Carved in Stone

by Stein Willard

  “How so, my dear friend?”

  He could see her interest was not piqued in the least when she glanced away to look out over the sea.

  “I met a very interesting woman today.”

  “Will Yegane approve?”

  Sadik laughed at that. His wife will skin him alive if he so much as looked at another woman. In fact, he wasn’t interested in looking at another woman, not when his gorgeous wife waited for him at home.

  “She’s an archaeologist who did a thesis on Galatia, more precisely, the Last Warrior Queen of Galatia.” The dark head turned and a sharp dark gaze searched his. He had her attention. Good. “Her thesis unleashed quite a storm ten years ago and up to this day, it’s still regarded as one of the most controversial papers out there.”

  “Then why haven’t we known about it already? I thought we had people monitoring developments on that front.”

  “I have asked the team to meet with me on Monday to discuss this oversight.”

  “Anything else?” The woman’s face was drawn in a disapproving frown.

  “I invited her to Lesbos to see our collection on Galatia.”

  This time the woman’s eyes hardened. “I hope you have a good reason for having done that,” she snapped.

  “I did, Sultana.” He swallowed hard. “The reason her thesis was shrouded in controversy was because she mentioned Phage.”

  A soft click sounded and looking at her hand, he saw a mangle of shards of glass in the Sultana’s hand. He reached in his pocket for his handkerchief. When she didn’t take it, he looked at her to find her face slightly pale and her eyes fixed on the sea. He took her hand, removed the broken glass and examined her palm for cuts. There were a few tiny scratches and he gently dabbed at them with the handkerchief. When he came to his feet to retrieve a first aid kit, she spoke.

  “What did she have to say about …about her?” The Sultana’s voice sounded hollow.

  Sadik hesitated. “She didn’t know anything, except that Phage was referred to as a Queen and probably co-ruled with Queen Aspen.”

  The dark eyes turned to look at him. “That’s not much, but at least it’s the truth. What is in the envelope?”

  He reached over quickly and pulled out a picture. The Sultana’s eyes were once again focused on the sea.

  “Here, Sultana.”

  Without taking her eyes off the horizon, she held out her hand. Sadik stood back, holding his breath as the woman lowered her eyes to the picture. There was a long silence as the woman looked at the picture. He noticed that her hand began to shake slightly.

  “Who…who is this, Sadik?”

  Sadik swallowed before he answered. “That is the woman I told you about.”

  The Sultana slowly came to her feet, the picture still clutched in a hand that, by now, was shaking uncontrollably. “I want to meet her.”

  The woman left him standing there as she made her way down the footpath in the direction of the beach.

  ***

  Assured that she was out of hearing distance, Aspen, the Last Warrior Queen of Galatia, fell to her knees in the soft, shifting sand. She threw her head back and a deep sorrowful sound burst from her mouth. When after a while her voice had been stripped raw from overuse, she sat with her head resting on her chest, drawing in deep breaths to keep the hysteria building inside at bay.

  Were the gods still angry with her—even after all this time? She’d thought that after almost three thousand years she’d made amends for her emotional tirade against them. What had they expected from her? They had taken her reason for living from her. Left her bereft and with no support or outlet for the pain. For her perceived insolence, she was given the most severe punishment ever: immortality. What use was immortality if she had to traverse through life alone?

  And now this? She pressed the picture against her chest, right over where her heart was.

  Was this their doing to punish her further? Were they so cruel that they would send such an inhumane temptation her way? Soon after Phage was taken from her, she had crisscrossed the earth, looking for her lover. When after the first two hundred years her search delivered nothing, she’d stopped living and began only to exist.

  Phage.

  Time rolled back as she shifted through her memories. Within the blink of an eye she was back in that hut where her human life ‘truly’ began.

  “What favour would it bring me and my people to conclude an alliance in a time when current pacts are drenched in deceit and lies?”

  A mere eighteen summers, Aspen had pushed her strong shoulders back, meeting the flint-eyed stare of the Amazonian Queen. Her travel to this distant land of half-naked female warriors had been perilous. Her caravan had suffered substantial damage and death at the hands of warring bandits and she had not undertaken this journey only to be intimidated.

  “What I offer is not only a pact of trade and military backing for both our nations, Queen Herponin. I bring my word and that of my people to our agreement. As two females in a world overrun by men, we have only each other to depend on.” Her voice had rung true and strong in the quiet tent.

  The Queen had looked to her right, where her chief advisor sat. “Have we not had many offering the same in the past?”

  “We have had that, my Queen.”

  “But did you have it from a woman before,” Aspen questioned coolly, her gaze piercing as she studied the Queen’s Advisor.

  A short silence followed her words.

  “We did not, as yet,” came the reluctant reply from the grey haired advisor. “But it would serve us well to be wary.”

  “What more would you need to sweeten the agreement, Your Majesty? I have brought you the best my kingdom can offer by way of gifts and assurances. Strong healthy men I have brought to mate with your women so as to further strengthen your forces. I have brought myself as a token of my commitment to seal and uphold the pact. Name your price and let us begin a new era of prosperity for our people.”

  A soft murmuring ensued as the Council consulted with their Queen. Aspen sat back quietly sipping the sweet herbal brew on offer. She had hoped to conclude the pact today, so she could return home. She had been away for too long and, with the Romans crawling over her late father’s realm, she didn’t want to offer them an opportunity to annex Galatia. She studied the women before her as they deliberated. They have made an impression on her. Three years prior, it is said, a small band of their warriors had chased a Roman battalion from their borders with incredible ease. An alliance between Galatia and Amazonia would ensure that the Romans keep their greedy hands off both their realms. She was startled out of her thoughts when the Queen’s guard left the ceremonial hut. Queen Herponin cleared her throat and fixed her piercing gaze on Aspen.

  “We have come to a conclusion; one which, if accepted by you, would ensure continuous cooperation between our people.” The Queen drank from her cup. “I propose a more permanent arrangement.” The Queen had a peculiar look in her eyes. The door to the hut opened, but Aspen, intrigued by what the Queen would propose, ignored the newcomer.

  “I would welcome anything that could ensure that our agreement matures to the mutual benefit of both parties,” Aspen responded.

  “In that case, I offer my daughter’s hand in marriage to you.”

  Blinking in surprise, Aspen stared at the Queen. “Your… your daughter?”

  “Yes.” The Queen then waved at the door, drawing Aspen’s gaze to the newcomer. If she was stunned by the Queen’s proposal, Aspen was floored by the sight that greeted her eyes. A tall, powerfully built warrior stood just inside of the door. Her hair, short enough to curl around her ears, were the colour of spun gold. Her eyes which held Aspen’s defiantly were a deep yellowish-brown, like polished Egyptian gold coins. And her face… Aspen could only stare. The woman’s beauty rivalled that of the celebrated Queen Hernas, deemed by most to have been the greatest beauty ever to walk the earth until her death a century prior. The Princess’ oval face was a healthy sun-browned hue, a
ccentuated by high cheeks bones and a regal nose that gave her a slightly haughty appearance. She was dressed as her mother, in a short deerskin skirt which exposed her powerful legs, and a leather breastplate that covered her wide chest. Aspen didn’t know how long she’d been staring at the princess, but she knew she would never tire of looking at the warrior.

  “Do you accept the proposal, Queen Aspen?”

  At the Amazonian Queen’s question, Aspen quickly schooled her face and gave the Queen a strong nod.

  “I foresee a prosperous future ahead for our people, Your Majesty.” She approached the warrior, marvelling at how tall she was. “Please honour me with your name, Your Highness?”

  The warrior had stared for a heartbeat, her golden gaze searching hers. “Phage, Your Majesty. My mother named me Phage.

  A wave crashed loudly to the shore and Aspen was brought back from her reverie. For Aspen, that was the day she came alive. In Phage’s arms she had found love, lust and laughter. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek.

  “Keeper of my heart,” she whispered as she pressed the picture against her lips.

  CHAPTER 5

  Aeron locked the door behind her and grabbed for the small table nearby to steady herself. She can’t remember when last she’d been this drunk. She had to admit that it was quite liberating. Using the furniture as support, she made her way to the bed. It took her a few minutes to take off her shoes and with a sigh of relief she threw herself onto the soft mattress. Her head barely touched the pillow before she was fast asleep.

  ***

  The two women looked at each other from opposite sides of the hut. Aspen’s eyes travelled over the warrior’s body where she stood; decked in Amazonian regalia. They were married in an Amazonian and Galatian joining ceremony a few hours earlier. The ceremony was followed by a feast of roasted boar, fruits, nuts, breads and cheeses, which was served in the square in the centre of the village. The Amazon sisters had all stopped at their table to regal Aspen with the exploits of their most skilled warrior. As if Aspen wasn’t impressed enough. Her bride was the epitome of indifference at the praise heaped upon her; instead she had kept their plates filled and their glasses overflowing.

  By the time the dancing commenced, most of the women were already so far into their cups, they were falling over themselves and their dance partners. This had prompted the Queen to order them to eat more so they could somewhat sober up. A group of women had melted into the night and at the sight of them holding hands, Aspen didn’t have to guess what they were up to.

  “Go, daughter, it is time to present your bride’s nectar before the Moon Goddess,” Queen Herponin had called out to her daughter. Amidst ribald jokes and laughter, the tall Princess, now Queen Consort of Galatia, had taken Aspen’s hand and led her to a hut, which was situated far from where the revelry continued.

  Aspen had to stop herself from wringing her hands in a nervous gesture, now that they were alone in the hut. Even after all the drink she’d imbibed, the Amazon still looked remarkably alert.

  “It is expected of us to mate now, but I will grant you the choice to wait until you are ready,” Phage said softly.

  Aspen shook her head. “I gave your mother my word as one Queen to another and I will not deceive her.”

  “If it is your will, I will comply.” The warrior’s approach was sure and purposeful. Aspen sucked in a startled breath as she was lifted off her feet and laid on the fur-covered bed. “Have you been pierced before?”

  “Pierced?” she croaked. The warrior’s face was very close to her and in the light of the fire that burned in the hearth; her eyes looked dark and almost predatory.

  “Has a man lain with you before?” Phage asked quietly.

  “No.”

  Phage nodded and bringing her face closer, she brushed her lips over Aspen’s, stealing the Queen’s breath and heart in that single tender moment. Their next kiss was longer. As inexperienced as she was, Aspen knew to touch her tongue to that of the other woman as Phage pushed her tongue past Aspen’s lips. A soft moan sounded and it surprised Aspen to know that it came from the Amazon. When the kiss ended, Phage stood and began to disrobe, overloading Aspen’s senses as more of her bride’s sensational body was revealed to her eyes.

  “Do you need help to disrobe?” Phage asked when she was naked, the firelight playing over her leanly muscled frame.

  Aspen shook her head as she dragged her eyes from Phage’s small breasts. Sitting up, she removed her bracelets and earrings. She tried to reach the clasp of her flowing white robe and turned to Phage.

  “Could you assist me?”

  Strong hands fumbled with the small clasp and when the outer robe fell away, Aspen hissed when she felt soft, warm lips brush at the back of her neck. She moaned when she felt Phage’s hands on the soft delicate shift that still covered her. The hands were gentle as they pushed at the fastenings of the cloth. With her thin cotton shift pooled in her lap and her breasts bared, Aspen looked up at the naked warrior. Pushing her back onto the soft pelts, Phage stretched her taller body over Aspen’s. Their eyes met and held and in that short moment, Aspen knew that their hearts had met. The warrior’s eyes softened and she gently took Aspen’s lips in a deep kiss. Aspen moaned when a large hand slipped down to her sex. She pulled her lips away from Phage’s, her eyes must’ve projected her fear, because Phage’s hand moved away.

  “I will be gentle, my Queen. I give you my word.”

  “Aspen. Call me by my name.”

  The warrior’s lips curled upwards in a small smile and Aspen’s breath caught at how much younger it made Phage look.

  “I, too, would like to hear and taste my name on your tongue.”

  “Phage,” Aspen murmured and the warrior’s lips slanted over hers. This time when Phage’s hand moved down to caress her slick folds, Aspen parted her legs willingly. The pleasure was almost unbearable. It was as if the warrior was stroking a raw nerve, which made her whole body twitch in pleasure. Their lips parted as Phage lifted her head to look down into Aspen’s face.

  “The pain will be brief, but I promise to bring you pleasure in tenfold to erase it from your mind.”

  “Just do not stop touching me,” Aspen panted. “I like it.”

  Phage took her lips in a searing kiss as at the same time her fingers probed deep. A sharp pain lanced through her and Aspen moaned into Phage’s mouth. She lifted her hips to evade the plunging fingers, but with Phage’s strong body holding her down, she was rendered immobile. She kept her eyes shut as an odd mix of pain and pleasure coursed through her body. Phage’s lips left hers.

  “Look at me, Aspen.”

  Aspen did as she was told and found the golden eyes staring deeply into hers. The fingers were still moving inside her, turning her insides into a coil of something— she didn’t know what. All she knew was the imminent arrival of something big. Phage’s eyes were burning her where they slowly travelled from her face to her breasts. Aspen heard Phage hiss as her eyes moved lower. That was when she realized that her hips were moving, surging up and down to the motion of the fingers inside her. The blonde head lifted and she was caught in the warm gaze of her lover. She gasped when the pad of Phage’s thumb rushed over her nub, releasing an unexpected wave of wetness.

  “More,” she pleaded softly. Phage brushed her lips over Aspen’s before she increased the power of her thrusts. Aspen’s hands clutched at Phage’s shoulders. “Kiss me, please.”

  The warrior did as she was told and at the touch of her tongue in her mouth, Aspen felt the world tilt dangerously as a wave of intense pleasure trickled through her body. Her eyes widened in bewilderment as her body tensed, arching into Phage’s touch. Her body was not her own. Small darts of pleasure battered her senses as the wave rushed toward the heated place between her legs. A soft brush of Phage’s thumb over the sensitive nub caused her to cry out into Phage’s warm mouth as her body dissolved.

  When she opened her eyes again, Phage was planting tiny kisses all over her fac
e. Then the warrior gently removed the rest of her shift and held it up to the light. Aspen noted the bloodstain and in acute embarrassment turned her face away.

  “Now we are truly one in the eyes of Artemis,” Phage whispered, her voice heavy with emotion. She left the bed to walk to the door and threw it open. With a cry of reverence, she held up the stained cloth. Her cry was immediately answered by loud whooping.

  ***

  Aeron sat up in bed, her breath ragged and her heartbeat thumping loud in her ears. Confused she looked around the room. She was stretched out on her bed, still fully clothed. Her face heated up as she realized her hand was thrusted inside her jeans.

  “Holy cow,” she muttered as she pulled her hand out and stared at it as if it belonged to someone else. She threw her arm over her face as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. For as long as she could remember, she’d never before had a sex dream. As odd as it was, she admitted that it was a pleasant deviance from her usual nightmare. A quick glance at her alarm clock showed that dawn would break soon. Aeron stumbled over to the bathroom and turning the cold water on full blast, stepped under the spray.

  ***

  Sadik smacked his lips in appreciation as he placed his coffee cup on the table. A matronly woman walked out onto the terrace with a tray and Sadik quickly came to his feet, taking the tray from the woman. He gave her a gentle kiss.

  “Good morning, Mother.”

  “Good morning, my son. I didn’t believe it when they told me you were here.”

  Pulling out a chair for his mother, Sadik poured her a cup of coffee. “I had to drop off something for the Sultana.”

  Aka Sadik shook her head, concern etched on her face. “She’s been different these last few years. She rarely eats and spends more time alone than usual.”