The Ruling Queen

by R. E. Steele

  She joined her sisters at one of the fires, where she was given a bowl of soup and mug of zomos. Zomos was a mixture of lightly salted broth and herbs, heated together to make a hearty drink. It was perfect for cold weather, and didn’t keep one awake like coffee and tea did. The soup was potato, thick and smooth, with plenty of bacon and cheese. It was more of a stew than a soup. The aristocrats of the Kalarian Empire would have turned up their noses at such a dish, declaring potatoes were too common a food to suit their noble pallets. But Roxanna was willing to take what was freely offered.

  She saw that her sisters were well attended to by the women of the camp. It was a good sign that Vasilis and his compatriots weren’t hardened criminals. Few women were a part of such groups. They appeared to be married or related to the men of the gang, considering the strong resemblance between some of them, and the affection shown between those who didn’t look alike. More than likely, the Lystra Gang was made mostly of refugees who fled when Achlys fell.

  Roxanna and her sisters were conducted to their own tent when they finished their meal. Their attendants were also given tents nearby. Even their animals seemed to be well cared for. So far, Roxanna had nothing to complain of concerning their treatment. Her tent proved small for three people, but she supposed it was the best that could be offered. The cloth was thick enough to keep out most of the cold, and small heated water bottles were included with the cots, to ward off what chills managed to blow through. Their trunks had been moved into the tent and placed at the foot of their cots. There was even a small dressing table sitting on one side.

  Once the three girls had assured their attendants, and their hosts, that they wanted for nothing, they were left to themselves for the evening. Roxanna sighed with relief. While she couldn’t criticize their reception, except where Vasilis was concerned, she hated meeting so many new people at one time. Too many new things at one time drained her.

  “They seem nice,” said Celena after several minutes of silence.

  “Decent enough,” said Roxanna. “I think they are members of the famous Lystra Gang, but more from necessity than choice. My guess is they were born to higher stations than they occupy now. The Kalarians wouldn’t have treated them well had they chosen to remain on their lands in Achlys.”

  “They seem to be doing well regardless,” said Estella. “They are well provisioned, and they didn’t begrudge us anything.”

  “True,” said Roxanna. “But I don’t like their leader, Vasilis. He is too impertinent.”

  Estella and Celena shared a look.

  “You just don’t like that he got the better of you, and ruined your plans,” said Estella.

  “Perhaps,” said Roxanna coolly, “but I question whether we should trust him or not.”

  “He seems fine to me,” said Celena.

  “Seeming and actually being are two entirely different things,” said Roxanna.

  “While it would be unwise to trust him fully, until we know him better, I think we may assume he means us no harm. As an Achlysian, he would have little desire to hand us over to the Kalarians,” said Estella.

  “True enough,” said Roxanna, “but I still don’t like him.”

  The three girls then settled down for the night. Roxanna listened to the sound of her sister’s breathing, to be sure they were sound asleep, before attempting to drift off herself. Since their mother’s death, Roxanna felt it her responsibility to ensure they were well cared for. Her sense of duty was especially strong, now that she had taken them out of the safety of Oreias Castle. Once she was satisfied they had drifted off peacefully, she began to think over their situation again, trying to see if she could discover something new, that she might have overlooked earlier.

  They certainly could be worse off. While Roxanna doubted Vasilis would let them leave just now, it was probably more out of concern for their safety, than any wish to make prisoners of them. Certainly, if they were in Nikolos’s custody, it would have been worse.

  As for Vasilis himself, Roxanna still didn’t know how she felt about him. That he was impertinent, she was already assured of. That he was charming and handsome, she had felt the effects of. That he was hiding something, she was certain of. But whether that thing was harmful to her or not, Roxanna couldn’t say. That so many followed Vasilis suggested it wasn’t. The members of his gang treated him with respect and honor.

  The secret probably had something to do with Vasilis’s past. Perhaps he was the son of a Achlysian noble, but having lost his lands in Nikolos’s conquest, he had no wish for her to know the truth. It suggested he had some sense of shame, even though his impudence disguised it. Still, there was little Roxanna could say for certain about him. She supposed it was best to place a tentative trust in him, but look for more clues as time passed. No doubt, she and her sisters were going to be stuck with him for at least a few weeks. Kalarian forces would be searching for them.

  Chapter 4

  Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

  ~ Proverbs 13:10

  The next morning, Vasilis looked over the camp, to ensure its continued security and prosperity. As he did, he noticed Roxanna and her sisters. Roxanna was directing their attendants in the unpacking of their bags, as any competent queen would. It was a pity, he thought, that her reign should come about during such troublesome times.

  That brought Vasilis back to the thoughts that had closed his eyes the night before. What should he do with Roxanna, Estella, and Celena, for such were the names of the three Oreiasan princesses? Under normal circumstances, Vasilis would let the girls go, and provide them with an escort. He would have attended to them personally. But Vasilis had learned years ago that Nikolos was no ordinary foe.

  Vasilis guessed Roxanna planned to reunite with her army near the border between Oreias and Achlys. Vasilis knew that there had been fighting there, which was why he moved the Lystra Gang into central Oreias. But Nikolos had also come to the heartland of Oreias, with the intent of cutting Roxanna off from her army. Had Nikolos been foolish or careless, Roxanna would probably succeed. But Nikolos was notoriously diligent in his efforts, and had a terrifying knack for figuring out what his opponent was going to do next. The thought that Roxanna would be bold enough to try to reunite with her soldiers, had probably occurred to Nikolos, and he would prepare accordingly.

  It was good the girls were found by the Lystra Gang before they proceeded further. They would, no doubt, have been captured by one of Nikolos’s scouting parties, and Roxanna forced into a loveless marriage with the tyrant. Many knew the Kalarians wished to make the Oreiasan Queen their empress, so as to ensure their new conquest remained in their hands. Her sisters would probably face a similar fate. But with the Lystra Gang however, Roxanna and her sisters would remain free and in some measure of safety.

  So, letting Roxanna and her sisters leave was out of the question at the moment, and barring some surprising change in the Kalarian Empire’s leadership, it didn’t seem likely they would be leaving anytime soon. No, better they were integrated into the gang, where they would at least be safe, rather than risk reuniting with their forces. There was no stopping Nikolos now that he got his claws into Oreias. The kingdom was as good as lost. But Roxanna would at least be in a position to help her downtrodden subjects.

  It saddened a usually cheerful Vasilis to give up Oreias so easily, but he had learned with Achlys that Nikolos’s victory was inventible. Once Nikolos decided he wanted something, he would get it. So far, the only time he hadn’t succeeded was in obtaining Roxanna’s hand. Vasilis hoped to keep it that way. It was easier to keep three girls out of sight than an entire kingdom. They were easier to keep track of than enemy soldiers in hundreds of miles of land.

  Vasilis was soon approached by his brother, Theodoros. No doubt, he too wanted to discuss what to do with Roxanna and her party.

  “We can support them,” confirmed Theodoros, when Vasilis inquired into the sustainability of keep the party with them. “Praise be
to God; our stores are large enough for that. But whether they will be able to stay with us for an extended period of time, is less certain. Nikolos won’t give up Roxanna easily.”

  “Of course, he won’t,” said Vasilis. “No man in his right man would.”

  Theodoros smiled knowingly, but didn’t venture any remark.

  “So then, what is the plan?” asked Theodoros. “I don’t think we can hide their presence among us forever.”

  “We have fared pretty well,” said Vasilis.

  “But our case requires less delicacy,” pointed out Theodoros. “Nikolos would prefer us dead, but he sees us as more of a nuisance than a danger right now. Roxanna, he wants as a wife, and more than likely he wants her sisters married into his family as well. It’s much harder to rebel when the people ruling you are descended from both the conquers, and well-beloved past monarchs. Nikolos has more reason to investigate their whereabouts than ours. The only advantage we hold is that he wants Roxanna alive. But the longer she remains free, the more dangerous she becomes to him.”

  Vasilis chuckled. “You act as if she can summon an army out of thin air to defeat him.”

  “She can, provided she marry the right man,” said Theodoros. “Her husband would naturally seek to regain what is hers for her own sake, and for his own as well. We cannot marry princesses with large forces, for we are too poor at the moment.”

  “Nor would we, unless we loved the girls in question,” said Vasilis.

  “So that brings me back to my point, what do we do with Roxanna and her sisters?” asked Theodoros.

  “We keep them with us, of course,” said Vasilis. “Beyond that, I do not know. They will have to serve some purpose. We can’t afford to have idlers in our gang. But they seem able enough. Roxanna was able to get them this far. It’s just a matter of discovering where their true talents lie.”

  So, Vasilis and Theodoros observed the three girls over the next several days. They saw Celena, while generally timid, was such a sweet person, that she was able to make others feel better with just her presence. She had some skill in the art of healing too, and she was no stranger to housekeeping. Yes, she would fit well with the housewives of the gang, along with the doctors and nurses.

  Estella was clearly the logistical expert of the three, much as Theodoros was for Vasilis. The two brothers often heard Estella giving Roxanna reports about supplies and soldiers. Estella would make an excellent advisor given enough time. Vasilis saw Theodoros’s admiration for her grow, for he was probably the one most able to recognize and appreciate her talents. The two therefore, quickly became friends, much to the surprise of their older siblings.

  Roxanna’s place was more difficult to determine. Her talents were apparent enough. She was a natural leader, able to get those of her party to do what needed to be done, out of their own free will. She also had something of Celena’s ability to make people feel better, but Roxanna was more inspiring than comforting. Again, Vasilis was struck with just how qualified she was to be a queen. Her skills were actually quite similar to his own. But her greatest weakness seemed to be her tendency to become controlling when under duress. His weakness couldn’t be more different, or at least, so he had been told.

  But dwelling on his own faults didn’t give him the answers he sought. The question still remained, what to do with Roxanna?

  Chapter 5

  A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.

  ~ Proverbs 29:23

  Vasilis wasn’t the only one watching another. Roxanna was observing him closely. She quickly saw that he was a natural leader, able to inspire those around him to follow him, through the sheer power of his personality. He also seemed to be clever, for he and the men of the Lystra Gang, went on several raids over this period of time, and managed to return in one piece. They obviously attacked Nikolos’s forces, for they never brought back anything that belonged to the Oreiasan or Achlysian people. It confirmed her opinion that he was some sort of displaced Achlysian noble, for that was the best way to explain this odd omission.

  She learned other information too. It didn’t take long for her to figure out Theodoros, Vasilis’s closest advisor, was his brother. Anyone could have guessed they were related, for they had the same light hair and green eyes, though admittedly Theodoros was the darker of the two. Their comradery, despite Vasilis’s boyish nature, and Theodoros’s more serious temperament, suggested that they were siblings, even before Roxanna heard them call each other brother. One might have thought Theodoros was the older of the two, since Vasilis was so carefree. But Vasilis had physically matured into a man, while Theodoros was still growing.

  Speaking of Theodoros, Roxanna was quick to notice the liking that was developing between him, and her own sister, Estella. Anyone could see they were like two peas in a pod, both having a love of mathematics, and the boring minutiae of administration. Roxanna understood such things were vital, but she saw tending to them as a necessity rather than a pleasure. Vasilis didn’t even seem to consider them important. But back to Theodoros, Roxanna could tell it would be easy for him and Estella to fall in love, and that concerned her. Hopefully they would be free of the Lystra Gang, before Estella’s feelings became an issue.

  In the meantime, Roxanna began to consider how she should go about getting her kingdom back, now that her first plan had fallen through. The first thought that struck her was to wait a few weeks, and then try to reunite with her army again. Perhaps then, Nikolos’s forces would be off her track. But that hope soon proved futile. Bedros, the faithful captain of her bodyguard, joined in some of the raids the gang conducted, and came back with bad news.

  “The number of Kalarian forces here, is much larger than we were aware,” he said. “Our own soldiers cannot hope to drive them out. We need a bigger army.”

  That deflated Roxanna’s spirits significantly, but she was not one to stay despondent about unexpected problems for long. Hers was an active mind, that sought to find solutions as quickly as possible. Surely there was a way for her to regain her home. She just had to find it.

  If it was a larger army she needed, well that could be achieved. Despite conquering many of the kingdoms surrounding it, the Kalarian Empire hadn’t been able to achieve complete dominion. Nations from other planets, had long looked at Kalare’s aggression with unfriendly eyes. But because Nikolos and his forebearers had been so successful, these nations were far away, too far to be able to reach without a great deal of time, effort, and expense.

  There were other problems with this solution as well. Roxanna didn’t want her nation to be indebted to its rescuers. Oreias was a wealthy kingdom, but who knew what foreign monarchs might expect in return for their help. There was also the matter that many of the rulers who were powerful enough to oppose the Kalarians, were men. They might wish to secure an alliance with Oreias through more permanent measures. Roxanna didn’t want to marry for political reasons. She wanted to marry for love. So that was another strike against the plan.

  But perhaps it wasn’t such a bad one after all. There was one person within her reach that could help her, and if she helped him in return, a marriage of obligation might not be necessary. Roxanna took stock of the gold they had brought with them. It was one hundred drachmae, enough to pay a king’s ransom, or enough to pay and supply a body of soldiers large enough to free Oreias. There was also the possibility of adding more to the sum once Oreias was free. King Elias had several hidden stores of gold in the kingdom, and Roxanna had added to them during the short time of her own reign. If more was demanded, she could provide it once she had control of her kingdom again.

  Roxanna approached Vasilis with the offer shortly after.

  “I can pay you and your men richly, and can help you free Achlys as well,” she said when concluding the offer.

  “No,” said Vasilis simply. “You can stay with us as long as you need to. But I will not fight for you.”

  “Why not?” asked Roxanna, trying not to let h
er hurt and anger show. She didn’t like being refused so bluntly.

  “Because we cannot drive Nikolos’s forces out of either kingdom,” he said.

  “So, you aren’t even willing to try?” demanded Roxanna.

  “Not for a hopeless cause,” he said.

  Roxanna considered pleading with him, but thought better of it. She wasn’t willing to wound her pride any more than it already was. She also knew, somehow, that his answer would remain the same. There was a certain look in his eyes that said, though he was usually lighthearted and easy, he could be quite stubborn when he chose to be.

  So instead, she turned on her heel and left, her opinion of him sinking. He was nothing but a coward, too scared to be a man and stand up against the Kalarians. To think she had once thought him brave. The stories of daring she heard about the Lystra Gang must be an exaggeration. No man, who refused to free an allied kingdom and his own, would be capable of such heroism.

  Chapter 6

  When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

  ~ Proverbs 11:2

  Vasilis watched Roxanna storm off. He could tell she was angry. He hated to disappoint her, but he knew from experience that there was simply no way to dislodge Nikolos, once he had his claws into a kingdom. Vasilis had learned this the hard way.

  To be fair, Vasilis’s refusal wasn’t just because he felt the cause was hopeless. He felt a little angry that Roxanna thought so low of him, that she believed she could pay him off like a common mercenary. True, she had offered to help free Achlys as well, but the fact she had approached him like an inferior rather than an equal, stung to say the least. Had she known who he truly was, she would have tried an entirely different approach.

  But what should he expect? He had disclaimed all right to his previous titles. The only semblance of authority he still asserted, was the right to lead his people in their exile. It hadn’t always been easy, and at times, his pride revolted against the humbleness of his new position. But time had made him grow accustom to the idea, and even happy in accepting of it. The pomp and ceremony of his old life was something he hardly missed, and the protocol of old was no longer an issue that hindered him. There was something freeing about being the leader of the Lystra Gang, that simply wasn’t there before.