THE KING'S CHOICE
by
Mandy M. Roth
© copyright May 2005, Mandy M. Roth
Cover art by Eliza Black, © copyright May 2005
New Concepts Publishing
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com
This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author's imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.
Chapter One
King Jakov of Braluse sat at his throne and waited as his head advisor, Andrija, led the females in one by one. The act of selecting a queen wasn't one he relished. His harem would continue to see to his needs, as they always had. He had no use for a woman to sit by his side and rule the Kingdom of Braluse with him. He'd done so on his own for centuries.
However, the prophecy called for the choosing of a queen by the night of the sixth red moon of his reign. Disobeying and angering the gods was not something Jakov wanted to do. Red moons occurred once every one hundred years and if he didn't select a queen by the rise of this one, he would never have an heir. That was not acceptable.
His people, the Avistaurus' of Braluse--part human, part shifter, were immortal. The entire planet of Hafoca was inhabited with various forms of bird-like shifters. All the tribes were able to shift into a bird of prey. In addition to shifting into a bird of prey, they could also shift into some other animal. That, of course, was dependant upon the tribe. The Avistaurus' shifter forms were that of an eagle and a bull. His child would share in these traits if it was male, as all males did.
The females on Hafoca, were only immortal once they began to take a male's semen internally on a regular basis. It was a way to assure that only the finest female specimens lived forever. The sick, the diseased, and the malformed lived short lives. It was not a kind way of life, but necessary to the survival of their breed and tribe.
Each virgin made her way past Jakov. Their faces were veiled with only their eyes showing, giving them an air of mystery. Gold chains adorned their near-naked bodies. Each was beautiful, toned, free from signs of aging but none made his cock stir and his chest burn. It was too much to hope that the woman he was forced to select would actually appeal to his carnal sexual nature. No. He would be lucky to find one he even wanted to bother sinking his cock into long enough to impregnate her with his child. Thankfully, he would be able to roll off the wench and allow the harem to see to giving him adequate relief.
Andrija cast him a wary look and motioned for the virgin nearest him to leave the room. The girl's eyes were wide with fear as they hurried from the room. He wasn't sure why he was so feared. He thought himself a fair ruler. Merciful. Strong. Fearless. The people seemed to have a different opinion of him.
"King Jakov, many women have passed by you this day, yet you have seen none."
Rolling his eyes, Jakov shrugged. "I have seen them all, Andrija."
"Then why have you not selected one?"
Jakov rose slowly. "None have called to me, brother. None have made me cease to think about any but them. We live long lives and I do not wish to remain tethered to a woman that I am indifferent too. If at all possible, I would rather not have to tolerate my wife."
Andrija arched a dark brow. "Do my ears deceive me or could it be that the great, powerful King Jakov wishes to be in love with his wife?"
Not wanting to subject himself to his brother's obvious amusement, Jakov laughed the idea off. "Brother, I merely wish to be able to sink my cock into the woman that will lie next to me for eternity and it remain hard long enough to give my seed to her."
"I see." The look on Andrija's face told him that his attempt at justifying the innate need to be drawn to the one he must choose was not going over with him.
It wasn't as though Jakov wanted to have these feelings. No. He wanted to be like so many other kings before him. He wanted to pick a wife that was prime stock to assure his sons would be both handsome and healthy.
"Would sampling the women help?" Andrija asked, his dark brown eyes locked firmly on Jakov.
The thought of bedding several virgins in one sitting did sound interesting. Shifting his robe slightly, Jakov felt the stirrings of arousal deep within him. He wasn't worked up enough for his dick to harden but it at least seemed to be interested in the prospect of taking the virginity of many. That was one of his favorite things to do. "Perhaps. Send the next one in. I shall have her wait here for the others then I shall allow her the pleasure of servicing me."
"Very well, my king."
* * * *
Dijana pulled at the chains around her waist. The priests had informed her that they were for adornment only, but she suspected it was more for a show of submission. It was appalling, the way the virgins of nobility were gathered to come before the king. As Sacerdos of the Sabian Antistitas, she was in danger by simply existing. Standing in close proximity to the king or his people was ludicrous. If she dared to use her powers as high priestess, they would know. Her people, the other priestesses from Sabian, needed her to continue to guide them.
How the beast of a king could pluck a woman for the taking from a gathering of strangers was beyond her. Unless the fates were aligned with him, he would never find a woman true to his heart. If he even had one.
Dijana had tried desperately to escape capture, but failed. Her own mother had been the one to inform the high guards where she was hiding. The woman lived and breathed loyalty to the king and all that he stood for. Dijana found the man to be an intolerable monster and she had yet to even lay eyes on him.
Thankfully, her sister had managed to escape capture. It was hard enough being here. The idea of her sister being subjected to this sickened Dijana. She'd spent the last week surrounded by women who wanted nothing more than to have the "great king" choose them. It was disgusting the lack of self-respect these woman had. The way they went on and on about pleasing the king and giving him a child had left her on the edge of madness. She was no man's whore. Her body was her own, not a tool to provide a man she could not stand with a child.
Hoping to be able to one day forget this fiasco, Dijana had done her best to follow the lead of the others in respect to obeying the priests. Not one who normally obeyed anyone or anything, it had not gone over so well. By the time the priests were done scraping the hair from her legs, sex and underarms, she'd wanted nothing more than to geld this "great king" of theirs. As if that weren't enough, the priests had taken to twisting her long hair into tight ringlets and painting her face to the point she looked like a whore for the taking.
When they'd pierced both her nipples, she'd sworn to exact revenge upon them. The other women around her had looked at her in complete dismay. They couldn't fathom why someone would not want to be the next queen of Braluse. Dijana couldn't understand why any women would want the job or the man that came with it.
Dijana certainly wanted to meet the king but not for a chance to be his queen. No, she wanted to gouge his very eyes from his overinflated head for turning her into some sort of sex object. She'd grown up with a brothel in her town. It wasn't as though she hadn't seen the types of women that frequented those places. They wore similar amounts of heavy black eye makeup and tiny outfits. In truth, they actually wore more material than she currently had on.
Now, wearing gold chains and only a thin scrap of white material to cover her sex, she stood with her arms crossed, daring anyone to tell her to move. If need be, she would fight to the death before allowing the beast to touch her. She was no man's whore. Not even the king's.
The door to the waiting chamber opened and the remaining women flocked to greet the king's advisor. Dijana's lips curled into a sneer at the sight of it all. They
were pathetic, each vying for a better position in hopes they would be presented next. Rumors circulated the villages that the king was an extremely handsome man. How this was possible was a mystery to her. In her opinion he was a tyrant.
The advisor was a handsome man though--tall, tan, and muscular. All that a woman would want in a mate. It was a good thing that she wasn't looking for one. Dijana had decided long ago that she would live her life for herself and no one else.
Andrija, as she'd heard the others refer to him, pushed through the group of women and came to a stop before her. Grabbing hold of her chin, he shook his head. "Why did you remove your veil?"
Dijana batted his hand away from her and stared defiantly into his face. "Because I wish to have no part in this exercise of barbarism. And I have no reason to be ashamed of the way I look. No part of me cares what the man thinks of me. This is all a joke. Take one of the mindless ones who seem so content on dedicating their lives to a man they've never met."
The advisor's chest puffed out and he pulled her to him. "You think our king to be a barbarian?"
Rolling her eyes, Dijana gave him a droll look. "I'm not a woman to mince words. I said what I meant and will shout it from the hills of Braluse if need be."
If she didn't know better, she could have sworn that Andrija's dark eyes lit with amusement. "Come, it is your turn."
She dug her heels into the floor, but it provided little in the way of traction. He pulled her with no effort at all. "No, stop," she said, trying to take her arm back from his firm grasp. "Take one of the others. They'll go willingly."
Andrija yanked her through the door to the king's chamber. Kicking out she managed to catch him in the back of the knee. Wanting to celebrate her small victory, she smiled wide. He stumbled forward, taking her with him, cutting her solo celebration short. They slammed into the ground hard. Andrija took the brunt of the impact leaving her lying on top of his muscular body. He growled out as he rolled her over quickly.
Dijana's eyes widened as the large man pinned her to the floor. He glared down at her with deep brown eyes and pressed his powerful body against her.
"You will respect your king." The look on his face was not kind and the tone of his voice was harsh. Still, she didn't fear him.
"He is not my king," Dijana spat back at him.
Andrija tightened his grip on her and she cried out beneath him. "Take your hands off me you ... you ... servant to the bastard that claims to care for his people."
"How dare you speak of the king in that manner? He cares greatly for Braluse and its people."
Dijana snorted. "Do they put something in the food here? That must be it because no one in their right state of mind would claim that beast cares a thing for anyone but himself."
In an instant, Andrija had her pressed even tighter to the ground. "You will not...."
Dijana thrust her head up, catching his face with her forehead. Clearly taking him by surprise, she couldn't help but smile as he rolled a bit to the side. She rammed her knee up fast. It made contact with his most valued parts. He hissed. She went to do it again but only managed to catch his upper thigh. The muscular trunk sent pain radiating through her knee. "Get off me, you oaf!"
"You." He tried to gain control of her. "Will be still or I will...."
Narrowing her eyes, Dijana stared up at him. "Or you will what? Punish me? See to it that I'm locked in a cell for life? Or have me executed? Hmm, I'll take any of those options rather than be forced to be here."
That stopped him in his tracks. "You would prefer death to the opportunity that is being presented to you?"
"Well, it's not every day that I go around besting head advisors." The need to taunt him was great.
"Besting advisors?" he asked, shock lacing his voice. "You are hardly in a position to claim victory, woman."
"Hmm, yet I'm not the one flinching every time I move slightly now. Am I?" Dijana jerked her leg fast as though she was about to strike out again and Andrija jerked, making her grin from ear to ear. "I'll consider that ample proof that you were indeed bested. I certainly hope you're not the king's last line of protection. Wait, I take that back. Who do I need to see to assure you're the one protecting his overly pampered backside?"
"Woman, you are dangerously close to being taught a lesson you will not like." He raked his gaze over her. A tiny grin began on his handsome face. "Hmm, perhaps you would enjoy it. I know I would."
"Pfftt, you won't be participating in any sort of punishment involving anything lower than your navel for some time. And if you should try, I'll tear it from your body!"
His eyes widened. "You dare to threaten me? Men twice your size have died for less than that."
Dijana wasn't about to give an inch. "That doesn't surprise me. Most men I know are pigs and cowards. Try taking on more women and you'll drop the act."
"Act? What act?"
"The one that tries to convince people that you're not only powerful but dangerous as well."
Andrija's mouth dropped open. She smiled wide.
A loud clapping noise came to her attention and she glanced sideways to see the source of it. There, only a few feet from her, stood the most magnificent looking man she'd ever seen. His long black hair was in one braid that hung over his shoulder. The sides of his head were shaved, as was the custom of most men in Braluse. He wore a long red robe that was open in the front and a wrap that was tied in a knot around his waist. His tawny, rippled chest seemed to shine and his small gold hoop earrings added to the mystique.
Looking down at her with the same dark eyes as Andrija, he smiled. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
She balked. "Not really."
"Care to tell me what you are doing down there?"
Dijana pushed hard on Andrija's chest until he finally moved off her. She rolled to her side and took a deep breath in. "Ah, I was doing my best not to be squashed by the king's henchman."
The red robed man laughed. "King's henchman? Oh, I like that."
"Wonderful, now point me in the direction of the exit and I will be eternally grateful. Let me gut the oaf beside me and I'll consider offering my soul to you."
"Why you little...." Andrija made a move for her.
Dijana twisted quickly and thrust her leg out. The instant she came into contact with his cheek and sent his head flying back, she smiled wide. "You were saying?"
Laughter erupted from the red robed man as he took a step toward her. Andrija got to his feet and put his hand out to her as he gave her a piercing stare. She snarled and snapped her jaws at it. He yanked his hand back quickly and began to curse in their ancient tongue. She merely smiled at him as she got to her feet. "The feeling is mutual, beast."
"What is your name, young one?" the red robed man asked.
"Dijana of Sabian, daughter of Pelersa." She dusted her backside off and rolled her eyes when her chains rattled. "Or, you could just call me painted whore for the day. This is ridiculous. What kind of a man thinks that having women wrapped in chains and barely dressed is attractive? I wish to cover myself. This is humiliating. No, beyond humiliating. I am a living, breathing person, not an object to be adorned with enough gold to feed the poor for years to come. Allow me to wear something or strip down and join me. I don't like being the only one in the room with nothing more than the king's gold on."
The red robed man closed the distance between them and touched her cheek lightly. A spark jolted through her as his skin brushed past hers. She gasped.
"You are not pleased with how your body looks?"
Looking up at him, she wondered how tall he truly was. She wasn't exactly short for a woman, yet this man seemed to tower over even her. The muscles in his neck worked and her inner thighs tightened. "I never once said that I wasn't pleased with myself. It should be my choice whom I allow to view me in this state, not that I would ever purposely wear an outfit this preposterous. And that veil ... pfffftttt ... why should I cover my face? Is he covering his? I think not. And really, he has me wearing almo
st nothing at all. What is the point of covering my face? I can see the purpose only if he puts a hood over his wife's face while he takes her." Shrugging, Dijana nodded. "I could see her begging for the veil. If he looks as horrible as he is rumored to be, it may be necessary."
"I take it that you do not care for the king."
"Gee, was it that obvious?"
The man chuckled. "Would you like to share why you do not like the king?"
"Why should I care for a man who has not cared for me or my people? It's his continued tardiness that has left outside armies raiding and pillaging my village and that of those near me."
The man looked taken aback by her revelation. "This cannot be true. If it were then you would not be standing before me now."
Not wanting to be annoyed by both men in the room, Dijana took a deep calming breath. "And what leads you to that assumption?"
"You are a fine specimen. The first a warrior would want to take for his own, to use, to sate his needs and...."
Her breathing grew shallow as he spoke. Something about him called to her on a level she didn't want to explore. Doing her best to hold herself together, she put a hand on her hip and tipped her head to the side. "Did I ever once claim that the outsiders haven't tried the very things you've stated?"
His face turned to stone. "Tell me exactly which armies have come and describe the men who have ... who...." He looked as though he wanted to kill something. "Dared to touch you."
Dijana grinned. "I can take you to the men who tried to touch me."
The red robed man's brows drew together. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, that the men who dared to think they could lay a hand on me are buried just outside of my village."
Relief washed over his face, making him appear slightly less agitated. "It is good to know that one of the guards in your village came to your aid and prevented them from taking you."
Tipping her head back, Dijana burst into laughter. "Oh, you are just like every other man I know. The first thing you assume is that a big strong man came to my aid. The guards that are stationed in my village spend their days and nights at the whorehouse. If one approaches you, it's not to help. It is so that he may bury his serpent in you as well only to later claim that you offered yourself to him."
The Kings Choice Page 1
