Power and The Queen

Chapter Thirty - Four. 🟢

Her carriage had arrived urgently, taking the commanders by surprise. She was escorted to the castle, which smelled way better than the training grounds. She craved to be there, to see the progress of her to be soldiers.

Captain Likan knew she would love to watch them and had placed a chair for her by the window to give her a perfect view of the training grounds.

The boys seem to make progress, but captain Likan would never tell them that. They still had a long way to go but they were better than the sloppy logs that arrived camp weeks ago. He waved off the soilders that had  followed the Queen.

The Queen sat down and her Druid moved to stay beside her. The Captain feared her kind; he heard stories of soccerers punishing humans and humor had it that the Druids trained the soccerers.

Queen Artemis allowed her eyes to journey through the field. She stopped at the spot where the boys practiced with long bows and saw that the boys could hit targets at considerable distance, but there was one truly exceptional one that went few paces further than the rest with little rest.

Then she saw they trained the bigger boys to fight with battle axes, spear and batons, while they schooled some on taming a horse.

"Prepare them for the games." She said to the captain. "With the king imposing higher taxes on the people, they would need a distraction from their frustration."

She wanted to add that it would also distract her from the presence of the Prince of Dabrack. His arrival had deeply troubled her, especially since the Order had completed their task. She wondered how long it would take for him to come after her so she would have a reason to expel him from her court.

"My Queen." captain Likan took a knee.

"Do you object to the Queen's orders?" Dominica snapped.

"Speak your mind." the Queen countered before Dominica took it too far.

Perhaps he had something relating to her thoughts, for it was he she sent to make the transaction. She felt the captain relax and bow to speak.

"The games of Neria is to begin soon and our arena is barely as large." he pointed out, disappointing her a bit.

Artemis sighed and nodded.

"I see your fear Captain, the Neria games are fought by barbarians from the ends of the world. These boys would meet their untimely death. Do you not think it wise that my champion gets to fight for me in the games?"

"Y-y-yo-your champion?" the captain stuttered.

"Theses games are mine, are they not?"

"Yes they are, your majesty."

"Leave." Dominica said, and he was gone in mere seconds.

"He fears you." Queen Artemis noted.

"He should." Dominica replied.

She followed the Queen's gaze to the dry field.

"My Queen is the winner of the games not to be knighted?"

"I was wondering when you would ask," she laughed.

To Dominica, it felt good to hear her laugh after all she had been through. For this reason, she could never regret working with her; she was the strongest person she ever met.

"I sent the Knights off to the borders and away from the Palace but I need to have eyes there. Yes, the winner will be Knighted and yes, he will be my champion."

Dominica could say nothing more. Her job was to merely advice. She pulled down the hood of her cloak and adjusted her light blue dress, then looked at the boys. The Queen seems infatuated with the archery, but she was drawn to someone else. He had been taken off the archery class to show some sword skills to another boy. His form was frail and small and he seemed to use that to his advantage exceptionally well.