Page 58 of Of Skulls Of Shackles

“You might keep your agenda, though you should believe in its futility. A queen cannot be undone.”

The princess’s gaze sparkled with rage. “Not even made of stitches as you are?”

“My stitches can shackle a king. You are ancient enough to answer your own question. But you peg the hopes of your union with my demise, I clearly see. You believe that with my departure or undoing, then all might be well with your king.”

“He is worse than ever since you walked into toothed beast’s yawn,” she snapped. Her breath shook after.

I believed such. “What if a queen is meant to wear the burdens of king? What if throne was to become seat?”

She stared, and I waited for her connection to catch up. “Must he stilltakein that future?”

“Yes, his power must always grow. Though he willtakeon my orders, not of his own volition.” So I expected. I could not entirely say.

The thought was not a full one, just the inklings of one. A king so tied and worn by moral despair might like to deny he had choice in the matter oftaking.Such denial could make all the difference, and he might go on much happier in monsterdom. Perhaps happy enough to accept more than the flesh of his princess.

If a queen could shoulder the blame. I had not been tested in the matter, so I could not say one way or another how capable I might be.

The princess started to speak twice, only to stop.

I had presented her with a curious thought indeed. “What shall your job title be in my queendom?”

“Marshal,” she whispered. “I will be your marshal.”

“I accept your role as marshal in my queendom. Go forth in this.” Silently, and on a breeze, I added, “Send in Princess Change.”

Princess Take stumbled out. Princess Change strode in, numb and despondent. How boring of her, yet I had conquered her king, so I would try for patience. Though my expectations for the conversation were so low, that my mind stole away into obsession unexpectedly.

Which king would I conquer next?

I had anticipated an order to obsession, but I had not heard a list of kings where Change came first. Unless the order had to do with their ranking as human soldiers, because King Change was once their general a long, long time ago.

I frowned.Wait.But wait. That was untrue. Not the part where Change was general, but the part where I had not heard a kingly list where he was first.

Change was first to join a princess in union.

Union.The mysterious seams in a chant and in a poem. See was not joined in union, though… but perhaps I should disregard him in the order considering what my lover’s role may be in the conquering of him. I could not ignore that Change wasonlyfirst in the chain of unions made. This, then, must be the order of conquering.

Who married second? “Raise,”I thought on a breeze, and my queendom shook.

“A queen preferred to make ancient connections instead of speaking to a princess,”said the newest monster.

This queen did, yes. Yet I had my next kingly target, and so good humor returned to me. I would stop ignoring a princess.

I smiled at her. “The path clears.”

“Y-Your Majesty?” asked Princess Change.

Goodness.Immense power did take me away with it sometimes. I softened my voice for her. “Princess, you would stay with your shackled king in my queendom instead of returning to tend your forest.”

She held her head higher. “I would.”

“Does guilt drive you or loyalty?In the urge to free him.”

She shrieked as my voice brushed against her. She gripped her gardening apron. “He is m-my king.”

Non-answer.“How will you make yourself useful?”

She fought for breath. “I have… naught to offer but the tending of plants, Y-Your Majesty. I shall groundkeep your queendom, both within your wall of bars and without in the areas of humans.”

---