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Chapter Two-Death of a Princess

Then the Queen strolled into the Great Hall and smiled at her daughter.

"Yocasta, where is my jester? I feel in need of amusement."

"Your jester is amusing the guards, they deserve a laugh once in a while. It is said that the court of King Mendar has plenty of jesters and I intend that you will enjoy their company, and be a Queen in your own right, as his wife."

Chrysta frowned. "Surely you're not serious? The man is over fifty years old and I'm only twenty. And there are dark rumours of the way he treats women, and that the death of his last two wives were not accidents, but murder."

"I am serious. The State Wedding has been arranged and will happen in three days time."

"Where is my jester? I don't care if he's keeping the guards happy, I need him NOW!" Chrysta's voice rose to a scream.

"Your jester is in my torture room undergoing the punishment for High Treason! Don't think I don't know all about your secret love affair with a man far beneath you in rank, a man who was not even a noble."

"How could you, mother?"

Chrysta ran as fast as she could from the room and down flight after flight of twisting stairs until she reached the torture room, just in time to see the dead body of Thaddeus, it's limbs smashed and broken, naked and covered in cuts and blood, as the torturers threw it into the castle moat. She broke down in tears, grabbed a dagger from a selection of torture tools and ran at the Royal Torturers screaming at them. At the sight of the Princess they backed away and she flung herself out of the window, stabbing herself through the heart as she fell. The castle guards hurried to the scene but by the time they pulled her out she was dead. As her body was cleaned and taken to her bedroom the Court officials began to argue over who would tell the Queen of the dreadful news.

The Lord Chancellor and the General of the Guards, the two most important and trusted royal ministers, strode up to the Queen dressed all in their formal black mourning wear. "Your Majesty," said the General,"your daughter has been pulled from the moat, dead."

"Dead of exhaustion, I assume that's what you mean. Lead the way to where she is."

The Queen came to where the body of her daughter lay on her bed. Her daughter's face had lost all it's colour by now. The Queen gently opened her daughter's glassy eyes, prodded the wound in her chest and said "I told her that there were fish in the moat that bit people. Let her sleep until tomorrow and then I want to see her."

When she had gone the Captain of the Guards said quietly "What do we do now? She's in denial."

"Get the body embalmed and buried in the Royal Tombs as quickly as possible," said the Chancellor. I will think of something. I don't want to end my life in the Queen's torture chamber."

Chapter Four-Amber the actress


Queen Yocasta took Amber's hands in hers and began kissing her forehead over and over again. "Poor you, the bite from that nasty Vindscreen Viper must have really hurt you. You're still shaking from it's effects."

Amber forced her voice into a range slightly lower then normal so that she would sound like Chrysta when she spoke. "Mother,I thought I was going to die that day. Please, please don't marry me off to that Prince Mendar, not if you truly love me. I'm your only child, I need to be by your side to learn how to..." Her voice trailed off.

The Queen finished the sentence. "Rule when I am gone. You're right. You've also faced enough horrors already. I won't marry you off to him. Rest now. Tomorrow we will meet again."

The days passed and Amber gradually lost her fear of the Queen and basked in her love. She welcomed the kisses that the Queen gave her and began to act arrogantly to those beneath her in rank. One day when she got a mosquito bite on her arm she scratched the itch instead of leaving it alone like Chrysta would have done, using a bracelet to cover the wound whilst cleaning the scab off each night. She began to be arrogant and surrounded herself with trusted bodyguards whilst alone. As she lost her fear little bits of her old posture crept back into her movements and she no longer acted exactly like Chrysta. She started to give advice at the meetings of the Royal Privy Council more often. She also began to talk with Grand Duke Lariton secretly in his bedroom.

One morning she said "Your Majesty, my birthday is coming up and I wish for a special present. I ask for the Vandersil garrison to be withdrawn. I have had petitions arriving for many months complaining about cases of theft, assault and unlawful imprisonment without trial, and complaining that the taxes have been quadrupled. I ask that the city-state be set free."

The Queen frowned at her with a look that she had never seen before. "You were the one who told me that it would be a good idea to annex Vandersil in the first place, and you were right, our realm of Valermoore is very much richer because of it. We've even managed to lower our own taxes. As for complaining about unlawful imprisonment, we are not democrats and never have been. I suppose you'll want a written consitution next, and a Human Rights Act?? There are times when I wonder about you. I wish you to leave this room."

When Amber had left the Queen motioned to a couple of her spies. "Something is very wrong. Follow my daughter and write down every word she says that is worth recording. Something is strange about her but I can't put my finger on it. First, Amber supposingly goes back to her home city, then my daughter starts walking like her, and vanishing every now and then, and holding her political opinions. I want one of you to hide in Duke Lariton's room as he seems to be at the bottom of this mystery."
*******************

Amber rushed up to Duke Lariton and kissed his cheeks. "How am I doing, Father?"

"Quite well. She hasen't found out and that is all that really matters. I"m starting to think of her as a second mother, she is so kind to me. She loves me and I think I love her but I love you and our city more."

"Did you ask her to free our city as I told you?"

"I did and it made her really angry, like I've never seen her before. She said that it was my idea in the first place. I'd better go."

A while later the spy that had earlier hidden himself in the Duke's wardrobe was at last able to extracate himself and give his report to the Queen.

Chapter Six-Amber's Escape

Amber let out a scream. "Please don't hurt my father, and I promise that I'll be the best daughter of yours ever, I'll play the part to perfection, I'll..."

"Gag her," snapped the Queen, and a nearby torturer thrust a strip of cloth into Amber's mouth and tied it tightly, shutting off her protests. The Queen strode up to Grand Duke Lariton. "Tell me the truth and your daughter will not be executed for High Treason. All of it."

"It's the Chancellor's fault, your Majesty. When your daughter was plucked dead from the moat, he got me to agree that my daughter should take her place, for your sake, and in the hope that she could persuade you to let my kingdom go. Punish me if you must, but let my daughter live. She meant no harm."

"You lie. You took my daughter. Where is she?"

"In her royal tomb. Dead, but by her own hand."

The Queen thrust the poker that she held with all her might into Lariton's chest and watched him choke on his own blood until he died. She turned to Amber, who was sobbing and trying to scream through her gag. "Worthless wretch. I keep my promises, you will not be executed, but that does not mean that you will not die for your crime. You will be buried alive with your father outside the capital. Guards, take the body down and take Amber away. And I want the Chancellor arrested, stripped of his seal of office and his fine clothes, and placed in chains within this room until I decide if he should die or merely be locked up at my pleasure. Grand Duke Monter can be the new Chancellor. Another thing. I want my daughter found within two weeks or there will be a purge of my administration." And she strode out of the room.

Amber was dragged away with the body of her father, which was thrown into a large wooden coffin. The guards said nothing to her until they had left the city of Vallermoore. One of them took her gag out and held his finger to his lips. "I used to serve in your father's army. So did my friend here. We hate the Queen for what she has done so we'll set you free. If you can make it back to Vandersil, it may be that you could raise an army against the Queen and come back to take your revenge. If you do, remember that we set you free, and had no part in your father's murder."

The other guard undid her bonds and massaged her wrists and ankles. He gave her a small flask of water, a dagger and a small bag of coins. Amber forced herself to smile and kissed the body of her father on the forehead. "I will return Father, and avenge you, I promise." And she set off towards her home city.

**********************************
The Council had gathered together. "What shall we do?," asked Chancellor Montor. "The Princess is dead but we can't tell the Queen that, and if we attempt to put someone else in her place and she finds out, we shall all die and the entire Court could be at risk."

The President of Trade spoke up next. "We will make sure that she does not find out. I know of a woman who could turn even a farmer's daughter into a Princess. Dracia Elden is her name. We will use the guards who police the city to bring in non-noble girls for training."

"But what if one of the girls does not play her role right?," asked the Chancellor.

"Then she must die as a warning to the others."

Chapter Eight-The Knives Are Out

The guards dragged the body of Amy to the Royal Ovens. "Oi! What do you think you're doing? You can't burn dead bodies here or we'll all end up with disease, from the lowest gong-scourer to the Queen herself." It was the Chief Royal Cook who spoke, his hands on his hips, ignoring the fact that the guards were armed. "Throw the body into some unused dungeon cell instead." The guards looked at each other and then decided to do what he said. Having served for fifty years in the Royal Kitchen, progressing through the ranks from spit-boy to dogsbody to waiter to cook to Chief Royal Cook, he knew what he was talking about. This was his environment and the guards knew that they were outsiders within it. They scuttled out and dumped the body in the deepest darkest dungeon cell that they could find.

Before she was abducted and placed in Princess Training, Chrysta Two had been a farmer's daughter named Emma. She was shaking as they escorted her to her royal bed. "Don't worry Amy, I will avenge you," she whispered to herself. The next day she acted for several hours as she was expected to do, and then said aloud to the Queen "Mother, Dracia Eldren is plotting against you."

Queen Yocasta laughed out loud. "You do like playing the jester, don't you? Lady Eldren would never be a threat. Many people might be, but not her."

"But Mother..." Emma halted. If she explained what was going on and the Queen believed her, then she might be executed for taking part in High Treason, even though she had been forced to do it.

"No buts, I won't hear any more about the matter," said the Queen. "Lady Eldren, I'¢m sorry about my daughter. Chrysta, one more word about the subject and I'll send you to your bedroom." Emma saw the look in Lady Eldren's eyes and thought back to the agonised face of Amy after she had been stabbed to death. She decided to stay with the Queen, as nobody would dare to lay a finger on her whilst Queen Yocasta watched. For several hours she stayed with the Queen, knowing that the knives were literally out for her, and playing her role to perfection, even taking a perverse pride in it, knowing that the Queen loved her.

At last the Queen said to her, "The Foreign Minister of Karnivahl is coming to speak with me about a delicate matter of trade, and you can't come with me. I don't want to have to get into a war because you said the wrong thing at the wrong time. So run along now."

"Please let me come, I want to gain experience so that I can be more use to you."

Queen Yocasta shook her head. "No. I'll tell you all about it later, when I come back."

*When she comes back,* thought Emma *I'll be dead and my body will be rotting somewhere. And poor Olga who never did anything seriously wrong will be in my place. And the worst thing is that I was just beginning to love Yocasta-she loves me with a deep motherly love. *

She said "Mother, could you kiss me goodbye?"

The Queen planted a big warm kiss upon her forehead and left the room. Emma stared around expecting to feel a dagger blow at any moment, but none came. The hours passed and she began to relax. Then it was time for her to go to bed. She said to the guards outside her bedroom door Whatever happens, stay at your posts, even if the Lord Chancellor himself should call you away. I will see that you are rewarded well, I promise you."

It was not long before the Lord Chancellor was speaking with some very irate knife-wielding guards from the Princess Training School.

"Why are the guards still on duty? You said you'd call them away."

"They said that the Princess had ordered them not to move from their posts. You'll have to get crossbows and kill them as well. I will report them as deserters. Desertion happens occasionally despite the heavy penalties for it. You will be assigned to guard the Princess from now on."

The killers walked up to the guards who thought nothing of it as these were Guardsmen like themselves, and shot them at point blank range with crossbows that were meant for penetrating the armour of mounted knights. The chainmail armour of the guards had no chance against the arrows and the killers grabbed the dead bodies before they had time to hit the ground. For an hour they stood on guard duty and then crept in and stabbed Emma through the throat and heart. The three bodies were carried to the Princess Training School and laid in front of Olga, the next Princess to be.

"This girl dared to say that I was plotting against the Queen. Her guards have been replaced with more...trusted figures. Never think that you are not being watched, my dear. Every step you take, every move you make, every word you say, is known about by my spies. So you will play your part to perfection or you will die. Put all thoughts of your former life as Olga out of your head. Your sole reason for living now is to be Princess Chrysta and to keep the Queen happy. Get busy acting, or get busy dying."

Chapter Ten-Pirates!

The Swiftbolt was a ship well named. Captain Joshua Tibbs, at least, said that no ship had ever outrun her. And his crew had to admit that had been their experience, as well. In fact, the run-down vessel they were chasing now would be easy prey.

"Captain, are you sure this one's worth it? I mean, look at it. It's kind of pathetic."

The captain, who was a very short man (standing a full head lower than his shortest crewmember), smiled up at his navigator. "Jenya, lass, all ships are worth it. Word will spread, if nothing else."

Jenya suddenly grinned back and nodded. They were catching up. The captain and the mate were bellowing orders, preparing for boarding.
The other vessel tried to run, but they didn't even make it a chase. Grapples were thrown over, and pirates swarmed aboard. Jenya stayed away from the fighting, and made for the captain's quarters. She wanted his maps, and anything else of value in there. Behind her, she heard Handsome Jack laughing in his crazy manner as three sailors tried to rush him. She grinned; they'd have better luck taking Big Gus than Jack. He was a skinny man, but was like a demon once he got his sword unsheathed. She found the cabin with a minimum of incident, only being forced to shoot a sailor once. And by the time she had removed everything of value from the cabin, her crewmates had subdued the crew. Big Gus and Kajah were standing guard, and between the two, massed about the same as the sailors.

As Jenya carried her loot to the Swiftbolt, she caught sight of the main mast and frowned. A girl was tied to it, looking terrified. Setting her spoils down, Jenya went over to the sailors. "Which one of ya fools is the captain of this bucket?" The hands eagerly pointed him out, and he strenuously objected. "You'll want to be telling me why that poor girl is tied up like that?" He stammered some nonsense, tripping over his stories. Jenya sighed. "Hey, Gus. Squeeze this guy a little for me."

Big Gus smiled in his goofy way. "Okay, Ja." He picked the captain up easily, and applied a little pressure. The captain squealed."Now, tell me the truth, or I'll let Gus pop your head off." She was serious; it was messy, but effective. "We were going to pick up some extra money. She'd fetch a fine price in Collus."

Jenya swore impressively. In addition to a sailor's vocabulary, she'd also picked up a few other languages. Even Kajah looked a little stunned. "Slavers. I hate slavers. Gus, kindly take him to the railing and see how many times you can make him skip."

Big Gus nodded, and wound up for the throw. Gus was huge and very strong; when he hurled the captain overboard, the runt flew at least thirty meters before he touched water. Jenya counted; seven skips, a new record. "That was very good Gus. Better than ever before." He smiled happily, and then Jenya sent him back over to guard the rest of the sailors, who had gotten very quiet.

"Marcus, come gimme a hand here." Marcus, the first mate, wandered over. "Help me cut her loose."

What for?"

"So we can take her over to the Swiftbolt."

He raised an eyebrow. "The Captain said that we ain't supposed to be taking prisoners."

"I'll talk to him. But she ain't staying here." He shrugged, and pulled a knife to start cutting the ropes. Jenya pulled out her own, and moved to cut off the gag. The girl twitched fearfully. "Oh, stop it. If we were going to kill you, we'd have done it already. We wouldn't be wasting time cutting you loose." She settled down a little, and Jenya neatly sliced through the gag.

"Who...who are you people?"

"Pirates. I should think that would be obvious."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Well, partly because I take issue with slavery. Partly because you look to be of high birth, and maybe someone would be wanting you back enough to make it worth it."

The girl scowled, but said nothing. Just then, Marcus got the last of the ropes cut, and the girl nearly collapsed. "How long have you been tied up there?"

"Two days, I think."

Jenya shook her head. "She's gonna have to be carried. No way she can walk."

Marcus picked her up. "And what, exactly, do I tell the Captain?"

"Tell him I've got an idea that should net us a pretty price. I'll explain it to him."

Captain Tibbs looked at the girl doubtfully. She was sitting on the deck of the Swiftbolt, shivering. "What exactly you have in mind, lass?"

"Well, we found her, didn't we? Seems like we should be entitled to a finder's fee."

The Captain grinned. "We should at that. Yer a good girl, Jenya."

Jenya sat down next to the girl. "So you want to be telling us who you are, and where you're from?"

"My name is Amber. I'm from Vandersil. Please, I can get you money if you take me there."

"That is the general idea. You got any family, girl, that'll want you back?"

She was silent.

"Girl, you may as well accept the fact that we're
holding you for ransom. All things considered, you're still better off with us than your previous hosts." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "At least we're sending you home."

Amber sighed, then gave a name.

Jenya started. "Are you telling the truth, girl?"

"Yes. What good would it do me to lie?"

Jenya stared at her for a minute, then jumped up and let out a whoop. "All ships are worth it! Cap'n, you've gotta be a prophet or something."

He frowned. "Jenya, lass, I'm glad you're thrilled, but ye mind letting us in on the secret?"

"We're a shipload of rich bastards, that's what the secret is! This girl's gorramn royalty!"

"No fooling?"

"Hell, no!"

General riot ensued as the pirates cheered raucously. The Captain got a grip on himself and shouted, "Awright, ye over-loud sons of sea-dogs! Shaddup! Set a course for Vandersil Harbor! Someone take Her Highness down and lock her in the hold."

Jenya frowned again "Cap'n, with all due respect, I think locking her in my cabin is a better idea."

"Why?"

"This girl just spent two days tied to a mast. We don't want her family pissed at us. Besides, you know what we keep down there. And you also know that it would be nigh impossible to keep the hands out of the hold."
He considered for a minute. "Right you are, girl. We'll put her in your cabin. You can keep an eye on her."

Amber stayed locked in Jenya's cabin all day. There was nothing in it that would be useful, but there were books and things to keep her occupied. She was reading one when Jenya unlocked the door come nightfall.

"Here. Thought you might be hungry." - She handed Amber some food she had snagged earlier.

"Thank you." - And she proceeded to tear into it ravenously. When she paused for breath, she looked at Jenya. "Why did you ask that they lock me in here, instead of the hold?"

"Well, for starters, that's where we keep the powder and supplies, and it would just be a bad idea. Secondly, like I said, it would be near impossible to keep the hands out of there, and I think you'd be just as content to avoid the possible implications of that." - Jenya picked up a book. "Besides, I'm a pirate, and a damn good one, but that doesn't mean I'm a total bitch."

They were making good time to Vandersil.

Jenya was poring over her new charts, adding the information to her own, when she saw a flash of red. She looked up, and sighed. Amber was running down the deck, holding what appeared to be Handsome Jack's sword. Jenya stifled her irritation; Marcus knew better than to put him on guard duty for a pretty girl. It looked like Amber was heading for the longboats.

"Jenya, can I borrow your cutlass for a minute?" - Handsome Jack was heading the same direction, looking terribly embarrassed.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that our guest is apparently brandishing yours in a threatening manner at Kajah and Bill, would it?" - "Maybe." She handed him her sword. "Jack, I feel compelled to once again remind you that despite what the pretty captive says, she does not, in fact, want to sleep with you." -"You keep telling me that, but sooner or later I'll get lucky."

"Or you'll get dead. Don't hurt her; we don't want to be giving her family damaged goods.

"Hurt her? Ye gods, woman! Then I would have no chance at all!"

As he sped down the deck, she yelled after him, "You don't have any chance anyway!"

Jenya followed him and yelled at the girl. "You have three choices. You can fight until we kill you, or you might be lucky and get taken alive, in which case we'll tie you up again even tighter then your captors did, or you can surrender NOW and promise to be good, and we won't tie you up. Which is it to be?"

Amber shrugged and let the sword fall to the deck. "I keep my promises," said Jenya. "Men. Keep a close watch on her in case she tries something stupid."

Sadly, chapter 12 was lost, but it was about the freeing of Vandersil from it's occupiers.

Chapter Fourteen-Opening Chrysta's Grave

Queen Yocasta knew what was going on.At least, a part of her did.A part of her remembered the death of her daughter and knew that the girls presented to her every day were fake princesses. So she and a small group of trusted bodyguards, who had saved her life more then once as she was not a popular Queen and many wanted her dead, went to the marble Hall of the Dead where the dead Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses were buried in tombs of green marble. When she reached the tomb of
Princess Chrysta she said to the guards "Open it, I want to be with my real daughter again."

The guards looked at each other. Opening a royal tomb was technicly an offence that could get a person buried alive, but the penalty for disobeying a royal order was even worse,and besides, the Queen wanted them to open the tomb. So they pulled on the lid of the sarcoughagus until it grated open and a foul smell rose into the air. The Queen pulled out her daughter's embalmed body and kissed her cold, dry, dead forehead. "Chrysta, you've been asleep for so long that you were buried alive by mistake."

The once beautiful eyes of the princess were now clouded over in death and her veins were outlined in blue and green, the first signs of internal decay.

"We have to get you out of those horrible black funeral clothes that you were dressed in," said the Queen.

***

As soon as Amber's fleet of little boats had reached the coast of Valermoore, she had got her army marching as quickly as possible. If they dithered, at worst the Queen would concentrate her forces and wipe them out.At best there would be a long, drawn out civil war full of murders and rapes and all kinds of horrible things. Amber didn't want that. She wanted to get as close to the Queen as she could before she found out, fight one battle and win it, and then sort things out quickly without any further bloodshed.

Amber rode on horseback with her commanders beside her. Behind her the army that had in effect formed itself marched and sang.

We'll break right through Yocasta's line, hurrah,hurrah
We'll break right through Yocasta's line, hurrah,hurrah
We'll break right through Yocasta's line
We'll f**k the women and drink the wine
And we'll all do well when Amber comes marching home.

"I'm worried," she said. "It's true that a few small garrisons have joined our side, but sooner or later we'll be in a fight with the Queen's main army. The infantry of Yocasta are conscripts, but her heavy horse are volunteers and if we don't find a way to stop them they'll ride us down."

"Booby traps," said Mayor Auric. "Plugged wasp nests make good grenades.
Pit traps. Wooden spikes. Arrows. A trip rope twenty feet from our line. Dogs to scare horses, we have plenty of them, and everything we can throw. We can't stop their charge, but if we can blunt it enough we can take it. Then we charge before they can regroup,with our best troops on the flanks.As our centre gives ground, so our flanks will envelop them."

That evening the two great armies faced each other, but although both set plenty of sentries, neither was prepared for a night attack. Instead Queen Amber and Queen Yocasta both gave final speeches to those who would be risking their lives for them the next day.

"Why are we here?," asked Amber. "We are here because Queen Yocasta has occupied and looted our city, has kiddnapped people's daughters at random,and has become a greedy grasping bad ruler. If we lose the battle tomorrow she will have no mercy on us, you can be sure of that. If we win we can rebuild our lives and live them the way we want to."

Queen Yocasta, with the greenish body of her daughter propped up by her side, said to her army "Tomorrow we fight to deal with that traitor Amber. Sleep well, tomorrow we fight."

The next day she stood staring at Amber's army. "Chancellor Montor, send out the heavy horse."

"With respect, your Majesty, would it not be better to scout first...?"

"When I want your advice I'll ask for it. Send out the heavy horse,NOW!"

The Chancellor, who was wearing a full suit of plate armour, raised a trumpet to his mouth and blew three short sharp blasts and out rode the elete Vallamorian Heavy Horsemen in their red armour, their lances raised. They trotted, cantered, galloped, and ran straight into Amber's traps.

During the night a cable from the Swiftbolt had been streched over a part of the battlefield and Amber's men pulled it tight, causing the nearest horses to trip and throw their riders. Other horses tripped and fell over the fallen.
Sections of the line revealed long sharp spears that no horse would charge, dogs, that barked and scared the horses,or hurled wasp grenades...plugged wasp nests that stung the horses and made them throw their riders. Other horses fell down pits or trenches that had been quietly dug the night before and covered up. Where horsemen did break the line it opened to let them in, then closed so that they could be plucked from the saddle.And all the time people shot crossbow bolts at horses or threw stones at them.

When the charge collasped into confusion, Amber signaled the charge, and the two lines hacked and slashed and stabbed away at each other.In the centre Amber's army was weak and giving ground. On the flanks Yocasta's conscripts were faceing pirates, policemen and long-term Home Army men with the best weapons that Amber's army had.As Amber's center bent, the flanks enveloped Yocasta's army and forced it into a confused mass.On Amber's orders a gap was opened and those who wanted to flee could do. When a rainstorm started, Yocasta's infantry, many of which didn't really want to fight for her and were now soaked,started to flee in large numbers and Queen Yocasta retreated inside her city.

Amber rode as close to the walls as she dared. "People of Vallermoore, I know what's been happening to your daughters. I know Yocasta is not popular. If any of you really hate her guts, now is the time to get even."

At one of the gates a couple of gate guards, one of which had lost his daughter to the Princess Draft, and another who had seen his brother executed for desertion, took matters into their own hands and opened one of the smaller gates, allowing Amber's people inside.

The Queen turned to her Chancellor. "It's not too late for us to flee and gather a new army to complete the fight. I have many soldiers on garrison duty who were not involved in the battle." She turned to Princess Chysta's dead body and kissed it's dry cheek. "Don't worry, I won't let your birthright be stolen."

At that moment Chancellor Montor did what a lot of people had wanted to do at all levels of society for a very long time. He drew his sword and stabbed the Queen through the heart. "Raise the white flag!" he shouted. "I'm sure fair terms can be arranged."