Page 62 of Of Brides Of Queens

“Our fealty is to our king,” he snarled.

Now here was a predicament. Now here was a conflict. “I am aware of the physical consequences you would face from your king, and I would never see such capable monsters harmed. You are very worthy of great respect and care. Go to your king. See what he requires.”

“We know what he requires,” Unguis whimpered, hanging a paw over his snout. “He wishes us to lead his fifth against you this night.”

Oh.Two kings would come for me tonight. That was twice my current situation. How would my balloon of power fare?

I regarded them, then regarded their feelings. “I see. And my answer is unchanged. Go to him.”

There was an inner war in my werebeasts, far bloodier and sootier than the battle outside of them. They felt my will, and the dark spark in them that still existed, barely there after the long abuse from King Change, understood what that meant. They knew my will should be heeded simply because they had the power to deny their king. But such surety was not enough for a monster convinced that convention was the gold standard of existence.

Yet though they had not asked for permission to leave, they also had not left until I had given it.

That was a large and difficult concession indeed for my three beastly pawns.

I declared, “Do not hang your heads, noble and princely pawns. You are great in mange and fang and paw. Go to your king now. I will feel the same about you after as I did before, because who could not see all that you are and marvel at everything you beautifully are.”

Loup skittered from me, growling. Unguis hunkered down and shuffled back. Huckery had frozen all together, but he considered me in a way that told me he understood what I was about.

These pawns did not know what to do with a compliment, as I had not. Moreover, they suspected a compliment. They also knew that compliments would not change how they felt within. Only they could convince themselves of that.

But who a person surrounded themselves withwasvery important too. The more they surrounded themselves with me, the more they might question their hatred of themselves. That was all I could do for them, and I would continue to do so always in the hopes they would win the war against themselves.

The werebeasts blurred away, likely in more emotional turmoil than usual.

Sign erupted from the ground. He panted as his stairs disappeared to the underground kingdom again, leaving carnage behind. “My queen, you must leave!”

My, but he was positively terrified. Whoever gifted him this fright was a master of the craft. “Leave? The humans are exhausted, dear pawn. The battle is nearly won.”

“They are. I have not seen humans beaten this way before. Their endurance is limited, is it not? B-but I come to tell you that you certainlymustleave!”

I would not leave my queendom. A ludicrous suggestion. “Is my strategy a first amongst immortal rulers? I was not ready to do violence, you see. Humans are so unsuspecting of theproblems of monsters. Killing them feels somewhat like ripping a doll’s head off.”

As I spoke the words, one of the nearest humans tore off the head of his husk doll and spat it on the rubble and dust.

Sign gazed upon me, his waxy mouth ajar and torn around the sides. “King Raise is coming himself.”

Bother.That was news of value.“He sent you to scare me away.”

“No, my queen. He wanted to change his suit to best impress his princess.”

“Understandable.” I blew out a breath. “Though the timing is regretful. King Change’s fifth is on their way, and that seems enough without a king to fend off as well. I had not expected a king to attend a battle.”

My words about new queens had been arrogant.

CouldI fend off a king? My monstrous instincts told me no. In fact, they screamed the word loudly.Drat.

Embers and stone exploded.

They exploded as if a volcano had erupted a hundred feet from where I stood. The rubble careened, hurtling against my balloon of power, only to spin off at wild angles.

Raise’s magnificent stairway rose from underground, and it was of black wood and yawned wide enough for five kings and a queen to ascend shoulder-to-shoulder. Glorious. Majestic. Sinister.

The black wood gleamed, and the underside of the curved balustrade dripped oil. A creative touch and in exact alignment with the king who had forged them. I could not grasp how many thousands of contracts had formed this staircase.

The mind boggled delightfully.

His suit, by contrast to his grand stairway, was stark white. He was a light in the darkness. Impossible to miss. An incredibleand dramatic wardrobe choice. I did hope that Princess Raise appreciated it.

---