by Mark Eller
* * * *
Rubbing at the not yet swelling results of her husband’s unexpected passion, Elise fumed at the sight of his mistress seated on Elise’s throne while King Vere gave audience to his head scholar, Issac Van Wess.
“They make a handsome couple, do they not?” Belsac, the king’s chief advisor, said quietly. He stirred beside her, drifted inches closer. Elise wanted to scurry away from something indefinably foul about the man. Well set-up and not yet in his middle years, he was dark and tall and had a set of gray eyes speaking of such depths she was sometimes afraid she would fall into their pits and never pull herself out. She wondered if Vere had fallen into those eyes. It was only after Belsac and Helace’s arrival that the king’s body ballooned so greatly he could no longer sit a horse. Could those eyes have captured her husband’s mind?
No, she admitted. Vere’s downfall owed less to Belsac’s eyes than they did to what resided between Helace’s thighs. Elise had spent most of her life surrounded by stunning women. All of them paled when compared to the king’s mistress. Helace was perfect skin surrounding an exquisite frame. Dancing red hair held court over a child’s face glowing with inner strength and fire. Helace’s soft voice invited trust from women and lust from men. She was, in effect, every man’s wet dream. Only a succubus could shine brighter.
“They are disgusting,” Elise said, edging unobtrusively away from the man so she could rebuild a safe distance.
“Because she is beautiful and he so fat?” Belsac’s smile grew warmer. “That is part of their appeal. Being next to him makes her appear like delicate china, too precious to use except on special occasions.” He chuckled. “I expect one of those occasions will be the day when you lose your head and she becomes queen.”
“The church and our lords will never stand for it,” Elise said calmly, refusing to be drawn into his games. “Murdering me would flaunt the will of the gods and centuries of law.”
“Yes.” Belsac ran his fingers across his chin. “Well, I’ll soon deal with the gods, and even now Van Wess is leaving on a journey which will take care of any problem we have with the lords.”
“You will deal with the gods?” Elise chuckled. She gave him a doubtful grin. “Don’t you think your attitude is a bit arrogant or perhaps overconfident?”
Belsac studied her for several moments. “No.” He gestured toward the throne with an imperious wave of his hand. “Come, we must attend your husband so he can order you to abort the child.”
“I’ve had four stillbirths.” Elise responded. “I’ll not have another.” She looked to her maid. “Wenda, wait here so you don‘t risk the king’s ire.” Gathering her courage together, she wished Yernden’s politics could be handled with a sharp knife. Matters would be so much simpler if she were allowed to slit a few select throats. Not many, just two or three dozen. A small part of her felt sorry Ludwig’s one-time manservant had joined Ludwig in exile from Grace. Ludwig was a fool, but Harlo was quite efficient and rogue enough to have cut those throats for her if the price was right.
“Follow,” she ordered Belsac, knowing the advisor would resent the command. She mentally threw on her regal mien and strode to Yernden’s twin thrones, almost giggling inside at the thought of how much Belsac would resent having to follow to her rear.
Every trace of her good humor disappeared when she reached the thrones. Lounging in a seat not meant for her, Helace ran her perfect fingers over Vere’s corpulent arm. Her pointed nails glistened natural silver, and her lips formed a delicate curve while she pointedly studied Elise.
“Yessss,” Helace said slowly. “I can smell it much better now. You stink of sweat and scent, but beneath I smell woman get.” The tip of her tongue darted briefly from between parted lips. “Have you been untrue to your vows, My Queen?”
Vere leaned forward, a not inconsiderable feat considering his girth. “I’ll not be cuckolded. This child will be ripped from your belly. We’ll be divorced, and you’ll hang the next day. No law of god or man insists I remain married to an adulteress.” He grunted when he leaned further forward. Rolls of fat rippled across his body, and when he bent his neck Elise was unable to see his chin. Looking at her husband, she wanted to weep for what had been lost. On the day of their marriage, Vere had been a trim youth already well known as a hunter and warrior. Eight years had passed since then. She, who had born two live daughters and miscarried four dead sons, was more fit than ever. He, who had done none of those things, had come to this.
“You should have acted the part of a proper woman,” Vere said, “and given in to my will.”
Frowning, Elise wondered when she had become the stronger of the two. She shook her head slowly, denying her husband’s will yet one more time.
“The child is ours,” she said, “attested to by Anothosia and Omitan themselves, as witnessed by more than a dozen of their priests. Furthermore, the goddess has cast her blessing on the fruit of our union. No one shall cause this child harm or order harm to come to it before its birth ‘less they are willing to face Anothosia’s wrath. Go ahead, my husband, kill our child. Hang me, but know you sign your own death warrant when you do, and you ensure the deaths of any others complicit in those murders.”
Red suffused Vere’s face. His eyes narrowed with anger, but then his anger changed into confusion. Turning his head, he met Helace’s accusing eyes. Her eyes, in return, swiveled to fasten on Elise.
“You are a stubborn woman,” Helace said, every trace of little girl coo disappearing from her voice. Her tones were harsh, her inflection sharp, and a growl sounded deep within her throat. “I should murder you now, and then I will be queen. Belsac?”
Shaking his head, Belsac moved into Elise’s view. “Not now. Not under these circumstances. Remember, My Queen, she is an emperor’s daughter. Not only is the Altude Empire ten times the size of our kingdom, it also has the habit of expanding its borders through warfare. Emperor Dade will declare war on your kingdom if his daughter is killed without just cause. We are not yet ready for war. Soon, but not now.”
“Our kingdom,” Elise said pointedly. “Not yours.”
Helace’s eyes were hot ice daggers. “What!”
“This kingdom belongs to my husband and me. You two are merely an advisor and a whore. Vere is king, and I remain queen because Anothosia protects the heir.”
Helace parted her lips to show pointed teeth. “Foolish, foolish child. Did you not know the gods reign in a land only because its ruler says they may? As of today Yernden begins to worship new gods. Powerful gods. The gods of Hell. Less than an hour ago King Vere signed a resolution which accepts Athos and Zorce as Yernden’s future. Before long the worship of any other god will be condemned. Heretic priests will be drawn and quartered. Heretic priestesses will serve in the whore houses. The false temples will be destroyed or turned to new, better purposes.”
A small mewling noise drifted across the throne room. Hearing it, Elise’s heart leapt within her chest. She slowly turned to see Wenda crouched down low, silent tears dripping from her cheeks while she wrapped inadequate arms protectively about her body.
“I forgot about our witness,” Belsac said. “Can’t have people going around spreading rumors and lies, can we?” Coughing, he raised one hand and pointed a finger.
“No, please no,” Wenda pleaded, but her crumbling face said she knew she would gain no pity or compassion here. Straightening, she backed up until she met the closed throne room doors. Once there, she fastened hopeless eyes on Elise. “My Queen! Please don’t let them harm me. I’m your vassal. Protect me.”
“You will not harm her!” Elise ordered.
“Of course not,” Belsac answered, “unless my king orders differently.”
Elise looked to her husband and saw his flaccid manhood exposed. Helace stroked his member gently with two long nailed fingers.
“You want the woman dead, don’t you, my darling?” Helace asked. “You want to make me happy”
“Yes,” Vere answered, closing his
eyes. “Oh, yes.”
“You see,” Belsac said, shrugging. “What can I do? The king must be obeyed.”
“Something you should remember,” Helace added.
Turning in a panic, Wenda tried to pull a door open just as Belsac’s fingers morphed into hissing snakeheads.
Belsac grunted.
Five winged snakes shot from his hand, flew through the air, and attacked the maid. Wenda screamed when fangs sank into her body, screamed again, and then she dropped to the floor. Moments later, when her body stopped thrashing, the snakes slowly dissolved, disappeared, and Belsac’s hand held five fingers once more.
“Feel fortunate we need a plausible reason for you to die,” Helace said. Beside her, Vere giggled and tried to slide his hand down the top of her blouse. Helace slapped his hand away and resumed her idle stroking. “Belsac, this idiot needs more of his medicine. I’m not in the mood to be crushed under his body yet again.”
“Of course,” Belsac said. “As soon as this interview is over.”
“You aren’t human,” Elise whispered. “Neither of you are.” Sadness welled when her gaze fell upon the prone form of her next to last friend. Until now she had thought she dealt with nothing more than a normal power grab combined with kingly lust. It appeared she had been very wrong.
Belsac’s form shivered, shimmered, and for a brief second she looked at a leather-winged mongrel devil wearing scales.
“Satisfied?” Belsac asked. “Go ahead, play queen until your brat is born. Just remember, Anothosia’s protection will disappear the moment you shit the brat from between your thighs. Then Helace and I will play our own games.”
“I’m leaving now,” Elise said carefully. “I’ve a funeral to arrange.”
“Don’t bother.” Helace’s smile was thin. “We will dispose of the body. I have many hungry friends.”
“I need my medicine,” Vere said, looking around the room, his eyes unfocused and slightly confused. “Does anybody know where it is?”
“I do,” Belsac answered. “I know where all your medicine is located.
