I slept with. The only problem with being a doxy was you had a limited shelf life. Eventually you got replaced by a younger woman. But if you were smart enough, you could set yourself up for life, even join the ranks of the rich and powerful.

"This time of day, the chancellor is probably meeting with the king," the guard on the right said.

King, not queen. That meant Mayoch succeeded in changing how Gabrielle saw herself. I hoped she led a full and happy life, and that she died surrounded by people that loved her.

"You need to remain in the chancellor's quarters," the guard on the left said. "Where King Mayoch won't see you."

I could feel my jaw drop. "Your king is named Mayoch?"

"Has been for the last one hundred and seventy years. Where are you from?"

"No where near here."

So Mayoch made a deal with the Prince of the Air. Can't say I was surprised. When I told him about Gabrielle's deal, there was a glint in his eye, a glint that told me he wanted to live forever.

"Go back into the chancellor's suite and stay there," the guard on the right said. "And be quiet. The last thing you want is for the king to see you."

I headed back into the chancellor's suite and dumped my knapsack on the divan. There wasn't much in the knapsack, just a few outfits similar to the one I was wearing. I was lucky to even have a knapsack, considering what I had been wearing when I first traveled back in time.

I thought about using my power to contact Devin or Riley, but dismissed the idea. When I prevented Gabrielle from becoming the Witch Queen, I changed history. I couldn't assume the people in this timeline would even know me.

I sat on the divan, closed my eyes, and focused on Iderra, my sister. She was walking through a castle, it looked like Devin's castle.

"Where are you?" Iderra asked, when my image appeared in front of her. "You weren't in your room this morning and we haven't been able to find you anywhere."

"I'm in Crofton."

"Isn't that on the southern part of the continent?"

"It is."

"How in the world did you get there?"

"When we first arrived on this continent, there was a woman called the Witch Queen. She ruled the southern half of the continent and was pure evil. She also possessed the power to move around by just thinking about it. She brought me to her castle here in Crofton."

Iderra nodded knowingly. "At which point, you traveled back in time and got rid of her."

"I fixed it so the girl she had been wouldn't turn into the Witch Queen."

"Did the Voss control the northern half of the continent in the other timeline?"

My image nodded. "They did."

"They control it in this one too."

"King Mayoch controls the southern half?"

"Sounds like you're familiar with him."

"I sort of created him."

"How so?"

"We used him to keep Gabrielle from turning into the Witch Queen. Unfortunately, I had to tell him how Gabrielle became the Witch Queen and why we needed him."

"How did she become the Witch Queen?"

"She made a deal with the Prince of the Air."

"And somewhere along the way, Mayoch made his own deal with the Prince of the Air?"

My image nodded. "Can't say I'm surprised. When I told him how Gabrielle became immortal, he had this hunger in his eyes, like he wanted to be immortal too."

Iderra changed topics. "Are you going to make it to the Competition of Queens?"

"They haven't held that yet?"

"You make it sound like they already held it in the other timeline."

"They did."

"How did you do?"

"I managed to throw the competition, although it wasn't easy."

"Well, you're going to have to throw it again. You want us to sail down there and pick you up?"

"How much time until the competition?"

"Don't know. They haven't announced when it's going to be."

"Then you might as well come down and pick me up. I'm in Crofton's capital."

"Where in the capital?"

"Mayoch's castle. The chancellor's suite."

"What are you doing there?"

"When I traveled forward in time, I ended up in what is now the chancellor's quarters. The guards in the hall mistook me for his new doxy."

"So, you're just going to stay there and doxy around with the Chancellor of Crofton?"

"I need to find out if Mayoch is evil. In case I have to get rid of him. Pretending to be the chancellor's doxy will keep me close to the king."

"Wish I could help you," Iderra said. "But I'm in Voss territory and Mayoch is a bit of a mystery on this part of the continent. All anyone knows is he's been around forever and maintains a very powerful army, one that keeps the Voss army in check."

"If he made a deal with the Prince of the Air, then he can't be too nice. You and I both know that people who make deals with the Prince of the Air get corrupted."

Iderra nodded. "If we set sail today, we should be there in about a month."

"I'll keep an eye out for your ship."

"In the meantime, try not to get killed."

"It's not on my list of things to do." My image blew Iderra a kiss then faded away. I opened my eyes just as a man entered the room. He had bright blue eyes, a handsome angular face, and short brown hair. I placed him in his early thirties.

"What's your name?" the man said when he saw me.

"Lila," I said, rising to my feet. "What's yours?"

"My friends call me Dur. Everyone else calls me, Chancellor." He spun his finger, indicating that I should turn around. I did a slow turn, so he could check me out.

"The Lady Fairchild said you were a blond."

"The Lady Fairchild didn't send me."

"Who did?"

"Nobody. I heard you were looking for a new doxy and thought I'd apply for the job."

"You're very beautiful," the chancellor said when I finished my turn.

"Thank you, Chancellor."

"You may call me, Dur."

"Thank you, Dur."

"I'd like to see you without your clothes."

That statement caught me off-guard, although it shouldn't have. A doxy was a professional mistress and no man in his right mind would make a deal without checking out the merchandise. The question was, how far did I want to take this charade?

I answered that question by turning my back on him. "You'll have to help me."

Dur stepped up behind me and unlaced my corset, which I removed and tossed onto the divan. I unbuttoned my skirt, pushed it down to my ankles, and stepped out of it, leaving me standing there in red boots with five inch heels and a matching red leather thong.

"Now do a nice slow turn."

I did a slow turn, so Dur could check me out. Again. A wave of arousal radiated through my body. No big surprise. As I indicated, I'm more exhibitionist than voyeur.

Dur pointed to my thong. "Remove that."

I smiled and played with the thong's waistband. "You want to see what's under here, you're going to have to make me a deal, one I like."

"Here's the deal. You'll get your own townhouse, complete with servants, plus a monthly salary."

"What kind of a salary are we talking about?"

"One hundred gold pieces a month."

"When I worked as a lure at a pleasure palace. I made that much in one night."

"I've never heard of a pleasure palace."

"This was in another country. One far from here."

"What would you consider a fair offer?"

"Five hundred gold pieces a month."

Dur laughed. "You do realize that I'm the chancellor and not the king."

"Five hundred a month," I said, as I continued to play with my thong's waistband. "Take it or leave it."

"For five hundred a month, I expect you to do everything I say."

Now it was my turn to laugh. "That will cost you one thousand a month."

"What do I get for five hundred?"

"I'll wear whatever you want me to wear. I'll have sex with you whenever you want it. And I'll tell you that you're the best lover I've ever had. What's more, I'll make sure you believe me."

"What if I turn out to be the best lover you've ever had?"

"Then I'll give you a discount. Four hundred and ninety gold pieces a month."

Dur laughed. "I paid my last doxy two hundred a month."

"And now you're looking to upgrade. Smart boy."

"How do I know you're an upgrade?"

I ran my hands up my stomach and over my breasts, teasing Dur. "If you can't tell that I'm an upgrade, then your eyes must be bad."

Dur licked his lips, making me think that he liked what he saw. "Three hundred a month. You don't have to tell me that I'm the best lover you've ever had, but you have to wear whatever I want."

"Four fifty. I won't lie about your being the best lover I ever had, and I get to wear whatever I want."

"Three fifty. You don't have to tell me that I'm the best lover you've ever had, but you have to wear whatever I want."

"Four hundred. I'll wear whatever you want, but I don't have to have sex with you if I don't feel like it."

"Deal," Dur said.

"I'll expect full payment in advance."

Dur nodded. "Of course."

I grabbed my skirt off the floor and slithered back into it. Looks like I was going to spend the next month as the chancellor's doxy, which might not be a bad thing. It would give me a place to live, but keep me in the city. And it would give me plenty of free time, so I could check up on Mayoch, see how evil he had become.

Once I had my skirt on, I grabbed my corset off the divan. "You'll have to help me with this."

Dur moved behind me and laced up my corset. "I prefer you without it."

"Tell me about your king."

"What do you want to know?"

"Has he really been on the throne for one hundred and seventy years."

"He has."

"How does one live so long?"

"He's from the Hinterlands, they're not like you and I."

"How did a man from the Hinterlands become the King of Crofton?"

"He married Queen Gabrielle, the last of the Croftons. When she died, he ascended to her throne. He has been there ever since."

"How did he gain control of the southern half of the continent?"

"When the Voss began to expand their influence into other countries, he convinced the southern kingdoms to pool their resources into one massive army. An army capable of checking the Voss army. He has controlled that army ever since."

"How did you become chancellor?"

"It's a position my father and grandfather held."

"So you grew up here in the castle, around Mayoch."

"I did."

"Do you like him?"

"He's like a second father to me."

No point in asking him if Mayoch was a good king. Dur wouldn't be able to give me an objective opinion. I would have to find out for myself what kind of a man Mayoch had become, what kind of a king he was. I knew one thing, everybody that made a deal with the Prince of the Air, namely Gabrielle and my father, had been corrupted by him, corrupted to the point that they were willing to take innocent lives. I found it hard to believe that Mayoch was any different.

"How long have you been chancellor?"

"Less than a year."

"Your father just passed away?"

"Last fall."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." Dur finished lacing up my corset. Like most men, he made sure it was extra tight. So tight that I could barely breathe. "You had best stay in my suite. Until I can take you to the townhouse."

"You don't want me walking around the castle?"

"King Mayoch doesn't approve of my using doxies."

I spun around to face Dur. "I heard your king was a bit of a ladies man."

Dur laughed. "King Mayoch is hardly a ladies man. I've never seen him show the slightest interest in a woman."

"Not even the pretty serving girls that work in the castle?"

"There are no serving girls in the castle. There are no women in the castle. King Mayoch gets very upset whenever he sees one. That's why you must remain in my suite. I'll sneak you out later tonight, after he's retired."

"Does he possess any kind of power?"

"Other than the fact he can't die?"

"Other than that."

"Isn't that enough?"

So, the Prince of the Air gave Mayoch what he wanted, immortality. But that immortality came at a price, he took away the one thing Mayoch loved, his power to please women. Can't say I was surprised. I warned him of just such a thing.

"I'll stay here until you take me to the townhouse," I said to Dur. "And I'll be as quiet as a mouse."

Dur breathed a sigh of relief, almost as if he were afraid of what would happen to me if Mayoch found out I was here.

# Chapter 23

I didn't just sit in Dur's suite twiddling my thumbs. I used that time, and my powers, to spy on King Mayoch. I sat on the divan in Dur's sitting room, closed my eyes, and pictured Mayoch in my mind. His blue hair, his blue eyes, his translucent skin, his pointed ears, his beautiful face and perfect teeth. A second later I saw him, sitting on his throne.

He was older than I remembered him, in his fifties rather than his twenties, but other that that, he looked the same. He was still tall and thin. His skin was still flawless, his face still beautiful. He wore polished black riding boots, black velvet knee breeches, and a blue spider silk shirt with puffy sleeves. The crown on his head was silver. The front of the crown formed a winged lion.

He looked unhappy, nothing like the man I knew. No surprise there. People that made deals with the Prince of the Air paid a high price for whatever they were given. I had little doubt that Mayoch had to give up his power to please women. When you combined that with the injury that left his manhood numb, was it any wonder he was depressed, that he had banned women from his castle. It was a tragic existence for a man that loved women like he did.

I watched him for a good portion of the afternoon, but he didn't do or say anything interesting. He just tended to the affairs of state, consulting with advisers, ambassadors, and generals on tax issues, trade issues, and troop deployments. He wasn't mean to people. He didn't go into a rage. He didn't sneak off and sacrifice anybody. He just seemed bored and depressed.

I wasn't surprised, seeing how he had been doing this for one hundred and seventy years. The most interesting thing Mayoch did was head to bed right after sunset. That meant it was time for me to resume my role as Dur's doxy.

We headed to Dur's townhouse right after Mayoch went to bed, riding inside an unmarked black carriage. I was still wearing red leather boots with five inch heels, a red leather skirt that ended at the top of my thighs, and a strapless red corset that laced up the back. My hair was in a ponytail, held in place with a red velvet ribbon tied into a bow. The gloss on my lips matched my clothing. Dur sat across from me, dressed in polished black riding boots, black velvet breeches, a white cotton shirt with lace cuffs, and a black velvet jacket.

"That's quite a skirt you're wearing," Dur said. "What there is of it."

I was sitting as demurely as I could, knees pressed tightly together, hands folded in my lap. When Dur focused on my legs, I leaned back in my seat, stretched my arms wide on the back of the black leather bench, and crossed my right leg over my left. My skirt did exactly what it was designed to do, it rode up, so that every inch of my legs was on display.

"The outfit was a gift from a friend." I swung my right foot, back and forth. Dur stared at it as if he was caught in a hypnotic trance.

"Male or female?"

"Female." I smiled, a teasing smile. Not that Dur noticed, he was still staring at my legs.

"So you've had female patrons." Dur finally focused on my face.

"The woman that gave me these outfits was a friend, nothing more."

"You weren't her doxy?"

"No."

"So you didn't have to do whatever she told you?"

"No."

Dur smiled, a wicked smile. "But you'll do what I tell you."

I flashed a teasing smile. "Only one way to find out."

"Uncross your legs."

I slid my right leg off my left, making the movement as slow and as sensuous as I could. I didn't try to fix my skirt, but I did keep my legs pressed tightly together.

"You follow orders well."

"When I want to."

Dur issued another order. "Spread your legs."

I let my knees fall open a few inches, once again teasing Dur by taking my time.

"Is that the best you can do?"

"Just because I'm a doxy doesn't mean I'm not a lady."

Dur laughed. "I'm not sure a lady would wear an outfit like that."

"Where is it written that a lady can't be sexy? Where I come from the two aren't mutually exclusive."

"Where do you come from?"

"As far away from here as you can get."

I took a deep breath, which brought a smile to Dur's face. "Breathe any deeper and you'll pop out of that corset."

I smiled, a teasing smile. "Would that be such a bad thing?"

"Actually, that would be a very good thing."

"You're a breast man?"

"Aren't all men, breast men?"

"Probably."

Evening had descended, so most of the shops we passed were closed, except for those on the bridge we crossed. The shops on that particular bridge were mostly taverns, crowded taverns with a lot of people milling around in front of them. Our carriage had to stop several times to let drunks stumble across the street.

When we cleared the bridge and picked up speed, Dur focused on my still parted legs. "I can't help but notice that you haven't closed your legs."

"You didn't tell me to close them."

"You're an obedient doxy. I like that."

"As long as you don't ask me to do something that's unladylike."

"Who decides what's unladylike?"

I smiled. "I do."

Dur surprised me with his next question. "Are you aroused?"

"Are you?"

Dur laughed. "What man wouldn't be aroused? With you sitting across from him, dressed like that."

"I'm aroused," I admitted.

"You like it when men look at you." It was a statement, not a question.

Was I that easy to read? Apparently. "Yes. I like it when men look at me."

"You like it when men want you."

"Most women like to be desired. I'm no different."

"Yes, but you're not afraid to make men want you. That can't be said of most women."

"Most women aren't professional doxies."

Dur looked at my knapsack, which sat on the seat next to me. "What do the other outfits in your bag look like?"

"Like this one."

"The skirts are the same length as that one?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Why is that good?"

"Because I want your body to be well displayed whenever you go out in public."

"You want other men checking me out?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it will arouse you and I like the idea of you walking around all hot and bothered."

"Even when you're not with me?"

"Even when I'm not with you."

I decided to change topics. I liked attention, but I didn't like talking about my sexual proclivities. "Tell me about your king."

"What do you want to know?"

"Why doesn't he like women?"

"Something happened in his life before I was born, before my father or grandfather were born, something that turned him off women."

"You don't know what that something was?"

"I don't."

"Is Mayoch a good king?"

"He unified the nations on the southern half of the continent into a military confederation that protects us from the Voss. The Coalition of Free States."

"How does that work?"

"The nations in the Coalition coordinate troop movements. Troops can be moved from one country to another, depending upon where the bulk of the Voss army is deployed."

"For example?"

"If the Voss deploy the bulk of their army on the Hinterlands's northern border, troops from Crofton and the other countries in the Coalition will be moved to the Hinterlands to counter what the Voss are doing. If the Voss then shift the bulk of their troops to Crofton's northern border, Coalition forces will be shifted to our northern border. Individually, none of us in the Coalition have the strength to stop a Voss invasion, but working together we do. Thanks to Mayoch, we have kept the Voss out of our territory for over a century."

"Does Mayoch allow slavery?"

"Slavery is not allowed here in Crofton."

"Does he practice human sacrifice?"

Dur looked at me like I was crazy. "I've never even heard of such a thing."

I took that as a no and changed topics. "Are you a good man?"

Dur focused on my legs and flashed a wicked grin. "Right now, I'm a horny man."

I smiled and spread my legs wider. Dur growled, then looked out the window. "We're almost there."

The carriage rolled to a stop. I could hear the driver climbing down from the carriage's front seat. A second later, the carriage door opened and a man with thin gray hair and a thick gray mustache stuck his head inside. "We're here, Chancellor."

He was talking to Dur, but staring at me.

"She's my new doxy," Dur said, when he saw where his driver was looking. "What do you think of her?"

"Best one yet," the driver said. "Prettiest doxy you've ever hired."

"What do you think of her body?"

The driver's eyes did a slow walk up and down my body, taking in all the sights. "She's flawless, Chancellor."

"She likes being looked at, don't you, Lila."

I blushed something fierce, but forced myself to smile. "Who wouldn't enjoy the attention of a couple of fine gentlemen like yourselves."

"Wayman is a breast man," Dur said. "Aren't you, Wayman."

The driver grinned and focused on my breasts. "I do like the big ones."

"What do you think of Lila's?"

"As flawless as the rest of her."

Wayman grabbed my bag off the seat, took one last look at me, and stepped out of the carriage. Dur climbed out of the carriage, then offered me a helping hand. I stepped out of the carriage and onto the street.

Torches lined both sides of the cobblestone street, combining with a full moon to provide plenty of light. We were in a residential district. Brownstone townhouses with common walls lined both sides of the street. They were all two story buildings, with the front of their second story overhanging the first story by a couple of feet. Dwarf palm trees framed each brownstone's front door. There were no windows on the first floors, but there were a pair of bay windows on the second floor of each townhouse.

Dur nodded at the brownstone with the open door. "That one is yours."

I headed toward the townhouse and Dur fell in alongside of me. As we walked, he placed a hand in the small of my back. I stepped through the front door of the townhouse to find Wayman standing in the foyer holding my knapsack.

"Set her knapsack next to the stairs," Dur said. "Then return the carriage to the castle. You can pick me up tomorrow morning at sunrise."

"Very good, sir." Wayman set my knapsack next to the stairs and headed outside, shutting the door behind him.

"You're staying the night?" I said.

Dur smiled. "If that's okay with you."

I returned his smile. "That's fine."

Iderra wouldn't arrive for another month, which meant I had time, time to have some fun with Dur, time to decide what to do with Mayoch.

# Chapter 24

One month after becoming Dur's doxy, my ship sailed into the harbor. That evening, when Dur stopped by the townhouse, I wasn't wearing my usual boots, skirt, and corset. I had boots on, but they had a low wide heel instead of a high narrow one. Instead of a skirt, I wore black leather knee breeches. Instead of a corset I wore a long sleeved black silk shirt. My hair was tied back in a ponytail, held in place with a black silk ribbon.

"What's this?" Dur said when he stepped into the townhouse and saw what I was wearing.

"I'm afraid playtime is over. I have to go back to work."

"I don't understand."

"That strange looking ship that pulled into the harbor today is mine. It's here to pick me up."

"You own a ship?" a surprised Dur said.

"I own a lot of ships."

"I still don't understand."

"Remember what you said when I told you that I had other sides, other interests, besides sex?"

Dur nodded. "I said that I didn't care about your other interests."

"And that's why you don't understand. Because I've never been anything more to you than a sex partner." Dur opened his mouth to say something, but I held up a hand, silencing him. "Which is fine, because that's all you've been to me. But my ship is here, which means it's time for me to go back to work."

"So you're not a professional doxy?"

"Just for the last month."

"Prior to that?"

"First Consummate of Landish. Queen of Vassa. Queen of Dunre. Queen of Adah."

"I've never heard of any of those countries."

"No reason you should have. They're located on another continent."

"You're really a queen?"

"I'm whatever the moment requires me to be. Yesterday, I was a doxy. Today, I'm back to being a queen."

"If you're a queen, why did you agree to be my doxy?"

"I needed a place to stay and you're a good looking man. Plus, I like sex. Especially when it comes without emotional strings."

"I take it you're not married."

"The women in my family don't have husbands, we have lovers. Although lovers probably isn't the right word, since that implies some sort of emotional intimacy, and truth be told, emotional intimacy isn't something we're very good at. My mother preferred the word consort, and now, I'm beginning to understand why."

"So I was just another one of your consorts?"

"I'm afraid so."

Dur surprised me by smiling. "No need to apologize. I'm not very good with emotional intimacy myself, which is why I prefer doxies."

"I need you to do something for me," I said. "As Chancellor of Crofton."

Dur bowed, a formal bow. "I'm at your service, Your Highness."

"I need you to tell King Mayoch that the time traveler is here. And that she wishes to talk to him."

"The time traveler?" a puzzled Dur said.

"Mayoch will understand." Whether he'd want to see me was a different matter. I warned him about making a deal with the Prince of the Air, but he ignored my warning and did it anyway. I was probably the last person he wanted to see, just so he didn't have to hear me say, "I told you so."

"Who's the time traveler and why would King Mayoch want to speak to her?"

"I'm the time traveler. And I'm not sure if Mayoch will want to speak to me. I could be the last person he wants to talk to." I could use my seer powers to drop in on Mayoch, but I preferred to confront him face to face.

"Why does King Mayoch know you as the time traveler?"

"I have powers. One of them is the ability to travel through time." Dur stared at me with a stunned face. "I told you I had other sides. You told me you weren't interested in them."

"When you said you had other sides, I just assumed . . . well, I didn't assume you were a queen, let alone someone that can travel through time."

"Understandable. Those would be ridiculous assumptions to make."

"Are you requesting a formal or informal meeting?"

"Informal."

"You're not presenting yourself as the queen of wherever you said you come from?"

"Mayoch doesn't know I'm a queen. He only knows me as the time traveler."

"Why do you wish to meet him?"

"Mayoch's extended life span comes from a deal he made with a higher being called the Prince of the Air. I'm the one that told him about the Prince of the Air, so I'm sort of responsible for him making that deal."

"You're saying that you're responsible for his sitting on the throne of Crofton for the last one hundred and seventy years?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"You know how crazy that sounds? How crazy all of this sounds?"

"You don't have to believe anything I've told you. All you need to do is tell Mayoch the time traveler is here."

Dur stepped back and bowed. "I'll relay your message to the king first thing tomorrow."

"Thank you, Chancellor." I grabbed my knapsack from behind the door, slung it over my shoulder, and handed Dur my key to his townhouse. "You can reach me on my ship."

I headed out the door. Dur didn't say anything. He just stood there and watched me go. Most likely, he was trying to decide if he had just spent the last month having sex with a crazy woman.

***

Dur paid a visit to my ship the next morning. I was on deck practicing my sword fighting with Bokham. The sun was still low in the eastern sky, promising a hot summer day. Overhead, gulls circled the bay, looking for their morning meal. Dur wore his usual black and white. I wore a red silk shirt with my black boots and breeches. A red silk ribbon kept my hair in a ponytail.

I sheathed my cutlass and turned toward Dur, who was escorted to me by two of Commodore Hubbard's red and white clad men.

"Your Majesty," he said, giving me a formal bow. He was speaking the tongue of the Voss, probably figuring it was the best way to communicate with the people on my ship.

I returned his bow with a nod of my head and switched to his native tongue. "Chancellor. What can I do for you?"

Dur switched to his native tongue. "I did as you asked. I told King Mayoch that the time traveler was here."

"And?"

"He wishes to see you. Immediately."

"Good. Let's go." I turned to Bokham and switched to the Common Tongue. "I have to pay a visit to King Mayoch."

"Do you wish an escort?" Bokham asked.

"No. This isn't a formal visit. Mayoch doesn't even know I'm a queen."

Bokham bowed. The first couple of years after we met, he followed me everywhere, determined to protect me from everyone and everything. Now that he was aware of my powers, aware of what I could do, he no longer did that. Like the rest of my people, he followed my orders without question. Only my sisters still questioned my decisions. And even they were doing it less and less. For some reason, everyone just assumed that I knew what I was doing. Considering I was only twenty-five years old, I found that a dangerous assumption to make.

I followed Dur off my ship, which was moored against one of the many wooden docks that filled the half moon shaped bay. A black carriage waited for us. Wayman, Dur's favorite driver, waited beside the carriage. He smiled as we approached, then opened the carriage door. I returned his smile, then gave him a wink. Dur stepped aside and offered me his hand, helping me into the carriage then joining me. Once we were seated, the carriage headed off, taking us to the castle.

"I didn't expect to find you on that ship," Dur said from his spot directly across from me.

"You thought I was lying?"

Dur smiled. "I thought you were crazy. Not that being crazy is a bad thing. Some of the best sex I've ever had was with crazy women."

"I'm not crazy."

"I know that now."

"How did Mayoch react when you told him that I was here?"

"Excited. Happy even. Which is unusual for him."

"When I knew him, he was a very happy fellow. Of course that was before he made his deal with the Prince of the Air."

"Tell me about this being you speak of? This Prince of the Air."

I gave Dur a brief theology lesson, telling him about the One God, the higher beings he created to serve him, and how some of those higher beings, like the Prince of the Air, decided that they would rather be gods than servants.

When I finished, Dur asked the obvious question. "Why would this One God allow his servants to become gods? That makes no more sense than a king allowing one of his servants to start his own kingdom."

"I don't know. I'm not a priest. All I know is that people who make deals with the Prince of the Air end up regretting them."

"Which would explain why King Mayoch is so miserable."

"I warned him about making a deal with the Prince of the Air, but he didn't listen. Not that I'm surprised. Even when I warned him, I could see it in his eyes. He liked the idea of living forever."

"I'm guessing he didn't get the life he was hoping for."

"Not even close."

Dur smiled. "You realize that from now on, I'm going to have to have conversations with my doxies, find out if they're more than just pretty girls that like sex and money."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"If I discover there's nothing more to them, I fear I shall be disappointed."

Now it was my turn to smile. "I shall take that as a compliment, Chancellor."

"As well you should."

The carriage rolled to a stop in front of the castle. A red and gold clad guard opened the carriage door and helped me down. Dur followed then led me inside, taking me straight to the throne room and a waiting Mayoch.

He was sitting on his throne, dressed in polished black riding boots, black velvet knee breeches, and a gold shirt made out of spider silk. Today's crown was gold, matching the color of his shirt. Like his silver crown, it contained a winged lion on the front. Four red and gold clad guards stood on the dais. One on each end and two directly behind the throne.

As soon as Mayoch saw me, he rose to his feet, extended his arms wide, and smiled. I had been watching him for a month and it was the first time I had seen him smile. "Lila. You don't know how long I've been waiting for you."

"I'm guessing a hundred or so years."

Mayoch stepped off the dais, walked up to me, and hugged me. "More like one fifty."

"I knew you were going to make a deal. I saw it in your eyes."

"I should've listened to you,"

"I'm assuming immortality cost you your power."

"Eventually."

"And you're still numb?"

"I am."

"Which explains why you don't allow women in the castle."

"Women remind me of what I once was, what I once could do." Mayoch offered me his arm. "Come. We will go up to my suite. Where we can talk in private."

Mayoch escorted me out of the throne room and into the great hall. Once in the great hall, we headed for the wide stone stairway at the back. Dur and Mayoch's four guards followed silently behind.

"I've been watching you," I said.

"How long?"

"A month."

"You've been back for a whole month?"

"I have."

Mayoch smiled. "And you wanted to find out how evil I've become."

"Something like that."

"So what have you decided?"

"You're not practicing human sacrifice."

"No."

"You don't allow slavery."

"I do not."

"You're not trying to conquer the continent."

"I've spent the last one hundred years trying to prevent the Voss from conquering the continent."

"Yet everyone I know who's made a deal with the Prince of the Air has turned evil."

"And you're wondering how I avoided it."

We reached the wide stone stairs at the back of the hall and headed up to the second floor. "I am."

"It's quiet simple," Mayoch said. "I terminated my deal."

"Tell me about your deal."

"After Gabrielle died, I worried that my time was growing short. That's when I told the Prince of the Air that I wanted to live forever. He said that he would grant me my wish, but he would demand certain things in return."

"The first being your power to make women happy?"

"Actually no. He let me keep my power."

"What did he demand?"

"He demanded that I worship him, that I make him the official god of Crofton, and that I command all my subjects to worship him."

"Did you do all of those things?"

"I did. And more."

We reached the second floor landing and headed up to the third floor. "Such as?"

"I practiced human sacrifice, shed blood for him. Not innocent blood mind you, just criminals, mostly rapists and murderers."

"So what happened?"

"About twenty years into my deal I realized what I had become. That's when I told the Prince of the Air that I was terminating our deal."

"How did he react?"

"He said if I terminated our deal, he would make me mortal again. I laughed, said that making me mortal would be a blessing. I shouldn't have told him that. Instead of making me mortal, he took my power from me."

"And left you as a man with nothing to live for."

"I run this country. I maintain the coalition that keeps the Voss out of this half of the continent. But that's become routine for me. I'm a man that's tired of living. I long for something new, something exciting. Even if it is death."

We reached the third floor and headed down the hall toward his suite. What used to be Gabrielle's suite.

"Why are you so happy to see me?"

"Because you are the one person that can help me. You can travel back in time, stop me from making that foolish deal."

"I tried to stop you from making that deal. You didn't listen to me."

Mayoch stopped walking and turned to face me. "Then take me with you. Let me talk to myself."

I shook my head. "I can't do that."

"You can't or you won't?"

"I won't."

Mayoch's expression changed from hopeful to disappointed. "May I ask why?"

"You've done a good job running this country, not to mention the coalition that keeps the Voss out of this half of the continent. If I stop you from making your deal, and then breaking it, who knows how things will change. You might be replaced by a second witch queen, or by the Voss, which is almost as bad."

Mayoch nodded like he understood. "The people must come before my personal happiness."

"I'm afraid so." Mayoch sighed in defeat. I tried to brighten his mood by smiling. "That doesn't mean I can't help you."

"How?"

"If you can find an heir, someone to take your place, I can transport you into the future."

Mayoch's eyes brightened. "How far into the future?"

"Two thousand years."

"You've traveled that far?"

"I have."

"What's it like?"

"Cities are lit by oil that runs through pipes. People travel in horseless carriages powered by steam. They even fly through the air in lighter than air vehicles."

"I don't believe you," Mayoch said.

"It's true. What's more, their physicians know things ours don't. They might even be able to cure your numbness, so that you can enjoy the company of women again."

"And all I have to do is find an heir?"

"Someone you can trust. Someone who can lead the coalition and protect the people from the Voss."

"I have no heirs."

"What about Gabrielle's family?"

Mayoch shook his head. "Long gone."

"If I might make a suggestion," Dur said, stepping forward. We were standing in the third floor hallway. In front of the door that led to Mayoch's suite.

"You know someone that could take over my throne, Chancellor?"

"I do, Your Majesty."

Mayoch smiled. "I trust you're not thinking of yourself. To take over the throne, you have to be of royal blood, or at the very least, married to a member of the royal family."

"I'm not thinking of myself," Dur said. He looked at me. "I was thinking of Lila."

Mayoch looked at me, his eyebrows arching in surprise. "You are of royal blood?"

"Lila's a queen," Dur said.

Mayoch smiled and wagged a finger at me. "It appears you've been keeping secrets from me."

"Not really. Two hundred years ago, I wasn't a queen."

"But in this time you are."

"I rule on another continent. As you well know, I possess no thrones on this continent."

"That strange ship in the harbor is hers," Dur added. "The one with all the sails."

"You are the perfect person to replace me," Mayoch said. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have married Gabrielle and ascended to the throne. I wouldn't have even met Gabrielle."

"Why would the people of Crofton accept a queen they don't even know?"

"Because they trust me," Mayoch said. "If I tell them you're the right person to replace me, they'll believe me. After all, I've ruled for one hundred and seventy years."

"How do you know I'm the right person to replace you?"

"You traveled back in time to stop Gabrielle from becoming the Witch Queen. You didn't do it for yourself, for you got nothing out of it, you did it for the people of Crofton. What's more, you've spent the last month watching me, checking to see if I was corrupt. You're the perfect heir."

"We'll have to hold a ceremony," Dur said. "In which you announce Lila as your heir."

"Yes, of course." Mayoch looked at me. "So what do you say? Will you be my heir?"

"I can't rule on two continents at the same time. They're too far apart."

"You're having problems on your home continent? Perhaps with neighboring countries."

"No. We're at peace."

"The people are unhappy with your rule?"

"As far as I know, the people are extremely happy."

"Your surrogates are doing a bad job of ruling in your absence?"

"They're actually pretty good at their jobs."

Mayoch grinned. "Then there is no reason you can't rule on this continent as well."

Before I said yes, I needed to test my power. If I could see what was happening on the other side of the world without being there, if I could let them see me, then I could rule on two continents at once. If I couldn't, I would have to turn down Mayoch's offer.

# Chapter 25

Once I discovered my powers allowed me to communicate with anyone in the world, as long as I could picture them in my mind, I told Mayoch that I would become his heir. Shortly thereafter, Mayoch told everyone that I was his niece, then he made me his heir, then he announced that he was retiring.

"It'll make the transition easier if they think we're related," he explained.

Mayoch's people accepted what he said without question. No one asked the obvious. How could a two hundred year old man that grew up in an orphanage have a twenty-five year old niece? Maybe they just assumed that I was one hundred and seventy-five years old. Maybe they thought I was a long lost member of Gabrielle's family. Maybe they were in shock from seeing Mayoch smile. Maybe they were in shock from seeing Mayoch with a woman. Maybe they were in shock from all of the above.

The only person who knew I wasn't Mayoch's niece was Dur. Since he was the one that suggested I take Mayoch's place on the throne, he wasn't going to tell anyone the truth. No surprise there. If you're going to have a new leader, why not make it your lover, or in this case, your ex-lover. What better way to ensure you remained the second most powerful person in the country.

Mayoch said goodbye to the people that were close to him, packed a knapsack, and told me that he was ready. Since we were traveling so far into the future, I suggested we go outside, to a nice open area. We headed outside, stopping in the middle of the flower garden that fronted the black stone castle.

"This should be good enough," I said to Mayoch. I offered him my hand. "Don't let go until I tell you it's okay, otherwise you'll get lost in time."

"Understood."

He took my hand and held on tight. Like me, he was dressed in black. Polished black riding boots, black leather knee breeches, and a long sleeved black silk shirt. He wore no gold, but I'm sure he had plenty packed in his knapsack since I told him that he should bring as much with him as he could carry.

I looked at Mayoch. "Ready?"

"Ready," a grinning Mayoch said.

I thought about moving forward in time. Two thousand years into the future. We were immediately wrapped in a ball of electrical energy. A few seconds later, the garden around us began to change. Flowers wilted and died, then bloomed again, then died again. Over and over the cycle repeated as we hurtled further and further into the future. The city that surrounded the bay changed, growing, then shrinking, then growing again, much like the flowers that surrounded us.

Eventually the changes began to slow down. When the electrical energy surrounding us faded, the changes stopped. The black stone castle with its round towers was still standing, as was the flower garden.

The city that surrounded the bay had changed dramatically. It was dominated by towers made out of stone and glass. Steel ships powered by steam engines chugged in and out of the harbor. Steam powered carriages traveled up and down the city's streets. They were smaller and sleeker and quieter than the ones I had seen the last time I traveled this far into the future. Not that I was surprised. My traveling back in time and telling Iderra what I saw had set her to work on her own steam engine, that alone would've advanced the technology several hundred years.

"This is amazing," Mayoch said.

He was looking past the garden and down the hill, at a city he no longer recognized.

"You can let go of my hand," I said.

Mayoch released my hand and did a three hundred and sixty degree turn, taking in everything. "The castle is still here. Although I don't recognize the writing on the sign above the front doors."

I looked at the sign. It was written in the Common Tongue. The most popular language on my home continent. I found it interesting that it had spread to this side of the world. "It's called the Common Tongue. A popular language on my home continent."

"You can read it?"

"I can."

"What does it say?"

"Apparently the castle is now a museum. The sign lists the hours the place is open. It also talks about large tours booking their visits in advance."

"I guess that means they won't let us stay there," a grinning Mayoch said. "Shall we head down into the city."

"Might as well."

We headed down the hill, toward the heart of the city. I agreed to stay with Mayoch for a couple of days, let him get a feel for the place, see if he liked it enough to spend the rest of his never ending life here.

"I'm going to have to learn a new language," Mayoch said as we headed into the heart of the city. Instead of being depressed over that fact, he seemed excited.

"Are languages hard for you?"

"I don't know. It's been so long since I had to learn one. Should be fun either way."

It was the middle of the day in the middle of the week. I figured it was the best time to travel forward in time since all the businesses would be open, particularly the banks.

"What do we need to do first?" Mayoch asked as we worked our way into the heart of the bustling city. It didn't just look different. It sounded and smelled different. Instead of hearing the clopping of hooves on cobblestone, you could hear the chugging of steam engines. Instead of smelling horse manure, you could smell burning oil.

"We take all the gold you're carrying to a bank and open a gold account in your name."

"What's a gold account?"

"In this time, people don't buy and sell with gold coins. They use paper money backed by gold."

"So if someone were to give me some of this paper money, I could take it to a bank and exchange it for gold?"

"If you wanted, but it's a lot easier to carry paper money than real gold."

"Understandable," Mayoch said.

We found a stone and glass tower that rose thirty stories into the sky. Above the heavy glass doors that led into the tower were the words, BANK OF HARAN.

"This one will do," I said.

"Why this one?" Mayoch asked.

"I like the name."

We headed inside, into a large room made up of marble and mahogany, where we opened up a savings account in Mayoch's name. Most of his gold went into the savings account, which would pay interest on his gold. The rest was converted into banknotes. The bank gave him a small book that told him, and them, how much gold he deposited in his savings account. They also gave him a fistful of banknotes. The banknotes could be returned to this bank, or any other, and exchanged for an equal amount of gold if he so wished.

"What next?" Mayoch asked as we stepped out of the bank.

"We find you a place to live. After that we'll visit a doctor, see if he can do something about your problem."

We found an apartment building. It didn't overlook the bay, but it did overlook the river that divided the city in two. It was an older building, made out of the same black granite as the castle Mayoch lived in for the last one hundred and seventy years.

The apartment was on the fifth floor. The building's top floor. It contained a sitting room, a kitchenette and dining room, two bedrooms, and a bath. The exterior walls were black granite. The interior walls and floor were oak. It came furnished with oak furniture covered with forest green cushions. The drapes in the sitting room and bedroom were also forest green. As were the comforters that covered the beds in the two bedrooms.

"It's a month to month lease," I told Mayoch as we looked the place over. "So you can leave any time you want."

"It's not as big as my suite in the castle."

"Maybe not, but it's reasonably priced. You won't go broke living here."

"Good point. It's been so long since I had to pay for anything. I'm going to have to learn to watch what I spend." Most people would be depressed by that prospect, but Mayoch seemed excited by it. "How long can I live here before I go broke?"

"Your savings account will pay you monthly interest. If you're careful, you should be able to live off that interest "

Mayoch took the apartment. Once he had the keys, we headed off to find a doctor, one that specialized in the human nervous system. We found one in a stone and glass high rise right across the street from the Bank of Haran. The receptionist said that we would have to make an appointment and come back in a couple of weeks. A banknote worth fifty gold pieces changed that. She found an opening in the next fifteen minutes. Since Mayoch couldn't speak the Common Tongue, I had to go with him.

The doctor was a plump elderly fellow. He was tall and wore a white lab coat. He was bald on top, with a ring of neatly trimmed white hair around the sides. He had a broad flat nose that made me think he had been in more than a few fights in his younger days.

"I'm told your uncle doesn't speak the Common Tongue," the doctor said to me. He looked Mayoch over, noticing his blue hair, matching blue eyes, and pointed ears. "He's a full blood?"

"He was born in the Hinterlands," I said.

"You don't see many full bloods these days." The doctor turned his attention back to me. "So what's his problem?"

"He got in a sword fight when he was young. It left his manhood numb."

"Sounds like some nerves got severed." The doctor went to a cabinet and pulled out a couple of bottles of pills. "He needs to take one of each of these three times a day. Preferably with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The white pills will stimulate nerve regeneration. The red pills will provide the necessary nutrients needed to rebuild the damaged nerves. There's a thirty day supply in each bottle. If he hasn't healed by then, come back and see me."

The doctor wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to me. It was our bill. We gave the bill to the receptionist along with six banknotes worth fifty gold pieces each.

"So these pill things will help me?" Mayoch asked as we rode the lift to ground level.

"The doctor seems to think they will." I gave him one of each and Mayoch popped them into his mouth. "There's a thirty day supply here. If you're not better by then. You need to go back and see him."

Mayoch nodded. "So what now?"

"We need to find you a tutor. Someone that can teach you the Common Tongue."

"Why can't you teach me?"

"It could take you weeks, maybe even months, to master the Common Tongue."

"And you're not going to be here that long."

"Plus, I'm not a teacher. I can learn languages easy enough, but I've never taught anyone to read, write, and speak another language. I've never taught anyone much of anything."

"So where do we find this tutor?"

"In this time, they have schools of advanced learning called universities. We should be able to find someone that can help you there."

We got directions to the nearest university and caught a ride on a public vehicle called a steam bus, which was nothing more than a steam powered carriage designed to hold a lot of people.

Once we reached the school, we found the building that housed the Department of Languages and headed inside.

There was no receptionist, just a bunch of offices with professors. Some of the offices were locked. Some were open but empty. The first one I found that was occupied contained a woman. She was probably in her thirties. She was tall and thin, with dark blue eyes, and long straight dark blue hair. She didn't have Mayoch's pointed ears, nor did she have his translucent skin. She wasn't a full blood like Mayoch, but someone in her family definitely came from the Hinterlands.

"I'm wondering if you could help us." I said. I stepped into her office. Mayoch followed behind me.

"Are you in one of my classes?"

"No." I stepped aside. So she could see Mayoch. "I need a tutor. Someone that can teach my uncle the Common Tongue."

The woman looked at Mayoch and rose to her feet. "Is he a full blood?"

"He is."

She moved out from behind her desk and circled around Mayoch, looking him up and down. "You know who he looks like?"

"Your father?"

"Mayoch the First. He ruled Crofton for one hundred and seventy years, back during the Age of Legends."

"The Age of Legends?"

"I take it you're not a history major."

"I don't actually go to school here."

"What's she talking about?" Mayoch asked.

"She thinks you look like you," I said, switching to the local tongue. Or what had been the local tongue two thousand years ago.

"You're speaking ancient Croftonese." The woman said. "We don't even teach that language here."

"You don't speak Croftonese?"

The woman shook her head. "Nobody does. It was never a widely used language, not even in the Age of Legends."

"How about the Tongue of the Voss?" I asked. "Can you speak it?"

"I can't, but there are people here that speak it."

"Could I talk to one of them."

"Ask her if she speaks the language of the Hinterlands," Mayoch said.

"Can you speak the language of the Hinterlands?"

The woman started speaking in a tongue I didn't know. Mayoch switched to the same tongue and started to converse with her. They talked for several minutes, then the woman looked at me and switched to the Common Tongue. "I'll tutor your uncle personally. He can pay me whatever he thinks is fair."

"Thank you. I have to leave town soon, so I won't be around to help him."

"Well, if he needs help with anything, he can get in touch with me. It's nice to meet someone that knows so much about the history of our people."

The woman and Mayoch talked in their native tongue for several more minutes, then the woman excused herself, informing us that she had a class to teach. We followed her out of her office and out of the building. She went in one direction and we headed in the other.

"What's next?" an excited Mayoch asked.

I looked at what he was wearing. "We should get you some clothes. The ones you're wearing are a little dated."

Mayoch looked around, checking out the students heading to and from their classes. "Nobody is wearing knee breeches."

"They seem to prefer ankle length pants." We found a clothing store and bought Mayoch a selection of clothing, from casual to well dressed. When we finished, Mayoch looked at me. "You must let me buy you something. Then we'll have dinner, perhaps we could go dancing. It's been a long time since I danced with a beautiful woman."

He was wearing a gray pinstripe suit with a solid maroon shirt and a matching tie. Before I could protest, Mayoch dragged me to the section of the store that sold women's clothing. He rifled through the racks and pulled out a slinky red dress that glittered.

"Perfect," he said, holding it in front of me.

The dress had spaghetti straps, a scooped neckline, and a back that plunged to the waist. The spaghetti straps crossed in the middle of the back. It was also short. Extremely short.

"Why do I think those pills the doctor gave you are starting to work."

Mayoch grinned from ear to ear. "Perhaps because they are."

"You're starting to feel something down there?"

"A tingle, which I haven't felt in a couple of centuries."

"So you like this time?"

"I do. There are many things to learn, many things to explore."

"If you don't like this time, you need to tell me before I head back to my own time. Because once I leave, you'll probably never see me again."

"Before I make a final decision, we must have dinner. So I can see what kind of foods are available."

I changed into the glittery red dress, bought a pair of strappy red heels to go with it, and joined Mayoch in search of a nice restaurant. We found a place where we could dine, drink, and dance. Around midnight we headed back to Mayoch's apartment.

On our way home, we were confronted by two men carrying weapons. They were smaller than the weapons I had seen the last time I had traveled this far into the future. These weapons were small enough to hold in one hand. Whatever they fired, it wasn't very big. That didn't mean they weren't dangerous. I had once been rendered unconscious by a palm sized crossbow that fired a dart. A dart with a knockout drug.

"Give us all your money," the bigger of the two men said.

"Why would we do that?" Mayoch asked.

"Because if you don't. We'll shoot you."

Mayoch wrinkled his brow. "I don't understand."

"They're criminals," I said. "They're trying to rob us."

Mayoch nodded. After one hundred and seventy years, he had forgot what it was like not be a king, not to live in a castle surrounded by guards. That was another adjustment he would have to make. "Are there a lot of criminals in this time period?"

"Probably no more than usual."

"What are those things they're holding?"

"Some kind of projectile weapons."

"Give us your money," the big man repeated. "Now!"

"We'll take the girl too," the smaller man said. "We can have some fun with her."

I used my power to move small objects to rip their weapons out of their hands. They flew through the air and into my hands.

"I got a better idea," I said, leveling the weapons at the two men. "Why don't you give us your clothes."

The two men just stood there, staring at their empty hands, so I pointed one of the weapons in the air and pulled the trigger. It made a loud bang and something flew out of the weapon. I have no idea what it was because it moved too fast to see. That told me one thing. These weapons were designed to kill.

"I think you better do what she says," Mayoch said. "Before she shoots you."

The two men stripped. When they were naked, I fired one of the weapons in the air a second time. "Now run. As fast as you can."

They turned and hurried off down the street, as naked as the day they were born. When they were out of sight, I tossed the weapons in a nearby storm drain and we continued our walk back to Mayoch's place.

"You can move objects with your mind?" Mayoch said.

"Small objects."

"That's a handy power to have."

"Yes, it is."

We reached Mayoch's apartment, where he slept in one bedroom and I slept in the other. The next morning, I asked him the definitive question. "Do you want to live here, in this time?"

"Can I have a few days to decide?"

I told Mayoch that I would give him a month, then headed back to my own time.

# Chapter 26

My first act as Queen of Crofton was to send a message to the other five countries that made up the Coalition of Free Nations, calling for a meeting of the Coalition. Since Crofton was in the middle of the continent, we agreed to meet at my castle. Although I didn't really think of it as mine. In my mind it still belonged to Gabrielle.

I knew three of the leaders, Riley, Leah, and Adriana, having met them in the other timeline. Riley, the tall curvy blond, Leah, the blue haired, blue eyed beauty that resembled Mayoch, and Adriana, the plain looking brunette. Of course they didn't know me.

The other two leaders were men, Dresden Lark, an elderly fellow approaching the end of his reign, and Talart Chalet, a teenage boy just beginning his reign. Lark ruled a large rural country called Backland. Chalet ruled a small urban country called Summerlind.

They were given suites on the castle's second floor. The morning after the last of them arrived, we met in a room that Mayoch dubbed the war room.

A large table carved in the shape of the continent dominated the center of the room. The table was both green and brown, depending upon whether that part of the continent was dry or fertile. Black lines were drawn on the table, showing the borders. Rivers were shown in blue. Major cities were bright red dots. Wooden soldiers painted in national colors sat on top of the table, showing the location of all the armies. Not surprisingly, most of our troops were located on our northern borders, where the bulk of the Voss army lay.

Once everyone was in the room, I stepped forward. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lila Marie Haran, Queen of Crofton, Queen of Vassa, Queen of Dunre, Queen of Adah, and First Consummate of Landish."

I had other titles, Baroness of Haran, Duchess of Lamatt, Heir to the throne of Sorea, but they were too minor to mention.

"What happened to Mayoch?" Dresden Lark asked.

Lark was skinny and frail, with a shaved head and a long white beard that reached to his bellybutton. He kept a wooden staff in front of him and hung on to it with both hands. He had the biggest crown I ever saw. It rose from the top of his head then branched out, looking like a gold tree, complete with gold leaves and miniature gold birds.

"Mayoch retired," I said. "I have ascended to his throne."

"Retired?" Leah said. "Kings don't retire."

"They do when they've ruled for one hundred and seventy years."

"Where did he retire to?" Dresden Lark asked.

"The future. Two thousand years into the future to be exact."

"How could Mayoch travel through time?" Riley asked.

"How could Mayoch rule for one hundred and seventy years without aging a day?" I said.

"How did you ascend to his throne?" Adriana asked me.

"He made me his heir."

"Why?"

"Because he trusts me."

"You mentioned several other countries," Talert Chalet said. "I've never heard of any of them."

"That's because they're located on the other side of the world, on a continent you didn't even know existed."

"You're here for the Competition of Queens?" Leah asked me.

"I'm here to ensure King Mog doesn't threaten anyone ever again."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"By taking his throne from him."

Everyone laughed, even the boy king.

"How do you plan on taking Mog's throne from him?" Riley asked me.

I imagined a half a dozen copies of myself, standing behind me, dressed exactly like I was dressed, black boots, black leather breeches, and a long sleeved black silk shirt. One by one, the images began to appear, until there were seven identical copies of me standing there. "You'd be surprised what I can do."

I let my images fade, until only the real me was left. Needless to say, everyone had stopped laughing.

"Mayoch didn't transport himself into the future," Dresden Lark said. "You did."

"How do you know she did it?" Leah asked.

"I've known Mayoch for over seventy years. Never once did he talk about being able to travel through time, although he did mention meeting a young woman that could travel through time, claimed she was responsible for him becoming King of Crofton."

"Are you from the future?" Riley asked me.

"I'm not from the future or the past. I come from a continent on the other side of the planet, just like I said."

"But you can travel through time," Adriana said.

I nodded. "I can."

"You're the one that transported Mayoch into the future?"

"He was tired of ruling. One hundred and seventy years was all he could take."

"I can understand that," Dresden Lark said. "I've been doing it for fifty some years and there are times when I get tired of it."

"How do you plan on taking Mog's throne?" Leah asked me.

"The Voss believe the strongest should rule. I intend to prove that I'm stronger than Mog."

"Even if you manage to claim Mog's throne, you'll still have to deal with the Voss army."

"In my homeland of Adah, we have a very large army. When the army isn't fighting, they're building roads and bridges. If I put the Voss army to work building roads through the forest, they won't have time to fight."

"And when they're done building these roads?" Adriana asked.

I smiled. "Perhaps they will have forgotten how to fight."

"The Vossland is big," Leah said. "It will take years, decades even, to build roads that crisscross it."

"Especially if they're paved with stones," I said.

"How will you convince the Voss army to build these roads?" Riley asked.

"By telling them the truth. That the rest of the world views the Vossland as backward and primitive. Then I'll give them an inspiring speech about how we need to prove the world wrong. If necessary, I'll throw in something about how a series of paved roads will allow us to move our armies from one part of the country to another more quickly."

Riley folded her arms across her chest. "Even if you gain control of the Voss, how do we know you'll make a better neighbor?"

"If I put the Voss army to work building roads, that will pull them off your borders, which means you won't have to spend all of your tax money defending your borders. If I leave the Voss army where it is, you won't be any worse off than you are now."

"She's right," Dresden Lark said. "She may not be better than the Voss, but she can't be any worse than them."

"Her intentions might be good, but since I don't know her, I intend to do what I think is best for my people when the time comes to compete for King Mog's hand." Riley turned to me. "I trust you won't take offense."

I bowed my head. "I welcome the competition."

***

Before sailing north for the Competition of Queens, I paid a visit to Mayoch, two thousand years in the future. Two thousand years and four weeks to be precise. I figured four weeks was long enough to decide if he wanted to live in this time.

He wasn't at his apartment when I arrived. I know that because I had a key, which allowed me to let myself in. The place looked a lot different from the last time I was there. It looked lived in. Messy even. As a king, Mayoch had people to clean up after him. There was no one to clean up after him here, and after one hundred and seventy years, it was pretty clear that he had forgotten how to clean up after himself. Either he was going to have to learn how to do it, which I thought unlikely, or he was going to have to hire a maid.

I did find a note on the spare bedroom's door. It was for me. It said that if I arrived and he wasn't home, I was to change into the outfit laid out on the bed and wait for him. When he got back, we would go out and celebrate.

Since he wanted to celebrate, I figured he liked living in this time. I went inside and took a look at what was laid out on the bed. It was a glittery green dress similar to the red one he bought for me last time I was here. A pair of green stiletto heels were also there, along with some green silk stockings, a lacy green bra, a matching garter belt and thong.

I changed into the underwear then slithered into the glittery green dress. This dress seemed a lot tighter than the red one, which meant one of two things. Either I had gained weight, or more likely, Mayoch bought the wrong size.

There was a makeup table and bench tucked into the corner, something that wasn't there the last time I was here. Makeup, a hairbrush, and some hair clips rested on the table. I sat at the table and set to work, putting on some makeup. I didn't wear makeup unless I was dressing up, even then I didn't slap a whole lot on, unless I was in Landish.

The men of Landish preferred heavy makeup. They liked their women to look trampy both above and below the neck. In most other countries, the men liked their women to look sweet and innocent from the neck up, and not so sweet and innocent from the neck down. The outfit Mayoch laid out for me took care of the not so sweet and innocent part, so I made sure I didn't over do it with the makeup. Lastly, I undid my ponytail, brushed my hair, and pinned it behind my ears with a couple gold hair clips that resembled crowns. Mayoch's idea of a joke, no doubt.

I slipped into the green stilettos then wandered around the apartment, checking to see what Mayoch bought since I was last there. Not surprisingly, I found a lot of clothes, expensive men's suits, shirts, ties, and shoes. I also found several books on the history of the world, all of which appeared to have been read. I took that as a good sign since they were all written in the Common Tongue.

Apparently Mayoch was still meeting with his language teacher. If those pills the doctor gave him worked, I had little doubt that he wasn't just meeting her, he was probably doing her. Not to mention several other women. No doubt making up for one hundred and seventy years of celibacy.

I was still snooping when Mayoch returned. He was decked out in a gray suit with a green shirt and a green tie. The shirt was the color of my dress. The tie a shade darker.

"You found the clothes I left," a grinning Mayoch said. "Excellent."

He was speaking the Common Tongue. So I answered in it. "You're looking well."

"I'm whole again. Those pills the doctor gave me worked."

"Then I take it you're happy here."

"Extremely. There is much to learn, much to discover. And I've met somebody I like. A woman."

"So you want to stay here?"

"I do, but you must promise me that whenever you are in Crofton, you'll pay me a visit."

"I'll try." I didn't like traveling into the past, because it could change the world I lived in. I had no problem traveling into the future, since it had yet to be written.

"I have your word on that?"

I nodded. "You have my word."

Mayoch took my arm and we headed off to a club. The walls were red brick. The floor oak. Small round tables covered with red tablecloths filled the room. Straight backed oak chairs with red cushions surrounded the tables. An oak bar extended down the left hand wall. A dais sat at the back of the room. A six piece band was on the dais playing music.

Mayoch ordered a couple of drinks from a passing waitress. I sat back in my chair and crossed my right leg over my left. My glittery dress rode up, revealing the tops of my stockings. Not that I felt under dressed. All of the women in the club, both young and old, were wearing short skirts. Apparently, short and sexy was the fashion in this time and place.

Mayoch turned his attention to an approaching woman. She was tall and thin with pale skin, long blue hair, and round ears. She wore a short black dress that showed off her long legs.

"Isn't that your language teacher?"

"Her name's Natalia. She's the one I told you about."

I wasn't surprised about Mayoch doing his teacher, but I was surprised that he invited her to join us. I didn't take him seriously when he told me that he met somebody that he liked, probably because I remembered him as a man that liked all women.

Based on the outfit he gave me, and the fact that his manhood was healed, I expected him to hit on me. I would've turned him down, probably, but it was still disappointing to learn that he had no intention of making a pass at me. I liked to believe that I was irresistible to all men, and it was a blow to my ego to discover that I wasn't.

"I take it you and Natalia are intimate."

"We are. We might even have a future together, except for one small problem."

Natalia reached our table. Mayoch stood and kissed her, on the lips. It was a long passionate kiss, the kind you see from two people in love. When they finished, Natalia offered me her hand. "Good to see you again."

"And you," I said.

Natalia grabbed the chair between Mayoch and myself.

"Here's the deal," Mayoch said to me. "I told Natalia the truth, but she doesn't believe me. She thinks I'm teasing her."

"The truth?"

"That I'm Mayoch the Immortal and you're Lila the Great."

"Mayoch the Immortal?"

"An ancient king," Natalia said. "He ruled this territory a couple of thousand years ago, during the Age of Legends. The rumor was he couldn't die, but of course it was just a rumor. Eventually Lila the Great assumed his throne."

"And my uncle told you that he's this Mayoch the Immortal."

"That's why I wanted the two of you to meet," Mayoch said. "So you can confirm that everything I've told Natalia is the truth."

"You're uncle is quite the storyteller," Natalia said. "I told him that he should put his stories on paper, that he could make a good living as a fiction writer, but he insists that everything he's told me is true."

"If he's telling the truth, you'll find out eventually."

"How do you figure?" Natalia said.

"If he really is Mayoch the Immortal, he won't age."

"That will take time. Who knows if we'll still be friends years from now."

"If you're not friends years from now, then you won't care who he is, let alone what he told you."

Natalia smiled. "Probably not."

Mayoch looked at me. "Tell her the truth. Tell her that I'm not making things up."

I looked at Natalia. "Would you believe me if I told you that he really is Mayoch the Immortal?"

Natalia laughed and ordered a drink from a passing waitress. "No."

"You'd just assume that I inherited his vivid imagination."

"Something like that."

I pushed my chair back and stood. "If the two of you would excuse me, I have to run. There's an important competition that I need to get to."

"You're not going to tell her the truth?" Mayoch said.

"She already admitted that she wouldn't believe me."

I imagined myself traveling back in time, two thousand years to be exact. A second later, I found myself wrapped in a ball of electrical energy. A second after that, Mayoch, Natalia, and the people around them faded away. I could've told Natalia who I was, but I figured it was easier to just show her.

# Chapter 27

It took a month to sail from Crofton on the southern side of the continent, to Edgewater on the northeastern side. I boarded Devin's longboat for the trip to Funderburk, leaving Iderra and my ship in Edgewater, that way Mog wouldn't be able to use them against me.

The city of Funderburk looked the same in this timeline as it did in the other. It surrounded a horseshoe shaped bay with an old growth forest behind it. The city consisted of the same buildings as it did in the other timeline, the eight sided log buildings called hovels, with King Mog's hovel being the biggest in the city.

Like the Devin in the other timeline, this Devin had no desire to become King Mog's wife. Like the other Devin, she intended to throw the competition. What she didn't know is losing would be no problem. It wouldn't be a problem because I had a plan, a plan that involved winning the competition.

My reason for wanting to win the competition was simple, with the Witch Queen gone, King Mog was now the strongest ruler on the continent. If I wanted to put an end to the massive armies that divided the country in half, I had to do something about him.

The morning we were suppose to meet in Mog's hovel, I suggested that Devin leave her guards behind.

"Why?" she asked me.

"Mog won't let them enter his hovel, which means they'll just have to stand around outside the hovel. Besides, no one in Funderburk is going to bother us."

"I'll defer to your expertise," Devin said. "Seeing how you've been here before."

Devin knew about my powers, knew about the Witch Queen and the other timeline. Whether she believed me or not was a different question. Even if she didn't believe me, she left her guards behind when we headed for Mog's hovel.

Devin was wearing a yellow silk gown that Iderra had given her. It had an ankle length belled skirt, belled sleeves, and a high neckline. The skirt's hem, cuffs, and collar were trimmed with white lace. Devin's brass crown graced her head. In this timeline, I hadn't met King Mog, hadn't forced him to return all the gold and silver that he took.

I was wearing black knee boots with a five inch heel, a short black leather skirt, and a long sleeved purple silk shirt. The crown of Dunre with the purple gem in the front graced my head. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, tied in place with a purple silk ribbon. I left my cutlass and scabbard on Devin's longboat.

The people of Funderburk looked the same in this timeline as they did in the other timeline. The men wore fur vests, dirty leather breeches, and fur leggings. Their hair was long and ratty, their beards were long and ratty. There weren't as many Voss women running around as there were red clad slave girls, but those that were on the dirt streets were all freshly scrubbed. Voss men didn't bathe, but Voss women did.

A pair of guards stood outside the main entrance to Mog's hovel, a narrow slit served as a doorway into the big log building.

"I'm Devin Sandre Edgewater," Devin said. "Queen of Edgewater and I'm here for the Competition of Queens."

"Lila Marie Haran," I said. "Queen of Crofton, Queen of Vassa, Queen of Dunre, Queen of Adah, and First Consummate of Landish. I'm here for the Competition."

The two guards stepped aside and we headed inside the hovel, turning sideways so we could slip through the narrow slit that served as a door. I couldn't help but wonder how they got furniture through that narrow opening. Near as I could see, they'd have to take the furniture apart then put it back together once it was inside the building.

The inside of the hovel looked exactly like it did in the other timeline. The first floor was packed dirt, with a large fire pit in the middle of the hovel. The second and third floors contained balconies that circled the hovel, looking down over the fire pit. Most of the people in the hovel were pretty slave girls dressed in their red leather uniforms. Those that weren't slave girls were guards. I didn't notice any Voss women.

"Where's Mog's throne room?" Devin asked a guard.

"Fourth floor."

"How do we get there?"

"Climb the ladders."

We found a ladder leading to the second floor and scrambled on up. Then we found a ladder to the third floor and scrambled up it. The ladder leading to King Mog's throne room on the fourth floor had a pair of guards standing beside it. We identified ourselves and they sent us up one at a time. First Devin, then me.

Mog sat on his throne, looking like he did the first time I met him, short and squat with shoulder length brown hair that looked like it had never been combed or brushed, and a thick bushy beard with pieces of dried food stuck in it. Classy.

He wore the same outfit as the first time I met him, a sleeveless white fur vest, brown leather knee breeches, white fur leggings that covered his shins and calves, and red leather shoes. A gold crown topped by gold stars graced his head.

His nine deaf knife throwing guards weren't there, no big surprise, since he no longer had the Witch Queen to worry about. A couple of guards standing quietly beside Mog's throne replaced them.

Piles of gold and silver flanked the throne, tribute from countries like Devin's.

The other five queens were already there, Ora Shayne, Nula, Riley, Leah, and Adriana. Their gowns varied from cotton, to velvet, to the slinky blue spider silk gown worn by Leah, a blue that matched her dark blue hair.

"The last two queens have arrived," Mog said when he saw us approaching his throne. He looked at me. "You must be the queen from the far side of the world."

I nodded. "Lila Marie Haran. Queen of Crofton, Queen of Vassa. Queen of Dunre. Queen of Adah, and First Consummate of Landish."

"I appreciate your traveling so far to compete for the honor of becoming my wife."

"Your men declared you to be the most perfect man in the world. I had to see for myself if they spoke the truth."

"And did they speak the truth?"

"I shall reserve judgment until we are better acquainted."

"Fair enough." Mog turned his attention to all of us. "The seven of you are here to compete for my hand in marriage. The winner of this competition will become my wife."

"What will the first part of competition be?" Nula asked.

"The first part of the competition will be beauty. To make things fair, you'll all be given identical outfits."

"Who's going to judge us?" Leah asked.

"I will be the sole judge of which of you is the most beautiful. I trust none of you has a problem with that."

No one said anything, including me. I was behaving myself, unlike the first time we did this.

My plan for getting rid of Mog involved winning this competition and I couldn't win it if Mog didn't like me. Getting him to like me meant keeping my big mouth shut.

"Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, you will compete in the first part of this competition. The beauty portion of the competition. Until then, you're free to enjoy the hospitality of my hovel and city."

***

We returned to Mog's hovel the next day, arriving just after lunch. We were met by a slave girl dressed in red, she escorted us to a changing room on the third floor. There wasn't much to the room, just a couple of single beds with some clothes laid out on them, and a floor length mirror with a solid gold frame, probably looted from somebody else's castle.

The outfits on the beds were similar to what the slave girl was wearing, leather vests, skirts, and boots. The only difference was the color, where her clothes were red, ours were white. There were a variety of sizes, allowing us to choose how small and tight we wanted our outfit to be. Devin picked the longest skirt that she could find, one which fell just past mid thigh.

I picked the shortest skirt I could find, one which barely covered my bottom and crotch. The vests left our waists bare, laced up the front, and had a scooped neckline that flashed a generous amount of cleavage, more so in my case since I had more cleavage to flash. The boots had a variety of heels, from a wide one inch heel to a narrow five inch heel. Since she was tall, Devin went with the one inch heel. Since I wasn't tall, I went with the five inch heel. We left our hair in ponytails, placed our crowns on our heads, and headed for the fourth floor.

"Those guards are going to look up our skirts when we climb that ladder," Devin whispered as we approached the ladder leading to Mog's throne room.

"The day they stop looking is the day I'll worry," I said.

Once again, we were the last to arrive. Everyone was decked out in outfits identical to ours, some of the outfits provided more coverage, like Devin's, some provided less coverage, like mine. As I took my spot at the end of the line, Mog rose from his throne.

"Now that everyone is here we can begin. This part of the competition is the easiest. Each of you will introduce yourself and tell me why I should select you as the most beautiful queen here. When you have done that, I will choose which of you I consider to be the most beautiful. The winner of this portion of the competition, as well as each of the other portions, will receive two points. Second place will receive one point. At the end of the competition, the queen with the most points will earn the right to become my bride." Mog turned his attention to Adriana, who stood at the far end of the line. "Why don't you go first, Adriana."

Adriana stepped forward. Her skirt and vest were on the conservative side, more like Devin's than mine. She won this part competition in the other timeline, even though I thought she was rather plain looking, prettier than the burly Nula, but not prettier than any of the other girls here. But what did I know. Beauty was in the eye of the beholder and Mog clearly thought differently than I did. At least the Mog in the other timeline did. "I am Adriana Ki Rasmus, Queen of the Lowlands."

"And why should I choose you as the most beautiful queen in the world?"

"Beauty isn't just physical appearance. It's much deeper than that. A truly beautiful queen loves and treats everybody the same. That's something I strive to do every day, be they the greatest of royals or the humblest of commoners."

I was tempted to point out that someone that treated everybody the same wouldn't distinguish between royal and commoner, but I kept my mouth shut. I was here to win and shooting my mouth off wouldn't help me win, it would just make Mog mad.

"Well spoken, Adriana. You are wise to remind us that beauty goes beyond the physical." Adriana smiled and stepped back in line. Mog turned his attention to Riley, the next girl in line. "Riley, you're next."

Riley stepped forward. Like me, she wore one of the more revealing outfits. No surprise there, she had a lot to reveal. "Riley Louise Depoto, Queen of the Souderland."

"Why should I select you as the most beautiful queen here?"

Riley smiled. "Because I am."

If you didn't know Riley, you might think that she was full of herself, which she wasn't. At least the Riley in the other timeline wasn't. When she called herself beautiful, it was usually with tongue in cheek. I wasn't so sure that this Riley spoke with tongue in cheek. She was different from the other Riley. No big surprise. The other Riley had been raised in the shadow of the Witch Queen, while this one hadn't.

Mog laughed. "Even if it isn't true, it's clear that you believe it is, which makes you the most honest queen in the world."

Riley bowed her head and stepped back in line. Mog turned his attention to Leah. "Leah, you're next."

Leah stepped forward. Like Riley and myself, she wore one of the skimpier outfits. The only difference was she didn't have as much cleavage as we did. She tossed her head, which caused her dark blue hair to shimmer.

"Leah Cantrel Nix, Queen of the Hinterlands."

"Why should I select you as the most beautiful queen in the world?"

"Because I stand out from the crowd."

"You do stand out from the crowd," Mog said. "No one can deny that."

Leah smiled and stepped back in line. Mog turned his attention to Nula. "Nula, you're next."

Nula stepped forward. She probably wore the biggest outfit that she could find, but because she was such a large girl, it was an extremely tight fit.

"Nula Jace Baat, Queen of Midland," she said in her squeaky voice.

"Tell me why I should select you as the most beautiful queen in the world?"

"If you like skinny queens," Nula looked at Leah on her right, then she looked at Ora Shayne on her left. "Or tiny queens, then you probably won't think I'm the most beautiful queen in the world. But if you're looking for a queen with a little meat on her bones, then I am without a doubt, the most beautiful queen in the world."

"Well spoken, Nula." Nula grinned and stepped back in line. Mog turned his attention to Ora Shayne. "Ora Shayne."

Ora Shayne stepped forward. She was probably wearing the smallest outfit she could find, but because she was so tiny, it provided plenty of coverage. She reached behind her head with both hands and lifted her sparkling silver hair away from her small pointed ears. "Ora Shayne Freemont, Queen of the Nordland."

"Why should I select you as the most beautiful queen in the world?"

"Even among queens I stand out from the crowd. As all beautiful people do."

"You are a unique beauty," Mog said.

Ora Shayne bowed her head and stepped back in line. Mog turned his attention to Devin. "Devin why don't you introduce yourself to the others."

Devin stepped forward. "Devin Sandre Edgewater, Queen of Edgewater."

"Why should I select you as the most beautiful queen in the world?"

"Truth be told, I would not select me."

Devin caught Mog off-guard with that answer, just as she had in the other timeline.

"Who would you select?"

"It depends upon what you're looking for. If you're looking for a pretty girl with a lot of curves, you should select Riley or Lila. If you're looking for an exotic beauty you should select Leah or Ora Shayne. If you're looking for a girl that reminds you of the women of your homeland, you should select Adriana. If you prefer a girl with a little meat on her bones, you should select Nula. If you like your girls tall and skinny and pale, then you might be interested in me."

Devin stepped back in line.

"I think you underestimate yourself." Mog turned his attention to me. "Lila, you're the only one left."

I stepped forward. "Lila Marie Haran, Queen of Crofton, Queen of Vassa, Queen of Dunre, Queen of Adah, and First Consummate of Landish. If you've never heard of the bulk of those countries, it's understandable. They're located on another continent."

"Why should I select you as the most beautiful queen here?"

"Like all of the women here, I have my good points and my bad points. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And in this case, you are the beholder, so I will let you decide who is the most beautiful."

I stepped back in line. Mog moved to his throne and sat. "Lila is right, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Although each and every one of you has much to offer, I must choose the one that I consider to be the most beautiful. But before I select the most beautiful, I will award a point for second place. And that goes to Lila. Congratulations, Lila you now have one point in the Competition of Queens."

"Your Highness is most generous to award me second place, especially among such an impressive group of women."

"Now for first place. I select . . . Riley, as the most beautiful queen here. Congratulations, Riley, you now have two points in the Competition of Queens."

Okay, so this Mog wasn't identical to the Mog in the other timeline. The Mog in the other timeline selected Adriana as the most beautiful queen here, an odd choice since she was one of the more plain looking girls here. Plus, he didn't give points for second place like this Mog did.

Choosing Riley as the most beautiful made more sense than choosing Adriana. Riley was tall and blond and had plenty of curves, not to mention a pretty face. What every man wanted in a woman.

"Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, we will meet here for the second round of the competition, where we will test your intelligence."

Mog pushed himself to his feet, slipped behind his throne, and disappeared, making me think there was a ladder leading to the third floor directly behind his throne. The seven of us broke ranks and headed for the ladder at the opposite end of the room.

"Mog might be a king," Leah said to no one particular. "But he's just like every other man. Show him a pretty face and a big set of boobs and he's a happy man."

"Your jealous side is showing," Riley said.

Nula laughed. "Sounds like everybody came here to win."

"Not everybody," Devin said.

"You don't want to be Mog's bride?" a surprised Ora Shayne said.

"You do?" Devin asked.

"Having Mog's ear will make things easier for my people."

"Mog's not looking for an adviser, he wants someone who can give him a son."

Nula laughed. "That explains why he chose Lila and Riley as the most beautiful. He wants to make sure his son is well fed."

Riley turned to Nula. "I'm guessing he didn't choose you because he's worried that you'd eat his son."

"You better hope I don't get you in the fighting skills competition," Nula said. "Cause if I do, I'm going to squeeze your big boobs until they pop."

"You ladies do realize who you're fighting over," Devin said.

"The most powerful man in the world," Adriana said.

"A man with food stuck to his beard. Do you really want to be his wife that badly?"

"I don't want to be any man's wife," Nula said. "But when you're a queen, you don't always get to do what you want. Sometimes you've got to do what's best for your people."

"Even if it means marrying a man with food in his beard," Leah said.

# Chapter 28

The next morning, we were escorted to Mog's throne room without having to change. Devin wore another silk gown Iderra had given her. It was dark green in color, had a belled skirt, belled sleeves, and a high collar. Like all of Iderra's gowns, the skirt's hem, as well as the cuffs, and collar, were trimmed in white lace.

I wore one of the outfits the Witch Queen had given me. Yellow boots with five inch heels. A short yellow leather skirt, and a strapless yellow leather corset that showed off my breasts. My hair was tied back in a ponytail with a yellow velvet ribbon. Instead of a regular crown, I wore a princess crown, a simple gold band that circled my forehead.

Once again, we were the last two queens to arrive, although we did get there before Mog.

"That's quite an outfit," Nula said when she saw me. "What there is of it."

"Believe it or not, I've worn less."

"If you've got it, flaunt it," Riley said.

She was wearing a black spider silk gown that looked like something the Witch Queen liked to wear. It was sleeveless, with spaghetti straps, and a plunging neckline that showed off a good portion of her breasts. The ankle length skirt had an inverted V in the front that showed off her long legs.

"How do you suppose the Voss judge intelligence?" Adriana asked.

"Even if any of us knew, I doubt if we'd tell you," Ora Shayne said. She wore a short skirt and a tiny halter made out of silver coins. In the other timeline, Mog had confiscated the outfit. In this timeline, he either had no use for it, or his men just hadn't gotten around to taking it yet.

"I'll tell her," Devin said. "The Voss are a militaristic people, so in their minds the aggressive option is always the right option. Plus, the king is always right. Always."

Mog stepped out from behind his throne. He took his place on the large wooden chair while his two guards took their spots on each side of the chair.

"Today, we will test your intelligence," Mog said. He turned to me. "Lila, we will start with you."

I nodded. "Ask away."

"Your king has been offended by a neighboring ruler and feels the offense warrants military reprisal. At the same time, his generals do not want to go to war. They feel the price of blood would be too high. What counsel do you give your king?"

I would tell the king to swallow his pride and defer to his generals, but having heard Mog ask this question before, I knew that wasn't the answer he wanted.

"The king is always right," I said, parroting the Mog from the other timeline. "If he feels war is necessary, then his opinion is the only one that matters. Plus, the only good death is the death that takes place on the battlefield."

"Well spoken, Lila. I couldn't have said it better myself." Mog looked me over and smiled. "And may I say, you're looking quite lovely today."

"Your Highness is too kind."

Mog turned his attention to Devin. "The next question is for you, Devin. A lack of game in the forest. A lack of fish in the ocean. And a poor harvest has left your country short of food. What advice do you give your king?"

"You must ration, and pray that the gods grant you some relief."

"Wrong answer," Mog said. "You muster your army and take what you need from your neighbors."

Devin kicked a foot against the wooden floor, pretending to be disappointed with the answer she had given.

Mog turned his attention to Ora Shayne. "The next question is for you, Ora Shayne. One of your generals is conspiring to kill you and claim your throne. Do you have him arrested and executed, or do you kill him yourself in a duel to the death?"

"Were I a skilled swordsman like you, great king. I would kill him myself. But since I am a mere woman, I would order him arrested and executed."

"I would kill him myself," I said. "Regardless of the fact that I'm a woman."

Mog turned his attention to me. "Yes, my cousin, Bog, informed me that you are quite skilled with a sword. As skilled as any man."

"More skilled than any man," I said. "With the possible exception of Your Majesty."

Mog turned his attention back to Ora Shayne. "You gave the best answer one who is not skilled with a sword could give, Ora Shayne."

"I believe I'm next," Nula said. She was wearing a simple brown cotton dress, making her the only queen that hadn't dressed up. Then again, maybe this was her idea of dressing up.

Mog turned his attention to Nula. "The king you're married to is weak and incompetent. Do you eliminate him and claim his throne for yourself, or do you try to make him a better king by advising and encouraging him?"

"A wife's job is to encourage and advise her husband," Nula said.

"A sensible answer," Mog said. "But in this case, it's the wrong answer. The strong should never defer to the weak, regardless of their sex or social rank. Slaves are slaves because they are weak. Kings are kings because they are strong. If a king is weak, then he does not deserve to be king."

Nula frowned, upset with herself for giving the wrong answer. Mog turned his attention to Riley, who was next in line.

"Lovely gown, Riley. It reminds me why you won yesterday's competition."

Riley smiled and curtsied.

"Here's your question," Mog said. "You are wife to the most powerful man in the world, but you are unable to bear him a son. Who's fault is it? His or yours?"

"A wife's duty is to bear her husband sons. If she does not bear him sons then she has failed in her duty."

"An excellent answer," Mog said. "You are as wise as you are beautiful."

Riley smiled and curtsied a second time. Mog turned his attention to Leah. She wore a clingy gown that matched the dark blue of her hair and eyes. It was made out of a single layer of transparent chiffon that revealed the dark blue silk briefs she wore beneath the gown, as well as the fact that she wore nothing else beneath the gown. It made me feel overdressed.

"My next question is for Leah," Mog said. "And I must say, you're looking better than ever."

Leah smiled. "I thank you for noticing, Your Highness."

"Your husband, the king, dies prematurely, leaving no heirs. Do you fight the men that want to claim his throne or do you step aside and let the strongest man claim the throne?"

"I fight for his throne," Leah said. "So that his clan may remain in power."

"An excellent answer," Mog said. "Your first duty is to your husband. Your second duty is to his clan. Your third duty is to the Vossland."

Mog turned his attention to Adriana. She was wearing the same outfit as yesterday. White leather boots with five inch heels, a short white leather skirt, and a white leather vest that left her waist bare. I suspect she liked the white because it showed off her golden tan. Her chestnut brown hair was tied back in a ponytail with a white velvet ribbon.

"The final question is for you, Adriana." Adriana nodded. Mog continued. "Try as you might, you can only bare your husband, the king, daughters. What do you do about it?"

"I consult all the physicians and midwifes in the land, until I find one that can show me how to bare my husband a son."

"And if you have already done that?"

"I, ah, search harder?"

"Wrong answer. Your best course of action would be to step aside and allow your husband, the king, to take a wife that can bear him a son."

Adriana scowled, disappointed that Mog hadn't liked her answer. Mog studied us for a minute before speaking.

"Lila, Riley, and Leah, please step forward." We each took a step forward. "The three of you have given me the three best answers. The question is, which one of you gave me the best answer, and which one of you gave me the second best answer?"

Mog studied us for another minute. While he did, I crossed my hands behind me and arched my back, pushing my chest out as far as I could. Considering what Riley and Leah were wearing, I figured it couldn't hurt. When Mog looked at me and licked his lips, I knew I had him.

"I've reached a decision," Mog said. "Lila wins first place. Riley wins second. After two events, they're tied for first place with three points apiece. The rest of you have yet to get a point. Perhaps you will fare better tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" Nula asked.

"Tomorrow morning. Right after breakfast, we will test your fighting skills."

"What kind of fighting are we talking about?" Leah asked.

"Wrestling. You knock your opponent out, or force her to submit, and you will advance to the next round of the competition."

"Any rules about what we can or can't do?" I asked.

"You cannot punch or kick your opponent in the face or head," Mog said. "Other than that there are no rules."

"We can pull hair?" Ora Shayne asked.

Mog smiled. At least I think he smiled. It was kind of hard to tell with the bushy beard he wore. "Hair pulling is allowed, even encouraged."

"What if I get Lila or Riley as an opponent?" Nula asked. "Can I squeeze her big boobs until she squeals like a pig?"

This time Mog laughed. "Squeezing boobs is allowed. If it forces your opponent to submit, why not use it."

Nula grinned and rubbed her hands together. "I'm gonna have me some fun tomorrow."

"Any other questions?" Mog asked.

"Can we forfeit our match without having to fight?" Devin asked. She was looking at the burly Nula, clearly wary about having to face her in a fight.

"You cannot," Mog said. "I expect each of you to at least try."

"Even if we don't know how to fight?"

"Even if you don't know how to fight. I will see all of you tomorrow." Mog left, disappearing behind his throne with his two guards in tow.

We broke ranks and headed for the ladder we came up on.

***

The next morning, Devin and I were escorted to a changing room on the third floor. There were white leather outfits of various sizes laid out on the two beds.

"Once you've changed, you can head up to the throne room," the slave girl that led us into the room said.

She curtsied and left. We turned our attention to the clothes on the beds. The vests were the same as the ones we wore in the first round of the competition. White leather shorts and low heeled boots went with the vests.

"I so don't want to do this," Devin said as we changed.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that you won this portion of the competition in the other timeline?"

"You're kidding?"

"None of these girls knows how to fight, except Nula. I took her out with some kicks to the head, which disqualified me and gave you the title."

"I must've beat somebody."

"You beat Adriana in the first round. Ora Shayne in the second."

"How?"

"Adriana lowered her head and rushed you like a bull. You stepped out of the way and she charged head first into the wall, knocking herself out."

"And Ora Shayne?"

"She jumped on your back, tried to put a sleeper hold on you. You fell over backwards, landed on top of her, and knocked the wind out of her."

"So as long as I don't have to face Nula, I should be okay?"

"If you do have to face Nula, just yell, 'I submit', as soon as she grabs you."

"What are you going to do if you have to fight Nula?"

"I don't know. I'll tell you what I'm not going to do and that's wrestle with her. She's too damn big."

I put on the tightest vest I could find, then I put on the tightest shorts that I could find. Mostly because I didn't want anyone, specifically Nula, pulling on my clothes. I donned a pair of boots with a wide one inch heel and laced them up. When that was done, Devin and I braided each other's hair and rolled each braid into a tight bun.

"This is so no one can pull our hair?" Devin said.

"Exactly."

We left our crowns with our regular clothes and headed to Mog's throne room on the fourth floor of the hovel. Much to our surprise, only Mog and Nula had arrived.

"I was beginning to wonder if anyone besides Nula was going to show up," Mog said.

"The others are just nervous," I said. "I don't think they have a lot of fighting experience."

"You have?" Mog said.

"I started my fight training when I was six years old."

"Hand to hand or sword?"

"Hand to hand, sword, and knife fighting."

Nula grinned and rubbed her hands together. "I was hoping somebody would give me a good tustle."

I looked at Nula. "I won't just give you a good fight. I'll kick your ass."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself," Mog said.

"I used to practice against my oldest sister. Who was the biggest strongest woman I've ever met."

"Bigger than me?" Nula said.

"Bigger than you and Mog put together."

"You don't practice against her anymore?" Mog said.

"No."

"Why not?" Nula said.

I looked Nula in the eyes. "Because I killed her."

Actually she killed herself. But I was holding the sword when she impaled herself upon it, so it felt like I killed her. It felt like I killed her when it happened some five years ago and it still felt like it today.

"It's kind of odd that your sister would be so much bigger than you," Mog said.

"We had different fathers. Her father was very large. Mine wasn't."

The other queens finally arrived, dressed in the same outfits that Nula, Devin, and myself were wearing.

Looks like everybody is here," Mog said. "We were beginning to wonder if you guys were going to show."

"None of us are experienced fighters," Ora Shayne said. "To say that we're nervous about this portion of the competition is an understatement."

"I have no fight training," Devin said. "But I'm here."

"Everybody's here," Mog said. "Which means it's time to find out which one of you is the best fighter."

# Chapter 29

Mog produced a small leather bag and rose from his throne. "This bag contains seven wooden tokens. Six of the tokens have a number on them, either one, two, or three. The seventh token has no number. Each of you will draw a token. If your token has a number on it, that is the match you will fight in. If you draw the token without a number, you will get a first round bye."

Mog moved to the the edge of the dais and looked at me. "You may draw first, Lila."

I reached into the bag and pulled out a token with the number three on it.

"Lila draws the number three," Mog said. "She will fight in the third match of the first round."

He held the bag out for Devin. Devin reached into the bag and pulled out the number one.

"Devin will fight in the first match of the day."

Nula drew next. She pulled out the number two.

"Nula will fight in the second match," Mog said. He offered the bag to Ora Shayne. She reached into the bag and pulled out the token with no number. "Ora Shayne wins a first round bye."

Mog moved on to Riley, who pulled out the second token with the number two on it, much to her chagrin and Nula's delight.

"Riley will face Nula in the second match of the morning," Mog said.

A grinning Nula pointed a finger at Riley. "Those big boobs aren't going to help you now, baby."

Mog moved on to Leah. She reached into the small leather bag and pulled out the second token with the number three on it.

"Leah will face Lila in the third match of the morning," Mog said. "Which means Adriana will face Devin in the first match of the morning."

Mog collected the tokens. "Everybody except Devin and Adriana can join me up here."

The rest of us joined Mog on the dais, leaving Devin and Adriana alone on the main floor.

"Devin, Adriana, you may begin. Remember, there is only one rule. No kicks or punches to your opponent's face or head."

Devin and Adriana turned to face each other, then Adriana did exactly what she did in the other timeline, she lowered her head and charged Devin like an angry bull.

"Yah!" she screamed as she rushed head first at Devin.

Devin did what she did in the other timeline, she stepped aside. Adriana continued to charge forward, head down, screaming all the while. Eventually, she ran out of room and crashed head first into the heavy log wall. She straightened up, rubbed her head, then fell over backward.

Mog waited to see if Adriana would get up. When he realized that she was unconscious, he turned to Devin. "It looks like Devin wins the first match of the day. Congratulations, Devin. You advance to the next round. You may join us up here. Nula and Riley, you're up next."

Devin stepped onto the dais. Nula bounced down to the main floor. Riley hesitated, then followed. Nula faced Riley then assumed a wrestling stance, crouching with her legs spread wide and her arms out in front of her.

Riley faced Nula and assumed a similar stance, at which point I decided to help her out. "You can't beat Nula in a wrestling match, so don't even try. Stand up straight and kick her when she moves in close. Keep your kicks low, so she can't grab your foot."

Riley straightened up. Nula moved forward, still in her wrestling stance. When she got close enough, Riley kicked her in the left shin. Hard.

Nula's boot provided some protection, but not enough, because she stopped, grabbed her leg, and hopped around on her good leg. "You're going to pay for that, bitch."

Nula assumed her wrestling stance and moved toward Riley. When Nula lunged forward, Riley kicked. This time the toe of her boot connected with Nula's bare stomach.

Nula grunted and dropped to her hands and knees. Riley was a beautiful girl, but she was also a big girl. Almost as tall as Nula but with less body fat. And as Nula was finding out, plenty of muscle.

With Nula on her hands and knees, Riley circled around behind her and kicked her in the butt, sending Nula onto her stomach. She didn't stop there. She slid to Nula's side and kicked her in the ribs. Again. And again. And again. And again. The kicks came hard and fast. Now that Riley had Nula down, she was determined to keep her down.

Every time Riley kicked, Nula grunted. Somewhere in the middle of those grunts, Nula cried out, "I submit."

"The fight is over," Mog said.

Riley was so focused on keeping Nula down, she didn't hear Nula submit, nor did she hear Mog announce that the fight was over. She just kept kicking Nula, over and over and over.

I jumped off the dais, moved behind Riley, and wrapped my arms around her. Then I dragged her away from Nula, who had tried to protect herself by rolling onto her side and turning her back on Riley.

"The fight is over," I said to Riley. "You won."

My words finally reached Riley's brain and she stopped kicking. "I won?"

"You won. Nula submitted."

Riley shook herself free of my grip, marched over to the still prone Nula, and leaned over her. "Who the bitch now?"

Riley straightened up and adjusted her vest. Then she stepped onto the dais. I remained on the main floor since I was up next. Nobody bothered to help Nula, they just stood around, watching her. Eventually, Nula pulled herself to a sitting position. Bruises were already forming on her stomach, and I suspect, her ribs, which were still covered by the white leather vest.

"She's a psychopath," Nula mumbled. She was holding her side. I couldn't help but wonder if Riley had fractured a couple of her ribs.

"You threatened to hurt and humiliate her. What did you expect?" I helped Nula to her feet and escorted her to a spot next to a still unconscious Adriana. Nula sat, still holding her side.

"That was quite a match," Mog said. He looked at Leah. "Leah, why don't you join Lila on the main floor."

Leah stepped off the dais and faced me. I got the impression that she didn't want to be here anymore than Devin. She wore the same clothes that the rest of us did and had tied her sleek blue hair in a ponytail.

"I won't kick you if you don't kick me," Leah said.

"I won't kick you," I said. "But I will sweep your feet out from under you."

With that said, I moved toward Leah, dropped to my left knee, and swept Leah's feet out from under her with my right leg. She landed on her butt then rolled onto her stomach. Before she could get up, I jumped on top of her, wrapped my right arm around her neck, and squeezed, cutting off the supply of blood to her head.

"I'm cutting off the blood to your head," I whispered in her ear. "You'll lose consciousness for a few minutes, but you'll be fine."

Leah grabbed my arm with both hands and tried to pull it away from her neck. I was on my knees, straddling her, which gave me leverage. Slowly, she began to lose consciousness. Her grip on my arm loosened, then she lost consciousness. I lowered her head to her arms, and pulled myself to my feet.

"That was the gentlest fight I've ever seen," Mog said.

"I have no desire to hurt any of these women," I said.

"How did you knock her out?"

"Come down here and I'll show you."

Mog smiled. "You'd be better off saving yourself for your next match."

Instead of shooting my mouth off, I simply bowed my head. Proving that I could be nice when I wanted.

"We will now draw for second round opponents. There are four tokens in this bag. Two with the number one. Two with the number two." Mog moved to Devin and offered her the leather bag. "You won the first match, so you can draw first."

Devin reached into the leather bag and pulled out a wooden token with the number one on it. Riley went next. She pulled out the second token with the number one.

"Devin and Riley will square off in the first match," Mog said. "Which means Lila and Ora Shayne will fight in the second match."

Leah woke, realized where she was, and pulled herself to her feet. She headed to the side of Mog's throne room and sat next to Nula, who was still holding her ribs, and Adriana, who was still flat on her back, out cold.

"Devin. Riley. You're up," Mog said.

Devin and Riley stepped off the dais and faced each other. They were both tall blonds. The biggest difference was Riley had move curves, and more muscle.

Devin whispered something to Riley that Mog, Ora Shayne, and I couldn't hear. Riley nodded yes. Devin rushed Riley. Riley grabbed her by the shoulders, spun her around, and wrapped an arm around her neck.

Devin grabbed Riley's arm with both of her hands and pretended to struggle. Then she pretended to lose consciousness. Riley lowered her to a sitting position and Devin laid down on her back, still pretending to be unconscious. Next to me, Ora Shayne giggled. Not that I blamed her. Devin's acting skills weren't that great.

"Really, Devin," Mog said. "That's all you're going to do?"

Devin didn't respond. She just lay on her back with her eyes closed, pretending to be unconscious.

Mog sighed. "Fine. Riley wins. Congratulations Riley. You have advanced to the finals and are guaranteed at least one point. Devin why don't you go join the others."

Devin sat up and looked at Mog. "You saw what she did to Nula."

"So?"

"So, I bruise easily."

Devin leapted to her feet and moved to the side of the throne room. She sat next to Leah. I noticed that Adriana had finally sat up, although she didn't seem too coherent.

"Lila and Ora Shayne are up next," Mog said.

We stepped off the dais and faced each other. I knew from the previous timeline that Ora Shayne didn't know anything about fighting but was a quick learner. As such, I crouched, suspecting she would imitate the leg sweep I used on Leah. Sure enough, she did, moving toward me then dropping down and sweeping her right leg in front of her.

Even though I knew the move was coming, and had prepared myself for it, I forgot how fast the little sprite was. I reached down to grab her leg but I wasn't quick enough. Her leg slipped underneath my hand and took my feet out from under me.

I ended up falling on my left hand side then rolled onto my stomach. Ora Shayne was on me in a flash. She sat on my bottom and wrapped her right arm around my neck. She wasn't pressing the right spot to cut off the blood supply to my head, but she was doing a pretty good job of choking me.

I rolled onto my back, trying to shake her off. It didn't work. Ora Shayne tightened her arm around my neck and wrapped her legs around my waist, locking her ankles together.

I rolled back onto my stomach then pulled myself to my hands and knees. Ora Shayne hung on like a tick, choking me for all she was worth, but unable to find the spot that would cut off the flow of blood to my head.

"Squeeze her big boobs," Nula yelled. "She'll submit."

Ora Shayne must've figured Nula's advice was as good as any because she slipped her left hand down the front of my vest and latched onto my right breast. When she realized that I was more than a handful, especially for her tiny hand, she pinched my nipple. Hard.

"Submit," Ora Shayne said.

I could feel myself turning red faced from being choked. At the same time, Ora Shayne worked on my nipple, pinching and twisting it for all she was worth.

"Submit," she said again.

I ignored her demands and pulled my feet underneath me.

"Don't let her get to her feet," Nula yelled. The tone of her voice made it pretty clear that she was enjoying my predicament and didn't want to see Ora Shayne lose the upper hand.

I stood up, which wasn't easy with Ora Shayne still on my back, choking me. Once I was standing, I simply fell backwards, smashing the tiny Ora Shayne between myself and the wood floor. Not surprisingly, she let go of me.

I scrambled off her and turned toward her. She was conscious, but I had knocked the wind out of her. While she struggled to get her breath, I rolled her onto her stomach, straddled her, and wrapped my arm around her neck.

"Your turn," I said.

I found the artery that fed the blood to her head and pressed on it. A minute later, she was unconscious.

Ora Shayne woke up and pulled herself to a sitting position. For a few seconds, she just sat there, trying to figure out where she was. Eventually, she scampered out of the way and grabbed a spot next to Devin.

"How about we add a little twist to this final match," Nula said.

Mog looked at Nula. "What kind of a twist?"

"First girl to strip her opponent naked wins."

Riley glared at Nula. "What purpose will that serve?"

"You're less likely to throw the match if it means having to endure a little public humiliation."

"How about you shut up or I come over there and kick you in the other side, so you have matching bruises."

Nula shut up, but Mog picked up where she left off. "Nula raises a good point. You'll be less likely to throw the match if it means having to endure a little humiliation. As such, we will do what Nula suggested. The first girl to strip her opponent naked wins."

Mog moved to his throne and sat. Riley stepped off the dais and faced me. She was bigger than me, taller and heavier. On the plus side, she wouldn't be as quick as Ora Shayne, who wasn't just quick, but ridiculously quick.

Riley assumed the wrestler's stance she learned from Nula, crouching with her legs spread wide and her arms out in front of her. I assumed the same stance, making her think that I was willing to wrestle with her. When she got close enough, I straightened up, turned so my left side was facing her, and extended my left leg, hitting her in the gut with a side kick.

Riley grunted as the air rushed out of her. When she dropped to her knees, I moved behind her and wrapped my right arm around her neck. I found the artery that fed blood to her brain and pressed. Riley grabbed the arm I wrapped around her neck, pulled on it, and bent forward. I lost my grip on her neck and tumbled over her shoulder, ending up on my right hand side. The girl wasn't just strong, she was ridiculously strong.

I rolled onto my back and sat up. Before I could get any further, Riley slid up behind me and wrapped her right arm around my neck. Like Ora Shayne, she didn't know how to cut off the blood supply to the head, so she did the next best thing. She choked me.

While I used both of my hands to pry her arm from around my neck, she used her free hand to undo the lacing on my vest. When she had the lacing undone, she grabbed the vest with both hands, leapted to her feet, and jerked it off me. Just like that, I was naked from the waist up.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Nula cheered. "Toss her vest over here."

While Riley tossed my vest toward to Nula, I rose to my feet and turned to face her, my bare breasts bouncing.

"I wasn't going to strip you," I said.

Riley grinned and assumed her wrestler's stance. "Sorry about that, but I came here to win."

If I used my powers, I could win this fight easily. But I didn't want to use my powers in front of Mog. I didn't want him to know what I was capable of doing. Not yet anyway. If I was going to beat the bigger, stronger Riley, I was going to have to do it without using my powers. That meant not getting in a wrestling match with her, at least not until I had sapped some of her strength.

Having realized that she was bigger and stronger than me, Riley began to move toward me. She had her hands in front of her, expecting another side kick. Instead, I delivered a crescent kick with my right leg. It was a low kick. The heel of my right boot connected with her right knee, causing her right leg to buckle and drop her to one knee.

I waited for her to get back up. When she did, I delivered a low crescent kick to her left knee. Her left leg buckled and she dropped to her other knee.

When she got back up, I delivered a side kick to her gut. The wind rushed out of her and she dropped to both knees.

Once again, I slipped behind her, wrapped my right arm around her neck, and cut off the supply of blood to her head. Once again, she tried to flip me over her shoulder, but this time I was ready. Instead of standing behind her, like I did the last time, I dropped to my knees, and pulled backward, denying her the leverage she needed to toss me over her shoulder.

When Riley realized that she couldn't flip me, she fell onto her side, taking me with her. My arm was still around her neck, but I lost pressure on the spot that cut off the blood supply to her head, which meant she was no longer in danger of blacking out.

Riley rolled onto her back. I was underneath her, on my back, with my right arm around her neck, choking her. I wrapped my legs around her waist and used my left hand to untie the lacing on her vest. Then I rolled her onto her stomach, grabbed her vest with both hands, and jumped to my feet, taking her vest with me. Now, I wasn't the only one that was topless.

I tossed the vest toward Nula. "Another trophy for you."

Riley pulled herself to her feet and assumed the wrestling stance she learned from Nula. Then she dove for my legs. She pushed my feet out from under me and I fell face first on top of her. I tried to kick my legs free, but she wrapped her hands around my ankles.

Instead of grabbing her legs, I reached underneath her and went to work on the lacing of her shorts. When she realized what I was doing, she rolled us, so I was underneath her.

I still had the advantage, since my front was pressed against her back, so I continued to undo the lacing on her shorts. When I grabbed the waistband of her shorts and tried to yank them down, she released my legs and rolled off me.

I lost my grip on her shorts, but not before yanking them down to her thighs.

We both scrambled to our feet. When Riley tried to pull her shorts up, I dropped to my left knee and used my right leg to sweep her feet out from under her. She fell onto her butt with her shorts still around her thighs.

I grabbed her ankles and lifted her legs high into the air, so only her head, shoulders, and arms, were on the floor. Somehow, she grabbed my right ankle and yanked. I lost my footing and landed on my back, banging my head against the wooden floor.

Hitting my head on the floor must've stunned me for a few seconds, because the next thing I knew, Riley was sitting on my chest. She was facing my feet, furiously undoing the lacing on my shorts.

My hands were free so I grabbed her ponytail and yanked. Hard. She screamed and fell backward. Once again, she was lying on top of me. We were both facing upward, with my face pressed against her shoulder blades. I wrapped my arms around her and rolled both of us, so she was lying on her stomach and I was lying on top of her.

I scrambled to my knees, spun around, and straddled her. Then I sat on her shoulder blades, using my weight to pin her head, arms, and chest to the floor. I grabbed her shorts, which were still untied, and yanked them down and off. When I grabbed the waistband of her white leather thong, she screamed and bucked me off.

I fell onto my side then rolled onto my stomach. Before I could get any further, Riley straddled me and then sat on me, using her weight to pin my head, arms, and chest to the floor. I tried to buck her off, like she did me, but she had a size and weight advantage.

The next thing I knew, she was yanking my shorts down and off. The only thing I could reach were her feet, so I grabbed one of her boots with both hands and twisted her foot. Hard.

Riley screamed in pain and scrambled off me. I scurried to my feet and turned to face her. Like her, I was down to my white leather thong and boots. Unlike her, I wasn't limping on a wrenched ankle.

Riley tossed my shorts to Nula. Nula caught them out of the air and sniffed the crotch. I tossed Riley's shorts to Nula, she caught them and did the exact same thing.

When Riley tested her bad ankle, I delivered another side kick to her gut, knocking her to her hands and knees. I let her pull herself to her feet, before dropping to one knee and sweeping her feet out from under her. She fell on her side with a loud grunt.

I waited for her to get up, then delivered a low crescent kick to her left knee, taking that leg out from beneath her. With only a twisted ankle to stand on, she fell on her butt.

Each time I knocked her off her feet, it took her longer to get up, which told me the match was almost over. In fact, the next time, I knocked her off her feet, she didn't bother to get up, she just sat there, too tired to move.

I slipped behind her, dropped to my knees, and wrapped my arm around her neck. When I pressed on the artery that fed blood to her head, she didn't do anything other than lose consciousness.

I laid her down on her back, yanked her thong off her, and tossed it to Nula.

"Looks like we have a winner," Mog said, rising to his feet. "Congratulations, Lila, you now have five points in the Competition of Queens. Which means you lead Riley by a point. We'll take a few days off, give all you girls a chance to heal, before doing the next portion of the competition, the endurance test."

Mog disappeared behind his throne, taking his two guards with him. The others rose to their feet and headed for the ladder that would take us down to the third floor.

"What about her?" Leah said, when they passed the still unconscious Riley.

"She'll wake up in a couple of minutes." I turned to Nula. "Can I have my clothes?"

Nula laughed and continued toward the exit, clutching her trophies.

"You want me to go down to the changing room and get your clothes for you?" Devin asked.

I shook my head and fell in alongside of her.

# Chapter 30

Five days later, Mog called us back to his throne room for the next round of the competition, the endurance test. Once again, we were escorted to a changing room on the third floor. Just like in the other timeline, there were red outfits laid out for us.

"Why red?" Devin asked when the slave girl that escorted us to the room left.

"In the Vossland slaves wear red and today we'll be doing slave work."

"What kind of an endurance test is that?"

"It's a mental test, to see how mentally tough we are, see how much humiliation we can endure."

"Who won in the other timeline?"

"Ora Shayne."

"What kind of work did she have to do?"

"I don't know."

"What kind of work did I have to do?"

"You had to climb into a tub and bathe elderly women."

"What did you have to do?"

"Serve drinks in a tavern."

"How long did everybody last in the other timeline?"

"Ora Shayne lasted all day. Nula lasted a couple of hours. The others were all back within an hour."

"So I don't actually have to spend time washing these women."

"You don't."

"Good."

We donned the uniforms laid out for us, red leather thongs, skirts, vests, and boots. I couldn't help but notice that my uniform fit in this timeline, unlike the other timeline when it was way too small. No big surprise since I had been behaving myself and keeping my big mouth shut.

We used strips of red leather to tie our hair into ponytails, then headed up to the throne room on the fourth floor. Everybody was there but Mog. Like us, they were wearing slave girl uniforms, red boots that reached to the top of their calves, short red skirts, and red leather vests that showed off their bellybuttons and breasts.

"What do you suppose he has planned for us today?" Leah asked.

"Slave work," I said.

"What makes you say that?" Ora Shayne said.

"The Voss dress their slave girls in red. We're dressed in red."

"I thought this was supposed to be an endurance test," Riley said.

"Mog wants to test our ability to endure situations that are embarrassing, even humiliating. Which is why we're dressed like slaves." Most people didn't think performing manual labor was humiliating, but these weren't most people. These were queens. These were women that didn't even dress themselves, let alone do any kind of manual labor.

"What purpose will that serve?" Leah asked.

"He wants to ensure his son and heir will be as tough mentally as he is physically."

"That's what this competition is about?" Adriana said. "Finding the perfect mother for his son?"

"That's one of the things this competition is about."

Mog stepped out from behind his throne, accompanied by two guards and seven slave girls. He looked the same as always, dressed in red shoes, white fur leggings, brown leather breeches, and a sleeveless white fur vest. His hair and beard were as long and as thick and as wild as ever.

"Looks like everybody is here," he said, taking his throne. "So I guess we can begin. Today is the endurance portion of the competition. Each of you will be escorted to a part of the city where you will be put to work. When you can't endure anymore, you will tell your escort and she will bring you back here. The last one back wins."

A redheaded slave girl that wasn't much bigger than Ora Shayne came up to me. "You're to follow me."

I followed her down to the first floor and then out the door. I figured we'd go across the street to Rog's tavern, like I did in the other timeline, but we didn't. We headed down the street, eventually ending up at a hovel with an extra wide doorway. When we stepped inside, the reason for the extra wide doorway became clear, this hovel served as a stable.

There was no fire pit in the middle of the building, no big surprise since horses weren't fond of fire. Instead of a fire pit, the middle of the stable contained an exercise wheel. Five horses were tied to the wheel, taking a stroll around the middle of the hovel. The eight sided log building contained fourteen stalls, with two stalls on each of the seven sides that didn't contain the door. Four of the stalls contained horses, the rest were empty.

A fat man with shoulder length white hair and a bushy white beard sat on a three legged stool just inside the doorway, smoking a pipe. He dressed like every other Voss male, brown leather knee breeches, fur leggings, and a sleeveless fur vest. His leggings and vest were black, probably black bear fur. There was one difference between his outfit and that of every other Voss male, his shoes were brown not red. He was the first Voss male I saw that wasn't wearing red shoes.

"This is Zog," the redhead said to me. "You will spend the day helping him out here in the stable."

"I know about the contest," Zog said. "If you want to win this round, there's a wheelbarrow with a shovel in it. You're job is simple, muck out the stalls, and take the manure across the street to the fertilizer bin. If you don't want to win, tell Thally here and she'll take you back to my nephew's hovel."

"You're not wearing red shoes," I said. "How come?"

"Red shoes identify you as a slave owner. I don't own slaves." Zog looked me up and down. "You're a pretty thing. Too pretty to be working in a stable."

"How come you don't own slaves?"

"Don't believe it's right. Humans shouldn't own other humans."

"You're a distinct minority here in the Vossland."

Zog took a long drag on his pipe, then he laughed. "Yeah. A minority of one."

"If you don't want to clean the stalls I must return you to the king," Thally said to me.

"I'll clean the stalls."

I collected the wooden wheelbarrow and the shovel that sat in it and moved to the first empty stall, where I proceeded to clean out the stall by shoveling horse manure into the wheelbarrow. While I did that Thally found another stool and sat next to Zog.

Zog pulled a second pipe out of his vest, packed it with whatever he was smoking, and lit the pipe. Once the pipe was lit, he handed it to Thally, who took a long drag, blew the smoke out of her nose, and smiled. I had no idea what they were smoking. Whatever it was, it seemed to make them very happy, not to mention very mellow.

The wheelbarrow I was using wasn't very big and it only took a couple of stalls to fill it up. At that point, I had to head across the street and into a hovel that served as a fertilizer bin. I dumped the manure at the edge of a pile that filled half the bin and headed back to the stable. I cleaned out two more stalls, dumped the manure into the bin, and headed back to the stable.

When I got there, I discovered that Zog and Thally were asleep. Their chins were resting on their chests. Their pipes were in their hands. Their hands were in their laps. The stuff they were smoking had mellowed them to the point of unconsciousness. Too bad Mog and his massive army didn't smoke that stuff.

Working in a stable didn't bother me. When I was a kid, my mother gave me a horse. I had to go to the royal stable every day, feed and water my horse, brush its coat, and clean out its stall.

"Ownership carries responsibility," my mother explained when I asked her why I had to do all of that stuff. "You need to understand what that means."

I was halfway through the fourteen stalls when a couple of men slipped into the stable. They were Voss, that was obvious from their hair and beards and clothes. Yet there was something different about them, something unsavory. Maybe it was because they were dirtier than your average Voss male, looking like two walking balls of dirt. Or maybe it was the way their eyes kept darting about, checking to see who was watching. They checked to make sure Zog really was asleep, then set about collecting a couple of the horses from the exercise wheel.

"You just mind your own business, girlie," one of the men said when he saw me watching them.

"You're horse thieves," I said, stating the obvious.

"And you're a slave. So be a good slave and keep your mouth shut. Otherwise I'll shut it for you. Permanently."

Normally, I didn't care what the Voss did to each other, but I liked Zog, not just because he was more laid back than your average Voss male, but because he was opposed to slavery. That made him a rare man among the Voss.

"You need to leave," I said, stepping between the horse thieves and the door.

The bigger of two thieves, the one that had been doing all the talking, took a menacing step toward me. "Here in the Vossland a smart slave keeps her mouth shut and minds her own business."

"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't the first time you've stolen horses from Zog's stable."

The big thief laughed. "We take a couple every now and then. Old sot doesn't even know they're gone. No big surprise the way he smokes the mellow. Of course he's usually here by himself."

"You do know he's the king's uncle."

"Not my king," the big thief said. He moved toward me. At the same time, his hands reached for the two swords that were sticking up over his shoulders.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"It's pretty obvious that you're not going to keep your mouth shut. So I'm going to shut it for you. Permanently."

"You're going to kill me?"

The big thief shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing personal, girlie. Just can't have you ratting us out."

A second before the big thief could grab his swords, I used my powers to pull his swords out of their scabbards. The two swords floated above his head. A second later, they sped down. I sent one deep into the big thief's gut and sent the other one into his partner's gut, who just happened to be standing next to the big thief, grinning like an idiot. Of course the grin faded once he found a sword in his stomach.

The two men looked at their skewered stomachs then collapsed to their knees.

"How?" the big thief said.

I didn't answer his question. I just stood there and watched as he and his partner collapsed onto their sides. While they lay their dying, I went back to cleaning out the stalls.

I was finishing the last stall when Zog woke up from his drug induced sleep. It took him a minute to wake up, then it took another minute for him to notice the two dead thieves lying on the stable's dirt floor. "Who are those two and what are they doing here?"

I didn't bother to stop and look at the two dead men. I just continued to shovel manure into the wheelbarrow. "Horse thieves."

Zog pushed himself to his feet and staggered over to the two men. "Who killed em?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because they were going to kill me."

"Why would they want to kill you?"

"Because I could identify them as the men that have been stealing your horses."

Zog circled the two lifeless bodies. "How'd you get their swords from em?"

"I'm quicker than I look."

"You do know it's against the law for a slave to harm anyone that's Voss."

"I'm not a slave. I'm a free woman. Which you seem to have forgotten."

Zog nodded. "It's the mellow. Smoke too much of it and you forget things."

"As a free woman, I reserve the right to defend myself against anybody that wants to harm me. Or would you have preferred I let them kill me and steal your horses?"

"Sure don't want anyone stealing my horses." Zog drifted back to his stool and plopped down on it. He pulled a leather pouch out of his vest and began packing his pipe with mellow. "And I suspect Mog would get a might upset if I let one of his prospective brides get killed. Especially one as pretty as you."

Thally woke from her drug induced stupor and noticed the two bodies lying on the stable floor. "Who are those two?"

"Just a couple of horse thieves." Zog lit his pipe and took a long drag. "I had to kill em."

He blew the smoke out of his nose and looked at me, checking to see if I would disagree with him. I didn't. If he wanted to take credit for killing a couple of horse thieves, I had no problem with it.

"It was a very impressive performance," I said. "I didn't think a man Zog's age could move that fast."

Zog grinned and took another drag on his pipe. "When you finish cleaning those stalls, I'll help you load the bodies in the wheelbarrow. Then you can dump em in the fertilizer bin. That way their lives won't have been a complete waste."

***

It was late afternoon before I returned to the king's throne room. I hadn't intended to stay as long as I did, but I couldn't resist hearing Zog tell Thally how he used his lightening quick reflexes to kill the two horse thieves. Zog might not have been very good at running a stable, but he sure could tell a story.

"It looks like we have a winner," Mog said, when I appeared in his throne room. He was of course referring to Ora Shayne, who had yet to return. Everybody else was back, sitting on the edge of the dais, waiting for Ora Shayne or myself to return. I figured they had been there for quite awhile because they had changed into their own clothes.

Mog rose from his throne and looked at Thally. "Fetch Ora Shayne and tell her that she won this portion of the competition. Which gives her two points. Lila picks up a point for finishing second, which gives her a total of six points. And of course, Riley remains at four points. The rest of you have yet to score. Tomorrow morning, all of you will compete in the fifth portion of the competition, the compassion test."

# Chapter 31

I didn't bother to dress up for the compassion test. This wasn't a test I could win, wasn't a test that I wanted to win, so there was no point in trying to impress Mog. I wore black riding boots with a one inch heel, black leather knee breeches, and a long sleeved black silk shirt. Devin wore the yellow silk gown Iderra gave her. The one trimmed in white lace.

"So what's this compassion test about?" she asked as we worked our way up to Mog's throne room.

"Mog's going to have a bunch of slaves that committed some kind of crime. We're going to have to judge them. The less compassionate our ruling the more Mog will like us."

"So if I want to lose, then I should be extra compassionate."

"Exactly."

Devin looked at me. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to issue what I think is a fair ruling."

"Regardless of what Mog thinks?"

"Regardless of what Mog thinks."

We were the last to arrive and took our places at the end of the line.

"Now that everybody is here, we can begin," Mog said from his throne. "Today is the compassion test. It's a simple test. Each of you will be asked to pass judgment on a slave that has committed a crime. How much compassion you show them will determine whether you win or lose this portion of the competition."

Mog clapped his hands. A line of slave girls dressed in red appeared from behind the piles of gold and silver that flanked his throne. One of the girls stepped forward and knelt in front of Mog's throne. It was the same girl that I judged in the other timeline.

"This slave stole food from her master," Mog said. "What is your judgment, Lila?"

"My ruling will be enforced?"

"It will."

"No matter what it is?"

"No matter what it is."

I stepped up to the girl. "Why did you steal the food?"

"I was hungry."

"How often does your master feed you?"

"One meal every couple of days."

"And how many meals does he eat each day?"

"Three. Sometimes four."

"Why does he feed you so little?"

"He says a fat slave is a lazy slave."

"I can't condone stealing," I said. "But I can't condemn someone for stealing food when they're hungry, especially when their master has plenty of food. As such, I forgive you of your crime. Where do you come from girl?"

"Edgewater."

"You are one of Devin's subjects."

"I was."

"Not only do I forgive you of your crime, I am going to free you from the shackles of the fool that calls himself your master. A man that stupid shouldn't be in charge of livestock let alone another human being. As such, you will accompany Devin and I back to her longboat, where you will stay until we return to Edgewater. At which point you will be reunited with your family. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

"That is your ruling?" Mog said to me.

"It is."

"Then so be it."

Mog waved the slave away, "Do as you were ordered girl."

The girl rose to her feet and took her spot next to the other slaves.

The next girl stepped forward and knelt in front of Mog's throne.

"Devin you're up next."

Mog listed the girl's crime then asked for Devin's ruling. Devin did what I did, forgiving the slave for her crime and granting her her freedom. Ora Shayne did the exact same thing. Nula on the other hand, did the opposite, ordering her slave punished. Riley couldn't decide what to do. I don't think she could decide if Mog wanted us to be compassionate or wanted us to be ruthless. Finally, she looked at me then did the opposite of what I did, ordering her slave punished. Leah took the middle ground, she forgave her slave but didn't free her. Adriana followed Nula's example, ordering her slave punished.

Mog waited for the slaves to leave before telling us who won. "We had a wide variety of rulings here. Some of you were very compassionate. Some of you showed no compassion. I don't know if you were doing what you thought was right or trying to guess what I would've done."

"Some of us were doing what was right," I said. "Your opinion didn't come into play."

Mog looked at me. "You're speaking for yourself of course."

"I am."

"And me," Devin said.

"She's not speaking for me," Nula said. "Where I come from, compassion is a sign of weakness."

"That is the view here in the Vossland," Mog said.

"Why?" I said.

"Why what?"

"Why is compassion a sign of weakness?"

Mog looked at Nula. "Would you care to answer that one, Nula?"

"Weak people forgive," Nula said. "Strong people make tough decisions."

"So, I'm weak because I forgave my slave, and you're strong because you ordered your slave punished?"

"That's right." I stepped out of line and turned toward Nula, who looked at me and grinned. "What? You want to fight me?"

"I want to see if you're as strong as you claim. If I remember right, Riley kicked your ass pretty good."

"She got lucky," Nula said, stepping out of line and facing me. "You won't be so lucky."

Nula dropped into her wrestler's stance, with her legs spread wide and her arms out in front of her. I waited for her to get close enough, then delivered a spinning kick to the side of her head, cracking the heel of my right boot against her right temple.

I delivered the kick at full speed, so Nula never saw it coming. I hit her full force and she dropped face first unto the floor. Out cold. I knew from experience that she would have a major headache when she woke up.

I turned back to Mog. "Where were we? Oh yeah. You were telling us how compassionate people are weaker than those that don't show compassion. Which would make me weak and that unconscious pile of blubber strong."

"That is the traditional Voss way of thinking. As such, I have to award this round of the competition to . . . ." Mog's voice trailed off. He looked at the unconscious Nula, who probably would've won this round of the competition if I hadn't kicked the crap out of her. "Adriana. Congratulations Adriana. You now have two points in the competition."

"Who gets second?" Leah said.

Once again, Mog looked at Nula, before turning his attention elsewhere. "Riley gets second place. Congratulations Riley, you now have five points in the competition. Lila still leads with six. Adriana and Ora Shayne have two points apiece. Tomorrow will be the physical fitness portion of the competition. I will see all of you then."

***

The next day, we arrived at Mog's hovel to discover there were outfits waiting for us. Boots with no heels, red leather shorts, and red leather vests.

"More slave clothing?" Devin said, making no attempt to hide the disdain in her voice.

"We're going to run an obstacle course. It's on the edge of town, in a camp where the Voss train and sell slaves. We'll attract less attention if we're dressed like everybody else."

"Is it just me? Or is Mog going out of his way to not attract attention?"

"He's going out of his way to not attract attention."

"Why do you suppose that is?"

"The Voss divide people into two categories. Those who are Voss and those who are not Voss. Those who are not Voss are considered inferior to those who are."

"Which means if Mog takes a wife that isn't Voss, his people will think he's marrying down."

I nodded. "Exactly."

"So why is he doing it?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, but the Voss are running out of women."

"Plenty of women in this city," Devin said.

"Ninety percent of which are slaves. How many Voss women have you actually seen?"

"Just the three I encountered in the bathhouse. And they were all old." Devin paused for a second. "Come to think of it. I haven't seen any kids running around the city either. Boys or girls."

"The Mog in the other timeline said that the Voss found a way to ensure that all the babies born in the Vossland were male. And the more male babies that are born . . . . "

Devin finished the sentence for me. "The larger your army."

"But no more girls means no more child bearing women. Which means no more babies. Male or female."

"So the Voss have no choice but to start marrying women that are not Voss."

I nodded. "And who better to lead the way than the king."

"So this contest is Mog's way of justifying his taking a bride that isn't Voss."

"That's about the size of it."

We changed into the red outfits then headed up to Mog's throne room. Once we were all there, Mog explained what would happen. "Today is the physical fitness portion of the competition. My cousin, Bog, will escort you to an obstacle course on the edge of town. You'll run the course at the same time. The first person to cross the finish line gets two points. The second person to cross the finish line gets one point."

Mog left. Bog, who was standing beside the throne, stepped off the dais and pointed to the ladder we had just climbed up. "Head on down ladies." Everyone headed toward the ladder. Bog joined me at the end of the line. "I understand you're winning this competition."

"I expect to win today's portion of the competition too."

"You'll marry my cousin if you win this competition?"

"Will the Voss people accept a queen that isn't Voss?"

"There's no other option. As you have undoubtedly seen, we are running out of women. If we want to survive as a people, we must take brides that aren't Voss."

"If you take brides that aren't Voss, your childern will be of mixed blood."

"If we refuse to take brides that aren't Voss, we'll cease to exist as a people."

We reached the ladder and headed on down. Eventually, we reached the training center on the edge of town, where Bog led us to the obstacle course's starting line.

"The king will be waiting at the finish line," Bog said, as we lined up. "When I give the signal, you'll race to that line."

Bog looked to the far end of the course to see if Mog was there, then raised his arm. When he dropped it everybody took off. Ora Shayne reached the first obstacle ahead of the rest of us, a log fence that reached to her chin. She grabbed it and pulled herself over with no problem. I threw myself over the fence a step behind her.

The second obstacle was a pool of water that you had to jump over. As in the other timeline, Ora Shayne came up short, ending up face first in the water. I cleared the water easily and took the lead.

The third obstacle was a pair of ladders that formed an A, about twenty feet high. I reached the ladders first, scrambled up one side and down the other. Still in the lead.

The fourth obstacle was a rope bridge. You had to climb a ladder that was a good twenty feet high, walk across the rope bridge, which consisted of one rope to walk on and two ropes to hold onto, then climb down a ladder on the other side.

I reached the rope bridge first, but Ora Shayne caught me halfway across, aided by her small size. She moved across the rope bridge as easily as the rest of us could move across the ground. By the time I reached the end of the rope bridge, she was already on the ground and headed for the next obstacle, a twenty foot plank wall. Ropes with knots hung down the side of the wall. You had to walk up the wall, using the rope to pull yourself up.

Tiny Ora Shayne had no trouble climbing the wall, other than it was a long way up for someone her size. By the time she reached the top of the wall, I had caught up with her. We climbed down the rope ladders on the other side of the wall dead even.

We reached the next obstacle still even. A log over a pond. Once again, her small size enabled Ora Shayne to cross the log easily. By the time I reached the end of the log, Ora Shayne was off to the final obstacle.

The final obstacle was a series of walls. The first was a short plank wall you could jump over. The second was a tall plank wall you had to pull yourself over. The third was a stone wall you had to climb on and then jump off, clearing another pond. Just beyond that was the finish line.

Ora Shayne cleared the short plank wall with no problem, but the tall plank wall presented a problem for her. It was so close to the short wall that she couldn't get a running jump. All she could do was stand there and jump, trying to reach the top of the wall, so she could pull herself over. She was so small, no matter how hard she jumped, she couldn't grab the top of the wall.

I cleared the short plank wall, grabbed the top of the tall plank wall, and pulled myself over, leaving Ora Shayne behind. I jumped on top of the stone wall, cleared the final obstacle, a pond, and raced across the finish line in first place.

I placed my hands on my hips and turned to see who would finish in second place. It took a couple of minutes, but eventually Riley pulled herself over the tall plank wall, cleared the stone wall and the pond and raced across the finish line in second place.

Poor Ora Shayne was still on the far side of the tall plank wall, unable to grab the top and pull herself over. If it hadn't been for that one obstacle, she would've won the race.

"Race is over," Bog yelled from the side of the obstacle course, where he was watching. "Everybody can stop."

Once everyone reached the finish line, Mog spoke. "Lila finished first, which gives her two more points for a total of eight. Riley finished second which means she now has six. Adriana and Ora Shayne each have two. The rest of you have yet to score. Tomorrow morning, we'll meet in my throne room for the next portion of the competition, which will test your leadership skills."

#  Chapter 32

The next morning, we were escorted to Mog's throne room without having to change. We were down to the last part of the competition, the leadership test. At least it had been the last part of the competition in the other timeline. I assumed it was the same test as in the other timeline, trying to inspire a crew of workmen to complete their job as fast as possible. As such, I wore what I considered to be an inspiring outfit.

It was one of the outfits that Gabrielle gave me. Leather boots with narrow five inch heels, a leather skirt that was so small and tight it looked more like a wide belt, and a strapless leather corset that showed off my bellybutton, not to mention my shoulders and most of my breasts. This outfit was black, the same color as my hair, which I tied in a ponytail with a black silk ribbon. I had Devin lace the corset extra tight, so my breasts threatened to spill over the top of the corset, a little more inspiration for my workmen.

"That's quite an outfit," Nula said when we reached Mog's throne room. "What there is of it."

"I tried to wear something inspiring," I said.

Nula grinned. "It's certainly inspires me."

"I wonder what we have to do today?" Ora Shayne said.

"Who cares," Nula said. "None of us can win this competition except Lila or Riley."

"Not that that's a bad thing," Devin said.

Mog stepped out from behind his throne. His two guards flanking him. "This is the last part of the competition. The leadership test. Even though some of you don't have enough points to win the competition, I trust you'll give today your best effort."

"Don't hold your breath," Nula mumbled, more to herself than to Mog.

"Each of you will be put in charge of a crew of workmen," Mog said. "Whoever can get her men to finish their task first will win."

Mog clapped his hands. Seven long haired bushy bearded soldiers stepped forward. "These men will take you to your work crews. The first one to get her men to complete their task will win."

One of the men came up to me. "You will follow me."

I followed him out of the king's hovel and down to the beach. The longboat with the hole in its side, and the same half dozen workmen that I dealt with in the other timeline, were waiting for me. In the other timeline, I did everything I could not to win this portion of the competition. This time, I didn't need to win, but I did need to finish in the top two, otherwise I could end up tied for first place with Riley. That would mean a tie breaker, which I preferred to avoid. Especially if it meant having sex with Mog. The question was, how did I motivate these men to do this job as quickly as possible?

I couldn't double or triple their pay, since I didn't know what they were making, but that didn't mean I couldn't offer them an incentive or two.

"The king needs a rush job on this longboat," I said. "So he sent me down here to encourage you to work quickly."

"The king's got plenty of longboats," one of the workmen said. "What's so important about this one?"

"I don't know. I can tell you what you'll get if you finish the repairs before noon."

"What do we get?" another of the men said.

"Free drinks."

"How many drinks?"

"As many as you can down."

"Who's buying?"

"I am."

"You going to drink with us?" the leader of the men asked.

"I'll drink with you. I'll serve you the drinks. I'll even dance while you drink. But only if you get this boat repaired before noon."

The leader of the men looked me up and down. "We need to see you dance."

I spread my arms wide and shimmied my shoulders, a move which made my bulging breasts quiver. It was my go to move when I worked as a shimmy dancer.

The leader looked at his men. They nodded. He turned back to me, said, "You'll wear that outfit while you dance?"

"I'll wear this outfit." I did another shimmy, just for good measure.

The leader smiled, said, "The ship will be repaired by noon."

***

Thanks to my inspiring leadership, and the promise of unlimited ale, my men completed their job just before high noon. Unfortunately, it wasn't fast enough. Riley was the first one back. That was the bad news. The good news was, I finished in second place.

"Well done, Lila," Mog said upon my arrival. "Riley wins this portion of the competition, but your second place finish means you win the overall competition by one point. That means you win the honor of becoming my wife."

    I glanced at Riley, who just shrugged her shoulders. She didn't look too broken up over the fact that she wouldn't get to become Mrs. Mog, wouldn't get to spend her days living in Mog's hovel.
"So what happens now?" I asked.

"Tonight, you and I will dine together," Mog said. "And we will plan our future."

***

I met Mog for dinner that evening. Just the two of us. In a private dining room on the second floor of his hovel. The room wasn't big or fancy, maybe ten feet by ten feet. A rectangular table that held eight people dominated the middle of the room. There were two chairs in the room, one at each end of the table.

There were two place settings on the table. Gold plates and gold goblets. The sides of the goblets contained bias reliefs of girls dancing, as did the plates. I was pretty sure the dishes weren't made in the Vossland. I hadn't seen any silver or goldsmiths in the city.

A gold platter and two gold bowls rested in the middle of the table. The platter contained roast quail. Steamed carrots sat in one bowl. Boiled potatoes sat in the other. There was also a gold pitcher with ale.

Mog looked the same as always in his red shoes, white fur leggings, brown leather breeches, and sleeveless white fur vest. His shoulder length brown hair was as ratted as ever. I was pretty sure a comb or brush had never touched it. His beard was just as long and thick, but like his hair, looked freshly washed. It was nice to know Mog bathed, even if he had never heard of a comb or brush.

I wore black riding boots, black leather breeches, and a long sleeved black silk shirt. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, tied in place with a black silk ribbon.

"Eat," Mog said, filling his plate with meat, potatoes, and carrots. He poured some of the dark, bitter ale into his goblet and started in on his dinner.

I filled my plate and goblet. There were no utensils, so like Mog, I ate with my hands.

"You're running out of women," I said.

"Ridiculous. My hovel is full of slave girls. The most beautiful slave girls in the Vossland."

"I'm not talking about you specifically, nor am I talking about girls brought in from other countries. I'm talking about the Vossland running out of Voss women."

"We're running out of Voss women because we found a way to make all of our babies males."

"How do you ensure all of your babies are male?"

"A root that grows in the forest. If a woman eats it when she conceives, her baby will be a boy."

"And somewhere along the way the women of the Vossland started eating this root to ensure their babies were all males?"

"Long before I was born, the king ordered all women of child bearing years to make this root a part of their daily diet. As a result, more boys were born and the Vossland became stronger."

"But?"

"One day the men noticed there were few women around. Free women. Voss women. And most of those that were around were well past their child bearing years. They pointed the problem out to my father, when he was king, but he died before he could find a solution to the problem."

Leaving you to come up with a solution."

Mog nodded. "Yes."

"And your solution is to take a bride that isn't Voss."

"To take a bride that is not Voss, but is worthy of being called Voss."

"Hence the competition."

Mog nodded. "Hence the competition."

"What will others say, when they find out that you plan to take a bride that isn't Voss?"

"They will understand. And when I tell them that you've proved yourself worthy of being called Voss, they will accept you."

"Is this going to become a standard practice here in the Vossland? Making non Voss women compete for the right to marry a Voss man?"

"It is a solution my people will find acceptable."

"You realize I can't stay here. I have my own continent to rule."

"Once you bear me a son and heir, you will be free to return to your homeland."

"You make it sound like I'm a prisoner."

"You are not a prisoner, but you are my wife."

"Wife to be. There's been no wedding ceremony."

"This is the Vossland. Ceremonies are not a part of our culture. A man chooses his wife and makes a public declaration, from that day on, she is his wife."

"Well, until you make that public declaration, I'm not your wife, merely your bride to be."

"Tomorrow, I will call the clan leaders to my hovel and make that declaration. Tomorrow night, you and I will share the marriage bed."

I smiled and raised my goblet in a toast, not bothering to tell Mog that I had no intention of sharing a bed with him, let alone giving him an heir. Once he made that public declaration, I intended to wrest control of the Vossland from him.

# Chapter 33

I joined Mog in his throne room the next day, for his announcement that he had taken a bride that wasn't Voss. I wore black boots that were a cross between dress boots and riding boots. They laced up to the top of the calf, like dress boots, but had a low heel, like riding boots. My short leather skirt was black. A purple leather corset given to me by Gabrielle, showed off my bellybutton and breasts. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, held in place with a purple ribbon. The crown of Dunre was on my head, its deep purple gem matching the color of my corset. My silver and gold cutlass was buckled around my waist.

Mog looked the same as always, as did the Voss men that had gathered in front of his throne. I still didn't understand why they thought it was unmanly to trim one's beard, let alone cut and comb one's hair. Not that I was here to change the way the Voss styled their hair and beards. I would leave that to the women they took as wives. My purpose here was simple, to claim Mog's throne for myself.

What better way to prevent the Voss from invading my homeland than by becoming their leader.

"I have an announcement to make," Mog said, once his throne room was full. He was sitting on his throne, studying the clan leaders. Who I estimated at about fifty. I was standing on his right. "I have taken a wife. She is not Voss, but she has earned the right to be called Voss."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd. Finally, a man with ratted white hair and a bushy white beard stepped forward. "If she is not Voss then she has not earned the right to be called Voss."

"She has earned the right to be called Voss."

"How can one that is not Voss earn the right to be called Voss?"

"I held a competition, which every eligible queen in the world attended. They competed for my hand, for the right to be called Voss. Lila was the winner of the competition."

"That merely means that she is the greatest of the queens that are not Voss. That does not mean that she has earned the right to be called Voss."

"She should compete against our daughters," someone yelled.

There were several murmurs of agreement, which brought Mog to his feet.

"And how many of you have a daughter of marrying age?" Mog waited for someone to respond, but no one did. "Hard to compete against women that do not exist. Which is why I have come up with an alternate plan. We test non Voss women and wed those that are worthy of being called Voss."

"What kind of a test did you give her?" the white haired man said.

"Lila and the other queens competed in seven areas. Beauty, intelligence, fighting skills, endurance, compassion, physical fitness, and leadership skills."

Mog sat on his throne and explained what each test consisted of, along with his not so intricate points system. When he finished, the white haired man spoke. "The fact that she proved herself the best queen available does not mean she is worthy of being called Queen of the Voss. We should be allowed to test her ourselves, see if she measures up to queens of the past."

"The way I was tested before I became king?" Mog said.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Voss queen's have not been tested for centuries."

"That is true, Your Highness."

"Do we even know what tests they were given?"

The white haired man nodded. "We do, Your Highness. The test is detailed in the records."

"One test?"

"One test, Your Highness."

"And if she fails this test?"

"Then she is not worthy of becoming our queen."

"And what do I do for a wife?"

"If you say that she is worthy of being called Voss, worthy of being your wife, then we accept that. But that does not mean that she is worthy of being called Queen of the Voss."

Mog smiled. "You are right, Bac. One can serve as the king's wife without being called Queen of the Voss. As such, you may test her, see if she is worthy of being called Queen of the Voss."

The white haired man, Bac, looked at me. "Do you wish to be tested, to see if you are worthy of being called Queen of the Voss?"

"I do," I said.

***

Two days later, I was told the test was ready. No one told me what the test was, so I dressed practically, wearing riding boots, black leather knee breeches, and a long sleeved black silk shirt with pearl buttons. My hair was tied back with a bone handled silk cord that also made an excellent device for choking people. My gold and silver cutlass hung from my left hip.

They took me to a clearing in the forest. When I say they, I mean Mog, Bac, and the other fifty clan leaders. Sitting in the middle of that clearing was a large granite rock. The rock came up to my waist and was covered with moss, which told me that it had been here for awhile. Embedded in the top of the rock, clear up to its hilt, was a Voss short sword. The leather that covered the sword's handle looked new, which made me think they had just placed the sword in the stone in the past couple of days.

"Your task is simple," Bac said. "You must free the sword from the stone."

"How will that prove I'm worthy of being Queen of the Voss?"

"If you succeed, it will prove that you are not ordinary. For no ordinary person has ever freed the sword from the stone."

"You've used this test to determine who was worthy of being your queen?"

Bac nodded. "In the days of old, all potential Voss rulers, male and female, were required to pass this test."

I looked at Mog. "Did you have to take this test?"

"I did not." Mog glared at Bac. "This is a test most had forgotten about."

Bac smiled. "Most but not all. And sometimes the old tests are the best."

I looked at Bac. "How many women have taken this test?"

"Six. Although many decades have passed since one has tried."

"And how many of them passed the test?"

Bac smiled. "None. Which is why the Voss have never been ruled by a woman."

"Any rules about what I can or can't do?"

"You must free the sword on your own. You cannot ask for help."

"Can I use tools?"

"I cannot think of any tool that will help you pull the sword from the stone. But if you can find a tool that will help you, you may use it." Bac grinned, not even trying to hide the fact that they wanted me to fail.

I circled the rock, studying the sword. It didn't just look new, it was new. It was also crudely made, as if it had never been hammered and polished to a sharp edge. Most likely, they had spent the last two days cutting a sword shaped hole in the rock. Once that was done, they would've made a stone mold for the sword's handle and placed it on top of the rock. Then all they had to do was pour molten iron into the mold and the hole. Once it cooled, they could remove the handle's mold, wrap the handle in leather, and just like that, they had a sword in a stone. One no normal woman could remove by simply pulling it out. Fortunately, I wasn't a normal woman.

I turned and headed back to the city.

"You are giving up?" a grinning Bac said.

"Hardly."

Mog, Bac, and the other clan leaders followed close behind, wondering what I was planning. In truth, my plan was simple. They were thinking like men, wanting to overpower the stone and pull the sword from its grip. That would be next to impossible for someone of my strength. But they didn't say I had to pull the sword from the stone. They said I had to free the sword from the stone. If you wanted to free something from its mold, you had to break the mold. To do that I needed a hammer, one big enough to crack the rock that held the sword.

I found what I was looking for at a shop on the edge of the city. A hammer with a ten pound iron head. It was attached to a long oak handle that needed to be swung with two hands. It was the kind of hammer that was made for breaking rock.

I used my own money to buy the hammer from the merchant, swung it over my shoulder, and headed back to the clearing that housed the sword. Mog, Bac, and the other clan leaders trailed behind me, whispering to themselves.

"She's going to use the hammer to break the rock," someone said.

"I don't think she's big enough to swing that hammer," someone else said.

"She might be able to swing it a few times," a third man said, "but she'll soon tire. Long before the rock breaks."

They were right about that. I would tire out if I tried to swing the heavy hammer like a normal person. Fortunately, I had an easier way to swing the hammer.

We reached the clearing with the sword in the stone. The fifty or so men following me formed a circle around me and the moss covered stone. I set the hammer on top of the stone, then stepped back. Then I used my power to move objects to raise the hammer's head.

When the hammer's head floated into the air the men gasped and retreated a step.

"She's a witch," someone exclaimed.

I turned in the direction of the person that had spoken. "I'm not a witch."

"Then where did you get such power?" Bac asked me.

"This particular power was a gift from the One God that I worship."

"I have never heard of this one god."

"Which is probably why he gave the power to me instead of you."

I turned back to the hammer, the head of which was still floating above the moss covered stone. When I stopped using my power, the hammer's heavy iron head crashed onto the large granite rock. A tiny chip flew off the rock, but that was all that happened. The stone didn't crack, let alone split in half.

Not that I expected it to.

I laid down on the mossy ground that surrounded the rock, laced my hands behind my head, and went to work. Once again, I used my power to raise the hammer's head above the rock. When I stopped using my power, the hammer crashed back down on the rock, causing another tiny chip to fly off.

This was going to take some time, maybe all day, which was why I stretched out on my back. That and the fact that I was showing off. They wanted someone that was worthy of being queen, I would give them someone worthy of being queen. I would pass their silly test, and I would make it look easy.

My audience realized this was going to take some time and joined me on the ground. Most just sat there, watching the hammer rise and fall, rise and fall, over and over and over. Eventually, some of them laid down and fell asleep. I knew they were sleeping because I could hear them snoring.

I focused on the hammer. Using my power for a few seconds, then relaxing while gravity dropped the hammer's head onto the rock.

Focus. Relax. Focus. Relax. One hour turned into two. Two turned into three. Three turned into four. Eventually, it started to get dark. Then someone shouted. "Look! The stone's starting to crack."

Everyone scrambled to their feet, including me. I had been so focused on the hammer, I had all but forgotten about the rock. Sure enough a large crack developed right down the middle of the rock. A few more hits and it would split in two.

I scrambled to my feet, as did everyone else. Instead of using my power to raise the hammer and then let gravity drop it onto the rock. I used my power to raise the hammer, then I used it to send the hammer's head flying down onto the rock. The hammer hit the rock at a blurring speed. A loud cracking noise developed as the split in the middle of the rock grew.

I raised the hammer again, but I didn't need to use it. The cracking noise continued, until the rock split in two, opening up like a flower in the morning sun. Or in this case, the setting sun.

The sword didn't fall out of the stone. It was still stuck to the rock, the left half of the rock to be exact. Freeing it now was a simple matter. I grabbed the hammer with both hands and struck the left hand side of the sword's handle. The sword popped free and tumbled into the crack between the split stone.

I set the hammer down, held out my right hand, and used my power to move the sword. It floated into the air and into my hand, its tip pointed straight up.

I wrapped my hand around the sword's handle, turned to Bac, and lowered the sword, so it was pointed at his chest. "Did I pass the test?"

Bac looked at the sword pointed at his chest, dropped to one knee, and bowed his head. "You have passed the test, My Queen."

One by one, every man in the clearing dropped to one knee and bowed his head, until only Mog was left standing.

Mog looked at me and smiled. "It seems I have much to learn about you."

I smiled at Mog and offered him my free hand. "There's only one thing you need to know about me."

Mog took my hand. "What is that?"

"I don't tolerate husbands that aren't fit to rule." I tightened my grip on his hand. At the same time, I thought about moving forward in time. Almost instantly, lightening began to snap and crackle around us, until we were enveloped in a ball of electrical energy.

As we moved forward in time, the men surrounding us faded away. For the longest time, the clearing remained empty. I propelled us further and further into the future, one hundred years, two hundred years, five hundred years. The trees surrounding us got bigger and bigger, then they began to disappear.

"What's happening?" Mog asked me.

"We're taking a trip."

"To where?"

"Not where, but when."

I didn't take Mog to the end of time, when the world was nothing but a scorched rock. That would be cruel. I stopped two thousand years in the future.

The trees that surrounded the clearing were gone, cut down who knows how many years ago. We could see the city of Funderburk from here, but it wasn't the Funderburk we knew. The eight sided hovels were gone, replaced by stone and glass towers.

"What is this place?" Mog asked me, staring at the towers that surrounded the bay.

"It's Funderburk. Two thousand years in the future."

"How did we get here?"

"I brought us here."

"You have the power to move through time?"

"I do."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Remember what you said: 'Slaves are slaves because they are weak. Kings are kings because they are strong. If a king is weak, then he does not deserve to be king.'"

"What of it?"

"From my perspective, you're weak and don't deserve to be king. As queen, it's my duty to rid the Vossland of its weak king." I began to back away from Mog. At the same time, I thought about traveling back in time. Two thousand years to be exact. "You can make a new life for yourself here, in this time. But I wouldn't tell anybody that you're a time traveler, let alone a king. Odds are they'll just think you're crazy."

Lightening began to crackle around me, until I was enveloped in a ball of electrical energy. Then Mog, and the city of towers, began to fade away.

I traveled back in time two thousand years, stopping when I reached my time, just a couple of minutes after Mog and I left.

Bac and the other elders were still in the clearing, staring at the spot where Mog and I had been.

When I reappeared in a ball of electrical energy, the men backed up a few steps.

"What have you done with King Mog?" Bac asked me once the electricity stopped popping and crackling.

"I transported him two thousand years into the future."

"Why?"

"Consider it a test, to see if he deserves to be king. A truly powerful king will be able to transport himself back to this time. A weak king will not."

"Who are you to test the King of the Voss?"

"Your king tested me, to see if I was worthy of being his wife. Now I'm testing him, to see if he's worthy of being my husband. Is that not fair?"

"King Mog does not possess the ability to travel through time."

"Then he isn't worthy of being my husband. And he certainly isn't worthy of being called King of the Voss."

"If you do not return King Mog to us, we will be left without a leader."

"You have a leader. Me."

"You are not Voss."

"I passed Mog's tests. And I passed your test. You just declared me worthy of being Queen of the Voss."

Bac sighed. "The Vossland has never been ruled by a woman, let alone someone that is not Voss."

"Times are changing," I said. "And the Voss have to change with them."

"We are Voss, we do not have to change," someone said.

"If you do not change, you will cease to exist. Your desire to conquer the world has cost you your future. There are no longer enough Voss women of child bearing years to sustain your current population. You know this."

"I assume you have a solution," Bac said.

"You must take brides that are not Voss. And you must stop feeding them the root which causes them to give birth to boys. You don't need more sons you need daughters, lots of them."

"Without sons, our army will grow old, not to mention shrink in size," someone said.

"Why do you need a large army?"

"To conquer the world."

"I already rule the world. I head the Coalition of Free Nations. The countries found on the southern half of this continent. I also control the majority of countries on the other side of the world. I have no need to conquer what is already mine."

"Where are we to find these brides?" Bac said.

"They are already here in the Vossland."

"You want us to marry slaves?" someone said.

"I want you to free your slaves. I want everybody to free their slaves. Those that choose to remain in the Vossland will be made citizens. Those that want to return to their homelands will be free to do so."

"And we will be free to marry those that become citizens?" Bac said.

"Yes."

"Our children will not be Voss," someone said. "They will only be half Voss."

"Which is better?" I asked. "A Vossland full of children that are half Voss, or a Vossland full of dying old men?"

"She is right. We cannot sustain the life we have been living. Either we change, or we die out." Bac turned to me. "I will free my slaves."

I nodded. "And I will issue a decree, stating that any freed slave that chooses to live in the Vossland will be a citizen with all the rights and responsibilities."

"How many wives can we have?" someone asked.

"As many as you think you can handle," I said.

All the clan leaders laughed, except one. He stepped forward and glared at me. "I do not want to free my slaves and you cannot make me."

There was only one way to deal with the Voss and that was through a show of strength. So I used my power to pull the man's swords out of the crossed scabbards on his back. Then I had the sword's slice his neck, one from left to right, the other from right to left.

Blood began to flow out of the man's severed neck and onto his gray fur vest. He dropped to his knees, then fell face first onto the ground, dead.

I let the two swords fall on top of him, then turned to the rest of the clan leaders. "Anybody else think I can't make them follow my orders?"

Nobody said a word, which was a good thing, since I was prepared to kill anybody and everybody that opposed me.

"Perhaps it will ease your concerns if I appoint Bac as my chief adviser. He will move into the king's hovel and serve as my right hand. He will advise me on all matters concerning the Vossland. When I have to leave the Vossland, Bac will advise my regent, who will rule in my stead."

Bac conferred with the men on his left and right, then he turned back to me and nodded. "We find those terms acceptable. You will reign as Queen of the Voss and I will serve as your chief adviser until King Mog returns."

Which we both knew would be never.

To ensure Bac didn't grab too much power, I turned to the others in the clearing. "The rest of you will form a council, which we will call the Council of Clan Leaders. Once a month, we'll gather in this clearing to hear your concerns and complaints. If I'm out of the country, Bac and my regent will meet you in my stead, and you will address your concerns to them. If at any time, you do not like the advice Bac is giving me, or disagree with what he is doing, you may replace him with another of your choosing. Bac's replacement will then serve as my chief adviser. Raise your hand if you find this acceptable."

Hands began to go up, until almost every hand in the clearing was raised.

"When shall this council gather?" someone asked.

"Once a month. On the night of the first full moon."

So it was decided. I would rule as Queen of the Voss, Bac would serve as my chief adviser, and the other clan leaders would retain the right to replace him as my chief adviser whenever they wished.

No one seemed too upset that Mog was gone, but such was the way of the Voss. They believed the right to rule belonged to the strong and I had just proved that I was strong enough to get rid of Mog.

Of course, taking Mog's throne from him was the easy part. The hard part was going to be keeping the Voss in line. I wasn't sure how I could do that without spending all my time in the Vossland. Unless I found a regent that could scare the Voss. Problem was, I could only think of one person that was strong enough, tough enough, scary enough, to keep the Voss in line, my oldest sister, Bedonna. And she was dead. Then again, when you have the power to travel through time, is anybody really dead?

# Chapter 34

I was standing on a barren plain in my homeland of Adah. It was where Bedonna and I fought for the right to take our mother's place on the throne. Bedonna was bigger and stronger than me, but thanks to my powers, I won the fight. When I picked up Bedonna's sword, she charged me, impaling herself on it.

I was here for one simple reason, to save her life. The last thing my mother ever said to me was save your sisters. It still bothered me that I failed to save all three of them. At long last, I was going to do something about that.

To save Bedonna's life, I had to travel back in time, to the moment when Bedonna impaled herself upon her sword. And that meant interacting with a younger version of myself. My timing had to be perfect, otherwise that interaction could change the last few years of my life.

I concentrated on traveling back through time, to the moment I was holding Bedonna's broadsword, to the exact second she charged me and impaled herself upon it.

Almost immediately, I found myself enveloped in a ball of electrical energy. Then the world around me changed. The grass and flowers on the plain died and came back to life, five times. Then the barren plain became filled with two armies. The Army of Adah on one side. The Sorean Army on the other.

Over twenty thousand men were watching a younger version of myself square off against Bedonna. Bedonna was on her knees, blood was running out of the side of her neck, staining the front and back of her silver breastplate. It wasn't a fatal wound, but she had lost enough blood to sap her of her great strength, which was how I was able to beat her.

My younger self was holding Bedonna's sword in front of me. I had just told Bedonna what was going to happen to her. Bedonna said, "I don't think so." Then she rushed the younger version of myself, intending to impale herself upon her sword.

Only it didn't happen. She ran right into the older me, right into the ball of electrical energy that surrounded me. I wrapped my arms around her and thought about moving forward in time, two thousand years to be exact.

The younger version of myself, and the two armies that surrounded me, faded away as quickly as they appeared. I had been there for a split second, no longer. As far as anyone knew, including my younger self, Bedonna had been hit by a bolt of lightening, one that disintegrated her in a split second.

"What's going on?" Bedonna said as I propelled her forward in time. "Who are . . . . "

She stopped in mid sentence when she looked down and saw who had their arms wrapped around her.

"Lila?"

"Hey Bed. Long time no see."

"What's happening?"

"I'm taking you on a trip. Two thousand years into the future."

"The future? How? Why?"

"I inherited the ability to move through time from my father's side of the family. That's how. Why is simple. We're going to find a doctor and fix your eyes."

Bedonna was going blind. Which was why she was always in such a hurry to conquer the world. The doctors in our time couldn't fix her sight, but the doctors in the future could. I had already talked to them about her problem. They assured me that they could help her.

"I don't understand. One second you're standing there holding my sword. The next second you're holding me."

"The Lila holding the sword was a younger version. I'm a slightly older version."

"You're from the future?"

"Yes."

Bedonna looked down at me. "It can't be that far into the future. You look the same."

"Five years."

"You knew I was going to kill myself."

"Yes."

"Why did you save me?"

"Because I need you. Alive."

"Why?"

The ball of electricity surrounding us began to fade as we reached our destination, two thousand years into the future. We were still on a grassy plane with a forest on its eastern edge, but the two armies that surrounded us were long gone.

I let go of Bedonna and she collapsed to her knees. Her neck was still bleeding from the spot where the younger version of myself had stabbed her. Fortunately, I brought some stuff to take care of the wound. I pulled out a small jar of bacon fat and used the grease to stop the bleeding. Then I pulled out a strip of white cotton, which I wrapped around her neck. Once that was done, I handed her a flask containing water laced with powdered willow bark. The willow bark serving as a pain killer.

"Drink this," I said, handing the flask to Bedonna.

"What is it?"

"Water and powdered willow bark."

Bedonna took the flask and gulped down the concoction. She handed the flask back to me. I dropped it into my knapsack, pulled out a hunk of bread, poured some honey on it, and handed it to Bedonna.

"Eat. This will help you regain your strength."

Bedonna took the bread and ate. I closed up my knapsack and flung it over my back. The front and back of her silver breastplate were stained with her blood, as was her silver plated battle skirt, but she was no longer bleeding.

"You still haven't told me why you need me alive."

I sat on the ground and looked at Bedonna. It was morning, mid summer. Unlike two thousand years ago, when it had been overcast and gray, it was sunny and bright. A carpet of green grass covered the ground we rested upon.

"The last thing mother said to me was save your sisters. I saved Salisha and Iderra. I even managed to save mother's youngest sister, Martika. You were next on my list. Plus, I have a job that only you can . . . . "

Bedonna stopped eating and looked at me. "Salisha's alive?"

"Not right now. We just traveled two thousand years into the future."

"But in our time she's alive?"

"She is."

"I killed her."

"You stabbed her, but you didn't kill her. My yelling distracted you enough so you missed her heart. Your guards were too afraid to tell you, so they locked her in the dungeon with the other political prisoners. Luckily, her cell mate turned out to be an experienced battle surgeon."

"Where are Salisha and Iderra now?"

"Salisha serves as my regent in a country called Dunre. Iderra serves as my regent in a country called Crofton."

"Where are these places?"

"Dunre is on the far side of this continent. Crofton is located on a continent on the other side of the planet."

"A second continent?"

I nodded. "About the same size as this one. That's where you come in. I just gained control of another country there, one called the Vossland. The Voss men are very aggressive, always ready to fight. I need a regent that can kick their asses when they get out of line. And they will get out of line."

Bedonna stuffed the last of the bread into her mouth and smiled. "That's where I come in?"

"The men of the Vossland are short and stocky and think they're tough. You're the only person I know who's strong enough to keep them in line. Besides myself, of course."

"Just how much of the world do you control?"

I flashed a sheepish smile. "Quite a bit."

"You conquered the world? In six years?"

"I didn't really conquer it. The word conquer implies battles and occupying armies, which I prefer not to engage in or use. I just sort of snatched up thrones when they became available."

"How did you manage to snatch up all these thrones?"

"Sometimes I killed the person sitting on them. Other times I put myself in a position to become the heir of the person sitting on the throne. Other times they were handed to me."

"How did you gain control of the Vossland?"

"The King of the Voss held a contest to find a queen suitable to become his bride. I won the contest, abandoned him in this time period, then claimed his throne for myself. Unfortunately, I have to divide my time between the various countries that I control, which means I can't spend all my time in the Vossland."

"That's where I come in?"

"Keeping the Voss in line is a tough job, too tough for Salisha or Iderra, or Martika."

"Martika?"

"Mom's youngest sister."

"Wasn't she the first to die in mom's quest?"

"She was, until I saved her on my first trip through time."

"Why did you save her?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Because I could."

"Isn't that changing history?"

"Not really. I made sure the history books still recorded her as the first to die."

"What's she like?"

"Tall and thin with long dark hair. I sort of look like her, except for the tall part. She's full of energy and mischief. Once you meet her, you'll see why mom missed her so much."

"Where's she at?"

"She serves as my regent in a country called Vassa. It's located on the other side of this continent."

"Did you have a chance to meet mother when you traveled back in time?"

"Briefly, although I tried to avoid it."

"What was she like back then?"

"Young and scared and unsure of herself."

"That doesn't sound like our mother."

"She sort of grew into the roll of queen." I looked Bedonna in the eyes. "I also met your dad."

Bedonna never met her dad, he drowned before our mother had a chance to tell him that she was pregnant.

"What was he like?"

"Big and strong and extremely protective of our mother. I think he was in love with her."

Bedonna laughed. "Like every other man that met her."

I nodded. "Like every other man that met her."

Bedonna looked around. "Will the people in this time be able to save my vision?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"Last time I travel to this time time period, I asked one of the doctors about your problem. He was confident that they could help you. It'll cost, but I brought plenty of gold with me."

"And then?"

"We go back to our time, my time, and set sail for the Vossland. You'll have to learn to speak their language but there'll be plenty of time for that during the voyage."

"Tell me about the Voss."

"The men are short and stocky, they use two short swords when they fight. Their hair and beards are long and unkempt. For generations, they've been forcing their women to eat a root which ensures their babies will be boys."

"Why would they want boys? Our family proved a long time ago that women are stronger and smarter than men."

"They wanted a large army, so they could conquer the world. That's how we met them. Their longboats arrived on the shores of Dunre, loaded with soldiers. They threatened war if I didn't compete for their king's hand."

Bedonna laughed. "So you met their demands then took their king's throne away from him."

"Conquering the world was easy. Relatively easy. The hard part is holding on to those territories once you've conquered them. To do that I need my sisters. All of them."

"If the doctors in this time can save my sight then I will serve as your regent in the Vossland." I started to say something, but Bedonna held up a hand, silencing me. "As long as I can do things my way."

I nodded. "You have my permission to kill anyone that threatens your rule. The Voss aren't like other people. They believe the only good death is at the point of a sword."

"I think I'm strong enough to travel," Bedonna said, pushing herself to her feet.

I rose to my feet and we headed east. Between the grassy plain we were on, and the forest that signaled the start of Sorea, or what had been Sorea in our time, was a road. It ran north-south and was paved. Although the paving was much smoother in this time than it was in my time. There were no steam carriages around so we headed south on foot.

"What do the people of Adah think happened to me?"

"They believe you were destroyed by bolt of lightening."

Bedonna smiled and nudged me with her hip. Despite the fact that she was weak from a loss of blood, she almost knocked me off my feet. No big surprise since she was twice my size. "Thanks for not letting me kill myself."

"I'm just glad you're alive."

And I was. For the first time in six years, I had all of my sisters back. In my mind, it was the greatest accomplishment of my life, far greater than conquering the world.

# Chapter 35

Four years after rescuing Bedonna, and ten years after my mother's death, I took a trip to the city of Morcesha. Morcesha was home to my family's summer palace. That palace was where my mother died. It was also where she issued her final order to me, "Save your sisters."

I used my powers to contact Bedonna, Iderra, Salisha, and Martika. I told them to meet me at the palace in Morcesha. Because Bedonna was in the Vossland, and Iderra was in Crofton, both on the far side of the planet, I contacted them first, By the time I arrived at the palace, the four of them were already there.

"This better be important," Martika said, leading the procession into the queen's suite on the palace's third floor. "Two weeks sitting on a tiny ship, gliding across the desert sand, with the hot sun beating down on me, was not fun, not fun at all."

"You're lucky," Bedonna said. "It took Iderra and I over three months to get here."

"That will soon change," Iderra said. "I have a steam engine that's ready to go into production. It will revolutionize transportation. A two week trip across the ground will turn into a two day trip. A three month sea voyage will turn into a three week voyage."

"I'd rather spend three months crossing the ocean than two weeks crossing the desert," Salisha said. "When you're at sea you don't have all that sand blowing in your face. I'm still finding it in places I didn't even know I had."

I paused to look at the four of them. It was the first time in ten years that my sisters and I had been in the same room at the same time. It was the first time ever that the five of us had been in the same room at the same time.

I hugged Martika. She was wearing a red silk gown. It had a high collar, long sleeves, and a built-in corset made out of black velvet. Her long black hair was pinned behind her ears. She was as tall and as skinny and as flat chested as the last time I saw her.

I moved on to Iderra and hugged her. She was tall and skinny and flat chested, but with long brown hair instead of black hair. She wore a yellow silk gown similar to Martika's, except there was no black velvet corset.

I moved on to Salisha. She wore a pale blue gown that matched the color of her eyes. It had a low cut neckline that showed off her ample cleavage. She wore her long blond hair pinned behind her ears. Her face still bore the two scars Bedonna gave her during the Princess Wars. I offered to take her to a time where a doctor could remove the scars, but she declined my offer.

Lastly, I hugged Bedonna. Like me, she wore black riding boots, black leather knee breeches, and a black silk shirt. My shirt had long sleeves while Bedonna had ripped the sleeves off her shirt, most likely to show off her massive biceps. The wisp of a mustache that had always been the bane of her existence was gone, permanently removed by a doctor that lived two thousand years in the future.

She still wore her brown hair short, so it was nothing more than stubble.

All four of them wore princess crowns, simple gold headbands that rested in the middle of their foreheads and circled their heads. I wore no crown, mostly because it wasn't necessary. People knew who I was.

"So what are we doing here?" Martika said.

"We're going to take a trip."

"I just took a trip. And it was not fun."

"When I tell you where we're going, I think you'll decide that it's worth it."

Now I had everybody's attention.

"So where are we going?" Salisha asked.

"We're going to visit mom." I looked at Martika. "Bella."

Bella was my mother, Iderra's mother, Salisha's mother, and Bedonna's mother. She was also Martika's big sister.

"All of us?" Bedonna said.

"All of us."

"Why?" Iderra said.

"The last thing she ever said to me was save your sisters. I want her to see that her final order was fulfilled."

Salisha backed up a step. "We're going to visit her on her deathbed?"

"Yes."

"I'm not sure I can do that. I'm not sure I want to do that."

"Why can't we visit her when she was younger?" Bedonna asked me. "When she was healthy and full of life."

"I'm with Bedonna," Martika said. "I don't want to see Bella on her deathbed."

"If we visit her when she was young," Iderra said. "We might change her, change the person that she became."

"And that could change us," I said. "Which could change the world we live in. A world that is at peace, not to mention free of slavery."

"When will we see her?" Salisha asked.

"The day she slipped into a coma. I was the last one to talk to her, so we'll arrive a few minutes after I left. That way we won't risk changing her or history."

"But we will give her peace of mind," Iderra said. "She'll die knowing that we're all safe."

I nodded then led the procession into the queen's bed chamber. I stood next to the queen's bed then held out my hands. Martika grabbed my right hand. Salisha grabbed my left. Iderra grabbed Martika's hand and Bedonna grabbed Salisha's.

I glanced at Martika, then Salisha. "Is everybody ready?"

"No," the four of them said in unison.

I thought about moving back in time, ten years to be exact, to a few minutes after mother issued her final decree to me, asking me to save my sisters.

Electricity began to snap and crackle around us, then the giant four post bed in front of us began to change, the comforter that was on it changed color, then changed color again and again and again as we hurtled backward in time. Occasionally, a maid appeared, changing the linen, making the bed. What we didn't see was someone lying in the bed. Not that we expected to.

In the year Bedonna ruled following our mother's death, she refused to sleep in the room. In the nine years I ruled after taking the throne from Bedonna, I refused to sleep in the room. One day, a queen would sleep here again, but it would be long after the five of us had passed away.

Eventually, a body appeared in the bed. Her head and shoulders propped up on a pile of pillows. When she opened her eyes, the electrical energy surrounding us faded and we found ourselves where none of us wanted to be, at our mother's and sister's deathbed.

She was wearing a simple cotton night shirt, it was pale blue in color, the same color as her eyes. Although the whites of her eyes had yellowed, detracting from the blue. Plus there were dark circles around her eyes, the kind that develop when you're constantly battling pain. Her thick blond hair rested on the pillows, framing her face, although it had lost its luster. And of course, she was thin, thinner than the woman that lived in my memories.

She didn't panic when we appeared in her room in a flash of electrical energy. Instead, she just looked us over, her eyes moving from left to right, taking in the subtle differences in each of us. Bedonna's lack of a mustache, not to mention the fact that she no longer needed to squint, the scars on Salisha's cheeks, the fact that Martika was now a twenty-three year old woman, rather than a sixteen year old girl.

"You are . . . ." her voice was soft and weak. It trailed off as she broke into a coughing fit. When she finished coughing, she cleared her throat and finished her sentence, this time in a voice we all recognized. A voice that radiated both compassion and command. "You are from the future?"

She was looking at me, so I answered. "Yes."

"How far?"

"Ten years."

"The Princess Wars are no more?"

"The Princess Wars are no more."

Bella smiled, closed her eyes, and took a minute to regain her strength. When she opened her eyes she looked at me. "That was you. At the farm house. The night my mother died. You were the one that chastised me, told me that a queen is not free to say stupid things."

I nodded. "That was me."

"I didn't teach you that."

"No."

"Who . . . . " Her voice trailed off as she broke into another coughing fit.

I waited for her to finish coughing then answered her question. "Another queen. She ruled a small country on the other side of the Desert of Shifting Sands. She made me her heir."

"You've seen the other side of the desert?"

"I've been to the end of the world and the end of time. There's little I haven't seen, little any of us haven't seen."

"You inherited your father's powers?"

"And then some."

I showed her what I meant by causing the glass of water that rested on the stand next to her bed to float off the table, across the bed, and into her hand. She took a sip from the glass, when she finished, I used my power to put the glass back.

"You are very powerful," my mother said, watching as the glass floated back to the night stand.

"So they say." I didn't feel powerful. Not right then. I couldn't do anything to save my mother's life. If I did, everything would change. I would change, as would the life I led. My sisters would change. The world would change. Not necessarily for the better. I ruled the world, but some things were still beyond my control.

"Have they given you a nickname?"

"She has many nicknames," Iderra said. "Destiny's Queen. Time's Queen. World's Queen. Lila the Great."

"World's Queen? How much of the world do you control?"

She was looking at me, so I answered. "Quite a bit."

"How many wars did that take?"

"No wars."

She looked at Bedonna for confirmation.

"No wars," Bedonna said. "You taught her well."

"But not the rest of you." She was looking at Salisha, at the two scars on her cheeks.

Salisha blushed. "We have learned. Although the lessons were not always easy."

Bedonna nodded and rubbed the scar on her neck. The one I gave her. "Lessons are never easy for those of us that have hard heads. But Salisha is right. We have learned."

Bella looked at Iderra. "She is still Lila?"

Iderra smiled. "We are here. Does that not answer your question?"

Bella smiled. "She is still Lila."

She closed her eyes and took a minute to regain her strength. When she opened them, she turned her attention to Martika, her little sister. She had seen the younger versions of my sisters and I earlier in the day, but she hadn't seen Martika in over thirty years.

When Bella raised her arms, Martika hurried to her side. She sat on the edge of the bed and hugged her big sister. Tears rolled down both of their faces.

"I'm sorry I didn't do more to help you," Bella said. "Telling you to run for your life wasn't nearly enough."

"It was your daughter that crashed through the walls of time, saved my life, and gave me a country to rule. What more could you have done?"

"You are happy?"

"Your daughters have become my sisters," a tearful Martika said. "I am happy. At least I was until today."

"Do not weep for me," Bella said. "I led a good life. And now I get to die happy. One could not ask for more."

They hugged for another minute then Martika slid off the bed and slipped back in line, standing between Iderra and myself.

Bella closed her eyes, taking another moment to regain her strength. When she opened her eyes, she looked at me. "Promise me that they will have daughters. All of them."

She didn't ask for sons because no woman in our family had ever given birth to a boy. Ever.

I smiled. "Salisha already has a daughter. And Bedonna is pregnant."

Bella looked at Bedonna for confirmation. Bedonna smiled. "I just found out about it. Certainly explains why I was throwing up on the voyage here."

Bedonna wasn't the prettiest girl alive, but the Voss men didn't seem to care. They were impressed with her size and strength, not to mention the way she could kick their asses. At the same time, their ratted hair and bushy beards didn't seem to bother Bedonna at all.

Bella turned her attention to Salisha. "You have a little girl?"

Salisha smiled. "Justine Lila Haran. She's two years old and she looks just like her grandmother."

Justine was our mother's middle name, so she didn't just look like her grandmother, she bore her name. At least in part.

"Justine Lila. An excellent name." Bella looked at Bedonna. "What name have you chosen?"

"Marie Louise Haran," Bedonna said.

Marie was my middle name. Louise was Martika's middle name. Two facts which weren't lost on our mother.

"Another excellent name." Bella looked at Iderra. "You're next."

"When I can find the time," Iderra said. "Between serving as Lila's regent in Crofton, and building steam engines, I barely have time to sleep, let alone mess around with men."

"But you will find the time." It wasn't a question. It was a command. Delivered in a voice that let us know as much.

Iderra bowed her head. "I will find the time."

When Bella looked at her, Martika held up both hands. "Don't even go there. I'm a baby compared to these old bags."

Bella laughed, as much as she was able. Then she looked at me. "Thank you for doing what I couldn't."

She closed her eyes. We stood there and watched as she slipped into a deep sleep, a sleep that she would never wake up from. Right then having the power to travel through time felt more like a curse than a blessing.

"It's time to go," I said.

Nobody said anything. We just wiped away the tears trickling down our cheeks and joined hands. Then I thought about moving forward in time. Ten years to be exact. The electrical energy surrounding us began to increase. A second later, Bella Justine Haran, our mother, our sister, our queen, faded away.

History said that I ended the Princess Wars. History said that I conquered the world. History was wrong. My mother ended the Princess Wars. My mother conquered the world. What's more, she did it all with one simple sentence. "Save your sisters."

#  BOOKS BY J. D. ROGERS

Love in the Rough

### Low Campbell Adventures

Dirty Little Mermaids

Deadly Little Mermaids

Deranged Little Mermaids

#

# Princess Wars Series

Princess Wars

Destiny's Queen

Lost In Time

The Competition

# ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. D. grew up in a house where women were in charge of everything, which may explain his preference for strong female characters. He studied history and law in college and uses that knowledge to help build the worlds he creates. J. D. makes his home in Montana.

You can check out all his books, including what will be released next at:

<http://www.jdrogersfiction.simplesite.com/> or <http://www.jdrogersnovels.simplesite.com/>
