Chapter 4.2

Chapter 4.2
Pandora

Pandora closed her eyes to block out the pain of the Emperor's words as they rang in her ears. She felt so much sorrow for Erista and for Serene. They had to deal the man far too much for Pandora's liking. All and all, despite the fact that the guardians hated her, Pandora had an easier job. She did not have to convince a man she despised of her undying loyalty. Instead she just had to get a woman she honestly wanted to protect to trust her.

There was conflict, but if Pandora dwelled on it she would simply kill Vandan and call it a day. It was a shame that Serene wanted to destroy him. Pandora had no idea how she was going to accomplish it though. He was not some merchant to plant bad evidence on. She had to convince him that everything was his idea and that it was a good one and everyone else was being difficult.
Pandora sat down and Topaz situated himself so that his head was in her lap.

“I am glad you are here, my dear,” she said to him in quiet draconic. “You keep my from going insane.”

“I wish I could stay with you,” he said so quietly that she could barely hear him, much less make out what he was saying.

“I wish you could as well,” she admitted and stroked his head and scratched behind his ears. “I miss the others.”

“Me, too, I wish I could talk to Tokyo.”

“I know, me too. His wisdom would be appreciated about now.”

Pandora winced when she heard Erista cry out in pain after a loud smack. She had no idea what they were doing in there, and she did not have the courage to see if he was beating her or just being rough during sex. What would she do if he was hurting her? One did not raise her hand against an Emperor. She had never had a situation like this covered before.

Topaz slicked back his hears and his lips wrinkled into another snarl. “I do not want him touching her,” he said.

“I know, but hush or you will attract the attention of the others that live in this suite.”

He snorted and slid his head out of her lap to lay down at her feet. His snores were soft when he drifted off to sleep soon after, but it did not cover the crying. How he could sleep through something like that was beyond her. It was not a moment after his grunting that he walked out while situating his night gown. Pandora rose to her feet and bowed to him as he walked by her. He barely afforded her a glance.

She glared hard at his back and then stepped over Topaz. She entered the room and shut the door behind her. Topaz did not need to see her like this. It was shameful and too adult for a child's mind to grasp.

Pandora said nothing as Erista cried into her pillow. The devastated girl made no indication that she even knew that Pandora was in the room with her. Right now Pandora could not play guardian. Instead she decided that her role must be friend and comforter. She poured the water from the pitcher into the wash basin and carried the bowl and towel to the side of the Empress's bed. She laid it down on the stand and sat on the side as she had before.

She opened her mouth, but could think of nothing appropriate to call her. She was not acting like the ruler of a country, but she still was one. Instead she simply touched her shoulders and whispered gently, “There now, my dear,” as she would to the children. “All will be well.”

“Amazon?” she whispered.

“Yes,” she said softly. “Now, dry those tears and we will get you cleaned up.”

“You should not see me like this,” she said.

“I am to be with you always,” Pandora said, “I will see you at your best and your worst. This is between the two of us, though I would gratefully castrate your husband for what he has done to you.” She pulled back the sheets and felt a sudden burst of heat escape and strike her face. She winced back.

“Is it so terrible?” Erista asked.

“It was just hot,” Pandora explained. “Are you all right?”

“He was very rough with me,” she said. “He has never been gentle. But this was brutal.”

“Did he strike you?” Pandora asked with a frown.

“Not where others could see it,” she said, “And no place that would harm a child.”

“That leaves him rather limited,” Pandora said and cleaned the young woman gently. She flinched away at first, but then relaxed. “Should I have stopped him?”

“No, he would have had you executed and beat me even more afterward,” she said. “He is an evil man.”

Pandora agreed but did not respond as she desired, “It is dangerous to say such things. He could have someone listening in on us.”

“I am so tired, Amazon,” Erista said.

“Then sleep,” Pandora said and started to move away. A cold, clammy hand stopped her. Erista's fingers were tiny, delicate things, just like Serene's.

“Just between us, yes?” she asked.

Pandora nodded. “Just between us.”

“Would you have breakfast with me? I know it is against protecol, but I like you, Amazon, and I so want a friend.”

“Your wish is my command.”

“Do not say that!” she said desperately. “No, I want you to be my friend, because you want it, not because I'm...your goal in life, but because of me.”

Pandora hoped that her expression was not too sad. She did not want the Empress to think that she pitied her. It could not be helped though. As far as pitiful went, Erista was it. “I do like you, too, and it pains me to see you suffer. I will not slack on protecting you though. My hands and feet are always at your service.”

“Do you ride?” she asked.

“I have not in years,” Pandora admitted. “But I suppose it is much like anything else.”
“We should go for a ride. Perhaps you play cards?”

“I have not in years.”

“You have been living in primitive society, haven't you?”

“Oh, far worse. I have not been living in society.” Pandora wiped away what was left of Erista's tears. “You should sleep. You will need your strength.”

“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?”

“I will be with you all night,” Pandora promised.

“No,” she said with a shake of her head. Her disheveled hair clung to the pillows and made Pandora smile. “I want you to stay right there. It brings me comfort. Will you?”

“Certainly,” she agreed. And she did.

Erista fell asleep shortly after and Pandora made sure to tuck her in nicely. It was a comforting action and one she missed. She almost leaned down to kiss her forehead as she would with the children, but stopped herself and sighed.

The door to the room opened and Pandora looked back and frowned. Matiline was glaring at her from the door. She was wearing a plain white shirt and a pair of black trousers. It was a bit rumpled and made her look washed out even in the dim light.

“I need to speak with you outside,” she said quietly.

Pandora did not want to risk waking up her charge, so she stood and walked away. Before she left the room she glanced back to make sure that she was still soundly sleeping. She quietly shut the door and turned to Matiline just to see a fist come flying at her face. She instinctively bent on her side out of the way, but it grazed her ear and it smarted. Her fist hit the door with a loud thunk and she pulled back her hand and shook it as if it would force the pain out.

Topaz was on his feet and growling at her but Pandora ordered him to stand down. Matline was still glaring at her. “If you woke her up.”

“I didn't,” Pandora said quietly. “If she wakes it is your fault.” She shook her head and felt her eyes water. “You will not try and strike me again or I will make you regret it.”
“I am the captain.”

“I don't care,” Pandora told her. “People do not strike me without consequences, and there will be consequences if you try and hurt me again.”

“And what about that damn dog.”

“If you manage to survive your attempt I will gut you,” Pandora told her with the scariest smile she could muster. “Go back to your room.”

“You are not to get comfortable with her,” she hissed.

“And why not? You will not be a friend to her. Someone must be.” Pandora calmly straightened her uniform. “She wants my friendship, and I will not deny her. She is lonely and so am I. She offers me the joy of her companionship and I will not tell her no and break her heart.”

“You are a fool,” she hissed. “You will only cause yourself pain.” She massaged her wrist and flexed her fingers. “Mark my words you will.”

“Go back to bed, Matiline,” Pandora said again.

“This is not over.”

“It is tonight. Now go to bed.”

“It is not over until I say it is over,” she said with deadly quietness, but she hesitated when she started for Pandora. Pandora stared at her blankly. It only made her face turn red. “You will not get involved. No one is to get involved.”

“You forget yourself, Matiline. We are more than her body guards. We're supposed to be the people she can trust in all things.” Pandora shook her head. “Go to bed and let me complete my shift in peace.”

“Do you think you can stop it?” she asked, her hand still trying to work away the pain.

“Stop what?”

“The rapes,” she said and her eyes were wide now. “The rapes will continue. They'll continue until you're insane and he'll come to you.”

“What?” Pandora asked, genuinely at a loss.

“You heard it. I woke up because of it. I woke up because of her screams and crying. There is nothing we can do to stop it. None of us can stop it. It will drive us all crazy to care. It will.”

“You are already crazy,” Pandora told her sadly. “Go to sleep and do not let things trouble you.”

“It is not that simple,” she said. “It never will be. He raped her, and she was a true Empress. She was everything fair and graceful. She was lovely and divine, and he drove her to her death and I could not stop it. Do not love her. She will do the same.”

“Matiline...”

“Don't,” she said. “Just... don't.” The woman drew her hand close to her chest and left her to quietly brood over what had just occurred.

Chapter 4.1

Heir Making
Erista

She watched Earnest sullenly for a long time. He watched the door until he fell asleep and every time it opened he looked up. The look of disappointment in his eyes was almost enough to make her want to cry. He missed his mistress. She wondered what made him choose her to be his human.

“Your Majesty, don't you think he should go to the kennel?”

“No,” she said, “Such a noble creature does not belong in the kennels with the beasts.” She fiddled with the gold chain around her neck. There was something about him that was almost human.

“Why does he pine so?” her lady in waiting asked.

“He must love her more than life itself. He has hardly eaten anything,” another one said. She did not pay enough attention to know who was speaking. She agreed though. He must love her more than anything.

“It is getting late, Your Majesty,” Matiline said.

“I will retire in a moment,” she said and continued to watch the lonely hound. She could relate in some ways, but in others she could not. He knew what he wanted. He knew who he wanted. Surrounded by all these people Erista felt alone, and how no one to want to keep her company. She did not trust her ladies in waiting and she could not talk to the guardians who thought their their only function in life was to make certain no harm came to her person.

The door opened again and he lifted his head up once more. When he started to struggle to get to his feet on the stone she looked to see who it was. Amazon was standing there in a uniform that looked too big and too old to have ever been hers. She raised up her hand and the hound stopped dead. His brown eyes were devastated.

“Oh, do not be silly,” Erista said. “Let him go to you. He has desired nothing but your company since you parted with him.”

The hound bounded over to her and she knelt down and wrapped her arms around him as a mother would her child. She whispered gently to him, but she could not hear the words. He licked her face and pushed his face away but smiled.

That smile was like a pink flower to someone whose eyes were starved for color. It was subtle, but it was earnest with love and affection. She wished someone would smile about her like that.
“Enough of that, Amazon,” Matiline said sharply. In the short time that Erista was Empress Matiline never showed so much life. It was a shame that disgust and jealousy were the only things she knew how to feel.

“No,” Erista said sharply and then quickly changed her tone. “I like watching this. It...is so unlike what I am allowed to experience.”

That caught Amazon's attention. Her focus went from the squirming hound to the Empress. Her expression was...intense. At first it appeared to be blank and disciplined, but then the light caught the wetness that gathered. Her lips trembled faintly in the fire light, but Erista could see it.

The hound's attention turned to her too and he left Amazon's embrace and went to Erista. He put his head on her lap and the women around her gasped at the audacity, but Erista touched his head and then bent over and embraced it with all the love and affection she could muster. She thought she could cry, but she pulled herself together.

“Ladies, please prepare my bed for me,” she said and the women filed out. “Matiline, you are dismissed for the evening.”

Matiline looked rebellious at the idea of being “dismissed,” but she bowed down low and backed out of the room.

“Amazon,” Erista said slowly, tasting the name in her mouth. “You are blessed to have such a companion.”

“I do miss him,” she said. “I have been confined to my quarters except for when I guard you and when I go to meals.”

“That is awful. Whatever for?” she asked.

“Matiline said it was to be so. Therefore it is,” she said. “I can not go against my superiors.”

“No, you cannot,” she agreed. “Well, you may come and visit me whenever you wish to. I would not have you go mad in the broom closet I am sure they put you in.”

“I would be honored to be in your company,” Amazon said.

“You seem as though you want to say something. You may speak freely with me.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” Amazon said with a bow of her head. “I was just wondering why you are so lonely when you are surrounded by those that love you most.”

“Oh, I do not think they love me,” she said. “I think they despise me.”

“That is not possible,” she said so earnestly that it too the young empress aback. “You are everything we were raised to live for.”

“Perhaps that makes them resent me.” Erista sighed. “Come, get off of the floor and sit next to me. You must be lonely after so long in a room without any human contact.”

Amazon shrugged as she sat down. Her attention was entirely focused on Erista. “I would rather be entirely by myself than surrounded by people that do not want me around.”

“I feel the same way. I know that they do not love me or want me. I am a title, or perhaps the body attached to the title.” She sighed. “Do you understand what I am trying to say?”

Amazon nodded and licked her lips. “There are many things they seem to have forgotten about their duties to you, Your Majesty.”

“What do you mean?” Erista asked curiously. She was eager for whatever Amazon had to say. Her company in such a short time was turning into an addictive thing. She felt herself suffering from withdraws at the thought of her leaving.

“We are supposed to be your closest friends and supporters. They focus so much on us being able to protect you, that many forget our other duties and simply focus on what they understand best. We were not permitted to have friendships with one another. It was understood that we would have to kill each other in the end. It was the only way.”

“Did you ever fear you were going to die?”

“If I felt I was inadequate I would not have come. I have come close to dieing many times, and death does not scare me. It seems incapable of catching me anyhow.”

“Are you running from it?”

“No, I simply saunter along as I please, but it seems to be racing for me.” She laughed nervously. “I should not bore your majesty.”

“No, it is fascinating. No one has told me their story before,” she said.

“I do not think you could think anything other than pity for us if you knew it,” she said honestly. “We do not desire pity, and the chance to be understood by our mistress is not worth the pity that may occur.”

“That is so... sad.”

Amazon shrugged. “Our fate is no worse than yours, Your Majesty. You have been bartered off to be in this position. Our fates are similar. To pity one another is to accomplish nothing.”

“Why are you so much wiser than the others?”

Amazon opened her mouth to speak, but the ladies came to tell her that her bed was ready and Amazon withdrew. Earnest licked her hand affectionately and backed away as well.

The yearning to stay in Amazon's company almost made her feel sick. She did not want to enter the white room that imprisoned her again. She rose and Pandora positioned herself behind the Empress and followed her inside.

“Everyone but my guards outside, please,” she said. “You may enjoy what is left of your evening,” she said. The women suppressed their smiled and curtsied and left. Amazon closed the door and situated herself next to it. Earnest sat next to her and leaned heavily against her leg. Amazon reached down at touched his head affectionately and he closed his eyes.

“Will you talk to me for a bit longer?” Erista blurted out. Her own voice surprised her and made her jump.

“Certainly,” Amazon said. “But perhaps you should get into bed.”

Erista nodded and sat down on the sheets where the ladies had pulled it back. Before she could pull back the sheets Amazon was there pulling them over her. She sat down next to her on the bed and situated the quilt and sheets. Erista smiled at her and Amazon smiled back.

“I like you, Amazon,” she said.

Amazon looked away and then looked back. “Your Majesty, this weighs heavily on me, and I would understand if you wanted to dismiss me because of it.”

“What is it?” Erista asked, her heart beat all but stopped.

“I did not complete my training as a guardian.”

Erista blinked. “Will this stop you from doing your duty by me?”

Amazon shook her head. “It is more than that though,” she said.

“What is it?”

“My mother disowned me because I did something that displeased her and I left the city at a very young age. I have had quite an adventure...but anything that I tell you I hope you will keep between the two of us. I do not want the other guardians to know what I have done in my life. I do not believe that they would understand.”

Her breath slowed. Everything seemed to stop. She had no idea what her face looked like, but she could feel her eyebrows twitching and her lips drawing more and more into a pucker. Amazon looked away from her.

“Why did you leave the city?” she asked.

“Do you know what happens to children if they stay in the city with no home?” she asked. “It was hard enough for me that my mother lost our family name, and then to be disowned by her was scandalous.” Amazon sighed. “So I left and lived in the wild after a time...but that was only after I discovered that a person such as myself could never be accepted into any society.”

“Why is that?” Erista asked. How anyone could dislike someone like Amazon escaped her. She was a captivating mystery.

“I did not want to become some thug or a...prostitute or both. I learned how to survive on the land and taught myself what I could. I learned how to kill things with my bare hands. I was never good with weapons anyway. I met a lot of people though and learned many languages along the way.”

“Oh? Who all did you meet?” she asked and leaned forward.

“I was in the underdark for a time and I met the elves and dragons there. I also met a race of lizard people. They were scary and I could not communicate with them, but thankfully they worshiped a dragon that helped me out of a sticky situation. All together, they were not so bad as people might think. A little smelly, but they were kind and I missed them when I left.”

“Dragons?” Erista said. She barely heard what was said after that.

“Yes,” Amazon said with a nod. “They are a fascinating people, but they are very warlike. They breed too fast and live far too long. They would rather die in battle than live forever. I suppose that is their only choice.”

“I would love to meet a dragon,” Erista said and then the door opened and she threw her gaze to it. Her husband stood there in his night gown and fur lined robe. He looked like he meant business. Amazon looked at him more slowly. She could hear a dog growling.

“Get out,” Vandon said sharply. Erista looked at Amazon who looked at her and then darted her eyes in the direction of her husband.

Erista nodded to her guardian felt her weight lift off of the bed. She patted her leg and the hound followed after her. Amazon was careful not to look at the Emperor as she bowed out of the room. The hound, however, snarled at him with bare teeth as he stalked away.

The expression on Vandon's face as he watched Amazon made her insides go cold. “And to what, my lord husband, do I owe this unexpected surprise?”

“I have come to father an heir out of her belly,” he said, and shut the door.

Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2
A Job Well Done
Pandora

Pandora never did like killing. There was no joy in it. She loved the fighting. She lived for the thrill and the rush. She loved the pain—the feeling. She hated the death. She had killed one and seriously maimed another. Neither was her desire, but she had to do something. It was all part of the plan.

Once out of the sight of everyone she began to tremble. Her stomach felt as though it was about to empty its limited contents onto the floors of the palace. The entire situation made her feel sick.

She looked down at the ring on her finger. It was a simple enough gold band. The fact that her cousin could tell what it was astounded Pandora, but then Serene was always good at magic. It was a simple charm that gave her different hair and eyes. Serene swore it even made her nose look a little different. Topaz did not agree.

Pandora took a deep breath and composed herself. She had come too far now to break down and ruin everything. She knew it was hard for Serene to watch her fight such an unfair duel, but there was little either of them could do about it. Serene took it far better than Pandora would have if the situation was reversed.

The thought of what Serene being in danger did to her made her fists clenched. Pandora turned into a murderer when her cousin was in danger. She could feel the residue of it when she came back to her senses. She killed without thought and did so with efficiency. At least she could do very little torturing while in such a state.

“Mistress Amazon,” someone said from the entrance to the room. “Her Majesty's tailor will see you now for your fitting.”

Pandora nodded and followed the man into the other room. The Tailor was a short man who was decidedly pudgy, but he had thin and nimble fingers. He had to tilt his head up to look at Pandora's face.

“Amazon, I presume,” he said said with a snort. “Well, you are a tall one, and a bit scrawny compared to most of them.”

“Scrawny?” Pandora asked, perplexed. She never would describe herself as scrawny. Serene, yes, but herself? Never.

“Yes, you have... this look of hunger to you.” He grabbed her arm and then slid his hand around her wrist. His thumb and forefinger touched each other without straining or pinching. “It is subtle, but it is there.” He tsked. “I wonder how long that will last, but for now I will make you look imposing--scrawny or not.”

Pandora looked at her wrist and frowned. “I am not scrawny.”

“No?” he asked. “Well, look at the others. They're well fed fighting machines, they are. You look like they threw you in the wild and made you fend for yourself.”

Pandora's lips twitched as she bit back a comment. She had been in the wild, fending for herself and others. She reflexively reached up to touch her hair. It was as clean as it could be after a fight.

“All the guards for Her Majesty wear black with silver trim,” he said, “But then you knew that being raised in the culture your whole life. Pity, I bet you would have made an excellent soldier.”

“Women are not allowed in the army,” Pandora said, “And it is my duty to serve the Empress, not the whole empire.”

“But you do serve the whole Empire when you serve her. She is, after all, the most loved jewel in the land.” He chuckled. “She does none of the work that they hate, and gets to pass out alms and organized charity dinners and encourage help for the poor. Though, she has not done any of that in great quantities yet.” He tittered and unrolled some of his tape. “Hold this for me right there.”
Pandora pinched the measuring devise between her thumb and forefinger and pressed it hard against her shoulder. He shook his head and pulled it away so that it was parallel and told her to hold it just so. He made quick work of her measurements and showed no compunction about sticking his hands close to her private areas as he did so. Pandora tried to ignore it, but she wanted to punch him in the face every time he got close.

“Never met one as tense as you either,” he said warily. “What was your name again, girl?”

“Amazon,” she said. “And not all women who go through that ordeal are the same,” she said. “Some are stronger and come out that way. Others come out as abused husks. You have no idea what they do or make us do. So mind your tongue, manners, and business and I'll mind mine.”

“Snippy,” he said. “I was just making conversation.”

“I know what you were insinuating, sir. I am no fool.”

“Certainly. I did not mean to offend.”

“Are we done here?”

He nodded and Pandora turned sharply on her heel and left without even a terse goodbye.
Her heart was pounding and her breath was short. She could feel her nostrils flaring and she tried to calm herself. Guardians were not supposed become angry over something so trivial as what the tailor was saying, even if he was insinuating that she was a liar. What was worse, is that she really was.

Pandora had no idea what was supposed to come of her now. Her training was not complete. She was trained in courtly graces. She knew what was expected of her and what certain things meant, but she had no idea where she was supposed to go between the time that she was accepted into the Empress's service and she had her uniform. Was she supposed to stay away? Was she supposed to act as guardian anyway.

“Oh, there you are,” a woman said behind her with disdain. “Stop dawdling at the window and come with me.”

Pandora turned to the woman and fixed her with a cool stare. The woman looked back. She had a distinguished not on her shoulder. She was the guardian lead, and Pandora knew that she had it out for Amazon.

They stared one another down, but Pandora broke the contact when it seemed appropriate. There was no point in upsetting the power balance just yet. The guardian gave a satisfied nod and then turned away from Pandora. She followed after obediently.

“You will not speak to Her Majesty unless spoken to. You will watch over her while she sleeps until I say otherwise. Until you have my permission you will stay in your quarters when you are not at breakfast, lunch, or dinner or watching Her Majesty. If you are caught sleeping while on watch you will be flogged and dismissed. Am I clear?”

“Yes,” Pandora said tonelessly.

“Good.” She led her down a series of stairs and into a darkened hallway. She stopped at the third down to the left and opened it. “You will stay here until further notice,” she said and pushed it open. It was little more than a broom closet, but there was a bed. Her pack of belongings were on it strewn about haphazardly.

“You are a vain little thing, aren't you?” she asked. “This is the first time I've seen a mirror in one of my girl's packs.”

Pandora took a step inside of the room and the guardian slammed the door shut, leaving Pandora in utter darkness. She took two steps toward the bed and then groped for her light crystal. Her hand hit the mirror and then crashed into the small crystal. She picked it up and rubbed it between her hands. It started to dimly glow and then the light began to pour into the room from between her fingers. She set it on the post of the bed and sighed.

There was a small dresser and a tiny night stand. Pandora sighed heavily and moved the light from the top of the post onto the night stand. It seemed more appropriate to put a light there than to have it teetering on a pole of wood. She set the mirror beside it and folded her clothing and put it away.

There was a small necklace made of braided plant stems hidden in one of the pockets. She pulled it out and fingered it gently. Three river stones were trapped into the braids. They were green, smooth things of simplicity. Emerald, her dear sweet child, made it for herself, originally, but gave it to Pandora to remember her by. It made her feel lonely and fulfilled all at the same time. She wanted to be home with her children, but she made a promise.

Pandora tried to always keep her promises. There are times she failed, but she had promised to avenge her uncle's murder and betrayal. Her cousin's emotional investment was too great to ignore.

The guardians acted against Pandora since they had seen her. The blond hair was probably a bit much. She touched it thoughtfully. It set her apart from them, and apparently they were disgusted or threatened by it. Perhaps they were wary of her because of it. There were no laws or edicts against guardians having any color other than brown, but it always seemed that those who looked more memorable were always frowned upon.

The silence settled around Pandora and rang in her ears. Silence was a strange and unfamiliar thing for a girl who grew up in the busy bustling of a city or the clanking of a training yard. The valley she lived in was never silent either. Between the children and the beasts there was always some noise. Now she could not even hear the servants.

Before the sensation of total isolation could consume her she heard the mirror's subtle music. It was brief and quiet, but after so long with no noise it was startling. She felt her heart leap up and the muscles of her body attempt to leave her bones behind. She snatched at the mirror and shot up into a seated position.

“Serene?”

“Who else?” she asked with a nervous laugh and then her image glanced around uneasily. “I don't know how much time I have,” she said. “Are you all right?”

“Well, the guardians have it out for me,” Pandora said.

Serene began to chew on her lower lip, but the paint on it was apparently unpleasant. She made a face of disgust and then sighed. “That could be a good thing or a bad thing,” she mulled over aloud. “You can work it to your advantage if the Empress likes you.”

“Maybe,” Pandora said. “I have a bad feeling about all of this.”

“Well, you just have to watch her and make sure she is safe,” Serene said. “She is not a part of this, and I don't want her caught up in it.”

“So you like her?”

“I think she's too innocent,” Serene said. “I don't even remember what it was like to be innocent.”

“Well, you were raised by a thief,” Pandora reminded her gently.

Serene smiled faintly and then nodded. It was a moment before she could speak. “You are right. Anyway, I'm sorry, Pandora, but... I have to be going very soon. Why weren't you at dinner?”

“What do you mean?” Pandora asked. “Someone is supposed to come get me.”

“What? No...” She closed her eyes and looked away, but Pandora could hear numbers echoing in her mind. “I can't do anything about this. Damn it.”

“It's all right. Someone will have to come for me if I'm going to watch the Empress tonight.” Pandora offered what she hoped to be a reassuring smile. “I just hope that Greg and the children are all right.”

“Greg will keep them in line. He's at least good at that,” she said. “They'll figure something out.”
Pandora nodded. Serene was right. Greg was good at keeping the children under control, at least when Topaz was not around. Star was absolutely in love with him and Rubio worshiped him. Emerald would do whatever she was told so long as it would not endanger her life or anyone else's. He also had a knack for helping them explore their powers.

“I miss them,” Pandora admitted.

“It is odd being away from them. For the last five years they've been our whole lives,” Serene said, but it was not all together true. Serene spent most of her time away from the valley. She originally left to find things that they could not get in the valley or from Grizzle, but she was usually gone more than she was home. After she found out that her father had been murdered as a display of power against them, she stole back her father's more valuable possessions. He had books and magical items that were worth more than his home and all the decorations in it.
For the most part they managed to get them back, but now it was time for vengeance.

“I love you, Pandora. I'll find time to talk to you later. When?”

“Oh, um... I'm going to be watching her during the night. I'm confined here for the most part.”
“I see,” Serene said and pressed her lips into a tight line. “I have to go,” she said with sudden anxiety and her image vanished. Pandora laid the mirror down and sighed.

She missed her family.

Pandora's stomach was grumbling by the time there was a knock on her door. She opened it to find a lower ranking guardian at the door. Her darkened face, by all noticeable features, impassive, but Pandora could feel disgust radiating from her. What gave her this insight, she could only guess, but it was there. It nagged at the center of her chest.

“You are not ready.”

“Ready?”

“To watch Her Majesty. Your hair is a mess and you are not dressed properly.”

“How am I supposed to dress?” Pandora asked.

“Like me.”

Pandora schooled herself with difficulty. Five years ago she could have easily slipped into a submissive roll, but it was challenging after so many years of leading a family to their survival. “I do not have a uniform yet.”

“That is hardly an excuse,” she said. “Come with me and I will lone you one of mind.”

It turned out that the tailor had been correct in his observations of Pandora's scrawniness. The uniform that was loaned to her was loose, faded, and tattered. The silver trim was frayed along the hems and there was a stain on the chest.

The nameless guardian tugged at the uniform and tried to bunch it together. “Did they not feed you at your school?” she asked.

“I was always satisfied,” Pandora replied.

The woman snorted. “Comb your hair quickly and we must be off. Matiline has it out for you.”
“Matiline?”

“You must be as stupid as you are despised,” she said flatly. “Matiline is the one in charge of us.”

“I see,” Pandora said. “It slipped my mind.”

“Well, you need to be sharper,” the woman said sharply. It took Pandora aback. “She did not want you to be a Guardian. She will get rid of you before you can get farther into the Empress's heart.” Her hand paused the the door latch. “I think she is jealous of you.”

Pandora stared at her impassively. “I am not worried.”

“I heard about what you did,” she said. “We were not trained to do that.”

Pandora's lips twitched as if to smile. “I have always been gifted in hand to hand,” she said. “I do not want to keep the Empress waiting.”

“Or course.” They walked the entire way without speaking. Everyone ignored them, but Pandora was still self conscious about the state of her borrowed uniform. She wanted to ask the guardian her name, but knew that there was no polite way to rise the question.

The door to the Empress's personal suite was extravagant, but the design of flowers and sunbursts were nothing compared to the portraits Topaz would carve into stone. She felt herself drifting into home sickness. Her heart ached suddenly to see the young dragon. Would he be in the kennel? She hoped not. A dragon should never be kept in the kennel no matter the circumstances.

The rich green carpet that decorated the floor provided an unfamiliar cushioning for Pandora's feet. It was thick and shifted under her steps. She took extra time to saver the experience and to gather a better understanding of the sensation. Her Uncle never had such extravagance. She decided that the decor was far more tasteful than her Uncle's had been too.

Warmth from a fire reached for her when the door was opened to permit her inside. When she entered she heard the jangling of metal and the scratching of claws. She looked to see Topaz scrambling to get up from the stone expanse around the fireplace. Before he bound toward her she rose her hand up to signal for him stay. The look in his eyes broke her heart.

Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1
The Guardians
Erista


Heat and pressure were powerful things. They could turn one type of stone into another over time. The more pressure and heat compounded on a substance the more dramatic the effect, but Erista was simply a woman. An inorganic substance had little to nothing to lose under such conditions, but Erista felt that she may lose her life if something did not change. The expensive silk was woven in such a way that it could not and would not breathe. Sweat gathered and dribbled with uncomfortable sloth down the crease in back.

It would be rude to move in an attempt to assuage her discomfort, so, as the royal woman she was, she stayed perfectly still and watched the match before her as stoically as she could manage. At first she did not know what to expect. The late Empress had left behind her guardians in her death. Now they protected Erista, but a few retired at their proper time and now they had to be replaced.

Empress Erista was not warned on what to expect. It was a shock to find out that her prospective guardians would kill one another, but her husband simply gripped her wrist and squeezed it tightly to keep her silent. None of her guardians came to her defense, and she felt her heart simmer in resentment.

Now she had to watch as pair after pair of young women tried to kill one another. Soon, she told herself, it would be over, and she could undress and lounge on her private balcony. An airy linen chemise would feel luxurious after her time spent in the summer heat. It would also ease her mind to be away from the man she was forced to marry. Her eyes cut sideways to watch him warily for a moment before turning back to the display of violence.

One of the young women caught the other in the belly and slashed right across. Bile rose up in Erista's throat as her innards pushed out of the gaping flesh. It was a heinous mess of blood and guts, but the young woman simply tried to push them back in with one hand and fight with the other. It was a clumsy endeavor compared to her previous performance. Her fluid motions were chopping and desperate. Her opponent simply side stepped out of her thrust and slammed down on her arm. The blade she had been using fell out of her weakened grip.

She died in her own desperate need to succeed. Erista could not understand what drove her to such lengths. Had she surrendered the waiting healers could have patched her up. They could have saved her. She bit down on the inside of her cheek.

Another pair were put before her. They bowed to her and then to the king and then to one another. Both of them were tall and sturdy. They squared off and then saluted one another. Erista noticed that one of them was blond. It then struck her that none of the guardians were ever blond, and none of them had any eye color other than brown. She furrowed her brow and then hastily smoothed it out. Frowning, even in thought, was unbecoming of an Empress watching people die for the right to die for her.

She suppressed a sigh and clasped her delicate, pale fingers together and rested them on her lap. They were almost startling on the deep red of her gown, but she always fancied that she looked good in the color.

The blond girl fascinated her. She moved with the grace of a predator as she and her opponent, Gretta (she thought it was), circled one another, but she seemed uncomfortable with the sword. The looked more like a dead weight in her hand than a weapon. Gretta was fluid and confident. Her blade was at the same perfect angle as the others. Her face was set with the grim determination to kill.

Gretta was the first to attack. The blond girl parried and stepped to the side. The sword slipped down a little too far, but it mattered little. She was not there to catch the blow. The blond's blade slid up with the hiss of metal rubbing against metal. It was so close that Erista could have sworn she cut Gretta, but there was no blood. The air whistled around the sharp edge as it arched up and the pummel was directed at Gretta's virtabrae.

But Gretta flowed from her hips out to the tips of her hair out of the way in one elegant motion and then attempted to kick the other woman out. She was too close and the momentum just was not there. The blond was only pushed back a couple of steps and a little unbalanced, but Gretta disrupted her own concept of center as well and hopped a couple of times until she too regained her control.

The two woman battled one another silently, but there was a special kind of goading between them. Gretta fought with perfection. Each position and each move was executed with grace, discipline and absolute perfection. Though the blond managed to hold off every attempt at her life she did so with the sloppy luck of instinct. It was only a matter of time before the blade was forced out of her grip and kicked out of the circle.

The result was as unexpected as the senseless death of the others. She smiled at Gretta. Her smile was terrifying and it sent chills down all the way down to Erista's finger tips and were followed with a constricting sensation in her muscles. Gretta faltered her in attack and the blond was on top her. She grappled Gretta in the blink of an eye and Gretta drew up her sword in an attempt to beat herself free with the pommel, but her chin was thrust up and to the side and she fell limp.

The healers knew that Gretta could still be alive and rushed into the circle as the blond contender slowly allowed her to slide down onto the floor. “She is dead,” Erista saw her mouth say. The healers confirmed this and the blond bowed to Erista with a face so unlike the others that it puzzled Erista. She wanted to stop her and to get a closer look. Is she sad? The Empress asked.

“A barbaric ritual,” the new bane of Empress Erista said on the other side of the Emperor's throne. “It should be abolished.”

“My dear Lily,” the Emperor said with a patience he never had with Erista, “It must be done for the happiness of the people. They expect their beloved Empress to be protected only by their best young women.” He was so affectionate with the mage that Erista felt her flesh heat up with unwelcome jealousy. If he showed as much concern for her as he did for his stupid High Mage, Erista might find a little happiness.

“But to have them die?”

“What else would you have them do?” he asked. “They failed their entire life. They have nothing left to live for.”

Erista's cheeks burned like fire.

“Shall we begin the next rounds, Your Majesty?” Guardian Matiline asked in her usual dead pan voice.

“Yes,” Erista said tightly, far more so than she had intended, “Certainly.”

“So be it,” Matiline said and signaled to the guardian on the ground.

“What do you think of them so far, Matiline?” Erista asked.

Matiline was silent for a moment, but Erista could hear her plodding along into the answer. “Most of them are find choices to protect your majesty,” she said, “But the last winner... I am... uncertain about her.”

“I think I like her,” Erista said. “I cannot place it.”

“She worries me,” Matiline said honestly, “I would strongly suggest dismissing her from your service if she succeeds.”

“I do not think I could,” Erista said. “It is her entire life, after all.”

“I do not know,” Matiline said slowly. The uncertainty was edging into her voice. “She is good to some extent, but she has not completed her training. I just know she has not.”

“How do you know?”

“It is not that I know, Your Majesty. It is simply that she does not act like the others. She stands out as the others do not.”

“You mean she has personality,” the High Mage, Lily, interrupted. “May the gods forbid it that someone should have personality. You are right, Matiline. Send her away. She'll surely kill her majesty in her sleep.”

“Do not be rude,” Erista's husband admonished his advisor mildly. “But I do agree, she should be sent away. I do not like your guards having personality. It is unseemly. My mother's never did, and neither did my late gentle wife. Personality is not good for body guards.”

Erista frowned faintly, but inclined her head in apparent agreement, but she continued to think about what it would be like to have the blond girl protect her. She was lonely, and she never felt more alone before—not even on her wedding night.

The blond girl was back. She reached to the guardian for a sword, but the guardian shook her head. They exchanged a few words cordially and the applicant nodded before entering the ring. Two swords were handed to the girl who followed. “The applicants for Her most lovely and glorious Majesty, the Empress Erista, guardian service stand before you as Marcia and Amazon.”
They bowed before the royal thrones and then to one another before the deadly circling began. Marcia attached first. Her swords moved threw the air to trap Amazon with no place to go, but the girl moved with the same fluidness that her dead opponent from before her used. Her short hair rose and fell as if she was under clear water and she moved like a dancer around and out of the way of the blades. She ducked, leaned, and rolled as if every movement was choreographed. She was always one step ahead of Marcia.

“Does she even try to fight?” Erista asked.

“It will not last much longer,” Matiline promised, unaware of Erista's rising anxiety. She did not want the blond woman to be cut to ribbons.

“Why is it, Guardian, that Marcia was given two swords and Amazon none?”“Because Amazon should not succeed,” Matiline said. “She needs to die and leave this calling to someone more worthy.”

“And who are to decide who is worthy?” Lily asked. “If you could look and see this process would not be needed.” Lily's voice tense and angry, but was nothing unusual as far as Erista knew her.

“Now, Lily,” Varan said reproachfully.

“My apologies, Your Majesty.”

“Please try to be more patient with our customs. I know they are new to you, so I will forgive you, but you just check your passion.”

“I do apologize, Your Majesty, I just wish that they would send her away rather than rip her to ribbons. It seems unfair to be so cruel to make her work so hard just to throw her away.”

“She is no more than a beast raised to be what she is,” he said. “Do not fret, my friend. Everything is well with the world.”

Erista held her tongue. The last thing she wanted to do was agree with Lily. She turned away to watch the women fight again, but the fight was over within a second her attention was focused back onto it. Both of Marcia's arms were broken and one of her legs was mangled beyond recognition. Erista grasped at the brutality of it all.

“And she is untouched,” Lily said. “Two swords and bare hands.” She snorted in disgust.
“She will fight the rest of them.”

“That hardly seems fair,” Lily said dryly. “Perhaps you should go fight her yourself to see if she is worthy of this task or not, or perhaps you hope to tire her out so that you can do so later?”
“Enough of this,” Erista said. “She has proven herself to me. Call her up.”

“Begging your pardon, Your Majesty, but--”

“No,” she said firmly. “Call her up to me or by the gods I will go down to her.”
Matline took a deep, restraining breath and then nodded. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

“As I wish,” she agreed under her breath.

“Amazon of the Nameless, I call you before Her Majesty's feet,” Matiline bellowed.
Amazon walked up the steps without question. She stopped half way to bow before the royal house and then knelt before the Empress. She bowed her head and kept her eyes schooled on Erista's feet.

“Amazon, do you know why I call you?”

“No, Your Majesty,” she said without even a glance upward.

“You have proven yourself excellent at combat with your hands, but before I continue, I must ask you why you lack so with weapons.”

“Weapons are unnatural things,” she said. “They slow movement and make her depend far too much on them. Hands and feet are natural weapons if one learns how to use them appropriately.”

“Do you believe you could defend me with no weapons, Amazon?” she asked.

“If I had to jump in front of a blade and be cleaved in two, I would protect you. My life was dedicated to the task since I was old enough to begin my training.”

“I hope that you never have to go to such measures, Amazon, but it would please me to have you be there should I be in need of it.”

“It would do me much honor, Your Majesty.”

“And it would please me to have you there.”

“Your Majesty, may I present you with a gift?”

“Certainly.”

Amazon stood and whistled. Erista glanced around, but when she looked back a gasp escaped her lips. There, beside her newest guardian was the most handsome royal hound that she had ever seen. “This is Ernest,” she said. “I cannot fully give him to you, because he is attached to me, but for as long as he lives or I am in your service he will serve you faithfully. He will love you and be your friend when you feel all have forsaken you.”

“Where did you get him?” Erista asked.

Amazon shrugged. “He came to me and would not leave. He is well trained through.”

She demonstrated several tricks and when they were done Erista held out her hand and he went to her. He sniffed her hand daintily before nuzzling it. She reached her hand over and patted him on the head. “Thank you, Amazon. A friend is just what I needed.”