Chapter 6

And what of Queen Esta? Had she been sitting in her palace eating lark’s tongues and drinking three-distilled mead? No, she was rallying her troops. The problem (for her) was that the more she threatened, screamed and cajoled, the more people thought ‘maybe there is an alternative’. She was aware now of the unrest; she had helped start it and had not managed to stop it. In fact, by driving me to escape with the help of her niece, she had increased it.

She had nearly left it too late. Her kingdom was like a rotten tree, waiting to be pushed over. Or like a flower with one petal left, just a breeze and it would be gone. Okay, similes over; she had annoyed enough people that there just needed to be a reason to revolt. Ida provided the person to congregate with, I provided the heroic figurehead, Burleigh, Exete and Marchant provided the seed for the army. They raised their banners, and Princess Ida’s. I arrived with mine – a green background and a glorious grey-green dragon. Some people said it should be golden, but I thought I owed it to the dragon to at least get its colour right. The artists had at least seen a dragon, so the banner was fairly accurate, though the wings were too small for such a large creature.

The church preached an encyclical against us, the bishops sent a letter to the priests, who read it to their congregations. That was not good. Lord Douglas, who had been wavering apparently, was very religious and opted not to join. Many land owners balanced the increased taxation against some future promise of heaven, and joined us.

The first part of the campaign was a matter of marching around, avoiding combat. We needed to merge the various forces and then hit the queen’s army. We marched fast, sometimes at night. One morning, I woke from camp and realised I was looking down on a valley I recognised. “I’ll catch the army up. Don’t worry, I can move faster alone than you can.” Anemone cautioned against petty revenge. “You should know me better than that.”

“I think I do, but I just thought I’d mention it. Here, read.” Yew and Celandine were back in our first camp still, in better accomodation now; staying with Lady Burleigh and I think they liked the easier life too. Yew felt too old for campaigning, and Celandine was rapidly expanding. The letter described how she was already feeling over-large, I smiled. So did Anemone. “I think you are thinking the same as me. Is there any history of twins?”

“Haha, there is. I was a twin, but my brother died. I wonder.”

“It would be a blessing. This marching round is exhausting, I’d rather relax in my old age.”

“You have ages yet.”

I walked down to the village, in my bear robe, with my badges of office – a gold multi-pointed star identified me as Army Commander, a breast plate with four dragon scales in the middle identified me as SIP – some important person.

As I walked up the mainstreet – a dusty track between small holdings – a few people looked. Bunch was sawing planks, seven children played in the dirt nearby. “Bunch?! Hi, good to see you,”

He looked up and then looked like his world had ended. So, I hadn’t changed too much.

“Sampan? Sampan Whiplock? You...” he thought of bowing and then of kneeling. Like me, he hadn’t forgotten that he had beaten me.

“Are these all yours? You are very lucky. They are a delight. I’m expecting a couple myself.” He could work out that I might mean ‘different mothers’. “I thought I’d come down to visit old haunts, that’s my, well Princess Ida’s, army on the hill. We expect to meet the queen’s soon. You weren’t tempted? To join, I mean.”

“Forgive me. I’m not a warrior, not like you.”

“I know, surprising isn’t it. Oh, careful dear, that is sharp. No no, she’s fine. I wouldn’t want her to cut herself.” A small girl was stroking my dragon tooth knife, the handle was polished ivory and gold. It was a bit over the top really, but it did impress people. Those that it didn’t impress thought it was just for show, but it was balanced and sharp and I had got good at throwing it.

“Maddy! Come away from the fine gentleman!”

I recognised the voice, out came Maddy, my Maddy. Not my Maddy. The Maddy I had kissed once and been beaten for. She looked up at me and curtsied. Then she recognised me. I picked up little Maddy, who ran her fingers through my bear cape. “Master Whiplock? Surely not.”

“Yes, though my name is now officially Lord Sampan, Dragon Friend now. At least officially to our troops; to Queen Esta it is something as unrepeatable to a lady like yourself. I think my trajectory is now glory or painful death. Are you both well?” Before they could answer, the mayor arrived. He had no doubt been told that a great lord was in the village and was thinking of how little he could get away with supplying to the army on the hill. He didn’t recognise the young man who he had been the prime mover in driving from the village. I didn’t remind him.

I wasn’t being kind, I was being mean. These people would always wonder if my revenge would drop on them like a dragon on its prey. I was just teasing them, I’d never do something like that, but I didn’t mind them not knowing that. The whole village had backed removing me after mother died, let them sweat a bit.

Lucilla was walking down the street. She still put everybody in the shade, still made everybody watch her. She really didn’t do it deliberately, but her walk was sexy, elegant and drew the eyes to the rising and falling bust as she came towards you, and then to the retreating rear as it rose and fell on either side. She still looked stunning. “Lucilla! Still here? I thought you would have been swept up by some handsome swain, a second son of a lord.”

“I’ve had three offers. One thought he was doing me a real favour; one threatened to take me whether I wanted to or not; Tristram was quite nice ... docile. A bit like you are, or were. A poet. He wrote me a 200 line poem which effectively said ‘I’d like to rip off your clothes and fuck you’.”

“Oh, you romantic.”

“Thanks. But you know why I turned them down. Some here think I’m holding out for better. A good few have realised now.”

I had a shot of lightning in my brain. “I may have an idea. No, not me. Well, unless? No, no I thought not. Sorry, a man can dream.”

“Given your position, I’m pretty sure you are getting plenty of offers.”

“Oh yes, but you still look fantastic. And I still have that image in my head of you coming out of the pond. In case you wondered, I never told anyone. Keeping it secret made it more special. Ah ... can I introduce you to someone?”

Anemone had walked down too. I think she was curious to see where I’d come from, and also wanted to see what I would do. “Lord Sampan? And who is this?”

“Lady Anemone, can I introduce you to Lucilla, the prettiest girl in the region. Lucilla, Anemone is one of The Three. Her sister is expecting my child.” I added that last to show off, it had the desired effect. If I could sire with one of the Advisors, I truly had arrived. “Since you are both here, and since the chance won’t come again, let us walk.” We walked out to the forest. There was no concern about wolves when a great warrior (that would be me) was with them. I explained the idea. It was a bit of a risk for Lucilla, but then she could always come back. I suggested that Celandine would need some companionship and had sworn off men after me – I hastily emphasised this was for political reasons rather than because I was rubbish in bed. I wondered if she would be willing to try a female instead.

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time ... for any of us.” I would have asked more, but it seemed too personal. “Yes. It is a long way, my dear. We can’t have you walking, and prey to any hairy soldier that fancies you.” It was true, soldiers on both sides would probably fuck first and ask questions later; when you are likely to die soon, that seems understandable perhaps. “I’ll have a coach take you. If the two of you get on, then good. If not, well, no harm done. It is near an artists’ colony; there are plenty who would pay well to paint you – The Rape of Lucretia is a popular subject at the moment, lots of tit and bum on show. The fact that you reject their other advances would make them willing to pay more.”

They hadn’t even met, of course, so I couldn’t pretend it was a marriage made in heaven, love at first sight; but they both needed someone, and they were both willing or keen to allow that someone to be female. I’d miss mounting Celandine (front, back, standing, lying down; anyway at all), and I would miss the opportunity to mount Lucilla; but, as she said, it wasn’t like I was unlikely to find anybody else. Most places we had come to, as the army built up, there were attractive young things willing to offer their open legs for the kudos of having bedded the Dragon Friend. There would likely be a string of fatherless Sampans and Sampanas in nine months. Princess Ida smiled with a superior smile every time some new girl started making eyes at me. I think a few of the magnates joining us thought it might be a way of getting on their side. Well, if they wanted to sacrifice their virgin daughters on the altar of greed, that was up to them. I stayed scrupulously neutral.

We had marched around for four months and not had an encounter with the enemy yet. We were like two men squaring off against each other, neither really wants to fight because they might lose, but neither can afford to back off either.

“Sampan! Sampan! We have a visitor.” Emelda was shouting at me. “Come on!” As I turned, there was a thump behind me.

I didn’t need to turn round. “Hello dragon. This must be an important visitor, but how did you know?” Of course it didn’t answer. Still, it did seem to known when to drop in. Perhaps there was magic. I made my way to the Princess’s tent – a rather more impressive tent than the rest of us had, as befitted her status. I’d insisted that officers and men all had the same tents; it made manufacture to a template easier, made the men see us as more equal than superior; we were genuinely all in it together; if we failed we all died. Naturally the officers, the superior ones (like me), did not share, and the men shared ten to a tent, but the principle was good.

I knocked, this is difficult in a tent, so for the Princess at least, we had a board outside to rap on. She welcomed me in.

“My Lady! There is no need for this ... gentle ... man to be here, the message is for you, from your aunt, Queen Esta.”

“This is my general, he should hear.”

“A general who has fought no battles and won none.” That was a savage criticism, but, I had to admit, a fair one.

I offered to withdraw, but Ida replied “Call him my warlord if you prefer. He stays!”

“Very well. The Queen offers you peace and serenity if you surrender now; we have a larger, and a better trained army.”

“Kind of her, and she offers this to all?” I asked. General Lord Perbright looked at me like I was turd on his shoe, but had to answer to fill the silence.

“No, only you, your ladyship. The rebels must take their punishment as she sees fit. You, she thinks, were lead astray.”

“No!” Ida simply, “Will you take some mead?” She poured three goblets, like she was discussing the weather. I admired her more at that moment than at any time.

“Then My Queen offers a meeting, just the two of you to discuss things.”

“No. But I suggest the two of us plus two representatives as Advisers.” No-one would meet the queen alone, she was tricksy and clever. I even wondered if, alone, she might dispatch Ida to another world.

“I cannot agree for Queen Esta, but let us say she agreed, where would we meet?” He was too smooth, this was his intention, or the Queen’s, all along.

“The sacred grove is twenty miles North, surely even aunt Esta would not kill there.” It was a deliberate slight on the queen, not to call her queen and to state clearly that Ida did not trust her. Yet Perbright agreed, saying he would send a messenger if Queen Esta agreed. I walked him out.

“How comes it that the land’s most famous general acts as a messenger?” I asked. He looked at me again, like I was rancid meat.

“I am proud to do what ever I can to serve the rightful monarch.”

“Just so, I also serve at my lady’s pleasure. I hope we do not have to kill each other.” I meant it; but he was a posh twat and clearly thought that having to fight some common git was beneath him. I found out later that his loyalty was strengthened by having his son as a guest of Queen Esta. I was pretty sure that he could fight well, but he was thirty years older than me. I reckoned I could take him in an unfair fight – one that did not use the Mount Samual Fencing Rules manual. I had been practising.

The message came and Ida chose Anemone, which made sense, and me, which did not. I tried to persuade her to take a real soldier, but she said no. I was her warlord, and I was famous. If I could think of nothing useful to say, then I could say nothing and brood. Dragon opted to come along, which did make us feel more confident.

The Sacred Grove was where the country had been founded. Monarchs were crowned there until a hundred years ago, when the church said is should be in the Cathedral of Sacred Martyrs rather than a pagan site. There were still people who objected.

“So, Niece, you came. Oh and you brought the boy and his pet dragon, how nice.” Behind the queen stood two men armed and dangerous. Taking weapons into the Sacred Grove was sacrilege to the old religion and regarded as bad manners even in the new. We had opted not to cause offence to the old ways. Having a dragon balanced that up nicely; a dragon is not a weapon, but it is a killing machine if needed. She looked at Anemone who said later that her blood ran cold. She knew that Esta was not ever going to forgive and forget. “Here, I have brought food and wine so we can be friends.” She poured herself some and drank to show it was not poison. She took a piece of fruit for the same reason. Dragon sniffed the air and sneezed.

“Thank you my queen, we ate and drank on the way. More and we would burst!” I said, somewhat rudely. I didn’t know how, but something was not right with the food and drink. So then we negotiated; or Ida and Esta did, and Anemone advised Ida, and the men behind Esta stood and bided their time.

Discussions took two hours. It seemed the queen, who was shrewd and clever, was aware that her power was leaking away. She wanted to arrange a truce. Ida was not keen. Esta wanted to split the kingdom. Ida refused. “Well what DO you want you bitch!” at last, her true nature appeared. Ida had a whispered conversation with Anemone. They looked at me a few times.

“This is my proposal. We recognise you as the rightful Queen. Wait! Wait! I know you see yourself as such, so there is no change there from your view point. However, you are tired and wish to abdicate in favour of me. Again, please wait to the end. I shall remain a virgin queen and have no young; my husband to be will sire a child with you after marrying me; and I shall recognise that single first born as my heir. You will give birth and then retire to a nunnery of my choosing. If you refuse, then your line ends with you. Even if you escape and have progeny, you will know that they will die.”

“And who is the lucky man to marry you for a cold wedding bed?” Esta asked. I had already guessed. So I was to be consort to the new Queen but never feel inside her milky white thighs, but I was to mate with a scorpion instead? I waited for Esta to dismiss the whole idea. Ida nodded at me. “Ho! So I am to be fucked by a common peasant? How much would you seek to shame me?”

“He is no longer a peasant; but his family history will draw all to support me, and then your child because the people will see themselves in the royal line. But if you agree, then Sampan must also; he must be willing, not obedient. I have to tell you, he can, by accounts I have heard, be vigorous in bed. You would have to let him have much access, as much access as he can manage, to ensure a rapid final chapter to this story. You will treat him with love and respect when he is with you. If he dies...” Suddenly I felt the same iron will and vengeful nature from Ida, it ran in the family. She would make sure Esta died very slowly if I died in her care. It made me feel warm and safe.

“Ma’am, if I may? I am only a man, I am not anything special, whether high or low born; I think you would see me as only the means to the end? You know that it is your womb that cultivates the child, I am only the key.”

She looked at me, and finally smiled. “I see, Master Sampan, that you understand more that I gave you credit for.

I accept the terms. I shall return to my palace and await my breeding bull to mate with me.

Once I am with child then I shall retire to a nunnery.”

“Close, my dear Aunt. We shall prepare a comfortable place for you. I think returning to the palace will confuse will it no?” Princess Ida said. She was determined to push her aunt out as soon as possible.

We left the meeting and I asked “Why did she change her tune? She was confident and strong; and then collapsed to agreeing to abdicate.”

Anemone smiled “She was bluffing at the start. Her support is evaporating, and ours is ... condensing. She looks strong to an outside observer, but she knew she would lose if we came to a battle. She wanted to test if we knew too.

So ... Sampan. Two weeks of unbridled lust should be enough I think? She may be a virgin, but do not take it slow. We need this resolved quickly. Find out when her next monthly time is and fu-, address her in bed every day, every night you can manage. We need to know she has missed, then we can move forward.” There were lots of ins and outs not resolved in this – what if she miscarried and we had to start again? “But tell me, how did you know the food was poisoned? She ate it herself.”

“Dragon sneezed. They have an excellent sense of smell. Perhaps the food and drink was fine, but -”

“Best not to risk it, yes. I should have thought of that. You will not need to be careful, Sampan. Esta understands me better now, I think.” Ida responded. So; I could eat, drink and be merry? Sounded like a good few weeks to me, as long as Esta stuck to the promise not to kill me.

I felt a fraud, I hadn’t fought one battle, I hadn’t even fought one individual since becoming Ida’s warlord. I told Anemone. “No, you have missed the mark again.” she said. “We can now present you – bear killer, killer of 15 guards – as a peaceloving leader. If you lead some army to destroy Purbright’s estate, for example, then you will be hated by those peasants and farmers who have seen their crops and houses burnt and their daughters raped. Yes, that will happen whatever orders are given. Men are animals who think with their dicks, we know that. Find a pretty girl and fuck her, then regret it when the rope is put round your neck.

I’ve already sent a message for new paintings from our information department.” She was laughing, information was a very skewed version of history or reality. It worked remarkably well. “We are showing Ida in these with you in the background helping young maidens off horses or out of boats, that kind of thing. It’s to get people used to Princess Ida being rightfully Queen Ida and you supporting her. You understand?”

I did understand. I could never take the country alone. If I tried, even if I had an army, the state would collapse into chaos and mayhem; I wouldn’t want to anyway.

A message arrived: Queen Esta was awaiting me at the Nunnery of the Eternal Flame. It was a religious institution that had been founded at a flame that burned out of the ground. There was evidence that there had been a religious house there before the nunnery. Probably a flame from the earth was always going to inspire worshippers. They had bare cells for the nuns, but since the flame was a popular place to visit (it was one of the three holy sanctums to visit before you died, if you managed all three then you had a fast track to heaven), there was also a large hostel for poor people (very cheap rates, clean rooms, good food), and larger, more luxurious apartments for richer pilgrims (not very cheap rates, excellent food for the honest pilgrim). In short, the nunnery was more of a business than a place of holy contemplation. There were rumours that the richer rooms could come with added benefits such as male or female satisfiers. Rich people don’t have whores, they have satisfiers. These were only rumours, I’m not one to gossip.

Anyway, a very rich merchant had been persuaded to vacate the Flame View apartment, and the Queen had ensconced herself there to await my pleasure. Hopefully and hers too.

I travelled there alone. It was a kind of statement that I wasn’t afraid of anything, and that we trusted the queen. The nuns met me at the gate; well four very attractive nuns did, I assume there were older nuns somewhere. These were young, pretty and, they told me, they were assigned as Queen Esta’s servants. “She has none other with her; we are a religious order, so opulence and luxury are not part of what we provide.” This seemed rather disingenuous, since the apartment the queen was in had a large bath with views of the flame, and four servants to wait on her. Once inside, they suggested I bathe before meeting the queen, who was ‘resting’. I agreed. The nuns didn’t move. I had expected them to leave. “Apologies, you wish us to help undress you too?” That hadn’t been my thought, but it was too late. Two nuns undressed me, as they did so, I noticed the other two dropping their habits and entering the bath (which is fed by an underground stream, warmed from the flame – so the water is holy too I think). I was handed down and then the two naked nuns sponged me all over. It was, I have to admit, very pleasant. Then I was given a hand to move to a platform and suddenly the two nuns standing by it poured two urns of freezing water onto me!

“Ahhh!”

“Sorry, my lord. It rejuvenates the body, helping you to address her ladyship thoroughly.” So they were fully apprised of what the purpose of the visit was. Was this something for nuns to approve of, I asked? “We are obedient to the commands of our Abbess, she assures us this is right. Now, let me dry you.” She knelt and dried my lower half, taking no notice of my member saluting her barely six inches from her face. The another nun dried my top half. Then they put a wrap around me and led me to the reclining room. It was as cleverly designed as the main room with the bath. Both had large windows looking over the courtyard where the flame was. The rooms were high enough to look down on the courtyard so pilgrims in the courtyard could not see in. Visitors were allowed at dawn and the afternoon. At present, the courtyard was empty, with a ten foot flame flickering up from a hole in the ground. A low wall surrounded it. When there were visitors, there were guards who would prevent people approaching. In the past some had sacrificed themselves to the flame for reasons only known to themselves.

“Ah, no pet dragon today?” said Queen Esta.

“Haha, as you know, it is not a pet. It is a friend.”

“Just so, you can go.” she waved at the nuns. “Unless my lord wishes to make use of them for practice?” She was teasing them cruelly, simply because she could. All four were virginal and pure, yet they would sacrifice that at her or my command because their Abbess had ordered them so. I shook my head. “Well, shall we get this over with?”

“Ah, not the subtle seduction I had hoped for.”

“Just fuck me and get me pregnant you country bumpkin. I’m tired of being queen. It is a lot harder than it looks.” She opened her robe and spread her arms and legs. She was actually quite magnificent. Her body was well constructed. Even on her back, her breasts erupted from her body like miniature volcanoes (with a red topping of lava), her arms and legs retained the slim nature of a younger woman but had the curves that a slight aging brings, her belly was slightly rounded rather than flat and it sloped down to a magnificent forest between her legs. I would have willingly buried my head in such an undergrowth, but my duty was to mount her as often as I could; so I took her at her word and dropped my robe and lay atop her. I reach between us for her slit, opened it with little gentleness and thrust in. “Ahh! You monster! You hurt!”

“I am obeying your commands, your majesty. I shall fuck you as often as possible. Once will scarcely be enough. Whenever I feel capable, you will be willing. You may need to make me capable with your cruel red mouth my lover.” This was all said interspersed with little ‘hmphs’ as I pushed in and out. She was dry, she had not expected such urgency perhaps. But I was keen to fulfil this bargain. The sooner she was with child, the sooner the war could be officially over. I came, and funnelled a first dose of baby-making material into her. We all knew I could make babies, so there was every hope that it would not take too long. I had to admit, I had enjoyed her; I hoped she wouldn’t take too early. “Thank you, lady. May I ask when you are due to be in blood? Come, don’t look so offended. You know that is when we may know if you have taken.”

“We have three weeks to wait. Do I have to be fucked until then?”

“Of course, that is the nature of the agreement. Rest assured, we can vary the approach. I can’t wait to have you bending over and me fucking you from behind.”

“I am the Queen!”

“You are my fuck whore for at least 3 weeks, I fear that if you break off, the result will be worse, my lady. It might not be just me that finds their way to your inestimable cunt once you are deposed.”

“You are -”

“You tried to kill me!” We looked at each other, from a few inches apart. Then she laughed.

“I did, didn’t I? I should apologise, since you are buried in my cunt. It must seem rather rude. How can I make up to you?”

“You can suck me and fuck me. And if we run out of ideas, perhaps I could fuck this tight little puckered hole.” I fingered her and she jumped.

“Sir! That will not make me pregnant. I will suck you to get you started. All your seed must be saved for my womb.”

“Quite right, quite right. I’ll put up with fucking your tight wee cunt as many ways as we can think of; and as many times as I can manage.” I was being deliberately domineering so there was no doubt who was in control.

“Thank you, kind sir.” I was still fingering her arse, just for fun. Now I slipped out and rolled to the side, I moved my other hand to her furry covering and cupped it with my hand. “No, let me do it!” I could live with that; a beautiful woman rubbing herself whilst I watched. I kept my finger up her bum, in fact I pushed a second in. It made her more uncomfortable, so it would take longer for her to come, which gave me more time to recover.

Sure enough, she took forty five minutes, and reacted with horror as she felt my prick starting to push against her “Again? Perhaps I misjudged you. I assumed once or twice a day rather than once or twice an hour.”

I didn’t reply as I was already pushing my way in and squeezing her tits with one hand that had come out from frigging her arse. I kissed her long and hard and slid my fingers up at the same time. As I pulled off her lips, I pushed my fingers in. She gagged, then realised that I was using her mouth to wash the musty smell of her bum from my fingers. I was on top of her and she had no option, short of biting me. When I withdrew my hand, she complained “You are just a low life peasant! How dare you!”

In reply, I opened my legs wide and then clamped them back around hers, making her tight hole tighter. I came again as she moaned a little.

“aaahh. Yes, I am a low life peasant. Naturally I am happy to shag sheep, pigs, and chickens if a woman isn’t nearby. But since you are my designated sex slave, my queen, I’ll fuck you how I want. I suspect anything that gets me hot more often would be welcome to get this all over with sooner.

Now we have some time, tell me how you trained the bear and the dragon so well.”

“Not so well, apparently. You and those bloddy sisters are still alive.” She said bloddy, I don’t know why; posh git I suppose. She went on to explain that her methods combined reward and punishment – and her punishments were cruel, the animals soon learned to try harder. I suppose I guessed as much; hopefully no-one else would be tempted down that path. She told me that the people who had actually done the training were all dead now. I got the impression that she did not want such a good weapon falling into other hands.

It was four hours before I felt ready to address her again. She was asleep, with her back to me. Regardless of her demand that I only try to make her pregnant, I found the other hole and was half way in before she awoke. “What? What are you doing?!” I thought that did not deserve an answer. “Get out! I ... will ... not ... be your ... whore!” She was struggling, but I held her tight and kept pushing. She was tight, dry and stretched. I knew this was against the deal, and against the church rules. It was against any rules of civilised societies actually. Up in the hills I’d heard how men would share a woman if they got hold of one, but not down here, not usually. Conquest gave soldiers more freedom, usually. But this was pushing the limits. Buggering a queen was probably normally a slow, ultra painful death for anyone; but I was determined to show her I was in charge. After five minutes I pulled out.