Until Death Do We Part (Closed for Luna)

[Firmhanded_Daddy]

The smell of wood burning wafted into his nostrils as the wind shifted. It also carried the groan of the wounded and the screams of the dying. The day was half spent and losses on both sides had been horrible. The fighting intensified as the pulse of the battle began to quicken. Like a wild cornered beast pulsing with adrenaline, knowing that it was time to lash out with claws and teeth, or die bloody.

The walls would come tumbling down today, everyone knew it, they could feel it. The air crackled with the desperation of men and women defending the only home they had ever known from a well known but hated nation. Back to the wall they fought like a badger locked in a pantry.

Most sieges had terrible costs to the men and women behind those vaulted walls. It was said by great generals that the best weapons were not ballistae and trebuchet, but starvation and disease. He did not use such tactics. It was the sheer strength of his host, his knowledge of tactics, and clever deployment of resources that would win the day, not letting children die in the street from plague. It was one thing to conquer a nation, it was entirely another to make enemies of that nation for generations to come. They would remember a small kindness and he would need their support soon. Very soon. So every night after the fighting was done and the swords were sheathed he left a wagon of supplies at a small service gate packed with food and medicine. At first the items simply went to waste, but eventually after desperation settled in and food stuffs dwindled they started accepting the supplies. Though they were always checked shrewdly for any attempts at duplicity.

His eyes turned westward, he felt an itch between his shoulder blades, like having a dull, rusty knife drawn over the vertebra. Shivering, he turned out of instinct.

The walls shuddered precariously and the native forces had brazenly led a charge to try and disperse his forces. A man who lumbered over him brandished a huge falchion that looked like it was hewn from enough steel to make a portcullis. Blades like that carried all the weight on the bevel, they didn’t leave wounds, they left remains. They were made to cleave a man into pieces, and clean up what was left with a sponge.

He focused on his surroundings, the feeling of the light sheen of sweat on his skin, the soft caress of cotton twill sliding over his skin, the rush of every bit of air being forced violently out of his lungs. Combat, especially the way he approached combat was like a beautiful dance. Each move was fluid, graceful, controlled. He could hear the blade whistling as it cleaved the air.

Everything around him seemed to slow, it didn’t of course but he entered a heightened sense of awareness. He could smell sweat mingling with iron chain links, unwashed skin, he could smell blood and corrosion on the blade. He could see the veins pulsing in that tree trunk thick neck. The invading ruler took a swift step left, planting his foot sharply. The other foot slid across the ground slowly. He could feel the grass under the thinly soled boots.

His right hand twisted as if pivoting on a hinge and flashed upward. His forearm struck the flat of the blade, not hard, but just enough to keep that lumbering beast of a man to keep from turning the blade into a killing stroke. The blade vibrating in the large man’s hand, it gave a horrible keening wail. That was the sound of metal vibrating, bending. The strike had not been forceful but it had been precise enough to strike the point along the blade that had been weakened from ill repair.

The large brute was unable to stop his blow, the blade hit the hard packed earth and jarred in his hand. It was the final straw, the wrong end of the fulcrum. The blade snapped as it sank into the earth. This further threw the big man off balance, forcing his shoulders forward as momentum sent him lurching.

Abdel reacted like a lightning strike. One soft soled foot pressing on the hands joined around the hilt of the blade, he pressed off the meaty limbs and sent his body skyward. The other leg curled upward, bending at hip and knee just enough to expose the point of his knee. It caught the big man just under the point of the big man’s chin.

The thick jaw clicked together, his teeth chattered. His eyes rolled back into his skull as his neck jerked backward in a sickening motion. He went down as if his spine simply ceased to be. A quick glance down was offered after the large man collapsed. Good he was still breathing. He tried not to kill unless it became the only option.

He flowed to the next man like water.

**

The surge of military might was brief and settled quickly. The men and women who had surged from their walls had been taken captive, or put to the sword with the suddenness of a lightning strike. The violence was soon spent as the lives that were claimed drifted between worlds. Their deaths had not been in vain, but they had still been wasted.

The walls gave a final shuddering groan. Then, a death roar. They thundered in protest as they submitted to the will of men.

Flesh filled both sides of the gap as blood, bone, and steel struggled to stem the bloody, gaping wound left as the walls fell. Slowly but surely the invaders pushed back the men and women fighting for home and hearth. They had lost too much strength in that last push however. Without the wasted lives they might have been able to hold for another hour, maybe two. Instead it was mere moments before the invaders were securing prisoners, opening the gates for the main body of their forces.

*******************************

Abdel was striding the halls of the fortified building, mulling over the unfolding events of the last day. No one had gotten much sleep, though the walls had fallen there was an uneasy tension between those who dwelt within this territory, and those who had lay siege to it. It was like trying to sleep with a viper coiled on your chest. One wrong move and it could be the last you make.

Today he was going to meet with the Queen in private, speak with her about what needed to be done. Where to gather her resources, who to speak with to get the walls rebuilt, and fortified. He strode the halls with a purpose, only a handful of men beside him as an honor guard. The halls were not wide enough to promote a large scale ambush. Any attack would be a knife in the dark, or a similarly small contingent of warriors. Those who lived in this area had taken his men for granted, assumed that because they came from a land of riches and privileges that they would be easily repelled; they had been rethinking that over the last year.

There was no ambush, but there was a group of bleary eyes, hard men standing at the main chamber. They were lean looking. Too many hours manning the walls, not enough sleep had hollowed them out like termites did to wood. Indeed a few of them looked like a strong breeze was all it would take to knock them over. Yet they all had hands on weapons and looked as if they would take six inches of steel in the gut before parting to let the invaders through.

His men started loosening swords in scabbards, when he held up a hand to calm them. His voice rang calm and clear as he , his deep baritone ricocheted off the stone walls.

“Be at ease men, they are simply protecting their Queen. I will go in alone, we cannot afford unnecessary loss of life. Every life we lose today is an advantage the enemy will gain upon us in the future. I will go in by myself.”

The men at the door looked a mixture of relieved, and irritated. They were barely on their feet and likely would not survive the melee with the fresh men walking through their halls, but at the same time this man seemed to think they presented no danger. He waited calmly for them to make a choice between drawing steel, and letting him through.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Prologue or What had gone Before​

He had given her one year. One year. She hadn't believed him, not really. What would be the point of recombining the Sundered Lands with Cloud Crest proper? The two nations had developed in very different ways and, thanks to the mountain between them, a joining seemed utterly useless.

He had spoken of a coming war. He had expressed the idea that if they were not one country under one ruler both countries would be torn asunder. Ended. He had further stated that if she could not concede peacefully then he would take over, by force of arms. She hadn't thought for one moment that he would even DARE such a thing.

The cabinet members, her ministry, had attempted to warn her. Statements were made, things said in haste that she was just now beginning to repent. They had told her~

"This man is ruthless. His sense of right and wrong is as strong as yours. He believes whole-heartedly in what he is saying and he will not rest until we are under his sway. It would be best, for us, if you gave in."

They had told her~

"He says that there is war coming from elsewhere and if we are not united then we will fall. He does not speak falsely. Have you not heard of the vast armies on the lower plains? We have not heard from Sto Lat nor her sister city in months. Something is wrong. Something is coming. Please sign the treaty."

Finally, they had said~

"We will leave and go to Cloud Crest ourselves. You can not say nay when our very lives are at stake. What kind of ruler are you to treat us in such a way?"

Obviously, she was the kind of ruler who would banish those who would not heed her wishes.

He had given her a year. And when she had refused, he had not bothered to send another messenger with further blandishments. He had withdrawn his armies and she had thought that it was over.

Three years had passed.

Messengers had once again made the trek over mountain. They said, "He comes. Either tender a peaceful surrender or be prepared to fight."

Her answer had been "NO."

Now his armies were at her gates.
Now her people were fighting and dying.
Now there could be no treaty, only surrender, bought with the lives of her soldiers.

She should have listened.

The Walls~Earlier​

Battle fury had descended upon her, a hammer drilling her to the ground, causing her to only react~ not think nor plan. She had been surrounded by dozens of enemy soldiers, all wearing his colors, all trying their damnedest not to cause her injury.

She had held no such compunction.

Her sword flashed in ever widening spirals, becoming a dance of steel and death as her body moved through the battle stances she had learned so very long ago. Thrust, block, parry, cut. Around her, in an ever growing circle, her enemies had fallen, had died.

Her face was spattered with gore, her sword drenched in it. Her right arm had grown weary enough that she had had to switch to her off hand, to give the dominant one a break. Even so, they kept coming. And so, she kept on fighting. That is what she knew, that is what she did, that is ALL she did.

In the distance, she could hear the sounds of battle, the crack of walls being slowly loosened and pulled upon. In the distance, the sounds of screaming, of dying, of broken things and horns. The walls would not hold. Her people would not survive.

She could not stop.

She wanted to.

She just couldn't.

Suddenly the walls fell with a mighty crash. A momentary pain as a sword hilt met with the back of her head and then...silence as she crumpled to her knees. She awakened in her rooms, a few hours later. And her country, her home, was no longer hers. It was now his, by force of arms. The Sundered Lands now belonged to the man who had brought his armies to her doors.

NOW​

Ravenia stood and made her way to the small throne housed within the shelter of this particular room, the informal meeting chamber. Her dark brown, waist length hair was held away from her face by a half crown and her hazel eyes were red rimmed and heavy with fatigue. She wanted a break from this.

The reports. The numbers. The losses. She knew that, sooner or later, the conqueror would be heading her way, to make his victory even more concise. To let her know what he expected to happen next. She could not bring herself to care. She could not even bring herself to worry. After all, the worst thing that could have happened, had happened. She had lost thousands of her country men, had lost an entire kingdom.

What one man wanted mattered not at all.

A commotion then. A guard slipping inside the doors to announce the presence of her would be liege.

"He has an honor guard, m'Lady. We can try to hold them off. The boy's are more than willing. Shall we let him pass?"

Ravenia nodded, her burnished skin gaining a bit of pallor beneath the cocoa color.
No point in putting it off.

"Go out and stop my men from needlessly dying, Malachai. I will meet him, one to one."

The soldier bowed and slipped away. The next time her inner door opened? It was him. She glared at him from beneath heavily furrowed brows and waited to see just what he would do, say, attempt, next. And there was no way she would admit to finding him attractive and no way she would rise and curtsy for him and no way that she would speak first.

This was HIS party. Let HIM set the rules.

 

[Firmhanded_Daddy]

One man slipped away from the group and the rest put hands on their weapons just a little tighter, grim looks on their features. They were ready to lay down their lives for this door way, they would spend their last breath defending a fallen monarch. He remarked this in his head in a column of details he was filing away for later reference. He had time to study each man’s face and remember enough details so he could remember them later. Good, loyal men were a rare thing.

Abdel strode silently into the room. He was silent as the grave for a long drawn out moment as he took in the sight of her, then the hall in which they met. A quick glance at the leaves of paper scattered on the table and he could guess what information they held. Losses, wounded, reports on every detail of what was happening in the kingdom.

His eyes drifted back to her features. This time he really looked. She was quite the striking woman really. The rumors of her beauty did not do her justice. She was not only beautiful, she had an exotic look to her. The dark skin made her stand out, but it was her features that really created awe. He had never seen a woman who blended so perfectly before. Most women were either soft and plump, or hard and lean from battle, or a lifetime of hard work. Somehow she managed to be both. She had delicious, supple curves, but beneath those curves was quite often lean muscle that gave her a look that the Gods could not have sculpted any better. It was a mistake to look upon her as a woman for that one moment. He was stunned, and his tongue briefly stuck to the roof of his mouth. He had just given her a moment of control and shown a moment of weakness.

Inwardly furious he calmed his mind and focused on the task at hand. His deep, quiet voice was like the sound of ocean waves cresting over a sand bar.

“The men outside that door should be commended. They are honorable. They must have great love for you to protect you so fiercely. That is good. There will be a need for good men soon, very soon. For now we need to rebuild. We need to fortify the walls, replenish the ranks. I need a detailed outline of your raw materials, where you get them, the average weekly yield, and we are going to draft everyone of appropriate age who even shows small aptitude with a weapon. We must be ready.”

A soft knock on the door admitted a tiny woman. She was wearing a neat cut blouse that flared at the top to accent her breasts, then gathered at her waist. The insignia of the ruling family of Cloud Crest was emblazoned on the left breast. She carried a metal plate of meats, cheeses, two metal cups and a pitcher full of what smelled of coffee. She sat the tray down silently then bowed so low she almost kissed the floor and departed. She never said a word, her presence was barely noticed by Abdel, he kept his focus upon Ravenia. He drew a deep breath into his broad chest, his shoulders flared as his lungs expanded, then he let it out slowly.

“Every moment you waste is a life lost. We are going to be here for many hours yet trying to piece together a treaty, and to produce a plan on how to repair the fallen defenses of The Sundered Lands.”

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

He entered the room and took away all air. Not that she would ever say such a thing. Not that she would ever admit to thinking such a thing. It would not ever be stated, either obliquely or flat out. However, she knew the truth of it. He took her air, just by standing there.

She found herself studying him~his stance, his face. This was what most people imagined when they thought of nobles, of kings. He was handsome, well formed, and perfectly proportioned. His face held intelligence, severity, thought. Not a man to be taken lightly. Not a man to be taken, at all. She wished she had seen him before all of this had come to pass, she might have thought harder on saying no to his treaty.

'Not true.' Her inner voice did not allow for argument. Once that thought was stated, she knew it was so. He had conquered her and no matter whether she had seen him before this had come to pass, he would have still had to have done so. There would have been no way she would have given up her country for anyone, right or wrong. Only force could have gotten her accord. 'And he brought plenty to bear.'

His words brought her attention to him again, sharply. He wanted information, things a conquering leader needed to know if he were to make this land secure, once more. Ravenia debated telling him to go to the Netherhells but after a moment's reflection decided that it would do no good. He had won. More important than her pride was her country's safe return to normalcy. She would not hinder that, no matter how she felt about it.

She nodded once as he outlined the things he required, her weary eyes focused upon the tip of one small booted foot. It wasn't that she had nothing to say. She had PLENTY to say but none of it would be helpful. Luckily, it was at that moment that one of the newest house helpers entered the room carrying a laden tray. The smell of food hit her stomach like a fist and caused a surge of nausea. She battled it down, waiting until the woman had withdrawn before allowing her eyes to return to the face of the man who would be king.

"First, I will be sure to tell my honor guard of your words. Not that they will require your praise. They do what they do because they must. They protect me because it is their duty, their honor. Nothing more, nothing less. That same loyalty is granted to any who would sit upon the throne."

Ravenia closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the small throne, one slender hand rising to remove the circlet that kept her hair away from her face. Her voice was tired, heavy with distress, with wounded pride, with anger.

"As for the rest of your questions, Sirrah? They are easily answered. Within sixtty wheels of the walls in all four directions you will find quarries. We harvest stone from those. Heavy stone. I can not tell you a weekly yield simply because my country is NOT run that way. We take what we need from the land, no more. Further out, in three directions, you will find farmland and forest. Again, yields are not known. Those lands, those woods, are protected, crops are rotated, trees are replenished by planting new ones. We have no arid lands, here. We care for each part of it and only take what is needed."

A slender hand rose to her temple and began to massage the ache that was growing there. She did not want to talk to this interloper. She did not want to explain the running of her country to this upstart city bred...thug. 'He is NO thug.' A small head shake. He even made her argue with herself!

"The last census was completed six moons ago. At that time, it had been reported that my country contained a little less than four hundred thousand men between the ages of sixteen and sixty. Thanks to this...war...my counts show that I have lost fully one fourth of them with another fourth badly wounded. This leaves approximately two hundred thousand for your conscription. I would prefer that you take no one below the age of twenty summers or above forty five winters but as you are the ruler here, that is up to you." A sigh. "The last census also shows another three hundred thousand women between those same ages. Fully half of those are mothers. WE do NOT conscript mothers for fighting. They are needed to raise the next generation of warriors and artisans. However, of those who fought, we lost half. I would prefer that you not take women of child bearing age if at all possible, unless they volunteer. Again, as you are now ruler here, that is up to you."

Ravenia gave a slight shrug and rolled her head slowly, left to right, before raising it from the back of the throne and capturing his eyes with her own. She could feel the frown which turned her full lips down ward but could do nothing to fix either the expression nor her opinion of the man who had entered her home and taken her freedom.

"You have conquered my country. You have taken that which I fought for and turned it into your own personal vassal state. So be it. We are enemies. We will be enemies until one of us is killed or taken by the Great Unknown. There is no treaty for a conquered country, nor will I sign one. Do what you do. I will not hinder you. I will fight for my country men because they are MINE." At that word, her left hand rose and thumped her chest, just once, before she resumed speaking. "But a treaty would be a lie I will not grant. You say there is war coming, you say there are forces amassing that I do not know of, that I can not see. So be it. I shall bow to your oh so superior knowledge."

She fell silent and arose from the throne. Long legs carried her to the tray and slender fingers plucked up the ewer that held coffee. She poured a mug and tasted it. Bitter...as bitter as her loss, as bitter as her heart. It was a fitting comparison. Turning to him, she toasted him with her mug and gave an ironic grin.

"If you want the defenses repaired, all you need do is contact the four leaders of the quarries I told you about. THEY can tell you, easily, how many tonnage of stone and how many men will be needed to repair the walls. The selectman in each of the farming villages can tell you how many trees can be felled in each quadrant safely, without shorting our supply of wood for the winter. In the main area of the Keep you will find a room, filled to near overflowing with numbers concerning what our livestock count is, what our crops are, what the yield on each is. Numbers enough to make your head spin."

Turning once more, she speared a piece of meat with her dagger and brought it to her lips with a sigh. She would give him no more help than what she had already offered. She would not treat with him as if they were equals. They no longer were. He had bested her, he had taken her country.

"As for the rest of it? I am no longer in charge of MY country, Sirrah. So every moment YOU waste, will be the cause of the destruction you supposedly want to stop. I have given you all that I know and told you where to find the answers you seek. For myself, I will fight and I will wait. When the time is right? I will take my country back or die."

She had nothing more to say. She drank the last of the bitter brew in her cup and then placed it on the tray. He had not spoken. He had not defended his actions and she could tell that he never would. In his mind? He was in the right. She had caused the actions he had had to undertake. So be it.

"Now, Sirrah, if you do not require me any longer, I would like to be excused. I find myself unutterably weary."

That statement could have been the truth but it wasn't. Ravenia wanted away from him but not because she was tired. She was too angry to be tired. She wanted to leave his odious presence so that she could remove herself from the Keep and cry...in peace.

 

[Firmhanded_Daddy]

She did not need to speak the words. Nor did he think he needed to speak them. Perhaps she did not notice it right now due to the torrent of emotions she was buffeted by, but eventually she would sense what he could already sense. When the two of them were in the same room there was a crackle of electricity. The air itself came alive and exploded with the powerful force of these two potent personalities. Perhaps these two would never grow to love one another, but passion was a distinct and dangerous possibility. He made a mental note to keep contact with her as little and infrequent as possible. That slip of control he felt in her proximity could become a common thing if she played her cards right. He could not have that. No… he would have to make sure she was kept off balance.

Her gaze upon him made him stand just a hint taller and straighter. It was almost imperceptible and a small part of him felt a hint of resentment to her for it. It rankled his pride to know that for some reason he wanted her approval, that he wanted to impress her.

So this was the woman who had turned him down. He had to admit that she was impressive. She was wild and beautiful just as the stories said she was. Her beauty was only offset by the intensity that you could simply feel coming off of her like heat from the sun. Like the sun he knew that coming too close, or looking too closely would leave you burned and broken.

He listened to every word without so much as a flicker of emotion. There was nothing, not even when by all rights he should have been angry or frustrated with her. He was the smooth surface of a calm pond, his eyes never leaving her except to examine the maps as she talked. He would occasionally nod his head to show that he was listening but he gave away nothing else of his thoughts until her words were finished. What had started as calm words seemed to have become something of a tirade by the time she was done. Her passion was running off with her and that worked to his advantage. He let silence play between them for a long moment.

Then he spoke. His tone was deep and calm, like the surface of an subterranean pond. Even after her tirade he seemed to be unmoved in any way. Oh he knew that she was angry, her emotions were bouncing around the inside of her skull faster than she could think through her words.

“While duty may compel them to protect any who sit on the throne it is not duty alone that drives these men, or any man or woman who has picked up a sword these past years. They do not simply raise the sword to defend a ruler. They defend you and they defend home. Somehow I doubt they would show me the same devotion that they have given you.”

“I will get in contact with these men then. The lack of knowledge is staggering to me but we do not rule the same way, which is not surprising. There is a reason we divided so many years ago. Still such knowledge is… informative.”

There was a hint of something in his tone, not easily discerned at first, but then it became clear. He was speaking from a point of incredulity, and he was also speaking from a place like one would speak to a child. The sting in his words was mild, it was a small barb, but a barb nonetheless.

“I have no desire to see the people here suffer any more than I do my own. There is more than one way to serve in the war effort. We will need nurses, hands to make bandages, runners. All of these things you know, you know that I know them. I have claimed your lands as my own , yet that does not mean you still cannot serve your people. I am not here to exterminate these people, I came to protect all of us because you refused to heed my warning.”

Still nothing rippled across the smooth surface of his features, no anger, no frustration, he was ice.

“Let us be clear. I know how you see me. Usurper, false king, enemy. You are winning nothing by nursing this bruised ego, and acting as a child does. You may not be making the rules, but you still have a duty to those you call friends and family. You have failed them at every turn. You failed to resolve things with me peacefully, and then you failed to protect them when I came to your borders. Stop letting pride blind you to the truth. What comes… what we face is a danger to all of us, not just you, not just me. It is a danger to all free peoples, to all those who draw breath. I do not want your land, I had no desire to take it from you, nor did I have any desire to slay good men and women in the taking of it. You let this petulant stubbornness blind you to my words, and to the possibility that if we were in conflict you may just lose. So here we sit, good men and women dead on both sides because you cannot get past yourself. How many more need to die before you become a grown woman and a leader?”

He was still calm, each word was delivered without even raising his voice a single decibel, yet at the same time there was sternness to what he said, it was the truth as he saw it, nothing more, nothing less.

“You may try to wash your hands of responsibility to me, here, now but you know better. You know the truth Ravena . When you close your eyes you will feel the weight settle on your shoulders. I am still trying to work with you and you still slap my hand because you are too proud to work with me. This gains you nothing but a scrap of pride and that will not save the lives of your people. I will do this with or without your aid, but every time you dig in your heels the number of dead grows.”

The barbs were no longer veiled, they were sharpened pikes, each one driven expertly into her flesh. He was pushing her, and doing so on purpose, but the frustrating part is he was using the truth to do it.

“There is a time when you and I will have to settle this enmity between us. When that time comes we will find out who is the more skillful warrior, but that time is not here. You are fighting a one sided battle right now and you are losing. I am here because you would not make even a temporary alliance with me. You are not a slave here, you are not a prisoner. You are free to go if you wish, but I will see this done because it is my sworn duty to protect my people and after this darkness eradicates your kingdom mine will be next.”

“Go, rest, do whatever you wish to do. You are not a slave. If you wish to rest I would strongly advise it, but think on this. Who do you want to be Ravenia? Do you want to be a beautiful warrior, or do you want to be the queen these people deserve? You owe these people a debt that can never be repaid. Will you spend your days trying to atone, or will you let your ego continue to tax them? You are dismissed.”

Their eyes met for one more lingering moment, still there was no sign of ripples on the surface. Then he simply turned his back on her. She was well and truly dismissed, and forgotten. She was no longer his concern.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Ravenia ignored his words. They meant nothing. Only a gale force howl from a male who thought he understood what she thought, what she hoped, what she had attempted. His assumptions made no never mind, not to her. His words did no more damage than a passing bite from a bug and were about as irritating.

However, be that as it may, she could not allow him to feel as if he had gotten the last word. His truths were not hers. His thoughts did not matter. Only this mattered~that she was strong enough to seek his death when the time came. For that, she would prepare. For that, she would wait. For that, she would strive.

Slipping toward the door, the once and future queen spoke, her voice a sigh in the silence of the room.

"Your words mean nothing, not to me. If it pleases you, Sirrah, think on this~ the great armies supposedly amassing upon the plain would not have conquered me, first. They wouldn't have been able to. YOU can color it how it pleases you but your forefather's gave my ancestor's this land because they did not want it. It was too hard to reach and too difficult to govern. There is/was no way to breach the mountains, on my side. Your supposed conquering army would have taken you first...not me. Think on that while you are claiming only innocence in the taking of my country, you mulish ass. By your actions, you have brought death to my country~death that I could have avoided."

With that statement made? She left.

XxX​

She slipped through the palace, a shadow within deeper shadows. She could have withdrawn to her apartments but that could have caused issues. That particular suite was reserved for the ruler of the realm. As she could no longer consider herself to be that, she no longer felt as if she could stay there, thus this late night escape.

Upon her back, she carried her broad sword, strapped down so that it did not clank about as she moved. Attached to both hips were her daggers. Ravenia wore her fighting leathers, to avoid any noise that would startle the passing servants. In her left hand, she carried a rucksack~ the same one she had brought with her, six long years ago. Within it's confines were three changes of clothing, suitable for any sort of out of doors enterprise.

Soon enough, she gained the outside. From there, she turned left and made her way toward the outer walls. No one stopped her, no one tried to halt her. No one mourned her passing. THAT was how it should be, for the safety of the country HE thought she didn't love, the bastard.

By daybreak? Ravenia was many wheels away, heading toward her home village. Maybe seeing her family would allow her to regroup. Even if it didn't? It would take him a few days to figure out where she had gone. That would give her more than enough time to pull herself together and become what they had named her, in truth.

Baroness of Pain.

That thought, that title, brought a smile to her face.

It was NOT a happy expression.

 

[Firmhanded_Daddy]

He had all but forgotten she was there as she started to leave the room. He had a kingdom to run, people to seek out, defenses to prepare. Time was important, he had spent too much time taking her kingdom, lost too many lives. There was a deficit to make up and she was wasting his time being a petulant child. He looked up as she started to speak. Perhaps she was going to actually be of help and do her job? No, she wanted to have the last word, sneak in another jab. The words simply rolled off him, he gave a quiet sigh and looked back down at the papers. He was only paying her scant attention, focusing enough on her to make sure she wasn’t going to try anything stupid like killing him now.

She closed the door and stalked off like a little girl. He simply shook his head and shuffled through reports. The child queen simply ceased to be important. If she would not help, let her go off and do whatever she needed to do. Perhaps after some much needed pouting she would come back with a clear head.

***********************

Abdel had been busy. He quite literally had not slept in a few days. He had been having meetings with nobles, craftsmen, and town elders. The forges were running day and night, every able bodied craftsman was hiring any man and woman who was not actively being recruited from the populace for the armies. Those too young to hold sword or spear were being put to work in fields, forges, bakers, medics, fletchers. Small towns were becoming booming financial hubs overnight.

The roads were also packed with people coming from Clouds Crest. Most of the soldiers were already here, so what was coming over were supply carts, and craftsmen. Abdel was not only pushing what this land could supply to the limit, he was also tapping the vast resources of his home. Apparently whatever threat the foreign ruler saw coming, he was not taking it lightly. The former Queen did not believe him, but he believed it with all of his heart, and seemed convinced the stand would be made here, despite the Queens claim otherwise.

Exhausted as he was, he did not have time yet to sleep. Time seemed to be the only thing he was not able to conquer. He had taken an hour to meditate, and try to purge the weariness from his mind enough to push on through another day. The days were dragging on, and it was getting harder and harder to force himself to think, to focus. Today he would have no choice but to force himself to get rest. He could only ignore the needs of his body for so long.

A light knock on the door brought him to focus outwardly again. He called for them to enter and a woman came in quietly, timid as a mouse. It appeared that whatever duty brought her here, she was not looking forward to it. She stood at the door and spoke only loud enough to be heard across the large, near empty room.

“Sire, Ravenia appears to be gone. No one has seen her for days. Rumor has it she has fled the city.”

The woman cringed as if expecting him to cross the room and strike her. He simply nodded his head and spoke in a quiet tone.

“Thank you Christina, you have performed admirably. I thank you for your service.”

She looked completely, and utterly shocked, she would not have looked more surprised if he had sprouted an extra head. He could not tell if the shock was that he was so calm about the former Queen’s departure, or that he knew her first name, and was so polite about how he addressed her.

He handled everyone that way actually, he had never said an unkind word to anyone except perhaps the Queen herself, and she deserved it. Otherwise he had been nothing but kind and just with each person. He treated every person with the respect they were worthy of. He was nothing like the stories that were told in The Sundered Lands of the natives of Cloud Crest, except for perhaps a touch of overconfident arrogance.

“Will you please inform me when Ravenia returns? No matter the hour.”

”Y yes my lord. Will there be anything else?”

“No Christina, thank you.”

The woman vanished and Abdel rose from the untouched bed, giving it a regretful glance.

He looked up to find the serving woman still shadowing his door way. Raising a brow slowly he waited expectantly for her to speak her mind.

“Forgive me for being so bold Sire, but I know that look. You are working yourself to the bone. It isn’t my place to say so, but it is my duty to serve you. You need to sleep. If you need something special to help you sleep I can fix you something.”

He smiled at the young woman, giving her a contemplative look. She could only be maybe… eighteen? His voice was soft when he spoke next.

“That is very kind of you. Are you married, Christina?”

The woman blushed from her pale cheeks to her toes as his tone changed. She shook her head furiously, unable to answer the question with words.

“That is a shame. You have a kind heart, and a gentle touch. Any man would be lucky to have such a woman to spend his life with you. Please come back in the evening. I do not require a sleeping aid, but I do have an idea on something to help me relax.”

”Yes my lord”

She exited quickly, too embarrassed to speak.

*********************

The day dragged even more than the others, by the time the sun had gone down he retired to bed early. Christina was true to her word, and she came to find him near half asleep by the time she knocked to enter.

“Come”

She entered again. She stopped in the door, looking at him for a long moment before nodding to herself and closing the distance. She seemed to be debating something with herself. She stopped a few feet in front of him and put her hands to the front of her dress nervously. She undid two buttons before he had a chance to raise his hand to stop her. His smile was gentle, but he shook his head.

“I am flattered to know if I asked this of you, that you would not rebuff me, but that is not what I intend to ask of you, Christina. It would not be proper to demand that of any woman. What I spoke to you, I spoke honestly from the heart, not from ruler to subject. What I ask is this…”

He pulled his shirt from his shoulders. There were many scars littering his body, but there was a horrible, thick scar directly under his right shoulder. It looked faded, but even so it was horrible to look at. He rolled his shoulder gingerly and pulled out an ointment smelling heavily of menthol.

“An old wound, it bothers me after it rains sometimes. Those who tend to my needs are back in my own land. Would you rub this into my muscles and just work them a little?”

She looked completely embarrassed, like she wanted to shrink into the form fitting dress she was wearing. He noticed that she had taken the time to brush out her hair, put on a nicer dress, and put on a little blush to highlight her cheeks.

“You do look very beautiful tonight however. Your gesture brings me great honor. I am truly flattered”

”Thank you Sire”

She took the ointment from him, looking down at the floor, trying to get a handle on her emotions. She slowly let her eyes slide up his body, taking her time, enjoying the sight until she got to the scar. She gasped, and almost dropped the ointment in the process. With trembling hands she started to work her small fingers into the outline of the scar, and the muscles beneath.

”That… that looks horrible Sire. What happened?”

He let out a deep groan and felt tension start to melt out of his body as she worked her hands into his skin. He relaxed, and let her do her work as he recalled what happened.

“My brother tried to kill me with an axe. It is part of the training we undergo to take the throne in Cloud Crest. You have to fight all the living relatives in the royal family. He and I were the only living of our generation. He refused to yield, so I had to take his life.”

Silence spread between them. She didn’t know how to respond to that, and he simply had nothing to say on the matter. Her hands went still as she heart his breathing grow slower, heavier. She shifted enough to noticed that he had drifted off into an exhausted sleep. With a quiet smile she exited the room on silent feet.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Five Days Later​

Ravenia awakened before sunrise, her eyes moving quickly toward the small bed side stand that held her daggers. She allowed herself a small smile as her eyes landed upon the gleaming bits of steel before giving into to the overwhelming urge to stretch. That particular movement drew a long, low groan of pleasure from her throat and went far in it's quest to awaken her. She had slept slept deeply and well, her body renewing itself in a time honored tradition and now, after the past few days, she found herself at a loss for something to do.

Rolling from the bed, the ex queen gathered her belongings and headed out of her old bedroom and through the dark interior of the home her parents had raised from the soil, so many years ago. She needed fresh air. She needed exercise. She needed to figure out just what she should do now. As soon as she reached the outside, the woman turned left and headed for the back field.

Her father wouldn't be plowing there today and that meant she'd have plenty of time to work up an appetite and a decent sweat while she thought on her next step. Of course, the immediate resolution would be to head back to the keep and offer up her services to the new king. The thought caused a grimace of distaste that immediately helped to dissuade her of that particular idea.

Facing Abdel, this soon, would be the death of her. Or him. Not nearly enough time had been allowed to dull the edges of her wrath. Wanting to help her country meant that she should be able to swallow the ire and bile he caused but, as yet, it wouldn't be prudent. So...she needed other ideas.

Ravenia reached the back forty, just as the sun began to rise over the horizon line. The woman took a few moment's to stretch before allowing her body to find it's center and begin the death dance that she preferred when sparring without a partner. Two daggers, two hands, left foot forward.

Stomp.
Left hand, underhand thrust.
Right hand, snap upward. A hook, a jab, silvered blade leading the way.
Shuffle.
Left hand, snaps out, dagger edge up. Bringing the blade DOWN.
Right hand, whirling back, away.
Twirl.
Repeat.

The movements lent themselves well to her preferred fighting style, solid yet graceful. The woman became a dervish~whirling, twirling, stomping, quick stepping. Hands are barely seen~the movements fast, brutal, deadly. She sinks into the perfection of it, her mind becoming clear, gaining the silence that allows deep thoughts to occur.

Timeless time later, she is interrupted by the sound of a throat being cleared.

All movements cease. Ravenia steps forward, whirls toward her right and stares at the guard who stands there, perfectly at his ease. It is then that she notices the placement of her daggers~the left is pointed at his throat. The right one is bare moment's away from entering the flat expanse of his stomach.

Shit.

Ravenia hastily dropped the weapons and stepped backward, crossing her forearms and pulling them toward her chest so that she can perform a rather hasty bow.

"You have come a long way, Malachai. What brings you? How did you know where to find me? Is every thing well in the city?"

Her guard waited until he was sure of her intentions and then allowed himself a small grin of self satisfaction. The lady was still queen, even if she no longer held a throne.

"I have news, Lady. The interloper has begun rebuilding our fortifications as well upping the production on all war goods~ steel and the like. There are people coming from Cloud Crest proper. Hundreds, it seems, by the day. Those people seems to be craftsman, traders. Not farmers, not foresters nor miners but people who have their own unique skills." The guardsman allowed himself a brief silence before continuing onward. "I have been on the road these past few days and so I do not know the state of things at this moment. However, when I left two days ago~ the interloper had not been sleeping and had been driving himself relentlessly. Whether you believe the truth of his vision or not, he most certainly DOES."

Ravenia allowed the words to penetrate the chaos in her mind, allowing silence to reign while she formulated some sort of response. Finally, she looked to her man and spoke.

"What should I do, Malachai? "

"Come home, my queen and help, so that your people do not forget who has ruled them in peace."

Ravenia gave the matter the thought it deserved, long moments filled with inner turmoil and bitter hatred. However, she knew that her guard had the right of it. Hiding here, like a girl who had been kicked out of play group, would do no good. She needed to return.

"I shall. Two days hence, Malachai. You have my word upon it. Do NOT tell anyone of my impending return. I shall announce myself when it is prudent to do so. Instead, gather together the keep guards three days from now and meet me in the south field beyond the keep's walls. T'is time I began training with you all, once more."

The short, brown skinned man gave his queen a brisk nod and turned away, heading back the way he had come. Ravenia gathered her daggers and prepared to do the same. After all, she had had a few days of rest. From the sound of it, the new ruler had not been so lucky.

South Field~NOW​

"Again."

The words are yelled into the clear early morning air and the clang of steel echoes long and loud as each man brings his sword to bear against his neighbor. There is a rising tide of sweat, musk, male hormones and low gasps of pain as muscles bulge and twist.

"Disengage. Switch. New round. Again."

The woman looks different. Her hair is cut brutally short~curving around delicate ears and barely touching the back of her neck. She fights in old leathers~stained and well worn, they fit her like a second skin and move as she does. If it weren't for the curve of her hip, the thrust of prodigious breasts~ no one would be able to tell her from the rank and file that surround her.

"Again."

She hopes that the guards don't run back to tell him she's returned. She knows that she is not yet ready to face the man and offer up her services. THIS she can do, will do. Training the elite forces that guard the keep, that guard the ascendant ruler. She had done that in ages past~ keeping her guard fierce and fight ready. It did not feel like she was giving anything away by doing so, now.

"Disengage. Swords down. Daggers up. Switch. Again."

Her voice carries~ clarion clear through the early morning air. She can be heard leagues away. It doesn't matter. Not now. She is surrounded by her men, she is fighting and all is right with her world.

"Again."

 

[Firmhanded_Daddy]

Days past and the new ruler fell into a routine with his new responsibilities. Along with his responsibilities of governing this new nation, establishing supply lines, building of fortifications, recruiting new troops, he also had to rule his nation. Reports came in with the foot traffic of what transpired at home. Most mundane items were handled by the nobility, he had passed off matters of justice and the like to others who were present within his provinces. They could handle those matters, however he did receive reports that to most people would look like gibberish. The truth was they were coded messages. He needed no cypher, as he had the cypher memorized. It was a day like any other except he was preparing to move huge shipments of iron and wood, as well as troops from cloud crest, to his current destination.

Despite the ex monarch and her assessments when she departed he had information she did not. He began sending outriders out to the mountains. They were given simple orders; to watch for anything ‘unusual’. The men of course thought this was some sort of fools errand, or perhaps a punishment. So they set up a camp and prepared for a protracted vacation.

Meanwhile the foot traffic into The Sundered Lands increased. Unbeknownst to the new ruler Malachai had left, and returned from his voyage to speak with the queen. He had spoken with the guardians of the citadel in small groups, ones and twos passing along the meeting time and location.

**

The day of Ravenia’s return initially Abdel noticed nothing unusual. He was focused on what was to happen today. His men were arriving today. A large force, one not large enough to occupy this land, but between them, and those already here perhaps he could. Along with those men came a large shipment of goods so large that it could not pass without notice. As such word of it came to Ravenia, and to The Sundered Lands Proper before the goods themselves crossed the exterior borders. Such movements could not be hidden, and that was one of two reasons why he sent such a large contingent of men with it. The other reason was they simply needed more bodies here than this land could provide without conscripting outside of what he had told Ravenia he would. Perhaps she did not take him as one to follow his word, but he was such a man.

It was not until after his morning rituals and meal that he started to get a feeling something was off. He had established a ritual with those who guarded him. He sparred with them in twos and fours. He never injured a man outside of a few bruises. However when he started to gather men he noticed that those who were guarding were new faces. After a few questions none of the men in the inner walls were men he knew.

His suspicions spiked and a horse was quickly saddled. With a small group of men, five from cloud crest and five from The Sundered Lands he rode out to meet his shipment. Would that woman be insolent enough to attack his shipment? He doubted the men she assembled would be enough to overcome his forces, but he did not become ruler by taking foolish chances and trusting his enemies. She was exactly that, an enemy. He had not wanted it that way, he wanted to bring peace between them even for a short time, but the bull headed woman simply refused to work with him! On rare moments he let her irritate him.

He thought about all that he had done since coming into power here. It had not been long, but he had been trying hard to tie the men here with his men. They had been training with one another and so far there had been only a few fatalities from men loosing their cool. These men and women would have to fight along side one another in order to survive. They had no time to lose if they were going to start making these bonds strong enough to survive it.

The small unit rode hard toward the south, toward his shipment. They made the trip, found the shipment and that all was well. He relaxed as they made the ride back to the keep. It wasn’t until on the way back did he hear from an outrider that they had found a moderate size of armed men led by a woman working drills in a field. He digested the information and then shook his head.

“Leave her be. If she wishes to cause trouble I will allow her to make the first move. I am trying to bring our people together. I cannot do that by being the monster who slaughtered their beloved Queen without provocation. This may be nothing more than her working off steam. Lets get this shipment where it belongs.”

Outriders continued to scout them, they made no secret of it, yet no one ever came within bowshot.