War Against the Realm

by Sherri Beth Mitchell

  “I am faring well enough. Just reminiscing for a few moments.”

  He nodded and glanced at the necklace, waiting for her to continue.

  “So much has changed for me…for all of us here.”

  “And they will continue to do so. Life is but an evolution of the self. You must adapt to the evolution.”

  “Wiser words were never spoken.” She bit her lip and said, “But what if you evolve so much that you can’t recognize who you are anymore?”

  Geldin looked at her sadly. “Oftentimes that happens, little one. But we must take great care to ensure that what we evolve into is something, someone, greater than what we were. Too many are unable to achieve that. Look inside yourself, Dragon Queen of Lystia. You are stronger than most, and have a good head upon your shoulders. Use it wisely, and you will evolve into something much more than you ever dreamed. By the Dark Moon, you are a dragon and a human within the same body! Who else could say such a thing and still be thought sane? You are in control of your destiny. If I were you, I’d do my damnedest to make sure it was a good one, and worth every pain you endure along the way.”

  Silvia nodded. “I will do my best.”

  He smiled at her and stood up. “I never thought of you as one who would do anything less. Take care, Your Highness, and good luck.”

  He vanished, leaving her alone once more. She chose her hairstyle with haste, braiding her hair to keep it out of her face for dinner. She picked up her dress and slipped into it, lacing the strings on the front carefully so that they were even and not twisted. Last to go on was her sapphire necklace; when it rested against her naval, she felt the familiar warmth from it, and a sense of being complete.

  As if knowing she had just put it on, she heard Quentin’s voice come through the stone, echoing softly in her mind: Milady, we are ready to accompany you to dinner.

  She stuck her feet into satin slippers and opened the door to see her husband waiting just outside. His face softened as he looked upon her, and she thought to herself how incredibly handsome he was. He was freshly bathed as well, and his hair was tied back with a ribbon. The beard which had begun at the beginning of their journey was shaved away, exposing his smooth cheeks and defined cheekbones. And he was waiting hand-and-foot for her—not some heathen witch. She smiled at him, and for the first time since leaving Lystia it was a truly genuine smile. She took his proffered arm, and they were led down the hallway by Hans and one of the Duke’s servants. Quentin was also among them; however he wore his cloak so that he could be near the King and Queen without anyone seeing him. He had said he didn’t fully trust the Duke and Duchess, and that the rumors of the gatherings held in their home were not of the innocent kind. He wished to be prepared for anything, and Keelan and Silvia agreed that it was a good idea for him to come along under the cloak.

  The walk was a short one, but the décor was nothing short of glamourous. The wall sconces lit the stone halls well, illuminating the frescos lining the walls, and several statues of the gods set back into recessions along the way. Silvia admired them as they walked, her mood lightening by the step. They were announced into the dining hall by a young man with a patch over his left eye.

  “Duchess Tinaya, Duke Byarne, I am pleased to say that the King and Queen of Lystia have arrived at your table.”

  The Duke and Duchess stood at the far end of the large horseshoe-shaped dining table, decorated with fine laces of gold and silver.

  “Please, join us as we dine to your good health,” the Duke said in a deep voice. He gestured at two places to his right where there were open seats among the socialites of the city.

  Silvia let Keelan lead her to her chair, directly beside the Duke, and pulled it out for her. After she sat, he scooted her chair forward and then seated himself to her right.

  “Thank you for receiving us into your good graces,” Silvia said. “We are most thankful for your hospitality towards us.”

  The Duchess smiled, her face framed by golden ringlets. She appeared to be in her late thirties, but the lines showing around her eyes and the corners of her mouth put her age at a slightly higher number. “We are pleased we could accommodate you, Your Highnesses. Please, eat and drink to your heart’s content. We have already begun sending food out to your army so that they will have a hearty meal as well. You have traveled far.”

  “Yes, and the journey has not been an easy one,” Keelan stated. “Thank you for attending to the army. Such an act of kindness does not go unnoted.”

  The Duke waved his ring-adorned hand as if swatting a fly. “We could not lead without learning to attend to those who follow. I am sure you feel the same, as we saw you go through your entire army to make sure everyone had their needs taken care of before you even came in to bathe.” His brown eyes looked into Silvia’s, and he smiled. He wasn’t a handsome man, but had a charming presence about him. His brown hair was long and a bit disheveled, and he had an unruly beard to match it. He was dressed in fine clothes, but no doubt he had not chosen his finest as these were wrinkled and had a few stains here and there.

  Silvia inclined her head towards him. “Indeed, we are of the same mind on that matter, Duke Byarne.”

  The Duchess spoke next. “We want you to enjoy tonight and rest from your journey. I know you wish to speak of business matters, but those can wait until tomorrow.” She clapped her hands loudly and several servants ran up with plates laden with food and chalices of wine for the Lystian king and queen. “If there is anything you prefer that we have not offered in the way of your meal, please let us know and we shall get it for you personally.”

  Keelan shook his head as he swallowed a large bite of roasted pork. “There is no need for that, milady. This will suffice perfectly. We haven’t had a meal like this since we left our great city. And it’s delicious, if I might add.”

  The Duke and Duchess beamed at his compliment and all at the table resumed eating. Silvia let her eyes wander along the other people sitting with them. Many met eyes with her briefly before looking away; no doubt they didn’t want to be caught staring at this young queen and her king from a city quite a ways off. Conversation was minimal whilst everyone ate. Eventually, the Duchess stood up and clapped her hands twice for everyone’s attention.

  “As you all are aware, we like to liven things up here in Nillias when there is a big gathering,” she said, her hazel eyes flashing above a sly smile. “Let our performances commence so that King Keelan and Queen Silvia can see the many talents of our city!”

  A colossal harp, trimmed in intricate golden patterns, was rolled to the table. As the table was shaped like a horseshoe, the harp was pushed into the middle so that all could see and enjoy. A chair was brought out and set next to it, and a moment later a beautiful young woman walked into the room. Her hair was the lightest color of blonde that Silvia had ever seen, and she was very short in stature—standing straight she was just at five feet tall. But that wasn’t what caught everyone’s eyes.

  The girl wore a gown so sheer that every part of her anatomy could be seen: her nipples teased the loose pink fabric, and the curve of her rump was outlined explicitly in the back. The blonde curls of her womanhood could also be seen, especially as she walked towards her harp. She repositioned the chair behind the instrument and sat down, one leg on either side of the harp. She didn’t look around at anyone; in fact, nothing seemed to exist to her except the instrument. She reached out with both hands and as her fingers found the strings, a beautiful melody began to fill the air. It was soft at first, but soon the music seemed to be bursting with the same emotions that were on the girl’s face. Her eyebrows furrowed and she closed her eyes as the music tugged at the heartstrings of her audience. The room was dead silent but for the harp, and each person sat entranced by the exotic beauty and her music. Her fingers finished, the last one plucking the string so that the final chord echoed in the spacious room.

  Slowly, the girl stood up, and walked away with all eyes on her in her wake.

  Duke By
arne smiled and leaned around Silvia to look at Keelan. “Quite a piece, isn’t she?”

  Silvia threw him a dark look, but Keelan answered swiftly before her mouth could open. “Her music is exquisite, sir. My ears are pleased.”

  Byarne’s smile faded. “You thought nothing of the young lady herself though?”

  “Why would I? Have you not seen my wife?” he said, and put his hand atop Silvia’s.

  She blushed, despite herself, and added, “Such a lovely instrument to hear. She has quite a talent for it.”

  “Maybe the next performance will be more towards your liking,” Tinaya said. She looked towards the door and gestured for the servant to let the next performers know to come in.

  Drum beats started outside, synchronized and pulsating. In through the door they came, one by one, a drum attached to them by a sling around their necks. All of the people playing the drums were men...and all were naked, save for a tiny piece of leather that hung just in front of their manhood to protect them from the drum, and were only held on by a thin leather strap around their waist and down their backside. They filed in and formed a diamond, the front half of which was situated in the open space of the horseshoe table. The drum beats began a new rhythm, and the men’s feet began to step to the beat. Then some began to play a slightly altered syncopation and the drummers started to move around to the music. Their long hair was tied back in leather thongs and their bodies soon glistened with sweat as they became one with the drums. Their arms flew up in stylish flares and they switched positions again, squatting low when the drum beat was a hard one. Their thigh muscles quivered as they held their stances, and sweat dripped from their faces onto their chiseled chests as they worked their bodies to the rhythm.

  The music made one’s heart beat faster, and Silvia felt her inner dragon stirring at the sound. For a fleeting moment she thought to herself that this sort of drum beat would rile up her soldiers perfectly for going into battle.

  The long song finished, and the drummers turned to file back outside, their backsides brazenly revealed for the whole room to see.

  The Duchess glanced over at Silvia and said, “Now that’s my kind of show.”

  The Duke rolled his eyes but said nothing, and Keelan’s hand tightened upon his wife’s.

  “What is the next performance?” Keelan asked. He took a long pull of wine as if to show indifference.

  “I believe we have one or two more,” the Duke replied. “Send in the warriors!”

  The doors burst open and a small group of men and women came running in. One of them did four backflips as she came, ending up at the front of the group. They all paused in different positions, hands out in preparation for attack, and their weight grounded into the floor; each one reminded Silvia of a cat getting ready to pounce upon its prey. Everything was completely still for several long seconds. The warriors stayed immobile, not even batting an eyelid or shifting their weight. Then they moved at the same time and began to do the same movements in sync. Theirs was a strange style of fighting, as they used their legs more than anything else. Their flexibility was astounding, as well as their impeccable balance, as they stood on one foot and kicked their other foot into the air forcefully.

  When half of the group dropped back the three remaining warriors, including the girl who had done the backflips, remained. She turned to face the two men with her and Silvia noticed that this was the same girl who had played the harp. Her light blonde hair was braided behind her and she had donned different clothes, but the Queen could easily see it was the same person. She watched with great interest as the girl took a defensive stance with the two men. The men darted in, throwing punches and leg kicks, but the girl blocked all of them and dealt a few of her own that her opponents couldn’t block. Once she dropped down and swept her leg out with enough power to drop one of the men to the floor. He grunted and rolled away, and when he stood up he joined the ranks of his comrades from the first part of the performance. The girl turned back to the remaining opponent and bent her knees, waiting for him to attack. His attack was sudden and swift, but she was ready. Her arms came up to ward off his punches and thrusts. She quickly was able to push him back far enough to try an offensive move: she swung in a half circle, bringing her right leg up as she spun around to face the man again. The blow caught him on the side of his head and he dropped into a heap on the floor.

  Applause erupted from the audience. The girl turned to bow deeply to the Duke and Duchess, and then again to Silvia and Keelan. They bowed their heads in return and watched the girl and her group collect their warrior off of the floor, and leave the room.

  Nillias was a very interesting place indeed.

  Chapter Two: Revelations

  “Come, my dear,” said Duchess Tinaya to Silvia. “My ladies and I are retiring to my private sitting room to relax and have some more wine.” She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “The men are going to play boring card games and I wish not to fall asleep watching them.”

  Silvia smiled and excused herself from the table. Keelan stood up to scoot out her chair and bow to her, putting his forehead to her hand and extending his arm out. She leaned over and kissed him on top of the head, and he looked up so quickly that she had to laugh. His eyes sparkled as he kissed her hand and stood upright.

  “Milady, enjoy yourself with the other women. Perhaps I will see you again this evening.”

  She blushed at his insinuation and followed Tinaya out of the dining hall. They went up a staircase and through several corridors before going into a sitting room that was behind a set of double doors. Many of the female socialites were among the throng of women finding seats on the couches, their servants hovering close by, and Tinaya’s servants were there as well. As Silvia sat upon a plush velvet chair, she felt a breeze go by and a light hand upon her shoulder.

  Quentin had come with her. She smiled, feeling better about being in a room full of women who were already gossiping about all manner of things. She’d never had the opportunity to spend time with a large group of ladies before.

  Maybe this night wouldn’t be too bad after all…

  Natosha’s eyes popped open. She had been dreaming of Rohedon, reminiscing with her eyes closed. There were many pleasant memories she had of him, especially from when they had first met. She sighed, missing the old times.

  Then it hit her. She rolled off the bed and grabbed a small bucket she used for water and retched until her stomach was purged of her dinner. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and sat back on her rump, groaning. All the stress from the past few months was finally catching up to her. She started to get up, but a voice stopped her.

  “You should really take it easy, Natosha.”

  She rolled her eyes and looked up to see Eerich lounging on her bed. “What do you want now?”

  “Well, that’s not how most people would talk to a god,” he said with a scowl.

  “I’m not ‘most people’,” she replied haughtily.

  He laughed. “Your point has been made. But on a more serious note, you really should take it easy. That army has to be stopped before they reach here, and you’ll need your health.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she replied. “Since when did you worry about me, anyway?”

  Eerich sat up and looked at her darkly. “Since you decided to plant seeds.”

  He disappeared from the bed before she could speak.

  This world is full of crazy gods, she thought to herself. They always spoke in tongues and riddles, expecting mortals to figure everything out on their own. Couldn’t anyone just speak their bloody minds and be straightforward anymore? What in the name of the Dark Moon was he talking about?

  She stood up and got back on the bed. “I just need more rest,” she muttered. “I do too much in this realm. I refuse to be weakened by the stress of it all.”

  She tried to fall back asleep, but slumber seemed to elude her. Her mind drifted to a place far off…to a man she had become infatuated with. What was the King of
Lystia up to?

  Natosha rose again and went to the chamber behind her bedroom. The Mirror of Ways beckoned her with its golden frame and aura of mystic.

  “Show me the Lystian King,” she commanded.

  The mirror fogged up, images vaguely swirling about, until one began clearing up. The young, handsome king was in a room full of men. Several card games were going on, but the king sat a table with other important looking men drinking out of silver goblets. Natosha recognized the tall, well-tanned man with a top knot that had been traveling with Keelan before. She guessed they had reached Nillias, and that the man at the front of the table with the unruly beard was Duke Byarne. She was disappointed they had made it so far, but it couldn’t be helped now. The army could still be stopped before it reached her realm. She pulled up a chair to sit and watch them through the mirror, waiting patiently.

  Another wave of nausea hit her, and she closed her eyes for a few moments until it passed. When she next opened them, tears shone brightly. She continued to watch Keelan, waiting for him to be alone. There was something she needed to say.