Empress Hiding

by Y. M. Roger

  “No!” Ferenti’s voice was raised, even bordering on a holler as he stared at the rod, “You cannot …”

  That was all the words the miserable male was able to yell before the back of Khitam’s hand landed violently across his mouth and nose as an eerie snarl escaped the Khedive’s mouth.

  “Silence!”

  It was the only word Khitam could say in that raised tone before the great bear reprimanded him.

  Do. Not. Ruin its mouth, cognate! I will have those lips again on this package you rendered useless cycles ago!

  Khitam snarled again as he retrieved the fabric-lined tape from the same drawer in which the restraints had been housed – this restraint had never been necessary with Ferenti before now, and it was angering the disoriented ruler that it was now an issue. The kahrolasi bear was beginning to totally ruin everything!

  “Our pet will not disturb my comm with Jaylis, and I need him ready to pleasure me when I am done, animal!”

  A great roar, but Khitam easily kept the exhausted animal absent as he gently smeared Ferenti’s lips with the oil from the sise and then securely taped the now crying advisor’s mouth with the extra-wide adhesive – the Khedive even smiled warmly at the sniveling advisor as he did so, although his conversation was still with his beast.

  “And I rendered nothing useless,” Khitam proceeded to prepare both Ferenti and the vibrator as he spoke to his beast, “The Gods decided we were becoming greater than they, and such was their smite upon us.”

  The bear grumbled some more before it re-settled itself. Khitam methodically inserted the vibrator into Ferenti’s channel – the advisor pushing against it and fighting as much as he was able with his bindings. The aging ruler only chuckled at the bound male’s feeble efforts.

  “Relax, my pet. In the long run, this will be best for you since you were worried about it being too soon for us,” Khitam acted just like he was doing Ferenti a favor as he fastened the final leg strap preventing the device’s expulsion and grabbed the remote control, “Now we will get you nice and ready again for my turn with you, yes?”

  He pressed a button on the control as he poured more of the sise’s contents over Ferenti and briefly massaged him – waiting for and being satisfied when the bound male’s eyes disappeared back in his head with a groan and his hips began to gently roll into the Khedive’s ministrations.

  “Now, you relax and enjoy,” Khitam’s voice was so very gentle and caring as the advisor’s whimpers turned slowly to moans, “Mmmmmmmm, just like that.”

  Khitam made two more adjustments on the remote control before his voice suddenly hardened to an almost murderous tone as he released Ferenti. Yet, still, the advisor’s body obviously began responding to the adjustments the mad Khedive had affected.

  “And if you cum without me, puta,” Khitam pitched the skin surrounding Ferenti’s pleasure, “There will be consequences.”

  Not even sure if Ferenti heard him through the pleasurable haze in which it was obvious the sniveling male was now lost, Khitam laughingly turned to the comm station to contact his Black Guard Captain.

  Usually, he did not like to interrupt his pleasure sessions with issues of state, but the fact that Jaylis was hurs overdue for his contact meant that Khitam would have to make an exception this time – he really needed to get his hands on that treaty to confirm that his newly requested travel restrictions on Blood-bornes had been included and to what extent.

  Sighing heavily that, once again, everything important needed to be done himself, Khitam began programming the comm channel for the exclusive line Jaylis had managed to set up in his private quarters in Rafal’s compound. He expected to have to leave a message and wait for Jaylis to comm back later or that Jaylis would be unable to converse at first and would have to contact him back shortly.

  What he did not expect was the unknown male face that appeared after but a brief delay – especially not one dressed in a Black Guard uniform that identified himself as Captain.

  “Captain Didas, here,” the guard’s face was somehow familiar without jogging any specific memories that Khitam could recall at the moment, “From where does this signal origi …”

  The male’s words trailed off as the Khedive’s face must have come into clear focus at that moment. However, unlike the guard’s face being overtaken with awe and respect as Khitam would have expected, the guard’s face remained hard and unflinching – almost as if there was no emotion there at all.

  Khitam found himself somewhat impressed at the control that such a reaction – or non-reaction as it were – required.

  “Captain Didas,” Khitam transitioned quickly to his command voice, “I know not why you answered this hail, but I would speak immediately with Captain Yulstantis.”

  And even though the Captain’s face continued to betray nothing, Khitam was sure he read amusement? Or was it satisfaction? Or perhaps even something akin to triumph in the male’s piercing golden eyes.

  He would ponder that and the nagging familiarity at a later time.

  “Denka,” the Captain bowed only in the slightest and raised a single questioning eyebrow with his response – his face still, as a whole, unresponsive, “I regret to inform you that Captain Yulstantis and three other of the Prime Magistrate’s Detail are dead.”

  At first, the shuttle incident that had been dominating the newsvids flashed into the Khedive’s mind.

  A growl initially directed at the guard’s not referring to Rafal as the Prime Magistrate instead of …, “Was the Prince injured in the shuttle violence as well?”

  Again, the Black Guard’s face remained expressionless … except his eyes.

  “None of the Prime Magistrate’s contingent were injured in the incident onboard the shuttle,” there was a slight pause and Khitam could have sworn he heard a slight hiss through the transmission, “Denka.”

  Khitam felt a nearly uncontrollable anger rise through him, and he felt the tendons and veins in his upper torso respond physically to such – three was the exact number of Perce Operatives he had sent with Jaylis when this assignment had been made. However, the Khedive managed to maintain control of his faculties.

  For now.

  “Then what happened to the four guards, Captain?” Khitam spat the title with noted distaste – an action which, instead of the alarming or even disturbing said Captain, seemed to increase the enjoyment in the male’s oddly familiar eyes.

  Khitam’s anger and unhappiness stirred the great bear inside of him.

  “They were killed in an incident here at the compound,” the male’s heretofore unflinching face lowered just the slightest in near provocation, “There was an explosion of sorts in the Prime Magistrate’s enclosed recreation havuz area.”

  Khitam growled – his bear quite apparent in the action as well as his following demand.

  “Prince Rafal Sadid is the Crowned Prince of the Bohrean Empire, Guard! You will address him as such!”

  You are to assign such to Hondo in a few days time, are you not, cognate?

  Khitam ignored the prodding beast inside of him.

  This Captain Didas almost imperceptibly squinted, and did Khitam imagine that his chin angled even further downward?

  “I address my regent as he bids me do so,” another strained pause, “Denka,” that word spat almost like Khitam had spat ‘Captain’ moments prior, although there seemed to be more of the unidentified hissing mixed with it as before, “It is Prime Magistrate Rafal Sadid that I serve.”

  The bear chuckled to itself … or perhaps, that was simply Khitam’s mind playing tricks again … was not the bear sleeping?

  He belittles you, cognate. Perhaps he knows that I am now the rightful sovereign of this Empire.

  Khitam nearly launched as he slammed his fists into the table top, shattering the edges thereof into shards that bit into his torso and legs – he was, of course still
unclothed since becoming present.

  “I am the Preeminent Khedive of the Bohrean Empire!” Khitam proclaimed in a holler to both the defiant guard on the screen as well as to his presumptive bear in absence.

  The bear’s only response was to growl an almost defiant noise as the Captain responded verbally.

  “Yes, Denka,” the guard replied, although his attitude had not changed, and no fear or regret shown in his features.

  Features that distantly sang to Khitam of … something.

  Or someone.

  “Then I am your regent, Captain!”

  “No, Denka,” the contempt was clearly illustrated there on his traitorous face now, but the response was not one of actual taunt.

  Silence reigned over the air waves for only a few moments as Khitam sat in complete disbelief before the defiant Guard Captain continued.

  “I will be sure to report your communication to Prime Magistrate Sadid, Preeminent Khedive,” yes, there was certainly some animalistic hissing that must be from the Captain’s beast – this laced with the impudence that now clearly coated everything the male said, “And pass along your condolences for our fallen guards,” there was a thoughtful pause, “But from now on, Denka, I would respectfully ask that you contact the Prime Magistrate personally as any direct communication between yourself and another being inside this compound besides him will henceforth be interpreted as treason against the House of the Prime Magistrate.”

  Mmmmmmm. Seems Rafal obviously discovered the traitors you sent. And you cannot very well take your previously threatened recourse against Hondo, yes?

  The defiant Captain continued without ever raising his voice and actually angled his head in forced politeness upon parting – those amber eyes filled with obvious satisfaction this time, “Elveda, Khedive Sadid.”

  The screen had not even gone completely dark before the bear roared with laughter –

  I do believe you have been dismissed, cognate.

  – and Khitam stood to smash the comm equipment with his anger as he, too, roared loudly.

  But somewhere amidst the rage, the bear surged forth, completely taking Khitam by surprise. As cognate and beast struggled once again for presence, Ferenti watched in horror – his Khedive’s limbs fluctuating between bear and being, the face and torso seeming to boil with indecision between the two forms.

  And through the visual nightmare, the advisor tried to hold onto an explosion he was commanded not to release until his Khedive could be with him – the unnamed consequences of failure to do so in this living nightmare could be just about any number of degradations a sane being could imagine.

  Or those that could not even be attributed to even an insane one.

  Perhaps an accident could befall the Khedive at the Ceremony in a few days. The shentalingra’s rare and almost never-present voice in Ferenti’s mind demonstrated how deeply it was into self-preservation mode – this was worse than groveling to mate with and then running from a dominant female as true shentalingras had to do in the animal world.

  Ferenti simply closed his eyes to concentrate on self-control and to whimper at his own predicament – his thoughts not of Khitam’s death, but his own. The shantalingra – though loathed with self-pity and self-disgust – never had to endure what the cognate did, and the cognate was ready to simply die for escape.

  Chapter 31

  As she stared into Mamere’s old and almost despondent eyes and raised the chalice to her lips, there, clearly displayed for her to witness first-hand, was their Empress Shizu.

  And Chiyoto’s heart broke in a different way than it already had – Runa had been right: there was no glorious Empress there, no proud dragoness ready to fly forth to the heavenly realm. Her once brilliant colors were not just muted, they simply were non-existent – replaced with the same gray that now veiled her eyes. No, those wings could never attain flight – they were simply window-dressing on a once-spectacular creature … so lost … so … so … lonely.

  Her focus pulled back again to Mamere’s face before her as the chalice met her lips. A vision of Rafal’s handsome face flashed across her mind again, and a never-before-pondered question rushed at her all at once.

  Where was Mamere’s mate? Why had she, Chiyoto, never known her sire?

  Panic hit her as she mentally reached for Runa to answer her, but the dragoness was completely silent and unresponsive. She looked to Mamere to perhaps halt or at least slow her progress, but it was as if her progenitor was hardly present behind those eyes – as if she had already left even though she still stood in front of Chiyoto.

  Mamere tipped her chalice and began to swallow meaning Chiyoto had to do the same, but, suddenly, her entire being was overcome with doubt and questions and …

  Rafal.

  Chiyoto swallowed the first of Mamere’s blood and felt the burning begin inside of her.

  Oh, Makers! She did not want to be Junko – to be this Shizu, this Empress who was dead inside.

  I will not let you die, my Treasure . . you have me. Always.

  But, that was not it – not it all! Chiyoto did not want to be … to be this lonely … to be without him, without his warmth, without …

  He tried to murder you, Chiyoto!

  She swallowed again – her hand trembling with her emotions – the chalice nearly empty now. Her body began to pulse with the burning sensations running through her, and the realization of what was happening to Runa spread across her panicked mind.

  Chiyoto could actually feel the dragoness’ scales and wings begin to glow almost blindingly with the power they were being fed. But as ominous and as angry as her Runa felt inside of her, Chiyoto’s being still clung to her vision of Rafal.

  Her Rafal.

  Her Prince.

  He had called her his shioliah, dammit! – had professed it to mean exactly what it should! Even faithful Dalis had clearly acknowledged that …

  The last drops of the blood passed her lips and, as she began to lower the chalice to wonder if that was all there was, the burning reached a crescendo and the entire pantheon – the gnysues, the chalice in her hand, everything – disappeared in a blinding flash, except Mamere standing in front of her.

  Mamere reached out a palm to touch Chiyoto’s cheek as she calmly whispered to her progeny, “We are so sorry, my Chiyo.”

  Then, Mamere, too, disappeared in the blanket of white that surrounded her now.

  And Chiyoto’s mind and heart were flooded with visions of all the Empresses that had come before them, beginning with the first over four millennia ago.

  All of their encounters and empire-buildings and conflicts and dealings.

  All of their Iliskis and their mates and their progeny.

  All of their heartaches and failures and triumphs and victories.

  All of their passions and loves and dreams.

  All of it – thousands and thousands of cycles of memories – right up to Hamako’s murder.

  As with all of the other memories, it was as though Chiyoto was there – actually in the chambers in the palace where the slaughter took place all those cycles ago.

  Oh, Makers! Benoni actually somewhat resembled Rafal even though his features were defined with that ebony hair that dominated the Khedive line that had since flowed from him. But the evil in his eyes was all she saw as Chiyoto helplessly watched the scene through the eyes of Hamako … felt through the heart of the doomed Heiress … as an extremely handsome, auburn-haired male was brought before her on his knees.

  The exceptionally well-built male’s face was bloodied from beatings, an emotional pain of grief and, yes, love of the deepest kind burned in his eyes as he stared at Hamako, but said nothing. Then, after a ragged denial of knowledge of him to the vile Sadid beside her, Chiyoto felt Hamako’s heart shatter and her dragoness’ anger boil and surge as the Perse Guard beside the tortured male raised his
sword and cleanly removed his head – the now lifeless face surrounded by the unique, red hair thudding to the floor into a growing puddle of deep crimson blood.

  A cry was ripped from Chiyoto so deep inside of herself that it hurt for it to be released – the pain from Hamako’s loss so true that Chiyoto knew she would never forget it.

  And neither would Runa.

  The dragoness inside of Chiyoto nearly exploded with an emotional rage the newly-becoming Empress would have to ponder later – could not even begin to comprehend at the moment – as the vision of the murdered male was over-ridden with the vision of an extremely large, unidentifiable yet truly indescribable monster of a creature – red with stingers and pinchers Chiyoto had never seen before – as it, too, lay bloodied and beheaded.

  The beheaded Crimson male’s beast.

  And, Chiyoto knew in her heart of hearts – felt the pain through every fiber of her being – that unknown beast had been the heart and soul of the dragoness inside Hamako.

  Antaya’s mate – the true mate of a dragoness so rare that it had been one of only three throughout the four plus millennia of memories Chiyoto now carried.

  The beheading had murdered them both – mate to Hamako and mate to Antaya.

  Chiyoto could barely breathe as the air was suffused with the chilling laughter of Benoni Sadid – his frighteningly-familiar face coming into clear view as Hamako must have turned toward him. But, as her head made that turn, Chiyoto realized that the doomed and emotionally-crushed Empress-Heir was shackled. And there, on her hand to prevent dragoness presence, a Keeper – this one adorned with jewels and inlay as if its strength were more than Chiyoto’s simple Keeper had been – glowed brightly with power in the streaming light.

  And then, the smile and malevolence still etched into his features and shining in his eyes, Benoni – who looked so very much like Rafal it almost caused Chiyoto’s shattered heart to break further – raised his own sword as the final words Hamako would hear rolled off the murdering male’s tongue.