The Gypsies
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She was truly retro. Sort of a new age CyberPunk in drag. A kind of UltraCool bohemian goddess masquerading as a secretary.
From the blond frightwig (ordered, one supposed, from the ELVIS PRESLEY Memorial Gift Catalog) to the mottled brown teeth (wood putty?) to the stockingless legs proudly displaying their varicose veins in all their uncovered glory, she had it down. This was more than performance, it was LIFE AS ART and she was its master. What dedication! What stamina! What pure, unadulterated commitment to an aesthetic! One could not help but admire her. She had created her own art form (Post-Sixties Anti-Counter-Culturism) and lived it. She embodied it as her lifestyle, her being. One wonders at the sacrifices she must have made-beauty, career, intelligence. It was a marvel to behold.
She rode the subway to work every day, coming in, one could only guess, from someplace like New Jersey, or Staten Island. (No detail was left unattended.) At work she was so completely incompetent, so extremely useless-harmful in fact-that it was a miracle she lasted the month (no longer). To be so dedicated to your art that your work life becomes a gypsian quest, this is the essence of paying your dues, of suffering for your art, a commitment so great that no sacrifice is beyond enduring. A true genius.
On the other hand, could she have been for real?
Queen Ankhesentiti lay in her chambers one day, bored and wondering what she would do with her day. She got up off her luxurious bed and walked out onto the rooftop terrace overlooking her palace courtyard.She stood on the terrace, leaning on the stone railing as she looked out at the land she ruled. It was a fine land, rich with resources and wealth. She was quite content and her people were happy with her as their ruler. Queen Ankhesentiti was a fair and just ruler, benevolent to her people,...
SeductionYAVARA The first thing I noticed when I awoke, was the familiar warmth of hair atop my head. It was strange, but the most jarring part of being burned half to death was the feeling of cold air against my bald pate. The missing limbs and skin were somehow secondary, and so the recovery of those lost things came as a second realization to me. The third thing I noticed, was that I was in my room in the high tower of Castle Alkandra. The fourth thing I noticed, was that Leveria was hovering over...
Note : This story is completely fictional!In nineteen forty six Thelma Lou Anderson was married with three kids. Linda was the oldest. She was sixteen. Guy and George was ten and Guy seven. Thelma owned a beauty shop in Kansas City. She suspected her husband Lawerance was cheating on her again. She followed him one day when he thought she was at work and saw him go into a house. A woman opened the door and he went in. That was all the proof she needed. She went home and packed her suitcase and...
IncestLEVERIA “…three, two, one!” Elena grunted, and with a heave, we tossed Sir Fraldias’s corpse down the spiraling staircase. It clanked and boomed as it disappeared into the stone blackness, then ended with a distant splash. “How are you going to explain it?” Elena asked, catching her breath. “I’m the queen of the Highlands; I don’t need to explain anything.” I smiled, wiping the blood off on my already-ruined night gown, “No one will question me about a missing knight, but a dead one at my...
Submitted on 11/29/08Within the palace of The Living Goddess Aishia hundreds of slaves were housed, born or conquest of war slaves. Being a tremendously wealthy young Lady, The Goddess Aishia has been waited upon all Her days by bought chattel. It is true to say She has never lifted a finger to perform a menial task in Her life all slaves worship Aishia. There has never been an attempt to escape; no day passes without number of slaves painfuly suffers ortortured to death for Queens pleasures,...
Chapter Sixty-One YAVARA It took me months to fully heal from the wounds I suffered atop the tower. Even with the full expertise of the royal mages, my stomach and liver were permanently damaged, and my abdominal wall had to be held together with a stiff corset lest I develop a hernia. It made it damnably difficult to sleep, but at least my posture was always good. Headmaster Lucian assured me that it would only be a temporary measure, for he and his best mages were working diligently to...
Mother Ethel always enjoyed the short walk to the train station. It was beautiful Autumnal morning and Mother Ethel took the opportunity to walk to the train station as she knew that she had a very busy day ahead. Those that saw Mother Ethel along the way bowed reverently,they knew that Mother Ethel was a Nun of the Monastery of Repentance and when a Nun or a Monk walked past it was polite to bow, for many knew what the Nun's and Monk's of the Monastery were capable of. As Mother Ethel strolled...
YAVARA I had seen Elena naked hundreds of times. During our early teens I’d been horribly envious of her woman’s form, and I often admired it. I remember how she used to blush when she caught me staring, but she never attempted to hide herself. I knew why then, but I never said anything. Homosexuality was disgraced in Highland society, and I feared for her sake. Truth be told, I feared a little for my sake, for even at the age of thirteen, I’d felt an odd tingling when I gazed upon the...
YAVARA Elena was straddled across my hips. My buttocks conformed perfectly into the inner portions of her thighs, and her cock nestled comfortably between them, its underside running pleasantly across my pussy and anus, teasing the receptive nerves there. Her thumbs kneaded the knotted muscles of my back, turning them into gelatinous mush that flowed warmly beneath the flesh. Her hair tickled my face, as it was cast over one side of her head so that she could plant delicate kisses upon the...
PRESTIRA Yavara was in good spirits, having gotten the message this morning that both Brock and Elena were alive and well. From what little Zander had risked putting on the parchment, I gathered that he’d set plans in motion for finding a Froktora. I liked Brock, truly I did, and the Terdini were renowned for their strength and size, but they were just too small a clan. The Protaki were the largest tribe in The Pines, but even they paled in numbers compared to the hordes of The Tundra. The...
LEVERIA My father stared in disbelief at the enchanted mirror. King Dreus’ face stared back. “…I hope that we can come to a diplomatic solution here, Clartias.” Alfred Dreus said, “I have five-hundred-thousand beasts that reside in my city, and I cannot condone any aggression taken by you or your people.” “I can’t believe this.” Father sighed, collapsing into the chair, “My own daughter.” He’d remained silent as King Dreus recounted everything that had happened, from the failed rescue...
Chapter Seventeen ELENA The sound of morning birds chirping roused me. Destiny curled up closer to me in her sleep, murmuring softly. I relaxed in my position, savoring the feeling of her lying partially atop of me, her thigh pressed against my morning wood. A familiar hand caressed my cheek. I looked up to see two burning orange irises staring down at me. “Hi Elena.” Yavara giggled, “I see you made a new friend.” “Yavara!” I exclaimed. “Shh,” Yavara whispered, putting a finger to my...
Chapter Fifty-seven LEVERIA I took a deep breath, and my nostrils were filled with the smell of spent lust. Warm morning skin moistened in a dew of hormonal sweat, the subtle pungency of sexual fluids, and the tang of orifices that had not yet coalesced into their fleshy confines. Ah, what a wonderful miasma. My eyes fluttered open, and I sighed with contentment. The morning sun wasn’t yet up, but I felt no need to rise. The day would bring immeasurable bloodshed, and so I clung to the...
Chapter Twenty YAVARA I blasted through the roof the chieftain’s hut. I didn’t stop for their exclamations, nor to see their faces of wonder before I scorched through the sky. Prestira’s dying thoughts were echoing in my mind. They took her, she said, they took Elena! Stay with me! It’s too late. It’s all my fault; I did this. No! I thought, This was Leveria, not you! I killed Patricia, Prestira’s telepathic voice sobbed, I burned her alive. She screamed ‘why’ the whole...
ELENA I peered through the brush, the pine needles tickling my face. The morning sun cast speckled rays through the green canopy, and bathed my target in a golden aura. I supposed the man was beautiful. His face was chiseled with elegant features, his hair was a mess of blond, and his body was bronze and lean, toned to perfection. His ears came to points in the elven fashion, but his stature was more human. He lounged nakedly in the clearing, dipping his toes in the babbling stream and...
GORLOK The rising sun was red over the Highland Rift, casting the silhouettes of trebuchets and ballistae in a bloody hue. The morning was still, interrupted only by the annoyed cawing of a distant crow. To my left, the horde’s line stretched to the northern horizon. To my right, there was no one. The tundra grasslands gave way to pine trees, and the Highland Rift ascended into thousand-foot cliffs all the way to Castle Thorum and the Knife River. I sat atop Ginger, my prize warg, the beast...
Dot, Dorothea, and Dick Chapter One Dear sister: I found this letter among some others, scrolled up and tied with purple ribbon, in a chest belonging to our great grandfather. The name Charles has belonged to several in our family line, but I believe I know the one who received and saved this letter, and kept it preserved for so many years. I believe the letter speaks for itself, so I will now offer it up to you. Dearest Charles: I hope this missive finds you in such good...
Queen of Harvest Moon Part I: RICKY'S HALLOWEEN SURPRISE By Angel This story is about change. Yes, we all go through changes don't we? But how about changes that are brought about by others for a purpose you would not have anything to do with? SURPRISE! Unknown to you the changes have begun and there is no turning back. Halloween is one of the best times of the year for children, besides Christmas and birthdays, that is! Months before Halloween is to arrive the plan...
CRYSTAL The arrival of the Dark Queen had disrupted the equilibrium of the Gorge. Brock, already insecure about his position, was made even more so, and Master’s concerns about the intentions of her beloved had deepened. I could see the rift that was forming between Brock and Master, and indeed, the rift in Yavara’s own court. As of now, the greatest threat the two posed was to each other, for the division they sowed would pull at the Dark Queen, and paralyze her. The morally-flexible Zander...
I asked for itI walked in , looked down the hall and there she was. Standing at the far end of the hallway in the doorway of her bedroom. She was dressed in black boots with six inch heels, fishnet stockings and the sexiest curve hugging black mini dress you can imagine. She had one hand on her hip and her other hand was sliding up and down her purple strap on cock - stroking it. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked up at her and when our eyes met she said “on your knees”. Yes mam I said as I...
Leah stepped out of the elevator. Someone trained in reading subtle psychological tells would have immediately noted her repeated pursing of her lips, and the repetitive manner in which she clutched her handbag, while absently twirling fingers through her long, jet black hair. Of course that someone would have to be immune to her enormous sex appeal in order to observe the subtleties. The concierge looked up and smiled. It didn’t take much imagination or psychoanalytic knowhow to read the...
SupernaturalChapter Twenty-Six TITUS I’d always considered myself the foremost connoisseur of humanoid creatures on Tenvalia. I’d had every kind there was to have, and indeed, I’d developed something of a food pyramid to rank them. Yes, much like grades of meat in the butcher shop, there was a hierarchy when it came to quality of species. Bottom-shelf varieties included: orc, goblin, troll, and ogre. Orcs were too salty, goblins were too lean, trolls were too tough, and ogres were downright disgusting....
ADRIANNA Riding a warg wasn’t anything like riding a horse. With a horse, I felt the power of the beast as it beat its hooves against the ground, springing me forward with each stride. With a warg, I didn’t even notice the ground it ran upon, for the warg didn’t beat the ground, but ripped through it, its massive paws tearing into the earth to create footholds for it to launch forward with each ferocious drive. The muscles on Sasha’s back rippled along me as I clung to her mane, and peered...
FIELD MARSHAL SHORDIAN I was groggy the next morning. Battle always took its toll the night afterward, when adrenaline and terror had eased from my body, and pain took up residence in their wake. I stepped from the citadel, and out onto the ruins of Mid Fort. Usually, I would have to take a few downward steps before crossing the threshold to the courtyard. Not today. The bodies were piled five-feet-high, and even higher along the walls. Thousands were dead in this small spot, no larger than...
ELENA “Oh fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck put me down, put me down!” I screamed, peeking over Yavara’s elbow at the thousands of feet of nothing between me and the ground. “Is that Castle Thorum off in the distance?” Yavara mused, “I think I see the Spearhead Mountains, but I can’t quite tell. Maybe we should go higher?” “I’ll kill you! I swear to god I’ll do it!” Yavara laughed, her black hair billowing in the wind. “You know, from this high up the landscape looks kind of curved, do you see...
ADRIANNA The woman’s name was ‘Hannah,’ and she was a scout in Esmerelda Giana’s rebellion. The force was made up primarily of women and the elderly, which had undoubtedly been laughable to the nobles of the Feractianas province when they’d first heard of it. They weren’t laughing anymore. Esmerelda’s army had swallowed entire swaths of the southern Highlands, moving untouched through estates that would’ve been armed to the teeth in peacetime. If the gentry of Feractianas had thought that an...
TITUS I shuffled over to Zander, every step a labor of agony. It had been two weeks since I’d sustained the wounds, but I still felt them acutely. Solar fire and Nadi wood were not things a vampire could simply recover from. It took the specialized training of the greatest wizard on Tenvalia just to get me walking again. He sat in his chair, smoking a pipe and staring out at the elven encampment three miles west. We were atop a hill, one of two hills in the entire Tundra, it seemed. The...
“Where are we going now?” Walker complained, “are you going to throw me off a cliff to see if I can fly?” The Drones who were serving as his escort were tightly packed around him as they made their way down a sloping tunnel, winding ever deeper into the darkest recesses of the colony. The further beneath the ground they ventured, the warmer and more humid the air became, until Walker was sweating like he was sitting in a sauna. Fortunately, his fatigues had been returned to him that night...
PRINCESS PRESTIRA TIADOA Being a Highland princess was a lonely ordeal. Though my mother was a “free spirit” and encouraged me to make friends outside of the castle, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. A princess had her place, and it was not with the commoners on the street. That was why my only friend was my cousin, Adrianna Straltaira. Adri’s mom was a really busy woman, being the ambassador to Alkandra, so Adri spent most of her time living with her grandma, Great-Aunt Lydia, just a few...
Interlude Yavara sat upon a black throne. She closed her eyes and savored the discordant symphony of wails and moans, the drone punctuated by the clanking of chains and the cracking of whips. Exhaling contentedly, she opened her eyes. Below her laid a spectacle of depravity, churning masses of flesh oscillating to some unheard cadence, their glistening forms bathed in the crimson torchlight. The prisoners’ eyes were wide with horror, as what was being done to them was horrible, but comingled...
LEVERIA The previous night had been a sleepless one. I’d sat in my office, drinking wine and contemplating the mirror before me. Its twin was hanging over Elena Straltaira. She was awake, staring up at herself, a thin rectangle of moonlight shining on her face. Though her jaw was swollen, her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was filmed with dried sweat and smeared blood, she shown like an angel to me in her lunar aura. “What the fuck is wrong with me?” She asked herself. I’d been asking...
Our Last Day of School. I can’t believe it. This is my last day of school, I thought, not sure how I felt now that the long awaited day was here. Stepping out into the beautiful sunny afternoon, heading toward the group of waiting yellow school buses I breathed a sigh of relief. I was glad school was finished. Throughout High School like a ship at sea, I had plotted my course, studying hard. However, the Scholarship that many felt I had rightfully won had somehow ended up going to one of...
PRIVATE HESIA OF THE HIGHLAND ARMY “…I’m telling you, you’re safe if you don’t put the helmet on.” Alex said to me. We were stationed in the Crescent, a part of the Rift that bowed inward. It was the safest part of Sector Two, as the inward bow would funnel enemies into a crossfire. After being part of Droughtius’s fifth division and getting absolutely smashed at the Battle of the Tundra, it was nice to just man a wall. There’d only been one assault of the Crescent during the entire...
TITUS The sinking sun cast the sky in crimson, illuminating the thick fog of the marshlands in ethereal red, the helms of the Highland army barely glinting through the haze. I watched it through the silk fabric of my mask, the rest of my body submerged in a murky pool. Topographically, this part of the Highlands was not part of the ‘high lands,’ for it was flat marsh without so much as a tree stump to raise the elevation. The border was drawn after the collapse of Alkandra to ensure that no...
Chapter Twenty-Three LEVERIA “…do you see that?” A nasally voice cut through the darkness. The darkness had been pure bliss, a blanket of nothing to drape over my mind, gently dulling the cruel light of life. The voice was an interloper, a screeching rooster at dawn’s window, rousing me unbiddenly from the deepest of slumbers. “What is that?” Another voice asked. Oh, it was a sweet sound, a songbird’s melody to announce the gentle rise of the sun, its warm rays filtering through my...
IVANKA Tiffany and I watched from the mouth of the Broken Pass as the sun sank into the horizon, casting violet rays into the sky that faded to purple, then blue, then black. I waited until the last light faded, then I stripped my robes, and felt the cool wind caress my naked flesh. I took a deep breath of the night air, and my blood surged with a primal thrill. I pulled Tiffany into a heated kiss, tasting the avarice on her tongue, the suffusion of sexual desire and blood hunger, the need to...
Chapter Thirteen ELENA “Spin around, Opal, show Sherok your new tat.” I said to my favorite slave as the tattooist finished his work. “Master’s Little Anal Slut, that’s classy Elena.” Sherok laughed as Opal shimmied her hips, the fresh ink contrasting her pale backside. “Well, Opal’s such a classy little girl, aren’t you?” I grinned, filling my hand with her supple ass. Opal’s tail curled upward in arousal, exposing her holes. “Not now, Opal.” I said, running a finger down her taint,...
She is surely one of the most beautiful and sexy women on the earth even in her early 40's being an ex fashion model she still has a body to makes most hearts skip a beat and after getting married to a very wealthy business man she has settled down as a house wife or rather a trophy wife living a extravagant life full of all the comforts and luxuries one could ask for and most only can dream of a big luxurious mansion , luxury cars, number of servants and maids to do all the work, chores and...
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?”Anthea looked up at her mum as she sat down at the dining table. “Nothing is wrong,” Anthea responded watching as her mum hurriedly dried her hands with a tea towel.“Is the baby okay? Are you okay? Is Jack okay?” she asked as her husband came into the room and pulled up a seat at the table.“We’re all fine Mum,” she responded exasperated with her mum’s anxiety. “I have something to tell you.”“Sit down Helen,” her dad snapped. “Give the lass a chance to speak.”Anthea...
The vampire queen hugged the naked body closely as her victim, a pretty Asian teenager, experienced a final massive orgasm, cried out and lay still in her arms. At last, satisfied she had drained every drop, the vampire released her grip and the body slumped to the floor like a discarded rag. The movie theatre restroom was dark, quiet and otherwise empty or so the queen thought. As she closed her robe, the queen felt another presence. She smiled, not even bothering to turn around. "Hello,...
The opulent mansion was located several miles from the city on a rather remote wooded estate. Above ground it looked little different from that of any wealthy abode, an abundance of living, dining and recreation areas on the main floor with bedrooms galore on the second. It was the underground area however which set it apart. Ostensibly a wine cellar, there was the expected rack after rack of the finest from vineyards around the world. However a secret panel revealed a cavernous expanse more...
CERTIOK The city was in chaos. People ran to and froe, shouting and screaming. No longer did the wide boulevards of Alkandra feel like a beast utopia, but like the walls of a cage. Windows were frantically boarded, men and women sprinted toward the castle in various stages of undress, watchmen handed out spears and swords without a care for who grabbed them. Everyone was a soldier now, and no one was. “Go to you posts!” I yelled, and began thrusting my finger toward the docks, “Remember...
LEVERIA “Wake up, sleepy-head,” a musical voice giggled. I opened my crusted-over eyes to see the blurry image of a bronze figure standing over me. This hybrid was fully-female, and her flesh was tattooed with calligraphy and chains that wrapped her like inked bondage. The parts of her that were clothed, were clothed in leather straps that squeezed her large breasts, crossed her tummy, encircled her thighs, and ended in garters that became fishnet stockings. She wore a feathered butterfly...
Chapter Fifty ZANDER “Make way for the queen!” the crier yelled. One goblin rang a bell, another blared a farting trumpet, a third struck a snare with a military cadence, and the crowd roared with laughter. “Make way for the queen!” The crier yelled again. The trifecta of successive noises sounded, and the laughter and jeers answered once more. “Make way, make way, make way!” the crier yelled atop the float, zealous and gleeful with his role. He was dressed in the traditional garb of a...
BROCK “Loose!” I roared, and a hundred siege engines released at once, sending great boulders into the air. Those that were launched from the trebuchets tumbled as they arced, those that were launched from the catapults flew unspinning upon a line-drive path. The trebuchet boulders rained into Mid Fort, and the catapult boulders smashed into its walls, caving in the final few lengths of its eastern-facing side, revealing the inner sanctum, the citadel, and the high tower. Debris blasted in...
ADRIANNA I immediately locked down my thoughts, shutting Yavara out from even the most banal of my musings. She pouted her lips. “I was only trying to see what you were dreaming about.” Though I was groggy with alcohol, I could smell the wine fresh on her breath. She’d already been drinking, and it wasn’t even eight in the morning. “How did you get in here?!” I snapped, my breath tight in my chest. “Last I checked, this is my castle.” Yavara tittered. “And if you must know, I used the...
BROCK “…I don’t know what is custom for Highlanders, or royalty, but in the tribes—in the Terdini anyway—well, the Protaki as well, and those of the Northern Pines… goddamn it.” I growled to myself, took a deep breath, and tried again. “My queen, Yavara. I know that I am unworthy… no, confidence, Brock. Yavara—too informal? Confidence. Yavara…” I assessed the area around me, then brushed some of the dirt away from the floor of my tent, and got to one knee. “Yavara, I don’t know what is...
Chapter Fifty-Five LEVERIA I awoke to an explosion. Metal screeched, then banged, and I was suddenly hurled from my bed, and smashed into a wall. My head smacked against the stones, my teeth clicked, and whatever sleepiness remained left in my brain was shot out with a concussive thud. My blurred vision made out a pair of orange eyes, each of them bulging and trembling with wrath. “Good morning, Yavara.” I groaned. “What did you do?!” She snarled. I blinked, trying to focus my vision....
Chapter Forty-Five ADRIANNA It had taken Furia and I a lot less time to get back to Alkandra. We didn’t bother going through the mines since Arbor had already caught us, so it took just two days in our swift vampire forms before we saw the candle-lit skyline of Alkandra between the trees. We transformed back to our elven forms, donned our stately robes, and rubbed the wrinkles out of them. I peered out from the tree line, and looked both ways. The agrarian fields were empty, the last...
BROCK “Please!” The elf scout screamed. “I don’t understand why you’re complaining,” I said as I loaded him into the trebuchet, “I’m returning you to your army.” “Hold on to this tightly, Imperial, and don’t release it too soon.” Trenok grunted, tying the parachute straps to the terrified man’s wrists. “It won’t work!” He cried. I knelt to his level, and put a compassionate hand on his shoulder. “Progress is made by silencing doubters, little imperial. All great scientists of our...
Adrianna’s Story synopsis Adrianna employs her skills as a commander to rule over the wild population of tribespeople and Ardeni immigrants. She earns their respect through a brutal show of force, and in turn, proves to the other hybrids that she is capable of being governess, even if she reluctant to do so. There are seven other hybrids that Yavara changed. The women turned hermaphrodites are: Eva Alecia, Furia Agustinia, Alexa Jenania, and Kiera Lestria; the men turned women are: Faltia...
My Golden Summer with Blythe – Part 2 Josh’s childhood dream girl visits him in San Francisco. The Return of Blythe Coming from a small farming community, San Francisco proved to be everything Josh had ever imagined – and then some. He loved the freewheeling atmosphere – the friendliness – in short, he fell in love with the city by the Bay. Because of early retirements, and dedication to his work, he had advanced much quicker than he had ever expected. Arriving at his chic little Apartment...
Chapter Forty BROCK “…put your arms forward like this,” I instructed the little imperial scout, “then, when you’re at the precipice, you want to open them like this,” I motioned my arms outward, “and you’ll just glide over the top. Did you get that?” “W-w-w-what?!” I rolled my eyes. “Practice it with me, little imperial. Ball.” I crouched and hugged my knees, “Arrow.” I shot up with my hands together overhead, “Eagle.” I finished, spreading makeshift wings. “Ball, arrow, eagle. Ball,...
ELENA The drip of water, the howl of wind. The cold on my naked body. One breath, then another. That was what Adarian taught me so long ago. The room was lit by a barred window. It cast a dim ray onto my body, centering my exposed belly with a square of light. I was strapped to a wooden board in my cell, my limbs stretched in a spread-eagle, open and helpless. The binds were unescapable, I knew, for I’d placed many beasts in them myself. Only for them, the worst interrogation practice had...
Uther By Ellie Dauber (c) 2006 Introduction According to the legends of King Arthur, Merlin changed Uther Pendragon into a double for Duke Gorlois, so he could spend the night with Ygraine, the Duke's wife. Ygraine and Gorlois had three daughters: Elaine, Morgause, and Morgan le Faye. During their time together, Ygraine became pregnant with the child who was to become King Arthur. Uther's men killed Gorlois that same night. This is my TG (of course) version of what...
YAVARA I struggled to sit upright in my throne as the priest before me droned on and on about the Holy Mother bestowing me with my right to rule. The seats before me were filled with hundreds of minor nobles and rich merchants, for there were no representatives of the Noble Court to witness me anymore. Perhaps it had become much less dangerous to be queen of the Highlands, but it also had become much less prestigious. To make up for the lack of nobility, I decided to conduct the ceremony in...
YAVARA It was two in the morning when Zander shook me awake. “What?” I groaned. “King Dreus is calling you.” “You think he’ll break this time?” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and sat up. “I think he’s ready.” I sighed. “Make me look pretty, Zander.” He cast a spell, and my disheveled appearance righted itself, makeup was applied to my face, and my eyes were cleared of redness. I threw on yesterday’s clothes, walked over to the mirror, and palmed the glass. “Yes, You Highness?”...
LEVERIA I walked to the dungeons, my footsteps echoing into the still night. The guard nodded to me and opened the iron door. He guided me by torchlight through the catacombs, the wails and shrieks of captured beasts echoing through the halls. I followed with one hand on his shoulder, carefully watching my footsteps as I navigated the uneven stairs. A familiar voice reached my ears. Mother’s sobs rang through the dark halls, each new lamentation punctuated by a whimper. Her cell was lit with...