by Billy Wong
"He's not that old. He's still strong as an ox! How old is he really, fifty?"
"Younger, the gray is probably due to grief. He retired from the army really young. He would've been great if not for..."
"I know. You're lucky to have each other."
He nodded. "So how's being queen going?"
"It's... not too bad. Can't say the food isn't great, like you implied. Of course, it's nothing like I used to think, when I was a little girl playing at royalty. I imagined it to be more exciting. And the stares get to me sometimes, too. Not everybody's so accepting of a stranger ruling over them, even if I don't really do much ruling.
"You know what the worst thing was? When they made me look over some document, the details of which I didn't even understand! They had to explain everything on the stupid paper, which turned out to be some tax code thing. I hope I didn't do anything really bad—they kept telling me to sign it, and not knowing any better, I just did. How am I supposed make judgments on things I have no clue about?"
Sean's face grew nervous, and she wondered what bad news he had for her now. To her relief, it wasn't bad news at all. "By the way, I heard you're one of the few people today who know magic. Could you... teach me some?"
She laughed. "I've got little talent for it, though I try to learn. But sure, if you want, I'll show you some of the basics. When I'm free, that is."
"Of course."
Curiously, Rose asked, "Why the sudden interest in learning so many different things?"
"My uncle says that in order to achieve your potential, one should know a bit of everything, because you never know what life will throw at you. So that's what I'm aiming for now."
"But Kelvin must have been telling you this for a long time, and it seems like now you're really taking it to heart. Does this have to do with your dreams and stuff?"
Sean replied with uncertainty in his voice. "A little bit, I suppose, but not for the most part. It's mostly because my uncle's gotten really insistent about it since Gregor died. Though I'm not sure why, I definitely owe it to him to listen. Besides, it has been pretty exciting to learn of things I never even thought about before. But since you mentioned my dreams, I have to say I'm pretty unnerved that they got both Danica and Gregor. Those two must truly have their god's blessing, huh? Can we really beat that?"
Rose suspected the change of subject to be an evasion, but replied, "Gregor wasn't a fighter, and Danica was already hurt before she faced Julian. They're not invincible. I already made them both run like cowards, remember?"
"Yes you did! Maybe if you keep training me, I'll be able to beat Regis fair and square someday."
Though he was fairly talented and a good student, Rose doubted such a day would come anytime soon. She was much better at doing than teaching. "I'm training you to stay alive. Part of that involves knowing which foes to avoid." She certainly didn't want to see Sean throw his life away being overzealous to fulfill his "destiny."
"Okay. Say, have you considered striking back against Fanteia now, while they're vulnerable?"
She gaped. "No way! Their invasion force might've been routed, but they have more troops in reserve at home. And it's not like we're in great shape ourselves. It's best to pick your spots, and this isn't the right one. We'll be better off staying on defense for the time being."
He frowned, then admitted, "You're right. Uncle said the same thing. But it's just so frustrating to have our royal family destroyed, and be unable to do anything in response!"
Rose lowered her gaze. "I know. But we really can't do anything that'll be in our best interests. Besides, we still don't know that Danica's dead. Maybe she'll come back to us yet." She hoped so. While being queen hadn't been that bad so far, it was certainly more demanding than being just another warrior, even the one everyone relied on. But recalling Danica's attitude, she wondered if the princess would take her ascension all that much better.
"By the way," Sean asked, "have you been keeping in touch with your family? I know it's hard on you to be separated from them for so long, so..."
"I've sent letters back to Finn, of course. He hasn't replied to the last one yet though, and it's been a while... don't know if it got lost on the way or what." She bit her lip at another possibility which came to mind. Might he have decided, a bit to her chagrin as she'd asked him not to leave their children alone this time, to come and aid her?
#
Back in the royal palace of Fanteia, Julian smiled at the helmet while he told it the good news. "We've done it, my lord. The royal family of Terlon is no more, and soon we shall finish its conquest." A job well done, and Julian even had to admit his brother had played his role to perfection, though he'd prefer not to give Regis so much credit.
To Julian's shock, Deathend's voice did not sound at all pleased. "No, you have only made things worse than they have been in a long time."
"What?!"
"The only one you certainly killed off is Gregor," Deathend grumbled, "and though you injured his daughter badly enough to kill most, she is extremely resilient as you should well know, and if she returns it will no doubt be in a very angry state. Furthermore, do you know who Gregor declared queen on his deathbed?"
And what of it? "Rose is no skilled leader; she is a warrior, and that's all she is. While she may be our strongest opposition on the battlefield, her ownership of the crown hardly makes her a greater threat. I'd even go so far as to say it weakens Terlon, owing to her inexperience in leadership. As for Danica, if she is alive why has she still not returned? Be assured, Lord Deathend, everything is well under control."
The voice only grew harsher. "Rose is no politician, but she is a great inspiration to the Terlonian people. As a warrior who has conquered every foe and survived every hardship, her leadership encourages them to believe that they too can do so. She may not be the picture of confidence and charisma, but she is a true symbol of unfaltering endurance." Julian frowned at his god's apparent admiration for Rose, but Deathend continued. "An enemy who believes in itself is a dangerous one indeed, Julian."
"Don't worry, my lord. I'll finish that monstrous woman off soon, you'll see. And I'll find the axe-boy, too."
"Promises are easy enough to make. Have you even made any progress in finding the destined one?"
"No, but-"
"No excuses! Soon I will be ready to return to my kingdom, to bask in its majesty. If you have still not dealt with the problems by then... well, I shall do it myself."
The war god was about to visit the mortal realm?! Julian was overjoyed; his problems would soon be solved, and the enemies swept away by Deathend's own mighty hand. Surely, nothing could stand against the god if he chose to intervene directly. "Is there anything you want me to do for you before that happens, Lord Deathend?"
"Yes. You shall solve the problems which face us before I cross over. I will not be pleased to have to waste my time with such affairs because you are incompetent."
Damn. It looked like Julian wouldn't have it easy after all. "Of course, my lord. You'll have no distractions from enjoying the glorious empire your descendants have built for you."
"I hope so," Deathend said ominously, and his presence disappeared.
Anxiety took hold of Julian's mind. Why would the war god, who had been known for his independent nature during his mortal life, put such emphasis on the need for Julian to be the one to deal with his problems? He remembered the stories and shuddered. Deathend had never stood for incompetent servants, and destroyed all those who'd failed him. And if Julian did not resolve the current situation before Deathend arrived, it seemed quite likely he'd share that fate. But he felt nowhere close to solving these issues. What was he supposed to do?
Some time later, Regis came into the room, and Julian greeted him without cheer. "What do you want? If it's nothing important, I'm thinking."
"What about? You're obviously worried."
"Deathend wants us to wrap up our conquest of the continent soon, and with it all the loose ends. I figure we
can deal with Rose and Terlon, but how are we ever going to find the axe-boy? It could take far too long before we find him."
Regis grinned. "Maybe not as long as you think."
"What? What do you mean?"
"I mean that I've seen the axe-boy."
Shocked, he demanded, "When?! And why didn't you kill him?"
"You remember that soldier who attacked me after I stabbed Gregor, who I swatted aside? He had a inflamed red axe-shaped mark on his neck. As for why I didn't kill him, you dragged me off before I could finish it."
"You could've told me," Julian said, highly frustrated and suspicious of his brother's motives. But then he realized he'd made great progress today, after all. He knew now the axe-boy was a soldier who had been guarding King Gregor in Belar; it would be much easier to find him now, than to search the continent for some unknown man. "It's all right. We'll get him soon."
"We could take care of him at the same time as Rose, couldn't we? As long as they're still close together, that is."
"Wait, how do we know he is the right one? The axe-boy is supposed to have been born in Fanteia, remember?"
"True, but this is still the best lead we have. Let's just hope he was indeed born here." But Regis didn't look at all worried, and again Julian spotted that knowing look in his eyes. What was that about?
"You're right, living in Terlon doesn't preclude Fanteian birth," he said, unable to figure out what was going on except that Regis hid something from him. "So we march soon?"
"Very soon," his brother agreed as they looked outside at the growing sea of armed men who gathered to await their command. This time they would win, no matter what it took.
#
The days continued to roll by, and Rose grew more impatient with her forced role of queen. She felt bored and useless sitting around idly while other people did their usual work around her, though she was able to distract herself from that to an extent by training Sean in combat and now also magic. But she still missed home, and wanted to end her stay here soon. Why didn't the Fanteians launch another attack already? The chance to face Regis and Julian again and end the threat they posed appealed to her, though she felt guilty about anticipating the bloody battle that would surely involve.
An unexpected change had come over Sean, one which Rose knew stemmed from his uncle's teachings. The young man who'd once been understandably uncomfortable in the royal court and shunned it when possible now carried himself there like a natural-born aristocrat, confident and unafraid to speak his mind. Though this puzzled and annoyed much of the actual nobility, Rose smiled at her friend's transformation. Even if she didn't do much at court, she still felt more at ease with someone who really knew her around.
He surprised her with a question one day. "So what do you plan to do about the Fanteian army marching for Polier?"
She recoiled, and might have fallen off her throne had it not been for its tall back. "What?! I never even heard of this before now!" Her face grew hot with aggravation. "So I'm the 'queen' and battle leader, who people won't bother telling news about the war?"
"They're still far away. Besides, I think you're just expected to wait until the enemy arrives, then come out to swing your sword and kill a few thousand men."
"I should still be informed so I can mentally prepare myself. Besides, I also need a lot of time to do my hair and makeup." Seeing his puzzled expression, she clarified, "Kidding about that last part."
She understood why many didn't think of her as their true monarch. She didn't even view herself that way. But they still should have told her about such an important development! She'd have a few harsh words for the court soon enough. As for the enemy, "What do you think I'm going to do? Fight them off! Er, so what's the situation?"
"Another Fanteia army is headed for Polier, nearly twice the size of the last. It's doubtful the troops already stationed there can hold it on their own, with reduced numbers from before and without you, but if we send too many men to help, we could leave Belar vulnerable. They could be using the attack on Polier to distract from their true goal like last time, after all."
Belar might be their temporary capital, but the port city was important to trade, and they had to at least try to save it. "I'll talk to Kelvin first, but how about I go with a third of the army to reinforce them while leaving the rest of it here?" At the moment, Terlon could field thirty thousand troops besides the ones already in Polier, and though barely over half that wouldn't be ideal to match against an army of nearly eighty thousand, they would have the advantage of the city walls—and Rose's presence.
"Belar's defenses might still be too weakened considering how many soldiers Fanteia is capable of fielding."
"So you think we need all the men we have here. It'll be bad no matter what I say, huh? They've just got too much of an advantage in resources."
"Yes," he said sadly.
Rose grinned in the same way she had when, alone or close to it, she'd faced other hopeless encounters, be it against monsters the size of towers, or hundreds of men, or godlike magic. "Then I'll go by myself to help the men in Polier hold out until we raise more soldiers to aid them. It may not sound so wise, but it wouldn't be the first time I've done such a crazy thing. And I succeeded, else we wouldn't be talking now."
Sean shook his head. "But what if you don't come through this time? We can't lose you now. You're the queen... and my friend."
"I'll come back, trust me. I may have to make do with one tenth the soldiers the enemy has, but I've had worse odds against me, against ogres no less. Besides, I don't have to kill them all, just hold the city for the time being. If we can't keep them back, we'll flee using the ships in the harbor. I'm sure the queen will get priority in escaping."
The fear in his eyes only diminished slightly. "Against such odds, what if you get killed by a lucky hit?"
Rose chuckled. "Me? I've taken an arrow in the throat, some sort of metal pellet inside my head, slashes and stabs in every part of my torso, and beatings with all kinds of blunt objects. And though it might not look like it, I am pretty skilled at avoiding really dangerous attacks. It's just because I've fought so much and against such strong foes that I've taken the terrible punishment I have over the years. Sure, anything could happen, but it's less than likely that I'd die so easily. Don't worry about it."
"You better come back," he said with a smile. "I like you too much to see you die young."
"I don't want to die either, or plan to. Hey, if I do kill Regis and Julian this time, I guess I'll finally get to go home to my family!"
"No more playing queen, huh?"
She nodded eagerly. "Someone else will have to take up the role. Hopefully Danica will come back by then..." Although she was becoming doubtful the princess still lived, to be honest.
"I wish I could've been of more help."
"Don't worry, you've done more than enough just by give your friendship."
Sean looked into her eyes with a touch of sadness. "I'll miss you."
Rose laughed. "Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I've still got to get rid of the brothers before I can go, and that might take longer than we hope. So just wish me luck for now, right? We'll save the goodbyes for later, when the Fanteians are beaten and Terlon's future is secure."
"Good luck!"
#
After running her idea by Kelvin, who approved, Rose wasted no time in dressing for battle and leaving to fight for Polier once again. She arrived to many cheers, and as always hoped she wouldn't disappoint the people she'd come to help. When the enemy force arrived, most rejoiced, seeing it far smaller than rumored. But Rose knew what was really going on, and felt glad not to have brought troops from Belar to help here. Like Sean predicted, Regis must have split his army before the attack, leaving only about a fifth of his men to besiege Polier while the rest marched on towards Belar.
There was no way the Fanteians could take Polier anytime soon with only a slight numeric advantage, and Regis knew it. This force must only be meant
to divert Terlon's attention, and possibly trap anyone important who came to aid Polier's defense inside until Belar had fallen—anyone like Rose. Though she knew Belar had a sizable defending force, she also thought Polier even more likely to be able to hold out against its attackers, and figured she was more needed back at the northern city.
Though her allies' disappointed faces when she announced she would leave made her feel a bit guilty, she was certain she made the right decision. She indulged Polier's defenders with one inspirational act—inspirational for the Terlonians, but having quite the opposite effect on their enemies. She waited for the Fanteians to arrive and charged through their army on horseback before heading on to Belar, slaying dozens on her way. Though she did suffer a few painful wounds from arrows and spears, the cheers of her allies and the chaos she knew she'd left in her wake made it worth it.
Approaching Belar, she saw unhappily that the Fanteian attack was already well under way, and headed for the entrance to a secret tunnel she had made sure to find out about before leaving. To her mild surprise, she found a Fanteian welcoming committee waiting there. It wasn't too unexpected; the way they'd attacked Gregor in the manor made it obvious they must have spies.
"I am Humphrey the Hill, known as the fourth greatest fighter of Fanteia!" roared an obese, balding giant in armor adorned with many colorful badges, who she supposed must lead the dozen or so men blocking her path.
She smiled confidently. "The fourth? Where's the third, then?"
"He's, uh, recovering from wounds suffered in battle. But I think we'll be more than enough!" He motioned his men forward first, then charged after them.
Rose killed the first three opponents who came within reach with one short, efficient blow each, then the gang was on her. She backed away, sweeping the area in front of her with wide swings to keep her foes at bay. One after another, men came too close and went down spraying their lifeblood into the air. Soon it was just Humphrey and two others, and Rose went on the offense. She disarmed one of the remaining underlings and he threw himself at her, trying to bear her to the ground. A powerful elbow from her knocked him aside and senseless. The other soldier yelled, threw his sword at her without any accuracy, and ran.
