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Authors: Robin Roseau
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sister."
"Please send me home."
"I wish I could," she said. "And should I also send home every other girl who was not thrilled to be here, or only the ones who put up the best fight? How easily do you think we will recruit the next time, if the girls know we send them home for being a brat?"
"You could do something you didn't do in Gallen's Cove," I suggested.
"We have tried a great deal in Gallen's Cove, but you may not be aware of everything we have tried."
"If I was not aware, then there is a great deal you could have tried you did not. Like, I don't know. Explain your need and ask."
"We did-"
"Then why did I not know of your need?" I asked. "Do you blame me for your lack of publicity?"
"Your council knew," Nori said.
Malora interjected, "We will not solve that problem today." She paused, looking into my eyes. "May I suggest there have been mistakes made on both sides, and there are problems yet to be resolved, but discussion on those can wait. Our most urgent decision is what to do about you." She cocked her head. "You have questions."
"Why do you need so many?" I asked.
"It is a wide frontier," the queen said. "And the demons have grown more bold in recent years."
I stared at her.
"We have had losses."
"Losses exceeding the numbers of recruits from the nearest villages," Nori said. "We cannot recruit more heavily, and places further west have refused to send recruits for years. We must reverse the trend."
I looked back and forth between them. "Do I have other options, than being your servant?"
"Companion," the queen said. "Please at least try saying the word."
"Fine. Servant. Slave. Companion. I haven't yet been impressed with the difference. Do I have other choices?"
"You may refuse me," she said. "I will do my best to not take it personally. I would offer you as companion to another."
"Who would want me?"
"I would," Nori said immediately.
I stared at her. "You can't be serious."
"Quite serious," she said. "The reason I knew Malora would be intrigued by you is because I was, and we have similar tastes."
"In bedmates?"
"In companions," she said. "You won't understand, but I cannot offer Malora what she needs, and I'm not talking sex. And she can't offer what I need. You can."
"Which is? Wait, it doesn't matter. You can't possibly be suggesting I am to voluntarily become the slave of the woman who to date has abused me. Perhaps you, Queen Malora, have not yet treated me so vilely, but to serve her?" I pointed my nose to Nori. "The suggestion is ridiculous. My answer is a resounding no."
Malora shook her head sadly. "Nori is a good woman and kind to her companions."
"I have personal experience otherwise, ample experience to suggest she would treat me exceedingly poorly. I believe she enjoyed mistreating me, and I believe she would continue to do so. She readily beat two innocent children for the crime of once having been my students, then lied about the reason. My answer is no."
Nori had the grace to look uncomfortable. Malora sigh ed and said, "There are others."
"Others who can handle me?" I asked. "Who won't treat me as badly as she did? I find that unlikely."
"There are others," the queen said. "If you and I are unable to reach agreement, then in a few days I would begin introducing you to other choices."
"And I would be caged until then?"
She nodded. "You asked a question a few minutes ago, then decided it doesn't matter. I believe it does matter."
She waited for me. "Fine. What is it I could offer that you need so badly?"
"Softness," the queen said. "A certain amount of innocence. A reason to fight. Someone to fight for."
Again I found myself staring. " You're trying to convince me the demons are real."
"Quite real," she said. "And they do not fight like men."
"Physically, they fight poorly," Nori said.
"For their size," the queen added.
"Quite," said Nori.
"Men can't stand against them."
"No," Nori said. "And it is not as if we are unaware of the fight in the mind."
"Nor are
"Please send me home."
"I wish I could," she said. "And should I also send home every other girl who was not thrilled to be here, or only the ones who put up the best fight? How easily do you think we will recruit the next time, if the girls know we send them home for being a brat?"
"You could do something you didn't do in Gallen's Cove," I suggested.
"We have tried a great deal in Gallen's Cove, but you may not be aware of everything we have tried."
"If I was not aware, then there is a great deal you could have tried you did not. Like, I don't know. Explain your need and ask."
"We did-"
"Then why did I not know of your need?" I asked. "Do you blame me for your lack of publicity?"
"Your council knew," Nori said.
Malora interjected, "We will not solve that problem today." She paused, looking into my eyes. "May I suggest there have been mistakes made on both sides, and there are problems yet to be resolved, but discussion on those can wait. Our most urgent decision is what to do about you." She cocked her head. "You have questions."
"Why do you need so many?" I asked.
"It is a wide frontier," the queen said. "And the demons have grown more bold in recent years."
I stared at her.
"We have had losses."
"Losses exceeding the numbers of recruits from the nearest villages," Nori said. "We cannot recruit more heavily, and places further west have refused to send recruits for years. We must reverse the trend."
I looked back and forth between them. "Do I have other options, than being your servant?"
"Companion," the queen said. "Please at least try saying the word."
"Fine. Servant. Slave. Companion. I haven't yet been impressed with the difference. Do I have other choices?"
"You may refuse me," she said. "I will do my best to not take it personally. I would offer you as companion to another."
"Who would want me?"
"I would," Nori said immediately.
I stared at her. "You can't be serious."
"Quite serious," she said. "The reason I knew Malora would be intrigued by you is because I was, and we have similar tastes."
"In bedmates?"
"In companions," she said. "You won't understand, but I cannot offer Malora what she needs, and I'm not talking sex. And she can't offer what I need. You can."
"Which is? Wait, it doesn't matter. You can't possibly be suggesting I am to voluntarily become the slave of the woman who to date has abused me. Perhaps you, Queen Malora, have not yet treated me so vilely, but to serve her?" I pointed my nose to Nori. "The suggestion is ridiculous. My answer is a resounding no."
Malora shook her head sadly. "Nori is a good woman and kind to her companions."
"I have personal experience otherwise, ample experience to suggest she would treat me exceedingly poorly. I believe she enjoyed mistreating me, and I believe she would continue to do so. She readily beat two innocent children for the crime of once having been my students, then lied about the reason. My answer is no."
Nori had the grace to look uncomfortable. Malora sigh ed and said, "There are others."
"Others who can handle me?" I asked. "Who won't treat me as badly as she did? I find that unlikely."
"There are others," the queen said. "If you and I are unable to reach agreement, then in a few days I would begin introducing you to other choices."
"And I would be caged until then?"
She nodded. "You asked a question a few minutes ago, then decided it doesn't matter. I believe it does matter."
She waited for me. "Fine. What is it I could offer that you need so badly?"
"Softness," the queen said. "A certain amount of innocence. A reason to fight. Someone to fight for."
Again I found myself staring. " You're trying to convince me the demons are real."
"Quite real," she said. "And they do not fight like men."
"Physically, they fight poorly," Nori said.
"For their size," the queen added.
"Quite," said Nori.
"Men can't stand against them."
"No," Nori said. "And it is not as if we are unaware of the fight in the mind."
"Nor are
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