Queens' Warriors

by Mari Byrne

  “Winters summoned me, My Lady Princess. Do the refreshments meet with your approval?” The man asked as Shari took a drink.

  Swallowing quickly, Shari nodded her head wondering when Winters had summoned what she now noticed must be lunch.

  “Yes. Thank you…” Shari wanted to thank the man by name but was at a loss.

  “Andrews, My Lady Princess. My name is Brent Andrews.”

  Shari smiled suddenly feeling ravenous and could not remember when was the last time she had eaten.

  “Thank you, Andrews.” She said, then shifted to thank Winters. “And you too. I didn’t realize just how hungry I was.”

  “That will be all, Andrews. Please thank the cook for the fare.” Winters dismissed Andrews who left with a smile.

  “It was nice to meet you, Andrews.” Shari called after the man speaking around the meat she had just bitten into. Seeing Winters smile, Shari rolled her eyes.

  “This is delicious! Sorry. I don’t usually talk with my mouth full. My mother did teach me manners.”

  Winters smiled indulgently.

  “It is your home. Do as you will.”

  “Speaking of mothers…” Shari began before stuffing her mouth with more of the scrumptious food.

  “Ah, yes, My Lady Princess Evelyn. She was a gentle woman not taken to following the laws of Aranakian society. She enjoyed listening to her husband and what he thought best. In our Realm that is unusual.”

  Shari ate while she listened.

  “As you can see here, she wasn’t necessarily a woman of great beauty, but she was gorgeous inside. She adored her children and doted on her sons. Their father, My Lord Thaddeous swore she would mollycoddle them to death if he let her. My Lady Evelyn would only smile and allow her husband to rant. When he was done with his tirade, she would smile and do as she always did. Shower the boys with love.

  “When My Lady Princess Lyssa was born, the boys, older than their sister by seventeen years, doted on the little one. It was My Lady Evelyn’s turn to complain they were spoiling their sister.”

  Winters paused smiling in fond remembrance of the memory.

  “But their mother still continued to dote on her sons. Their father loved them but knew if anything happened to Queen Sara or her children, it would be Shan Lin and Vincent’s bride who would inherit the throne.”

  At this, Shari sucked in her breath completely forgetting the bite of food she had just taken. The food lodged painfully in her throat, and she hacked and coughed plenty before dislodging the item.

  Winters had risen and come to offer his aid, but Shari waved him away as she quaffed at her drink. Recovering quickly, Shari asked the obvious question.

  “Does it mean I’ll become Queen one day?” The thought nearly made her panic.

  Winters shook his head. “No, My Lady Princess. Queen Sara’s sons have apparently taken a wife. It is she who will assume the throne.”

  Shari breathed a heartfelt breath of relief as she muttered thanks.

  Winters smiled and continued.

  “My Lord Prince Thaddeous wanted his sons to be the best. It didn’t matter what they did, they had to be the best at it. To this end, My Lords’ father had been sending their mother, My Lady Evelyn, away to her sister’s for one month of the summer to ensure his sons were made to train properly in anything they started. The summer of their mother’s death, My Lord Princes’ Shan Lin and Vincent were to begin training as Warriors. They had already gained their titles and lands their wife would receive upon their marriage, as well as acquired the rank of Generals in the Queen’s Guard.”

  Shari raised her eyebrows at this bit of information.

  “I told you, My Lord Princes’ insured they were the best at anything they did. It also amused their aunt, Queen Sara, to see the young men in her elite guard.”

  Now that Shari could understand. Partial nepotism, part parental ambition. The same thing went on where she came from. Nodding with understanding, Shari motioned for Winters to continue.

  “Yes, well. The Princes had been training night and day for three weeks when the message came out over the Wired News. There had been an attack on an Aranakian village. Men, women, and children had been slaughtered viciously. Horrdian warlords came in and slaughtered the entire village, raping men and women alike, pillaging and burning anything in their paths as they went.”

  Shari swallowed hard at the description of what Winters described, she set down the food she had been devouring and waited for the man to continue.

  “The town which was attacked was named Trantn. My Lord Prince Thaddeous had sent his wife to Trantn for the month to visit her sister. Both women were sisters to the Queen of Aranak and took it for granted the women would be protected at all times. After all, his wife had been visiting her sister for the last twenty years with little trouble. Why shouldn’t it be so this time?”

  Winters paused, Shari reached for a glass on the tray in front of her and offered it to the man. He took it gratefully and drained half the cup before setting it down to continue.

  “All three men abandoned what they were doing and raced to help the village. Their mother was in the village. They had family in the village, all who needed their help. They raced with all speed and arrived in record time but it was too late. Evelyn Carrucci-Rayan was dead. She lay next to the bodies of her sister, My Lady Princess Gwendlyn Lawsai-Rayan and her sister’s children, My Lady Princesses Christina and Anna Lawsai-Rayan.”

  “But Lawsai? Isn’t that…” Shari asked recognizing the last name. Winters nodded.

  “Yes, Captain Lawsai’s mother and sisters. My Lady Princess Theresa Georgia Lawsai-Rayan. Or if she preferred, Anaksup. Both she and My Lord Princes are niece and nephews to the Queen. If they wanted to use the royal name, it is within their right.” He paused before saying. “As it is now yours.”

  Shari shook her head in wonder.

  “Their mothers were… How long ago was this?” Shari asked.

  “Sixteen years ago.”

  “But, didn’t you say Shan Lin and Vincent were seventeen years older than Lyssa? And if so, where was she? Why didn’t Theresa die too? Why in hell weren’t royal members of the family being guarded?” Questions backed up in Shari’s mind as she waited for the answers.

  None came.

  “My Lady Lyssa was left in my care. Her father did not wish to be parted from his daughter, and Lady Evelyn acceded to his wishes in this instance. Though why he would have sent his wife away and not…” Winters caught himself before finishing the thought and went on as if the comment had not been made.

  “My Lady Gwendyln also had the first set of triplet girls born in the Realm of Aranak in the last one hundred and eighty years. Her girls were local celebrities. When one wanted something, the surrounding area had trouble denying it to the girl. Riad help them if all three wanted something at the same time.”

  Shari heard the bittersweet happiness in Winters voice and felt for him as well as her husbands. What the families had to have endured must have been staggering.

  “Theresa, her father and twin brothers, Jonas and Damien were out of the village. Theresa had wanted to accompany her father to town and My Lady Evelyn had managed to talk her sister into letting the girl go. She once confided in me Theresa was her favorite but I was to never let on to the other girls. They never heard a word from me, nor has Theresa.”

  Shari digested all she had learned and sipped at the remains of the last glass on the tray. This was part of her husbands’ past and she was glad she had been told.

  “Thank you, Winters. The tale must have been very difficult to relate to me. I’m sorry for any residual pain it might have caused.” The heartfelt thanks was rewarded.

  “It hurts less with every telling, My Lady Shari. Thank you for listening.” Shari nodded absently pondering all she had learned.

  “What was your intended purpose for summoning me?” Winters finally asked rising from his chair.

  “What?” Shari asked still thinking on
some of the things Shan Lin and Vincent had gone through before meeting her.

  “Oh. Yes, that.” Shari stood taking one last look around the room before she hooked her arm through Winters and made her way out of the room with him.

  “I was just a bit lonely. I wanted company. Thank you.” Shari leaned forward and kissed the older man on his cheek. “I’m sorry to have interrupted you.” She left him to do whatever it was he did.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I do believe it’s time to meet my marriageniece. Why don’t we send her an invitation she can’t refuse. Officially, of course.”

  The smile stretching across the aging Queen’s face sent a shiver of fear snaking up and down the spine of the eight servers in attendance.

  “Brashon. Send the Lady Princess Shari’s escort with an invitation to lunch.”

  Expecting immediate obedience, the Queen turned to look back at the spectacle playing out before her. An amused smiled played across her face as she watched the three women overpower the strapping man on the floor and proceed to tie him up. The first woman, homely at best, bared her teeth to the man in savage satisfaction.

  “Mine. You will see to my needs first.”

  Sara strode toward the woman, pride ringing her smile and stroked the woman’s hair absently.

  “Now I’ll find out exactly what has been going through the minds of my supposedly loyal Warriors. Riad help them if they’ve betrayed me, for I will not.”

  The words, spoken in such a casual manner, sent one attendant quietly from the room. She would need every second she could find to locate her contact allowing the woman to inform the Warriors of Queen Sara’s plans.

  * * * * *

  “Thank you, Krystal. That will be all.” Sara said in her best imitation of imperial sovereign. “You’ll be amply rewarded for your loyalty. You may go now.”

  Sara did her best to hold in her anger as she waited for her spy to leave the room before letting out a snarl of anger. Panting in outrage, the Queen made her way through the official rooms of the palace ignoring greetings and questions alike. Her mind was focused on one thing.

  Someone would pay for their betrayal, and that someone would soon be attending her.

  * * * * *

  “It’s such a lovely land. I don’t know when I’ve ever felt so relaxed. The surrounding areas I’ve seen so far have been the most picturesque places I’ve seen. I can’t imagine ever living anywhere else.”

  Shari spoke of inconsequential things knowing what the pounding on the door meant. All Shari was waiting for was Winters to come in and inform her that her husbands had been killed, she was now a widow, and he’d come to take her back to her own world.

  Turning back to Dorian she listened for footsteps to approach her door. A moment went by, then another. When the door to the covered patio continued to remain closed, she gradually relaxed her body and giving a sigh of relief, relaxed against the back of the chair she sat in.

  “My Lady Princess, is it true on Earth there is land and food aplenty for all?” Dorian asked casually.

  Shari thought for a moment before answering.

  “I could tell you yes, Dorian, but it wouldn’t necessarily be the truth. You see we have people starving on earth and no place to live. There are some who have a preference to wander the Earth for whatever reason they have and not live in one place. They’re homeless, but by choice.”

  She paused to think of a few of the people she’d come in contact with that actually preferred this way of existence. Shaking her head in wonderment, she continued answering Dorian’s questions.

  “Then there are those who have no choice. Be it from tragedies in their lives, not being able to find a job, lost in the system… Well, I could go on forever. Earth isn’t a perfect haven. The grass isn’t always greener in someone else’s yard.” She looked to Dorian to see if he understood her euphemism.

  “Do you understand?” She asked hopefully.

  “I get the meaning if not the actual saying. Basically, just because it sounds better, doesn’t always mean it is better.” Turning to look at her, he smiled.

  “Exactly. Guess I could have said it that way. There are those who try to change the bad things about Earth. Even if it’s a different part of where I come from, there are those who want to help. We haven’t quite united the entire planet, and it sure won’t happen in my lifetime, but I have hopes it eventually will.”

  Still watching Dorian, Shari observed as the smile slowly left his face.

  “I’ll be happy if we ever get the chance to just reconcile with our neighbors. I want an end to this war. It’s been dragging on for so long, I wonder sometimes if we aren’t just fighting each other because it’s what we have always done.”

  The wistfulness in his voice as he spoke of an end to the Aranak-Horrd War came through loud and clear. As war had only touched her life from a distance, there was little she could do to commiserate with him.

  War on television was one thing. Living it day in and day out wasn’t something she ever wanted to experience again. She’d be glad when this charade was over.

  The thought stopped her cold and made her sit up straighter. No, she thought. She sure would not be glad.

  Before her thoughts could wander into a time when she might have to leave Shan Lin and Vincent, the door to the patio opened distracting her. Both she and Dorian turned to see who had interrupted them, and her body went rigid at the site of Winters. As best she could, she rose from the chair, her knees shaking nearly so bad she couldn’t stand, she stepped toward Winters only to come to a halt when she spotted the two men behind him.

  There was no time to reach out for Dorian. Suddenly he was there beside her. Admonishing herself to remain calm, she greeted Winters.

  “Hello Winters. I see we have company. Please, invite them in and offer them something to drink.”

  Winters face remained passive and when he spoke, his voice was crisp and precise.

  “I’m afraid they are not staying, My Lady Princess. These…men,” he nearly sneered the word, “Walkins and Lith, have come to escort you to the palace. The Queen wishes an audience with her new marriageneice. I have taken the liberty to lay out some of your clothing, if it meets with your approval.”

  Even though Dorian had grasped her arm with his hand in case she received bad news, it had taken all her strength to refrain from clinging to him. Now, she turned to Dorian and smiled, grasping his arm in return.

  “A visit with the Queen. What an honor, Dorian.” Turning back to Winters, she smiled brilliantly.

  “Of course, Winters. If you gentlemen will excuse me, I’ll just freshen up, change, and meet you in a few moments.” So saying, she walked into the house, Dorian following in her footsteps and Winters brushing the two newcomers out of her way.

  Before either of the new men had come through the door, Shari stopped and looked back at Winters.

  “Oh, Winters?”

  “Yes My Lady Princess?” He stopped immediately blocking the men behind him from entering.

  “If my husbands come home before I return, please give them word of my whereabouts. I wouldn’t want them to worry.”

  “Of course, My Lady Princess. I shall see to it myself.”

  Smiling her thanks for real this time, Shari made her way through the labyrinth of a house to the suite she shared with her husbands.

  A soft, but relieved sounding sigh escaped from Dorian.

  “What?” Shari asked quietly glancing back at Dorian startling him.

  “My Lady?” Dorian asked following closer to Shari but still maintaining a discreet distance.

  “Why the relieved sigh, Dorian? Did you expect someone to come here with the intention of harming me?”

  “Of course not!” Dorian cried softly.

  “Then why the relief?” Shari asked turning left at the intersection the two came to.

  “I was… That is, they didn’t… Um…” Dorian’s words trailed away.

  “What? Did you think
they were here for you?” Shari asked turning back to once more look at Dorian.

  “Yes.” Dorian whispered.

  Shari stopped so quickly Dorian nearly fell in his attempt to avoid bumping into her.

  “I don’t understand. Explain.” Shari demanded.

  Dorian bowed his head momentarily before lifting it again, squaring his shoulders, and staring Shari directly in her eyes.

  “My aunt,” The word was spat out savagely, “the reigning Queen of Aranak, enjoys her family. Enjoys her family so much, she uses them in whatever way amuses her at the time. I made the mistake of thinking I could use this to my advantage.” Bitter laughter sounded.

  “Queen Sara treated me the same as any other peasant in from the gutters. She used me for her own depraved purposes then discarded me. Which wouldn’t have been so bad except instead of having me thrown out of her palace, banned from ever returning, she sent me to her prison and had me treated as a traitor to the crown.” Dorian’s voice hitched on the last word and Shari gave him a moment to recover.

  “The beat…the torture was bad enough, but I could have healed from that. As it is now, I find I suffer from some of the injuries from time to time. It was the healer’s hope that in time… That isn’t relevant at the moment, even though the telling of my disgrace is.”

  Shari began to disagree shaking her head in a negative but Dorian stopped her.

  “You wanted to know why I was relieved. I was worried either of the two men would recognize me. I’m shocked they haven’t yet.”

  “But… Well, why haven’t they?” Shari asked assuming the two men back with Winters were well known to Dorian.

  “Because the healer was forced to replace my face with another one. I’m, even now, still healing from the effects.”

  “Sheezuz, Dorian.” Shari blanched. The bitterness Shari heard in the young man’s voice was fierce. Whatever price Dorian had paid for his naiveté, it had been too high. She would have never known if he hadn’t revealed any of this. His appearance was perfectly normal for… But was it? Shari thought. I never knew what he looked like before…