The Basilisk Empress

by Rozie Marshall

  “You did the right thing,” Sic whispered into my ear, as he rubbed my back. He gave a signal, as he turned me back inside. The others stayed on the terrace as he handed me off to Sage. “Please help Her Majesty back to the castle, while we oversee the execution.”

  “No, I should stay and watch,” I spoke softly. “If I am going to sentence someone to death, then I must make sure the sentence is carried out.” I rose back up and walked back to the door. Sic walked with me back out onto the terrace and held me tight, as I awaited the beheading of my father to the crowd’s cheers.

  I watched my whore daughter walk away as the executioner brought his axe forward. The guards surrounding me forced me to my knees near the wooden block. The executioner forced my head over the block so I could see the basket that would catch my head. “Do you forgive me?” the executioner asked me, and I hissed.

  “Never, you are killing a true King.” The cold axe head touched the back of my neck and I began to whisper in the old tongue. Casting the spell that would allow me to live beyond this execution. The blade left my neck before returning a second time, making sure their aim was true.

  Swiftly speaking the blood magic spell, I was almost done. If I could get the last words out, I would live eternally. Then I could come back an-

  Six Human Months Later

  The early morning sun warmed my skin as Sage pulled my hair up into a beautiful updo and placed my crown on perfectly. “Are you excited?” she asked, as she helped me dress.

  “Nervous, but I don’t understand why. I mean, we’ve been married for so long and I’ve been here for months now,” she smiled at my reply as she fastened a necklace around my neck.

  “Yes, but this is your wedding day, and you are choosing to marry them all over again. I’ll bet the nerves are also excited nerves.” Sage placed a veil over my head and stepped back to look me over. “You look perfect.”

  “I am excited, and also nervous. Do you think they are regretting this?” I asked once more, as if I hadn’t asked them a thousand times already.

  “Not one bit,” she reassured me.

  Turning to look at myself in the mirror, I caught a glimpse of Cobra and Viper in the glass and instantly I missed them. Cobra was large with child at this point and I wished they would return soon. The vision in the mirror changed as two men helped Cobra around something I couldn’t see.

  A scratch on the canvas drew my attention away from the mirror, and the vision I knew Cobra had sent. It wasn’t the first time she had checked in like that. Yaga stood by the flap as Sage opened it and smiled. “Are you ready, Your Imperial Majesty?” Yaga spoke loudly, and I nodded.

  He held his arm out as Sage handed me a bouquet that had all of Lasina’s colors. Once I laid my hand on his arm, he slowly walked me out of the large tent, and the crowd cheered. All the people had been invited and the guys had chosen the standing stones as the place they wanted.

  Yaga walked me down the aisle and into the center of the stones, where all four of my men waited. Hesikat stood front and center, waiting to join us together, and I was grateful for her. Over the last six months, we had grown closer and she spent lots of time at the castle with the guys.

  “We are gathered here today, to witness the wedding of our Empress and her Kings,” she called out, as Yaga stepped back beside Ahxezo, wiping a tear as he did so. The crowd cheered as she spoke, until she calmed them once more with a hand motion. “Please recite your vows, Maisie, to each of them.”

  “Sicrin Wells, I take you for my husband, willingly and with a free heart. Even though a treaty bound us as one, I am grateful to have found love in that bond. Kai Harding, I take you for my husband, willingly and with a free heart. The spark you set in motion has grown into an inferno, and I am happy to burn with you. Emot Howe, I take you for my husband, willingly and with a free heart. Your tenderness reminds me to enjoy the simple beauties in life, and to embrace love in all its forms. Zugo Carmichael, I take you for my husband, willingly and with a free heart. We both were bound by something we had no control over, and yet I am blessed that we have made it out stronger together. I love each of you, and never want to be parted from you,” I whispered the last line so only those closest could hear, wiping my own tear as I spoke.

  Sic, spoke his own vows first, then the others followed. After they spoke, they presented me with the ring I had taken off this morning, and I placed it back on my finger. Sage had helped me find rings for all of them and I presented them each with a matching band. Hesikat blessed our union, pronounced us married, and said they could kiss their bride. The crowd cheered loudly, as one by one, they kissed me.

  Two Human Years Later

  “They want to come in Maisie,” Sage spoke softly, as I coiled tighter in the nest.

  My stomach clenched and I moaned, as my body contracted. Once it passed, I whispered, “I don’t want them seeing me like this.”

  “Yes, but they want to be here to help,” she insisted as she walked to the door, “Besides, you will be grateful when it is all over.” She opened the doors to the nursery and all four of my guys were standing there, anxiously waiting.

  Rolling my eyes, I was about to argue when another contraction worked through my body. Zugo knelt by my side, as the contraction passed, and the others drew closer. The other nurses they had hired for this adventure into parenthood, stood off to the side waiting to assist. “I love you,” Zugo whispered, as he sat by my side, holding a glass vile. “Cobra left this one with Emot, for this very day. It should help with the pain.”

  “I don’t want it, right now, I’m okay. Kinda wanted to do this without anything if possible,” I replied back, and he pocketed it as he nodded.

  “Just let me know if you change your mind,” he spoke, as another contraction wracked my body and I felt a large gush followed by squishy object come out my cloaca.

  “Oh, Gods, that was disgusting. I honestly don’t know who’s that is either. I wasn’t paying attention.” The nurses rushed over to collect the egg, as another gush and egg slid free. “Gross.” Sic chuckled as he shifted and slid beside me in the nest.

  “Wrap around me if you need to,” he hissed, and I snuggled closer as the third egg slid free. One by one until all the eggs were laid and placed in the incubator. I dealt with the pain and the odd feelings. By the end, I had wrapped myself tightly around Sic and bitten Kai, twice, but it had been worth it when eight eggs sat in the incubator.

  I shifted back into human form and sighed as Sage helped me clean myself up. “You did beautifully.” She wiped my head with a cloth. “Do you wanna see?”

  “I got her,” Emot spoke. as he helped me into a robe and carried me to the incubator. “In about sixty days. we will be parents.” he said, and I saw Zugo’s face pale.

  “Yeah, to eight, not one or two but eight.” He flopped down in the nurse’s chair as Kai pushed his head between his knees.

  “Just take deep breaths man, there are five of us and we have plenty of other people happy to help with these kiddos,” Kai said, as he rubbed Zugo’s back.

  “Emot, let’s get Maisie to bed and the nurses can stay here. Kai’s on watch.” Sic helped Zugo up as Emot carried me towards the door. I expected Kai to follow but he sat in Zugo’s vacated chair and watched the unmoving eggs.

  Sixty Days Later

  I was standing in the nursery prepping things for the arrival of our children when the nurse gasped, “Your Majesty, they are hatching.” Rushing to the incubator, she lifted the lid that kept them safe as a tiny tooth popped out of a shell.

  “Quick, get the Kings, please.” The nurse ran off as fast as she could, yelling for Their Majesties, who all sprinted in, within moments. “They are hatching,” I said, as they stepped up beside me. Tiny slits began to appear in the eggs as we watched, tiny basilisk heads poking out before going back in. Sic coaxed one to poke its head out and eventually, it slid free.

  “It’s a tiny noodle,” I cooed, as it curled itself around his arm. Slowly, more began to a
bandon their eggs to explore the outside world. Two had tiny wings on their back and Emot slowly helped them stretch them out. While Kai and Zugo helped the last few out of their eggs, the nurses began to clean up the empty shells.

  “I just realized we have to name all of these noodles,” I mumbled, as we watched them slither around each other in the small space. “How do we name them if we don’t know their gender?”

  “Well, we will have to sex them to know what they are. It is a painless process, but you have to get them to sit still for a minute to do it. It will be the first time a Royal child has been sexed in centuries, since they have all been male, but something tells me that we don’t just have boys here.” The baby basilisk that wrapped round Kai’s arm slid higher and bit his shoulder.

  “Oh, fuck, this one’s a girl. That hurts like Maisie’s venom.” Sage handed him a vile of antivenom as she peeled the baby off his shoulder, returning her to the incubator.

  “They won’t bite each other, will they?” Sage chuckled at my question and closed the lid to prevent the noodles from escaping just yet.

  “Actually, you can bet that that one is Kai’s daughter, they only bite their fathers. They leave their siblings and mother alone, but the men get bit since they are stronger. It allows the babies to hone their venom and their striking skills without injuring anyone important. They only bite the one genetically their father, so you will know whose noodles are who’s soon enough, minus Emot’s since the have wings.” Sage laughed as the first of Emot’s two tried to fly and fell back onto the bedding below.

  “Congratulations, Your Majesties,” the nurses said as they arrived. One by one, the tiny noodles curled up and slept, giving us a chance to leave. “We will get you if we need anything,” Sage spoke, as she closed the door behind us.

  Sic pulled me in for a kiss, “Congratulations, mama,” he whispered as he held me, and Emot kissed me.

  “Agreed, let’s celebrate,” Emot cheered, as he began to walk towards the stairs and eventually, the kitchens.

  Sic released me as Zugo kissed me and then Kai pulled me away. “What say you, we go celebrate by getting started on the next clutch?” he teased, as he bent me backwards for a deep kiss.

  I slapped his shoulder softly as he pulled back. “Maybe tonight,” I teased back, as the four of us went to join Emot and his planned celebration.

  The End

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to all my wonderful readers, I hope you enjoyed the final book of this series. More from the world of Cazzith will be coming soon.

  Thank you to my wonderful Alpha readers, Teresa, Everly, Melody, Ira, and Cassy. This series has been a wild ride and I am grateful to you all for hanging on with both hands.

  Mindy G and Krystal, I am truly grateful to have you both in my life; and I hope this series becomes a cherished one, snakes and all.

  Thank you, MJ Marstens, for the wonderful covers, I am so glad I have you in my life.

  Lastly a special thank you to my editor, you know who you are. I’m sorry that this one came down to the wire, but I am grateful to have you in my life.

  About the Author

  Rozie Marshall is an inspired writer from Colorado, where she lives with her husband, kids, and fur babies. She has a BA in European History and works in a bookstore, where else? Although she started writing over a decade and a half ago, it took some convincing for her to publish her first book, but once it happened, the floodgates of words burst and the books kept coming.

  Often referred to by her fans as Goddess of Smut and All That is Sexy, she delights her fans with her special knack for kink and smut. When she is not busy arguing with her characters, she spends her time plotting new stories and doing research for her books. Oh, and coffee is her best friend.

  You can find out more about Rozie Marshall and follow her updates by joining her Facebook Group and subscribing to her Newsletter.

  Website: https://www.roziemarshall.com/

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RozieMashall/

  Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RozieMarshallBooks/

  Follow me on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/roziemarshall

  More by Rozie Marshall

  Claimed by the Goddess Series

  Triad Found – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  Pentacle Bound – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  Elements Tamed – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  Goddess Claimed – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  Magic Unleashed – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  Eight Deadly Sins

  Original Sin – Coming Soon

  Love Bites

  Bite of My Life Prequel – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  Sisters of the Seven Seas

  Silver Sails – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  The Lasina Chronicles

  The Basilisk Princess – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  The Basilisk Queen – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  The Basilisk Empress – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  @ersoNal marem %eries

  Red’s Rangers – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  Fallen Petals – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  Brothel of the Damned

  Cowritten with Clover Payne, C.T. Dracass, & Melody Calder

  Deadly Desires – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  Deadly Liaison – Available on Kindle Unlimited

  Anthologies

  Anonymous: A BDSM Anthology