I nodded, and that also knocked the smile off my face. Things were better again personally, though we still had things to work out, and I still had to explain better how I’d messed things up so badly. But the shit had truly hit the fan this time as far as the kingdom went. Fucking king…
Chapter Eleven
Melinda gave us both searching looks as we came into the room, and seemed to relax as Daphne and I sat down extremely close together, so much so we were touching. That was kind of new, we’d always instinctively avoided touching each other in the past, and I was painfully aware of her alluring scent and her hips, shoulders, and legs against mine.
I could also see the relief in my other mates’ eyes.
Melinda asked, “So does anyone have any ideas on what to do?”
“I think Jenna was right, we need to go to Pheles, and put our queen on the throne of Iziral. It will cause lots of issues that we’d hoped to avoid by building an entirely new kingdom, but if we’re going to pacify the thirty-two islands quicker than years, it’s our only choice. We’ll have to fix things from inside, rather than from without. Which is harder, but still possible.”
It really wouldn’t be as simple as putting her on the throne, and far more complicated, but it was the best chance we had at handling this in months, instead of years. Any faster just wasn’t possible, there were thirty-two islands in revolt, and a lot of people would still die, but not nearly as many.
I hoped.
Melinda frowned, “There are approximately four hundred Iziral ships left, and over a hundred of them are at Pheles, plus we think that’s where their last two diviners are. Pheles would be very hard to invade.”
I nodded, “I wasn’t thinking of taking out their ships at all, but bypassing them. We’ll need them later anyway, for the rest of the plan.”
They all looked at me funny.
“I propose we swing by the smugglers cove with ten ships stuffed with ground troops. Then we’ll fly over their ward and the ships will leave. They’ll detect us of course, but we’ll be landed. We’ll kill the last two diviners, take control of the city, and dethrone the king, preferably with a noose and a stout tree.”
Melinda smiled wryly, “I see, and then what will happen?”
I snickered, I couldn’t blame her for her dubious question at that statement. As if it would be easy.
“Then we’ll either find, or promote a high level fleet person, and literally steal their fleet support. One, the fleet is probably being used to keep sorceresses from escaping to one of our eighteen islands. Two, the fleet in Iziral have been loyal to the king, but have never been as evil as the guards who rape the young sorceresses. If we can turn them, with Daphne as queen of Iziral, then we solve a few problems.
“Once they are ours, their wards become our wards, when Daphne orders one of their captains to allow me to peruse the key, I can duplicate it and make a hundred copies for our fleet. Then, we will own the waters outright, with five hundred ships. Sure, some will rebel against a new queen, but if we can find a high ranking enough fleet person, with a conscience, we can get most of them. The old Iziral fleet won’t be easy to win over either, if all we find are evil and corrupt men in command of it, but I don’t’ think that will be the case.
“When we rule the sea, the governors will be cut off from each other. Some will start to make plans to build their own little kingdom, and some will continue to fight. It’s possible others though, might see the kingdom as a lost idea, and retract the orders to kill the sorceresses just to restore order on their island.
“After we remove fleet support from the governors, and even help evacuate victims off the worst of the islands, we can move troops quickly from island to island to put the governors and guards in jails, taking care of multiple islands at once and quickly. There will be more casualties without me there to help, but I believe far less than waiting for us to get to each one.”
I looked around for a moment, and let that sink in, “Then of course, we’ll have to follow, go island to island as the original plan calls for, and fix things after the fact over a few years. Perhaps a Pheles council can keep an eye on the crown island until we get back. Daphne can get the council going, while I free the sorceresses magic. Eventually, the kingdom we envisioned will happen, but it will be rougher. It may even be harder to win over the people, since we can no longer divorce Daphne’s name from the Iziral kingdom name at that point, she will be queen of Iziral.”
Lia frowned, “Who will rule between the time our forces take down the government, and we show up sometime in the next few years to build a council? Surely you don’t want anarchy until we get around to it.”
Melinda looked at me, and knew what my answer to that would be, so she said it herself.
“Martial law, we need to pick people we trust, possibly from the fleet captains, to take temporary control of the thirty-two islands. The plan is crazy, but it also has a reasonable timeline, we can’t really move any faster than that. What made you think of all that, it’s a fairly complex plan to come up with in the last ten minutes?”
I shrugged, “Most of the first part I’d already thought of, when I was originally considering how to take over the kingdom and free sorceresses. Placing Daphne on the throne and then fixing it from within was one of my ideas back then, the first one I came up with in fact. But there were too many problems, or things that could go wrong. Starting fresh seemed like the best idea.
“There are still too many things that can go wrong with the plan, it depends a little too much on luck and what our enemies will do, particularly in the fleet, and how my fight with the final two diviners will go. But, we no longer have a choice, at least, not one that any of us could live with if there’s a chance to change it. I just took that original plan and tweaked it for these circumstances.
“We’re actually a lot better off right now though, compared to back then. With over a hundred ships of our own, and over two thousand ground troops. We’ll need them to take Pheles.”
Daphne asked, “How long do I have, I obviously need to let someone else educate the new council here. I like the plan, it sounds messy, but if it will save lives in the long run we need to do it.”
Yeah, that was the part of the plan I hated most. We’d have to risk Daphne, and take her along, to make this work. She needed to be there to take the throne, and take charge immediately, which made her a part of the invasion force. Since we were bypassing the fleet battle, she couldn’t exactly wait out on the ship in safety like she usually did.
My plan could work, but it could also blow up in our faces in so many ways. It’s why I’d rejected it two years ago as unworkable.
Sharon nodded, “I agree, though it entails a lot more risk. We could lose everything if we fail at Pheles. I wonder if the king is truly stupid, or actually knew this would happen, and did it to force our hand. Really, his only chance to stop us was to change the way the war was fought, and he’s done that.”
Marie shivered, “That’s… cold blooded. Throwing away all those lives as a manipulation tactic? I wish it didn’t sound right, but it rings true.”
Melinda looked thoughtful, and answered Daphne’s question.
“Four days? Five at the most. We can’t pull the temporary guards from here, especially not with five hundred of the old guards not accounted for. I’ll send out half our fleet to go to several islands and get volunteers. We need more ground forces anyway, for the second part of the plan. Daphne, if you can convince the grand council to help with the effort and go with the ships back to their islands, that would help on the other end I think.”
I took Daphne’s hand and squeezed it.
She smiled up at me shyly, and squeezed mine back before she replied to Melinda.
“I’ll do that now, and have them down at the docks, first thing in the morning if at all possible.”
Melinda nodded, “Anyone have anything else, before I go back and start issuing orders to the fleet?”
No one had anything el
se it seemed.
Daphne asked, “Can you send in a guard on your way out?”
Melinda stood, “Of course,” and left the room.
The guard came in a moment later, and I saw her startled but pleased smile when she saw Daphne and I holding hands.
“Yes your majesty?”
Daphne said, “Please gather the grand council, and have them join us. If they object at the late hour, tell them it’s an emergency, and my order.”
The sun had just gone down, but this world was more up at sunrise and down at sunset kind of place, despite the luxury of magical lights all over the place.
“Right away,” the guard said before she turned smartly and gathered some assistance. There were seventeen of them after all.
Her body rubbed against mine, when she turned her head and leaned toward me, and kissed my cheek.
She whispered, “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I don’t want to wait anymore, or waste any more time. Will you join me tonight?”
I returned her kiss, just a soft brush on the lips, and I nodded wordlessly, my heart and love in my eyes. The moment seemed almost unreal. I had a very full life with three gorgeous and supportive mates, not to even mention our rich sex life. That I got to have Daphne as well, was overwhelming. At the risk of being crude, both my heart, and my cock, were full in that moment.
She really was breathtaking with long honey blonde hair, piercing green eyes, and the face of an angel. She truly did have a body built for sin as well, one which I yearned to explore.
I loved Lia’s and Sharon’s tight pert breasts, a handful had always been enough for me, and Amara’s slightly larger ones were a joy, but Daphne’s were far more generous, and even her flowing conservative dresses couldn’t hide her most salient assets. I could hardly wait to see the rest of her body as well, which outside of shapely, was still mostly a mystery.
I wasn’t the only one either, I could see the lust, love, and even impatience in Daphne’s eyes to start our life, that should have been a week ago.
She was as attracted to me, as I was to her. Which is how it should be.
The seriousness of the new situation, and the danger of our tentative plans, didn’t even compare to my need of her that night, or how much I loved and adored her. I reminded myself to be patient, both now and later. She was still a virgin after all, and I’d caused her enough pain. I wanted to make tonight perfect for her, for us, and after tonight our bed would hold five.
Good thing she was queen, they got big beds.
Sure, we would spend other times alone, but not that often. My other mates and I still had one offs, but more often than not we were all together.
I also didn’t think this got me out of anything. I still had to give her the long explanation that I’d told my other mates about, and I was sure there were other things to work out. For instance, I really didn’t want to be a king, just the mate of my queen. I was pretty sure we could work it out, as I stared into her green eyes and got a little lost. In private, we’d be equals, as we had been while friends, in kingdom business, she would rule. When it came to her safety and security, I would be heard.
I was more than okay with that arrangement, and I hoped she would be too. Regardless, being promised by magic meant we could work it out, if we put in the effort to. Truth be told, there was very little I wouldn’t be willing to compromise on, to make her mine, and see her happy. I’d be worried about being taken advantage of because of that, if her and my other mates weren’t just as besotted with me.
Jenna cleared her throat, and we both looked a little chagrined at our very intense and intimate private moment in front of the others. There’d been no public display, not physically, but the intensity of our connected stare had made the rest of the world fade away.
We turned away from each other reluctantly, and just in time for the grand council to come in and start taking seats. That startled me as well, it hadn’t seemed we’d stared at each other so long. Sharon, Lia, and Amara looked both amused, and relieved at the obvious chemistry between Daphne and I.
Caroline asked, “What happened your majesty, that it couldn’t wait for a decent hour?”
As usual, I clenched my teeth, and let Daphne deal with the politics.
Daphne cleared her throat lightly, “The king…”
She went on to explain exactly what the king had done, what was going on with the thirty-two Iziral kingdom islands, and then stated what she wanted from them.
Caroline frowned, “Our place is by your side, couldn’t others speak to our islands’ councils?”
Daphne shook her head, “Normally, you’d be right, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable risking your lives by taking you along on our campaign. Once we make landfall on Pheles, I’ll be cut off from you all, which means you might as well stay at your islands. We aren’t sure how quickly things will move, and you likely won’t hear from us until we have control of the Iziral fleet, and can send word. Plus, your councils will be more likely to move quickly if you ask, more than anyone else.”
Caroline paled at the idea of coming with us, “I understand. Both needs. I’ll do as you ask.”
I wanted to smirk, but kept it to myself.
Daphne said, “Thank you, once we secure the island and fleet, we’ll begin a campaign to sweep the islands and put them under martial law. At that point, you’ll be able to join me at Iziral if you wish, but once Iziral is secured we’ll be moving to continue the slow but thorough work of building up a council island by island. Do you have any questions, or does anyone else object to this course of action?”
Ruth asked, “What’s the backup plan if you fail.”
Daphne nodded, “I’ve been thinking about this since I’ve learned of the issue. I have no heir, and we have no second diviner. If the king successfully defends, and the diviners live, your best bet is to stay together, and even continue on. The grand council would have to rule, until you find someone worthy to follow.”
Ruth frowned, “We can’t face the diviners, if they join the battle.”
Daphne agreed, “No, but I don’t think the king will send them out, at least not for many years until he has replacements ready. It will take time for them to sire children, and sixteen more years before they’ll know if any of them are a diviner.
“That will give you a lot of time, to consolidate and plan, as well as free most of the other islands and chip away at Iziral’s fleet. I do not think we will fail though, Tony is strong, and he has three elves to help him face those two enemy diviners. Not to mention all the other ground troops who will be protected from the enemy diviners as well. That will give us an edge. I won’t lie, it’s a huge risk we’ll be taking, but one we planned to already make. Just four years from now, instead of next week.”
Ruth nodded, clearly not happy, but then no one was. The king had thrown a huge wrench into our plans, and used our humanity against us. We had no choice but to try…
Chapter Twelve
By the time we were done with the council, and couldn’t fairly do anything else until tomorrow, Daphne’s shocked joy at my declarations of love and commitment had mostly worn off. She was still happy of course, and there was no way to look in her eyes, and doubt she wanted me, but I could also see in her eyes that she had a lot of questions as the shock part of the equation had faded. Questions no doubt she would want answers for before we bonded.
We also wouldn’t have to feel guilty about focusing on us now that the ball was rolling on our plans so to speak.
I couldn’t really blame her for wanting answers first, it was a lifetime commitment, and after such a big misunderstanding I could appreciate her need to be reassured, and to gain a better understanding as to what happened. I’d already told her how I felt about her, quite expansively, but hadn’t gone into detail on the other, and now I’d have to explain what the hell happened from my point of view.
I knew I was right, when while still holding hands, we entered her quarters and she pulled me to a couch,
instead of the bedroom.
As she turned to me, her eyes were trusting and confident, but also confused.
“Can you explain to me exactly what happened. I’m trying to understand how if you loved me for two years, and were attracted to me, how you could possibly not know what was going on. That makes no sense to me at all, though I know in my heart you’ve told me the truth tonight. Last week, when I realized you didn’t know, when I’d been waiting for you for two years, while watching you love the others, it felt like my heart was crushed in a vice. I… shut down. So tell me?”
I basically told her what I’d told my other mates aboard ship the morning after the incident, right before the battle. I told her about my world’s taboos, ones I agree with to this day. About being a cop, a position of authority that made it even worse. How my initial attraction to her caused shame and guilt, and a sense of wrongness that made me feel… like a creep. So I shoved those feelings deep down, and rationalized my love and respect, as friendship and a feeling of family.
I also explained how those lies to myself, had colored all my interactions, and misinterpretations of her looks, and my other mates’ comments, that were only now so clearly obvious to me.
I might have gone into a bit more detail than the other night, so she’d truly understand, but that was the kernel of the thing.
She surprised me by getting an amused expression on her face, “So I’m still too young for you on your old world?”
I tilted my head back and forth, “Sort of. You’re of legal age, so no. But at twenty-six I’d be getting ribbed at work, and possibly be called a cradle robber, at marrying such a young and sexy nubile woman. It’s different though, you are far wiser, and more mature, than most eighteen-year-old women on my world. It’s who you are, and the responsibility that’s been on your shoulders that make it so. Hell, at sixteen you were more mature than some twenty-somethings I knew.”
“I’m sexy?”
I snorted, “And fishing. You are breathtaking Daphne, and so graceful you draw my eyes every time you move.”
Tony and the Queen of Iziral Page 7