For the title I apologise also, I can do the writing stuff (sort of), the grammar is a bit better (Honestly) but titles are a big problem for me. This one at least gives me the option of the follow ups, ‘For A Few Gods More’ and ‘The Good, The Bad and The Greek’ (If you are Greek please insert Turkish here and accept my apologies).
So I will keep them coming out as fast as I can, alternating between the two for the moment.
One last thing, to all those people I have been inflicting my work and ideas on via E-Mail many of them some of the best and most established authors on this site (Crystal’s) and the readers who have helped with advice and information I say now "THANK YOU ALL". But if you get fed up of my pestering you, don’t hesitate to tell me to piss off.
Hypatia pboauk@yahoo.com
A Fistful of Dragons
by: Hypatia
"If God Has Not Noticed Us, He Is So Occupied With The Crowded Cycle Of Nature"
W Olaf Stapledon, Last Men In London(1932)
"It is said that the gods play games with the lives of men. But what games, and why, and the identities of the actual pawns, and what the game is, and what the rules are – who knows?
Best not to speculate,
Thunder rolled…
It rolled a six."
Terry Pratchett, Guards Guards(1989)
"Do you understand why that man had to die?" asked my father after the execution
"Yes he meddled in the forbidden" I answered
"But do you know why what he did was forbidden?" he asked
"Because you are the king and you said it was forbidden" I replied not wishing to turn this into a lesson on duty and responsibility. One of the young female servants had been smiling at me the last couple of days and I wished to see if this matter could be pursued.
"No, no, no. Do you ever listen boy?" He shouted
"Judgement against a man can not be taken lightly and as a future King this responsibility can not be taken lightly. Your first role in life will be your duty to the people, to protect and care for them. In your role as their judge, this is in direct conflict and you must assess the risk to the many from the one individual" he said standing up from the throne he was sat on.
"All this the accoutrements of that role are necessary, people expect them and to that end they are a tool to be used" He continued indicating the robe, throne and the crown he wore.
"Yes I know Father we have had this conversation many times" I said not wanting to prolong this lecture any further.
"No we have not had this conversation" He answered angrily "You saw a man die out there hung by the neck, yet you treat it as if it was nothing. If I was killed tomorrow then you would be King. I can not risk the possibility of putting someone on this throne, who so casually regards the end of a human life"
"I didn’t regard it casually" I protested "I just cant see what the big deal is he broke the law, a law which has a punishment of death and sentence was carried out. It was done without malice with as little pain as possible and with no humiliation or undue waiting involved"
"Yes, I have been able to get some of the basics into that thick skull of yours. But please remember I had only seen seventeen years when your grandfather was killed in that border incident and you have to be ready to ascend to the throne at any point. The fact that we haven’t had any incursions for fourteen years, is something we can only thank the men and women who gave their lives for this peace and remember them" He said bowing his head slightly.
I was not impressed I was only one when the time of the wars had ended and I personally felt that I had lost out on something. Father had joined grandfather in battle in his fourteenth year but I would be lucky if I saw my first battle before I was forty. I bowed my head for a moment to acknowledge the people lost in the war and avoid the prolonging of this little lecture, there were women and drink to find.
"The main thing about that man today wasn’t the fact that he broke the law, but his crime" my father answered.
"Yes I must admit that confused me" I said honestly "Everyone knows the penalty for magic is death, but in all the cases I have seen brought before you, you have dismissed them out of hand"
"Yes for I will not condemn a person for a crime they didn’t commit. Most people brought before me on that charge are there at the evidence of jealous neighbours. You must never play to the public requests for the death of someone who doesn’t quite live as they do. Most of these cases that you will find brought before you will have roots in jealousy, hate, fear and an incomprehension of the other person. But if magic was to re-emerge into the poor tortured land that we live in who knows what would be left this time" He suddenly had my attention, this was something I hadn’t encountered in his lectures before. Despite my fathers reluctance to admit it I was an avid student, it was just the endless repeating of the lessons which turned my mind of fifteen years to other things.
"This is something that is spoken of between us here and only us two do you understand?" He asked.
"Yes Father I do" I said sincerely
"Good. I am going to explain a little of the ancient history of this place we call Earth, if that is where we are. Twelve hundred years ago people did not live as they do now and there was but one race" He started
"What of the Dwarves, Elves and the dark races?" I asked
"Listen with your ears not your tongue" He said sharply "and you may learn something. Only one race was on this planet, man. We as in man were an arrogant race we found reason to destroy what the planet provided and make war on other men for their skin colour and beliefs. Yes I know it sounds like madness and it was. In this time man became self assured of his power over everything, machines which flew, thought and killed were known to him and there is even passages that suggest that he could take the very essence of matter and turn it into death to kill millions." He said to me and I had to admit the story was good if unbelievable.
"In his arrogance man decided that science was above all other virtues and to that end science and the understanding and development of things was the most important thing on the Earth. Science it was believed could cure all evils, although many of the evils to be cured were created by science in the first place" I interrupted my Father at this point willing to risk a rebuke.
"It more than sounds like madness Father" I said
"It was, it was a time when man thought not of family, community or even mankind. But a time when man thought of his own needs, desires and profit above all else." He said and even as a young man, whose view of life I knew was self centred, I found this hard to understand.
"The Scientists seeking more profit started exploring the mysteries of the mind those that came naturally to mankind but very rarely. Soothsaying, farsight, mind reading and the others all locked inside our minds. Yes I know I have many of these talents here which I make use of as I need to, but these are natural talents that mankind has had from the start and always some people have possessed them. The scientists wished to give these gifts to all, not from the need to better the race, but from a need to profit. For fifty years they worked on opening the secrets of the mind with mechanical aids developing and strengthening the powers that were in there. Men could move objects, know what was going to happen, know what others were thinking and this brought hate." He said to me.
I nodded thinking what I would be able to do with all these talents especially with Claire the servant who kept smiling at me. I returned my attention to my father after this quick venture into my mind.
"With the hate that these devices and explorations brought war became a distinct possibility and with the threat of war they worked harder, bringing the threat of war even closer. Then one of these scientists a man called Shakwell made a discovery, the power of the mind was unlimited. The mind when used in the way that the talents use it draws its power from elsewhere, ‘dimensional energy transference’ is the words that were used to explain it but the understanding is lost now. With this new power Shakwell hoped to make war impossible as all people would have all they needed."
"I have heard the name Shakwell Father" I said
"Yes and you have heard the name Silvinas as well or as he became known ‘Silvinas The Bastard’ as Shakwell called him or ‘Silvinas The Mad’ as the people who survived knew him. Silvinas was a scientist also but a lesser one who helped Shakwell. Silvinas had his own plans for profit from this situation and took the devices that made all this possible to his countries greatest warriors. He said to these men look with these you can do anything at all, pay me well and they are yours and they laughed at him. Shakwell would not take Silvinas back after this deception and demanded that the devices stolen be returned."
"Silvinas refused and ran, many men paid by the country searched for him, because as well as his theft it was feared that he may have given the devices to another power. Silvinas in his fear and hunger, with a hate for all that he saw around him used the device. He said to the device ‘I do not like this world or what it has become make it some thing I will like’. The device did and changed the earth, the lands of the earth changed, all that had been built was gone and forests and fields were left. The machines that had worked refused to work and men said ‘Physics has been changed’. But most devastating of all was the people, the people had been changed. Some became those we know but seldom see the Elves, others became the Dwarves and some became the dark races, the Orcs, Goblins and worse. Men looked around them and saw that what was different from them and fought it, others sought out ways to kill more people quicker and found that the old rules didn’t work here, but what had been done by the devices could be done by men without them."
"This was the age of the Magicians and while men and women starved and died unable to live in a new land without their machines, war ravaged everything. The Magicians said that now there was a force through out the land called magic and that magic would solve the peoples problems and make it all better. It didn’t it made it worse and the wars still raged and the Magicians kept saying that all would be made better with magic. They fought for over a hundred years" My Father explained to me.
"But Father that is what they said with science, how could the people be fooled twice by the same lie?" I asked.
"For that I have no answer" He admitted "Shakwell came back to the land at this time, where he had been no one knows but it is said that he was in search of Silvinas. When he saw what had happened he wept and shouted ‘No I will not let The Bastard Silvinas get away with this’. A man heard his weeping and his shout and came to help his name was Eric a man who cared for his family and did not believe in the wars. Shakwell seeing the compassion in the man gave him the sword which I now wear and taught him and his family to gather others around them of a like mind. Then after many years when they had formed a group big enough to fight those who made war with little thought for others, they as one said no more. Eric led his people against the Magicians and the others who sought to profit through death and slew them with devices of Shakwell’s making. When they where victorious they all turned to Shakwell and said will you lead us? But Shakwell refused saying he had a debt to pay. The people then turned to Eric who had led them and fought bravely and asked him and eventually after many weeks of discussion it was agreed that Eric would be the first king of Des Moines." I was on common ground now this was my ancestor Eric had reigned over eleven hundred years ago.
"What of the sword Father is it Magic?" I asked
"It was the only one of the devices that Shakwell left us. It is attracted to those who use magic and when in the presence of one who uses it you will feel it pull towards them. In other ways I believe it is magic as well for it never loses its edge or tarnishes" He said "and it is a good sword. But do not expect any advantage from it in battle except the fact that men of our Kingdom of Des Moines rally to it. It will not protect you or make you a better warrior, those are skills that can only be learned through practice. Now go enjoy yourself tomorrow is soon enough to return to your studies and I am sure you have had enough of my lectures" and I left quickly pondering on this story he had told me.
"Clifford are you ignoring me?" came a voice from behind me as I walked across the courtyard.
"No John, just thinking" I said to the young man who was my best friend and the son of one of the Captains of my Fathers armies.
"Oh about what?" He asked
"Just another of fathers lectures and I was wondering what Claire would be doing at this time" I said
"Forget it with all the Dukes here today you don’t have a chance of sneaking her away" John said "I know because I checked"
"I didn’t think you were interested in her?" I said a little jealousy flashing through me.
"She’s not my type don’t worry" He said "I was just checking so we could head out into the city. Not that a lanky sod like you would stand a chance if I was interested"
"Listen you dwarven half-breed don’t think you have got a chance with her. I have the looks and the rank" I joked back and got a thump in the arm. There was a matter of a week of age between us but a good three inches to my advantage and it was a standard joke.
"Listen I was hearing from one of the Duke of London’s men that they have brothels in the city" John said.
"Well it is his right to allow them it is a local matter it’s just that Father feels, as have the last four kings at least that the city should not allow anyone to become that desperate that they have to prostitute themselves, male or female" I said
"Yes I know but it severely limits your options though" John said back.
"No with fathers concerns for where these young girls with no family should be placed. ‘Somewhere where they will not be taken advantage of and they can receive a decent education’" I said mimicking my fathers serious tone "We get more than we need here as servants. Though how they can be classed as servants I don’t know. A couple of hours helping out of an evening and whenever a major function is on in return for board, lodging and education. It is more like they are family, though I am sure I do more work than most of them"
"Maybe that’s what we are doing wrong" John said "They consider us more like brothers than anything else"
"No they just look at your face and decide they would rather look for their excitement in the kennels" I said starting running and easily outpacing his shorter legs"
"Come back here you stuck up lanky freak" he shouted trying to catch me.
"No chance you ugly dwarf " I shouted back as I ran into the stables.
"Right now you, you can stop there" Came an angry voice of Michael my fathers Master Of Horses and the man who had taught me to ride. I stopped instantly.
"Come on in John, don’t hide out there or I will have to come out and find you. If I do have to come out there, I will shout loud enough to make sure your father hears me" Michael shouted out to John.
John reluctantly came into the stables. Michaels wroth was legendary, but a little less than either his father or my father would do, if Michael made comments to them.
"Good, where one is the other is sure to follow" Michael said making John groan as he realised Michael hadn’t known he was outside.
"Two days ago you two lads went for a ride did you not?" Michael asked.
"Yes" we both admitted.
"Well if I ever see you galloping out at that speed over cobbles with my horses again, I will stop you having free access to my horses" He roared at us "and I will inform His Highness and a certain Captain why I have. Though I will not be telling them this time, I will not have you putting good animals at risk for your stupid games. Do you understand me?"
"Yes Horse Master" we both said together from years of Michaels training.
"The only reason I haven’t told your fathers" his voice softened slightly "is that you did deal with the animals and their tack when you had finished. Which is more than certain minor members of royalty who visit thinking they are Shakwell himself"
"We are sorry" I said quickly
"Aye, well apology accepted. But you don’t get away that easy" Michael said after a smile fluttered across Johns face.
"But..." John started saying
"No buts, you can help around here today and the matter is closed. It will go no further" Michael said after a moment or two.
We both nodded in agreement, he may have been a terror in our early youth, but we both knew that there were worse punishments than working with Michael for the day. It was usually fun despite the hard work.
"Shit" Michael said loudly causing us both to look at him "Yes the shit, you’re in the shit so you can shovel shit to start with" He indicate some shovels and we started our day of rest.
Stick fifty horses in a stable overnight and you get a load of shit, in fact you get a mountain of shit and I am sure despite Michael, one of his men and myself shovelling, that I shovelled more than my fair share. By midday we had all the horses stalls sorted and they were busy undoing all the work we had done.
"Come on time to get some food now" Michael said as we finished loading up the last barrowful.
"I stink" said John looking at his hands
"Aye, I am sure you do but it is honest dirt and will wash off. If you wash up we can eat in the kitchen" Michael said.
We both got washed up with the tepid water in a bucket hung by the door and then the four of us walked into the large kitchen.
I have always been fascinated by the kitchen it is its own little kingdom, where outside rank means nothing. The hierarchy of ranks within the walls of the kitchen are more rigidly followed than anything the so called ‘Minor Royals’ play to their advantage. I once asked father how come we never pushed our rank on people like they did and he answered that we didn’t need to because we couldn’t elbow our way any higher or stab anyone to rise a level. He said that these Minor Royals needed to feel important and that he and the Dukes knew this and left them to themselves. In the kitchen there was no jostling for rank as Gwinn ruled here.
"Gwinn can you feed four hungry men at all?" Michael asked politely.
"Yes I can but not in here today. I have all these people all insisting they must have something different to eat cooked in a special way" Gwinn the head of the Kitchen answered looking at me and John suspiciously.
"Yes I know but the lads have been helping me out as a favour, you know with all the visitors for the bi-annual assizes" Michael said in our defence.
"Yes well they can be good boys occasionally" Gwinn said "but not in my kitchen today looking like that and covered with, what is that up your trouser leg John? Is it what I think I can smell?"
"Yes we had to move a lot of it" John said dropping his head as a few of the girls in the kitchen were laughing at this.
"At least these two have been working" Gwinn said turning around to face one of the girls who had giggled "and what do you think you are doing with that dough? Massaging it like you would a lover? Knead it Gail use some force. I will bring you out some food to the grass on the far side of the courtyard, the sun should be on it now, not that I know what the sun looks like. Now get out of my kitchen"
We moved quickly not wanting her to change her mind as Gwinn had on more than one occasion, for people who stayed too long in her kitchen.
"Wonderful woman" Michael said "but with her manner, at times she reminds me of a goblin I had a long argument with. Gave me a couple of decent scars before it saw my point of view and decided to die"
This set us all off laughing including Nick, the groom who had been helping us all morning, and by the time that Gwinn came with the food we had just recovered enough to burst into laughter again. Michael just sat there and shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t know what was up with us.
"I’m glad some people are enjoying themselves" Gwinn said as she left the food and drink and walked back to her little kingdom.
Thick bread and butter, cheese and pickles and a decent ale made a very pleasant meal and I was glad that me and John had been included in the ale as by custom it was for those who were officially adult at sixteen. We lay there for a while enjoying the sun this early in the year, before Michael decided it was time to get back to work.
I was examining tack for damage and wear, sat on a chair near the door when a girl appeared. She was possibly a little younger than me but extremely overweight with a double chin. The jodhpurs that she was wearing looked like badly stuffed sausage skins with the bulges and wrinkles. The rest of her clothes, jewellery and bearing said royalty, she stood there looking at me.
"You boy stand when I approach you, have you no manners?" She said and I did stand as my rear end knew my father was keen on me having manners with all ranks of people.
"Now quickly get my horse before I have you whipped for laziness" She demanded in an irritating voice. This sort of attitude was not tolerated within my fathers home. If disciplinary action was needed to sort out a problem then my father dealt with it before any threats of physical violence. Many have stated they would rather face a beating rather than another lecture off my father and I agree.
I stood there and did not get her horse, her attitude having surprised me and left me speechless.
"Do you know who I am?" she demanded
"No" I admitted
"I am Lady Elizabeth of Scunthorpe" she said expecting it to mean something to me. Not that it did, everyone wants a bit of this royalty lark and as our borders expanded more royalty was formed, bound to the Dukes and the Dukes, bound to my father.
"That’s nice" I said "I’m Prince Clifford of Des Moines"
"You insolent wretch" she shouted and suddenly the fat little bitch was hitting me on my arm with her crop. I grabbed it on the next strike and yanked it out of her hand.
"Guards, guards" she started screaming and Michael came through from the stables.
"What’s going on here?" he demanded
"This beast insisted he was The Prince when I hit him he roughly pulled the riding crop my father gave me out of my hand and hurting me" she said lifting up her hand and turning on the waterworks "I want the evil little beast arrested"
"What seems to be the problem Your Highness?" Michael asked me again leaving me speechless for a moment as he never used my title and my father only rated a Sir.
"Nothing at all Horse Master. Nothing at all" I insisted and Michael gave the girl one of his long looks and then nodded slowly.
"Fine then if you need anything just shout me" he said as he left leaving the girl deflated.
"You are...?" She said trembling.
"Yes" I answered "Prince Clifford of Des Moines"
"Oh Your Highness, I am so sorry Your Highness, I didn’t know Your Highness" She said curtseying which wasn’t an easy thing given her size.
"Look stop it Elizabeth, I am Cliff or Clifford." I said bringing a smile to her face.
"I am Lizzie" she said shyly.
"Well Lizzie if you walk around here with that sort of attitude, you and your father will be having one of my fathers long chats. He says we give all the staff here the same respect as we ourselves expect." I said to her firmly imitating my fathers lectures from the past when I felt being a Prince made me something special.
"All of them" the astonishment was evident in her face.
"All of them no matter what their job, as someone has to do the job" I paused for a moment "and one of dads favourite tricks used to be a week of doing the job as punishment. You learn respect quickly, for those who do the worst jobs, that way"
"No I don’t think I would like that" She said shuddering at the memory of someone she had abused during her stay.
"Good, shall we find your horse?" I said passing her crop back and offering her my arm. Manners make the man as my Father always says.
"Yes" she said shoving a plump arm through mine as we walked down the row till she identified her horse. I helped her saddle the horse and then she gave me a hug before I offered her a hand to mount. I should have got a step as I am sure I did an injury to my back as she stepped into my interlaced fingers. I ended up pushing with all my might on her huge bum to push her all of the way into the saddle. I led her horse outside.
"Thank you Cliff" she said as she left and as she left the courtyard to exit the castle the laughter started.
"I think you have an admirer there, Cliff" John said the tears running down his face.
"Oi, I don’t see you doing any better shortarse" Michael said laughing himself
"My god did you see her in those Jodhpurs?" Nick said he also had tears running down his face.
"Never turn down a shag with an Ogre" Michael said making us all look at him "They are clean, keen and always grateful. But whatever you do Your Highness, don’t, and I repeat don’t, let her get on top"
Fifteen minutes later they were still laughing and I admit I was still chuckling too when Gwinn arrived.
"I was bringing some cold drinks for the workers but next time I wont bother, you seem to be having too much fun to be working" Gwinn said leaving the drinks and walking out setting us off again.
The afternoon was more interesting than the morning the dirty job done the next stage was the technical things, veterinary care, tack, and finally a trip to the smith was called for. It was fascinating to watch the man mould the red hot metal as if the heat was nothing. I must admit when Kevin would allow me I would spend all the time I could in his smithy.
"A good job there, Kevin" Michael said as the first of the two horses was sorted with shoes.
"What have these two done to deserve your company today?" Kevin asked.
"Putting my horses at risk on the cobbles" Michael answered "though they have more than made amends for it with their work today. That is if we don’t have a repeat performance"
"I seem to remember the same game with my Father and you many years ago" Kevin answered.
"Yes it was the state I had left a horse one day" Michael admitted "and believe me you two have got off easy"
We both rapidly affirmed how we appreciated the fact that Michael was so lenient and Michael seemed to accept it.
Late in the afternoon Lizzie returned on the horse laden with goods she had bought. Again I helped her, this time dismount and regretted it.
"Lizzie haven’t you forgot something?" I asked her as she walked off with her bags.
"What?" she said looking back at me confused.
"Your mount, you use it, you care for it and the equipment" I said using another of my Fathers favourite sayings.
"Well what are the men for?" she demanded.
"To help you do it" I answered.
"But I don’t know how" she protested.
"Look I’ll show you" I said grabbing her hand and throwing her bags in the little office that Michael had at the entrance to the stables.
She didn’t have a clue, but with a little guidance from me and the hours of drilling that Michael had given me when I first started to ride, she actually felt she had done something by the end of it.
"Thank you for treating me like a real person rather than Royalty" she said standing in front of me.
"Royalty are real people" I answered "Just with different responsibilities"
She stepped forward and kissed me on the lips, surprising me and then was gone.
After a short time the laughter started behind me from Nick and John.
"Shut that now" Michael said in an ominous tone, silence was immediate. I turned to see what was up.
"There is a lot of your father in you, Your Highness" He said looking at me strangely "Yes you will be a good king when the time comes, you have your fathers way with people. But until that day you’re still Cliff to me, but I will be proud to call you my king"
"Michael" I said seriously "You have brought me up as much as my Father has, in fact everyone that Father trusts or relies on has put in their own little bit. How could I turn out any other way with people like that influencing me"
"Yes it was a sad day that we lost your mother" Michael said bringing up a subject not often mentioned for the pain it brought my Father. She had died in childbirth when I was but four and my memories of her were vague.
"But she would have been very proud of how you have turned out" Michael finished.
"Thank you" I said.
"Well you two have done enough for today and you need a bath before tonight’s gayeties" Michael said changing the subject quickly "Move it before I change my mind" and we both ran.
Clean and dressed properly I waited with my father outside the banqueting hall.
"Is that horse I smell on you Cliff" he asked, his use the shortened form of my name meaning that this was a ‘Dad’ moment rather than a official ‘Father’ moment.
"Yes Dad" I admitted.
"What did you do to gain Michael’s Displeasure?" he asked.
"Riding recklessly over the cobbles" I admitted.
"Well according to Michael you more than paid for your transgression, in fact when I went down there to find out what you had done he refused to tell me and sang your praises" My father told me.
"He did?" I asked surprised.
"He did. That is a man to rely on if you ever should find yourself on the battlefield or the throne. The impression you have made on him today is something that you will be glad of in the future. For he would not give his allegiance to anyone who he felt wasn’t worthy" Dad finished placing a hand on my shoulder.
"I know he is a strict man but he is always fair, brilliant with the horses and instruction" I answered.
"It is a pity you have never seen him in action his cavalry actions were like a dance. Taking the enemy by surprise and decimating them before they realised he was on them. Always listen to his advice on a battle before you decide your course" He finished.
"Head up look the part" he said suddenly becoming Father again and we entered the room to a fanfare of trumpets.
The banqueting room at one point had been one long table at the top and two long ones at each end at right angles. This left a large area in the middle for entertainment. Father had decided long ago that this left him and the Seven Grand Dukes, five of my Uncles by blood two by marriage, out of touch with the lesser royalty, relegated to the ends. So my Father instituted a system of small tables now nine of them, as I was considered old enough to participate. These tables were of up to twenty people. This meant that the lesser royalty would feel part of everything and if the call went out for war then they could be counted on.
I walked over to my table only the second time I had participated in an event like this and found Lizzie standing behind the first seat on the right of the end of the table I was to sit at. She smiled at me a big honest smile and I returned it glad at least there was one person I knew.
My escort to the table was one of my fathers best butlers who introduced the other nine people at the table.
"The Marquis of Scunthorpe Sir Howard and Lady Francesca." He introduced first Lizzie’s parents. I don’t think I have met such a large and repulsive couple. He was short but his stomach protruded by a vast amount. His face was very red and his little hair he had left was greasy. She was a little taller than her husband. But with the weight she carried and the amount of flesh she insisted in showing from the top of her neck of her dress with a double chin resting there as well, she was just repulsive. I shook hands with both of them and welcomed them politely.
"The Lady Elizabeth of Scunthorpe" The Butler said introducing Lizzie.
Lizzie was dressed a lot more modestly than her mother and despite her size looked pretty. Again I shook hands with her as if we hadn’t met, which officially we hadn’t and got a whiff of clean fresh girl. She didn’t take after her parents in all respects.
Introductions continued and I met two more couples who were minor Marquises and their partners, both couples pleasant people and the three children of one of the couples all much younger than I.
I sat down and the rest of the table did.
"Tell me Sir Howard where is Scunthorpe? I know the name but my knowledge of geography is greatly lacking" I said using a trick taught to me by Henri one of my fathers closest advisors, for when you have never heard of a place.
"I know what you mean" Sir Howard said shoving a hunk of meat in his mouth and continuing to talk while chewing.
"I can’t stand geography myself. All you need to know is where the peasants are and where you want them to work" he said swallowing and shoving another hunk of meat in.
"We are a small area in the mountains of Cheshire" he said an area under the control of my Uncle Thomas.
"How are things that far from us?" I asked.
"Well you know how it goes, if the peasants are not skiving from the work the dwarves are trying to rip you off" He answered "But we make enough to put food on the table"
Well that must be a fair amount I thought as I watched him and his wife demolish the food that had been placed on the large plates. Gwinn always jokes about my appetite and then shoved another cake in my hand. But I stood no chance of finishing this lot. They were nearly finished before I had started properly.
Whilst eating I kept making polite conversation with the guests including the children. Never forget the children, they are the next generation of men who are to fight for you, Henri had drilled into me. I must admit the three children were polite, pleasant and excited that I had included them in the grown up conversation.
"Tell me Lady Elizabeth where does the name Scunthorpe come from it sounds like it has some goblin in it originally?" I asked bringing Lizzie into the conversation.
"It is one of the old names" her father answered before she could.
"It is as old as Des Moines and Cheshire, so it’s origins are blurred" he said as a potato entered his mouth between the words .
"Come on Elizabeth you cant waste food here" he said "His Highness is paying for this. The girl was always trying to waste food. ‘I can’t eat any more’, ‘I’m not hungry’ she used to say I soon cured her of that though, didn’t I girl?"
"Yes Father" she answered meekly a glint of fear in her eyes as she started trying to make an impression on the mountain of food left on her plate.
"I wont have the girl wasting food, because that is a waste of money" Sir Howard stated loudly.
"Well Sir Howard this is my Father’s table and fare. If Lady Elizabeth is a little overawed by the situation then there is no reason to force her to eat. I must admit that this is only my second time in a position of responsibility, in such illustrious company and it still scares me silly. I could never hope to eat a full meal while I felt like I do" I said to him.
"Yes I suppose so with all the dignitaries here" he said some more food going in his mouth and again chewing with his mouth open.
"I must say Your Highness you are doing a good job for only your second time out in pubic then" he said as he continued chewing.
"Yes Sir Howard, I have had years of preparation to be in such company as yours" I told him, some of the other guests picked up on the sarcasm, as did my Uncle Frederick at a nearby table. He gave me a warning glance and I nodded imperceptibly that I had got his message.
I returned my attention to my food for a moment composing myself a little as the man had irritated me. I felt something touch my knee on the right hand side, beneath the tablecloth. I glanced up at Lizzie’s unsure face and pressed back against her chubby knee, beneath its masses of skirts with my knee and gave her a reassuring smile. She smiled back warmly and we continued the meal with the pleasant contact beneath the table.
After the meal we adjourned to the large room my father used for public events and occasions such as this. Many small tables filled one half of the hall the other left empty for dancing. Father felt that the small tables were more intimate and gave him an edge when it came to bargaining as they were awed by the fact The King had come to talk with them. My Uncles all had a specific task to do well briefed by my Father on who needed attention. My job at the moment was to show that as the heir to the throne I was fit for polite company.
I offered Lizzie my arm as we walked into the room and as we entered my Uncle Fredrick pulled me to one side.
"What game where you playing there?" He demanded of me "Hasn’t anyone taught you better"
I started to protest and suddenly found I had two defenders.
"Your Grace" said Lizzie curtsying diverting uncle Fredrick’s attention from me a moment.
"My father is an uncouth, rude and vulgar man who was making thinly disguised threats against me if I did not eat all the food on my plate. His Highness was defending me from this when the little incident occurred. My father however would not have noticed it if the comment hadn’t been made politely. In fact the only thing he may have noticed was his plate being moved away" Lizzie finished.
"Have you met the man Fred?" came my Uncle Thomas’s voice from behind me.
"No" said Uncle Fredrick
"I wanted him dumped at George’s table, give him something to do as King. But some one messed up badly and dumped him on Cliff here" He put a hand on my shoulder.
"But the sarcasm is not acceptable" Fredrick said
"Look Fred I will take you over to meet him and we will see how long you stay pleasant for, then talk it over again later" Uncle Thomas suggested
This got some agreement from Fredrick.
"Lady Elizabeth I apologise for the situation here at the moment with your Father, but I know you understand" Thomas said
"I do your Grace" she said
"Then go, the two of you and have fun. Here is your job for tonight Clifford, make sure this girl enjoys herself. Because by god she needs to" and he was gone taking Uncle Fredrick with him.
"Thank you for coming into my rescue" I said seriously "Uncle Fredrick is not the most tolerant of people"
"Well he wont last long with my father will he" she said with an infectious laugh.
We clamed a table well away from the main crowd, centred on my Father, as she seemed unwilling to be in such a prominent position. Here we talked for a long while till disturbed by Uncle Fredrick.
"Clifford I apologise sincerely for my earlier comment. How you coped with that man for two hours and with him eating I do not know. You my dear Lady Elizabeth have my deepest sympathies" he said bowing and left.
I turned to talk to Lizzie and found her face a mask of sorrow.
"Come on let’s get you out of here" I said grabbing her hand and helping her up.
One of the advantages of living in a castle as large as Des Moines Castle was the myriad of rooms that it had. If you needed not to be found for a while you could be. The downside was with so many staff you couldn’t stay hidden long if they didn’t want you to.
I took her to the library, her tears were flowing and I hoped to find it empty. Instead I found Henri there which was probably the next best thing.
"Your Highness, Lady Elizabeth whatever is the matter?" he asked. Henri as well as being one of my fathers closest advisors and friends, he also has a talent, a perfect memory. The fact of being recognised, surprised Elizabeth from her tears.
"It’s...It’s Father yet again another place where we wont be welcome because of him and his attitudes and manners. Each time he does it, it closes off another avenue of escape for me, because I am the fat daughter, of the fat slob that no one want to know. I was enjoying it here and then he does it again" she was gasping her words out between sobs by the end.
"Look you are always welcome" I said to her.
"Yes you say that now, but after I am gone?" she said still sobbing.
"You do not know either His Highness here, his Father or me child. Rest here compose yourself and the two of you join us when you are ready. I have some things to do and I shall see that no one disturbs you." Henri said leaving us and closing the door.
This was a situation I was not trained for. Despite John and my attempts at seduction, they were laughable. The first kiss I had had off a female that wasn’t a duty was off Lizzie here.
I sat down next to her and started rubbing her back making comforting sounds as I did so. She tuned to face me and buried her face in my shoulder and put her arms around my neck. I held her tight.
I could feel her heat through the dress as I ran my hands up and down her back, the strange undergarments unseen but felt beneath her dress.
"Look at me" I whispered and she did her eyes red with crying looked into mine.
"You are always welcome here, for though you may be your fathers daughter, you are not him." I said to her pulling her tight to me so her face touched mine, her tears wetting my face and I just kept holding her. I must admit though despite the fact I was here to give comfort, I was enjoying every minute of contact with this girl.
She sobbed for a few minutes more then kissed me.
"I am so sorry about that you must think I am so stupid." She said.
"No I don’t you picked it up with the horse a hell of a lot quicker than I did" I said and feeling daring I returned the kiss, which she received by pulling me a little tighter to her.
"Thank you for that as well" she said as the kiss ended.
"No thank you that was because I wanted to, not because I felt you needed it." I answered honestly.
"Did you enjoy it?" she asked. I kissed her again finding her mouth opening to me and her tongue seeking mine as I opened my mouth we remained like that for a long time.
"Yes I did enjoy it" I said honestly.
"Good because I did too" she said pulling away from me slightly.
"What must I look like?" she said "Fat, blotchy from crying and with red eyes. You will be able to say you kissed a pig tonight"
"Look I will not be telling anyone anything" I said firmly "and before you decide it is because I would be embarrassed forget it. This is between you and me and that is where it stays because I enjoyed it and don’t want to mess anything up. Do you understand?"
"Yes, it’s just looking this way, with my family, well you can gather what most comments are" She said taking notice of all the books around us.
"All these books I didn’t know so many existed. Father feels they are a waste of money"
"No with a book and an enquiring mind there is no limit to what can be done" I quoted my father.
"You have read all these?" She asked.
"Many of them but no where near all of them" I admitted.
"May I borrow one for tonight, I know I’m a girl and its not proper but just one please?" she asked standing up to look at the shelves around the room.
"Of course you can and what is this about being a girl, what has that got to do with anything?" I asked.
"Well girls shouldn’t be educated it gives them ideas" she said.
"Why some of our finest minds at the university here are women. The lecturer in astronomy is one of my favourites because she allows me to use her far seeing device" I said. This was silly I thought. As father had always said there are two things only a woman can’t do, one of them was father a child the other was to lead the armies as a queen. The second he reckoned was only down to provincial narrow mindedness as he always said my mother would have made a fine warrior.
"Women teaching and learning?" She said confused "I have had to borrow books in secret to learn what I have"
"I need to talk to my father about this as I don’t understand what is going on in Scunthorpe" I admitted to her.
"As do I" she said firmly some of the fire from earlier in the day back.
"Can we come by before bed and will you help me choose a book?" she asked.
"Certainly" I said "shall we rejoin the party?"
"One moment" she said as she pulled out a small mirror from her bag and started applying powder to her face. I watched in amazement as she did this as this was something I had never seen done before.
"How do I look?" She asked.
"Ready to kiss again" I answered with a grin.
"Later possibly" she said taking my arm.
As we entered the hall again My Father made a nodding motion towards a quiet corner of the room. I started to explain this to Lizzie and he shook his head rapidly and nodded twice at me then the corner of the room.
"My Father wishes to speak to us" I said as I drew her towards the corner of the room.
"Have I done something I shouldn’t have?" She asked very flustered.
"You haven’t I possibly have, but with Henri with him I don’t think that’s it" I admitted.
"Well young lady, your family and you in particular seem to be taking up a lot of my time, my brothers time and my advisors time" He said to her.
"Oh I’m sorry Your Highness I didn’t mean to be a bother" she apologised.
"Your family is a bother my dear" he said grasping one of her hands "You I gather are something different"
"Your Highness?" she said as he guided the four of us to a table.
"This afternoon my Horse Master tells me my son was attacked by a girl, who he later showed how to care for her mount. She did without complaint and from what I have heard made a good job of it. I then hear that my son has put up with the most obnoxious man I have had the misfortune to meet, for many a year. With only one minor slip." He said staring at me.
"Sorry Father" I apologised.
"Don’t be Fredrick brought him to me after quarter of an hour. I got rid in five minutes. I then hear that the same girl who attacked my son jumped into his defence against the Archduke Fredrick of California. Not an easy man for anyone to face." My father said and he was right Uncle Fredrick was a warrior through and through. He loved his place on the borders next to the dark controlled areas.
"Then two of my brothers start singing the praises of this girl despite the family she unfortunately hails from, just as my friend for many years and the man whose advice I value most turns up asking can we do anything for this girl" My father looked at her for a moment "I have also had a request from the Marquis of Alice Springs who was at your table that I intervene on your behalf. What is it about you which is getting everyone so excited, besides hitting my son and I am sure he deserved it?"
"I don’t know Your Highness" she said meekly.
"Well neither do I and I intend to find out" he said sharply "Henri make arrangements with Sir Howard for The Lady Elizabeth to stay here and broaden her horizons for at least six months, but probably longer, depending on how she feels about it"
"Your Highness do you mean it?" she asked.
"You are welcome to stay as long as you wish. If you do not offer the same open ended invitation to your family. Anyone else you are welcome to invite as this will be a home, those two please no" Father said making her smile again.
"Father have you time for a question about something that puzzles both of us?" I asked "no not that" I added as he got an evil look in his eye.
"For you anytime" he said to Lizzie "Him when I feel like it"
"Lady Elizabeth’s father is of the opinion that girls and women should not be educated and this is in direct opposition to what we believe here. Mother even taught the study of rocks at the university" I said causing a momentary flash of pain across his face.
"Geology. Your mother taught geology to those who seek the new mines and she learnt it from the Dwarves. As for your question I think what this barbaric practice comes down to is what you wish from a wife. Something to bed and produce an Heir or someone to spend your life with. Do you understand?" he asked.
I nodded rapidly, though this morning I would have claimed to have but been in ignorance, now I had a small glimpse into what he was saying.
"Your Highness may I be forward and ask something of you?" Lizzie asked.
"Only if you drop the Your Highness, please" He said kindly to her "Try Uncle George as we are related, where your father comes into the equation I don’t know though"
"Uncle George can I have the run of your library and work my way through the books?" she asked with a pleading look in her eye.
"No you can start with Henri suggesting your directions of study, then as you get time later on you may have free run of all the books here and in the Great Library at the University. But until we arrange your studies you may read what you wish" Father answered.
"Oh, thank you, your highness, thank you" She said.
"Its Uncle George and you are welcome" he said standing up "Take care of Lady Elizabeth for tonight Clifford, that is your job. We will speak again in greater depth tomorrow" and he left us.
"What did he mean I was your Job?" Lizzie asked.
"He has just given me permission to break the rule never fraternise with just one lady, as it annoys the rest of them" I said.
"I can see that" she said looking around the room "and the looks I am getting off some of the mothers are worse"
"They are beneath our notice and this is the only time you will find that my rank makes a blind bit of difference around here" I said.
We sat there talking for a long time and when the dance area filled up a bit I asked her to dance.
"But I couldn’t, what about you?" she asked.
"Well I must admit I will look silly dancing out there alone so I need you to join me" I said firmly. Eventually she agreed and as I navigated her large but interesting body around the dance floor we talked.
"Why did you act that way with me today? It doesn’t seem like you" I asked her.
"Because if I hadn’t and my father had seen he would have tried to have you killed, to show me how discipline should be handled. If you noticed I wasn’t shouting loud enough for the guards to hear and even though I nearly died when the man turned up, I turned it on enough that nobody would have believed me" She explained.
"Aren’t you the smart one" I said
"You haven’t seen anything yet Cliff, I have been reading books since I was four and paying the servants to smuggle them in. My father thinks I am barely literate, is he wrong" she said with a wicked little giggle.
"Are you happy now you have got away?" I asked.
"I will be when they go" She assured me "Though I can foresee some shouting when Father finds out, he had plans to marry me to a neighbouring holding when I reached sixteen, an old widower who must be sixty. When he died I would return home with his land doubling Fathers importance"
"Well let us see him argue with Father then" I said smiling at her.
That night we danced for a long time ignoring the little fuss that was made when Sir Howard was told of his daughters defection.
My Father did have a quiet word with me when she went to relieve herself though.
"Cliff, that girl is under our protection from now on" he said.
"Yes Father" I agreed meaning that should anything occur then we were duty bound to protect her and also that no sexual consummation could occur until her sixteenth birthday. At which time she could choose to leave our protection, or at any time after that she decided to marry.
The next morning Lizzie was at my door before I was even up. I slipped on some trousers and answered it to find her in loose trousers and a shirt.
"Come on sleepyhead" she said "I want to see everything and know everything"
"At least let me get washed and dressed, please" I said.
"Go on then the waters there" she said sitting on the bed with her back to me.
"Fine" I said washing myself quickly with the cold water.
"Can you introduce me to the head of the kitchen first, then the Master of Horses as I want to learn" she said the excitement evident in her voice "and then can I visit the University?"
"Slow down we will do all of it but possibly not today" I said "though I am sure we can do it this week"
She rushed to me and threw her arms around me kissing me hard and passionately.
"Lizzie, my father says that you are under our protection" I said cautiously.
"Well I’m not quite ready for that yet anyway, we can still have lots of fun over the next year and a bit" She said and I found her mouth with mine.
I led her down to the kitchen where she had a long talk with Gwinn. I don’t think I have seen Gwinn get on so well with anyone before. After about an hour the two of then finished laughing and giggling and came to join me where I had long finished my breakfast and was getting bored waiting.
"Yes Lizzie that is no problem at all" Gwinn said giving her a hug "And you take care of her understood?" Gwinn said seriously and I nodded in agreement.
"What was that all about?" I asked.
"Just making some changes in my life you may appreciate at some point" she said cryptically.
We started walking across the courtyard when a voice called out.
"Elizabeth. Stop now" I looked and found her Father approaching us rapidly with two men in tow.
"Yes. Sir Howard how may we help you?" I asked.
"I am taking my daughter home as no young prince having a word with daddy is going to take my plans from me" He shouted.
"The Lady Elizabeth is under my protection" I said placing a hand on my sword.
"Yes and now we will see how you back up those words" He screamed and the two men attacked together.
I turned my left hand side to one of the men and concentrated on the man to my right. He charged and made a most basic mistake he overreached and using all the skills that had been drilled into me, without thinking I slipped under his blade and slid the tip of mine deep into his throat.
I felt a sharp pain in my left arm and a jolt as I pulled out the blade from the first mans throat. The man on my left had slashed at me with his blade rather than lunging and making it really count. I turned to face him and I could see him eying up the blood on my arm thinking he had an advantage. He came in close swinging wildly and I caught it on my blade the force of the impact jarring my hand. The blades slid down each other so that they were hilt to hilt and this mans strength could win a shoving match.
"Are you scared boy?" he asked close enough for me to smell his foul breath.
"No" I shouted as I raised my knee to his groin then as I backed off I slashed him hard across the face.
"Clifford" I heard Lizzie scream and turned to find her large self being dragged off by her even larger Father.
I easily caught up with the two of them and decided I couldn’t kill the fat man while his back was to me.
"Turn and fight you fat bastard" I shouted adding the dreaded bastard normally not even thought about in polite society.
"Fight you bastard or I will run you through, if some part of you’re fat carcase is thin enough for my blade to go through" I shouted louder he turned and rushed at me.
The bastard was fast, he nearly caught me by surprise and I barely had enough time to get out of the way and just slash his leg as he passed by.
"Run Lizzie, get help" I screamed at her and didn’t look to see if she did.
"You want her Sir Howard, then you come through me." I said to him and added on "you fat fucker" at the end.
Again this enraged him but ready for his speed I slipped to my right, his left and speared his thigh, nice and deeply as he went past.
"Come on little piggy man, do you think you can take me?" I taunted and again he flashed and charged. I dove left time at the last second and slashed at the backs of his legs getting nice deep cuts in both legs.
He was having problems standing now let alone fighting.
"Drop your sword and you may have justice, Sir Howard" I said "or I will finish this"
"Yes and if he fails I will" came a voice behind me of Sword Master James ‘Jimmy The Lance’
Sir Howard dropped his weapon and sank to the floor.
"Get him some help and the one with the face opened up, forget the one with the throat though, he’s gone" James said taking charge of the situation. I looked around at the dead man, the man with his face opened to the bone, Sir Howard and then looked down at my left arm. It was a deep wound blood soaking the whole sleeve of the white shirt, I had put on. I looked through the slash in the fabric at the jagged tear in my flesh and my world went black.
"Clifford, wake up now" I heard an urgent voice. I opened my eyes to see Jimmy The Lance standing over me.
"What?" I said
"I said wake up, if you think I am carrying you inside you have another thing coming" He said with little sympathy and more than a little humour as he pulled me up by my uninjured arm.
"Don’t worry the first time gets us all differently and with you being the Lady’s hero, its better if you walk inside to her" he suggested with a grin.
"Yes" said and I nodded still fuzzy.
"What happened? How did you get the arm?" He asked.
"The two rushed me I took the one on the right through the throat and as I pulled loose his mate caught me in the arm" I explained.
"Classic tactics against a man in a mail shirt" he said "But these had no mail shirt on, you took that slash for nothing. Well it will make you look closer next time and give you a scar for the Lady"
"Oh great" I said with little enthusiasm as my arm was starting to hurt
"Yes, all in all first time in real combat, three against one, you were quite adequate" he said as he helped me inside.
"Cliff" Lizzie said running towards me arms open.
"Your hurt" she said stopping from trying to hug me.
"It is just a gash, My Lady" James said "Nothing that won’t heal given time and care"
"Oh Clifford I am so sorry to have got you into this" She said her face in tears
"Lady Elizabeth" Came my fathers voice "The fault is not with you it is with me and your Father. I should not have underestimated the mans greed and desperation and I should have ordered a guard for you. I did not expect you to be up so early"
"Then it is my fault" Lizzie cried "I wanted to be up early to see what I could and learn everything I could"
"Elizabeth, Lizzie" he said with more compassion than I think I have ever heard him speak to anyone.
"Look never class eagerness to learn and experience things as a fault, they are a great blessing and Clifford here will heal, will you not" he said placing an arm around her and leading her back to me.
"Yes Father, but the ground is rather unsteady at the moment" I admitted.
"Sit down and we will get you treated before you fall" He said.
"How did he do Jimmy?" My father asked.
"Adequate, two on one at first and then one on one, with the wound" Jimmy said.
"So do you think you can make him fair or even good?" Father asked.
"Now I know the potential is there, yes easily. He has mastered the basics and uses them well. All we need to do now is tie in the eyes and the brain" Jimmy answered.
"Good when he is well get him started" Father said and Jimmy left.
"Clifford, today you fulfilled an obligation to our family and for that I thank you, but I wish it had been otherwise" he said.
"I could not avoid it Father" I protested "I did not wish to fight"
"No you misunderstand, I wish I was the one to bring that repulsive little man to his knees" Father said with a look of rage for a moment.
"Lady Elizabeth..." My father said.
"Uncle George" she said interrupting him for the first time I can remember anyone interrupting him.
"Yes" he said slightly bemused.
"Do you mind calling me Elizabeth or Lizzie as Lady Elizabeth was what my father insisted on calling me all the time" she said her face unsure as was her voice.
"Lizzie whatever you want is yours" he said putting his arms around her and hugging her as she cried at his words.
"Now dry your tears and go to the library Henri is waiting to assess your educational needs, he is a good man" My father said releasing her.
"Lizzie tell him the truth, the whole truth" I said as she left and she nodded.
Father waited till she had left and turned to me.
"You did a brave thing today and did it well. But I have been lacking in my observations of the border areas. I as King should have prevented what has been done to that girl by a cowardly dog using my name for organised terror." Father said fuming again.
"I will just say this once to you Clifford and I don’t really believe I have to say it at all. You are not to hurt that girl or mislead her or I will make that seem like a splinter" he indicated my arm.
"Father I like her, not love, but I like her she is fun and nice to be around" I answered honestly "I would never intentionally hurt her"
"Fine that matter is done lets get you sown up as that is the next stage of this life of the warrior" he said helping me up.
An hour later I was stitched up, cleaned up and with a bandage around my wound. My father assured me he had made more noise as the surgeon stitched. Both of us headed down to the library to find Lizzie again. In the library she was deep in discussion with Henri arguing over something in a book.
"Sorry I didn’t see you" Henri started to say and my father waved away his apology.
"How do you assess her then Henri?" My father asked
"I can do nothing for her though there are some irritating gaps and a few disagreements it is beyond me to guide he any further" Henri said
"But I enjoyed our conversation" Lizzie protested
"Yes and we will enjoy many more, but you need someone with more skills than me to teach you and for that purpose you need The University" Henri said.
"What about me?" I said suddenly upset at the thought of being left behind.
"At the moment six months time which is still two years younger than most who go. With some diligence on your part three months" Henri said.
"With me pushing you make that two months" Lizzie said confidently
I was there in two and a half months.
Over the next twelve months Lizzie and I were inseparable. Which at first annoyed John until Claire took an interest in him, with a vengeance. Lizzie from the moment she had been allowed to stay had modified her eating and lived on horseback. The exercise and the fact that she had lived on salad had transformed her. She wasn’t slim, yet, but the looks she now got as she walked around with me were now of interest rather than pity. In The University she had jumped in and left me standing, no matter what the subject she wanted to learn and apply that learning to the full. Her and Father were inseparable and except for the fact that she wanted me there all the time I might have been jealous. The person I had befriended had rapidly become the most popular person in the castle. The friendship and close affection that I felt at first had changed to admiration and love.
Finally though one night as we sat in the library I spoke to her about a fear that was building within me.
"Lizzie, I know I am busy walking in your shadow ever since you got here. But I am scared I am losing you, you are just so far ahead of me in so many ways" I said to her.
"Is that why you haven’t tried to kiss me for such a long time?" She asked
"Yes" I admitted
"I thought I didn’t even rate a kiss for pity any more" she said her beautiful face sad
"Lizzie. I love you I just feel so inadequate around you. You are so much better at everything than me and the attention is always on you wherever we are.
"Listen silly" she said slipping her arms around me tight "I am good with academic studies. But the attention that people give me is due to the fact that I am with the future King wherever we go." She kissed me long and passionately, pressing her body against me tight.
"You are all I ever dreamed about in a man, but ever so much more than I could have hoped for" she said when her mouth left mine.
"You worry about not being able to keep up with me at the University, Henri cant keep up with me and he is the wisest person I know. You are not far behind Henri now and he doesn’t have riding skills, advanced swordsmanship, diplomacy, tactics, and interspecies relationships. With all this work load you are excelling in all areas you are not going to be a good king, you are going to be a great king." She said
"Will you be there as my Queen?" I asked
"Do you mean that?" she asked
"Yes, with all my heart" and I pulled her to the couch with me.
"Will you be my Queen?" I asked again
"Oh yes, Oh yes" She said as I wrapped her in my arms feeling the defined curve there beneath the mans shirt she always wore at any other times than formal occasions.
Our lips met and my hands started exploring her body, tentatively at first, then as no protest came more deliberately. I slipped a hand inside the buttons of the shirt and grasped a breast beneath its lacy covering.
"Oh how I have wanted you to do this" she said as I massaged it feeling the nipple harden.
"One second" she said and reached inside the shirt and removed her bra sliding it out of one sleeve and slipping a hand through the strap then pulling the whole item out of the other sleeve.
"I want to feel you touch me properly, but I don’t want to be caught" she said slipping the bra under a cushion and sliding my hand back onto the hottest, softest mound of flesh I had ever touched.
I rolled the rubbery nipple between my fingers causing her to moan and she removed my hand and sat down on my lap with her back to my chest her head tilted back so her cheek touched mine.
"Touch me please" she said huskily and I slipped one hand inside to her breasts, the other caressed her stomach teasing the waistline of the trousers she wore. She undid her belt the slack allowing my hand to dip further down. I reached the top of the panties and slid a finger under with no protests, but one of her hands grabbed my hand on her breast to encourage a drawing motion towards the nipple.
My hand on her breast worked on automatic now, as my fingers worked deeper into her panties touching the soft hair now then dipping over the edge to find a hot oily slickness. I slid a finger along the oily silt trying to understand what I felt.
"Mnnn" Lizzie moaned as I explored and suddenly I was on familiar ground as my finger slipped deep inside her.
"Yes like that" she said as I moved my hand and finger gently as she ground against me with her whole sex.
"Oh yes" she kept repeating till her body motions stopped as she tensed up grasping my hand to her breast and pinning my hand between her legs. A long guttural moan escaped her lips and she relaxed.
"Thank you, that was nice" She said "but it is my turn now"
"What do you mean" I asked.
"Lie back and relax" she said and slipped off my knee to kneel between my legs.
She unbuttoned my trousers and my organ was soon released to the air. She kissed its tip gently and suddenly had the head in her mouth. I lay back closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensations till my release occurred, which I have to admit was no time at all.
"Did you enjoy that?" Lizzie asked.
"Yes immensely" I admitted.
"Good because that is all you get for the next three months after that I am sixteen, but I will not compromise yours or your fathers protection" she said.
"What about an announcement of betrothal" I asked.
"My sixteenth birthday also. It is not as if you have to ask my fathers permission as no one knows what part of the Dark Lands he fled to" She said with a smile at her Fathers exile.
"Well as Queen those lands that are held in trust will revert to the Crown" I said.
"Those lands mean little but pain to me" Lizzie said sitting down after adjusting her and my dress. "The people there deserve a proper Marquis, some one to care for them rather than abuse them" She said.
"Shall we have a word with Father" I asked
"Yes let’s now" she said jumping up and pulling me to my feet.
"Shall we tell him about our plans?" I asked.
"Yes" She said contemplating it for a moment and we went to find him.
Father was in his private rooms adjoining his sleeping quarters and we knocked at the door, waiting for a reply.
"Come in" came Fathers tired voice.
"Father can we have a word with you please?" I asked and he put down a pile of papers he had been working through.
"Yes certainly" he said smiling at both of us but some tension evident in his face.
"Well it’s like this Uncle George, on my sixteenth birthday I would like to make an announcement that Cliff and I are engaged to be married" His face broke into a huge grin.
"This is the best news I have heard in months" He said standing to hug her "You have made him more studious than I ever could have made him. Just by your example."
"And you my son stood there in silence while your bride to be does the speaking. Do I not hear anything from you?" He asked looking firmly at me.
"I took your advice Father and made the use of whatever advantages I had. In this case Lizzie and her ability to wrap any man in this city around her little finger" I said with a smile.
"You are learning Clifford and you will make a formidable King to follow me" he said.
"Not for many years" I replied.
"I hope not, I want to see grandchildren but war is coming and with war comes the possibility that you or I will not return" He said "can I suggest the marriage takes place soon after your birthday?" he asked.
I looked at Lizzie and she nodded in agreement.
"Good in the times that I feel are to come then you will need to grab what happiness you can" He said sinking back to his chair.
"What is up Father?" I asked and he looked at both of us "We are not children Lizzie is more highly educated than most of those who teach. Even my modest abilities are quite an achievement. I can actually hold a conversation with Henri"
"Well we have reports of Ogres, Orcs, Goblins and Drow, the Dark Elves, moving in many areas towards us. I can not see how they can be, our borders are secure and they are never reported before they are sighted deep within our lands"
"May we have a look Uncle?" Lizzie asked "We may see something that you have missed due to tiredness"
"You are a flattering young lady but I admit both you and Clifford have a lot more education than I have. I grew up in a time of war" he answered.
Lizzie ignored his comment, engrossed in looking through the reports she had and I joined her.
"There is something here" I said "I can feel it" and we read through all the different reports.
"Yes, I have much the same feeling as you" Father said to me "I just can’t see it"
"See it" Lizzie said "See it that’s it. We need the largest map of the Kingdom we have and a lot of pins."
"What?" I said confused.
"There is a pattern here we just need to see it" she said "Pins with different colour paper on to represent different creatures reported and we can build up a pattern from start to present day on how they have developed"
Father was up calling for Henri, Michael and James before she finished and dragged both of us to the Great Hall.
Henri, Michael and James appeared in the hall and Father explained the idea.
"It is so simple Sir it is brilliant" Michael said as Henri organised the necessary items.
"Not my idea Michael" Father admitted "But the idea of my soon to be daughter in law who is brilliant beyond her years"
"It was simple Uncle" Lizzie said blushing.
"Yet no one has ever thought of it before" Henri said as the large map appeared.
We watched the development of the Dark forces. A scattering around a blank corridor of minor fiefdoms.
"Lizzie what do you see?" Father asked.
"An attack on Berlin and Uncle Fredrick in a matter of weeks" She said "and I see treason" she pointed at the blank column of no reports.
"Yes" James said "They come this way and I say three weeks at the most and a week for them to prepare. They could take Berlin totally by surprise"
"What if we turn it around bring all troops in from the west and pack Berlin with them" I asked "With scouts out we can find where they are and sweep them from the Kingdom"
"He is your son" Michael said to my Father.
"Send out the heralds. Warn the land. We go to war" he shouted and the men left the three of us there.
"Clifford, Elizabeth, due to the vow I made to take you into my protection I can not allow your marriage till your sixteenth birthday" he said his face full of sadness.
"Then to celebrate our victory you will give me away as a bride, for you are more a Father to me than any other has been" She said kissing him.
"You my future husband and future King will make me proud" She said to me before kissing me.
"Lady Elizabeth" my Father said using the title that he had not used since she asked him not to.
He had her complete and utter attention "I give to you my Capitol and my people to your care, with help from Henri who has done more than his share of marching with me. You are my voice in all things while I am gone" he said.
"Uncle?" she said confused.
"Can you name anyone better?" Father asked and she was silent for a moment.
"Your Highness I accept the charge that you place in my hands" Lizzie said "and I promise to keep your city safe till you return"
"Thank you Lizzie, but I can think of no one better who I am not taking with me and few who I am" he said making her blush.
"We move out with the garrison and nearby troops at dawn the day after tomorrow" Father said to men arriving.
That night I didn’t sleep neither did Lizzie. As we stood on the walls of the castle with her watching the sun rise over the east wall of the great city Lizzie slipped an arm around my waist.
"Promise me if you can, to make sure you get back here quickly, if you can get back" She asked me.
"If I am alive I will come through that East gate one day at dawn, leading my men and with victorious songs in our hearts" I said "and if you will still have me I will marry you"
Lizzie just hugged me tighter as the sun finally rose above the great wall and activity began in earnest in the city.
Being fitted for armour isn’t fun it chafes, its heavy and even when it does fit properly, it feels like it doesn’t. Luckily Father doesn’t believe in full plate mail. I have heard of men so burdened by the armour, that was supposed to protect them, that they perished from an inability to remount their horses.
Father believed in leather with plate protection for the chest and back and a decent helm. Mobility he said was everything on the battlefield and rather a few scars than losing your life to protect your pretty looks. I had practiced in the armour many times with James and had even had approval from him, but I was not comfortable in it.
Lizzie seemed to approve though of what she saw.
"A decent shield and then we are there" she said looking me up and down "and I think Kevin may have something that may do just the job"
She led me to the Smithy creaking and rattling all the way.
"Kevin can I choose a shield for Clifford to use from the weapons room?" Lizzie asked.
"For you or the Prince here anything I can give you is yours" Kevin said to her and gave her the key to the weapons storage area.
We entered the large storage area and saw how few things were left now the forces were mobilised. The once full room was bare.
"First of all this" Lizzie said passing a large dirk or a small sword to me.
"Why?" I asked.
"Just in case" She said as she continued her search.
"Here it is" she said coming up with a medium shield with the silhouette of a black dragon on a white background.
"I don’t know whose symbol that is?" I protested.
"Look I don’t care whose symbol it is, it is one of the ancient weapons. I was doing research, trying to find out how they made such weapons that last for a thousand years. I was unable to get a sample of that to test. I couldn’t even mar the finish" she said passing it to me.
I was surprised by the weight it could only weigh a few pounds at most and it didn’t feel like it could protect anything.
"Clifford" Lizzie shouted swinging a short sword at me and I instinctively blocked with the light shield. My arm was jarred with the impact but the shield held firm.
"This must be dwarven craft" I said as I examined the shield and found no marks.
"You approve then?" Lizzie asked.
"Oh yes, any more of this stuff in here?" I asked.
"I don’t know I haven’t looked" she admitted.
We started searching and found a helm first, the padding that made it wearable long since rotted away.
"I can have that sorted in a moment" Lizzie said as we continued to search.
A set of breast and back plate was next, the white material unadorned by any design this time but the straps which once attached it again perished with time, again Lizzie assured me that it could be sorted in time.
Finally I noticed a scabbard for a sword made of the same material I picked it up and was about to discard it thinking it was empty due to its weight. I then saw the sword.
I drew the blade a full foot longer than I was able to handle normally, due to weight, and it seem again to weigh no more than a couple of pounds. It was a lot less than my current blade weighed.
"Do you think this will work as well?" I asked Lizzie looking at the non metallic blade.
"I can see no reason for it not to" she said looking at it "try it if you are happy with it then use it, if not use your own"
I headed out onto the courtyard with the booty we had found and started examine it in the daylight. It was not any metal or substance I could recognise. I felt the balance on the sword trying some practice moves. It was an exquisite weapon its balance as fine as any I had used and despite it’s size seemed more an extension of my arm than anything as cumbersome as a sword.
"Clifford this is no time to be pissing around with toys" James shouted in passing his long sword strapped across his back, only slightly longer than the blade I had.
"James try and stop me" I shouted a challenge back and anger flashed across his face for a moment.
"What’s up Jimmy the Lance, gone blunt?" I taunted.
"Right I have a mind to give you a good scar just to teach you some manners" he said his face red with anger.
"You couldn’t touch me old man" I said and his sword swung towards me. I parried it over my head the blade taking the impact and before he could recover it was at his throat.
"I apologise Weapons Master James but I needed to know if this blade was any use and only fighting for my skin would show any flaws" I said to him lowering my blade.
"That is an exceptional weapon but does it have any edge?" he asked anger forgotten.
I passed him the blade and he examined it carefully nodding all the way.
"Kevin bring me a shield and a roll of that leather for armour" James shouted and the smith came out with both. We walked over to a tree at the end of the grassy area and Kevin rested the shield against it. James proceeded to batter the shield into a shapeless piece of metal. He then examined the edge again and then took a slash at the roll of leather, the blade passed three quarters of the way through the roll. The smith whistled at this and James passed him the blade. He lunged at the remains of the shield and the tip passed cleanly through.
"Use it. With that you have the advantage of surprise and even with out that advantage, with that you are good" James said walking away.
"I have only heard him call a few people good" Kevin said "and you are the youngest"
"Kevin do you mind sorting out the armour I found of the same material?" I asked.
"No we shall do it now and see how it fits, for I shall not be working the metal to change it" he said as he glanced at the assembled pieces. "But we can make it fit given enough padding and straps"
Two hours later I was ready in the white armour over my leather and with a black dragon on the white shield on my arm.
"Yes you’ll do" said Lizzie looking at me.
"It feels good as well, I can move in this armour like I couldn’t before" I said stretching and trying some more practice moves.
"Good, but don’t go thinking you are invulnerable" Lizzie said firmly.
"I wont, I promise" I said to her "I have much more living to do with you"
"Well if you keep yourself safe you might just learn a thing or two when you get back" she said with a wicked grin.
"James say’s I am good I think that gives me a fair chance" I said.
"If James said you are good then you will survive" My father said from behind me "But what is this that you wear?"
Lizzie explained about the armour and the sword, like me he had to be convinced about the shield, but a blow deflected from Kevin’s massive arms soon convinced him and he left the two of us alone.
It was as sad day, but we both realised we had our own tasks to play in the conflict and just enjoyed the last day together.
That night all the important people in the city and the officers and commanders dined with us and father announced that Elizabeth would be in command while we were gone. The one objection to any of this came from Henri.
"Your Highness what is this madness?" he said as he came up to where the three of us were talking.
"I am leaving the Lady Elizabeth in charge here while I am gone" My Father answered.
"No not that, why are you leaving me behind?" he said.
"Because I need someone here I can trust to help her and advise her" Father answered.
"Henri" said Lizzie stopping his protests for a moment.
"Henri, I am scared over the responsibility that I am being left with and I need a friend here. One who I can trust and rely on to help me with this awesome task, for such a young girl as me. Will you be that friend?" Elizabeth asked "For me please?"
"Yes for you and you alone, I shall, but I feel that I am being left because of my age" Henri answered.
"Henri, as my friend I would rather you didn’t face battle" my Father answered "but there is another reason. Those who say they can see the future, the soothsayers here, can not tell me what is going to happen. If all else fails I need you to keep my city, my people and my kingdom safe"
"This young woman will do that, but I will do what I can" Henri answered taking his leave.
"That was well handled" Father said to Lizzie.
"Just the truth" She answered "I will not weep for you when you leave tomorrow, as the people will only know me for those tears. But I will be weeping in my heart and in my room"
"You will make a Queen for my son, the likes of we have never known. With the two of you working together the Kingdom will flourish and prosper. I will be happy to know that it is in your hands" he finished.
Late on after I had escorted Lizzie to her room a knock came at mine.
"Come in" I said and my father did.
"Clifford can I speak to you of things that may go no further?" he said.
"Always father" I answered offering him a chair.
"The Kingdom is coming into a time of turmoil. That peace that we have known for such a long time is coming to the end. But more importantly the soothsayers have said that my time is near" he said.
"Father no" he waved away my protests with a hand.
"These things happen. I do not intend to sit and die but my death has been seen to be a heroic death of utmost importance to the survival of The Kingdom." He answered with a wry smile.
"The thing is these are visions from years ago, they see nothing now. More importantly in these visions was your part Clifford" he said looking at my face.
"It has been said that you face two possibilities and this choice you have not made yet clouds the future. In battle you will be heroic to the end that my actions will seem minor, no don’t argue. I know this part to be true. Then when things are at the worst you will be asked live or die, you must live if anything is to be saved including Lizzie. Can you do that?" he asked.
"Yes if I am asked to live or die, I will live" I said not really believing disjointed ramblings from the soothsayers.
"Good, for you have a woman to be proud of waiting for you here" he said.
"I know father, why did you so quickly agree to her staying here at first" I asked.
"When your mother died I consulted the soothsayers and was told this ‘Out of the stable of the beasts will come the next Queen known as the Great, though her beauty and her wisdom will not be seen at first’"
"Why didn’t you tell me father?" I asked.
"Because after the first night you were intrigued by her and I didn’t need to. I just left the two of you to sort yourselves out" he said "Once she started taking control of her live you had no chance, you were lost son"
"Yes I was" I admitted "But it is a wonderful thing to surrender to"
"Yes it is" he agreed nodding "But I have one more of those disjointed ramblings that I need to tell you, one that was told to your grandfather. ‘Darkness will fall and the end shall seem near. The man who is no more, the king who can not be, the warrior in white with two dragons will turn back the sea’ is what they told him what it means, I do not know. I can only think that it applies to you, after seeing you today. But it is at least a prophesy of hope"
"It makes little sense" I said thinking it over.
"They never do, do not worry when the time comes you will know" he said and left me thinking in the dark for most of the night.
"Come on you lazy swine" a voice roused me and the bed was kicked.
"What?" I said wondering who this intruder was.
"You keep on talking about war, it comes and you oversleep" came Johns voice.
"I’m up, my eyes are open and it is still dark" I said
"Yes we leave at dawn, you need breakfast and to get dressed. You have got your kit ready?" he asked.
"Yes I have, now piss off before I run you through you ugly dwarf." I said.
"Not on your life you lanky bastard" he said with humour in his voice.
"Though I have enjoyed the time I have spent with Claire, I have missed this" he said.
"Yes, if we return we will not become so obsessed with the beguiling creatures that are the object of so much of our attention" I said.
"We shall see, though I was cruel about Lady Elizabeth at first I was wrong" He said.
"No you were not John" came Lizzie’s voice behind him.
"I am sorry Lady Elizabeth, I didn’t mean..." he stopped unable to say anything else.
"The girl who you were cruel about had the potential to turn two ways, into me as I am now or another version of my father. Thanks to the kindness and support that has been shown here by all, including you John, I will be fit to sit beside my husband on the throne when the time comes"
"You two are to be married?" he asked.
"Yes" I said "after the war"
"Good, he needs someone like you or me to watch his back" he said to Elizabeth.
"No he just needs to find himself and his own position, rather than being his fathers son, to that end this time is needed" she said "and from Prince Clifford the son of King George shall come the future King"
"Yes though he was always himself with me, with anyone else other than Michael he was his fathers shadow" John said.
"You now you go and eat and say goodbye to Claire once more. But John please keep yourself safe and come back. For that first day you may have been cruel, as you say. From the second day you have been a true and dear friend" She hugged him and he left.
"I wonder how many faces I will not see again" she said as she helped me dress "I wish I was going too"
"Lizzie, you are needed here and if war does reach Des Moines you shall be something only known in legends a Warrior Queen that will inspire men with her beauty and courage." I said to her receiving a long drawn out kiss.
"You eat now then I will be happy to watch you go" she said and we left my room to go down to the banqueting hall.
"Young Prince I am glad you decided to wake and join us" came James’s voice across the room.
"But James I would happily delay all ten thousand men and the whole war to say goodbye properly to by beloved Elizabeth" I shouted back.
"Yes, that is a reason to be late for and a reason to fight and die, the love of a beautiful woman" James answered.
"But James" Elizabeth said loudly "I am not beautiful, though I love him. But my wish is the same as all us who wait for our warrior, that we give them something to fight bravely for and live"
"To see you Queen My Lady, that is something to live for" James replied getting a cheer from the room.
With the sun just clear of the horizon Father, Elizabeth and I led eight thousand troops and two thousand cavalry to the east gate. Outside the troops were mustered and Father addressed the people there many weeping.
"People of Des Moines, I leave you in safe hands. Lady Elizabeth shall rule in my name while we are gone. Heed her wisdom as she is going to be a Queen such as has never been seen before" He turned to the troops "Men we march to war"
We took our place at the head of the column and we didn’t look back, nor did we speak as we headed into the sun.
Six days later we were camped less than half a days march from the city of Berlin. The one hundred and fifty miles had taken longer than I thought. As more men and lords had joined us on our march there were pauses as comrade met comrade and places were taken. Many like father, James and Michael had fought in the great border conflicts. Others like me and John had never rode to war.
"Father I am not impressed by some of the son’s of these Lords that come to join us" I said to him "They seem to treat war as a game"
"They are young Clifford" he answered "as you are but you have aged before your time under tuition from such as James"
"So I am the strange one, not them" I said.
"No you are a King waiting to take his place they are not" he answered.
"I do not feel like a King. Elizabeth seems to be more able than me and I don’t know if I could make men feel about me as they do of you" I explained.
"When I am no more, then men will look to you for their leadership. Then they will see in you what Elizabeth and I see, a Great King." He said gently "But till the time when I am gone and they have to look to you, then you are in that most miserable of positions that of Prince. I know, I felt the same and when the time came I did what was necessary as will you"
As we made preparations to march the next morning James came running up to us.
"Your Highness, scouts report that Berlin is under siege by an immense force. They say that the city can not hope to survive the day" James said.
"We leave all equipment here, have the men leave there packs and have all cavalry units mounted in ten minutes. James you are charged with getting the infantry to the battle as fast as you can. Michael, Clifford and I lead the cavalry into battle now." Father said.
"Your Highness should you take such a risk?" James said.
"This has been shown to me and indecision now could cost all. You must save us though my friend without you we are lost" Father said and James was silent.
"James this is my greatest hour, be happy for me friend and wish me luck" He said softly.
"I worry about you my friend and wish I rode with you" James said embracing my father.
"Then move the men quickly and save the day like a true hero" Father said and I left the two men.
"Clifford tighter on that girth" Michael said as I saddled the mare he had chosen for me.
"It is tight" I said and he pulled it and tightened it another two notches.
"Look when we hit keep moving and go with the group. If you lose your mount claim the first free one you see and get out. I will keep an eye out for you. But..." He paused.
"Look Michael you, James and Father have trained me well. I have no plans for being a dead hero and I do not you distracted at the vital moment by worries for me. I will fight well but if it is a choice of fight in a bad position or retreat to find a better one, I will run every time" I said.
"Good, heed that advice on the field and fight bravely." He said and looked at me for a long time silently "I am as proud of you as if you were my own son and even you John" He shouted a bit louder so John could hear.
"Watch yourself my friend" I answered and I mounted the mare.
"Princes own men. Mount up" I shouted with a pale imitation of James’s roar. Other officers and noblemen could be heard issuing the similar orders.
"Mixed cavalry at the canter move out" Michael shouted from his position on my fathers right and we did.
Two hours later we crested the last hill before the great city of Berlin. On three sides it was protected by the wide expanse of the River Nile, one of the largest rivers known in the Kingdom, and low walls. On the fourth side was the massive defensive wall. This wall faced south and from this distance a dark sea lapped against the walls moving in then backing away. In the centre of the black sea was a wide expanse clear with one figure in the middle.
"There must be fifty or sixty thousand there" said a young man to my left.
"More like a hundred thousand" said Michael "Look lads if we can kill twelve or thirteen each we have won"
This got a cheer from most of the men but the young man on my left, in charge of a small cavalry unit wasn’t impressed.
"This is suicide" he said, his face pale.
I manoeuvred the mare next to him "Listen man stop that talk now. If you have no confidence then don’t let the men know"
"Damn you and your father" he shouted loudly "if you think I am riding down into that then you must be out of your tiny mind"
"Sir Raynor, you have a problem?" Michael asked coming in on the blond mans left hand side.
"You must be crazy if you think I am going down into..." he was hit in the face by Michael’s leather clad fist swinging back into his face knocking him from his horse.
"You are relieved. Who is second in command here?" Michael asked
"I am Sir" came the voice from a young man possibly a bit younger than me.
"Ah, yes Sir Dillon. Do you think you can take your brothers place?" Michael asked.
"Yes Sir, I think I can...I will do my best" he said sounding unsure.
"You will do your best, that is all we can ask for from anyone. Keep The prince on your right and Sir Gordon on your left till we hit, then just keep them together. Good Luck" Michael said leaving.
"Relax go with the flow and I will keep an eye on you" I said reassuringly to the young man.
"Thank you Your Highness" He said.
"Clifford" I said as we started moving down the slope towards the city.
We started moving down the slope carefully at first on the steep slope then faster and faster as the ground became easier. By the time we were on the flat we where a mile from the sea that was washing against the city walls and figures and races could start to be distinguished. The smaller Orcs seemed to be in the majority with a good sprinkling of the larger Goblins. Ominously we started to see small groups of the huge Ogres and a few that I couldn’t identify. Mixed in with them were also men.
The wall of creatures got closer with none of them taking any notice of our approach.
"Ride through them take as many as you can on the way through" came a shout from Michael on my left. I repeated it as loud as I could to be passed down the line above the noise of the seven thousand horses.
Moments before we hit the first of the enemy took notice of our charge, looked for a moment and ran breaking up the tight mass of the foul creatures. I slashed at the first one that came in range of my blade taking it across the neck, not quite removing its head as the blood poured from the wound I continued slashing until the momentum of the cavalry charge was lost. We started slashing and jabbing at anything that moved forming small groups within the creatures. John and I ended up fighting close together slashing and hacking at the claws and hands that tried to pull us off the mounts.
"An Ogre an Ogre" came the shout from my left and I wheeled around to see a creature taller than me on my horse pull one of my men off his horse and rip an arm off. It discarded the body and turned on another man knocking him from the horse with the back of its hand, the creatures on the ground finishing him off. I forced my way towards the creature as it took another of my men, ignoring his attempts at stabbing it.
"Try me you Bastard" I screamed and it turned to face me. It walked forward confident in its abilities and I swung down with all my force cleaving its skull down almost as far as its misshapen nose. It actually looked surprised as it died and I wrenched the sword free.
"The Prince, The Prince has taken an Ogre alone" people around me started saying and a cheer came from the men.
"Come on you sons of a Drunken Goblin" I shouted using one of Michaels favourite comments "Let’s kill the vermin" and again a cheer came from my men.
The death of the Ogre had given us some respect and room on the battlefield. The creatures seemed reluctant to engage so we started moving left towards Sir Dillon whose forces were being badly harassed by the smaller Orcs in close.
I slashed my way through leading the men with me till we reached him. He had a nasty slash to the face which he was ignoring.
"Thank you Clifford" he shouted "Now we have the space which way?"
I pointed in the direction of the thickest mass of the creatures clustered around Father and Michaels group. We started slashing at their backs the horses stumbling on the bodies of the dead as we worked in and in. Now joined by other units we fought to save the King.
I broke through the last of them and I was with Father and Michael.
"He took an Ogre himself" Dillon shouted to my Father.
"Dillon you and he are most welcome, just in the nick of time" Father said then heard Dillon’s comment.
"An Ogre?"
"Yes Your Highness" John said "He clove it’s skull in two to save his men. With no thought of himself"
"That will be a story that is long told, the young prince in his first battle, fights Ogres" Michael said with a grin "and you Dillon. How fare you?"
"Not too good till Clifford came to our rescue, now pretty good" he said with a smile.
"You make me proud to be your father" My father said with a smile the likes of which I had rarely seen.
"What next then, we have the space which direction do we take it?" I asked.
"The gate, if we clear the gate we can allow Fredrick to get his infantry out here" He said.
"To the gate clear the gate" I shouted and my men moved.
The five of us cut a swathe through the creatures we were fighting Michael and John at either end, then Dillon and I either side of Father. All who stood before us died swiftly.
"That’s it" I shouted "get us some room" as we reached the front of the gates piled high with enemy dead. We started fighting away from the gate forming a large semi circle of clear ground and the outer gate opened.
A huge figure came out in armour, the grinning face visible through the helmet was my Uncle.
"How did you know?" he shouted up to my father.
"Elizabeth showed us" Father said back.
"The poor girl?" Fredrick said with a confused look on his face.
"The beautiful and brilliant woman who is our next queen" My father replied as Fredrick encouraged his troops out.
"Things change so fast" Fredrick said looking at me.
"He took an Ogre alone. One on one" Father said.
"First time out an Ogre, you will be getting a reputation like Jimmy The Lance" He looked around "Where is he?"
"Coming behind us a few hours. With twenty thousand on foot" I told him.
"Then we have a chance. Come on lets take the battle to them" and he was gone.
"Let us get a few before he has all of them" Father suggested and we followed him to the battle line.
The enemy was starting to think. Fewer and fewer easy kills were coming and small groups were coming in to nibble at weak points in our line. A group of Ogres hung ominously in the middle of the forces massed against us and we decided to push forward.
As four of our Cavalry units mustered for a push into the mass one side of the massed men exploded in flame. Men and horses were torn apart and others were burning on the ground.
"It’s magic, they use magic" Father shouted "get amongst them they cant use it then"
As he finished speaking the area where the cavalry had been mustering received a second blast, killing those poor souls who had survived the first and those who had come to their aid.
"Move in amongst them fight close quarters" I shouted and my men and I moved into them.
It was worse than the first charge the creatures were packed tight jabbing at me and the poor mare I was on. She stumbled and we both hit the ground. A goblin green of skin with huge protruding canine teeth turned to me and cackled. I got up my sword trapped under the feebly kicking body of the mare. It charged and as I deflected its passage with the shield I placed the dirk deep between its ribs. A second charged and again I took it on the shield and tried to make contact with the sharp blade. I could feel a horse behind me protecting my back and I lunged forward opening the throat of the creature. Two took its place and I was purely defensive now taking one blow with my shield catching another with my blade when the two heads were taken with one sweep of a huge blade.
"Get your weapon and your breath Cliff" Fredrick said with a grin he was covered in blood, I presume was others and again and again the enemy fell to his strength.
"Thank you Uncle" I said as I took my blade and fought beside him.
"Well your family and you seemed to be having problems" he said as we worked our way through the masses of creatures.
I don’t know how long we had been fighting but I was flagging. We had been joined by others on the ground John was one of them, Dillon kept coming into view now with more scars, but a determined look in his eye as he and his men fought.
"Where is Father?" I asked.
"Left I think why?" Fredric asked.
"We need to drift the troops west so that when James gets here we are not trampled in the rush" I shouted at him as he slid his blade through an Orcs stomach.
"Father" I shouted up to him as we came into the group of men protecting him.
"Do you need a horse Son?" he said concerned.
"No I am fine here" I said and Fredrick was nodding and grinning.
"We need to get the troops west. If James attacks the mass of the enemy will kill many with their desperation to get away" I said.
"Again Clifford you make me proud" he said "West move, west" and men and horses started to move west fighting as they did.
"How is he doing Fredrick?" My father asked.
"Better than you or I ever did" Fredric said in response "He is a natural"
My father smiled and as he sat up an axe appeared in his forehead, embedded deep between his eyes at a slight angle. Blood started trickling slowly from either side and his body slumped in the saddle falling slowly off his horse.
"Father" I shouted and tried to catch him but he was dead already.
"Clifford" Fredrick shouted as I stood there numbed by the shock of it.
"Clifford. You are King, you have a duty. Now do it" he shouted.
"Yes I will" I said the hate building up inside me. I grabbed Fathers horse and climbed up aided by Fredrick. I looked down at Father for one last time.
"None shall defile his body while I live" Fredrick said.
"Or I" came the shout of another followed by another and another and many more.
"Then we stand here and we fight here and if necessary we die hear" I shouted "To me Michael. To me"
Michael came fighting his way through to my side.
"The King?" he asked and I shook my head.
"What are your orders Sir?" he asked.
"We stand here, where he fell I want all men on foot here till James hits and anyone with a horse is coming with me, to get that magician"
"Yes Sir. All on foot we stand here." He roared as loud as he could "All Cavalry here"
Within minutes I had about a hundred cavalry only a couple I recognised and I looked around them.
"We are making this game a little more even" I said to them "Lets see what that bloody magician does when faced with us ugly bastards running him down"
"Speak for yourself Sir. I have been told I am rather handsome" Michael said with a smile
"Come on you miserable bastards" he said when few laughed "We ride with a Great King in a battle that will be remembered forever. The orders Your Highness?"
"South the bastards south of us keep it moving till you hit the clear area then don’t stop till he’s dead" I said as I moved towards the reformed battle line as I passed through Fredrick saluted me with his sword.
It was hard at first, the tightly packed creatures preventing us getting any speed but then they thinned and we could see the last mass before the clearing.
"Charge through them" I shouted encouraging my Fathers horse to move.
We hit the line and broke through I didn’t look to see who had made it who hadn’t. I just kept urging the large horse onward through the cleared area, to the man in the robe. A blue flash erupted from him towards the left of the unit and I heard screaming. It happened again and struck the right hand side of the unit. I glanced either side and realised I was down to about twenty men. Another flash occurred and I was on the ground. I tried to get up, my feet unstable and I looked around. Horses and men where on the floor all around some alive some dead.
I turned my attention to the magician, less than fifty feet from me now and raised my sword. As I stumbled towards him a second figure appeared at my side.
"No boy this foe is beyond you, leave him to me" the short fat man in a grey robe said
"What?" I said and was ignored
"Silvinas I have you now" The man said "The power you used brought me here and now and I will finish you"
"Shakwell I have been waiting for you to arrive, why do you think I used power like that" the first man said and five Ogres to the right started moving in towards us.
"Shakwell?" I asked and he nodded "You get him I can buy you some time" I said running towards the Ogres.
The Ogres as a species are not bright and new things seem to puzzle them. People normally saw an Ogre and ran. Now one youth was charging at five of them they stood there and watched. I ran between two of them ducking below the huge cumbersome blows that could kill a man and sliced deep into the side of one, I spun round quickly and slid my blade deep into the back of another, maybe two foot of blade sank into it, then backed up quickly. The first one I hit was on the ground masses of bluish intestines slipping between its clumsy fingers, the second one I must have hit something vital it sank down and twitched.
The remaining three looked at me and then each other and as they paused I charged again, catching one across the side again. One of the other two caught me with its fist as I maimed its companion, sending me tumbling across the grass till I came to a stop about twenty feet away from them and my sword still inside their comrade.
They lumbered towards me now a grin across their faces and an eagerness in their step as they came in close. I drew the dirk again, a useless act against these creatures and slashed at the hand of one that tried to grab me. Its companion howled and sank to its knees. As the one who had tried to grab me looked at it, its head slid off its neck. Standing behind the bodies were Michael and Dillon. Michael had removed the head of the last one with his huge sword while Dillon was pulling his sword free of the other.
"Your Highness" Michael said and I could see what appeared to be burns over a fair proportion of his body.
"Thank you Michael, Dillon" I said noticing Dillon did not seem to be able to use one arm.
"We need to defend that man" I pointed at Shakwell "He can stop Silvinas"
"Fine, come on you bastards" he shouted "If your not dead get on your feet and fight for a Real King" He started helping men up and we had about twenty wounded able to fight.
"That man is the key" I shouted as I started hacking at the massed coming down on us now "he must survive"
Behind us I could hear the crackling of power passing between the two men and they seemed oblivious to all around them. I turned back to the battle just in time to deflect a blow aimed at Dillon who had stumbled and fallen.
"James is here. The Infantry is here" Michael shouted as I helped Dillon up and a sword slid between the plate armour at my side deep into my guts. I sank down the blade still in me the creatures arm having been removed by Dillon’s sword.
"The King is hurt. The King is down" Dillon shouted. I felt strong arms dragging me into safety and looked up at Michael.
"It is bad, it is deep. Can you tell Elizabeth I was helping a good man?" I asked him as the pain shot through my body.
"Yes Your Highness and I have never heard of a king such as you" he said taking hold of the blade to remove it from my body.
"Stop" Came a voice and the little man Shakwell came into view.
"I know not if I can save him but I am too weak even to try now, but for him for the moment time can stop" Shakwell said.
"What do you mean?" I asked looking up into Elizabeth’s tear stained face
"Clifford you have been brought back frozen in time the battle was two weeks ago" she said as the pain washed over me.
"Shakwell thinks he may be able to save you but there may be unexpected results the choice is up to you my beloved. Live or Die?" Lizzie asked.
"Is the war over?" I asked hoarsely.
"No my love, that was but the first battle" she answered.
"Then I live" I said and my world went black.
I lay there in the dark unable to move and unable to open my eyes. A voice came to me in my mind.
"Clifford can you hear me?" it asked.
I tried to answer and I couldn’t open my mouth to speak, I couldn’t do anything.
"Think the words Clifford and relax" The voice said sounding kindly in tone.
"Yes I can" I thought "What’s happening?"
"Do you remember being wounded and Elizabeth asking if you wished to risk living?"
"Yes" I thought.
"Well you are going to live and there have been some very unexpected results" The voice said with some pity and also some humour in it.
"What do you mean am I some beast or a hideous monster?" I asked.
"No most definitely not" the voice said again sounding amused.
"What is going on, why cant I move and who are you?" I demanded.
"I will answer quickly as I am not strong with the efforts with you and the battle still only three weeks ago. I am Shakwell, you at the moment are like a child. Your mind and your body have to get to know each other after such a radical change and now you must sleep. The more you sleep the quicker you get better. The next time we talk it will be face to face as this is too much effort I am afraid. But I needed to know if your mind had survived" Shakwell said
"Yes it has how long till I am fit to fight again?" I asked.
"We will just have to see" and he was gone and sleep came to me again.
"Clifford, Clifford can you hear me?" came Lizzie’s soft voice.
"Ahfg ghargre ahesdg" I answered.
"Listen love you can’t talk yet and what you just said means nothing to me?" she answered.
"Ahgg ar asghe aeghr" I said again with no control over my vocal cords.
"Look love we are going to have to do this a different way, one grunt for yes, two for no" Lizzie said.
"Ugh" I grunted in compliance.
"Good I have some questions to ask you as Shakwell is too weak to touch your mind again, the effort to save you was great on him" Lizzie said "Can you see?"
"Ugh. Ugh." I grunted I paused a moment and tried to talk again the results were gibberish to me.
"Relax we are not expecting your eyesight back till later on, but Shakwell wanted me to ask. I want you to grunt if you feel me touch you" She said.
I waited for a few seconds until she touched my face and I grunted a few seconds more and again I felt her touch my face this time my lips. I grunted again and tried to catch her finger with my lips, she pulled away.
"Yes gradually things will return to you, you will feel more things and eventually be able to see, talk and move" she said "Would you like anything to eat or drink?"
For the next week I was subjected to the most humiliating experience that I would have thought possible. Yes I was use to depending on people, the man fighting either side of me and the man at my back and I felt that there was no more dependant position than in battle. Was I wrong.
Shakwell had been right I was a child I had no control over anything. They even gave up giving me proper food after I bit my tongue badly the first time. The pain was good though, proved I was alive. The total lack of control of my bodily functions and the fact that Lizzie had to clean up every time I soiled myself was almost more than I could bare.
As some sensation and some mobility retuned to my body I had to be tied to the bed, as I tried to use the limbs I as yet could not see Shakwell was concerned that I would injure myself. He then got Lizzie and Gwinn from the kitchen moving my limbs pulling and twisting them. Physiotherapy he called it, if my father had believed in torture then I would have seen no man treated to this torture. Finally over a few days my sight started to return, slowly at first I was able to distinguish day and night then some shapes.
"Clifford I need to talk to you" came the voice of Shakwell.
"Yes" I said slowly as my words were still hard to understand like a man very drunk.
"When I offered you the chance to live you took it knowing the risks" he said.
"Yes" I said again slowly.
"Well the spell I used was a spell of re-creation, the change of the very essence of reality, much like was used to change the world by Silvinas. It is a spell that draws on powers I never fully understood and takes much control to harness. With my journey through time and the battle I fought with Silvinas I was weak. I had to put you in stasis, slow down time for you, too keep you alive till I was able to prepare myself for what I had to do." Shakwell said "do you understand this so far?"
"Yes" I said deliberately.
"The longer I kept you in the field the more difficult it became to maintain it, but with your wound it would have been a matter of hours till you died, if that. So with the Lady Elizabeth’s agreement we put the choice to you, to live or die. I wanted you to live, never have I seen such bravery. One man attacks five Ogres, then you kill three of them alone. I would have helped you if I could but Silvinas required all of my attention, to let down my guard would have killed everyone" He said gently.
"Yes I understand, no one at fault" I said slowly I could see the shape of him pacing the room.
"Well we warned you about the possibilities because I was not strong, if I was strong then it would have been a small matter to heal you. My weakness meant the powers I was using got away from me and I also felt something or someone else moulding the spell to their own will. Though I do not think it was Silvinas" He said thoughtfully.
"He escaped?" I asked.
"Oh yes he did. When your man arrived with the infantry his troops fled the field, then he escaped very weakened but he will be back. But the thing is your form was moulded by this spell. At best I was hoping for you to look human, be able to walk and still have your mind. The spell worked better than I ever could have hoped, you have all your faculties, you will be able to carry on with a normal life and your appearance is normal. But..." he paused.
"But what?" I asked.
"The spell has made you female, you are a woman" he said.
I lay there thinking about it for a moment.
"Then change me when I am well and you are strong" I said.
"I cannot do that you are now a creature of magic and as such your form is fixed by magic. I know because when Silvinas did this to the world I spent many years trying to undo what he had done. I found that what magic does cannot be undone by magic" he said sadly to me "You are and now ever more shall be a woman, though an extremely fair featured one"
"But I am King, how can I be king as a woman" I demanded. Then it hit me.
"Lizzie oh no Lizzie" I shouted the words coming out slurred "What have you done you meddling fool, how can we be together now?"
"You can’t" he said his voice filled with sadness "and she feels it as much as you do"
"Then kill me now, let me die as I should have. A hero like my Father and Grandfather" I said.
"Your deeds are greater than either of those and there is a war to fight still" came Lizzie’s voice.
"What do I care of that now? What did I have to fight for but my people and the woman I loved? Now I have lost both and the hero’s death I had earned" I shouted at her "Go now I do not want you to see me like this"
"But Clifford..." she protested.
"I am not Clifford any more I am some woman who can never take the throne or a wife, so go now there is no more you can do for me" I shouted at her.
"Clifford" came my name through her tears.
"Go" I roared and I heard the door slam.
"Why do you treat her such? She has done nothing but weep and care for you" Shakwell shouted at me.
"Good your angry now use that anger and kill me" I screamed.
"No" he said.
"Kill me now" I shouted.
"I will not take the life of one who isn’t evil" Shakwell said gently.
"Kill me please I have nothing to live for" I wept.
"I can not and for the sorrow I have brought you and the Lady Elizabeth I apologise. But I feel that a greater power is at work here. You may have a part to play yet in the events to come. I will leave you now, let you think it over and speak to you later" He said and left me to my sorrow.
I lay there weeping in my half blind state and I found I could move. Whatever had been used to stop me moving, magic or restraints had not been replaced. I tentatively brought a hand up to my face to try and discern my new face, unlike one of fathers soothsayers who was blind I was able to tell nothing from the face other than it was soft with long hair.
I moved lower down my body to the breasts that had been so recently a mystery to me and now were mine for life. I felt them beneath the garment I was wearing again I could tell little by feel alone. Again I started weeping as I explored the objects on my chest, imitating the movements that Lizzie had me perform on her breasts produced some pleasure especially from the sensitive nipples. I stopped I did not want pleasure I wanted death, but I was not willing to die by my own hand. If I did then how could I look my father in the face when we met again.
I moved lower feeling a flat stomach and prominent hip bones, how could such a thing be possible? I had no muscles on my body at all I couldn’t function as a man and I couldn’t function as a warrior like this. I moved inwards with my hands to my groin just long enough to discern through the garment that nothing was there now and swiftly moved them away. Although for a number of years what lay there had been my main interest in life, on my own body I had no interest in this anatomy.
I lay there for hours drifting between sleep and tears and I was left alone in my misery.
"Right now I have some food for you Clifford" said Gwinn barging into my room.
"Go away" I said.
"No, if you are going to get well then you have to eat" Gwinn said.
"I will never be well, why didn’t I die?" I replied.
"From what I understand of the situation you were given the choice to live or die, you chose to live, knowing the risks" Gwinn said firmly.
"Yes but this? Anything else would have meant that I could be the King I was meant to be and anything else would have meant I could have been with Lizzie" I cried.
"It could have been worse, you could have been an ugly woman" Gwinn said firmly "Think of Lizzie’s mother"
I did with a shudder.
"Yes that has got you thinking hasn’t it" Gwinn said apparently thinking she had won a point.
"But what can I do like this all that I planned is lost. I can just think of me walking into an official function as King Clifford like this. Can you imagine the reaction?" I said.
"Well I am not to sure about the name any more, but the reaction to you walking into a room, well you would be the centre of attention for your beauty" She said.
"Brilliant just what I need isn’t it a time of war and I end up a pretty little thing" I shouted.
"Yes you are but you are also the Prince who killed an ogre and The King who attacked five on the battlefield to protect Shakwell. Killing three of them before attacking a fourth with nothing but a knife. You are also the King who fell protecting a young man of the minor royalty and was reborn anew thanks to the skills of Shakwell. You are the most celebrated King since Eric. You have all men royal or not willing to follow you to their deaths. James and Michael I have never heard speak so highly of anyone" Gwinn said sitting on the bed next to me.
"But I am a woman and I shall stay a woman till I die. I cannot be king and I cannot be husband to Lizzie" again I wept for what I had lost and she held me tight while I cried myself out.
"Look" she said as I stopped crying "Lizzie and I can help you with this"
"No not Lizzie" I said tears again coming to my eyes.
"Fine not Lizzie for now, but you will have to see her again" Gwinn said and I was silent.
"For the moment then I will help you but I will not put up with any messing around. You have known me long enough to know that yes I will help, listen and do all I can for you at this time. But I will not have a self pitying malingerer on my hands" Gwinn said firmly.
"But" I started to say.
"No I am not criticising you yet" Gwinn said "No lets get you to the ablutions"
My father had been fascinated by stories of imaginary devices, machines that flew, the ability to talk through wires and the such like most of these had come to nothing. But one of the things that had worked when presented to the university and a number of Dwarven experts was plumbing. Well before I was born when he was about my age he found reference to this in a book in our library and took it into The University. When asked to make it possible they did. Before the introduction of the toilet a man would piss out of the window a lady in a bucket then throw it out the window. Des Moines in the summer it was said could be smelt across the Kingdom. Since the introduction of sewers and toilets and the fact that it was now illegal to dump waste in the street, unless your street didn’t have a sewer, the smell wasn’t too bad. None but the richest had a toilet like we had but most streets had an open hole down to the sewer to drop your waste down.
Gwinn virtually carried me across to the toilet and the metal of it was cold on my rear. I was weak and she had to hold me up on it after raising the garment I was wearing. She must have seen my embarrassment.
"Look Clifford, first of all I used to change your nappies long ago, second I am afraid you now have nothing I haven’t seen before and thirdly I am not going to have you lying in your own filth if we can get you using this" she said in a very matter of fact way.
I sat there for a while then the tension I felt in my bladder got too much and I could hear my flow, and feel it making me wet on my new structure, my bowels decided to join in as well. The soft food I had been eating making it inevitable. I hung my head in shame.
"Come on it’s nothing to be ashamed of even Kings have to go occasionally" she said her hand not holding me up stroking my face.
I finished and tried to wipe myself with the rags that where there for that purpose but my coordination was too bad and Gwinn had to do it for me and again the tears flowed.
Back in bed as she fed me some unknown mush she talked to me about what had been happening while I had been here I took no notice. I half heard one of her questions.
"What?" I spluttered.
"What are you going to call yourself Clifford isn’t going to work any more?" she asked.
"I wouldn’t know I wasn’t exactly planning anything like this" I said to her "can’t I stay Clifford and make people put up with it?"
"You trust me don’t you Clifford despite my moans and shouting I have never been anything but utterly fair with you?" She asked.
"Yes" I admitted.
"Well if you are going to be taken seriously in the future, it will not be as Clifford"
"What then" I asked.
"May I suggest Cyrena? Like your grandmother on your mothers side. A strong and firm woman she was with non of your mothers diplomacy. It would be a good name for you. But the choice is yours" she said gently I thought about my maternal grandmother and remember even my father deferring to her when she was obviously wrong.
"I will try it is as good as any and better than most" I said.
"Well then Cyrena my girl, let us get you well again" she said the words turning my stomach.
For the next few weeks I didn’t leave my room or see anyone but Gwinn my only thought being how I could die quickly. Gwinn suggested getting dressed but I refused the thought of dressing was as if I was accepting what had happened to me. Even Shakwell I refused admittance as I did not wish to see he who caused this to happen to me however unwillingly. My mobility had returned as had my eyesight by this time but I was not glad as I had no need for either.
One evening Gwinn came in with the food and as normal she was busy telling me all the gossip which I think I was supposed to enjoy now I was female. I couldn’t stand it.
"But as I said to Mary if you play those sort of games with so many men how are you supposed to know who the father is" Gwinn was saying "then when the babe arrives he is dark skinned like your Uncle Thomas’s wife and Sir Paine who she told was the father is blond hair blue eyes and burns in the sun."
I nodded at the appropriate times to keep her happy as the stories rolled along. She had now taken to watching me eat after finding me throwing a meal down the toilet.
"But the big news today is that there is a dragon in The Kingdom. I haven’t heard of any dragons since the time of Eric, it was said they left before he killed them all" She said.
"Probably a big bird has scared someone" I said to her.
"No it was Sir Dillon and John who saw it at the village of New York. James is gathering hunters and trackers and intends to go and chase the beast down the day after tomorrow" she carried on and told me about a woman I didn’t know and ‘Her Problem., you know’ which I didn’t know and didn’t care about. I had my own ideas formulating in my mind.
Night could not come quick enough for me and as I waited for it to come I examined the clothes I would have to wear. I found trousers and a mans shirt such as Elizabeth wore amongst the finery that Gwinn had been insisting I should wear. My armour that I had worn was now an impossibility to wear except for the helm, but protection was the last thing I sought. As silence descended on the castle I examined the underclothes that had been brought for me. I looked at the bra as Gwinn had said I would need one and decided against it, the panties I slipped on ignoring their feminine colour and structure and got the shirt and the trousers on. When I had found a belt to fasten the trousers tight enough to stay up I was reasonably happy. I fastened on the sword which had served me so well in battle and placed the helm on my head. Then with the shield on my arm I slipped out of my quarters wearing a dark cloak.
I crossed the courtyard to the stables and finding them clear of people I saddled up a horse. The problem of mounting the horse was finally solved with an up turned bucket to give me the extra height to reach up pull myself up. I headed to the castle gate.
"Halt who leaves the castle?" came a challenge.
"I am doing a task for the Lady Elizabeth" I said pulling the cloak around me tighter.
The man walked up to me peering at my face.
"I haven’t seen you around before" he said.
"No I was new here just as everything started and what with everything going on" I blurted out.
"Yes much has happened recently, very well carry on and I will be keeping my eye open for you" he said with a broad grin. I urged the horse to move and it started to step through the gate.
"Wait. Stop" came his voice and I stopped sure in the knowledge that I had been caught.
"What do you think you are doing?" he said.
"A task for the Lady Elizabeth" I said quickly.
"No I mean who taught you to saddle a horse?" He asked.
"Well I am new here and haven’t often ridden" I lied knowing that there was nothing up with how I had saddled the beast.
"Let me just adjust this for you he said reaching under the horse to fiddle with the girth, then he fiddled with the stirrups.
"There you go. I have saved you from a nasty tumble do you have any plans for the next rest day?" he asked.
"What time do you finish?" I asked.
"Dawn" he answered glumly.
"Well I should be done by then we can talk then" I promised.
"Why the sword and the helm?" he asked.
"The Lady Elizabeth’s idea, she felt I would have less problems if I was mistaken for a man" I explained.
"You mistaken for a man?" he said with a smile.
"Look I have to go now I will talk on my return" I promised him and he waved me off.
"I will look forward to it. What is your name?" he asked.
"Cyrena" I used for the first time.
The east gate was not a problem to get through, the watch was taking more notice of people coming in than leaving, and with a simple acknowledgement I was out. I crossed the wide clear area around the city walls around Des Moines it was three miles wide and known as the Killing Zone, all cities had them and they were called many things. Once I was into the farms and other small villages that skirted the city I was happy.
New York was about fifteen miles away and I kept up a reasonably sedate pace, I did not wish to arrive in the dark. So while I rode I looked at the Kingdom that was mine and which I loved almost as much as Elizabeth. The small villages all had one thing in common, they were not slums. These people had pride in their village and their Kingdom. They were happy to live in the shadow of the great city and deserved a proper King. Fredrick was next in line for the throne and though he might moan to my Uncles about leaving his home for Des Moines he would make a Good King. One that these people deserved and one that I could never be. I adjusted myself on the saddle, I think I had found why so many Ladies enjoyed riding so much. Parts of my new body were rubbing on the saddle as the mare moved and despite the fact it was pleasurable, I moved to stop it. I did not want to admit the fact that I could get pleasure in this body or to be distracted from my task.
As the sky lightened I was approaching the village of New York and I sat there on the stationary horse enjoying the sounds and sights as the birds welcomed the dawn. I watched the sun rise for what I knew would be my last day and savoured it secure in the fact that this nightmare would end today. From the hill I was on I could see people starting to move in the village. I rode down the hill carefully and addressed one of the men walking along the street.
"I have been warned of a dragon in this area. Can you tell me where is it as I do not wish to ride into the beast" I asked.
"Aye lass it is in a forest to the north about two miles, though I do not think you will have trouble. It only seems to be interested in our cattle. Not that that is a good thing but it has shown no desire to attack people. Yet" he answered.
"Thank you very much" I said "You have been most helpful"
"We are all friendly in New York what we have done to deserve this beast I know not" he answered and I took my leave of him.
I headed out of the village and with the sun on my right and ahead of me I could see the forest he spoke of. On the edge of the trees I stopped and slid off the horse. I slapped her rear to make her leave as I would not have need of her again and my fate should not be hers. I took off the cloak and dropped it on the floor and drew my sword. With shield, sword and helm alone to protect me I entered the trees. I walked for a very long time, the new boots that had been made for me hurting my feet.
A dragon is a big creature stories speak of lengths as long as fifteen or twenty men and as high as four men when walking on all fours. I thought that finding such a creature would be easy, in a large forest I was mistaken.
I heard singing possibly a deep female voice I headed towards it. Before I could get close enough to make out the words the song, one I didn’t know finished. I could hear a voice speaking for a while but as yet I couldn’t make out what was being said. I carried on moving in the same direction and a new song started with a strange discordant melody and words that made little sense.
"Picture yourself on a boat on a river. With tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly. A girl with kaleidoscope eyes"
I kept moving towards the sound and despite the strangeness of the melody and the words, which by now had degenerated into what I felt was nonsense, it was a pleasant song.
"Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes and she’s gone" it continued then suddenly everything changed and I knew that this wasn’t a song but a spell.
"Boom, boom, boom" someone shouted at the top of their voice causing birds to fly away in fright.
"Luck in the sky with diamonds" came an eerie chant chilling me to my soul with the force of the off key wail.
I started running towards the spell caster and another round of the nonsensical verse started talking about rocking horse people and tall flowers. Then I started to make a little sense something was waiting to take me away I’d climb in the back and I would be gone with my head in the clouds...That was it this was an invocation the beast knew I came and was trying to invoke this Lucy to take me into the sky. She must be an air elemental, I continued forward now watching the sky as well expecting some spirit to come and take me.
"Boom, boom, boom" was shouted again very near now and again the summoning calls for the spirit Lucy.
I sneaked in close as another verse of the incantation started that meant nothing at all to me. I have no idea what plasticine is or what plasticine porters would be doing with looking glasses.
I could see the foul beast now it was huge its leathery scales had a reddish metallic tinge, and its wings were half spread. It was casting a spell, it was moving about in a rhythmic dance with its huge head bouncing up and down. Its eyes were closed.
It finished the incantation and I looked around trying to see if this Lucy had responded to the summons, obviously not I couldn’t see her.
"What do we try now?" It asked and I couldn’t see who or what it was talking to.
"Ah I know" it said and I realised it was talking to itself and it knew its spell had failed.
"It was twenty years today, that Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play" It screamed.
I rose and grabbing my blade more firmly I ran forward to face the beast before it summoned this Sergeant and his force.
"No more of your foul magic you beast" I cried as I charged at the beast.
"Oh my, an audience, do you have any requests?" it asked.
"Prepare to die you spawn of magic" I shouted it sniffed.
"Smells like I am not the only creature of magic here" It said and turned its back on me.
"Come fight you beast" I said.
"Go away girl" it said in a dismissive tone "your bothering me"
I ran in towards it the huge flank towering over me and sank my blade in deep to get its attention. The beast screamed and it’s tail sent me flying, my sword and shield being sent flying from my hands.
"You stabbed me in the arse you crazy bitch" it shouted trickles of flame leaving its mouth in its anger.
"You can’t even sing a song in a forest now without some loony tart sticking a sword in your rear" It continued.
"Come now beast have your revenge" I screamed standing up to face my death.
"Revenge? Piss off just watch what you do with sharp objects and other peoples buttocks" it replied turning around and starting to shamble off.
I ran forward and grabbed my sword, leaving the shield where it lay and chased after the beast I sank the blade in deep in the flank on the other side.
"SHIT" the beast roared as I went flying again "WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH YOU?"
"I am going to kill you or you shall kill me" I shouted back.
"Not without your sword your not" It answered picking up the long blade between two claws and examining it.
"Ceramic composite blade, very nice, this is the old technology no wonder it hurt" It said and embedded the blade in a tree possibly twice the height a man could reach. Before continuing to leave.
I looked around for anything to fight with and found a thick branch, with all my force I brought it down on the tail of the departing beast.
"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST" It screamed turning around to face me. It grabbed me in the claws of a huge foreleg and picked me up.
"Do you know what I should do to you girl?" It screamed at me and I could feel the heat of its fire.
"Do it. or I will kill you" I shouted back. It looked at me.
"Do it." I cried out.
"Please" I wept and the beast looked at me long and hard.
"It is not my death you seek, it is your death and I will be no part of that" it said and I wept tears of grief and frustration that even this avenue of release had been denied to me.
"Come on tell me what’s happened" It said after a while "Is it your young man has left you? It can’t be so bad you’re a pretty young thing"
"Pretty young thing?" I screamed back "I am King and should have been wed to my beloved Elizabeth by now"
The beast laughed at me. It was mocking me and I slipped out of its grasp, dropping to the floor with a jolt. I grasped the branch which I had dropped and struck its foreleg.
"Ouch" It said lifting that foreleg up and putting the other down which I promptly hit.
"Ouch, listen will you stop that. Ouch, listen" it said as I hit each leg as it came down.
"Right that is enough" it shouted picking me up again. It rose on its rear legs and deposited me high in a tree.
"What is up with you?" it demanded as I tried to figure a way down to tackle the beast, None being available I stared breaking branches off and throwing them at it.
"You mock me with your laughter" I shouted as I hit with little more than a twig.
"No I do not" it said with compassion in its voice "I was laughing because all the other creatures in this world it could have been here to greet you and you just happen to encounter me" it said.
The creature turned it’s head skyward and roared "This isn’t funny you know. I don’t know if you were there before Silvinas, but you are now and boy are you one sick puppy. Who gave you the right to fuck around with people like this?" I looked up to see if it was possibly Lucy that the beast talked to but could see no one.
"What are you looking for?" the creature asked as I gazed at the skies.
"Lucy of the diamonds" I said and was astounded as the creature fell over. It was obviously in pain for it rolled around making strange noises and knocked over some small trees. I gradually made my way down the tree and with just a small drop at the bottom reached the ground. The creature was now lying on its back with the strange noises continuing.
"Are you ill" I asked.
"No you just tickled me that’s all" it answered catching its breath.
"No I hit you and stabbed you as I didn’t think tickling would be much use against a dragon" I answered very confused.
Again the dragon started making lots of strange noises and a tree was engulfed in a jet of flame. I stepped back unsure of what was going on. The noises continued for some time.
"Are you sure you are not ill?" I asked my thoughts of my death wiped from my mind by this strange creatures actions.
"Besides the fact you are killing me, I’m fine" It answered rolling onto its side "No don’t say anything or it will be hours before I can talk to you. Sit down for a minute"
I sat down where the beast indicated and looked up at the head on its side it was still taller than me.
"Look I am going to tell you a story and no, hitting, stabbing or otherwise trying to hurt me till I am done. Agreed?" I nodded in response.
"Good. Do you know about how Silvinas changed the world into what you have now and changed the people as well" it asked.
"Yes, my father told me of it" I admitted.
"Good that makes life easier. Just before that all happened there was a young advertising executive in his twenties called Paul Norbry, no it doesn’t matter what an advertising executive is, it was just a job that he got paid for" the dragon said gently.
"Paul had three interests in his life money, cars and I will explain them a different time lets make that horses for now and a young Lady Bridgett McCann. One day as Paul is driving to work in his nice new BMW, that is riding his best horse to you, the world is changed."
"Was this Silvinas actions?" I asked.
"Yes, that’s it. When Paul wakes up he finds that no longer is he driving through the streets of Manchester but he is here" the creature said.
"Manchester has but one street" I said as I knew the hamlet we had ridden through it on the way to Berlin.
"No you have used many of the names of the old cities and towns in the new world you have just forgotten why. What is that village called?" it asked.
"New York" I answered and the beast chuckled.
"It is a surreal nightmare everything so different" It said "But anyway on with the story. Paul woke up and found himself here but he was a Dragon. Wonderful I hear you say, what a life. Well the first problem is eating, have you ever tried chewing a cow that’s still moving. It was enough to make me sick but after a while you get used to it" The creature said a long tongue caressing its lips.
"The second problem we faced as dragons was the fact that every idiot saw a dragon and went oh let us kill the foul beast. A bit like you did really, but we are not bad guys, though some changed after a few centuries of people trying to shove swords in you" the dragon looked up at my blade for a moment and shuddered.
"Anyway I had just got used to the eating, the flying and the men with pointy bits of metal, it must have been over a year after the change, when a large black dragon came by. I saw him arrive and though oh good company, though he didn’t talk. Then he starts bringing me cows and I thought, oh yes he was going that way and brought some back. A week or two of this with him looking my way and not speaking started to get me feeling edgy so I decided to move out. I took off and suddenly the bastard was following me spurting flame and roaring. Let me tell you I flew as fast as I could, you think I am big he was half as big again. I flew up as high as I could with him following till I could find no more energy and from the heights I gave up and fell. He caught me" The dragon paused for a long time shuddering at the memory.
"Then as it held me belly to belly in the air I felt something enter me deep and my body enjoyed it. When he was done he just let me fall and was gone I didn’t have enough energy to stop myself hitting the ground, it hurt but being built like this thousands of feet of drop does nothing. I hadn’t known I was female, how do you know on a dragon? I had never seen a dragon before I came here" she said softly.
"Oh" I said "you have been through the same"
"Yes and I tried to kill myself too in the following days. There were dragon shaped holes over the land for years and every man I met had no quarrels with dragons. Something wanted me alive. As it does you" she said.
"What can I do now?" I asked.
"Listen I do not think whatever force is guiding our destinies has gone to all this trouble to make you a bed warmer for some knights pleasure. We have great things to do yet" she said looking at me now crying again.
"Oh child I was thoughtless in my words but it is not all bad and can be very enjoyable, but you have a better deal than I" she said
"How" I demanded.
"Well a dragons idea of a long relationship lasts about two weeks and when he is done he literally dumps you. The sex is good fun though, the romance, well. Chuck a few cows at a girl and she’ll do anything isn’t exactly romance. The final side though eighteen months with fifty eggs inside you is uncomfortable and laying them, lets just say it smarts" She said wiggling her rear half and I had to smile.
"That is better I like company that doesn’t try to stick me with a blade, I like conversation and sound, which is why I tend to talk and sing to myself. Some of those other dragons are so bloody miserable and the thought of talking to one whose life is as short as yours infuriates them" she said.
"How long do dragons live for?" I asked.
"We don’t know, no dragon has yet died of old age and even at my age I keep popping out the eggs regular as clockwork"
"What do I call you?" I asked.
"My name was Paul but after it became apparent to me that I was female I changed it sounded stupid a female dragon called Paul. I am now known as Yedda which in a tongue ancient even to me means the singer" Yedda said "But what to I call you?"
"My name was King Clifford" I answered "but now I am Cyrena"
"That’s pretty its Greek I think something to do with water" Yedda said.
"What is Greek and what does it have to do with my grandmothers name?" I asked.
"Never mind" she said "Now what are we two poor creatures going to do? Are we going to sit on our arses, that are still sore by the way, or are we going to see what gallant task fate has in store for us?"
"Sorry about the stabbing you with a sword and hitting you with a stick" I said "It wasn’t you I intended to hurt"
"I know otherwise I would have been long gone by now. If I give you your blade back will you put it away?" she asked and I assured her I would. She reached it and gave it to me.
"Des Moines is that way isn’t it she" said facing north.
"No" I said and guided her around to face the right way.
"Fine, now we could both do with getting there rather quickly and you are on foot. If I turn up there alone some body will get hurt probably me. So just for today and today only you can ride, because I refuse to be anyone’s mule" She said firmly.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes it was just a case that during the magicians wars they got the stupid idea that they should ride dragons. The one that captured me used a device which fucked with my brain. When I eventually broke free of the fucker and dropped him from a very great height I said never again would a man ride me like a beast" Yedda said.
"Well I’m not a man any more" I answered.
"True" she said and then turned her head to look at the sky again.
"That is you fucking about again isn’t it?" she roared. I left her to her conversation as I collected my shield.
"Right now if I help you up and you sit on my neck" Yedda said "Hold on tight but not the ears the ears are ticklish"
I climbed up and held on to huge scales around the back of her head, I carefully avoided her ears remembering the reaction last time I tickled her.
"Right here we go" she said and leapt into the air the first few strokes of her wings nearly dislodging me.
"Is that your horse down there?" she shouted.
"Yes" I shouted back as she tilted over onto her side to give me a better view.
"Please don’t eat her" I asked "She’s a good horse"
"I don’t eat people, pets or pigs" she said "I’m Jewish"
"Oh" I shouted back "I am sorry one of the cooks has digestive problems too"
Suddenly she started making strange movements beneath me, jerking and the ground started coming up fast. We hit with a bump and wheat in the field was flattened by the impact of the crash a lot of it flying in the air over the two of us. I was thrown forward my nose hitting her head with a bump.
All movement had ceased except the twitching beneath me my nose was bleeding and I could taste the blood.
"Are you alright" I shouted.
I got no reply except twitching and strange noises.
"Yedda are you hurt" I shouted down her ear.
"No but please stop the shouting I am not deaf" she answered.
"Now we will try again" she said after a moment "are you hurt?"
"Bloody nose that’s all" I assured her.
"Good now rules of flying never start telling the pilot jokes while you are airborne" she said.
"Jokes? What Joke?" I asked.
"Never mind" she said "Just let me concentrate while we fly and we can see if we can get you there in one piece"
"Fine by me" I assured her as I tried to figure out what had been so funny.
Again with a lurch she was airborne and the great wings struggled to gain height. When she gathered enough height she started gliding lazily as an eagle does, my ears hurt and I was cold.
"That’s the city" she shouted and I could see the huge city ahead with the giant castle on the rocky outcropping in the centre.
"Do they have archers?" she asked.
"It will take them a few minutes to get archers" I shouted back after a moments thought "if we go in low then land we should be in the castle before anyone has chance to grab a bow"
"Good" she shouted back "They can’t do much damage to be barring the odd sting, but you are another matter"
She started dropping in height, gaining speed all the way till we were no more than a hundred feet off the floor, with the ground and the air rushing past me at a speed that would have left any horse far behind in a second.
In a mater of minutes the city walls approached as small farms passed underneath. We crossed into the Killing Zone and I realised we were now below the level of the walls. She rose a little skimming the wall and men on the wall dived for cover.
"In the large courtyard at the back of the castle is the best place to land" I shouted the words being ripped from my mouth as I said them.
The rooftops were less than fifteen feet below her belly the larger buildings like The University towered above us as did the castle. She was aiming at the cliff face at a speed that had covered fifteen miles in minutes. She suddenly pulled straight up heading into the sky. The cliff was only feet in front of me as we climbed, then the white walls appeared, a flash of silver as a man on the wall went past and we were over, dropping down with big backstrokes of the wings into the courtyard.
We hit the ground with a bump and I looked around, Michael was coming out of the stables with his sword drawn. Ready to protect his horses with his life against a dragon.
"Michael" I screamed as loud as I could "Hold your blade" he kept on coming not hearing me.
"HORSE MASTER MICHAEL" I screamed louder "I ORDER YOU TO PUT DOWN YOUR BLADE. YEDDA IS UNDER MY ROYAL PROTECTION"
He paused confused for a second wondering where the voice was coming from.
"Get me down quick" I said to Yedda and a shoulder was lowered to allow me to dismount. Michael was approaching again in anger, he hadn’t seen me since the change I realised. He doesn’t recognise me, he thinks we are a threat to the castle.
I drew my sword and ran to place myself between Yedda and him.
"MICHAEL I DO NOT WISH TO CROSS SWORDS WITH YOU BUT YEDDA IS UNDER MY ROYAL PROTECTION" I screamed and again he paused.
"Clifford?" he said confused.
"Do you know anyone else likely to come visiting by dragon?" I asked.
"James no" he shouted and I turned to see James approaching the dragons rear. Yedda flicked her tail and he went flying, Michael and I ran to his aid.
"Put your weapons away" Michael cried out to the men approaching swords drawn.
"You heard the Horse Master" roared James getting up from the floor "Go you have things to do"
The men departed and James turned to face Michael.
"Who is this and what is going on?" he demanded.
"His highness er... Her Highness has returned" Michael said.
"Your Highness" James said relief evident on his face "Clifford" he said.
"No. No longer His highness or Clifford" I said "Now I am Her Highness Cyrena Queen of the Kingdom of Des Moines and I intend to do my duty as a King would"
"But Your Highness" he said "you are not a man anymore"
"Quick aren’t you Jimmy The Lance" I said.
"Who needs a dick and balls to fight with, when you have a fucking big dragon" Yedda asked leaving both men stunned.
"You speak?" James asked.
"Obviously" Yedda answered.
"Your Highness we have been searching for you" Michael said turning back to me.
"Yes well I am back now" I answered.
"No it is the Lady Elizabeth" he said.
"What?" I said instantly alerted by the way he said it.
"She asked Shakwell to perform the same spell on her as was performed on you. Shakwell refused saying that he only performed it on you as a last resort. She answered that it was a last resort, because if she wasn’t in a form that you could love and be with, what was the point of living? Shakwell still refused and then she took a poison in front of him. It is a swift acting one that kills in minutes but Shakwell has paused time around her much as was done to you" James said to me "He refuses to do anything else for her until he has researched the poison to see if there might be an antidote"
"I will not perform magic for some love struck child to get her lover" came Shakwell’s voice.
"You will take that back or I will open you up, to find if there is a heart in there" I said drawing my blade.
"Just what do you think you can do against me?" he said in his arrogance.
"Well you little fat sod, she stabbed me twice in the arse before she started beating me to death with a stick" said Yedda
"Yedda?" Shakwell asked.
"The one and only" she answered "do you ever get the idea we are being fucked around at the moment?"
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Well what we have here is a King who is a woman, meets a female dragon who used to be a man. Then we throw in you and me, how many other magician, dragon friendships are there?" Yedda asked.
"None that I know" Shakwell said.
"Exactly and you save this lads life on the battlefield and now this with his wife to be. If this was a dice it would be so loaded that it came up seven all the time. Some greater power is fucking with us as this can not be random events" Yedda finished.
"Don’t give me all that divine intervention crap" Shakwell said scathingly.
"Yes I know it’s impossible" Yedda said "and I am a dragon that use to have a girlfriend and drive a Beemer"
"Listen you two I don’t understand what you are talking about and I care even less. But if she dies so do you Shakwell" I said.
"Yes young lady and what will you do to me?" he said looking me up and down.
"Whatever Her Highness looks like, she is still the same person who attacked five Ogres killing three on her own" James said picking up the sword he had dropped.
"Yes and I for one will stand at her side to face whatever foe she faces" Michael said looking at James.
This was a problem for James, Michael had just accepted me as king and was asking James where he stood. James was a traditionalist, while he was always very gallant with women and he believed women should know swords to be able to defend themselves, women in war were against his nature. Now Michael was asking would he fight at my side.
He paused a moment his face twisted by the conflict inside him.
"Yes Your Highness, you have my arm when and where you need it" He said.
"Jimmy The Lance’s arm alone could do the task of seeing you through to the next life" Michael said.
"With my meagre skill and the exceptional skills of Her Highness I feel that you should be a little deferential in your attitude" said Michael to the still defiant Shakwell.
"Listen Shakwell" Yedda said "I had you down as a little, bald, fat fucker, but stupid you never"
"Yedda I can’t I need the strength to face Silvinas" he said anguish in his voice.
"You have been chasing him now for over a millennia, a jump through time here and a sleep for fifty or sixty there. You haven’t caught him yet. You do not have the power to beat him because he uses the same power as you. He knows as much as you because you taught him. This might be the advantage you needed to at least have a chance of besting him" she said to him firmly.
"But" he started to say.
"Just look around you do you see anything unusual about the group of people we are with. Do they seem like the normal run off the mill petty royalty and their flunkies. Is this girl you speak of just a bit of fluff?" Yedda asked.
"No she is one of the most brilliant young women I have ever met what ever I have talked to her about she has picked up in moments and turned around to new and interesting avenues of thought" he said.
"So think man" She shouted "You have a dragon, a king who is still a king despite the fact he is now a she, two men that I wouldn’t like to tangle with and a brilliant girl. Then you and Silvinas, this isn’t just random events"
"No possibly not" he answered cautiously.
"Well get your arse moving and do something because above all else you seem to like this girl" Yedda shouted at him.
"Yes I will help her" he said suddenly "Yedda yet again you make me think with my heart, not just my brain and I thank you"
I slid my blade away and ran to keep up with him as he headed inside the castle towards Lizzie’s room.
"This will be dangerous and the same thing applies to her as applied to you. I cannot guarantee form or even if her mind is there afterwards in this venture. You were an unexpected result" he said.
I looked at Lizzie’s body lying there immobile on the bed and rushed to her.
"She is in suspension she can not sense anything" he said as I tried to rouse her "say goodbye then leave us, if these forces escape me they could kill all three of us"
"No I stay" I said.
"You go or I don’t try it. I can’t have any distractions even someone breathing could cause me to lose her" he said grasping my hand.
"How long will it take?" I asked.
"At least a day and a night maybe slightly longer" he said and I bent and kissed Elizabeth on her lips before leaving.
Outside the room I could hear Shakwell start his incantations and I felt the power like a thunderstorm waiting to break. I walked outside weeping for what I had caused Lizzie to do, with how callous I had been of her feelings.
"Cyrena" I heard someone say and when I remembered that was me now I looked up.
"Look I’m sure she will be fine" said Yedda
"No it is that I did this to her. My thoughtlessness my cruelty that drove her to this desperation" I wept
"Look you might have been the hottest couple since Romeo and Juliet" she said "but with you like this and if she don’t swing that way it wouldn’t have worked whether you were nice or not. Now at least something good might come of this"
"Who is Romeo and why should I want to swing Lizzie?" I asked very confused.
"Look what I am trying to say to you is let us see what happens" she said firmly nearly knocking me over with her huge head when she pushed it at me trying to offer some reassurance. I stood there for a while using the large head to support me. I could smell her spicy smell and feel her warm breath blowing across me.
"Your Highness" came Gwinn’s voice from behind me.
"Yes Gwinn" I said without turning around.
"You need some food in you and does your guest have any special needs as far as food?" Gwinn asked.
"Thank you for your offer" Yedda said making the head I was resting on vibrate to my touch "but I ate last week and it will be at least another week before I need to eat again"
"When you do wish to eat again is there anything special you would like?" Gwinn asked.
"Cow if it is not too much trouble" Yedda said
"How would you like your beef?" Gwinn asked
"Running please" was the reply
"Your Highness come and get some breakfast" Gwinn said.
"No I am not hungry" I answered.
"Cyrena you will come and eat now or no one in this castle will eat till you do" Gwinn threatened I turned around to face her ready to argue "and you are not eating in my kitchen till you have cleaned up"
She looked at me closer now "Have you been fighting? Is that blood on your face?"
"The blood on her face is accidental" Yedda said "the blood on my rear is thanks to her sword"
"What?" said Gwinn.
"I didn’t want to fight so she stabbed me in the…how shall I put this for a lady such as yourself. The bit of me that was showing as I walked away." Yedda said with pain in her voice.
"She did that alone?" Gwinn asked pride in her voice.
"Yes and then she proceeded to try to beat be to death with a stick. It is only when I surrendered that she let me live" She finished.
"Well again and again you become the object of stories" Gwinn said "but your arrival today will bring lots and lots of people asking questions. So when you are done treating your friends wounds come and eat then we can see about sorting you out for guests. Lots of them" Gwinn finished walking off as she did.
"Yedda who do you think is best treating you, Michael is or Horse Master and is skilled with horses or I can get someone from the University to come and treat you?" I asked.
"I think the Horse Master will probably have more idea" Yedda said miserably.
"He is a good man and most of the time between him and Gwinn all the ills and injuries are treated in the castle, it s only rarely that an expert is brought in" I said.
"He has treated you?" she asked .
"Yes many times" I admitted.
"In that case, if its good enough for a king" she said with a rumble that I was starting to associate with humour.
"Michael" I called the departing man.
"Yes Your Highness" he said returning.
"Michael, Yedda has a couple of wounds that need attending to will you help me as I am unsure on what to do?" I asked.
"Certainly I will not see any beast…" he said and there was an ominous rumble from Yedda "or person suffer" he finished as if the last part had been what he was saying all along.
He proceeded to examine the two wounds for a moment or two then returned with a large bottle. Yedda kept turning around to see what was happening with her rear end.
"Look these two both need cleaning up and one of them could do with being sewn up. But this is going to hurt as this is pure alcohol that I get from the University. It hurts but the wounds will not fester" Michael said.
"Hurt?" Yedda said concerned.
"Yes a lot" I said remembering cuts and scrapes being cleaned as a child.
"Well let me point in a safe direction" first she said shuffling around to face a wall "Your man up there should probably move as well"
Michael made the man move from his position on the walls defences and opened the bottle. With a rag he started dabbing at the first wound which was completely ineffectual. He spread the edges of the wound and poured possibly quarter of the bottle on it.
"Oh Jesus, what the hell, oh God" Yedda roared some flame escaping her mouth.
Michael turned his attention to the larger wound.
"Give me a second just to…"Yedda said but was interrupted by Michaels ministrations.
"Oh you bastard" she screamed as the wall in front received a blast of flame.
"This one could do with sewing up" Michael said when she had recovered slightly. She proceeded to try and twist around to examine the wound nearly knocking both of us over in her attempts.
"Yedda if Michael says it needs attention then it does" I said to her.
"Are you sure, that was painful anything else might hurt more" she said to me.
"Come on a big strong dragon like you moaning like this over a little pain" Michael said as he had with most of the castles youth over the years.
"Listen I may be big and strong, but pain is the bodies way of saying ‘Stop being so bloody stupid’ and I always listen" she said
"Kevin come over here" Michael said calling the smith over to look at the wound, the man grabbed some bits a pieces from his smithy.
"Its best if you don’t look" I told her pushing her huge head around and stood by it.
"Why did I decide to come back to the Kingdom to face this?" she asked.
"Because someone is playing around with our lives" I said "If I hadn’t kept stabbing you, would you have told me all that you did?"
"I haven’t told anyone what I did you since I got here. Even Shakwell doest know and I would appreciate it if you didn’t say anything" she asked.
"You have my promise of silence" I said.
"You know when your not impaling new people with your sword you’re a good kid" she said.
"I am not a kid" I protested.
"Look Shakwell is a kid to me as he has done a few decent jumps through time and has had his long sleeps. You are just a kid to me, but I like you" she said as she started twitching as the two men worked.
"Good because I like you" I admitted.
"Again fate plays silly bastards, since I have been a dragon I have never liked royalty of any sort. People generally can be fun but the attitudes of the so called ruling class I just found abhorrent. Then you…" she said.
"I can not say one way or the other about dragons, the last known dragon in the kingdom was in the time of Eric" I said.
"That’s where I know that sword from" she shouted "Its been bugging me but with over a thousand years of memories in here you tend to have a few problems finding what you want"
"No my father carried Eric’s sword. That was one I decided to carry before the battle, Lizzie and I found it" I explained.
"Yes and you just happened to find and decide to use the sword and shield of Eric, you didn’t happen to see any ceramic plate with it did you?" she asked.
"Yes if you mean plate made of the same substance as the sword" I answered.
"Listen" she roared at the sky again "This just is not on. Screwing me around is one thing but when you start fucking with nice kids like this then it pisses me off. You keep doing this and I will just sit on my arse here and not play your stupid games."
"Who do you shout at?" I asked.
"Whoever is watching everything we do controlling us like rats in a maze" she answered.
"Is it this Lucy that you spoke of?" I asked.
"That is just a song by The Beatles" she said.
"I have heard crickets and birds sing but never beetles" I answered.
"Look you go and eat. I will finish getting sown up and I will teach you some songs later" she announced glancing around to see the work that was going on at her rear end.
"Because if you start me laughing now we could be talking serious casualties in a confined space like this" she shoved me towards the kitchen with her nose.
I walked into the kitchen and washed up at a sink, I could hear mumbling and muttering behind me from the staff. I ignored it totally.
"We have the head of the merchants guild and a representative of The University here already" Gwinn said as she placed a bowl of oatmeal on the table. I put some honey in to sweeten the oatmeal and proceeded to eat.
"What does Clive want this time" I asked referring to the head of the Merchants Guild.
"He is probably worried about the affect a dragon will have on his profits" Gwinn answered
I thought about it for a moment. The Merchants Guild had been set up by my father to try and stop hundreds of merchants and traders coming to see him to ask the same questions. With the guild he hoped that all questions would be addressed through a representative and only have to be answered once.
"The biggest mistake I ever made" My father had said to me once "Was giving the merchants the guild. It gave that man more power than he could have ever hoped of with just money. Clive now has the attitude that he not I should run this kingdom and I will not have that as my concerns transcend his petty worries about profit"
I continued eating as I thought how I could deal with him.
"What does the University want?" I asked Gwinn.
"Probably to cut your new companion up to see how she works" Gwinn answered with unconcealed disgust.
"I think Yedda might have a few things to say about that" I said.
"Yes, I have heard stories about dragons but I would have never believed they were so big or that they could talk" Gwinn said.
"I know I didn’t know they could talk either" I admitted "but I think it is a case that no one ever asked one to chat, rather than sticking a sword in it"
I finished eating and sat there for a moment planning my next moves. Clive was an arrogant man who would push his weight around to get what he wanted. If he got his way once it would be once too many. He would feel he had won and I would be expected to be deferential to him all the time. As far as The University representative was concerned I would just let them have a talk with her for a while. I couldn’t see her objecting to company and seeing they would have to negotiate with her, thoughts of dissection would be driven far from their minds.
"Let us get you ready now" Gwinn said getting some giggles from the girls behind me.
I couldn’t let that pass no matter what my appearance or my situation was at the moment it wasn’t acceptable.
"Who are you to laugh at me?" I turned around swiftly to find Gail there.
"Come on Gail this is my house my kitchen and despite looking like this after being mortally wounded in battle I am still King" I shouted at her.
"I today have fought with a dragon, flown back to the castle, threatened the great Shakwell and had the allegiance sworn of Michael Master of Horses and Jimmy The Lance" I shouted loudly trying to ensure my unfamiliar vocal chords didn’t shriek the words I was using against the girl.
"I will not tolerate this attitude and it will stop now" I shouted and she opened her mouth to reply.
"You will not open that mouth unless it is to say yes and sorry" I warned her.
"I’m sorry Ma’am" she answered.
"That is fair enough but never forget who or what I am" I said leaving the kitchen with Gwinn following.
"Where you a bit rough there?" She asked.
"At the moment no" I said "I have to make my authority felt, more so now than ever before. I would not have put up with that if I wasn’t looking like this and I can’t put up with it now"
"But it is a new situation for her and it may take some getting use to" She answered.
"Gwinn take a look around you at the events that have occurred since the first day I met Lizzie. Look at the people, the creatures and the situation that we have here. These things say that we are reaching a crisis point in the kingdom of Des Moines and there are things to be done. This is the only reason I am still alive and the reason I will stay alive till it is done. But I do not have the time to waste gaining acceptance slowly, They take me as I am for what I have done and who I am rather than what I look like now" I told her as I walked to my quarters.
"Have you actually looked at yourself since it happened?" She asked
"No" I said.
I had all mirrors removed from the quarters on the first day I found out and barring the essentials of life I had avoided any further examination of this body I was trapped in.
"Well do so, as you might understand what people are facing when they try to figure out how to treat you" Gwinn said firmly.
We walked into quarters and I found a bath had been filled for me while I ate. I looked at Gwinn questioningly.
"Look as a man you can ride all night, crawl around a forest, fight with a dragon, fly back home and then walk into an important conference and no one will say anything. As a woman they will only remember you came in dirty and stinking of horse, not what you say" she said.
"That is totally irrational" I protested.
"There is no rationality when it comes to men and women and how they act. When before Lizzie did you actually listen to what was said by a woman?" Gwinn asked me.
"I always have" I protested loudly realising the lie in it from the moment it left my lips.
"Yes and I can see by your face that you have just thought properly about that. Now into the bath with you" she said firmly "and I will see what you have to wear"
"No dresses I am not going to dress as a woman" I said as I stripped, modesty with Gwinn being a thing of the past after the last couple of weeks.
"Well if you like it or not you are one and in the next week you will be reminded of it" she said as she fished through my new clothes.
"What do you mean" I asked.
"Well it will be that time of the month. It came last time almost four weeks ago when you couldn’t move" She answered as items were thrown on the bed.
"You mean I am going to bleed?" I asked the horror of the situation sinking in.
"Yes I am afraid so as everything seems to work" she answered "and we are going to have to sort out a decent ladies maid for you as a lot of skills you are greatly deficient in"
"What about you?" I asked unwilling to bring another female in to help me dress.
"Look I have a kitchen to run which has been neglected badly since this happened and you need a girl to help you rather than an older woman. I will make you look like I think you should, before Lizzie I would have said no to trousers. A girl your own sort of age will help you look as you should" Gwinn insisted.
"But…" I started to protest.
"Look you know as well as I do that if you go out there with the wrong image they are going to try to walk all over you. Your position at the moment is going to be unstable if it is the crisis that you say it is then we need you now more than ever before" Gwinn said.
"That’s not fair" I said a small smile on my face "That’s my argument find your own"
"That is more like it come on lets get you into that bath" she said firmly.
As always the water was warm rather than hot and as I slipped into the water I wondered what could be done with a helpful dragon to heat water for the castle. Gwinn helped me wash my long black hair that seemed to have a mind of its own.
"What about this to wear?" Gwinn asked holding up a ladies formal gown.
"No, no, no" I said horrified at the thought of having to wear something like that.
"Well at some point you are going to have to appear formally, it is part of the job as your father said. Those responsibilities are now yours and yours alone." Gwinn answered firmly
"I know" I answered almost at the point of tears "but not yet, please"
"Look I have an idea for today but we will have to get you sorted soon" she said and disappeared while I finished scrubbing the stink of horse from me.
"Lizzie got these a while ago but it will be a long time yet before she gets into them" Gwinn said holding out a pair of black velvet trousers.
"Er…" I said unsure of how to say no again.
"Look you have two choices, these or nothing" Gwinn shouted at me.
"Those men waiting out there would prefer nothing, but I don’t think you will oblige will you?"
"Those will do" I answered knowing Gwinn was in no mood to argue.
"Good now get out of that bath and get dry, then we can get you presentable" she said.
Three quarters of an hour later I was standing there waiting for a mirror which Gwinn had insisted was needed in my room.
"Gwinn does it always take this long to get ready" I asked.
"Oh no, sometimes it takes ages" she said smiling as she watched my face fall. "Don’t worry you will soon get used to it"
"I don’t want to. I just want to do what I have to" I answered.
"Yes but to do that you have to be taken seriously, as you are at the moment that is possible" Gwinn said as the mirror finally arrived.
"Look long and hard" Gwinn said.
I did a young woman was standing in the mirror. She was thin but rather wide around the hips, her black hair was braided down her back so the hair on her head was tight against her scalp. The things I would look at immediately as a man I studied and considered. Breasts, a nice size but could be bigger. Legs, long and a bit thin. Bum, well I couldn’t see anything wrong with that except it was mine. Her face was pale and strained and all attention was drawn to her dark serious eyes.
"Yes if it wasn’t me I would say she was great" I admitted "But do I have to wear this bra? Its horribly uncomfortable"
"Give it a week or two to break it in and you wont know you have got it on." She answered "You need to get used to wearing a bra and the bra is new"
"What about this shirt?" I asked "isn’t it a bit tight and well effeminate?"
"Look because of how you are built now anything that fits across the chest swamps you elsewhere. That is the best I can do for now" Gwinn said getting very irritated with my tedious moaning.
"Two last things, please" I said to her.
"Go on"
"Well these trousers are they too tight also?" I asked.
"No that is what you have been enjoying looking at on Lizzie" she said as I looked down at my crotch where my lack of manhood was very obvious, with my flat crotch and that gap that is always so interesting between a woman’s upper thighs.
"Very last thing, I need a sword" I said.
"Fine" she said with a smile as we walked over to my fathers sword.
I picked it up and straight away I realised that it was too heavy for me to think about using. Gwinn saw my face at this disappointment.
"Look you know the reaction you had in battle with the sword you used then. The sword does not make a King. The King makes the sword a symbol that men recognise" she said
"I know, its just it was fathers and now it will gather dust" I said.
"Only until the man to wield it arrives as happened with this one" she said as she helped me put on the lightweight weapon.
"Do I look like the ruler of a kingdom?" I asked.
"Well you don’t look like a King but you will be a formidable Queen" She said and pushed me towards the door "Go and show them whose boss"
I headed down to the Great Hall and looked around. It was just Henri here at the moment.
"Your Highness it is good to have you up and about at last" He said slightly unsure of how I would react.
"Don’t worry Henri despite the different appearance it is still me in here and I have all your years of teaching to guide me" I assured him
"I know, but even without the changes I would prefer that someone other than Clive of The Merchants as your first official visitor as King…Er I mean Queen. Er… I mean" he stumbled at this point.
"Henri I am Queen Cyrena of The Kingdom of Des Moines" I said gently to the poor man "But I will perform my duties as a king would"
"Good, we need a king now more than ever" he said.
"Look lets get this over with and then you can update me on all that has happened" I told him as I had to be the first to admit, I was neglecting my duties.
"Clive of The Merchants Guild for an audience with Her Highness" The doorman shouted at Henri’s signal and the man walked in.
He was an average height man with little of note in his appearance except his bright red hair, his clothes where the usual expensive cloak and hat of the merchant class in a deep red colour. He also had a great passion for jewellery and tended to wear more than many of the ladies.
"Your highness it is good to see you up and about after such a horrific wound" he said.
"Well I didn’t exactly come through it unscathed" I said.
"No, but may I say that as a lady you are one of exceptional beauty" He said.
"Well let us get down to business" I said ignoring the comment "What brings you here?"
"Well I am afraid I have to demand that you do something to rid us off this dragon that has appeared. It will not be good for the members of my guild as if it is known an evil creature is here, eating people, destroying property. It will scare off potential customers who may visit the city. Their livelihoods are at stake" he said firmly.
"I think you forget who you are, where you are and who I am" I said standing up at this point.
"You have no rights to come in hear demanding anything" I shouted at him as I walked closer.
"I demand, you request. If I feel kind I may grant your request, if I am not I might just enquire with Henri what the tax rate is for merchants in the city at the moment" I said his face took on a paler look.
"At the moment it is seven point five percent of profit made" Henri supplied
"Well what if we make it of gross income?" I asked Henri.
"It would certainly ease the financial burden at this time of crisis" Henri said.
"No I am sorry Your Highness I apologise, my eagerness and worries over your health have made me unclear in speaking my thoughts. Please may I rephrase that request?" he asked quickly.
"Yes" I said.
"Your Highness would it be possible for you to address the potential problems a dragon poses within the city?" He asked.
"Yes Clive" I answered "You go and discuss the potential problems with her and than return to me. We will then address the problems that are posed with this situation" I said and Henri waved a man in to escort the protesting man to Yedda.
"Dean Malick of The University for an audience with Her Highness" The doorman shouted.
"Your Highness it is good to see you up and about" said Malick who specialised in medicine at the university.
"Thank you Dean Malick" I said "It is better than having a sword in your belly, not much but a bit"
"Yes if you feel up to it at anytime do you mind relating your experiences and feelings to one of my students for her to transcribe?" He asked gently.
"Dean Malick I am having problems myself at the moment with this and I feel that I might have problems talking about it" I said.
"See how you feel, she is a pleasant girl fascinated by how the mind works. Talking about it might help as well as she always says. But I am putting no pressure on you" he said with a smile. Despite his single minded devotion to learning I always liked this man. You just had to be prepared for whatever mood he was in.
"I will consider it seriously" I promised him.
"Secondly I believe you have captured a dragon. Would it be possible to bring in a team to study the beast" he asked.
"Well I don’t think the term is captured. I think recruited or befriended is a closer match. But though you and The University have full access to the castle and grounds as always any arrangements with the dragon are between you and her" I said.
"You can communicate with the beast. How?" He asked.
"Well her speech is strange at times as are her songs but her meaning is easily understood" I replied.
"She can talk? When can I meet her? What is she like?" he said rapidly.
"Look let me take you out and introduce her to you. She likes company and conversation and you want to find out things. I think you two will get on well" I said with a smile.
Outside Clive was making a rather fast getaway from Yedda. He didn’t even glance back as he did everything but run to get away.
"He seems rather keen to leave doesn’t he" I said to Yedda.
"Yes I have given him something to think about" she answered.
"What you threatened to eat him?" I asked
"No I just pointed out that people love to be scared and also they love the unusual." She explained "What a draw it will be for the city ‘Des Moines The City With Bite’ and a picture of me underneath. A couple of those sent to every village should get things moving. Then all I need to do is fly over the city a couple of times a day maybe a bit of flame and the odd roar. These people are going to be rolling in it, even before we get the merchandising going"
"Oh?" I said totally lost.
"Yes but that bastard is a tough negotiator and I think he and his guild are going to try to screw me" She said
"Why how much did he get you down to?" I asked
"Two percent of the increase in gross takings" She told me
"Look Henri has teams who inspect the merchants takings for tax purposes. If I make it known I am sharing such information with you for our mutual benefit, I might get the correct taxes paid and you might get your pay" I suggested.
"You have no scruples do you dear?" Yedda asked me.
"I make use of any advantage I have and you Yedda are a distinct advantage" I said.
"Thank you. Now who is this you have brought to see me?" she asked.
"This is Dean Malick of The University. He would like to bring lots of people out to talk to you" I said.
"If it is permissible with you" Malick added quickly.
"People coming to talk to me. Oh yes please" She said happily.
I left the two of them talking as I went to find out how my Kingdom faired with the war.
END OF PART ONE
*********************************************
© 2001 by Hypatia. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without
limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for
personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed
electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the
copyright holder.