Amazon Fall

by Barbara G. Tarn

  The Queen's daughter had an inborn talent in showcasing her beauty, to the amusement of her best friend, who was the only one aware of what was actually going on.

  Mikis didn't resist the provocation for long – he wasn't blind – but his pride made him react not as expected. Since he couldn't deny her charm, he decided to avoid her as much as he could.

  "You idiot, you don't understand a damn thing!" Rena stormed into his room, furious.

  "You're ridiculous, you look like a courtesan!" he retorted.

  "You are ridiculous! You drool and then you get mad at me!"

  "You're an Amazon, you're not supposed to behave like a whore!"

  "I'm a woman and I know what to do to enhance my looks! Unlike you who can only criticize!"

  "Oh yeah? But you like kissing me!"

  "Says who?"

  "I do!"

  He closed the fight with another long kiss. Again she clung to him, breathless. Lunatic and proud like her, but Goddess, he could kiss! She allowed him to undress her, carried away by his passion.

  ***

  "So?" Marlen asked, amused, when the lovers emerged again and joined the palace common areas, looking more embarrassed than dreamy.

  "Next time you must be there too," Mikis said.

  "Why, two is not enough?"

  Mikis scrunched his nose and averted his eyes. Rena stared at her feet with a frown.

  Marlen's eyebrows shot up. "Rena?"

  "Maybe you were right," the blonde answered. "Maybe. Mikis is right, though, next time you should be there too."

  "If you insist." Marlen shrugged and gave up.

  ***

  "Why so somber, my dear daughter?" Isolde, Alexia's mother, had the same red curls, but wore the elegant gown and jewelry of Aristocrats.

  Alexia was still in her uniform as she slumped on her triclinium. "That Marlen is a curse," she grumbled. "Between her and the arrogant foreigner, they seduced the princess into a threesome!"

  "Unbelievable!" Isolde muttered. "Yasmine's blood has the same power that she had on our queen! At least Yasmine was one of us, but Marlen..."

  "Don't tell me!" Alexia snapped. "Watching Princess Rena show off her body for that dumb Mikis really got on my nerves! And if I think she gave herself to that prick only to get to Marlen..."

  "She agreed to share a man to be with the woman she wants?" Isolde asked, incredulous. "Goddess, it's worse than I thought! Perhaps we should tell Julianna."

  "No, mother, I'll solve it on my own," Alexia said, determined. "Princess Rena loves that foreign girl who prefers that strange guy who seems to have two faces..."

  "I don't like this." Isolde shook her head, thoughtful. "You're in the position I was in, second in the heart of the future queen."

  "It's frustrating for me too, Mother," Alexia retorted. "But in seventeen years I couldn't get inside Rena's heart and since Marlen joined us, I gave up. By now the princess sees only that brunette with sky-blue eyes... and there's nothing I can do. Rena is the Queen's daughter, she deserves respect and attention at any time – when will that bitch who grew up abroad get that?"

  "Rena is vain and megalomaniac like her mother," Isolde said. "Your only hope is that she gets fed up with Marlen and recognizes your value. Be patient, Daughter."

  Nice words, Alexia thought, frustrated. She'd been patient for more than twenty years! She had her pride, for the Goddess's sake!

  Bringing in the Queen through her mother would be useless. Julianna didn't care about Isolde, only about Yasmine. And Marlen was Yasmine's daughter. Besides, the Queen didn't have total control over her daughter.

  I shall protect you, Alexia decided. Even from yourself! I know the Queen would approve... I'll find a way!

  6. JEALOUSY

  The Amazons didn't have couples or families in the traditional sense – like in the Kingdom of Noavaria – so being a steady couple in Maadre was not so easy, especially at the royal palace where men were either confined to the Queen's Apartment or to the servants' quarters, not allowed into the court's presence.

  "Let's leave the palace, Marlen, I want to spend a whole day with you – no, two," Mikis suggested with a "puppy look" the brunette couldn't resist.

  "All right," she smiled. "Where to?"

  "Wherever you want! I haven't seen much of it anyway, and since Rena is busy with her duties, let's get away without her."

  As long as the Queen knew where she was, Marlen felt free to get away from palace life for a couple of days.

  She showed Mikis the town she had learned to love since she'd moved there. The Temple of the Goddess, the Market, the Fluvial Port. The foreign merchants crowded the port and the market with their goods, and often Marlen heard the dialect of Noavaria spoken in that side of the town.

  Patriarchal societies had invaded the suburb of the port, but the Amazon militia kept an eye on them. It was a sort of ghetto, since the men weren't free to move around town, not even foreign men.

  "But it's very safe around here, unlike the sea harbors of foreign kingdoms," Marlen explained. "I mean, when I embarked on the coast of our home-kingdom, I can't tell you what I saw in that harbor! My father being a pirate... he was very brave."

  "Maybe because he's a man," Mikis teased. "I'm amazed by how women can handle your triremes and galleys. I thought male muscles would be needed to sail."

  "Obviously not," Marlen replied with a smile. "I mean, we have female soldiers as well, and you'd think women don't have the muscles to use certain weapons – but we proved you wrong when we conquered the former Kingdom of Noavaria. And I speak as a woman, not an Amazon."

  Mikis laughed. "I have already surrendered to you, honey! And I can see the Amazon militia is more efficient than any male militia in the world."

  "Well, they constantly patrol harbors and ports, often with the help of soldiers. I mean, I've done my rounds of duty too around this town..."

  "What are you?"

  "I'm a soldier, like Rena. The militia has different uniforms, with the emblem of the town it belongs to. Only the Maadre militia has the dragon of the Goddess, like the army, but their tunics are red, not black."

  "And the dragon is golden, while yours is red," he said, eyeing two uniformed women with red tunics. "And then there's the Queen's Guard."

  "Yes, blue tunic, silver dragon, they work only at the palace or accompany the Queen in her travels."

  "Who's the first Queen who allowed men in the army?" he asked.

  "That was Jessamine, the Queen abducted by King Keldar."

  "Who cost him his kingdom." He chuckled. "Kelvia is falling to pieces, especially after they built the new capital, people started saying Keldar's keep was bad luck."

  "And now Noavaria is an Amazon colony... who knows for how long. I think Julianna let Rena lead that campaign to punish my father."

  "These Amazons are tricky." He squeezed her hand. "But at least they allowed me to run away from my father and find you."

  "Would you go back?" she asked as they sat by a fountain in a quiet little square.

  "I don't know." He shrugged. "You?"

  "Sometimes I miss my father. And he says life is much better under Amazon rule. Apparently the Council didn't do a great job after the short war with Gyllymer."

  "Does he want you back?" he asked, worried.

  "He only wants me to be happy." She grinned. "And since he doesn't trust you, he's trying to convince me to go back to him."

  "Why doesn't he trust me?" he protested.

  "Because you're dumb?" she suggested with a giggle.

  He understood the joke and relaxed.

  "Maybe we should embark. See more of the world."

  "I doubt women are allowed on non-Amazon ships... Is there any kingdom which could have a mixed crew?"

  Both pondered.

  "Maybe the Tattooed," he said at last. "They're a maritime republic and have equality between sexes. Besides, I'm sure I've seen some Tattooed female sailors with biceps bigger than mine!"

  "They s
ure love their bodies!" she admitted with a smile. "I'll ask the Queen if she sees fit that I join a Tattooed crew."

  "Do you think Rena will join us?"

  "Probably. And Alexia as well."

  "Alexia is in love with Rena. And she hates me."

  "It's because sometimes you can be a real asshole."

  "Who, me?" he asked innocently before kissing her.

  ***

  Marlen was knocked out before she realized what was going on. She collapsed, unconscious, under Mikis's eyes. The men who had surrounded them in the alley between two waterfront inns pushed him away, leaning on the passed out Amazon.

  Mikis had no idea why they'd been attacked, but he couldn't allow anyone to hurt Marlen. He was alone against five, though, so he was beaten up pretty badly.

  Luckily a patrol of Amazon militia saw them and immediately intervened, dispersing the thugs. A couple lay on the cobbled ground, unconscious, the others ran away. Mikis had curled up to protect himself and moaned when the patrol leader touched his shoulder.

  "It's Marlen, m'lady," one of the girls said after checking the other victim.

  "Go to the palace and call Princess Rena," the leader commanded. "You!" She turned to one of the innkeepers who had a side door on the alley and was observing the scene from there – a bulky woman with an impassive face. "Give us a room, the Queen will repay you."

  "With pleasure," the innkeeper replied. She helped the militia to take Marlen and Mikis inside. The patrol waited outside while she ordered her maid to boil some herbs to tend Mikis's bruises and Marlen's bump on the head.

  "Captain, was it really necessary to send for Rena?" Mikis asked, worried, wincing in pain as the innkeeper cleaned his bruises.

  "Marlen is Princes Rena's best friend," the militia leader snapped. She was middle-aged, with traces of a lost beauty.

  "I know." Mikis sighed. "But Marlen and I were on leave."

  "And someone obviously wants you dead."

  "I can take care of us, just leave Rena out of it. Please?"

  At that point Marlen came back to her senses, still dazed.

  "M'lady, I sent for the princess," the militia leader announced.

  "It wasn't necessary," Marlen replied, blinking repeatedly to focus on her. "I'm fine. Tell her I'll be back tomorrow as promised. And find out who attacked us and why."

  Take that! Mikis thought.

  The leader saluted and left, a little peeved.

  The innkeeper smiled. "Only a little bump," she said. "He has more bruises."

  "We'll take care of each other," Marlen assured. "How much for the room?"

  Then the innkeeper left. Marlen ordered Mikis to join her on the bed. He obeyed and hugged her, even if he hurt in many places. But love was stronger than pain and kissing her he soon forgot the beating.

  ***

  The assassins waited for them on their way back to the palace. Mikis tried to stop them while Marlen ran to look for help, so he was beaten again.

  The leader of the thugs grabbed Marlen and slammed her to the ground before she could reach a crowded square, pinning her.

  "You're really a black panther," he sniggered. "You deserve the punishment I'm paid to give you!"

  Holding her still, he ripped off her tunic, squeezing her naked breast.

  "Let go, bastard!" She tried to kick him off, but he was bigger and stronger. "Who sent you, son of a bitch? Who paid you for this?"

  "I will never tell you," he replied before closing her mouth with his and gagging her with his tongue.

  Marlen moaned and struggled some more. Sometimes men were animals.

  He punched her in the belly and she almost fainted.

  Again the militia saved her before it was too late.

  "Sexual assault is punished with castration," the leader told the man. "Take him away," she ordered her girls – three of them to restrain him.

  "Seems our patrols always find you in trouble, Marlen. Only yesterday my colleague saved you from another attack. I thought you'd gone back to the palace by now."

  "I was going back." Marlen sighed, holding her ripped tunic closed with one hand and massaging her aching belly with the other. "But someone wants me dead. Where is Mikis?"

  "Captain Angelica's team is escorting him back to the palace, where I shall take you as well so the Queen's Healer can check you."

  "All right." Marlen surrendered. She slowly rose with the help of the captain and realized she was bleeding – and it wasn't her period. She cursed under her breath, leaning on the other woman, feeling dizzy.

  "Get a stretcher, we will have to carry her," were the last words she heard before passing out.

  ***

  Mikis was bruised and had a black eye. He'd been beaten, but he had fiercely beaten back from the state of his now bandaged hands.

  Rena stared at him sulkily. He'd been out of the palace for two days and found trouble with Marlen. The culprit had committed suicide to avoid revealing who had paid him, and Rena had nobody left to interrogate and figure out why Marlen and Mikis had been attacked so viciously.

  Serves them right! she thought, furious. Next time they'll think twice before leaving me behind! Now that someone wants them dead, they'll have to stick to me if they want protection!

  Mikis slowly opened his good eye and sighed. His lips were swollen by another bruise – it was a miracle he hadn't lost any teeth – and she brushed them. He could be an asshole, but also sweet – why would anyone want him dead?

  "How do you feel?" she asked.

  "Bruised," he answered. "Marlen?"

  "She'll be fine," Rena replied. "But she miscarried."

  He gasped. "I want to see her." He tried to rise, but she blocked him with a hand on his chest, making him wince from a probably broken rib.

  "You're too weak!" she scolded.

  "Bring her here, then."

  "Maybe she doesn't want to see you right now."

  "Did you pay them?" he demanded. "Did you do this to her so she'd starts hating men as much as you do?"

  "No! I couldn't find the culprit, but it wasn't me! If I wanted to tear you apart, I have less insidious means to do it anyway!"

  "Then bring her here, now!"

  The blonde hesitated. "All right," she surrendered.

  ***

  Rena was puzzled and a little annoyed. When she'd first heard of the attack, she'd hoped it would break the bond between Mikis and Marlen, but no, Marlen still refused her and enjoyed Mikis's touch. She'd lost his child, but she still preferred him to the blonde princess.

  Maybe it wasn't a triangle. They were a couple and she was not with them. She turned her back on the lovers and met Alexia's desperate stare. Rena raised her chin and passed by her occasional bed partner without glancing at her. But Alexia followed her to her rooms.

  "I'm sorry, Princess, I hoped to solve everything," the redhead said, staring at her feet, once they were alone. "They were supposed to die, both of them, to free you of your obsession."

  "What? It was you?" Rena stared at Alexia, incredulous. Of course, Alexia had the means. She was the daughter of an Aristocrat, she could pay thugs to hurt someone.

  "I did it for you!" Alexia replied, desperate. "You loved me before they ruined our lives! She doesn't deserve you, but she bewitched you – and I thought the only way to break the spell was getting rid of her! Forgive me, I failed you, maybe I don't deserve you either, since I can't protect you from yourself!"

  Alexia! Rena couldn't believe it. She knew Alexia was in love with her. She'd thought Alexia was after her for the position of Queen's Best Friend, but obviously it wasn't only that. It felt good discovering someone actually cared about her as a person, not as the Queen's daughter – someone ready to kill for her.

  "I won't tell anyone," Rena said. "But you must swear here and now that you won't try to hurt Mikis or Marlen ever again."

  "I swear." Alexia knelt to kiss Rena's feet.

  "Now come here, I need cuddles." Rena pulled her up again. "You are my Bes
t Friend, not Marlen."

  Alexia hugged her. Rena was used to her adoring stare, but she felt relieved in the familiar embrace. Her mother had put Alexia next to her when they were children, and they'd grown up together. Alexia was less complicated than Marlen – and she wasn't hairy like Mikis!

  Part Two

  7. THE PRINCE

  "Actually, there is a ship with a mixed crew in my fleet now," Julianna said, amused, when Marlen asked her permission to leave and join a Tattooed crew with Mikis. "It's from our Outremer colony, but it works for us. It has a male captain and a female first mate."

  "Can we join them?" Marlen asked, pleasantly surprised. Mikis brightened, but Rena frowned.

  "You will have to talk with the captain. He handpicks his crew," the Queen replied.

  "Mother, why so much freedom to a male captain?" Rena protested.

  "I know him well, I trust his judgment. He's the first of a smaller mixed fleet that he's gathering in our colony. He runs the flagship while he waits for his former captain to join, and then he'll move to another ship, leaving the admiralship to this other man. We have three ships so far, the other two have female captains. You'll have to report to him anyway to join the mixed-crew fleet."

  "What's his ship's name?" Mikis asked.

  Julianna stared at Marlen. "The Flagship is called Yasmine."

  Marlen gasped. "And the captain's name?" she asked with a strangled voice.

  "Xavier Bennison."

  Mikis burst out laughing and it was Rena's turn to gasp.

  Marlen grinned. "I'm sure he'll have us..."

  ***

  They took a black-sailed galley to reach the former Kingdom of Noavaria, now called Outremer Colony in the Queendom of Maadre.

  Before reaching the harbor where Captain Xavier was gathering his fleet, they stopped in other coastal towns of the colony. And in one of them, Rena, Mikis, Marlen and Alexia ran into a brown-haired young man who looked lost at the sight of all the black sails berthed in front of his eyes.

  "Where are you from?" Rena asked him, amused by his shocked expression.

  "Noavaria, but I've been away... What happened to this kingdom?" he asked, puzzled.