by Jayme Knight
Queen of Dragons
© Copyright 2014 Jayme Knight
All rights reserved.
This story contains sexually explicit material, and themes. All characters depicted in sexual situations are over 18 years of age and not of blood relation. The characters and situations depicted within are fictitious and do not represent any person alive or dead.
Sterre’s family had been living in the same village for generations, through famine, plague, and invasions by all manner of creatures. They have endured and the family manor has grown to be the largest, richest and most powerful manor in the region. The manor and all of its power and influence has been passed down to the first born son of every new generation and he is entrusted with its well-being. Her grandfather died before she was born and her father Caspar was given control of their family’s manor and fortune when he celebrated his twentieth name day.
Two years after he took control of the manor Sterre was born, her name means star in the old tongue, and she was his favorite, his little star. It was not long and she was soon followed by two other sisters Mieke, and Sofie. Soon after Sofie’s birth their mother died of a strange fever. Rumors had sprung up that she was killed because she could not produce a boy child. It did not quell the rumors when her father remarried within a few short days of her mother’s death, in fact they only got worse. His new wife was a kind, beautiful girl only eighteen years of age that came from a neighboring village. Her name was Annika, and she worshiped their father like he was a king. She would give him two more daughters Viona and Pauline, but still no male to take over the manor and keep the family name alive.
In the next two years it became more commonplace for Sterre to hear Annika and her father arguing over the future of the house. The manor was large, very large but her father’s temper was equally large and if he was angry everyone in the manor knew. Sterre was only eight but she would lend comfort to her younger siblings until the house calmed down. Tensions between Annika and her father grew as it had been two years since Pauline was born and she has yet to conceive a new child, but that was short lived as Annika announced one morning that she was pregnant. The announcement of the pregnancy set a series of actions in motion as her father had a constant stream of people coming in to predict the sex of the baby through natural and magical means. Every credible prediction came back the same and it was not what her father wanted to hear. The child was going to be a girl.
It was at this point that the arguments between Annika and her father stopped all together. Her father spent his days attending to manor affairs and his nights either by himself or entertaining all manner of strange guests in his study. Most of the guests were ushered out before morning sometimes with her father close behind yelling at them for wasting his time. Sterre had seen it all, she was infatuated with what was going on behind the closed doors of the study. She was going to find out what went on in there, she just had to know.
This morning Sterre awoke late, she had once again been spying on her father until early in the morning well after the mid night bell had been sounded in the village. She dressed and went down to the dining room for morning meal. She found Annika and her siblings had already eaten and gone about their business leaving her to eat alone. This was not uncommon, she stayed up very late most nights and slept late every day. Annika had given up trying to reason with her, or to change the habit so Sterre just did as she pleased.
There was a lot of buzz in amongst the servants today, Sterre listened intently to their chatter and determined that there was a very special guest coming tonight, someone her father revered every bit as much as the king of the land they lived in. This peaked her interest, she wanted more than anything to know what went on in there and tonight was the night she was going to find out.
Sterre went about the rest of the day watching the servants carefully and waiting for a time when they left the study open and unattended. She found her chance when one of the scullery servants brought in a covered plate and left the door open when they headed to the wine cellar. Sterre quickly ran into the room and looked around for a hiding spot where she was sure not to be found. She knew the room as it is where she hides when she and her sisters play hide and seek in the manor, she likes to pick this room to hide in because she has had such a fascination with what goes on in here. She opted to hide in behind the curtains by the large double doors that led out into the garden. This spot allowed her to look into the room without being seen at all, it took her sisters all afternoon to find her here the first time she hid here.
She looked out over the room and soaked in all the details, the ornately carved stones that made up the hearth, the dark polished woods all of the furniture was made from, the plush settee that sat facing the hearth, the large overstuffed down chairs that sat at either end of the settee, a slate topped table sat in the middle of the three seats and had the plate the servant brought in placed on it. A large roll top desk at the far side of the room next to the door is where her father spent much time writing in books and such, she could never quite understand why he spent so much time making entries into books. Tapestries hung from the walls, ornate ivory carvings lined the hearth top, and the back wall was lined with bookshelves that were packed full of old tomes, journals and books. It was all arranged to her father’s exact specifications, and he liked everything to be in order and got very angry when it was not.
Just shortly after she hid she watched the scullery servant return and place a bottle of elven wine and two intricately carved crystal goblets on the table beside the covered plate and left the room locking the door behind them.
The room remained empty for some time, the sun had fully set leaving her area cast in darkness. The distinct sound of the door unlocking came to her ears, she perked up and looked out into the room as her father came in through the door with two lit lanterns , and followed by a cloaked man that was so tall he had to duck to enter the room. Her father locked the door behind them and just watched as the tall man removed his cloak and laid it on the back of the settee.
Sterre could not help but gasping at the sight of the man, as he moved every muscle in his toned body rippled, his handsome features dazzled her into a kind of awe. He had long pointed ears like an elf, deep crystalline red eyes and moved with a grace not possessed by any creature she had ever seen before. He wore sparse clothing, only enough to cover the essential parts when in pleasant company, and he was adorned by the most jewelry she had seen on any one person. Every finger had one or more rings on them all encrusted with precious gems, platinum bracelets lined each forearm, a gold and gem encrusted rerebrace and pauldron adorned his right arm.
Sterre watched with mouth agape as the man walked around the room looking at all the decorations and his eyes came to rest on the centuries old family crest tapestry that hung above the hearth and he began to speak.
“So Caspar,” the tall man said in a low melodic, almost entrancing voice. “Why have you summoned me here to your home?”
“I have heard that you know many things,” Caspar said as he looked at the man with greedy eyes. Greedy for the man’s gold and his knowledge. “More specifically that you know how to make sure a child is a son or daughter depending on your want.”
“Hmmm…,” the tall man said in a low almost growl. “Do you not have a son to carry on your proud name?”
“You know I do not,” Caspar said with a hint of anger creeping into his voice. He paused a moment and centered himself pushing away the anger. “Where are my manners, sit and have some wine and some food. You have come a long way and must think of me as an ungracious host.”
“I need not your hospitality,” the tall man said not taking his eyes off of the family crest. “I wish only to conduct our business and be on my way.”
“Straight to the point then,” Caspar said raising an eyebrow and looking at the man with an intensity that he reserved for business dealings. “You know what I want. Can you provide it for me? Can you make my unborn sixth daughter a son?”
“Yes, I can do this for you,” the tall man said as he slowly turned and stared right into Caspar’s eyes. His red eyes almost glowing in the low light of the room. “But, it will cost you dearly.”
Sterre watched her father produce a key from his vest pocket, walk to the roll top desk, and open it revealing a chest that had never been there any time she had ever seen her father working at the desk. She had also never known the desk to be locked either. He brought the chest to the table and opened it revealing mounds of brilliantly shining, precious gemstones.
“You can have them all,” Caspar said without hesitation. “If you can give me a son then this is all yours.”
“Not enough,” the tall man said sternly as he dipped a long fingered hand into the chest and let the gems roll off of his hand like they were inconsequential. “Not nearly enough.”
“Name your price,” Caspar said with defiance. “If I do not have it, I will beg, murder and steal to get it.”
“You are motivated, aren’t you?” the tall man said letting a grin creep into his features. “I will tell you my price but you may not be so willing to pay once you know what it is.”
“I will pay anything,” Caspar said with only truth ringing in his voice.
“Very well then,” the tall man said as he looked down at Caspar. “I want your star.”
Caspar sat thinking for a moment and then he realized that the tall man meant Sterre, her very name in the old tongue means star. “I…I do not know if I can do that. Promises were made to another for when she comes of age.”
“It is my price Caspar,” the tall man said sternly picking up his cloak from the back of the settee. “If you accept it, then I will give you what you want. If you do not accept it, then I will go.”
Sterre could see her father was deep in contemplation, she had seen this look on his face before. She watched as he buried his face in his hands and ran his fingers back through his hair.
“Fine, we have a deal,” Caspar said wondering if he had just condemned his soul for a son. “You deal like Boze himself.”
“You don’t have to be so dramatic. Do not worry Caspar I do not want my payment now,” the tall man said in a low voice. “Enjoy your time with her until I return.”
“When will that be?” Caspar asked in a low defeated tone.
“Ten years henceforth, I will come for my payment. If for some reason you do not get the son I promised, then I will not come back,” the tall man said as he reached into his inner cloak pocket and produced a vial of black liquid. He handed it to Caspar and said. “Just put three drops into her drink each morning and the child will be born a boy.”
“I will administer it myself,” Caspar said letting the tall man know he understood.
“Oh and Caspar, do not try to double cross me,” the tall man warned as his eyes began to glow red hot, his finger nails grew into long keen claws, and his stare became deadly. “I will not forgive betrayal.”
Sterre watched her father turn sheet white and just nod his head in compliance, and she knew he was scared. She felt her heart beating hard and fast as fear gripped her, she would have screamed if the terror in her heart had not paralyzed her. She wished she had never come to spy on her father, she should have just gone to bed and slept. Sterre watched the tall man put his full length cloak back on and pull the hood over his head hiding his face from view. Her father let the man out of the room and followed him, she could only assume he was showing the man to the door. She ran from her hiding spot, and stopped only momentarily to check and make sure the main hall outside of the study was clear before she made her way to the rear stair well that led up to the second floor of the manor.
She settled into bed and her mind raced about the strange tall man and her father in the study earlier. She did not understand most of what they were talking about, but she did get the idea that he had just bought that vial of liquid from the man and paid for it with something that is not money like a trade. The stuff in this vial is supposed make Annika have a boy instead of a girl, and she knew that would make her father happy. Her fear became less and less as she had good thoughts of soon having a baby brother. She closed her eyes and let sleep take her.
***
Months passed and soon Annika went into labor and was about to deliver her child. Sterre waited patiently in her room for word on the birth of her new sibling, and sometime just as the sun was setting word came that Annika had given birth to a healthy baby boy. The tall man had told her father the truth. He now had a son to carry on the family name and to that son he gave the name Theodoor. In the old tongue it means gift of god and it definitely did seem a miracle that a child predicted and divined by every source to be a girl was actually born a boy. Sterre knew the truth, it was the tall man that made this happen and not the gods as his name would propose. She did not understand or care how it came about, her father seemed happier since Theodoor was born and that was all that mattered.
***
Nine Years passed and the night with the tall man stayed fresh in her mind. Her family grew stronger, and closer without all of the worry of weather the house name would be passed down or not. Her father became a better man cherishing all of his children, spending more time with them, and making sure they all grew to be strong of will as well as body.
For Sterre and all of her siblings it was easy growing up in an area where your father was the most powerful and influential man in the region. Her father bought them everything they needed, brought in the best teachers to teach them in all of their studies, and hired on a cleric named Helmond to make sure that they were always healthy. She had no real interest in most of her studies, she liked theological study with Helmond the best but showed no potential to be a cleric. She likewise thought that maybe she could be a sorceress but once again showed very little ability to command the arts. The only thing in her studies she showed any prowess in was alchemy, so she threw herself head long into her study of nature, the elements and natural curatives. Along with that she developed a love of hiking and running, she would spend whole days exploring the miles of forest, rivers and hills surrounding their family manor.
She was not sure what her birth mother looked like she had no memory of it but she imagined she was a beautiful woman. She and her sisters were all beautiful young women whose attentions were sought after by the local boys, all of which would bend over backward to please her. She did not care for them though, she only had eyes for one boy, his name was Sebastiaan and he was the son of one of the head guards at the manor. He was handsome, strong, rugged, smart, adept with weapons of all sorts, and in her mind this made him a perfect mate for her. She frequently influenced Sebastiaan’s father to send him with her on her hikes to protect her and to carry her samples for her alchemy studies. Over time they had become close and she wanted to be closer but then she found out he had a girl that he was betrothed to and that complicated things. She always got what she wanted though, and she wanted Sabastiaan.
***
A few more weeks passed and still she was no more closer to drawing Sebastiaan’s attentions. She was being less and less successful at getting his father to send him with her on her hikes, and even as a friend he started to pull away. To make things worse, it was coming up to her eighteenth name day and still she had not been betrothed or even approached by her father about who she might marry. Both of her younger sisters had already been betrothed to be married, and Sterre was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with her. Just before her eighteenth name day her half-sister Viona was promised in marriage to the son of a wealthy business man in a neighboring province. Sterre was beside herself with grief. She decided maybe she was not good enough for marriage, maybe no one wanted her, maybe her father could not find anyone that
would want her.
She spent many days with Annika planning her name day celebration, but to be truthful she did not feel like celebrating. She could see Annika knew something was wrong, she was very good at knowing how Sterre was feeling and even though she was not Sterre’s real mother she always was there for Sterre.
“Why are you upset Sterre?”Annika asked quietly as they looked at fabric swatches for the dress that Sterre would wear to her celebration.
“Because I fear I will die alone,” Sterre said honestly as she sniffed and could feel tears building up in her light blue eyes.
“Why do you think such things?” Annika said in shock at Sterre’s words.
“I have no suitors, I have no mate, and I have not been betrothed to anyone.” Sterre said sobbing out loud. “Why would I think anything else?”
Annika looked at her confused and ashamed that she did not know Sterre felt this way. “Your father has been turning down offers for your hand since you were fourteen. He had to practically threaten to dismiss Sebastiaan’s father to get the boy to stop asking to be your suitor.”
“Why would he?” Sterre said shuddering with sobs and feeling tears flowing freely down her face. “Why would he do such a thing to me?”
Annika wrapped her arms around the girl and held her feeling her shudder with great sobs as she broke down completely. “Your father said none of them were good enough for his little star.”
Sterre was shocked out of her tears slightly by Annika’s words she looked up and asked. “Why did you call me his little star?”
“Your name,” Annika said plainly as she smiled and looked down at into Sterre’s tear reddened eyes. “In the old tongue it means star.”
Memories of the night in her father’s study flooded back to her as she just stared speechlessly at Annika. She remembered the tall man telling her father that he wanted her father’s star. She was the payment for the vial of liquid that exchanged hands that night, she is the payment for the family name living on. Her father sold her like a piece of jewelry for a son. It made sense she could not have any suitors her father had already brokered her to the tall man.